Children and young people's library services

Your local library has books and information for children and young people of all ages, as well as eBooks and eAudiobooks.

Bookmark Competition!

Competition time! Can your child design a bookmark to show us how they celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III? Winning designs will be made into proper bookmarks and will be available in all of our libraries, and there’s a range of other prizes too!
Pick up an entry form from your local Solihull library or use the practice template (dimensions are in the terms and conditions if you do not have a printer). The competition closes on Monday 5 June 2023. Terms and conditions apply.
Good luck, and have fun!

Coming Soon - Ready, Set, Read! Summer Reading Challenge 2023

The image carries the text "Summer Reading Challenge 2023. Ready, Set, Read! Presented by the Reading Agency. Delivered in partnership with libraries." The logos of the Youth Sports Trust and the Reading Agency are below with the strapline Inspiring Active Readers. The backdrop is of the sun and stars behind the six cartoon characters of the challenge, Alesha, Naveen, Naomi, Noah, Ollie and Sophie. The characters are Black, Asian, Chinese and White in appearance and include one with a prosthetic arm and one that wears glasses. The characters are ready for basketball, swimming, athletics, football, skateboarding and board games. Illustrations are by Loretta Schauer and logos by Lizzie Everard, both are copyright of the Reading Agency.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is getting ready for the blocks this summer. This year’s theme is all about sports and games so there will be loads of fun in libraries across the school holiday. Ready, Set, Read! will run from Saturday 8^th July to Saturday 9^th September, it’s a marathon not a sprint!

If you are 14 years old or over on 1^st July 2023, you could be one of our young volunteers and help us deliver the challenge. You can volunteer at most of our libraries and all we ask is that you work for a minimum of 9 hours across the summer and attend a training evening before the start of the challenge. You can plan your hours around any other commitments or family holidays. The role is all about working with children, listening to what they think about the books they have read, giving out rewards and tracking their progress. It’s hugely rewarding and is great to put on your CV or personal statement! If you are 16 years old or over, we will need to apply for a free DBS check on your behalf.

Just fill in the online form to apply.

You are never too young to join the library

Your local library has stories and information for children and young people of all ages.

Events and activities for early years and children

Details of all our regular events are below and all our events and individual sessions are on the Libraries Events page where you can also book places. Please do let us know if you can't attend so others can. Unfortunately drop-in spaces may not be available for especially busy events.

Rhymetime

Fun sessions with action rhymes, nursery rhymes and musical instruments, great for developing early reading skills and for all ages to meet and make friends. See some of our past Rhymetimes on YouTube. For ages 0-2.

Storytime

Cosy up with your little one and get to hear great new stories and authors as well as long time classics. Another great chance to meet up and find new friends. For ages 3-5.

Sessions below are term-time only.

Location	Day	Time	Event
The Core	Tuesdays	10:15-11:00	Storytime
The Core	Wednesdays	10:15-10:45	Rhymetime
Balsall Common	Tuesdays	2:15-2:45	Rhymetime
Castle Bromwich	Thursdays	2:30-2:50	Storytime
Castle Bromwich	Mondays	10:30-10:50	Rhymetime
Dickens Heath	Thursdays	10:15-10:45	Storytime & Rhymes
Hampton-in-Arden	Tuesdays	2:15-2:45	Stories & Painting
Hobs Moat	1^st Tuesday of month	10:30-11:00	Animal Antics (2-5 years)
Hobs Moat	Thursdays	10:15-11:00	Storytime & Rhymes
Kingshurst	Every other Thursday Check Events page for dates	10:15-10:35	Storytime & Rhymes
Knowle	Tuesdays	10:15-10:45	Storytime & Rhymes
Marston Green	Mondays	2:30-3:00	Storytime
Meriden	Mondays	2:15-2.45	Stories & Painting
Shirley	Mondays	10.30-11.00	Storytime
Shirley	Tuesdays	10:30-11:00	Rhymetime

Chelmsley Wood has monthly storytimes that are advertised on our Events page.

In addition, the Meet and Play session at The Core Library is an opportunity for young families to meet, relax, chat, play and sing together on Fridays, 10:15-11:15. This session is for families, led by families. Toys are provided and the age group is 0-2 years. Booking is not required for these sessions.

Get Coding

Solihull Libraries run a Code Club for children aged 9 to 13 at The Core Library, come along and learn how to make cool games and animations. Check the Libraries Events page for details or call the library to join up.

You can borrow a Micro:bit, a palm-sized computer, from your local library. You can make all sorts of cool creations, from robots to musical instruments - the possibilities are endless. Ask a member of staff about borrowing one and, for more information, visit the Micro:bit website

Special Activities

Craft Activities

Check our Libraries Events page for craft sessions for special days throughout the year. Or visit the Solihull Libraries Childrens Activities YouTube page for some recorded sessions to do anytime.

More services for children and young people

Bookstart

Bookstart is all about enjoying and sharing books with your child from the earliest age.

Bookstart gives a gift of 2 free books to every child in their first year and further books to some families when they are 2-4 years old. There are also packs for children with hearing impairments, with a visual impairment or a condition that affects their fine motor controls. There are even dual language books for families that would enjoy reading together in their mother tongue.

Packs are given out by Health Visitors at health checks and through early years settings. You can contact the Bookstart Co-ordinator at libraries@solihull.gov.uk

eBooks and eAudio books

You can borrow up to ten eBook titles and six eAudio books at a time and keep them for up to three weeks – they return themselves! Authors include David Walliams, Jacquie Wilson, David Baddiel, Suzanne Collins, John Green and many more, so there's something for everyone.

Download your eBooks and eAudiobooks for free from our eBooks page.

Reading Well

The Reading Well collections are endorsed by health professionals and have been created to give access to age-appropriate information for a child or young person you know to cope with a difficult issue such as bullying, death, stress, depression, or illness in the family.

Reading Well is available at The Core Library, Chelmsley Wood Library, Hobs Moat Library and Shirley Library. Some titles are also available at Balsall Common, Castle Bromwich and Knowle libraries.

The Reading Well Collections are:

Reading Well for Children aged 12 or younger

Reading Well - Shelf Help for young people aged 13 to 18

Reading Den for Children who are Fostered or Adopted. Available at Chelmsley Wood Library.