Acres of Books facts for kids
Acres of Books was a very large and well-loved independent bookstore. It was located in downtown Long Beach, California. This special store welcomed readers from 1934 until 2008.
Contents
A Special Bookstore: Acres of Books
The Story Begins
A man named Bertrand Smith started the bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1927. In 1934, he moved to California and opened Acres of Books in Long Beach. The store moved to its final address on Long Beach Boulevard in 1960. It became the biggest and oldest family-owned used bookstore in California. People said it had more than one million books!
A Treasure Trove of Books
In 1959, Bertrand Smith gave a collection of very old and rare books to the people of Long Beach. Some of these books were from the 15th century! The collection even included a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, which was one of the first books ever printed. These special books are now kept at the main branch of the Long Beach public library. In 1990, the city of Long Beach recognized Acres of Books as a cultural heritage landmark. This means it was a very important and historic place for the city.
Famous Visitors and Fans
Many famous people visited Acres of Books over the years. Authors like Jack Vance, Upton Sinclair, and Greg Bear enjoyed browsing its shelves. The famous writer Ray Bradbury loved the store so much that he wrote an essay about it called "I Sing the Bookstore Eclectic." Another author, Robert Bloch, also mentioned the store in his 1978 novel Strange Eons.
The End of an Era
Closing Its Doors
Acres of Books closed its doors for good on October 18, 2008. The owners sold the property to the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. This agency was later closed down by the state government. There was an idea to turn the old bookstore into an art center, but this plan never happened. Today, the building is kept neat, but it doesn't have any business signs.
See also
- List of City of Long Beach Historic Landmarks
- The bookstore was shown in the movie The Jane Austen Book Club
