My daughter Aaliyah and I made our first trip to the new Los Gatos Barnes & Noble, and it's a really nice addition to downtown.
The store is a bit smaller than a typical B&N, so don't expect a café or magazine section, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm. There's a whole wall dedicated to local authors, including Lemony Snicket and John Steinbeck, which was a fun surprise. The layout is easy to browse, and the staff were warm and genuinely seemed excited to talk books.
We picked up two books for Aaliyah -- "Gigantic: The Small Whale with a Big Heart," a sweet story about a tiny whale who turns out to be pretty brave, and "Murdle: The School of Mystery," a fun set of logic puzzles that's perfect for her right now. We also grabbed a little toy while we were there.
We signed her up for the Summer Reading Program too, which is such a great way to keep kids reading over the summer -- read 8 books, get stickers along the way, and earn a free book at the end. Can't beat that.
It's clearly a different experience than a small independent bookstore, but it has its own kind of magic -- a calm, welcoming spot to browse, let your kid pick out a new favorite, and slow down for a bit. We'll definitely be back, and we'll keep supporting our local indie bookstore too -- there's room for both in this town. read more