Books for children

A girl reading outside on a sunny day

Whether you're a young bookworm or a teenage book addict, we've got something for you at the library.

Contact us by email at library@rnib.org.uk or call 0303 123 9999.

What you can borrow

  • loads of great books in giant print (24 point type), braille or audio
  • borrow up to six books at a time. Postage is free
  • lots to choose from - adventure, love, fantasy, funny stories, stories about animals, families or underpants and aliens!
  • you can also borrow poetry and non-fiction books on topics like cookery, pets and sport
  • we recommend that you join the library yourself, rather than just through your school or college so that you can enjoy everything we offer directly.
  • unfortunately we don't have books for the very youngest children (ages up to 4 years) but you can get these from ClearVision, Living Paintings or your local library can help.

Finding the right book

  • borrow classic stories like Thomas the Tank Engine, James and The Giant Peach and Watership Down. Or find books by favourite authors such as Stephanie Meyer, Eoin Colfer and J.K. Rowling.
  • our Children's Librarian can help you find the books you want to read and suggest others you might never have thought of trying. Send an email to childrenslibrarian@rnib.org.uk or call 0161 355 2061
  • you can search our library catalogue
  • we also have book lists for children on themes like relationships, horror and school stories.

Read On magazine

Pick up tips and ideas in our Book box section for younger readers which is full of book reviews and interviews with your favourite authors. There is an interview with Michael Morpurgo, a review of How I live now by Meg Rosoff and a feature on books to chill out with and much more.

Birthday books

We send all our young readers a birthday book up to the age of 12 so that you can build up a collection of favourites to keep at home. Each year on your birthday, you will receive a book token and a list of books to choose from in giant print, braille or audio.

For parents and teachers

We welcome enquiries from parents, teachers and other professionals working with blind and partially sighted children. Our Children's Librarian can provide advice about supporting the reading needs of children with sight loss.

RNIB National Library Service does not loan text books although many of our fiction and non fiction titles do support the National Curriculum.

For information on school subjects and curriculum issues, visit our education professionals pages at www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/education or email our Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) team at cypf@rnib.org.uk.

RNIB also provides information and advice about ebooks and ebook readers

Ways of reading - free leaflet

Ways of Reading is a free leaflet designed to help you find reading materials in accessible formats for children of all ages who are blind or partially sighted - for pleasure, information or school work.

Last updated: 28 March 2012

Make a donation

Right now we can only reach one in three of the people who need our help most.

Please make a donation and help us support more blind and partially sighted people.

Read for RNIB DayRead for RNIB Day

Join us in helping people find their lives again through reading, and have some fun too. Read for fun and raise a ton!

Quiz

A ten year old tomboy living in an adult's residential care home, nicknamed 'the dumping ground'. Which character from a popular series of children's books is being described?