​I stumbled upon this book store before dinner recently. It was during the holiday season, so there were a few customers browsing the stacks with only one staff (the owner?) working that afternoon. Pros: * For such a small shop, there were a ton of books of all genres. While I could have spent a good hour looking through all the inventory, I found and purchased 1 children's book and 1 sports book in the 20 minutes I was in the store. There were plenty of newer best sellers as well as a good selection of independent and local authored books. * The selection of children's and young adult books was also impressive, filling the back 3rd of the store. Cons * The store is quite cramp, with the aisles very narrow. Scooting by other customers was at times tricky (think human Tetris). * There were books everywhere, many shelves (especially in the children's area) double stacked. Perhaps is was because of the holiday season, there were also many boxes on the floor, opened with unshelved books. Not sure if this is like this during the year. If you like treasure hunts when visiting book stores, this place is for you. But if you prefer a cleaner, more organized experience in your book shopping, you'll probably want to go somewhere else. read more

David is so nice ! This place is a book lovers dream so many !!! It was my first time here but I'll def be back . I picked up one of the new reads by one of my fav authors here . read more

The Book Tree - Bookstores Near Me - Oakland, California

This cute book store in Montclair really cares about offering good books. I love the diverse selection of books and I always am given the perfect recommendation. A book lover's paradise. read more

Finally visited after having walked by, not noticing, at least several dozen times during many holidays over the years. Not sure how I missed this absolute treasure! They have a copy of absolutely every book I found worth reading- old, new, fiction, non-fiction, classics I thought were out of print, graphic novels, classic children's book authors, translations of classics from all over the world. There was absolutely nothing I searched for and did not find. We purchased a gorgeous journal with a binding based on Shakespeare's first folio. The children's section was especially phenomenal for such a small store! Reprints of Tin Tin and Asterix alongside early work from one of my fav graphic novelists Gene Yang. This store is a dream! read more

great selection of books. Very helpful service too. Convenient location with parking on street and in nearby parking lots.

As a lifelong Montclair resident and a loyal customer of this bookstore for years, it's disappointing to share an experience that has completely changed my view of this establishment. Over the past six months, I've purchased four books here, supporting a business I once believed added value to our community. But recent interactions with the owner have left me deeply unsettled. During one visit, the owner made a bizarre accusation, asking if I was spying for the bookstore across the street. I was shocked and explained that while I briefly worked there over a decade ago while home from medical school, I have no current affiliation. Despite clarifying this, the suspicion seemed to linger. On my most recent visit, I was outright told to leave the store because, in the owner's view, I had spent "too much time browsing." I believe in supporting local businesses, especially as Montclair continues to grow. But as a community, we deserve businesses that welcome us, trust us, and respect our presence in their space. I am deeply concerned that an attitude like this--where paying customers are met with distrust and hostility--can be toxic for our local economy. When business owners treat customers as unwelcome or even "the enemy," it's damaging not only to individual relationships but to the entire community's vitality. I urge others in Montclair to think about what kind of community we want to build and to support the businesses that actively contribute to it. read more

On a post- brunch casual Saturday stroll yesterday, I wanted to check out a local bookstore. My husband and I found The Book Tree. It's a bit of an untraditional set-up in the bookstore. Stacks abound. I loved it!! The person who helped us was very knowledgeable about where books were. We had a good chat. Picked up a couple of Jerry Craft's most recent books. I'll be back for sure. read more

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Walked into this store during the weekend, found myself wanting a specific book they didn't have. The friendly person (David I think) running the shop seamlessly offered & ordered the book for me. Surely one could have ordered the same book online but what one would have missed is - as we placed the order we ended up talking about the genre, leading to David suggesting books that were rather hard to discover (one of them was in limited supply). Somehow, ordering a book online will never live up to the entirety of walking into a unique local bookstore. Great experience at the Book Tree, thank you. read more

David is a local gem. He runs his store with such passion and kindness. Ask him for what you like and he will help you discover a book you will love. A treasure of a store that has been there for years and hopefully for years to come. read more

Tiny + mighty bookstore! Pretty much every time I've walked into this amazing store, I find the books I'm looking to read! Knowledgeable, helpful, and a gem Montclair! read more

Excellent service. A most helpful independent book seller. Thank you! I hope that your business continues to grow! read more

The owner, David, is super friendly and very helpful. I've always had a good experience here and most recently was looking for a book for my wife. Turns out is was self published but David was able to order it and gave me a call two days later to let me know it was in. David also contributes to the community and local schools. read more

My two boys and I walked by on our way to dinner when they noticed a book about Steph Curry in the window. It was about 45 mins past closing time. After a few minutes of the boys oohing, aahing and fawning over this tiny book, the door magically opens, the owner lets us in. He mentions he just got the book and that it was the only one left. We buy it, along with another book about my Golden State Warriors. The owner did not have to open the door for us after closing, but so glad he did. My boys are happy and I will most likely be going to this neighborhood, independent bookstore for future purchases. read more

The Book Tree - Bookstores Near Me - Oakland, California

Support this local book store! I walked by looking for my next nonfiction read and found that they have so many contemporary books. This was really unexpected. Before ringing me up, the man even gave the book a through examination. He determined that because it was a little worn out, he'd give me a nice discount. And trust me, the book looked nearly untouched. read more

We're so grateful for this local bookstore! David was so helpful in picking out books for our toddler according to his interests. Having an accessible neighborhood book store has made the months of shelter in place more bearable...thank you! read more

Had a great experience - needed some recommendations on books (clearly) and by just asking about types that I liked, was able to find three or four with the help of the owner who has great insight into many book categories. A nice change to hear personal insight when looking for something interesting to read, after he heard what Id already read and liked ! Highly recommend. read more

This book store is the real deal. You will find lots of interesting book titles you've never heard of before and the owner is amazing at finding just what you are looking for. Ask him, he will find you a treasure. He has even helped me find titles for my 12 year old who is a reluctant reader. This guy couldn't be nicer. Please support our local book stores. read more

I love this place. We were happy customers of a Great Good Place for books across the street. but after my daughter was scolded for taking a 2nd cookie, we decided it was time to see if there was a friendllier bookstore in the neighborhood. This place really is a good alternative for us. The owner is really friendly and knowledgable and they have a surprisingly good selection of childrens' books. I am a big sports fan and they always have a great selection of sports books. Overall, i really appreciate we have a place like this in the neighborhood and encourage everyone to support this independent book store! read more

My best friend and I stopped in today just to browse. It's a nice little book store. The owner was very friendly and helpful.

Stocks all the classics, is friendly and very helpful. What more could you ask?

I just came in here because the bookstore across the street didn't have any of the books I was looking for. I was so excited to look through the organized mess of books and found a few that I was planning on buying to potentially teach my high school class. While scrounging around, I found a copy of a book I had already owned and loved in a different edition. I was going to buy it because it was a special book to me. I had my phone in my hand and the flashlight accidentally came on and the owner or employee ran towards me from the back of the bookstore and scolded me on how they didn't like people taking pictures of their books. First of all, why? I wasn't taking a photo, but if I was going to buy all the books in my hand why would you care if I took a photo? I put all of my books back and rushed out. I'm never going back and discouraging a lot of my fellow avid book readers to go in. I wanted to support a local bookstore instead of turning to Amazon, but forget it. I'll go somewhere else. read more

I'm very sorry that one person had an odd experience with the owner of this store. This bookstore has been in Montclair for many years and I personally love the store. They have always been kind and friendly to me. I have ordered many books from them and they have made sure to order the rest in a series or two when I started reading one and my son started reading one, even if I did not commit to buying them. I was happy to buy them all from the Book Tree when I finished each book. David is always helpful to me and gives excellent suggestions when I tell him what I'm interested in, no matter what the subject. He listens and is friendly without being at all pushy and making you feel like you absolutely have to buy something and is quite knowledgeable on many subjects. I think the owner made a great decision when they hired him a few years ago. I will continue to patronize this business. read more

I love this book store. The owner is awesome - super low key and helpful. He gives great recommendations and I always leave with a gem. I highly recommend the Book Tree! read more

I visited this store as part of a "Book Store Crawl" for a school assignment. This store was the hands-down winner of my tour. While the store isn't much to look at from the outside, it is well worth a visit. It is plain to see that BOOKS are the focus in this store, browsing is encouraged and the children's section is AMAZING! I wish I had had more time, and more money! I saw so many books that I wanted to buy. read more

A small store, but with an unexpectedly large selection. The travel section is especially good. The owner is very friendly and helpful, there are some very good deals on the table outside. A great compliment to the store across the street, which is more "local literary" and children's, with the Book Tree mainstream best sellers, history, picture books. Check it out.... read more

Great selection of a vast array of interesting titles, current and out-of-print. Owner is remarkably knowledgeable and helpful. Could spend hours browsing there. read more

Love this bookstore. The owner is so helpful and will go out of his way to accommodate and advise.