Winter Road Safety Competition winners

Winners were drawn for our two Winter Road Safety competitions today.

Winner of the Junior Colouring competition was Jessica Lowe


Winner of adult competition was Lisa Hicks

Alison

Duffy books school visit

Earlier today Nick and I had the pleasure and delight in witnessing 3 creative, energetic young performers engage and interact with 200 plus eager minds at Firth Primary School. Through song and drama Robin, Antonnia and Rowan delivered the message that kids love to read, public libraries are great places to be,are staffed by friendly people, are a free resource, and are still very much being used. A catchy saying: BRR- borrow,read, return simply outlined library ettiquette and left the children chanting 'borrow, read, return' on the way out of the hall.
The theatre promoted the idea of a visit reward card: visit the library 5 times, get your card stamped at each visit and receive a free book when card is filled. What a great concept!
This month is New Zealand book month. The slogan being used to promote the event is 'books change lives', a mantra Andrew Carneige will agree with. Libraries are a valuable asset to society. Could there be a better place to acquire a book for free than a public library?
New Zealand post is the major sponsor for the 'Duffy Books in Homes'. Click here for the finalists in the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards.

The month of March

There are 3 initiatives aimed at encouraging any age group to read books being launched in the month of March.
Firstly New Zealand Book Month wants to celebrate the power of books. One of its objectives is too distribute 4 million $5 'books change lives' vouchers across New Zealand. Each week in the library we will display a different aspect of books for all ages, starting with New Zealand authors. We feel this idea is a great introductin to the book month and also links into the 'World Book Night': on the 5th March the library staff will be encouraging people to switch off the t.v for the evening and read.
The Duffy Books in Homes is touring the country and stopping off in Matamata. The theatre will be visiting Firth and Waharoa Primary schools with the aim of encouraging youngsters to visit libraries. Staff from the public library will be attending these sessions and wanting those who are not already a library member to become one.
Come into the library and have a look around - Martha the mannequin will be hopping out of her sari and dressing in school clothes - we really are friendly, helpful and love visits from children.

Trash

This story is set somewhere in South America and on a rubbish dump. Whilst sifting through the newly dumped trash one day, three boys find something extraordinary, something of value. They realise the object's worth when the police show an interest and want it. The boys sense the danger they are in and the determination of the police and so they run. They are persued all over the city with luck on their side.
The first thing that struck me about this novel is degree of realism with which it is written: fragile housing build on top of the dump, the constant smell, the 'stuppa' [ human muck]wrapped in paper, the crawling and sorting of rubbish. The description used when one of the boys gets taken to the police station goes far enough for the reader to realise that not all police are trustworthy. Life is generally hard for a dumpsite boy and hard for anyone who opposes the powerful.
The book uses themes of unity, loyalty, bravery and justice to demonstrate there is future and hope. It's an informing, exciting and original read for the intermediate age group.

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New year to you all. Today becomes the year of the rabbit. To learn more about this significant event for the Chinese click on lantern

2011

Hello to everyone and welcome back to the library blog. We wish you all a happy new year [ even if it is belated] and hope you are refreshed and ready to attack 2011. All the children are going back to school today full of stories from their holidays . We took our family to Northern India and travelled approximately 2,000km visiting 15th century forts, palaces temples and monuments, rode camels in the desert and haggled at markets. What were your holiday adventures? Perhaps, you would like to post a comment and tell the library about them.

We have changed the displays in the library to incorporate the Matamata Sculpture symposium, The Tower Fun Run, Cricket World cup and a children's table with books relating to India. Come in and have a look and hopefully learn something new.

Summer reading programme

This is the last posting on our library blog for the year 2010.

The summer reading programme entitled 'Don't monkey around' is based on an animal/ jungle theme and is aimed at 5 to 12 year olds. Registration opens on Monday 13th December 2010. Come and collect some information and enrol your children on a fun reading programme filled with activities.

The staff at Matamata Public Library wish all our patrons a happy and joyful christmas and we look forward to re-connecting via the blog in 2011.

The white woman on the green bicycle by Monique Roffey

Monique Roffey was born in Trinidad in the 1960’s and spent her first 13 year’s living in Portof Spain before moving to England. She has received most of her formal education from the UK and recently received a doctorate from Lancaster University, in creative writing. She has been a journalist, travelled the Middle East extensively, worked for Amnesty International and taught english. Monique describes herself as having unruly hair and being ‘curmudgeonly when not being impulsive.’ Her first novel ‘Sun dog’ was published in 2002.

The inspiration for her book originally came from her mother who in the 1950’s left the UK by boat with her green Raleigh bicycle and two suitcases for Trinidad. She told Monique how she used to cycle round wearing her shorts drawing attention to herself. People used to say: “Oh you are the woman on the green bicycle”. Monique took this idea and mixed it with the political history of Trinidad to produce a novel spanning a 50 year period. Events such as the rise in popularity of Eric Williams and the People’s National Movement [PNM], independence of Trinidad and Tobago and civil unrest in the 1970’s are woven into the plot. The novel’s main themes are colonialism, love, hate, resentment and anger.
The two protagonists, George and Sabine, arrive in Trinidad on a three year working contract at a time the country is going through change. Sabine hates the place whilst George loves it. Sabine adapts to life in Trinidad but at a cost to their relationship. Whilst I found I was not completely absorbed by the characters the novel did leave me with a sense of sadness and wondering about life.

Discover poetry

Underneath the abject willow,
Lover, sulk no more;
Act from though should quickly follow:
What is thinking for?
Your unique and moping station
Proves you cold;
Stand up and fold your map of desolation.


Bells that toll across the meadows
From the sombre spire,
Toll for those unloving shadows
Love does not require.
All that lives may love; why longer
Bow to loss
With warm arms across?
Strike and you shall conquer.


Geese in flocks above you flying
Their direction know:
Brooks beneath the thin ice flowing
To their oceans go;
Coldest love will warm to action,
Walk then, come,
No longer numb, Into your satisfaction.


March 1936.

Discover Auden.

Toddler Time

On Thursday we gave a big warm welcome to Hinuera and Te Poi play centres. It was fantastic to see so many bright, enthusiastic and cheery people.Children and adults came along dresed-up as either their favourite book character or animal. We had such a variety with the 'cat in the hat', princesses, jockey, pirates, a bunny, butterfly, miss Muffet and the Fat Controller.

Songs, stories and action rhymes reflected the theme and everyone had great fun.

Toddler Time sessions are held each week @ 11am on a Thursday for anyone wishing to come along. Reading is a fundamental skill which everyone must have, so why not start at an early age by coming along and help develop those life-time reading habits.