Former grade school English teacher and Crystal Lake resident Susan Kelly remembers how magical books were for her growing up. Now she’s aiming to pass on that same feeling in her newly opened independent children’s bookstore in Fox River Grove.

Magical Forest Bookstore, located in the Stone Hill Shopping Center at 902 Route 22, opened in August. The whimsical store sells children’s books and toys while also hosting engaging programs like story times and dance parties.

“A bookstore has always been my dream, and Magical Forest is truly a reflection of my passion for stories and the power they hold,” Kelly said in a Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce news release. “I wanted to create a space where children and their families could experience the wonder of reading together, discover new favorites, and feel part of a community built around creativity and connection.”

The bookstore’s collection is specially curated by Kelly and includes her childhood favorites and memorable books she read to her son, now 20, when he was a child. Her selection has classics, new releases, dual-language and Spanish books.

Each is handpicked by Kelly to match a “certain vibe,” she said. For example, “The Lorax” is the only Dr. Seuss book she carries because of its significant environmental themes.

The store “is small so I have to be selective,” she said.

Customers can purchase books not found in the store on bookshop.org, and funds still go to support Magical Forest.

A variety of toys are also sold at the shop, from felted finger puppets to fidget gadgets. Everything, expect for a few items that require batteries, is low-tech. Baskets and tables are filled with toys for children to access easily when visiting. Some toys are created by artists from Kyiv, Ukraine, that Kelly bought from Etsy.

The idea for the store’s “magical forest” theme came to Kelly in the middle of the night, she said.

“Every good story happens in a forest,” she said.

That idea was solidified when Kelly went into All American Reclaim in Lake Barrington looking for furniture when she came across three large metal mushrooms that now anchor the store. Kelly’s bookstore is colorfully and whimsically decorated with paint in shades of yellow and green on the walls to mimic the feeling of walking through a forest. Plenty of children-sized seating is placed around to encourage families to stick around.

“I love when toddlers come in and immediately grab a toy or a book,” she said. “That’s exactly what I wanted.”

Kelly moved to Crystal Lake about two years ago after living along the Fox River in Wisconsin, where taught school. With her son off in college, it was the perfect time for her to start her own business.

“I was thinking for a long time how I could be my own boss,” she said.

Children’s literature was an easy decision. Growing up in Chicago, she was surrounded by books, as her dad worked for World Book Encyclopedia. Kelly said she has early memories of regularly visiting a local bookstore in a mall. One day, she was tucked away in a corner of the store reading when a worker had to kick her out after the mall was closed.

Ultimately, Kelly said she hopes to expand the store and sell fiction books for all ages. In the meantime, she’s looking into getting a bookshelf this winter to sell a small section for “grown-up fiction,” she said.

Kelly also has plans to start a YouTube channel where she’ll highlights books in her store and why they are special.

The focus on fiction will always remain at her bookstore to encourage that sense of imagination.

“Reading should be fun,” Kelly said. “I want this to be a fun, safe place to be.”