Win the Gingerbread House!

Hey kids come into your nearest library - Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine - and enter the lucky prize draw to win this amazing Hansel and Gretel  Gingerbread House, made by Jennie Jefferis of Waimate and kindly donated to the libraries.  Entries close at 10am on Christmas Eve and the draw will be held at 11am.  The winner will be notified by phone.  Good luck!

Once upon a time ...

Come along and join the fairy tale fun these holidays at the Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine libraries!  We are celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the first book of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. There are competitions and displays, a fairy tale dress-up day on Friday 10 January, and a Prize-giving in each library with Special Guest Author Lee Lamb on Friday 25 January. 

 A Christmas craft session for children will be held at each library on Monday 24 December at 10.30am.  See you there!

 

Springtime crafts

The Springtime holiday programme craft sessions were popular. Annie and her Dad enjoyed making flowers and sheep :-)

The winners and their creations

Fabulous work everyone!  We all loved your gorgeous arrangements :-)
Only a few weeks till the summer holidays, so we hope to see you all entering again then.

Springtime School Holiday programme

There are lots of fun things to do these holidays at our libraries at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine .  Try the competitions or come along to our craft sessions.  All welcome!


Competitions:

Wise Words – What do you think the sheep are saying to each other?
Cryptogram – Can you figure out the secret message?
Words that Spring to Mind – How many words can you make?
Colouring Competition – for children 5 and under

Fun things to do:  take home instructions for you to make:

 Plant people

 Mini gardens

 Flower biscuits

Spring craft day: Wednesday 10th October 2012 at 10:30am

See you there!

New computer system coming!!!

Next week, Timaru , Temuka and Geraldine Libraries are changing to a new computer system. From 5pm Monday night, through to closing on Wednesday, library services will be limited.

We won’t be able to lend, renew or reserve items, or join new members – but we'll be open for returns, looking at the collections, reading in the libraries and for free internet and wifi. We'll be back to normal again on Thursday.

We're also getting new front doors fitted next week.  Look for the signs and balloons to direct you to the Church St side door while the new front doors go in.  The returns slots have moved to the Bank St carpark side of the library, and you can use them any day, any time :-)

Honouring Margaret Mahy (1936-2012)

In honour of this brilliant and beloved author, a group of NZ writers and illustrators are co-ordinating a nationwide read-aloud. There may also be events organised in Australia and other countries.

On Saturday August 11, libraries - and other venues - all around the country will host writers, illustrators, and other enthusiasts reading aloud from their favourite Margaret Mahy books.

Owen Marshall and others will be at Timaru Library Children's Area at 10.30am on Saturday 11 August to share some of Margaret's wonderful stories.  Everyone is welcome to join us!

Go gym girls!!!

Timaru Gymnastics Club members showed off their amazing talents in the Timaru Children’s Library recently to help celebrate the “Let the Games begin” holiday programme .

They were fantastic and a pleasure to watch.

Well done and a big thank you to you all!

**If your photo is on the blog, just come in to the Timaru Children’s Library and tell the staff

“I saw my photo on the blog” and you will win a cool prize!!!**

Margaret Mahy, ONZ (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012)

New Zealand’s greatest children’s author, Margaret Mahy, passed away yesterday in Christchurch at the age of 76. She had written more than 100 picture books, 40 novels and 20 collections of short stories, and her books have been translated into at least 15 different languages. Her contribution to international children’s literature has been recognised with many awards, including the Carnegie Medal on two occasions, and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal. She was also awarded an Order of New Zealand. She was a children’s librarian, a mother, and a prolific writer with a huge imagination. She loved interacting with children, often wearing her vibrant rainbow wig.


Margret Mahy was a strong supporter of children’s writing and in 1993 she judged Timaru’s Ursula Moray Williams children’s writing competition. She will live on through her rich legacy of writing for children of all ages.

Click here to go to the Wikipedia entry on Margaret Mahy.

Click here to go to the Christchurch City Libraries’ Margaret Mahy pages.

Angelina Ballerina Storytimes

When Angelina Ballerina performed in Timaru in May, Royal New Zealand Ballet's Dance Educator Hannah Kaye visited our libraries at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine and showed us some ballet steps and Angelina's beautiful tutu. We hope she will come and see us again next time the ballet comes to town.

Teddy bears' picnic

Lily and her Dad's teddy enjoy a story with Grandma Sal after the picnic.

Tania and Grandson Olly  with Ted who is full of honey sandwiches ...

The highlight of the Timaru picnic was the parade through the Timaru Library lead by Rosell Winter.

Bearcraft

Beautiful bears were coloured and crafted from old CDs in the libraries during the holidays. Here are some fantastic kids and their bears :-)

Storm, Reed, Flame and Reef Brazendale create their bears.

Amelia Maynard, Maia Colvill and Amber Davis show off their bears

Brontee Lewis and his excellent bear.

Aaliyah Lewis and her lovely bear.

Bear Essentials – April School Holiday Programme

Come along and join the fun at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine Libraries
Competitions
• Bear hunt
• Bear wordfind
• Decorate a bear
• Name the bear

Bear craft: 10:30 – 11:30am
Wednesday 18th April All equipment supplied

Teddy Bears’ Picnic & Prizegiving
2:30pm Friday 20th April 2012

Bring your favourite bear

• Beary yummy treats
• Bear stories
• Spot prizes
• Teddy bear parade

The hungry caterpillar

Ollie Burton, aged two, is keeping an eye on our very hungry caterpillar. It ate the top halves of two swan plants then over the weekend it transformed to a beautiful green chrysalis. Come and have a look!

Children's Day

Batman and Spiderman (a.k.a.Trey Cosgrave and Lachlan Moore) took a break from their SuperHero duties to enjoy the noisy books at the Library Stand at Caroline Bay last Sunday.

Origami and stories from Japan

Yasuko Ohbayashi from our sister city Eniwa visited at the beginning of the holidays and spent the afternoon visiting our branch libraries at Temuka and Geraldine, and reading stories and teaching Origami at Timaru Library. Yasuko demonstrated traditional Japanese “apron theatre” with the story “The giant turnip” and read books that had been presented to Timaru Libraries by Eniwa Library. Everyone loved doing Origami especially the trick boat with disappearing mast! Thank you Yasuko!!!