Having taught for over 15yrs in schools in remote QLD, Brisbane, London and Rwanda, owner Cholm Johnson knows a few things about the importance of reading for both knowledge and pleasure. His initial plans to open a bookshop first popped into his head when moving into the lower primary classrooms of Norland Place School, Notting Hill, back in 2008. Along with teaching duties, Cholm created ‘Friday Morning Stories’, a club enticing young children to come to school early on a Friday morning to listen to some fantastic stories with a combination of fun and empathy. He enticed world famous authors such as Giles Andreae and Eileen Browne to participate in the fun and games as well. This continued onto other schools back in Australia, where Friday became even more of a highlight for many young kids as well as Cholm himself.
Cholm sitting in Roald Dahl's chair at the Roald Dahl Museum
In 2017, Cholm left the classroom to begin Boys Read. There he focused on improving the literacy skills and enjoyment levels of primary-aged boys. A few years later, this soon grew into Bright and Early Education. Boys and girls, from 6-16 years of age have been influenced by Cholm to make wonderful improvements in their reading and writing abilities, as well as instilling a sense of belief and confidence. Writing programs have been successfully implemented at many Brisbane school such as St. Laurence’s College and Padua College, whilst holiday programs involving the State Library and QPAC (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox) have also contributed to wonderful learning opportunities.
At the beginning of 2022, Cholm opened Bright and Early Books. Together with Bright and Early Education and Elicia from Little Learners Ascot, Cholm aims to provide the local community with a bookstore and learning centre that offers opportunities for learning, growth and unending imagination for all.
Cholm is often joined in the bookstore by his wife Clare and two main characters, Poppy and Banjo.
We certainly hope you enjoy the space as much as we do.