Writers in the Library - Stephanie Roberts

You are invited to meet local Mandurah author Stephanie Roberts at the launch of her first book.

Stephanie Roberts

"On the Wings of Autumn"

Thursday 15th November at 2pm

Mandurah Library

331 Pinjarra Road

Unconditional love of a dog can teach humans the lessons of life.

"On the Wings of Autumn" is an unusual journey into relationships both human and animal, with Stephanie learning how those tie together.  It is sometimes fun, sometimes thoughtful and sometimes sad ... a look back at a full life, packed with all those emotions and more.

A must-read for anyone convinced their pets read their mind, offer comfort during trying times and would gladly give up their lives to save ours.

To book your seat Phone 9550 3650
or email libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Read Out Loud @ the Eastern Foreshore

You are invited to celebrate the National Year of Reading by attending

Read Out Loud @ the Eastern Foreshore

on Friday November 16th

between 10am and 4pm.

Join us for a special story-time session near the playground on Mandurah's Eastern Foreshore.  Look out for the Love2Read marquee.

Feel free to bring along your favourite read-aloud books, to turn up at any time between 10am and 4pm and to stay for as long as you like.

Class and childcare centre groups are welcome at this event.  To arrange a group visit, please contact Deidre Robb on 9550 3237 or email deidre.robb@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Read Out Loud events will be happening across Western Australia on this day. 

For information about other Read Out Loud events in WA see http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats_on/national_year_of_reading

Writers in the Library - Adam Morris

Adam Morris

My dog gave me the clap.

Not a semi-autobiographical first novel.

Thursday 11th October at 5.30pm

Mandurah Library

331 Pinjarra Road

Mandurah

 

Adam Morris is a self-taught guitarist, songwriter and author who has been playing music and writing for the past ten years.

When Adam is not making music he spends most of his time brewing stout, jumping in rivers and reading books written by men.

Join us to hear Adam Morris talk about his novel My dog gave me the clap.

To book your seat Phone 9550 3650
or email libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Writers in the Library - Ian Reid

Ian Reid

"The end of longing"

and

"That untravelled world"

Thursday 27th September at 2pm

Mandurah Library

331 Pinjarra Road

Mandurah

Join us to hear Ian Reid talk about writing historical fiction and his two novels The end of longing and That untravelled world.

Ian Reid is a widely published author of literary and historical non-fiction whose writings have been translated into several languages.  Originally from New Zealand, Ian now lives in Perth, where he is a Winthrop Professor at The University of Western Australia and Emeritus Professor at Curtin University.

His second novel, That untravelled world, is set in iconic locales around early-twentieth century Perth and WA.

To book your seat Phone 9550 3650
or email libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Artist's talk: Sally Richardson on Sonya Hartnett's The Ghost's Child

      Artist's talk    

Sally Richardson

Writer / Director / Producer

discusses

Sonya Hartnett's novel The Ghost's Child

and the process of adapting the book for the stage.

Winner of the 2008 Australian Young Adult Book of the Year Award, The Ghost's Child is an allegorical fable asking powerful questions about the worth of life and the power of love.

An exploration of independence and identity, Sally’s adaptation for stage invites consideration of how we live our lives, and reflects upon the nature of beauty, self, love, and the quality of happiness.

Friday 14^th September at 6pm

INQB8 Centre for Contemporary Art

Ormsby Tce, Mandurah

To book your seat at this FREE TALK

phone 95503230  or email elibstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

This FREE TALK is co-presented by the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, National Year of Reading, INQB8 Centre for Contemporary Art and Mandurah Libraries.

The SHOW premieres at The Mandurah Performing Arts Centre from Friday 28^th September – Friday 5^th October.  Suitable age 10+. Full details here.

The BOOK is available to borrow from Mandurah Libraries.

How to publish your book or e-book

Dan Kelly

General Manager of Boolarong Press

Seminar: How to publish your book or e-book

Saturday 1st September, at 10am - 12pm

Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre

Boolarong Press offers publishing services and important advice to writers.  Over the last 10 years they have run seminars in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne on publishing from the perspective of commercial trade publishing and self-publishing.

The aim of this seminar is to present the facts about publishing in Australia and overseas.  More recently Boolarong Press have included a presentation on e-books.

To book your seat phone 95503230
or email elibstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Huge success for Mandurah's Reading Hour Pyjama Party

The City of Mandurah’s Reading Hour Pyjama Party has been hailed a huge success after close to 500 people took part in the ultimate community bedtime story session on Saturday.

Many children and their families dressed in brightly-coloured pyjamas or as storybook characters for the free event, which was held at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

After browsing a variety of reading displays and stalls in the foyer, the crowd moved to the main Boardwalk Theatre for the story sessions, where local reading champions took to the stage to share some of their favourite storybooks.

A highlight of the evening was local MLA David Templeman – dressed in his colourful pyjamas – giving an entertaining reading of The Very Cranky Bear.

The Pyjama Party was held as part of The Reading Hour – a key date on the 2012 National Year of Reading calendar which aims to raise awareness of the importance of reading to children.

The Reading Hour encourages parents to read with their children, especially in the first three years of life, for just one hour per week, giving children the best chance of becoming good readers.

Deputy Mayor Darren Lee said the event was a big success and highlighted the importance of reading with young children among the local Mandurah community.

“The Pyjama Party was well attended and it was great to see so many young children and their parents come and support the event.

“Hopefully we have helped to spread the message that just one hour of reading per week provides children with a range of educational and social benefits.”

For further information on The Reading Hour go to http://www.thereadinghour.org.au/

Look who is coming to the Pyjama Party!

There will be some familiar characters making an appearance at The Reading Hour Pyjama Party this weekend.  Do you recognise the character above?

And how about these four friends below?

I am sure that many people will know who this creature is.

These characters are all from books that reading champions will read to the audience at The Reading Hour Pyjama Party.  There will also be readings of classic Australian poetry and original works by local authors young and old.

Full details as follows.

The Reading Hour Pyjama Party

Saturday 25th August, 5-7 pm

Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Come dressed in your best pyjamas (or as a book character) and join us for the ultimate community bedtime story session featuring a series of reading champions!

5-6pm Supper, entry into prize draws, stalls, displays.

6-7pm The Reading Hour bedtime story session.

Free family event for all ages.

RSVP online here to be entered into a prize draw!

See you there!

(The three much-loved books these characters feature in are Wombat Stew, The Very Cranky Bear and The Gruffalo.)

Writers in the Library - David McNamara

David McNamara

Loves, kerbsides and goodbyes: a backpacker’s road

Thursday 9^th August at 5.30pm

Mandurah Library

Join us to hear David McNamara talk about his book inspired by his decade-and-a-half long journey.

Loves, kerbsides and goodbyes captures the nature, characters, emotions and living loose of global backpacking today.

These backpackers journey cheaply, partying hard and travelling even harder.  Kerbsides are backpackers theatres to meet, re-connect, share their lives, fall in love and say goodbye.

To book your seat at the Library phone 95503650

or email  libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Interview Skills Workshop

  

Lloyd White

Interview Skills Workshop

Thursday 26^th July at 1-2.30 pm

Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre

Lloyd White, Career Change consultant with 25 years of experience and author of the book Write a winning job application, will host this hour and a half interactive workshop where you will learn how to prepare and “sell” yourself at the job interview.  This event is for anybody who wants to improve their job interview skills.

Sell yourself at the job interview!

To book your seat ph 95503230 or email elibstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Writers in the Library - Nicole Sjardin and Sally Scott

Nicole Sjardin and Sally Scott

Bridging foods: an introduction to gluten, dairy and yeast free eating.

Thursday 26^th July at 1.30 pm

Mandurah Library

Do you have an intolerance to certain foods?

In their book Bridging foods, authors Nicole Sjardin and Sally Scott ask you to consider how food makes you feel and how it affects your body.  This book also asks you to consider how you feel when you buy, cook, prepare and eat food.  Every ingredient that you use and the energy you cook with affect the end result.  This event is a must for food lovers and dieters seeking to recapture the joy of eating well. 

To book your seat ph 95503650 or email libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Writers in the Library - Amanda Curtin

Join us to hear Amanda Curtin talk about her novel The Sinkings, inspired by true events.

Amanda Curtin is a writer and freelance book editor based in Perth, Western Australia.  Her first novel, The Sinkings, was published by University of Western Australia Publishing in 2008, and her short story collection, Inherited (also UWAP), was published in 2011.  She has won the University of Canberra National Short Story Award (joint winner), the Katherine Susannah Prichard Short Fiction Award, the Lee Steere History Prize and the Golden Key Honour Society Excellence in Fiction Award.

Thursday 12^th July at 1pm

Mandurah Library

331 Pinjarra Road

To book your seat phone 95503650 or email libstaff@mandurah.wa.gov.au

The Reading Hour Pyjama Party

Please put the following date in your diaries.

You are invited to

The Reading Hour

Pyjama Party

Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Saturday August 25th, 5-7pm

The ultimate community bedtime story session featuring a series of reading champions!

Dress code: Pyjamas or as a book character (Adults this means you too!)

Free event.   Suitable for all ages.  Prize draws.

RSVP online here to be entered into a prize draw

The Reading Hour is a key date in the National Year of Reading 2012.  Libraries, bookshops and other organisations will be holding Reading Hour events all around Australia at this time to promote the following message:

10 minutes a day, an hour a week

Sharing a book with your child for 10 minutes a day, an hour a week is our aim for The Reading Hour on the 25 August 2012. We know it’s not always possible for parents to share a book at bedtime with their children, but if you can manage 10 minutes most nights, your child will have the best chance of becoming a good reader, with all the social and educational benefits that brings. Most of our brain development happens between birth and three years of age, so it’s not enough to assume that your children will learn to read when they get to school. Parents need to share stories and rhymes right from day one – and a good way of finding out more is to join storytimes, rhymetimes, baby bounce and toddler sessions at your local library.

For more information see http://www.thereadinghour.org.au/

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime took place in libraries and schools across Australia on Wednesday 23rd May.  This year and amazing 380,000 children at 2,400 locations across Australia joined in and enjoyed the same book at the same time to help promote reading and literacy. This year's book was Nick Bland's The Very Cranky Bear which is a heart-warming tale about friendship, sacrifice and learning that appearances aren't important.

Both Mandurah Library and Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre took part.  Pictured above is the special guest reader at Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre who is well-known to local children as her alter-ego the face-painter extraordinaire "Fairy Karen".  The reading was followed by a craft activity where the children made Cranky Bear masks.

Mandurah Libraries also visited Dudley Park Primary School along with Mandurah MLA David Templeman.  Two pre-primary classes enjoyed Mr Templeman's very exciting reading of the story.  There was much roaring!  The children then took away bear masks and information packs about Mandurah Libraries.

National Simultaneous Storytime is held in May every year and is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association.  A few months before each year's event the book choice is announced and links to excellent resources are posted on the National Simultaneous Storytime page of the ALIA's website to enable schools, playgroups, childcare centres and libraries to join in.

Library and Information Week - Think Outside the Book

Sunday 20 May to Saturday 26 May – is Library and Information Week. This year’s theme is Think Outside the Book

Throughout the week Mandurah Libraries will be running a program of great events and all of them are free! Bookings are required and spaces are limited.

There are events for Mums.

There are events for kids at Mandurah Library,

and at Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre.

We look forward to seeing you during the week as we think outside the book.

Books-To-Go at Stretch Festival

This weekend Mandurah's 11th annual Stretch Festival will be underway offering a huge variety of exciting and creative experiences.  There will be exhibitions, performances, markets, competitions, workshops and many other fun activities.  Stretch Festival is a highlight of Mandurah's year with so much on offer for people of all ages to enjoy. 

See this page for more information about Stretch Festival or download the whole program here.  

As part of Stretch Festival and our celebrations of the National Year of Reading, Mandurah Libraries are delighted to be running a free activity where children can write, create and publish their own book. 

You are invited to visit the

Books-To-Go book cubby

on

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May

(anytime between 10.30am-4pm each day)

in the foyer of

the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

to write, create and publish your very own book!

Using one A3 piece of paper and a few simple folds, children can create their own book without having to stick or staple.  The books are published on the spot using a colour photocopier. The author gets to keep their original, and a copy travels in the Book Cubby to other communities for other children to read, enjoy and be inspired by.

We had a great time learning the book creation technique at a workshop last weekend.  The technique is very simple yet effective and it is suitable for use in other situations such as schools, libraries, childcare facilities, art classes and holiday programs.  You are most welcome to visit the cubby to learn the book creation technique.

This event is supported by the State Library of Western Australia as part of their Better Beginnings program.  Pictured at the very top are Shelby-Rae and Jessie-Lee who visited the book cubby when the State Library of Western Australia presented it at the Awesome Festival in Perth last year.

Volunteers required for the Books-To-Go book cubby

Mandurah Libraries will be running an activity during Stretch Festival where children can write, create and publish their own book.  

Using one A3 piece of paper and a few simple folds, children can create their own book without having to stick or staple.  The books are published on the spot using a colour photocopier. The author gets to keep their original, and a copy travels in the Book Cubby to other communities for other children to read, enjoy and be inspired by.

 

We are looking for volunteers to help us run this activity.

Volunteers will each fill one 2-hour shift (10-12, 12-2 or 2-4) on either Saturday May 5th or Sunday May 6th.  The event will be held in the foyer of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. 

Full training will be provided.  The main training workshop will be on Saturday 28th April, 9am-12 midday at Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre.   This workshop will include examples of how this activity can be adapted for use in other situations such as schools, libraries, childcare facilities, art classes, holiday programs etc.  Extra training sessions can also be arranged if you would like to help at the event but are unable to attend this workshop. 

To volunteer to help at this activity and to book your place in the training workshop please contact:

The National Year of Reading Project Officer, Deidre Robb

Ph 9550 3237

Mob: 0418 290 771

Deidre.Robb@mandurah.wa.gov.au

  

This event is supported by the State Library of Western Australia as part of their Better Beginnings program. 

School Holiday Fun

From craft activities, drawing and games to bookclubs, storytelling and group art projects, the Mandurah Libraries are a great place to spend your school holidays! So join us for some fun and games with your friends at the libraries.

A schedule of planned activities is available now, so check the library branches or newspapers or download them here:
Mandurah Library School Holiday Activities and Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre School Holiday Activities.

Be sure to book your child's spot as places are limited. All activities are FREE!

For more information, please contact any of our friendly library staff.

Included these holidays are three story-time sessions for older children to link in with a show presented at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. 

We invite you to

attend one of three continuous readings

of

Tim Winton's novel

'Blueback'.

If you don't know the story or would just like to hear it again, why not join us and listen to one of Winton's most personal and quintessentially Western Australian Stories. Blueback depicts the life of a young boy Abel and his mother, their relationship with the environment, and their desire to protect and preserve the natural habitat of the place they call home.

The reading sessions are on:

• Tuesday 10th April at 1pm at Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre,
• Thursday 12th April at 1pm at Mandurah Library, and
• Monday 16th April at 10am at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

No need to book, just come along.  Suitable for ages 5 plus and adults are welcome too.  There will be plenty of breaks and we estimate the reading will take approximately one and a half hours.  Children will be able to work on a craft activity while they listen to the story.

Then don't miss Peta Murray's stage adaptation of Blueback at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre from Wed 18th to Saturday 21st April. 

For more information about the performance and ticket prices, click here. 

This show is a mesmerising experience full of underwater imagery and exquisite puppetry. Beautifully crafted puppets of crabs, eels, abalone and coral create images of an underwater garden. This is a visual and an emotional journey through a stunning landscape, a fable for all ages that reminds us of why we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Quote Me! at the 2012 Channel Seven Mandurah Crab Fest

This weekend a major event is happening in Mandurah: the 2012 Channel Seven Mandurah Crab Fest.

Now in its 14th year, the annual event attracts up to 100,000 people and is bigger and better than ever before with an extensive variety of displays, activities and entertainment, including live performances, market stalls and a stunning fireworks display on Mandurah’s eastern foreshore.  You can find out more about Crab Fest here.

Mandurah Libraries and National Year of Reading will be at Crab Fest running a reading event called Quote Me!  Look for our gorgeous love2read marquee (featuring the the National Year of Reading flower logo) near the band rotunda on the Eastern Foreshore.

Remember all those great quotes you sent me a few weeks back?  Well there below is what we have done with them.  They are now made up into huge (8.5cm diameter) badges read for you to read, enjoy, take away and wear during Crab Fest.

We are also using these quotes as the starting point for the Quote Me! Reading Wall we'll build over the weekend. 

But we need YOU add to it! 

We want your favourite sayings, poems, jokes, lines from books, original writing, quotes - even just your thoughts on the day - to add to the wall.  Chill out at our craft table and create your "spot" to add to the the Reading Wall!

If your children feel like a more traditional reading experience at Crab Fest, then we would be delighted to sit and read with them.   And if you want to get a whole box of badges made too, I can highly recommend the services of the Mandurah office of Intework.

See you on the weekend!

Love2Read @ The Eastern Foreshore

Throughout the National Year of Reading 2012, Roving Readers will be out in public providing fun reading experiences at various Mandurah playgrounds, markets and public spaces.  We wear the Love2Read logo like the one above.  Do come and say hello when you see us and we'll be happy to share a story with you and your children.

You are invited to come and meet the Roving Readers and listen to them read stories on

Saturday 10th March,

between 2 and 4pm

at the Eastern Foreshore

(near the playground.)

Or better still, come and join in with this informal celebration of reading!

Bring your picnic rug or folding chair and some favourite reading material, then simply get reading in whichever way you please.

• Read stories to the children in your care.
• Read love poetry to your beloved!
• Read jokes with your mates.
• Read aloud to an elderly friend.
• Read a play you are rehearsing.
• Share excerpts from the brilliant novel you are writing.
• Simply sit and read a novel or the newspaper to yourself, as being a reading role model is very important too.

People of all ages are welcome

and encouraged to join in.

For other times and places to catch the Roving Readers, keep an eye on the Calendar of Events page.