Park Street Books & Toys - Medfield, MA

Park Street Books & Toys, Medfield, MA

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

Many of my teacher friends who have worked in elementary schools would occasionally groan on days when they were required to have indoor recess due to inclimate weather.  On the day of my visit it was like a perfect storm.  Rainy weather AND no school.  It was indoor recess at a bookstore!  As Jill, one of the staffers at the store told me, rainy days are busy here.  But as far as I could tell, rain or shine, things are going great.  An incredible store with three dynamite and knowledgeable people to pull it off and make it magical.

The 10-year old Indie Bob and his sisters would've been begging to visit here as often as possible, just like many of the children in the Medfield area.  Books, toys, and games galore and a little bit of candy on the side.  This is an all-service bookstore that you can visit even if you're not a reader.  Want to create some pottery and paint it?  Visit here.  Maybe do some painting?  Visit here.  Heck, host a children's birthday party here at the store.  The options are only limited by your own imagination.  Obviously, children absolutely love this place.  And grandparents who live elsewhere love it too and can place orders for their Medfield grandkids.

One of my favorite things here are the recommendations.  Not from the staff, but from children of all ages.  Hand-written letters are posted all over the store.  What better recommendations would you need?

This indie is housed in what was once a private residence, almost 100 years old.  They offer new and used books and their inventory is staggering.  Jim J., the owner, told me there are a million books with many stored in the basement or a nearby barn.  Customers are offered store trade for their good used books and can use the credit to purchase used books.  There is also a room upstairs that offers a good assortment of adult books.

The people who work here are truly rock stars, perfectly suited for a children's bookstore.  Jim, Jill, and Katherine are as nice as they come and couldn't have been more welcoming and enthusiastic about my visit to the store.  The business has been going for almost 15 years and it's overdue to receive national recognition and make some top lists for children's bookstores.  This is one of the best of its kind and if you're in New England, grab your kids and grandkids and sprint, don't walk, to this beacon of a children's bookstore.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.  

JUST FINISHED:  Freddy The Pilot, Walter R. Brooks, ill. Kurt Wiese.  From the Freddy The Pig series written in the 1930s-50s.  Freddy the Pig decides he needs to learn how to fly to save the Boomschmidt circus from evil mastermind, Watson P. Condiment who is trying to steal the prize performer.  Naturally, hilarity ensues and all of Mr. Bean's farm animals pitch in to help.  Written for children but adult worthy.  I love every Freddy book I've read.  

CURRENTLY READING:  Exit West, Mohsin Hamid.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Not purchased, but gifted.  Me And My Dragon, David Biedrzycki.  Can I Be Your Dog, Troy Cummings.  Freddy And Mr. Camphor, Walter Brooks, ill. Kurt Wiese.  Park Street t-shirt.  Thanks Jim.    

This sign will really help you locate the store. 

Another exterior view.  Notice the wonderful artwork on the window shutters.  Observant readers may recognize the celebrity sprinting into the store.  Yes, that's my mom.  

This is a really important part of the store and and the business.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  Along the stairway wall on the right is a beautiful mural that will not be fully appreciated unless you see it in person.  Outstanding!

Just inside the front entrance and looking left.  I can pretty much see kids go into a trance when they enter here.  

View looking to the left and into the main room on the first floor.  

A few of the greeting cards available.  

I don't know if I've ever seen so many ty beanie babies in one store.  

Lots of new toys here but also some old school stuff.  

This is a second room off the main room.   Huge selection of new children's books in this room.   

Display of staff picks and award winners.  

This is the mural in the pottery room.  It was done by a high school sophomore.  

Another part of the pottery room mural with staff favorite books on the branches.  The art work throughout the store is fantastic.    

Some of the pottery work by young artists.  

I didn't get the story about the story door so make sure you ask.  

Kids can come here to learn Spanish.  I think this is great!

Another view of the mural on the way up to the second floor.  

Looking down the hallway of the second floor.  Multiple rooms with books in each.  

The artwork in this store is everywhere, even on the light switches.  

The rooms on the second floor are named after favorite children's authors, like this one after Kate DiCamillo.  

Looking into the Kate DiCamillo room.  

Another upstairs room named after a favorite children's author.  

Recommendations from kids are posted all over the store.  I wish I could show them all.  

Looking into one of the upstairs rooms and the great table display.  

Notes from kids are posted everywhere in the store.  

Find this great assortment of games on the first floor.  

Yes!

One can never have too many of these!

From left to right, yours truly, Jill, Jim, and Katherine, the rock stars you're going to meet at Park Street Books & Toys.  Thanks for a great visit.