Atlantic Books

Atlantic Books

Locate me
FR

Tattletales Books

by

With self-isolation and social distancing measures in place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve,  independent bookstores and local shops are finding ways to continue providing Atlantic Canadians with books. Although their doors are closed to the public, many indie bookstores offer online shopping, orders and recommendations by phone and email, and local delivery or contact-free pick up options. If you’re looking for reading material to curl up with while we all stay home, here’s a list of places where you can stock up, shop local, and support independent bookstores and businesses during this difficult time. Stay safe, and keep reading!

This list has been updated with information posted as of April 28th, and will continue to update. Let us know if there’s anything we’ve missed.

New Brunswick

  • Dave Shoots (Saint John) is taking orders! Visit daveshootsbookseller.com. Local pickup/delivery in Saint John can be arranged, or they can mail your order.
  • Tidewater Books & Browsery in Sackville  is taking online orders from their webstore for books, games, and more: tidewaterbooks.ca. They offer weekday curbside pickup, free local delivery, and daily shipping.
  • Westminster Books in Fredericton is available Mon-Thus from 9-1, for free delivery within the city limits and curbside pickup. Call 506.454.1442 or email for details.
  • À Librairie Pélagie (Shippagan, Caraquet, Bathurst), vous pouvez toujours continuer à faire vos achats en ligne à pelagie.leslibraires.ca et profiter de leur service a l’auto COVID-19 dans leurs 3 succursales (seulement sur les livres déjà en inventoire). Contacter par téléphone ou Facebook messenger.

Newfoundland

  • The Downhome Shoppe’s online store is open, and in addition to shipping they are also offering curbside pickup. Call 1.888.588.6353 to order and arrange a pick-up time from head office at 43 James Lane, just minutes from the Water Street location; payment can be made by email transfer or credit card.Visit shopdownhome.com/books for lots of great new books from Newfoundland authors and publishers.

Nova Scotia

    • Bainton’s Tannery Outlet and Mad Hatter Bookstore in Annapolis Royal can ship, deliver locally, or arrange curbside pickup, and they take e-transfers and credit card payments over the phone. They specialize in local interest and local authors, and they’re also offering a fun “Mystery Bag of Books” with your preferred genre or author. Reach them at 902.532.2070 or on Facebook: facebook.com/baintons/
    • Blue Griffin Books in Middleton is open with social distancing and sterilization measures in place, M-F from 9-4. They can also arrange to meet you at the store after hours. You can reach them through messaging on Facebook (Facebook.com/blue-griffin-books) or by calling 902.353.2665.
    • You can shop online with Bookmark Halifax 24 hours a day at bookmarkreads.ca. They are offering curbside pickup and free (bike!) delivery on the peninsula. Reach them at 902.423.0419 or halifax@bookmarkreads.ca. If you purchase a gift card from their website, they’ll donate 10% of the purchase to Feed Nova Scotia.

  • Cape and Cowl Comics & Collectibles in Sackville is posting photos on Facebook of what’s in stock. They are taking e-transfers and shipping books. Follow them on Facebook and message Jay at jay@capeandcowlcomics.ca with any questions you have
  • Dartmouth Book Exchange is open Monday- Friday 11am to 6pm/ Saturday 10-6 with social distancing and sterilization measures in place (Read more). They are offering curbside pickups and some delivery within HRM. They can also provide a quote to ship through Canada Post. They accept e-transfers and credit card payments over the phone (902.435.1207). Visit them on Facebook to see some of the books they have in stock.
  • Endless Shore Books is delivering bags of Isolation Reading in the Bridgetown area.
  • JWD Books (Dartmouth): Email your wishlist to JWDFrontDesk@BellAliant.com (note that they carry much more than what is online at DoullBooks.com). They’ll find as much of your list as possible, take credit card information over the phone, and offer a contact-less pickup.
  • King’s Co-op Bookstore in Halifax is taking online orders at kingsbookstore.ca and offering free mailbox delivery in the HRM while the storefront is closed. You can email manager@kingsbookstore.ca with any questions. And don’t forget to check out their list of books by King’s authors and alumni.
  • LaHave River Books is posting photos of some of their new releases and books in stock on Facebook, and you can reach them there or by email (lahaveriverbooks@gmail.com), or by phone on the weekends (902.688.1855). Get in touch with the books you’re looking for to make arrangements.
  • Lexicon Books is temporarily closing as of April 10.
  • Lunenburg Bound Books’ website is open for orders. Visit lunenburgbound.ca. You can reach them at 902.634.3235 or lunenburgbound@gmail.com to enquire about local delivery or curbside pickup options.
  • Otis & Clementine in Tantallon, Nova Scotia has photos of what’s in stock on their Facebook page and you can pick up orders in a secure box outside the shop. They take credit card payments over the phone and are also accepting e-transfers.
  • Strange Adventures Comics & Curiosities (Halifax and Dartmouth) are offering pickups from 5110 Prince Street weekdays 12-5, Saturdays 11-5 and free delivery in HRM. Send them a message on Facebook for details or call 902.425.2140 to pay with credit card over the phone.
  • Tattletales Books has online shopping available at tattletalesbooks.ca, and a great selection of Atlantic Canadian picture books, as well as games and activities, and toys. You can pay with a credit card over the phone for curbside pickup at their Dartmouth location.
  • Venus Envy (Halifax) is offering same-day delivery to Halifax and surrounding communities: email halifax@venusenvy.ca or call 902-422-0004. Browse some of their books at venusenvy.ca/pages/books, or contact them to find out about what’s in store (including books by local authors!).
  • Woozles Bookstore in Halifax does free deliveries within a 30 minute radius!  Place your order on woozles.com and select “ship” – if you’re within 30 minutes of the store they’ll do a free delivery. Select “pick-up” to pick up your item Monday – Friday from 11-4. Check out their featured Atlantic Canadian books!

Prince Edward Island

  • While Bookmark Charlottetown is closed, you can order online at bookmarkreads.ca (check out the New Prince Edward Island book collection featured on the homepage!). Order online or call 902.566.4888 for free, same day delivery in the Charlottetown area from Monday to Friday.

More ways to support your local bookstore

  • Buy a gift card!
  • Purchase and download audiobooks from libro.fm, where 100% of proceeds go to your local bookstore
  • Spread the news about how local bookstores and businesses who need our support are continuing to connect readers with books during these difficult times. For a map of bookstores offering delivery or pick up options Canada-wide, see this Google Map created by Don Gorman, publisher of Rocky Mountain Books in BC.

 

by

Tattletales Books Dartmouth NS-Anne
Anne Whebby and a young customer share a story in a quiet corner of the store. Photo credit: Joseph Muise

20 years on, Tattletales Books in Dartmouth is helping a new generation of children fall in love with reading

Two decades in business is a milestone in any industry. But with so many independent book stores closing in recent years, the 20th anniversary of Tattletales Books in Dartmouth, NS, seems especially remarkable.

Tattletales began as a kind of dream for Anne Whebby. “I began to think about opening a children’s book store when my kids first went to school,” says Whebby, who manages the store and co-owns it with her five siblings. “It just seemed like there were so many books out there. I developed a real passion for spreading the word about good children’s books.”

That passion was transformed into a family-owned-and-operated book and toy store that opened in Penhorn Mall in Dartmouth in July 1995.

Tattletales train table
The store’s train table is a popular stop for young shoppers, as is the couch next to it for parents who need a quick break and a comfy seat. Photo credit: Joseph Muise

The siblings batted around many suggestions for names, but eventually Tattletales stuck. “My brother Vince, who’s a power-walker, came up with the name on one of his walks,” Whebby recalls. “He said, ‘We can’t keep secrets. Spreading stories is our business.’ and that stuck as our slogan.”

The family, who has deep roots in Dartmouth, decided Penhorn Mall was a perfect location for the store. It was a well-known, thriving mall 20 years ago, and accessible to people from Halifax and Bedford. The store was designed to welcome families, with comfy chairs to curl-up in and cozy play spaces for kids, including a much-loved train table. Events and author presentations were held outside the store in one of the mall’s interior courtyards.

The business had many loyal customers, but the mall grew quiet as the big box stores of Dartmouth Crossing drew shoppers away. In 2010, prior to Penhorn’s demolition, Tattletales moved to a newly built strip-mall across the parking lot from its former home. The new space has the same family-friendly, welcoming feel and popular play spaces.

Prior to the move, it became apparent that the family needed to rethink its business plan to counteract the effect of dwindling foot traffic. They flipped the focus from retail sales to wholesale, a move that Whebby says kept the business afloat in tough economic times.

Whebby is philosophical when she talks about the technology that competes with books these days. “Yes, we share our time with computers and iPods and video games, but that’s okay. That’s the world that kids live in, but it just makes it all the nicer when they come back to books and my experience is that they do.”

“I had a mother in a little while ago who said her child refused to read. It wasn’t that he couldn’t read. He just refused to. I sent three books home with her and next thing I know, she’s calling and saying ‘I can’t get him to turn his light out at night. He’s staying up to read!’ Now that is pretty gratifying.”

Tattletales Bookroom shelves
Many of Tattletales’ shelving units were purchased from The Book Room in Halifax. Once Canada’s oldest book store, The Book Room closed its doors in 2008, but parts of  it will always live on in Dartmouth. Photo credit: Joseph Muise

The sheer number of books available for children has grown greatly during Tattletales’ life, Whebby says. “There are more books on the shelves and more types of books. There are more books available that reflect different cultures. And of course there are ebooks, though I am finding that children still want to hold a book and turn real pages.”

One of Tattletales’ biggest successes is in its ability as a small business to give back to the community says Whebby.  The “Coins for Books” campaign has become an annual fundraiser. Each February, participating schools hold a coin drive. The funds raised are used towards purchasing books at Tattletales for the schools and the schools also receive a percentage of funds collected by other sources including regional publishers, the Halifax Regional School Board and the bookstore. In the past eight years, the campaign has placed over $800,000 worth of books into local schools.  

“Even though our business emphasis has had to change, I don’t think we’ve ever lost sight of the value of putting great literature into the hands of children. I think that’s what keeps us going and gives us the drive to be successful.”