In her column “One for the Books,” LA bookstore owner and Stanford student Annabelle Chang ’28 reviews bookstores near Stanford’s campus. 

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

During freshman year, between New Student Orientation and the start of classes, I ventured off campus and discovered one of my favorite places: Linden Tree Books. The children’s bookstore in Los Altos, which opened on State Street in 2011, announced a book signing and discussion with Kyla Zhao ’21, a bestselling author, Stanford graduate and my dear friend. I had excitedly purchased a last-minute ticket to go support. 

New to the area, I had never heard of Linden Tree before. But from the moment I walked through its  bright orange door, I knew that I would be back — even if it took me until now to deliver on that. 

When I walked in, I was immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia. I recognized some of my childhood favorites, everything from “Pinkalicious” to “Percy Jackson,” and saw kids discovering them for the first time, too. As I ventured further into the store, I was pleasantly surprised to discover their robust young adult (YA) section and a few adult displays toward the back of the store, where Linden Tree hosts store events. 

Working my way through Linden Tree’s carefully curated sections — beginning with Board Books and Early Readers and ending with YA and Adult Fiction — felt like revisiting all of my literary obsessions, in one magical place and in chronological order. You only have to glance at their bestseller section to see that the store has truly become a community for readers of all ages, even though it focuses on children’s literature. Bestselling works include everything from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” to “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” and “Open to Work”(because we are still in Silicon Valley, after all).

With an impressive selection of Jellycats peering lovingly from every shelf, a rainbow logo animating their lively events corner and intricate book page decorations dotting the walls and ceilings, Linden Tree is an irresistibly charming escape. The wide range of customers, which I also saw firsthand during Zhao’s book signing last year, served as a reminder that we never really outgrow imaginative, unapologetically fun spaces. 

As I walked out of Linden Tree Books, armed with the latest Ann Liang book (if you think you don’t like YA, I’d challenge you to go read “If You Could See the Sun” right now), I had only taken a few steps when I found myself at yet another bookstore, just a few doors down. Usually, I pride myself on knowing and regularly supporting most, if not all, of the independent bookstores near me. So, I was surprised to discover A Novel Affair.

Walking into the Bay Area’s first physical romance bookstore felt like immersing myself in one of the “romantasy” series that are so prominently displayed: The store is complete with dark wooden shelves, cinematic background music and an inviting sitting area with a fake fireplace. Admittedly, romance is not a genre I read very often, but I was intrigued by the store’s wide selection of books and gifts. 

A Novel Affair has every major fandom covered, whether it is special editions of Sarah J. Maas’s “Throne of Glass” series, an entire “Bridgerton” table with themed candles and bookmarks or even “Fourth Wing” coloring books. While checking out, I also noticed original merchandise lining their walls, my favorite of which was an enormous heart-shaped tote that the bookseller mentioned was a repurposed flower bag. 

Like at Linden Tree, I enjoyed the store’s personal, community-oriented feel. The shelves of A Novel Affair feature handwritten, lightly illustrated staff reviews convincing customers to read certain books, along with an extensive list of upcoming events. This month alone, A Novel Affair is hosting Independent Bookstore Day celebrations, a coffee and matcha pop-up and a book swap, just to name a few. 

Although Linden Tree and A Novel Affair target completely different demographics, both are testaments to the importance of elevating unappreciated genres. Although it may seem counterintuitive at first, children’s literature and romance actually have a lot in common. Historically, both have been dismissed as being unimportant and only appealing to a specific demographic, but the rise of specialty bookstores, BookTok and prominent adaptations are changing that narrative. 

“Books in Bloom,” reads the colorful chalk sign outside A Novel Affair, and it certainly feels that way on this quiet street in Los Altos. Drive the 15 minutes — you won’t regret it.