National Simultaneous Storytime Title Unleashed!

Remember - National Simultaneous Storytime will be held at the Busselton Public Library on 23 May 2012 at 10am. 'The Very Cranky Bear' by Nick Bland will be read, along with some complementary stories and a special craft activity!

No bookings are required for this event, and participation in all storytime events at the Busselton Library is FREE - for more information, contact the library on (08) 9754 1588.

Would you like a sneak peek at the book selected for this year's National Simultaneous Storytime?

Nick Bland’s award winning and much loved children’s book, ‘The Very Cranky Bear’, is now an animated, interactive app! Narrated by well-loved Australian actor Angus Sampson with an original music score by Helen Croome. Join Moose, Zebra, Lion and Sheep as they try to hide from the rain in a cave, but accidentally disturb a very cranky bear…

Special Features:

* You be the narrator: Record and play back your own voice!
* Tilting the device on special pages adds depth to wonderfully animated pages.
* Find 5 hidden cards to unlock a secret surprise!

Check out this promo vid here of the app:

Back to School

The holidays are over, the kids are back to school - and for some, this means beginning year one, taking the first exciting steps into "big school", and wading a bit deeper into the refreshing waters of lifelong reading!

To help your child have the best chance of learning success at school, give them lots of opportunities to read aloud at home. Inspire your young reader to practice every day! Reading Rockets has put together some tips for parents of first-graders that offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader.

Try a new tip each week, and see what works best for your child.

Don’t leave home without it.	-	Bring along a book or magazine any time your child has to wait, such as at a doctor’s office. Always try to fit in reading!
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Once is not enough.	-	Encourage your child to re-read favorite books and poems. Re-reading helps kids read more quickly and accurately.
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Dig deeper into the story.	-	Ask your child questions about the story you've just read. Say something like, “Why do you think Clifford did that?”
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Take control of the television.	-	It’s difficult for reading to compete with TV and video games. Encourage reading as a free-time activity.
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Be patient.	-	When your child is trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so. Remind your child to look closely at the first letter or letters of the word.
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Pick books that are at the right level.	-	Help your child pick books that are not too difficult. The aim is to give your child lots of successful reading experiences.
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Play word games.	-	Have your child sound out the word as you change it from mat to fat to sat; from sat to sag to sap; and from sap to sip.
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I read to you, you read to me.	-	Take turns reading aloud at bedtime. Kids enjoy this special time with their parents.
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Gently correct your young reader.	-	When your child makes a mistake, gently point out the letters he or she overlooked or read incorrectly. Many beginning readers will guess wildly at a word based on its first letter.
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Talk, talk, talk!	-	Talk with your child every day about school and things going on around the house. Sprinkle some interesting words into the conversation, and build on words you’ve talked about in the past.
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Write, write, write!	-	Ask your child to help you write out the grocery list, a thank you note to Grandma, or to keep a journal of special things that happen at home. When writing, encourage your child to use the letter and sound patterns he or she is learning at school.

Visit www.ReadingRockets.org for more information on how you can launch a child into a bright future through reading.

A Midsummer Knight's Read : Fairytales at the Library

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Come along to the Busselton Library for a school holiday storytime full of fairytales both classic and twisted!

Stories read will be suitable for ages 5 and up (though younger kids are more than welcome too), followed by a fairytale-themed craft activity. The entire session will last about an hour.

Where:	Busselton Public Library
	Stanley St, Busselton
Date:	Wednesday 18th January 2012
Time:	10.00am - 11.00am
Cost:	FREE!

The Busselton Library runs regular storytime sessions throughout the year at 10.00am, every second Wednesday. For more information call the library on (08) 9754 1588 or email.

Save the Date

National Simultaneous Storytime, Australia’s biggest single storytelling event, is coming to the Busselton Public Library on 23 May 2012 at 10am.

Mark the date in your diary and look out for the exciting announcement of the 2012 book coming soon!

Poetry Competiton for Under 12s

Alphabet Soup is a quarterly magazine for children aged 6 to 12, and is giving away a $20 book voucher in their current Summer Writing Competition.

Here's what you need to do:

* Write a poem no longer than 12 lines. Your poem should contain the word 'dragon.'

* Include a competition entry form. This may be printed from the website (see link below), photocopied (hard copies are available from the Busselton Library), or contact Alphabet Soup to have one emailed or posted to you.

* Your entry can be handwritten or typed. Make a copy of your entry as Alphabet Soup cannot return entries.

* Entries close 21 JANUARY 2012.

Visit http://www.alphabetsoup.net.au/ for information on current competitions for kids aged 12 and under.

To download a competition entry form (with T&Cs) click here.

Children's Laureate Winners

Congratulations Alison Lester and Boori Monty Pryor for being honoured as the first ever Australian Children's Laureates. The two incredibly talented children's authors will share the inaugural appointment for 2012 and 2013. During their appointment Alison and Boori will act as national and international ambassadors for Australian children’s literature and will separately visit every state and territory inspiring young people to share and write their own stories.

You can search for books by Alison Lester and Boori Monty Pryor on the Busselton Libraries catalogue, or for more information on the Australian Children's Laureate click here.

A Midsummer Knight's Read at Busselton Library

The annual Summer Reading Club program will once again be taking place at the Busselton Library throughout the summer holidays.

This year the theme is A Midsummer Knight’s Read, exploring medieval history and classic fairy tales, as well as contemporary stories with familiar characters such as knights, princesses and dragons with a new twist. The program will promote reading as an enjoyable experience and encourage children to seek out new places to read, along with celebrating familiar reading spaces.

The Summer Reading Club is promoted primarily to children from 4 to 12 years of age, offering a variety of engaging creative writing activities, arts and crafts activities and games which encourage a love for books and reading as well as literacy and computer skills.

At the Busselton Library, Summer Reading Club activities run from Thursday 15 December, 2011 until Wednesday 25 January, 2012. Children and young people can register for free at our library and will receive a participation pack with library information and an activity booklet.

Last year the Summer Reading Club was a huge success with over 880 books being read by Busselton kids. This year, with the help of your family, it could be even bigger and better!

Research demonstrates that children who read for pleasure are the best readers and that families that read together provide the strongest model for future readers. The Summer Reading Club is an excellent program to support reading over the holidays across the community.

For more information contact the Busselton Library on the (08) 9754 1588 or email.

Kids' Reading Guide 2011-2012

Summer's just around the corner - want to find a good read for your kids?

The Australian Bookseller's Association has published a Kids' Reading Guide for 2011-2012, full of great titles chosen and reviewed by children’s specialist booksellers and suitable for toddlers to teens and all kids in between!
Flick through the interactive catalogue, or have a go at the sliding puzzle game!

For more info and to view the guide, click here.

Words of Wisdom from Dr Seuss

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."


^{- Dr Seuss (1904-1991) -}

The Busselton Library has plenty of Dr. Seuss' books for you and your family to enjoy,
so come in and have a look!

Busselton Public Library Opening Hours:

Monday	9.30am	to	5.30pm
Tuesday	9.30am	to	5.30pm
Wednesday	9.30am	to	5.30pm
Thursday	9.30am	to	7.00pm
Friday	9.30am	to	5.30pm
Saturday	9.30am	to	12noon

This Little Pig went to the Library...

...because this little pig didn't want to stay home...
This little pig wanted to make something,
and this little pig wanted a song...
And this little pig said "Read it again!"
All the way home!

Trot into the Busselton Library at 10am on Wednesday 13th April for another free storytime session... this time it's all about PIGS!

Storytime sessions at the Busselton Library are aimed at children 3 to 5 years of age, and no bookings are required - contact the Busselton Library on (08) 9754 1588 for more info.

If You're Happy and You Know It...

Would you take up an activity, or encourage your children to engage in it, if you knew that it could reduce the risk of dyslexia and dyscalculia, improve cognitive abilities, social integration, handwriting and spelling and make you feel more focused and less tense?

An Israeli researcher has recently conducted the first-ever study of hand-clapping songs, which has revealed a direct link between those activities and the development of important skills in children and young adults.

See Israel21c's article on the study here.

Libraries make good use of hand-clapping rhymes in regular Storytime, Baby Bounce and Toddler Time sessions - contact your local library to find out what free programs are available in your area.

Storytime at Busselton Library

Regular Story time sessions are held at 10.00am every second Wednesday at the Busselton Library.

The sessions usually run up to forty-five minutes, and contain stories, rhymes, songs and a craft activity, which is centred on a special theme chosen for each session.

Participation is free, and bookings are not necessary.

The next Storytime at the Busselton Library will be held on Wednesday the 2nd of March, and the theme will be... SHEEP!


Is your child one of the hundreds that count Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox as one of their favourites? Come along to the Busselton Library to hear this and other fantastic sheepy stories, followed by a wonderfully woolly craft activity, suitable for children 3 to 5 years of age.

Children love to read and be read to

Your public library is a great place for finding books to read for fun and pleasure. There is a strong link between community health and wellbeing and the use of libraries. Read to your children from a young age and see the benefits in their success in literacy and academic success.

Better Beginnings for Families

This programme has been developed for families with children aged 0-3 years. The aim is to encourage the development of literacy and a love of books and reading. Further information is available through your local library, health nurse and the State Library of WA, or by going to the Better Beginnings website.

The Little Big Book Club

A great site for encouraging the family to read and enjoy the wonderful range of books for children.

http://www.thelittlebigbookclub.com.au/