Spring has Sprung - and I hope you can keep up!

Ok, this is a big season, take a big breathe and then read on!

Winner: The Peasant Prince Competition
Luke R, 4 years old from Summer Hill for his review of Ziba came on a boat by Liz Lofthouse, illustrated by Rob Ingpen "When I look at the paintings it makes me feel I'm on the boat and even in the waves, hanging on to the edge of the boat. The waves are splashing me, too. When I see Ziba and her family eating, I feel like Im eating with them. It is sad and scary to see them run from bad guys and guns. I hope they come to Australia on that boat.

Teddy Tales Picnic - Thursday 18 September 2008
Ashfield Library and Summer Hill Community Centre invite you to bring your bear for a Teddy Tales Picnic on Thursday, 18 September 2008 at Darrell Jackson Gardens (next to Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill).
Bring a picnic lunch to share with your teddy. Stories and fun begin at 1.30-2.30pm followed by a bear hunt at 2.30pm.
Please RSVP by Tuesday 16 September 2008 on 02 9716 1810. Down load Flyer.

October School Holiday Fun
Get crafty and creative this school holidays, let your imagination run riot, and visit your library!

Page to Stage Workshop
Join Monkey Baa in looking at how you can adapt a story for the stage, and have fun with improvisation, movement and drama games. For teens between 8-11 years Bookings essential, limited places.
1pm Friday 03 October Graham Yarroll Room above the Haberfield Library.

“Millie Jack and the Dance” Drama Play Workshop
Join Monkey Baa and be delighted with this magical exploration of drama through games, storytelling and fairytales. Ages 5-7 years. Booking essential with limited places.
10am Friday 03 October Graham Yarroll Room above the Haberfield Library.

Creative Beading Workshop
Come design and make your own unique jewellery to reflect your unique personality. Booking essential with limited places. Strictly for ages 12+
3pm Friday 10th Oct Graham Yarroll Room above the Haberfield Library
3pm Wednesday 08 Oct Ashfield Library

Imaginitis Pyjama Storytime
When everyone catches ‘imaginitis’, who knows where these tall tales will take you! Wear your Pyjamas; bring your favourite Teddy and friends for supper, stories and songs. Children of all ages welcome. No Bookings Required.
6pm Tuesday 07 October Ashfield Library

Twisted Tales Storytime
Why do they always pick on the poor wolf? Has anyone seen that naughty Goldilocks? And what is that smell! Come for stories, songs and morning tea. 0-8 year olds. No Bookings Required.
11am Wednesday 01 October Haberfield Library
11am Thursday 02 October Ashfield Library
11am Wednesday 08 October Haberfield Library
11am Thursday 09 October Ashfield Library

Chinese Storytime
Come for stories, poems, craft and fun for 0-8 year olds. No Bookings Required
11am Friday 03 October Ashfield Library

Kids Author Talk: DEBORAH ABELA

Date: Friday 28th November, 2008

Time: 10am arrival, talk 10.15am till 11am

Venue: Ashfield Council Chambers

Author of the fantastically popular “Max Remy Super Spy” Series and “Jasper Zammit Soccer Legend” is coming along to share some of her stories and adventures with us. Ideal for kids in grades 4 to 7.

Living Languages Carnival

Ashfield Carnival of Cultures is coming up on Sunday 12 October 2008

The Carnival will be back to Ashfield Park. This family and community celebration attracts up to 20,000 visitors from Ashfield, the Inner West and beyond. So join us again to celebrate "Living Languages".

I told you to take a deep breathe. There is so much coming up in the next few weeks I think I will need a holiday, O' that's right these are the school holidays.

Children's Book Week

Children’s Book Week is celebrated right across Australia, from Hobart to Broome. This year we at Ashfield celebrated with many storytelling events, with preschools, primary schools and even babies. Children’s Book Week is all about celebrating stories, those found in books and those we make ourselves.

The Winning Picture Book this year “Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley” is about two unlikely best friends, a typical tale of childhood. I know every child in ashfield has many stories to tell, and who know's, one day we may see them published.

On the afternoon of August 22nd Clr Ted Cassidy, Mayor of Ashfield, announce the winners of the StoryCraft and Colouring Competitions to a crowded Haberfield Library. The Mayor congratulate every child who participated and, that afternoon awarded over 100 prizes.

The Colouring Competition received over 700 entries, and every participant has had a certficate forwarded to their school. The StoryCraft competition invited years 4-12 to submit a creative storyline in a unique way, pictorial and graphic works were encouraged. Of all the wonderful tales received we could not pick 3 winners, it was just to hard! So the following 4 winners will receive a $50 Music or Book Voucher.

Raymond W.
Terrell H.
Ricky V.
Desmond C.

I encourage you to drop into your library and have a look at many of the entries on display in the children’s area.

Is there a book you want?

Requests taken!!!
Don't forget, if there happens to be a book (or CD or DVd or Sound recording) you want, and we dont have it yet, let me know! The library does take requests, and if we cant buy it, we will borrow it for you... yes libraries borrow from libraries (we are all connected in library-land).

So if you have been hanging for Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Book 3 Brisinger or can't wait for that librarian to get around to picking up Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, or Melina Marchetta's new On the Jellicoe Road, send in a request to my email (or on paper in the library) and don't forget your name and library card number or I can't set it aside for you.

Melina is our next Kids Authors @ Ashfield author talk. So if you want to come along and meet her, you can and it's free.

Check out an interview with Melina on Insideadog

July New Books (and other stuff)

Woohoo! It's a new year!
Financial year that is, with a shiny new budget and lots more money to spend on books, toys, DVD's and music etc, etc. Talking about spending, the July new Books list is up have a squizze. If your into real life stories and reality (that's non fiction for you library types) we are experiencing a tidal wave of new titles. From stuff on Vivaldi (a classical muscician), a book called "Why should I eat this carrot?" a very informative read, stuff on "Australia’s Air Force "and Navy, if your interested in animals and nature, what about "Venom" or "Cockroach’s night out" or if your into the heavy stuff "It’s a climate for change".

There are still some new good stories of course!

Leaving Barrumbi by Leonie Norrington is a new talking book (CD to listen to, a book with no reading!) The author spent much of her childhood on a remote community, growing up among aboriginal people who live in the traditional way, and she has brought many of these experiences into this beautiful story. The sequel to The Barrumbi kids and The Spirit of Barrumbi, this story see’s Dale start boarding School. Many challenges face Dale, finding his place in ‘white’ society, making new friends, and staying connected to his family and community – no wonder Dale doesn’t know who he is anymore! This story is 7 ½ hours long and is read in a fashion that will engage with adults and children alike. This book is listed on the Children’s Book Council 2008 shortlisted, and it deserves an award, it is a great story to read or hear.

Clay’s Way by Blair Mastbaum
The reviews screamed “A gay Catcher in the Rye”, “trilling, sexy, terrifying” and it was voted 2005 “Book for the Teen Age” by the New York Public Library. What can I say; it came highly recommended, so then why was I disappointed? I found the push and pull between Clay and Sam the duo-protagonists to be scary and disturbing; I couldn’t stand either of them, let alone like them. Set in the sun and the surf of Hawaii, Mastbaum must be congratulated for achieving a dark and twisted tale that delves into the teen psyche to perturb the readers mind. That said it is a good read, it held me and I just had to finish it, I wasn’t happy at the end, but did I really want a Disney ending, definitely not.

Win a copy of the Peasant Prince!
To win a copy of The Peasant Prince, tell us in 50 words or less about a picture book or illustrator that has moved you. Submit your entry at the library desk by 24 Sept 08.

Erak’s Ransom wins the Australian Book Industry Award: Book of the Year for Older Children. A Spokes woman from the RHA said 'Sales for Australian series Ranger’s Apprentice have topped over 1 million copies worldwide. The adventure, humour and friendship of the Ranger’s Apprentice series is clearly resonating with fans across the world. With more books in the series and a major film deal struck with United Artists films and writer-director Paul Haggis, Random House Australia is looking forward to the continuing success of this series.'

Madeline and Milia

I would like to welcome Madeline and Milia to the Ashfield (they are here every day for a week the poor things) for their work experience. You can check out what they are getting upto this week on their blogs. Madeline's Blog and Milia's Blog.

You can leave messages or comments on their blogs.

If you think you may one day like to work in a Library, check out the Workplace Learning Blog and see how you can do work experience here at the Ashfield Library with us.