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Header image courtesy of Active Minds Limited
It’s easy to find toys for the kids, but books are another matter. Outside of the library, it can be hard to find English books for children in the city sometimes. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best children’s bookshops in the city for you, with a little bit of something for children of all ages. Take your little ones to one of these best children’s bookshops in Hong Kong today to nurture a lifelong habit of reading and learning!
After Page One closed down all its branches in Hong Kong, Bookazine established itself as the number one English bookshop chain in the city. Besides its robust collection of magazine titles and sundry English books, Bookazine also stocks a robust collection of children’s books, DIY kits, novelty toys, and even sweets.
If all that isn’t enough for the kids, the bookshop hosts periodic book signings, puppet shows, storytelling time, and other activities to make sure they’ll never get bored—keep an eye out for announcements on their Facebook page.
If you have toddlers or younger children, children’s books speciality store Seeds would be the place to go to. Founded by a couple who loved reading storybooks to their baby girl, the tale continues in their upstairs bookshop in Central, where books for children aged up to 12 in both Chinese and English abound.
Seeds strongly believes that children’s language skills can rapidly develop by listening to parents’ storytelling, and so hosts parent storytelling workshops alongside children story classes for ages one to six. If your kid ever complains that they are bored in Central, now you know where to take them.
Seeds, 20/F, Haleson Building, 1 Jubilee Street, Central | (+852) 2698 8939
Another great bookshop that specialises in children’s books would be Pollux Books, where children and adult alike would be dazzled by the colourful spread of books and toys around the store. From tactile books for infants to Tintin for tweens, Pollux Books has a bit of something for children of all ages.
Children who are learning English using Jolly Phonics or Oxford Reading Tree may also find reading materials here. If you or your child has a specific book in mind, check out their online catalogue, where you can sort by the series name and even by individual characters.
Don’t be rattled by the name—previously known as Dymocks, Kidnapped Bookshop is now an independent bookshop named after Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, and shares the same spirit of adventure and discovery as the story.
Let the kids trawl through the ample children’s section as you browse through the similarly abundant English books for adults. The store regularly hosts book signings and features many titles by local authors. Swing by in December and the kids may even encounter jolly ol’ Santa! So the next time the family is in Sai Kung, remember to take your kids to Kidnapped Bookshop as a treat for all.
Kidnapped Bookshop, 7 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung | (+852) 2791 9110
The kids are sure to love Book Castle’s magical castle-themed interior—along with their sizeable selection of books, toys, crafts, and novelty items imported from Europe and America, it’s almost like Toys“R”Us rediscovered! Easily accessible in the bustling malls of Lee Garden Two in Causeway Bay and Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui, take your little prince and princess for an afternoon of reading in the “castle.”
Book Castle, locations across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
As its name hints, Fun to Read Book Outlet has one of the largest collections of both Chinese and English children’s books in the city. Besides always having the latest books in stock, Fun to Read also offers workbooks, DIY STEM kits, and other creative hands-on crafts for your kids’ educational needs. Set the kids free and let them meander through the vivid stacks of books in their large, spacious store to discover what kind of books they like for themselves.
Fun to Read Book Outlet, locations across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
Finally, how can we not end without mentioning one of the largest and best bookshop chains in the city? The Taiwanese chain is all across Hong Kong, and though not all of their branches have a large section dedicated to children, some of their bigger branches—such as the one atop Hysan Place in Causeway Bay—has a bright corner just for children, replete with seating. Alternatively, older children and teenagers would enjoy shopping for the fine stationery and novelty items scattered around the classy store.
Enterprising student Bailey Cherry started this sustainable social enterprise to pass on her beloved titles to book lovers around town. What started as an online platform focusing on re-circulating pre-loved English children’s books and YA books has since expanded into a brick-and-mortar location in Central. Extend the shelf life of pre-owned children’s literature and browse through a curated selection of affordable second-hand books to take home—some of them start from as low as $5 per title.
reBooked, 1/F, 9 Mee Lun Street, Central
Ngai was born and raised in Hong Kong and is currently studying at university in the United States. You can find her wandering around the city, experimenting with egg recipes and nerding out about the news.
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