Bookstart Baby Pack
Bookstart is a national scheme offering free books to every child. It encourages parents and carers to share books with children from a very early age. The scheme is based on the belief that it is never too soon to share books with babies and that children introduced to books at an early age start school with an advantage that can last throughout their lives. The Bookstart baby pack is usually delivered to families at babies’ 4 month health check with their health visitor. Packs are also available on request at your local library and in some areas via Sure Start schemes. The two free books and advice for parents leaflets are contained in a canvas bag with the Bookstart logo and the prominent strap lines ‘Babies love books’ and ‘Libraries are for everyone’.
My Bookstart Treasure Chest
My Bookstart Treasure Chest worth £15.00 is available free to every child in the year preceding their entry into Primary 1. The pack will be delivered via the library service to your child in nursery or other pre-school setting. If your child is not in pre-school education and is due to start Primary 1 in September 2009 you can call at the local library to collect a pack for them. The child does not need to be a library member to get a My Bookstart Treasure Chest, however library membership is free and you’re never too young to join the library. The Treasure Chest comes as a pre-assembled box and has a wooden effect like a pirate’s chest. Each Treasure Chest is packed full of goodies, including two picture books, a book of ideas, a guidance leaflet which focuses on early language and listening skills, a fiction and non fiction book list for children and their parents, a set of “Bookplates” – colourfully illustrated stickers for children to place in their books saying “This book belongs to …”, a pack of colouring pencils, a barrel pencil sharpener and an A4 drawing pad.
‘The Treasure Chest gave him hours of entertainment. He now asks to go to the library and has encouraged his younger brother with books.’ (Parent)
Bookstart Bookcrawl
The Bookstart Book Crawl aims to encourage parents to bring their under 4s to their local library and become library members. Children collect stickers on each visit and can then exchange the stickers for a certificate. There are twelve certificates to collect, including two brand new designs illustrated by Polly Dunbar and Emily Gravett, which are lovely keepsakes of children’s earliest years as library members. The scheme has the potential to generate over one million visits to libraries each year and helps to establish a library habit we hope children will maintain throughout their lives. Your child will be invited to take part in Bookcrawl when they receive their Treasure Chest Pack.
