In September 2008 we had our first child- a boy, called Ceph.
Being first time parents we did a lot of reading and regularly came across articles about boys being behind girls academically and as a result were determined that our little Bug, as he was affectionately known would have access to lots of books and reading time…
But then we went into the book shop. “How much?” My partner shrieked- my ever growing list of titles to buy was going to have to be heavily edited if all books were that price, something I just wasn’t prepared to do!
So I set about finding great books at more affordable prices. This did mean scouring the internet for hours, but thankfully Mr Bug LOVED story time so it all felt worthwhile.
2 Years on and we celebrated the arrival of our second son, Fenn- who is generally referred to as Didi Bug!
Reading the same stories again and again was great for the Bugs but Mummy and Daddy were reciting the popular titles without even looking at the pages we needed something new!
Eventually we struck gold and got a large selection of brand new books at a great price. There were simply too many for us alone and we did have some duplicates so we took what was left to our local toddler group, playgroup and round to friends and family where they were quickly snapped up. Surprisingly we didn’t have enough for everyone and ended up ordering more!
Seeing that there were lots of other Mums and Dads who wanted these books for their little Bugs, at an affordable price, with no catches or clubs to join we started thinking, ‘maybe this could work as a little business’ we could run in between toddler groups, feeding times, nappy changes, you know the drill!
Well, that was a few of years ago now and we haven't looked back.. Ceph 'Mr Bug' and Fenn, 'Didi Bug' are now teenagers and Oren, 'Wormy' is not far behind! Reux 'Baby Bug' is almost 9! Bringing up 4 wonderful boys hasn't been our only success over the last few years.
Books for Bugs has grown to a level we never expected! We now have a 5000 sq ft warehouse filled with books and supply parents, carers and schools around the UK every single day all thanks to our amazing team of 8 staff!
Ceph's love of reading is why Books for Bugs started but the other Bugs have also played a vital role in how and why we have expanded in the ways we have.
Fenn has a rare condition that has meant we have spent a lot of time in hospital. The demands his condition has had on his brain means he has difficulties understanding the world around him. This has led to us investing a lot of time and money in sourcing good quality social stories and we have now developed a large range of PSHE books which are very popular with schools and organisations.
Having a disabled child also lead us to understanding the need for various SEN sessions during our warehouse opening times too, not just a 'Quiet Hour'. Our 'Be You' sessions have been a welcomed addition to many local families who can come and shop knowing they are safe and supported.
One of our most successful sections of the shop though is our dyslexia range largely filled with Barrington Stoke books. Why did we become so invested in making books accessible for children with dyslexia? Because both Oren and Reux are dyslexic too! It has been really interesting understanding how a dyslexic brain tackles reading and not only has this section of our shop helped them tremendously but we have been able to put on events for parents and teacher who wanted to learn more about dyslexia. In the new term we will also be running dyslexia friendly open days too.
So Books for Bugs really has grown out of sheer love for making books affordable and accessible for everyone and we are so thankful to every single person, school and organisation who have purchased from us and made this business what it is today.
I'm pleased to also report that all the Bugs are still 100% book worms and love coming to the warehouse still to help. If you have been to any of our open days you will have met Ceph who mans the till and the others can often be spotted handing out baskets, running craft tables and even helping on car park duty.. Well it is a family business after all!
Sally, Andy and the Bugs x