What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than with visiting amazing women-owned book stores in your community?
Honoring and celebrating Women’s History Month can be a spectacular experience, especially when we as parents can make it extra special. Supporting women owned book stores can be the beginning of a tradition, in which we make that short walk around the corner or a drive across town. That feeling and excitement a child can have knowing they are about to go on adventure with a book. It’s the type of enrichment that keeps on giving because whatever book you buy that day, it will always be special and will always hold the memory you make with your child.
Women Owned Book Stores dot the cities across our country, we hope you find one here that you like or seek out in your area. We’d like to paraphrase a page from the first book store on our list, The Irreverent Bookworm, not only do independent book stores promote literacy, but they provide engaging community events all while keeping your money in your community.
The Children’s Book Shop
Founded in 1977, this is the oldest children’s bookstores in Brookline Village, MA.
From their website: Greater Boston’s oldest independent children’s bookstore, has been committed to providing our customers with the best in children’s literature since 1977 from our location in the heart of Brookline Village, MA. Our stock is hand-selected and carefully curated to include classics and backlist favorites as well as the latest releases. We carry a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for ages newborn to teen and everyone in between. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff members are happy to assist you in finding the perfect books for the children in your life!
I found The Children’s Book Shop through another woman-owned bookstore: Black Walnut Books, an Indigenous owned bookstore based in Glens Falls, New York that focuses on and celebrates queer books and authors of color. Black Walnut Books posted a list curated by The Children’s Book Shop called Women’s History Month Picks—Nonfiction. Check it out HERE.
The Irreverent Bookworm
A cozy independently owned bookstore in the South Minneapolis area. Here’s a bit about them from their website:
What makes The Irreverent Bookworm special?
- A whimsical and welcoming atmosphere
- A wide variety of high quality used books
- Select new books of interest
- A cozy kids’ room
- Fun bookish gift items
- Interesting events such as music, poetry, readings & signings, unique seasonal celebrations (Events temporarily on hold due to COVID-19 safety concerns)
- Ample, comfy seating areas to try books before you buy them
- Ability to special order many new titles via our website
Wild Rumpus
Another Minneapolis children’s bookstore staple that’s been around for over 25 years is Wild Rumpus.
As quoted in Publisher’s Weekly:
“In nominating Wild Rumpus, Jennifer Sheridan of HarperCollins (who was PW’s 2015 Sales Rep of the Year), wrote: “This charming, unique, and magical place that specializes in children’s books is one of the best in the nation. Long a favorite destination for the community, and the entire Twin Cities region, this store is a favorite of authors as well.””
Children’s Book World
A Los Angeles favorite and a place for never-ending adventures much the like the city that this beloved bookstore calls home.
From their website: “CHILDREN’S BOOK WORLD has been open since 1986 and is a full-service children’s bookshop in West Los Angeles, stocking over 80,000 titles for children, parents, teachers and collectors. Our commitment is to celebrate diversity, knowledge, and enrichment. A world where every child sees themselves on our shelves and every adult feels like a child again…Our ever-expanding and acclaimed multicultural collection of books makes Children’s Book World a treasure trove for book lovers of all ages! We believe every child should see their stories reflected in the books on our shelves.”
The Little BOHO Bookshop
The biggest little book shop in Bayonne, New Jersey.
What a treat for both the young and the young at heart and absolutely worth the trip, see for yourself. Here’s an excerpt from the site.
Here at The Little Boho Bookshop we celebrate reading, we send the message that reading matters, that it is important, and mostly….that it is FUN. We love meeting and chatting with the amazing young readers who stop by to see us each and every day. Each month we highlight a super star reader, with hopes that they will inspire their friends and classmates by sharing their love of books and their enthusiasm for reading.
Bel Canto Books
In the heart of the Long Beach Community this woman and POC owned bookstore
From their website: A New Bookshop Space in the Heart of Long Beach’s Retro Row!
Please visit our Events & Classes page to learn about author events, workshops, Storytime and more!
Learn about our store- and community-led Book Clubs, including our Book Of The Month Club based on the theme of the month!
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon A Time Bookstore is a woman-owned bookstore in Montrose, CA established 1966. My children used to wander around the shop when they were younger and be enthralled with all the books. It used to be their favorite place to explore in Montrose.
From their website: We are thrilled to be celebrating our 56th year in the community and have FABULOUS events planned. We pride ourselves on our recommendations, events, and activities that have built community and kept families coming back to us for generations.
Once Upon a Time Bookstore has curated a list of books about women and girls called “Girls Can!” Check it out HERE.
TreeHouse Books
This unbelievably beautiful and enchanting book store in the Ashland Oregon will bring out the wonder and amazement in the both the young and the young at heart. From their events, enchanting DIY, gifts and of course their book vault, you are sure to be transported to their magical world.
From their website:
Welcome to our magical world.
We are TreeHouse Books, a tiny bookstore with a big heart in the wonderful town of Ashland Oregon (known to magicals as Ashlandia.)
To give you a better idea about this gem of a bookstore, here’s a quote from: fromthemixedfiles.com
“We have a 39 year old history and deep connection to our community. TreeHouse was founded by teachers and then nurtured through a lineage of owners passionate about children’s literature. The secret to our success?
We excel at filling up a very tiny bookstore with a wide selection of carefully curated books, we have strong relationships with the area schools and Oregon Shakespeare patrons, and we have our own line of story themed Art Kits and community events.”
