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ABC Book Club

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ABC Book Club

ABC ensures schools and children have unlimited access to free, quality books 📖 📚

In cases where there is no library, ABC has created reading spaces within schools to encourage a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

27/08/2026

The summer holidays are almost over and at ABC we are excited as our next chapter is about to begin.

A new school year means new reading rooms to build and fill with donated pre-loved books.

When schools across the country are welcoming children back through their doors, we are getting ready to do what we love - take ordinary spaces and transform them into colourful, inspiring reading rooms designed to make children want to pick up a book.

These are just some of the spaces we’ve created so far - and we can’t wait to show you what’s coming next.

We have some exciting projects lined up for the new school year, with new themes, new schools and lots of big ideas.

Here’s to looking forward to a new school year and the next chapter of ABC Book Club.

💜🩵💛

🔍 building school libraries - inspiring reading for pleasure - get children reading - children’s charity - improving child literacy - national year of reading - new school term

26/08/2026

A lot goes on behind the scenes before one of our libraries is ready for its reveal.

Our set builder Dave at designs and builds the larger structures for our reading rooms - cutting and shaping the wood in his workshop, transporting it to the school and assembling it on site so it’s ready for us to dress the space around it.

It’s a proper team effort, and a lot of work goes into creating the ‘wow’ moments you see in our finished libraries.

And while we get our September school library projects ready, Dave is back in the workshop building the next ones…

We can’t wait to show you what we have in store!

💜🩵💛

🔍 building libraries for schools - set builder - bespoke library design - children’s charity - inspiring reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - national year of reading - inspirstional reading rooms

20/08/2026

We were already very happy with this donation of beautiful books…and then we found the note.

A handwritten message from a young reader, tucked in with the books, reminding us why we do what we do.

So to our anonymous donor: thank you for the gorgeous books - and for making our day with your note.

And to anyone else clearing out their bookshelves: good-quality books are always very welcome at ABC. Donation points are listed in the link in our bio.

We promise they’ll be passed on, loved by new readers, and given a whole new life.

🔍 inspiring reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - children’s charity - children’s reading charity - donated books - handwritten notes - happy children - donating books - preloved books - bookstagram - encouraging a love of books

19/08/2026

ABC needs books - and lots of them.

We donate thousands of books to schools and fill the reading rooms we build with good quality donated books, so having businesses willing to host collection points makes a huge difference.

It gives local families an easy place to drop off the books their children have outgrown and helps us keep a steady supply coming into the charity.

We’re incredibly grateful to every business featured in this reel for giving us space and helping spread the word about ABC.

More collection points mean more donations, more books for our libraries and more choice for the children who use them.

Thank you for helping us keep the bookshelves full.

Please remember we only re-donate gently used top quality books, none that have obvious signs of wear and tear, are old editions, or are not suitable for children aged between 3 and 11 years old 🙏

💜🩵💛

🔍 book donations - donated books for children - children’s charity - national year of reading - inspiring reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - encouraging children to read

13/08/2026

The gender gap in reading is growing: in 2025, just 25% of boys aged 8–18 enjoyed reading compared with 39% of girls, and the gap starts early, with only 29% of baby boys (0–2) read to daily versus 44% of girls.

So how do we help more boys discover the joy of books?

We think it starts with getting them into a library in the first place. Often with no access to books outside of school, some children think libraries and reading is boring and not for them. By making reading spaces exciting and fun they become places children and especially boys want to visit.

A colourful creative environment, beanbags, rugs, comics, blankets, cushions and cosy corners - spaces that feel exciting, welcoming, and designed for (and by!) the children.

This young reader had plenty to say about his new London themed library at Bickley Primary - from the Tube carriage to Big Ben and the shelves full of books waiting to be discovered.

This is why we create our reading rooms. Not just to give children access to books, but to create places where they want to spend time with them.

Because giving children access to books in spaces they want to visit is the very first step of creating a reader.

💜🩵💛

🔍 boys and reading - gender reading gap - inspire boys to read - inspire reading for pleasure - improve child literacy - children’s charity - national year of reading - bookstagram - quotes from children - why I love my library - inspiring reading rooms - inviting reading spaces

06/08/2026

When people ask how they can support ABC Book Club (outside of preloved book donations) the answer is...

Funding.

It’s the financial support from organisations like these that keeps ABC going. It helps us pay for the day-to-day running of the charity, plan future projects and continue transforming ordinary school spaces into inspiring reading rooms where children can discover the joy of reading.

Without this support, quite simply, we couldn’t do what we do.

To every organisation featured in this reel - thank you for believing in our mission and for investing in children’s literacy. Your generosity has helped us create spaces where thousands of children can escape into stories, spark their imaginations and develop a lifelong love of reading and enabled us to find new homes for over 370,000 preloved books.

We’re incredibly grateful to have you as part of the ABC Book Club story.

And if your business is looking for a meaningful way to support a local charity, we’d love to hear from you. Every donation -large or small - helps us create more magical reading spaces for the children who need them most. 💜🩵💛

🔍 charity donation - charity sponsorships - charity fundraising - bookstagram - children’s charity - reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - national year of reading - charity appeal - funding appeal

05/08/2026

At St Mary’s primary school in Deal on the Kent coast, the children’s dream reading room included magical woodland, fairy lights, hidden fairy doors, lush greenery and a forest full of wonder.

It's an exciting brief that we didn’t want to get wrong, so it's just as well every ABC reading room starts with a mood board created by the children themselves.

We take their ideas and work with talented artists and craftspeople to transform an ordinary school classroom into an extraordinary reading for pleasure space that will be used for years to come.

We know children are far more likely to fall in love with reading and books when they’re in an inspiring, creative space that they feel ownership of because they had a hand in creating it.

Build it, and they will come 💜🩵💛

Did we do their mood board justice?

🔍 inspiring school libraries - transforming school libraries - inspiring reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - children’s charity - national year of reading - creative reading rooms - encouraging children to read

30/07/2026

Over the past academic year, we’ve transformed 15 ordinary school spaces into extraordinary reading rooms, each one inspired by the children who use it.

Together, we’ve explored London, wandered through enchanted forests, climbed into treehouses, relaxed in a beach oasis, ventured into the rainforest, blasted off into space, set sail on a nautical adventure and stopped to smell the roses in a magical garden.

Every theme began in exactly the same way - with a mood board created by the children. We took their ideas and we brought their imaginations to life.

Looking back, it’s amazing to see just how many worlds we’ve helped create without ever leaving a school.

A huge thank you to every school, pupil, volunteer, donor, fundraiser, partner and supporter who has made this journey possible. Every library is a team effort, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has been part of this year’s story.

Here’s to another year of creating inspiring places where children want to go to read for pleasure. 💜🩵💛

🔍 a year in review - inspiring reading for pleasure - building school libraries - children’s charity - improving child literacy - school charity - national year of reading - bookstagram - reading rooms for schools - creating inspiring reading spaces

29/07/2026

Hollywood this is not! But the lengths we’ll go to to get the perfect shot.

Welcome to film making - ABC style. We like to call it creative problem solving - when your production budget is £0!

At ABC Book Club, every penny we raise goes as far as possible towards creating inspiring reading spaces for children. That means we’re always looking for clever ways to do more with less.

This time, our “camera dolly” just happened to be a Henry Hoover, a roll of tape and a determination to get the shot!

We’re a small charity with an even smaller team who aren’t afraid to think outside the box.

Because if improvising means we can share our story, celebrate the incredible spaces we’re creating and inspire more people to support child literacy, we’d say it’s worth every wobbly take.

Small charity. Big ideas. Creative solutions. And, apparently, a surprisingly versatile Henry Hoover 😂.

With thanks to Laura for helping us on this one!

🎬 📽️ 🔍 behind the scenes - inspiring reading for pleasure - giving children access to books - children’s charity - improving child literacy - national year of reading - building school libraries - Henry hoover to the rescue

23/07/2026

There are lots of lovely parts in every reading room project.

But nothing compares to this moment - when the door opens and the children see their new space for the first time.

The reactions from the pupils at James Wolfe Primary School in Greenwich on seeing their Magical Woodland reading room were some of the best we’ve had - watch to the end to hear the sound bites.

These reactions are important because we’re not just transforming rooms - we’re creating places where children feel comfortable and inspired to read. So, as well as books, we include cosy corners, tactile soft furnishings, colourful wall art and create an environment where children can escape into stories, feel calm and enjoy reading.

Creating incredible reading environments has always been at the very heart of what ABC believes in. If you give children somewhere they want to be, have had a hand in designing, that's comfortable and welcoming, then all of a sudden the library becomes the best place to be. We give children the desire to go to the library and provide quality reading materials to ensure they want to stay 💜🩵💛

🔍 children’s charity - building school reading rooms - inspiring reading for pleasure - improving child literacy - giving children access to books - preloved books - donated books - school libraries - reaction video

Address

9 St Marks Road
Bromley
BR19HG

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm

Telephone

+442083156925

Website

http://abcbookclub.co.uk/

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