by Nola Kane
The first time I stepped into Hooked On Books in Wildwood I was six years old and dressed up as Alice In Wonderland. That was my thing back then – any day that I didn’t have to go to school I’d be dressed up as some sort of fictional character. It was weird for me not to do so.
And oh what a wonderland it was for a kid like me, who’d never seen so many books at once! Books stocked from the floor to ceiling in every topic and shape and color imaginable. Hooked On Books soon became a Wildwood tradition. Every Saturday night before heading up to the boardwalk, my parents and I would drive up to Pacific Avenue and spend a half hour or so picking out reading for the week. I always left with at least four children’s books, and my mom and dad would frequently find something that suited their interests in fitness and gardening or music respectively, as well. Books that I couldn’t find in my house or at my school or at the library, I was always guaranteed to find here. And the incredibly helpful and book-savvy owners of the shop, Kieran and Jim, became our friends.
As the years have gone by, my interests in reading have grown and changed. From being a little tyke reading story book versions of Disney movies, to a fantasy-entranced preteen, from growing into a thriller seeking teenager collecting the works of Stephen King and Clive Barker, to a now slightly older teen devouring just about any book in sight, Hooked On Books has become the first destination for my family come summer. By the time May rolls in and their doors open, I can let loose every weekend and lose myself in the pages of a book wherever I go.
Eleven years ago, I first set foot in the bookstore. I sat amongst the bright yellow bookshelves full of kids books, my Alice dress gathered around my ankles, torn as to which four books out of hundreds that I could possibly read that week. . .a feeling that never really went away.
Now I am seventeen and I am proud to say that I work at the store that supplied and continues to supply me with endless hours of fascination and entertainment. These last three years that I’ve worked here I have never felt more fulfilled as I help out throughout the day putting up books, organizing the shelves, keeping them stocked and helping customers choose books. Occasionally I’ll hear a kid up front cheer as they find what they’re looking for. Every time I think of my first days visiting this place, and I smile.