Children and young people
We strongly believe that a child is never too young to get started with books. We have a wide range of books that will appeal to babies right through to older teens.
It's not only about books, we have a range of other support services, activities and reading initiatives in our libraries and also outreach services and projects.
Summer reading challenge
The aim is simple – keep children reading over the summer holiday period and have fun at the same time!
Toddler time
We hold these weekly drop in sessions in our libraries for parents/carers and their pre-school children to stay and play with toys and puppets, enjoy storytelling, join in with rhymes and singing and take part in creative activities. Toddler time is friendly, fun and free.
Homework Club
We hold staffed sessions in many of our libraries, to support school age children with their homework.
BookBus
Our mobile libraries for children.
Libraries in children's centres
A number of Sure Start Children's Centres have small library book collections as well as games and toys you can borrow. You need to be a library member to borrow them but you can join free at any children's centre or library in the city. You can borrow up to four items from children's centres for up to three weeks plus 12 items from a library. There are no overdue charges or notices for children's centre items. You must return items borrowed from a children's centre to a children's centre and library items to a library.
Our Best Book
Each year Leicester Libraries run the Our Best Book competition for year five and six children, in schools across the city.
- For further details, visit the Our Best Book page.
Bookstart
Run by the Booktrust, an independent national charity, this scheme aims to provide a free pack of books and resources to every baby and child in England, to inspire, stimulate and create a love of reading. By encouraging all parents and carers to enjoy books with children from as early an age as possible, the Booktrust aims to help children develop a lifelong love of books. The scheme works through locally-based organisations, such as libraries, to supply free books and resources to children before their first birthday and between three and four years of age.
Five finger test
Below is a simple guide on choosing books and reading with your child.
Contact us
Call us on 0116 454 0045