She loves kids and she loves books.  So it kinda makes sense that Diane Capriola would love kids’ books too.  Co-owning and running Little Shop of Stories is her dream come true!  But please don’t ever refer to her as “that girl from ‘You’ve Got Mail.’”  She’d much prefer feisty little bookstore babe.  Diane originates from Long Island, but don’t hold that against her.  When not reading books for free in local bookstores, she spent her childhood summers stealing magazines from the local library.  Don’t tell her mom. Fave book as a kid: Little House series ‘cause in another life she was definitely a little girl on the prairie.   Yes, we know that’s hard to believe since she’s such a diva now. Fave kid’s book as a big kid: Skippyjon Jones or Kitten’s First Full Moon or Bark, George or Julius, Baby of the World…

Dave Shallenberger materialized from the essence of the ether many, many years ago. He is currently a combination of atoms, arranged into molecules, combined into functioning cells that coordinate activities which allow Dave to manipulate his physical being on Earth, a planet conveniently located in the grouping known as the Solar System, a part of the Orion Arm of the delicious Milky Way galaxy, a section of the Local Group of the Virgo Supercluster within the observable universe. Dave, who is really a down-to-Earth kind of guy, likes to listen to the Beatles. Jai guru deva om.

Terra McVoy has been reading and writing since she learned how to in kindergarten. Raised in Tallahassee, FL with two younger sisters, she moved around a lot after college, working all kinds of writing and editing jobs (including three years as an editorial assistant at Scholastic in New York) before settling in Atlanta and becoming Little Shop of Stories’ Manager—the most perfect job for her, ever. Her favorite books as a kid included Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson, Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, and Ronia the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. As a grownup she is a big fan of Clara and Asha by Eric Rohmann, Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Scieszka, Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom series, and Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller. (But really she has way more favorites and good recommendations under her belt than that.)

After graduating from UGA, getting married and traveling around the country, our assistant manager, Krista Gilliam, ended up in Decatur and magically stumbled upon Little Shop where she’s putting her English minor to good work while forgetting the other subjects she studied. She never leaves home without a book, water bottle and sweater and she’s currently trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) not to become a crazy obsessed dog person.Her puppy, Bear, is making that difficult.
Favorite children’s books as a kid: Chester’s Way, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Nancy Drew, A Little Princess. Favorite children’s books these days: The Sea Serpent and Me, The Golden Compass, Love That Dog, My Most Excellent Year, Ladybug Girl and the Harry Potter series (still).

Rick comes to us from the Pacific Northwest by way of Avondale.  We can’t really figure out what he has spent his life doing but trust us when we say he has done it all and knows just about everything you could possibly need to know about it.  Plus he does a great monster voice.  His grandsons’ names are Coltrane and Eero- does it get any cooler than that? Rick’s fave kid book: Bark George by Jules Feiffer or The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander.

Bookseller and store blogger Justin Colussy-Estes has never been able to escape books. He’s worked for bookstores and libraries and publishers. He thinks Little Shop of Stories is one of the best bookstores he’s ever encountered, something he thinks is even more true now that he works here.  Favorite books as a kid: The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald and The House with the Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs, because even as a kid I loved mysteries and con men.

While no one has yet to mistake us for Wal-Mart, we do have an official greeter at Little Shop of Stories. Atticus spends most of his days (and nights) sitting in the front window. Born on the other side of the pond, he is permanently accompanied by Miss Read-A-Little. Among Atticus' favorite books are Frog Prince, Continued by Jon Scieszka and Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel.

Bookseller Al Kaufman is a frustrated writer and pretty good reader. His favorite books as a kid were The Monster at the End of this Book (to which he can still do a great Grover imitation) and Where the Wild Things Are (which he still has memorized). His favorite kid’s book now is Roddy Doyle’s The Giggler Treatment (which just makes him laugh).

Matt Lathrop hails from the small town of Ames, Iowa. Where the winters are cold and the girls are purty (don’t try to make a connection on that one). Matt attended Iowa State the old “cardinal and gold” (looks like “red and yellow”) and graduated with a degree in Education. Aside from being a great bookseller and birthday-party-setter-upper, he is also currently a second grade teacher at Benteen Elementary School.
Matt’s favorite picture books as a kid: The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss. Matt’s favorite picture books as an “adult”: Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr. Seuss and Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae.

Cal Shallenberger is currently a junior in high school at Druid Hills. He enjoys reading, writing, and rock climbing, and is on the school newspaper this year. His favorite children’s books include Yertle the Turtle and Piggie Pie.

Amy Cuzzort began her bookworming career in Canton, Georgia, where she could be found every Friday night at the Pizza Hut, reading at the table before the breadsticks came. She loves words and has been known to read the dictionary for pleasure. Amy is tickled to have landed this sweet gig at Little Shop of Stories, and she hopes that all her wonderful students at The Howard School will come to visit her! (If you bring her a chai tea latte from Starbucks next door, she promises that she'll read you a story.) Amy's very favorite books from childhood: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, Matilda by Roald Dahl, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, and Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree by David Korr and Joe Mathieu. Some of her new favorites are The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems and A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and Marc Simont.

Casey Heermans began her descent into the children’s bookstore world halfway through high school, just as Little Shop of Stories was becoming a full-fledged business. Now a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, you’ll find her back in the store bookselling on special occasions and holidays. Casey enjoys salsa dancing, listening to Harry and the Potters, and of course, reading! Her favorite books include I Will Make Miracles by Susie Morgenstern and The Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.

Natalie Spitzer started working as a bookseller at Little Shop in high school, one month after the store was born. Now at Guilford College, she spends her time counting down the days until she can hang out with her Little Shop family! Favorite children’s books include Many, Many Moons by James Thurber and Duck and Goose by Tad Hills. However, favorite past times from her childhood include rereading any Dr. Seuss within arm’s reach (most of all, Yertle the Turtle). Hopefully you can catch her over a holiday or summer vacation! (Caution: Natalie is susceptible to accepting babysitting jobs.)