Open the door to a lifetime of reading.

Little Red Reading House is a place where children discover the magic of reading and families discover the joy of reading together.

Book a Visit

What is Little Red Reading House?

It’s a real house, full of books, in the charming neighbourhood of Inglewood in Calgary, Alberta. Between visits, you can access online resources and workshops.

Founded by Calgary Reads, the house was gifted to the Owerko Centre at the University of Calgary, with support from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. The house welcomes families to visit and explore the magic of reading. As a community branch of the Owerko Centre, it also creates unique opportunities for the community to engage with UCalgary researchers, students and partners to explore child health topics.

Learn more about us

As a teacher of early education, I was amazed at the care and thought that went into the design of Little Red Reading House. This is one of those "secret gems" in Calgary, I want everyone to know about it but also want it to be all mine too! What a wonderful place to celebrate reading, in such a loving environment that children feel instantly comfortable in! Can't wait to go back!

—Teacher

My daughter was so excited to get her first chapter book and have a "this book belongs to" sticker with her name.

—Calgary parent

All volunteers were so welcoming and helpful. One volunteer actually found a book with my granddaughter’s name in the title. Sophie and I enjoyed all the enjoyable little corners for reading and crafts. That house is like a hug!

—Regular family guests

Why does the Little Red Reading House exist?

Reading puts children on a path to success.

Reading is the basis of all learning. When adults read to their young children, their children hear more words, participate in more back-and-forth talk, and their children talk more. Daily play and book reading with an adult helps protect against child developmental delay, late talking, and social-emotional delays.

25%

of families report they don’t spend time reading at home and 6% say they don’t own books.^1,2

27%

of children start school with literacy and developmental vulnerabilities.³

39%

of Canadian 16-year-olds have poor or weak literacy skills.⁴

Together, we can inspire children

Families play a critical role in a child’s learning capacity before age 8. With age-appropriate books in homes and an environment that promotes reading together, families can help a child learn to read by grade three.

Early literacy has long-term benefits

When children learn to talk and read early, they are able to develop knowledge, learn and apply skills, and fully participate in society. They are also more likely to enjoy better overall health and find meaningful employment.

A 1% increase in literacy skills could lead to a 3% increase in Canada’s GDP – $54B per year, every year – and a 5% increase in productivity.⁵

How do we help?

We put books in homes

Having books at home makes it easier for families to read together. Through our Book Bank and partnerships with community agencies, we give books to children furthest from opportunity. Every time a child visits Little Red Reading House, we give them an age-appropriate book they can add to their home library. We also take our Little Red Reading Van into communities to promote literacy and give books.

Learn about the book bank

We help families start early

Reading with children is a new experience for many families. We help you create a culture of reading at home.

We inspire reading places

Wherever books and children can be brought together, there’s an opportunity to create a reading place. Our digital toolkit and collaborations help create reading places in homes, schools, agencies, and businesses.

What makes a great reading place?

We make reading fun and memorable

Little Red Reading House embodies the magic of reading. The house is bright, colourful, and full of comfortable nooks perfect for curling up in. It’s a remarkable place to share a memorable experience.