With joyful and watery eyes, local mother and veteran Abby Strite thanked community members for their support during the grand opening event of her new “neighborhood bookstore” Birdhouse Books and Gifts on Sept. 27 in north Austin.

Strite said she is “somebody who wants to help the world through education—through reading.” The self-proclaimed indie bookstore is centered around inclusivity and fostering community, she said.

The store offers a diverse selection of middle-grade and young adult fiction, graphic novels, general fiction as well as a notable collection of LGBTQ+ titles.
Birdhouse Books features a shelf with books that have been banned from institutions around the nation, including a brief description as to why the book was banned. (Haley McLeod/Community Impact)
Book stands highlight works by local authors and one shelf includes a “banned books” section.

The children’s section is complimented by a large, colorful mural adorned with Texas wildflowers and birds, which reads, “Birds of a feather read together.”