Here are the local Fort Worth, Dallas bookshops to visit for Independent Bookstore Day
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, and Dallas-Fort Worth has several locally owned sellers that readers can help support.
Independent Bookstore Day started in 2014 and went nationwide in 2015, created with the goal to support the local merchants in the age of online shopping. The day falls on the last Saturday of April.
The day is promoted by IndieBound, an initiative of the American Booksellers Association, which is a “local-first” shopping network comprising hundreds of independent bookstores around the country.
Buying from independent booksellers can benefit communities, the environment and local economies. According to IndieBound, shopping at independent bookstores reduces the amount of packaging and time of transportation while also supporting local retailers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported an average of two-thirds of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community.
During Independent Bookstore Day, participating shops will have author events, kid-friendly activities, contests and exclusive books and literary items only available Saturday.
One local Fort Worth shop called Monkey and Dog Books has prepared for the festivities in the days leading up to Saturday.
Located at 3608 West 7th St., Monkey and Dog Books is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Owner Shelley Lowe said for Independent Bookstore Day, Monkey and Dog will have drawings for giveaways and signings from local authors.
Monkey and Dog is named after the nicknames Lowe called her sons when they were younger — one because of his tendency for climbing on furniture, the other because he wanted to have an animal nickname as well and called himself “dog.”
Nine years ago, the shop opened on Vickery Boulevard as a children’s bookstore. Monkey and Dog Books opened at the current location about four years ago and now offers a range of books to go with its children’s section, from adult and young adult nonfiction to fiction.
The shop is in a strip center just outside the Monticello neighborhood, but don’t judge a bookshop by its cover. Lowe said customers are often surprised when they open the doors because of how different it is to the exterior.
Inside, there are display tables with new release and seasonal picks, a kitchen-inspired nook for food-related reads, a cozy children’s section and plush seats to relax with a book. Shelves are adorned with decorations made by one of Lowe’s friends to help make the space feel welcoming.
“As far as the design, that’s my heart,” Lowe said. “I had a great time doing that.”
For Independent Bookstore Day, one of the drawings at Monkey and Dog will be for an “Indie bookstores are my jam” canvas tote bag. Some backstock books will be discounted and placed on a red cart for easy access.
Local shops give a taste of what a city is about, Lowe said, and supporting them is important. In the past, she said, customers have come to the shop to take pictures of books and leave to buy the titles from Amazon instead.
“If they continue to do that, they won’t have shops like this to go into,” she said.
Here are more Dallas-Fort Worth area bookstores participating in the Independent Bookstore Day festivities this Saturday.
The Dock Bookshop
6637 Meadowbrook Drive, Fort Worth
Saturday hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Leaves Book & Tea Shop
120 St. Louis Ave., #101, Fort Worth
Saturday hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Interabang Books
5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 142, Dallas
Saturday hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Enda’s Booktique
428 N. Main St., Duncanville
Saturday hours: 1-4:30 p.m.
Whose Books Neighborhood Bookstore
1300 S. Polk St., #267, Dallas
Saturday hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 2:53 PM.
