5 Halloween books with recipe goodies that kids and adults may enjoy

List by Tosca

"The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller..."
- Michael Jackson 'Thriller,' with voiceover by Vincent Price

I enjoy Halloween! As celebrations go, it contains all of the elements I need for a good time: scary movies, costumes, decorations and, of course, lollies. This time of year is perfect for staging my annual horror movie marathon. On my own, of course, because my siblings are not horror movie watchers. In our old neighbourhood you would have found them knee deep in preparations for our annual Halloween street party for the local kids. A street party that came complete with games, crafts, prizes for the best (and scariest and most creative) costumes, scary decorations and ending with about 20-30 kids dancing around on our front lawn to a weird combination of horror movie sound effects and pop music. (Although to me, pop music *IS* a form of horror music). We've moved since then and two of the nephews are too old for games like that (or so they tell me but they're the first to eat the lollies I buy), which leaves Mr. 7 celebrating on his own this year. I thought I'd expand (lower?) my movie marathon standards to showcase kiddie-friendly (not *quite* the term I was looking for) scary movies, instead. Before his bedtime, anyway. And everyone knows kiddie-friendly scary movies needs kiddie-friendly scary food! So his mum (which would, I think, make her my sibling - or so my mum says but I've yet to see the birth certificate) and I have a deal: I supply the movies and watch them with him and she takes care of horror snacks. It's a sweet deal and I think I come off all the better for it. I've been scouring our catalogue for Halloween-appropriate, i.e. ghoulish sounding/looking, recipes. Here's a roundup of 5 Halloween themed books I'll be raiding for ideas! I would have loved for this to be a definitive 'Top 5' list but I'd only just remembered last night that Halloween was coming up (yes, I'm a failure as an aunt) and so won't have time to request them, read them and assess them. Instead, I've been terribly shallow and based them on a combination of two things: book cover appeal and summaries. I know. Tosca did a bad, bad thing. Enjoy!

A Special Monday

Yes it is Labour Day. Yes I am at home and finally awake after a fantastic night. But I just wanted to say...

We can do it with speed and skill.
We can do it with strength and guts.
We can do it loose or tight.
We can do it ugly or pretty.
We can do it by many points or we can do it by one.
We can and have done it all ways.
You had faith and so did we.
You are a team of champions and a Champion team
You make us feel like champions too.
ALL BLACKS - We salute you!
Enjoy !!!!

Top 5 for Friday - ALL BLACK

There is a gentleman up at one of our northern libraries who is steadily working through the biographies of some of our best rugby players. I know this because I was serving him one day and he started to try and explain who T.P. McLean was. However country girl and rugby nut that I am, I was way ahead of him and we ended up talking tours and teams from the 1970's (when you got up in the middle of the night for a special broadcast long after the Goodnight Kiwi had gone to bed) right through to the present day.

So in honour of said gentleman and all those other rugby officianado's out there (both existing and newly converted), today's Top 5 honours some of our best to pull on the ALL BLACK jersey.

1. George Nepia. There are a number of biographies about this great player. I, George Nepia has been revised several times with the latest being a 2002 edition.


2. Colin Meads. aka Pinetree (or Sir Pinetree). More than an autobiography. Colin Meads is considered to be one of the greatest rugby players in New Zealand. Here, he dips back into his playing career and offers comparisons with the modern game. It becomes a social commentary - how professionalism has changed the face of rugby forever. And how the modern player has taken up the challenge


3. Stu Wilson and Bernie Fraser. aka Ebony and Ivory. So often it is not just great players but great partnerships that we remember. After Bryan Williams and before Jeff Wilson came this mischevous duo of Wellington wingers.


4. Jonah Lomu. You almost don't need to add his surname. And we couldn't have a Top 5 list without him on it.


5. And finally the man who we hope on Sunday will be lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft... Richie McCaw. From the front flap: a tribute to a modern-day rugby great charts the career of the proud Canterbury and Crusaders star who first burst into the national rugby consciousness in 2001 when he helped his province to an NPC championship. Soon after, he was making his All Blacks debut in Dublin, beginning a test career that will ultimately culminate at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

There are so many I could have put on this list, it was hard to stop at 5. If you want to read up on some of the others do a subject search for Rugby Union football players -- New Zealand -- Biography. Or if you want to read about Tours, statistics and everything else to do with the All Blacks here is another link.

So all that's left is to stand up and shout - GO THE ALL BLACKS! Finish the job boys.

Matakana and Zinzan

If you are keen enough to head north this weekend and brave the crowds at Matakana, here is an author event that is happening at Matakana at the fantastic Village Bookshop.

Local author Rae Roadley is signing copies of her book “Love At The End Of The Road” Saturday 22nd October 10am – 12noon at The Village Bookshop, Matakana.

“Soon after returning to her hometown in Northland, New Zealand to work as a journalist, Rae meets Rex Roadley through a rural dating service.Rex’s beef and sheep farm at Batley, on the Kaipara Harbour, has been in his family for almost a century. These days the only evidence of the spot’s fascinating historic past is a magnificent two-storyed villa standing alone on the point. ... Rae, a lifelong city dweller, learns to cope with mud, managing a large house and garden, the intricacies of farming, and the frustrations of life in New Zealand’s backblocks, all the while getting to know the locals and an assortment of animals – from wild kittens to wild bulls.

Rae’s charming story is beautifully written from the heart. Not only does she find love with Rex, but she finds out more about herself than she ever knew. Woven through her account is the story of the great house itself at Batley and the history of the surrounding countryside.”

And just to keep it local for the Kowhai Coast today, there must have been more than a few locals watching This is Your Life on Monday night when home-grown boy Zinzan Brooke was honoured. There are probably a number who remember racing up and down muddy rugby fields in Puhoi, Kaipara Flats and Warkworth chasing the Brooke boys. If you want to refresh your memory of Zinny's playing career check out our library shelves for his biography. It's a bit hard to get hold of now, but worth the read.

Be part of the BIGGEST Wriggle and Rhyme in New Zealand

This week it is all about being proud to be a Kiwi and supporting the All Blacks. As part of the REAL New Zealand Festival the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre at Manukau are putting on the Heart of the Nation during the school holidays. And on Friday 21st November, we are going to be there for something special... but we need your help.

Join Auckland Libraries and the Regions’ Sports Trusts at the BIGGEST Wriggle & Rhyme session ever held in New Zealand. It's on Friday at 11.00 am. It will be fun, it will be free (there may even be giveaways). Parking is free. All you need to do is bring along yourself and your pre-schoolers, plus a blanket or cushion. We will be there with the music, songs, and smiles. While Wriggle and Rhyme is normally targetted at babies from birth to two years old, for this special occasion, the whole family is welcome.

So what is Wriggle and Rhyme? Wriggle and Rhyme is based on the SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) principles of Active Movement for Early Learning. Movement is a child’s first language so it is important to provide babies with positive whole body movements’ right from birth to stimulate development of both the brain and the body. Wriggle and Rhyme provides a series of sequenced sessions using a range of music and movement, and explanation of the active movement principles. Virtually every library across Auckland provides this programme. The sessions are run during the school term and last approximately 30 minutes.

Wriggle and Rhyme provides a great foundation for early learning. It enhances bonding, demonstrates safe activities and helps you step by step through the development stages. It’s also a great way to meet other new parents and caregivers in your community.

Come along on Friday and make it a day out. We look forward to seeing you there.