World Smokefree day today

World Smokefree Day is all about celebrating and working towards smokefree auahi kore lives for New Zealanders. The focus for 2010 is all about giving quitting smoking a go – and friends and family supporting those who want to quit.

The library has a handful of resources which can help you if you're looking to quit. There is also The Quit Group website. (There's even a section if you're trying to quit again.)

Good luck.

Image: sticker from World smokefree day website

Another Movie

Here's something that snuck in under the radar of this Librarian. I was sitting in the theatre last night getting ready for my fix of Prince of Persia - Sands of Time, when I saw a whole lot of owls fill the screen. It's a preview of a new movie heading our way.

The Guardians of Ga'hoole is a series of popular children's fiction books by Kathryn Lasky. They follow young Soren and his friends who are inspired by great stories which lead them all to even greater adventures. The first book in the series is The Capture. The School Library Journal review reads "The story's fast pace, menacing bad guys, and flashes of humor make this a good choice for reluctant readers, while the underlying message about the power of legends provides a unifying element and gives strong appeal for fantasy fans".

The movie is called Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole. It is going to be shown later this year in 3D and comes from the same team that brought us Happy Feet. The animation on it looks absolutely amazing and I see today that there are some great names voicing the owls, including Kiwi's SamNeill and Jay Laga'aia. As it is not coming out until September there is plenty of time for everyone to catch up on the book before then so they can sit back and see how the movie makers turn the writer's vision into a tale for the big screen.

Happy milestone this blog! (Thanks to *you*)

Wow. This blog is over 1000 posts long. We started way back in May 2007, then shifted URLs in September of the same year. (Remember that bright green look? We changed the way it looked so that it would more closely match the website.)

Although it was just an experiment it's been a successful one. Readership has steadily increased (thanks!) We blog regularly during the week (and weekends if we have something to say.) In the beginning we were writing about all sorts of things. Now we've settled down to reviews, local events and literary happenings. There are two of us blogging - Anne and Kris. Our colleagues will occasionally guest post for us.

If there are things that you want to read about just let us know.

Here's to another 1000 posts! \o/

Hi Silverdale Primary

The Rodney Libraries Roadshow travels to Silverdale Primary School this morning. So a big hello to you all. I hope Liz and Julie got there okay and that you are enjoying the stories and readers theatre.

If any of your teachers take any photos of the Roadshow, remember to flick them through to us as we would love to put them up on our Blog or on Flickr if you will let us.

I hope you are all doing your half an hour of reading every day, so that you get your chance to win a brand new bike. We are almost at the end of May and once the month is finished, remember to get your entry forms into us before the 10th of June.

Have a great day. And remember - If you ever get stuck for something to read, just come in and ask us.

What's selling in New Zealand Bookshops?

Following on from looking at the British best seller lists last week, I thought I should take a quick look at what is selling in my own country. Here's a quick look at the lists (taken from the NZ Booksellers website and provided by Nielsen BookScan 2010).

NZ Fiction for Adults

1. The Night Book by Charlotte Grimshaw
2. Inheritance by Jenny Patrick
3. Head over Hells by Felicity Price

NZ Non-fiction for Adults

1. Slow: Mouth-watering Recipes for the Slow Cooker and Crockpot by Allyson Gofton and Alan Gillard
2. Bridging the Gap: Channelling Spirit to Heal Hearts by Kelvin Cruickshank
3. Robyn Martin's Easy Budget Recipes for Crockpots and Slow Cookers by Robyn Martin

International Fiction for Adults

1. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
2. The girl who played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
3. 61 Hours by Lee Child

International Non-Fiction for Adults

1. Stainless by Shannon Lush and Trent Hayes
2. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
3. Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

In Children's & Teens Fiction, the vampire theme remains strong with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series heading off challengers. In the New Zealand category NZ Post Children's book of the year The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith heads off several classic Margaret Mahy tales which have been republished as part of the birthday celebrations for Puffin Publishers.

Do I have to mention that you can road-test all of these books at your local Rodney Library before you decide if they are worthy of your personal bookshelf? Nope - didn't think so.

Have a great day everyone.

Read to Succeed - teen reading challenge kicks off this week

Rodney Libraries are celebrating Youth Week with the launch of their teen reading challenge. Called "Read to Succeed" the programme is aimed at students in Years 9 to 13. The Challenge will run throughout Terms 2 and 3. All teens have to do is to read five books across a range of genres by the end of Term 3. (This is also part of the requirements for NCEA English - how convenient...)

Entry forms can be obtained from Rodney Libraries or local college libraries. The form must be completed and signed by a parent, teacher or a librarian each time a book has been read. Once five books have been completed and signed off, teens should drop their entry form into the library. Successful entrants will qualify to go into a draw to win an iPOD and other prizes. Prize winners will be notified at the beginning of Term 4.

For more information pick up one of the flyers or ask a librarian.

Budget Day

The day came and went again yesterday. Once again the Government of the day has opened the books and sets out their plan for us for the coming year(s). I have to admit that personally I don't usually pay a lot of attention to it. However there are a lot of people out there that will have been waiting to see how the Budget will affect them.

Part of my inattention probably stems from a lack of understanding of how it all works (Yep, you knew I was going to tie this into the resources in the library somehow, didn't you).

To find previous Budgets the most up to date records can be found at Budget Policy Statement.

If you want to read about New Zealand's economy, labour market and enterprise try some of the titles at this subject search. If you want to know more about economics in general, try one of these general headings. And if you just want to know how to live off your limited dollar, try one of these books on budgetting or these on personal finance.

Winners of the 2010 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards

Congratulations to the winners in the 2010 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards.

Picture Book Category
Old Hu-Hu by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll (Scholastic New Zealand) in conjunction with the Te reo edition: Hū-Hū Koroheke, translated by Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira (Scholastic New Zealand)

Non-fiction Category
E3 Call Home by Janet Hunt (Random House New Zealand)

Junior Fiction Category
The Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe (Longacre Press)

Young Adult Fiction Category
Blood of the Lamb: The Crossing by Mandy Hager (Random House New Zealand)

Josef Trethowen - on tonight at Whangaparaoa Library

Remember - Josef Trethowen is performing at the Whangaparaoa Library tonight at 6.30pm. He'll be playing a couple of songs off his EP, "Inside the Wendy House" then will stay around for a short jam session post-performance. Bring in your instruments and join in.

What are they reading in Britain?

I had a quick flick through the latest copy of the UK Bookseller magazine this morning to check what people in Britain are buying to read. Once again I was impressed with the number of books that we have on our Rodney Libraries shelves that are mentioned in the Top 20 lists.

The Top 20 mass market fiction list is dominated by all of your favourite authors. Steig Larsson appears four times (the fourth one is the movie tie-in edition as there are only three published books). Martina Cole, Jeffrey Deaver, Philippa Gregory, James Patterson, Mark Billingham, Penny Vincenzi and Lee Child are all there. There seems to be quite a heavy emphasis on the crime/thriller genre.

Stephenie Meyer and other writers in the vampire genre continue to dominate the children's Top 20. Jacqueline Wilson makes a lonely entry at #8 with her latest Little Darlings while there are a couple of movie tie-ins (Percy Jackson and Alice in Wonderland)

Cookbooks and biographies are popular in the non-fiction lists. Jamie Oliver has a new release Jamie Does which is already on our shelves. Look Back in Hunger by Jo Brand is top of the second non-fiction list in the UK and we also stock that.

The Hunger Games

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

I read the Hunger Games in one day. Nobody could talk to me – I was utterly engrossed.

The premise may make it sound like a bit of a gorefest, but it is actually a well told story about human nature, and what a person will do to survive. It is a testament to the writing that although Kat does some terrible things, we sympathise with her, like her, and root for her right until the end.

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and I am desperately hanging out for the sequel Catching Fire. Recommended for those who like the Tomorrow When the War Began series, and for the boys who don’t know where to go from Cherub.

Reviewed by Sally from Warkworth Library

Through the Grinder

We no longer have a Coffee addict in the Warkworth library, but there are still plenty of us throughout Rodney Libraries who are partial to a drop of caffeine. Which is why this book review from Wellsford Library caught my idea. I just might have to put a reserve on it myself.

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

Add together one scoop of trouble, two scoops of mystery, and one cup of murder and a dollop of romance and mix well; you now have a Coffeehouse Mystery.

Clare Cosi has returned to Manhattan to Manage the Village Blend coffeehouse. Anxious about her daughter signing up for romance on on-online dating services, Clare herself signs up and meets a man that makes her heart pound. Meanwhile her regular coffeehouse customers are turning up dead; the first one is believed to be suicide ….. or was it murder? And what of the other suspicious accidents resulting in death? Are they all forming an alarming pattern or is jealously raising its ugly head? But handsome Detective Quinn is on the case and he’s not going to let any harm come to Clare, even when all the evidence starts pointing towards her new man! Clare does not take orders from anyone even a handsome Detective and she is not about to believe the evidence he’s found, so she is on the case and won’t stop until her man’s name is cleared.

Also included in this great read are fabulous coffee recipes and coffee-making tips. A must read for all coffee or mystery lovers! There are nine books in the Coffee House mystery series and we have them all.

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival

The Auckland Writers and Readers Festival kicks off today with a special programme for schools. We can't be there this year (sob) but our cousins from Christchurch Libraries are up again. They write an entertaining mix of interviews and session reviews. They record a podcast where they discuss their thoughts about the day. Bookman Beattie is also at the Festival.
Is anyone around here going?

Celebrating Music Month at Whangaparaoa Library

A quick reminder that Josef Trethowen will be performing at the Whangaparaoa Library on Thursday 20 May at 6.30pm. He'll be playing a couple of songs off his EP, "Inside the Wendy House" then will stay around for a short jam session post-performance. Bring in your instruments and join in.

Gavin Bishop at Kumeu Library

Award winning new Zealand author Gavin Bishop paid a visit to Kumeu Library yesterday and I believe he got a very good reception over in west Rodney. The visit was part of the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards and Festival. Here is the introduction given by Kumeu Children's Librarian Tina Collins, together with a list of his awards to date.

"Our guest today, Gavin Bishop is very talented and we are excited to have him visit us at Kumeu Library. As children’s book author and illustrator Gavin Bishop has won numerous national and international awards for his distinctive ink and watercolour illustrations and his original text. This year Gavin has 2 books nominated as finalists in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards. Friends: Snake and Lizard and Cowshed Christmas. The Awards will be announced on 19 May. Gavin’s awards are too many to mention but are listed if you want to check out how his talent has been acknowledged.

His illustrations have been exhibited at international shows from Japan to Czechoslovakia, and he has appeared as a teacher and guest speaker at many international forums. He has been commissioned to write and design several successful ballets for the Royal NZ Ballet Company
In 1985 Gavin wrote and designed a ballet– Terrible Tom that toured the country for 18 months.

Gavin was a high school art teacher for many years, but now works full-time as an illustrator and teacher of illustration. Gavin’s first book 'Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant' was published in 1981. In 2002, Gavin’s plaque became part of Christchurch’s Writers’ Walkway. In 2003 Gavin's short story, ‘Giant Jimmy Jones’, was launched as the world's first 3D animated children's picture book. In 2009, Storylines launched the Gavin Bishop Award for Picture Book Illustration, in honour of one of New Zealand’s celebrated children’s illustrators. "

Awards that Gavin Bishop has won

Noma Concours for Children’s Picture Book Illustration 1982 runner-up.
Russell Clark Award 1982 Winner for Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant.
New Zealand Government Publishing Awards - New Zealand Picture Book of the Year Award 1983 for Mr Fox.
Noma Concours for Children's Picture Book Illustration Grand Prix 1984.
Russell Clark Award 1988 shortlist for A, Apple Pie.
Russell Clark Award 1991 shortlist for Katarina.
Arts Council Grant, International Cultural Exchange Scheme to the USA 1993.
AIM Children’s Book Awards 1994 Picture Book Winner for Hinepau.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 1997 Picture Book shortlist for Maui and the Sun.
Creative New Zealand Project Grant 1998.
Russell Clark Award 1998 shortlist for Little Rabbit and the Sea.
Spectrum Print Award for the Best Use of Illustration in a New Zealand Book 2000.
White Ravens List 2000 for The Video Shop Sparrow.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2000 Picture Book shortlist for The Video Shop Sparrow.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2000 Picture Book Winner for The House that Jack Built.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2000 Book of the Year Winner for The House that Jack Built.
Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal 2000.
Storylines Notable Books 2000 Picture Books list for The House that Jack Built.
Storylines Notable Books 2000 Picture Books list for The Video Shop Sparrow.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2001 Picture Book shortlist for Stay Awake, Bear!
Russell Clark Award 2001 shortlist for Stay Awake, Bear!
Storylines Notable Books 2001 Picture Books list for Stay Awake, Bear!
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2002 Picture Book shortlist for Tom Thumb.
Smash Palace Art and Science Collaboration Grant with the HIT Lab, Canterbury University 2002.
Storylines Notable Books 2002 Picture Books list for Tom Thumb.
Noma Concours jury member 2002.
Ursula Bethell Residency in Creative Writing, Canterbury University 2003.
Waikato University Writer in Residence 2003.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2003 Book of the Year Winner for Weaving Earth and Sky.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2003 Non-fiction winner for Weaving Earth and Sky.
Elsie Locke Award 2003 shortlist for Weaving Earth and Sky.
Storylines Notable Books 2003 Non-fiction list for Weaving Earth and Sky.
Creative New Zealand Project Grant 2004.
Sylvia Ashton Warner Fellow, University of Auckland 2004.
Russell Clark Award 2004 shortlist for The Three Billy-goats Gruff.
Storylines Notable Books 2004 Picture Books list for The Three Billy-goats Gruff.
Represented New Zealand at the World Summit Award 2005 with ‘Giant Jimmy Jones’.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2005 Picture Book shortlist for Taming the Sun.
Russell Clark Award 2005 shortlist for Taming the Sun.
White Ravens List 2005 for Taming the Sun.
Storylines Notable Books 2005 Picture Books list for Taming the Sun.
Russell Clark Award 2006 Winner for Kiwi Moon.
Russell Clark Award 2006 shortlist for The Waka.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2006 Picture Book shortlist for The Waka.
Storylines Notable Books 2006 Picture Books list for Kiwi Moon.
Storylines Notable Books 2006 Picture Books list for The Waka.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2007 Picture Book shortlist for Riding the Waves.
Russell Clark Award 2007 shortlist for Riding the Waves.
Storylines Notable Books 2007 Picture Books list for Riding the Waves.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2008 Picture Book shortlist for Rats!
Russell Clark Award 2008 Winner for Rats!
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2008 Junior Fiction Winner for Snake and Lizard.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2008 Book of the Year Winner for Snake and Lizard.
Storylines Notable Books 2008 Picture Books list for Rats!
Storylines Notable Books 2008 Junior Fiction list for Snake and Lizard.
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2009 Non-fiction shortlist for Piano Rock.
Elsie Locke Award 2009 shortlist for Piano Rock.
PANZ Book Design Awards 2009 Children’s Book Winner for Piano Rock.
Storylines Notable Books 2009 Non-fiction list for Piano Rock.

Phew - That's a pretty impressive list in anyone's book (pardon the pun).

I spoke briefly to Tina this morning who said the visit was a great success. Gavin was really friendly and worked well with the kids. Gavin has his own website which you can visit but stay tuned to the blog for photos of the Kumeu visit.

Library Humour

Enough of the serious stuff of book reviews, reading challenges and such. Today it's time for a little library humour plucked from the International Federation of Library Association website.

Books will remain upright on the shelf until you go to place another book beside them.
If it's a good book, it's out of stock. If it's an excellent book, it's out of print.
No matter how many books you have on a subject the student always thinks they're all "too big".
From The Bookmark, September 1989, p.48-49M.L. REVEYRAND, teacher-librarian, KLO Secondary School

THE PERFECT EXCUSE! or Why my book has not been returned to the library!
... cuz I left it in my truck and my truck was in an accident and got towed to the garage and I won't be able to get to the garage in Abbotsford until this weekend.
... my mother took it camping and lost it.
... I didn't take it out!
... cuz my cat peed on it and it smells too bad.
... it flew out the car window on the 401 Freeway and was devoured by an 18 wheeler!

The Chicken Joke
A chicken walks into the library. It goes up to the circulation desk and says: "book, bok, bok, boook".
The librarian hands the chicken a book. It tucks it under his wing and runs out. A while later, the chicken runs back in, throws the first book into the return bin and goes back to the librarian saying: "book, bok, bok, bok, boook". Again the librarian gives it a book, and the chicken runs out. The librarian shakes her head.
Within a few minutes, the chicken is back, returns the book and starts all over again: "boook, book, bok bok boook". The librarian gives him yet a third book, but this time as the chicken is running out the door, she follows it.
The chicken runs down the street, through the park and down to the riverbank. There, sitting on a lily pad is a big, green frog. The chicken holds up the book and shows it to the frog, saying: "Book, bok, bok, boook". The frog blinks, and croaks: "read-it, read-it, read-it".

And I can tell the last joke as part of my previous life was spent as a legal executive in a law firm, so I can appreciate the small gremlin of truth in it:
Q: What happens when you cross a librarian and a lawyer?
A: You get all the information you want, but you can't understand it.

Ride of silence

The Ride of Silence will be held on Thursday 20 May. Rodney cyclists can show their support by participating in the free event which will start outside the council offices on 50 Centreway Road at 5:20pm. The ride will follow a 4.5km loop around Centreway Road, Loop Road, the Hibiscus Coast Highway and West Hoe Road.
Helmets & shoes and bright clothing must be worn and bikes must be fitted with lights as per the new Road Code for Cyclists.
You can register for the Ride of Silence 2010 here.

On Thursday 20 May, cyclists from 300 cities around the world will join together to demonstrate their concern and raise awareness about cycling fatalities through the Ride of Silence. The ride started in 2003 in Dallas, Texas, after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed by a passing bus on an empty road. Since that time, the ride has developed into a global event and is now held in 18 countries.
Rodney has experienced two cycling fatalities in the last seven years – and the loss of those two lives has been felt by families, friends, work colleagues, and throughout their communities.
There have also been many more serious injuries and close calls reported – and it is suspected that thousands more cycle incidents a year go unreported.

Friday Snippets

News from the book and publishing world over recent weeks

Gardening Book Plagiarism claim - With so much information out there both in print and digitally, you sometimes wonder how anyone can write anything new. Luckily there are plenty of people who can. However in the case of a new gardening book there have been claims that parts of it have been copied directly from other sources. Penguin New Zealand are taking the claims seriously and have recalled the books. Read more on the link.

Kiwi Author winner of French Literary Award - Bernard Beckett is a popular New Zealand writer. His novel Genesis, which has already won the 2007 Esther Glen Award and the young adult fiction category at the 2007 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards has now won the young adult division of the 2010 Prix Sorcières in France.

Crime & Thriller Reviews - "New Zealander readers love their crime and thriller fiction" writes Craig Sisterson in this weeks Scoop website bookreviews. Here he takes a look at some of the recent releases.

Inaugral Author Blog Awards - Neil Gaiman was one of the winners of the first ever Awards for blogs by Authors. Read what he and other winners have to say about what makes a good blog and see if you agree.

Once Bitten is the New York Times interview with Charlaine Harris, the creator of Sookie Stackhouse of True Blood fame. There's some really great insights in the interview such as this one - "Do you have any advice for young mystery writers or fantasy writers? For any writers at all, read everything you can and then put your butt in the chair and write. That’s all there is to it."

And don't forget the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival which kicks off next week. Have an awesome weekend everyone.

Rodney Writes writing competition 2010 winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Rodney Writes writing competition for 2010. The awards ceremony was held last night at Whangaparaoa Library. The three judges, Lorraine Orman (Young Writers), Helen Kirkman (Novice) and Sue Orr (Premier) commented positively on the entries.
MC Stu Duvall presided over the ceremony for a small but enthusiastic group of people. Mayor Penny Webster also spoke.

Thanks to Rodney District Council for supporting the competition again this year.

Winners

Premier
1st - Wes Lee
Runner-up - Fay Cameron

Novice
1st - Brenda Howsen
Runner-up- Cathy Clarke

Young Writers
1st - Alice Allfree
Runner-up - Tom Vasey


The winning stories will be published on the Rodney District Council website in the near future.

More great Children's Books

Time to highlight some more of the books which are finalists in the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards.

The Word Witch is an apt description for renowned Kiwi children's author Margaret Mahy. Tessa Duder has collected some of her poems, David Elliot has provided illustrations and the result is this fantastic book which both parents and children will chuckle over. The description in the "Good Book Guide" is brilliant. "The Word Witch can lasso with a limerick, haunt with a haiku and wrap you tight in a rhyme as quick as lightning. Her cauldron is a dictionary, her wand a might pen, and she stirs her words at midnight, making tempting treats for children."

If you haven't already heard of The Wonky Donkey then there are obviously no children in your life. What started out as an award-winning song by Craig Smith is in the running to become an award winning book. It is cheeky, mischevious and fun.

The ever popular Piggity Wiggity Jiggity Jig is back, this time going on a lunchtime visit to his Dad's cafe. Lovely lilting language to get the tongue around and also a good read to pick up for those who have picky eaters in the family. Look out soon for the third Piggity book by Diana Neild and illustrator Philip Webb - Piggity Wiggity Jiggity Jig and the School Concert.

Old Hu-Hu is a lovely picture book by Kyle Mewburn celebrating life. Hu-Hu-Too is looking for Old Hu-Hu. "Old Hu-Hu flew to the moon and back. Then fellto the ground. Dead." But Hu-Hu-Too doesn't understand, especially wheneveryone tells him something different. The simple story is supported bystunning illustrations from Rachel Driscoll. It is a perfect book with aKiwi flavour to share with any child, but would be especially good to helpthose who have lost someone special, be it human or pet.

NZ Post have produced their annual Kiwi Kids' Good Book Guide and copies of this are available at your local library.

Hello Rodney Schools

The Mayor's Reading Challenge has kicked off and as part of the Challenge both the Mayor and some of our Children's Librarians are visiting lots of schools in the district.

Yesterday Mayor Penny Webster visited Matakana Primary School (with Warkworth Children's Librarian Anne) and then Tauhoa Primary School in the afternoon.

This morning Penny and Anne were out at sunny Leigh Primary School reading, talking about the Challenge and answering questions (there were some really brilliant questions, such as "What is the oddest thing you have ever had to do as Mayor?")

This afternoon, Kumeu Children's Librarian is heading out to Waimauku School to talk to the Year 7 and 8 students.

Wednesday will see the Rodney Libraries Roadshow visit Coatesville Primary school with Mayor Penny popping in to say hello there as well.

There are also visits planned for Snells Beach, Red Beach and Kaipara Flats. If there are any other schools out there that would like a visit from either the Mayor, the local librarians or one of your Councillors as part of the Mayor's Reading Challenge, please email anne.dickson@rodney.govt.nz.

Stories and Science combined in NZ Post finalists

Here are another two of the finalists in the NZ Post Children's Book Awards.

One is by local Rodney author Maria Gill who is a Matakana resident. "Rangitoto : te toka tu moana : the rock standing in the ocean" is a superbly crafted book which successfully marries up several different strands. There is the story of Rangitoto from the beginning of time through until today, told in an easy read aloud style. There are also strands concentrating on the science of volcanic activity and on the flora and fauna through the evolution of the island. Heather Arnold has provided skilled illustrations to reflect all these different parts of the book.

Similar in that it both tells a story and provides background information on the science is "E3 call home: a true story of godwit migration and misadventure" by Janet Hunt. E3 the godwit was tagged in February 2007, about a month before the flock of birds began their annual migration to Alaska. But E3 was different from the rest of the birds, including E7 who travelled with them. He struggled to keep up and instead of heading north, he ended up turning back and getting lost in Australia. Will everyone make it back to New Zealand? There's lots packed into the pages of this children's book.

Community Grants Information Evenings

A series of information evenings will be held in late May and early June for community groups wanting to find out more about funding available for existing and potential social services, recreational and community organisations. This year, the Council adopted a new Community Support Grants Policy which will guide the distribution of over $460,000. The new policy includes several new grants available to community groups.

The Community Grants scheme, which has been operating for a number of years, will also be available once again this year with another $164,000 available for distribution.

Applications for the funds will open on 7 June and close on 30 July 2010.

The information evenings will also provide information on the council’s Environmental Education Fund and Creative Communities Scheme.

The information evenings will be held at the following locations:
Helensville (Monday 31 May, Helensville War Memorial Hall)
Warkworth (Tuesday 1 June, New Masonic Hall, Warkworth)
Silverdale (Wednesday 2 June, St Johns Hall, Silverdale)

All sessions will commence at 6.30pm, with people asked to arrive at 6.15pm.
For more information on grants and funding, please visit the Rodney District Council website