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DESTINY’S GIFT
written by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
illustrated by Adjoa J. Burrowes

Themes
Intergenerational Friendship, Neighbors, Community Involvement, Reading/Love of
Books, Sharing and Giving Creativity, African American Interest
Synopsis
Destiny loves words, and her favorite place in the entire world is Mrs.
Wade’s bookstore. She loves to spend her Saturdays with Mrs. Wade
at the store, helping out during the day, and reading and sharing tea
and cookies at day’s end. One Saturday, Destiny senses that
something is wrong with Mrs. Wade and learns that the store may
have to close. Determined to save the store, Destiny rallies the
community to help keep the store open. And by creating a special
journal for Mrs. Wade, Destiny captures the warmth and special magic of the store while she preserves her memories of a place that means the world to her.
Background
Even during the best economic times, small businesses face many
challenges to stay competitive with larger companies and remain
profitable. When the economy hits a downturn, things become even
harder. Rising rents, wages, and costs of materials and products all
eat into profits, while at the same time sales may decrease.
Independent bookstores have been especially hard hit over the past
few decades, since the rise of superstores and online booksellers that often offer steeper discounts than small, independent stores.
Community support is crucial to keep small, local businesses alive.

Destiny’s Gift was inspired by author Natasha Anastasia Tarpley’s
childhood experiences visiting local bookstores. “As a kid, walking
through the doors of my favorite neighborhood bookstore, I felt as
though I was entering a place that was somehow separate from the
noise and busyness of everyday life,” says Tarpley. “The owners
always remembered me. I don’t know if they ever knew my name, but
they could recall the last book I’d’ purchased from them and usually
asked me what I thought about it. Then they’d steer me down
crowded aisles, excitedly pulling books off the shelves for me to look
at as we went along. They must have read every book in the store,
because they talked about each one as if it was an old friend. . . .
[T]his story encourages kids to acknowledge and celebrate all of their
talents and gifts, as well as their own capacity to make a difference in
their community.”