Come along to Johnsonville Library to hear Ben Spies talk about his journey to becoming an author at the age of 9 years. Then have a 
go at creating your own book with help and tips from Ben.
Ben’s session will be on Saturday 10th February starting at 1pm.
Love writing and making Zines? Enjoy storytimes and want to meet some of your favourite authors and illustrators? How about learning to make Ginomee hats or paper bag dogs? These are just some of the 30+ free events that are going to be on offer at the BIG BOOK BASH! With so much cool stuff on offer your day will be jam packed but don’t forget to come along to the Wellington City Library stand and pick up a Scavenger Hunt entry form so you can go into the draw to win a bag filled with BOOKS! Be prepared for a feast of books and a fabulous array of authors, illustrators and activities at the BIG BOOK BASH, Saturday 2nd December in Carterton, Wairarapa. Here’s too a fun filled and (fingers crossed) sunshine filled day, hope to see you there!
What: BIG BOOK BASH: Wairarapa & Wellington
Where: Caterton Library, Event Centre and Courthouse
When: Saturday 2nd December, 11am – 6pm
All events are free but some require registration contact Carterton District Library to register
It’s sometimes really hard to be brave especially when you have nightmares or feel all alone but there are wonderful books that can help you to feel brave. Come along and meet Wolfgang the Wolf and Clarissa the Cat who are best friends from the Feel Brave series of books. These books use rhyme and pictures to help make you to feel a little braver, especially when the wonderful author, Avril McDonald, is here to introduce you to them. There are so many feeling and emotions to deal with sometimes it can be over whelming but Wolfgang can help you as he makes discoveries about bullying and kindness, anxiety and fears, loneliness and friendship.
Join UK based Wellington author Avril McDonald as she tells her Feel Brave children’s stories and demonstrates simple games and activities to help you with big emotions and gain confidence! The Feel Brave books are officially for 4 – 7 year olds but all ages enjoy them, I’m always up for learning how to feel a little braver! So come along to this special free Feel Brave event.
Where: Central Library
When: Saturday 26th August
Time: 10.30 – 11.30am
All systems are go, down at Central Library on Monday the 14th of August as the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults kicks off with a day full of exciting events. These unique awards celebrate the wonderful writers and illustrators from Aotearoa who give us so many great books to read and help to shape our identity as a country. I’m sure many of you have already been reading some of the finalists along with getting clips on your HELL Pizza Wheels!
The day starts with 3 fantabulous Storytime sessions featuring finalists from the Book Awards so come along to hear the stories being read by their very own authors and illustrators.
Storytime sessions
9.30am: “My Grandpa is a Dinosaur” read by Richard Fairgray and “The Day the Costumes Stuck” read by Toby Morris. Both of these books are very funny and destined to become family favourites. What would you do if your Grandpa’s pants needed tail holes? Imagine if you couldn’t get your party costume off and your parents didn’t even notice!
Attention all literary fans! Come on down to the Central Library and learn how to create amazing stories with a master storyteller! Join 2017 Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award winner Des Hunt for a writing workshop like no other. This event is part of Beyond the Page, a literary festival for children and youth on from 8-23 July, for more information, check out the website.
Where: Wellington Central Library, Young Adults area.
When: Tuesday 11th July, 1pm to 2pm.
Age Group: This workshop is aimed at ages 9-12 and spaces are limited. Make sure you register to secure a spot.
About Des Hunt: Des Hunt was a science and technology teacher for many years, interspersed with periods of curriculum development both in New Zealand and overseas. During this time he had several textbooks published to support the New Zealand curriculum. Over the last twenty years he has experimented with other ways of interesting youngsters in science, creating computer games and writing non-fiction and fiction with scientific themes.
After living in Auckland for much of his life he moved with his wife, Lynne, to Matarangi on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. He retired from the classroom in 2007 to concentrate on writing fiction for children. He continues his aims of fostering young peoples’ natural interest in the science of their surroundings by visiting schools and libraries where he runs workshops and presentations.
Five Des Hunt books have been finalists at the Children’s Book Awards. Cry of the Taniwha was awarded the 2016 Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book. Then, in 2017, Des was the recipient of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award for lifetime achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand children’s literature and literacy.
Find out more about Des and his books: www.deshunt.com
While You’re at it, check out some of Des Hunt’s books that you can find at your local library.
Enjoy!
“It’s the school holidays and Zac thinks he might go crazy with boredom. He’s living in exile with his disgraced father on the remote Terawhiti Station on Wellington’s wild south-west coast. Zac and his father witness a shipwreck off the coast. Investigating further, he finds a set of unusual paw prints on the beach. Whose yacht it is? And what animal could have made the paw prints? Soon Zac is drawn into a mystery which threatens his life and those around him. He must protect the secret of the Phantom of Terawhiti from those intent on hunting it – and him – down”–Publisher information.
Twelve-year-old Tony has travelled all around New Zealand with his nomadic mother, and desperately wants somewhere to belong. When they arrive in Charleston, a gold-mining ghost town, he is almost afraid to hope this might finally be the place. But things aren’t as they seem, and he finds himself caught up in mysterious events.
Twelve-year-old Ben is a keen ornithologist who looks after endangered birds on his family farm in the Coromandel Peninsula. But Ben must grow up fast in the face of threats to his home, his family and his beloved birds.
Jake lives with his father in a remote part of the Wairarapa, where he can surf and watch the whales. But then Jake’s dad begins a relationship with a new partner, who moves in with her daughter Stephanie, and at the same time a local photographer starts stalking their next door neighbour Milton Summer, an international rock celebrity, and Jake’s peaceful life erupts into violence and deceit. An when a whale and her calf get into trouble on the treacherous coast, the history of Whale Pot Bay seems doomed to repeat itself unless Jake, Milton and Stephanie can survive the deadly tide.
Matt Logan isn’t looking forward to spending the school holidays in Rotorua with his grandmother and her new husband. Matt has taken his metal detector along, and when he and Juzza – the boy next door – unearth a handcuffed skeleton, a dangerous chain of events begins to coil around them.
Wow! The finalists have been announced for this years New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and what an amazing line up! It’s so great to be able to celebrate our wonderful home grown talent in Aotearoa so check out some of these books. Oh and don’t forget you can read some of these books as part of the Hell Pizza Challenge and get stamps on your pizza wheels. Yum!
Love Joy Cowley’s books and the snake and lizard series is one of my favourites. Check out their latest hilarious adventures and escapades in “Helper and Helper”.
Tania Roxborogh’s latest book “My New Zealand Story: Bastion Point” is a great way to explore New Zealand history from the perspective of a young girl called Erica Tito, whose parents decide that instead of going on their usual summer holiday they will join the protesters at Bastion Point. A moving and insightful account of real life events through the eyes of a fictitious young girl.
Sent to live with his grandmother in Hastings after his father is jailed, Matt becomes the victim of bad friends and false accusations. Sent off to a military-style school camp in the wilds of lake Waikaremoana, Matt is once again in trouble. Find out more about Matt and the friendships he makes by reading “Sunken Forest” by Des Hunt. This popular author will also be coming to Wellington Central Library on the 11th of July as part of the Beyond the Page festival, more about that on the blog soon!
“The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain” by Julie Lamb tells the story of Summer, who loves to make people laugh, it’s how she fits in. Living with her crazy family she is surprised when Juanita suddenly wants to be her friend… Find out more about Summer and her friends and family when you read this book.
Ever had an imaginary friend? Ben has one called Vincent in “The Impossible Boy”, who has helped Ben survive in the war torn streets which are his home. But can an imaginary friend become real? How powerful is Ben’s imagination. A beautiful and powerful book to immerse yourself in, by Julie Lamb.
So many more books up for awards so expect more blogs soon. Other categories include: non-fiction, illustration, te reo Māori, picture book, and first book award. So keep those peepers peeled for more exciting reads.
Dowloading popular titles is great way to read though your favourite authors, or make sure you get to read all the books in a series. You can reserve an eBook – just like a regular shelf one. So when someone has finished their loan or returns the eBook you can read it. Books that are movies are really popular at the moment with the likes of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, being enjoyed by library e-users.
Do you have a favourite? if you had to choose the book or movie as the best which would pick?
Harry Potter eBook series, by J. K. Rowling
Rodrick Rules: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff KinneyWho likes comics? I do and I know where I’m going to be on Saturday the 6th of May from 9.30am to 5pm, at Wellington Central Library for ComicFest!
We have all sorts of fun activities on offer. Learn how to create your own comic book character, dress up as your favourite comic book character and enter the Cosplay competition, hear about how the new “Thunderbirds Are Go” movie was re-imagined for todays audience and lots of other exciting stuff.
Best of all there are free comics being given away and lots of exciting prizes to be won!
Don’t forget to check out all the wonderful comics and graphic novels that we have at the libraries. One of my favourites has to be Tintin by Herge. This comic hero has his faithful dog Snowy by his side and is aided in his adventures by a cast of colourful characters (see if you can spot Snowy at ComicFest.)
Asterix by Goscinny and Underzo of course is an all time classic and the names of the characters still make me laugh! Set in a little village in Gaul the comics tell the story of Asterix and his best friend Obelix and their numerous adventures through the ancient World. This comic series is one of the most popular all over the World.
But comics can also have little or few words and really focus on the story through the pictures. Polo: The Runaway Book by Regis Faller, tells an exciting story through colourful pictures taking you on an adventure over the sea and flying through the sky as the characters make friends with each other while searching for the stolen book.
Little Robot by Ben Hatke uses very few words to tell the story of a friendship between a lonely child and a small lost and confused robot. They both show initiative and courage to overcome another evil robot and save the day.
So why not try reading some of our fabulous comics here or better still try writing and illustrating your own!
Imagine being 110 years old! Well that’s how old the School Journal is turning in May and to celebrate Wellington Central Library is having an exhibition about the School Journal as part of the cool ComicFest 2017.
The School Journal was first published in May 1907, the same year New Zealand became a dominion and it has been going ever since. It’s packed full of stories, cartoons and articles by New Zealanders and many of the people who write and illustrate it are now famous all over the World! The School Journal has helped New Zealanders to find their own voice and has given us an opportunity to show who we were and what it is like to live in Aotearoa.
Over last 40 years comics have been a big part of the School Journal and many comic writers and illustrators have made there “bread and butter” through its pages.
Ask your parents or grandparents what they remember about the School journal and chances are they will have fond memories to tell you. Why not bring them down to Central Library to help prompt their memories.
The exhibition is on now and will run until the 9th of May. Better still come down for ComicFest on the 6th of May, grab some free comics and join in with the many free activities on offer. So hurry on in and find out more about the School Journal and all the amazing people who have contributed to it.
Have you ever been to a book launch before? No? Here’s your chance.
Author Jonathan Harrison and Illustrator Jared Carson will be launching their latest book ‘A Cabbage in a Spider Web’ at Wellington Central Library (Children’s Area) on Friday 16th December at 1.30pm.
A Cabbage in a Spider Web is a children’s book aimed at 3 to 6 year olds about a little girl named Annabella and her outings and activities with her friends, her family, her pre-school, and her cat.
Each topic is covered in poem form with fun and colourful illustrations. With about 6 verses to each poem in words easily understood by children, this book is designed to be read to children by Mummy, Daddy or a pre-school teacher. There’s a little bit of naughtiness in some of the poems that will make children laugh… and also the adults.
Written by Otaki locals Jonathan Harrison and illustrated by Jared Carson, A Cabbage in a Spider Web is loosely set in Waikanae with a little research done at Castle Kids Pioneers pre-school for 4 year olds.
Bring yourselves along to the launch of this lovely local book that is sure to delight and entertain. Jonathan and Jared will entertain youby reading aloud and illustrating for 20-30 minutes, followed by discussion and QnA with interested adults. Book signing and cash book sales will be available following the launch.
This is a free event, bookings are not required – just turn up!
