History Week - Neighbours

To celebrate History Week the Local Studies Library will be holding a special talk at Wallsend District Library.
The theme of History week 2016 is Neighbours.
We will be exploring  the careers of some of the Mayors and Councillors of Newcastle's suburban councils whose volunteer work helped to establish our communities.

Supporting Your Community
Monday 5 September 2016
10:00 - 11:00am
Wallsend District Library's multi-function room

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Great Reads for Dad

With Father's Day this weekend, we've put together a list of great reads for Dad to chill out with. From an exploration into the past power and glory of Constantinople to an old-school surfing memoir, we think we've found something to appeal to every Dad this Father's Day.

Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler
also available as an e-audiobook

Richard Fidler is well known to Australian audiences for his stints as radio interviewer (Conversations with Richard Fidler, ABC Radio), TV presenter (Race Around The World, ABC TV) and as the much abused guitarist in provocative comedy trio the Doug Anthony All Stars. Now, he tries his hand at blending travel memoir with an historical reconstruction of Constantinople in 'Ghost Empire'.

Flagship: The Cruiser HMAS Australia II and the Pacific War on Japan by Mike Carlton

'Flagship' is the third book in Mike Carlton's series, delving into the history of the Royal Australian Navy. Following on from 'Cruiser' (2011) and 'First Victory' (2014), this new instalment examines the battlecruisers HMAS Australia II, HMAS Canberra I and HMAS Shropshire and their encounters against the Japanese during World War II.





Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan

'Barbarian Days' is the 2016 Pulitzer Prize winning memoir by journalist William Finnegan. Whilst an accomplished author of a number of books examining international politics, this is Finnegan's first attempt at telling his own story. The narrative is set against a backdrop of surfing culture and takes the reader beyond a routine account of his travels into an exploration of the social history of remote Polynesian islands and the discovery of what may well be the world's greatest wave.



Other titles now available at Newcastle Region Library

The Dry by Jane Harper
44 Days: 75 Squadron and the Fight for Australia by Michael Veitch
Men and Their Sheds by Craig Wetjen
Holden: Our Car 1856-2017 by Will Hagon
The Age of Bowie: How David Bowie Made a World of Difference by Paul Morley *
Bullseye by James Patterson
The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick *
The Sea Detective by Mark Douglas-Home
How Far Can You Go?: My 25-year Quest to Walk Again by John Maclean


Bedtime Stories for Dad and the Littlies

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting by Michelle Robinson
Daddy Cuddle by Kate Mayes
Where's Dad Hiding? by Ed Allen
Dave's Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon
Wild Pa by Claire Saxby
Grandpa is Great by Laine Mitchell

* Also available as an e-book
Visit our eLibrary for access

Find these titles now at: Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Australia! Story Country

Book Week 2016 is upon us, and the theme for this year is Australia! Story Country. With lots of fabulous books to explore in the Short List, Newcastle Region Library has also found time to bring you some exciting activities!

Some book lovers with Wallsend District Library's Book Week display

Digital Story Making 
Create your own picture book using the Storybird app. Local author Katrina McKelvey will be there to help create amazing stories.
Suitable for children 8-12 years.
Free event, bookings required.
To book, click on the appropriate link:
Monday 22 August 4:00-5:30pm @ Wallsend District Library
Tuesday 23 August 4:00-5:30pm @ City Library
Wednesday 24 August 4:00-5:30pm @ New Lambton Library

Children's Book Week: Special Storytime
Join us for special storytimes featuring short listed Book Week books. Enjoy stories, songs and craft.
Perfect for children aged 3 - 5 years.
Free event. Bookings not required, just drop in!
Tuesday 23 August 10:30-11:15am @ Hamilton Library
Wednesday 24 August 10:30-11:15am @ City Library
Wednesday 24 August 10:30-11:15am @ Mayfield Library
Wednesday 24 August 10:30-11:15am @ Wallsend District Library
Thursday 25 August 10:30-11:15am @ Stockton Library

Australia! Story Country The Play - Family Session
Our talented library team present a selection of Book Week picture books using drama, humour, stories and song. Enjoy our Book Week play, and come dressed in your favourite costume.
Perfect for K - 2 students.
Free entry. Bookings essential.
Wednesday 24 August 4:00-5:00pm @ Wallsend District Library.
Book tickets to family session.

School Sessions also available, at various branches.
Book tickets to school sessions.

To find out what else is on, where our branches are located, and to place a hold on some of those short listed books, visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Withering-by-Sea: A Stella Montgomery Intrigue by Judith Rossell

Eleven year old Stella Montgomery resides at the Hotel Majestic in Withering-by-Sea with her three terrible Aunts. Set in Victorian times, the Aunts are 'taking the waters' and  partaking of other water treatments designed to increase health and vitality, and attempting to teach Stella correct deportment, manners and other accomplishments suitable for young ladies in between these treatments.

One night, as Stella is sneaking out of her room to recover her Atlas (of which the Aunts definitely would not approve!), she witnesses something terrible, and is plunged head first into an adventure (which includes singing cats, magicians and dancing girls, among other things).

Judith Rossell's fascination with the Victorian era is evident in this extremely well-researched novel. Lots of lovely references to candles, oil lamps, new indoor plumbing...

Be warned - this is the first of a series, the second is in the process of being written, and you WILL want to know what happens next! Don't let that put you off though. The next one, Wormwood Mire, is due out in October!

Winner of the 2015 Indie Book of the Year Children's & YA
Winner of the 2015 ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children
Winner of the 2015 Davitt (Best Children's Crime Novel) Award
Honour Book in the 2015 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 
Shortlisted for the 2014 Aurealis Award

Category: Junior fiction


Who'll want to read it? Aimed at children aged 9+, fans of Lemony Snicket, the Wildwood Chronicles by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis,  and Tensy Farlow by Jen Storer will really enjoy this.


Publisher: ABC Books

Available as a hardcover book, or as an eBook.
Find it now, at Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Pokémon Go at Newcastle Region Library

If you've visited the Civic precinct in Newcastle over the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed an unusual number of people wandering and staring at their phones. That's because Pokémon Go fever has hit Newcastle! Hundreds of people have been converging on Civic Park and the surrounding area to take part in this latest cultural phenomenon, that allows players to catch, collect, evolve, train and battle their favourite pocket monsters. Although playing Pokémon is generally considered the domain of kids, plenty of adults are having fun reliving their childhood and trying to collect all 151 Pokémon.

A Doduo jumping out at a patron at Hamilton Library.

Many branches of Newcastle Region Library have become hotspots of Pokémon activity. Hamilton, New Lambton, Wallsend and Adamstown branches are all pokéstops, where you can load up on useful items such as pokéballs for catching new Pokémon, and various potions for treating Pokémon wounded in battle. Lambton Library is even a pokégym, where players train up or battle their creatures against other teams. Plenty of Pokémon have also been located hiding in the shelves at City branch - a Nidorino has been eluding staff in the Adventure & Travel section over the last few days. Come in and see if you can catch it before we can!

A Nidorino in the Adventure & Travel section at City Library. Still not caught! 

The app utilises augmented reality technology which takes a computer-generated image - in this case, a Pokémon - and superimposes it on the user's smartphone camera to make it look like the creature is right in front of them in the real world. It is not the first time this technology has been utilised. Previously, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney and Melbourne implemented the Disney Fairies Trail app, which allowed visitors to use their smartphones to seek fairies whilst exploring different areas of the Gardens. Retail stores are also experimenting with the idea to set up virtual fitting rooms for their customers.

Load up on pokeballs, potions and razz berries at Hamilton Library. 

The Pokémon franchise itself is nothing new. It was created in 1996 and was popularised in Australia through a trading card game. The creation of Japanese video game designer, Satoshi Tajiri, Pokémon was directly inspired by his childhood hobbies of collecting bugs and playing video games. Considered reclusive and eccentric by his peers, Tajiri was dubbed 'Mr Bug' for his seemingly obsessive behaviour. Tajiri has recently confirmed he has Asperger's Syndrome and is a great example of someone who has found a passion in their life and used it to build a successful career.

Choose a team and battle it out at the pokegym at Lambton Library.

If you're having fun playing the app and would like to check out more Pokémon related media, you can access a range of books, graphic novels and DVDs through Newcastle Region Library's catalogue, including the original Pokémon movie and a number of different guides to the world of Pokémon.

Happy hunting!

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.