New Zealand Non-fiction

Local author Maria Gill is passionate about the publication of New Zealand non-fiction books for children. And she walks the talk too. She is the author of several popular and critically acclaimed titles, including Rangitoto : te toka tū moana : the rock standing in the ocean which was a finalist in the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards.

Maria will be at the Warkworth Library during the school holidays to talk about some of the latest New Zealand children's non-fiction releases. Maria has recently prepared a module for primary schools to teach and promote Kiwi books so she is completely up to date with the industry. The session on Thursday 15th July at 3pm is aimed at 8 to 12 years, but it is also something that parents might like to listen to if they are interested in what is available. There will also be activities and prizes.

Check out Maria's website and also see what is happening in the world of New Zealand children's books at the Kiwi Books NZ Blog.

Neil Gaiman does the Double

For the first time ever, one book has won both the Newbery Medal in the United States and the Carnegie Medal in the United Kingdom. That the winner happens to be one of my personal favourites makes the news even sweeter.

Congratulations to Neil Gaiman who was last week announced the winner of the Carnegie with The Graveyard Book.

"This is an extraordinary book in every way: the style, plot and quality of the writing," says Margaret Pemberton, Chair of the Judges. "With great skill Gaiman has created a gripping page turner, expertly supported by well developed characters, that is full of humour and humanity. Not a word is wasted in this episodic tale that draws the reader through Bod's childhood to a well crafted and satisfying conclusion. A worthy winner." (retrieved from the full Press Release)

His book beat out Nation by Terry Pratchett, Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve and The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness.

Neil Gaiman is a favourite of ours, but one reason for that is because we are a favourite of his. In his acceptance speech, Neil made a point of promoting the importance of libraries. Here's some of what he said:

"We're now in an age of 'too much information'. Libraries and librarians are more important than ever. "Children want stories. They want information. They want knowledge about the strange world they're in. Saying that the internet can be that is like setting a child free in a jungle and expecting them safely to find things to eat." (full report available from the UK Telegraph)

Of course we agree with every word of the above statement. We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

National Poetry Day Poetry Aloud competition - only a couple of days left

There are only a couple of days left for kids to get their entries in for the poetry competition. Tomarata School have been working hard - well done team! Thanks for your support.

You can listen to the poems that have already been submitted on the competition website.

Here come the movies

Here are few upcoming movies and events based on books that you can find at yoru Rodney Library.

The Girl who Played with Fire (Steig Larsson) is available in Rodney in both print and audio. The movie comes out soon and there is a Charity preview event at Matakana on Sunday 18th July at 7.45pm. Tickets are $20.00with proceeds going to AIM – Adults in Motion (Snells Beach). Tickets for sale at The Village Bookshop ph 09 4230315.

Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer). The vampires and the werewolves return in Part 3 of the Twilight saga. There are plenty of people taking advantage of this as a fundraising opportunity as well if you want to check it out and do someone a good deed at the same time. I know of the Mahurangi College Netballers in the north who have screenings on Sunday evening 4th July. Tickets from the Sandra, Sports Coordinator phone 027 479 0900 .

And of course, if you don't want to go to the movie theatre, Rodney Libraries has a growing number of movies, documentaries and TV programmes on DVD that you can choose from. There is some wonderful nostalgia to be had with the classic British comedies, some foreign langauge movies and most of the up to date releases.

Don't forget to pick up your programme for the Auckland Film Festival at the library as well when you visit.

Reviews from the North

Here are another couple of book reviews from our northernmost Rodney Library up at Wellsford.

A place in my country: In search of the rural dream By Ian Walthew

After having lived on the continent fro a number of years the author, a newspaper director, is transferred back to London. However, he and his Australian wife, after a visit to the Cotswolds, decide on a whim to buy a cottage and resign his job.

We meet a wonderful array of eccentric characters who reside in and around the village. “The delightful aspects of village life and an ever-changing landscape are evocatively captured, but all is not well in ‘paradise’.” One neighbour relies on his skill of fastening gates and fences with binder twine and wire with the inevitable escape of his cattle causing havoc for passing motorists who end up helping with their capture.

Here is a tale of a rural escape that is different, amusingly told, with brilliant descriptions of the Cotswold scenery and some insights into the effects of industrial farming on the English countryside.


Trick or treat By Kerry Greenwood

Australian author Kerry Greenwood has 2 ‘heroines’ which she writes about. Phryne Fisher, lives in the 1920s in Melbourne and is a glamourous, witty and courageous sleuth surrounded by intriguing characters and dastardly villains. Ms Greenwood’s other heroine is definitely a 21st century person, Corinna Chapman and she too has interesting friends and gets involved with villains who have more current issues. In Trick or treat Corinna, who is a baker by trade, finds that the alley behind the bakery is attracting people who have taken a drug that has them hallucinating. Corrina’s livelihood is affected – as is her competition. What is the drug & why have the police decided to shut down the bakeries? There are other plots involving WWII spoils going on in the background. Ms Greenwood certainly writes a lively story involving many of the same characters that she introduced in the first book about Corinna - Earthly delights.