There are many bookstores in KL. But how to find a truly kid-friendly one? Here are our favourite bookstores in KL, with a good dedicated area for children to have fun and help parents to increase their passion for books.
1. Book Xcess at Starling Mall
A paradise for avid readers (both children and adults), Book Xcess offers books from all kinds of genres, both in paperback and hardcover, with big discounts ranging from 50 to 80%. Besides books, they also sell notebooks, a few stationery items and a whole section with educational games, mostly for younger kids.
They have a few outlets in and around KL, but their Starling Mall outlet is our favourite. The children’s section there is huge and well organized by themes, with books for all ages, from toddlers to young adult readers. The books for the younger kids are placed on lower shelves, for easy access. You will find wooden benches close to the children’s area and a cozy space with comfortable chairs for readers to sit and read their books. BookXcess has also recently opened in Cyberjaya, the biggest bookstore in Malaysia and the first to be open 24 hours, seven days a week.
2. Borders at The Curve
This Borders outlet at The Curve mall has been my kids’ favourite, to sit and spend time browsing for new releases and reading, when they were younger. Although they had recently downsized the store to one floor only (thus less space for books and a smaller kids area), it’s still one of the few bookstores in KL to offer a dedicated space for kids to sit and enjoy a book. Besides the colourful carpet where kids can sit, there is a small size wooden table and a few chairs, surrounded by shelves full of colourful books inviting them to sit and read. Borders offers books for all ages and reading levels and has also a few games and interactive books for younger children.
3. Kinokunya at Suria
Undoubtedly the biggest and most complete bookstore in KL, Kinokunya is heaven for book lovers of all ages. The kids’ section is not as big as the one in Book Xcess and although they don’t have a dedicated space with tables or cushions for children to sit and read, we can always see adults and kids sitting on the carpet with a book in their hands. I’d recommend Kinokunya for middle school children and teenagers, as there are far more titles available for their age groups. And in case they still don’t find what they are looking for, ordering books is very easy and efficient and you can have the book delivered in-store.
4. Little Bookworm
This independent children’s-books-only bookstore is located in Petaling Jaya and is a UK children’s books retailer and distributor in Malaysia. Little Bookworm is a young readers’ paradise and offers books with big discounts in-store or on their website. The store is small and has books and box sets for toddlers to middle grade readers. At the moment they don’t have tables and chairs for the kids, but they are welcome to sit on the rug and enjoy their favourite books. Besides books, they are also an official retailer for Jellycat plush toys. The store walls are full of shelves with stuffed animals in different colours and sizes. So be prepared to leave with not just a book, but maybe also with a new plush toy.
5. Oyez!Books at Bangsar Puteri
Oyez!Books is a unique independent bookstore that focuses on children’s books from Malaysia and Asia with multicultural themes. They offer books both in English and Bahasa Malaysia and many of those are beautifully illustrated books from local authors. Their small shop at the Bangsar Puteri condominium has a space for kids to sit and read books and they can easily browse from children-friendly bookshelves. Some of the books sold at Oyez!Books can also be found at Silverfish bookstore in Bangsar Village.
All the bookstores mentioned above have easy to navigate websites for those who prefer to buy children’s books online, if you want to have them delivered to your doorstep. But as experts suggest: the habit of reading starts at a very early age, and there’s nothing better to build the passion for books in a child than to make frequent trips to a child-friendly bookstore to let them explore and chose their next favourite books. Happy reading!
If you’d rather look at online books, have a look at our article here.
