The Best Spots for San Francisco Bookworms

A Little Yumminess - San Francisco Bay Area
June 11, 2012

Big chains and internet booksellers may have the stock and the sales, but sometimes there's just no substitute for a shelf crammed with books to browse through, or a staff member who knows just which book your child will love. Here are six true book nooks (and a great service project) where parents can take a whole new generation of readers to fall in love with books. 

Read All About San Francisco

Crissy Field's Warming Hut and Beach Hut cafes and the newly opened Land's End Lookout Visitor's Center are three great places to take in magnificent views, support the National Park Service, enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, and find a fantastic, hand-picked selection of books about San Francisco. You'll find a nice selection of children's titles with local themes as well as books about hiking, eating, history, and local Bay Area flora and fauna.

Chronicle Bookstore

If you're addicted to Chronicle Books' catalog of books, make a date to check out their latest and greatest titles by visiting the flagship store located in the lobby of their corporate headquarters on 2nd and Townsend Streets, near AT&T Park. It's a cool place to peruse before taking a stroll around McCovey Cove or a fun literary pit stop during a kid-friendly bike ride along the Embarcadero. It's also just a hop skip and a jump from several other family favorites: The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Red's Java Hut at Pier 30 and historic South Park (a oval shaped park constructed in 1855 and home to one of San Francisco's most exclusive neighborhoods pre-1906 earthquake). [Read more about a family food adventure to the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen and South Park on A Little Yumminess.]

Friends of the San Francisco Library Readers Bookstore

Next time you and the kids head out for a walk or bike ride along the Marina Green or Aquatic Park, make a stop at the Friends of the San Francisco Library Readers Bookstore. You can find a great selection of used books and support our public libraries with your purchases. On weekdays you can park free for 30 minutes while you shop and on Sunday's you can combine your bookstore visit with a trip to the weekly Fort Mason Farmer's Market (Sundays 9:30am to 1:30pm). While the adjoining Reader's Cafe is temporarily closed, the cafe space remains open as a readers lounge, a great spot for a little impromptu story time with friends. [More family fun ideas: read the Great Fort Mason Adventure on A Little Yumminess.]

Kinokuniya Bookstore

Even if you can't read Japanese, Kinokuniya bookstore in Japantown is a terrific destination for book lovers of all ages. Browse rows and rows of DIY, fashion, cooking and manga titles as well as picture books, magazines and gifts straight from Japan. For the full experience, you'll want to combine your visit to Kinokuniya with a steaming bowl of ramen or a bento box and some shopping around Japantown. Top it off with some handcrafted mochi Benkyo-do and you'll feel like you went on vacation without leaving San Francisco. [For more ideas read A Taste of Japan in Our Own Backyard on A Little Yumminess.]

Donate Children's Books or Organize a Book Drive

Over the last 20 years the Children's Book Project has donated a staggering 1.5 million books to schools, libraries and individual families, sharing the gift of reading to children across the Bay Area. Get your family involved by donating new and gently used books for children of all ages or organize a summer book drive with friends and neighbors. They are especially in need of infant and toddler books, multicultural books and books in Spanish and Chinese. You can find Children's Book Drive's blue donation bins at many local businesses or you can call 415-401 6315 or email info@childrensbookproject.org to find drop off points or arrange for pick up.

More links for kids who love books:

• If your family is as obsessed with food as you are with reading, check out a growing list of recommended foodie bedtime books on A Little Yumminess.
• Popping into the library during a day out with the kids? You can dial 3-1-1 from any phone to get library hours and information on the go (as well as information about any city service in any language, 24/7).
• Capture a summer of memories in this easy to make accordian book. Get the complete project instructions on the Paper Source website.
• Check out the Books Inc. Kids Blog for information about storytimes, author book signings and other kid-friendly book events at this independant bookseller's Bay Area locations, including four stores in San Francisco.

Stacie Dong and Simran Singh are the moms behind A Little Yumminess, a family food blog where they share spiced-up recipes, hands-on activities and kid-friendly food adventures. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.