A revolution that kids can check out online

At a time when children are addicted to their phones and tablets and not going to libraries, Angela Jain and Shalini Sekhar are trying to change this.

Story Revolution, an online book store, was started by Shalini and Angela four years ago.  Based in Bangalore, the store exclusively sells used and new children’s books. Story Revolution is a children’s literature project that springs from the minds of people who took to literature early. The duo believes that reading can be just as much fun as any other activity.

It all started when Angela and Shalini were working on setting up a library for a school called Shibumi in Bangalore. They discovered that they could buy multiple copies of books at the second-hand book godowns they were visiting, at a cheaper rate. “We felt we couldn’t let these pass so we picked them up, and with those additional copies of special books, Story Revolution began,” said Shalini.

Passionate about books and reading, Shalini said that most of these books were universally acclaimed but weren’t easily available in India; they were shipped to second-hand book dealers in India from the US where they had been discarded and intended for landfills.

“In the beginning we attempted to do this through other existing libraries but when that did not take off and school libraries and parents began to show an interest in buying these books, we decided to run Story Revolution as an online bookstore,” explained Shalini.

These books, Shalini explained, open children’s minds, nurturing curiosity, empathy, compassion and an understanding of themselves and of the world. Their collection of books includes both Indian and foreign publishers.

The store which did not even have a website until recently, now has one that allows people to search for books and learn more about them before actually buying them. 

The website allows the user to select the books they want and add them to a cart. Once the payment is made, the company posts the books to the person who has purchased them. “Unfortunately we haven’t started accepting online credit card payment, so we ask for an online bank transfer or a cheque. Once we receive the payment we post the books off. The books usually arrive within five days of payment,” said Shalini.

“This project comes from our own love for the words, illustrations and stories in these books and a desire to share them,” said Shalini.