Tue. Nov 19th, 2024

Listening Books: an excellent range of audio books for children who struggle to read

If your child struggles to read books in the usual way due to an illness, disability or learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, you might want to consider joining Listening Books.  Listening Books is a UK charity providing membership to an audio book library service for over 29,000 people who find it difficult to read.  Over 7000 fantastic titles are available including a vast range of fiction and non-fiction.  Subscriptions start from just £20 per a year—a great saving considering just one audio book can cost that much to buy!

Audio books are available in a range of convenient formats.  You can choose to have (MP3) CDs sent through the post direct to your front door or your child can enjoy the freedom of downloading books from the website onto an iPhone or other portable device to listen on-the-go.  Alternatively, audio books can be instantly streamed online anytime of the day or night by simply logging onto the Listening Books website with your username and password. 

Listening to books is a fantastic tool for children who struggle to read books.  It means they are able to enjoy the same books that their peers are reading and, as Listening Books specially records educational books in-house to support the National Curriculum, listening can really help with school work as children are able to listen to the titles they would otherwise struggle to access in the classroom.  Listening can also be a really lovely, relaxing activity for bedtime. 

Thousands of brilliant and popular children’s authors can be found in the Listening Books library, such as Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Andy Stanton, Michael Morpurgo, David Walliams, Jeff Kinney and Malorie Blackman.  Older children can satisfy their craving for vampire, zombie and dystopian fiction by listening to The Hunger Games, the Twilight series or Charlie Higson’s The Enemy.  The catalogue is constantly updated and recent additions include the must-have books of tomorrow such as Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher and In Darkness by Nick Lake—all really great prize-winners that have enjoyed a lot of buzz in the media.  Set texts and study guides are also available to help your child have a fantastic start to the new school year.

To sign up today or for more information, visit www.listening-books.org.uk, call 020 7407 9417 or email library@listening-books.org.uk.  

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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