In honour of Book Week, we’ve chosen 10 magical book spaces for kids from around the world. Let us know in comments what your favourite one is! 

1. “Narnia” Book Store in Freemantle, Perth

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe was one of my favourite childhood classics. The idea of stepping through a household cupboard into a secret and magical world, fueled my fantasies of the non-ordinary. 

Paperbird Children's Book Store in Perth, Australia, has managed to recreate this magic with a secret children's reading room, through a Narnia themed cupboard. Complete with a cosy fire place, vintage style couches to relax on, a huge range of children's books, and an overall ambience of being in another world. You have to see it, to believe it. 

They have free story time every Sunday, as well as children's story writing workshops, book clubs and other fantastic offerings for young ones, to inspire a love for reading. Watch the video below, to go through the experience of entering this most fantastical place! 

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2. My Tree House Library, Singapore

Located in the basement of the National Library in Singapore, My Tree House is the world’s first green library designed specifically for children. This innovative space was constructed using only recyclable materials, including 3,000 recycled plastic bottles collected from public schools. 

The bottles are ingeniously repurposed to form a stunning tree crown, which doubles as a light fixture, creating a magical and eco-friendly atmosphere. My Tree House not only fosters a love for reading but also instills in young visitors an appreciation for sustainability and environmental stewardship.

"It is home to a vast collection of 45,000 books in four languages, a third of which focus on themes such as animals, plants, nature, water, weather and recycling.

The other 70% of the collection is fiction books that include fairy tales related to the theme of the enchanted forest. There are also two eReading kiosks that allow kids to read eBooks and play educational games. And a cozy reading area with comfy cushions all around makes it a perfect place for kids to read their favorite books." - World Top Top

3. The Story Shop Book Store, Georgia

The Story Shop Book Store in Georgia, U.S.A, is another magical children's book store, with its own secret Narnia portal. The cupboard takes children through to a plush storytelling room. 

Sherry Peterskik in her DIY Design Blog, Young House Love, details the amazing features of this Book Store, including the secret hobbit's hole. "Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison)."

Owner Melissa Music & Designer Stephanie Cannon created The Story Shop, as an independent children's bookstore, full of "Reading, Imagination, & Celebration." A unique concept, it's more than just a book store, but it's like indoor story theme park, where they offer field trips, story time, visiting indie authors, themed celebrations in their function room and so much more. 

If the Story Shop doesn't inspire an interest or love for stories and reading in young children, I'm not sure what would!

4. Joni Lay Magical Cupboard Turned Reading Nook, Atlanta

When mother and DIY designer Joni Lay, from Atlanta, U.S.A, saw the newly added second story of her just renovated home, she realised that the kids bedroom closet could be so much more than, well, just a closet! A magical and whimsical reading nook to be precise!

As reported by Domino, "when the house got framed out and she walked into her second story for the first time, it was obvious that the closet adjacent to the girls’ bedroom should be used for more than clothes storage. It had sloped ceilings (not ideal for wardrobes) and a Tudor-style window that would have been a shame to block out.

So the mom of four turned the room into a charming reading nook worthy of a Wes Anderson film set—down to the buttercup-hued telephone and vintage horse ribbons lining the wall." All on a 2k budget. 

The golden curtains create a magical feel, and the bright colours and comfy reading spots, entertain a feeling of warmth and relaxation. The perfect place for reading books and associating special memories with this. 

As Joni Lay explains, that the curtains make an extra fun hideaway space in the nook when they are closed. Just perfect for magical story fuelled adventures!

5. The Library of Muyinga, Burundi

Located in the Great Lakes region, Burundi is surrounded by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The first library in the Burundi town of Muyinga, it's part of a future inclusive school for deaf children. The architects aimed to construct it with locally sourced compressed earth blocks, with a participatory approach with locals. 

The aim of the library is to foster literacy, education and empowerment of the local community. In regions like Muyinga, libraries serve as crucial centers for learning, offering access to books, educational materials, and a space for study and intellectual growth. 

We love the reading hammock, which provides a relaxing and fun space for children of all ages. The architects involved in this project wrote about the process of constructing this magical hammock: 

"Sisal rope: “from plant to hammock” - Net-making from Sisal plant fibres is one of the small micro-economies that bloomed in this project. It took a lot of effort to find the only elder around Muyinga that masters the Sisal rope weaving technique. He harvested the local sisal plant on site, and started weaving. In the pilot project, he educated 4 other workers, who now also master this technique, and use it as a skill to gain their livelihood. The resulting hammock serves as a children’s space to play, relax and read, on a mezzanine level above the library space."

6. Narnia Inspired Wardrobe Turned Reading Nook, North Carolina

Another Narnia inspired reading space it is! DIY designer Hannah Hathaway from North Carolina, U.S.A, wanted to create a space for her children, who were at the age where they were starting to read, where "their imaginations could run wild". Her inspiration was the chronicles of Narnia tale, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 

Formerly a wardrobe in the kids bedroom of their farmhouse, Hannah turned it into magical Narnia inspired reading nook. 

She did everything DIY - from the cushions on the floor to the twinkling fairy string lights dotting the ceiling and even the wall paintings. Even the wardrobe “portal” itself, as reported by Country Living, who did a feature on this magical reading nook. 

Her wall painting of the lantern & an ice castle, is to recreate the first scene when the children from the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe enter through the magical cupboard. 

7. The Den Library at Soneva Kiri, Thailand 

The Soneva Kiri Library is located at the Soneva Kiri resort, which is 90 mins out of Thailand. A magical wonderland, the library is part of the treehouse den, overlooking the bay. The library features books on permaculture and local traditions, with hammocks and stuffed cushions to get comfortable on. 

The Den features different areas for children to learn, relax and play, including nook style reading rooms and areas to do arts and crafts. The structure and roof are made from local bamboo with the interior designed with local plantation River Red gum and rattan for the inner domes. It certainly is a sight to behold! 

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8. The Story Book Room at Brentwood Library, Tennessee

World famous, the Story Book Room at Brentwood Library in Tennessee, U.S.A, is a children's reading area  like you've never seen before! You will feel like you're stepping into an enchanted fairytale. 

Inspiring a life long passion and love for reading, there is also a book store upstairs with new and gently used children's books and educational materials from as little as 50 cents.

9. Epoche Gift Store, Kallista

Nestled up in the magical hills of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, Australia, Epoche is an iconic gift shop, that specialises in Steiner gifts, books and toys. They have two main book shelves that offer an enchanting sight for young and old visitors alike. 

Featuring Waldorf inspired literature and tales, nature themed books and children's classics, with matching props and play items, children can immerse in a whole experience of wonder, in this magical space. 

10. The Curiosity Approach Early Learning Centres, United Kingdom

The Curiosity Approach is a pioneering early learning approach that runs and accredits early learning centres world-wide, with the bulk being in the U.K, where it was founded. 

When it comes to creating magical reading spaces in early learning environments, The Curiosity Approach does it best (in my humble opinion). Their philosophy is based on the idea of extending the home environment into early learning spaces, so that children can feel more relaxed, safe and secure. Rather than overstimulating children and bombarding them with too many distracting features.

It’s very much soft cushions and lighting, recycled and upcycled items with a homely feel, and “authentic, open-ended resources, and recyclable curiosities, rather than bright, primary colours, or plastic toys.

We look to create enchanted pockets of learning that have a visually appealing manner, which highlight the magic, wonder, and possibilities of the resources on offer, inviting the children to become curious about them." - The Curiosity Approach

Part of the Curiosity Approach is about less consumption and reducing our impact on the planet. It favours upcycled and recycled materials for storing and displaying items, such as books. We love how they have used baskets, crates, old suitcases, hutches and other pre-loved items to store and display their books.

Their philosophy is “to be creators not consumers and see the beauty in unwanted items.”

When it comes to books in the Curiosity Approach, there are special cosy book areas, where children can sit and retreat quietly to read a book, however, overall books are viewed as valuable resources which are embedded throughout their settings, and not confined to one corner.

The Curiosity Approach also encourages lending libraries at their centres (made from upcycled and recycled materials). These promote a sense of belonging and community, and allow children's books to be more accessible to families. 

They believe that "by fostering a love for books in the early years, we are nurturing a curiosity for learning that will stay with children throughout their lives. Research has shown that children who are exposed to books and reading from a young age tend to perform better academically, develop stronger language skills, and exhibit greater creativity and critical thinking abilities.”