Magic Tree Bookstore, Oak Park, Ill., is closing on October 21, after owner Beth Albrecht was unable to find a buyer, the Chicago Tribune reported. She had put the store up for sale in May. Albrecht told the Tribune that while sales had increased in the past several years, the store hadn't been "thriving financially for many years."
Albrecht purchased Magic Tree in 2015 from Iris Yipp and Rose Joseph, who founded the store in 1984. Albrecht and the staff are working to make its final weeks into a celebration of Magic Tree's 34 years in Oak Park.
"What really makes the Magic Tree magical is the staff," Albrecht said. "The biggest thing we're known for is the recommendations we give. It takes some special people who have that deep knowledge of books, and we have the most wonderful staff in the world."