Visit Monkey See, Monkey Do book store

I was recently Tweeting with a book rep (@trkravtin) who encouraged me to use independent book stores to find and purchase books.

Honestly, Barnes & Noble was always fine for me (I could spend forever there–especially with the Starbucks inside), but I like the idea of supporting private businesses.  I used the link for the IndieBound bookstore finder….

Click here to find a local independent bookstore

….. and found….

How did I not know Monkey See, Monkey Do existed? It was hiding in the very old-looking house in Main Street in Clarence. I stopped by with my wife over a weekend and was treated to hours of “booktainment”.

Back entrance

Monkey-themed shelf in entry.

Reading room. (Taken from a big, comfy chair.)

Additional room for parties, book clubs and such.

I love the rustic features.

After looking around a bit, and owner Kim Krug brewed a fresh pot of coffee for me to enjoy while reading some of the books I found on the shelf. What did I find? I looked through multiple shelves of picture books and snapped a picture of just a couple I was looking for:

This is an instant classic... worth reading for the last page.

A Caldecott Honor book from this year.

I moved on to the middle grade shelves and the YA shelf and found, among others:

An edgy dystopian novel--life after a volcano blows and changes life as they know it. As the blurb on the cover says: "The scariest apocalypse is one that could really happen."

The very highly regarded The Fault in our Stars. I'm reading it now, but it seems way too mature for 6th grade.

Monkey See, Monkey Do has website:

(Click to visit the site.)

And as it says,

If it’s not on our shelves, we will get it.
If you don’t know the full title, we will find it.
If you can’t come in, we will deliver it.

Case in point: I went in looking for the book The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner (@gaepol), which has been recommended by members of the Nerdy Book Club. The book was ordered for me and delivered to school. Mrs. Krug was kind and generous enough to throw in a second book for free. What was the last time B&N did that?

I took a photo of my delivery today.

Thank you, Kim–and Monkey See, Monkey Do–for taking such good care of me. You will be my preferred bookstore from this day forward.

Please visit if you can. Check their website for programs and classes that are available. You can even follow them on Twitter (@monkeysread) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Monkeysread). FYI: this is not just a children’s book store. They do have–and can order–adult novels as well.