'Help us to change children’s lives'- Carlow urged to support 'Gift a Book' appeal

Children’s Books Ireland have launched their annual ‘Gift a Book’ appeal today and are urging people from Carlow to support the cause.

Children’s Books Ireland are calling on people in Carlow to support this year’s ‘Gift a Book’ appeal which will see over 2,000 books delivered to children in need across Ireland, including those accessing support services, experiencing homelessness and living in Direct Provision centres in Carlow.

Building on the success of last year’s appeal, which raised over €15,000 through generous public donations, Children’s Books Ireland is once again partnering with community groups and charities in Carlow – including Forward Steps Family Resource Centre CLG – to ensure that a book reaches children in need in time for Christmas.

Titles to be gifted to children this year come from a range of Irish artists, which Children’s Books Ireland hope will ignite a lifelong love of reading, including ‘Let’s Play Rugby’ by Gordon D’Arcy and Paul Howard and illustrated by Ashwin Chacko, ‘Letters to a Monster’ by Patricia Forde and illustrated by Sarah Warburton, and ‘Solo’ by Gráinne O’Brien.

Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, said: “In a world with ever-increasing costs and growing financial pressures, children’s books have become a luxury item for many families. But books are essential for every child, and we need your help in Carlow to give the gift of a book to children and young people who need it most.

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“Your donation, however small, will change a child’s life. Children who read experience higher levels of mental wellbeing, self-esteem and empathy. When children see themselves and their experiences in the story that they’re reading, they feel less alone.

“We are inundated with requests from fellow charities and community groups in Carlow and across the country who want to bring a moment of solace to the families in their services. With your support, we can give a child the comfort of a story they can come back to again and again, an escape from the world when they need it most.

“Help us to change children’s lives, one book at a time, by donating at www.childrensbooksireland.ie/giftabook.”

One in five children under four at greater risk of socio-emotional difficulties

The benefits of reading throughout childhood are well-documented. Dr. Emer Smyth’s 2024 study, ‘Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People: Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland Study’*, found that socio-emotional difficulties at age five were less common among children whose parents read to them regularly at age three, even after accounting for initial levels of emotional wellbeing.

The study found these benefits extend into later childhood with children aged nine-thirteen who read for enjoyment more frequently achieving higher levels in reading and maths, and are happier, more self-confident as learners, and experience fewer socio-emotional difficulties.

Yet Children’s Books Ireland’s recent research report, ‘Children and Young People’s Reading in Ireland 2025’, found that more than one in five children under the age of four are not being read to. The report also highlighted a significant and worrying decline in book ownership among children of all ages since 2023.

Learn more about the ‘Gift a Book’ appeal and donate at: www.childrensbooksireland.ie/giftabook.