New Zealand Book Month

"New Zealand Book Month is a non-profit initiative promoting books and reading – and as a result, literacy – in New Zealand. One month each year we celebrate books and encourage all Kiwis to get involved." www.nzbookmonth.co.nz

Go to www.nzbookmonth.co.nz to download a (PDF) voucher that you can use to take $5-off a book valued at $10 or more. You can also find out which booksellers will redeem your voucher at this website. We also sent home vouchers, so check your child's bag.

There is also an incredible line up of children's events at libraries and other venues around the country - an opportunity to meet authors like Sandra Morris, the author of the children's book "Sensational survivors : an illustrated guide to New Zealand's remarkable wildlife" (which we have in our library) and Tanya Batt whom I had the pleasure of meeting in her shop in Waiheke. Tanya will tell stories and present her latest books - 'My Dad's a Dragon Catcher' and 'Catching Fish' at Glenfield Library on 27th March. There are many different dates, authors and venues, so I highly recommend checking out the events calendar on the NZ book month website.

Books change lives.

New books, coming soon.

We are processing some exciting new books which will be available to read soon, including: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel", a couple of hilarious David Walliams books (eg. Ratburger), a few super exciting Bear Grylls fiction adventures, a handful of EJ12 Girl Hero books, a new "Horribly Famous" book about Roald Dahl as well as "Roald Dahl's Marvellous Joke Book", "The Big Book of Boy Stuff", a couple of brand new Thea Stiltons, Lemony Snicket's "All the Wrong Questions" and Michael Morpurgo's new, "Mr Skip" which is sure to hook in plenty of new fans. We have a hoard of Beast Quest books, Anthony Horrowitz and more more more... 

  

Introducing Puss-in-books ...

Thanks for voting! We had 120 votes (some from afar). Puss-in-books was the overall winner with 55% of the votes, followed by Matariki with 41%. Over to our feline friend:

Hi there, Puss-in-books is my name

Pawing your mouse is my game

Hope you’ll visit often

My nature may soften

when you stroke my snowy fur,

I begin to loudly PURR!

Kitty needs a name

Thank-you for making online suggestions for our library blog cat's name.  One of them was Matariki, because "the cat is black like the night sky and has a white chest, a big star!" Or there is Maggie, named after the well loved New Zealand author, Margaret Mahy who sadly passed away on 23 July 2012. Puss-in-books is meeoowrific name too.

Now we need you to vote for a name, because kitty wants to be nameless no more. Simply select the name you like on our poll (to the right of this post), or - if you have had a brainwave and want to suggest something different, please tick 'other' and then post your suggested name as a comment beneath this post. The closing date is Friday 22nd February, so get voting!

What books are just right for the young reader?

Hi all. I hope you all had a good holiday. What did you read? I would love to hear all about the books you read this summer.


For parents and teachers, here is a link to an interesting debate on what books are just right for the young reader. I read books like "Animal farm", "Lord of the flies", "Diary of Anne Frank", "Of Mice & Men", "I am David", etc when I was about twelve. My mother was studying English literature and she would pass her books on to me. I can't say that I was damaged by reading books above my emotional and cognitive level, but it would have been way more fun reading The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, etc. Some of the writers in this debate make interesting points about finding books that children will not only understand, but enjoy when they are at the right developmental stage. What do you think?



http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/26/what-books-are-just-right-for-the-young-reader/what-middle-school-students-need-to-read

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.