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Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Soft Apocalypse Scouts!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and inventing a new cryptid, Mary Shelley-style).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Ah, summer. The season of weird sunburn patterns and everything being just a little bit sticky. Don’t get me wrong – I love summer, but in my high school days, this was also the hot little season in which I lost all sense of routine and purpose outside the structure of school. Thankfully, I am now an adult which means I can come up with whatever dumb activities I like for the sake of personal enrichment, and today I am here to share some of these said dumb activities, so if the hot season ennui is getting you down… why not become a Soft Apocalypse Scout??

I’ve made y’all some badges (because let’s face it, who the heck doesn’t like a good badge?), the templates of which you can find below, and I’m trusting each of you to DIY these badges into something a little more tangible , whether that means simply printing them off and sticking them to your foreheads, turning them into stickers using the HIVE Makerspace’s cricut machine, or even turning these into real badges using Wellington City Library’s badge-making machine!* I’m also trusting you to earn each and every one of these badges by accomplishing the associated task and/or challenge  – so without further ado, Soft Apocalypse Scouts move out!

*If you’re more into earning badges you don’t have to print yourself, surely you’ve already signed up for the Summer Reading Adventure?


via GIPHY


I solemnly swear to do my best every day, and in all that I do, to be brave and strong, to be truthful and compassionate, to be interesting and interested, to pay attention and question the world around me, to think of others first, to always help and protect my friends, then there’s a line about god or whatever, and to make the world a better place for Lumberjane scouts and for everyone else.

        –  Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy


The Environment Badges

Digital scout badge depicting a silhouette hiking up a hill against a green background.

Hiking Badge: Explore a new hiking or walking trail to earn this badge.

Camping Badge: Earn this badge by spending a night in nature!


Camp / Rosen, Lev AC
“At Camp Outland, a camp for LGBTQIA teens, sixteen-year-old Randall “Del” Kapplehoff’s plan to have Hudson Aaronson-Lim fall in love with him succeeds, but both are hiding their true selves.” (Catalogue)

The Do-er Badges

Scout badge of two crossed tennis rackets set against an orange background.

Sporty Spice Badge: Learn or take part in a new sport to earn this badge.

Scout badge of a knife and fork set against an orange background.

Chef’s Kiss Badge: Learn to cook a new meal! Check out Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Cooking the Books (but make it literal) for inspiration.

 


Vegan BBQ : 70 delicious plant-based recipes to cook outdoors / Beskow, Katy
“70 simple, summery recipes to cook on your barbecue, as well as delicious sides, dips and snacks to brighten up any alfresco event. From Katsu burgers with wasabi mayo, Buttered Hassleback squash, and Sizzling fajitas, to Brown sugar baked beans, BBQ patatas bravas or Kiwi and avocado salsa.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Literary Badges

Scout badge of a book against a red background.

Bookworm Badge: In order to earn this badge you can borrow and read a new book from your local library! (For bonus points – why not sign up for the Summer Reading Adventure 2024??)

Scout badge of a quill and inkpot set against a red background.

Author Badge: Try your hand at writing a poem, essay, or short story to earn this badge!

 


Dear Ally, how do you write a book / Carter, Ally
“With practical tips and helpful advice, Dear Ally is a treasure for aspiring writers at any stage of their careers. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at how books get made, from idea to publication, and gives you insight into the writing processes of some of the biggest and most talented YA authors writing today.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Aesthete Badges

Scout badge of two drama masks set against a blue background.

Thespian Badge: Attend or take part in a theatrical performance to earn this badge.

Scout badge with a crossed pencil and paintbrush in front of a white paint splatter, set against a blue background.

Artist Badge: In order to earn this badge, create an original work of art. Check out Weird Art (and How to Make It!) for ideas!

 

 

 

 

 


Drama / Telgemeier, Raina
“Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.” (Catalogue)


The Self-Care Badges

Scout badge of a person in bed against a purple background.

Sleepy Baby Badge: Put your phone on DND at night and get eight hours sleep for three nights in a row.

Scout badge of four paper dolls holding hands, set against a purple background.

Friendship is Magic Badge: To earn this badge, organise a fun event for you and at least one friend.

 

 


Rookie on love : 45 voices on romance, friendship, and self-care
“A single-subject anthology about the heart’s most powerful emotion, edited by Tavi Gevinson. Featuring exclusive, never-before-seen essays, poems, comics, and interviews from contributors like Jenny Zhang, Emma Straub, Hilton Als, Janet Mock, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Gabourey Sidibe, Mitski, Alessia Cara […] and many more!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Creature Badges

Scout badge of a pawprint, set against a brown background.

All Creatures Great and Small Badge: Earn this badge by volunteering at a local animal sanctuary, or completing one of the activities suggested in Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Comforts for Creatures.

Scout badge of an alien doing peace fingers, set against a brown background.

I Want to Believe Badge: Research a historical alien or cryptid sighting, and create a movie, text, presentation or artwork inspired by what you learned.

 


Unnatural creatures
“Magical creatures from the werewolf, to the sunbird, to beings never before classified will thrill, delight, and quite possibly unnerve you in tales by E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Gahan Wilson, and other literary luminaries. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

So there you have it! Your Soft Apocalypse Scout assignment for the summer. If your interest has been piqued, why not check out a local Scout (11-14yrs), Venturer (14-18yrs) or Ranger (12-17yrs) troop near you?

For a teaser of some activities that you might get up to as a Scout, check out their regularly updated e-zine from their 2024 Jamboree currently taking place just outside Hamilton!

Or if you’re feeling like something a bit more low-effort, have a browse through some of our summeriest, scoutiest books below:


Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, Noelle
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Under the Stars Camping Australia and New Zealand: The best camsites, huts, glamping and bush camping / Lonely Planet (Corp)
“Discover more than 200 out-of-this-world camping hotspots in this epic guide that features breathtaking wild camping pitches, picturesque glamping sites, scenic campgrounds, cabins, huts and more – with practical details and expert tips for an adventure like no other.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lumberjanes : campfire songs
“Cryptids, and kittens, and costumes, on my! Neither rain nor heat nor mischievous faeries can put a damper on the fun at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types! Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley are helping throw a huge, mid-summer costume bash with the rest of the Lumberjane scouts, but the decorations, snacks, and supplies keep going missing, thanks to some pesky faeries!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hungry campers cookbook : fresh, healthy and easy recipes to cook on your next camping trip / Holder, Katy
“Hungry Campers Cookbook brings together the fun of family camping holidays with fresh, healthy, gourmet yet simple recipes.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Lumberjanes [14] : X marks the spot / Watters, Shannon
“The Roanoke scouts are eager to hunt down what they hope might be some kind of mystical hoard of gems and jewels, rad dinosaur bones, or maybe even more treasure maps (that you have to piece together to find an EVEN BIGGER prize, obviously)! What they end up finding is scattered pieces of an ancient Greek statue of a woman, who, when assembled, comes back to life as a vindictive ex-goddess!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Give me a sign / Sortino, Anna
“Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community, but she did not expect to also find romance along the way.” (Catalogue)

Excellent short walks in the North Island : 250 walks under 2 hours / Janssen, Peter
“Wherever you are in the North Island you’re sure to be within reach of a short walk with an excellent destination […] All walks will suit those who enjoy walking but do not want a long tramp with heavy boots and a pack, or travellers who are short on time.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Survive in the outdoors / Lawrence, Mike
“Step-by-step instructions for seven projects that will help you survive in the wild […] Prepare yourself before you set off on your next adventure! Whether you’re hiking in the wilderness or camping in your own backyard, Survive in the Outdoors! will equip you with the know-how you need. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Robinson Crusoe / Defoe, Daniel
“Robinson Crusoe is determined to devote himself to a life at sea. Luck, however is not with him in his various voyages–his first is shipwrecked and his second taken by pirates, yet nothing dissuades him from his passion. One day, en route to Africa, his ship is wrecked, leaving him marooned on an uninhabited island, with no way to return to civilization…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Flower Crowns & Other Cottagecore Niceties

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨learning the language of the goats✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Any good dystopian revolutionary/post-apocalyptic trudger of the earth can tell you that the most important part of surviving in the apocalypse is the aesthetic. Would Katniss have been able to take down the Capitol if it hadn’t been for the iconic sidebraid? Could Thomas have ever escaped the maze if he hadn’t been wearing that odd little vest? Important questions to which we may never have the answers. However, better safe than sorry, so in order to truly excel in our most aesthetic of all apocalypses (the Soft one) we must embrace the uniform of our experience. THAT’S RIGHT, WE’RE MAKING FLOWER CROWNS (AND OTHER COTTAGECORE NICETIES).

via GIPHY


I’m hoping we all know how to daisy chain here. I’m hoping that – like me – you are now imagining the daisy chain as a complex but romantic dance move, not dissimilar to a grapevine. For the purposes of today though, the daisy chain we will be discussing is that of the tangibly floral variety. The technical base of our floral DNA, daisy chaining is the basic way to link flowers into a useable strand, and it goes something like this:

  1. Gather your daisies, keeping the stems as long as possible.
  2. Using your thumbnail, make a small slit in the stem, about a centimetre down from the flower head.
  3. Poke the stem of another daisy through the slit and pull it gently through.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the new daisy, and et voilà! Continue until your daisy chain is the desire length.

Now that you can daisy chain, congratulations! Frolic off into the summer sunset making flower crowns, bracelets, and chains for all your loved ones! Or. If you’re hooked on the cottagecore power of it all. You could attempt a Daisy Braid (capitalised because it’s harder).

  1. Gather your flowers (any type can be used, but long stems are essential, preferably longer than 10cm).
  2. Starting with a minimum of three flowers (the more flowers, the thicker the crown), start to braid the stems together.
  3. At intervals of your choosing, introduce new flowers into the braid.
  4. Once the braid has reached the desired length, you can tuck the loose end back into the beginning of the braid OR tie it in place with a piece of thread.
  5. Wear your flower crown like the pretty creature you are and practice rejecting offers of marriage from Oberon and Titania.


Blooming daisies growing in a garden bed at the botanical gardens

It’s springtime baby.


Other Cottagecore Niceties….

While first priority is adorning ourselves in flowers, it’s also pretty neat to add a little floral hint to literally anything you like thanks to the power of STICKERS! We’re going to be using pressed and dried flowers for this – if you have a bona fide flower press sitting around at home then great (did you know you can make your very own flower press at the Tūhura HIVE Makerspace?)! Otherwise test out the handy dandy methods below:

For the pressed flowers: Collect as many flower heads as you like, then lay them flat between two paper towels. Squash these down under something solid, flat and heavy (like that stack of library books you forgot to read), and leave to dry for five days or thereabouts. You can check your flowers at this point, and if they still feel damp then leave them for another few days.

For the flower stickers: You’ll need a roll of wide, clear tape, your pressed flowers, some baking paper, and a pair of scissors. Lay out a sheet of baking paper, and place down a length of tape, sticky side down so it adheres to the baking paper. Arrange your dried flowers on top of the tape, either individually or in clusters (but making sure there is good bit of space between the flowers and the edge of the tape). Lay a second layer of tape over the flowers and first layer of tape, again sticky-side down so the flowers are stuck between the two layers. You can then cut around the flowers, leaving an edge of clear double-layered tape, and there you go! Once you’re ready to stick them to something, simply peel off the layer of baking paper and you’re good to go!


Flowerheart / Bakewell, Catherine
“Sixteen-year-old Clara accidentally curses her father with wild magic, and in order to save him, she makes a dangerous bargain with a local wizard, who happens to be her childhood best friend.” (Catalogue)

Floret Farm’s discovering dahlias : a guide to growing and arranging magnificent blooms / Benzakein, Erin
“Grow and arrange breathtaking dahlias to enhance every occasion. In this luxe compendium, world-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to cultivating gorgeous dahlias. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower fairies of the garden / Barker, Cicely Mary
“The Song of The Narcissus Fairy Brown bulbs were buried deep; Now, from the kind old earth, Out of the winter’s sleep, Comes a new birth! Flowers on stems that sway; Flowers of snowy white; Flowers as sweet as day, After the night. So does Narcissus bring Tidings most glad and plain- “Winter’s gone; here is Spring – Easter again!”” (Catalogue)

Wild beauty / McLemore, Anna-Marie
“For nearly a century the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds and lush estate gardens of La Pradera. They have a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. When a strange boy appears in the gardens, he is a mystery to Estrella and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower : exploring the world in bloom
“Showcasing the diversity of blooms from all over the world, Flower spans a wide range of styles and media – from art, botanical illustrations, and sculptures to floral arrangements, film stills, and textiles – and follows a visually stunning sequence with works, regardless of period, thoughtfully paired to allow interesting and revealing juxtapositions between them.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Weedflower / Kadohata, Cynthia
“After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Florapedia : a brief compendium of floral lore / Gracie, Carol
“This book is an engaging and informative compendium of flower facts. Similar in a nature to Lawrence Millman’s Fungipedia, the book brings together a wide range of interesting facts and stories-ranging from the historical to the scientific to the whimsical. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower art : Makoto Azuma / Azuma, Makoto
“The art of Makoto Azuma uses flowers and plants as its starting point, but juxtaposes their timeless yet transient beauty with an incredibly diverse range of striking settings. In a series of sculptures, installations and interactive events, he delights in blurring the boundaries between nature and artifice. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls who green the world : thirty-four rebel women out to save our planet / Kapp, Diana
“A guidebook to the modern environmental movement featuring 34 inspiring women working to save our planet”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Growing wonder : a flower farmer’s guide to roses / Alvarez, Felicia
“Do you dream of possessing a magical rose garden or a thriving flower farm? Whether you long to fill your own acreage with roses or consider yourself more of a weekend gardener, Menagerie Farm & Flower’s Felicia Alvarez can help make your love affair with roses a joyous and rewarding experience. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The price guide to the occult / Walton, Leslye J.
“Sixteen-year-old Nor, who comes from a long line of witches, prefers to hide her ability to communicate with nature and lives in constant fear of the return of her abusive mother.” (Catalogue)

Hope for the flowers / Paulus, Trina
“Two caterpillars plunge into the pile of those who seek the ever elusive top, but, finding nothing there, return to the ground to change into beautiful butterflies.” (Catalogue)

Foolproof flower embroidery : 80 stitches & 400 combinations in a variety of fibers / Clouston, Jennifer
“This comprehensive guide to floral embroidery features instructions for more than 80 embroidery stitches and includes more than 400 stitch combinations to create beautiful flowers, stems, leaves, twigs, and more”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Comforts for Creatures

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨eating fairy apples then falling asleep in a mushroom circle just to see what happens✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

It’s all for one and one for all in the Soft Apocalypse, and that includes looking after some of the smaller critters with which we share this lovely world. The best part? You don’t have to wait until the End of Days to do it! You can be nice to animals now – I KNOW, it’s REVOLUTIONARY (all jokes aside, be decent to the critters or I’ll find you and it will not be nice). So today we’re going to be checking out how to make homemade bird-feeders, and a few other easy peasy things you can do to help out the animals in your neighbourhood!

Pinecone Bird-Feeder

  • What you need: A pinecone (it’s in the title really), peanut butter, string, birdseed.
  • What you do: Tie the string to the pinecone, leaving enough of a tail on the string that you’ll be able to attach it to a tree, beam, or hook outside. Smother the pinecone in peanut butter, then roll it in birdseed until it has a good thick coating. Attach the pinecone to a tree (or similar) outside using the string, and perhaps brew yourself some tea to sip while you watch your new birdie besties enjoy their aerial picnic.

Orange Macramé Bird-Feeder

For the bougie birds at home.

  • What you need: A large orange, string, birdseed.
  • What you do: Cut the orange in half and scoop out the insides (eat this. for strength.). Make your little macramé net by knotting together eight strands of twine/string. Make sure the strands are the same length (about the length of the average arm). Knot the eight strands together, then separate into four pairs. Tie another knot in each of these pairs, about an inch away from the bottom knot. Next, separate the pairs of string into new pairs, with each string pairing up with it’s neighbour (not the one it was knotted with). Tie another knot in these new pairs, again about an inch away from the precious knot. You should now have a nice little string cradle (congrats you made something)! Pop your empty half orange into the cradle so it sits like a bowl, fill with bird seed, and hey presto! (You can also use the remaining string to attach your new birdfeeder to a tree branch outside, but pretend I didn’t say that because I wanted to end on “hey presto”.)

If you’re feeling more minimalist, feel free to go feed those bad boys some birdseed all by your lonesome (after all, the real bird-feeder was the hands we made along the way), or for bonus points, complete your Birbie Dreamhouse Ensemble with a DIY bird bath or house!

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Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Let’s Save the Bees!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨embracing a healthy range of human emotions✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

So, let’s at it and save some bees! We couldn’t get along without bees for an infinite number of reasons, but the top three would be 1) they really do keep the ecosystem chugging along, 2) how would adults explain intimate relations without the metaphor of the birds and the bees, and 3) they’re just so darn lovely. So, what can we do to protect these little honey-sucking critters?

Plant a Bee Garden

Obviously, you’re all experts at gardening after reading Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Gardening (feat. Worms!), so why not use those green thumbs to set up a cosy floral spot for bees to come and visit? A bee garden is exactly what it sounds like (I take that back, it’s not bees growing on stalks like the vegetable lamb of Tartary. Although that would be neat too.) and consists of flowers, foliage, and shrubbery that bees find Particularly Delectable. You can go as big or small as you like, from a couple of designated bee plants in pots to filling your entire yard with dandelions (if you intend to aggravate your parents and/or landlord then this is the way to go). Some of the best plants to feature in your bee garden include:

  • Catmint
  • Lavender
  • Borage
  • Pōhutukawa

  • Sunflowers
  • Clover
  • Pansies
  • Sage

Open a Bee Hotel

Have you spent your childhood dreaming of a bright future as a hotelier, but the Disney magic hasn’t quite kicked in and you don’t magically have a bajillion dollars to buy said hotel chain? Why not start on a smaller-but-infinitely-sweeter-smelling scale with a bee hotel! Bee hotels are small structures, like bird houses, that offer a spot for bees to rest and – for solitary bees without a hive – lay their eggs in safety. Again, you can go as grand or as minimalist as you like here. Check out some guides and advice here (Sustainability Trust), here (Wildlife Trusts), and here (Natural History Museum UK) if you want to know more about making your own!

Not feeling that hotelier vocation? Try a bee bath – fill a shallow bowl or bird bath with fresh water, and pile pebbles and stones inside so that they emerge above the water’s surface. This will give the bees something to land on as they come for a genteel slurp of the world’s tastiest beverage (stay hydrated out there folks).

Support Local!

By purchasing (and/or convincing your parents to purchase) honey and bee products from local farmers and beekeepers, not only are you supporting your community and benefitting from an impressive range of health benefits (did you know that the presence of local greenery in honey makes it ideal for toughening up your immune system and combatting allergies??), but small-scale beekeepers are likely to be more invested in the wellbeing and quality of their hives, as well as in broader bee conservation practices in the area. Plus, recent honey research has revealed that a scary number of commercial honey producers adulterate their honey with sugar syrup, or similar artificial sweeteners, and that’s not the wholesome bees-knees kind of content we’re looking for (sugar = bad for you. sweet pure floral bee puke = good for you).

Plus, there’s arguably nothing cuter or more soft apocalypse aesthetic than buying honey from your local farmer’s market. Be sure to wear a straw hat.


via GIPHY


Backyard bees : a guide for the beginner beekeeper / Purdie, Doug
“Just about anyone can keep bees. All you need is a bit of space in your backyard (or on your rooftop) and a little love for the creatures that pollinate the vegie patches of your neighbourhood. Once introduced to the charms of beekeeping and the taste of warm honeycomb direct from the hive, you’ll be hooked.” (Catalogue)

How to bee / MacDibble, Bren
“Peony lives with her sister and grandfather on a fruit farm outside the city. In a world where real bees are extinct, the quickest, bravest kids climb the fruit trees and pollinate the flowers by hand […] Life on the farm is a scrabble, but there is enough to eat and a place to sleep, and there is love. Then Peony’s mother arrives to take her away from everything she has ever known.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Unnatural creatures
“Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds–collected and introduced by beloved New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. The sixteen stories gathered by Gaiman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, range from the whimsical to the terrifying.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The beekeeper’s apprentice, or, On the segregation of the queen / King, Laurie R
“In 1915, long since retired from his crime-fighting days, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybees on the Sussex Downs. Never did the Victorian detective think to meet an intellect matching his own-until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a young twentieth-century lady whose mental acuity is equalled only by her penchant for deduction, disguises, and danger.” (Catalogue)

Bees and their keepers : through the seasons and centuries, from waggle-dancing to killer bees, from Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh / Möller, Lotte
” In her travels Moller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of L so, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The music of bees : a novel / Garvin, Eileen
“Following three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life’s curveballs, who are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing–and maybe even a second chance–just when they least expect it”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Bee movie
“Having just graduated from college, Barry B. Benson finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa. He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bee’s honey for centuries. He ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race. That is until the ensuing chaos upsets the very balance of nature. It is up to Barry to prove that even a little bee can spell big changes in the world.” (Catalogue)

The bees / Paull, Laline
“Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But Flora is not like other bees. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wild honey bees : an intimate portrait / Arndt, Ingo
“The honey bee, a key pollinator, is now an endangered species, threatened by human activity and loss of biodiversity. Because of this, understanding forest-dwelling wild honey bees – which are more resistant to diseases and parasites than honey bees kept by beekeepers – is more important than ever before.”– Dust jacket.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Zinnia and the bees / Davis, Danielle
“Seventh-grader Zinnia’s last-day-of-school got off to a bad start when she ended up in the vice principal’s office for yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot, but it is about to get a whole lot worse–because, thanks to the incompetence of Bee 641, a colony of commercial, migratory bees escaping from a truck has settled their colony in her hair.” (Catalogue)

Buzz : the nature and necessity of bees / Hanson, Thor
“From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They’ve given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bees in the city : the urban beekeepers’ handbook / Benjamin, Alison
“From the rooftop of Fortnum and Masons in Piccadilly and the grounds of Buckingham Palace to the Square Mile’s skyscrapers, the landscape is now dotted with bee hives. This book paints a vivid portrait of these intimate, sometimes secret, locations, it also introduces you to the beekeepers and their bees through changing seasons.” (Catalogue)

Planting for honeybees : the grower’s guide to creating a buzz / Lewis, Sarah Wyndham
“Our gardens would be unrecognizable without the gentle buzz of the humble honeybee. Yet in recent years bee populations have suffered from the loss of green spaces and need our help. Planting for Honeybees is a charmingly illustrated, practical guide on how to help attract these delightful pollinators – whether you only have a city window ledge or a whole country garden.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Green urban living : simple steps to growing food, keeping chickens, worm farming, beekeeping and much more in New Zealand / Luke, Janet
“As life gets busier and backyards get smaller, it is a challenge to grow food and live more sustainably. Janet Luke shows that it can be done […] This book evokes some of the methods used in traditional Kiwi backyards, with modern concepts like recycling, organics and using water sustainably to grow food and keep chickens and bees in an urban environment.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Kissing the bee / Koja, Kathe
“While working on a bee project for her advanced biology class, quiet high school senior Dana reflects on her relationship with gorgeous best friend Avra and Avra’s boyfriend Emil, whom Dana secretly loves.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Let’s [Make] This Bread!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨forming an emotional attachment with the local worm population✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Baking bread is one of the fundaments of thriving in the pastoral fantasy that is our soft apocalypse (it’s a fact that sunsets are more beautiful with baked goods in hand), so today we’re having a look at a few basic Bread-y recipes!

Pro Tip: Put on a timer when baking stuff. For the love of emergency services, please and thank you.


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The Sweet

Nothing says ‘cottagecore’ like a hearty loaf of banana bread, and it’s ideal if you’re anything like me (aka chief of forgetting to eat my bananas then hoarding them in the freezer when they go brown). This recipe is adapted from Chelsea Sugar’s banana bread recipe. Shout out to Chelsea x

  1. Preheat your oven to 18o°C bake.
  2. Pop 125g Nuttelex Buttery Spread (söftened) in a bowl with 1 cup of brown sugar. Beat it with measured violence in your heart, then add in either 2 flaxseed eggs (or similar substitute) and mix.
  3. Sift and stir in 2 cups of white flour, 1tsp of baking powder, 1tsp of ground cinnamon, and 1tsp of baking soda (tsp = teaspoon, for those Not In The Know). Mix in 1 cup of soy milk.
  4. Mash 3 ripe/overripe bananas and add, then roughly chop up 1/3 cup of walnuts (optional) and add. Mix ’em all together, then pop the mixture into a loaf-shaped tin lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake for an hour (or until a skewer skewered through the middle comes out clean). Leave in the tin for a further ten minutes, and hey presto you have a Loaf!

The Savoury

Continuing on with our slow-burn pizza making journey (check out tips for growing your pizza toppings here)! If you’re feeling brave, you can even do the neat ‘spinning the dough above your head like a pro’ thing – just remember to watch out for ceiling fans. Love and two kisses to Nadia Lim because this recipe is a 100% knock-off of hers xx

  1. Stir 1tsp of sugar in  cups of warm water until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir in 4tsps of yeast and set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Thoroughly mix in 1tsp of salt and 4 cups of flour, then transfer to a clean surface sprinkled with flour and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes (until you can poke the dough with your finger and the indentation springs back quite nicely). Feel free to add a little more flour if your dough is too sticky.
  3. Lightly oil a large bowl (no more than 2tbsp (tbsp = tablespoon, for those Not In The Know) of olive oil should do). Place the dough in the bowl, turning once so it’s lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean(!) tea towel, and leave in a warm place for just under an hour.
  4. Remove the freshly puffy dough, and knead for another 2-3 minutes, then cut the dough into four even pieces and shape into pizza bases! Top with your favourite pizza toppings (Pineapple on Pizza for President 2023), and bake in an oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes.

The Basic

Where would we be without the humble loaf of sliced white bread (slicing not included, terms and conditions may apply)? What would the millennials have their avocados on? What would we make fairybread with? Truly disturbing to consider. Luckily! We don’t have to! And here’s how to make your very own! (Blessings be to Gather for Bread, from whom I stole this recipe x).

  1. Stir 1tbsp of sugar and 1tbsp salt in 2 cups of warm water until mostly dissolved. Stir in 1tbsp of yeast and set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Mix in 5-6 cups of flour, until the mixture is clumped and doughy, then turn out onto a clean, floured surface.
  3. Knead your dough for five minutes or so, sprinkling flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the mixture springs back slightly when poked. (Avoid adding too much flour or over-kneading as this will toughen the dough.)
  4. Lightly oil a large bowl (no more than 2tbsp of olive oil should do). Knead the dough for another couple of minutes, then place in the bowl, turning once so it’s lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean(!) tea towel, and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours. During this time, the dough should double in size.
  5. Once the dough has risen, briefly knead out any air bubbles, then cut the dough in half and shape into two oval loafs. Place them on baking tray dusted with flour, and lightly slash the tops of the loaves three times on a diagonal, then brush them with cold water.
  6. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 200°C for 35-45 minutes, until the loaves are a tasty golden-brown colour, and sound hollow when tapped. Very good with soup, five stars.

 


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Fitwaffle’s baking it easy : all my best 3-ingredient recipes and most-loved cakes and desserts / Head, Eloise
” I’m Eloise, known online as Fitwaffle, and welcome to my first book! […] Find fifty 3-ingredient recipes, including my crowd-pleasing Cookies and Cream Cake and delicious Chocolate Caramel Fudge, plus all of your favourite 4- and 5-ingredient recipes including Speculoos Ice Cream and a cinnamon roll made in a mug!” (Adapted from Catalogue)


A wizard’s guide to defensive baking / Kingfisher, T
“Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The heartbreak bakery / Capetta, A. R.
“Teenage baker Syd sends ripples of heartbreak through Austin’s queer community when a batch of post-being-dumped brownies turns out to be magical–and makes everyone who eats them break up. ” (Catalogue)

The bread bible / Beranbaum, Rose Levy
“Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, Best Bread Book” (Catalogue)

How baking works / Morton, James
“Whether you want light cakes, squidgy brownies, perfect pastry, stress-free macarons or mountainous meringues, this book features a mini-masterclass for each one.” (Catalogue)


A taste for love / Yen, Jennifer
“Smart, kind, and pretty, Liza Yang dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But her mom compares her to older sister Jeannie, and sees Liza as stubborn, rebellious, and determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang’s traditional values, especially when it comes to dating. The one thing they agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston’s popular Yin & Yang Bakery. Liza agrees to help out at the bakery’s annual junior competition, but discovers there’s a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date. Grudgingly attracted to stoic, annoyingly hot James Wong, Liza begins to realize there’s no tried and true recipe for love.” (Catalogue)

Bread : from ciabatta to rye / Collister, Linda
“A delicious journey around the great breads of the world – required reading for all home bakers, whatever their level of experience.” (Catalogue)

The little book of vegan bakes / Jade, Holly
“Recipes range from the simple (Chocolate Orange Fridge Fudge, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Flapjacks) to the more ambitious (Honeycomb Doughnuts, Cherry Bakewell Tartlets and No-bake Biscoff Cheesecake) making this a book for anyone and any ability.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The great British bake off : how to bake : the perfect Victoria sponge and other baking secrets / Collister, Linda
“Twelve new amateur bakers are ready to rise to the Great British Bake Off challenge. While they don their aprons, adjust to their new ovens, and get used to baking in a tent, this book takes you through the challenges from the series and shows you how to achieve baking perfection.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breadsong : how baking changed our lives / Tait, Kitty
“‘If you had told me at 14 when I couldn’t even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is – the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. ” — Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Baking with Kim-Joy : cute and creative bakes to make you smile / Kim-Joy
“If you’ve ever wanted to know how to bring your baking to life, Kim-Joy will show you how in this fun and practical book. […] Recipes include step-by-step photography and adorable illustrations accompanied by little messages of positivity throughout.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Batter royale / Adams, Leisl
“In this fun graphic novel, a talented young chef is selected to participate in a baking reality show and finds herself mixed up in spicy competition, bitter rivalry, and sweet romance.” –author’s website.” (Catalogue)

Bread therapy : the mindful art of baking bread / Beaumont, Pauline
“Therapy is a love letter to the art of making real bread. […] It celebrates bread making as a way of understanding ourselves better, learning important life lessons and making positive changes to our mental and physical wellbeing. It features eight simple bread recipes to get you started on your bread-making journey.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


The vegan cake bible : the definitive guide to baking, building and decorating spectacular vegan cakes / Kidd, Sara
“With step-by-step tutorials for frosting and decorating, mix and match ideas, and recipes for gluten-free cakes that actually work, Sara teaches you the ingredients, tools, and tips to master the art of vegan baking”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Honey and jam : seasonal baking from my kitchen in the montains / Queen, Hannah
“Featuring Queen’s rich photography throughout, Honey and Jam not only showcases a collection of rustic desserts, but also captures the sprawling forests and farmlands of Blue Ridge, anchoring each recipe in the backdrop of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Eco-Anxiety & Other Fun Things to Think About at 3AM

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨eating the vinyl edition of Taylor Swift’s folklore like it’s a cracker✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

I’d like to start off with a little Disclaimer: I am not a therapist, but I am a chill vibey woman who sometimes says “it ees what is ees” while doing finger guns. Which feels like basically the same thing.

In all seriousness, these are Troubling Times, and we should all be brushing up on our self-care skills (get enough sleep, go to vegetables, eat your therapy, etc. etc.), as well as learning new ways to look after ourselves, our friends, and this nice blue and green bouncey ball that we call home. Since thriving in the soft apocalypse is all about looking after ourselves physically and emotionally, today we’re going to be chatting about mental health!

Let’s Get Grounding!

I’m sure most of you will have heard of grounding techniques because – let’s be honest – life can be a bit stressful, especially when you’re a Youth. But in case you haven’t, we’re going to go over a couple of the basics.
  • 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise: This is a golden oldie. The sliced bread of grounding techniques. Easy and discreet. You start by identifying 5 things that you can see around you (the light hitting some leaves, the pattern of someone’s shirt, how swish your shoes are looking etc). From there, you identify 4 things you’re touching/feeling, such as the feel of a chair against your legs, your phone in your hand, you get the gist. Then you work your way through 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and finish with thing you can taste (if you’re feeling a bit flavourless then you can use this as an opportunity to take some deep breaths). This is the exact grounding technique that field mice use when baking soufflés, so feel free to add in that visual.
  • Anchoring Phrases: An exercise in description, anchoring phrases are simple phrases you can repeat to yourself that ‘anchor’ you back into the moment. Things like “My name is Mike TV. I am twelve years old. I live in Wellington, in New Zealand. The time is 3.37pm and it is a Thursday.” You know, real riveting stuff like that.
  • Affirmations: That’s right, we’re not getting through this without a little bit of self-compassion. Come up with a few soft little phrases that you can use when you’re feeling stressed, such as:
    • “I’m having a hard time, but it will pass.”
    • “I can do hard things.”
    • “I deserve rest, safety, food, and love, with no conditions attached.”
    • “I’m doing my best, and that is enough.”
    • “I am in pain but I will make it through.”
  • Listing: Lots of freedom here to list whatever you want. Favourite cryptids, Taylor Swift songs that make you Feel Things, types of cheese, books with terrible love triangles in them. The idea is to get your mind focusing on one thing (while you maybe add in some slow breathing) and find your way back from whatever stressy thing got your goat.
  • Breathing Exercises: I specifically researched “calming breathing exercises” before the Taylor Swift Eras tickets went on sale, so you’d better believe I’m an expert. You could try out Box Breathing (breath in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, hold again for four seconds, and repeat), Bumblebee Breathing (relax face and shoulders, gently block your ears and cover your eyes, take slow deep breaths and let out a low hum on each exhale), or any number of the other exercises out there.

Let’s Talk About Eco-Anxiety

It’s a pretty sticky world out there, so I’m sure most of you have heard of eco-anxiety, or experienced it for yourself. It’s definitely something I’ve been dealing with more lately, but good news folks! There’s a ton of resources out there to help you manage your eco-anxiety, and even help you turn it into a strength (it’s literally a sign of how much you care about our world – pretty badass when you think about it).
Experts generally agree that there are four key tools for dealing with eco-anxiety:
  1.  Accept and explore your feelings. What in particular is prompting this kind of stress? It’s perfectly rational to be feeling this way – don’t beat yourself up over it.
  2. Use your voice, both in terms of finding people you can talk about this with, AND by speaking up to raise awareness among friends, family, or online.
  3. Action. Nothing is more empowering that feeling like you’re addressing your problem. Get involved in a local clean-up, try making your diet more planet-friendly, research local politics and find out who’s prioritizing climate action, organise a climate change awareness event at your school. Go however big or small you need.
  4. Take practical steps to protect your mental health, and don’t be afraid to take a step back from all the doom media out there. Ground yourself, both emotionally and physically in nature (go touch some grass), and look into getting professional help if that’s where you’re at. You can’t look after your planet if you’re not looking after yourself.
Alright, that’s a lot of words from me. Keep breathing out there folks, and keep scrolling to check out more words from our Gorgeous Library Collection.

As librarians, we’re here to help, not judge. Always feel free to ask for more information at your local library. And if you’re worried about yourself or someone in your life, the best thing you can do is talk to somebody about it.

  • Find great mental health resources at The Lowdown, Small Steps, or Piki (for rangatahi aged 18-25)
  • Or contact
    • Youthline by free texting 234, or free calling 0800 376633.
    • Lifeline Helpline by free calling 0800 LIFELINE (0800 543 354) or free texting HELP (4357) for confidential support – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    • 0800WHATSUP a free nationwide young people’s helpline available 7 days a week, 11am – 11pm. You can also chat with them online from 11am – 10:30pm every day.

Socially-conscious Reads for Ecologically Anxious Teens


Highly illogical behavior / Whaley, John Corey
“Agoraphobic sixteen-year-old Solomon has not left his house in three years, but Lisa is determined to change that– and to write a scholarship-winning essay based on the results.” (Catalogue)
How to change everything : the young human’s guide to protecting the planet and each other / Klein, Naomi
“A movement is already underway to combat not only the environmental effects of climate change but also to fight for climate justice and make a fair and livable future possible for everyone. And young people are not just part of that movement, they are leading the way. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, Noelle
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

(Don’t) call me crazy : 33 voices start the conversation about mental health
“Writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Am I normal yet / Bourne, Holly
“Evie, Amber and Lottie: three girls facing down tough issues with the combined powers of friendship, feminism and cheesy snacks. Both hilarious and heart-rending, this is Evie’s no-holds-barred story of struggling to live a normal teen life in the grip of OCD, from the acclaimed author of The Manifesto on How to be Interesting.” (Catalogue)

The book of knowing : know how you think, change how you feel / Smith, Gwendoline
“Learn to understand the way you think and you will be able to deal with many of life’s difficult moments. Written in an accessible and humorous style, this book teaches you to know what’s going on in your mind and how to get your feelings under control.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Darius the Great is not okay / Khorram, Adib
“Clinically-depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet his grandparents, but it is their next-door neighbor, Sohrab, who changes his life.” (Catalogue)

Urgent message from a hot planet : navigating the climate crisis / Eriksson, Ann
“This nonfiction book for teens outlines the science behind global heating and its root causes, provides ways to take action and honors the efforts of the millions of people from around the world working tirelessly to help the planet.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Finding Audrey / Kinsella, Sophie
“Fourteen-year-old Audrey is making slow but steady progress dealing with her anxiety disorder when Linus comes into the picture and her recovery gains momentum.” (Catalogue)

The story of more : how we got to climate change and where to go from here : adapted for young adults / Jahren, Hope
“Jahren, a geobiologist, has written an impassioned open letter to humanity as we stand at the crossroads of survival and extinction. Our enterprising spirit has tamed wild crops, cured diseases, and sent us to the moon– but that spirit has created excesses that are quickly warming our planet to dangerous levels. Jahren […] shares the science-based tools that could help us fight back.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Under rose-tainted skies / Gornall, Louise
“Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in?” (Adapted from Catalogue)
It’s all in your head / Earl, Rae
“When I was a teenager, I had a nervous breakdown. Battling OCD and an eating disorder tested my sanity to its very limits, but I survived. And then I thrived. And now I’ve written this book, full of the things healthcare professionals can’t tell you. Supported by Dr Radtha (from BBC Radio 1’s The Surgery), this is a book about how to live well with a mixed up mind.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

American road trip / Flores-Scott, Patrick
“With a strong family, the best friend a guy could ask for, and a budding romance with the girl of his dreams, life shows promise for Teodoro “T” Avila. But he takes some hard hits the summer before senior year when his nearly perfect brother, Manny, returns from a tour in Iraq with a devastating case of PTSD. In a desperate effort to save Manny from himself and pull their family back together, T’s fiery sister, Xochitl, hoodwinks her brothers into a cathartic road trip.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

In my head : a young person’s guide to understanding mental health / Baty, Louise
“Do you ever find it hard to explain what you’re thinking and feeling? Have you often pretended to be okay when in reality you’re anxious or sad? However you’re feeling, you’re not alone because many people find it difficult to talk about their mental health. This book will help you be kind to your mind. Whether you want to understand your thoughts and emotions a little better, or learn some handy tips to help you to de-stress, it’s filled with information on how to look after your well-being and stay feeling good.” (Catalogue)

Heroine complex / Kuhn, Sarah
“Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine. She’s great at her job–blending into the background, handling her boss’s epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants. […] But everything changes when Evie’s forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest secret comes out: she has powers, too.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Gardening (feat. worms!)

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨building a shrine to Hozier✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

When I was 6 years old, I went out into my friend’s garden and ate so much grass that I threw up in my friend’s mum’s laundry basket. It was something of a faux pas, but it was the beginning of a new-found appreciation for edible gardening. This is an appreciation that manifests today as a semi-feral strawberry patch in the backyard of my flat, and one rather sad looking lemon tree. So here we are, determined to do better, and keen to know more about gardening for people who only give half a fig, and whose thumbs are distinctly un-green.

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Fun Fact: The Texas Blind Snake looks like a worm, but it has a tiny mouth with which to extol the virtues of container gardening.

When the Texas Blind Snake speaks, we must listen, so let’s have a chat about container gardening! Container gardening can be as big or small, as cheap or expenny, as aesthetic or unaesthetic as you like, which makes it a perfect starting point for our pre-apocalypse DIY smallholdings. A quick google reveals that people can get pretty ambitious with their container-grown goods, but we’re going to be starting off ✨nice ‘n’ easy✨ with some of the basics:

Lettuce: It’s big! It’s leafy! It tastes like crunchy water!

  • Here’s what you need: Lettuce seedlings, a container (between 5-8 inches deep), potting soil, water, and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Lettuce needs 4-6 hours of sunlight every day, so look for a sunny windowsill or porch. Water every day or so (lettuce is a bit of thirsty boy and likes soil that it constantly damp, but not soggy). Lettuce seedlings take 40-50 days to reach maturity. When harvesting your lettuce, carefully snip off the outer leaves.
  • Here’s what you need to do: Put the gravel/pebbles at the bottom of your container (this will allow water to drain through the soil to avoid root rot). Half-fill the container with potting mix, and make a bit of a well for your little seedling. Separate out your lettuce seedlings, and sit it down gently in the well before adding enough potting soil to cover the roots and reach just past the base of the plant. Lightly pat down the soil, gently water the seedling, and give it a nice little kiss to help it settle in.

Tomato: A very nice addition to our Evil Pasta – see Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Cooking the Books (but make it literal) – and an excellent fruit/veg for throwing at disreputable politicians.

  • Here’s what you need: Tomato seedlings (Glacier, Tiny Tim, Maglia Rosa, and Italian Roma are great options for potted gardening), a bucket or similarly large container, potting soil, water, mulch (straw, bark, or shredded leaves), and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Tomato plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, and grow best if kept between 10-32°C. They are also thirsty boys who require daily watering, sometimes twice a day if the weather is particularly hot (watering early in the morning or later in the evening is best for your plant). Most tomato plants should begin producing fruit after 60-100 days.
  • Here’s what you need to do: Spread a layer of gravel or similar at the bottom of the container (for drainage!), then top with a hefty layer of potting soil. Make a well in the soil, remove the bottom few leaves from your tomato seedling, and bury it so that the roots and first inch or two of stem are under the soil (roots will grow along the buried stem). Pat the earth down gently to tuck in your new tomato child, give it a bit of a water to welcome it into it’s new home, and top off the soil with a nice inch of mulch. At this point, you might also like to create a support structure for your tomato, such as a cage or a few sticks/garden stakes tied together in a tripod.

Basil: Another friend to pastas everywhere, basil makes the cut here because it’s so darn nice to have fresh basil leaves on a homemade pizza or spaghetti bolognese. Plus it’s fun to add Flavour Leaves to things. Makes me feel like a witch.

  • Here’s what you need: Basil seedlings or seeds, a container (any ol’ size and type will do), potting soil, water, and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Basil plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, and are best planted in mid-Spring. Again, basil needs to have regular sippy-sips of water, and prefers soil that is consistently damp but not soggy. Basil leaves are immediately ready for harvest, however be careful not to over-pick your plant. Basil plants are annuals, meaning they may last only a few months, however if you keep a supply of basil seeds handy then you can continue to sow and grow your basil container garden year-round.
  • Here’s what you need to do: If growing your basil from seed, you’ll need to plant your seeds in a small container of potting mix, around 0.6cm under the soil. Keep the soil moist, and ideally at around a temperature of 21°C. The plants should germinate within 5-10 days, and can be carefully transplanted into larger containers when they have 3-4 sets of leaves. When planting your basil seedling into it’s home container, set up your drainage layer and potting soil, then make a little hole and bury your basil plant up to the base of the stem. You can plant multiple basil in one container, just make sure the plants are 6-8cm apart to allow airflow.


Close-up image of strawberry plants in a garden.

My strawberry patch before it went an eldritch kind of feral.


And there you have it! Our thumbs are slightly greener! To make them greener still (or to take a well-earned break from all your gardening), check out some of the Botanical Books from our collection below:


This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls who green the world : thirty-four rebel women out to save our planet / Kapp, Diana
“A guidebook to the modern environmental movement featuring 34 inspiring women working to save our planet”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The price guide to the occult / Walton, Leslye J.
“Sixteen-year-old Nor, who comes from a long line of witches, prefers to hide her ability to communicate with nature and lives in constant fear of the return of her abusive mother.” (Catalogue)

Small garden style : a design guide for outdoor rooms and containers / Eaton, Isa Hendry
“Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living. But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn’t have to sacrifice style. However small your garden, Small Garden Style will transform it into a magical, modern outdoor oasis.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wild beauty / McLemore, Anna-Marie
“For nearly a century the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds and lush estate gardens of La Pradera. They have a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. When a strange boy appears in the gardens, he is a mystery to Estrella and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself. He knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, they uncover secrets as dangerous as they are magical.” (Catalogue)

Poison Ivy : cycle of life and death / Chu, Amy
“Life. Death. Poison Ivy has power over both. But can she keep her friends and hold down a regular job at the same time? As Dr. Pamela Isley, she joins the prestigious plant sciences department at Gotham Botanical Gardens, but things quickly get complicated when a fellow scientist is murdered and it looks like the work of Ivy. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Indoor edible garden / Allaway, Zia
“Describes methods for growing edible plants indoors, covering how to make the most of available light, instructions for growing specific plants, and productive and pleasing projects to brighten the home.” (Catalogue)

The Raven Boys / Stiefvater, Maggie
“Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent’s only gift seems to be that she makes other people’s talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own–and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.” (Catalogue)

Wildblood : a novel / Blackwood, Lauren
“Kidnapped at six and sent to work at the Exotic Lands Touring Company as a Wildblood tour guide, eighteen-year-old Victoria takes on a dangerous expedition through the monster-filled Jamaican jungle to secure a better future and find where she truly belongs.” (Catalogue)

The secret garden : a graphic novel / Marsden, Mariah
“Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at her uncle’s secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. But as she begins to explore her new home alongside ragtag companions – a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals – Mary uncovers long-buried family secrets and learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to garden when you’re new to gardening
“How To Garden When You’re New To Gardening shows you the basics to get your green space under control and keep it that way. With the expertise of the RHS, this book gives simple step by step instructions, with clear images to help you build your dream garden, no matter the size and scale.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to garden
“A no-nonsense beginner’s guide to the must-know aspects of gardening from the RHS Tempted to have a go at gardening? Keen to grow your own veg or tame an out-of-control border? This no-nonsense practical manual, packed with clear advice and photos on the essentials, shows you where to start and how to progress.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The sprite and the gardener / Abrego, Rii
“Long, long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by their hand. But when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites’ magical talents soon became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kind-hearted sprite, starts to ask questions about the way things used to be, she’ll begin to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Cooking the Books (but make it literal)

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and keeping chickens).

Welcome to Episode 2 of Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

And what better skill to start off with than cooking? After all, it’s not a proper Soft Apocalypse unless there’s snacks. In honour of this, today I will be sharing with you my holy trinity of recipes for all possible occasions, along with some books to eat them with (this is a library after all).


Fun Fact: The following recipes cover the three primary food groups (Garlic, Breakfast, and Noodles).

First and foremost: Evil Pasta. Thus named because of the unethical quantity of ✨butter✨ and the nasty little way I cackle when it’s ready to eat. (Also butter should be in quotation marks because the two-headed calf poem made me cry and now ya girl is plant-based.) To make your evil plate of evil pasta, slice up an enormous number of white button mushrooms and fry ’em in a pot/pan/type of thing along with chef’s choice amount of minced garlic and lots of “butter”. Do this until the mushrooms are all lil and crispy. Feel free to add some sliced tomato here, again it’s up to you. This is your evil pasta now. Mix the lil crispy mushrooms into the desired amount of cooked pasta (I would recommend using those tiny little elbow pasta pieces), and top with some nice avocado. Make a nasty little cackle and then it’s ready to eat.

Second and secondmost: Oogy-Boogy It’s Cold Outside Porridge. Don’t be alarmed, but the following recipe includes a fruit. I’m not going to take you through the ins and outs of making porridge because that’s not Hip Teen Blog Vibes, so I’ll say it really fast. Oats + Twice as much milk (let’s go soy – think of the cow poem) + Nice little shake shake of cinnamon + One grated apple + A touch of vanilla essence. Boil in a pot until Good, then eat topped with brown sugar and a splash more milk.

Third and finally: Sticky Lime Noodles. Thus named because it’s stïcky. Slice up some carrots, courgette, and bok choy ✨julienne style✨ then fry it all in a nice little pan. Add a little minced garlic. Add two packets of cooked, unseasoned two-minute noodles (that’s right, we’re classy). Add two tablespoons of both lime juice and soy sauce. Add one teaspoon-ish of honey. Add a nice dusting of chilli powder. Stir it all up. Adjust according to taste. Make sure it’s looking stïcky. Put it in a bowl, find the eating utensil that makes your heart sing and then Eat It.


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There you have it: Cooking 101 for the Soft Apocalypse. Keen to know more or keep reading? Why not head down to your local library branch to get your greedy little (oven) mitts on some of these delicious books from the WCL collection:


Batter royale / Adams, Leisl
“In this fun graphic novel, a talented young chef is selected to participate in a baking reality show and finds herself mixed up in spicy competition, bitter rivalry, and sweet romance.” –author’s website.” (Catalogue)


With the fire on high / Acevedo, Elizabeth
“Ever since she got pregnant during freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions, doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. Then an opportunity presents itself to not only enrol in a culinary arts class in her high school, but also to travel abroad to Spain for an immersion program. Emoni knows that her decisions post high school have to be practical ones, but despite the rules she’s made for her life – and everyone else’s rules that she refuses to play by – once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Breadsong : how baking changed our lives / Tait, Kitty
“‘If you had told me at 14 when I couldn’t even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is – the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. ” — Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A Cuban girl’s guide to tea and tomorrow / Namey, Laura Taylor
“After graduation, everything Lila Reyes had planned for her life fell apart. Her worried parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila. Until she meets Orion Maxwell. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Vegan fakeaway : plant-based takeaway classics for the ultimate night in / Beskow, Katy
“We all love a takeaway. It’s one of life’s little pleasures, and a great way to try food from around the world in the comfort of our own homes. From All-in-one biryani or Sesame spring rolls, to Sicilian-style pizza, Falafel flatbreads and Chilli burritos, there’s something for every Friday night feast.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Brave Chef Brianna [1] / Sykes, Sam
“Brianna Jakobsson has big cooking dreams, and when her ailing father, a world-renowned chef, poses a challenge to his only daughter and fifteen sons, she seizes the opportunity.  Thing is, the only place she can afford to set up shop is in Monster City. Her menu is full of weird delicacies, her kitchen is run by a half-bird harpy, and her dining room is filled with skeleton businessmen. Add on the nefarious Madame Cron, some highly competitive siblings and Brianna’s plate is literally… full.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Somewhere between bitter and sweet / Kemp, Laekan Zea
“As an aspiring pastry chef, Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her traditional Mexican-American mom and dad have different plans. Xander Amaro Is a new hire at Nacho’s. For him, the job is an opportunity for a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. When both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The complete cookbook for young chefs
“Want to bake the most-awesome-ever cupcakes? Or surprise your family with breakfast tacos on Sunday morning? Looking for a quick snack after school? Or maybe something special for a sleepover? It’s all here. Learn to cook like a pro – it’s easier than you think.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A phở love story / Le, Loan
“Bảo would describe himself as steady and strong: his grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ phở restaurant – as his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Linh Mai would describe herself as a firecracker: stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She dreams of pursuing a career in art, while working practically full-time at her family’s phở restaurant. Bao and Linh have never even had a class together – but after a chance encounter, sparks fly. Can this relationship survive their families’ feud? — adapted from jacket.” (Catalogue)

Cheeky treats : brilliant bakes and cakes / Charles, Liam
“When you bake you want the results to be mouth-watering and jaw-droppingly good. You want gasps of awe followed by silence as your friends and family munch their way through your genius creations. No one understands this better than Liam Charles, aka Cake Boy, the breakout star from Great British Bake Off 2017. Who else could bring you a Caramel Peanut Millionaires Shortbread, an Oreo Chocolate Brownie Freakshake or a Christmas Dinner Pie?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Chinese takeaway in 5 : 80 of your favourite dishes using only five ingredients / Wan, Kwoklyn
“Kwoklyn Wan is back with 70 classic Chinese dishes that use only five ingredients. All your favourites are here – from Tom Yum Soup to Prawn Toast, Sweet Chilli Salmon and Lemon Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork Balls or Beef in Oyster Sauce, Aubergine Fritters and Chilli Ginger Crispy Tofu – and all use only five key ingredients.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Diet for a changing climate : food for thought / Mihaly, Christy
“Explore the vast world of unexpected foods that may help solve the global hunger crisis: weeds, wild plants, invasive and feral species, and bugs! You’ll visit a cricket farm, learn recipes for dandelion pancakes and pickled purslane; and discover facts about climate change, sustainability, green agriculture, indigenous foods, farm-to-table restaurants, and how to be an eco-friendly producer, consumer, and chef. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

It is a high school rite of passage to spend at least one class (I would recommend Maths – who really needs it?) debating with your friends on how best to survive a Zombie Apocalypse. In my mind, your survival plan said a lot about who you were as a person, and I definitely judged my friends based on their plans and how closely they aligned with my own (steal a bus, break into the SPCA and take all the animals, then hole up in the local Pak ‘n’ Save – make of that what you will).

Eight years later, and I am infinitely more preoccupied with my plans for thriving in the Soft Apocalypse: The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Welcome to the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨constantly touching grass✨).

If/when the Soft Apocalypse hits, I will be trailing around after my green anarchist forager brother so I expect I will be just fine, but at the same time it would be very nice to have a few handy-dandy skills of my own. Enter: Soft Apocalypse for Beginners! Where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it), with the support of a certain gorgeous library collection.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Soft Apocalypse for Beginners!
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Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, Noelle
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Scattered all over the earth / Tawada, Yōko
“Welcome to the not-too-distant future: Japan, having vanished from the face of the earth, is now remembered as “the land of sushi.” As she searches for anyone who can still speak her mother tongue, Hiruko soon makes new friends. Her troupe travels to France, encountering an umami cooking competition; a dead whale; an ultra-nationalist named Breivik; unrequited love; Kakuzo robots; red herrings; uranium; an Andalusian matador.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The quiet at the end of the world / James, Lauren
“How far would you go to save those you love? Lowrie and Shen are the youngest people on the planet after a virus caused global infertility. Closeted in a pocket of London and doted upon by a small, ageing community, the pair spend their days mudlarking and looking for treasure – until a secret is uncovered that threatens not only their family but humanity’s entire existence.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls’ last tour. 1 / Tsukumizu
“Civilization is dead, but not Chito and Yuuri. Time to hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and wander what’s left of the world! Sharing a can of soup or scouting for spare parts might not be the experience they were hoping for, but all in all, life isn’t too bad…”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Tea Dragon Society / O’Neill, Katie
“The beloved and charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives–and eventually her own.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The sound of stars / Dow, Alechia
“Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her. Born in a lab, M0Rr1S was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution–thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wool / Howey, Hugh
“In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don’t.  Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Iron widow / Zhao, Xiran Jay
“The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn’t matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead. Now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will take over instead, then leverage their combined strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Or die trying.”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Activism to Keep the Summer Ennui at Bay!

It is impossible to fully extol the many wonders of the summer holidays. Water fights, ice cream, camping, being unable to beat Wellington on a good day, exploring the bush looking for cryptids (yes I will ram cryptids down the throats of you readers at every given opportunity), using strategically applied sunblock and patience to graffiti your friend’s back, more ice cream — I could go on for days.

However, if you are anything like me, it won’t take long to remember that you are unable to function without a schedule and will eventually succumb to a state of sunburnt ennui. And what better way to fight this gradual decline, than by fighting THE gradual decline (of society)?! That’s right, this blog post does have a point!

Hopefully, all you smart young whippersnappers were out marching in the School Strike 4 Climate Change (#doitfordavid #actionforattenborough) way back in the shining days pre-COVID, so you’ve already had a taste of how good it feels to stand up for what you believe in. Or you just wanted a day off school, but same premise – we’re battling summer ennui here folks! While organising a nation-wide series of protests over the holidays may be a little ambitious, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways you can make your voice heard:

  1. Social Media. Your social media is an incredible platform to speak up for your beliefs, so make the most of it! Even if it’s just sharing someone else’s post, you have the tools to make your voice heard. USE THEM.


  2. Get involved. There’s a smorgasbord of charities, non-profits, and activist organisations out there. Pick one that you vibe with and go make the world a better place. A few of my favourites include ActionStation, SAFE, Greenpeace, and NOPE Sisters, or – if you’re feeling especially inspired – get involved with a local political party you agree with, or even the Youth Parliament.
  3. Speaking of parliament, get ready to VOTE! Your time is nigh! I don’t care who you’re voting for, so long as you are getting out there and using your unique opportunity to shape this country. If you’re not old enough to vote, then I give you permission to bully your older siblings, friends, and parents to get out there and make Orange Man proud.
  4. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE. All those unique ideas that no-one else would ever think of? Find one that you care about, that can help people, and act on it. All you have to do it start.


  5. Educate yourself! I wanted to put this one first, but then there wouldn’t have been such a flawless transition into some local library inspiration. So, without further ado, here are a few suggestions for you budding activists out there:


How I resist : activism and hope for a new generation
“Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they’re bound to inherit. But with much to stand up and shout about, where do they begin? How I Resist is the way to start the conversation. An all-star collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope […] This guide will remind you that you are not helpless, and that you can be the change you wish to see in the world, in the news, and for your future.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Resist : 35 profiles of ordinary people who rose up against tyranny and injustice / Chambers, Veronica
“Before they were activists, they were just like you and me. From Frederick Douglass to Malala Yousafzai, Joan of Arc to John Lewis, Susan B. Anthony to Janet Mock—these thirty-five profiles of remarkable figures show us what it means to take a stand and say no to injustice […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Art of Protest: What a Revolution Looks Like / Nichols, De
“From Keith Haring to Extinction Rebellion, the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, what does a revolution look like? What does it take to make a collective visual impact? Discover the power of words, images and much more in this analytical and thought-provoking look at protest art, by highly acclaimed activist De Nichols.” (Catalogue)

Girls resist! : a guide to activism, leadership, and starting a revolution / Rich, KaeLyn
“An activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality. Take on the world and make some serious change with this handbook to everything activism, social justice, and resistance. With in-depth guides to everything from picking a cause, planning a protest, and raising money to running dispute-free meetings, promoting awareness on social media, and being an effective ally. Get this handbook to crush inequality, start a revolution, and resist!” (Catalogue)

Generation brave : the Gen Z kids who are changing the world / Alexander, Kate
“An illustrated celebration of Gen Z activists fighting to make our world a better place. Gen Z is populated–and defined–by activists. They are bold and original thinkers and not afraid to stand up to authority and conventional wisdom. From the March for Our Lives to the fight for human rights and climate change awareness, this generation is leading the way toward truth and hope like no generation before […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hood feminism : notes from the women that white feminists forgot / Kendall, Mikki
“All too often the focus of mainstream feminism is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. Meeting basic needs is a feminist issue. Food insecurity, the living wage and access to education are feminist issues. The fight against racism, ableism and transmisogyny are all feminist issues. White feminists often fail to see how race, class, sexual orientation and disability intersect with gender. How can feminists stand in solidarity as a movement when there is a distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others? […]” (Catalogue)

Craftivism : the craft of craft and activism
“A provocative anthology of essays, interviews and photographs on the art-making phenomenon known as craftivism, the intersection where craft and activism meet. This book profiles craftivists from around the world (including Australia), and how they use their craft to create a greater good […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

You are mighty : a guide to changing the world / Paul, Caroline
“Being a good citizen means standing up for what’s right-and here’s just the way to start. […] This guide features change-maker tips, tons of DIY activities, and stories about the kids who have paved the way before, from famous activists like Malala Yousafzai and Claudette Colvin to the everyday young people whose habit changes triggered huge ripple effects. So make a sign, write a letter, volunteer, sit-in, or march! There are lots of tactics to choose from, and you’re never too young to change the world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

We are power : how nonviolent activism changes the world / Hasak-Lowy, Todd
“A stirring look at nonviolent activism, from American suffragists to Civil Rights to the Climate Change Movement We Are Power brings to light the incredible individuals who have used nonviolent activism to change the world. The book explores questions such as what is nonviolent resistance and how does it work? […] It answers the question “Why nonviolence?” by showing how nonviolent movements have succeeded again and again in a variety of ways, in all sorts of places, and always in the face of overwhelming odds […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Amazons, abolitionists, and activists : a graphic history of women’s fight for their rights / Kendall, Mikki
“[…] Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is a fun and fascinating graphic novel-style primer that covers the key figures and events that have advanced women’s rights from antiquity to the modern era. In addition, this compelling book illuminates the stories of notable women throughout history–from queens and freedom fighters to warriors and spies–and the progressive movements led by women that have shaped history, including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, reproductive rights, and more. […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Watch us rise / Watson, Renée
“[…] Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission. Sick of the way that young women are treated even at their ‘progressive’ New York City high school, they decide to start a Women’s Rights Club. One problem – no one shows up. That hardly stops them. They start posting everything from videos of Chelsea performing her poetry to Jasmine’s response to being reduced to a racist and sexist stereotype in the school’s theatre department. And soon, they’ve gone viral, creating a platform they never could’ve predicted […] ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Chicken Soup for the Adventurous Soul

Exams are on the horizon, and some of you may be fighting the urge to run into the woods and never return. But fear not – Spring is in the air, and the world is full of wonderful things to distract you from study! Now is the perfect time to be daydreaming about those Summer roadies and camping trips, and what better way to prepare for the great outdoors than by popping down to your local library for a quick peruse of Bear Grylls’ collected works?

Whether you’re planning a quick day-trip through the bush, a few days camping with friends, or are fully committed to vanishing amongst the undergrowth and resurfacing only often enough that you become a haunting fixture of local folklore, our collection has something for you.

You can find more information about local hiking trails on the Wellington City Council website.

The young adventurer’s guide to (almost) everything : build a fort, camp like a champ, poop in the woods–45 action-packed outdoor activities / Hewitt, Ben
“[…] The Young Adventurer’s Guide will teach kids everything from how to walk like a fox and see like an owl to use the stars as their own personal GPS and even how to build the world’s coolest fort out of foraged sticks. This handbook for curious kids will empower them to explore the natural world and even the comfort of their own backyard through a whole new set of skills. Featuring 65 different skills in sections that include: Secrets of the Woods, The Best Camping Trip, Make Cool Stuff That’s Actually Useful and Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hiking & tramping in New Zealand / Bennett, Sarah
“Lonely Planet Hiking and Tramping in New Zealand is your passport to all the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to see, what to skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Admire the dramatic peaks and valleys of Fiordland National Park, stroll past bays and beaches of the Abel Tasman Coast, or scale an active volcano on the North Island.” (Catalogue)

Survival handbook : an essential companion to the great outdoors / Sumerak, Marc
“This book includes crucial tips on exactly what you need to know to survive even the most unexpected circumstances. This illustrated guide shows you how to make a shelter, build a fire, locate clean water, forage for food, avoid deadly animals, protect yourself from bad weather, and find your way back home safely afterward. Whether you’re lost, hungry, burned, or buried, knowing essential emergency survival skills could literally mean the difference between life and death.” (Catalogue)

Day walks of Greater Wellington / Gavalas, Marios
“[…] With overviews of popular walking areas, each walk is given a track grade, approximate travel time, easy access details, notes on the track itself and points of interest to highlight the most memorable features. Illustrated with maps and plenty of photographs, this handy guide is the essential companion for anyone venturing into the region’s outdoors.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Camping / Grylls, Bear
“Ever wanted to be an adventurer like Bear Grylls? If you do, you will need to know all the skills required to survive camping in the wilderness! In this practical field guide readers will learn how to choose the best site, how to build shelters and how to make a solar shower – and much more. With full-colour illustrations throughout, this book will appeal to scout groups, as the topic coincides with scout badges.” (Catalogue)

A forager’s treasury / Knox, Johanna
“Features profiles of many edible plants commonly found in New Zealand, including advice on where to find them, how to harvest them and how best to use them”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)


The beginner’s guide to hunting + fishing in New Zealand / Adamson, Paul
“Includes information on the right equipment for the right species, hunting with dogs, and mountain safety and bushcraft essentials. With diagrams, fun facts, a glossary of hunting terms, helpful tips and even some recipes to try out at home … has an emphasis on safety and provides all budding hunters with the basic skills and knowledge for a lifetime of adventure in the great outdoors”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Survival for beginners : a step-by-step guide to camping and outdoor skills / Towell, Colin
“This essential survival guide for intrepid young explorers shows the skills and techniques you need for outdoor adventure, from maps and navigation to camping. Learn the basics – from picking the best campground to knowing how to build a shelter – with clear step-by-step illustrations […] So start packing your rucksack for an outdoor adventure and don’t forget to read Survival for Beginners.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bushcraft : outdoor skills for the New Zealand bush
“Bushcraft is an excellent resource for outdoor activities. It helps both novices and those with some experience to enjoy the NZ bush in greater safety. Provides up-to-date information on new techniques, new equipment, and new ideas. Chapters include trip planning, managing risk, food, equipment, shelter, tramping skills, weather, navigation, river safety, hazards, emergency procedures, and much more!” (Catalogue)

Curiosities and splendour
“Journey back in time with this collection of classic travel writing from great authors and adventurers. These extraordinary odysseys over land and sea captivated audiences and gave them a glimpse into countries, cities and cultures like never before. Tales include Robert Byron’s ten-month journey through Persia to Afghanistan in the early 30s; Jack London’s 1907 sailing adventure across the south Pacific; and Teddy Roosevelt’s scientific exploration of the Brazilian jungles exotic flora and fauna […] (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lost lore : a celebration of traditional wisdom, from foraging and festivals to seafaring and smoke signals / McGovern, Una
“An engaging introduction to traditional knowledge and forgotten wisdom” (Catalogue)

Te Taiao Needs Our Help: Recycling Week 2021


Did you know that Aotearoa has a week dedicated to recycling? Of course we should be recycling all the time, but it’s good to have a reminder about what we can do to care for the taiao. Recycling Week runs from the 18th-24th of October, with each day being dedicated to challenges to encourage us to re-think our waste minimization and recycling behaviours. To get us inspired, here are some awesome recycling initiatives from around the world!

There are machines in Colombia where you can recycle your tin, glass and plastic bottles in exchange for public transit credits. Imagine paying for the bus with bottles! You could literally collect other people’s littering and profit from it. Then you’d be both a tidy kiwi, and a kiwi with a topped up Snapper card, Incredible!

Barcelona had a issues with cooking oil being poured down the drain and clogging the pipes (sound familiar?). City officials tackled this problem by giving away free “Olipots” for people to collect their used oil in, while also setting up collection spots for people to dispose of their oil around the city. The collected oils are then recycled into a biodiesel.

ReTuna Återbruksgalleria, in Sweden, is the world’s first recycling mall! Here, old items are given new life through repair and upcycling. Everything sold is recycled, reused or has been organically or sustainably produced. Visitors to the mall can also easily drop off donations, which are then sorted into what can be repaired and resold or donated to somewhere the item will be useful.

Scientists in South Korea have invented a t-shirt that could be used to charge your phone! Specifically, the fabric of the t-shirt generates electricity as it bends and flexes and “a person wearing a shirt tailored from the material only has to move around to power a small screen or other electronic devices” .  This process is possible through the utilising of Triboelectricity, electricity generated by friction. If you want to know more, click through to the article because this goes over my head very quickly. It has been a minute/decade since I did NCEA Physics. Most importantly, this invention would be very handy for long Pokémon GO missions (is Pokémon GO still relevant and cool? Please let it still be relevant and cool. I need this). 


Keen to take the next step in your recycling? Here’s a little book list to send you on your way. 🙂


My zero-waste kitchen : easy ways to eat waste free / O’Rourke-Jones, Ruth
“Looking to live sustainably without overhauling your life? My Zero-Waste Kitchen shows you how to put the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle – into practice in the kitchen.  (Adapted from Catalogue)


Make & mend : a guide to recycling clothes and fabrics / Peacock, Rebecca
“Welcome to Make & Mend! This book shows how, with a little knowledge and a little creativity, you can make a wide range of fantastic items from those old clothes and fabrics you can’t bear to throw away. Full of projects, from aprons to curtains, bags to jewellery, we show you how to turn a bag of scraps into wearable, beautiful and personalised items.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Remade vintage jewelry : 35 step-by-step projects inspired by lost, found, and recycled treasures / Bush, *Co-Co Nichole
“Transform vintage finds and broken objects into pieces to treasure with Remade Vintage Jewelry.” (Catalogue)


A little bit crafty
“A little bit crafty is a nifty collection of 39 DIY ideas from creative types across Australia and New Zealand. With an emphasis on recycling, cheap and easy materials, and projects that can be done in an afternoon, it’s chock full of sweet, clever and slightly oddball crafts that’ll make you smile and keep your hands happy, too.” (Catalogue)


ReadyMade : how to make (almost) everything : a do-it-yourself primer / Berger, Shoshana
“For people who like to make stuff, who see the flicker of invention in everyday objects, this quirky ‘how-to’ volume contains design projects ranging from water-bottle lounge chairs and ladder shelving to shopping bag rugs and denim dog beds.” (Catalogue)


The upcycled T-shirt : 28 easy-to-make projects that save the planet – clothing, accessories, home decor & gifts / Montilone, Jenelle
“Did you know the average American throws away more than 68 pounds of clothing each year? Join the revolution to reduce your carbon footprint—one T-shirt at a time! Widely known for her recycling efforts, environmental crafter Jenelle Montilone will show you how to upcycle tees into fun and fanciful quilts, accessories, toys, and gifts for the whole family. (Adapted from Catalogue)


50 fantastic ideas for sustainability / O’Sullivan, June
“Teach children to reduce, reuse, recycle, repair and be respectful with 50 fun activities for encouraging environmental sustainability. From creating butterfly feeders with food scraps, to turning old kitchen equipment into beautiful planters or bringing broken crayons back to life, these original ideas encourage practitioners to see the potential for creativity and fun using and reusing everyday, easy-to-source items, some of which might have otherwise gone to waste. Enhance children’s creativity, cognitive development and motor skills through indoor and outdoor activities that are enjoyable, educational and environmentally friendly. (Adapted from Catalogue)

Books About Stuff and Other Things: New Non-fiction for Teens

Librarians spend a good deal of time scouring publication lists and trawling through horrifying numbers (like, you have no idea) of online reviews to settle on which books we should buy for our collection. Among the comics, fantasy epics, dystopian hellscapes, romantic comedies, and other fictional titles that routinely land on our desks, are analysed, and then purchased in their hundreds every month, we also seek out books about ~shock of all shocks~ reality. Stuff, things, and other such delights. Our non-fiction collections comprise books on just about every topic under the sun (and even some topics beyond the sun, but that’s a conversation for another day.)

Today, for your delectation, we are serving up some brand new books about nerdy stuff, hip-hop, jobs and careers, sex and sexuality, neurodivergence, and the environment — head down to your local library (or smash that handy and convenient “Reserve Now” button) and dig in!

Can’t stop won’t stop : a hip-hop history / Chang, Jeff
“From award-winning author Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is the story of hip-hop, a generation-defining movement and the music that transformed American politics and culture forever. Hip hop is one of the most dominant and influential cultures in America, giving new voice to the younger generation. It defines a generation’s worldview. Exploring hip hop’s beginnings up to the present day, Jeff Chang and Dave “Davey D” Cook provide a provocative look into the new world that the hip hop generation has created. Based on original interviews with DJs, b-boys, rappers, activists, and gang members, with unforgettable portraits of many of hip hop’s forebears, founders, mavericks, and present day icons, this book chronicles the epic events, ideas and the music that marked the hip hop generation’s rise.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Depression : insights and tips for teenagers / Cognevich, Christie
“This book offers relatable situations and strategies to guide teens struggling with mental health–including identifying signs of struggle, recognizing stress factors, and offering strategies to escape harmful mental habits which can leave individuals feeling vulnerable, helpless, or in despair.” (Catalogue)

Queerly autistic : the ultimate guide for LGBTQIA+ teens on the spectrum / Ekins, Erin
“From coming out to friends and family through to relationships, self-care and coping with bullying, being out and about in the LGBTQIA+ community and undergoing gender transition, this book is filled with essential information, advice, support and resources to help you on your journey, and also works as a primer on all things LGBTQIA+ for non-autistic teens just figuring it all out.” (Catalogue)

Coming out : insights and tips for teenagers / Endsley, Kezia
“This book addresses the hows and whys of coming out, as well as potential concerns teenagers may have–including how to know when you’re ready to come out, who to tell first, and how to deal with unsupportive people. First-hand accounts from teenagers provide personal insight throughout.” (Catalogue)

Marvel monsters : creatures of the Marvel universe explored / Knox, Kelly
“All Super Heroes need a monster to fight, or a monstrous sidekick to help them. Some are even monsters themselves. This comprehensive field guide to Marvel flora, fauna, and beasts great and small shows off claws, teeth, tails, and wings in sumptuous, never-seen-before detail. From tyrannosaurus rexes from alternative worlds and genetically modified deinonychuses from the future, to purple cat-sized dragons and swamp monsters, the Marvel multiverse is brimming with creatures both heroic and villainous. Explore swamps and the Savage Lands and more. Discover aerial beasts, artificially created creatures, and even monster team ups. This anthology is a beautifully curated guide to the best and the worst and ensures you will never get Fin Fang Foom and Tim Boom Ba mixed up again! © 2021 MARVEL” (Catalogue)

Hothouse Earth : the climate crisis and the importance of carbon neutrality / McPherson, Stephanie Sammartino
“As hurricanes, droughts, floods, and wildfires are increasing in regularity and intensity, climate change can no longer be ignored. Melting permafrost, forest dieback, ocean acidification, and other processes are creating positive feedback loops which could, if not aggressively and quickly addressed, spiral out of control and take global warming past the point of no return. Hothouse Earth examines how science, politics, and social justice must all be part of the equation to counteract climate change.” (Catalogue)

The world of Critical Role : the history behind the epic fantasy / Marsham, Liz
“A guide to the massively popular fantasy RPG livestream offers previously unreleased photos and artwork, sharing cast insights into its origins and storylines as well as the diverse array of art and cosplay that Critical Role inspires.” (Catalogue)

Let’s talk about it : the teen’s guide to sex, relationships, and being a human / Moen, Erika
“Growing up is complicated. How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? Let’s Talk About It provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know. Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, Let’s Talk About It is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form.” (Catalogue)

Love your career from the start : making decisions for your future – a guide for young adults / Sandford, Caroline
“This practical book for 15-25-year-olds introduces the four key stages involved in making good decisions for your future. It contains easy exercises that will help you: understand who you are and who you want to become, explore the options that are right for you, create an action plan that ensures you have what you need to realise your goals, identify the strategies your need to create the future that YOU want.” (Catalogue)

Come and do some art at Newtown Library

We’re super stoked to be working with the kind and talented folks at VIVITA to run all kinds of cool events for kids and teens around the city this year. During the last school holidays, they ran a seriously awesome and engaging 5-day workshop on board game creation at Johnsonville Library (check out the video below), and next on the agenda is TRASH ART at Newtown Library.

Yep, you read right. Trash Art. Inspired by the work of phenomenal photographer and environmental activist Mandy Barker, who gained great notoriety in the art world for taking plastic pollution out of the Pacific Ocean and turning it into incredibly intricate photographic sculptures, VIVITA has decided to run a global series of events around turning trash into art, to raise awareness about plastic consumption, its harmful effects on the environment, and how we can fight back. In New Zealand, this is all boiling down to a one-day workshop at Newtown Library on Saturday 5 June, 10am – 1pm, where you’ll go on a journey (literally, like, outside) to capture the good, the bad, and the ugly of consumption and waste in our community, and bring that waste back to the library to turn it into art. What you create will be captured by a professional photographer and included as part of an international exhibition across 8 countries (including New Zealand) in September this year.

The event is totally free, but you do need to be between the ages of 9-15 to attend. If you’re keen, make sure you click here to register, because spots are limited and they are disappearing fast!

Check out Mandy Barker’s incredible work by visiting her website to see what kinds of wondrous things you will learn how to create, using our very own local trash in Newtown.

Te Taiao – The Environment and Your Future

In this age of global climate change, and amongst the deniers, te taiao – the environment, is ever-changing and ever-important. It has recently come to the fore in a hugely political movement, globalised since the first speech of Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg. This blog series will look at three aspects of climate change. Firstly, the scoop on global climate change issues, secondly on local or Aotearoa-based climate issues and thirdly, how yourselves as rangatahi can enact change against the climate crisis.

Firstly, the global picture

Acidification of our oceans

Drivers of hypoxia and acidification in our oceans

Factors showing the driving of acidification in our oceans.

Due to the vastly industrialised world, and the ever-increasing pollution from factories and car exhausts, our oceans are becoming acidified. This is because the oceans absorb 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide released from land use and emissions (Ocean Service, 2020). It means we have less organisms in the sea, and people’s livelihoods will be affected. The behaviour of non-calcifying creatures are also affected, leading to different catchments being available. It affects directly the coral reefs, which provide amazing habitats for many sea-going creatures, and the acidic waters are actually dissolving some sea creatures shells right now (Bennett, 2020).

Salinity of water bodies i.e. lakes

Due to the salination effects on waterways from climate change, the waterways have increased in temperature about 2-4 degrees since the 1960s (Cheng L. et al. 2020). This has meant an ever-increasing salination rate, causing widespread damage to local aquatic and marine populations. What this means is that areas will become drier than before, eliminating vital habitat for various creatures, and a lessening of resources for humans to consume.

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Te Taiao and Aotearoa

Kia ora e hoa,

In the wake of the recent Climate Change Emergency listed by the government (02/12/2020) – this is where Aotearoa has joined 32 other nations and territories in declaring a Climate Change Emergency, seeking strong actions – we need to discuss the current situation happening across our country. So whakarongo mai, and let’s get learning.

Destructive fire shown at Pigeon Valley 2020

Pigeon Valley fire in 2020. Photo: Dawn Gaul / Stuff NZ

Ngaherehere and destructive fires

Adding to the replacement forest created by the logging industry, we have been getting destructive fires that have wiped out habitat for native birds and flora.. Professor James Renwick in 2020, has stated that climate change is behind the conditions for larger and more destructive forest fires to be emerging. Fires like that in Tasman and Napier in previous years have been because Papatūānuku is getting drier and drier, making perfect conditions for bush ignition setting forests ablaze.

Raglan coastal region

Raglan coastal region

Te Moana with loss of biodiversity, over-fishing and sea-level rise

Te moana (the ocean) is one of the earth’s greatest resources, reflecting the sun’s harmful radiation as well as providing ample food supplies, and the ever-important coral reefs which feed the life cycle of aquatic life and help combat climate change. However, with salination and sea-level rise occurring, the coral reefs are being destroyed as they cannot adapt to the changing acidity of our oceans. This is critical as the coral reef recycles carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the atmosphere – losing them is like losing the breath of Tangaroa. Plastics continue to litter our oceans and even the beaches, causing widespread deaths of creatures on land and sea.

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Trailer Tuesday

Jane Eyre is on at the movies at the moment (good news!). So we thought we would spotlight another classic 19th Century adaptation, this time Wuthering Heights:

This one is directed by Andrea Arnold (notice she likes a square screen), and stars Kaya Scodelario who was in Skins. There have been lots of adaptations of Wuthering Heights, there’s a couple in the young adult collection here.

On a completely different subject, we have: whales. More to the point, whales caught under Arctic ice (true story):

And finally, because it’s topical (or it was a few weeks ago) and also polar, here’s Happy Feet 2!

New Books

August, Bernard Beckett (204 pages, New Zealand author) – Tristan and Grace are in a car wreck, waiting for rescue (if it happens!). As they wait, as one does, they review their very different lives and philosophies. “A compelling novel about will, freedom and what it means to live” (cover).

First sentence: For a moment the balance was uncertain.

Scorpia Rising, Anthony Horowitz (402 pages) – the final mission, the cover declares! No! Alex must put Scorpia out of business, once and for all, but is this the mission to end all missions, and to end Alex? We hope not!

First sentence: The man in the black cashmere coat climbed down the steps of his private, six-seater Learjet 40 and stood for a moment, his breath frosting in the chill morning air.

Where She Went, Gayle Forman (260 pages) – the follow up to the über popular If I Stay. Three years after Mia ended it with Adam they’re back together for one night in New York City, a chance to put things to rest (or to respark something?).

First sentence: Every morning I wake up and I tell myself this: it’s just one day, one twenty-four-hour period to get yourself through.

Plague, Michael Grant (526 pages) – the fourth in the Gone series. Quelle horreur, this one sounds ghastly. There is a plague threatening Perdido Beach (one that is described in graphic detail on the back cover! Guts! Being eaten away from the inside out!), and there’s still the grim reality of what happens to you at fifteen.

First sentence: He stood poised on the edge of a sheet of glass.

Invincible, Sherrilyn Kenyon (420 pages) – The second on the Chronicles of Nick series. Poor Nick is once again challenged by the presence of all manner of horrific supernatural creatures, affecting his life in so many ways, from the inconvenient (his principal thinks he’s gone to the bad, making school a problematic place) to the downright deadly; he must figure out how to raise the dead or he might find himself counted as one of them.

First sentence: They say when you’re about to die, you see your entire life flash before your eyes.

The Running Dream, Wendelin Van Draanen (332 pages) – Puts one’s own annoying, minor running injuries into perspective. Jessica is a runner, until she’s involved in a terrible accident and loses a leg. A story of coming to terms with a significant loss, reestablishing your identity and your place, and overcoming odds.

First sentence: My life is over.

All You Get is Me, Yvonne Prinz (279 pages) – Roar’s father goes all green on her, installing  them on an organic farm, where she must spend the summer adjusting  from her city sensibilities, coping with falling in love, the fact that her mother is gone, and with the fallout from her father’s crusade against the bad working conditions of Mexican farm workers.

First sentence: My mom always promised me she would keep me safe, and then she disappeared.

As Easy as Falling off the Face of the Earth, Lynne Rae Perkins (352 pages) – Ry’s train strands him in the middle of seriously nowhere and he’s got to get to somewhere, a journey that is peppered by a series of scrapes, mishaps and “comedic calamities” (catalogue).

First sentences: Wait a minute. Was the – had the train just moved?

The Floating Islands, Rachel Neumeier (388 pages) – “The adventures of two teenaged cousins who live in a place called The Floating Islands, one of whom is studying to become a mage and the other one of the legendary island flyers” (library catalogue).

First sentence: Trei was fourteen the first time he saw the Floating Islands.

The Education of Hailey Kendrick, Eileen Cook (256 pages) – Hailey is the perfect girl who never does anything wrong, until one night, together with a secret accomplice, she does something quite wrong and gets into a rather lot of trouble, which her secret accomplice escapes. Now her friends don’t want to know her, her teachers don’t trust her, everything’s a mess, and she’s keeping quiet about the identity of said secret accomplice. Is it worth it?

First sentence: There was a matter of life and death to deal with, and instead we were wasting our time discussing Mandy Gallaway’s crotch.

New Books

Subject Seven, James A Moore (327 pages) – Subject Seven is an as-yet not activated lethal assassin in the body of a teenager. When he escapes from his lab intent on finding others of his kind and destroying their creators action ensues! And lots of it!

First sentence: The quiet of the compound was complete.

Enticed, Jessica Shrivington (413 pages) – the sequel to Embrace, with Emblaze coming soon. In which Violet Eden, Grigori, must protect humans from exiled angels, a quest that takes her to the Sacred Mountains of Jordan in search of “the one thing that could forever tilt the balance of power” (back cover).

First sentence: The angel had been ordered to make his choice.

Running in Heels, Helen Bailey (312 pages) –  A riches-to-rags story in which Daisy finds her life takes a dive after her father is sent to jail for corruption – now she lives above a kebab shop and is getting a hard time from the school bully. We’re rooting for you Daisy!

First sentence: Even if I hadn’t woken up this morning to find fourteen missed calls, seven Where the hell are you when I need you? texts and one tearful voice mail on my iPhone saying something totally terrible had happened and to get my bony butt into town, like, yesterday, as I hurry along the pavement at our Starbucks rendezvous I can immediately tell from Mia’s body language she’s super-stressed.

The Freak Observer, Blythe Woolston (201 pages) – Loa’s life is turned upside down by the death of her younger sister. “A starling debut about death, life, astrophysics, and finding beauty in chaos” (book cover – the picture does appear to be a heart)

First sentence: Your beloved physics teacher, Mr Banacek, likes to sleep on a bed of nails.

Dark Goddess, Sarwat Chadda (371 pages) – the sequel to Devil’s Kiss. Billi SanGreal, Knight Templar, rescues a girl from a werewolf attack, to discover she is no ordinary girl. Not only are the werewolves after her, the Dark Goddess also wants her as a sacrifice, to harness her powers. Can Billi protect the girl and save the world?

First sentence: The Rottweiler’s head lay in a bush, just off the snow-sprinkled path.

Trickster’s Girl, Hilari Bell (281 pages) – a novel in the paranormal romance/thriller genre, but with an environmental twist. The world is dying, and Kelsa must help Raven (gorgeous, but maybe crazy? or maybe he is a mythological creature, as he says) pull it back from the brink, even if this means endangering herself.

First sentence: Raven had spent too long on the hunt.

Some New Books

Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly (472 pages) – Andi, musical genius, New Yorker, sullen pillar of her falling apart family, unwillingly goes to Paris to get her educational life back together. While researching a relatively obscure 18th century French composer for guitar (like, you know, I hadn’t heard of him) she stumbles across the diary of Alexandrine, who may have been the companion of Louis-Charles (son of Marie Antoinette) in his last days, with whom she has a strange connection. Music students and fans may particularly get something out of this, as will people who like Courtney Summers.

First sentences: Those who can, do. Those who can’t, deejay.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group, Catherine Jinks (380 pages) – to think that five years ago nobody knew that “lycanthrope” was a word. This must surely be a companion to the popular Reformed Vampire Support Group? Toby discovers he has a rare and dangerous condition, and is adopted by an oddball group of people, keen to help him.

First sentences: You’ve probably heard of me. I’m the guy they found in a dingo pen at Featherdale Wildlife Park.

Extraordinary, Nancy Werlin (390 pages) – the follow up to Impossible. Phoebe is drawn to the mysterious Mallory and her brother Ryland, which may be a very bad thing for Phoebe, as they expect her to pay an “age old debt”.

First sentence: Phoebe Gutle Rothschild met Mallory Tolliver in seventh grade, during the second week of the new school year, in homeroom.

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots, Abby McDonald (293 pages) – Jenna is an urban environmentalist who has the opportunity to spend the summer with her hippie godmother in rural parts, where her urban environmentalism comes up against the locals’ pragmatic ruralism. Plus there’s romance maybe.

First sentences: “Re-use! Re-duce! Re-cycle!”

Everlasting, Angie Frazier (329 pages) – In the 19th century Camille must choose between marrying rich and securing her and her father’s future, or the high seas on her father’s ship, even if this means a storm in the Tasman (!) Sea (bad) and Oscar, a “handsome young sailor” (good). But wait, there’s more: a quest through the Australian outback for an enchanted stone, murder, lies and intrigue. Action-packed adventure.

First sentence: Camille clicked the latches down on her trunk and glanced out her bedroom window.

Life, After, Sarah Darer Littman (278 pages) – Dani’s life in Argentina is blown to bits after a terrorist attack kills her aunt. Moving to the United States means a fresh start, although also troubles like speaking a different language, being a stranger, until she meets some new friends that help her pick up the pieces.

First sentence: Normal kids were happy when the bell rang at the end of the school day.

Love Drugged, James Klise (304 pages) – Jamie is semi-outed at school and does all he can to push the rabbit back into the hat, including taking drugs that will “cure” him and dating the most beautiful girl in school. But is it possible to live a life that’s basically a whole bunch of lies (and side-effects)?

First sentence: Judging by the angry mail we get, a lot of people consider me to be the villain of this story.

The Sorcerer of Sainte Felice, Ann Finnin (353 pages) – set in 15th Century France, Michael de Lorraine is rescued from execution and given refuge at a Benedictine monastery which, he discovers, contains “renegade monk-sorcerers” (how fab is that?) and a secret that could spell the end for the Abbot who rescued him. Oh, and the church (but not the renegade monk-sorcerers) still wants him dead.

First sentences: I was only an apprentice. I swear it.

13 to Life, Shannon Delany (308 pages) – Small time life has changed irrevocably for Jessie after the death of her mother, and then there’s the hot new stranger with the cool accent and a teeny little dangerous secret which the Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data, like, totally gives away (don’t read the copyright info).

First sentence: Rio stiffened beneath my touch, striking a glossy hoof against the floor.

Boys Don’t Cry, Malorie Blackman (302 pages) – When the doorbell rings Dante expects the postie with his university exam results, not his ex-girlfriend with his baby.

First sentences: Good luck today. Hope you get what you want and need. 🙂

Paranormalcy, Kiersten White (335 pages) – Evie lives in a world populated with every supernatural being you can imagine, and she can see through their glamours. Trouble is, she can also dream prophetic dreams, and she fears she’s responsible for the recent spate of unexplained paranormal deaths.

First sentence: “Wait – did you – you just yawned!”

The Space Between Trees, Katie Williams (274 pages) – Evie (again! – different Evie) is in the wrong place at the wrong time when the body of her childhood playmate is discovered, which leads to lies, a hunt for the killer, and danger. Cool cover.

First sentence: I’m in Hokepe Woods this morning, like I am every Sunday, delivering papers and keeping an eye out for Jonah Luks.

How They Met and Other Stories, David Levithan (244 pages) – Love in all its guises is explored in 18 stories by bestselling author (Boy Meets Boy, Nick and Norah…) and much successful editor, David Levithan.

First sentence (‘Starbucks Boy’) – It was my aunt who pimped me out.

Unhooking the Moon, Gregory Hughes (374 pages) – This book won the Booktrust Teenage Prize this year. This is what the Guardian said (which I like): “Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes is an extraordinary story of two orphaned siblings, the precocious, fascinating and infuriating 10-year-old Rat and her older brother Bob, who take a road trip from Canada to New York to look for their uncle on the strength of knowing his name and that he is a ‘drug dealer’.”

First sentence: Marymount Manhattan is a small cosy college on the East Side of New York.

My Name is Mina, David Almond (300 pages) – the prequel to the classic Skellig, in which you are privy to Mina’s journal, before she meets Skellig and Michael. Marcus Sedgwick (My Swordhand is Singing) loved it. Indeed, in the Guardian (again) he said,  “My Name Is Mina is a wonderful book in its own right, perhaps an even better one than Skellig. It is joyous. Thank you, David Almond; I cannot remember when a book last filled me with such claminosity.” Claminosity sounds like fun.

First sentence: My name is Mina and I love the night.

Also some continued series:

The Chamber of Shadows, Justin Richards (419 pages) – more from Eddie, George, Liz and Sir William in another horror murder mystery (so much more horrific when set in 19th Century London).

Possession, Chris Humphreys (360 pages) – book three in the Runestone saga.

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