What's on in Rodney

HAPPY HOODIE DAY. It’s a long weekend (yippee!!) and there is lots on so let’s get stuck straight into it.

Let’s kick of with the Youth Week party that is happening on the Hibiscus Coast tomorrow. Youth Fest 08 is being held at the Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre from 2pm with live bands, competitions and an underage dance event through till late. It is a massive festival for youth aged 11 to 18, but it’s open to all age groups.

Rodney Live After a roaring start at Warkworth last week, Rodney Live hits Helensville tonight. Be at the War Memorial Hall from 7pm for your chance to win prizes or for some fantastic local entertainment.

Create Your own Eden This workshop comes to Warkworth on Saturday afternoon 31 May from 2.20 to 4.30 pm. Venue is the Masonic Hall in Baxter Street

Auckland Philharmonic The NZ Chamber Brass are at Centrestage in Orewa Saturday 31st May from 2pm. This is a FREE concert and winds up NZ Music Month for classical buffs.

Tinkers and Traders The caravans will be at Orewa right through Queens Birthday weekend so check out the crafts and entertainment.

Art at the Estuary This exhibition and sale is on over the weekend at the Estuary Art Centre. A little bird told me part of the proceeds from some items will be going to Hospice so wander along and support a good cause.

Warkworth Gamefish Fishing Contest I happened to hear this one on the radio this morning on my way to work. So if fishing is your passion, pleasure or recreation I'm sure your local fishing or sports shop will have the details. It starts today and runs all weekend.

Don't forget there's always the Farmers markets which are well worth a visit. Matakana and Silverdale on Saturdays or Orewa on a Sunday morning. And there are lots of other things happening which I don't know about or haven't had time to mention. For what's happening in your local area have a look at the Community Noticeboard at your local library.

Rodney Libraries will be closed on Monday 2nd June so make sure you get in today or tomorrow to get your reading for over the weekend. If the weather holds I am planning on attacking the hay paddock formerly known as my lawn. If it doesn't, there's plenty of books in my "to read" pile. Have a good one all!

It's not Just about the Words

It’s also about the way the words are packaged and presented that make the whole book reading experience such a pleasure (can you tell I am passionate about books?). In recognition of this, the BPANZ (Book Publisher’s Association of New Zealand) Book Design Awards 2008 shortlist was announced on Wednesday 21st May, to help promote excellence in and provide recognition for the best book design in New Zealand. With subjects ranging from recycling to organic farming, Bill Hammond's art to Cook Islands tivaevae quilting, the list represents the best in book design for books released in 2007. The judges had a tough time narrowing the field to just twelve titles, They were looking for "the complete package: the book whose insides matched their outside for the thought and care that had gone into them, striving for something a little bit different, or a little bit better".

The competition is judged in four categories, including Non-Illustrated, Illustrated, Educational and Children's books, with the winners being announced at the Booksellers New Zealand Industry Awards Dinner on 20 July. There are also highly-coveted Best Cover and Best Book winners chosen from within the shortlist.

BPANZ Book Design Awards 2008 SHORTLIST
Non-Illustrated Book
The Wild Green Yonder by Graeme Leather/ Dexter Fry. Philippa Jamieson (New Holland Publishers NZ)
Dear To Me by Aland Deare. Amnesty International (Random House)
A Perfect World by Catherine Griffiths. David Cohen (Random House)

Illustrated Book
Aberhart by Sarah Maxey. Laurence Aberhart (Victoria University Press)
New Zealand's Wilderness Heritage by Robbie Burton. Les Molloy (Craig Potton Publishing)
Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning by Aaron Beehre. Jennifer Hay et al (Christchurch Art Gallery)

Educational Book
What is a Bird? by Vasanti Unka. Feana Tu'Akoi (Scholastic NZ)
Astronomy Aotearoa by Marie Low. Robert Shaw (Pearson Education NZ)
Rubbish Ruby byAnne Fenning. Rachael Goddard (Raupo Publishing)

Children's Book
The King's Bubbles by Ruth Paul & Mary McIntyre. Ruth Paul (Scholastic NZ)
Willy's Dad by Murray Dewhurst & Scott Tulloch. Scott Tulloch (HarperCollins Publishers NZ)
The Bean's Story by Vasanti Unka. Tatiana Aslund (Scholastic NZ)

(information sourced from Booksellers Brief)

TANJOBI with Presenter Naoko Kingston

TANJOBI Japanese storytime at Whangaparaoa Library! That’s Happy Birthday for those of us that don’t understand Japanese.

Whangaparaoa Library has been holding a Japanese storytime for one year now and it has grown from small beginnings when the local Japanese community asked if they could have their own storytime established on the Hibiscus Coast. The sessions were launched at the beginning of April 2007 (so we are a little late with our congratulations) to celebrate International Children's Book Day and have continued ever since. The storytime is held on Monday s at 10.30am and is in addition to the regular storytimes and rhymetimes that the librarians run. We love seeing the community get the use and enjoyment out of our libraries.

Japanese storytime has been so popular on the Coast, it has been the catalyst for a Spanish storytime which will be starting near the end of June or early July at the Orewa Library. With so many people wanting to learn Spanish, I am sure that these sessions will be just as popular. More details on when these start as we get nearer the time.

Rodney is incredibly diverse and multi-cultural. If you would like to bring your culture to the library with storytelling, music, crafts or just a display, please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.

AND THE WINNER IS

Joy Cowley has won the New Zealand Post 2008 Book of the Year prize for her novel of a give and take friendship, Snake and Lizard (illustrator Gavin Bishop). Some of the judges comments included “Both witty and wise these timeless stories are an utter joy. They make you laugh, sigh and read all over again.”

The full list of category winners and honour awards recipients in the New Zealand Post Book Awards 2008 are:

Picture Book
Tahi – One Lucky Kiwi by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Ali Teo & John O'Reilly (Random House New Zealand)
Honour Award: To The Harbour written and illustrated by Stanley Palmer (Lopdell House Gallery)

Non Fiction
Which New Zealand Spider? by Andrew Crowe (Penguin New Zealand)
Honour Award: Reaching the Summit by Alexa Johnston with David Larsen (Penguin New Zealand)

Junior Fiction and New Zealand Post Book of the Year 2008
Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press)

Young Adult
Salt by Maurice Gee (Penguin New Zealand)
Honour Award: The Sea-wreck Stranger by Anna Mackenzie (Longacre Press)

Best First Book Award
Out of the Egg written and illustrated by Tina Matthews (Walker Books)

Children’s Choice Award
The King’s Bubbles by Ruth Paul (Scholastic)

Young at Heart Librarians and Youth Week 2008

This week is Youth Week and Rodney Libraries are joining in the celebrations with a special promotion for everyone between 12 and 24.

In what will undoubtedly amount to music to the ears, every Rodney Libraries' card-carrying member between the ages of 12 and 24 can get one CD rentalFREE. So if you're into music (who isn't?) it's a great way of trying out the local library's awesome CD collection. All we ask in return is to answer five simple questions, and the CD rental is yours free.

Check us all out on Friday as well, when Librarians will be wearing their Hoodies to celebrate Youth Week and the motto "Its what's under the hood that counts".

Rodney Libraries aren't the only ones in the district doing something for Youth Week. Live bands, competitions galore (model and talent search, air guitar), special guest appearances (Silver Ferns, Nicky Watson, Carolyn Taylor), the Under Age Rave Youth Dance event in the evening. and lots more action will be awaiting them during Youth Fest 08 on 31 May at the Hibiscus Coast Youth Centre. It is a massive festival for youth aged 11 to 18, but it’s open to all age groups.
The festival starts at2pm and finishes at approximately midnight on 31 May 2008. For more information please contact Paul Green, Safer Community Coordinator at the Rodney District Council

For more info on Youth week visit http://www.youthweek.co.nz