Mallory Braun, Walt Whitman Class of 2011 alum and owner of The Next Chapter in Huntington, continues to contribute to our schools and community. With a donation of a shelf stocked with books in Mr. Pipolo’s classroom at Walt Whitman High School, Braun looks to encourage students to do more of one simple thing: read. 

“We are giving WWHS books because we want the kids to read!” expressed Braun. Since opening The Next Chapter in Huntington Village in 2022, months after the closing of The Book Revue in September 2021, Mallory continues to see the value of picking up a book and reading. 

“One of the best things about working at a bookstore is unexpectedly discovering a new author you find you love. I picked up a John Ruskin (who?) book a few years ago while sorting used books and now I own 10 of his titles and could write you 30 paragraphs about his opinions on clouds. Very important information!” Braun excitedly shared.

With the increased amount of time people spend on their devices, it’s important now more than ever to return to simple activities such as reading. Setting up this small bookshelf in room 633 at the high school is just one way to encourage students to rediscover this love of reading.  

Braun says “Hopefully Whitman students will have a similar experience with this little bookcase. Maybe it'll cause them to set down the phone and make their way over to The Next Chapter where there's live music, plenty to read, and is hopefully a comfortable place to hang out.”

The Next Chapter, at 204 New York Avenue in Huntington, has an array of new and used books, sheet music, records, writing materials, and even free live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s a great place to spend time browsing for something new to read or listen to. Thank you Mallory for bringing a piece of The Next Chapter to Walt Whitman and for continuing to share the gift of reading with our students and community!

The donated bookshelf features titles from various genres and encourages Whitman’s students to take a book or two to read and to visit The Next Chapter for even more.