Bonjour Books DC French Bookstore

Bonjour Books DC French Bookstore Bonjour Books is the Washington, DC area's French bookstore. We offer 24/7 shopping on www.bonjourbooksdc.com with nationwide shipping.

We are located at 3758 Howard Ave, Kensington, MD -- in the heart of Antique Village--and open to the public six days per week. We stock more than 2500 new and used French-language titles for all ages, resources for French students, gifts for the Francophile, and more!

09/19/2026

Part of what makes Bonjour Books DC such a happy place is the incredible camaraderie of our immediate neighboring shops. 💛
We are grateful to share Antique Village with these amazing people who are a daily source of support, inspiration and laughter!
✹ Brittany at Chase Love Retrofits
✹ Mike (and Abigail!) at MOB Vintage
✹ Kinu at Japanese Treasure House

Swipe through to see a few of their treasures! 📾 Make sure to pop down, explore, and support these wonderful local small businesses and friends.
SupportLocalBusiness CommunityFirst AntiqueRow Loca

Another grand coup de coeur ❀ by one of our favorite authors, Abdellah Taia! Debout dans tes RĂȘves is the story of Ma...
09/18/2026

Another grand coup de coeur ❀ by one of our favorite authors, Abdellah Taia! Debout dans tes RĂȘves is the story of Majid, a young Moroccan student in Paris trying to pay rent while pursuing his doctorate in French literature the Sorbonne. He lives under the constant stress having to renew his carte de sĂ©jour every three months and potentially being denied and sent back to Morocco at any moment.
When he gets a job as a babysitter for a bourgeois Parisian family, he finds security and purpose in his bond with young boy Gabriel. It is also the story of his first love with a Tunisian man, an epic experience because it allows him to love in his native Arabic for the first time.
Abdellah Taïa writes this in such simple, accessible French. As a non-native speaker, I’m drawn to texts that don’t drain my brain with dense vocabulary. He proves you can use the simplest words to convey the most complex human experience.

Highly recommended. Swing by Bonjour Books DC to grab your copy!
FrenchLiterature FrancophoneLit NonNativeReader BookReview ParisInBooks MoroccanWriters BookRecommendation ReadFrench IndieBookstore Bookstagram KensingtonMD

09/06/2026

✹ A beautiful selection for the RentrĂ©e LittĂ©raire! | Une belle sĂ©lection pour la RentrĂ©e LittĂ©raire ! ✹
We have a wonderful collection of new fall releases waiting on our shelves—including many titles already nominated for prestigious literary prizes like the Prix Goncourt, Prix Renaudot, and Prix LittĂ©raire Le Monde! 📚🏆
Nous avons une magnifique sĂ©lection de nouveautĂ©s d’automne qui vous attend en rayon—dont plusieurs titres dĂ©jĂ  sĂ©lectionnĂ©s pour de grands prix littĂ©raires comme le Prix Goncourt, le Prix Renaudot et le Prix LittĂ©raire Le Monde ! 📖✹
Lisons ensemble !
Sign up for one of our literary discussions this season, and make sure to order or reserve your copy right away! ☕💬
Inscrivez-vous Ă  l’une de nos discussions littĂ©raires cette saison, et pensez Ă  commander ou rĂ©server votre exemplaire sans attendre !
Stop by the shop in Kensington or browse our full selection online. Which title are you picking up first? Let us know below! 👇
Passez nous voir Ă  Kensington ou dĂ©couvrez toute la sĂ©lection en ligne. Quel titre vous tente en premier ? Dites-le nous en commentaires ! 👇
BookstagramDC FrenchBooks PrixGoncourt PrixRenaudot PrixLitteraireLeMonde BilingualReads ShopLocalDC

post:🍂 La RentrĂ©e is here! Fresh starts, cozy routines, FANTASTIC new books, and a full lineup of autumn events at Bonjo...
09/01/2026

post:
🍂 La RentrĂ©e is here! Fresh starts, cozy routines, FANTASTIC new books, and a full lineup of autumn events at Bonjour Books! 📚✹
Whether you want to practice your French, discover & discuss Rentrée Littéraire titles, meet visiting authors, or join a cozy book club, we are making space for you at our table this season!
đŸ· Partner Event: Steve Hoffman Memoir Discussion (Sept 11) — Book talk for A Season for That hosted with our partner, Alliance Française of Washington, DC.
🎈 French FĂȘte de la RentrĂ©e & Children’s Discovery Day (Sun, Sept 13, 11:30 AM–3 PM) — Bring the family for storytime, self-serve kids’ activity stations, giveaways, and the final day to collect Summer Reading Challenge prizes!
☕ Friday French Practice & Lounge Hour (Kicking off Sept 18) — A monthly drop-in hour combining quiet reading/homework time with low-pressure French conversation. All levels welcome!
📖 Sunday Book Club: New Morning Section (1st Sunday of the month, 11 AM) — Expanded section! Only 1 spot left for the October 4 session (Mohammad, ma mùre et moi)!
đŸ‡«đŸ‡· La RentrĂ©e LittĂ©raire: “Lisons Ensemble!”
Oct 9: Discussing one of the top new releases from France: C’était ça ou mourir by ThĂ©lyson OrĂ©lien. Already nominated for multiple prizes, this book is a MUST-READ for so many reasons.
Nov 6: Pick any rentrée title from our collection, read at your own pace, and join us for a casual community show-and-tell. We have several titles in stock right now, and more arriving throughout September and October!
💡 Morning Salon with Aleks Krotoski (Oct 17) — Join us for a special morning session with award-winning broadcaster and author Aleks Krotoski (The Immortalists).
đŸŽŸïž RSVP is required for most events. Reserve your tickets on Eventbrite via the link in our bio!

08/23/2026

Notre plus gros coup de ♄ de la RL! En route cette semaine, along with several books generating a big buzz this literary season in France! Reserve your copies via the web site or in person ! Stay tuned for our plan to read and discuss as a community!

08/15/2026

Ready for la rentrĂ©e? 🔔📚 Whether you’re hunting down required summer reading, looking for fun ways to practice French, or just stocking up for the new school year, we’ve got you covered with a mix of new and gently-used titles!
Here’s a peek at what’s on the shelves right now:
Grade-level French readers & school agendas (CP, CE1, and beyond)
Rochambeau summer reading list picks
Activity books, coloring, sticker sets, & games 🎹
Beginner French resources, flashcards, & mini dictionaries
Stop by the shop to browse or check out our link in bio!
PrĂȘts pour la rentrĂ©e ? 🔔📚 Que vous cherchiez les lectures d’étĂ© obligatoires, des ressources ludiques pour apprendre le français, ou simplement de quoi remplir les bibliothĂšques pour la nouvelle annĂ©e, nous avons tout ce qu’il vous faut en neuf et d’occasion !
Au programme en boutique :
Lectures par niveau & agendas scolaires (CP, CE1, etc.)
SĂ©lections de lecture d’étĂ© Rochambeau
Cahiers d’activitĂ©s, coloriages, autocollants & jeux 🎹
Méthodes de français langue étrangÚre, imagiers & mini-dictionnaires
Passez nous voir en librairie ou cliquez sur le lien dans notre bio !

07/25/2026

At the beginning of June, I traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to meet with fellow African booksellers and my colleagues on the board of . 🇾🇳✹
The whole experience—though way too short!—was a dream come true. The absolute highlight was—- alongside my amazing, talented and So MUCH FUN colleagues, exploring Dakar’s vibrant literary scene. We were treated to Senegalese Teranga (a very special hospitality fused with love and respect and community) by Soeur Marthe at Librairie Claireafrique and Alia Mwriueh at the icinic Aux Quatre Vents, and the vibrant Librairie Plumes du Monde, owned by Souleymane Gueye! 📚 And
..
Souleymane is also the founder of the brilliant Éditions Saaraba children’s publisher! Meeting him and his passionate staff at his shop, and seeing how popular his titles are throughout all the Dakar bookshops we visited (plus Librairie Saly Center whose owner Lucie joined us!), led me to import nearly their entire collection just added to our shelves yesterday! ! 📩🎉
This import includes something for every reader—from bilingual French/Wolof board books to gorgeous graphic novels. (And perfect timing: Éditions Saaraba was just named Best Children’s Publisher in Africa at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair! 🏆)
We have always sought out African voices for children but have often had difficulty sourcing a wide selection. While we still have a long way to go to fully represent La Francophonie Jeunesse (in Dakar, I met many other publishers we hope to have soon!), this is a true milestone.
We hope our customers seeking authentic Francophone African stories for children will be as delighted as we are to meet Lilani, Sadio, and so many endearing characters who vividly and eloquently depict Senegalese life and culture.
These beautiful stories are officially unboxed and ready in the shop now, or tap the links to explore the collection online!BonjourBooksDC Dakar WestAfricanLiterature BilingualBooks FrenchBooks Senegal

07/21/2026

C’est dur Ă  croire, mais notre merveilleuse AurĂ©lie rentre en France cette semaine. 💛
Depuis 3 ans et demi, AurĂ©lie a apportĂ© tant de joie Ă  la librairie. Que ce soit pour Ă©merveiller les enfants lors des heures du conte, animer des Ă©changes passionnants avec nos auteurs invitĂ©s, prĂȘter main-forte Ă  la caisse ou reprĂ©senter la librairie lors de nos Ă©vĂ©nements extĂ©rieurs, sa belle Ă©nergie et sa chaleur ont touchĂ© notre communautĂ© entiĂšre, et elle nous manquera Ă©normĂ©ment !
Nous lui souhaitons tout le succĂšs et le bonheur du monde pour ce nouveau chapitre. Et nous ne lui disons pas adieu, mais simplement au revoir !
Merci pour tout, AurĂ©lie ! Nous t’aimons fort ! đŸ‡«đŸ‡·âœš

07/19/2026

🌍đŸ’Ș Become the hero of tomorrow’s world! / Deviens le hĂ©ros du monde de demain ! 🌟✹
EN 🇬🇧
Discover “Le Monde dont tu es le hĂ©ros” by ! A fun book series teaching kids respect and empathy through everyday themes like screen time and pet adoption. đŸ“šâ€ïž
🎁 BONUS: Get a free “good deeds” notebook when you buy two books! (While supplies last) Available in bookstores now.
FR đŸ‡«đŸ‡·
DĂ©couvrez “Le Monde dont tu es le hĂ©ros” de ! Une collection ludique pour apprendre Ă  agir avec respect et empathie Ă  travers des thĂšmes du quotidien (les Ă©crans, adopter un animal...). đŸ“šâ€ïž
🎁 OFFRE : Un carnet de bonnes actions offert pour l’achat de deux livres ! (Dans la limite des stocks disponibles) En librairie dùs maintenant.
Empathie Respect LivrePourEnfant BonnesActions

What a perfect summer read! The story starts with author Philippe Besson catching sight of a face in a crowd, transpor...
07/17/2026

What a perfect summer read! The story starts with author Philippe Besson catching sight of a face in a crowd, transporting him back to the summer of 1985 on the Île de RĂ©, where he reunites every year with his summer family friends. On this particular summer new girl, Alice, joins their circle, the straight boys immediately competing for her attention. Since Philippe is already out, he stays out of the fray—only to find himself quietly drawn to Alice’s older brother, Marc.
Besson announces an unnamed looming tragedy, keeping the suspense fantastic. But even without the plot, the book is carried by its incredible atmosphere, capturing that adolescent “aliveness” where everything is sensual, charged with attraction, and full of the hope of first romance. We’ve all been there, and it feels so nostalgic! 🌊đŸšČ
Version Française đŸ‡«đŸ‡·
J’ai adorĂ© ce livre. Il m’a immĂ©diatement ramenĂ©e Ă  mes propres annĂ©es d’adolescence.
Tout commence quand Philippe Besson aperçoit un visage dans la foule, le transportant en Ă©tĂ© 1985 sur l’üle de RĂ©, lĂ  oĂč il retrouve chaque annĂ©e ses copains d’étĂ©. Quand une nouvelle fille, Alice, arrive dans la bande, les garçons hĂ©tĂ©ros rivalisent tout de suite pour elle. Philippe, dĂ©jĂ  out, reste Ă  l’écart... pour finalement se rapprocher du grand frĂšre d’Alice, Marc.
Besson distille un suspense fantastique en laissant prĂ©sager un drame Ă  venir. Mais mĂȘme sans cette intrigue, le livre vaut le dĂ©tour pour son ambiance : il capture Ă  merveille cette vitalitĂ© de l’adolescence, quand tout est sensuel, empreint d’attirance et rempli de l’espoir des premiers amours. On est tous passĂ©s par lĂ , et c’est incroyablement nostalgique ! 🌊đŸšČ

Address

3758 Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

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