A library is a building full of stories, so it is a natural home for riddles. This collection covers the parts of a book, the people who make and look after them and the history of libraries from Alexandria to the Library of Congress.
Each riddle has a different answer, and the brain teasers include the famous bookworm puzzle that tricks almost everyone the first time.
Easy Library Riddles for Kids
- I am a building full of books that you can borrow for free. What am I? 👉 A library
- I help you find the perfect book and keep the shelves in order. Who am I? 👉 A librarian
- Show me at the desk and you can take books home. What am I? 👉 A library card
- I have a spine but no bones, and pages but no legs. What am I? 👉 A book
- I sit between the pages to save your place. What am I? 👉 A bookmark
- I am at the front of a book and list all the chapters. What am I? 👉 The table of contents
- I am at the back of a book and list topics in alphabetical order. What am I? 👉 The index
- I am the person who writes the words in a book. Who am I? 👉 An author
- I am the person who draws the pictures in a book. Who am I? 👉 An illustrator
- I tell you what words mean, in alphabetical order. What am I? 👉 A dictionary
- I am a book full of maps. What am I? 👉 An atlas
- I am a book that helps you find words with similar meanings. What am I? 👉 A thesaurus
- I am a screen that holds hundreds of books but weighs less than one. What am I? 👉 An e-reader
- I am a book you listen to instead of reading. What am I? 👉 An audiobook
- I am the short description on the back cover that tells you about the story. What am I? 👉 The blurb
- Librarians often ask for me with a finger to their lips. What am I? 👉 Quiet
Book and Library Fact Riddles
These riddles are based on real history. The note after each answer explains it.
- I am a number system that sorts library books by subject, such as 500 for science. What am I? 👉 The Dewey Decimal System
- I was the most famous library of the ancient world, in Egypt. What am I? 👉 The Library of Alexandria
- I am in Washington, D.C., and I hold more items than any other library in the world. What am I? 👉 The Library of Congress
- Johannes Gutenberg built me around 1440, and I changed how books were made. What am I? 👉 The printing press
- I am the first major book printed in Europe with movable metal type. What am I? 👉 The Gutenberg Bible
- I am a 13-digit number that identifies a book. What am I? 👉 An ISBN
- I am the word for a person who loves books. What am I? 👉 A bibliophile
Funny Book Riddles
- Why was the math book so sad? 👉 It had too many problems
- Why did the librarian slip on the floor? 👉 She was in the non-friction section
- Which building has the most stories? 👉 The library, of course
Book Brain Teasers
- A book has 300 pages and you read 25 pages a day. How many days will it take to finish? 👉 12
- Two volumes stand side by side on a shelf in order. A bookworm eats from the first page of Volume 1 to the last page of Volume 2. What does it eat through? 👉 Only the two covers
- A library has 4 shelves with 25 books each, and 30 books are borrowed. How many are left? 👉 70
Want more riddles? Browse our blog for more collections, and if you spot a mistake in any answer, let us know on our Contact page.