Mermaid Books In A Pirate Town

Ruby Szekeres Photos.

For those coming to Milford in search of an old buccaneer’s treasure, they might find something even more valuable than a chest full of golden doubloons at Mermaid Books.

Since opening its doors over the summer, the bookstore has brought storytime, arts and crafts, book nights and author visits to the community.

Owner Kristen Mascia has lived in Milford for the past four years, where she moved after time in sunny California. A lover of literature and a former book editor, Mascia was inspired to name her new store after the local legend of Captain William Kidd, who was known to have hidden his treasure just a couple miles off shore.

While there is not a mermaid in that particular story, merfolk have taken over pirate ships in so many other tales, and so the theme felt apropos.

“[Mermaid Books] is really for the community, by the community.” Mascia said.

In part, that’s propelled by her own love for reading. As a kid, she loved learning about Roald Dahl’s Matilda Wormwood, who was able to rise above her circumstances—a horrifying headmistress and parents who were not present—by reading. While that wasn’t Mascia’s experience, she shares Matilda’s serious case of bibliophilia, with a particular love for Jane Austen or any Irish writer.

To choose what goes on her shelves, Mascia finds recommendations from online sources and word of mouth, she said. Some, like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new romance novel, Atmosphere A Love Story, are sizzling and popular reads. Others may be lesser-known and just as delightful. Since opening, she has leaned on new connections—patrons, librarians, and teachers always have a good read they want to share—for suggestions.

“I especially like to hear from younger people, because I don’t get to read much YA,” she said. Because she’s often so busy running the store, “I don’t have time to read myself, so I’m constantly asking others.”

Another draw to Mermaid Books is its indy vibe, including a miniature vending machine that sells prints from artist Anastasia Inciardi, many of which feature whimsical depictions of Richard Scarry’s characters. On a recent Saturday, that brought Kelsey Welki and her mom, Monica, into the store. While Kelsey is local, her mom is visiting from Wisconsin.

Kelsey was raised on Scarry’s board books and his television show, both of which she credits with teaching her empathy, she said. As she and her mom studied the small, red vending machine—which looks more like a penny press than a large dispenser of sweets and treats that one might expect from the term—they laughed over how scary Kelsey once thought Scarry was.

“This is a darn cute town,” Monica said as she and Kelsey looked at their options, six prints that ranged from Scarry’s iconic apple car to a hotdog on wheels. “The buildings and people - it's so quaint and perfect. A great place for an independent book store like this.”

A couple quarters later, out came a print of a family riding in a cheese car. The print was sandwiched between cardboard to keep it from bending, ending their first time visit in success.

One difficult question everyone had trouble answering was what their favorite book was. “It’s such a hard question.” Monica said, but finally made her mind up. “My favorite book is whatever makes me laugh.”

Patricia Hartl loved sharing classics with her daughter for the both of them to enjoy. From Milford, she is always happy to visit the independent bookstore which the town really needed.

In another corner, toddlers used their still-developing hands to use stamps and explore a Halloween-themed sensory box before and after listening to spooky picture books with a monster behind every page. As a recorded voice sang “Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on A Gate,” some shop-goers moved their lips to the song.

One preschool mom was Stefanie Terentiuk. A regular, she and her little one came frequently to story time and enjoyed the unique activities. She herself also was a lover of books and was browsing the stacks while keeping an eye on her kid.

This article comes from a graduate of the 2024 Cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative. Ruby Szekeres is a junior at the Sound School.