Caitlin Stone

Review of Secret Garden Bookshop

I am new to the world of buying children's books a...

I am new to the world of buying children's books and needed one for a baby shower, so I recently checked out The Secret Garden because the reviews indicated it had a good selection. I spent nearly an hour there and barely scratched the surface of what picture books they had. There seemed to be a great range of styles, difficulties, and subjects. Everything appeared to be full suggested retail price, unlike certain other larger/online retailers, but I think it was worth it for the convenience of being able to page through the books and feel how well they're bound (and to support local business, of course). I was tempted by so many offerings but walked away happy with my selection. (My mother ended up buying a good seven or eight books, though, and walked away equally happy.)

Beyond books, they also had a lot of book-related items, like shirts, posters, enamel pins, and pencil pouches. I got a great little pouch printed to look like the famous peacock edition of Pride and Prejudice, and there were tons of other books represented across all the different book products. I also saw some beautiful journals, cards, and postcards.

I'm sure I'll be back in future to buy more books for my niece as she grows, because it turns out that buying children's books is kind of fun.