When you hit up a travel spot, is a bookstore one of the first places you visit? And does it tell you a lot about the city or town you’re in? We think so!

Bookstores are uniquely suited to represent the character of a destination in their design, staff and most importantly, book selection. The experience of a bookstore, and by extension a vacation, can live on the pages of a mystery set in a sleepy little seaside town or even a far-off adventure read on its beaches.

So break out your sunblock, travel maps and bookmarks! We are going on a trip. All summer we’ll be blogging about some bookstores in vacation destinations. Just call us the Bookstore Tourists!

When I think of Hawaii, I must admit, books were not at the top of my list…until I talked to Pat Banning. Pat is the owner of BookEnds and despite my calling her at 8am her time, she was just the essence of what I pictured Hawaiians to be- joyful, warm and welcoming. I knew, instantly, that if I ever have the good fortune to visit Hawaii, I would have to stop by BookEnds. (There’s an OOM travel budget, right?)

BookEnds is located in Kailua. Pat says it’s “a short distance from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world” and of course, she references palm trees and balmy weather. While that might have already sold you on the visit, I promise there’s more. Pat is very proud of her team. She calls them a “Dreamstaff…they’re “all readers, all experienced, and everybody eager to share their good-book-experiences with our customers.” The store seems to overflow with love of books and books themselves! BookEnds sells used books as well so you’ll see carts and piles around the store to offer something for every budget. There’s also a menagerie of animals in the children’s section that includes surfing sharks, a chinese dragon and a giraffe. It’s Pat’s favorite section of the store. She says that judging from the tiny hand prints on the windows, she’s not the only one.

Pat also seemed particularly concerned with getting boys to read. She thinks that Harry Potter has really helped make reading  a popular activity for boys but also loves to sell series like Ranger’s Apprentice, Gregor the Overlander, Bartimaeus, Fablehaven and Percy Jackson. They’ve also got an ever-expanding area for YA titles in the store.

I think, though, that Pat’s words best describe what you’ll find at BookEnds-

“We’re committed to connecting kids with the book that will light up their minds, that fires their imaginations and sharing the excitement that good plotting and good writing creates…”

Anyone else ready to set BookEnds into their GPS and break out a kayak?

Aloha!