Best of Boston

2002 Best Bookstore, Children's

Children’s Book Shop

Our first choice for children’s books is your local public library. That said, this wee shop in Brookline is a close second for its thoughtful mix of classics (of the Make Way for Ducklings, Charlotte’s Web, and Eloise ilk) as well as blockbuster newcomers like the Harry Potter series. The selection runs the gamut, from the newly released works of 1940s author Louis Lenski’s “little” books to volumes that speak to contemporary teens. The store is nearly childproof, too, with huge stuffed animals and pop-up books on shelves strategically lower in height, so little ones can let themselves, and their minds, wander.

237 Washington St., Brookline Village, 617-734-7323, thechildrensbookshop.net/