Finding an Indie Bookshop Is 'Like Running into an Old Friend'

Shelf Awareness

"There are times when I'm traveling, and feeling exhausted by the strangeness of a place, when the appearance of a bookstore with literature in a language I can read makes all the difference. An hour or two browsing the shelves is like running into an old friend on the street in a foreign city."

--Karen Havelin, a writer and translator from Bergen, Norway, in a Words Without Borders tribute to her favorite bookstore, Oslo's Tronsmo bøker og tegneserier

Family Trip Tip: 'Vacation in a Bookstore'

"Independent booksellers, including those dedicated to children's literature, span the country and offer ways for families to share time together and add the perfect book to vacation fun," Family TravelFiles.com noted reported in showcasing "the best book spots for children's literature in the U.S."

Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, Colo. ("a cathedral for books and lovers of books with nooks, alcoves and comfortable antique furnishings meant to be used with a good book"), Barefoot Books, Concord, Mass. ("a friendly, engaging place where parents or grandparents can share big ideas with young minds"), Books of Wonder, New York City ("no urban family adventure in NYC would be complete without a stop for a book and a cupcake"), Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex. ("they know how to create literary family fun and present ways to connect books to real life"), Reading Reptile, Kansas City, Mo. ("a little piece of book heaven for all ages with engaging ideas and tempting books at every turn") Booktenders' Secret Garden Children's Bookstore, Doylestown, Pa. ("they know children's books and love to suggest book pairings which will inspire not just a child but an adult companion to share reading time") and Taylor Books, Charleston, W.Va. ("a bookseller with a passion for not just the printed page but also the arts").