Children’s Programmes Returning at Orange!

Warning: this post is intended to be read by parents and other adults. Kids read on at your peril!

Kia ora koutou! We are so excited to let you know that next week, from the 7th of June, some of our popular children’s programmes are returning to our libraries! It’s been some time since we have been able to run these events in a consistent way for you all, so we thought we’d lay out the current schedule for you below. We can’t wait to see you there!

With COVID -19 still in the community, please remember that all of these days and times are subject to staff availability, and we may need to change them from time to time. The library’s event calendar will always have the right days and times!

We’re so excited to be welcoming back our Storytimes and other events for tamariki and their whānau!


What’s on and where?

Here is the current programmes schedule for Wellington City Libraries. We’ll be adding to this over the coming weeks, so keep checking back or subscribe to our eNewsletter for the most up-to-date info:

Arapaki (Manners St) Library

Cummings Park Library

He Matapihi (Molesworth St) Library

Johnsonville Library

Karori Library

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library

Miramar Library

Newtown Library

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library

Te Awe (Brandon St) Library

Wadestown Library


Frequently-Asked Questions

Do I need to wear a mask while attending an event at the library?

Yes — if you are over 12 years of age, you must wear a mask while visiting one of our libraries, including while you are attending a library event. Our staff will also remain masked. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 FAQs page.

Why haven’t you restarted every programme you used to run pre-COVID?

We do aim to bring our wonderful programmes back across the whole library network, but we’ve chosen to restart at our larger branches first so that we can take the opportunity to give newer staff some valuable experience working with their colleagues before they take that knowledge back to their home library to share with their community. Keep an eye on our event calendar and social media platforms to keep up to date with programmes resuming at our other locations.

I feel uncomfortable visiting if I know there is going to be a large group of people there. What are you doing to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19?

At all times we are adhering to New Zealand Government guidelines for the running of events in public venues. We will be continuing, as far as possible, to encourage physical distancing between groups of attendees; we will continue to require the use of facemasks for those visiting our libraries; and we will be carefully cleaning spaces and equipment used for our public programmes between sessions. You can help too, by ensuring that you stay at home if you or your child are feeling unwell or have recently been in contact with a COVID-positive person. If we all work together, we can continue to keep our community safe!

I still don’t think I will come to storytime in person just yet. Is there some way our whānau can still participate in library activities without physically coming to a library?

You’re in luck! On our YouTube channel, thanks to the generosity of New Zealand publishers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, you can find playlists of special storytimes and Baby Rock and Rhyme sessions to keep your whānau entertained without needing to come to the library. Also, the Johnsonville Library Facebook page is a great place to find videos for sensory activities, and musical and crafty sessions to keep your little ones engaged.

I would like some more information about a programme at my local library. Who should I ask?

You can always get directly in touch with your local library by giving them a call or by emailing us. Alternatively, you are welcome to get in touch with the Children’s and Youth Services Coordinator directly with your queries.

13 New Non Fiction that will leave you spellbound!

Hey Kids!

There are only a couple of weeks left of spring. Why not spring on down to your local library and check out the latest new junior non fiction!

Read books where you can learn languages with Sesame Street, get spellbound with Harry Potter, read how Maui slowed the sun in English and Te Reo, get your STEAM on and so much more!

Enjoy!


Amazing Inventions.

Odd Science: Inventions is filled with weird and wacky facts that you’ve never heard before. Read about the trainers made of spider silk, wonder at the first record played in space and tell your friends about the robot built in 1937. There are facts about electricity being used as glue, facts about glow-in-the-dark cats and facts about nano-robots that can ‘swim’ inside the body during biopsies!

 


Video Game Creators.

With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators tells the stories of these amazing men and women who turned a small hobby into a multimillion-dollar industry that changed the way we play and interact, from our living rooms to the arcades, on our computers to our hand-held devices. Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators is the perfect read for those with creative spirits, curious minds, and a love of technology and video games– Provided by publisher.

 


Learn a language with Sesame Street!

Welcome to Mandarin Chinese.

Sesame characters help readers learn Mandarin so they can connect with friends who speak the language. Welcoming words relating to everyday life and friendship give readers new language tools to become smarter, kinder friends.

 


Welcome to French.

Sesame Street characters help readers connect to new friends who speak French. Simple words and phrases relating to everyday life and a colorful approach help readers learn a new language to become smarter, kinder friends.

 


Welcome to German.

Sesame Street characters help readers learn German so they can connect with friends who speak the language. Welcoming words relating to everyday life and friendship give readers new language tools to become smarter, kinder friends.

 


Tales of Aotearoa: How Maui Slowed the Sun in English and Te Reo!

Re-tells the story of how Maui slowed the journey of the sun through the sky each day.

 

 

 

 


Wilma Rudolph.

Read all about Wilma Rudolph, the remarkable sprinter and Olympic champion. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete’s life.

 


Brilliant Bodies.

Prepare to laugh, marvel and learn with Brilliant Bodies. Jam packed full of facts about elements, organs, hair, feet and so much more!

 

 


Game logic : level up and create your own games with science activities for kids.

This book takes kids on a journey to discover the history of games, and then leads them from their initial idea for a new game through several iterations of a game all the way to playing the final version of a game they created. Explore the processes of both playing and creating games while developing critical and creative thinking skills that apply to tasks and concepts across academic fields. — adapted from back cover.

 


The Unofficial Harry Potter Spell book.

The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook is a beautiful, elegantly designed reference that details all of the known spells cast in the Harry Potter films, books, video games and card games, as well as official Harry Potter spinoffs, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Each spell is given its own entry including spell name, pronunciation details, a description of the spell effect, spell casting methods, wand movements, hand movements and vocalizations, plus primary sources in which the spell was used. Readers will also find trivia related to each spell, such as who it was used against, what the outcome was, or what a spell’s unusual history might be. There are more than 200 spells in all, plus suggestions for strategic spell use and methods for creating original spells.

 


Never too young! : 50 unstoppable kids who made a difference.

“Meet 50 super-inspiring kids! It’s never too early–and you’re never too young– to make a difference in the world! The amazing musicians, writers, scientists, athletes, activists, and other fascinating kids in this book accomplished great feats by the age of eighteen. They impacted people’s lives by coming up with new inventions, making art and music, competing in sports, and speaking out about important issues. Let their incredible stories inspire you to follow your dreams, achieve your goals, and strive for greatness now!”–Back cover.

 

 


Harry Potter. Spells & charms : a movie scrapbook.

Packed with inserts, concept illustrations, and behind-the-scenes photography, Harry Potter: Spells and Charms: A Movie Scrapbook is a guide to the spells and incantations of the Harry Potter films. A must-have collectible for all Harry Potter fans.


Board Game Night at Johnsonville Library

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 27 September at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 30 August at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 26 July at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 28 June at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

A mixture of new and current non fiction.

Hey kids!

Check out what’s new… and current in the junior non fiction collection at your local library. This post features books that will enhance your knowledge of history, games, the universe and so much more!

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndeticsSee inside the Second World War.

With vivid illustrations and flaps to lift, this book takes you into the action of the Second World War.

image courtesy of syndeticsEngineering.

Showcases engineering feats throughout history from the pyramids of Ancient Egypt to the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. The book also features famous engineers, including the Wright brothers to Gustave Eiffel. Steam engines, rocket technology, bridges, and buildings are all covered here in this exciting book.

image courtesy of syndeticsForgotten beasts : amazing creatures that once roamed the Earth.

Matt Sewell’s follow-up to the mega-hit Dinosaurs is a beautifully-illustrated large format look at the amazing beasts that time forgot – from the relatively well known, such as the sabre-toothed tiger and woolly mammoth, to the obscure monsters that walked the earth millions of years ago – many now forgotten. New findings are being made every year, and research is showing us exactly how these beasts looked and how they lived.

image courtesy of syndeticsHistory of the world in 100 pictures.

This history of the world covers 100 fascinating historical subjects, including Ancient Egypt, Alexander the Great, the start of Islam, the Aztecs, the French Revolution, the first computer, Albert Einstein and the Space Race. Each topic is brought to life by photographs, easy-to-read text and colourful, modern illustrations.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe world of Vikings.

Set sail in your longboat and explore the mysterious lands of runes, raids and sagas. The Vikings combines breathtakingly vivid images with fascinating facts to unlock the world of these legendary warriors, traders and explorers.

image courtesy of sydneticsI am here, where are you?

In I Am Here, Where Are You? Ollie tells the reader where he is. This book provides a springboard for discussion of the reader’s location and explores concepts of cultural diversity, extended family, time zones and conservation of the planet we all share. Finally, it invites the reader to practise writing their own address, finishing at The Universe.

image courtesy of syndeticsHow to play chess.

Follow the easy steps to grandmaster greatness with How To Play Chess. From the opening move to checkmate, How To Play Chess will help your child play chess like a champion. With plenty of master tips and cool 3D images, How To Play Chess is the perfect introduction to chess for beginners as well as kids.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Great big book of life.

“Aren’t humans amazing? It’s incredible to think that all of us started out life as a tiny dot. Find out how we change as we grow from babies to children to teenagers to adults, and what happens when people get old.”–From page 4 of cover.

image courtesy of syndeticsRainforest.

Prepare to take a chronological journey, from the first roots grown by newly evolved plants and trees, through blazing fires and climatic changes, to an explosion of flora and fauna as the rainforest blossoms with life. Travel right up to the modern-day, as humans arrive in the lush habitat, changing the rainforest and its inhabitants forever.

image courtesy of syndeticsFantastically Great Women Who Worked Wonders.

Kate Pankhurst, descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst, is back with a brand new wildly brilliant and accessible book about incredible women in the world of work. Discover eye- opening facts about a collection of go-getting women who have pioneered careers in a kaleidoscope of different industries.

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 31 May at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 23rd November at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there

Games Night at Johnsonville Library!

Join us for a Games Night at Johnsonville Library this Friday 26th October at 5pm.

We have a range of board games to choose from including popular classics like Settler of Catan, Risk or Trivial Pursuit and less common games like Starfluxx, Munchkin or King of Tokyo.

Most games are for ages 8+ though we have a few games for younger children too. You could also bring a game of your own to play with new people.

Games Night starts at 5pm but you are welcome to arrive late, you might just need to wait a little before you can join in the next round.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there