Zariyah Thomas looks amongst the rows of books neatly stacked on tables inside New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Her grandmother Lilian Henderson points out which ones she thinks the eight-year-old would like.
After browsing excitedly, Thomas picks up āI Love My Beautiful Hairā by Elissa Wentt, āI Love Being Me!ā by Mechal Renee Roe and āPool Dayā by Melissa Boyd.
Natalie Pipkin, the founder of Black WorldSchooler Mobile Bookstore, walks over. She introduces herself before taking a picture of the duo.
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Pipkinās bookstore provided more than 500 books to the church for a book fair held Saturday in the Martindale-Brightwood community. The bookstore has been online since 2020, and she launched their mobile bookstore on Juneteenth 2022.

Free book fair: highlighting Black authors
āWe are a one-of-kind bookstore on wheels sharing stories that uplift Black life, Black heritage and Black joy. Our mission is to create access and awareness to Black stories as well as excitement and engagement around reading. So,weāre like a bookstore with ice cream truck energy,ā said Pipkin.
She consciously curates the books she provides, which are all by Black authors.
ā[Weāre] sharing stories that are too often and intentionally left off the shelves: Stories that shape the way we think, see ourselves and see each other. When I go to schools, I donāt see them on the shelves, and they exist. I get my books from the same place any bookstore does,ā said Pipkin.

Chairman of New Bethelās Board of Trustees Eric Yancy, who is a published author, said the purpose of the free book fair is to keep kids reading over the summer.
āThereās about a 20-25% summer slide where what they learn in the school year tends to drift down over the summer. So, if we can keep them reading over the summer, at least those reading skills would stay up,ā said Yancy.
Free book fair: collaborating with community
The church collaborated with Pipkin and The Oaks Academy, a private Christ-centered school serving pre-k through eighth grade, for the book fair.
āNatalieās got the book mobile, which is a fantastic outreach, Oaks Academy is a great school and New Bethel is a historic church. Itās been here since 1875. We want to keep as much community involvement as we can because itās all about outreach, and itās really about the kids,ā he said.
Brooke Reeves with The Oaks Academy said they have always had a strong partnership with New Bethel. Their middle school students attend chapel at the church.
Oaks Academy has three campuses, with one in the Martindale-Brightwood community.

The academy is housed in the historic John Hope School 26 building, which at one time served the largest population of African American public-school students in the city and is located directly across from the church.
āWeāve been able to form a relationship with the John Hope alumni, and thatās been a critical part of us being in this community and having this campus here. Weāre thankful that we get to be a part of this community and they embraced and welcomed us,ā said Reeves.
Paul Dickens is the owner of Paulās Kitchen LLC. His food truck usually sells Vietnamese dishes with an American twist. However, for the event, he catered free hamburgers, chicken tenders, grilled cheese sandwiches and fries.
Free book fair: “it’s really about the kids”

āThis event is a great thing. I like doing anything that involves kids. My kids are students of The Oaks Academy, so Iām glad to be a part of it,ā said Dickens.
Knowing that Indianaās literacy rates are around the national average, according to the Nationās Report Card, Pipkins said this book fair is her doing her part to bridge the gap between Black children specifically and books.
āThey shape our imagination. Itās not just about Black history; Itās about Black life, and Black life is vast. So, we have books that show Black children imagining they can fly and save the world. There are so many stories to share. Black books are diverse with different genres,ā said Pipkin.
Yancy said the church will be hosting a backpack fair at the end of the summer before children go back to school.
The mobile bookstore travels within a 350-mile radius and can be booked for all types of occasions, such as birthdays, family events and school events.

Contact staff writer Jade Jackson at 317-607-5792 or by email JadeJ@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON