Great new mystery series recommended by a teen reader

Gilgandra Library is fortunate to have some great teenage customers, and some of these keen readers have been helping us out by writing some terrific book reviews for us. Here is our latest review, prepared by Catherine, in which she reviews a book she has particularly enjoyed.

Private ~ Kate Brian

Private, written by the ever capable Kate Brian, tells the story of fifteen year old girl Reed Brennan who finds herself in one of the most prestigious schools in the country, after winning a scholarship away from her dreary life in Pennsylvania. But the instant she steps on campus, she is choked with realization that she is way out of her depth. Everyone here is prominent with intelligence, sophistication not to mention rolling in money like a casino.

And when she thinks she has no chance of fitting in, she meets the Billings Girls.

They are beyond the most gorgeous, modernized and intellectual women Reed has ever laid eyes on and she is determined to become one of them. Their superiority radiates around campus like an atomic bomb, and everyone treats them like goddesses instead of students.

And then there’s Thomas. The handsome taunting unfathomable Thomas Pearson has Reed wrapped around his finger, and she knows it. Can she manage to become a Billings girl, at the same time juggle every aspect of her life without losing herself?

The Private series has been written with flair and the unexpected twists as well as inexplicable personalities leave you in the dark wanting more action. My recommendation to anyone who loves a good high school drama/mystery is read Private. Because you will never believe what happens next…

Read more on the Private Series website.

Library Lovers and e-democracy

The Library celebrated Library Lover’s Day on 13th - 14th February. This is when we celebrate the great resources provided by all kinds of libraries around Australia. In Gilgandra, the library offered borrowers the opportunity to take a “blind date with a book”. “Blind date with a book” means that a selection of books are wrapped in plain brown paper, with a personal advertisement attached to the front, giving prospective borrowers a hint of what the book is about.
For example: “Warrior-turned monk seeks history buff interested in the daily life of a 12-century monastery – which can be far from peaceful, full of mayhem and murder! May lead to further dates, as there are sequels!” Can you guess which novel this is? If so, post your guess as a comment below or call in to the library to see if you are right!

There is an interesting new program on Radio National called Future Tense, presented by Antony Funnell. Recently, he mentioned some useful websites. Open Australia is a search tool by which you can find what any Federal politicians have been saying lately on a particular issue, or what a particular politician has been saying recently. This information is already available on the web, but is not always so easily found. You can even request an update email whenever your chosen politician has spoken in parliament, or whenever a particular issue has been mentioned in parliament.
Another interesting website discussed on Future Tense was Democracy for sale . This site takes information about political donations and then categorises it so that you can very easily see which industries and organisations are donating to which political parties. This information is already publicly available from sites such as the Australian Electoral Commission, but Democracy for sale presents it in a more accessible manner.
To see the transcript of this edition of “Future Tense” or listen to the program, visit the website and click on the program “e-Australia”.

Two special "Days" this week!

Tuesday 10th February is Safer Internet Day, a day when the whole world looks at the issue of making the internet safer for children and young people. In 2008 over 120 organisations in 56 countries took part in Safer Internet Day celebrations, organising local, national and international events ranging from safety sessions in schools and competitions for young people to public meetings and conferences.

In 2009, the event will concentrate on two themes: social networking and cyberbullying. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has organised a number of events, including the NSW launch of Cybersmart Detectives. Cybersmart Detectives is an innovative online game that teaches children key internet safety messages in a safe environment. It is run as a school activity for upper primary students, and schools can register to participate at http://cybersmart.engagelive.net/default.aspx#register.
The Cybersmart site has a downloadable pdf of cyber rules, which give some very practical guidelines for kids on what to do (and what not to do!) online to be safe: http://www.cybersmartkids.com.au/docs/cyberrules.pdf. Or call in to the Library any day this week to pick up a free laminated copy of these rules. Stick it on the wall next to your computer, and use it to start a conversation with your kids about how to be safe online. The Library also has some copies of booklet called “Cybersmart guide for families” to give away, or you can download it at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311009.

And finally, this week the Library will be celebrating Library Lover’s Day. On Friday 13th February we will have our urn on all day, so we invite you to come on in, escape the heat, have a cuppa, and find something good to read!

Summer Reading Club winds up/ some new books

Over the school holidays, 70 Gilgandra children and teenagers took up the Summer Reading Club challenge. Each person had a goal of either five or ten books to read before 31st January, knowing that when they reached their target, they could collect a small surprise gift from the Library. So far, 33 young people have collected their gift; a library bag containing a few small treats. The Library would like to congratulate everyone and we hope they enjoyed their reading.

The Library recently received “The Autism sourcebook: everything you need to know about diagnosis, treatment, coping and healing” by Karen Siff Exkorn. In this book, the author provides a moving account of her own experiences as a mother of a child with autism. In the foreword to the book Fred R. Volkmar from the Yale University Child Study Center states that this book is an invaluable resource for parents who want basic, comprehensive information about what treatments are available.

Another recent arrival is “Look me in the eye: my life with Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison. Robison is the brother of Augusten Burroughs, author of “Running with scissors”, and like Burroughs, he had a very difficult home life. On top of that, he grew up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t even exist. Robison has written a moving and blackly funny story, which gives us insight into the experience of living with Asperger’s syndrome.

"North Child"- book review by a teen reader

“North Child” by Edith Pattou follows the life of an ordinary girl call Rose, who was born into a family with a superstitious mother, thus being called Ebba Rose after the East point of the compass. The story recounts Rose’s life growing up, with Rose being an adventurous child who only sat still to do weaving and sewing. As time goes on, her family becomes poorer and one of Rose’s sisters falls ill. So when an enormous white bear shows up on their doorstep promising an improvement in the family’s fortune and her sister’s health, Rose agrees to go with the bear, who takes her to a castle buried in the side of a mountain. Life is good for Rose, who except for suffering from home sickness, is well looked after. Like most other fairy tales, this one also contains a curse to overcome, so when Rose makes a mistake, will she be able to break the curse and win her prince? Based on the Norwegian tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” this tales also loosely relates to the story of “Beauty and the Beast”, and will leave you wanting more.

Two kinds of crimes

This week, the Library received the latest Patricia Cornwell novel “Scarpetta”. Leaving behind her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes up an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured patient in a psychiatric ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk- and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard.

Patricia Cornwell’s first published novel was Post Mortem, which also featured Dr Kay Scarpetta, and appeared in 1991. Over the years, some elements of the style of the Scarpetta novels have changed; from past to present tense and from first to third person. The character has changed too.

It is believed that these novels, which include a lot of forensic detail, influenced the development of a “forensic” genre of novels and television series, which has been very popular over the last ten years. In the USA, “Scarpetta” has been promoted as a “celebration of the entire series”. It will be interesting to hear what Gilgandra readers think of this book.

Another new arrival is “Portobello” by Ruth Rendell. Set in the area of West London of that name, this is the story of Eugene Wren. On a shopping trip one day, Eugene came across an envelope containing money. He picked it up. Rather than report the matter to the police, he wrote a note and stuck it up on a lamp post near his house.

“Found in Chepstow Villas, a sum of money between eighty and a hundred and sixty pounds. Anyone who has lost such a sum should apply to the phone number below.”

The note links the lives of a number of very different people. Around them all, the hectic life of Portobello bustles on, and the different characters lives are eventually found to be linked in other ways.
In a review for the London Sunday Times, Lucy Atkins said “The suspicion that these ways will be sinister (this is after all a novel by Ruth Rendell) is what hooks the reader. Far more than any extraordinary events, it is this narrative tension that keeps you turning the pages. Setting out her cast with absolute conviction, Rendell unrolls their lives at a stately, ominous pace.”

Both Cornwell and Rendell have been popular authors in Gilgandra for many years. Both have inevitably changed and developed different interests and styles. I wonder whether these latest novels will be enjoyed by readers who loved their earlier work.