New Graphic Novels and others

Having had a few requests from students about some more and updated graphic novels, we now have some new ones on display .. or at least what hasn't gone out already.  They are mainly Marvel/Superhero type ones - Wonder Woman, Wolverine and so on.  Plus there is a DragonWing one, which is about the Dragonnet Prophecy and the RainWings disappearing from the forest without even the smallest trace. 

We are also currently processing a few new Fiction books as well - a puzzle type adventure that looks quite intriguing, titled 'The Inheritance Games', that will be catalogued under Mystery. 

As well, there is the 'Darkest Minds' trilogy, all about mysterious powers and government control, and runaway kids who are out to save the world while trying to keep themselves alive somehow. This series has a movie connection being released this year .. or maybe it has already been released? (*)   As I don't watch movies, I'm not sure about this.  These will be catalogued into the Science Fiction genre area.

These should be available for borrowing in the next week. A reminder to all that if there is anything you would really like to read, please see me.  I can organise an Inter-Library-Loan,depending on the location of the item -  or try to find a way to add it to our Library collection.

* Edit:  The movie 'Darkest Minds was released 3rd August 2018.  There is a sequel planned which will probably be released late 2021 or 2022.

Displays and so on.

Currently I have a small mini display happening in the Library that I am planning to update each week (or so) covering various Genres in the Fiction area.

The one out at the moment is a collection of SPORT titles, and my plan is to try and work my way through most of the Genres in the hopes of catching students interest - as well as giving an understanding of what the pictures on the spines of the books actually mean, and how it can make it easier to choose a book. 

Mr Eckart also has a variety of display boards and posters that his class have done on Indigenous Language and Culture that he updates regularly, and Nurse Beck also regularly updates her board depending on what is happening in her area.  Huge thanks to both of you for keeping it current - and for saving me lots of time.  

We also have a small display of books concerning India tucked in a corner near the magazines which has proven popular for students wanting to flick through stuff - especially the Graphic Novels about Indian myths and legends.  

New Books in the Library

The cataloguing training may have paid off - as I have finally managed to successfully catalogue some books into our collection!  

We have on offer:

AFL: Amazing Footy Facts - this one has lots of snippets of information and trivia facts such as  - Which team holds the record for the highest score ever recorded in VFL/AFL history?  or Which player holds the record for kicking the most goals?  

Desert Lake: The story of Kati-Thanda - a gorgeous picture book that follows Lake Eyre over a season from dry to what happens when the rains come.  Beautiful illustrations and small amounts of writing.  

Edge of Extinction - "two hundred years ago dinosaurs were brought back from extinction - and they do NOT like to share.  They reclaimed the earth and humans were driven underground.  But ... they are not the most dangerous predators out there, it seems"

In the Realm of Dragons - this is a 'Choose your Own' adventure story, which are quite popular with some of the students.  In this one you find and care for some dragon eggs - but will you gain a powerful magical friend - or be cast into a dangerous world of fire and ice?  Your choice!

Skyfire: Book 1 - Seven young people enter the mysterious DARE awards - and WIN!! However, they are not prepared to be caught up in the events that follow.  Seven weird symbols pit them against a mastermind of terrifying power and they will be racing the clock to save the world.  If you could be a hero - would you DARE??

Have a wonderful weekend!

R.E.D. Book Awards

The RED Book Award is an initiative by Falkirk Council in Scotland to promote reading by raising awareness of new titles and encouraging teenagers to read, enjoy and debate (R.E.D) good books. This year is a celebration of 10 years, and ten secondary classes from different countries across the world were selected to participate with Falkirk schools. Students in Mrs Spina’s year 8/9 English class, in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, were the lucky Australians chosen. 

Students enjoying the books

This week we received our lot of books. There are four different titles ‘Beneath’, ‘Inflicted’, ‘Salvaged’ and ‘Mind Blind’ all specifically chosen for 13 – 15 year olds. Students have already begun reading their first book in silent reading, and we have already had several requests to take the books home to continue reading!

Enjoyment and choice is at the heart of pupils’ experiences as well as the opportunity to develop listening and talking, reading and writing skills. 

Students with Dion

As participants, we have been teamed up with a sister school in Denny and we will be communicating and sharing our thoughts and views on the books. Some of our responsibilities as participants is to provide some fabric that represents us/Australia that will be added to a patchwork quilt that represents the selected schools and countries. Fortunately, after discussions with Mrs Boulter, she was able to organise our local artist Dion Beasley to provide a fabric piece featuring Dion’s Cheeky Dogs. Further to this, Dion very generously donated a copy of the book he illustrated ‘Too Many Cheeky Dogs’ for us to send to Scotland. Our librarian, Mrs Walsh is making a special bookplate and has also donated some other beautiful Australiana fabric featuring platypuses, kangaroos, koalas and Aboriginal artwork. Students in photography classes have also begun planning the visual images they wish to create and send, while others are planning a sleep over in order to Skype our new Scottish friends. 

If any blog readers have further suggestions or items to donate, please contact our wonderful librarian Shelagh Walsh, who first introduced us to the RED Book Awards.

It is a wonderful opportunity to read some fantastic short-listed books, as well as talk to students on the other side of the world. 

Massive thanks to Yvonne Manning and the Falkirk Council for including us in this exciting experience. 

Stay Tuned for book reviews and More!
(Guest Blogger this week is Mrs Spina)

Update from the Library

It has been a while since I posted on here.  Everything has been on hold for various reasons, but it is good to be back posting again.

I am not sure how long this blog will run for, at least in it's present format, as my postition has been deemed unnecessary by the Department but, I figure, why not go out on a high note?

I have had a fairly easy semester of it, with Miss Mckenna and Miss Jeanny keeping the displays current for me, with all their students work.  Thank you, ladies, it is much appreciated.

We have a number of new  Fiction books that have now been catalogued and are on the display shelves and ready for loan.  Everything from Horror to Mystery and Science Fiction, so come and have a look.  Feel free to take one or two home for closer inspection. 

All the usual plans are underway for the end of the year, which is a bittersweet feeling this time around.  So a reminder that I will be chasing down all resources to be returned by the end of week 8.  Count this as your first (polite) reminder.

If there is anything that you think the Library can help you with, please just ask.  Libraries do a lot more than most people may think and we are no exception.

So have a great day and carry on being awesome!

New Books

Welcome back to Term 2 - which has been already been as busy as Term 1 was.  Which is a good thing.  Our enrollments are up and we have lots of enthusiastic students and teachers.

Things have been busy in the library as well.  A new selection of fiction books has arrived from Standing Orders and are now ready for loan and most of the new books have arrived for the Lee Cook Collection and are almost ready to be borrowed. 

The Lee Cook Collection came about when one of our staff members died and left the library a legacy in her will.  The decision was made to have a small, separate collection stocked with books covering Lee's interests, which were diverse.   So we have books on cooking, cake decorating, gardening, paper crafts, costume making and so on.  We have just finalised the purchase of these books and they should all be out and ready for loan in the next week or so.

We received a wide selection of books from Standing orders this time - mystery, horror, war, family...... lots to choose from.

Below is a small blurb about a couple of the books.  Come in and have a look, maybe borrow a few.

'Inheritance' by Lisa Forrest:   Genre: Horror

"Will an ancient gift determine her future?"

Tallulah has always known that she was different.  She can communicate without speaking, a secret she shares only with her childhood nanny, Irena - who warns her that gifts like hers are not always welcome.

When Tallulah starts training at the prestigious Cirque d'Avenir school it soon becomes clear that the troup is not at all what it seems to be.  As she is drawn deeper into a world of dark ancient powers and centuries old greed, she must call on all the skills she has been taught - and on the protection of a mysterious bracelet she was given. 

But what is the secret of the power of the bracelet - and why are people prepared to die to keep it?

'Evan's Gallipoli' by Kerry Greenwood:     Genre:  War

" An unlikely friendship and an incredible journey"

Fourteen year old Evan Warrender travels with his father to the Dardenelles, when they intend to provide help and suport to the Allied soldiers.  When they are captured by the Turks, they are launched into an epic journey - living on their wits and the kindness of strangers as they escape through Turkey, back to Greece and finally home to Australia.

Along the way they meet unlikely friends and companions, some of whom have deep secrets - and when Evan's own secret is revealed, we realise just how truly incredible the whole journey has really been.

I have placed this one into War genre - but it could just as easily be put into Diary genre, as it is written in diary format.

Happy Library Lovers Day

Happy Library Lovers Day.  I hope you make some time today to gain some of that work-life balance we need and spend some time READING.

Mrs Spina's StepUp class spent some time making posters and bookmarks for our 'Love Your Library' display, and have done a wonderful job.  Come and take a look.

We have a new book in the library that I couldn't resist when I read the blurb.  Check out the details below.

'Breathe'          Genre: Science Fiction

'Oxygen is essential for most living beings.  For 2.5 million years, it was the most abundant chemical element on earth.  Until the Switch.
When oxygen levels plunge in a treeless world, a state lottery decides who will live inside the Pod.  Everyone else will slowly suffocate. 
In a world with NO TREES, NO AIR and NO TRUTH - there is NO CHOICE but to FIGHT BACK'

Well worth a read if you like dystopian stories and there will be more to come as this is the first in a series.

It is on the shelf and ready to borrow.

New Fiction Titles

We have had a few new fiction books arrive and they are processed, on display and ready for loaning.  Below is a small blurb about a few of them. Come in, take a look, maybe borrow some for reading.

If there is something that you particularly want and we don’t have it, just ask.  I may be able to get it from somewhere else on loan for you.

 Life in Outer Space:  Genre: Love

 Sam is a geek and he is totally cool with that.  He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of War craft and unless Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, he doesn’t have to worry about girls.

Then Sam meets Camilla.  She is beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his life.  Sam is determined to ignore her – except that Camilla has a life of her own and she has decided that he is going to be part of it.

Sam believes that everything he needs to know, he can learn from the movies – but maybe he has been watching the wrong ones.

 When We Wake:  Genre: Science Fiction

16 year old Tegan was loving life – she was joining friends to protest the wrongs of the world, she was playing the guitar and she thought that maybe she was falling in love for the first time. She didn’t plan on the best day of her life being her last.

When she wakes, 100 years in the future, she is locked in a government facility with no memory of what happened. As the first person to be cryogenically frozen and successfully revived, she is an instant celebrity. And all she wants is a ‘normal’ life back again.

When terrible secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: should she keep her head down and survive – or fight for a better future?

What the Raven Saw:   Genre: Family?

I dare anyone to read this and give me a definitive genre for this book.  I have made it Family, but it could be Mystery, Love, Issues, even Animals. 

Even the blurb leaves you wondering......

“The Raven doesn’t want you to read this story. What if you find the location of his hidden treasure? Or worse – learn his secret? But you should read it, even though the Raven wants to be left alone. A pesky pigeon, a beady-eyed weatherhen, a ghost boy and a lovestruck scarecrow will make sure that this book isn’t just about one grumpy raven.”

New Fiction Books

There has been some new arrivals of Fiction books in the Library in the last week or so, which are all now processed and on the display shelves for loan.

Some of the titles include:

'Vulpi' - Kate Gordon.  

This is the second one in the series and is just as brilliant as the first.  It is all about shapeshifters - Tasmanian tigers and Tasmanian devils along with foxes from England.  Lots of battles, blood and friendships.  Awesome.

'Little Manfred' - Michael Morpurgo

This book tells the story of two prisoners of war and talks about how people could help each other even when they were enemies.  At the end of the story, we move forward in time to 1991 when a dog carved from apple wood was given to the Imperial museum.  This is based on a true story.

Ned Kelly's Secret' - Sophie Masson

Hugo and his father are travelling through Australia, hunting up tales of the gold rush. But when they are ambushed on the road by the notorious outlaw, Harry Power, they decide to chase up stories of bushrangers instead.  
In Benalla, Hugo makes friends with a boy from the bush... a boy who is brave, bold and will do anything for his family... 15 year old Ned Kelly.

Rise of Nine' - Pittacus Lore

When the nine Loriens first arrived on Eaarth, a powerful charm prevented them from being killed out of order by the evil Mogadorians.  However, that all changed once Numbers Four and Six combined forces.  This partnership led to the discovery of more Loriens, Numbers Seven and Nine and in a surprise twist, Number Ten.  The fact that they are working together doesn’t mean that they will survive and it turns out that there is some unfinished business to take care of.

'Inside out and Back again' - Thanhha Lai

Readers should know that this book is written in a series of short verse poems, which are easy to read, fast-paced, descriptive, and poignant. Though it is never preachy or instructional, the short verse poems give much information about life in Vietnam, including the foods, clothing, traditions, the encroaching war, some politics, family structure, and much more. 
Readers will also learn about life as an immigrant as Ha struggles with a new language, eats new foods, meets new kids, deals with attitudes toward Vietnamese immigrants  -- and tries to blend Vietnamese customs with new American customs.

Come and give these a try - or there are plenty more new titles on display.  If there is something in particular that you would like, just ask us and we will do our best to try to find it for you.