Albert Whitman & Company has been located in the Chicago area for most of its 90-plus years in business. As such, we’ve been blessed – both professionally and personally – with a wonderful assortment of independent bookseller for decades. Happily, this remains true today. In a semi-regular blog series, we will visit “Chicagoland Indies” for your information and enjoyment.
The BookCellar, located in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, is a general bookstore chock full of an eclectic mix of bestsellers and staff favorites. Each section has its own personality and the cafe is a great place to spend an afternoon reading. 
I first went to The BookCellar with a friend from college soon after I moved to Illinois. She loves the store for its extensive drama section. She says they have a great selection of plays and other books, not usually found in a bookstore. The BookCellar is Wendy’s neighborhood store, so she spends a lot of time there—and not just in the kid’s section.
and were excited to see a nice collection of Sean Callahan titles – the Book Cellar has been a great supporter of his. They even have some autographed copies on hand! This is A Wild Father’s Day (illustrated by Daniel Howarth)
As a bookstore lover, the best part of The BookCellar? The wine! It’s rare for a bookstore coffeeshop to serve wine. Because The BookCellar does, many book groups for adults like to use the store for their meetings. This also provides the group with a steady location, rather than in varying home or café locations. Quite a good business decision…and I imagine some parents like it when shopping for the kids as well.
But for a purchaser of books, the best part of the set-up at The BookCellar are all the staff recommendations—on little cards and some not-so-little cards all over the shelves. It’s very hard to leave the store without buying something….and that’s great for everyone!
