The Portland area is home to amazing indie bookstores!
We have lined up some fantastic full-day, and half-day tour options. We hope Children’s Institute attendees will have an opportunity to visit these and other indies during their time in Portland. Space is limited.
Most bookstores on the tours are fully accessible; for support with accessibility needs, please email accessibility@bookweb.org.
Buses are expected to arrive back between 3:20 pm and 3:30 pm. Keep this timing in mind if planning to attend Thursday afternoon programming.
Unable to join a Bookstore Tour but still want to visit local independent bookstores on your own? Search the Indie Bookstore Finder on IndieBound for Portland. You can also filter your search by ownership identity.
Full-Day Bookstore Tour – SOLD OUT
Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
$85 per person; includes boxed lunch, which will be eaten on parked bus
Bookstores include: A Children’s Place Bookstore, Always Here Bookstore,* Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, Linda Letra Bilingual Books, Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts LLC, and Vintage Books
Travel time between bookstore locations is expected to be 5–20 minutes.
*Always Here Bookstore: masks are required to enter the store. ABA will provide masks should folks forget to bring one.
*Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts LLC has 5-6 steps for entrance to the store.
Half-Day Bookstore Tour – SOLD OUT
Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 11:45 am to 3:30 pm
$45 per person; includes snack
Bookstores include: Broadway Books, Green Bean Books,* Love Spell (Formally Twin Star Astrology & Books), Grand Gesture Books, and Powell’s City of Books
Travel time between bookstore locations is expected to be 5–15 minutes.
*Green Bean Books: A narrow ramp is available. Inside the store can accommodate small wheelchairs, but larger ones may not fit.
Bookstore Descriptions
Most bookstores on the tours are fully accessible; for support with accessibility needs, please email accessibility@bookweb.org.
A Children’s Place has been helping to raise readers for over 50 years. We offer books for readers age newborn through adult, in addition to carrying toys, games, stuffed animals and cards. We host fun author events and love to take part in fundraisers for local schools.
Always Here Bookstore is a queer & trans worker-owned bookstore carrying queer books for all ages. Our store exists to celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories while making space for our community and furthering a historic tradition of queer bookstores.
Masks are required to enter the store. ABA will provide masks should folks forget to bring one.
Linda Letra supports multilingual families and programs with award-winning bilingual, Spanish, and English children's literature. We are an independent, educator & woman-owned business based in Portland, Oregon, with a global worldview.
Powell's Books on Hawthorne is a smaller, more neighborhood focused counterpart to the City of Books, but the store is still big enough to warrant a map. Opened in 1992 and located in the heart of Southeast Portland, Powell's on Hawthorne has been a staple in the Hawthorne community for over 30 years, and offers more than 200,000 used and new books. We may only have one floor, but we have plenty of stories.
Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts LLC was founded in 2019 in Portland Oregon by Michelle Lewis and Charles Hannah. Our vision is to be the number one supplier of African Centered books, accessories and gifts in the Portland Metro Area.
There are 5-6 steps for entrance to the store.
We are SW Washington’s largest Indie bookstore, serving our community since 1975. Our book collection includes a large selection of new & used books for kids and teens. Look for our resident feline greeter, Oliver, or our furry diva, Maisie, napping in a cozy corner. We look forward to meeting you.
Broadway Books is a general interest bookstore featuring new titles and a children’s section.
GBB is a whimsical community-based, indie children's bookstore in the Alberta Arts District. We proudly curate a diverse selection of the best in children's books. We offer events for the community such as author visits, story times, Read-to-a Dog, and an Advisory Youth Council! We also host a troop of vending machines which sell quirky handmade trinkets. Come in and discover our dioramas and try to find Lowly Worm hidden in our bookshelves!
A narrow ramp is available. Inside the store can accommodate small wheelchairs, but larger ones may not fit.
Love Spell (formerly Twin Star) is a small Astrology bookstore with over 100 tarot decks and other treasures. Book a same-day reading online, or walk in today!
Books | · Tarot | · Candles | · Tools | · Jewelry | · Gifts | · Services
Grand Gesture Books is a new romance bookstore located in downtown Portland.
Powell’s City of Books was founded in 1971 and grew to be the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block. We have nine color-coded rooms and over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including a rare book room.