Harpur College students publish children’s book, “The Blossom Shoppe” and launch summer book tour

Twin sisters and students in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, Caroline and Katherine Brickley, published their first children’s book, The Blossom Shoppe, to help bridge the gap between literature and life and to encourage all children to blossom. Their first book, The Blossom Shoppe, can be purchased online.

The book was published under their parent company, The Blossom Company, which offers children’s entertainment services in addition to book publishing. The Brickley sisters received $2,500 of venture capital last fall through an entrepreneurship course to help start their business. The course culminated when students presented their business plans to investors who selected the top proposal to receive funding.

“We were taught, step by step, how to research and strategize in order to bring our ideas to life,” said Caroline, who took the class with her sister in the fall. “The class allowed us to pursue our goals in a structured way, learn entrepreneurial tactics to be successful and, ultimately, devise our own business plan.”

“Caroline and Katherine have written a wonderful book for young people,” said Angelo Mastrangelo, an adjunct assistant professor in the Binghamton University School of Management. “They won the competition in my class, however, the real winners are the children and families that their characters will interact with through both literature and performance.”

The winning proposal helped the Brickley sisters accelerate their long-time dream of starting a children’s entertainment and publishing company.

“My sister and I grew up with a love of reading, storytelling and performance and have always enjoyed working with children. In high school, we created our first company, Happily Ever After CT, to bring fairytale characters to life for families around New England,” Katherine said. “All of this inspired us to create The Blossom Company, which will also use performance to tell our original stories in an exciting way.”

“Our books teach important lessons that will be meaningful to people of all ages,” Caroline said. “Our first story, The Blossom Shoppe focuses on themes such as creativity, understanding and courage. We want Poppy and Posie to serve as positive role models for children, as well as bring happiness and joy to all of the families they meet.”

Through this unique combination of literature and entertainment, the Brickley sisters hope to inspire a love of reading. The Blossom Company will offer entertainment services that feature their characters for book readings, performances, meet-and-greets and photo opportunities.

Upcoming events in Connecticut:

• Friday, June 30 11 a.m. (New Canaan Library)
  
• Friday, July 7 3:30 p.m. (Weston Public Library)
  
• Saturday, July 8 noon to 2 p.m. (Elm Street Books)
  
• Tuesday, August 11 a.m. (Stratford Library)

Upcoming events in Broome County, NY:

• Saturday, July 15 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Oakdale Mall)
• Tuesday, July 18 2:30 p.m. (Broome County Public Library)