Sutherland Shire Libraries News

National Reconciliation Week - 27th May to 3rd June

2013-05-22T10:28:00.000+10:00

National Reconciliation Week is being celebrated at Cronulla library, at 10.30am on Monday 3^rd June.

Bookings are still being taken.

An Aboriginal Cultural Morning - Through Their Eyes, conducted by an Aboriginal Discovery Guide from the Royal National Park will take us on a journey of understanding, sharing and cultural learning. See and hear how for tens of thousands of years Aboriginal people lived in harmony with the natural environment. Learn about their values and relationships with the land, water, plants and animals.

Ever wonder why National Reconciliation Week is held during this week? These dates are very significant dates in the history of our country.

On the 27^th May 1967 more than 90% of Australians voted YES to the 1967 Referendum question, which would give the Australian Government the power to make laws concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and for these peoples to be counted on the Australian census. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples already had the right to vote federally since 1962.

June 3^rd 1992 the Australian High Court delivered its landmark Mabo Decision, which recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a special relationship with the land and that this relationship still exists. This decision paved the way for land rights called Native Title.

During National Reconciliation Week check out the profiles of some of the ambassadors for National Reconciliation Week and why they want to be a part of it. The theme, Let’s Talk Recognition, focuses on how Australians can better recognise each other, and the contributions, cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. So why not use this opportunity to view the Share Our Pride website and get a glimpse of life from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. The National Reconciliation Week website also has these resources to learn more about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Or visit a library and borrow an Indigiread.

#Indigireads Twitter discussion Tuesday, 28th May, 8.00pm

2013-05-21T09:00:00.000+10:00

Have you enjoyed reading some indigireads throughout May? Share your reading and discover some new indigireads by joining us this month for the live twitter discussion on 28 May starting at 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. 9.00pm New Zealand Time, 6.00pm Singapore Standard Time, 12.00 noon Central European Summer Time. Note : this is a staggered start to the discussion.

Use the tags #indigiread and #rwpchat as you discuss the reading, watching playing that is your experience of indigiread, so others can join in the conversation too.

Reading Games are Fun and Educational

2013-05-20T16:53:00.000+10:00

Jordan and Georgia having fun at Menai Library

Did you know we have fun, interactive and educational games for kids?

Our selection of online games, stories and activities will help children develop their reading, literacy and numeracy skills. Watch them learn while they have fun!

You can find them under Reading Games on the library website.

May - IndigiReads for Teens

2013-05-20T09:00:00.000+10:00

Quote: As nations we should also commit afresh to righting past wrongs. In Australia we began this recently with the first Australians - the oldest continuing culture in human history. On behalf of the Australian Parliament, this year I offered an apology to indigenous Australians for the wrongs they had suffered in the past. - Kevin Rudd

Meet Poppy by Gabrielle Wang
Our Australian Girl series
(we may not carry all titles)
In 1864, life for a half-Aboriginal, half-Chinese orphan would have been tough. In this time of racism, immigration, hardship and the Gold Rush in Victoria, times were hard and expectations high. Wang gives us a glimpse into what this girl’s life might have been like. These books are a fantastic way to make history fun and accessible, as well as being a lovely introduction to the genre of historical fiction for young and older readers alike.

Nanberry: Black Brother White by Jackie French
Two brothers -- one black, one white -- and a colony at the end of the world. It′s 1789, and as the new colony in Sydney Cove is established, Surgeon John White defies convention and adopts Nanberry, an Aboriginal boy, to raise as his son. Nanberry is clever and uses his unique gifts as an interpreter to bridge the two worlds he lives in. With his white brother, Andrew, he witnesses the struggles of the colonists to keep their precarious grip on a hostile wilderness. And yet he is haunted by the memories of the Cadigal warriors who will one day come to claim him as one of their own. This true story follows the brothers as they make their way in the world -- one as a sailor, serving in the Royal Navy, the other a hero of the Battle of Waterloo. No less incredible is the enduring love between the gentleman surgeon and the convict girl who was saved from the death penalty and became a great lady in her own right. ′A wonderful, entertaining tale which ... will work just as well for adults as for the teen market′ SUNDAY HERALD SUN
(I personally learnt so much about the original owners of this land from this book - I was totally awestruck! I WILL read it again.)

Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne
'Deadly, unna?' He was always saying that. All the Nungas did, but Dumby more than any of them. Dumby Red and Blacky don't have a lot in common. Dumby's the star of the footy team, he's got a killer smile and the knack with girls, and he's a Nunga. Blacky's a gutless wonder, needs braces, never knows what to say, and he's white. But they're friends... and it could be deadly, unna? This gutsy novel, set in a small coastal town in South Australia is a rites-of-passage story about two boys confronting the depth of racism that exists all around them.

Burrumbi Kids by Leonie Norrington
Dale and Tomias are best mates. They live at Long Hole community. The kids struggle with school, the trials of growing up, and parental expectations. Life itself is full of danger - from wild bushfires, crocodile-infested rivers and the thick bubbling ooze of the blood pit. As a back drop to the children’s stories there is the land itself - a magnificent landscape of fire and floodplain, unbearable heat and towering storms. The Barrumbi Kids is a funny unforgettable novel that brilliantly captures the paradoxes of life in the rural Australia with honesty and humour.

This Day in History (May 19)

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on Wednesday, May 19, 1915.

Jack Simpson

John Simpson Kirkpatrick, the man who heroically rescued 300 wounded soldiers with a donkey at Gallipoli, was killed on this day.

John Simpson Kirkpatrick, born on 6 July 1892 in South Shields, County Durham, England, was a stretcher bearer with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) at Gallipoli during World War I. Originally finding employment stevedoring and stoking on merchant ships, at the outbreak of World War I he immediately joined the Australian Army Medical Corps as a stretcher bearer under the name of 'Jack Simpson'.

by Horace Moore-Jones

Simpson landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and, on the second day, took a donkey that had been landed as a water-carrier for one of the field artillery units. Several dozen donkeys had been bought at a Greek island on the way to Gallipoli but, with no way to land them, had been pushed overboard to swim to shore. Only four donkeys did not drown. Simpson's gentle touch convinced the terrified donkey to walk through the artillery noise and chaos, and the two of them began carrying wounded soldiers from the battle line to the beach for evacuation.

Leading the donkey or donkeys, which he variously named Duffy or Murphy, Simpson began his journeys from the beach, up Shrapnel Gully and then Monash Valley. He carried water on his way up and wounded on his way back, whistling confidently the whole time. Simpson continued this for three and a half weeks, disregarding the danger until, on the morning of 19 May 1915, following a night of vicious fighting after the arrival of Turkish reinforcements, he was killed by Turkish machine gun fire near Steele's Post as he was returning down Monash Valley with two wounded men. One man was shot with Simpson, but the man on the donkey's back remained. The donkey continued on the well-worn track, obediently carrying the wounded man to where he would be tended.

Shrine of Remembrance. Melb.

Today, the story of Simpson and his donkey is an Anzac legend. Though recommended twice for the Victoria Cross, and the Distinguished Conduct Medal, he was never decorated for his actions. Jack Simpson survived a mere 25 days at Gallipoli but in that short time he gallantly saved 300 souls.

Age: 22

The donkey or donkeys were taken over by New Zealand primary school teacher Richard Henderson, who continued the work of Simpson, maintaining the legend throughout the ANZAC campaign. When the ANZACs were evacuated under cover of darkness, eight months later, the donkey was also evacuated.

A Must Read!

This is a children's book graphically depicting an account of the story of John Kilpatrick Simpson and how he and his donkey, Duffy, rescued over 300 men during the campaign at Gallipoli. The text includes a brief biography of the man, details of his work at Gallipoli and also the little known story of how, without realising, he rescued his childhood friend from South Shields, Billy Lowes.

Lest we Forget

To read or not to read? Green, smart, prickly and misunderstood.

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000+10:00

The first in a trilogy, this book, now also a successful musical, was inspired by the adventures of four characters, three searching for brains, heart and courage, and one just wanting to go home.

Read the opening paragraphs of this book to decide whether to read or not to read this book...

A mile above Oz, the Witch balanced on the wind's forward edge, as if she were a green fleck of the land itself, flung up and sent wheeling away by the turbulent air. White and purple summer thunderheads mounded around her. Below, the Yellow Brick Road looped back on itself, like a relaxed noose. Though the winter storms and the crowbars of agitators had torn up the road, still it led, relentlessly, to the Emerald City. The Witch could see the companions trudging along, maneuvering around the buckled sections, skirting trenches, skipping when the way was clear. They seemed oblivious to their fate.But it was not up to the Witch to enlighten them.
She used the broom as a sort of balustrade, stepping down from the sky like one of her flying monkeys. She finished up on the topmost bough of a black willow tree. Beneath, hidden by the fronds, her prey had paused to take their rest. The Witch tucked her broom under her arm. Crablike and quiet, she scuttled down a little at a time, until she was a mere twenty feet above them. Wind moved the dangling tendrils of the tree. The Witch stared and listened.
There were four of them. She could see a huge Cat of some sort- a Lion, was it?- and a shiny woodman. The Tin Woodman was picking nits out of the Lion's mane, and the lion was muttering and squirming from the agitation. An animated scarecrow lolled nearby, blowing dandelion heads into the wind. The girl was out of sight behind the shifting curtains of the willow.
"Of course to hear them tell it, it is the surviving sister who is the crazy one, " said the Lion.
"What a Witch. Psychologically warped; possessed by demons. Insane. Not a pretty picture.
"She was castrated at birth, " replied the Tin Woodman calmly. She was born hermaphroditic, or maybe entirely male."
"Oh you, you see castration everywhere you look," said the Lion.
"I'm only repeating what folks say," said the Tin Woodman.
"Everyone is entitled to an opinion," said the Lion airily. "She was deprived of a mother's love is how I've heard it. She was a abused child. She was addicted to medicine for her skin condition.
"She has been unlucky in love," said the Tin Woodman, "like the rest of us." The TinWoodman paused and placed his hand on his heart, as if in grief.
"She's a woman who prefers the company of other women," said the Scarecrow sitting up.
"She is the spurned lover of a married man."
"She is a married man."
The Witch was so stunned she nearly lost her grip on the branch. The last thing she ever cared for was gossip. Yet she had been out of touch for so long that she was astonished at the rigorous opinions of these random nobodies.

To keep reading this book request it from the Library now!

Commonwealth Writers, 2013 Regional Winners.

2013-05-15T19:11:00.001+10:00

The Commonwealth Foundation has announced the regional winners for the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Representing Africa, Asia, Canada & Europe, Caribbean, and the Pacific regions, these writers will now compete to become the overall winner, to be announced at Hay Festival UK on 31 May.

Congratulations to the Pacific region winner, Michael Sala, author of The Last Thread.

The Pacific Region shortlisted titles for 2013:

The Floundering by Romy Ash
Mazin Grace by Dylan Coleman
A Tiger in Eden by Chris Flynn
The Last Thread by Michael Sala
Beneath the Darkening Sky by Majok Tulba

You can find the complete list of Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize regional winners, 2013, in the Commonwealth Writers Press Release.

This Day in History (May 15)

2013-05-15T10:00:00.000+10:00

L. Frank Baum in 1911

L. Frank Baum

Born Lyman Frank Baum
May 15, 1856
Chittenango, New York
Died May 6, 1919 (aged 62)
Hollywood, California
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Occupation Author, Newspaper Editor, Actor, Screenwriter, Film Producer
Spouse(s) Maud Gage (1882–1919; his death)
Children Frank Joslyn Baum, Robert Stanton Baum, Harry Neal Baum, Kenneth Gage Baum
Signature

Publish date 1900

L. Frank Baum published 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' to much critical acclaim and financial success. The book was a best-selling children's novel for two years after it's initial release. Baum went on to write thirteen more novels based on the places and people on the 'Land of Oz'. (none of the other titles had the same impact)

Made in 1939

In 1901-02 the first stage version ran on and off Broadway for several years. The name was changed to 'The Wizard of Oz'. In 1939 'The Wizard of Oz' that we all know and love was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, starring Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Jack Haney (Tin man), Bert Lahr (the Lion) and Frank Morgan (the Wizard).

Illustrated by Michael Foreman

Fun Movie Fact 1 - Margaret Hamilton, a life-long fan of the Oz books, was ecstatic when she learned the producers were considering her for a part in the film. When she phoned her agent to find out what role she was up for, her agent simply replied, 'The Witch, who else?'

Margaret Hamilton

Fun Movie Fact 2 - According to lead Munchkin Jerry Maren, the 'little people' on the set were paid $50 per week for a 6-day work week, while Toto (the dog) received $125 per week.

Selections of the original

Fun Movie Fact 3 - A reference to something in the book not included in the script can be seen in the movie. It's the kiss Glinda gives Dorothy on the forehead that protects her from the Wicked Witch, as none would dare harm someone who bears the kiss of the Good Witch.

The four unlikely friends - off to see the Wizard!

Read for Australia - the winner is!

2013-05-14T20:06:00.002+10:00

‘Herman and Rosie’ has been selected for the 'Read for Australia' event July 31st 2013.

also on the Book Week - Picture Book of the Year shortlist 2013

Thousands of school children will read Gus Gordon’s picture book 'Herman and Rosie' (Viking) during 'Read for Australia', a nation-wide reading event to be held during National Literacy and Numeracy Week (NLNW) in July.

Read for Australia encourages school students across the country to read the same book simultaneously at 2pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday 31 July. Individual schools will decide if students will read together in classrooms or gather together as a school to take part in the event.

Once upon a time in a very busy city,

on a very busy street,

in two very small apartments,

lived Herman Schubert... (over here ---->)

... and Rosie Bloom. (<---- over there)

Herman lived on the seventh floor.

Rosie lived on the fifth floor in the building next door.

Herman and Rosie liked living in the city.

But often the city was a lonely place.

Herman and Rosie cross paths many times but fail to meet until...

It’s not difficult to spend hours ogling over the illustrations in this book. Gus’ mixed-media illustrations feature maps, newspapers, graph paper, musical transcripts, postcards and wage sheets; together with neon lights and jeering interjections plastered in the background of some pages, they work cleverly to capture the essence of New York. The illustrations transmit the sounds, the scents and the hustle and bustle of this city that never sleeps. ~ My Little Bookcase

What a gorgeous book... on so many levels, it's a MUST read for kids and all those adults who still believe in serendipity!

Gus Gordon - author/illustrator

On this Day in History (May 12)

2013-05-13T17:58:00.000+10:00

Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised.

Lear's most famous Limerick
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests
in my beard!'

Lear is perhaps best known for his whimsical poem, The Owl and the Pussycat.

Edward Lear had begun to pen the sequel, The Children of The Owl and the Pussycat, but sections of the poem still remained incomplete at the time of his death in 1888. The portion that was complete, was published posthumously (meaning, after his death) in 1938. It begins;

The Children of the Owl and the Pussycat
Our mother was the Pussy-cat,
our father was the Owl,
And so we're partly little beasts
and partly little fowl,

The brothers of our family
have feathers and they hoot,
While all the sisters dress in fur
and have long tails to boot.

(it's a shame it was never finished)

Happy Mother's Day!

2013-05-11T09:00:00.000+10:00

Quote: A suburban mother's role is to deliver their children obstetrically once, and by car forever... after. Peter De Vries

The Messy Mother's Day by Lucie Billingsley

Of course Mother's Day means breakfast in bed, it's 'the only way to eat.' The young children and their dad get busy. Painting, gluing, cupcake baking - a lot of careful preparations are undertaken ... and then, oops, Baxter the family dog gets involved.
'What will Mum say when she opens the door?'
This is a jaunty book whose repeating lines, carefully placed alliteration and plenty of questions make it perfect for reading out loud.

The Greatest Mother's Day of All by Anne Mangan
A delightfully funny and heart-warming take on a typical family's celebration of Mother's Day with presents, breakfast in bed ... and all the ensuing mess, fun and good intentions gone astray that will be familiar to so many mothers.

My Mum is Beautiful
by Jessica Spanyol
Let me tell you all the ways I love my mum... My mum is beautiful because she points out tiny things in books to me. In her newest picture book, Jessica Spanyol succeeds in capturing, with great warmth and humour, the incredible bond between a mother and a child. Told from the perspective of a small bear, these very true words perfectly embody how love is measured in a child's mind: a gesture so simple, can mean so very much.

Mummy and Me
by Emma Chichester Clark
Humber′s mum is the centre of his world and he loves doing so many different things with her. But one day Humber′s mum is busy and doesn′t have time for him, so Humber decides he can be busy too! Emma Chichester Clark′s exquisite illustrations and wonderfully acute observation evoke a captivating world that both young children and their parents will instantly recognise. Ages: 2 - 5

Ten little fingers, ten little toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury
As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes...
From two of the most gifted picture book creators of our time, here is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes and the joy they - and the babies they belong to - bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!

from the Staff @ Sutherland Libraries

To read or not to read? A spy thriller

2013-05-10T08:30:00.000+10:00

You have probably seen the movie, but have you read the book? Sixty years ago a former British Naval Intelligence officer wrote the first of a series of twelve books, all made into movies. It introduces a charming, sophisticated and handsome, yet ruthless spy.

Read these opening paragraphs to decide whether to read or not to read this book...

The scent of smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul-erosion produced by high gambling-a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension- becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it. James Bond suddenly knew that he was tired. He always knew when his body or mind had had enough and he always acted on the knowledge. This helped him to avoid staleness and the sensual bluntness that breeds mistakes.
He shifted himself unobtrusively away from the roulette he had been playing and went to stand for a moment at the brass rail which surrounded breast -high the top table in the salle privee.

Le Chiffre was still playing and still, apparently winning. There was an untidy pile of flecked hundred -mille plaques in front of him. In the shadow of his thick left arm there nestled a discreet stack of the big yellow ones worth half a million francs each.
Bond watched the curious, impressive profile for a time, then he shrugged his shoulders to lighten his thoughts and moved away. The barrier surrounding the caisse comes as high as your chin and the caissier who is generally no more than a minor bank clerk, sits on a stool and dips into his piles of notes and plaques. These are ranged on the shelves. They are on a level, behind the protecting barrier, with your groin. The caissier has a cosh and a gun to protect him, and to heave over the barrier and steal some notes and then vault back and get out of the casino through the passages and doors would be impossible. and the caissiers generally work in pairs. Bond reflected on the problem as he collected the sheaf of hundred thousand and then the sheaves of ten thousand franc notes.

To keep reading this book request it from the Library now!

This Day in History (May 9)

2013-05-09T08:30:00.000+10:00

James Barrie was born on this day in 1860.
The play 'Peter Pan' first debuted on stage December 27, 1904. This makes 'Peter, the boy who wouldn't grow up... approximately 109 years old!'

J. M. Barrie ~ Author
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland.
Born: May 9, 1860, Kirriemuir
Died: June 19, 1937, London
Spouse: Mary Ansell (m. 1894–1909)

Peter Pan by J.M Barrie ~ Anniversary ed.

Universal Pictures 2003

Walt Disney Studios 1953

Every time a child says

'I don't believe in fairies,'

there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.

~ James M. Barrie
(as stated by Tinkerbell herself)

Jane Austen's Emma: Re-told and original

2013-05-08T09:00:00.000+10:00

Well meaning, but meddlesome matchmaker Emma Woodhouse is the heroine in Jane Austen's classic novel Emma. You can request a copy to read, watch, download or listen to from the Library. Otherwise, here is a selection of contemporary works inspired by this classic tale.

Jane Austen's Emma by Nancy Butler, illustrated by Janet Lee.

Add a modern twist and read this unique and enjoyable retelling graphic novel. A colourful simplified version, this is a great introduction to the classic novel for younger readers.

The importance of being Emma by Juliet Archer

Mark Knightley - handsome, clever, rich - is used to women falling at his feet. Except Emma Woodhouse, who's like part of the family - and the furniture. When their relationship changes dramatically, is it an ending or a new beginning? With its clueless heroine and entertaining plot, this modern re-telling of Jane Austen's "Emma" stays true to the original, while giving fresh insights into the mind of its thoroughly updated and irresistible hero.

Clueless.
Emma becomes Clueless in this contemporary movie inspired by Jane Austen's original tale.

May - IndigiReads for Kiddies

2013-05-06T10:00:00.001+10:00

Quote: All we want is to be able to think and do the same things as white people, while still retaining our identity as a people. - Pastor Doug Nicholls

Same, but a little bit diff’rent
by Kylie Dunstan Right up the very top of Australia there is a special place. My friend Normie comes from there, and he says that things are different to what you might see in the city. ‘Same, but a little bit diff’rent …’ There are things that all people need regardless of their culture or where they live. They are the elements of life that bind people together: food, water, relationships with animals, play, crafts, skills, transport, work, art and stories. (A sweet story about a unique friendship)

Look see, Look at Me! by Leonie Norrington
Look see, look at me.

Honour book - 2011

I'm so much bigger now I'm three.
I can run, I can jump,
I can skip, I can bump...
From the acclaimed author and illustrator team of You and Me: Our Place comes a delightful celebration of outback family life in an Aboriginal community. Leonie Norrington and Dee Huxley visited three northern communities, Wugularr, Barunga and Manyalalluk, to workshop words and drawings for this book. With it's exuberant rhyming text and wonderful illustrations, Look See, Look at Me perfectly captures a child's everyday life and will be wonderful for sharing with your toddler over and over again.

Honour book - 2011

Why I Love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft
Why I Love Australia is a unique, awe-inspiring visual journey by Bronwyn Bancroft, one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal illustrators. Every page shows a person holding a coolamon (wooden bowl). 'The person you see on each page is the host to each of the landscapes, who wishes you well as you visit,' Bronwyn explains. Explore a variety of dramatic Australian landscapes (Gloriously vivid colours & text)

Tom Tom by Rosemary Sullivan and Dee Huxley

Honour book - 2009

A story of a day in the life of a small Aboriginal boy in the imaginary Aboriginal community of Lemonade Springs, in the Territory. It provides a vivid and authentic illustration of life in an Aboriginal community, and of the ambience of those long, free days of childhood, where Aboriginal children roam from place to place, visiting various relatives, climbing trees, chasing lizards, kicking footballs or playing in the mud. This is a tale of the interconnected-ness of family and place. also available a book+CD kit

Hands across Australia - make the connection.

May the fourth be with you!

2013-05-04T08:00:00.000+10:00

‘Obi-Wan has taught you well.’

Star Wars : the Phantom Menance : the expanded visual dictionary / written by David West Reynolds & Jason Fry Find out everything there is to know about the characters, weapons, starships, droids, and creatures from Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.

Star Wars : the Essential Reader's Companion / Pablo Hidalgo
Now, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of these sweeping Star Wars adventures is presented in one beautifully illustrated volume.

Star Wars : The Ultimate Action Figure Collection / by Stephen Sansweet Here at last is the complete and definitive collection of the more than 2,500 Star Wars® action figures produced over the last 35 years. Fans and collectors can finally trace the evolution of each character in toy form from the time of their first appearance through to the designs of today.

Star Wars : the Ultimate Visual Guide / written by Ryder Windham

Take a journey through the Star Wars entire universe in 'The Ultimate Visual Guide.' Not suitable for children under 10 years of age.

Star Wars : the Essential Atlas / Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry
'From the core to the rim--the official guide to the complete galaxy'

Star Wars : the Comics Companion / text by Ryder Windham and Daniel Wallace Dark Horse presents the definitive guide to Star Wars comics, complete with in-depth coverage all the way through Episode III!

'The force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.'

To read or not to read? Chick lit

2013-05-03T08:30:00.000+10:00

It's nearly Mother's Day, so here's a book for the girls! Written by a best selling indigenous author, who is also a poet and social commentator (amongst other things). This is a lighthearted love story, and yes, it has a happily ever after ending! Take some time to sit down, relax, read these opening paragraphs, then answer the question...

To read or not to read? ...You decide after reading these opening paragraphs...

The quickest way to get over a man is the arms of another.

'You look dreadful!' Libby said. I hadn't slept, hadn't had my caffeine hit for the day and hadn't really prepared myself for the conversation I knew was coming.
Didn't you see yesterday's paper? I said passing it to her. I'd read it a hundred times before and I knew it off by heart.
I felt sick.
'What is it?' Libby went straight to the sports section and read the headline out loud: 'Adam Fuller does a deal with the devil!'.

Then she read to herself, shaking her head and tut-tutting. "I can see how this kept you awake. a man who keeps you awake when he's NOT in your bed can't be good for you.'

'I have insomnia anyway, you know that. The wonders of concealer, ' I joked pointing to the covered -up dark circles under my eyes.

'Don't make excuses. Your insomnia is probably due to his behaviour. Aren't you tired of having insomnia? No pun intended.'

'Yes, I'm tired. Of everything.' I sat down at my desk, out my glasses on and tried to focus on the list of things to do for the day, starting with a project meeting at 9.30am about the new exhibition we were planning.

'Just admit you're not sleeping because of him, while he's obviously not sleeping because of other people.'

She held up the paper so I could see a photo of him, with the caption 'dam Fuller heads to the sin bin and off the field.' In the photo he had his arms around a woman dressed up, or rather, have dressed up, as the devil. I put my head in my hands and started to cry. It was all too much. I hadn't slept. I hadn't heard from Adam all week even though I had left him voicemails, and texted him and emailed him on MySpace. I didn't know what was going on with us any more. I'd never really known.

'Lauren, tidda, please don't cry. No man is worth your tears and the one that is won't make you weep.'

'I'm just tired, ' I lied.

'First thing we need to do is sort out something to help you sleep.'

'I've been trying to read.' I blew my nose.

'That's good, what did you read last night, then?'

'Adam's MySpace page.'

I was pathetic. But I was in love, and that's what Libby didn't understand.

To keep reading this book request it from the Library now!

May - IndigiReads Kids Fiction

2013-05-02T10:00:00.000+10:00

Quote:

'Hating people because of their colour is wrong.

And it doesn't matter which colour does the hating.

It's just plain wrong.' ― Muhammad Ali

Tangara by Nan Chauncy
Great-great aunt Rita's old shell neclklace carries a power that Lexie can't possibly know. Then, when it leads to a new friend, she and Merrina enter the secret gully where Merrina's people live. But the gully holds a terrible secret, as old as the necklace itself. Will Lexie be strong enough to survive the nightmare? 9-14

MCrow Country by Kate Constable
‘Beginning and ending, always the same, always now.
The game, the story, the riddle,
hiding and seeking.
Crow comes from this place; this place comes from Crow.
And Crow has work for you.’
Sadie isn’t thrilled when her mother drags her from the city to live in the country town of Boort. But soon she starts making connections – connections with the country, with the past, with two boys, Lachie and Walter, and, most surprisingly, with the ever-present crows. When Sadie is tumbled back in time to view a terrible crime, she is pulled into a strange mystery. Can Sadie, Walter and Lachie figure out a way to right old wrongs, or will they be condemned to repeat them? 8-14yrs

Walking the Boundaries by Jackie French
Martin lives in the city with his mum.
He′s come to walk the boundaries of the farm that′s been in his family for generations. It sounds easy, especially as he′ll own the land when he gets back. Martin′s great-grandfather, Ted, doesn't even want him to walk around the farm′s fences, just up to the gorge and along the hills. But up in the gorge Martin meets Meg from almost a century ago and Wullamudulla from thousands of years in the past. Despite their differences they discover that they′re all on the same journey ... and that walking the boundaries means more than following lines on a map. 10-14yrs

Two hands together by Diana Kidd
This book is about a normal white family living a normal life. A new family moves into the house next door to them. The new family is aboriginal and the white dad doesn't like them because of their colour. The white children and their mother are happy that this new family have moved in. The two sets of children always have a lot of fun together.
At the end of the book, the father learns to appreciate the new family and finally becomes their friend. So this book is about friendship and trust. I enjoyed reading this book and I hope others get to read it too. - Trent 10-14yrs

My Girragundji by Meme McDonald and Boori Prior
'I wake with a start.
The doorknob turns. It's him.
The Hairyman...'
There's a bad spirit in our house. He's as ugly as ugly gets and he stinks. You touch this kind of Hairyman and you lose your voice, or choke to death. It's hard to sleep when a hairy wrinkly old hand might grab you in the night. And in the day you've got to watch yourself. It can be rough. Words come yelling at you that hurt. Alive with humour, My Girragundji is the vivid story of a boy growing up between two worlds. With the little green tree frog as a friend, the bullies at school don't seem so big anymore. And Girragundji gives him the courage to face his fears. 8-14yrs

Looking for something to read? Try an Indigiread!

2013-05-01T08:30:00.000+10:00

The reading theme for May is "Indigireads". We would like to show our respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, of elders past and present. You are invited to join us throughout May in reading an "Indigiread" or two, perhaps chosen from the following selection of recent release novels and biographies by indigenous Australian authors.

You may also like to join us at the Library for a Reconcilation Week event, an Aboriginal Culture Morning at Cronulla Library.

Monday, 3rd June
10.30am
Cronulla Library
Free, Bookings essential.

Mazin Grace by Dylan Coleman

Growing up on the Mission isn't easy for clever Grace Oldman. When her classmates tease her for not having a father, she doesn't know what to say. Papa Neddy says her father is the Lord God in Heaven, but that doesn't help when the Mission kids call her a bastard. As Grace slowly pieces together clues that might lead to answers, she struggles to find a place in a community that rejects her for reasons she doesn't understand.

Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko

When Jo Breen uses her divorce settlement to buy a neglected property in the Byron Bay hinterland, she is hoping for a tree change, and a blossoming connection to the land of her Aboriginal ancestors. What she discovers instead is sharp dissent from her teenage daughter Ellen, trouble brewing from unimpressed white neighbours, and a looming Native Title war among the local Bundjalung families. When Jo stumbles into love on one side of the Native Title divide she quickly learns that living on country is only part of the recipe for the Good Life.

Red dirt talking by Jacqueline Wright

It's build-up time in the north-western town of Ransom, just before the big wet, when people go off the rails.In the midst of a bitter custody battle, an eight year old girl goes missing.Annie, an anthropology graduate fresh from the city, is determined to uncover the mystery of the child's disappearance.As Annie searches for the truth beneath the township's wild speculations, she finds herself increasingly drawn towards Mick Hooper, a muscly, seemingly laid-back bloke with secrets of his own.

Good Morning Mr Sarra by Chris Sarra

One man's fight to turn the tide of low expectations.

When Chris Sarra arrived as the first Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School in 1998, it was a time of high hopes but low expectations in Indigenous education. Over the next six years, he transformed the school into a national success story, but not without controversy along the way.

From his childhood as the youngest in a large Italian-Aboriginal family, Chris was taught to be proud of who he was and where he came from. But he only began to understand that not every Aboriginal child grew up with this sense of worth when he started working as a teacher. He became determined to defy expectations of being Aboriginal and, in doing so, to change them for others. His role at Cherbourg finally gave him a chance to put his philosophy into practice. Along the way, he battled the media, the education system and a culture of complacency.

Am I black enough for you? Anita Heiss

I'm Aboriginal. I'm just not the Aboriginal person a lot of people want or expect me to be. What does it mean to be Aboriginal? Why is Australia so obsessed with notions of identity? Anita Heiss, successful author and passionate campaigner for Aboriginal literacy, was born a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, but was raised in the suburbs of Sydney and educated at the local Catholic school. She is Aboriginal - however, this does not mean she likes to go barefoot and, please, don't ask her to camp in the desert. In this deeply personal memoir, told in her distinctive, wry style, Anita Heiss gives a first-hand account of her experiences as a woman with an Aboriginal mother and Austrian father, and explains the development of her activist conciousness.

Read her story and ask: what does it take for someone to be black enough for you?

You are also invited to join the Twitter Reading group, holding a live twitter discussion on 28 May starting at 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. Use the tags #indigiread and #rwpchat as you discuss the reading, watching playing that is your experience of indigiread, so others can join in the conversation too.

April School Holidays - Space Report

2013-04-29T09:42:00.000+10:00

'Live Long and Prosper'

Ragbir and kids with their mobiles

Rocket into Space!
- Book launch & experiments.
Our guest speaker, award winning author, teacher and astrophysicist Ragbir Bhathal spoke about his new interactive children's book. The kids happily made a 'planets in space' mobile and they were given a space message to decipher by de-coding a set of 1111's and 0000's onto a master sheet. It reminded us ALL of 'ET phone home' (oh well, maybe that was just me!)
Thank You, Ragbir.

So that's where the odd socks go!

Space Fun at your Library

Beam us up! Please!

As you may already know Sutherland Shire Libraries conduct a drop-in session at each branch to provide an opportunity for the school aged kids to visit the library for some holiday fun. We have stories, songs, simple interactive games, a film and a craft. April holidays was a Space theme and boy did we have fun with that! At Miranda we had two green alien holograms teleported-in to read some stories. While at Sutherland we had two 'Space Chicks' conduct the session, one of whom was being pursued by an imposing Darth Vader. Fortunately their paths didn't cross during their short visit but Darth did sing us a chorus of his sad lament 'Twinkle, twinkle, my Death Star, how I wonder where you are?'
(Ask Luke... maybe?)

Trevor’s Drawing Workshops

We had 63 excited kids at Trevor’s Drawing workshops this Holiday. Trevor supplies a take-home booklet so that the kids can continue practising their new found skills at home. He also provides sketch paper, pencils and erasers – kids sometimes like to bring their own special coloured pencils. One thing about these sessions is that they can be unnaturally quiet, with heads down, pencils scratching and brows creased with concentration – a bit spooky really!
No wonder Trevor keeps coming back for more!
Thanks a bunch, Trev.

Trevor with Captain Underpants!

Happy sketchers!

Space and Beyond Workshop
This was an exciting workshop to help kids understand a little more about the universe that surrounds them. The kids were able to watch and help conduct simple experiments, they even got to make some horrid green slime to take home. This was an excellent hands-on session and a joy to clean-up after.

I think they enjoyed themselves!

Making green slime...

Warning! Warning! This is the Kid's Zone!

Jane Austen Book Club- May discussion: Emma

2013-04-29T08:30:00.001+10:00

The month of May Jane Austen Book Club meetings will be discussing Emma. First published in 1815, Emma was the last novel published in Jane Austen's life time. While writing this novel, it was suggested to her by a member of the Prince Regents' household that she dedicate it to His Royal Highness. Austen took the suggestion as it was intended--as a command--and Emma was thus dedicated. Of matchmaking heroine Emma Woodhouse, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like". What did you think of Emma?

This fourth novel by Jane Austen contains elements of romance, drama and comedy and is considered in part, as a detective story. It is also regarded as Austen's most flawless work.

All are welcome to join us for the book discussion, over tea, of course.

Jane Austen Book Club- Emma, Daytime event.

Miranda Library
Wednesday, 8 May,
10.30am-12.30pm

For more information, or to register your interest, contact Monique on 97100295, or call Miranda Library- 95248217.

Jane Austen Book Club- Emma- Evening event.

Cronulla Library
Tuesday, 21 May,
6.00pm-7.45pm.

For more information, or to register your interest, contact Monique on 97100295, or call Cronulla Library -9523 4980.

To read or not to read? A Cozy Mystery

2013-04-26T08:30:00.000+10:00

The author of this book has written more than 40 books. This book is the first in an ongoing series. It is set in Melbourne, Australia in the 1920's, introducing Australia's most elegant, and irrepressible sleuth. Gorgeous, charming and terribly fashionable, she is also the star of her own television series...

Read these opening paragraphs to decide whether to read or not to read this book...

The glass over the French window shattered. The guests screamed. Over the general exclamation could be heard the shrill shriek of Madam St Clair, wife of the ambassador 'Ciel! Mes Bijoux!' Phryne Fisher stood quietly and groped for a cigarette lighter. So far the evening had been tedious. After the strenuous preparations for what was admittedly the social event of the year, the dinner had been a culinary masterpiece-but the conversation had been boring. She had been placed between a retired Indian Colonel and an amateur cricketer. The Colonel had confined himself to a few suitable comments on the food but Bobby could recite his bowling figures for each country match for two years-and did. Then the lights had gone out and the window had smashed. Anything that interrupted the Wisden of the Country House matches was a good thing, thought Phryne and found a lighter. The scene revealed in the flickering light was confused. The young women who usually screamed were screaming. Phryne's father was bellowing at Phryne's mother. This too, was normal. Several gentlemen had struck matches and one had pulled the bell. Phryne pushed her way to the door and slipped into the front hall where the fuse box door hung open, and pulled down the switch marked 'main'. A flood of light restored everyone except the most gin-soaked to their senses. And Madam St Clair, clutching melodramatically at her throat, found that her diamond necklace, reputed to contain some of the stones from the Tsarina's collar, was gone. Her scream outstripped all previous efforts.

To keep reading this book request it from the Library now!

iBLURB - ANZAC Day

2013-04-25T06:30:00.000+10:00

The ANZAC Dedication: For the Fallen
by Laurence Binyon

They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
We will remember them.

Memorial
by Gary Crew & Shaun Tan
Memorial is a story about a tree planted beside a war memorial monument, in a small country town by returned servicemen. Years on, the tree has grown to be huge and unruly, dislodging the statue next to it and creating a traffic hazard in what is now a much larger, busier town. A decision is made by a local council to cut the tree down.
My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day by Catriona Hoy

Every year at bedtime on 24th of April thousands of families set their alarm clocks for a very early start the next morning. For some, it is the only day of the year that they get to see the dawn. They rug up in hats, coats, gloves and scarves and head for the local war memorial to participate in the Dawn Service to commemorate the events of 25th April 1915.

This story tells of one family's involvement in this day, but at the same time it is a story that is true for many families. This book can be used to help younger students begin to understand the significance of Anzac Day, as well as expanding the knowledge of those who know a little about it already.

Simpson and his Donkey by Mark Greenwood : The heroic story of one man and a donkey.
A poignant account of the story of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and how he and his donkey, Duffy, rescued over 300 men during the campaign at Gallipoli. Backed by detailed research, the text includes a brief biography of the man, details of his work at Gallipoli and also the little known story of how, without realising, he rescued his childhood friend. (beautiful graphics)

Anzac Biscuits by Phil Cummings & Owen Swan
Rachel is in the kitchen, warm and safe. Her father is in the trenches, cold and afraid. When Rachel makes biscuits for her father, she adds the love, warmth and hope that he needs. This is a touching story of a family torn apart by war but brought together through the powerful simplicity of Anzac Biscuits. (this a beautifully simple story with a gentle heart-warming ending)

Vietnam Diary by Mark Wilson

A powerful and moving story about the bonds of brotherhood and the tragedy of war. Leigh and Jason are inseparable. But when Jason is conscripted and sent to fight in Vietnam, they are divided not just by distance, but by their beliefs about war. Ages 10+. A brand new book to honour our Vietnam veterans on Anzac Day.

iBLURB for Kiddies 6

2013-04-24T09:30:00.000+10:00

Theme: Those Darn Dogs!

Quote: The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you will go. Dr Seuss

Why do I have to eat off the floor? by Chris Hornsey & Gwen Perkins

Why can't I sleep in your bed?

Why can't I drive the car?
Why can't we play all the time? These seemingly innocent questions, the kind usually asked by a child to an adult, take on a wildly humorous twist when addressed to a child by her dog, Murphy! The minimalist text and succinct illustrations, brilliantly set off the grandiose ambitions of this adorable, little dog with BIG ideas. His owner patiently answers all of his 'why' questions, until finally, she's forced to tell it like it is: that Murphy is a D-O-G (not-a-human). (This book appeals to children, adults, and all those dog owners with pups who just can't believe they're not people!)

Pocket Dogs by Margaret Wild

Mr Pockets had a very big coat, and in his very big coat he had two very big pockets. The two very big pockets were just the right size for two very small dogs. Their names were Biff and Buff. Every day, winter or summer, Mr Pockets put on his big coat. Then he put Biff in the right pocket, and Buff in the left pocket. Biff stuck his foot through a hole in Mr Pocket’s right pocket that grew bigger and bigger and bigger!

One day, the inevitable happens and poor wee biff falls out through the hole. Lost and frightened in a sea of legs he meets a few good samaritans who try to pop Biff in a shopping basket, a toy pram and a shopping trolley to help him find his home but none of them feel right so he jumps out. He is a pocket dog. Mr Pocket’s pocket dog!

The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson
George, a sad little orphan, lives with his sweet-faced grandmother but feels very much alone. When on his Friday afternoon visit to the dog shelter he finds a three-legged dog that seems as unwanted as he feels himself to be, he engages his grandmother's help to adopt the scruffy pup before it’s euthanased. This act rescues the boy as well as his grandmother, and a family is born. (Yes, there is a bit of sadness, but it's a also a story of hope, friendship and love. All told ... this is a wonderful heart-warming story to be read to your children)

What!? You think I did this?

April - CrimeReads for Kiddies

2013-04-22T10:00:00.000+10:00

Quote: “Young ones don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment.” ― Rick Riordan

Penguin in Peril by Helen Hancock
With bare cupboards and hungry bellies, three cats formulate a brilliant plan to steal a penguin to catch fish for them. A hilarious sequence of events unfolds as the penguin makes his escape from his feline foes, becoming mistaken for a nun and a waiter, before finding his way safely home to his aquarium. Meanwhile, the cats are caught for their crime and are sent to jail - for a lifetime of gruel. Deftly told and beautifully illustrated, this amusing tale will have little ones and grown-ups giggling from beginning to end.
'The penguin book' is now a house favourite!!

Detective Donut and the Wild Goose Chase by Bruce Whatley & Rosie Smith
Detective Donut is on the case in this uproarious tale of a stolen statue, a missing person, and a larcenous goose on the loose! With a nose for adventure but an overfondness for donuts, can this bumbling butterball sleuth solve the mystery before Goose gets the better of him?

Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor

Nancy Clancy has everything she needs to be a super sleuth (that's a fancy word for detective) She has a glamorous magnifying glass complete with rhinestones, a totally professional pink trench coat, and a sleuthing partner with awesome code-breaking skills - her best friend, Bree. Now all she needs is a good mystery to solve. But when crime strikes right in the middle of her classroom, will Nancy have what it takes to crack the case?

The Paw by Natalie Jane Prior

Welcome to the adventures of the world's cheekiest cat-burglar, aka The Paw! Leonie is a school girl during the day but a wily cat-burglar by night. Back by popular demand, this text includes the three original Paw stories in an entirely new format, totally re-illustrated. Ages 5-10.

Congratulations - LEGO is in it's 81st Year!

2013-04-20T10:28:00.000+10:00

The Sydney Brick Show is in the heart of Sydney; On Seven at David Jones, Elizabeth Street Store. The show will operate through the week from Saturday 20th April to Sunday 28th April 2013 enabling school holiday fun for all to see.

The unofficial LEGO technic builder's guide by Pawel 'Sariel' Kmieć

The LEGO Technic system opens a new realm of building possibilities. Using motors, gears, pneumatics, pulleys, linkages, and more, you can design LEGO models that really move. The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide is filled with building tips for creating strong yet elegant machines and mechanisms with the Technic system.

The LEGO adventure book : cars, castles, dinosaurs & more! / Megan Rothrock

Unleash your imagination as you journey through the wide-ranging world of LEGO building with 'The LEGO Adventure Book.' This inspiring tour is filled with bright visuals, step-by-step breakdowns of 25 models, and nearly 200 example models from the world's best builders. Ages 8+.

LEGO Ninjago. Masters of spinjitzu DVD

Masters of Spinjitzu: Spin your way to victory and become a Spinjitzu master! Quick to anger, even quicker to act and armed with his golden sword, Kai is ready to battle for weapons and glory! The adventures of Clutch Powers: 'Meet Clutch Powers, the best builder and explorer in the LEGO universe as he heads off on his most dangerous mission yet. Join Clutch and his team of experts as their adventure leads them from LEGO City to the Space Police prison planet to the medieval world of Ashlar where they must help the rightful heir to the King's throne, find the courage to regain the kingdom from the evil wizard Mallock the Malign'

Lego Ninjago Official Guide by Greg Farshtey

This handbook is THE official guide to all the most important stats from the world of Ninjago, including exclusive info you can't get anywhere else. Each Ninja's strengths and weaknesses? TICK. The lowdown on all the Golden Weapons? TICK. Details and specs for Bonezai's incredible vehicles? TICK!
(this title is on order and awaiting arrival but can be put on hold NOW!)

Video: The LEGO Story – 80th Anniversary Animated Short Film

This is a MUST watch video about the invention of LEGO! Highly recommended for little kids... and big ones too!

Women's Prize for Fiction, Shortlist, 2013

2013-04-19T10:27:00.000+10:00

Formerly known as the Orange Prize for Literature, The Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced the shortlist for the 2013 prize. Launched in 1996, the Prize is awarded annually and celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze known as a ‘Bessie’, created by the artist Grizel Niven.

Shortlist, 2013

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson -

May We Be Forgiven by A.M Homes -

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver -

Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel -

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

NW by Zadie Smith -

Congratulations to all the nominees. The winner will be announced on 5th June at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

To read or not to read? Australian War History

2013-04-19T08:30:00.000+10:00

Learn more about Australian War History as ANZAC Day approaches. This is a story that read like fiction, but is actually all fact. It follows the footsteps of the heroes and villians of the Kokoda campaign, a tribute to those young men who fought so courageously.

To read or not to read? ...You decide after reading these opening paragraphs...

Chapter One

The mid-1920's...There is a special kind of drone teachers assume when they are giving a lesson about something they don't particularly care about, and know that their students care for even less. So it was on this hot afternoon at Warrandyte High School in the old mining town some twenty miles northeast of Melbourne, as ol' Mr Hallett was pointing out to his students just one more bit of the map of the world that was coloured in red because it was another part of the British Empire, on which the sun never set.

'And here, boys and girls,' he was saying. 'are the territories of New Guinea and Papua, which as you can see. are squarely in the tropics. The "Papua" part in the territories of New Guinea and Papua came from Jorge de Meneses, a Portugese seafarer who arrived in 1526 and is thought to have been the first European to discover it. He named it Papua after the Malay word which means "fuzzy- haired man". It wasn't until 1884 that the Germans and British established colonies on the northeast and southeast sections respectively of the island. In 1906, Australia took over control of the British colony and in 1914 when the Great War started, it also occupied the German areas.In 1920 the League of Nations formally decreed that it should be a territory of Australia. There are no fewer than eight hundred tribes in the territories of New Guinea and Papua, and one third of the world's languages are spoken there. All in an area no more than 500 000 square miles. Its average rainfall, in some places , incredibly, rises as high as 150 inches!'

Stan Bisset, all of twelve years old, listened and paid attention as best he could, because generally he was a conscientious kind of student, but it tested even him. New Guinea was a place that sort of brooded at the top of the map of Australia, but it wasn't somewhere that quickened his interest the way that say, London, or New York or Paris did. New Guinea was just a bit of a blob that might be geographically close to Australia, but that was about it.

If you would like to keep reading this book, you can request a copy from the Library.

Stella Prize, 2013 Winner

2013-04-17T09:17:00.000+10:00

The first-ever winner of the Stella Prize, the major new award for Australian women’s writing, is Carrie Tiffany for her novel Mateship with Birds.

The inaugural Stella Prize was awarded in Melbourne Tuesday evening, 16 April. Carrie Tiffany received $50,000 in prize money. On the evening, Carrie Tiffany generously donated $10,000 of the prize money back to be split equally

among the other five shortlistees, who have each received $2000 as a result.

Carrie Tiffany grew up in Western Australia, has worked as a park ranger in Central Australia, and now lives in Melbourne, where she is an agricultural journalist. Mateship with Birds is her second novel.

You can request this, and the other short listed novels for the Stella Prize, from the Library.

THE STELLA PRIZE SHORTLIST 2013

In alphabetical order of author surname, the 2013 Stella Prize shortlist was:

The Burial by Courtney Collins

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser

The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson

Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy

Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan

Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany

Congratulations to Carrie Tiffany, and the other authors nominated for this prestigious prize.

Pre-Overdue Notifications Now Available

2013-04-15T11:12:00.000+10:00

Library members can now receive email notifications for borrowed items about to become overdue. Notices are available via email only and will be sent out one day before the item’s due date.

To receive this notice, please ensure you have a current email address listed in your account information. You can do this online, simply login to your library account and modify your personal information.

More information:

After login, to include/update your email address, click on ‘modify personal information’ in the menu on the left hand side of your account page. Your details can then be modified. Click ‘Submit’ to finalise changes.
Email notifications will now be sent to this email address.
Hold notifications that you may have received via post will now be received via email as well.
Pre-overdue notifications are only available via email.
Please note that the notification will only be emailed once, if your email address is not correct, or your inbox is full, you will not receive the notification. Please double check your details.
Parts of this new service are still in testing stage; we apologise for any inconvenience and would be happy to receive your feedback. Please visit us at any shire library, or call Sutherland Library to get in touch.

April - CrimeReads for Teens

2013-04-13T10:00:00.000+10:00

Quote: There are crimes of passion and crimes of logic. The boundary between them is not clearly defined. ― Albert Camus

Heist Society by Ally Carter
For as long as she can remember, Katarina has been a part of the family business—thieving. When Kat tries to leave 'the life' for a normal one, her old friend Hale conspires to bring her back into the fold. Why? A mobster’s art collection has been stolen, and Kat’s father is the only suspect. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. The only solution is to find the paintings and steal them back. Kat’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s history—and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way. The Heist Society series is stealing the hearts of Ally Carter fans everywhere.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel—a black man charged with the attack of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unanswering honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930's. This is a 1001 books entry.

Thieves like us by Stephen Cole

Jonah Wish, a brilliant computer hacker, is the newest addition to an elite group of teen outlaws all hired by the same mysterious benefactor, Nathaniel Coldhardt. Each of them offers a unique talent: Patch is a one-eyed locksmith; Motti can dismantle any electrical system; Con’s charm is truly mesmerizing; and Tye can detect a lie with more precision than a polygraph. Under Coldhart’s watchful eye, this motley crew races from a high-tech underground conference centre to exotic locations where they hunt for priceless ancient artefacts that may bring riches . . . or the secret to eternal life. also E-Book

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

"Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is a friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was violated by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. An utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. (A mature read for those interested)

To read or not to read? Scandinavian Crime Fiction

2013-04-12T08:30:00.000+10:00

Scandinavian crime fiction is currently popular across the world.
Also a successful musician, the author of this book visited Australia recently. This is the third book in a series of nine so far, and was the first one published in English. It features an endearing, brilliant, yet flawed detective with a few bad habits...
*Be warned- includes graphic detail.

To read or not to read... you decide after reading these opening paragraphs.

A Grey bird glided in and out of Harry's field of vision. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Slow time. Somebody had been talking about slow time on the TV yesterday. This was slow time. Like on Christmas Eve before Father Christmas came. Or sitting in the electric chair before the current was turned on.
He drummed harder.
They were parked in the open area behind the ticket booths at the toll gate. Ellen turned up the radio a notch. The commentator spoke with reverence and solemnity. 'The plane landed fifty minutes ago, and at exactly 6.38 a.m.the President set foot on Norwegian soil. He was welcomed by the Mayor of Ullensaker. It is a wonderful autumn day here in Oslo: a splendid Norwegian backdrop to this summit meeting. Let us hear again what the President said at the press conference half an hour ago.' It was the third time. Again Harry saw the screaming press corps thronging against the barrier. The men in grey suits on the other side, who made only a half-hearted attempt not to look like secret service agents, hunched their shoulders then relaxed them as they scanned the crowd, checked for the twelfth time that their earpieces were correctly positioned, scanned the crowd, dwelled for a few seconds on a photographer whose telephoto lens was a little too long, continued scanning, checked for the thirteenth time that their earpieces were correctly positioned. Someone welcomed the President in English, everything went quiet. Then a scratching noise in a microphone. 'First let me say I'm delighted to be here...' the president said for the fourth time in husky, broad American-English.
'I read that a well known American Pyschologist thinks the President has a MPD,' Ellen said.
'MPD?'
'Multiple Personality Disorder. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.'

If you would like to keep reading this book, you can request it from the Library.

If you would like to keep reading this book, you can request it from the Library.

April - CrimeReads for Kids

2013-04-09T10:00:00.000+10:00

Quote: Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them - James Baldwin

The Bugalugs Bum Thief
by Tim Winton & Stephen Michael King
The town of Bugalugs is where residents wake up one morning to find that their buttocks are missing, now all 496 citizens of the town of Bugalugs are now BUMLESS!
After waking up to discover that his butt is missing, Skeeta Anderson, with the help of his best mate Billy Marbels and Mick Misery, they set out to discover where all the bums have gone and to find the culprit who pinched all those rumps. After much mayhem, madness and derriere detecting, Skeeta finally unravels the mystery and the townspeople of Bugalugs get their bottoms back. Things turn out alright at the end … well almost! Ages 4-10
(Gee, I hope I get a skinny one back!)

Poppy and the Thief by Gabrielle Wang
It's 1864 . . . and Poppy is on the road again, heading to the town of Wahgunyah. On the way she meets a stranger who seems to know something about her past, and her special letter with the red tiger seal. But the more time she spends with this boy, the more difficult he becomes. Should Poppy trust him? Join Poppy on her adventure in the third of four exciting stories about a Gold Rush girl who dreams of a better life. This book is part of the popular 'Our Australian Girl' series.

The Treasure Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez

Rooster, Hare and Bear bid adieu to Fox and Chicken, and start their sea voyage back home to the farm. But it's no pleasure cruise. En route they wash up on a deserted island, where Rooster discovers a mysterious white orb. Becoming oblivious to his companions, Rooster is possessed by the orb and takes it all the way home. His faithful companions follow, surviving toxic toadstools, piranhas and tiny bats. When Rooster gets home, he discovers the orb contains something more precious than he ever imagined ... (cute picture book)

Snatched by the Dawn Thief by Rex Stone

It's a deafening sunrise in the Triassic, but one sound is louder than everything - the shriek of a pack of eohraptors. These noisy creatures take a shine to Wanna and before the boys can stop them, they've run away with him! Now Jamie and Tom are caught in a race against time to save their dino friend. Why not check out the other titles at the 'Dinosaur Cove' series - website.

for ages 7-10 (we may not hold all titles)

Maisie Morris and the Whopping Lies by Joanna Nadin

Maisie Morris lives with her mum and her pet monkey in the small town of Groutley, where nothing exciting ever happens. So when the local newspaper reports mysterious goings-on ... the headlines read: BISCUIT BARON DOES A BUNK! and GROUTLEY GERIATRIC IS OUT OF THIS WORLD! Maisie decides to investigate. Soon she finds herself entangled in a web of whopping lies from which only her trusted accomplices, Monkey Onassis and eccentric ex-Chief of Police Ramsey McDoon, can help her escape … The thrilling, madcap sequel to 'Maisie Morris and the Awful Arkwrights'.

Looking for something to read? Try Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

2013-04-06T08:30:00.000+11:00

The Jane Austen Book Club day and evening meetings are discussing Mansfield Park for the April meetings, making the perfect time to read, or re-read the original story, watch the movie, or enjoy some inspired fan fiction.

Re-read the original...

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

Busy? Listen to an audiobook! Available on CD or to download a copy from Overdrive.

Mansfield Park (CD)

Mansfield Park (downloadable version)

Watch: a TV or movie adaption.

Mansfield Park (Televison series)

Mansfield Park (DVD)

Or enjoy some fan fiction:

Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd.

Ever wondered what would happen if Jane Austen had turned her hand to writing murder mysteries? Offering a new twist on this classic tale, enjoy a riveting murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page, one where Fanny is no longer the dreary and insipid heroine…

The matters at Mansfield, or the Crawford affair: A Mrs and Mr Darcy affair.

Book Four in the Mr and Mrs Darcy series, The Darcy's latest adventure in set in Mansfield Park. Mr. Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is eager to arrange a lucrative and socially advantageous match for her daughter, Anne. Of course, her ladyship has not taken into account such frivolous matters as love or romance, let alone the wishes of her daughter. Needless to say, there is much turmoil when the bride-to-be elopes. Their pursuit of the headstrong couple leads the Darcys to the village of Mansfield, where the usually intricate game of marriage machinations becomes still more convoluted by lies and deception. There, the Darcys discover that love and marriage can be a complex and dangerous business — one that can even lead to murder.

Edmund Bertram’s diary by Amanda Grange.

Jane Austen's Mansfield Park re-told in diary form, from Edmund Bertram's perspective. This is one of a series of books inspired by Jane Austen's heroes.

You can request any or all featured items from the Library!

To read or not to read? - Detective fiction

2013-04-05T10:01:00.001+11:00

Happy Birthday to the author of this novel, born today 5th April, 1955. This novel is about the greatest literary detective in history, who, incidently, is currently featured in a hit television series.

To read or not to read...you decide after reading these opening paragraphs...

Chapter One

The Wimbledon Art Dealer

‘Influenza is unpleasant,’ Sherlock Holmes remarked, ‘but you are right in thinking that, with your wife’s help, the child will recover soon.’

‘I very much hope so,’ I replied, then stopped and gazed at him in wide-eyed astonishment. My tea had been halfway to my lips but I returned it to the table with such force that the cup and the saucer almost parted company. ‘But for Heaven’s sake, Holmes!’ I exclaimed. ‘You have taken the very thoughts from my head. I swear I have not uttered a word about the child nor his illness. You know that my wife is away – that much you might have deduced from my presence here. But I have not yet mentioned to you the reason for her absence and I am certain that there has been nothing in my behaviour that could have given you any clue.’

It was in the last days of November, the year 1890, when this exchange took place. London was in the grip of a merciless winter, the streets so cold that the very gas lamps seemed frozen solid and what little light they gave out subsumed by the endless fog. Outside, people drifted along the pavements like ghosts, with their heads bowed and their faces covered, while the growlers rattled past, their horses anxious to be home. And I was glad to be in, with a fire blazing in the hearth, the familiar smell of tobacco in the air and – for all the clutter and chaos with which my friend chose to surround himself – a sense that everything was in its right place.

If you would like to keep reading this novel, you can request a copy from the Library!

Jane Austen Book Club- Mansfield Park

2013-04-04T16:18:00.002+11:00

The April Jane Austen Book Club meetings will be discussing Mansfield Park. Published in 1814, Austen's third novel marked her return to writing after a decade. A change from the light hearted and much loved Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park features a timid heroine, Fanny Price, and touches on themes of slavery, politics and religion, alongside a play, balls, flirtations and scandals. The novel finishes, of course, with the heroine happily married (as all Austen novels do), but do you remember who too?
This novel has been inspiration for fan fiction, and adapted for film and television. J.K Rowling even pays tribute to Jane Austen and Mansfield Park with a reference in the Harry Potter novels (do you remember Mrs Norris, Filch’s cat?).

All are welcome to join us for the book discussion, over tea, of course.

Jane Austen Book Club- Mansfield Park, Evening event.

Cronulla Library
Tuesday, 9 April,
6.00pm-8.00pm

Book online, or contact the Cronulla Library 9523 4980.

Jane Austen Book Club- Mansfield Park- Daytime event.

Engadine Library
Wednesday, 10 April,
10.30am-12.30am

Book online, or contact Engadine Library 9548 6003.

iBLURB for Kiddies 5

2013-04-02T09:00:00.000+11:00

Theme: The Naked Truth!

Quote: Parenting without a sense of humour is like being an accountant - who sucks at math.

Nuddy Ned by Kes Gray & Garry Parsons

He didn’t? He did!

He hasn’t? He Has!
He wouldn’t? He would!
He isn’t? He is!
Scooting down the garden path,
cartwheeling along the high street …
Ned just can’t be stopped!
I'm Nuddy Ned, I'm Nuddy Ned,
jimjams aren't for me!
I'm never wearing clothes again,
the nuddy life's for me!
Can ANYONE convince Ned to put his clothes back on? (This is a laugh-out-loud riotous romp with some cheeky lift-the-flaps) Ages 2+

Nudie Rudie  by Emma Quay
′One, two Rudie Nudie,
Rudie Nudie in the bath...'
Emma Quay captures all the joy and energy of childhood in this irresistible rhyming tale. With it's charming illustrations and lively text, 'Rudie Nudie' is destined to become an instant family favourite! Ages 2+
‘This book is just delightful! The charming illustrations and child-like rhyming language is a wonderful part of my son's nightly bedtime routine. Highly recommended!’    (Way to go Emma!)

You can't go to school naked! by Dianne Billstrom and Don Kilpatrick
A guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Lots of kids like to run around naked and here's a funny book to remind them why it's best to keep their clothes on, particularly at school. Just think about it? Could you go down the slippery dip? Steal second base? This little guy's parents warn him of many dangers he'd face if he went to school without clothes on, and eventually he sees their point. But if he has to wear something, it's going to be what he chooses (and it's only slightly better than going naked). Kids will giggle and squirm at the silly scenarios this little guy imagines and will cheer at his unique solution. (A bit of a giggle!)

Everyone’s got a bottom  by Tess Rowley

We all have bodies and we ALL want to keep them safe. Everyone’s got a bottom is a story about Ben and his brother Jack and his little sister Emma learning and talking together. This book is a tool for parents and carers to gently start a conversation with children about self protection. (Be warned - this book uses correct terminology for body parts) Ages 3 - 8+
"This little book is badly needed for helping parents, carers, teachers and child-care personnel to keep children safe and aware of personal boundaries"
Everyone's got a bottom is a collaboration between Family Planning Queensland, writer Tess Rowley, illustrator Jodi Edwards and experts from the early childhood and child protection sectors. Professor Freda Briggs

A cute little bear behind!

Miles Franklin Long List, 2013

2013-03-26T17:38:00.000+11:00

The Miles Franklin Award Long List, 2013 has been announced. It includes eight female authors, five first time novelists, four previously shortlisted authors and one former double Miles Franklin Literary Award winner (Thomas Keneally, 1967- Three cheers for the Paraclete & 1968- Bring Larks and Heroes)

The 2013 Long List:

Floundering by Romy Ash

Lola Bensky by Lily Brett

Street to Street by Brian Castro

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser

The Beloved by Annah Faulkner

The Daughters of Mars by Tom Keneally

The mountain by Drusilla Modjeska

The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman

Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany

Red Dirt Talking by Jacqueline Wright

Congratulations to all the Miles Franklin Award, 2013, Long Listed authors. Request a copy of any, or all of these books from the Library! Look out for the Short List in April/May, and the announcement of the winner on 19 June, 2013.

Women's History Month - Convicted!

2013-03-26T14:38:00.000+11:00

The first European women to reach Australia's shores were sent against their will. They did not have the support, nor the 'leisure' to fight for their rights, yet made the best of it. They helped where they could to make the fledgling colony of New South Wales to be a place that could be called home.

Margaret Catchpole was one such woman. Despite having been sent out for life, (arriving December 1801) for horse stealing and escaping from prison, all for love, Margaret made herself very useful in the colony. She found work in the kitchens of the free settlers and became indispensable to the families she worked for, for her skill with nursing the sick. Once she was eventually pardoned she set herself up in a small store at Richmond and did nursing and midwifery as required. She was also a very good diarist, and it is her memoirs that chronicle the only knowledge of many early colonial events. She certainly stirred up local interest with newspaper articles written in the early papers about her and a film made of her life. Scapegallows gives an account of her life.

Molly Morgan was a woman with character. She was transported to Australia in the second, gained her ticket of leave, escaped in the Resolution with other, still bound, convicts. Once she made it back she married in England but was then convicted by her husband for burning down their home, and so was transported a second time. She was given a free rein by her protector, but continued to fall foul of the authorities. Eventually she achieved a ticket of leave and was granted a small parcel of land at the new Wallis plains settlement (Maitland). Although reasonably successful as farmer, it was her wine shanty that set her on the road to security, eventually to the establishment of the Angel Inn in the centre of Maitland. The Australian on the 23^rd January 1928 named her as one of the regions largest landholder. Her background was in petty crime, immorality and self-indulgence and yet was known for her generosity and compassion for those less fortunate setting up a rough and ready hospital for the sick as well as a large donation towards the building of a school. She was a colourful pioneer of the Maitland district.

Keep Reading? A Canadian book for Earth Hour!

2013-03-22T10:38:00.004+11:00

Looking for something to do during Earth Hour (Saturday, 23 March, 8.30pm local time), this year? Read book by torch or candle light!

Did you know that Vancouver has been crowned Global Earth Hour Capital, 2013 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its efforts to address climate change?

So what could be more timely than to read an action packed, unpredictable and hard to put down book set in Vancouver by an Canadian/Australian author?

Read the following opening paragraphs to see if you would like to keep reading this book...

RUN!
I can't run fast enough...faster...run! I must go faster but my legs won't listen, the uniform won't move quick enough, the badge weighs me down. My gun is a hunk of useless metal, heavy and cumbersome in my slippery hands, I can barely lift it...QUICK! Before it's too late! The door is there, I finally reach it, knowing full well what horror awaits on the other side. I hit the door hard-slam- and burst straight through. It breaks apart into a million pieces, jagged shards flying all around like asteroids and I see her-my mother- tied to the bed and straining to escape the blade and the devil looks up, looking straight through my soul with eyes that are flickering red flames. I raise the weapon-it is so heavy and I struggle to aim between the flames. I squeeze the trigger but it will not give, it is frozen. The devil is smiling with great rotting fangs, he knows I am helpless. and flames leap from his eyes, shooting fire and a great rush of air to knock me down. He turns back to his prey, his captive-my mother- and he drives the knife down...
"No!"
A loud noise woke Makedde Vanderwall from her nightmare.
She sat bolt upright and inhaled sharply. What? When she realised the noise had come from her own lip, she broke into an embarrassed blush. She had dozed off again and cried out in her sleep. She surveyed her surroundings through puffy eyes, squinting with sleep heavy lids. A couple of passengers were staring at her. A few feet away a young man had looked up from his comic book and was smirking.

To Keep Reading this book, request it from the Library. Read it by torch or candlelight, or download it from Overdrive to listen to it!

iBLURB - Harmony Day

2013-03-21T08:30:00.000+11:00

Quote: 'If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.'
― Richard M. Nixon (37th American President)

Honour book 2001

Nips XI by Ruth Starke
If white boys can't jump, can Asian kids play cricket? Lan's fed up with being called a Nip. He wants to be a true-blue Aussie. What better way than by playing the greatest Anglo game of all? Lan gathers a team together and defiantly gives it a name: Nips XI. Now all they have to do is get some equipment, find a coach, get themselves a sponsor and learn the rules of the game. Then it's time to challenge the best cricket team in the district.
This is a funny, empowering story of cricket and curry, spinners and leggies, Nips XI is about overcoming cultural barriers, in sport and in life. (What a ripper read for ALL Aussies - old and new!)

Shortlisted 2005

Soraya the Storyteller by Rosanne Hawke
Soraya, her mother and younger brother are refugees from Afghanistan adjusting to life in Australia under Temporary Protection Visas, after surviving the journey on a people-smuggling boat and spending time in the Woomera detention centre. The story is told through Soraya who uses storytelling to come to terms with the tragedy of her family's life in her homeland and struggle for acceptance in Australia. Stories from the Arabian Nights told by Soraya's adopted grandmother keep Soraya in touch with her culture and her father, who was killed; while writing in her diary and ESL class help her to express her thoughts, fears and dreams. Featuring realistic characters and dialogue, this poignant novel is simply and engagingly told. It will engender empathy for refugees and provoke discussion on a range of ethical issues. (This is an enchanting read!)

Shortlisted - 2003

Jamil's Shadow by Christine Harris
Since losing his parents, Jamil has kept himself apart from the rest of his village. He makes a living by looking after his herd of cattle, which he takes up the grassy slopes of the mountains each day. But when a stray dog follows him home one day, he finds he can't get rid of it. Can Jamil risk letting anything get close to him again?
A heart-warming story of hope, connection and friendship. (Too good for words!) for grades 3-5

Shortlisted - 2008

Winning the World Cup by David Metzenthen
After school, Marco and his neighbourhood friends, who have all come to Australia from different countries, play the World Cup in the local paddock. Henry, the new boy from Kenya is too sad to play, while his sister is in hospital, but he amazes the children with his knowledge of cows and then .. when his sister is better, with his amazing ball skills. This story, with it's subtle message, will have wide appeal and can be used to stimulate discussion about how all people can get along and how it is possible to love your homeland as well as your new country. for grades 2-5

Ziba came on a boat by Liz Lofthouse
Ziba came on a boat. A soggy old fishing boat
That creaked and moaned as it rose and fell,
Rose and fell, across an endless sea…

Shortlisted - 2008

The setting in the story is a boat somewhere in the middle of an 'endless' ocean. Ziba, a little girl, rides it with her mother and a group of other people. You can't help but notice the gray and blue colours of the pages, and the sorrow-filled expressions on the faces of the people riding on the boat, this leads you to immediately realize they are not part of a fun-filled and entertaining journey. You start to wonder if they are refugees of a war. Where are they going and what is their story? What will the future hold for Ziba and her mother? ( a great way to introduce and educate older children on the harsh realities of the world in a picture book format - a happy ending! Yay!) for grades 2-5

Children smile in ALL languages

Clever phrase: Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by colour. Anon

iBLURB Kids Fiction 4

2013-03-19T14:41:00.000+11:00

Theme: It's not easy being Green!

Quote: If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. - Rachel Carson

The Lorax by Dr Seuss
"Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."
Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.
"The big, colorful pictures and the fun images, word plays and rhymes make this an amusing exposition of the ecology crisis."—School Library Journal. Also in Motion Picture DVD & Animated DVD

Horton Hears a Who! by Dr Seuss
Horton adopts a petite planet full of perky little persons led by a tiny, gallant mayor. Believing Horton must be crazy to befriend a dust speck, a snooty, meddlesome kangaroo and her gang of monkey roughnecks decide to boil the elephant's microscopic pals in Beezle-Nut oil! Seuss takes readers on a whimsical tale with a stirring message. That's to say “A person's a person, no matter how small.” Also in Motion Picture DVD & Animated DVD

Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel
I'm Michael Recycle, for all that I'm worth, I'm green and I'm keen to save planet Earth! A small town near you is drowning in piles of rubbish from it's lazy and wasteful inhabitants! But here is Michael Recycle, the green-caped crusader, to rescue the town and prove that recycling is fun! Ages 5+ (learn about being GREEN)

Litterbug Doug by Ellie Bethel
Litterbug Doug is lazy. He's wasteful. He's messy but worst of all... he hates recycling! Only Michael Recycle, Planet Earth's Super Green Hero, can save the day and change Doug's wasteful litter-bugging ways. Ages 5+
(Can Doug's sloppy habits be changed for the better?)

Why trash your neighbourhood?

iBLURB - St. Patrick's Day

2013-03-17T08:00:00.000+11:00

The Night Before St Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing

It's the night before St. Patrick's Day, and Tim and Maureen are wide awake setting traps to catch a leprechaun! When they wake the next morning to the sound of their dad playing the bagpipes and the smell of their mom cooking green eggs, they're shocked to find that they've actually caught a leprechaun. But will they be able to find his pot of gold?

St. Patrick’s Day (touch and feel) by Roger Priddy

This is an ideal first board book to share with your baby or toddler as a first step to discovering the fun and celebration of St Patrick’s Day. The pages feature traditional St Patrick’s Day images, such as shamrocks, harps and parades, and there are lots of different touch-and-feel textures which little fingers will love to explore.

Ten Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling

Fiddle-de-fizz, 'tis magic, it is!
When leprechauns find each other.
Count from one to ten as one little leprechaun looking for treasure magically becomes ten silly leprechaun friends at the end of the rainbow! A humorous, rhyming celebration of St. Patrick's Day!

Patrick by Quentin Blake Setting out to buy a violin, Patrick finds that playing it transforms not only his outlook on life, but the lives of all he meets, be it plant, animal or human! Dull, everyday things become colourful and fun, and those who are poor or unhappy are rejuvenated by music's magical qualities.
Blake's illustrations are inimitable, and his text is perfectly in tune with his style of image, which shows the transformations taking place - colour, stars and fireworks appearing around (and from) the characters and their surroundings. Blake's text and images are readily accessible to small children, filled with spiky movement and quirky action.

St. Patrick’s Day countdown by Salina Yoon

Count along with the forest friends in this shimmery board book! Five bright green holographic shamrock tabs and fun rhyming text make this a St. Patrick’s Day treat!

Have a Sparkly Day!

Reel Teens Mystery Film Night

2013-03-15T10:00:00.000+11:00

NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK
5 – 14 APRIL 2013

Be Active.
Be Happy.
Be You.
To help us celebrate the start of Youth Week 2013 we will be having our first Teen Mystery Film Night on Friday the 5th of April.

The movie starts promptly at 6.00pm and runs until 8.15pm.

Pizza and soft drink will be provided (hint) don't eat before you arrive!

We have Teen Mystery Film nights once a term and even though we have our regulars from last year it would be great to see some new faces. What? You're a bit nervous about joining us... why not bring a friend or even two? The movies we choose are PG rated so they are light-hearted, funny or thought-provoking. This particular movie is a 80's classic teen comedy, if you want to know or need to know what the title is then just give us a call at the Kids section @ 97100178 and we'll be happy to tell you. It's just that our regulars enjoy the element of surprise and that is what the Mystery Film Night is all about, after all!

If you would like to join us again or for the first time just fill in the online booking form or call us directly and turn up on the night with your appetite. (we need to know numbers so that we can order the correct amount of pizzas & refreshments - so don't miss out! ) We hope to see you there on the night - Happy Youth Week guys!

Keep Reading...An eco -read

2013-03-15T08:30:00.000+11:00

The Measure of a Man

A certain eeling comes rom throwing your good lie away, andit is one part rapture. Or so it seemed or now, to a woman withame-colored hair who marched uphill to meet her demise. In-nocence was no part o this. She knew her own recklessness andmarveled, really, at how one hard little int o thrill could out-weigh the pillowy, suocating atermath o a long disgrace. Theshame and loss would inect her children too, that was the worsto it, in a town where everyone knew them. Even the teenagecashiers at the grocery would take an edge with her ater this,clicking painted ngernails on the counter while she wrote hercheck, eyeing the oatmeal and rozen peas o an unhinged am-ily and exchanging looks with the bag boy:

She’s that one.

Howthey admired their own steadast lives. Right up to the day whenhope in all its versions went out o stock, including the crummydiscount brands, and the heart had just one instruction let: run.Like a hunted animal, or a racehorse, winning or losing elt ex-actly alike at this stage, with the same coursing o blood andshortness o breath. She smoked too much, that was anothermortication to throw in with the others. But she had cast herlot. Plenty o people took this way out, looking uture damagein the eye and naming it something else. Now it was her turn.She could claim the tightness in her chest and call it bliss, ratherthan the same breathlessness she could be eeling at home rightnow while toting a heavy laundry basket, behaving like a sensi-ble mother o two.

March is the month to read books themed "Eco- reads". Try a book with themes about the environment, nature, sustainability or climate change.

This week's featured book is suspenseful, brilliant tale, centred around the effects of climate change.

Read the following opening paragraphs to see if you would like to keep reading this book...

A certain feeling comes from throwing your good life away, and it is one part rapture. Or so it seemed for now, to a woman with flame-coloured hair who marched uphill to meet her demise. Innocence was no part of this. She knew her own recklessness and marvelled, really, at how one hard little glint of thrill could out-weigh the pillowy, suffocating aftermath of a long disgrace. The shame and loss would infect her children too, that was the worst of it, in a town where everyone knew them. Even the teenage cashiers at the grocery would take an edge with her after this, clicking painted fingernails on the counter while she wrote her check, eyeing the oatmeal and frozen peas of an unhinged family and exchanging looks with the bag boy:

She’s that one.

How they admired their own steadfast lives. Right up to the day when hope in all its versions went out of stock, including the crummy discount brands, and the heart had just one instruction left: run. Like a hunted animal, or a racehorse, winning or losing felt exactly alike at this stage, with the same coursing of blood and shortness of breath. She smoked too much, that was another mortification to throw in with the others. But she had cast her lot. Plenty of people took this way out, looking future damage in the eye and naming it something else. Now it was her turn. She could claim the tightness in her chest and call it bliss, rather than the same breathlessness she could be feeling at home right now, while toting a heavy laundry basket, behaving like a sensible mother of two.

To Keep Reading this book, request it from the Library.

ily and exchanging looks with the bag boy

iBLURB for Kiddies 4

2013-03-13T09:30:00.000+11:00

Theme: Neither Hide nor Hair!

Quote: There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is best of all. Jacqueline Kennedy

Isla Lu, where are you? by Catriona Hoy & Annie White
‘One, Two, Three, run away and hide!

‘Four, Five, Six, make sure
that I can’t hear you.
‘Seven, eight, nine, nearly there.
‘Nine and a half,
nine and three quarters …
Ten! ‘Here I come, ready or not.

Isla Lu, where are you?

She isn’t upstairs, she isn’t downstairs,
she isn’t in the garden … or is she? Mum is looking all over the house for Isla Lu, coming across all the family members as she goes, and they all join in the fun — but they know that Isla Lu is closer than Mum thinks!

Who’s Hiding? by Sebastien Braun

Lift the flaps with baby in the garden in an exciting board book from the new ‘Baby Walker’ range. This beautiful board book is full of flaps so you can explore the garden with baby. With shaped flaps perfect for little fingers to lift, and sweet pictures from a favourite children's book illustrator, there is endless fun for babies.

How to hide a Lion by Helen Stephens

How does a very small girl hide a very large lion? It's not easy, but Iris has to do her best, because mum’s and dad’s can be funny about having a lion in the house. Luckily, there are lots of good places to hide a lion. But Iris can't hide her lion forever, and when her mum discovers him, he has to run away and hide all on his own.

Hide and Squeak
by Heather Vogel Frederick

Baby Mouse isn't quite ready to settle down for the night so he takes Daddy Mouse on a wild hide-and-squeak game all over the house. Only time will tail..whoops..tell...if Daddy can catch Baby! Large, expressive illustrations and the rhythmic pattern of the text makes it a fun, sing-song story that will be perfect to get the little ones snuggled in! (this little baby mouse is adorable!)

I'm Read-y!

March is Women’s History Month.

2013-03-12T11:30:00.000+11:00

March each year is allocated, internationally, as Women’s History Month.

This year Australia is highlighting, “Finding Founding Mothers”. The women who stood up for themselves and the ‘common’ folk, against the established order as it had been in England and in her colonies.

The Australian Women’s History Forum has pulled together some great stories on the theme of, ‘Finding Founding Mothers’, from the wealth of resources they have gathered on women’s history in Australia. Women from all the colonies are represented as the people struggle to create a nation, which will have equality for all.

Vida Goldstein was one such woman who had seen her mother’s , involvement with the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society and at 19 took up the challenge to get signatures on the Women Suffrage Pettion. In 1891 it was handed to the Victorian parliament with 30,000 signatures. She went on to become the leader of the women’s reform movement in Victoria. Victorian women were the last to achieve the vote in 1908, 14 years after their sisters in South Australia (and by association Northern Territory!)

The Australian Dictionary of Biography or Women Australia are excellent places to find other great women from our past like Selina Sarah Elizabeth Anderson , was the first woman in Australia to contest an election. Selina supported the rights of women to become doctors, she promoted better conditions for tramway employees and objected to the importation of domestic servants! The Browse allows for searching by occupation, so one can find women from all walks of life. There’s a Poisoner, some Pro-conscriptionists and a Puppeteer as well as the Political Activists I was searching for.

Having a browse through some of these sites I have been reminded of how hard women fought for the many ‘rights’ we now take for granted. Have you found a favourite story of a woman from our past?

There are books on display for borrowing at Sutherland Library, featuring important women from our past, titles similar to Trailblazers.

March - EcoReads for Teens

2013-03-11T10:00:00.000+11:00

Quote: Only when the last tree has been cut down, Only when the last river has been poisoned, Only when the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. - Native American Cree Tribe Prophecy

Trash by Andy Mulligan
Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping on it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, the world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It’s a bag of clues. It’s a bag of hope. It’s a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends are running for their lives. Hounded by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking and fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man’s mission to put right a terrible wrong. And it's three street-boys against the world...Pick up TRASH today!

Lake at the end of the World
by Caroline McDonald
Have you ever wondered what the earth will be like in twenty years time? Set in the year 2025, this book describes the dark and primitive future in store for us if we continue on our present path of destruction. This thrilling science fiction novel follows the experiences of the two main characters, Dianna and Hector who learn to trust each other in a world where only a handful of people have survived the nuclear and chemical devastation. A highly acclaimed novel from a popular writer. (Fantastic book, I've never forgotten it!)

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher One cold winter morning, Dad gets sick – and goes into hospital. It’s there I meet Harry, with his scruffy hair and firefly eyes. From his window we watch a wild swan on the frozen lake outside. There’s something different about her, truly different. She's almost magical.
While visiting her father in hospital, Isla meets Harry, the first boy to understand her and her love of the outdoors. But Harry is ill, and as his health fails, Isla is determined to help him in the only way she knows how. Together they watch a lone swan struggling to fly on the lake outside Harry’s window. Isla believes that if she can help the damaged swan, somehow she can help Harry. And in doing so, she embarks upon a breathtakingly magical journey of her own.

Forty signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson
This is a novel that features cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in America's national capital TODAY — all told through the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly realistic, the novel is set in the near future but inspired by scientific facts already making headlines. With style, wit, and rare insight into our past, present, and possible future, the novel propels us into a world on the verge of unprecedented change. (Be warned this is an adult novel but it is highly recommended for high school students - our future decision-makers to ponder and digest)

March - EcoReads for Kids

2013-03-09T09:30:00.000+11:00

Theme: March - EcoReads

Quote: Along with milk and vegetables,
kids need a diet of rocks and worms:
Rocks need skipping.
Holes need digging.
Water needs splashing.
Bugs and frogs and slimy stuff needs finding.

Window by Jeannie Baker
Window is a groundbreaking work which points to one possible direction for books in the future - the wordless picture book. It also has a serious purpose, to give children an understanding of how growth affects the world we live in. (While it has no text, it does not lack words; what words there are, are incorporated into the visual images; some of the scenes are 'immersed' in print.) The central image is a window. Each of the thirteen double-page spreads shows the window frame and the view outside the window - the reader is always standing inside, looking out.
Belonging by Jeannie Baker
Thirteen years passed between these companion titles. 'A friend spoke about a street she really loved in inner Sydney. This street of terrace houses had been closed to traffic. It's windows, walls and pavements were filled to overflowing with plants, growing from window boxes, from breaks in the pavement, from pot plants, creeping up and covering walls of the houses. It was a narrow street but full of character … a place where neighbours chatted and children played.' The community in ‘Window’ have a home: but in my mind we could call any place home whereas the word ‘belonging’ implies an emotional connection. If one wants to really belong to something one has to work at it and contribute to it. - Jeannie Baker

The Tomorrow Book by Jackie French & Sue Degennaro
A timely picture book about a young prince who is determined to rule over a country where the future is filled with environmental hope - and practical solutions, such as common usage of solar and wind power. Lively, fun and positive, this book serves to give young people information about their world and shows them that a lot of environmental solutions are simple and relatively easy to put in place. Produced on recycled paper to reflect the message within, this is a beautiful book.

Uno's Garden by Graeme Base
When Uno arrives in the forest one beautiful day, there are many fascinating and extraordinary animals there to greet him. And one entirely unexceptional Snortlepig. Uno loves the forest so much, he decides to live there. But, in time, a little village grows up around his house. Then a town, then a city. . . and soon Uno realises that the animals and plants have begun to disappear. Enter the magical world of Graeme Base's forest, filled with wild and wonderful animals, Uno's unique family and friends and also - the elusive Snortlepig!

Mud, mud, glorious mud!

Keep Reading- Book vs Movie

2013-03-08T08:30:00.000+11:00

It's a classic adventure story. It's recently been made into a movie. Its probably on your-list-of-books-you-have-been-meaning-to- read ...

Read these opening lines and decide if you'd like to Keep Reading this book!

My suffering left me sad and gloomy.
Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life. I have kept up what some people would consider my strange religious practices. After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double major Bachelor's degree. My majors were religious studies and zoology. My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth century Kabbalist from Safed. My Zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of three toed sloth. I chose the sloth because its demeanour - calm, quiet and introspective-did something to soothe my shattered self.
There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws.I had great luck one summer of studying the three toed sloth in situ in the equatorial jungles of Brazil. It is a highly intriguing creature. Its only real habit is indolence. It sleeps or rests on average twenty hours a day. Our team tested the sleeping habits of five wild three-toed sloths by placing on their heads, in the early evening after they had fallen asleep, bright plastic dishes filled with water. We found them still in place late the next morning, the water in the dishes swarming with insects. The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense.

To Keep Reading this book request it from the library now!