Upcoming Book Events

Check out these book events at Dymocks Doncaster and the Abbotsford Convent in the coming weeks. These events are a great opportunity to meet popular and favourite authors and illustrators.

 

Meet author Jacqueline Harvey in store Dymock’s Doncaster, Sunday 28 September at 1.30. Jacqueline is the author of the extremely popular Alice-Miranda series and Clementine Rose series. Jacqueline will be speaking about her writing and signing books. For further details visit www.dymocks.com.au and click on the link to the events page.  

  

 

Meet the very successful UK author of the popular Skulduggery Pleasant series, Derek Landy in store at Dymocks Doncaster, Monday 6 October , 4pm. A great opportunity to meet and internationally successful author. Many of our students enjoy this series.

 

Attend the Pop-Up Kids Book Festival, Abbotsford Convent (opposite Collingwood Childrens'

 

 farm) on Sunday October 12th, 9.30am - 5.00pm . A great opportunity to meet such popular authors as Sally Rippin (Billie B Brown, Our Australian Girl) , Andy Griffiths (Treehouse series, Just series and too many more to mention) , internationally renowned illustrator Graeme Base and the always entertaining illustrator Terry Denton and others.  Visit www.kidsbookshop.com.au to view all the program details.

I hope many of you who enjoy these authors and illustrators will get along to these events. Should be fun and quite rewarding.

New books

Hi everyone, I hope you watched the first episode of Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures on Sunday morning. (Channel 11, 11.00am). I did. It was rather funny. Sam is one of those characters who things just happen to. No wonder they call him a danger magnet. I'll be watching next Sunday to see what danger he faces next week.

NEW BOOKS

I have had so much fun buying new books for our library - most bought with funds raised from the Book Fair last term.  New books are usually displayed on the book stands so make sure you have a good look for them the next time you are in the library. Take a look at a sample of them here...

Extreme Adventures - an family fun : Coming to Channel Ten

During the holidays, a terrific new children's show will be coming to our television screens. Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures is a live- action filmed television show based on the hugely successful Australian children's books Extreme Adventures by Justin D'Ath. The first 3 episodes are Shark Bait, Grizzly Trap and Devil  Danger.

The 26 episode series was filmed in South Australia and will be shown in Australia  and around the world. Each episode is 30 minutes of action, fun,  adventure and humor.  A trailer for the TV show can be found on You Tube - Extreme Adventures series trailer.

Film - book connections are a great way to get your child reading.  So, watch out for the first episode (I think it is 6th or 7th July) .

Remembering the Australian Light Horse Regiment in story

Over the past few weeks several new books have made their way onto the library shelves. Two books that I would like to highlight this week are Loyal Creatures by Morris Gleitzman and Light Horse Boy by Dianne Wolfer. Both books are historical fiction, based on the Australian Light Horse Regiment in World War 1. 

Both books are based on history - set in a real war and inspired by real events in Australian and world history. Consequently,  the tales in the books share many similarities. Both books tell the tale of young Australian boys, in one case a 17 year old and in the other a 15 year old boy, lying about their age to volunteer for World War 1. They both explain how going to war was seen as a great adventure, a way to see the world, even a way to get the girls! Those who stayed home rather than go to war were seen as cowards. However, neither characters have any idea of what is in store.

The characters in both books join the Light Horse Regiment and the stories describe their long journey from Australia to Egypt, the uncomfortable conditions for both the soldiers and their horses and the tragic events along the way.   The events that unfold on the battlefields and  the bravery of our soldiers is so well captured in each book. Naturally there are some extremely sad moments in each book, and it is almost impossible to read these books without shedding a tear. However, there are also many examples of bravery by our young soldiers in atrocious conditions and even some light hearted moments that bring a smile to your face.

Light Horse Boy is particularly fascinating as the story is not only told in the regular storytelling style, it is also told via letters and telegrams written between the main character Jim and his sister back home, Alice - some on postcards some on writing paper and others on torn pieces of scrap paper. There are real photographs providing realistic scenes of the experience of the war. To add even more visual interest are stunning charcoal sketches. As soon as I saw the book I knew I had to read it. It is also shortlisted this year in the CBCA Book of the Year awards.

For those of you who have read the "Once" series by Morris (Once, Then, Now and After), set in Germany in WW2, you will certainly enjoy Loyal Creatures.  However, don't expect to get through the book without shedding a tear! (I cried with each of the books in the Once series! )

 Jim is 15 and he volunteers to go to war with his horse Daisy. Of course he too lies about his age but has the support of his dad who volunteers with him. The reason they join the war is quite heart wrenching. They too travel by boat to Egypt - a journey far from pleasant. The bond between a boy and his horse is a main feature of the story (Think War Horse) . In typical Gleitzman style, Loyal Creatures is beautifully but simply written.

Morris hopes his story will inspire young readers to find out more about the Australian Light Horse and discover the wonderful stories of real troopers and real horses.

With the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli being commemorated next year many, many books are being published to help children understand the significance of this event in our history. These two books are suitable for our older students and are a great way for them to gain insight into Australia's contribution to World War 1.   Although dealing with the topic of war, both books about our real Australian heroes and celebrate their bravery.  Light Horse Boy and Loyal Creatures are a MUST read. They will also be enjoyed by adults too. 

CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

A few weeks ago, the Children's Book Council of Australia announced its shortlists for the CBCA Book of the Year awards. CBCA judges from each state of Australia read a year's worth of books and must decide on an agreed shortlist of 6 books for each category. The winners are announced at the start of Book Week celebrations. This year the winders will be announced on Friday 15th August at noon. I have recently purchased any picture books or books for younger readers and early childhood that we do not have in our library and they should arrive soon.

My favourite is Silver Buttons by Bob Graham. As soon as I saw it last year I knew it was going to be shortlisted. It is a cleverly written, illustrated and crafted picture book and is a fine example of the true meaning of a picture book. It may at first appear to be a simple tale, visually suited to very young children yet it takes a more sophisticated reader to understand what is actually going on - and like all good picture books, takes many readings and viewings to  really appreciate the story and the cleverness behind the book. Keep an eye out for that one.

For a full list of shortlisted books visit http://cbca.org.au/awards.htm

Children's Book Festival March 2014

View of the Reading Room

Last Sunday I went along to the Children's Book Festival at the State Library. It was absolutely fantastic! There were so many fun things to do and it was all FREE. There so many families there enjoying the day, participating in the many activities, meeting authors and illustrators, watching performances, creating and walking through the Sticky Maze and enjoying the roving performers. Queues  of people waiting to get their books signed by Andy Griffiths, Sally Rippin, John Marsden, Terry Denton and others stretched from the library steps to Swanston Street. These Australian children's authors are  recognized and idolized as rock stars!

A huge array of fun activities were spread in the rooms of the State Library, even in the gallery rooms where the walls were covered in original historical paintings and surrounded by statues.  Children were playing with Lego, creating headbands, and writing stories in the normally silent Dome Reading room - side be side with teenagers and adults reading and studying.  Hundreds and hundreds of people explored the State Library, a building which is always open to the general public and is a must see on your next visit to the city.

 

The State Library has planned many initiatives to bring families into the library, so that is not seen as a place just for university students, scholars or 'professionals'. There are always free school holiday programs and families are encouraged to come in and have a wander around the glorious building. Of particular interest is the Dromkeen exhibition of original artworks from Australian picture books. In the levels surrounding the Dome Reading Room there is a fabulous history of our state in artworks and writing. You can even see Ned Kelly's actual armor. It is a sight to see, as well as the views looking up to the domed roof and down to the Reading Room below.

 

I encourage all families to visit the State Library the next time you are in the city and to watch out for next year's Children's Book Festival. You won't be disappointed.  Enjoy my photos. ( I haven't quite worked out how to organize photos on a blog so they are a bit out of order!

Denise

 

 

 

Making Where the Wild Things Are headbands in the Dome Reading Room while people are studying



 

 

Dromkeen sculpture of mythical creatures and book characters. Can you see Hush from Possum Magic?



Ned Kelly's armor at the State Library 

Entrance to the Sticky maze

Inside the Sticky Maze. This was rather special.

 

Andy Griffiths and Sally Rippin sign books for their fans

  

 

 

 

 

What would Sir Redmond Barry think having all of these people in his forecourt?

 

The Dromkeen sculpture of The  Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek statue from the book of the same name by
Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks

State Library Swanston Street

 





Original picture book artworks from the Dromkeen Collection



Forecourt of the State Library


Dromkeen exhibition



 

 

Library News

Welcome to my very first library blog, in fact my first ever blogging experience!. Here you will be able to read about new library books, book recommendations, fun facts about authors and illustrators, links to websites, videos or book trailers and much, much more.

Two great new series that we have in our library are the first two books in the Do You Dare? and Lost World Circus series. Last week I was lucky enough to hear the authors of these books talk about their writing and research processes for the creation of their books.

Here is publisher Jane Godwin talking to the authors of the Do You Dare? series - Alison Lloyd, Sofie Laguna, Simon Mitchell and James Moloney.

Do You Dare? (Suggested age group - Grade 4 +)
These great new books are set in specific years in Australia's history and bring our history alive. rather than just retelling historical facts, the  historical events of the time become the backdrop or setting for the stories. Each story has a central group, mostly boys, who surprisingly have much in common with children of today and of course there is loads of action. the characters rely on each other, help each other out, take plenty of risks and do everything they can to 'save the day.' My favourite of the first two is 1931, The Bushranger Boys.

 
The other new series is Lost World Circus by Justin D'Ath, author of the Extreme Adventures and Mission Fox series. Here's Justin!

The Last Elephant and The Singing Ape are the first two books in this sequential series - you must read them in order. The publisher's blurb reads: "Colt lawless is on the run, suddenly famous and more than a little superhuman. Can he save the last animals on Earth?"(Suggested age group - Grade 3 +)

                              

Set in the future, 12 years from now, rat flu has wiped out almost every animal and bird on the planet. The creatures in captain Noah's famous Lost World Circus are the last of their kind. But the rat cops are determined to shut down the circus. Colt and his acrobat friend Birdy might be the only ones who can save it. But first they must save Lucy - the world's LAST ELEPHANT. Again, these books are full of action, and mystery. And as well as being great adventure stories they also remind us of the need to protect our endangered animals. For more news about this great series and for information about Justin and his other books visit www.justindath.com

And for those fans of Justin's Extreme Adventures series, they have been made into a TV show for Channel Ten, screening from July 6th this year. We saw a film clip and the shows are full of action and lots of humor The show will be called Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures  Watch Sam as he tackles extreme terrain and ferocious predators. The first three books (episodes) have been collated into a new book .... and we have that in the library too!

 I hope you enjoyed this first library blog... If there are some teething problems I'll be sure to  too fix them next time.
Thank to Ms Harris and Mrs Carroll for their help and advice.
Denise Pilinis