Ontario, Toronto, Mabel's Fables

Mabel's Fables is the book lover's book store in Toronto. They carry mostly children's books, but will order in anything you like. I've bought my textbooks there. ;) Any store with a cat is high on my list of places to be, and the upstairs has a comfy reading area where the walls have been signed by various visiting authors and illustrators (Neil Gaiman comes to mind, but there are many more well known names).

The store is organised by age group, with younger books on the main floor and older books upstairs, and further divided by year. Got an eight-year-old? Check out the section specifically for eight-year-olds! Reference books, games and puzzles are also available, and the adult books they keep in stock are always something like 20% off. They even have a points system, so you can earn free books. They'll also organise book evenings for book clubs, where you and your friends get exclusive access to the store after hours.

I loved browsing at Mabel's Fables. Mabel herself is a big draw. (We found her sitting on the doormat staring intently out the front door, on the summer night we stumbled upon the store. The very knowledgeable bookstore people assured me the next day that Mabel was content and only wanted to roam, not escape.)

One specialty of the store is its gift book basket. You can choose the books yourself or get expert help. It's such a nice idea for a baby shower or a young person's birthday.

The staff are really into children's lit. I don't usually ask for recommendations at bookstores, not even independent ones, but this is one place I feel you can get good advice on kiddie books.