Dare to Explore - coming to a library near you

Auckland Libraries Summer Reading Adventure

10 December 2012 - 25 January 2013

FREE for Auckland kids aged 5 - 13
It’s back! Sign up for Dare to Explore at your local library from Monday 10 December and get reading.
The Auckland Libraries Summer Reading Adventure runs throughout the whole summer holidays, and you can finish as many challenges as you want.
Take part in new Dare to Explore challenges and library activities, meet some new friends and come to the PARTY! Do activities at home, on holiday, at the library, on the internet and with friends.
Not a member of Auckland Libraries? It's easy to join - simply go online or speak to a librarian to sign up.

A gentle nudge

We have our annual library stock-take coming up, so please kindly return all your books by the end of this week. Many thanks.

Library displays

Who is looking forward to the Red Room being a library again in the near future? I am. We can have so much fun exploring the world of books and so much more. 

It would be wonderful to get you children involved in creating some wonderfully unique, creative displays ... Check out what these high school children in Melbourne have created ...

http://melbhslibrary.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/students-display-talent-and-creativity/

Celebrate Summer Reading!

Check out the events page for information on our school, Auckland Library and National Library summer reading programmes ... to help prevent the "summer slide" ...

Thanks for the names for our virtual cat. Please keep them coming (as comments) and when we have a few purrrdy good ones we will get a blog poll going so that you can vote for the purrrrfect name. Cheers.

Library-on-wheels

The Library-on-wheels has been visiting classrooms during their library times on a regular basis, rain or shine thanks to the dedicated library monitors. Thank-you to Selena and Room 1 for painting the trolley with such vibrant designs. Look out for the New Books box ... some fabulous books will be rolling your way!

Woodlands Park Hall of Fame 2012

Well I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. Did you climb a mountain (or a rock-climbing wall), play a musical instrument on stage (or in your bedroom), dance, write a novel (or your journal), make a movie (or film your little sister feeding ice-cream to the cat) ... invent something, build something, reach "the zone" in a sporting moment...? The point is, you are all creative, talented, bright, young stars and every child at Woodlands Park deserves to be in the school hall of fame. You are future teachers, leaders, inventors, healers, musicians, scientists ... 

Inspired by the book, New Zealand Hall of Fame (available in the school library), we initiated a school Hall of Fame and you (Woodlands Park children) nominated worthy nominees, while teachers also put names forward. The group of children chosen this year are all wonderfully talented and are a part of a broader pool of talent that lies withing in every child.

Selena and Room 1 created a colourful array of 'gilded' frames for the photos and put together this display in the hall, while presenting the awards in their class assembly. Well done Selena and well done to our 2012 Hall of Fame! 
Kate

Wanted: A feline name that's right up our alley.

Our lively library blog cat is hoping you'll find a name that is right up his/her alley. We're looking for the cat's whiskers, something that will tickle our kitty's fancy. Please leave your suggestions as comments below. They will come to our library email and we'll check them and then publish them. Once we've narrowed it down to a handful of names, we will post a poll on the blog, so that you can come online and vote! 

Purrrrrfect!

Woodlands Park Hall of Fame

Just when you thought I'd forgotten all about it, I've actually been quietly checking if your nominees really are outstanding. And ... next Friday we will have our first assembly to announce the successful nominees. As this will be a special assembly, please wear something ... special or bring something nice ... or sparkly ... or fancy to put on at lunchtime so it won't get wrecked or muddy. Parents, whanau as always are most welcome to attend. Selena.

Bits and bobs

Scholastic Book Fair

Firstly, thank-you to the community for supporting the Scholastic Book fair. We got to choose books for the library to the value of over $1000. Actually, we let the children choose, and how well they did. Thank-you to the following parents who helped out: Samantha, Charlotte, Bernadette (Parent & Teacher), Sarah and Helen. We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks to Selena for staying up late making beautiful flowers that transformed the hall into a tropical island.

Trolly on wheels

We have loaded the library software onto computers in all sixteen classrooms and a group of library monitors are doing a FABULOUS job of making sure the trolly is stocked with age appropriate books. They trundle over to the classrooms and trundle back again afterwards, in shifts, and seem to love the responsibility. Thanks to the teachers for embracing this - all in the name of reading.

Storylines free family day

Check out the events page on the school website, or www.storylines.org.nz for information about this fun family day.

Storylines are also running a writing competition. Create your entry in the Competition Zone at the Family Day or write your story or draw a new book cover in advance. Entries close at 1.30 pm and the prizegiving will be at 2.30. Go to www.storylines.org.nz for more details. Go for it guys!

Library on wheels

Great news to all those who have been having a quiet grizzle about the library being closed once again.   We have had a brilliant brainwave!  One that turns our library into a portable library. That’s right – a library on wheels, trolley wheels to be exact.  

From this week on classes will have the library brought to them. (Just a somewhat smaller version of the real thing.)   They will be able to borrow books from the comfort of their class without having to travel out in the rain!  Books can be returned to the big red box in the office anytime children like, but most definitely before or on the morning of their next day of borrowing.  Find out from your child what day their borrowing on wheels day is over the next week or so.

Scholastic Book Fair

You are invited to wander down to the annual Scholastic Book Fair in the school hall. It runs concurrently with the parent interviews for your convenience. Last year we earned a commission of $1000 of new books for the school library, which were handpicked by school children for the library, thanks to the support of whanau and community.

Dates & times:

1st August: 8.30 - 9.30 am. and 3.15 - 5.50 pm.

2nd August: 8.30 - 9.30 am. and 2.15 - 5.50 pm.

Parent helpers are needed to make this event a success. Please contact Kate in the office to put your name down. This event can't run without your help, which is greatly appreciated.

Congratulations! 500 points!

Congratulations to the girls in these pics who both reached 500 points at the end of Term two! Library monitors got 15 points for helping out at lunchtime and arriving on time, or ten if they helped out but were late. When monitors reached 150 points they received a prize (usually a book or a small toy) and at 300 they got a second prize. At 500 points they were promised a special mention on the blog! Here is a pick of two of our outstanding monitors who reached the big five double zero! Well done girls!

Wrapping up Term 2

Thank-you to all the library monitors who have worked tirelessly returning and shelving books, tidying and dusting shelves and more, all with such friendly smiles and helpful approaches! We could not do it without you.

We are wrapping up a busy term in the library. We had a visit from local Titirangi children's author Janet Martin and The Jampots (see the previous post). We have celebrated the New Zealand Post Children's Book awards with themed weeks, including The Cat's Pyjamas, Stomp! and the New Zealand Hall of Fame. Thanks for nominating spectacular people for your Woodlands Park Hall of Fame. We will announce the winners next term.

Last week we read snippets from the Flytrap Snaps (see the book review posted earlier) and children were given carte blanche to create "genetically modified monsters", flies, Venus flytraps gone wrong and the like, using recyclable materials and to colour in pictures of the humorous flytrap from the story.  

They had a monstrous time setting up the "monster photo shoot". All in all, it was good lunch time fun.

Next term the library will become the Red Room, a new entrant class. Please see the newsletter dated 26th June 2012 for more details on this.

So, to wrap up the term, we need to collect all the library books ...

Thanks very much and we look forward to more library fun down the line.

Children's Picture Books by Janet Martin

Book Songs 1 - Children's Picture Books by Janet Martin

Earlier in the term, we had a delightful visit from local children's author, Janet Martin and her band, The Jampots. Janet has written a multitude of lovable rhyming books and songs about native New Zealand birds, including "Joe the Kakapo", "Louie the Tui", "Abigail Fantail" and many more. The children thoroughly enjoyed her visit and love her books. Thank-you Janet & The Jampots!

Sharing a book review

Book review: The Flytrap Snaps by Johanna Knox

Posted on May 1, 2012 by booksellersnz

This book is in bookshops now and is a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

The Fly Papers – Book one The Flytrap Snaps is quite a snappy read. Fast-paced and hilarious (and I do not use this word lightly) it has all the ingredients a book for this age group (8-12) should have: courageous kids, an unscrupulous villain and incompetent parents. This book also has an added layer of satire.

I especially liked the setting. All the action is taking place in the town of Filmington, formerly Flemington, now favoured by the movie industry. Priceless.

The main character Spencer Fogle is someone a 10-year-old might be able to identify with: caring, insecure and resourceful. Dion, the genetically modified venus flytrap with ambitions to become a celebrity is as crazy as befits its species. The villain appears aptly evil, complete with numbskull sidekicks, spending almost the entire book trying to snatch Dion back off Spencer. Will they succeed? Not a dull moment in sight.

The book finds a perfect balance between adventure and the absurd. Good fun. A worthy finalist. I’m so glad this is only part one. I am thoroughly looking forward to part two due out later this year.

Reviewed by Melanie Wittwer

The Fly Papers – Book one The Flytrap Snaps by Johanna Knox, illustrated by Sabrina Malcolm
Published by Hinterlands Press
ISBN  9780473179960

Lunch times in the library

Celebrating New Zealand Children's Book Awards finalists.

The library is always a hub of quiet activity at lunchtimes. Recently we read "The Cat's Pyjamas" and children designed their own unique pyjamas for Cat, including rocket pyjamas, horsey PJs, heart jim jams, etc.

Last week in celebration of the New Zealand Children's Book Awards finalist, "Stomp!", we had a dinosaur theme in the library and lunchtime visitors were asked to create a dinosaur land. They were given a big piece of cardboard, green tissue paper, egg cartons, dinosaurs for colouring in, crayons, scissors and glue and told to let their creative juices flow. With a great deal of fun, teamwork and imagination, they created a dinosaur land that any prehistoric creature would happily call home. Enjoy the pics.

  

Meet our library monitors

We have more than eighty library monitors to help this term! That works out to around seven or eight a week. Lunch time is always a hive of busy activity, where you will find library monitors shelving books, tidying and dusting shelves, watering plants, returning and issuing books with a smile on their faces. On Fridays, a couple of monitors are given the exciting job of choosing new books from the cupboard for display.

Thank-you to all the monitors for doing a superb job of making the library a warm and welcoming place, where books are easy to find and where there is always someone available to sit in a cosy corner and read a story or help to find that extra special book for children big and not-so-big.

 

 

A warm Woodlands Park welcome!

Welcome to the new Woodlands Park School library blog! We want this to be a welcoming space where you can get sneak previews of new books, read book reviews written by library monitors and avid readers, be informed about up-and-coming library happenings - like the Scholastic Book Fair, visiting authors and illustrators, library quizzes, dress-up-days, storytimes and more.

We have recently purchased a delightful selection of new picture books and sophisticated picture books. Here are a few title covers to capture your imagination  ...

NEW BOOKS COMING SOON!




This is a story about three elephants put to death at the
Tokyo zoo during the war.  It is a sad, but true story
that lets you know about the grief and fear that war produces.

When Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving
his brother Bob in charge, Duck makes trouble
by changing all his instructions to notes
the animals like much better.

This is a simple story, about a small creature
who does his best to join in with the others. But he's different.
No matter how he tries, he just doesn't belong.
Then Something turns up and wants to be friends.
But Something Else isn't sure he's like him at all...

This is a story of fourteen orphan children going West,
dreaming of a better life.  The Orphan Train itself is real:
the route it takes and the place names are fictional.

There was once only the sound of bees and the wind in the wiry grass,
the low murmuring of moles in the cool dark earth.
The Varmints come and build their city where once was wilderness.
Before they realize what they have done, there is nothing but a huge dark city.
But one small person has saved a small patch of green and sees
that a few others have done the same. Is this the beginning...

Sitting in the crowded hull, with her mother's arms around her,
Ziba remembers all that she has left behind.
They hope to find peace and safety in a new land,
but where will their journey end,
and what will they find when they arrive?