46 and counting

Another title from the 50 Great Reads list, Billie B Brown: The Secret Message. This is a new series of easy to read chapter books by Sally Rippin. Nice easy to read print and a good introduction to young readers of the concept of the 'chapter' rather than say a picture book format. In this series Billie has had a range of adventures and this one sees her at the seaside with her Mum and Dad, 'Billie's mum reads a book under a beach umbrella. Her dad reads the newspaper. Sometimes they even fall asleep. Can you imagine? They are absolutely no fun at all!'. Billie sets off to build the biggest sandcastle and she sees two other girls have already built a great sandcastle and she feels little jealous and when Mum suggests she join the girls, she also feels a little shy. Eventually joins the other girls and the story develops from there, you'll have to read it to find out about the secret message.
This a delightful series to be shared with a new reader, or to encourage them to start reading on their own.
I think need to move away from the titles in the junior section of 50 Great Reads, and my next review may see me wandering into adult territory.

47 and still counting

I had hoped this would 46 and still counting, but I have to admit to giving up on one of the novels and dipping back into the children's list. I had started 'Left Hand of God' by Paul Hoffman, but I couldn't finish it. I think I have lost touch with the fantasy genre and the dissection scene left me a bit unsettled. This also highlights one of my bad sides, I am the type of reader who will give up on a book if I think I am wasting my time. I have a stack of books I want to read and the pile grows bigger each week, so if I don't like it, I abandon it and move on. How does everyone else approach this, do you feel you have to finish a book come what may?
My review this week is 'The Flying Orchestra' by Clare McFadden and it starts like this
"Some days are so windy that even angels lose their balance from the top of City Hall. It's always a day like this when the Flying Orchestra blows into town."
The Flying Orchestra then plays music at important times in someones life, like 'a symphony at the airport for a traveller coming home' or 'when a baby is born'. To me the flying orchestra were those unexpected moments of music you may hear during your day. Snatches on the radio as you pass through a room, while waiting in a shop (Spotlight plays some great music on a Saturday) or music that has occurred at a special moment in your life, think about what you picked for your wedding or did you name a child after a favourite song? The illustrations are simple and work well with the text. This is a book to be savoured and shared, and hopefully it will remind you of those special moments of music in your life.
'And wherever they are, the Flying Orchestra play their best and most beautiful music for no reason in particular, but just because someone is listening.'

My name is Elinor Fenwick and I am a Teacher Librarian from Great Southern Grammar School in Albany, Western Australia. We are a Kindergarten to Year 12(K-12) school with an enrolment of 720 in 2011. This number is going up! We overlook the Kalgan River and are known as "The School of the Sea." We have been operating for 11 years and have grown very quickly. You can see more on our website. Just Google Great Southern Grammar.
I teach year eight and nine IT (Information Technology) classes, library skills to the Early Childhood classes (K-Year 2), inquiry based learning to classes that book into the library, and supervise Year 12 students on study periods. I have a year 10 Homeroom and I am Chair of the school ICT committee.
I am currently trying to complete a Masters in Information Technology (Teacher Librarianship). In my current unit on management I needed to complete a two week practicum, so here I am at the Falcon e-Library and Community Centre with all their wonderful staff, thanks to their team leader Teena Miller.
As I work in a school library this experience is completely different to my normal working environment. I love the feel of this library, the bright open spaces, and the staff have all been so friendly and helpful from the moment I walked in the door.
This is the beginning of my second week, and it is school holidays! I am so impressed with the ammount on offer through the library. The additional meeting rooms mean so much more can be offered. Carmel Sayer runs an excellent after school art program called "A Brush with Art" and the art work on display is amazing.
The "Rhymetime" and "Storytime" sessions offered give parents of young children a great opportunity to immerse their children in language and literature sessions which are so vital to the early reading skills of young children in today's society.
The past week has definitely opened my eyes to the opportunites that the public library provides. I can see how great it would be if school libraries and public libraries collaborated more and finding ways in which I can do this at home in Albany will be one of my goals when I return home.
I am very excited about 2012 being the National Year of Reading! Mandurah libraries are well on their way to making a feast of activites for this celebration and I am so pleased to have been asked to contribute to some of the planning. More on that at the end of the week.