Messages from Alison Lester & Rosanne Hawke for GREAT Day

Being able to read well is like a gold pass to the world.

Author of the National Book for the National Year of Reading, Alison Lester sent a special message to all the children at Gilgandra Reads Everything Around Town Day, last Friday 31^st August.  “Hello to everybody at Gilgandra. I hope you are having a wonderful GREAT Day.  It’s good to celebrate books because they make our lives so fabulous.  If you can read you are never lonely and never bored.  You can travel anywhere, meet anybody, be whoever you’d like to be and feel terrified, happy, brave and sad. 

If I am very worried about something, so worried that I can’t sit still, I read.  I have a couple of books I use in this way and they always do the trick.  They take me to another place, away from the worry that’s driving me crazy.  If you are a terrific reader you will know all this already but if you are still struggling to read, persevere, keep at it!  Being able to read well is like a gold pass to the world.”

Reading turns you into a writer

The activities on GREAT Day were based on Alison Lester’s beautiful picture book “Are we there yet?”, but we also celebrated the books of other Australian children’s authors.  Pat Clarke, author of “The Magic Forest of Goonoo” and Serena Geddes, illustrator of many children’s books, came to GREAT Day to tell us about their work, but many other authors sent messages to the children.  Rosanne Hawke from South Australia wrote “I think Reading is so important. It turns you into a writer….. I think reading a lot enriches your life. It helps you to see how others think and feel and how they live their lives. You can walk in their shoes for a little while. It also makes you a good writer. Whatever you read will make its way down your arm and out of your fingers sooner or later.  I always wanted to write stories, but I started writing Jihad in the Borderland trilogy while I was living in Pakistan as an aid worker. My thirteen-year-old daughter wanted me to tell her a story. One of our friends had been kidnapped by the freedom fighters and she thought that would be so exciting. After I told the story she made me write it down. Then she asked me to send it to a publisher. She had the vision of walking into a bookshop and buying a book that her mother had written just for her. It took four or five years but her dream came true. And I never stopped writing.”

Thank you to everyone who came to GREAT Day and to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen, and to make it fun.  Thank you especially to Lyn Greenhalgh and the Principal and Staff of Gilgandra Public School, who organised this event, and have done so since 2005.  It brings our community together in an amazing way. .On Gilgandra Shire Library’s facebook page, much loved children’s author Jacquie Harvey recently commented “I have loved the times I've been involved in the GREAT Day in the past. It's a fabulous initiative and one that should happen all over Australia!”

 

GREAT Day this Friday 31st August- The Plan!

Design a bookmark competition

Storytime and "Behind the beautiful forevers''

Storytime

Come to the Library this Thursday, 28^th June at 10.30am to join in our monthly Storytime.  We’ll be reading a picture book classic; ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle, making some lovely butterflies and caterpillars and generally having fun.  Storytime is for babies, toddlers, under-5’s and their carers, and is free of charge.

Visit Countdown to the Very Hungry Caterpillar Day! to see a video of Eric Carle talking about this wonderful book.  You can also download Very Hungry Caterpillar wallpaper and a screensaver.  We love this story, as do people the world over. It even earned its own Google doodle!

New book

 ‘Behind the beautiful forevers’ by Katherine Boo is a new arrival at our Library.  From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, this is a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic story of families striving toward a better life in one of the twenty-first century’s great, unequal cities.  This well written, fast-paced book, based on three years of reporting, makes the impact of our age of global change human.

Annawadi is a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport, and as India starts to prosper, Annawadians are electric with hope. Abdul, a reflective and enterprising Muslim teenager, sees “a fortune beyond counting” in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Asha, a woman of formidable wit and deep scars from a childhood in rural poverty, has identified an alternate route to the middle class: political corruption. With a little luck, her sensitive, beautiful daughter—Annawadi’s “most-everything girl”—will soon become its first female college graduate. And even the poorest Annawadians, like Kalu, a fifteen-year-old scrap-metal thief, believe themselves inching closer to the good lives and good times they call “the full enjoy.”

But then Abdul the garbage sorter is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and a global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power and economic envy turn brutal. As the tenderest individual hopes intersect with the greatest global truths, the true contours of a competitive age are revealed. And so, too, are the imaginations and courage of the people of Annawadi.

With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects human beings to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century’s hidden worlds, and into the lives of people impossible to forget.  It was reviewed by Shashi Faroor of the Washington Post on 11 February, 2012, and here is part of what she had to say:

“This is an astonishing book. It is astonishing on several levels: as a worm’s-eye view of the “undercity” of one of the world’s largest metropolises; as an intensely reported, deeply felt account of the lives, hopes and fears of people traditionally excluded from literate narratives; as a story that truly hasn’t been told before, at least not about India and not by a foreigner. But most of all, it is astonishing that it exists at all.” 

To see what other books the Library has, come in and browse our shelves, or visit our website at http://www.northwesternlibrary.com.au .  We wish you good reading!

Manga Competition

During the last school holidays, the Library held a Manga Drawing competition.  Here are some of the brilliant entries we received:

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Preschool visits Library for National Simultaneous Storytime

On Wednesday 23rd May at 11am, in schools, libraries and bookshops all over the country, children were listening to a special reading of "The Very Cranky Bear" by Nick Bland.  In Gilgandra, students from Gilgandra Preschool came to the Library to hear this story, and to help the bear ROAR!

It was so much fun!  Thank you to Gilgandra Preschool teachers and students for sharing this day with us.  You made our day!

Making up our bear and cave pictures

New website, new books, and Storytime coming soon

North Western Library, of which Gilgandra is a branch, has a new website http://www.northwesternlibrary.com.au/.  This is the URL to visit if you want to download an audio book, use World Book Online, check out the catalogue, or find out how the Library works.  To find Your Tutor, click on the Branches link on the left hand side, select Gilgandra Shire Library and you will see the Your Tutor link.  If you have any difficulty navigating the new website, please contact us on 6817 8877, or by email at library@gilgandra.nsw.gov.au.

 Storytime

Storytime will be held on Thursday 24^th May at 10.30am.  We will be enjoying Nick Bland’s wonderful story “The Very Cranky Bear”.  Babies, toddlers, under-5’s and their family or carers are very welcome to join us for songs, stories and fun!   

New books

“The red beast: controlling anger in children with Asperger’s Syndrome” by K.I. Al-Ghani is a new picture book which is designed to help children understand and deal with rage.  In the introduction, the author notes that simply living through a normal day is often fraught with anxiety and frustration for some children, and that the uncontrollable outbursts of rage that can result from this often leave the children suffering from low self-esteem.  He says “It is possible to enable the child to see that anger is like a ‘beast’ that needs to be tamed.  Taming the beast can be hugely satisfying and can lead to an increase in self-esteem, not a decrease.  By teaching techniques to children when they are fully in control of their tempers, role playing these visualisation techniques frequently, and then setting up a place where children can be directed when the ‘beast’ awakens, it is possible to lessen the frequency and ferocity of anger and give control back to the children.”  The book is a simple picture book, but it is a great tool to help children begin to ‘control the beast’. 

The new 12^th edition of “The Law Handbook” has arrived.  The Law Handbook is the plain English guide to the law in NSW, providing access to law that affects people in their everyday lives.  This edition contains 43 chapters written by over 80 lawyers and legal experts with the most up-to-date information possible about the law in NSW.  Every chapter contains a comprehensive list of the organisations and websites that you need for further information or help.  To see what other books the Library has, check out the Library catalogue at our new website http://www.northwesternlibrary.com.au .  Happy reading!

Learning about writing with Colleen

The National Year of Reading Writer's workshop last Saturday 5th May was so much fun!  A happy group of writers gathered at the Library to hear Colleen O'Sullivan speak.  Colleen gave us some great ideas and we all went home with more confidence and renewed passion for writing.  Thank you, Colleen!

Writer's Workshop: Putting the Past in Print

Many of us want to write about the past: stories about ourselves to pass on to children and grandchildren, family history we have collected over the years, the history of our local community.  Colleen O'Sullivan, a Writing Fellow of the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW, will be conducting a Writer's Workshop at the Library, and welcomes anyone with an interest in writing to attend.

This session will provide you with ideas for getting your material together and writing it so that you capture your readers' interest.

When:  Saturday 5th May, 1.30-5pm

Where: Gilgandra Shire Library

Cost:  Free

Afternoon tea provided.

Bookings are essential.  To book, phone the Library 6817 8877 or email library@gilgandra.nsw.gov.au .  RSVP Thursday 3rd May.

Colleen has asked that you bring along a cup & saucer, or a mug that you value, a journal or exercise book, and a photo.

All welcome!  This is an event to celebrate the National Year of Reading 2012.

Story Time this Thursday- Annie to the rescue!

Story Time will be held at the Library this Thursday 26^th April, commencing at 10.30am.  We’ll be reading “Annie to the rescue” by Deborah Niland, and there will be rhymes, songs and craft for little hands.  Story Time is for babies, toddlers, under 5s and their parents or carers, and everyone is welcome. 

Story Time is free, but we ask you to book in so that we have enough materials ready.  You can book by phoning 6817 8877, or by emailing library@gilgandra.nsw.gov.au. 

Holiday Manga Drawing Competition

 

We hope everyone had a great Easter Holiday.  It is time to get your entries back to the Library for the Manga Drawing Competition. 

The rules are simple: 

1.    Your creation must fit on a sheet of white A4 paper (297 x 210mm). 

2.   You may want to create a story and tell it in comic strip format, or create your own manga character, drawn in pencil, crayon or pen. 

3.   The competition is open to children and young people aged up to 18 years. 

4.   A prize of a $30 gift card will be awarded to the entry judged best in each of 3 categories:  Under 10 years old, 10-14 years old, and 15-18 years. 

5.   All entries need to have the artist’s name, age, address and phone number on the back. 

6.   Entries will be laminated and displayed at the Library, and by entering this competition you give permission for this. 

7.   Entries should be handed in at the Library, and the competition closes on Friday 27^th April at 5pm.

Have fun!

Monster Story Time next Thursday

Our next Story Time session will be held on Thursday 22nd March at 10.30am. We'll be reading, singing, rhyming and maybe even signing about monsters, and we have a monstrously good craft activity organised. So come along and help us have some fun!

Story Time is held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 10.30am. It takes about 45 minutes, and is for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their families or carers. Story Time is free of charge, but we ask you to ring the Library (6817 8877) to book in, so that we have enough craft materials ready.

Summer Reading Club finale

110 young people registered for the Summer Reading Club over the last school holidays, with 60 reaching their target of 10 books. Gilgandra has some great readers! If you have not already collected your bag, we have it waiting for you at the Library. The draw for the winner of the iPod was held on the evening of Friday 24th February, and the lucky winner was Olivia Gale. Thank you to everyone for your participation in the Summer Reading Club.

Story Time

We had a great time at Story Time last Thursday 23rd February. The crazy sheep story went down well, and the craft (making cottonwool sheep) was fun. But the best bit was when young Xavier recited our second story ("Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell) with fabulous expression and his eyes shining.

Some moments are pure gold!

Story Time is held at the Library on the fourth Thursday of the month at 10.30am, and includes songs, stories, rhymes and general mischief. It is free of charge, but we ask that you book in, so we have enough materials ready.

Story Time returns! and an Australian poem a day!

Storytime this Thursday
Story Time returns this Thursday at the Library! Our first Story Time for 2012 will be held on Thursday , February 23. Come along and join us at 10.30am for stories, rhymes, activities and fun. Story Time is for babies, toddlers, under fives and their parents or carers. This week, we will be hearing about some crazy sheep, and someone who wants to sleep!

Story Time is free, but we ask that you book in so we have enough materials ready. You can book (even on Thursday morning) by phoning 68178877, or by emailing library@gilgandra.nsw.gov.au.

‘Readers’ available at the Library
Are your children learning to read? Did you know that the Library has 1071 ‘readers’? These are books that are designed for children just starting to read, with engaging stories and easy text. Our reader sets include: ABC Reading Eggs, Hopscotch, Fitzroy, Storylands, Targeting Maths Literacy, Gigglers, My first graphic novel, Tiddlers, I am reading, and many more. Our reader sets are at the best standard they have ever been; come in and take a look!

A poem a day
What better way to celebrate the National Year of Reading than by reading an Australian poem, every day? If this appeals to you, visit the website “An Australian Poem a Day” http://ozpoemaday.wordpress.com/author/ibbyaustralia/ . You can also subscribe to it, which means you will receive a poem a day on your email. What a great way to mark the National Year of Reading! So far this year, we’ve heard from Banjo Patterson, Mary Gilmore, Max Fatchen, Les Murray and many more. All the poems on this site come from “ The ABC Book of Australian Poetry: a treasury for young people” compiled by Libby Hathorn (ABC Books 2010).

We hope you enjoy your reading this week. To find more great reads, come in and browse the Library shelves, or visit http://nwls.spydus.com/ to search for a particular book.

National Year of Reading 2012

Next Tuesday, 14th February, the National Year of Reading will be launched all over Australia. Well, these days we seem to have a “Year-of” something every year, and often we have several at once. So why does the National Year of Reading matter?
The simple answer is that in the reading stakes, Australians don’t always do well. Here are the facts, from the National Year of Reading website (http://www.love2read.org.au ).
The literacy issue in Australia
According to the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, nearly half of all Australians (46%) don’t have the literacy skills they need to cope with the complex demands of everyday life and work in the emerging knowledge-based economy. (http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4228.0 )
A survey by the Australian Industry Group in May 2010 of major employers found that more than 75% felt their businesses were affected by low levels of literacy and numeracy in the workforce. (http://www.aigroup.com.au/portal/site/aig/education/workforceliteracy/ )
Families who read give their children the best start
The most active period of brain growth and development is from birth to three and it is widely recognised that sharing books with young children before they go to school greatly improves their chances of developing good literacy skills. http://www.bookstart.org.uk/professionals/aboutbookstart-and-the-packs/research/reviews-and-resources/sharies-stories/
Fixing the problem
The National Year of Reading is about turning Australia into a nation of readers. There are three goals:

• For all Australians to understand the benefits of reading as a life skill and a catalyst for well-being
  


• To promote a reading culture in every home


• To establish an aspirational goal for families, of parents and caregivers sharing books with their children every day

There will be lots of reading events this year, at a National level, and also here in Gilgandra. On Tuesday 14th February (aka Library Lovers Day), the major Launch will take place at the National Library in Canberra. Here in Gilgandra, we’ll have copies of “Good Reading” magazine to give away to the first 30 library customers, free tea and coffee, lots of great reading material, and chocolate! We’ll also be asking customers to nominate their most loved books and authors, and we’ll be using this information to create a list of Gilgandra’s top reads.

What would you like to read this week? To see what books the Library has, call in and browse the shelves, or check out the library catalogue at http://nwls.spydus.com .

Sea Eagles read!

Next Tuesday 7th February at 2pm, come to the Library to hear about what Sea Eagles read! Young players from Manly-Warringah are coming to the Library to meet people and promote reading.

The Sea Eagles have a great program called 'Sea Eagles Reads' http://www.seaeagles.com.au/default.aspx?s=community-sea-eagles-read where First Grade Rugby League players act as mentors and tutors in weekly reading sessions in primary Schools. Players are identified as Reading Captains and are matched to one class of students for a term where they bring a new surprise player each week and participate in reading sessions, reading activities, promote reading, set challenges and answer questions about their own reading habits.

We are very grateful for this wonderful opportunity to hear the Sea Eagles talk about the importance of reading. These young men are great role models for our community.

Summer Reading Club winds up!

A proud Summer Reading Club participant receives her goody bag; a reward for completing her challenge of reading 10 books over the holidays!

If you have been participating in the Library’s Summer Reading Club, now is the time to ensure that you have filled in your reading log form, and returned it to the Library. The Summer Reading Club for children and young people, which challenged them to read 10 books over the school holidays, finishes on Monday 6th February.

We encourage everyone to bring their completed reading records back to the Library, so that they can collect their small gift and also go into the draw to win an iPod touch. Reading record sheets will be accepted up until Friday 24th February, with the draw to take place after that.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Summer Reading Club this year. We have had over 105 registrations, which is a wonderful effort. We hope you all enjoyed your reading.

Download an audiobook from the Library webpage

Happy New Year! Here is a little new year surprise from the Library...

Audiobooks, or “talking books” are very popular. We currently have 157 CD audiobooks at the Library, which can be borrowed by any library member. Now we are very pleased to announce the addition of downloadable audiobooks, available from our library website. 250 titles are available, including books for adults and for children, fiction and some nonfiction. To see what is available, visit our website http://nwls.spydus.com and click on the green box on the right hand side of the page “Click and Listen”.

These audiobooks are provided via Bolinda digital, and consist mostly of books by Australian authors, including Tim Winton, Di Morrissey, Matthew Reilly, Geraldine Brooks, Robert G. Barrett, Kerry Greenwood, Peter Fitzsimons, and many more.

To download these audiobooks, you will need to have a current library membership card. Library membership is available to all residents of Gilgandra Shire, and is free of charge. To find out how to join the Library, phone 68178877, or call in at the Library, bringing some form of ID with you. For children (under 18yrs), a parent or guardian will need to sign a permission form.

In addition to your membership card, you will need a PIN. If you don’t already have one, please call the library, and we will create one for you. You will need to log in to the library website, using your library card number (your ID) and your PIN. When you first borrow an audiobook download, you will be asked to give an email address. This email address will be used to notify you when your 2 week audiobook loan has expired, and you will be asked to delete the file from your computer, mp3 player or iPod.

e-Audiobook loans are free, as are all other loans from the Library. As audiobook files are large (250 MB or more), audiobook downloads can take a long time; at least one hour. For this reason, you can choose to download the book in several parts. We have a handy information sheet to help you download the file, unzip it and load it onto your portable media device.

We hope you enjoy whatever you are reading this week, especially if it’s an audiobook!