The Book Crowd

Vote for the Macquarie word of 2011

2012-01-11T14:14:00.018+11:00

Each year the Macquarie Dictionary adds thousands of new words to its online dictionary.

Notable words from 2011 include:

photobomb, food coma, pachinko, meggings, guyliner and many more.

You can cast your vote for the word you think has made the most striking contribution to Australian English on the Macquarie Online Dictionary website via the Library's eResources page. You can also check out the meaning of these and other new words using the list of categories provided. Voting closes 5pm, Friday January 27.

The Macquries Online Dictionary features a spellchecker, a crossword tool and the updated content of the Macquarie Dictionary, just type in your library barcode for access.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Berg Fashion Library - e-resource on trial at Newcastle Region Library

2012-01-05T16:57:00.000+11:00

Newcastle Region Library currently has trial access to

The Berg Fashion Library.

The e-resource covers all regions of the world, with in-depth content from pre-history to the present day contributed by internationally-renowned scholars.

Students in disciplines as diverse as anthropology, art history, history, sociology, geography, folklore, museum studies, theatre, and cultural studies as well as fashion and textiles will find the Berg Fashion Library a treasury of fascinating insights into people and cultures all over the world.

You can access the site until 31 January, 2012 via : www.bergfashionlibrary.com

Use the following details to login:
Username: newcastleberg
Password: fashion

We'd love to hear what you think of this resource, so either leave a comment below or give the Information & Research Centre staff a call on 4974 5340.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

One from the vaults... Letters from Lord Nelson

2011-12-31T13:27:00.003+11:00

Compiled by: Geoffrey Rawson

Publication Date: 1949

Category: Adult non-fiction, history, letters.

Who'll want to read it? History lovers, romance and intrigue lovers. Anyone who'd like to learn how to write a letter.

I can't remember what I was looking for in our basement stack when I found this book. But I do feel rather drawn to Lord Nelson, having stayed in his namesake hotel in Sydney several times. And then I couldn't help feeling deeply intrigued when I opened the book and found a facsimile of the first letter Nelson wrote with his left hand - fifteen days after having his right arm amputated in 1797.

It does feel a bit odd reading private letters that weren't meant for my eyes, but it is interesting. I didn't read the book from cover to cover, just flipped through different periods of Nelson's life between 1777 and 1805. Amidst the voyages, the battles, the promotions and the successes I found something I wasn't expecting - the story of Lord Nelson's love life. I didn't know Nelson had a scandalous affair with Lady Hamilton and cut off all contact with his wife.

In 1795 he had written to his wife "It is with inexpressible pleasure I have received within these two days past your letters,... I rejoice that my conduct gives you pleasure, and I trust I shall never do anything which will bring a blush on your face, or on that of any of my friends..." pg 100. And in 1797 "Rest assured of my most perfect love, affection, and esteem for your person and character, which the more I see of the world, the more I must admire.." pg 150.

Obviously Lady Hamilton challenged Lord Nelson's loyalty and allegiance to his wife at some stage. I felt so sorry for Lady Nelson reading this passage written to Alexander Davison in 1801:

"...You will, at a proper time, and before my arrival in England, signify to Lady N. that I expect, and for which I have made such a very liberal allowance to her, to be left to myself, and without any enquiries from her; for sooner than live the unhappy life I did when last I came to England, I would stay abroad forever." pg 322.

Although the whole saga of Nelson, his lover Emma Hamilton and Lady Nelson is fascinating, I found it was Nelson's letters regarding his voyages and battles and history making moments that had my heart pumping. Imagine being the recipient of this letter written on March 10, 1795: "To Mrs Nelson - We are just in sight of the French Fleet, and a signal is out for the general chase. We have but little wind, and unfortunately the enemy are in-shore of us.." And a report from April 1, 1795 "To Mrs Nelson - I am absolutely, my dearest Fanny, at this moment in the horrors, fearing from our idling here, that the active enemy may send out two or three Sail of the Line, and some Frigates, to intercept our convoy... In short, I wish to be an Admiral, and in command of the English Fleet.." pg 103.

The letters also cover Nelson's eventual promotion to Admiral, the Battle of Trafalgar and the leadup to his death in that battle in 1805.

October 10th, 1805 "My dear Blackwood, Keep your five Frigates, Weazle and Pickle, and let me know every movement. I rely on you, that we can't miss getting hold of them, and I will give them such a shaking as they never yet experienced; at least I will lay down my life in the attempt..." pg 453

October 19th, 1805 "To Lady Hamilton, My dearest beloved Emaa, the dear friend of my bosom... May the God of Battles crown my endeavours with success; at all events, I will take care that my name shall ever be most dear to you and Horatia, both of whom I love as much as my own life. And as my last writing before the Battle will be to you, so I hope in God that I shall live to finish my letter after the battle. May Heaven bless you ..." pg 453-4

Although Nelson completed some more diary entries, he was mortally wounded on the 21st October and did not finish the letter to Emma Hamilton. After reading bits of this book I found myself looking at other books and web-sites so that I could dig up more about Lord Nelson, Lady Nelson, Lady Hamilton and Horatia Nelson. That's what I love about books - how one volume can tease and inspire and lead you off in all sorts of directions.

Speaking of detours, below is a photograph I took outside the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel at The Rocks in Sydney a few years ago. It was a lovely day in May, with few clouds in the sky. It certainly wasn't foggy, so is the misty effect some ectoplasmic substance attached to one of the ghosts doing the rounds at The Rocks or is it just a trick of the light?

Publisher: Staples Press

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Mirror Workshops during January 2012!

2011-12-24T10:22:00.001+11:00

Jeannie Baker's "Mirror" Exhibition is still on display at the Lovett Gallery, Level 2 of the Newcastle Region Library on Laman Street Newcastle. Don't miss out on this beautiful collection of intricate, eye-catching artworks and the original collages from picture book "Mirror".

During the school holidays we will be holding lots of fun activities. Available spots won't last long, so call your local branch to book now!

Click on the image above to view a larger version.

Check out our NEW library catalogue - just in time for the holiday season!

2011-12-15T14:47:00.000+11:00

Newcastle Region Library have upgraded to a whole new system which includes our brand new searching catalogue.

On the homepage, you are greeted with a few popular searches such as Hottest Title, Hottest Author and Hottest Subjects. If you click More items you’ll be able to see what else has been popular in the last three months - what a perfect way to select that next holiday read!

Don’t quite know what you’re looking for? Why not try the Find It Fast! gadget where you’ll be able to choose from a number of thumbnails that link to a variety of topics. Delve further into Find It Fast! and you discover exactly what your library has to offer.

All the tools you need are at your fingertips in our new library catalogue. You are able to log in to your library account, renew & reserve items, and view your details.

Please contact the Information & Research Centre on (02) 4974 5340 if you have any questions at all.

Love your library!

2011-12-14T13:46:00.011+11:00

I know that I'm a little biased about libraries. They are, quite obviously, important to me. However, they are not just my livelihood. Libraries are an integral part of who I am.

My earliest memories of books and libraries are all wrapped up together. We had a library basket, a big cane one, that was always kept in the one place. We trooped to our local library every Saturday morning, as part of a ritual I have continued with my own family. Saturday is library-and-morning-tea-day. Although Newcastle doesn't have anything like the Moons Bakery of my memory (which may now reside in Uralla, and not in Armidale Mall), it certainly doesn't lack for places to buy good food to eat.

Neither does it lack for libraries. My local library is the beautiful Wallsend District Library, and if you haven't yet been, I recommend that you go. It is Newcastle's newest library, and well worth a visit. The exhibition space is always worth checking out, as is the artwork around the library - especially the charcoal drawing in the Young Adult area, and the storyboards for Puttikan hanging in the Children's Section.

But don't neglect the others! They all have their charm, and different selections. My parents continue the family routine at Hamilton Library, and New Lambton Library is wonderfully hectic on a Saturday morning, with the Toy Library (run by volunteers) downstairs. City Library houses not only the lending library on the ground floor, but also the Information and Research Centre on the first floor (with extended stack collection in the basement), and the Lovett Gallery and Local Studies Section on the second floor. Mayfield Library has quite a selection of horror books, and the gardens at Lambton Library are truly spectacular. I could go on about the other branches, but I really think you should go visit them yourself.

To get back to the point of this post...

As a lover of libraries, and everything they represent, I was extremely gratified to come across the following two articles. Although they touch on the same issue, they showcase vastly different perspectives. The first, a story about mysterious paper sculptures apearing in Scottish libraries, highlights how deeply libraries can inspire and influence someone on a very personal level. The second, about a successful campaign against the closure of libraries in Britain, shows that libraries are an essential service, and are there for everyone, no matter what age, race, gender, religion, ability, economic status, etc. For those of you who are legally inclined, you can read the full text of the decision mentioned in the second article here.

In a time when the finances seem to be continually stretched, book shops are disappearing, and everything seems to be online, I find it quite scary that libraries around the world are facing closure. Where will we go to use computers, if we can't afford them, or if our personal computers break down? How will our children learn valuable research skills, to expand their horizons, to explore and question? Where will we go to find a BOOK?

Enjoy your local library!

Alison’s Rocky Road Wreath

2011-12-14T13:22:00.002+11:00

One of the recipes submitted at Wallsend District Library's Christmas Trivia.

Ingredients:

125g marshmallows, coarsely chopped
½ x 250g pack Arnott’s Choc Ripple Biscuits, coarsely chopped
½ cup unsalted chopped macadamia nuts
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup shredded coconut, toasted
50g unsalted butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, chopped
200g milk chocolate, chopped
200g white chocolate, chopped
Glace cherries and spearmint leaves to decorate

Method:

Grease a 20cm ring pan. Line base, sides and centre ring with baking paper.
Combine marshmallows, biscuits, nuts, raisins and coconut in a large bowl.
In a separate medium heatproof bowl, combine butter, dark and milk chocolate. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted, and smooth. Pour into marshmallow mixture, stir until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, pressing down firmly.
Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Pour over rocky road in prepared pan. Decorate with cherries and spearmint leaves. Refrigerate.
Remove rocky road from pan. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.

Christmas Trivia

2011-12-07T15:52:00.000+11:00

On Thursday 1st December, 34 trivia buffs (and semi-buffs) tested their knowledge of Christmas at Wallsend District Library’s annual trivia morning.

The room was beautifully decorated with Christmas bush, a Christmas tree, some traditional decorations, and lots of Santas. Our festive morning tea included fruit cake, stollen, pfeffernüsse, chocolates, wafer sticks, and Christmas M&Ms.

Our wonderful Local Studies section provided some old advertisements, which we put together in a slide show, to help anyone having trouble finding that special gift for someone on their list, or as ideas for their own wish list. Anyone for some sanitized tape worms as an alternative to dieting?

In between rounds, we had some fun with guessing competitions and prizes, and at the end, after our tricky song round, the winner of each round came out to play Christmas Celebrity Back (where the names of Christmas notables were taped to the contestants’ backs).

We had two lucky door prizes, and one very clear overall winner, although the positions only varied, in some cases, by a quarter of a point!

Santa came to visit, handing out lollies, and leading everyone in a rousing rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The winner of our writing competition (Tell us about your most memorable Christmas) was an autistic boy’s amazing book about when Doctor Who came to visit for Christmas.

Each participant received a copy of a recipe book, contributed to by our patrons and staff.

We had a very fun morning, and it is extrememly gratifying to have such an amazing response from our patrons, who not only support our events, but throw themselves into them with enthusiasm.

For more up-and-coming events, visit your local library, or Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Free music + legal download = Freegal!

2011-11-23T09:44:00.000+11:00

Newcastle Region Library are now offering library members access to the Freegal Music Service, the very popular international service that provides access to songs from a large collection that includes Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists.

Under the terms of the agreement, registered borrowers of the Library can download three tracks in MP3 format each week at no cost.

Start downloading your Freegal tracks now!

TIPS & TRICKS
How are the three downloads a week determined?The week is reset every Sunday at midnight.

Can I preview a song before downloading it?
It is recommended that you preview a song clip before downloading to ensure you have the correct version you are after. You can do this by clicking the play button next to the song and clicking stop when you have heard enough.

I clicked ‘Download Now’ by accident, can I download another song in its place?
Once you click the "download now" button, it can't be reversed. It will count towards your download limit even if you cancel or choose "play" instead of “download”.

My download was interrupted, can I get this song without it costing another download for the week?
At the top right corner of Freegal Music, you will see "Recent Downloads." Here you have the ability to re-download a previously downloaded song up to two more times within 2 weeks from the original download for reinstall purposes, in case your connection timed out. This re-download will not count against your download totals.

Can I download songs to my MP3 player, iPod, iPhone, or other mobile device?
Most devices require their own software to add/edit music, so the best way to use Freegal is to download songs to your computer first and then add to your device/s.

Can I download a whole album?
Songs are available on an individual basis only. You can choose, over time, to download all the songs on an album.

I tried to login but it says “Authentication failed”?
This could mean that the Freegal website is undergoing maintenance - try logging in again later. Alternatively, you could be trying to login with a barcode number that is invalid – check with our staff that you are using a valid library barcode number.

You will find some of the above answers and more on Freegal's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) link located at the top of the Freegal homepage.

Never Ever Before

2011-11-19T08:21:00.000+11:00

Author: Stephen Michael King

Publication Date: 2009

Category: Picture book

Who'll want to read it? Everyone!

Point of no return: The quirky little drawings leading up to the first page of text.

Classic line: "The shivering smalls huddled together... but the smallest smalls couldn't hold on at all and began to blow to who knows, far away."

What's it all about? Smalls float in the breeze, Big stands solid on the ground, providing a good place to lean for the wibbly wobbly Talls. When a wind starts to blow, stronger than never ever before, something wonderful happens.

Stephen Michael King's sense of whimsy is completely evident in this book. His beautifully colourful illustrations give us a sense of freedom and lightness, even in the face of disaster.

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Zombie In Love

2011-11-18T17:18:00.000+11:00

Author: Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Scott Campbell

Publication Date: 2011

Category: Children's picture book

Who'll want to read it? Children, adults who like edgy children's books.

Point of no return: View the first four illustrations and see for yourself.

Classic line: "If you like taking walks in the graveyard
and falling down in the rain.
If you're not into cooking,
if you have half a brain.
If you like waking up at mignight,
horror films, and voodoo,
then I'm the guy who you've looked for
and I'm dying to meet you!"

What's it all about? Zombies have a heart, too. True, it's stopped beating and not in the best shape, but they have a heart. And this zombie - his name's Mortimer - is looking for love. He's having trouble because his nose is missing and his smile is full of rotten teeth, but we're all rooting for him!

DiPucchio's writing is well-accompanied by Campbell's brilliant illustrations. Campbell is the one behind the sublime website Great Showdowns, and his work here is amazing. His illustrations add a sub-text to the story which make this book highly enjoyable. Having watched more than my share of zombie movies, my usual reaction to the undead is to try to dispatch them with a shotgun. But Mortimer's no ordinary zombie and you'll love him as much as I did.

Publisher: Athenuem Books for Young Readers

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Personal Interest Projects digitised!

2011-11-18T10:36:00.002+11:00

Selected sections of award winning Personal Interest Projects (PIPs), for the HSC subject Society and Culture, have been digitised. They show excellence in various areas related to the construction of the PIPs. The index shows why these PIPs were winners - i.e they show excellent logs, methodological research, introduction etc.

They are now available via the State Library of NSW website.

The extracts supplement the full copies held in the PIP Collections at the Information & Research Centre in Newcastle Region Library and Wallsend District Library. The full copies cannot be borrowed or photocopied, but are reference tools that depict how to successfully lay out your research.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Magician's Guild - Book One of The Black Magician Trilogy

2011-10-29T22:16:00.001+11:00

Author: Trudi Canavan

Publication Date: 2001

Category: Fantasy

What's it all about? In a city of the rich, the merchant class, and the slum dwellers, is the Magician's Guild, where all who have the ability go to learn how to wield it safely. Except, the only people tested for the ability are the rich, and sometimes magic is not a latent ability, awaiting release by a magician.

Sonea was a slum dweller, and through hard work her family earned enough to live inside the city walls and join the tenuous ranks of the merchants. Their crowded lodging was deemed unsanitary, and all occupants were forcibly removed in the annual Purge, sending them back out to the overcrowded, often dangerous, slums. In a moment of fury, Sonea hurls a stone at the nearest magician, knowing it to be futile, as the magicians maintain a protective shield around themselves. So she is completely stunned when it finds its mark, and knocks the magician unconscious.

With a deep distrust for the magicians, Sonea has no wish to join them. The magicians, however, cannot allow a 'rogue' magician, and her abilities could kill her, and others, if she does not learn to control them.

I haven't read anything from this genre in quite a while, as it can get pretty formulaic, and depends entirely on character development and writing skill. While this series generally follows the formula (a nobody is foretold/found/discovered to have amazing ability in some area, and will somehow save the day/world/universe), it is written with wit and humour, and depth of character. I made time to read this series, enjoying the merry dance Sonea leads those magicians on, and I think my family were grateful when I finished it, and rejoined the real world.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Cocaine Blues (the first in the Phryne Fisher series)

2011-10-13T20:13:00.000+11:00

Author: Kerry Greenwood

Publication Date: First published in 1989 by McPhee Gribble Publishers. This edition published in 2005

Category: Mystery

Who'll want to read it? This is a great, quick read, full of fast-paced action and drama. It is slightly over the top, but in a good way, and I found myself grinning quite a lot. Phryne Fisher is outrageous, and FUN!

Classic line: Page 107:
Phryne unbuttoned the brocade robe.
'If you try to take me to any station,' she declared in a cold, remote voice, 'you will have to take me like this.' She dropped the robe and stood revealed, quite naked, pearly and beautiful.

What's it all about? The Honourable Phryne Fisher is a completely audacious single young lady in the 1920s, striving to escape the tedium of the upper class. When given an excuse to travel (back) to Melbourne, and engage in a bit of sleuthing, she leaps at the opportunity. Investigating cocaine smuggling, illegal abortions, and poisonings certainly add some spice, as do the interesting cast she encounters, including a (gasp!) female doctor, two revolutionary taxi drivers, a homicidal maid, a pair of exotic Russian dancers, and the very cream of Melbourne society.

Publisher: Allen&Unwin

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

It's a Book

2011-10-13T19:47:00.000+11:00

Author: Lane Smith

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Picture book

Who'll want to read it? If you are inundated by multimedia, or know someone who is, you might enjoy this gentle reminder about the simple pleasure that a book is.

Point of no return: The title page, which introduces the ~~three~~ four main characters of the book: "It's a mouse. It's a jackass. It's a monkey. It's a book." Gorgeous illustrations.

Classic line: The jackass reduces a classic literary moment in Treasure Island to text speak:
Too many letters.
I'll fix it.

LJS: rrr! K? lol!
JIM: :( ! :)

What's it all about? A monkey sits, reading a book. A jackass, laptop in hand, interrupts his reading. Jackass tries to understand the concept of "book" by asking a lot of questions, starting with "What do you have there?", followed by "How do you scroll down?" The jackass is convinced that the book is inferior to his laptop, and is relentless in his quest to understand how this strange technology works.

Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

In October - Stress less!

2011-09-30T11:44:00.001+10:00

Mental Health Month is part of a national mental health promotion campaign held in October each year and is funded by NSW Health. Its main aim is to promote social and emotional wellbeing to the public by encouraging people to maximise their health and increasing mental health literacy.

The theme for 2011's Mental Health Month is “Wellbeing: Invest in Your Life”. This year participants are encouraged to take a holistic view of health and wellbeing. A person’s overall wellbeing can encompass not just their mental health, but also their physical health, social health, spiritual health and community health. These different domains of our lives can all work to support the creation and living out happy, engaged and meaningful lives even in the presence of illness. The Mental Health Month campaign includes a number of resources with strategies people and communities can take up to support and enhance their wellbeing.

Tips to stress less:

Look for opportunities in life's challengers
Go for a walk with a friend
Focus more on things you can control
Ask for help
Go to bed earlier
Give someone a compliment
Get involved with a cause you believe in
Take a dance class
Breathe!

Visit your local library to check out the various items dedicated to health, wellbeing and stress relief. We have plenty of audiobooks and CDs on meditation and relaxation, recipe books to help with physical wellbeing, books on stress and time management and even some fiction on the topic!

Photo courtesy of New Lambton Library.

Food glorious food...

2011-09-27T15:55:00.002+10:00

Looking for something interesting to eat/cook this long weekend? Check out the Recipe of the Week on the Local Studies website.

You could try this week’s fabulous recipe - Fruit Buttons (1986). The instructions are on our website.

Perhaps you would prefer to try the Vinegar Cake (1927), the Rock Cakes (1946), the Macaroni Pudding (1930s), or the Simplicity Chocolate Cake (1950s).

All recipes are all on the website. They have all been taste-tested by the food connoisseurs in the Local Studies Test Kitchen and get the Local Studies tick of approval.

Want more recipes? Checkout the recipe books that Local Studies staff have digitised.

Happy cooking!

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Check out the newest issue of Good Reading magazine online!

2011-09-23T15:43:00.000+10:00

October's issue of Good Reading magazine includes:

Judith Armstrong on her passion for Russia and the lives of Leo Tolstoy and his wife
Banned! Find out about banned books through history
Find out about Rachael Treasure’s new book
Check out our very cute coffee table feature on dog photography
If you’re a reader of crime books check out our crime guide
Best of all - it's free for our library members!

Calling all students: SpineOut!

School holidays are here so why not get creative and visit SpineOut where you can enter competitions, share your creative talents and get published among fellow students. If you're interested in writing, photography, poetry, singing or any kind of creative expression - SpineOut is the answer!

Nog and the Land of Noses

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000+10:00

Author: Bruce Whatley

Publication Date: 2011

Category: Picture book

Classic line: "Nog tried to make his nose useful, but it was never long enough, short enough, curly enough or straight enough."

What's it all about? Nog thinks he is the only one whose nose DOESN'T do something special in the Land of Noses, but it turns out that when his grandmother said he had "a nose for trouble", she was right.

This book would not be nearly so entertaining without the pictures. Bruce Whatley's interpretations of noses, and what they can do, are wonderful. In particular, see blocked noses, picked noses, running noses, and what "a nose for a bargain" looks like.

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Author Visit - Sue Pieters-Hawke

2011-09-09T15:30:00.000+10:00

Newcastle Region Library will be hosting Sue Pieters-Hawke, author of Hazel: My Mother’s Story.

When: Thursday 3 November at 6pm.

Where: Lovett Gallery, Laman Street Newcastle.

Bookings: 02 4974 5300.

Free event.

Hazel Hawke is one of Australia’s best-loved and most respected women. As the wife of a prime minister she brought a down-to-earth warmth to Canberra that influenced everyone she came into contact with. Whether it was working to help the disadvantaged, supporting the arts community or passionately advocating her belief in equality and social inclusion, we all felt her energy, her practicality, her special warmth and her immense capacity for humour and enjoyment.

From the age of eighteen, Bob Hawke had been the love of her life, yet their journey from youthful idealism to the political realities of Canberra was at times far from easy. The very factors that made Hawke one of Australia’s longest-serving and most successful leaders – his passion and commitment, his gregariousness and his drive – created their own tensions and issues within the relationship. After leaving the Lodge, the marriage famously fell apart, with Bob Hawke leaving Hazel for his lover and biographer Blanche d’Alpuget.

But Hazel’s life was undiminished, as she continued to build her role as an advocate for tolerance and fairness in the broader community and as a mother and a grandmother within her own family. Public love and support for Hazel reached a new peak more than six years ago when she publicly announced she’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

This intimate, beautiful biography of a special woman is written by Hazel’s eldest daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke. Candid, revealing and fascinating it explores her life and her true value as a mother, wife, role model and tireless worker for the rights and welfare of others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue Pieters-Hawke is the eldest daughter of Hazel and Bob Hawke. She lives in Sydney.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Technology Explained!

2011-09-08T16:26:00.002+10:00

Libraries represent an important gateway to learning about computers, the internet and digital literacy. With limited access to equipment and internet connections at home, the library provides a safe and welcoming environment where you can keep up with these rapid changes in technology and the digital world.

Technology Explained: The ABC have created a website where technology is explained by providing non-commercial and factual information on social media, mobile phone broadband, streaming & downloading, growing trends in the digital world. It introduces new concepts about how to watch, listen, socialise and engage online and it is well suited for beginners through to more tech-savvy people.

If you feel that you’re not ready to delve into these topics yet, perhaps you might like to create an account with Dynamic Learning Online by using your Newcastle Region Library card number. It’s free to do, and the best thing is, you decide how fast or slow you complete the training! Topics covered include how to use a computer, introduction to the internet, email and word processing.

Contact your local library for more information!

Sanctus

2011-09-06T19:45:00.000+10:00

Author: Simon Toyne

Publication Date: 2011

Category: Fiction

Who'll want to read it? If you like action, conspiracy theories, don't mind if the established Church is the bad guy, then this a book you'll enjoy. Apparently it's the first of three, an ambitious undertaking for a first novel, but Simon Toyne is now on my list of authors to keep an eye on.

Point of no return: The first chapter is very short, and full of teasers. There is a "he", imprisoned for learning, and not accepting, an unknown order's secret. He is cold, hurt, bleeding, and sentenced to death. He decides not to hang around and wait. The last line of the first chapter (page 5): "Then, his heart heavy from the weight of the ancient secret he now carried, he breathed out as far as his lungs would allow, squeezed through the narrow gap, and launched himself into the night."

What's it all about? Our mysterious "he" throws himself from the top of the Citadel, the oldest inhabited place on Earth, ensuring his act is captured on film, and broadcast around the world. A charity worker and her family see this as the fulfilment of part of a prophecy, known only to a select few.

The order of monks, who do not set foot outside the Citadel, but have contacts and dealings everywhere, attempt to recover the body, without making it obvious that it is important to them. They don't want any more attention than they already have, but they can't risk any chance of their secret escaping.

An American crime reporter's phone number is found with the body, and she immediately travels across the globe, to find out just how, and why, this Citadel is connected to her.

I think if I said anything more, I would start to spoil it.

I seem to be reading a fair few first novels that are excellent, and this certainly fits that bill. It was only after I'd finished the book that I read the front blurb about how this book came about. It makes for a pretty good story in itself.

I have also read a few novels in this genre (the accepted-organised-religion-is-evil kind), and this is definitely one of the better written ones. It has some very good twists and turns, some highly unexpected revelations, and moves along at a reasonably exciting pace. I made time to read this book, rather than dipping in during short breaks, which is becoming an increasingly rare thing for me to do.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Press Here

2011-08-26T19:19:00.000+10:00

Author: Hervé Tullet

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Picture book

Who'll want to read it? Everyone I have mentioned it to so far.

Point of no return: The title, and the very inviting yellow dot. How can you possibly NOT "Press Here"?

What's it all about? It's an interactive book. When you DO press that one yellow dot and turn the page, it turns into TWO yellow dots. Then three. When you rub the yellow dot on the left (and turn the page), it turns red. Find out what happens when you tap on it five times, or tip the book to the left, or shake the book, or press hard on those dots. And when you CLAP!!

It's such a simple concept, so brilliantly executed, and it is so very satisfying, as a parent, to see a child be more absorbed in this book than they could be with the television or a computer. And so very amusing to show it to other adults, and watch them perform all the suggested actions.

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

TumbleBooks - e-books for e-kids!

2011-08-22T16:25:00.021+10:00

TumbleBooks teach children the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated talking children's books, puzzles and games. Each book adds animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.

Newcastle Region Library members can access TumbleBooks at no charge on our web-site. All of the books can be read in English, French or Spanish.

If you have been using the "I Can Read" and "Quick Reads" titles from our branch collections, you will find similar material in the TumbleBooks collection, including Franklin the tortoise and Biscuit the puppy. One of my favourites is Stretch written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Scott Menchin. Stretch is about an energtic dog who teaches readers how much fun they can have getting ready to jump, bounce, wiggle or run!

Isn't he cute? I need a dog like this to get me organised.

If you need help getting started call the friendly staff at the Information & Research Centre on 02 4974 5340. Or, send us a comment or question via our ASK a Librarian service.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

One World, Many Stories

2011-08-19T14:23:00.003+10:00

Around 3,000 children from Kindergarten to Year Six will celebrate Children’s Book Week at Newcastle Region Library from today until 30 August, with a range of activities designed to highlight the importance of reading.

Free Community Program

What: Fancy Dress Parties
Where: City Library, Laman Street
When: 19 August, 10am to 11am (3 to 5 year-olds) and 4.30 to 6pm (5 to 8 year-olds)

What: Tantrum Theatre Book Week play
Where: City Library, Laman Street
When: 30 August, 6pm (family event)

What: Preschool storytime with a Book Week theme
Where: Wallsend Library
When: 10.30am Wednesday 24 August

The Children's Book Council of Australia annouced the winners today, chosen from the short list.

The winners are:

Book of the Year: Older Readers
The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett

Book of the Year: Younger Readers
The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody

Book of the Year: Early Childhood
Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Picture Book of the Year
Mirror by Jeannie Baker
Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Tohby Riddle

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Ducks don't wear socks!

2011-08-16T22:08:00.000+10:00

Author: John Nedwideck

Illustrator: Lee White

Publication Date: 2008

Category: Picture book

Who'll want to read it? Emilys, parents who have serious kids, duck lovers.

Point of no return: Besides the title, and the cover illustration? It's about one of my favourite people! First line: "Emily was a serious girl."

Classic line: "'A hat?' asked Emily. 'I have never seen a duck wear a hat.'
'Late for the roundup!' yelled Duck. And off he galloped, into the sunset."

What's it all about? Serious Emily meets her complete opposite in Duck, who she first sees riding a unicycle, wearing socks. Duck's outfits get increasingly crazy, but always with a valid excuse: cold feet makes him wear socks; a business meeting sees him wearing a tie. Emily struggles to remain serious in the face of this ludicrous duck, and finally gives in to the absurdity, much to Duck's amusement.

Publisher: Viking

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Roseanna

2011-08-13T19:33:00.004+10:00

Author: Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo Publication Date: 1965 Category: Crime, Police Procedural Who'll want to read it?: Crime fans, especially of the police procedural bent. People interested in Scandinavian fiction. Point of no return: "When he put the papers back in the folder and turned off the light, he thought: 'Whoever she was, and wherever she came from, I'm going to find out.'" Classic line: "Finally, Kollberg said: 'That was a flop, wasn't it? Examining that tough guy you went down and mangled?' 'He didn't do it.' 'Are you absolutely sure?' 'No.' 'Do you feel sure?' 'Yes.' 'That's good enough for me.' What's it all about? Roseanna is a police procedural crime novel. These types of crime novels are less concerned with dramatic flourishes and labyrinthine plots, and more interested in gritty portrayals of crime as though they were real. For a good introduction to the sub-genre, hop in to your local library and pick any of Ed McBain's "82nd Precinct" series at random. Or start with this one. It takes place in Sweden, but being written by Swedish authors who didn't seem to have any mind for an international audience, it doesn't come across as a travelogue. Our hero is Martin Beck, and that's what he's called throughout the whole book. You'll see a lot of phrases like, "Kollberg and Martin Beck." I have no idea why the authors chose to refer to him in that manner, but it's grown on me. Martin Beck is investigating a murder, a beautiful woman. But no-one has reported her missing, no-one has seen what happened to her, and no-one knows how she ended up at the bottom of a canal. The clues are filled in, some sooner than others, and all thanks to Martin Beck and a little luck. Luck usually has no place in crime novels - it's a bit of a cheat if Phillip Marlowe was interrogating a tough suspect only to have the murder weapon drop in his lap out of pure chance. But it works well in procedurals because difficult real-life crime cases are often solved with a bit of luck. I was quite absorbed in this book, which is great because I've started and stopped reading a few books this week and was beginning to think I wouldn't have anything for the Book Crowd. If your idea of crime is Ian Rankin or Agatha Christie, do yourself a favour and enjoy a change of pace. You might find yourself in a whole new world of crime fiction. Publisher: Orion Books Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Spring Event at Wallsend District Library

2011-08-11T15:37:00.000+10:00

Angus Stewart will be one of the guests at Wallsend District Library's Spring Event. Angus' groundbreaking work with native plants and his appearances on ABC Radio and on ABC TV's Gardening Australia have seen him emerge as Australia's leading expert when it comes to native plants and their untapped possibilities. Creating an Australian Garden empowers us all to unlock the secrets of cleverly designed Australian gardens that provide year-round colour, vibrant foliage and havens for wildlife.

Where: Wallsend District Library, 30 Bunn St Wallsend

When: Saturday 17th September 2011, 10am-1pm

Cost: Free event

RSVP: library@ncc.nsw.gov.au or Ph 4974 5300

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Di Morrissey at Newcastle Region Library

2011-08-11T15:27:00.001+10:00

Join us for morning tea as Di Morrissey discusses her new book The Opal Desert. Di Morrissey is one of Australia's most popular novelists. Di's previous novels have all been bestsellers, and The Opal Desert is sure to delight her fans again.

Where: Newcastle Region Library, Lovett Gallery, Laman St Newcastle

When: Saturday 29th October 2011, 11am

Cost: Free, including morning tea - book early, limited seating

RSVP: library@ncc.nsw.gov.au or Ph 49 745300

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Eat History Exhibition at the Lovett Gallery

2011-08-10T15:04:00.000+10:00

A photographic exhibition from the Local Studies Library of 20th century practices and

traditions of eating and drinking.

Lovett Gallery

Laman St. Newcastle

12th August until 30th September.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Woolly Hat Wednesday

2011-08-03T10:13:00.002+10:00

Woolly Hat Wednesday
Thank you to all of the Newcastle Region Library staff and customers who donned woolly hats and donated items of food, toothpaste and deodorant on Wednesday 27th July 2011. The goods were distributed at Hunter Homeless Connect Day on Tuesday 2nd August at Newcastle PCYC.

Two of the lovely woolly (or is that wolfy?) hatted staff at City Branch Library today.

Wearing woolly hats for a good cause in our community.

Bookbusters - Children's Book Club at New Lambton Library

2011-08-02T16:13:00.007+10:00

Phone 4904 3340 for more information.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

The Grifters

2011-07-30T16:29:00.004+10:00

Author: Jim Thompson

Publication Date: 1963

Category: Crime

Who'll want to read it? See below

Point of no return: "Death might be forestalled if he took care of himself. Otherwise, he had no more than three days to live."

Classic line: "The lady or the loot. So what's it going to be?"

What's it all about? I'm a fan of crime novels, but I like good crime novels. Unfortunately the field is packed with books written by people with no talent or who can't be bothered. It was a great pleasure, then, to stumble across Jim Thompson, whose book The Grifters was made into a film in 1990.

The Grifters mixes up the crime genre. It's still seedy with nihilistic characters, but tells a familiar story without resorting to cliche or tired tropes. It's the story of a conman, Roy Dillon, who has talent at parting fools from their money. He's not as good at manipulating the women in his life. He tries to juggle his relationships with his mother, his mistress, and a nurse caring for an injury after a failed con, but the balls just bounce off his head.

Grifters avoids con cliches like the wise mentor who's the father-he-never-had, or the just-one-last-big-heist. It does what crime stories do best - examine relationships as they disintegrate and question what it means to be human. Watch this space for further reviews of Thompson's works.

Publisher: Vintage Crime

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

DesignTECH in the Hunter in 2011

2011-07-29T18:13:00.023+10:00

The 2011 DesignTECH exhibition will be open at the Wallsend District Library,
Bunn Street, Wallsend
29 July until 19 August 2011

Opening hours: 9.30-8.00 Monday-Friday and 9.30-2.00 Saturday

Phone 02 4985 6680 for enquiries

• DesignTECH is the showcase of major design projects by 2010 Higher School Certificate Design and Technology students.

• Designs may be a product, system or environment.

• The Design and Technology course asks students to select and apply design, production and evaluation skills to satisfy an identified need or opportunity.

• Most of the projects on exhibition at Wallsend were part of the DesignTECH exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, which opened in February.

• The works of two local students were selected for exhibition at Wallsend District Library. They are:

o Courtney Hollings, Newcastle High School, who produced a basic dress that can be changed by the addition of accessories to create many different looks.
o Natalie Racz, Mackillop Catholic College, who designed an educational board game that incorporates areas of study from Stages 1 and 2 of the primary PDHPE syllabus.

• The work of another local student, James Perkins, Great Lakes Secondary College, Tuncurry Campus, who designed LDROG, an iphone application for learner drivers, was exhibited at the DesignTECH exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, and is part of the regional tour.

• Each project is displayed with its accompanying portfolio that documents the design process followed by the students from the identification of need to the final realisation.

• The Wallsend District Library is the final regional venue for DesignTECH in 2011.

• The regional tour provides an opportunity for students and the broader community to appreciate first-hand the outstanding quality of work being produced in our schools, right across NSW, due to quality teaching and learning programs.

• DesignTECH is coordinated by the Board of Studies NSW in association with the NSW Department of Education and Communities.

• See the DesignTECH online gallery guide

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Case Histories

2011-07-28T19:27:00.002+10:00

Author: Kate Atkinson

Publication Date: 2004

Category: Crime, Mystery, Family Drama

Who'll want to read it? Mystery lovers seeking a dash or two of literary style.

What's it all about? This is the first book in the "Jackson Brodie mysteries" series. Jackson Brodie is the divorced, (slightly bitter, but dashingly handsome and enigmatic),doting father of an eight year old girl. He is an ex-policeman, now private detective with lots of dull missions - until this book thrusts him into three intriguing investigations. The story revolves around three "case histories" - the disappearance of a three year old girl thirty years ago, the senseless murder of an eighteen year girl (the apple of her father's eye) ten years ago, and an aunt trying to track down her twenty-five year old niece. As Kate Atkinson weaves her tale, subtle links in the cases emerge. All throughout we find hints of the "case history" haunting Jackson's own life and the similar emotional burdens he shares with his clients.

Every character in this book is given their own unique personality, voice and history. Kate Atkinson has a wonderful ear for authentic conversation, making the book even more engaging. I have read three other books by Kate Atkinson and they are all as good as each other. There are four books so far in the Jackson Brodie mysteries, so if you are looking for something to get your teeth into, start with "Case Histories". I already have the next book lined up on my bedside table.

Classic lines: "...Olivia was spun from light...Olivia was the only one she loved, although God knows she tried her best with the others. Everything was from duty, nothing was from love. Duty killed you in the end.

It was very wrong, it was as if the love she should have had for the others had been siphoned off and given to Olivia instead, so that she loved her youngest child with a ferocity that didn't always seem natural. Sometimes she wanted to eat Olivia, to bite into a tender forearm or a soft calf muscle, even to devour her whole like a snake and take her back inside her where she would be safe. She was a terrible mother, there was no doubt about it, but she didn't even have the strength to feel guilty. Olivia caught sight of her and waved." pg36-37

Publisher: Black Swan

News Flash: Just as I was about to finish this post I discovered that the BBC have made a six-part series of the Jackson Brodie mysteries, starring the dashingly handsome (just as well) Jason Isaac.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: a memoir

2011-07-19T16:58:00.002+10:00

Author: Brianna Karp

Publication Date: 2011

Category: Autobiography, Memoir

Who'll want to read it? Anyone who wants to read about contemporary social issues.

Point of no return: I was hooked from the very first line in the prologue: "The Walmart lot was cold in the night air, even for southern California. I hadn't brought enough blankets and would need to swing by the thrift store and pick up a few more. Everything was well-lit by the streetlamps and eerily quiet. There were maybe a dozen other trailers around when I arrived, but no sign that actual people might live in them at all." pg 1

What's it all about? Brianna Karp, aged 22, was an executive assistant in the Human Resources section of a US firm Kelley Blue Book, earning $50,000 a year. She was renting a cute cottage, had a boyfriend and a dog called Fezzik - "Life was beautiful, fantastic."
The US economy changed all that, leaving Brianna living in a trailer in a Walmart carpark. Brianna documents the events in her history that lead up to this point and then how she handles her situation with humour, bravery and resourcefulness. As Brianna points out, she is not the only one with this problem and is certainly not in the worst case scenario for homelessness. Through her experiences she has become an activist for homelessness, co-founding World Homeless Action Day in 2010. A lot happened in this book which kept me turning pages well into the night, but I don't want to give anything away. When you've finished the book you can find out what Brianna is up to now on her webpage "The Girl's Guide to Homelessness".

Classic line: "I had never thought about how those homeless people ended up there." pg 2

Publisher: Harlequin

Local readers may like to join our "Woolly Hat Wednesday" in support of Hunter Homeless Connect Day.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

One From the Vaults...

2011-07-14T18:08:00.000+10:00

Working in the Information & Research Centre, staff often come across some amazing and beautiful books from the basement. From time to time, we'll share a few of them with you. Last night I found "1000 Household Hints: Attractive, Money-saving Hints and Wrinkles Arranged for Immediate Reference" by Elizabeth Craig (Woman of the Year, 1967). I was rather confused by the title - it didn't make any sense - I was convinced there was a typo on our catalogue. However, according to The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed, Volume 20, pg 634, a "wrinkle" can be "A clever or adroit expedient or trick; a happy device". Hmm, I would have to say that the dictionary itself is my favourite wrinkle!

What's it all about? Elizabeth Craig was a talented journalist and writer born in Scotland in 1884. She wrote over 60 books including "The importance of eating potatoes" and "New ways of using custard". 1000 Household Hints covers everything home economics: cookery, "the work of the house", social etiquette, home handywoman, the family, needlecraft, gardening, and diet, health and beauty. Elizabeth certainly had a way with words, which is part of the charm of this book. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to dive into the middle and upper class experiences of mid-century Britain.

Classic line: On the dress code for "At Homes": "A smart afternoon dress and no hat is worn by the hostess. If friends are helping they should wear their hats, unless actually staying in the house. Other guests do not usually take off their coats unless it is a very small informal gathering, or they are wearing heavy fur coats." pg 55

On conversation at a dinner-party: "If you are talking about matters of taste - books, plays, films, music - be careful not to take a superior tone nor to parade your knowledge. Remember also that the opposite attitude, the "Oh, of course I don't know anything about these things," or "Oh, well, you clever people" tone also verges upon discourtesy. Try to find some common meeting ground - Micky Mouse, detective stories, dance music perhaps. A mutual dislike, of course, will do as well as a mutual liking." pg 61

On constipation: "This condition is incompatible with health. The symptoms are heavy eyes, skin eruptions and a muddy complexion, and the results are many really serious complaints. Constipation, however, can be cured or at least alleviated, if you are really perservering... A habit should be formed of visiting the lavatory after each meal even if, at first, the visits are often unsatisfactory." pg 211

On Weight, to increase: "Excepting when it has been produced by habitual worry or definite disease, excessive thinness can nearly always be made to disappear with a nourishing diet and a moderately restful life. If you are of the restless worrying type, make every effort to rest and relax for at least an hour every day - in the fresh air if possible - and go to bed in a peaceful frame of mind not later than 10.30 p.m." pg 229

Publisher: Collins, 1947

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Working IX to V

2011-07-07T19:57:00.001+10:00

Author: Vicki Leon

Publication Date: 2007

Category: Ancient History, Humour

Who'll want to read it? Anyone looking for a quirky & readable view of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Point of no return: The sub-title: Orgy planners, funeral clowns and other prized professions of the Ancient World.

Classic line: "Early librarians were full of derring-do.When the Romans overran Greece in 168 B.C., the head librarian of neutral Pergamum led a diplomatic embassy to Rome to keep his library from destruction - and sow the seeds of literacy while he was at it.
It worked - with unintended consequences. After 500 years without a library, Rome now encouraged its generals to bring back libraries as booty. (The most despicable book thief? Dictator-general Sulla, who ripped off Aristotle's library after capturing Athens, along with thousands of art pieces and other glitter.)" pg 287

What's it all about? This book provides an overview of dozens of professions from the Ancient World. Some of the professions still exist including farmers, beekeepers, cooks, physicians and labourers - although the job descriptions have changed just a bit. I just love the black humour in some of the job descriptions: "Winemaker. Make mine unleaded", "Mercenary. The fine art of freelancing - with real lances", "Plumber. Into heavy metal", "Dental Specialist. Open wide". Other jobs will also keep you entertained, such as Sycophant, Anointer, Gladiatrix, Seller of Purple, Armpit Plucker and Dream Incubator. All in all the book provided an interesting way to discover things I didn't even know that I wanted to know!

Publisher: Walker & Company, New York

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Free Good Reading magazines!

2011-07-04T14:42:00.000+10:00

Good Reading is an Australian owned monthly magazine, comprising both print and online presence, dedicated to books and reading. With the launch in 2006 of an exciting interactive website, Good Reading has successfully expanded on its goal to be ‘Everything about Books’ by providing not only a central place for book lovers to find useful information such as first chapters, reading group notes and book events, but also a place for readers to exchange thoughts and ideas.

SpineOut is a new online magazine for Young Adults, brought to you by Good Reading magazine. It’s a special place for Young Adults to express their ideas and thoughts and to share their creativity in words, art, film or music. Students are encouraged to be part of this new fun online resource by submitting reviews of newly published YA books, poems, short stories, music lyrics, videos and art work. Young Adults can take this magazine on as their own, feeling free to express themselves in whichever form they wish, and then to experience the thrill of being published.

So! To help promote our new subscription to Good Reading Online (and SpineOut for young adults) we have lots of free Good Reading issues to give away. Just ask your local library branch.

If you like what you read, you can access the online magazine for free by visiting our Arts & Literature e-resources. Now you can read Good Reading and SpineOut 24/7!

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

drug info @ your library

2011-07-04T12:00:00.000+10:00

During 20th to 25th May, some of our branches celebrated Drug Action Week by promoting some very useful resources, the 'drug info @ your library' collection.

What is it?
'drug info @ your library' provides up to date information about alcohol and drugs through your local public library. It is a joint initiative of NSW Health and the State Library of NSW.

How does it work?
The 'drug info @ your library' service is compiled of web resources and public library collections that are selected and regularly updated by specialist staff at the State Library of NSW in consultation with experts in the field. 'drug info @ your library' extends across public libraries in NSW to make resources available to those in remote areas. The collections and website increase local awareness of drug and alcohol issues and provide a specific focus for parents and carers of young people and secondary and TAFE students.

Where can I access it?
You can find the main 'drug info @ your library' collection at the Information & Research Centre on Level 1 of the Newcastle Region Library on Laman Street, Newcastle.

Our branches also have brochures and other materials that can assist you. Alternatively, you can visit the State Library of NSW 'drug info @ your library' website

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Information on the Go

2011-05-26T14:13:00.003+10:00

Library members can now access selected databases 24/7 at their fingertips by using a new iPhone application. The app searches all of the EBSCO databases in one go. Members can access Australian and international journal and newspaper articles for basic, intermediate and advanced levels of research. It is particularly useful for secondary and tertiary students or for avid readers of specific topics e.g. health, current affairs, literature, science, history and environment. This app is free to download to iPhones and only needs to be set up once using the instructions below. Setup only takes a few minutes and you’ll be searching in no time!

1. Open the App Store, then search “ebsco” and download the application.

2. Open Safari and go to www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au and click on ‘Library’, then ‘e-Resources’ (TIP: Bookmark this page for future use!)
3. Let’s use ANZRC (Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre) found under the topic heading of ‘Newspapers & Journal Articles’. Click the access button.
4. Enter your library barcode number.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the database page and click

6. Enter an email address that you can access on your iPhone, then check your email and click the activation link provided.

Now you can open your EBSCOhost app and get searching!

For assistance call the friendly staff at the Information and Research Centre on 02 4974 5340.

Feathers for Phoebe

2011-05-06T18:56:00.002+10:00

Author: Rod Clement

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Picture book

Who'll want to read it? Kids, parents, anyone with a love of colour, style, and poetic justice.

Point of no return: For me, it was the attitude that drew me in, from the first page: "Phoebe was small and grey and she didn't like it. Not one little bit."

Classic line: " 'I like to puff out my chest, fan out my tail, wiggle my rump and sing... Ging gang gooley gooley wash wash...' "

What's it all about? Little, grey Phoebe wants to be noticed, so she turns to Zelda, the beautiful, talented, famous beautician, to help her. Zelda (who I always imagine speaking with a Russian accent, dahlink) fits Phoebe out in a pretty amazing new costume, and the results are not quite what she expects.

Feathers for Phoebe is ALIA's National Simultaneous Storytime book this year. Check to see if your local library is joining in the fun, from 10:30am on Wednesday 25 May 2011.

Publisher: Angus & Robertson - an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

eBooks for Newcastle Region Library Members

2011-04-27T12:18:00.002+10:00

Search here:

Newcastle Region Library members can read a variety of eBooks at home or elsewhere 24 hours a day.

You just need internet access and your library card - library membership is free.

Use the widget above to search dinosaurs, aptitude & psychometric tests, climate change, recipes, fashion, body adornment, Ancient Greece and pop art (just to name a few subjects we cover).

You will need to type your library card number in when prompted.

Many titles are suitable for children as well as adults.

For assistance, phone the reference staff at Information & Research Centre on 4974 5340

or send a question via:

ASK a Librarian: http://nrl.altarama.com/reft120.aspx

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Inside WikiLeaks: my time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website

2011-04-06T13:08:00.000+10:00

Author: Daniel Domscheit-Berg (translated from German by Jefferson Chase)

Publication Date: 2011

Category: Adult non-fiction

Who'll want to read it? Anyone interested in Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks phenomenon.

Classic line: "Never in my life have I known such an extreme person as Julian Assange. So imaginative. So energetic. So brilliant. So paranoid, so power-hungy, so megalomanic." pg 3.

What's it all about? In the Prologue the author relates that Julian Assange wrote an introduction to a recent set of leaks named "Cablegate". The leak "illustrated the contradictions between public appearances and what goes on behind closed doors. People, he asserted, have a right to know what happens behind the scenes." In response, Daniel Domscheit-Berg states "You can't put it any better than that. And it's high time to look behind the curtains of WikiLeaks itself." You might like to read this before Julian's biography comes out later this year. Newcastle Region Library holds several copies. If you would like to reserve a copy visit or phone one of our branches.

Publisher: Crown Publishers

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Paranormal Fiction @ Your Library

2011-04-01T14:39:00.005+11:00

A fabulously new and exciting section has been added to both City Branch and Wallsend District Library collections. Paranormal Fiction crosses over all genres including mystery, science fiction and romance with a supernatural twist. Tales of vampires, ghosts and other unexplainable phenomena.....

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling

2011-03-13T13:02:00.002+11:00

Author: Maryrose Wood

Illustrator: Jon Klassen

Publication Date: 2010
Category: Children's book

Who'll want to read it? Primary school girls & grown up girls who think it might have been fun to attend the well regarded "Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females". Also if you enjoyed Jen Storer's Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children or Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Point of no return: I admired 15 year old Miss Penelope Lumley's pluckiness from the very start and wanted to stay with her on her journey: "... Miss Lumley was far more awake than she wished to be. Had she really said something about bandits? She had seen cats fall clumsily from windowsills and then walk off as if nothing had happened; this, Miss Lumley realized, was her wisest course of action. Best not to mention the bandits, ever again." Pg 3.

Classic Line: ' "If I can provide them with a fraction of the steady care that Swanburne and Miss Mortimer have given me, then all will be well," she thought, before blurting: "Dear me, Cassiopeia, mind your dress! I realize it may be faster to go on all fours, but I think you will find your stockings will last longer at the knee if you walk upright. Here, allow me to demonstrate." ' Pg 65.

What's it all about? The very proper and determined Miss Penelope Lumley arrives at Ashton Place for her first job as a governess. An air of mystery surrounds both Miss Lumley's past as well as the origin of her three charges. Alexander, Beowulf and Cassiopeia appear to have been raised by wolves and delight in nipping, barking, howling and chasing squirrels. It is the job of Miss Lumley (or Lumawoo as the children take to calling her) to convert the children into socially acceptable people. The children are of course adorable and I found myself wanting to reach into the book to give "Cassawoof" a big hug. There is lots of lovely irony concerning the display of "civilised" behaviour within the walls of Ashton Place, especially at the Christmas Day party. I have found myself craving cinnamon scented Plum Cakes since I read this book, so I'm off now to find a suitable recipe.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (An imprint of HarperCollins)

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Have you visited a library lately?

2011-02-24T15:48:00.004+11:00

Public libraries have a lot to offer you and your children. There are books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and audio books. It’s FREE to join and your children will benefit from an additional exposure to books.
Libraries also run a variety of free and low cost activities for your children.

Here’s what is run by Newcastle Region Library at their various branches.

Ten Minutes a Day Baby Book Time

Stories, rhymes and songs for parents and children under 2.
This 4 week program runs at most libraries during the year. For locations and times pick up a brochure at the library or check out http://www.tenminutesaday.com.au/

Ten Minutes a Day Rock & Rhyme Time

A drop in session for under 3’s, with stories, songs, music and plenty of action.
Runs at the City, New Lambton and Wallsend Library.
Ten Minutes a Day programs are supported by the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.

Storytime for preschoolers

Stories, songs, rhymes and craft for 3-5 year olds.
Storytimes run monthly at all smaller libraries and fortnightly at
City Library and weekly at Wallsend District Library.

Newcastle Permanent Wacky Wombat storytime

A fun filled storytime with songs, drama, stories and craft.
All sessions commence at 10.30am. $3 charge/child.

For locations and times of all activities at Newcastle Region Library you can pick up a brochure at your local library or visit our events calendar at: http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/services/newcastle_library

Do you remember the Freedom Ride - Australian style?

2011-02-11T15:33:00.005+11:00

Well it is on again - 12th February - 26th February, 2011 Forty-one years ago a group of 29 students form Sydney University set out on a road trip around the countryside in New South Wales, Australia. Their aim was to raise awareness of issues affecting indigenous people, especially discrimination and racism. The trip around the outback and coastal towns drew a growing media coverage, after fiery incidents were reported in town after town wherever the road trip stopped. The freedom ride was led by a young and passionate student leader named Charles Perkins. By the time the trip had finished, he was known around the country as a new style advocate for Aboriginal rights. Tomorrow, a group of 30 young people are setting off again to re-tracing the original 2,300km journey made in 1965. They will be finishing up at Newcastle, NSW on the 26th February, 2011. They will be carrying a message stick and recording their journey along the way. They will interview elders in the communities that they visit to see what things have changed in the intervening years. Why not say hello if you see them? The Information and Research Centre library has a book called 'Freedom Ride' by Ann Curthoys. Ann was one of the original riders.

You can borrow the book from Wallsend District Library. For more information about the Freedom Ride see the website at: Freedom Ride website and: Central Coast Youth Connections website Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

And the Pursuit of Happiness

2011-01-27T18:07:00.002+11:00

Author & Illustrator: Maira Kalman

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Whimsical, artistic, creative and poetic non-fiction

Who'll want to read it? Anyone who thinks Abraham Lincoln would have made a great boyfriend.

Point of no return: If you are like me, you will be hooked from the very first page. I saw the Maira Kalman interviewed on "The Colbert Report" and had to read it. View the interview and I think you will be charmed into reading it also.

Classic line: "All of this history makes me want to embrace Lincoln and bring him into my world. I imagine us walking around New York. We would go straight to the Museum of Modern Art. Maybe we would look at self-portraits by Frida Kahlo. Would he be fascinated by a female artist with a unibrow and mustache flaunting her sexuality and visions? I think so." pg 83-85

What's it all about? It's an illustrated history lesson and love letter to all that is good in the USA. It doesn't skip over the bad bits, but makes you think about things without being confronted or horribly depressed. You don't even need to read this book to enjoy it, the illustrations and photos are so delicious. If you would like to borrow a copy contact the lovely staff at Newcastle Region Library - 02 4974 5344.

Publisher: The Penguin Press

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

High Tea with Jane Austen

2010-12-15T12:08:00.007+11:00

On Wednesday 8th December, 30 of Wallsend's most dedicated Jane Austen fans flooded Wallsend District Library to celebrate all things Austen.

From High Tea with scones and wildflowers to trivia and voting for their favourite Austen character, all who attended had a lovely morning immersing themselves in Jane facts and fun!

Mr Darcy won as the favourite (a huge suprise) and we were treated to some tales of saucy seduction in our writing competition about Darcy and Elizabeth's happily-ever-after honeymoon. We had lots of accomplished ladies, as well as regency maids and aristocrats gracing our tables and vying for a place in our costume competition.

All together we had a wonderful morning, with everyone getting into the spirit of the event. A big thank you goes out to all our patrons who constantly support our events and make them something to remember, this is what the library is all about!

Puggle's Problem

2010-12-14T18:39:00.005+11:00

Author: Aleesah Darlison

Illustrator: Sandra Temple

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Picture Book

What's it all about?

Pipp Puggle is a beautiful baby echidna, he is top of his class at eating ants and makes "terrifically tidy burrows", but Pipp is very worried, he is the only one in the whole bush who hasn't grown his spines yet.

So, Pipp goes on an experimental adventure trying all sorts of funny things to make his spines grow. From eating handfuls of eucalyptus leaves to laughing until sunset, but nothing seems to work, will he ever get his spines?

This was a beautiful story about growing up and about all the different animals in our incredible Australian bushland. It was lovely and simple, while on another level it gave me a lot of laughs about all the things we do to try and grow up too fast.

There is a wonderful message in this book about letting things happen when they happen, about enjoying your life and not rushing it.

But most of all, it was about a very cute echidna, Pipp Puggle!

I would recommend reading this book to any child in your life, it will bring a smile to both your faces, gorgeous illustrations and a great story.

Publisher: Wombat Books

If you love the sound of this book

why not meet the author during our January School Holiday Fun!

Aleesah will be holding sessions of 'Draw. Dream. Write. Delight' and

'Puggle Storytime' at different branches of Newcastle Region Library.

Contact your local library for more information OR download the program from our online catalogue:
Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

HSC Society & Culture PIPs

2010-11-29T15:59:00.012+11:00

Are you starting HSC Society & Culture? Are you having trouble with your Personal Interest Project? Do you need ideas for your layout?

Wallsend District Library and the Information & Research Centre at Newcastle Region Library have 17 award-winning Personal Interest Projects (PIPs) available for viewing. These PIPs have been selected from 2009 entries which were awarded with Distinctions.

Here are some of the available titles:

Penetrating Australia's Patriotism
Afghan Girls Gone Wild
Through the Porthole
Deutschland: ü ber alles
Is Foreign Aid Perpetuating 'Race'?
An Exploration into the Attitudes Towards the Mothertongue Among Second Generation Adolescent Australians

PIPs cannot be loaned or photocopied, but are completely free to access. Simply ask our friendly staff.

Did you know that our libraries also hold study guides for Society & Culture? Or that we have provide access to a range of electronic resources such as ebooks and searchable databases on civilizations and global issues? Simply search our catalogue or use our E-resource page to get started.

Rediscover Marilyn Monroe

2010-11-26T16:31:00.000+11:00

Two gorgeous recent releases will delight Marilyn Monroe fans.

The first is Fragments: poems, intimate notes, letters by Marilyn Monroe, edited by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment. Fragments is a manuscript lover's dream - a collection of notes, letters and poems written in Marilyn's own hand. Each piece is copied in the book and transcribed on the opposite page with notes and explanations. The book gives us an intimate insight into Marilyn Monroe, highlighting her sense of humour, her despair, her perfectionism and her charm. Each section is complemented with rarely seen photographs.

Marilyn August 1953: the lost Look photos by John Vachon, text by Brian Wallis, is another treasure trove for lover's of things lost. John Vachon was sent to Canada in 1953 by Look magazine to do a story on Hollywood in Canada. Marilyn was on location to film River of No Return. Due to a broken ankle, Marilyn was unable to film, giving Vachon days of access for his Look piece. The result is a stunning portfolio of images her fans will adore - Marilyn on crutches by the poolside, on a ski lift and many more. My favourites are the ones taken with Joe DiMaggio, especially the one with her cheekily poking out her tongue.

Both of these books are held at Wallsend District Library and can be reserved by either ringing the library on 4985 6680 or on-line via our catalogue.

Great Teen Reads from Wallsend's Teen Book Club

2010-09-24T16:17:00.013+10:00

Here are some of our member's favourite reads.

For adventure, fantasy, thrills and lots of action try:

Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

The wheel of time series by Robert Jordan

Jack West series by Matthew Reilly

If you like Manga (especially Shojo) we recommend:

Negima by Ken Akamatsu

Gentlemen's Alliance+ by Arina Tanemura

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma

Cheeky Angel by Hiroyuki Nishimori

If you're into comics and graphic novels we suggest:

The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way

Watchmen by Alan C. Moore
Lex Luthor : man of steel by Brian Azzarello

The Joker by Brian Azzarello

All these titles and much more are available through Newcastle Region Library.
Request items using the online catalogue or visit your local library branch.
Our teen book club is always looking for new members, so if you like reading and free snacks please come and check it out.
Our meetings are on the 2nd Friday of each month from 4-5pm @ Wallsend District Library
Phone us on 4985 6680 for more information or see Natasha at the library.

The life and opinions of Maf the dog, and of his friend Marilyn Monroe

2010-08-23T15:24:00.001+10:00

Author: Andrew O'Hagan

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Very funny literary fiction narrated by a dog.

Who'll want to read it? Dog lovers, Marilyn Monroe fans and anyone needing both a good laugh and an education in how dogs know the things they know.

Point of no return: From the very first page I knew I would be finishing this book: "It was warm that summer and the mornings went far into the afternoon, when the best of the garden would come into the house.." and then "I was lucky to have my two painters, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, a pair who, for all their differences, shared a determination to dream the world they lived in and fashion it into permanence. And what a blessing it was to paddle about on those Sussex flagstones and chase the yellow wasps, turning slowly into lovely me, the sort of dog who is set for foreign adventures and ordained to tell the story."

What's it all about? The last two years of Marilyn Monroe's life from the perspective of Mafia Honey, a Maltese terrier given to her by Frank Sinatra in 1960. It is a tender portrait of both Marilyn and Maf as well as "who's who" and "what's what" of the early 1960's in the USA. As Maf explains, a dog's biggest talent "is for absorbing everything of interest - we absorb the best of what is known to our owners and we retain the thoughts of those we meet. We are retentive enough and we have none of that fatal human weakness for making distinctions between what is real and what is imagined. It is all the same, more or less."
Maf's "puphood" is therefore spent absorbing the knowledge of his various companions, from breeder, housekeepers, buyers and visitors. He has a great knowledge of psychotherapy, history, art, world literature, Communism and his beloved Trotsky.

One of my favourite conversations occurs while Marilyn is at the Columbia-Presbyterian hospital: "There were bedbugs. I saw them and immediately assumed they were little Karamazovs... the bedbugs had a perfectly Russian attitude, seeming to doubt the reliability of everything. 'We admit it is our time,' said one of the bugs in a mournful way. 'Russian values, if we may speak of anything so nebulous and bourgeois as values, are understood, in America, as elsewhere, to be a central feature in what we might call the great duality and contradiction of the age.' He meant the Cold War. 'The Americans envy us. They are fascinated by Russian Literature.'
'And what has that to do with you?' (Sorry to have been so rational, but on these visits I'd spent a lot of time around very rational young doctors. And the times were paranoid: I thought they might be spies.)
'We are weaned in hospitals. In flop houses. In asylums. In cheap hotels and in housing projects. Our soul is Russian.'
'But your are Americans, right?'
'No,' said a tiny voice. 'We are bedbugs.'

The book is near perfect and deserves any prizes coming it's way - it is intelligent, poetic and captivating. For all of the book's laugh out loud humour it conveys a wonderful appreciation of Marilyn Monroe and of how hard she worked towards her goal of being taken seriously. Anyone who doesn't love Marilyn now will be in love with her at the end of the book.

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Listen to Andrew O'Hagan on the ABC Radio National's The Book Show.

Watch the book trailer on You Tube.

PS Andrew O'Hagan will be in Sydney for an Out of Season Sydney Writers' Festival Event in March 2011. I've already bought my tickets!

Melrose and Croc Go To Town

2010-08-13T19:49:00.002+10:00

Author: Emma Chichester Clark

Publication Date: 2007

Category: Children's picture book

Who'll want to read it? Pre-schoolers and Kindergarten kids and grown up librarians.

Point of no return: Well, Emma Chichester Clark is among my favourite authors and illustrators. I especially love the "Blue Kangaroo" series of books as well as Melrose and Croc Together at Christmas. So I was very excited to find this book in the collection at Wallsend District Library. Our copy include a CD so that children can read along with the book.

What's it all about? It's a cautionary tale about sticking together in crowded shopping centres so that you don't get lost! It has a happy ending. As with all of Emma's books the illustrations are exquisite. You could spend a long time just admiring the colours, the clothes and the decor in the world of Melrose and Croc.

Publisher: HarperCollins

New Graphic Novels @ your library

2010-07-30T15:15:00.015+10:00

Here's some of the latest graphic novels that Newcastle Region Library have purchased.

If you like what you see, reserve a copy online or visit your nearest branch.

Alice in the country of hearts Vol. 1 by Soumei Hoshino and Quinrose

Neko Ramen Vol. 1 by Kenji Sonishi

Pluto 001 Urasawa X Tezuka by Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka

Modesty Blaise : death in slow motion by Peter O'Donnell and Neville Colvin

Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot

Orange by Benjamin

Pride and prejudice and zombies : the graphic novel by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith; adapted by Tony Lee and Cliff Richards

Can't find what you want in our graphic novel collection?

Why not fill out a Suggestion For Purchase Form in branch or

contact Natasha @ Wallsend District Library on 4985 6680

The Family Law

2010-06-25T19:33:00.007+10:00

Author: Benjamin Law Publication Date: 2010 Classic line: There are so many classic lines, one doesn't know where to begin. From Benjamin's mother giving graphic descriptions of childbirth (enough to frighten any who would like to remain cool and aloof in the face of giving birth) to Emu horror stories to confused interpretations of the Holy Spirit. What's it all about? Some of you may have read Benjamin Law's work before, he is a senior contributor to Frankie magazine and also has had work appearing in The Monthly, Qweekend, Sunday Life, The Big Issue, New Matilda and The Courier Mail.

This is a book about Benjamin's life and family. It was, for me, a time of hysterical almost embarassing fits of laughter, combined with moments that made you wish you knew this young man and could give him a giant bear hug and tell him that everything's alright. It is a beautiful, honest and fun-filled journey that we take with the Law family, it really made me appreciate all the weird quirks and kinks of my own family in a new way.

The Family Law is simply brilliant, in the words of Dilmah "Do try it!" Publisher: Black Inc

To find out more about this wonderful young Australian writer visit his website

http://www.benjamin-law.com/

Silk Chaser

2010-06-16T15:07:00.005+10:00

Author: Peter Klein

Publication Date: 2010

Category: Mystery/Thriller

Who'll want to read it? People who like to read Dick Francis.

What's it all about? Set in the Australian racing circuit, a serial killer is stalking young female strappers. No one know who it is, why he's doing it, or who is next. The police and the racing fraternity seem powerless to do anything. The women are terrified and the union is threatening to go on strike and close down the entire racing industry..............enter John Punter, a professional 'punter', who seems to be in the right place at the wrong time......

'Silk Chaser' is the third John Punter novel of the series, with great characters and reminiscent of Dick Francis.

I love Dick Francis books and when I found Peter Klein I was in heaven. Great characters and good story lines. Set in Australia, readers will appreciate the familiar landscapes.

Publisher: Macmillian

Winter Warmers

2010-06-15T18:10:00.036+10:00

With the cold weather upon us it's time to start reading knitting books. Here are just two of the interesting titles available at Newcastle Region Libraries.

Hattitude : knits for every mood by Cathy Carron contains 40 amazing hats you can knit. From the "Tied Bonnet" for humble moods to the "Appliqued Pillbox" for idealistic moods there really is something for every mood. I really must find someone to make me the literary "Floppy Toque".

Publication Date: 2009

Publisher: sixth and spring books

Aware Knits : knit and crochet projects for the eco-conscious stitcher by Vicki Howell and Adrienne Armstrong has been another popular book in our collection. Projects include an aromatherapy eyepillow, organic cotton washcloths, a crocheted jute welcome mat as well as a lovely range of socks, booties, cardigans and wraps.

Publication Date: 2009

Publisher: Lark Books

Craft Chat at Wallsend District Library

2010-06-11T09:04:00.003+10:00

Wallsend District Library hosts Craft Chat on the first Friday of every month from 10 am until 12 noon.

Why not join us for morning tea and company? Just bring along any hand held craft that you are working on.

Contact Ann on 4985 6680 for details.

Low Calorie Cupcakes by Jan Mason

My Girragundji

2010-06-10T13:20:00.002+10:00

Author: Meme McDonald & Boori Monty Prior

Publication Date: 1998

Category: Children's fiction; Indigenous literature

Who'll want to read it? People who love frogs and those needing to find courage.

Point of no return: It was the front cover that made we want to read this book, but as soon as I started it I knew I would finish it.

Classic line: "A frog! A little, green, tree frog. A beautiful little girragundji. 'Where did you come from?' I'm breathing again. I'm gonna live. 'Where you come from, little fulla?' ....'Big snakes out there, yibulla. You gotta watch out for them big fulla snakes.They can gobble your right up. You stay in here with me, you little darlin'. We can look after each other." pg28-30

What's it all about? A boy growing up and experiencing bullying, first love, problems at home and the looming threat of "The Hairyman" - a bad spirit playing tricks in his house. Things pick up when he finds the little gree tree frog who gives him so much courage. The book has beautiful evocative photographs throughout and would be a great read for 8-10 year olds.

I read this book a few years ago and it's one of my favourites. I but bought myself a copy at Sydney Writers' Festival in May - how could I resist when Boori Monty Pryor was there to sign it for me? What a wonderful, interesting and hilarious man. I can't wait for his new book, illustrated by Jan Ormerod, Shake A Leg which is coming out in October this year.

By the way, My Girragundji was the winner of the Book of the Year for Younger Readers prize, Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards 1999.

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

New readers for ESL students, teachers and tutors!

2010-05-07T16:45:00.008+10:00

Wallsend District Library now has a small collection of ESL readers with African content aimed at adult readers. Contact Kieran at Wallsend District Library on 4985 6680 if you'd like to know more about our literacy collection.

Titles include:

* The Nkosi Family by Elda Lyster
* Why dogs chase goats by Mba Manqele
* Woza Friday by Wendy Annecke
* The trick by Wendy Annecke
* Who shall I marry? by Sello Motete
* The tree man: Robert Mazibuko's story by Robert Mazibuko

The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

2010-04-24T15:49:00.004+10:00

Author: Mathias Malzieu, translated from the French by Sarah Ardizzone

Publication date: 2009

Category: Fairytale love story, with a little bit of steampunk.

Who'll want to read it? The broken hearted. Also anyone who loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

Point of no return: The first page: "In which Little Jack is born on the coldest day on earth and miraculously resuscitated......The old river usually so serious, is disguised as an icing sugar lake that stretches all the way to the sea. The din of the surf rings out like the sound of windows smashing. Miraculously, the hoarfrost stitches sequins on to cats' bodies. The trees stretch their arms, like fat fairies in white nightshirts yawning at the moon...."

Classic line: "Firstly: don't touch the hands of your cuckoo-clock heart. Secondly: master your anger. Thirdly: never, ever fall in love. For if you do, the hour hand will poke through your skin, your bones will shatter, and your heart will break once more." pg 24.

What's it all about? Set in late 19th Century Edinburgh and Spain, it's a bittersweet little book in which every line about love and hearts has a double meaning. It is so beautifully written that your eyes and your mind (or your own heart) experience the different meanings separately. Travel with Jack as he learns about life and love, despite his guardian's efforts to protect him from pain. I particularly enjoyed the appearance of Georges Meilies and his efforts to assist Jack in his search for Miss Acacia, the love of his life.

Publisher: Chatto & Windus

Something interesting: The author is lead singer of the French pop group Dionysos. You can watch the book trailer here with Dionysos performing. Apparently there is a whole album based on this novel and a film on the way courtesy of Luc Besson.

Read The World Challenge

2010-04-20T18:00:00.000+10:00

My cousin recently posted about the Read The World challenge, starting 23 April 2010. The idea is to read as books from or about as many different countries as possible in one year. What a way to broaden your horizons! The site has lists of book suggestions, if you need them!

PRE CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK EVENT

2010-03-29T11:11:00.007+11:00

Here’s a chance to find out all about this year’s short listed books!

Newcastle Region Library is delighted to offer you the opportunity to attend a presentation by

Wendy Smith the NSW Children’s Book Council judge.

This presentation includes her insights into all the Short listed titles and some key Notable titles.

All titles will be on display for viewing & discussion.

Teacher librarians, public librarians and interested adults are welcome to attend.

Date: Tuesday 11 May

Time: 4pm (refreshments & viewing) for 4.30pm presentation

Venue: Lovett Gallery, City Library, Laman St.

Bookings: Newcastle Region Library on 4974 5300 / 4985 6692

$5 door charge

The Rabbit Problem

2010-03-21T14:00:00.009+11:00

Author: Emily Gravett (and a lot of rabbits)

Publication Date: 2009

Category: Eccentric children's picture book about rabbits (not maths).

Who'll want to read it? Children learning to read and count, rabbit lovers, grownups.

Point of no return: The curious rabbit on the front cover.

Classic line: The whole book is a classic and I really must buy myself a copy.

What's it all about? It's a year in the life of "Fibonacci's Field" in which rabbits multiply each month. The book is set out like a calendar with a new problem each month such as "The lonely rabbit problem" in January, "The cold rabbit problem" in February, with suggestions to keep warm which lead right to "The baby rabbit problem" in March. There are lots of little books within this book including "Bunny's first month" and "The Carrot Cookery Book : Creative ways with carrots". I could probably spend an hour or two reading this book and it's booklets and still find new bits. I absolutely adore this book and just know parents and children will enjoy reading it together.

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Author Visit @ Newcastle Region Library

2010-03-04T16:10:00.011+11:00

Fiona McIntosh

Fiona McIntosh is already a star in both the Australian and international literary worlds, with bestsellers in both the fantasy and crime genres. Now with her new book Fields of Gold, she turns her hand to historical fiction with spectacular results.

Fiona is a very engaging speaker. Here’s a little blurb where she tells more about her family history that inspired the story:

‘It required me delving back into my family’s history and memories, taking two of its most colourful members that curiously so little was known about. My grandfathers were clearly great adventurers, each hailing from Britain at the turn of the last century and both setting off to find fame and fortune in India at the height of post Victorian industrialisation but also in the era of imperial decline. They both found themselves in a tiny outpost – a magnificent colonial settlement - that had sprung up around the Kolar Gold Fields in the south. Fiction tramples over truth I have to admit, but it’s a big story against an exotic setting as a brilliant friendship is forged between these two incredibly different men but is torn apart by a woman. And perhaps the most intriguing character of all is the Indian woman who, though more of a cameo role, is based on the real villager servant that one grandfather stunned his well-heeled British counterparts by marrying. From the rugged, stunning Cornish coast readers will be taken on a journey to the humid city of Rangoon and onto the arid lands of southern India where the British colonialists had turned desert into a verdant hamlet that becomes a hotbed of forbidden love, betrayal and intrigue. Writing it was the tip of the iceberg! Recreating the era as I tried to weave truth around my fictional tale became the monster that floated beneath and I did big research trips to Cornwall, London and southern India to ensure I was able to get the atmosphere of the Edwardian times moving into the post war period in these locations as accurately as I could…’

Date: Tuesday 30th March

Time: 6.00pm

Venue: Newcastle Region Library, Lovett Gallery, Laman St, Newcastle

Bookings: 4974 5342

Wonders of a Godless World

2010-02-04T11:03:00.000+11:00

Author: Andrew McGahan

Publication Date: 2009

Category: Fiction

Point of no return: This book was a recommendation, but the first two sentences really drew me in: "The orphan knew something was up that night, even before the foreigner arrived at the hospital. It was a warm evening, early in the storm season, and she had been feeling strangely restless all day."

Classic line: Page 2-3: "He thought she was one of the inmates - a short, stumpy girl with a shaved head and a hairy upper lip and a hospital dress stretched tight over big floppy breasts.
Ha! She was ugly and a madwoman and he was scared of her."

What's it all about? An orphan lives and works in an aging hospital, prefering to spend her time in the back wards, with the dying and the insane. She knows that she herself has madness in her, but it has remained undiagnosed due to her mental disabilities. She has to concentrate to understand even simple speech, cannot decipher pictures, television, or sounds on the radio, and cannot hold onto or understand names. But she can read the weather, and tell you if it will rain or not.

One night the foreigner arrives, in a catatonic state, and disrupts the balance of the hospital. He ends up in the old crematorium with the Duke, the Witch, the Archangel, and the Virgin, with none of the nursing staff wanting to go near him.

After the nearby volcano erupts, the orphan hears the foreigner's voice inside her head, clear and wonderful. He recognises her special abilities, and helps her to explore and expand them. He claims to be immortal, and takes her on journeys into his mind and his past, and the minds and memories of the Duke, the Witch, the Archangel, and the Virgin.

I don't feel I can do justice to the story, and hope that you feel intrigued enough from this very paltry description to read it yourself. I felt like I travelled with the orphan on her amazing journeys, experienced her wonder and joy. I also felt the foreigner was taking advantage of her naivity, and moulding her for his own selfish reasons. Her reactions to his manipulations were surprising to me at first, but Andrew McGahan really made you understand how isolated she felt before the foreigner arrived.

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

The Outlander

2010-01-30T19:54:00.012+11:00

Author: Gil Adamson Publication Date: 2007 Category: Startling transformation of the classsic western narrative. Who'll want to read it? Readers who enjoy a haunting tale about passionate crime and retribution, precarious survival, redemption and love. A story of one young woman's deliberate journey deep into the icy wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Along her journey she encounters a handful of odd and eccentric individuals who like her are outcasts surviving against the odds in the harsh frontiers of America but who also offer her kindness, which gives her hope.

'A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure' MICHAEL ONDAATJE

Point of no return: "Nineteen years old and already a widow. Mary Boulton. Widowed by her own hand.".pg 4

" The girl stood in a ditch under a hard , small moon. Pale foam rose from where her shoes sank into the mud. No more voices inside her head, no noise but these dogs. She saw her own course along the ground as a trail of bright light, now doused in the ditchwater. She clamboured up the bank and onto the road, her stiff funeral skirt made of breadspread and curtain, her hair wild and falling in dark robes about her face. The widow gathered up her shawl and fled witchlike down the empty road." p 4

Classic Opening Verse:

Now goes the sun under the wood,

I pity, Mary, thy fair face.

Now goes the sun under the tree,

I pity, Mary, thy son and thee.

-ANON, THIRTEENTH CENTURY

What's it all about? A young woman referred to as the widow who we later find out is called Mary is being pursued in the night by two vengeful brothers and a pack of dogs. The brothers are tracking her like prey in retaliation for killing their kin. The widow is also suffering the recent loss of her son which fuels her delirium which runs in the recesses of her mind. Glimpses into her past reveal her unhappy marriage, absent and sick parents and her repression by an over bearing grandmother. The widows wintery and intense journey is aided by rogues who help her with food, shelter and safe passage.

This story speaks to the resilence of the female spirit in the early part of the last century. The wild womyn who need to find a way out and seek their own liberation, no matter what it takes.

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Mystery Man

2010-01-24T10:38:00.006+11:00

Author: Bateman... Colin Bateman Publication Date: 2009 Category: Mystery, humour etc etc etc Who'll want to read it? People who need a good laugh Point of no return: Having read the follow-up (The Day of the Jack Russell) a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't wait to go back and read this. I tried to wait a couple of months to have some distance, but reading Colin Bateman is like eating chocolate - if there is one around, you can't resist it. Which is how I ended up reading the follow-up first. Classic line: "It was serial killer week in No Alibis, and thus far the Chianti was proving way more popular than the fava beans." pg 23 "I have made a lifelong study of crime fiction. I have read all of the great works, and most of the middling ones, and many of the minor ones, and a lot of trash besides. There is virtually nothing about the solving of fictional crimes that I do not know, and what are fictional crimes but factual crimes with hats on?" pg 376 What's it all about? "Mystery Man" runs a crime fiction bookshop in Belfast called No Alibis. He is a massive hypochondriac with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or possibly, an obsessive-compulsive with massive hypochondria. Yet he somehow manages to attract the attentions of the very pretty young lady working in the jewellery shop across the road. He inadvertently becomes a Private Eye which leads on to all sorts of dangerous, yet frequently hilarious consequences for himself and his new side-kick Alison. I really loved this book and would have to say it is my new favourite Bateman book. It seems to be part tribute to crime fiction and part spoof. Everyone should enjoy the Agatha Christie style denouement towards the end. All in all it was a fabulous read and one I really couldn't put down no matter how tired I was - it landed on my face as I fell asleep many times. Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

The Disciples

2010-01-14T10:29:00.005+11:00

Author: James Mollison Publication Date: 2008 Category: Coffee table book, adult non-fiction, photography

Who'll want to read it? Music fans Point of no return: The very first photo. Have a look at James Mollison's site. What's it all about? If you missed the exhibition you can see the book. James Mollison took these photographs of music fans over a 3 year period. It's such a fun book, guessing which star the fans are paying tribute to. My favourited is a guy dressed as Bob Dylan, although I thought he was trying to be Leonard Cohen. The book itself is wonderful to sit down with and flick through, but the web-site has songs to go with some of the photos. I'd recommend both the book and the web-site.

Publisher: Chris Boot

The Private Diary of Mr Darcy

2010-01-10T09:21:00.001+11:00

Author: Maya Slater

Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Pride and Prejudice fans who are prepared for Darcy to be a real man. Point of no return: I was immediately taken in, mainly because of Darcy's references to Caroline Bingley's attentions, and seeming oblivious to her intentions. Classic line: page 215: "We were discomforted when, after dinner, the 'monks', by now well in their cups, began to throw off their habits, beneath which they were naked as Adam & Eve. It seemed that we were to experience a full-scale orgy. Charles objected that such an event was peculiarly unsuited to the Sabbath. 'That is precisely the point,' retorted Byron." What's it all about? It's exactly what it says it is - the diary of Mr Darcy, from his time at Netherfield to a month before his marriage to Elizabeth. I loved this book, for a variety of reasons. It adds depth to Mr Darcy's character in a manner of surprising ways - his friendship with Lord Byron being one example of these. It also gives insight into what a gentleman of the time was expected to do, by the larger population and by his peers. Slater also placed the novel(s) more firmly in time by mentioning events of historical significance that a gentleman would be interested in. The novel challenges the reader's preconceived ideas of several characters, Darcy included, and goes places that Jane Austen would have been to mortified to tread. Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

The Year of the Flood

2010-01-10T08:49:00.001+11:00

Author: Margaret Atwood

Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Environmentalists, anti-utopia fans, disaster fans, alternate civilisation fans, Margaret Atwood fans. Point of no return: The first page indicates a sinister disaster, with "abandoned towers ... devoid of life" and "the absence of motors", not to mention the presence of vultures. I was drawn in immediately, with the usual 'what happened?', but also 'how did this one person survive when no one else did?' Classic line: Too many to list here, but I think lots of lines will start turning up on t-shirts soon! What's it all about? This is a post apocalypse novel, and it follows two survivors, Toby and Ren, who were previously members of an environmental religious group called God's Gardeners. To combat their loneliness, they relive their past, remembering the lessons the Gardeners passed on, wondering if anyone else survived the Waterless Flood, hoping but not quite believing they could have. Apparently this expands on, and further explains, certain aspects of and characters from Oryx and Crake. I haven't yet read it, so I cannot comment about that, but obviously you do not need to have read Oryx and Crake to understand what is going on in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed The Year of the Flood, as I have enjoyed all of Atwood's books I've read so far. Do not skip the songs, as they are often very dark, and amusing. Publisher: Nan A. Talese, Doubleday

Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children

2010-01-01T13:21:00.006+11:00

Author: Jen Storer; cover and text illustrations by Sonia Kretschmar Publication Date: 2009 Category: Children's story, adventure, fantasy Who'll want to read it? Primary school kids and grownups Point of no return: I just had to buy this book when I saw the front cover. About a week before I discovered this book I had a dream that I had masses of curly red hair - just like Tensy Farlow! Classic line: "At the sound of Albie's tuneless singing the baby gave a tremulous sigh. The droning voice and the dull rattle of the lorry quickly worked their magic and before long she was lulled into a twilight state. By the time Wiggin Row was behind them and they had entered the rolling hills of Mumbles Fell, it was all she could do to stay awake." pg 5 What's it all about?: A baby girl is left in a basket on the steps of the hospital in Wiggin Row. Mistaking her for a basket of linen, Albie Gribble puts her in the back of his lorry, and so begins the adventure. This is a beautiful story featuring GAs (Guardian Angels), an evil spirit, the wicked Matron Pluckrose & Mrs Beadle, some mysterious "watchers" and an abominable orphanage known as "The Home for Mislaid Children". Join Tensy and Albie on their journey and put a little magic back in your life. Publisher: Penguin See the book trailer on YouTube.

Her Fearful Symmetry

2009-12-19T08:39:00.002+11:00

Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Publication Date: 2009

Category: Fiction

Who'll want to read it? People with a keen sense of the unusual.

Point of no return: I wanted to read this book because of who wrote it, but even if I hadn't, the first chapter is very captivating.

What's it all about? Robert's girlfriend Elspeth dies, leaving everything except her personal papers to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. Elspeth is herself a twin, although she has not spoken to Edie since her nieces were babies. The conditions of her will state that the girls are to live in her apartment for a year before disposing of it as they wish, and that Edie and her husband Jack are not allowed to enter the apartment at all.

Upstairs from Elspeth's apartment live Martin and Marijke, until Marijke can no longer live with Martin's obsessive compulsive disorder, and leaves him to fend for himself. His OCD won't let him leave the apartment, so he is totally reliant on the Internet, the telephone, and Robert, who lives on the ground floor.

Elspeth, after her death, finds herself back in her apartment, at first just drifting around, but gradually getting stronger. Once the girls have moved in, she begins communicating with them, and with Robert, who still has a key to the flat.

Julia and Valentina have a very close, almost stifling, twin relationship, but their move from America to England puts a strain on this. Julia and Martin develop a close friendship, while Valentina falls for Robert (who reciprocates).

And then things get complicated.

I really didn't like most of the characters in this book, but I was fascinated by their interactions, and their motivations. I still can't figure out if I liked the book itself, but I still class it as a good read, mainly because I am still thinking about it, wondering what happened next.

Edit: I've decided that I DO like it. Robert is very endearing, and I was left with a sense of justice served. This book has generated many conversations between people who have read it, and would make an excellent book club book.

Publisher: Scribner

Lovesong

2009-12-14T20:25:00.018+11:00

Author: Alex Miller Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Readers who enjoy a story told with emotion, compassion, love and tolerance. Also how immigrants and travellers can put down roots in a foreign land and try to carve out a life for themselves through their stubborness, memories, ignorance, customs and hope for a different life or the hope in returning back to the motherland. Point of no return: Before the story starts there is this - I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild does: do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready! THE SONG OF SOLOMON adjure -to command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath "adjoining her in the name of God to declare the truth" I was also eagerly awaiting Millers next book after" Landscape of Farewell". Classic line: 'Love's never simple. You know that. Dad.' p 8 'We'll have a wonderful life,' he said 'Whatever we do. I just know we will. It doesn't matter what we do' p 74 What's it all about? A small Tunisian cafe called 'Chez Dom' in Paris is a home away from home for the North African immigrant workers at the great, smelly and bloody abattoirs of Vaugirard. The cafe is run by the recently widowed Houria and her young niece Sabiha. It is by chance that John Patterner, a lost Australian traveller seeks shelter in the cafe from a sudden storm and so meets Sabiha, and their love story unfolds. Years later John meets Ken, an ageing writer. John confides his story to Ken and what happened to him and Sahiba at Vaugirard. Ken also sees the potential for one last simple love story but is love simple??? Miller has the ability to take you into the human hearts of his characters , their failings, aspirations, desires, fears and misgivings. Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Tabby McTat

2009-12-12T14:59:00.004+11:00

Author: Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Publication Date: 2009

Category: Children's picture book

Who'll want to read it? Cat lovers - grown ups and children.

Point of no return: The expressions on the faces of the cats on the front cover drew me in.

Classic line: "MEEE-EW and the old guitar, How PURRRR-fectly happy we are."

What's it all about? It's about the adventures of Tabby McTat - a busker's cat - including loneliness, marriage, fatherhood and working out your true direction in life. The illustrations are perfect and it is a wonderful wonderful story. And I'm not even a cat person.

Publisher: Alison Green Books (an imprint of Scholastic Books)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

2009-11-13T14:27:00.001+11:00

Author: Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Anyone who loved "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", any Austen fans with a sense of humour. Point of no return: For me, it was the title. Classic line: Willoughby, on Colonel Brandon (page 56):"Who, though he may have a thinking mind, has also a fish's face, and should perhaps be more comfortable out of his gentlemen's coats and submerged in the tank in my parlour." What's it all about? The classic "Sense and Sensibility" story, set after "the Alteration, when the waters of the world grew cold and hateful to the sons of man, and darkness moved on the face of the deep." (page 7) After the death of their father, and the subsequent forced move to Pestilent Isle, in the Middleton Archipelago, the Dashwood sisters' lives take a completely new direction. Marianne falls in love with the handsome Willoughby (who appears to best advantage in full diving costume and helmet), Margaret becomes increasingly aware of the unusual nature of their island, and Elinor tries to maintain and instill a semblance of sense and decorum in her family. I thoroughly enjoyed this "Quirk Classic", and cannot wait for the next one! Publisher: Quirk Books

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2009-11-02T17:42:00.001+11:00

Author: Junot Diaz

Publication Date: 2007

Category: fiction

Who'll want to read it? I'm not really sure. It's a pretty crazy ride.

Point of no return: I loved the first line: "They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of the Tainos, uttered just as one world perished and another began; that it was a demon drawn into Creation through the nightmare door that was cracked open in the Antilles." I then really struggled through the first chapter, but persisted, mainly because the book had been recommended. It picks up again in chapter two.

What's it all about? For me, it was more about the females of Oscar's family. Oscar is an incredibly overweight Dominican in New Jersey, whose life revolves around all things science fiction and fantasy (including role playing games and manga films), and the unrequited love he has for every random girl he sees. There is a fuku on the family, from a previous generation - a curse that is so powerful, it is passed down to each member of the family in a different way. His sister Lola, and his mother Belicia are stronger characters than Oscar himself, and I found their tales much more interesting.

Publisher: Riverhead Books

The Mysterious Affair At The Library

2009-10-26T11:37:00.004+11:00

Ladies and Gentleman

Are you simply dying for a sumptuous morning tea?
Need to exercise your little grey cells?
Do you like order and method?
Does murder follow you wherever you go?
Do you enjoy a good dénouement?

Bon! Mon Ami, this is the event for you!

Join us at Wallsend District Library to celebrate the Dame of crime, murder, mystery & intrigue…Agatha Christie.

Wednesday 9th December 10.00am-12.00pm
Vote for your favourite Christie Sleuth
Enter our “What happened to Agatha?” Competition (see our flyer for details)
Prize for best Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot look-a-like
Compete in our Trivia competition
Swap your unwanted Agatha Christie books at our ‘Christie Book Swap’
Channel your inner Marple, Poirot or devious murderer in our Mystery game

Morning tea with delightful delicacies provided and so much more…

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Phone 4985 6680
Knitting, cardigans, groomed moustaches and helpful accomplices all welcome!

Truth

2009-10-19T15:25:00.004+11:00

Author: Peter Temple Publication Date: 2009 Category: Australian crime fiction Who'll want to read it? Crime fiction lovers who don't mind a bit of a challenge. Point of no return: There is no way this book would go un-read by me! I've been very excited since I heard Peter Temple was releasing a sequel to The Broken Shore. Even though it is a sequel, it does stand alone as a separate story. I was rather pleased to see that Joe Cashin's poodles managed to get a mention in Truth. Peter Temple obviously knows a good dog when he sees one.

Classic line: "The Herald Sun front page had pictures of Kidd and Larter, mug shots, the lagophthalmic psycho child-molester serial-killer look all men had when their driver's licence photographs were enlarged six hundred per cent." pg 213 What's it all about? The story is about Stephen Villani, Homicide boss who we met briefly in The Broken Shore. According to his Dad, Bob Villani, Stephen has always had a "boss manner" that made some a bit nervous. Lots of people have lots of reasons to be nervous in this story of revenge, murder, torture and abuse. To top it all off, the worst bushfires in memory are threatening Bob Villani's farm outside Melbourne and Villani's 15 year old daughter is missing on the streets of St Kilda. I love the way Peter Temple is so sparse with his dialogue and explanations - sometimes finding the meaning is like deciphering a code. It takes a couple of chapters to get into the rhythmn, but it's worth it. Truth is a fabulous read, one that kept me up all hours and even beckoned to me at 3 am. I can finally get some sleep now that I've finished it! Publisher: Text Publishing

New Moon Party @ Newcastle Region Library

2009-10-09T15:38:00.016+11:00

Waiting for your next Twilight fix?

Come to our New Moon Party!

Ages 12 and up

$5 per person

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Trivia and prizes
Twilight food
Vote for your Twilight dream boy - Edward vs Jacob- who will win?!
Party games
Free Twilight and vampire bookmarks
Vampire books

And so much more!

Wallsend District Library

Ph: 4985 6680

Monday 16th November

6.00 - 7.00pm

------------------------

Steele Fitchett @ Wallsend District Library

2009-10-08T19:07:00.008+11:00

Local identity, Steele Fitchett will launch his new book 'Being Real, the narrow way to loving ourselves'. The book traces Steele's journey through obstetrics, palliative care and grief counselling.

Venue: Wallsend District Library

Date: Wednesday 28th October

Time: 5.30pm

Free event - for bookings phone 02 4985 6680

Love Letters

2009-09-27T11:30:00.009+10:00

Author: Katie Fforde Publication Date: 2009 Category: Romantic Fiction Who'll want to read it? People who need a lovely romantic escape. Point of no return: I thought the decication sounded quite promising: "To Ireland and Irishmen, this is for you!"

Classic line: "Listen, if you don't want to find out, with demonstrations, exactly what the Blarney Stone and meself have got up to, I'd go to the shop in double-quick time." pg 231

What's it all about? Laura works in a bookshop which will be closing in a matter of weeks. She soon finds herself thrown into a different world, helping to organise a literary festival and traipsing across Ireland to personally ask famous recluse Dermot Flynn to be their star attraction. There's love, friendship and seduction. There's also conflict and confusion, but not without the inevitable reconciliation. If you are a Katie Fforde fan you will know I'm not giving anything away there. Yay! it's another fabulous book you'll find yourself wanting to read until 2 am. Publisher: Century

The Graveyard Book

2009-09-24T15:30:00.006+10:00

Author: Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell Publication Date: 2009 (I read the paperback version) Who'll want to read it? Anyone who is not afraid to read a children's book, no matter how old they are, because those that take the chance will discover a world of incredible stories that have so much depth and beauty and so many wonderful intricate details to enjoy.

What's it all about? Nobody Owens lives in the graveyard at the top of the hill, he has lived there for as long as he can remember, discovering the ins and outs, the hidden secrets, learning to fade into nothingness and making friends with ghouls and long departed people of the town. However, Nobody Owens is not dead, he is very much alive. Publisher: Bloomsbury

The Infernal Optimist

2009-09-21T17:10:00.006+10:00

Author: Linda Jaivin Publication Date: 2006 Category: Australian fiction Who'll want to read it? Adults Point of no return: Page 1: "There she was, waiting for me - Marlena, me own little Version a Heaven. She Who I Love, Honour and Try to Obey. She Who I Call She Who For Short, what she is, being even shorter than me." Classic line: " 'Nothing behind the razor wire is lovely,' he said again, like she hadn't heard it the first time. 'Except present ladylike company,' I go. 'You yourself are looking particulately lovely today, April.' Her lips moved briefly in the direction of up. 'You've got a way with words, Zek,' she goes. I couldn't think of anything to say to that." pg 175 What's it all about? Zeki gets out of his latest stint in jail only to find himself thrown into Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. It turns out Zeki, born in Turkey and raised in Australia, never became an Australian citizen because he couldn't be bothered waiting in line. With his criminal record and his perceived "bad character" this makes him a "five-o-one" awaiting deportation. Some of what Zeki sees, hears and experiences in Villawood will make you laugh, but will probably mostly make you cry. Zeki seems to be a bit of a dummy, but his innocent yet somehow perceptive insights cut right through the core of the injustices occurring in detention centres at the time this book was written. Through all of the humour, you just know things are going to go so very badly for many of the inmates. It's a well written book that gives faces and emotions to the people we may only hear about in the news. Publisher: Fourth Estate

Authors hit town for Children’s Book Week

2009-08-26T14:00:00.000+10:00

Over three thousand school children are booked to visit Newcastle Region Library branches to celebrate Children’s Book Week next week from Monday 24 August to Friday 29 August. Newcastle Region Library’s Education and Promotions Officer, CAROL EDMONDS says Children’s Book Week and the Children’s Book of the Year Awards are a great celebration of children’s authors in Australia. “Having award-winning authors presenting workshops and activities creates a greater level of interest in books and libraries and encourages children to get into the habit of reading books for both recreation and learning." Well known children’s author Moya Simons and illustrator Donna Rawlins will be at the Library along with an amazing theatre production from Melbourne the ‘Nobody owns the moon’ by Tony Bones Entertainment. Moya’s Simons books include the popular Dead series (Dead Meat!, Dead Worries!, Dead Average!, Dead Funny! and Dead Scary!) and the Totally series - (Totally Cool!, Totally Weird!, Totally Awesome!, Totally Freaky! and Totally Creepy!) Donna Rawlins has illustrated numerous children’s picture books, notably The Kinder Hat and Tucking Mummy In by Morag Loh. Her best known work however is My Place by Nadia Wheately, which won the Children’s book council Book of the Year (Younger Readers) Award in 1988. ‘Nobody owns the moon’ is a musical play adaptation of one of this year’s Children’s Book Week short listed picture books. The play brings the book to life with ‘original song and dance numbers, thrilling and moving drama, puppetry and hysterical comedy.

A case of exploding mangoes

2009-08-17T20:11:00.006+10:00

Author: Mohammed Hanif Publication Date: 2008 Category: Literary Fiction, Humour, Love, Murder & Mystery

Point of no return: The ambiguous title caught me. Classic line/s: Pg 1: "His smart casual look hides a superior diplomatic mind; he is a composer of sharp, incisive memos and has the ability to remain polite in the most hostile exchanges."

Pg 18: " 'See you at the square, Baby O.'

I felt jealous, not because of the intimacy that it implied, but because I wished I had come up with this nickname for Obaid." What's it all about? It's part love story, part murder-mystery and part tragic comedy. It's a wonderful book that I didn't want to end - I was enjoying the company of part time narrator Ali Shigri so much. Apart from the captivating storyline, this book is beautifully written - it's like reading a lilting poem. The story revolves around the mysterious explosion of a C130 Hercules, in which Pakistan's military dictator General Zia dies in August 1988. General Zia "knows" someone wants to kill him, but doesn't know who. General Zia might as well be in a "choose your own adventure" story as far as that goes: Will he be poisoned? Will a curse kill him? Will one or two of his Generals betray him?

If you get the chance, listen to the author at the 2009 Sydney Writers' Festival. This session was a real bonus as Mohammed Hanif read quite a bit from the book. I think my experience of the book was much enhanced from being at this session - it gave me the accents and the humour. I guess this is what made Ali Shigri so real to me.

Publisher: Jonathan Cape

Susannah Fullerton @ Newcastle Region Library

2009-08-14T09:39:00.008+10:00

Susannah Fullerton, President of the Jane Austen Society in Australia is coming to Newcastle Region Library. This should be an interesting evening for literary lovers. Susannah will be in town to talk about her new book "Brief Encounters". This is a look back in history at all the literary identities that have travelled to Australian shores, why they came, what they did when they arrived here, their opinions of Australia and Australians and how their future work was influenced by the time they spent in this country. Susannah looks at writers such as Charles Darwin, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie just to name a few. Susannah is one of Australia’s leading authorities on early 19th and 20th Century writers and is a very engaging and lively speaker to listen to. Friday 21st August 6.30pm Newcastle Region Library Laman St, Newcastle

Persepolis : the story of a childhood & the story of a return

2009-08-11T17:02:00.006+10:00

Author: Marjane Satrapi Publication Date: 2008 What's it all about?

Persepolis is biography about Marjane Satrapi’s childhood and adolescence in graphic novel format. Marjane grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and she reveals what that was like in dark, tragic and humorous language. The format made some of the more historical and political content easier to read - and all the more hilarious in some parts. This book is a great story about growing up, I learnt a lot about Iran, it made me laugh out loud and cry bitter tears. I don’t read many biographies or comics but this is a fantastic and interesting read for something really different. Publisher: Vintage

Knit-In & Wrap with Love @ Wallsend District Library

2009-08-07T15:12:00.008+10:00

On Friday the 7th August Wallsend Library patrons participated in the annual Wrap with Love Knit-In.

10 eager ladies attended, knitting and crocheting squares to be made into blankets for distribution to the needy both here and overseas.

A beautiful crochet rug and knitted squares were also delivered by community members unable to attend the Knit-In.

A regular monthly Craft Club morning will be held on the 1st Friday of each month between 10am-12noon at Wallsend District Library. So bring along your craft work or knitting and join us for a morning of craft and chatter.

Wallsend District Library, Bunn St Wallsend Contact Ann or Natasha for details on 4985 6680 Visit Wrap With Love for more information about the annual Knit-In.

The Shadow of the Wind

2009-07-16T15:26:00.007+10:00

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon Publication Date: 2005 Who'll want to read it? Anyone who loves to live in a world of books, who is interested in Spanish culture and anyone who loves a story they can curl up and get completely lost in. What's it all about?

Daniel Sempre works in his father's bookshop in Barcelona, as a young boy he dreams of being a writer and of owning the fountain pen that belonged to Victor Hugo. One morning he wakes up to realise he cannot remember his mother's face, she is gone and he cannot remember her. This is the day he goes to the Cemetary of Forgotten books, the day his life is changed forever. Here he discovers a book named 'The shadow of the wind' by Julian Carax and after reading it Daniel seems to become drawn further and further into the world of the author, the story of the book and the many mysteries and dangers that this world presents.

This was such an amazing book! If I could have spent all day and night reading I would have, there were times when I just wished I could disappear inside the pages and join them in this world full of darkness, mystery and culture. It is a beautiful story and I'm glad to have made it's acquaintance. Publisher: Penguin Books

The Lost Book of Salem

2009-07-12T16:54:00.005+10:00

Author: Katherine Howe Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Those interested in witches and history, particularly American Colonial history. Point of no return: When the two parts of the story link up for the first time on pages 63 and 64. A key falls out of an old bible, and it has a tiny piece of paper rolled inside it: "On it, in a watery ink barely legible in the flickering light, were written the words Deliverance Dane." What's it all about? Connie Goodwin is a PhD student at Harvard, spending the summer cleaning out her grandmother's old house near Salem, which leads to researching Deliverance Dane for her dissertation topic. Deliverance is a cunning-woman, a witch, in the 1690s, at the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. The past and the present seem interwoven as Connie continues her research, and she starts to develop the rather novel idea that for some, witchcraft is just a part of everyday life. Publisher: Penguin

Miniature Schnauzers : everything about purchase, care, nutrition, breeding, behaviour, and training

2009-07-12T12:20:00.013+10:00

Author: Karla S. Rugh, with illustrations by Michele Earl-Bridges

Publication Date: 1997

Category: Non-fiction - pet ownership

Who'll want to read it? The Schnauzer owner who is contemplating leaving this book on the floor in reach of their Schnauzer.

Point of no return: Who could resist the front cover? (obviously not my little Edith Piaf).

Classic line: pg 16 "Why did my Miniature Schnauzer do that?"

pg 28 "You'd be amazed at the things your puppy will taste or chew up!"

What's it all about? It's a must-read for anyone contemplating buying one of these little darlings. Try and read it before your dog eats it. Luckily I bought my own copy, so I don't owe the library a new one.

Publisher: Barrons

Does my little Edith Piaf look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth? Looks can be so deceiving.

The Slap

2009-07-04T17:48:00.004+10:00

Author: Christos Tsiolkas Publication Date: 2008 Category: Contemporary adult fiction, Australian. Who'll want to read it? Everyone! Especially people in book clubs - there is so much controversy to discuss. Point of no return: The writing draws you in from the very first page. Classic line: I don't recall a standout line - it is all fabulous. What's it all about? It's a brilliant story set in the multicultural middle class suburbia of Melbourne. The central event of the story takes place during a game of backyard cricket at barbeque. A very very naughty and exceedingly irritating little boy is slapped by a man who is neither his parent or a relative. As the book explores the fallout of this incident you realise it's not just about the "slap". Each chapter features a different character and different facets of the incident. Each intracately drawn character has their own distinct voice, their own politics, perspectives, prejudices and lifestyles. None of the characters are one dimensional, and EVERYONE is flawed - which makes it all the more realistic.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how my opinions on each person changed so dramatically with each new chapter. One minute I loathed one of the characters - minutes later I was completely sympathetic to their situation. Then later, I sometimes found myself returning to my first opinion. I felt so manipulated, and because of that, felt I was implicated in the action - I really felt I could have walked into the book at any time.

Christos Tsiolkas deserves every prize he gets for this book!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin - see the publisher's web-site for reading group guides.

The Shiralee

2009-07-01T11:43:00.010+10:00

Author: D'Arcy Niland Publication Date: 1955 Category: Classic fiction Who'll want to read it? People who have seen one of the movies and never read the book; people interested in Australian bush culture in the 50s, who aren't afraid to accept the attitudes of the day. Point of no return: Page 1: "He had two swags, one of them with legs and a cabbage-tree hat, and that one was the main difference between him and others who take to the road, following the sun for their bread and butter." Classic line: Page 135: "'I'll walk along the road, and all the roads, and keep going on the roads 'cos I know you always walk on the roads and I'd find you.'" - Buster What's it all about? Macauley is an itinerant worker, who has burdened himself with his four year old daughter, Buster. Macauley walks the roads of outback New South Wales, searching for the next job. Buster becomes more and more of a burden, as job sites prove unsuitable, and Macauley finds it difficult to stay out of trouble.

Publisher: Angus & Robertson

I AM JACK

2009-06-25T15:40:00.007+10:00

Author: Susanne Gervay Publication Date: 2000 What's it all about?

Jack lives in a flat with his mum, little sister Samantha and their extremely photogenic cat, Puss. Jack is full of great ideas and experiments (like his potato/onion "Jack's Ponto"). Since his dad isn't around he fixes things around the house "Without me we'd be living in the dark with a flood of water sloshing through the lounge room". Jack loves photography and telling jokes. However what Jack doesn't like is going to school, school means huge lava burp headaches, school means George Hamel and his cronies will be there, school means he is 'Bum Head' and nobody can save him.

I loved this story, it was hilarious and heart-warming at the same time as tackling the huge issue of bullying and what it feels like to experience that as a young person. I would definitely recommend this to parents or children as both would find this an easy and enjoyable read with issues and humour that we can all relate to.

There is a very powerful and positive message in the resolution of this story, a message that I hope will inspire and encourage those who have been bullied or those with the power to help to stand up and make a change.

Publisher: Angus & Robertson

Find out about Susanne Gervay's author visits to our library

Gatsby's Girl

2009-06-18T11:47:00.008+10:00

Author: Caroline Preston Publication Date: 2006 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? People interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and inspirations. Classic line: Page 4 : How could I have ever guessed that the Princeton boy who wrote silly songs and poems would turn into a famous author? What's it all about? Ginevra King is known to be the inspiration for Daisy Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, as well as other characters in other books. This novel is inspired by Ginevra and Scott's brief romance. It follows Ginevra Perry (Page 10: "My father named me after a woman in a painting by Leonardo da Vinci he saw in some old book. He seemed to think she was pretty.") from an uppity sixteen year old school girl, when she first meets Fitzgerald, to a lady with three children, the youngest thirteen, meeting with Fitzgerald's grown daughter. Ginevra keeps tabs on Scott throughout his life, mostly through the media, squirreling away news clippings in an accordion file, and reading his novels, searching for traces of herself within them. Her life is an ordinary one, with marriage, children, and financial concerns the main focus, and Fitzgerald a fine thread that interweaves it all. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-06-17T14:34:00.016+10:00

Author: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Publication Date: 2009 Category: Fiction Who'll want to read it? Any Austen fan with a sense of humour or a love a zombies. Point of no return: The first line: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than in the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead." Classic line: There are so many!

Page 14: "She meant to follow this proud Mr. Darcy outside and open his throat."

Page 80: "' I don't suppose,' said Darcy, 'that you would give me the honour of dispensing of this unhappy business alone. I should never forgive myself if your gown were soiled.'"

Page 204: "'It is impossible that he should still love me, unless, by kicking him into the mantelpiece during our battle at Hunsford, I affected some severe change in his countenance.'"

What's it all about? It is the classic "Pride and Prejudice" story, with the extra added bonus of zombies! Elizabeth and her sisters are "servants of His Majesty, protectors of Hertfordshire, beholders of the secrets of Shaolin, and brides of death" (page 317), and as such, are responsible for sending the hordes of unmentionables back to hell, where they belong. They still manage to find time to attend balls, detest people's manners, fall in love, and there may be a marriage or four. Die hard Austen fans will notice a few quirky sentences that perhaps should have been included in the original. Not to be read without a sense of humour.

Publisher: Quirk Books

If you like zombies, see our Mammoth Book of Zombies review.

If you liked this book, see also Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters