In a city that prides itself on individuality, Longfellow Books lives up to its slogan of being a “fiercely independent community book store.” Located in the heart of Portland, adjacent to the iconic Monument Square, Longfellow Books focuses on providing a comprehensive literary environment for city book lovers.

Longfellow's new children's section — Photo courtesy of Mark Pechenik

Most recently, Longfellow Books has expanded its offerings with a children’s section, located in a quiet rear area of the store. This section offers a wide array of books for youngsters including young adult novels, board books for infants and picture books for young readers. The environment does a great job of promoting a love of reading with child-sized tables and chairs that invite children to spend time with their favorite books.

Longfellow features a wide selection for Portland book lovers — Photo courtesy of Mark Pechenik

The rest of the shop is equally diverse with titles that encompass every genre, including mysteries, fiction, science fiction, history and other types of books. In addition to the latest best sellers, Longfellow specializes in novels from smaller, independent publishers. In particular, their inventory features writings from local Maine and New England authors.

This book shop’s regional emphases is also evident in its author readings which take place several times per month. As part of its community involvement, Longfellow plays host to book clubs and writers’ groups on a frequent basis. For these reasons, this Portland bookseller has won a loyal following of customers.