SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — This winter storm was the perfect excuse for many people to curl up with a good book Friday, but a new Sioux Falls business is working to make those stories come alive.
“I have a Band-Aid on my finger, one on my knee and one on my nose,” one young reader said.
It’s a parent’s dream to see kids reading together, but A Novel Type is taking reading to a whole new level, helping kids and adults truly experience the story.
“My business partner always had this idea to pair items with the book,” A Novel Type co-owner Jessa Howes said. “Making those connections between what you’re reading, what you’re hearing.”
It started as an experiment between two book club friends.
“We tried to really put ourselves inside that book and see which items we thought were matches,” Howes said.
Now that idea is a budding business with 10 different story experiences to choose from.
“Inside the first page of the book will be a Spotify playlist,” A Novel Type co-owner Stephanie Gongopoulos said.
Along with that playlist filled with songs that correspond with parts of the book, A Novel Type boxes also include three wrapped packages.
“This one says page 5, so you open the package that corresponds with the page,” Gongopoulos said.
From objects, to exercises, crafts and food…
“One of our books we have a treat from turkey that I had never heard of or thought to try,” Howes said. “What a delight to have it right there so that is now an experience you can have.”
The boxes are filled with these kinds of unique real-life experiences to help bring a book to life.
“We’ve had a lot of people purchase for their whole book club and that’s a really fun way to share this,” Howes said.
“We think it would be a great incentive for young readers too,” Gongopoulos said.
A box full of surprises that help keep kids excited to read until the very last page.
“Some of the kids who have purchased boxes, their parents have mentioned they wanted to stay up so they could continue reading and open all of the packages that first night,” Gongopoulos said.
A Novel Type ships all over the country. Right now, they have 10 boxes for all ages ready to go and are actively working together to read more books and come up with corresponding playlists, packages and experiences to share with their customers.
