We’re delighted to announce that Knowle’s Little Book Stop is now installed and ready to enjoy!
You’ll find it just outside Knowle Traditional Sweet Shop on Knowle High Street perfectly positioned at pavement height so everyone, from little readers to grown-up book lovers, can easily reach inside and discover something new.
This beautiful community feature is one of just 99 Little Book Stops across the UK, gifted by Penguin Books to celebrate the publisher’s 90th birthday. The project honours 90 years of reading moments and everything books bring to communities – imagination, empathy, and connection.
The initiative is part of Penguin’s collaboration with Little Free Library, the global non-profit book-sharing movement that began in 2009 in Wisconsin and now includes over 200,000 Little Libraries worldwide.
Here in Knowle, the Little Book Stop was brought to life by Visit Knowle – dedicated to helping our village thrive, and the Knowle C of E Primary Academy Parents Association, a charity run by parent volunteers supporting the life of the school and its pupils.
We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Arden House Ltd, the landlord, for kindly giving permission for the installation of the little book stop on their property. On installation day, Anne from Knowle Traditional Sweet Shop was on hand with hot drinks & sweets. Anne and Kay of Glasstower Jewellery helped us fill the shelves with the starter books supplied by Penguin Books. We love the choice of book titles they have gifted us.
The Little Book Stop is here for everyone – families on the school run, curious children, nostalgic readers rediscovering old favourites, and anyone who simply loves stories. It’s a place to pause, browse, and share.
Take a book. Leave a book. Pass one on.
The concept is simple – take a book, leave a book. Every story shared helps make Knowle a little brighter, one page at a time.
Installation Day
We’ve created a little video of the installation on our YouTube Channel.
Our letter to you
On the back of the book stop is a letter from us to you.
Dear Knowle,
This Little Book Stop is a gift from us to you – a place to pause, browse, and rediscover the joy of stories.
We’re Visit Knowle, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping our village thrive, and Knowle C of E Academy Parents Association, a local charity of committed parent volunteers who support the life of the school and its pupils. Together, we applied for a Little Book Stop – and this is it.
Books do so much more than pass the time. They spark imagination, offer escape, build empathy, bring laughter, and sometimes, they heal. This Little Book Stop is a gentle reminder that a story is always within reach, whenever we need one.
We hope it brings a moment of magic to your day. Maybe it’s a quick look on the school run, a happy surprise after a visit to the sweet shop, or a quiet exchange between strangers. It’s here for everyone, for families, for children learning to read, for newcomers improving their English, for curious kids, nostalgic adults, and anyone who might not feel ready to walk into a library.
This is just one more way our community grows stronger, through kindness, sharing, and connection.
We hope it becomes more than a book swap. We hope it becomes a habit. A conversation starter. A daily pause. A chance to swap screen time for story time.
Please treat it with care. Take a book. Leave a book. Pass one on to someone who needs a lift. And each time you visit, know you’re helping make Knowle just a little bit brighter, one story at a time.
With love,
Visit Knowle & Knowle C of E Academy Parents Association