Anderson's Bookshop

Call Directions Website Contact the business

Anderson's Bookshop Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Anderson's Bookshop, Independent Bookstore, 5112 Main Street, Downers Grove, IL.

Join us on Wednesday, October 21st, for our next Genre Junkies meeting!Reading a different genre each month, this free b...
10/09/2026

Join us on Wednesday, October 21st, for our next Genre Junkies meeting!

Reading a different genre each month, this free book club is open to all, and aims to get you reading genres you would not normally explore on your own.

In October we will explore a favorite from our horror section, with Hex, by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. Registration is FREE at the Event Calendar on our website!

(While we ask for pre-registration just so we know how many chairs to put out, it is also okay to drop in or bring a friend)

Multi-award winning author, Amy Alznauer, will visit us to celebrate the release of her debut middle grade novel, Where ...
10/08/2026

Multi-award winning author, Amy Alznauer, will visit us to celebrate the release of her debut middle grade novel, Where the Wild Horses Are! Our children's team is besotted with this book that weaves cowboy bravado, growing pains, and authentic Deaf culture representation!

Alznauer will give a presentation, take audience Q&A, and then have a signing line with attendees.

Your ticket includes admission to the event for up to one adult and one child under 18, a copy of the new book to be signed that night, and a numbered spot in the signing line! Tickets are available at the Event Calendar on our website!

(it is okay to bring up to two of Alznauer's previous books from home to be signed, though all of her titles will also be for sale that night).

All week long, we have shared the latest data on book challenges from the American Library Association. Their data is co...
10/08/2026

All week long, we have shared the latest data on book challenges from the American Library Association. Their data is collected from several sources that report official challenges to them so they can keep track, but they are the first to admit that they have no way of tracking the subtle censorship attempts that do not include an official process.

Shadow book banning, often called "soft censorship" is the silent removal, restriction, or relocation of books in classrooms and libraries - such as moving them behind the front desk or to higher shelves, or simply leaving them off the list when new books are ordered - without a formal, public challenge or official ban.

We hear enough from our friends in the education and library worlds to suspect that shadow banning is a big problem, but of course we have no way of accurately tracking to know for sure.

How frequent do you think soft censorship is in comparison to the official attempts at censorship that we are able to track?

Anderson's Bookshops is proud of our robust book club offerings - meeting regularly and requiring NO commitment from you...
10/08/2026

Anderson's Bookshops is proud of our robust book club offerings - meeting regularly and requiring NO commitment from you to attend every month! These totally FREE book groups are casual, fun, and welcoming!

While pre-registration is not a requirement to attend each month, we do appreciate if you do, so we can plan accordingly ;)

Register for any of our FREE book clubs by heading to the Event Calendar on our website!

Chills, thrills, and friendly goblins too, we've got lots of Halloween themed reads to recommend for every age over on o...
10/07/2026

Chills, thrills, and friendly goblins too, we've got lots of Halloween themed reads to recommend for every age over on our website!

(and while you are there, download a coloring page and bring it in to us so we can decorate our stores with them!)

Welcome back to Banned Books week where we are sharing data, resources, and action items all week long about the current...
10/07/2026

Welcome back to Banned Books week where we are sharing data, resources, and action items all week long about the current state of censorship in America!

Today we are sharing the most up to date data on who is challenging books, and where. The most alarming part of the data, is the fact that the pressure groups that mount these challenges are increasing their attempts, even as they continue to fail or be overridden in the courts.

And even though challenges are succeeding in libraries and educational institutions (welcome college & universities to this year's numbers as they were being targeted at new and alarming rates in 2025), it is important to note that pressure groups have tried to get books censored at retail stores as well, but those challenges have been shot down by the courts (so far).

What alarms you most about these numbers?

Warning: Anderson's Events S E L L O U T quickly, especially in the fall!We have a lot of big names coming through thi...
10/07/2026

Warning: Anderson's Events S E L L O U T quickly, especially in the fall!

We have a lot of big names coming through this fall, and tickets are going fast! Anderson's does not do waitlists for our events or handle third party ticket sales, so once they are gone, they are truly GONE.

Don't miss out - check out our events calendar at the website link in our profile, and grab tickets quickly when you see something you are interested in!

Our staff begged for this one! Ariel Lawhon, author of Frozen River, will visit us with her new book, The Pirate Queen o...
10/06/2026

Our staff begged for this one! Ariel Lawhon, author of Frozen River, will visit us with her new book, The Pirate Queen on October 16th!

Lawhon will give a presentation & take audience Q&A! Your ticket includes admission for one person, and a pre-signed copy of the new book.

Tickets are required and can be found on our Event Calendar over on our website!

Ughhhhhhh. If we had a dime for every time our social media manager has had to answer this very comment over the last fe...
10/06/2026

Ughhhhhhh.

If we had a dime for every time our social media manager has had to answer this very comment over the last few years, we would be handing out free banned books to everyone, everywhere, with the profits.

Here is why this argument doesn't hold up:

*Once a book is banned in one place, it is a banned book. Period.

* While its true that books have, thus far, only been challenged/banned in public libraries and school libraries, there have been attempts to control which books retail outlets can carry and sell as well. Thankfully, these challenges have all been struck down in court...SO FAR.

*Not all children grow up in families that prioritize reading or visiting bookstores.

*Not all children grow up in families that can afford to purchase new books.

*Data has shown that most people under the age of 18 get the vast majority (like 90%) of their reading material from their school libraries.

It's just a fact: removing books from school and public libraries results in young readers having their access to those titles cut off completely.

End of debate.

Have you been to visit our Naperville store lately? We recently remodeled a little and it allowed us the space to move o...
10/06/2026

Have you been to visit our Naperville store lately? We recently remodeled a little and it allowed us the space to move our toy inventory from our toyshop two doors down back into our bookshop where it belongs!

Stop by to see the new space and say hello to all your favorite toy brands and peruse our now expanded puzzles and games selection.

*Anderson's bookshop Downers Grove will continue to carry a selection of the same toys as our Naperville store now does*

Address

5112 Main Street
Downers Grove, IL
60515

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

(630) 963-2665

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Anderson's Bookshop posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Anderson's Bookshop:

Shortcuts

Share

Category