The local word

One of the special pleasures of travel is discovering a bookstore that
embodies the spirit of the place. For my taste, Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii
in Honolulu takes the cake for local interest. Located in the Ward Warehouse
shopping plaza out at 1050 Ala Moana Boulevard, Native Books is completely
devoted to Hawaiian life, language, song, and culture. Not only is it jammed
with children's and adult books about Hawaiian history -- including
biographies of major figures, a history of tourism, and an illustrated book
on the development of Waikiki Beach -- it also has a vast collection of
Hawaiian music on CDs and a extensive CD listening station to sample before
buying. True, the shop does hawk some of the predictable flower shirts and
shell jewelry, but they sell the stuff to support Hawaiian artisans. In
fact, the operation serves as something of a cultural center, with free
Sunday afternoon concerts and free introductory classes in everything from
Hawaiian language to playing the ukulele to dancing the hula. That's about
as local as any bookstore ever gets. If you're bound for Honolulu, check
them out.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent