Today we’d like to introduce you to Kali And Shante Newbury.
Hi Kali and Shante, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We are a mother and daughter who have always connected over reading. From the time Kali was little we would read to her. She developed a love of reading. We have talked about opening a mobile bookstore ever since Kali saw one out west. We finally decided to do it and the search for the perfect trailer began. We bought an old work trailer in July of 2025 and the adventure started. We call each other Sis, so the name came easy. Sis’s Stories was formed and made an official business.
After the perfect trailer was found, the remodeling started. Shout out to my Son-in-Law Josh, who did all the floors, bookshelves and major remodeling. Kali and I had the pleasure of doing the decorating and curating the book collection. Kali reads mostly romance and fantasy. I (Shante) read mostly mystery and historical fiction. Together we feel we have a well-rounded selection. We had our first event Aug 23, 2025.
We partner with coffee shops, breweries, local businesses, and craft shows/markets. We travel all over. We have also partnered with book retreats.
We are a small business that wants to create and build a community and give back where we can.
We have expanded to space inside The Collective in Downtown Grand Ledge. We also launched a website in Jan 2026. Since than Kali has started making accessories call Sincerely, Sis. She creates Kindle inserts, stickers, and magnetic bookmarks.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We have learned so much on this journey. Translating a love of books and reading into a business required a shift in thinking. We were lucky to have another mobile bookstore in another state to reach out to. They helped us navigate logistics like battery power while at pop up events to inventory control systems.
When we first reached out to partner with other business; we had to really be able to explain what a mobile bookstore pop up looks like. It is something most people have not seen or heard of. Kali did an amazing job with social medial and that really helped us explain what we do.
I think another struggle has been the weather in Michigan. We have had to navigate heat, wind, rain, cold, and snow.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We offer a unique experience to browse the books you love while in a warm, welcoming and safe environment. We are owners who are mother and daughter. We have a various appetite for reading. We can offer personal book recommendations. We have been able to bond with our customers to create a community that is formed over all thing’s books. We have made new friends and get to talk with people at every pop up.
We have many unique bookish accessories that are made by Kali under our Sincerely, Sis collection. This collection was created by recommendations from our trusted book community.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
We have learned so much about running a business and everything behind the scenes. I think what we have learned most is how much we can challenge ourselves and do hard things, while loving what we are doing. We have accomplished a lot in a short period of time. We can’t wait to celebrate our 1-year anniversary.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sisstoriesmi.com
- Instagram: @sisstoriesMI
- Facebook: Sis’s Stories Mobile Bookstore
- Other: Sis’s Stories-Mobile Bookstore @Sisstoriesmi
