Youth bookstore growing readers and storytellers

Join our Summer Reading Challenge

win prizes for reading all summer long

Summer Classes

Join us for eight weeks of story-inspired classes, workshops, clubs, and creative experiences for babies, toddlers, kids, tweens, and teens.

Every session is designed as a complete stand-alone adventure, making it easy to drop in for a single class or join us all summer long.

Read. Create. Explore. Imagine.

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Upcoming Events

Wonder Workshop - Imagination and Creativity

Multiple Dates

Wonder Workshop - Imagination and Creativity

Thu, Jul 09

Midsummer Books

Adventure isn't always far away—sometimes it's waiting right outside your front door.

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Multiple Dates

Teen Makers: Reading Companion

Thu, Jul 09

Midsummer Books

Build the reading journal you've always wanted.

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Midsummer Nights: Summer Junk Journaling

Multiple Dates

Midsummer Nights: Summer Junk Journaling

Thu, Jul 09

Midsummer Books

Document your summer with a relaxed, creative hangout using recycled papers, stickers, maps, book pages, and found ephemera.

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Beyond Books

Midsummer Books has the gifts your kids will love to give and receive, available for in-store pickup

Shop our curated lists on bookshop.org to find great new books for kids and teens

The Latest from Midsummer Books

I’d recommend these for ages nine and up. Every read through can be unique because your choices actually make a real difference!

One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is making room for analog joy. Limiting Screen Time is really important in our family but then what are the kids going to do if it’s not a screen?

Books already ask us to slow down, imagine, and pay attention. I want the shop to do the same.

That’s why I couldn’t resist bringing these book nook kits back after seeing them everywhere in Europe. They’re tiny worlds you build with your own hands—part craft project, part miniature library, part reminder that not everything has to happen on a screen.

As Midsummer grows, I hope you’ll see more things like this alongside the books: thoughtful projects, creative kits, and hands-on ways to spend an afternoon making something beautiful.

Because stories don’t always end when you close the book. Sometimes they become something you build.

So excited for our first class this morning all the supplies are loaded and we are ready to unlock some creativity on this dreary day. There’s still a few drop-in spots so swing on by with you’re two to 5-year-old for some hands on fun!!

I’m banking going on authenticity. I’ll be seeing a lot more of my strange little videos because behind this bookshop is a human who cares very deeply about the stories that we curate. This box was very exciting. I always love getting in a good new selection of graphic novels and it’s always fun to see which stories I’ve ordered end up in the same box together. Hope you find some inspiration for reading here!

We are doing something this summer for every kind of kid….the ones who live inside books and the ones still looking for their book. The ones who love arts and crafts and the ones who love to write. The dreamers and the realists.

Mid-Summer of Stories runs July 6–August 28 at Midsummer Books.

Classes are for ages 2 through teen. All available as drop-in but registration is limited. Check our link in bio for details.

#midsummerbooks #fishtownphilly #kidsclasses #phillykids

Excited to go through this massive pile of books that were dropped by the shop while I was out of town. Sooo many titles hitting the shelves soon!!
As a reminder we are always taking books to help keep prices in the shop reasonable and good gently used books in circulation. You can drop them off for store credit/cash or donate them! Any books we don’t take for the shop we use to stock local @littlefreelibrary locations around the city

I’ve been away from the shop a few weeks, so it felt like Christmas when I got home to these gorgeous new goodies! First up some portable mugs that you won’t want to put stickers on because the artwork is too pretty!! next a sneak peek at some of the new puzzles we have in stock from @final_piece_puzzles - their selection has been such a big hit, and I am so excited about these new designs. If you have a beach week planned, it’s always good to have a a portable bottle for your beachy beverages and a new puzzle packed just in case you have a rainy day!!
#artpuzzles #bookshopgifting #beachdaypackinglist #fishtownphilly

Nothing says summer like a chance to choose your own adventures! These stories transform reading into a game, where every decision changes the story and no two reading experiences are exactly the same.

These books are perfect for
- Reluctant readers who like being in control
- Kids who love puzzles, games, and problem-solving
- Reading together as a family (and comparing endings!)
and of course my favorite, re-reading again and again to discover what happens next

One book. Dozens of adventures. Come grab your next adventure in the shop!

On our vacation from the shop practicing what we preach. Always pack a good book or two for those moments when waiting isn’t easy…

Skip Prime. Shop Independent. Anti-Prime Day is on!

From today through June 26, you'll get FREE SHIPPING sitewide at Bookshop.org. Every order helps support independent bookstores like Midsummer Books.

Bookshop is all about indie, that means...
No memberships.
No giant warehouses.
Just great books and the local bookshops that love recommending them.

Whether you're stocking up for summer reading, grabbing a gift, or finally picking up that book you've been meaning to read, now's a great time to shop.

Because every order is a vote for diverse books, neighborhood bookstores, and a healthier book ecosystem.

🔗 Shop our Bookshop.org storefront (link also avail in bio) https://bookshop.org/shop/midsummer

#AntiPrimeDay #BookshopOrg #ShopIndie #IndependentBookstore #SummerReading

Tress of the Emerald Sea is Sanderson at his most whimsical. Instead of the sprawling epics and endless lore of Stormlight, this one feels like a fairy tale told by someone who can’t resist making clever asides and is reminiscent of AA Milne. Tress herself is wonderfully refreshing heroine. She’s a practical girl whose superpower isn’t destiny or swordsmanship, but curiosity and competence.

The world building is great but also approachable. you’ve got oceans made of deadly spores, eccentric pirates, dragons, talking rats, and some of Sanderson’s funniest writing. The story is ultimately about love, friendship, and how ordinary people become extraordinary simply by deciding to act.

While Sanderson is primarily known for his epic adult fantasy, Tress is widely categorized as a Young Adult (YA). I’d say the book bridges the gap and is easily enjoyed by adult readers as well as young adults.

Readers who have found his epic fantasies intimidating may discover that this charming standalone is the perfect place to begin.

What I loved
A genuinely delightful heroine
A magical setting unlike anything else in fantasy
Humor that lands surprisingly well
Cozy adventure vibes but still with emotional depth

Perfect for readers who love:

* The Princess Bride
* Howl’s Moving Castle
* Legends & Lattes
* Character-driven fantasy with humor and heart
* Competent heroines and found-family crews

Favorite takeaway:
Tress reminds us that courage doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it’s simply choosing to leave home, ask questions, and keep going

Forget worksheets. This summer, we’re making dragons, oceans, maps, and magic.

Tuesdays join us for Morning Story Lab
We will combine engaging picture books and simple hands-on activities inspired by each week’s theme.

Wednesdays: Little Readers, Big Feelings
We’ll use picture books and simple creative activities to explore emotions like friendship, courage, disappointment, belonging, kindness, and confidence.

Thursdays: Mini Makers
Create, experiment, and discover through process art. Together we will explore colors, textures, materials, and imagination through hands-on creative projects inspired by books.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays at 10:30, Midsummer Books becomes a world of dragons, oceans, magical schools, hidden maps, and star-filled adventures. Designed for ages 2–5, every class is a complete stand-alone adventure, so you can drop in for one session or join us all summer long starting July 6

📍 Midsummer Books | Fishtown
🗓 Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays | 10:30 AM
✨ Registration now open - see our link in bio

Happy Midsummer Day!!

It's our namesake holiday, so we're celebrating the longest day of the year with a little something special.

✨ TODAY ONLY • June 21 ✨

Take 20% off all Midsummer Books items when you shop in person.

That includes all kids/youth new & used books, creative goodies, gifts and surprises

No code needed; your discount will be applied at checkout.

Come celebrate the season that inspired our name with stories, sunshine, and a little midsummer magic.

In-store only ☀️ Sunday, June 21
📍 Midsummer Books at Our Mutual Friend

Just a little reminder that Father’s Day is tomorrow!

Whether he’s the bedtime story reader, the comic book collector, the dad-joke champion, or the one who always says “just one more chapter,” we’ve got books for dads, grandpas, uncles, and all the grown-ups who share stories with the kids they love.

Stop by this week for picture books, graphic novels, epic tales, and plenty of ideas for every kind of reader.

Wandering around Copenhagen and doing what I always seem to do…popping into bookstores, and I couldn’t help smiling when I spotted some of my favorite titles translated into Danish.

There’s something special about seeing stories you love living new lives in another language. A reminder that great books really do travel.

Before there was Panem, there was Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

In a world where everyone undergoes surgery at sixteen to become “Pretty,” Tally Youngblood can’t wait for her turn—until a new friend shows her that perfection comes with a price.

Part adventure, part rebellion, and surprisingly relevant in the age of filters and social media, Uglies explores beauty, identity, friendship, and the courage to question the world around you.

Perfect for readers who love books like The Hunger Games and Divergent

Our Summer Reading challenge is on and
adventure is waiting. The Midsummer Summer Reading Passport is here!

Designed for kids, tweens, and teens, our passports are packed with reading challenges, creative prompts, book-inspired adventures, and opportunities to explore the world through stories.

Choose a Young Readers Passport (those needing reading support or in chapter books) or our Tween & Teen Passport (for independent readers) and complete activities throughout the summer.

This passport is a go-at-your-own-pace adventure.
No weekly check-ins.
No stamps required.
Just a summer full of stories.

We have themes and choose-your-own activities throughout the passport so every reader can have fun with this one. Check off the tasks and quests completed for prizes at the end of the summer!

Prize Levels
10 Challenges Completed = Story Starter
20 Challenges Completed = Adventure Reader
30 Challenges Completed = Master Explorer
40+ Challenges Completed = Summer Story Legend
Available now at Midsummer Books inside @ourmutual_friend

#SummerReadingChallenge #getkidsreading #PhiladelphiaKids #FishtownPhilly #IndependentBookstore

Today is the last day of our spring into bingo! Bring in your cards to collect your prizes!! This activity brought me so much joy, seeing so many kids of different ages happily showing off their reading progress and telling me about their favorite activities 😍
A special thank you to our local partners for making this a huge success @freehand.supply @mr.wish_fishtown @mothershiptoygallery @ramonasusansbakeshop and @kismetbagels!!
We have a fun reading challenge plan for the summer so stay tuned for the details!
#readingchallenge

Tell me you’re obsessed with Studio Ghibli finally streaming on HBO without telling me you’re obsessed…

New analog fun in the shop!

Many customers come to us looking for screen-free activities, creative gifts, and boredom busters. These items make excellent birthday gifts, rainy day activities, travel companions, and "just because" surprises.

These new Loop Brigade kits join our collection of analog crafting fun - the kids use colorful loops to create surprisingly satisfying designs and patterns. Great for crafty kids, tweens, and adults who enjoy hands-on projects. Designed for ages 12+ but could skew younger for the right maker.

This June we're taking some time to wrap up the school year and embrace the summer. But that's just a little reprieve before we start the most epic programming schedule of our lives…

Beginning in July, we're launching eight weeks of stories, creativity, adventures, and community for babies, kids, tweens, teens, and even grown-ups.

Whether your child wants to discover dragons and cryptids, explore underwater worlds, solve mysteries and create maps, make art inspired by books, or create journals, and literary-inspired projects ...we've got something for them.

With themed weeks, and classes for every age group, we are so excited to embrace the joy of reading and storytelling this summer.

This isn't summer camp, but instead a chance to dip into some creative programming, designed as drop-in experiences so you and your kids can easily join us for a single adventure when it works for your schedule, or spend the whole summer exploring.

Registration opens Monday, and we'll be sharing the full schedule, themes, and details throughout the week. In the meantime, you can learn more on our website: https://www.midsummerbooks.com/summer-programming

Summer at Midsummer is going to be our biggest season yet—and we can't wait to create, read, imagine, and explore with you.

Stay tuned!
#PhiladelphiaKids #FishtownPhilly #SummerReading #dropinclasses #PhiladelphiaFamilies

Somehow it’s June already which means Father’s Day will be here for you know it, if your pop loves trivia, books, and a good joke, stop by and we’ll help you find something thoughtful, unexpected, and memorable.

And because it wouldn’t be Father’s Day without a dad joke:

Why don’t books ever get cold?
Because they always have a good jacket.

Summer reading is ahead of us if your kid likes to get lost in a series I have seven great actions for you reader this summer- whether they fantasy adventure or big feels, there’s a series for them!

This Friday we are so excited to host EM and David Elliott, father/son co-authors of Bonebag. I have so many questions about the writing process for these two… and this event is definitely one of both for the kids and the adults because this book is so incredibly unique and curious and fun and a little creepy but mostly it has so much heart. I hope you can join us at 5 PM on Friday!

UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS AT MIDSUMMER BOOKS In JUNE…

First up, this Friday, June 5 - E.M. and David Elliott - co-authors of Bonebag, will join us in the shop at 5PM for a book reading and signing. Their book, Bonebag, is a spooky, strange, funny middle grade adventure that is perfect for kids who love eerie forests, weird creatures, dark humor, and stories that feel like a campfire tale told by someone who may or may not be cursed.

Next week on June 11, Brittney Morris — author of SLAY, The Cost of Knowing, The Jump, and This Book Might Be About Zinnia, will join us at 5PM. Brittney is one of the most exciting voices in YA today, writing smart, emotional, deeply relatable stories about identity, fandom, grief, gaming culture, friendship, and finding yourself in a complicated world.

So yes you are reading this right - we have: ~ one event for the kids who veer to the goosebumps section of our shop, and  ~ one event for the teens who love video games, annotate books, and have emotionally devastating playlists

…and here’s a secret - both are for also adults too, because children’s and YA literature is 100% accessible and enjoyable for adults too (hey it’s my personal favorite and not just because I work here!)
So for both you can expect - author talks + Q&As
- book signings - opportunities for kids, teens, and adults to meet real working authors - inspiration to start writing their own stories (and then me, trying to act normal and professional instead of yelling “I LOVE YOUR BOOKS” repeatedly)

As always, these events are about helping young readers discover stories that make them feel seen, excited, curious, brave, weird, and creative.
We will see you there! At Midsummer Books in Our Mutual Friend Community Room. 
RSVP is encouraged because our bookstore is cozy in the “indie movie montage” sense, not the “stadium seating” sense. You can do this in our link in bio. #authorvisit #fishtownphilly #phillykids
@daelliott1234 @brittneymmorris

Do you want to teach a class or workshop or lead a group in a craft?

This summer, we are looking for workshop leaders and creatives who want to help keep kids reading, exploring, creating, and connecting offline. Whether you want to do a one time workshop or would like to teach a series, we want to hear from you.

Fill out our form (link in bio or https://bit.ly/summer-activity-form) and let us know who you are, what age group you'd like to work with and what you'd like to teach.

If you filled this form out already, please do so again - we had an error that is now fixed.

#kidsclasses #summerlearning #fishtownphilly

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Follow us on Instagram

@midsummer_books

Youth bookstore growing readers and storytellers

Join our Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Classes

Upcoming Events

Beyond Books

Shop our curated lists on bookshop.org to find great new books for kids and teens

Introducing the Midsummer Summer Reading Passport

What Does “Young Adult” Really Mean? A Guide from Midsummer Books

Best Books About Friendship for Tweens (Ages 9–13)

The Latest from Midsummer Books

Follow us on Instagram

Hours

Midsummer Books
is part of
Our Mutual Friend

Contact

Youth bookstore growing readers and storytellers

Join our Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Classes

Upcoming Events

Beyond Books

Shop our curated lists on bookshop.org to find great new books for kids and teens

Introducing the Midsummer Summer Reading Passport

What Does “Young Adult” Really Mean? A Guide from Midsummer Books

Best Books About Friendship for Tweens (Ages 9–13)

The Latest from Midsummer Books

​

Follow us on Instagram

Hours

Midsummer Books is part of Our Mutual Friend

Contact

Midsummer Books
is part of
Our Mutual Friend