Where the Wild Things Are

Not a week goes by when I don't eagerly check my doorstep for a shipment from an electronic retailer like Amazon. The endless inventories they offer are just the same for residents of Topeka and San Francisco. It takes a savvy, hardy and lucky independent bricks-and-mortar shop to survive in this environment. One of my favorites is The Reading Reptile. The defiantly funky children's bookstore moved to Brookside from Westport several years ago. Their carefully selected stock is dwarfed by the competition, but this editorial screening process seems to work to the Reptile's advantage. Let the wild rumpus start.