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Samuel and Nathan Chan

Samuel and nathan chan photograph

Samuel and Nathaniel Chan
Schoolchildren
Use Birmingham Central Library

Samuel and Nathaniel tend to get through a combined total of five books every week, but they weren’t always so enamoured by reading . . . until a trip to the library changed everything!

Already attending Birmingham Conservatoire for Drum and Piano lessons, mum Jenny decided to stop off at the nearby Centre for the Child in Birmingham Central Library, initially borrowing audiobooks to engage the boys in storytelling. Samuel and Nathaniel quickly became intrigued by the different stories and started to develop their love for books.

Samuel's reading habits are influenced by comedy, and he most enjoys Roald Dahl, Horrid Henry or anything that makes him laugh. Nathaniel, on the other hand, enjoys fantasy and adventure stories best, and particularly likes books that feature Dragons!

The boys attend Central Library every Saturday, where they can not only to select their books for the week, but also to partake in activities such as papercraft, handicraft and storytelling groups.

It’s a ritual that Samuel has come to enjoy, and he said: “I like coming to the library to read funny books and play the games”. Nathaniel echoed his brother’s sentiments, saying: “The Library is a very nice place - it inspires you to read and there’s crafts and storytelling time, too.”

He continued: “If you don’t read books you can’t learn anything and you won’t learn new stuff” – and it’s hard to argue with that!

Read about the Faces of the Library of Birmingham

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