Welcome to The Phoenix Used Bookshop
We're Marin's first used bookshop for kids and teens — and we're just getting started.
The Phoenix Used Bookshop opened on May 13th, 2026 with one straightforward belief: Book Build Community
Every book deserves a second reader, and every reader deserves a great bookshop.
Our shelves are stocked entirely by this community. Books arrive from Marin families, estate sales, downsizing neighbors, and people who simply ran out of shelf space. We say yes to every donation, sort and curate everything by hand, and make sure nothing gets landfilled.
What you'll find here isn't a bargain bin. It's a real bookshop — bright, welcoming, and stocked with books for young readers from board books through Young Adult. The classics your kid needs for school, the series they'll devour in a weekend, and the random gem neither of you knew to look for.
We're at 501 Magnolia Ave in Larkspur. Come in, browse, and bring us your books.
Books build community. Every book finds its reader. Nothing gets landfilled.
About the Founder
Hi, I'm Stef.
I'm a Marin mom of two teenage boys and a lifelong reader — and as of May 2026, the founder of The Phoenix Used Bookshop.
I have a Master's degree in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where I spent years studying what makes families and communities thrive. I kept coming back to books. When you read someone else's writing you get to feel exactly what it's like to be human, and they handed that to you — from their heart to yours. You can talk about a book with your closest friend or bring one up with a complete stranger. Books are one of the last places where we can disagree safely and with delight. That's community. The Phoenix exists because I believe that.
This has been a 1.5 year journey. Our first store opened at 501 Magnolia Ave in Larkspur, dedicated entirely to kids and teens ages 0–16 — a great place to put down roots, with more stores to come. A full-size all-ages Phoenix Used Bookshop is next.
Behind the Scenes
I document the whole journey on my diary-style podcast, A Bookshop of My Own — the good decisions, the hard ones, and the ones I'm still figuring out.
Come Visit
You'll find me most days at the shop. Come say hello.