A Reader, a Neighborhood, a Bookstore

Sheila Allen Avelin opened Big Blue Marble bookstore in November, 2005. She chose to locate in Mt. Airy Village for its diverse community including artists, authors, musicians, and social change activists, along with the strong draw of other neighborhood businesses and the area's commitment to shopping locally.

Big Blue Marble is very much a reflection of our neighborhood - racially and economically diverse, politically engaged, funny, full of parents and grandparents looking for the best children's books, LOTS of writers, and quite a large LGBTQIA community, and within walking distance of three synagogues. We stock books we love, and trust that our customers will recommend any great books we have missed. We've always had writers on staff, who also keep us on our toes and connected to lesser known and up-and-coming authors.