At my house, we love the library. And books. And reading. Basically, we’re pretty big book nerds around here.

But I know that’s not the case for everyone. Okay, actually, it’s not the case for Mark. And while this list of children’s books about the library might not help him, it might help the kids in your life get a little bit more excited to visit the library and find a book to bring home!

I got the idea for a list of books about the library after Annalyn and I happened to check out a couple picture books on this topic. But while I knew books about the library probably existed, I had no idea there would be so many! I found books about how libraries got their starts, about librarians, about animals who love the library or live in the library.

Really, SO MANY books about animals and libraries! Which is strange, you know, considering the fact that libraries don’t typically allow animals inside. (Well, except the one that had a cat. That one’s based on a true story, so I guess it’s possible.)

Anyway. Here’s a list of 16 books about the library. Because the library and books and reading work for me!

16 Children’s Books About the Library

• Library Lil by Suzanne Williams: A little girl grows up to be a librarian and takes on both her entire town and a motorcycle gang, convincing them to read more. Cute (if not exactly plausible)!
• That Book Woman by Heather Henson: Based on the true story of Pack Horse Librarians, this book is about a boy who lives in the Appalachians and wants nothing to do with books that “Book Woman” brings his family – at first. This is written in first person, in an Appalachian dialect.
• Carlo & the Really Nice Librarian by Jessica Spanyol: It’s natural that a baby giraffe would be scared of an alligator librarian (right?!), but it turns out she’s very nice!
• My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs: This one is an in-depth description of how kids get books around the world, from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe.
• Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk: Sam is a shy mouse who lives in a library and loves books. Then he decides to write his own books. (And if you like Sam, there are more books in the Library Mouse series.)
• Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss: Bored farm animals decide to check out some books from the library and they have to figure out how. Not my favorite, but little kids might like it.
• Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) by Barbara Bottner: A little girl is annoyed by her enthusiastic librarian – until she finally finds a book she actually likes.
• Homer the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh: Homer is a quiet cat who has a very noisy adventure before finding his perfect, quiet home: the library.
• The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy: What happens if the school librarian is a dragon – a REAL dragon? Can anything tame her?
• Stella Louella’s Runaway Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst: Stella can’t find her library book, and it’s due today! Her search takes her on a journey through town where many of her neighbors found the book, read it and passed it on to someone else. Very fun!
• The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter: A brave librarian saves her books when war comes to her town in Iraq. The illustrations are simple but may be intense for some young readers. I definitely recommend previewing this one before reading it to your kids.
• Wild About Books by Judy Sierra: This is a fun, rhyming book about what happens when the zoo animals learn to read. We’d already read this one before I decided to seek out books about the library. Rhymes and animals and books = lots of fun!
• Bats at the Library by Brian Lies: Apparently bats love the library and wait all year for someone to leave a window open at night. I don’t know, guys. I didn’t love this one, but it is a whole series. Bats are all the rage, it seems.
• Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins: This cute take on Goldilocks is about a girl finding a book that’s just right. (Any reader can identify with that struggle, right?)
• Our Librarian Won’t Tell Us Anything! by Toni Buzzeo: The librarian at Liberty Elementary School is an expert at show, don’t tell. That, of course, is super annoying to the students – until they realize how much they’re learning!
• Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter: Based on an adult book, this picture book tells the story of a small town’s library cat. A library cat. (I’d say you can’t make this stuff up, but see Homer the Cat above.)

What gets your kids excited about the library?

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