Three floors of books, handwritten recommendations, a public typewriter, and a genuine place in Ann Arbor’s literary community make Literati worth building into a family weekend.
In a city built around a university, a really good bookstore feels almost inevitable.
Literati Bookstore makes it feel special.
Located at 124 E. Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor, this independent bookstore has become the kind of place visitors seek out rather than simply stumble upon. Current Google reviews give Literati 4.8 stars from more than 1,300 reviewers, with visitors repeatedly praising its carefully curated selection, knowledgeable staff, cozy atmosphere, and handwritten recommendations tucked among the shelves.
Spread across three floors, Literati carries everything from current fiction and nonfiction to children’s books, stationery, and unexpected titles you didn’t know you were looking for. That’s part of its appeal for families: everyone can head in a different direction and come back with something.
Find the Typewriter
Don’t leave without finding Literati’s public typewriter.
Visitors are invited to sit down and type a message, adding their own few lines to the life of the bookstore. Google reviewers regularly mention it as one of the details that makes Literati memorable.
For kids accustomed to tapping out words on screens, the clack of actual keys is reason enough to give it a try.
A Bookstore That Invites Kids Into the Story
Literati’s connection to young readers goes beyond keeping children’s books on the shelves.
In summer 2025, the store took storytime right onto Main Street, hosting free children’s storytimes on the first Sunday of the month, with picture books read aloud outside in downtown Ann Arbor.
One of the most charming examples from its event history is Haunted Literati. The bookstore helped lead downtown Ann Arbor’s Halloween parade before transforming its children’s floor for the occasion, complete with trick-or-treating, spooky books, costumes, a photo stop, and book-themed surprises for kids.
Literati has also brought notable children’s and young-adult writers into the community. Past programming has included Michigan author Colby Cedar Smith, whose Call Me Athena was a Junior Library Guild selection and Michigan Notable Book, as well as an online event pairing acclaimed middle-grade author Ruth Behar with bestselling children’s author Alan Gratz.
Why Literati Belongs on Your Ann Arbor Weekend
Literati isn’t enormous. That’s part of what works.
It’s intimate enough to browse slowly, distinctive enough for kids to remember, and deeply connected to a city where books and ideas still occupy valuable real estate.
Let everyone choose one book.
Years from now, it may be the Ann Arbor souvenir your family still has on the shelf.
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