School Holiday programmes today

Let's Celebrate continues with Easter fun in the Libraries for the school holidays today. Here's what's on where. Orewa Library. Stories and activities for school age kids at 2.30pm Whangaparaoa Library. Storytime as usual at 10.30 for pre-schoolers. Easter Bonnet Parade, activities and stories at 2.30pm. Wellsford Library. Storytime with an Easter theme at 10.30am. Helensville Library are going wild with their "Rumble in the Jungle" theme. Savage stories, crazy crafts and ferocious fun at 10.30am. Tomorrow it's the turn of Mahurangi East, Warkworth, Wellsford and Kumeu. Check out all our school holiday programmes on our website.

School Holidays

I'm too late to tell everyone about the Easter storytimes and rhymetimes that have happened in the first couple of days of the week, but if you are quick there is till time to get to the Whangaparaoa Library Easter Treasure Hunt, activities and stories. It's at 2.30pm today so jump in the car and head that way for lots of fun with an Easter theme. Heads up for tomorrow (Wednesday) - here is what's happening on the Pohutukawa Coast Orewa Library. Stories and activities for school age kids at 2.30pm Whangaparaoa Library. Storytime as usual at 10.30 for pre-schoolers. Then the Easter Bonnet Parade, activities and stories at 2.30pm. Wellsford Library. Storytime with an Easter theme at 10.30am.

Books to Read Aloud

It's a reasonably short and sweet post today as it is school holidays in the library and we have been packed all morning (as noted by some Tweeters that were using the library earlier on). I imagine this is something to do with the cold snap outside as well as holidays. Or maybe more people have discovered where the library is in Warkworth. At our recent Book Club meeting, we talked about books that were good for reading aloud to children and suggestions ranged from picture books to young adult fiction. There are enormous benefits in reading aloud to or with your children, not just from the point of view of quality family time. Children also develop their self-esteem, imagination and listening skills. The American Library Association website has a great link with other reasons and suggestions. At our meeting we all decided that one of the most important things about reading aloud to your kids, is making sure you enjoy the book as well as your enthusiasm will come through in your reading. Joy Cowley has just brought out a new volume of stories, previously published in the School Journals or as early readers. Just One More has snappy little stories with lots of humour and imagination. They are not too long and make excellent reading. Gavin Bishop has provided the illustrations. Meanwhile I have just finished the first book in the new Keepers series called Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner. How would you feel (as a child) if your parents kept you so wrapped in cotton wool and protected from bad things (like puppy dogs) that you have to be attached to them or a guardian by a silver chain whenever you go out? What would you do to get “separated” and how would you cope when you were? On one level a commentary on where the PC world may lead us and on another, a rollicking good adventure for the kids told in snappy chapters. There were heaps of other ideas so if you are looking for something like this to take home for the holidays, just ask one of the librarians at your local library for some ideas.

Top 5 for Friday : Easter books

It is a sad but real fact that during Christmas you cannot escape the multitude of books with a festive theme, from picture books to children's fiction, cooking and craft to romance. The same cannot be said for the Easter festival. Maybe it is because of the violence, betrayal and death that surrounds the Christian story. While it is exceedingly easy to celebrate the birth a baby, with all the hope for the future that encompasses the event, the same cannot be said for the crucifixion, despite the miracle of the resurrection that is inherent in the story.

Any Easter books we do have are in hot demand so I thought I would blog Easter a week ahead to give you a chance to get to the Library or go online to see if you can reserve something for the weekend. Some will be in use at my special Easter storytime for pre-schoolers on Monday (Warkworth 10.30am) so will only be available after that.

1. The Smallest Bilby and the Easter Games (Nette Hilton & Bruce Whatley). This was an absolute find and is my new favourite Easter book. What happens if the Easter bunnies (yes there is more than one of them) go on strike? Who will deliver the Easter eggs? Will it be Easter if there are no eggs? The other animals in the bush compete to see who will get to deliver the eggs. It's simple, it's fun and it has a great message.


2. Peter Rabbit does Easter in a variety of books in Auckland Libraries. These vary from picture books to board books and lift the flap varieties. Clifford, Spot and even the Berestein Bears also have Easter books.


3. Petook : an Easter story (Caryll Houselander & Tomie dePaola). This book really is about the Easter story but from the point of view of Petook the rooster who meets a young boy on the day his first eggs hatch and years later witnesses his death on the cross. Three days later his latest eggs hatch and he welcomes a new family. This is a lovely retelling which is both nice story and a good introduction to the Bible story.


4. The Easter Angels (Bob Hartman & Tim Jonke). This is a sophisticated picture book and I haven't seen it, but from the cover and the description, this is a book I have ordered. The publisher's description reads In a moving story of two angels, one the angel of death, we see how the angel of death is transformed into the angel of life with the resurrection of Jesus. This story illuminates the heart of the Easter message.


5. Easter Things to make and do is one of our non-fiction books of activities you can do for Easter. From crafts to cooking, there is something in here and our other easter activity books.

The easiest way to find Easter resources at the Library is to go to our catalogue and do a Subject Search for Easter. You can then narrow your search down by clicking on one of the options from children's to adult, fiction to non-fiction, etc.

Why (you may ask) are there no adult books on the list. That's because I couldn't find any fiction that was specifically Easter in nature for adults in our catalogue (although there are several non-fiction resources). There is a raft of Christian fiction and stories of Jesus Christ (starting with Ben-Hur and all the way through to today) so if you do a subject search for Jesus Christ- fiction you will find something but it is not specifically catalogued as Easter fiction. So it is there - you just have to go looking for it.

OR you could ask you friendly librarian for help. Have a good weekend out there.

School Holiday Programmes

We are still a couple of days away from the end of Term but for all those parents and care-givers out there who are starting to get nervous about keeping the children occupied for two weeks, here is an overview of what is happening locally in your Library for the School holidays.

Storytimes and Rhymetimes for the pre-schoolers will continue at their regular times. However our special Wriggle and Rhyme sessions take a break until Term 2.

LET'S CELEBRATE

As Mother's Day, Easter and Anzac Day are all just around the corner, what better theme for the school holidays could we have. The local libraries on the Pohutukawa Coast (that's Wellsford, Warkworth, Mahurangi East, Orewa and Whangaparaoa) along with our colleagues on the North Shore are all celebrating with the following activities.

Mahurangi East Library

Thurs 21 April @ 10.30am Easter Stories, fun and activities

Thurs 28 April @ 10.30am Getting ready for Mother’s Day with stories and activities

Orewa Library

Wed 20 April @ 2.30pm Celebrating with stories and activities

Wed 27 April @ 2.30pm Celebrating with stories and activities

Easter Storytime for preschoolers Monday 18 April at 10.30am

Warkworth Library

Thurs 21 April @ 10.30am Anzac Day activities and stories. Plus an Easter craft to take home Thurs 28 April @ 1.30am Mother’s Day stories and crafts.

Wellsford Library

Thurs 21 April @ 10.30am Easter Stories and activities

Thurs 28 April @ 10.30am Mother’s Day Stories and crafts

Whangaparaoa Library

Tues 19 April @ 2.30pm Easter Treasure Hunt, activities and stories

Wed 20 April @ 2.30pm Easter Bonnet Parade, activities and stories

Tues 26 April @ 2.30pm Village Fair at the Library, Maypole Dancing and more

Wed 27 April @ 2.30pm Village Fair at the Library, Maypole Dancing and more

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Over on the Kauri Coast (that's Helensville and Kumeu) they have a wilder theme for their school holiday programmes. Go wild! 'Rumble in the Jungle' with savage stories, crazy crafts and ferocious fun

Helensville Library

Monday 18 April, 10.30am

Wednesday 20 April, 10:30am

Wednesday 27 April April, 10:30am

Kumeu Library

Tuesday 19 April, 10:30am

Thursday 28 April, 10.30am

For the full list of school holiday programmes throughout Auckland (that's Wellsford to Tuakau) go to the Auckland Libraries events page