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The dog days of summer are here, and if you’re fighting to find screen-free ways to keep the kids entertained, consider this your next assignment: the second annual North Texas Bookstore Crawl.
Created by Talking Animals Books in Grapevine, the month-long event returns this August with 31 independent bookstores across North Texas, making it the largest regional bookstore crawl in Texas. Readers can pick up a Bookstore Passport at any participating shop, collect stamps throughout the month, and turn in completed or partially completed passports by Aug. 31 for a chance to win prizes and gift cards.
This year’s crawl includes bookstores from Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, Grapevine, Plano, McKinney, Arlington, Mansfield, Wylie, Waxahachie, Midlothian, Granbury, Garland, Keller, Fate, Azle, North Richland Hills, Rockwall, and Weatherford.
“We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for last year’s inaugural Crawl,” says Katy Lemieux, co-owner of Talking Animals Books. “Independent bookstores aren’t competitors, we’re truly collaborators. Every bookstore has its own personality, its own specialties, and its own community.”
The crawl was inspired by similar bookstore collaborations in Austin and Houston and was created to encourage readers to explore the region’s growing independent bookstore scene. Following last year’s success, North Texas indie bookstores now meet quarterly to discuss events, trends, troubleshooting, and other shared experiences.
“One of my favorite things about this event is hearing people say, ‘I had no idea this bookstore existed,’” Talking Animals Books co-owner Valerie Walizadeh says. “Every store offers something different: children’s books, romance, poetry, translated literature, used books, comics, local authors, or cozy cafés.”
For families, the crawl offers an easy end-of-summer outing with built-in variety. For book lovers, it is a reason to map out a literary day trip, support local shops, and discover a few new favorites before fall routines take over.
How To Participate
Pick up a Bookstore Passport at any participating bookstore or download one online.
Visit participating bookstores throughout August and collect a stamp or signature at each location.
Submit completed or partially completed passports by Aug. 31.
Every bookstore visited earns one raffle entry. No purchase is required to receive a passport stamp.
Participating Bookstores
Grapevine
Talking Animals Books, 103 W. Worth St.
Talking Animals Books, 909 S. Main St.
Keller
A House With Books
North Richland Hills
Tropes Bookstore
Fort Worth
Monkey and Dog Books
Recluse Books
The Dock Bookshop
Arlington
Daydream
Folklore Grove
Dallas
Blush Bookstore
Deep Vellum Bookstore & Publishing Co.
Half Price Books – Dallas Flagship
Interabang Books
Lucky Dog Books, East Dallas
Lucky Dog Books, Oak Cliff
Pan-African Connection Bookstore & Resource Center
Poets Books, Deep Ellum
Storytellers Bookshop
The Wild Detectives
Whose Books
Denton
The Plot Twist
Additional participating bookstores include shops in Azle, Fate, Garland, Granbury, Mansfield, McKinney, Midlothian, Plano, Waxahachie, Weatherford, and Wylie.
