Free children’s books given away for Christmas

The multi award-winning community venture The BIG Little Library gave away brand new children’s books the week before Christmas.

The campaign was held in conjunction with the Belle Vale shopping centre in Liverpool and to celebrate the end to Liverpool’s Year of Reading.

The BIG Little Library is the multi award-winning community venture by Gateacre School in Liverpool. The idea for the library came about from a simple idea, wanting to help improve literacy within the community.

The book giveaway was inspired by a tradition from Iceland were books are exchanged on Christmas Eve, and you spend the rest of the night reading. People generally take their books to bed along with some chocolate.

The tradition, known as Jolabokaflod, which means ‘Christmas Book Flood’ is a tradition that dates back to World War Two when foreign imports were restricted but paper was relatively inexpensive.

Large organisations and publishers such as Book Trust, Read for Good, Walker Books, Bloomsbury Books, Liverpool Learning Partnership and local author Natalie Reeves Billing donated the brand new children’s books aimed at all ages to The BIG Little Library initiative, in order to support and encourage reading in the local community.

Lisa Mitchell, who heads up The BIG Little Library said: “We hoped that not only would this event help ease the monetary pressure of Christmas, but it will also start a tradition with families and friends to give and receive books at Christmas and spread the love of reading for pleasure.

“We wanted to create a book flood and get as many children as possible excited about reading over the festive season.”