SOUTHERNSPOTLIGHT A Ve r y L i t t l e B o o k S t o r e : C o m m u n i t y
A Space For Books When it comes to creating a haven for young readers, Natalie Sober reaches for the stars. by Jana Riley
Natalie Sober has always held two major life goals–to open up a children’s bookstore, and to become an astronaut. In June 2012, she accomplished one of those, and fortunately for the town of Summerville, she hasn’t left Earth’s atmosphere yet. A Florida transplant by way of her husband’s military job, Sober earned a mechanical engineering degree at Florida State 28 AZALEAMAG.COM Spring 2014
University and later pursued a master’s in aeronautical science with the intention of taking her education all the way to outer space. After assisting in the design of a noise reduction valve for an F-22 fighter aircraft, Sober became pregnant with her first child, Cate, and took a break from the workforce to spend time with her daughter. A few years later, her son Riley was born, and the already avid reader quickly found herself immersed in children’s books. Booking Agent The storefront / Owner Natalie Sober
“I’ve always really loved children’s books, but once I had my kids, I fell in love with them even more,” explains Sober. “I kept finding myself in situations where my children needed something explained or reinforced, and I could pick up a book and read it to them, saying, ‘look, Llama Llama is going through the same thing.’” “Books really work with parenting,” says Sober with zeal. “My kids often listen to books way more than they listen to me!” As her children grew, so did her passion for the books they read together, and Sober switched her career focus from aeronautics