More Than Words is a nonprofit bookstore that sells new and used books while supporting young people ages 16-24 who are system-involved, including youth from foster care, court-involved backgrounds, housing insecurity, and more. The young people help run the store, learn job skills, and work toward personal and career goals--and it truly shows in the care and pride behind the space. The shop itself is small but mighty. I walked out with four excellent-condition used books (three of which had already been on my TBR list) and somehow also added two cookbooks because... no regrets. Everything was very affordable, and it felt good knowing my purchase was directly supporting youth in the local community. If you're near one of their locations (I believe there's another in the Boston area), I highly recommend stopping in or checking out their online storefront. Great books, great prices, and an even greater mission--absolutely worth supporting. read more

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Great place to shop and support your community. I live that there are brand new housewares at fraction the cost of retail. One can feel good in shopping and supporting a worthwhile cause. read more

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This is such a great shop with an even more amazing mission! I love having the opportunity to also volunteer here in the past and getting to see and help with the behind the scenes. I love that they are able to give extended life to the second hand books in good condition. Even more importantly the organization provides young adults with opportunities to work together and manage the whole bookshop. The youth that guide us in the past are all so knowledgeable and helpful. Aside from books the store also has several lovely gifts, home items, tea and more! I haven't been to the Back Bay location before but this one is located in Downtown Waltham near the commuter rail. It has an unassuming garage door sign. Once you enter the brightly colored shelves of books are welcoming. Sadly they do not really have many parking spots immediately outside. You can find a side street that is not busy to stop by. They also fulfill and catalog a lot of online book orders in the back so don't sleep on the online selection either! It's also refreshing seeing the pop up shop partnerships on campus with other local businesses to see their book cart around. The books on the carts are all so affordable at $7 per book. read more

This location of More Than Words is in an industrial area, and shares a driveway with its neighbor, so it was rather busy. They have a few parking spots, but those are a bit too close for comfort, so I pulled over by the donation bins. If you are just dropping off a couple of things, those work. But I had a half dozen bags. I took one in with me to figure things out, and saw a gent lift a bag over the counter to drop it off. When I did the same with my much heavier bag, I was told I could leave it on the floor on my side. When they realized there were more to follow, they offered to send someone out to my car to grab them. Terrific! The shop itself here is on the petite side if you've been to their South End location, but there were several bookshelves to peruse. read more

Cute bookstore. Stopped in while on a work trip to the area. The book store itself is rather small but they have hundreds of books cataloged in the back so all you have to do is have them look it up for you. They also have local seasoning, crafts, and more displayed around the shop for purchase. I was able to get the book I was looking for along with some Zatar seasoning. It was a win win for me. Would definitely come back to find a new book or just to see what they have that's new. Part of the proceeds also go to a worthy cause of youth education and literacy so that makes it even better. Will definitely return! read more

This is a fantastic program for inner city youths and they have a broad variety of books for sale at low prices. I can't say enough about how much this Agency does for youths in Boston. read more

Great place that gives back and helps kids. Absolutely go and support them. Kids need this kind of support from people who care.

I recently ordered a used book from Amazon. It happened to come from More Than Words. The book they listed as good was actually perfect. So I went on line and found them. They are a non profit giving back to the youth of their community. They had the next 2 books in the series I am reading so I ordered direct from them. Their customer service was wonderful. Great place to order books new or used. Jeff Craig, most satisfied customer read more

Great people, great cause and GREAT selection!!! I recommend both shopping and donating. Do both by dropping off books!!!

I have known about More Than Words since I lived in Belmont, MA and donated several hundreds of books over the years. While I never made it to their Waltham store I did visit the Boston store once...it was a strange location and I didn't stay long b/c I needed to hurry to a friend's partner's gallery nearby, as well as the Pine Street Inn, which was having some kind of sale. I purchased a small painting for $50 which I still have in the house where I grew up in Brooklyn NY. read more

Seems to have changed the layout a bit. A bit too many copies of standard nyt bestsellers, not enough weirdo stuff, esp. now that Back Pages has closed, I think they can expand their offerings on shelves. Mission of job training and empowering youth with limited opportunities serves the community really well. Has other branch in Boston. read more

Super cute, super cool bookstore jam-packed with a wonderfully varied and random selection of books. Homemade signs denoting the genre of each section and very friendly staff. My friend and I sat here for a while, turning this into our own personal library where she brushed up on communist theory while I "read" books with lots of pictures and small words. They won't have the newest books but they do have a ton of bargains and quirky reads. The dude behind the counter gave us both 20% off coupons for when we come back so if I buy one of their $1 books, that's 20 cents...score! read more

More Than Words - Bookstores Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I have a lot of love for this place! In theory I like what they do and I love buying used books for the savings and envionmental factors. My issue is that I really don't feel like they are training their young staff on customer service! I have been here many times when I was either: 1) Ignored, had to speak up for attention (when there are no other customers!) 2) Acknowledged, but asked to wait because someone was showing someone else something on their cell phone. 3) I drawn out conversation was being had by my cashier and another employee while I was being rung up. Maybe my expectations are too high? Knowing that this organization is helping and training kids to get work experience makes me wish we I could see that at work. Even in the presence of older employees who seem to be "in charge" the behavior is the same. The "manager" doesn't correct the employees or suggest they might worry less about the song that's playing and more about taking care of a customer. read more

I have been a fan of this place since before it opened. Our school was approached by someone who did work with a group affiliated with these guys. Since I have books upon books and always donating them to our local library, donating here was a no-brainer. Since I am a book addict (to give and receive:), I just love to visit to browse and have cookies/coffee, especially if I am next door already having dinner. What a great way to digest a tapas dinner than to look at books and help at-risk youth. I also love that they now have those donation "boxes" in various places in all kinds of neighborhoods, especially since I can not always make it to Waltham to donate. read more

We dropped off a carload of books. A worker came right to the car with a large bin on wheels and took them all away and thanked us. From what I've read, this is a great business. read more

Amazing little bookstore with great books, dvds and some gifts. Everyone is always so nice and helpful. The city of Waltham should provide a more visible location like where it was on Moody St. before. Thanks to everyone at More Than Words, love going here. read more

I read an article on this bookstore last year and I just happened to stumble upon this place when I was in Waltham last week. I was so excited to have found it!!! This place is great - a nonprofit run bookstore that helps the youth in the area. The older guy (I'm assuming manager?) was sitting at the coffee bar and a younger guy (I'm assuming one of the youths?) was sitting in a different area. Both greeted me with hellos and offered their help. I love all the used books - I always go right to the cook books and travel books. They also have cds and a few dvds, but I would be a bit weary about the scratches on the disks (I looked at one cd I wanted to get but it had a lot scratches). The atmosphere is really nice and I hope the community supports this place. My only drawback is that they serve Starbucks in their cafe. I was hoping since this was a mission-driven bookstore, they would be serving a local roaster, one that's mission oriented like Equal Exchange or something similar. So that was disappointing to see a big company (known for their exploitative practices to coffee farmers) to be served in a cool bookstore like this. Otherwise the place is awesome. I would have purchased a drink anyway just to support them, but it was in the evening and I can't do caffeine past 5pm. I hope to go back there in the morning sometime! They were selling cloth shopping bags with their logo on them, I regret now not getting one when I was there. Very cool logo. read more

I went there for the first time this evening and had a great time... Browsing their organized shelves, drinking sweet hot cocoa, finding gems like Nancy Drew, Calvin and Hobbes, fuzzy pink astrology books in the shape of hearts and the five books for five dollar deals... along with classics, biographies, children's books, etc. All you'd expect to find in a used bookstore and more... The best part is that it's all for a good cause. This social enterprise "provides empowering leadership and supportive employment opportunities for youth who are in foster care, court-involved, homeless or out of school to prepare them for self-sufficiency as they transition to adulthood." (www.mtwyouth.org) I am so impressed by their business model! Youth ages 16-21 run this business and they do it with real pizazz. Check out their publicity too! http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/2008_08_17_Youth_perk_up_area_bookstore/srvc=home&position=also read more

What an amazing concept! I was on my way to Lizzy's one evening after work to utilize their space to do some studying, when I look across the street and spotted some books for sale. I figured, hell I have some time to kill, and I'm looking for new workout books to read, maybe they might have something. While I perused the cart outside the store and nothing captivated me, I was compelled to walk inside. Maybe it was the scent of coffee luring me in. Maybe it was the possibility of finding a few books I've been reading from the library and hoping to purchase them instead. Browsing through category after category of books on the walls, I also noticed that they had a cafe right in the middle of the bookstore that by the way serves Starbucks beverages as well as the couches, tables, and chairs. And this is when I discovered what More Than Words' agenda is. Both new and old books are donated to MTW and sold either at MSRP or extremely reduced. Profits from sales goes to pay local youths that run the store and all the operations involved. Additionally, with your purchase, you also receive 10% off on your coffee order. They also have lots of deals like a stack of books for $5, a combination of VHS for $2 or $5. While the WiFi wasn't working properly the day i went in, they also offer FREE WiFi for those looking to get some work done. Needless to say, I got some studying time in, my coffee, and a new book on muscle training, as well as having found a new local hot spot for my peculiar studying habits. read more

Support at-risk youth. Support reading. Support local Waltham business. Buy a book. Spread love. read more

More Than Words never disappoints! First: You can feel great knowing that every dollar you spend is supporting youth employment and training. Second: Given its eclectic collection of trade fiction, classics, cookbooks, and nonfiction, you're sure to find something (or a lot of things!) to carry home for under $5. Sign up for their newsletter or check the web for their Dollar Days, when most everything in the store goes for a mere dollar, including hard covers! read more

More Than Words - Dollar Days! When (almost) everything goes for a dollar! - Bookstores Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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I really like More Than Words. It's a very friendly place with a good cause. i worked with at-risk youth for 6 years and I really find this place friendly and quaint. It has a great selection of books and students get a discount of 10%, which is always nice =) It's run by youth who are so sweet and willing to help. It's always a treat to stop in at More Than Words for a cup of coffee and some good book browsing. I always come out with more than I can carry =) read more

More Than Words - Full of inexpensive but useful books! Basically anything you could ask for or want! - Bookstores Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

this place is cute. Not an extensive bookstore but they have enough. What i mostly come here for is to get out of the cold on moody street, borrow their FREE Wifi, drink Starbucks coffee and browse at the books. i think that's exactly what the owner of this place intended . may i say it again, FREE WIFI!!! read more

Love the idea of this bookstore! Went in today and was greeted by three teenagers who we then had a long talk with about the vintage cars rumbling down the street. For every $10 you spend, you get to grab a free book out of their remainders bin. They also have a lot of discounts on books in general including a table of $1-5 priced books with a larger discount if you bought a larger number (I think I saw one deal as 7 for $5 out of the $1 books) They also have some nice furniture to relax in and board games in the back to play. Such a great store! read more

I only give it 3 stars because I will only visit this place once as an out of towner so won't really get a chance to come to love it enough for the 4 or 5 star rating I reserve for my top picks... That being said; this place rocks. Books + coffee + helping at risk youth = oh hell yes! As I was sitting up front, using the free wifi on my phone (since I'm coming from Canada the free wifi was super helpful) and enjoying a hot tea, the manager was finalizing a job for another at risk youth. That's awesome! The book selection seemed pretty good to boot. We need more places like this. read more

This is a much needed business on Moody Street- not so much the bookstore (although that is welcome) or a coffee merchant, but the internet cafe. I just told RCN to go play in traffic, so when I need to siphon some bandwidth (and not at Burger King or Panera, since I feel like a dirtbag hogging a table for hours) I want to go sit, pay $4 for a cup of coffee that I let get stone cold, and click away to my heart's content on my latop. I'd go to Cafe on the Common, but I don't think they bother to turn on their wireless router or even check that the signal's live, as long as the 'Free Wi-Fi' sign is up. This place has ample spots to sit and click, and they're happy to sell you coffee for less than $4. The decor is also rather nice and unassuming, as you would expect to find in a used bookstore (apparently they run a thriving internet business from this location). The counter service is provided by teens getting career assistance, so it's an interesting but not unpleasant experience. As I was clicking away I overhead several conversations between the youts that weren't quite retail-apropos, which was fine with me, just be warned. Also, their wireless was not accepting my laptop's coaxing overtures for some reason, but I was able to hook up with some local apartment dweller's unsecured wi-fi, and my laptop made sweet love to that for a few hours. Sorry Mandy, but you did leave it open ;). If you're looking for a classic European cafe, keep steppin'. If you like bookstores, coffee, and a little bit of high school drama, stop on by! The coffee's hot, and so is the wireless. read more

More Than Words makes my heart melt. Of course, I love books, and I love to be surrounded by books. I also love used books and places that allow people to recycle books over and over again. But the store offers even more than that - it gives at risk youth an opportunity to learn a business and develop skills that can be applied in their future careers - kids who otherwise may not develop real job skills. And the youth in this store do an excellent job. More than Words accepts donations - and if you drop off a pile of books/DVDs/CDs, you get a coupon for a discounted book for a free Starbucks coffee. Score! Yeah, that's right, the coffee bar inside offers Starbucks. I LOVE Starbucks. Making the store even more awesome. read more

Very new guy running the coffee area delivered two really sub-par coffees - one iced white mocha (blech - the syrup is all pooled at the bottom), and one hot mocha - strangely inconsistent flavors. Took about 10 minutes to make the two drinks, and he didn't know that skim=non-fat. cute place though. read more

I enjoy coming here to camp out with my laptop on their comfortable couches. It's a good place to study. Their free wifi comes in handy when you're walking down Moody Street, decide you want to try a restaurant, and need a place to check the yelp reviews/hours/number for delivery. Their book selection is impressive considering everything is donated. Their classics section is my favorite and they have a quirky selection of coffee table books that are fun to peruse. Their prices are fantastic and I always leave with a used book in great condition for five bucks or less. Their younger employees are always very friendly but their supervisors can be a little off putting. I wouldn't go as far as to say they are rude, but they are a little stuffy and less than welcoming, an attitude I would find more fitting at Borders and not a non-profit like More than Words. Update: MTW has made me addicted to coffee again. I've never consumed a more delicious caramel macchiato in my life. Sure, it's the same stuff they have at Starbucks, but the employees at MTW put so much more time and care into making the drinks and it shows. read more

As a book store on its own, it's good, but it goes way deeper that. Their entire operation is an effort to empower high school students with limited opportunities, promote literacy, and build ties with the community. I've volunteered here a few times and I never fail to be impressed with the young folk that work here. The high school students are put in leadership roles that require them to try their hand at organization, business, and interpersonal skills. Their progress with their jobs, as well as at school and with other personal goals, are tracked through the program and the staff seem to do a great job of supporting that. I almost always browse afterward and have always found at least one thing I ended up buying (usually an entire armful.) The space is on the smaller side, but they have a pretty good selection despite the fact that they receive their entire stock from donations from individuals and businesses. There's a nice cafe up front, with standard bevvies and food offerings. Oh yea, the coffee is actually really lovely. I'd wholeheartedly recommend it as a volunteer experience and as a great spot to seek out some used book finds and deals. They also run an online operation through eBay, which is actually the biggest part of their business, so check that out via their website if you don't find your bibliophilic self in Waltham. read more

I come here about once a month. I usually browse books for my son who has outgrown a lot of his baby books. Prices are reasonable and books are in pretty good shape. There's a cafe and a few chairs where I can lounge while my son digs for a Thomas the Tank Engine book. A few weeks ago, they even had a dollar sale. You can get any book, DVD or CD for a dollar. How awesome is that? My only (small) complaint is that it seems like some of the younger staff seem confused a lot. I don't know if there is a large turnover for employees but I feel like more often than not, the person at the counter doesn't know how to input a coupon or has trouble with the tablet/register or doesn't know how to look for a book in the computer. The end result is usually a few managers crowding around the poor kid to ring up the man with 15 books and two coupons while I am hoping I can quickly pay for my "Green Eggs and Ham" in cash. Not a big deal...we all had to learn how to handle a retail job, right? read more

Love the concept, love the place itself... And... The books: cheap and interesting, very eclectic, obviously donated but if you have time you'll find something you didn't know you needed but now you must have. Seating area is adorable, childrens- looking furniture and comfy chairs. My only thing I'd like to see is that the cafe have more variety of servings for the coffee... I'm a big coffee/tea buff and wanted some GF/DF cookies and better offerings for drinks but it is a book store, not a cafe so I get it. Staff was nice but non-intrusive, one of those rare types of places where you can't believe 4 hours has gone by. I'll be back. -J read more

Not your average bookstore! Great deals on used books; usually I go in not knowing what I am looking for, and end up coming out with some great resource like a travel book, cook book, greeting card, or just a well brewed Starbucks latte. It is a volunteer run store teaching youth in the area how to run a business and gain necessary life skills, so don't cheap out on a used book while your there! read more

My favorite bookstore ever. Fun & funky collection of titles, amazing prices, great Starbucks coffee and wonderful customer service with a mission! read more

I love this place and can't ever go without finding at least 2-3 books I "need". Coffee is fine (just starbucks stuff, but prepared capably--disclaimer: I am very not fussy). The only real downside is the hours are somewhat limited. Please note this is more than a business--this mission-driven organization provides training and support for at-risk youth. You'll usually find 1-2 adult volunteers and several teens operating the place at all times. So yes, expect a range of skills/abilities as I'm sure there's always someone fairly new on the job. I will say I have never had a bad experience with the staff--they are super friendly and usually quite capable. A person complaining about the staff here (as a couple other reviewers did) makes me question their intelligence and morality. read more

Hidden gem! I visited for the first time this weekend. Small, well curated selection. I got 4 hardcover books and 3 paperbacks for $30. The young man who handled my purchase was polite and attentive. Great mission. Will definitely be making a return visit. read more

I like reading books and wandering around book stores in any sunny afternoon. This local small book store has everything u r looking for. Old books, nice receptions , broken piano, secondhand guitar or anything ~ Sometimes it has discounts for students. I bought books at very cheap price with my student ID. read more

I am not only happy to support this local used book store for the amazing effort behind it, but also because it is a great little shop! I always get great deals on books, in good shape, and even find a lot of gems hidden in the shelves. The staff and the drinks are a bonus! Keep up the amazing work. read more

You will love this place! Clean, bright, cheerful, and a good cause! Girlfriend introduced me to this place while strolling Moody St... always bought several books at very inexpensive prices on every visit. Great selection of interesting titles... you will find some gorgeous coffee table books and several hardbacks about most any hobby or interest you might have. After 20 years of living in New England, I needed to significantly pare down my book collection before paying to move hundreds of pounds of books.... donating them here to help youth made it bearable to part with them. Check it out (bring box of books, make a donation, buy more books, leave happy)! read more

Love the friendly kids who work here (okay, they're not kids, but I'm old). Love the coffee, love the atmosphere, love the great books at cheap prices. This is a gem in Waltham and I come as often as I can. My only complaint: they're not open early enough, so I can't get my Starbucks fix on my way to work. On top of this being a great bookstore and a great cafe and a terrific coffeeshop, it also has an incredible mission - to help at risk youth. How could it be any more perfect!!! read more