Lansing — It was always a dream for Lansing resident Scott Harris and his wife Debbie Krantz to own a bookstore.

Their dream became a reality in May when they opened Everybody Reads, 2019 E. Michigan Ave.

"There's something pastoral to owning a bookstore in a small town," Harris said. "Life kind of forced us to set aside that dream for a while, and then life kind of forged us the opportunity to open up this bookstore."

Tucked between Gone Wired Cafe and Bill Leech Repair Service, the store offers a variety of titles that represent and can help different minorities. There's also a section where customers can donate a book and then take a book out to keep.

"I think it dawned on me that there are so many really good bookstores around here, and the goal of a bookstore would be that we'd have to find our own little niche," the MSU graduate said.

That niche was constructed after his wife died in August 2002 from congenital heart problems, he said.

"When our own family was going through our time of need a few years back, we were fortunate enough to tap into the resources that were made available to us in the Lansing area," he said.

One of those resources, Ele's Place, 1145 W. Oakland Ave., a nonprofit organization that helps children and their families through the grieving process with peer-support group programs, contributed the idea behind the creation of the store, Harris said.

"I wanted to make certain that anyone, regardless of what their needs were, had a place to come to," he said. "I wanted this place to be a haven where everyone felt welcome."

Harris, who wanted to be able to take care of his two children — Madison, 12, and Sawyer, 8 — sold his insurance practice and switched careers to help others in times of need.

"My kids' worlds were turned upside down, and the most powerful thing that came out of it was finding ways to help them feel empowered," he said. "You feel so helpless and that you have no control over your own world when something tragic happens."

Everybody Reads carries books ranging from dealing with grieving and loss to self-help, feminism, vegetarianism and politics. It also provides a community room for meetings and discussions.

"We charge nothing for the room," Harris said. "But we sometimes ask for donations for the drinks we provide, and then we give that money to a nonprofit organization."

Although the store hasn't been busy since its opening on May 5, Harris said it's a great area for this it.

"I love it here, particularly the east side. It is simply the most dynamic and embracing neighborhood that I could imagine. There's a small-town charm, a small-town atmosphere to the east side — it's almost like a city within a city if you will," he said.

For some newcomers like Lansing resident Penny Gardner, the store was a surprise.

"I had envisioned it being much more thrown together," Gardner said. "I like the organization and the brightness."

Gardner, who was reading magazines at the store, said she prides herself in knowing everything about lesbians and that she found titles she had never even heard of at the store.

Harris, who knows most customers by their first names, hopes that his store does more than just sell books.

"Even if by paying attention to people, if someone comes in here and engaging them in conversation, if they can feel validated and that their existence matters — if we can do that and offer an environment where everyone feels as if they matter, then we've accomplished more than just being a bookstore."