Children's

All of our libraries offer a comprehensive collection of books for children and young people, from wordless board books for babies to novels for older teenagers, covering everything in between. Specialist staff can always help with book suggestions for readers at all levels.

Storytimes

Our libraries also all offer storytimes for the under-fives, where experienced members of staff will read to children and bring all sorts of characters and pictures to life! Sessions currently are :

Rhymetimes

Sessions currently are :

Rhymetimnes are fun sessions for babies, toddlers and their caregivers - come along and join in with nursery rhymes, action songs and much more.

We also run special activity sessions during the Reading Children’s Festival and the summer holidays. If you’d like to join a book group, we currently run Chatterbooks reading groups at various libraries – please ask staff for details.

What do we have?

There is no minimum age at which you can join the library, even if you’re a tiny baby! Reading to children at any age is a great way of spending time together, and can really help with the development of your child. Reading Libraries runs and fully supports the Bookstart scheme in Reading – where all children will receive two books at 8 months, 2 years and 3-4 years – together with an invitation to join the library.

Our books will be ideal for your child, whatever age or reading ability. We offer a wide range, from established classics to works by new authors and the latest bestsellers by favourite authors like Jacqueline Wilson, J K Rowling, Lemony Snicket and Michael Morpurgo:

Board books
for babies and toddlers

Picture books 
for older and younger readers – from Wibbly Pig to Mog, covering everyone in between.

Easy reader books
graded from 1 (Easier) to 5 (Harder) to aid choosing.

Young novels
suitable for everyone – authors such as Roald Dahl, Lucy Daniels, Dick King-Smith.

Teen-Read novels
for more confident readers – maybe Phillip Pullman or Louis Sachar.

14+ novels
for older, more experienced readers – may have a more adult theme – books by Melvin Burgess, Robert Swindells, Chris Wooding for example.

There are also Non-fiction/information books as well as the Internet to help with learning for fun or with homework – just ask and we can show you your perfect book or site!

Summer Reading Challenge

Every year a new Summer Reading Challenge runs across the country - every time you have read a couple of books and come into the library we'll give you stickers for your wallet, as well as an extra gift. Get to the end of the challenge and we'll give you a certificate and a medal.  You can read any books, and it's free! Look out for details of our 'drop in' sessions on the news and events section of the website, when you can tell our children's librarians what you've been reading.

So how do I join?

You need to come in with a parent or guardian, and they need to have proof of your address (like a bill from the last two months or a driving licence) and something like a bank card or passport with their signature on. There are no forms to fill in, it’s free and it only takes a couple of minutes. Then you get your very own card and can take away up to 10 books and 2 CDs or cassettes straight away! You can read them over and over again or once, and they are yours for three weeks. Then you need to bring them back or phone us to extend the loan time. It’s very, very easy!

If you would like to contact the children’s librarians at Reading, Please email us via the form on the Contact page, or telephone 0118 901 5950 and ask to be put through. We can offer help and advice on everything to do with reading books.

If you’re a school or nursery teacher and would like to arrange a visit either to a library or to have a member of staff visit you, please call 0118 901 5961 or come into your local branch to arrange this. We’d love to hear from you!