From Paddington to Pippi Longstocking and Percy Jackson, readers of all ages can enjoy audiobooks without screens thanks to a new collection launched by Westmorland and Furness Libraries.
Voxblock is an award-winning audiobook player designed to encourage a love of books in children from toddlers to teens. Simple and screen-free, there are no apps or downloads to worry about and no Wi-Fi needed as the offline player works straight out of the box.
Customers at libraries in Penrith, Barrow and Kendal can choose from a wide variety of titles including much-loved stories and classic tales, non-fiction, educational content and calming or mindfulness recordings.
The screen-free Voxblock player and recycled-card story blocks are available to loan for up to three weeks free of charge. By removing the need for screens, children can enjoy listening to books independently in a safe and focused way as they develop key skills such as vocabulary, confidence, listening and a love of storytelling.
Cllr Helen Chaffey, Cabinet Member for Communities, Customer Services, Culture and Communications, said: “Our young readers and their parents are going to love Voxblock.
“We are very excited to launch this new collection during the National Year of Reading 2026 and to show our commitment to nurturing young people’s literacy.
“The wonderful thing is there are no screens or apps to distract the child from the book they are listening to. The theme of the National Year of Reading is “Go All In”, and Voxblock is the perfect companion for “going all in” to the world of a much-loved story.
“As you would expect, colleagues at our libraries are passionate about anything that fosters a lifelong love of reading from an early age, and Voxblock offers the flexibility for listening to favourite books aloud or with headphones - during quiet time at home, in the car, on holiday or at bedtime to help little ones drift off to sleep.”
To find out more, please visit your local library and speak to a member of staff, or go to our website.