Walking into The Paper Mouse feels like stepping into another world, a quiet haven for those who love the art of handwriting.

Stationery and other items from around the world are neatly arranged on wooden shelves, whether it’s a carnation-shaped pen or cards handcrafted by artisans in Nepal—items hard to find in big chain bookstores.

“A lot of people describe our shop as an oasis, that they can escape all the troubles,” said Jenny Zhang, co-owner of The Paper Mouse. “So that’s what we want to create—a space that they feel comfortable and peaceful.”

Located at 1274 Washington St. in West Newton, The Paper Mouse is ranked the No. 1 stationery store in the Boston area on Yelp. This November marks the store’s 10th anniversary, a milestone for the shop founded by the husband-and-wife team of Victor Lee and Jenny Zhang.

“I had always wished, even when I was young, to have my own business,” said Lee, 48, who was born and raised in Newton. Both Lee’s grandfather and father had owned businesses in Newton. “I thought it’d be great to kind of continue that, almost like a tradition.”

The story of the store dates back to 2015, when Lee and Zhang married. Zhang has always loved writing letters, while Lee, after working in the tech industry for nearly 20 years, was eager to make a career change. Their shared love for stationery inspired them to open their own stationery store.

The name of the store comes from Zhang’s Chinese Zodiac sign — she was born in the year of the mouse. Created by the store’s designer, Jean Gao, the hand-drawn mouse became the logo and appeared on postcards, stickers, tote bags and other items.

Zhang, who is originally from Fujian, China, moved to the U.S. in 1999 and has lived in Newton since 2009.

“I grew up in a place where kids can go to a store and buy stuff without paying, and everyone knows me and my parents, and my parents will pay after,” Zhang said. “I felt very safe and welcomed.”

The Paper Mouse in West Newton offers a variety of stationery, writing tools and more. Photo by Ruyuan Li

She wanted to bring that sense of community connection to The Paper Mouse, and to Newton.

When the shop opened, most of its products came from local artists. But that began to change during the pandemic.

During the six-month shutdown, Zhang said the store received numerous calls and emails from customers hoping to buy cards and stationery, which prompted them to launch an online store and start an international curation.

Lee said people compare prices when shopping online, so he wanted The Paper Mouse’s products to stand out to attract customers. “So expanding to the international offerings gave us more unique and exclusive items that people around here may not be able to find easily online,” he said.

Lisa Schwartz, an English teacher in Newton, visits the store frequently. “I fell in love with the artwork,” Schwartz said. “It’s so well curated.”

For Schwartz, collecting stationery is like an endless rabbit hole. She particularly falls for the Hobonichi journal books, a Japanese stationery brand specializing in planner books.

Schwartz said The Paper Mouse is the only store nearby that carries a line of Hobonichi products.

“They have things here that you can’t get in other places or you have to order online,” she said. “I ordered something from Hobonichi (online store), and it was like $40 shipping.”

In addition to the series of Hobonichi products, The Paper Mouse carries the 2024 UK Gift of the Year winner Amber Crystal Light, LAMY fountain pens made in Germany, and art works from Bottle Branch, a Newton art studio.

“The owners go to a trade show in New York City every February and August, where they can meet suppliers and vendors from all around the world,” said Yulan Li, assistant buyer at The Paper Mouse, where she has worked for eight years.

“We find those artists ourselves, and also if their style matches with the shop,” she added.

The Paper Mouse in West Newton offers a variety of stationery, writing tools and more. Photo by Ruyuan Li

Jennifer Fitzsimmons, 46, of Waltham, said she’s grown tired of shopping at big chain stores, where “the notebooks are almost always lined, with no indication of what kind of paper they use or whether it’ll hold up to fountain pen ink.”

“The staff here can answer a lot of questions,” Fitzsimmons said. “And they have pen testers, which I deeply appreciate.”

She said The Paper Mouse provides a wider variety of stationeries than most independent stationers, so she comes back every few months to check new products.

The Paper Mouse will celebrate its 10th anniversary Nov. 22 with new product launches and giveaways.

“Not only do we carry exclusive and unique items from other people, we’re going to start making our own unique and exclusive items for our customers,” Lee said.

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This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.