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Pegi Williams Book Shop

39 Years of Children’s Books

A specialist children’s bookshop in Walkerville, South Australia — supplying schools, libraries and families since 12 September 1987.

40th
Our 40th birthday

On 12 September 2027 the shop turns 40 — four decades of children’s books.

346days49weeks

The Story So Far

  1. Early 1940sPegi begins her working life in children’s literature at the Loxton Institute Library in the Riverland.
  2. 1946The family moves to Adelaide; Pegi joins the educational booksellers E.S. Wigg and Son, and a lifetime in the children’s book trade begins.
  3. 1977After 31 years with Wigg’s, Pegi moves to The Children’s Bookshelf of Australia.
  4. March 1982Her nephew James starts in the book trade, joining Pegi at The Children’s Bookshelf in Kent Town.
  5. 1987Pegi and James sign the lease on a shop of their own on 12 September, and Pegi Williams Book Shop officially opens at Walkerville on 12 December — Colin Thiele cuts the ribbon and Max Fatchen eats the cake.
  6. 1992Pegi receives the Order of Australia Medal for services to children’s literature.
  7. 1995The Australian Booksellers and Publishers Association’s Pixie Award, for dedicated service promoting Australian children’s books.
  8. October 1998Pegi dies following a car accident, after a 52-year career. James carries the shop forward.
  9. 2000The shop moves into an 1870s house at 37 Smith Street. The business computerises — its own catalogue database, the first website, and printed catalogues to schools and public libraries across Australia.
  10. 2005James and Christine marry in October, and the shop moves to a heritage building on Walkerville Terrace to make way for a family.
  11. 2009 & 2012Jonah and then Tobias are born into the book world.
  12. 2014Premises tailor-built to fit the storeroom, shop and offices at 30 Smith Street — the current home.
  13. TodayMore than 138,000 children’s titles in the catalogue, still chosen by people who read them — and the shop’s fortieth birthday arrives in December 2027.

A Family Business

Pegi Williams Book Shop has never been anything other than a family concern — founded by an aunt and her nephew, and run today by James, Christine and their two boys.

Pegi Williams reading a picture book
Pegi Williams

Pegi Williams

The founder. Pegi began in children’s literature at the Loxton Institute Library in the early 1940s, then spent 31 years with E.S. Wigg and Son — advising kindergartens and primary schools across South Australia and the Northern Territory, and building school library collections whose selection rested largely on her judgement.

Her career spanned 52 years, including 42 years of committee service to the South Australian branch of the Children’s Book Council, the Order of Australia Medal in 1992 and the Pixie Award in 1995. She died in October 1998, and her working life is on the public record: Jeffrey Prentice’s Pegi Williams: a life among books is held by the State Library of South Australia.

James Williams at the shop door
James Williams

James Williams

Pegi’s nephew, and the shop’s owner and manager. James started in the book trade in 1982 alongside Pegi, co-founded the shop with her in 1987, and has run it ever since — still reading, still recommending, and still answering the phone.

Ask him for a favourite and you will hear about Victor Kelleher’s Master of the Grove, Roald Dahl’s Matilda or John Marsden’s So Much to Tell You. Away from the shop he is a marathon runner and endurance athlete, has served as an elected member of the Walkerville council, and has played and coached more than 350 games of football for Walkerville.

Christine Williams

Christine married James in October 2005. She works at the ABC and helps keep the family business running.

Jonah Williams

Three years on the staff. If your order arrived neatly picked, there is a good chance Jonah picked it.

Tobias Williams

Helps with anything, anytime — and is reliably at the shop whenever there is cake.

What We Do

We are a specialist children’s bookshop: everything we stock is chosen for young readers, from board books to young adult fiction, and every recommendation comes from someone who has read widely in the field.

Schools and libraries are the heart of the business — standing orders, class sets, curriculum lists, free printable teacher notes, approval selections and ordering on account. Families are just as welcome, in the shop or online.

Class sets · Standing orders · Curriculum lists

Four Homes in Walkerville

The shop has moved four times in nearly forty years, and never left Walkerville.

  1. 1987–1999 · Shop 9, 60 North East RoadThe first shop, across the road from the ABC building.
  2. 2000–2005 · 37 Smith StreetAn 1870s house — shop on the ground floor, James living upstairs. The printed catalogues and the shop’s first website both started here.
  3. 2005–2014 · 99 Walkerville TerraceA heritage building — Jonah and Tobias were born, and James served on the Walkerville council.
  4. 2014–today · 30 Smith StreetTailor-built for the storeroom, shop and offices. Watch the build in time-lapse.
From James’s Shelf

Nearly Four Decades of Favourites

Ask James for a favourite and these come up first — every one still in the catalogue. Click a cover to visit the book.

Dear Zoo coverDear ZooRod CampbellTime for Bed coverTime for BedMem FoxCounting on Frank coverCounting on FrankRod ClementMatilda coverMatildaRoald DahlMaster of the Grove coverMaster of the GroveVictor KelleherSo Much to Tell You coverSo Much to Tell YouJohn Marsden