Northern Ireland's Book Week offers families a different route to affordable Christmas gifts
What if the best place to start a child's Christmas reading list is the library rather than the shops?
As Book Week NI gets under way, families across Northern Ireland can explore stories, test new interests and make more considered choices about presents. For parents who want a favourite book to keep, UK parent-to-parent marketplace Kidora offers a way to look for affordable preloved children's books alongside toys and other essentials.
Book Week NI runs until Sunday, October 25. Organised by Libraries NI and BBC Northern Ireland, the programme includes free events for adults and children at libraries throughout the region. Wednesday 21 October is Love Your Library Day, when all 96 Libraries NI libraries are invited to celebrate what their local branches offer. Some activities need advance booking, so families should check with their chosen library before travelling.
There are plenty of opportunities for children to discover books without their parents first paying for them. Ballymena Central Library is running a Great Book Week Library Hunt until October 24, with children aged six to 11 searching the shelves for unusual titles and characters. At Whitehead Library, families can collect a Reading Passport and earn stamps through reading activities during Book Week.
Creative children have other options. Kells and Connor Library has a storytelling and illustration session with picture-book creator Colleen Larmour on Thursday, October 22, while Rathfriland Library is planning a storytime and craft session on Saturday, October 24 for children aged four to eight. The event listings give individual age ranges and booking arrangements, and adults should check any supervision requirements.
The practical lesson for Christmas shoppers is simple: watch which stories hold a child's attention before buying more. A child who returns repeatedly to animal stories might enjoy a second-hand picture-book bundle; an older reader who spends time looking for space adventures could appreciate a few carefully chosen titles. Borrowing from a library remains a free alternative when a family does not need to own the books.
When parents do want books or gifts to keep, Kidora focuses on children's items offered by other UK parents, including preloved books, toys, clothing, nursery essentials and sometimes unused presents. Sellers keep the full item price, with no seller fee. Buyers can browse individual listings, compare condition and photos, ask questions and check the total cost and available collection or delivery arrangements before ordering. Specific titles, local listings and postage options are never guaranteed.
Buying used children's books deserves a little care: look for missing pages, damaged bindings, writing inside the covers and whether the reading level suits the child. With toys, check the recommended age, condition, small parts and product recalls. A small selection of well-chosen presents can be more useful than a large pile purchased in a rush.
Libraries NI, the BBC, and the participating libraries are independent of Kidora. Book Week's central invitation is to enjoy stories together. For families planning Christmas spending, it also offers a timely reminder that reading can begin with borrowing, and that a book worth keeping need not always be bought new.