Bookstart
Bookstart - a free book gift to share with your baby or toddler.
What is Bookstart?
Bookstart is a national programme that gives two free gifts of books to children before they are four years old. Bookstart is about sharing books with children from the earliest stage. Bookstart is about quality time spent between a child and a parent or carer. Bookstart is about cuddling up to listen to stories, talking about the pictures and learning to turn the pages. Bookstart is about the pleasure of reading. And it’s fun!
Your free Bookstart gifts:
Bookstart Baby Bag is for children aged 7 - 9 months. The pack includes two sturdy board books and information for parents on other books and reading with your child. You will receive this gift from your Health Visitor, usually at your child’s first health development check. Alternatively, you can pick a pack up from your local library and join the library at the same time.
Bookstart Treasure Bag will be given to your child when they attend the nursery class at any maintained or independent school in Solihull. The pack includes two bright and attractive picture books and information for parents and carers. If your child is not going to start school until the Reception Year, please contact your local library to arrange to pick one up from there.
Book Touch is a Bookstart bag specifically designed for children with a visual impairment. The bag contains two free 'touch and feel' books with different textures and textiles as well as a list of recommended books and a guide to services relating to reading for blind and partially sighted people. There are Book Touch bags for babies at 9 months and for toddlers at about 2 years of age.
Book Shine is an extra Bookstart bag specifically designed for children who are deaf or have an hearing impairment. The bag contains a free 'touch and feel' book with different textures and textiles and a board book with signing. There is also a list of recommended books and a guide to services relating to reading for deaf and hearing impaired people. There are Book Shine bags for babies at 9 months and for toddlers at about 2 years of age.
Please contact the Solihull Bookstart team for a Book Touch or Book Shine pack if you are in contact with an eligible child.
English as an additional language
Dual language books are also available in a number of community languages and in English. Languages catered for include Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish and Urdu
For further information about the Solihull Bookstart Scheme, or to book a gifting visit to your pre-school group or nursery, contact the Solihull Bookstart team at Children's Library Services at Solihull Central Library on 0121 704 6984 or by email or visit the Bookstart website
You can make the most of your Bookstart gifts by:
Getting your child a library card
You are never too young to borrow a book! Babies can join as soon as they are born. It's free to join and you can borrow up to eight books at a time.
Join the Bookstart Bear Club
The Bear Club has free membership for all babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers who can collect paw prints on each visit to the library. For every six visits they get a certificate and after five certificates, a teddy bear. There are 10 certificates to collect, if they collect them all they will receive a rhyme book with CD. Club members can also go on to their own website at www.bookstart.org.uk/bookstartbearclub to discover more about the magic of sharing stories, books and rhymes. For more information contact your local library or the Solihull Bookstart team by emailing to cls@solihull.gov.uk or by phone on 0121 704 6984.
Borrowing from a range of great picture books
Check out the board books, picture books, nursery rhyme collections, counting and alphabet books. For a list of the latest picture books added to the library go to our Children's Library Services page here. You can also borrow stories on compact disc from your local library. Some libraries also stock DVDs, for which there is a small charge, check at your local library for availability.
Look out for the free family learning activities in libraries
There are lots of great activities for you and your child to enjoy together, from storytelling and creative clay to rhythm times, details of these activities will be published on this page.
Having fun at story and rhyme times
There are special free storytimes and rhyme times for under fives; listening to stories and learning nursery rhymes is a great boost to speech and language development and to developing concentration. Storytime sessions usually last for half an hour. Find out more details about storytimes and other activities at your local library.
Family Matters
A special collection of books for parents and carers on childcare, healthy eating, helping children learn to read. There are also books for children about new experiences, like a visit to hospital, starting school, or the arrival of a new baby.
Nurseries, Playgroups and Childminders
Playgroups, nurseries, childminders and parent toddler groups can have a special ticket to borrow extra books. Contact your local library to discuss other services that libraries can offer to early years settings, like a visit to the library or a talk to parents and carers about choosing and using books with the under fives.
Useful Childcare Information Sites
Bookstart
Information about the national Bookstart Scheme for parents and carers, health professionals, library professionals, early years providers and journalists and researchers.
http://www.bookstart.org.uk/
Talk to Your Baby
Ideas to help you develop your child's communication skills
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talk_to_your_baby
SureStart
The Government's programme to bring together early education, childcare, health and family support.
http://www.education.gov.uk/popularquestions/childrenandfamilies/Childminding/surestart
What's On for Children and Childcare Information
Family Information Service (FIS)
http://www.solihull.gov.uk/familyinfo/default.htm
Bookstart in Solihull
For a copy of the latest annual report, please see the attachments on the right of the screen.
Your Bookstart Team at Children's Library Services are:
- Steve Palmer, Co-ordinator
- Beverley Bird, Principal Assistant
- Diane Boyne, Principal Assistant
- Sandra Foster, Senior Library Assistant
Contact
Children's Library Services
Solihull Central Library,
Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG.
Tel 0121 704 6984
Fax 0121 704 6991
Email:cls@solihull.gov.uk