The real cost of children's books

Every bookworm has the same dilemma: how do you balance your ‘want to read pile’ with your bank balance?

If you’re anything like me, the two don’t always go together.

It feels impossible to keep up with all the brilliant books out each year, doesn’t it? So how often do you actually stop and think about the real cost of children’s books?

To be totally honest, the paperback numbers are eye-watering. The good news? There are ways to read more for less than a single paperback a month. We’ll get to those.

If you’d rather not know the figures, I won’t be offended. Skip to another article and I’ll see you in the next one.

Three ways parents pay for kids’ books

Buying paperbacks

A keen reader at 9 years old will easily get through 2 a month. At around £8.50 a paperback (on average), that’s £17 a month. Or £200+ a year. Yikes. Add picture books for siblings on top? You’re easily over £300.

Now I’m obviously biased. I do think money spent on books is an investment. And I stand by that. You probably already know what books do for kids beyond the academic stuff. So I’ll spare you the soapbox.

Buying your child paperbacks is money well spent. But it’s a lot of money spent.

Borrowing from libraries

It goes without saying libraries are hugely important. They do so much for reading. And the wider community too. Many libraries run reading challenges, coffee mornings and even author meet-and-greets. I know loads of families rely on these.

For me, no week is complete without at least one trip to my library.

And they’re free, of course. But there’s a postcode lottery here. Some branches have a much wider range of books than others. And some families don’t have a library nearby at all.

Let’s not get started on having to race through or not even finish books because they’re due back to the library.

Reading apps

The most controversial of the bunch. Prices usually sit around the £6-£10/month mark for unlimited reading.

But the catch is what’s inside that counts. Is it curated? Do they use advertising? Picture books only, or proper chapter books too? Are there distracting bits like games, streaks and points?

All three of these options can work well together. You don’t have to pick just one.

For me, I love eBooks for travel and bedtime. (I often fall asleep mid-chapter and have dropped a 600-pager on my face too many times.) Physical books are for the special ones you want to reread.

It all comes down to your family. What works for your child, your routine and your budget.

How do the apps compare?

Apples to apples, here’s what you’re choosing between. Take it with a pinch of salt and do your own research too. But I like to give you an honest take as a former English teacher, not a children’s reading app founder.

Pickatale: £5.99/month, around 3,000 books, 30-day free trial. The cheapest of the paid options. Skews younger (ages 3-12) with strong picture-book stock. If you’ve got a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, this is a great start.
Epic: around £9-11/month at checkout, 40,000+ books, 7-day free trial. The biggest library by raw numbers. But it’s a much more US-flavoured catalogue. Pricing is in dollars so it converts at checkout. Expect to pay a bit more than the headline figure.
BorrowBox / Libby: free, catalogue depends on your council. These are the library apps. Cracking value if your branch has invested. Thin if it hasn’t.
Little Reads: £7.99/month, 3,000+ hand-picked books, 7-day free trial. Every book chosen one at a time. Ad-free forever. Quality over quantity.

So which one suits which family?

If your little one just wants volume and variety, Epic is the way to go. A vast library, lots of US-centric reads, and plenty for kids who like to graze.

If your little one wants something a bit closer to home, Little Reads is your best bet. Especially if they get decision fatigue with too much choice. (We know the feeling. We get it every Friday scrolling through Netflix. We always end up watching Four Weddings and a Funeral for the 8th time. It is a classic, after all!)

BorrowBox / Libby are fantastic if paying for a subscription isn’t something you’re in a position to do right now. The options can be limited. But if you chat with your librarian about recommendations, they’ll be delighted to help.

Who Little Reads suits (and who it doesn’t)

A good fit if…

You’re a family with a 5-11-year-old who reads independently (or nearly independently). It’s for parents who want the peace of mind that the book picking is done for them.

And it’s for families who live far from a library. Or whose local library is undersized. Or who can’t fit a library run into the busy day-to-day of school, work, clubs, parties and family life.

Probably not a fit if…

Your child likes tonnes of choice and gets bored very easily.

It’s not for picture-book readers either. Pickatale is a much better choice if that’s your child.

And if you only read together once a week, you won’t get the value out of it. Like most subscriptions, you get the most from it when you’re using it 3+ times a week.

If you’re lucky enough to live near a well-stocked library, you probably don’t need to supplement with Little Reads.

What you’re really paying for

If you subscribe to Little Reads, you’re paying for curation. A special experience that can’t be recreated anywhere else.

The same way I’d choose Dairy Milk over Aldi’s own. Both are chocolate. Both do the job. But the experience is just different.

Full transparency. It’s only me searching, reading and uploading the books on Little Reads. A one-man band, so to speak. We’ll never reach Epic’s numbers and I’m okay with that. We trade volume for quality.

What about everything else?

Paperbacks, libraries and apps cover the big three. But there are other ways to keep kids in books for less. Here are a few worth knowing about.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are made for car journeys, bedtime and kids who’d rather listen than read.

Audible has a kids subscription. Libby (via your library) has audiobooks for free if your branch subscribes. Yoto, Tonies and similar story players are another route. Pricier upfront but no monthly fee.

For my own listening, BorrowBox is what I dip into when I want a good audiobook for a long drive. Nothing beats free. The trick is reserving popular titles early. Audiobooks have long waitlists at the library.

Second-hand books

Second-hand books are often half the price of new. Charity shops can be a goldmine. World of Books, Vinted and eBay are good online options too.

Local Facebook groups and Nextdoor are worth a look. Plenty of parents pass on books their kids have outgrown.

The downside? Stock is unpredictable. You might not find what your child specifically wants. But for a £2 chapter book you wouldn’t have spotted otherwise, that’s a win.

Quick tip for buying second-hand online. World of Books is honest about condition. eBay sellers vary wildly. Read the description.

Library sales and school fairs

Loads of libraries run annual sales of older stock. Books go for 50p to £2. Worth checking your local library’s social media for dates.

School fairs are another spot. Look out for the second-hand book stall. Many primary schools run informal book swap days too.

And BookTrust runs free book programmes for younger kids. Their Bookstart packs go to every child under 5 in England. Worth knowing if you’ve got a younger sibling.