Making a book corner at home

Whether your child is a natural book worm or always on the go, creating a book nook can be a great way to make reading a part of home life. It doesn’t have to be a large space, but dedicating a corner of the home to reading can make books feel special and exciting to children. Adding some cosy cushions, rugs, beanbags and fairy lights can make it a kid friendly location, just right to snuggle up and open a new or a much loved book.

Having a range of books can help keep young minds enlivened. Lift-the-flap books are great when attention spans are shorter; we particularly like the Usborne ‘Look Inside’ series where pirate ships can be explored, castle towers climbed, and new worlds discovered. Poems and rhyming books, like the Julia Donaldson favourites or perhaps the Edward Lear classics for older children, can be hugely entertaining and bring about discussions about the meanings of words and how we can play with language. It can also be especially beneficial to include stories and books with characters from a diverse range of backgrounds, so that children can learn about people who look different from themselves or who come from other countries and cultures. Kate Pankhurst’s ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World’ is bursting full of incredible, pioneering women like Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, Mary Seacole, Sacagawea and Amelia Earhart, and can provide inspiration to boys and girls alike.

Often discovering a new book is a great treat, and our library in Overton is a treasure trove for children keen to read something novel. Over the Easter period, Overton Preschool Playgroup have been running a Reading Challenge to celebrate our 40th anniversary. By choosing a book from the library’s special collection on the theme of red, ruby, parties or birthdays, our children have been discovering new books, gaining stickers and after reading 6 books, receiving a special award certificate. It’s been a fun way to introduce children to the joys of the library, so why not check it out with your children and see if you can find some new books to add to your reading corner.