Malik Books has served Los Angeles readers since 1990, run by Malik Muhammad and his family. The store focuses on African American literature and multicultural and diverse children's books, and carries calendars, cards and gifts alongside the shelves. There are two mall storefronts, one at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles and one at Westfield Culver City, which makes the store easy to fold into an ordinary errand rather than a special trip.
The family has kept finding ways to reach readers who cannot come to them. In 2022 they launched Malik's Bookmobile, bringing books directly to underserved communities around Los Angeles, and they produce the Malik's Bookshelf podcast, produced by Ryan Seacrest.
They also partner on the Crusader Praise Scott Scholarship Fund, which has helped raise more than $20,000 and award 18 scholarships. More than three decades in, Malik Books is one of the longest-running Black-owned bookstores in the city, and the shelves reflect that accumulated knowledge of what local readers want. Visit either location or browse the catalog online.
Malik Books