What is IBC Book Box?
IBC Book Box is UK-wide bookgifting scheme, dedicated to increasing access to free inclusive books for the children who need them most.
Who can apply?
- State primary schools
- Community libraries
Applications open on Wednesday 18 June 2025 at 10am and close on Friday 18 July 2025 at 23:59 (BST).
How to apply?
Fill out a short form to apply for a free IBC Book Box. When applying, please tell us how the books will be used in your setting as we are keen to support schools and educators who can show how the books will make a real difference.
Read our Book Box FAQs before clicking the link below to apply.
IBC Book Box applications open Wednesday 18 June 2025 at 10am
Additional FREE resources
All applicants, whether successful or not, will receive access to these fantastic digital resources as part of the IBC Book Box scheme:
- Expert guides: a series of videos from the IBC team, with guidance on sharing inclusive books with children
- Top tips video: a downloadable slideshow packed with advice on making the most of the IBC website
- Free newsletter: a link to sign up for our free, quarterly IBC newsletter
Impact of the 2024 IBC Book Box pilot scheme
In 2024, we gifted 46 boxes of free books to schools and community libraries as part of our hugely successful pilot scheme.
Of the Book Box recipients surveyed:
- 93% reported a positive impact on pupils’ reading enjoyment
- 86% reported a positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem
- 100% reported a positive impact on pupils’ awareness and normalisation of all types of people
This powerful feedback, combined with a significant number of compelling applications, is why we are expanding the scheme in 2025 — giving 60 boxes, hundreds of books, to even more nursery and school-aged children.
What schools say about IBC Book Box
‘Several of the books have opened the students’ eyes, and some read books where they had no knowledge about the race or culture or diversity or religion or sexuality. They are absorbing new things without having a negative assessment, and I feel that opens the door to understanding one another.’
School librarian, Durham
‘A fabulous range of books which engaged children across all year groups. Children loved opening the box and seeing the exciting new current books.’
Deputy headteacher, Leicestershire
‘The vast majority of our students are from minoritised ethnic groups, and it has been a big and important lesson for them seeing there are characters that look like them and authors from the same groups. It’s hard to see that when you’re only seeing ‘mainstream’ authors, illustrators and books in shops and libraries.’
School librarian, Bristol
Why are we running a free books scheme?
As a registered literacy charity we aim to help parents, teachers and librarians source diverse and inclusive books for children.
We recognise the current inequalities in access to school or community library provision, and that many collections still lack a stock of diverse and inclusive texts. We also know that literacy budgets are under enormous strain, which often gets in the way of updating and diversifying book collections.
Meanwhile, despite 38.4% of primary school-aged children in the UK being from minority ethnic backgrounds, only 7% of books published for that age group in 2023 featured main characters of minoritised ethnic backgrounds. It could therefore take decades for library book stock to become fully inclusive without further curation and support.
IBC Book Box offers a wide selection of exciting, top-quality inclusive books, handpicked by specialists in children’s literature and ready to be received and enjoyed by children.
Check out our website for inclusive book reviews, recommendations and thematic booklists curated by experts.
‘1 in 7 UK state primary schools did not have a library in 2023’
‘The percentage of children’s books published in the UK in 2023 that featured a main character from a racially minoritised background dropped by half to 7%.’
‘38.4% of UK primary school-aged children are from minority ethnic backgrounds’
Got questions?
Find out everything you need to know in our IBC Book Box FAQs.
If you still have questions, email sophie@inclusivebooksforchildren.org.