Today, I’m going to share tips and tricks for how to build an amazing children’s library on a budget. Marie Kondo’s Netflix show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” is all over the place right now. My social media feed is overflowing with before and after photos.
I get so many emails about how to build an amazing children’s book library without breaking the bank. Books can get pricey! I’ve mentioned before that I buy most of my books second-hand, and this Kondo craze has me thinking that those thrift stores must be busting with book bargains right about now!
(I certainly don’t need any additional books right now, but if books bring you joy, you might want to read this post. I decided to dust it off for those looking for some book bargains!)
Hi. My name is Cait and I am obsessed with books.
(And so are my kids.)
We have a lot of books. Too many, maybe.
(Is there such a thing?)
Readers ask me about our book collection. Where do we find them? How does one grow a children’s library without breaking the bank?
Today, I’m sharing some tips.
How to Build an Amazing Children’s Library on a Budget
We have read the research and we know how important it is to raise our children in a print-rich environment. The number of books a family has in their home is linked to academic achievement. Building a library can be an expensive venture, but with a little planning and patience, you can save money and grow your library over time.
How to Build an Amazing Children’s Library on a Budget
Before you purchase books for your children’s library, have a plan in mind.
Before you buy, know what to look for so that you spend wisely. The following books have helpful book lists:
- The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
- Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin
Create a wishlist of the titles you would like to add to your library and then start your book hunt!
7 Tips for Building an Amazing Children’s Library on a Budget
1 Public Library
Do not overlook the obvious. One simple way to surround your children with fantastic books is to visit your public library weekly. Put a book basket in the playroom, family room, and your child’s bedroom and fill them with library books. Voila! A free and ever-changing library.
2 Swap with friends
A simple way to refresh your library at no cost is to get all of your mom friends together and hold a book swap. Donate a book, take a book, and chat about raising readers with your friends.
3 Books as gifts
Tired of noisy, plastic toys? You are not alone. Why not suggest a family book-giving tradition? Ask grandparents, aunts, and uncles to give a beloved book with an inscription for each holiday and birthday. You’ll be building your bookshelf and making memories!
4 Library book sales
Most libraries hold semi-annual book sales. The savings are incredible and you will be supporting the community. Libraries know the best books to buy, but they ultimately run out of shelf space. You can trust that the books at library sales are good ones!
5 Used bookstores
Used bookstores are often overlooked, but they are fantastic. Build your library with gently used books at a fraction of the cost. Many used bookstores offer a discount if you donate unwanted books!
6 Better World Books
Don’t have a used bookstore nearby? Check out Better World Books online. You’ll be saving money and helping to support global literacy.
7 Thrift stores and yard sales
Thrift stores and yard sales often have more books than they know what to do with. It is wonderful when you stumble upon a yard sale where books are being sold for under a dollar!
Yes, books are an investment, but they are an important one. By surrounding your child with print, and reading aloud daily, you will be creating a foundation for a love of language and reading.
When growing your children’s book library, keep your eye on the prize.
Building your library takes planning and patience. Keep your eye on the prize; you will get there slowly but surely! Books are an investment that will pay off later. Giving your child the gift of books will help her to grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively. A strong reading foundation will help your child academically and will encourage a love of learning. That is priceless!
Do you love children’s books too?
Please join the {Virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a private Facebook Group for parents who love to read fantastic books to their children… and chat about them!
These are great tips. I especially love the swap with moms one – I never thought of that!
Children’s consignment shops! The books are a little more expensive than thrift stores or yard sales (but usually under $2 a piece), but are almost always in near perfect condition.
Also, clearance racks at big chain bookstores, or toy stores are great options for unique books and seasonal books.
[…] And if you’re ready to start building your library shelves but are watching your budget (and who isn’t?), please check out this post I found on My Little Poppies this morning- HOW TO BUILD AN AMAZING CHILDREN’S LIBRARY ON A BUDGET […]
If your local library has it sign up for the Imaginarium Library from Dolly Parton. Free books sent monthly to each child under the age of five living in your home.
We visit our library multiple times a week, but it is a very small library and there are some books I just want to own anyway. I am trying to move toward having my spending more accurately reflect such priorities – if I am frugal and end up with a few dollars left at the end of the month, do I buy that scarf or shirt or kitchen gadget, etc., or a new kids book or game? I don’t need to buy them all at once. Even one or two a month add up over time.
Hi Cait,
Books can be so expensive…but they’re so much fun to buy!!! I have been asking my parents to help bulk out our book shelves. They saved so much from my youth as well as hundreds, no thousands of books from my grandparents’ shelves. Some of those older books are just neat and not necessarily useful right now in our home classroom but cool nonetheless. My parents empty out a few boxes and I score some books: win-win!
I love your suggestions for expanding collections on a budget. Taking the idea of a budget one step further I think I may ser a monthly book buying budget for myself! Another blogger, perhaps your podcast sister, Kara, was one who I read offers her children a monthly book buying budget. I like that idea.
Another shop worth mentioning is Scholastic.com. Signing up for an account allows you purchase many books at fabulous prices and to simultaneously earn points towards more free books. They don’t have every title, And they do have many tv show themed books, but they do have many good titles and can be another venue for adding to the collection.
Too many books…Ha! That’s a good one 🤣
I’m stuff phobic and can’t stand clutter but books are allowed essentially everywhere in our house. My son burns through them at a pace I can’t keep up with and it’s essentially my part time job to find that sensitive little guy all the books his ravenous little heart desires. So I need all the help I can get! Thank you!!