The importance of reading

The New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards are the only popular awards for children’s literature in this country. Each year 5 finalists are selected for each of the different categories - picture book, junior fiction, young adult fiction and non-fiction. A panel of judges read these books and award's a winner for each category. Alongside this the children of NZ are able to cast their vote in the "Children's Choice Award". There are also the NZ Post Book of the Year and The Best First Book which encourage new authors to take part. New Zealand Post has been sponsoring children’s literature for the last 14 years and has given numerous opportunities to a variety of talented authors and illustrators. Each year imaginative, stimulating books are released by the publishers, feeding the young impressionable minds of New Zealand.
We, the people of New Zealand should embrace this event and recognise its importance. Reading is the number one skill everybody must have. It is vitally important to be able to understand the written text, use a wide repertoire of vocabulary and have knowledge of sentence structure and grammar. Reading expands the imagination, stretches the attention span and allows one to escape into a world of fantasy and adventure. Books are great. Books widen the horizons, bring history to life, help us develop hobbies and interests, give knowledge and enrich our lives. Books help give children 'a leg up on the ladder of life'. No-one is ever too old to read and a child is never too old to be read to.
Having scanned the newspaper for the results of this year’s awards, I felt very disappointed that the media was unable to give the event the publicity it deserved. I know I am not always the most observant of people {I have been known to drive into a horse truck} but I truly had difficulty in finding information in the newspapers, particularly the New Zealand Herald.
I wonder if the same treatment would have been given to the All-Blacks or the Silver Ferns……. I think not. So, what does this say about literature and New Zealand?

Elaine Minett.

The Blue by Mary McCallum

A novel, based on detailed research, about a small community of whaling families on Arapawa Island in the Tory Channel between 1915 and 1938. The central character is Lilian a young Picton woman who has married an emotionally damaged WW I veteran whose family have farmed and whaled in the island for nearly a century. The parallel tales of other characters are also related and the tales leapfrog from the past to the present and vice versa which can make it a challenge to follow if you are reading it in "bits".
However, I read it in two readings - it is fairly short - which enables more of an immersion and I found it riveting particularly when I could make points of connection. The graphic description of the actual process of whaling and the thoughts and feelings of those involved was interesting from the modern perspective of Greenpeace and Save the Whales. However, as a child growing up on a farm where we slaughtered (the emotive connotations of that word!)and processed our own sheep and cattle I could empathise with the whalers and it emphasised for me how in the western world the majority of the population have become removed from the origin of their food - perhaps more would become vegetarian if they had to kill and process their own meat and fish.
Having recently seen "Home By Christmas" (Gaylene Preston's film) and having had a Grandfather who fought at Gallipoli - and survived - the storyline dealing with Ed and the Friar in Gallipoli had particular poignancy.
I feel Mary McCallum creates in memorable detail the "sense" of the inner thoughts of the people and how this can be quite different from the outer face they - and everyone - puts on to the outside world. Again, I could relate to - and vouch for - the authenticity of her detailed descriptions of Lilian's chooks and vegetable garden.
The version I read has an intriguing, complex cover - contrary to the popular saying this does influence me and I feel it does reflect the qualities of this novel.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

The World Cup in South Africa is only weeks away and the All Whites are going!

Soccer fever is in the air, and for all those fanatics out there the library has an extensive stash of books with over 40 titles related to the subject. If you are wanting facts and information on soccer, visit the 700's section of the non-fiction area. For children we have picture, chapter and teen novels which will interest both boys and girls. Happy browsing and reading.

Not being left out of the game, the library is in the process of purchasing several new titles which have been published in anticipation of the world cup. I will keep you updated when they become available.

In the meantime check these websites to keep you up to date with everything that is going on.

The Official Website. This site has a wealth of information. It also has photos, games and features

The New Zealand Football website focuses on the All Whites and their Road to glory.

News websites are constantly updated with the New Zealand sites such as Stuff and TVNZ concentrating on the All Whites.

For all the England supporters out there I think the BBC is the place to visit.

Go the All Whites.

NEW ZEALAND POST BOOK AWARD WINNERS

Judges 2010
2 Dec 2009
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Judges Announced

New Zealand’s premier children’s book awards judges are on the hunt for books that inspire a lifelong love of reading.

With more than 130 nominated books to choose from, children’s literature consultant Rosemary Tisdall, writer and reviewer Trevor Agnew, and former journalist, now children’s bookshop co-owner, Ruth McIntyre, have a long summer ahead of them as they select the very best in young reads to compete as finalists in the 2010 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

Mrs Tisdall, judging panel convenor for the Awards, which are now in their 14th year, says she’ll be looking for fresh ideas, characters who linger and books that leave her thinking long after she has closed it.
"We expect to see some excellent writing from New Zealand’s favourite and established authors, and we hope to discover some wonderful, new talent,” says Mrs Tisdall.

”We are looking to have our imaginations captured by books with a difference, so that the intended audience – the young people of New Zealand and beyond – will have reads that entice, teach, and therefore encourage a lifelong love of reading.”



The winners of the NZPost children's book awards for 2010 are:


Non-Fiction Category: E3 Call Home by Jane Hunt.

Picture Book Category: Old Hu-Hu by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll

Te Reo edition: Hu-Hu Koroheke, translated by Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira.

Junior Fiction Caterory : The Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe

Young Adult Fiction Caterory: The Blood of the Lamb: The Crossing by Mandy Hager

For more in formation about the winners of the Children's Choice Awards click here

BRAINJACK by BRIAN FALKNER

Brian Falkner

Brian was born in Auckland in 1962 and has worked as a radio journalist, radio copywriter, a computer consultant and a graphic designer before embarking on a writing career.

Brian has aimed his novels at the intermediate, young adult male audience with his first novel ,"Henry and the Flea" [2003] centering around a 12 year old boy who wants to play professional rugby league. I have not read the book myself but it has been described as a 'spiffing read'.

In 2004 Brian's next book - "The real Thing" is an action packed novel about the coca-cola industry and what happens when 3 people who know the secret formula for coca-cola are kidnapped. Again the central character is a young boy. "

Super Freak" [2005], follows the story of Jacob John smith, a teenager who can not stay out of trouble.

"Tomorrow Code"[2008], is classed as a young adults book because the protagonists are teenagers. It's an exciting, thought provoking sci-fi book about real science and transmissions through time.

Brian's latest book "Brainjack" has been listed for the 2010 NZ post children's book awards.

Matamata Library are following Brian falkner's blog

To see if Brian is the winner of the young adult fiction section of the NZ post book awards click here

CAPTAIN PUGWASH by JOHN RYAN

Ahoy there me hearties!

Captain Pugwash first set sail over 50 years ago and I can certainly remember, as a child growing up in England watching a 10 minute cartoon of him .

Captain Pugwash is the most unlikely of pirates; he's big, fat, greedy and a total coward. His ship, 'The Black Pig' is crewed by an equally useless bunch of lazy pirates except for Tom , the cabin boy. In the adventures, Pugwash is pursued over the Seven seas by a ruthless villan called Cut-Throat Jake. Jake's attempts to capture Pugwash are always humourously thwarted by the loyal, sharp minded Tom .

These stories are ideal for young readers, especially boys; my 6 year old son giggles away as he devours story after story.

Te Ara- The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

‘Te ara’ in Māori means ‘the pathway’. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand offers many pathways to understanding New Zealand. When complete, it will be a comprehensive guide to the country’s peoples, natural environment, history, culture, economy, institutions and society.

Te Ara consists of a series of themes, appearing progressively between 2005 and 2013:

• Māori New Zealanders and
• New Zealand Peoples – the arrival and settlement of the people.
• Earth, Sea and Sky – marine life, people and the sea, natural resources, and shaping forces such as geology and climate.
• The Bush – New Zealand’s landforms, fauna and flora.
• The Settled Landscape – farming, rural life, and people’s impact on the land.

To view more click here

Tintin

Thundering Typhoons, Tintin the intrepid reporter characterised by his quiff and faithful dog, Snowy has hit the news recently. The controversy focuses on the earlier Tintin adventures and the issue of racism. Herge, who created Tintin over 60 years ago has expressed his views on this in New Zealand's own elsewhere on-line magazine.

Matamata library has a whole collection of Tintin books and videos. They are well worth reading and as you journey through the adventures you'll meet the idiotic, bowler hatted detectives Thompson and Thomson, the short fused, dipsomaniac called Captain Haddock, the absent minded, short-sighted professor and lots of villans.

For those who are hooked on Tintin, and there is no age restriction, you might like to peruse two very important websites: Tintin and Tintinologist . Both have fantastic images and contain a wealth of information. It helps to be a bit 'nerdy'.

So as Captain Haddock would say, "Thundering Typhoons! Buccaneers! Filibusters!" Happy reading.

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

Matamata library has dedicated quite a large area to the newspaper and magazine section. We get the New Zealand Herald, Dominion Post, Waikato Times and Bay of Plenty times delivered on a daily basis. Alongside these are our local papers: The Matamata Chronicle and The Scene and the Piako District Post.
Unfortunately, we do not subscribe to any international newspapers but for all those Brits and interested Kiwis living in the area, you will find links to on-line UK newspapers: Telegraph, Independent and Guardian on our blog site.
For the latest news from the USA, read The Washington Post
Happy reading and searching.

Our magazines cover a range of topics from the National Geographic, NZ House and Garden, The Consumer, New Scientist and many more.. For those with a curious nature and an interest in new music, different travel options and the arts check out Elsewhere, an on-line magazine.

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

This novel is a thriller and a great read. It also explores the idea of identity. The main character, Adam Kindred, has returned to England after a failed marriage and a number of years living abroad. While in a cafe after a job interview he strikes up a conversation with Philip Wang. Through a series of events over which Adam has little control, he becomes implicated in Wang's murder.
Adam becomes a fugitive: hunted by the police as a suspect in the murder and by the actual murderer as a possible witness to the crime. Adam chooses to survive by going underground. He becomes one of London's homeless and takes on a series of new identities as he tries to find why Phillip Wang was killed and by whom.
If you enjoyed Restless I think you will enjoy and appreciate this latest novel by William Boyd.

Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon

“Muuuum, Henry’s being mean to me!” “Stop being horrid Henry” said mum as she marched down the hall brandishing a broom. This is a scene from one of my favourite books- Horrid Henry, but it is also the scene that reigns supreme in my home. This boisterous book tells the dramas of a household where Horrid Henry terrorizes his parents, neighbours, school teacher and most of all, his brother Perfect Peter. It is the perfect UN-PC tale of a perfectly horrible child which is just what you need, and to use a cliche ‘A breath of fresh air.’ Packed full of over-confident onomatopoeia's, adorable alliterated names (Moody Margaret, Anxious Andrew etc.) and punchy plot lines Horrid Henry is a real treat and perfect for any occasion.

Shakespeare

As a teenager, had I been given the choice between having my toenails pulled off and studying one of Shakespeare's plays I would have gone with the former. What could be more boring than having to read something that first needed to be translated into present day english before trying to understand its themes, motifs and symbols. Oh so much hard work! And what would Shakespeare know about the 21st century anyway?
Now as an adult I would definitely choose Shakespeare. My interest in his works were kindled several years ago when our eldest daughter and I went to Auckland to see the play "A Winter's Tale."A perfectly executed production brought to life the themes of suspicion, jealousy, obsession to the point of paranoia and eventually self- destruction.
What about, "To be, or not to be: that is the question."
That is the first line of Hamlet's soliloquy which we all know, but do we know what is being implied?Hamlet is a play about uncertainty, death and revenge.
Macbeth's main theme highlights temptation and the evil side of human nature whilst The Merchant of Venice portrays greed and prejudice.
This is a simplistic view of just 4 of Shakespeare's many plays, but what we must remember about these plays is that these themes are eternal. Human nature is eternal and that is why they are so relevant to us today.
Authors and publishers work hard trying to find creative ways to unpick the old language. John Marsden has written a version of Hamlet in novel form aimed at teenagers which I have read and outlines the play superbly. T.K.Roxborough's novel "Banquo's Son" is a sequel to Macbeth again produced to tempt teeenagers. Orchard Books have published a series of Shakespeare's plays aimed at the junior reader and there are even audio study guides are available for your iPod.
I urge you all to try a Shakespeare play at some point in your life; maybe start out with a novel format and then progress on to the 'real' play. It is worth spending time weeding through the language allowing the themes to surface and appreciatie Shakespeares's view of human nature which is eternal and never changes.

DVDS

Random is a word that gets used frequently at home by our teenagers. Everything is 'random'. When pressed for a definition and asked how the word 'random' could possibly make any sense in that particular sentence we are flashed a look that says, "get with it".
When describing the DVD section on offer in the library there are 2 words that spring to mind; eclectic is the first and I'm sorry to say the other is random.
This section is not huge but it is very interesting. You can hire anything from DR WHO to the South Pacific, Othello or maybe Rialto style movie like The Visitor. Star Wars, Mrs Potter and My Sister's Keeper can also be found. The list goes on in a 'random' way.
So, if you are looking for something a little off beat, or maybe from yesteryear, try us.......... you never know!!

Jellybean by Tessa Duder

Geraldine's mother plays in the orchestra in a pub to earn extra money but poor old Geraldine is tired of having to fit in with her mothers cello practice and she is very lonley.One day at a rehearsal, Geraldine makes a friend called Gearald. The more she talks to him about the orchestra and being a conductor the more she wants to become one. The chances of her ever becoming a conductor is very low until one night at a preformance of The Nutcracker everything changes..............



I really enjoyed this book because it is a mystery to be solved about who Gearld is and is very intence and makes you want to keep reading on!

Fleur Beale

Fleur Beale has written over 20 novels since starting her writing career in 1980. She is a talented versatile writer and has been nominated on numerous occasions for book awards in both the junior and young adult fiction sections. Her young adult fiction books have a strong appeal to teenagers as she is able to portray her understanding of both male and female through her characters and the themes she writes about. Last year Fleur received the Esther Glen Award for distinguished contribution to children's literature.

To find out more about Fleur Beale click here

Banquo's Son by T.K.Roxborough

Here's another book review taken from the NZpost book awards, young adult section finalists. Banquo's Son has been reviewed by a teenage boy.

A real page turner, keeping you hooked until the very end. Banquo’s son is a great book with something for everyone. Action and adventure from Fleance’s great escape to stunning sword fights. But not without romanic flair or thrills this is definitely a must read. I really enjoyed all the action and how the book never stopped moving.

For more information about the sequel to Macbeth click here

End of the Alphabet by Fleur Beale

Following on from my last posting, this book has been listed as one of the finalists in the young adult fiction section. My 13 year old daughter was happy to write a review for me. How about some comments as to whether you agree with her or not.


End of the alphabet is an adventurous story about a young girl called Ruby, who finds out how to stand up for herself, and how to overcome her ‘embarrassing’ learning disability.

With her family drifting apart, her spoilt brother running away and her friends ignoring her, Ruby decides to get some ‘backbone.’ Read about the exciting life of Ruby Yarrow.

I really enjoyed this book….. So much that I read it twice! It shows that you can stand up for yourself and that people do care.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have!

NZ Post Children's Book Awards finalists 2010

The hard work, the reading and the waiting period will soon be over for the finalists of these book awards as all winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Auckland town hall on Wednesday 19th May. Watch this space for the results.

Picture Book Category:

Cowshed Christmas by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Random House New Zealand)


Old Hu-Hu by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll (Scholastic New Zealand)


Te reo edition: Hū-Hū Koroheke, translated by Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira (Scholastic New Zealand)

Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig Goes to Dad’s Cafe by Diana Neild, illustrated by Philip Webb (Scholastic New Zealand)


The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, illustrated by Katz Cowley (Scholastic New Zealand)


The Word Witch by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by David Elliot and edited by Tessa Duder (HarperCollins Publishers)


Non-fiction Category:

Ben & Mark: Boys of the High Country by Christine Fernyhough, and John Bougen (Random House New Zealand)


Dear Alison, edited by Simon Pollard (Penguin NZ)


E3 Call Home by Janet Hunt (Random House New Zealand)


Rangitoto by Maria Gill, illustrated by Heather Arnold (Puffin Books)


Willie Apiata, VC: The Reluctant Hero by Paul Little and John Lockyer (Puffin Books)


Junior Fiction Category:

Cry of the Taniwha by Des Hunt (HarperCollins Publishers)


Friends: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press)


The Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe (Longacre Press)


My Story: The Mine’s Afire! By Susan Battye and Thelma Eakin (Scholastic New Zealand)


Sting by Raymond Huber (Walker Books)


Young Adult Fiction Category:

Banquo’s Son by T.K. Roxborogh (Penguin NZ)


The Beginner’s Guide to Living by Lia Hills (Text Publishing)


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


Brainjack by Brian Falkner (Walker Books)


End of the Alphabet by Fleur Beale (Random House New Zealand)