Bookstart scheme
Bookstart is a national programme, established in Birmingham in the 1990's and run by the reading charity BookTrust. Their work is funded by Arts Council England, as well as BookTrust's partners and donors.
Bookstart provides free books and resources to every child to help families read together every day and inspire children to develop a love of reading. Sharing books, stories and rhymes with your child from an early age can help create a lifelong reader.
Newborn pack
You will receive your Newborn pack from the Registrars when you register the birth of your baby. Whilst in the library why not take the opportunity to sign up for a library card and to find out about library under 5s activities and the Bookstart Bear Club.
The Newborn pack contains:
- a congratulations card to celebrate the birth of your child
- a booklet containing black-and-white images for you to share with your Newborn baby
Bookstart Baby Pack
This pack is gifted to children and their parents/carers by the health visiting teams during baby's first year to help families share stories, rhymes and songs. You can ask at your local library if you don't receive a pack from the health visiting team.
The baby pack contains everything you need to get started in sharing stories, rhymes and songs with your baby:
- board books - perfect to enjoy with your baby
- rhyme sheet
- booklet of tips and ideas for sharing books with children, from a very young age
Additional needs packs
Bookstart also gifts additional needs packs for babies and toddlers. The packs available are:
- Booktouch for blind or partially sighted children
- Bookshine for children who are deaf
- Bookstart Star for children with conditions affecting their fine motor skills
You can ask at your local library for more information or to request a pack.
Booktouch
There are two packs for blind or partially sighted children:
- Booktouch Baby (0-2 years) and
- Booktouch Toddler (3-5 years
Each pack has two touch-and-feel books and guidance around sharing books with blind and partially sighted children.
Bookshine
There are two packs for children who are deaf:
- Bookshine Baby (0 to 2 years)
- Bookshine Toddler (3 to 5 years)
Each pack contains two books, a rhyme mat and guidance around sharing books with deaf children.
Bookstart Star
This pack is available for children aged 3-5 years who have disabilities that impact on, or delay, the development of their fine motor skills. Each pack contains:
- a touch-and-feel book
- a board book
- a finger puppet for playing along with the story
- guidance sheets
The Bookstart Bear Club
The Bookstart Bear Club is a fun and engaging free reward scheme for all babies, toddlers and pre schoolers and their families.
How to join
If you are a library member, you can join the Bookstart Bear Club in your local library, and receive your Bookstart Bear Club passport.
After you join
The aim is to collect paw stamps in your passport. You get a stamp for:
- borrowing books
- sharing books in the library
- attending Rhyme times or book related activities
Each time you have 6 stamps you will get a certificate. There are 10 certificates to collect.
Last updated 22 July 2022