How To Create a Portable Book Nook

My kids love to read. Like, LOVE to read. 

The one place (besides Target) that I can’t control my spending is the school book fair. I hope I’m not alone in feeling as if there should be no spending budget on reading materials. I’ll admit, I’d love to be better about using the public library, but I’m not that great when it comes to due dates. I’d much rather avoid the stress of digging through bookshelves to find an overdue book, by owning the book myself.  

We started reading together as a family when my oldest (who is now ten) was just a baby. We have a nightly routine in our house that includes showers or a bath, and curling up in bed with a book. Now that the older boys are in school they are required to read so many minutes per night as part of their homework, which is fine, but I do miss the days when they’d read out loud, and stumble over words as they were learning to read.  Since the bigger kids are onto chapter books, I thought the idea of a comfy little book nook was fun and appropriate. I like to split them up at night because it can get a little (or a lot, usually a whole lot) chaotic trying to get three boys washed up, brushed up, into PJs and settled with a book. I started by searching Pinterest for inspiration, but didn’t find much that I really loved. Ideally, I would have liked to create a permanent book nook in our family room, but there wasn’t a spot for it that wouldn’t be trampled by one of our dogs or baby Vinnie.

After a few days of considering locations, I happened to come across a super soft runner rug at Target – on clearance! (This is the rug, I paid $10 for it!) I knew right away it would be perfect for the book nook. I took it home and that’s when the idea of a portable book nook popped into my head! I had this storage bin that needed a purpose, and come to find out – everything fit perfectly inside!

Awesome right? Here’s what you need to create a portable book nook of your own:

• A storage bin 
• A soft and cozy rug
• A favorite blanket
• Some throw pillows (I like to spruce up old ones with fun covers like this)
• Books!

We found the perfect little spot in our family room, at the bottom of our stairs to unfold the book nook whenever someone wants to read. When it’s not in use, I keep everything tucked in the corner as pictured above. Here’s the full spread:

The little white bin of books lives in our family room, among other bins of toys and books. The boys each have a full bookcase in their bedrooms, but since they love to read, I like to keep books scattered around the house too. If you haven’t seen our family room facelift, click here!

The first day I set up the book nook – it was an instant hit! 

Didn’t I mention the dog? She wouldn’t budge. This is why a portable book nook is genius, I know. Otherwise, I think our nook would end up getting more use as a dog bed. 😉

The ten year old is pictured above reading through the new books we received from BookRoo. The folks at BookRoo reached out to see if we’d be interested in reviewing their books and service, and of course I said yes (see above in case you missed my note about my reading material spending habits!)

I’m impressed by the service that BookRoo offers and I think it’s a wonderful concept. I love the idea of having books delivered each month! First, I think it’s great because it’s a fun little surprise in the mail each month, and second, you may end up with a book your little ones love, that you may not have picked out yourself. Our books came wrapped in adorable wrapping paper, which made it so much fun, and more like a gift. The gifting option that they offer on their website is great as well, because I always suggest books when someone asks what the boys need. Lastly, they also have a fun little reading app that you can use to track your kids reading time which I thought was great. 

Overall, I thought the books they sent were adorable and fun, and both my 7 and 10 year old enjoyed them. I would have loved to see some board books – because those are Vinnie’s favorites – but if they are anything like the books we got in our box, I know I’d be happy with them. 

One thing I discovered on their website that I thought was pretty great is that – if they happen to send you a book you already have – simply send them a photo of you giving it to someone else and you’ll get a $5 credit on your next order. How fun is that? I love companies with great customer service and a pay-it-forward attitude. 

The folks at BookRoo were kind enough to give me a $5 coupon to pass onto you! If you’re interested in trying their service, click here to save $5! 

And speaking of Vinnie… the book nook was a hit with him too:

Do you have a book nook or reading traditions in your house? I’d love to hear about them!

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with BookRoo, and I received complimentary books from them in exchange. The words, thoughts, and opinions expressed are solely my own. There are also affiliate product links throughout this post. Thank you for your support!