BookTrust Storytime
BookTrust Storytime is an exciting library experience for families, offering a fun, free, and easy way to entertain under 5s at local libraries.
What is BookTrust Storytime?
BookTrust Storytime is our Library programme, currently in England and Northern Ireland, designed to support libraries to inspire low-income families with children aged 0–5 to share stories together and make visiting their local library part of everyday life. It is part of BookTrust’s Early Years journey which also includes the Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler programme.
We are now in the fourth year of this exciting programme, which has been informed by work with libraries and families, feedback from previous years and BookTrust’s wider evidence and expertise.
Storytime resources
Find out what you’ll get delivered to the library and additional resources you can use to deliver BookTrust Storytime
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Here are some ideas and resources to help bring BookTrust Storytime to life.
Discover this year’s BookTrust Storytime books
We’ve chosen five books that we think are perfect for enjoying with children aged 0–5! Libraries taking part in BookTrust Storytime have been sharing these books, and families have been voting for their favourites.
What our partners say
“I absolutely loved loved loved the Storytime sessions. We made some friends who came to the library for the very first time in their lives and they are coming back as regular borrowers. We have built amazing relationship with The Children’s Centre and are more aware of what services they provide for families. We will work together on helping local families with mental health, breastfeeding, and supporting child development.”
Librarian, Northamptonshire
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Run by volunteers, Chew Valley Library in the village of Bishop Sutton is one of many community libraries in Bath and North East Somerset. Volunteer Angela Cruse reveals how BookTrust Storytime has equipped them with what they need to launch interactive sessions for families.
Booktrust Storytime for families
“My granddaughter feels really happy, she looks forward to it. Every morning she says to me, “Grandma, let’s go Zoom Zoom”. ‘Zoom, Zoom, we’re going to the moon’, that’s one of her favourite poems (songs), obviously she can’t say library yet, but ‘Zoom Zoom’ means library to her. She wants to go to the ‘Zoom Zoom’ every day.
Grandmother, Mrs Ahmed, talking about her granddaughter’s experience of Booktrust Storytime
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Find out how you can get involved with BookTrust Storytime fun at your local library.
Storytime voting
The BookTrust Storytime Prize was launched in 2019 to find the best book for sharing with children aged 0–5, and since 2021 it has been part of BookTrust Storytime programme, designed to support libraries to inspire low-income families with children aged 0–5 to share stories together and make visiting their local library part of everyday life.
BookTrust Storytime Reports
Find out what we learned in our last research updates