Children and Teens Library

Bookstart by Book Trust

The BookTrust programme offers a free book pack to each baby born in England and Wales in their first year. Registration will provide these packs. Bookstart aims to encourage a love of books, stories and rhymes in children as early as possible.  Bookstart encourages parents to enrol their children as library members from birth.  Children are never too young to start loving books. Babies who have an early introduction to books benefit:

• educationally 
• socially
• culturally and
• emotionally  

Rhymetime Sessions are free and fun for everyone.  These sessions involve a mix of songs, rhymes, rhythm and movement. They provide the opportunity to share games, books and toys. They are also a friendly, inclusive space for parents and carers to meet up, mingle and make new friends.

Storytime Sessions are a free way to discover the magic of sharing stories. They give children the opportunity to make friends and join in with free activities. 

Find out what's happening in your local library

Other helpful resources: 

BBC Tiny Happy People - The Tiny Happy People website can help you develop your child's language skills. It has fun things to do with your child to help with their communication skills. The simple play activities can help you learn about your child's early development.

National Literacy Trust - The National Literacy Trust is a charity that transforms lives through literacy. On their website they have a page for parents, guardian and carers called Words for Life. This webpage provides activities and support to improve language, literacy and communication skills.

Summer Reading Challenge 

The Summer Reading Challenge (SRC) is a national scheme that takes place every year in the summer holidays. It is open to all primary school aged children and is for all reading abilities. The SRC aims to encourage reading and support literacy skills over the summer months. Children can sign up for free at their local library during the summer holidays.

How it works: Children can sign up at their local library. To complete the challenge, children need to finish 6 books of their choice. They get to choose the format that best suits them:

There are rewards to collect along the way and a certificate for those who complete. Library staff and volunteers are on hand to help children sign up, collect rewards and choose new books if they need advice or inspiration.

And it's not only during the summer. The Summer Reading Challenge website is a great resource to keep track of your reading all year round. It can help children find new books to read and has competitions, games and mini challenges. 

Find out more on the The Summer Reading Challenge website

Books to Support Dyslexia or Visual Stress

Cornwall Libraries stock Barrington Stoke books. Each book has an accessible layout, typeface and paper stock. The content is appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is suitable for a lower reading age. The reading ages range from 6 to 9 and the interest ages range from 3+ to Teen. 

Browse our collection of children's accessible books 

Borrowbox - eBooks, eAudioBooks and eMagazines

Borrowbox is a free app that allows you access to eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines. You can use Borrowbox on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. It is a fantastic resource for children, offering a wide range of titles. It is convenient, accessible and promotes literacy in a modern digital age.

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Borrowbox.

Pressreader - eMagazines

Pressreader is a free app that allows you access to eMagazines. You can use Pressreader on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. It has a 'Children and Tweens' category with magazines from around the world.

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Pressreader.

 Comics Plus - with Library Pass

Comics Plus is a free app that allows you to access a wide range of comics, graphic novels and manga. You can use Comic Plus on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. Parents and carers can browse the children’s collection, allowing them to read by themselves. Comic Plus has over 19 thousand titles. Publishers include Disney, Dark Horse, IDW and more.

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Comic Plus.

 Events and Clubs

Each local library runs a variety of clubs which might include Storytime, Lego Clubs, or Craft Clubs. Contact your local library to find out what they have on offer. Find out what's happening in your local library

Young Adult Books

Cornwall Libraries has a great collection of young adult books and graphic novels. 

Browse our collection of Young Adult Books on the online catalogue.

Books to Support Dyslexia or Visual Stress

Cornwall Libraries stock Barrington Stoke books. Each book has an accessible layout, typeface and paper stock. The content is appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is suitable for a lower reading age. The reading ages range from 6 to 9 and the interest ages range from 3+ to Teen. 

Browse our collection of children's accessible books

Borrowbox - eBooks, eAudioBooks and eMagazines

Borrowbox is a free app that allows you access to eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines. You can use Borrowbox on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. It is a fantastic resource for children, offering a wide range of titles. It is convenient, accessible and promotes literacy in a modern digital age.

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Borrowbox.

Pressreader - eMagazines

Pressreader is a free app that allows you access to eMagazines. You can use Pressreader on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. It has magazines from around the world. 

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Pressreader.

Comics Plus - with Library Pass

Comics Plus is a free app that allows you to access a wide range of comics, graphic novels and manga. You can use Comic Plus on your tablet, phone or desktop computer. Parents and carers can browse the children’s collection, allowing them to read by themselves. Comic Plus has over 19 thousand titles. Publishers include Disney, Dark Horse, IDW and more.

For more information, please visit our guide to getting started with Comic Plus.

Theory Test Pro 

Would you like free help to pass your driver's theory exam? Theory Test Pro is a realistic online simulation of the UK's driving theory tests. It includes all vehicle categories. It contains all the official test questions licensed from the DVSA, the people who set the tests. It is free for Cornwall Library users. 

• Unlimited access to all the official questions from the DVSA in the same format as the official test

• Includes online version of Highway Code

• Realistic hazard perception video simulations

• Access to test banks for all vehicle categories

• Machine translation into over 40 different languages

• Speech-enabled tests so you can listen to questions

For more information visit Theory Test Pro

Events and Clubs

Each local library runs a variety of clubs which might include Lego Clubs, Homework sessions, or Craft Clubs. Contact your local library to find out what they have on offer. 

Volunteering opportunities

During the Summer Reading Challenge, there are volunteering opportunities available at most libraries. This runs between July and September.  This can help you gain various skills to help with employment.

To get involved, register your interest with your local library.