Parkville is getting an independent bookstore: ‘Books can take you anywhere’
A Kansas City native and journalist is opening an independent bookstore in downtown Parkville this weekend.
Lisa McCormick, an award-winning investigative journalist and children’s book author, is set to open up Typo’s Bookstore on Saturday. Named after her first rescue dog, Typo the Newshound, McCormick hopes to build community, expand children’s literacy and initiate conversation through her vast selection of children’s books, bestselling adult titles, literary-themed gifts and more.
“I think this is just, it’s so important to me for kids to learn how to read,” she said. “... The magic when you see a kid get a word and get that confidence, it’s phenomenal.”
The store’s book selection is majority children’s books that range from baby books to grade school. McCormick describes it as roughly 60% kids and 40% adult, adding that it can change depending on demand.
“Bookstores are a place where you have conversations, which leads to connections, which leads to community. And to do it in this community is so important,” she said.
Since building up the storefront at 109 Main St. earlier this spring, McCormick said she has felt very welcome by the locals.
“The response from people who are just thanking us, going, ‘oh, we need an independent bookstore,’ it’s humbling, and we’re so grateful,” she said. “ This is the joy of community to me that I talk about.”
She was also approached in the early days by Susan Buckles, a children’s literacy expert, and Andrea Johnson, marketing manager, who both wanted to buy into the business and be involved.
“I mean, like everyone else, I thought Parkville needed a bookstore for the 20 years that I’ve lived here,” Buckles said. “The Northland is not a complete book desert, but it’s pretty close.”
Besides Barnes & Noble on Barry Road, the other options for independent bookstores in the Northland are The Gilded Page and Steel’s Used Books. Both are on North Oak Trafficway.
“Literacy rates scare me right then they’re falling, so we hope we can get kids excited,” McCormick said.
McCormick got her journalistic start working for the Platte County Gazette, and studied at Park University, where she fell in love with downtown Parkville. Her father was an associate sports editor at The Kansas City Star, and her grandmother was part of the first graduating class of woman journalists at the University of Missouri.
In the late 2000s, McCormick began publishing children’s books, writing several about the supernatural, like big foot, alien abductions, haunted houses, the moth man, according to her website. She has had 16 books published in total.
Most recently journalistically, McCormick had been working in broadcast as an investigative producer at Fox 4 and then KSHB 41 until 2024 before switching to freelance work.
Leaving the news industry is never easy, but McCormick says she will continue to freelance and is excited about this new path and the ability to still connect with people and hear their stories in a new way.
Buckles, with her background working at the library, helped with sourcing what kinds of books children would engage with, like nonfiction about history and sports.
“Nonfiction books are phenomenal because it’s a good mix between a chapter book and a graphic novel,” she said. “There’s a lot of pictures, graphics, quick little snippets of things they’re learning.”
The hope is sparking children’s love for reading through nonfiction and quick lit (also known as early chapter books).
“Where else but the bookstore can you walk in and go to outer space or go visit a dinosaur or go meet a football hero?” McCormick said. “These books can take you anywhere.”
McCormick has booked several authors already for events at the bookshop, including local author Angela Cervantes, who has written three books for American Girl.
“She has a new book out that, called ‘The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy,’ which will be perfect, so getting it all set for that,” McCormick said.
Along with author visits, McCormick envisions other events like writing workshops and hosting baby showers. She has also built up relationships with the Mid-Continent Public Library, as well as local businesses, to be involved with the book selection.
In the cookbook section, for example, McCormick reached out to the restaurant chefs, bakers and coffee shops in downtown Parkville for books about their craft that inspired them, and will include cards on the shelf called shelf talkers, where the person will talk about why the book is so great.
“Everybody loves to cook and (the local business owners) all loved it that we asked,” she said. “We learn that in journalism, if you just ask, people want to be involved, and you just know how everybody has a story to tell, and we need to respect that and lift that up.”
Typo’s Bookstore will have its grand opening Saturday at 10 a.m. and will feature lots of prizes, giveaways and merch, including cookies with Typo the Newshound on them, a drawing for a chance to win a free book per month for a year, gift cards, free children’s books and five free embroidered totes of Typo’s logo for the first few to spend $100.
The shop will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
The opening of Typo’s bookstore follows several other recent openings in downtown Parkville, including Ave and Liv, Larkin Home and The Parkville Needlepoint House.
