Books That Celebrate Libraries

As a homeschooling family of young children, we are at the library a LOT! There's just no way to keep up with our book needs through purchases alone. Instilling a love of libraries in your children will serve them well, and one way to help with that is through (you guessed it) books! It should come as no surprise that there are loads of good children's Books About Libraries. Pick up a few next time you visit!

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Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home by Daniel Kirk

"Library Mouse" is one of our favorite series (after all, we have a serious mouse lover in the family). Sam is a little mouse who lives in the library. His friend Sarah lives there, too. Throughout the series, Sam and Sarah have adventures exploring the library together. The books really do a great job of getting children excited about the worlds that books can take them to in their imaginations. The other books in the series are Library Mouse, and Library Mouse: A World To Explore.

Amelia Bedelia's First Library Card by Herman Parish

Amelia Bedelia takes everything literally, so she makes quite a few mistakes when her class takes a field trip to the class library. She dumps her drink in the book return slot, misunderstands what a "fine" is, and ends up with the wrong book. Amelia Bedelia loves her new library card, though, and her excitement will be contagious to your own children if they're ready for their own card as well! This book is a little bit long for a picture book, but it is suitable for elementary aged students.

**[Related Read: Books To Encourage Picky Eaters]**

Dewey: There's A Cat In The Library! by Vicky Myron and Bret Witter

What a sweet book! This picture book is a children's version of an adult #1 New York Times Bestseller, Dewey. The book tells the true story about a kitten who was abandoned in a library book return slot in small town Iowa. Dewey is a bit mischievious but steals the hearts of the residents and library patrons. My girls especially loved the part where Dewey crams himself into a small box of scrap paper on the circulation desk counter. This book is a winner!

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn

Lola at the Library is a great choice for toddlers or younger preschoolers. Lola goes to the library with her mom every week for storytime and some new books. She carefully packs her books, makes sure she has her library card, and enjoys the walk to and from the library. She even gets a treat on the way home. I really love how this book emphasizes the comfortable and rewarding routine of weekly library visits for young children.

Jumping Off Library Shelves: A Book Of Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

I'm not really a poetry person myself, but I completely understand the importance of exposing my girls to plenty of wonderful poems and poets. This book is full of short, accessible poems about reading, books, and the library. We loved it! Some are serious, some are funny, some are straight forward, and some flew right over my girls' heads! The beautiful watercolor style illustrations really add some appeal to the poems, and can help your children to understand some of the imagery in the poems. I recommend this book for older preschoolers or elementary students.

D.W.'s Library Card by Marc Brown

My daughters love Arthur and his little sister D.W.. This book is all about D.W. getting her very first library card. She works dilligently to be able to write her full name so that she can get her card. Then she is so worried about damaging her borrowed book that she doesn't even read it! Arthur sets her straight, and she is ready for more library fun. This is a cute story that captures a child's excitement about having their own card!

[Related Read: Books About Feeling Different]

Dinosaur VS. The Library by Bob Shea

I'll be honest. I'm not a huge fan of the "Dinosaur VS." series, but it was the first book my daughters grabbed from the stack when we came home with these books. Kids just love roaring along to these books, and in this story Dinosaur uses all his effort to keep his roars in during library storytime. The pictures are bright, the story is funny, and there is lots of roaring, so your toddlers and preschoolers will love it.

Library Lil by Suzanne Williams

My daughters laughted all through this story of Lil who loves books and also happens to be unusually strong. She begins working at a small town library where eventually is able to change the town's excessive television habit and get the residents excited about reading. When a gang of motorcycles comes to town and wants the televisions turned back on, Lil works her magic once again to turn them into readers as well. I couldn't quite figure out this book, but my girls loved it so it gets a thumbs up. It's a bit long, so I recommend it for older preschoolers or elementary children.

No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Giggles all around during this book! When a rough and gruff pirate stumbles into the library looking for treasure, a no-nonsense librarian tells him that she'll help him find it but he has to obey the library rules like everyone else. Slowly, over weeks and months, Library Lou teaches the pirate to read. He becomes a book worm and learns that the real treasures in the library are the books themselves. You may want to brush up on your pirate-speak for this one, and your preschoolers will love it!

[Related Read: All About Authors: William Steig]

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

Hands down, this was our favorite book about libraries. A gentle lion wanders into the library where he soon becomes a welcome friend and helper. He obediently follows the rules, but eventually teaches the children and librarians that occasionally rules are meant to be broken. The soft colors and sweet faces in the illustrations make the library feel like such a warm and friendly place to be! This is one book that I didn't mind reading over and over!

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise tells the true story of how Anne Carroll Moore created the New York Public Library's children's room, which influenced children's areas in libraries across the country. My girls always love learning about how things used to be and why certain changes came about, and so this book was a hit with them. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, but the text is a bit long so this is a good choice for older preschoolers or elementary students.

Check It Out! The Book About Libraries by Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons is the queen of children's non-fiction! She has loads of books about all kinds of topics that kids are interested in. In this book, Gibbons describes different kinds of libraries, the types of books and other resources you can find there, and the basics of checking books out. The information is a bit dated, but most of it is solid. Gibbons' illustrations are also perfect for children. They are crisp and clear, and very informative.