London Public Library has 16 locations around the city with places to play and books your family will love. Get to know other families, enjoy toys and activities and attend free programs and events all year round!
Get a Library Card!
You're never too young to have your very own library card! Ask at the front desk of any library location to sign your child up for their first library card. Remember, London Public Library no longer charges late fines and we've made it so much easier to renew items and keep track of what your family has borrowed.
Drop In To A Storytime
Drop in and have fun at a Storytime near you. Meet and play with other families and enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and time to play. Storytimes are relaxed and active and every child is welcome!
Make New Friends & Play!
With 16 locations across the City, there's a Library near you! All our locations have children's areas where you can drop in to play and spend time together and with other families. Your neighbourhood Library is your community connection!
Library Spotlights for Children
Newcomer Stories
Fiction
Non Fiction
The Best Books!
London Public Library gets thousands of new books a year! From board books, to early readers, to picture books, chapter books, and nonfiction, we have great books for every stage of your child’s growth and development. It’s never to early to start introducing books to your child. And, remember, there are no overdue fines at the Library - we understand that life gets pretty busy.
Early Learning Starts Here!
Our librarians know that parents are a child’s first and best teacher. We're here to support you at every stage in your parenting journey with great programs, reading recommendations and support for early literacy. Drop by your neighbourhood branch and say hello!
Get your Free Baby's Book Bag Today!
If you are a new or expectant parent in London, you can pick up a free literacy bag that has practical, hands-on tools, board books, and information to use as soon as your baby is born.
The Baby’s Book Bag program is made possible through London’s Child and Youth Network Literacy Team and the Kiwanis Club of Forest City-London.
Pick up your free Baby’s Book Bag at any London Public Library branch, or EarlyON Family Centre!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Help encourage your child’s love of reading by joining the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program!
READ Program
Does your child in grades 1-7 struggle with reading?
Our school year and summer READ programs offer weekly one-on-one help at specific Library locations online or in person, in French or English.
Interested parents who are new to the program are required to attend one of our Parent Information Sessions to find out more about the program and registration details.
Ask Us What To Read
Sometimes all it takes is one great book. Our library staff would love to help you find the book that makes your child love reading! Give us some examples of books that your child has enjoyed and we will recommend other books that you child might love. Sometimes your child has interests that can be further fueled by great books on that topic. Our staff are experts at finding books at the right reading level and that will spark a love of reading in your child.
Talk to staff at your neighbourhood branch or send us an email to info@lpl.ca and we'll get started!
Forest of Reading
The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program with over 270,000 participants every year. It's goal: to develop a lifelong love of reading. It has programs for children and youth from Kindergarten to Gr. 12, and it connects them with stellar Canadian literature. It also gives them the opportunity to vote for their favourite book. The Forest of Reading offers reading programs in English and French.
A Book for Every Child
A Book For Every Child is a London Public Library fundraising campaign held during November and December. More than 7,000 books are distributed each year to children who would not otherwise own a book through over 40 London area social agencies and schools with low literacy rates. A Book For Every Child promotes awareness of the importance of books in a child's life, supports family literacy and has a direct and lasting impact on children. We need your help to fulfill the increasing need in our community.
Let's Start Talking Cards
Talking with your child is a building block of early literacy. Find Let's Start Talking cards at any Library location or Early On Child and Family Centre. In partnership with Early On Child and Family Centre.
Let’s Start Talking: Grocery shopping conversations with your family
Grocery shopping conversations with your family
Grocery shopping is a great time for families to talk together.
When caring adults share lots of positive words with children in back-and-forth conversation, they help them build brain connections and skills for future success.
Reading aloud to children on a regular basis is also one of the best ways to build skills. Do you know children’s picture books contain more unique words than those used in everyday conversation?
Fruits
- What do you get when you combine an apple and a banana? An apple-ana or a ban-apple? How many new fruits can you create together?
- Choose two different fruits. How are they similar and how are they different? Think weight, shape, size, colour and taste.
Vegetables
- Play I Spy with my little eye and take turns.For example, I spy 3 vegetables used in soup, on pizza or in a sandwich.
- Find 3 green vegetables. How are they different? How are they similar?
- What is your favourite colour to eat?
- Laugh and Learn
- Did you know bananas are the most popular fruit worldwide? Which fruit is your favourite?
- Which fruit or vegetable do you think is the heaviest? Use a scale to check your guesses. Include descriptive words like estimate, predict, heavy, light, more and less in conversations.
- Apples are made of 25% air. That’s why they float!
Lunch Box Tips
- Make lunch box preparation a family activity from planning and shopping to food preparation and packing. Children are more likely to eat their lunch when they help with the packing.
- If it looks fun, they’re more likely to eat it. Use mini cookie cutters to cut food into fun shapes.
- Sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon. It helps to prevent discolouration and disguises any that do turn a little brown.
Let’s Start Talking Laundry conversations with your family.
Laundry time is a great time for families to talk together.
When caring adults share lots of positive words with children in back-and-forth conversation, they help them build brain connections and skills for future success.
Reading aloud to children on a regular basis is also one of the best ways to build skills. Do you know children’s picture books contain more unique words than those used in everyday conversation?
I Spy
- As you sort the laundry, play I Spy using colours, shapes, textures and sizes as clues. Here are some ideas to get you started!
- I Spy
•two things that are red.
• something bigger than my hand, but smaller than a towel.
• Take turns and use other items you spot in the room.
Word Play
- Hunt for letters and numbers on the detergent label. Think of words that start with each letter or find the first letter of your name.
- Smell the detergent and think of words to describe the scent. Does your description match the name on the label such as “April Fresh” or “Lavender Rain”?
Fun & Games
- Give your children drawing materials and ask them to design a t-shirt on paper. Encourage them include creative drawing or writing in their design.
- Place a bin or laundry basket against a wall. Take turns rolling matching socks into a ball and throwing them into the basket. Keep score-two points every time you get your sock ball into the basket.
Conversation Starters
- Play “What if”?
- What if we put in:
• too much soap?
• too many clothes?
• a red shirt with a white sock?
- Ask your child to close their eyes. Hand them a piece of clothing and ask them how it feels (texture, size, shape). Can they guess what the item is and who owns it?
Let’s Start Talking Meal time conversations with your family
Meal time is a great time for families to talk together.
When caring adults share lots of positive words with children in back-and-forth conversation, they help them build brain connections and skills for future success.
Reading aloud to children on a regular basis is also one of the best ways to build skills. Do you know children’s picture books contain more unique words than those used in everyday conversation?
Conversation Starters
- Everyone share the “peach and pit” of their day (best and worst moments).
- If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
- If you could invite anyone (real or imaginary) to dinner, who would you invite and why?
Word Play
- Ask your children to hunt for letters, words and numbers around them. Start with the first letter of names or their ages. How many times can they find them?
- What is the most frequently used food word on the menu or in your recipe?
- Take turns making rhymes with the numbers 0 to 10: zero-hero, one-fun… Repeat using different rhyming words or numbers.
Fun & Games
- Play Tic Tac Toe and make a grid on the table with straws or utensils. Use sugar packs, coins, etc., for X’s and O’s.
- Challenge everyone to write or say the name of an ingredient. Now work together to invent a new recipe using all the ingredients. It can be silly!
- Plan Ahead
- Fill a bag with paper, pencils, travel games, etc. to take on any outing.
- Place folded slips of paper with fun challenges, jokes, etc., in a bag. Each person selects a paper and follows the instructions. For example:
• make a silly face.
• hug the person next to you.
Let’s Start Talking: Conversations with your family on the move.
Whether you’re walking, riding a bus or driving in a car, travel time is a great time for families to talk together.
When caring adults share lots of positive words with children in back-and-forth conversation, they help them build brain connections and skills for future success.
Reading aloud to children on a regular basis is also one of the best ways to build skills. Do you know children’s picture books contain more unique words than those used in everyday conversation?
I Spy
- I Spy 3 things that are green. Take turns and choose different colours, textures, sizes or numbers next time.
- Make a rainbow: work together to spot cars, flowers, etc., for every colour of the rainbow. Make it more challenging and do this in rainbow colour order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).
- Can you find all the letters to spell your name? Look on signs and license plates.
Word Play
- Play 20 Questions. Take turns thinking of an object, animal or person. Other players can ask up to 20 questions. Only yes or no answers allowed!
-
Observe the weather. Take turns saying “It’s a good day for… ” and “It’s a bad day for… ” Be as real or silly as you like with your answers.
Fun & Games
- Count how many times the car or bus stops before you arrive at your destination.
- Take a moment, close your eyes and listen. Can you name all the sounds you hear without opening your eyes?
- Here’s a great game for toddlers: “Where is your arm?” - have them point to their arm. “Where is your ear?” “Can you clap two times?” etc.
Plan Ahead
- Joke books are fun and easy to pack for trips. Here’s some to get you started:
- “Knock knock. Who’s there? Cargo. Cargo who? Car go beep beep!”
- “Where do dogs park their cars? In the barking lot!”
- “What did buses have instead of glass windows before 1920? Cloth curtains.”