Little Readers, Big Adventures: Atlanta’s Best Children’s Bookstores
Every parent knows the struggle: screen time is easy, but story time is magic. In a city buzzing with distractions, Atlanta’s children’s bookstores are holding the line for imagination, curiosity, and the kind of adventures you can only find between the pages of a book.
Forget algorithms recommending the next cartoon. These shops know how to pair a kid with a book that will actually stick — the kind they’ll re-read until the spine cracks and the corners curl. And let’s be real: any place that can keep kids quiet and happy for 20 minutes deserves a medal.
Here’s your guide to Atlanta’s best children’s bookstores — where tiny readers become big dreamers.
Brave + Kind Bookshop (Decatur)
Let’s start with the crown jewel. Brave + Kind isn’t just a bookstore; it’s a movement. Owner Melissa McDonald opened the shop with a mission: to fill kids’ shelves with stories that reflect diverse voices, brave characters, and kind values.
The selection is carefully curated — you won’t just find the usual suspects, but also titles that tackle empathy, self-confidence, and social justice in a way kids can actually absorb. Their tagline, “Brave stories, kind world”, says it all.
Add in their storytime events, hands-on workshops, and a cozy space designed with kids in mind, and you’ve got the perfect family bookstore outing.
Little Shop of Stories (Decatur Square)
If Brave + Kind is the visionary newcomer, Little Shop of Stories is the beloved elder statesman. Nestled right on Decatur Square, this shop is legendary among Atlanta parents — partly because of its sprawling children’s section, partly because of its community programs, and partly because it just feels like stepping into a Roald Dahl novel.
The store hosts epic storytimes, summer reading programs, and author visits that turn kids into fangirls and fanboys. (Think Rick Riordan showing up and the entire place vibrating with middle school excitement.)
Parents love it because the staff actually knows what to recommend. Bring in a kid who only reads about dragons, and you’ll walk out with three new titles they’ll devour.
Virginia Highland Books (For Kids & Parents)
While not exclusively a children’s shop, Virginia Highland Books has quietly built one of the best children’s sections in town. Bright, cheerful, and full of both picture books and middle-grade titles, it’s the kind of section where kids plop down on the rug and immediately forget that time exists.
What makes it special is the balance — kids browse happily while parents wander upstairs into the adult fiction section, latte in hand. It’s a bookstore that grows with your family.
Why These Shops Matter
It’s easy to think of bookstores as indulgent in the age of Amazon Prime. But children’s bookstores are different. They aren’t just selling books; they’re selling identity, empathy, and imagination.
Atlanta’s kids are lucky: they’ve got shops that care enough to stock stories that reflect their lives and expand their worlds. These stores are places where a shy 7-year-old finds their first “favorite series,” or where a teen finds a book that makes them feel seen for the first time.
That’s not just retail. That’s impact.
Plan Your Family Adventure
📍 Brave + Kind Bookshop – 722 W College Ave, Decatur, GA
🔗 Website
📍 Little Shop of Stories – 133 E Court Square, Decatur, GA
🔗 Website
📍 Virginia Highland Books – 1034 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA
🔗 Website
So here’s your weekend plan: skip the tablet, skip the tantrum, and let the kids get lost in the stacks instead. Bonus points if you sneak in a latte while they’re distracted.
Because one day, they’ll outgrow Legos and Paw Patrol — but if you do it right, they’ll never outgrow books.
And when you’re ready to level-up family time beyond bedtime stories? Check out our AFK ATL events calendar, where author visits, kids’ programs, and family book clubs are happening all across the city.