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.