Free Books to Fill Your Child’s Bookshelf
If your child is under five and lives within Glenside Library district boundaries, you can sign them up for the Imagination Library—a beloved program that sends a free, high-quality book to your home every month, up until their fifth birthday. No cost, no catch—just the joy of reading, thanks to support from the Friends of the Library.
Started by Dolly Parton in 1995 as a tribute to her father, the Imagination Library now sends over 3 million books each month to children around the world. Each book is carefully selected by literacy experts and personalized with your child’s name, making storytime even more special.
Why Early Literacy Matters
- 90% of physical brain development occurs in the first three years of life, when a baby forms over 1 million new neural connections per second.
- When a young child enters kindergarten ready for school, there is an 82% chance that the child will master basic skills by age 11, compared with a 45% chance for children who are not school-ready.
- Later in life, at-risk children who do not receive high-quality early childhood experiences are 25% more likely to drop out of school. 40% more likely to become teen parents and 60% less likely to attend college.
- Investment in high-quality early childhood programs for at-risk children from birth to age five delivers a 7-10% annual return on investment through improved education, health, social and economic outcomes, increased productivity and the reduced need for social spending.
Having books in the home is crucial for a child’s academic, social, and emotional development. Reading together fosters a unique bond between children and their parents or caregivers. The Imagination Library extends this impact globally by providing books to children worldwide, free of charge, nurturing their minds and hearts.
A Look Inside the Library
From the first book, The Little Engine That Could, to the final send-off, Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!, every title is carefully chosen to spark inspiration & imagination while supporting each stage of early childhood. Explore the year-by-year selections below to see what’s in store!
- Bright, big, colorful
- Rhyme and rhythm
- Minimal text
- Point and say
- Playful sound
- Nurture, Attachment, Lullaby themes
- Continue concepts from year one and build upon them
- Repetitive and predictable
- Daily routines
- Real photo illustrations
- Body awareness
- Nursery rhymes
- Colors, Letters, Numbers
- Wordless books – build your own story (reader and child)
- Values and character
- Issues: Fear, Conflict, Love, Safety
- Colors, Letters, Numbers
- Nursery rhymes
- More complex stories: Hero, Complication, Resolution
- Diversity of others faces, environments – OK to be different
- Play, Humor, Fun
- Nursery rhymes and poetry
- Imagination
- School preparation and readiness
- Use rebus (pictures used for words)
- Science-non-fiction
- Thank you, appreciation
- Rhymes and poetry
