FINDING an escape from the real world has never been so easy.
Primary school kids in Newcastle are taking trips to Narnia, testing their bravery with Goosebumps, and finding out what the diary of a wombat looks like.
They're also learning how to share, how to be sustainable, and take care of something special.
St Peter's Primary School in Stockton has opened its own street library for children across the community to make the most of.
"The kids were absolutely thrilled," teacher librarian Cassandra Piggott said.
"They have been speaking about their favourite books a lot more, and authors that they're enjoying."
The new little library hut at the school adds another to a growing collection aimed at spreading stories across the Hunter.
More than 100 locations have been registered online as street libraries in Newcastle, Maitland, Cessnock, Raymond Terrace and Nelson Bay.
The idea is simple - take a book, leave a book.
The street library at St Peter's is for children only, with the top shelf for older kids and the bottom for books for the little ones.
"So many kids have been excited to take one, but also to bring one in," Ms Piggott said.
"I think it's sparked that idea of just being able to enjoy reading for pleasure."
She said the idea came from students only having library classes a couple of times a week.
While it's been a win hearing kids talk so passionately about books, sharing them with each other and caring for the stories' new "little home", Ms Piggott said it was also about saving books from going to waste.
"Living in Stockton, we regularly have that sustainability conversation," she said.
"A book could go through 1000 people before it's anywhere near ready to be binned."
Some long-time fan favourites like the Goosebumps series have been spotted in the street library, while a couple of Anh Do books have also proven popular.
Ms Piggott said she regularly took her own children to visit street libraries, which she has seen boom in popularity in the region, to donate their used books and search for more to sink their teeth into.
"It's like a scavenger hunt for me and my kids to try and find ones that we haven't read before," she said.
The school students have a roster to make sure the library is looked after, and members of the wider community are also encouraged to get involved in the exchange.
Year 5 student Fox Wisemantel said it was a fun way to find new books, while Year 6 student Michael Kilday said the street library meant kids could get lost in a new story every day.
