Kids Ink
Kids Ink opened its doors to children in May of 1986 - and Shirley Mullin has been there ever since. At first the attraction may have been that it was next to the local Baskin Robbins store but it soon became the place to find great books, find exciting hands-on books and toys -- everything to keep young readers reading and thinking. An article in Publishers' Weekly (09 June 2011) by Judith Rosen focused on the bookstore's 25th Birthday party and emphasized Mullin's continuing support of writers, particularly Indiana writers. 
Kids Ink
by Mike Mullin
Photographs courtesy of Mike Mullin
Kids Ink is nestled in a quaint neighborhood shopping center on North Illinois
in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mother, Shirley Mullin, opened it in the middle 1980s while I was spending a
year as a foreign exchange student in Brazil. When I returned, I worked at the store
for about six years, and still help out occasionally at conferences or
special events. I’m a writer today because of the store. When I decided to try my hand at novel writing a few years ago,
it was natural that I’d choose to write for young adults since I’ve been immersed
in YA fiction for more than thirty years.
The store caters to children: books, games, toys, cards, and bookmarks. There’s a massive wall of books—the
elementary fiction section. Kids Ink is a small (1100 square foot) children’s
only store, although they do carry titles on parenting and teaching. As a
result of their specialization, they easily have the best selection of
children’s books in Indianapolis. Want a children’s book in Spanish, Latin, Arabic,
or Mandarin? They’ve got that. Poetry? There’s a whole bookcase. Astronomy? The
section is near the back door. Dinosaurs? Another full bookcase. Teen fiction, and more bookshelves, and so on. There is a train table—a favorite of the store’s younger
patrons. and a wall of new arrivals: books, puzzles, and games.
And do not leave until you visit the bathroom. The walls are covered with the
signatures of authors and artists. This is Steven Kellogg’s contribution featuring everyone's favorite Great Dane, Pinkerton and Rose (the most loveable cat).
Editor's Note: If you are not in the Indianapolis area you may wish to visit their website at http://kidsinkbooks.com/ and check out the great selection of autographed books they have for sale. Autographed books make a very special gift for children and teenagers. Check the autographed books page at Kids Ink. The staff will be pleased to ship the books to you.
Editor's Note: If you are not in the Indianapolis area you may wish to visit their website at http://kidsinkbooks.com/ and check out the great selection of autographed books they have for sale. Autographed books make a very special gift for children and teenagers. Check the autographed books page at Kids Ink. The staff will be pleased to ship the books to you.
Mike Mullin's debut novel, Ashfall (Tanglewood, 2012), is about a teen struggling to survive and find his family after
the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Ashfall was named one of the top
five YA novels of 2011 by NPR. It was the first in the Ashfall Trilogy. The second in the series, Ashen Winter (Tanglewood, 2012), was named a VOYA
prefect ten winner. The final book in the trilogy will be Sunrise, which Tanglewood will release in 2014.
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