Melbourne
10 Best Children's Bookstores in Melbourne
A children’s bookshop can be useful for far more than finding a title on a shelf. Melbourne’s listed stores vary in their children’s focus, age-based advice, ordering support, events, gifts and browsing spaces, making this comparison a practical starting point for families and gift shoppers.
How this guide is ordered
When you need children's bookstores in Melbourne, what matters is skill, a good word from earlier customers, details that make contact simple and an address on your side of town. Those needs shaped this page.
Paying for a visibility service is open to any business, so a few listings here are more prominent.
Full list
10 Children's Bookstores in Melbourne Compared
The Chestnut Tree Bookshop
The Chestnut Tree Bookshop is a cosy West Footscray bookshop with local and international titles, genre and topic tags, book ordering, coffee, drinks and sweets. It also hosts book clubs, making the small shop-café a natural fit for readers seeking books, conversation or a relaxed place to write and browse.
Stands out: Bookshop, library and coffee shop in one place
Readers looking for local and international booksPeople who enjoy combining book browsing with coffee and sweetsBook lovers seeking social gatherings through book clubs542 Barkly St, West Footscray VIC 3012, AustraliaThe Paperback Bookshop
The Paperback Bookshop is a small independent Melbourne bookshop with a broad selection of fiction, non-fiction and travel titles. Its shelves include classics, philosophy, music history and Australian books, with an intimate layout that invites browsing. The shop stays open late, and books can also be ordered online for delivery or pickup.
Stands out: Combines a compact independent setting with late opening and online delivery or pickup
Readers looking for classics, fiction, travel or distinctive local titles60 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaHill of Content Bookshop
Hill of Content Bookshop is a traditional Melbourne bookshop with a broad selection across genres and knowledgeable booksellers. The spacious store also carries ancillary items such as coffee cups and tote bags, while gift wrapping makes it useful for last-minute children’s presents. Its long-established character and quiet, cosy atmosphere suit readers who enjoy browsing in person rather than making a purely transactional purchase.
Stands out: Combines a wide book selection with knowledgeable booksellers
Readers browsing across multiple genresShoppers seeking children’s gifts and gift wrappingVisitors interested in books alongside small literary or lifestyle itemsShop 1/32 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaThe Little Bookroom
The Little Bookroom is a dedicated children’s bookshop in Brunswick East with a large collection for children and teenagers, plus a smaller adult selection and games. Staff help shoppers choose gifts and books for different ages, order titles in and track arrival timeframes. Tuesday story time adds a regular in-store activity for young readers and families.
Stands out: Combines a dedicated children’s range with story time, games and book-ordering support
Families looking for children’s books, age-specific recommendations or gifts8 Village Ave, Brunswick East VIC 3057, AustraliaReadings Carlton
Readings Carlton is an Australian bookshop that has occupied its current premises since 1998 and sells a wide range of books and gifts. The store suits readers browsing across broad categories, cookbook enthusiasts and families, with a Readings Kids section next door. It also offers staff recommendations, book ordering and seating for browsing and shortlisting titles.
Stands out: A dedicated Readings Kids section next door
Readers wanting a broad book and gift selectionFamilies browsing the adjacent Readings Kids sectionCookbook shoppers who value organised subsections and seating309 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053, AustraliaAvenue Bookstore
Avenue Bookstore is a Richmond bookshop with a curated, well-organised selection in a cosy, visually appealing space. Its range includes a new-releases table and a distinctive arts section, while staff can order books that are not currently stocked, making the shop useful for both browsing and specific searches.
Stands out: A dedicated arts section adds a less conventional browsing angle
Readers who enjoy browsing curated new releasesShoppers looking for books outside the current shelves91 Swan St, Richmond VIC 3121, AustraliaReadings Emporium
Readings Emporium is a Melbourne book store with a curated range spanning many subjects, plus stationery and gifts. It offers a quiet place to browse and read, with seating and handwritten staff recommendations adding a personal touch. The store also hosts small events, making it a fit for readers who want an independent-style bookshop experience in the city.
Stands out: Handwritten book summaries provide a personal recommendation style
Readers browsing across a broad range of subjectsVisitors looking for books, stationery, gifts and a place to sit and readShop 1 - 016/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaCity Basement Books
City Basement Books is a second-hand Melbourne bookshop arranged through long, winding halls and maze-like corners. Its broad, diverse collection spans fiction, non-fiction, art, history and niche genres such as horror, making it a good fit for browsing and treasure hunting rather than a narrowly curated self-help selection. Fiction is described as commonly priced around $8–10 a book.
Stands out: A maze-like layout with thousands of diverse titles
Readers who enjoy browsing second-hand booksHorror, fiction, art, history and other varied genres342 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaDymocks Melbourne
Dymocks Melbourne is a large CBD bookshop where readers can browse books across many genres alongside cards, stationery, gifts and book accessories. Its basement layout includes an inquiries desk, wide enough aisles for browsing and an attached café, making it suitable for taking time over a search rather than simply collecting an online order. Staff recommendations placed beneath some books add a personal touch to the browsing experience.
Stands out: Staff-written mini reviews and recommendations appear beneath selected books
Readers who want a broad, browseable bookshop in Melbourne’s CBDShoppers looking for cards, stationery, gifts or book accessoriesLower Ground Floor, 234 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaMary Martin Bookshop
Mary Martin Bookshop is a small, independent Southbank bookshop with a varied selection spanning popular fiction, literary prize winners, mindfulness and children’s books. Its knowledgeable staff make it particularly suitable for readers wanting tailored recommendations, while gift items, cards and brown-paper wrapping add to its thoughtful, old-fashioned character.
Stands out: A compact shop with titles that may not appear in larger bookstores
Readers wanting personal book recommendationsGift shoppers seeking books, cards or small gift itemsG17/3 Southgate Ave, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Each number on the map is a business in the list.
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Ways these bookshops help families choose
- Age-specific recommendationsThe Little Bookroom is described as helping shoppers choose books and gifts for different ages.
- Children’s collectionsThe Little Bookroom focuses on children and teenagers, while Readings Carlton has a Readings Kids section next door.
- Ordering hard-to-find titlesSeveral shops, including The Little Bookroom, Readings Carlton and Avenue Bookstore, can order books not currently in stock.
- Story time and eventsThe Little Bookroom offers Tuesday story time; Readings Emporium hosts small events, and the Chestnut Tree runs book clubs.
- Gifts and wrappingHill of Content, Dymocks and Mary Martin combine books with gifts, cards or wrapping options useful for presents.
- Second-hand browsingCity Basement Books offers a maze-like second-hand search across fiction, non-fiction, art, history and niche genres.
How to find the right children’s bookshop
- Decide whether you need specialistsFor age-based children’s advice, start with The Little Bookroom; for a wider household search, consider a general bookshop with a children’s section.
- Prioritise the shopping taskOrdering support helps with a specific title, while curated shelves and staff recommendations suit open-ended browsing.
- Match the visit to the occasionStory time, book clubs, cafés, seating or gift wrapping may matter as much as the book range for a family outing.
- Choose new or second-hand stockCity Basement Books is the clearest fit for second-hand treasure hunting; the other descriptions focus on new-book browsing or ordering.
- Check location and shop layoutSome stores are compact, upstairs or arranged through winding halls, so consider how your group prefers to browse.
Frequently asked questions
Which shop is most specifically focused on children’s books?
The Little Bookroom is described as a dedicated children’s bookshop with books for children and teenagers, games and story time.
Can these bookshops order titles they do not have?
Yes. The supplied descriptions specifically mention ordering support at The Little Bookroom, Readings Carlton and Avenue Bookstore, among others.
Where can children attend story time?
The Little Bookroom’s description includes a regular Tuesday story time for young readers and families.
Which option suits second-hand book browsing?
City Basement Books is the listed second-hand option, with a broad, maze-like collection across many genres.
