Anna’s Naomi Emory reads a book at Monkey and Dog, an independent bookstore in Fort Worth, on Thursday. Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day and Monkey and Dog will be celebrating along with other bookstores in DFW.
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day and there are several local vendors in Dallas-Fort Worth who can support readers.
Independent Bookstore Day started in 2014 and went nationwide in 2015 with the aim of supporting local retailers in the age of online shopping. The day falls on the last Saturday in April.
The day is promoted by IndieBound, an initiative of the American Booksellers Association, a local-first shopping network that includes hundreds of independent bookstores across the country.
Buying from independent booksellers can benefit communities, the environment and the local economy. According to IndieBound, buying from independent bookstores reduces packaging and shipping time while supporting local retailers. The US Chamber of Commerce reported that on average, two-thirds of every dollar spent in a small business goes to the local community.
During Independent Bookstore Day, participating stores will offer author events, kid-friendly activities, contests and exclusive books and literary items on Saturdays only.
A local Fort Worth store called Monkey and Dog Books has been preparing for the celebrations in the days leading up to Saturday.
Monkey and Dog Books is located at 3608 West 7th St. and is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Owner Shelley Lowe said Monkey and Dog will have drawings for giveaways and autographs from local authors for independent bookstore day.
Monkey and Dog is named after the nicknames Lowe gave their sons when they were younger – one because of his tendency to climb on furniture, the other because he also wanted an animal nickname and called himself “Dog”.
The Vickery Boulevard store opened nine years ago as a children’s bookstore. Monkey and Dog Books opened at its current location about four years ago and now offers a range of books to match its children’s section, from adult and young adult non-fiction to fiction.
The store is in a strip hub just outside the Monticello neighborhood, but don’t judge a bookstore by its cover. Lowe said customers are often surprised when they open the doors because they are so different from the outside.
Inside, there are display tables with new releases and seasonal picks, a kitchen-inspired nook for food-themed reading, a cozy kids’ area, and plush seats for relaxing with a book. The shelves are adorned with decorations made by one of Lowe’s friends to make the space feel inviting.
“As far as design goes, that’s my heart,” Lowe said. “I had a great time doing it.”
For Independent Bookstore Day, one of the drawings at Monkey and Dog for a canvas tote bag will be “Indie Bookstores Are My Jam”. Some Backstock books are discounted and placed in a red cart for easy access.
Local businesses give a taste of what a city is all about, Lowe said, and it’s important to support them. In the past, customers would come to the store to photograph books and instead go to buy the titles on Amazon.
“If they keep doing that, they won’t have stores like this to go to,” she said.
Here are more bookstores from the Dallas-Fort Worth area participating in the Independent Bookstore Day celebrations this Saturday.
The Dock Bookstore
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6637 Meadowbrook Drive, Fort Worth
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Saturday opening hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m
Leaves Book & Tea Shop
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120 St. Louis Ave., No. 101, Fort Worth
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Saturday opening hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
interabang books
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5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 142, Dallas
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Saturday opening hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m
Endas Booktique
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428 N. Main St., Duncanville
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Saturday opening hours: 13:00-16:30
Whose Books Neighborhood Bookstore
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1300 S. Polk Street, No. 267, Dallas
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Saturday opening hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m
This story was originally published Apr 28, 2022 2:53 p.m.
