A smiling young woman with long dark hair wearing glasses and a light jacket, with a colorful background featuring illustrations of a book, hearts, stars, and doodles.

Our story

Three people dressed in traditional Mexican clothing celebrating with colorful decorations, holding maracas and a guitar, with a festive background.

Hi, I’m Laura 👋🏻
Owner and creator of Wandering Bookstall!

I grew up in a border town called Laredo. We were a low-income household and I attended a Title I public school with parents who did not speak English during my early childhood. Books became an escape into a magical world for me. I loved reading, but access to books was limited, and I don’t remember owning a single book of my own as a child. Being ESL meant my parents couldn’t fully share in the stories I loved most. As I grew older, that disconnect affected my interest in reading. Those experiences stayed with me and eventually sparked an obsession with building a home filled with books for my own children.

I worked as an ER nurse for five years. One of the things that career taught me was how much I love learning. Medicine constantly pushes you to stay curious, problem solve, ask questions, and understand how the world and human body work. I left nursing to stay home and homeschool my children. During that season of life, our family spent more time exploring together. From hiking trails and museum visits to earning Junior Ranger badges, trying hands-on science activities, and discovering new places, we kept finding ways to make learning feel exciting and meaningful.

When our family moved to Waxahachie, I loved seeing how connected and supportive the community was. As I searched for a way to continue helping support my family while staying home with my children, I had an idea. A children’s bookstore built around three simple missions:

• Affordable books for every family
• Bilingual books that help children and parents connect through stories
• STEM gifts and activities designed for curious minds

Two women and a girl in a science laboratory, wearing lab coats and gloves, working with test tubes and laboratory equipment, with a large screen displaying scientific information in the background.
A man and a woman are standing near a river, looking at the water. The man is wearing a gray t-shirt, a cap, sunglasses, and a backpack. The woman is holding a camera, with long hair, and is wearing a dark shirt and red shorts. The scene is outdoors with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

I wanted a place where stories could inspire exploration, creativity, and connection. A place where learning feels magical and hands-on. A place where families can discover a new favorite book alongside a science kit, craft activity, cultural experience, or imaginative treasure that sparks curiosity beyond the page. My background also inspired my hope to eventually offer science, health science, S.T.E.A.M activities and classes for children in our community.

Although we love giving away books through little libraries and our summer reading programs, my childhood experiences also created a deep desire to give children the joy and dignity of the bookstore experience itself. We want families to walk into our store knowing they can browse comfortably and discover books under $5.

At its heart, Wandering Bookstall is about connection: between children and books, families and learning, imagination and exploration.

Thank you for being part of this adventure ❤️

Close-up of dog wearing a brown cap with patches, including a Harley Davidson badge and a Junior Ranger badge from Bryce Canyon, with a dark background.
Two young girls are smiling and posing for a photo indoors, holding a colorful molecular structure model made of small foam balls and sticks. In the background, there is a green chalkboard with a handwritten diagram of atoms, molecules, and the elements electrons, protons, and neutrons, along with some artwork and a microscope.
Coloring sheets featuring a pumpkin and Halloween-themed illustrations, a pumpkin, a gourd, pom-poms, craft supplies, a paper towel pack, and papers on a wooden table.
A family of four standing under the North Stockyard sign. The family includes a man, woman, and two children, all smiling. The woman and young girl are dressed in traditional Mexican clothing, with the girl wearing a colorful dress with ruffled layers. The man and boy are dressed casually. There are trees, other visitors, and a building with a tiled roof in the background.