Here’s where you can find children’s books for the kids in your life or nurture your own inner child!
Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul)
Once, during a major time crunch, I stopped by Red Balloon Bookshop for a child’s gift. In under 10 minutes, an employee had found the ideal gift with my parameters in mind, placed an order to have the books shipped, and rang up my sale. Red Balloon’s service is unbelievably strong – I’ve even had booksellers email me book ideas. The store hosts a number of clubs, including a Club Create! that meets this Tuesday, where kids ages 8-16 can meet to write and draw together.
Eat My Words Bookstore (Minneapolis)
I first saw Eat My Words Bookstore while eating lunch at Brasa in Northeast Minneapolis. The shop carries mostly used and rare books, which means there’s ample opportunity to rediscover books you may have forgotten you loved. On my last visit, the children’s section included classics like Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree as well as Dr. Seuss books, but there was also plenty of manga, graphic novels, and young adult series.
The Thinking Spot (Wayzata)
Are you science-minded? If so, check out The Thinking Spot, which in addition to literary and genre fiction, curates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)-focused nonfiction for both kids and adults. The shop also hosts special events with speakers who are scientists, engineers, makers, and more. In October, The Thinking Spot in collaboration with The Bakken Museum will present the 2nd Annual MN STEM Book Festival.
Wild Rumpus (Minneapolis)
This beloved, Linden Hills bookstore for children and young adults values experiential learning and play. In addition to books, Wild Rumpus also has animals. These have included chinchillas, doves, ferrets, rats – even a tarantula. You can see current critters here. Want to hear something wild? Tom Braun, one of the shop’s co-founders who passed away in 2018, wrote about how a children’s book featuring an animal served as a blueprint for the shop.
