Thursday, August 27, 2015

Happy New Zealand Poetry Day!

It's Poetry Day!  To celebrate why not go to Paula Green's Poetry Box to find 10 cool things to do. Paula is one of New Zealand's best poets, having published lots of poetry collections of her own for both adults and children.


This is one we love! Pop into your library at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine and try a tasty poem!

Monday, July 27, 2015

Ursula Moray Williams Creative Writing Competition

This cool competition is open to children and teens that live in, or attend school in South Canterbury, and are in Years 1-13, or if home-educated, are 5-18 years old. 

The Ursula Moray Williams Cup will be awarded for best overall story in Years 1-8 categories, and there are great prizes for winners and runners-up in each age category.


  • To enter, students must write an original story of no more than 500 words on any topic. 
  • Stories will be judged on originality, language skills, characterisation, story construction and how they have captured the spirit of Ursula Moray Williams’ writing.  
  • Only one entry per person may be submitted.
  • A completed entry form must be attached to each entry. 
  • Entry forms are available at Timaru District Libraries at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine.
  • Entries may be handed in at Timaru, Geraldine or Temuka Libraries or posted to Timaru District Libraries, PO Box 228, Timaru 7940, Attention: Youth Services Librarian. 
  • Entries close at 5pm on Friday 25 September 2015
Write on!!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Winchester School at the library!



It was great to see all the keen readers from Winchester School at the Timaru Library last week :-)
Library staff are looking forward to seeing them come back in the holidays to try our fun holiday programmes at Temuka and Geraldine Libraries too.
Happy reading!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

It's Dino-mite at the libraries these holidays!


Louisa, Emily and Sophie made very cool dinosaurs with moving legs at Timaru Library today.

Jenna and Zara played the Dinosaur Stomp Challenge.  Go to Temuka, Geraldine or Timaru Libraries to play the game - it's Dino-mite!!!
 
Here is talented and creative Ashleigh James-Corcoran with her awesome dinosaur at
Geraldine Library. Come in to any of our libraries to see the dinosaurs that kids have made
these holidays :-)

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Be in to win a tablet!!!



Be in to win a tablet!!!

  • Enter the draw simply by downloading the Wheelers ePlatform app and borrowing a library ebook. 
  • First you need to be a Timaru District Libraries member with up-to-date membership - check with us if you're not sure. 
  • Then go to your appstore - Apple, Google Play or Amazon, and download the free Wheelers ePlatform app. 
  • Choose Timaru District Libraries from the list then log in and select your books. Contact your library at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine if you need some help. 

 Good luck!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Best books chosen by the Xtreme Readers

Jessica:
Magyk by Angie Sage
Lots of different things going on, the characters are really cool

Isa:
Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
Lots of magic and lots of adventure

Jack:
Darke by Angie Sage
Heaps of adventure and really funny

Sam B:
The maze runner by James Dashner
Action packed and full of surprises

Ella:
Anne of Green Gables
Anne  is always getting into trouble and doing things wrong

Sam A:
Just stupid by Andy Griffiths
Lots of short stories, usually really funny

Riley:
My brother the werewolf (Crying wolf) by Sienna Mercer
About a werewolf in love and going on dates

Eyeball stew by Alan McDonald
Iggy the cave boy is smarter than everyone else in the Ug tribe – really funny.

Dana:
Black Stallion by Farley Walter
After a slow start it gets quite exciting with new possibilities and a surprise ending

Rosie:
Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson
Funny, bold plot

Lucy:
A snicker of magic by Natalie Lloyd
About a family that moves around a lot, a very shy girl and an ice cream that helps people


Black Stallion by Farley Walter
Because it was unpredictable

Sophie:
Canterwood Crest by Jessica Burkhart
All about my favourite animals, horses!

Brodie:
The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Its like The Hunger Games and Divergent thrown into a pot and mixed together

Sam:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
It’s the Hunger Games!

Cassie:
Hello Kitty by Linda Chapman
Two stories in one. It starts out good, the middle is bad and the rest is good….but the Christmas tree burns down!

Find these great books at your nearest library at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine, or on our eplatform ...
Happy reading!!!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Winning poetry!

Winners of the New Zealand Poetry Day Competition 2014

These are the great poems that won our poetry-writing competition earlier this year.  Fantastic work!  Keep writing :-)

Overall Winner

Embarrassment

The colour of embarrassment is dark grey
The taste of embarrassment is sour
The smell of embarrassment is black bananas
The look of embarrassment is a straight face
The sound of embarrassment is silence
The feel of embarrassment are butterflies
Embarrassment can look lots of ways to a child

By Riley Anderson


Winner 8 years and under

Oil fire

Bubbling, sizzling, like a sparkler
Sparkling in the dark, spitting,
Water is not handy,
Bright orange flames, I feel small and frightened,
Boiling hot,
Oil fire

By Emma Clearwater



Winner 9 – 13 years

The Orchestra

She lets her eyes wander over them,
Watching their every move.
They need to do their best tonight.
She remembers the long practises,
Their jokes and laughter.
Are they ready?
Tonight they must paint a work of art,
Their browns, greens, reds and yellows blending together to create harmony.
She lifts her arms and beats a time.
They must be ready

He brings his violin to his chest, bow on the strings,
Is he ready?
He remembers the dents on his fingers after pressing down on the strings piece after piece.
He has practised hard for this moment.
Tonight, he will create a work of art for the conductor
Making her proud of them all.
He is ready

They watch their children, up on stage, ready to begin.
Are their children ready?
Have they practised enough?
They remember hearing sound billowing out of bedrooms,
The excitement, the elation when something went right.
Tonight, their children will paint a work of art.
They are ready

She brings down her arms, and they begin,
Sending the first notes floating away.
She watches as her students create a work of art.

H sends music spinning, dancing, weaving.
His violin in perfect harmony with the other instruments.
He is creating a work of art

They watch in awe as their children play.
In their minds, they witness a camel train trek through a dry, dusty desert,
They imagine the planet Jupiter spinning on its hinges,
They become spectators at a parade, watching clowns, gymnasts, and jugglers.
Then it is over.

She bows, smiling.
Her students have done well.

He grins.
He has played well.

They clap and cheer.
They can still see the pictures their children created in music in their heads
Their children have done well.


By Grace Shaw

Winner 14 – 19 years

Demons

She is what society wants her to be,
But not.
She is the mirror of perfection,
But it’s cracked
Her face is happy,
But her toughts are evil.
She’s like an open book,
With hidden pages.
When she speaks her words flow,
But really she’s muttering.
Her eyes are open,
But she wished they were closed.
She’s surrounded by people,
Yet she is alone.
She sits in silence,
And they whisper in her ear.
They are her demons,
The demons are her.


By Annalise Robertson

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Agents in training!


Join the holiday fun

At Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine Libraries

 
Make your own Secret Agent ID cards on

Wednesday 1st & 8th of October at 11:30am
 
Enter the cool competitions:

·     Identify & guess the number of mystery objects

·       Crack the code

·       Colouring competition

·       Wordfind & picture puzzle

Come to Craig Smith's Wonky Donkey Show on Friday 10 October at 2.45pm Timaru Library & 4.15pm Temuka Library
Have fun at your library these holidays!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Xtreme Readers celebrate poetry



At last Friday's meeting our Xtreme Readers had fun with poetry.  Here are their great acrostic poems:

Xtreme readers are Xtreme
There are terrific topics for books
Reading is our thing
Extra books and extra extra books
Most Xtreme Readers are reading extreme books
Extreme Readers are what we are

By Dana, age 10

 
Xtra reading
Trips
Read
Ebooks
Meetings
Extreme

By Riley, age 9

 
 Xtreme
Title
Readers
Ebook
More books
Extra books

By Isa, age 10

 
Xtreme
Talking books
Reader
Exciting
More books
Excellent books

By Lucas, age 8

 
Xtreme

Title
Reading
Exciting
More books
Even more books

By Jessica, age 11

  
Xtreme
Title
Read
Ebook
More books
Extra books

By Jack, age 9

See our post next week for the winners in the NZ Poetry Day poetry-writing competition :-)

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Whakanuia Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori




Kua rite koutou? Celebrate Māori Language Week with our great new kids’ books in Te Reo Māori: Te Mīhini Iti Kōwhai, Te Popi Whero, I Toro Haere māua ko Pāpā, and lots more! Teach yourself Te Reo Māori with the fun and games at Languagenut on our Kids' pages. Or take a look at the cool SpongeBob Tarau Porowhā colouring in competition run by Māori Television. All new Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants are being screened in Te Reo Māori. Ka pai!
Nau mai, haere mai – see you soon at our libraries at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine.  Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Watch this space!

 
 
Hey, your library is the SPACE to be these holidays …
with Space competitions, a scavenger hunt, a sleepover for toys,
plus crafty fun at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine Libraries on
Thursday 10th and 17th at 10.30 - 11.30am.
 But wait there's more ...
Astronomers will present a fun Introduction to our Solar System on
Tuesday 8th July at 11am at Timaru Library, 
Tuesday 15th at Temuka Library at 11am 
and Geraldine Library at 1.30pm.

 Rocket on in and join the fun! 

 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Reading Rocks!


 Join the 2014 Kids' Winter Reading Challenge – 1 June to 31 August 2014
This year’s challenge is to spend as much time as you can reading. Grab an entry form from your nearest library at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine, and start reading! Count your reading time in half-hour blocks and colour in the pictures to show how much time you have spent reading. Try the optional extras too.  Have fun and happy reading!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Jungle crafts

Lots of kids enjoyed the crafty fun in the holidays at our libraries at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine.  There are cool craft books in the libraries if you'd like some great new ideas, or if you want to learn a new craft like knitting or kitemaking :-)


Monday, March 31, 2014

Children's Day and Peter Rabbit


Thanks to Penguin Books New Zealand, Peter Rabbit was our special guest at Children's Day.
He had a fantastic time and loved meeting all you cool kids! 
Peter also visited Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine Libraries for Storytime
and loved meeting you and hearing his stories read :-) 
 

Kaiya colouring a Peter picture at Children's Day
Peter loved the garden at Temuka Library!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Peter Rabbit is coming to town!

        
 
PETER RABBIT is coming to Storytime!
Geraldine  Library  Wed 5 March 9.30am,
Temuka Library Wed 5 March 10.30am,
Timaru Library  Fri 8 March at 11.30am
 
           Come along and join the fun – see you there!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Kyle Mewburn!!!

Kyle Mewburn will be visiting our libraries soon! 

Come along on Wednesday 29th January

Geraldine Library: 9:30 – 10:30am
Temuka Library: 11:00 – 12:00pm
Timaru Library 2:30 – 3:30pm
 
If you're doing the Holiday Programme Passport activities, don't forget to bring along your passport to get it stamped and be in to win!!!
 
See you there :-)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Christmas Crafts & Storytime for kids


 
Get crafty at your library – come along and make something Christmassy on
Monday 23 December 2013 10:30am at Timaru, Temuka or Geraldine Libraries
See you there!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Ursula Moray Williams Creative Writing Competition

The waiting is over and the winners have been chosen from all the fantastic entries!  Come along to the Prize-giving ceremony at Timaru Library on Thursday 5 December.  Prizes for the Winter Reading Challenge will also be awarded.  See you there!

Monday, August 26, 2013

New-look catalogue

If you visit the library through the internet you are in for a treat!
Next Thursday 29 August we change to a new online catalogue with a fresh look and easier search system. On the kids' page you'll be able to see the newest books in our libraries in a moving display. You can search for items like books, dvds, and magazines that are held in our libraries at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine, or look for information from our online databases.  Just ask at any of the libraries if you'd like some help.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Prizegivings with Author Lee Lamb


 

 
Come along to the School holiday programme prizegivings at Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine Libraries on Friday 25th January and meet special guest author Lee Lamb!  Lee wrote the great "On the farm" series.  You can read a story about Lee at  Stuff.co.nz  Lee will be at Geraldine Library at 10am, Temuka Library at 11.30am, and Timaru Library at 2pm.



 All welcome!