Any children's bookshop where your children feel welcome and comfortable - and therefore started on a lifetime book buying habit! - is a good thing. My children and I are always welcomed at this store (some bookshops treat kids like they have the plague), and have been since my kids were babies. It has a very wide range of both fiction and non-fiction books for children from birth through to teens, going well beyond the usual "chain" books. What really sets this bookshop apart is that the team know and love their stock, and the advice and support for children's literacy, and the time they are willing and able to give customers is outstanding - their genuine enthusiasm and interest is infectious. Owner Paul Macdonald is a former English teacher with an interest in boys' literacy, and it shows in his passion for what they sell. They not only know what they have, they know what they don't have, and are great about ordering books in. I've shopped regularly here for the last ten years (since before Paul bought it) and this shop just goes from strength to strength.
They also have a small (but perfectly formed) adult book section, which is great because it means I can sneak up the back and choose something for myself while the kids are distracted! [July 2008]