If you take your bookstores the same way you take your lunch break—predictable and safe—then the cats and chickens wandering about at Wild Rumpus may not be your Shakespeare-in-waiting kid's cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're up for a surprise or two, give the youngsters a gentle shove through the little purple door to Wild Rumpus Books in Linden Hills, and plan on staying a while. Opened 18 years ago by Tom Braun and his former wife, Morgan, the store feels like a cozy home at first, with overstuffed stacks of titles that go way beyond the latest Twilight tweenster marketing phenom. Move further in and things change. The ceiling becomes a sky. Kids tromp across the old wood floors chasing little critters. Parents flop into old, overstuffed armchairs. Imaginations run free. And if that's not enough, there's a steady stream of family-friendly events on the calendar. This past winter, Newberry Medal author Kate DeCamillo read from her latest book, The Magician's Elephant, and indie folk singer Haley Bonar performed a special children's concert.