In recent years, the literary world has seen a resurgence of brick-and-mortar, independently-owned bookstores. And locally, several of these additions are particularly friendly to young readers, offering free regular story times, special activities and even play spaces where your littles can relax and read to their heart’s desire.
Whether you’re trying to build an at-home book collection for them, looking to shop local this holiday season, or seeking out a new “third place” outside of home and school—take a look here at some of our favorite indie bookstores most worth a visit for your family.
Talking Animals Books
It’s a great name, is it not? For that, Grapevine’s first and only independent bookstore draws inspiration from the anthropomorphic characters in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. Award-winning writer Katy Lemieux and business partner Valerie Walizadeh opened Talking Animals in February 2023 along Grapevine’s historic Main Street, not far from all the action you’ll find this season in the Christmas Capital of Texas.
“It is not a stuffy store. We love having kids running around, laughing and feeling at home,” say the co-owners. “Sometimes the kids just need a change of scenery and love something to do outside of the house.”
Come visit between 11am and 5pm Tuesday–Sunday (closed Monday). On Saturdays year-round, they host 11:30am story readings—sometimes led by a co-owner, sometimes a local author or students from Colleyville Heritage High School’s literary club—followed by a craft in a cozy playroom downstairs. The playroom is enclosed with a baby gate, and the restroom is equipped with a changing table and supplies. This makes it a great spot too for hosting play dates, which they do for local mom groups, such as the Grapevine Colleyville Southlake Moms League, before the store opens to the public.
Location: 103 West Worth Street, Grapevine
Fall 2023 hours:
11am–5pm Tuesday–Sunday
Closed Monday
Contact: 682/223-1311
Learn more: talkinganimalsbooks.com
Whose Books
Claudia Vega and husband John, both educators raised in Oak Cliff, first opened Whose Books two years ago with a mission to make books more accessible in what they called a book desert. Now at its second location, Whose Books actually isn’t far from another independent bookstore, The Wild Detectives, and just a skip away from the playground at Kidd Springs Park. Here inside the kids’ section at Whose Book, your young readers can enjoy hours at the play table. They can choose from a selection of children’s books, many of which emphasize inclusivity, and get comfy on floor pillows.
Look online for upcoming special events: author signings, story times, holiday-themed readings. In 2024, Vega plans to add more ticketed Play Dates at the Bookshop, programs that include a story time, a book to take home and a related activity.
Check out this bookshop Wednesday–Saturday 11am–7pm or Sunday noon–5pm (closed Monday and Tuesday). On weekends, they offer fresh pastries from La Casita Bakeshop.
Location: 512 W. Davis Street, Dallas, Texas 75208
Hours: 11am–7pm Wednesday–Saturday
Noon–5pm Sunday
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Contact: 469/885-8004
Learn more: whosebooks.shop
Franklin Books
Story time is anytime at this colorful reading lounge and bookstore, open since April inside The Shops at Willow Bend. Anytime during mall open hours, parents can stop into this space, on level one near the Crayola Experience, with their kids to read together or with a staff member. Toddlers will especially love cuddling with the oversized teddy bears and rearranging the removable sea creatures on the story time wall.
But this bookstore is unlike the others because here, if you choose, you can also learn how to write and publish your very own stories. Kids in elementary up to adults are welcome to register for free book writing workshops, held on a couple Sundays each month and led by the bookstore’s namesake, Franklin Edwards. This young writer and entrepreneur has independently published more than a dozen of his own books, each starring the character Franklin the Helper. He owns and runs this bookstore with his mother, Demetré Bivins, a partnership we love to see.
If you’re visiting any day this holiday, make it Thursday, December 21, when Franklin hosts a Grinch Pajama Movie Night & Face Painting. Sign up online for your spot for $8.
Location: 6121 W Park Blvd., Suite D118, Plano
Hours: 11am–7pm Monday–Thursday
11am–8pm Friday–Saturday
Noon–6pm Sunday
Contact: 469/793-4296
Learn more: franklinthehelper.com
Interabang Books
We make no secret that Interabang—named after the little-known punctuation mark that combines a question mark and exclamation point (‽)—has long been a favorite amongst our editors since it originally opened in 2017. This bookstore owned by Nancy Perot (of the Perot family) has weathered many storms, both literal and figurative—surviving the pandemic and, before that, a brutal tornado that forced a move to its current storefront on Lovers Lane.
Interabang welcomes all ages, even newborns, to its twice-weekly story times, every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:30am. After the readings, stick around for the coloring activities, and browse through its bountiful selection of children’s books. Open hours are Monday–Saturday 10am–7pm and Sunday noon–6pm.
Interabang also deserves credit for its robust schedule of in-person author events. The one must-go event this season for families is Friday, December 8 when Interabang presents Jan Brett, the legendary writer and illustrator of dozens of classic picture books like Gingerbread Baby and The Mitten. She’ll be stopping into First United Methodist Church Grapevine (her only stop in Texas on her Winter Wonderland Tour) and giving a drawing demonstration and signing copies. Tickets are free but required for admission.
Location: 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 142, Dallas
Hours: 10am–7pm Monday–Saturday
Noon–6pm Sunday
Contact: 214/484-4289
Learn more: interabangbooks.com
Monkey & Dog Books
For animal lovers, shop dog Sophie is reason enough to visit this independent bookstore, located on West Seventh Street, not far from the Fort Worth Cultural District. Owner Shelley Lowe actually named the shop after her nicknames for her two now-grown sons.
For special story times and events led by children’s authors as they’re announced, look on the website and social media accounts. The bookstore frequently hosts author events and several book clubs, most of which are geared toward adult tastes, but the Last Monday Book Club is specifically for middle grade readers in third–fifth grades.
Its cozy seating and easy-to-reach titles and toys for kids make this an especially nice spot for impromptu book browsing. Monkey & Dog is open Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm, closed Sunday. Though their website isn’t shoppable, you can give them a call to find any particular title. If you’re not local, you can still support them by ordering books online through bookshop.org and selecting Monkey & Dog Books.
Location: 3608 W. Seventh Street, Fort Worth
Hours: 10am–5pm Monday–Saturday
Closed Sunday
Contact: 817/489-5747
Learn more: monkeyanddogbooks.com
RELATED: Kid-Friendly Reading Spaces in Dallas-Fort Worth
This article was originally published in December 2023.
Top image courtesy Whose Books
