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About Us
The Children's Bookshop is an independent specialist bookshop established in Kilbirnie, Wellington in 1992 by John and Ruth McIntyre.
We have moved three times since, in the same mall, doubling our size each time.
In 2003 we were voted The NZ Independent Bookshop of the Year and in 2008 we were runner-up to Unity Bookshop, Wellington.
Who we are:
 John McIntyre began The Children's Bookshop in August 1992. A former primary school teacher in New Zealand and the UK, he saw the need for a dedicated children's bookshop.
He was a judge of the NZ Post Children's Book Awards in 1998 and convener of judges in 1999.
He reviews children's books every fortnight on Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan on Radio NZ and served for six years on the board of Booksellers NZ.
 Ruth McIntyre is a former journalist who has worked for a number of publications, including the English Woman's Weekly magazine, and spent 17 years with the New Zealand Press Association. She will be a judge for the NZ Post Children's Book Awards in 2010.
Ruth joined the business fulltime in 1999 and is responsible for producing our newsletters. She enjoys children's novels that feature black humour and quirky plots.
 Kim Gruschow is our senior bookseller. She has a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science and Philosophy from Victoria University. Kim has worked at The Children's Bookshop since June 2005, and she is our expert on graphic novels.
In her spare time, she hosts a weekly radio show on VBC 88.3fm, is lead singer in several Wellington bands and is studying part-time for a publishing diploma online with Whitirea Polytechnic.
 Heidi Voorendt has been on our staff since May 2006, but left to travel overseas a year later. After living in Germany, we were delighted to have her rejoin us in early 2008.
She manages our extensive school order business, liaising with teachers and librarians around the country.
Heidi plays the saxophone and piano, and composes her own music.
 Sasha Martin joined us in October 2008, having worked in bookshops for the previous four years. Bookselling is in her blood, as her uncle is also a bookseller.
Sasha has a keen interest in children's book illustrations. Her favourite illustrators include Chris Riddell, Tony DiTerlizzi, Niroot Puttapipat and Arthur Rackham.
 Alison Stokes joined our part-time roster in May 2009. Born into a book-loving family, with a mother who was a librarian and a storyteller at several Wellington libraries, Alison has spent most of her leisure time immersed in children's and young adult books, both as a reader and, from the age of 15, working in bookstores.
After leaving school Alison worked as Children's Book Manager for a national bookstore. She began a BA in Education and Anthropology in 2008, with the aim of becoming an educational psychologist.
She is a fan of authors such as Tamora Pierce, Sarah Dessen and Jonathon Stroud, and has a wide and eclectic love of children's literature.
 Cara Pollock joined the bookshop part-time in August 2005. She prefers her books to have a bit of danger in them, and enjoys science fiction and spy thrillers, plus anything else she can get her hands on. Sometimes she reviews these books on her website.
When she is not reading, she is thinking about rocks and studying for her BSc in Geology, to everyone's great surprise.
 As the daughter of John and Ruth, Kate McIntyre was practically raised in the bookshop, being born only a few months after it was opened. She is a child who could recite 'Slinky Malinki' perfectly when she was two years old.
Now a high school student, she is an active reader interested mostly in fantasy and manga. She works part-time on Saturdays and during the school holidays.
 Mary Kate O'Connor, one of our original customers, returned to bookselling after 15 years on the family front, having previously worked at both Parsons Bookshop and Unity Books.
She now works here part-time, and when not looking after our accounts, she is looking after her four children, one dog, three cats and five chickens.
From the Dominion Post, July 26th 2003.
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