Book Worms

Thursday, October 18, 2007

READiscover Books - Book Week 2007

Our Book Week was a quiet event this year because this term is so full of many events - however we had the Children’s Bookshop at Beecroft run our Book Fair and it was fantastic. Parents and children remarked on the quality and quantity of the books supplied and the fact that Paul McDonald, the proprietor (previously a Vice President of the English Teachers Association) was able to return in the afternoon with extra copies of books we had run out of in the morning. Such great service! We also managed to have Anne from the Children’s Bookshop stay the whole day and do all the transactions for us. It allowed me time to put all my Premier’s Reading Challenge entries online!

Our children were also complimented on their courteousness and their good manners and me for my organisation and enthusiasm. Now I finally have some money to spend on updating my non-fiction resources, an area of great need when children are attempting tasks and some of the websites are too onerously literate for them to understand and use in their work.

Our second event was our guest illustrator, Stephen Axelson, a totally unassuming artist and writer who talked his way through his illustrative techniques demonstrating to the children what could be achieved with different lines etc. He used his graphic tablet and pen and pastel chalks to show different types of images that can be created using the computer and paper and left us with three wonderful prints to frame and place in our school. Amazingly they join our Kim Gamble ones and he was a classmate of his in Sydney.

We certainly had the opportunity to READiscover Books in many ways at Holy Cross this Book Week!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Sydney Writers Festival

What a brilliant afternoon we had. Eamon, Michaela, Ellie and I travelled to Parramatta to see and hear Philip Ardagh, Kate Forsythe and Andy Griffiths talk about their books and where their ideas for writing come from. Philip's actually developed from writing letters to his nephew at boarding school and Kate's new series from a charm bracelet her grandmother had. By far Andy Griffith's was the favourite of the afternoon when he told us his ideas come from playing with his children's toys, looking at what people do and imagining if they could do it differently. We were laughing a lot with both Andy and Philip while Kate was a bit more serious. Later Andy posed for a photograph with us. We all enjoyed the afternoon immensely especially as we also were able to see a live performance by the Sydney Youth Theatre.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Sydney Writers Festival

This is it! The week to get in those entries to become part of the Festival by visiting the Riverside Theatre and hearing 3 great authors speak. If you want to be in the competition pick up a form at the library and have it in by Thursday. Winners notified Thursday afternoon.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Premier's Reading Challenge

Congratulations to Samantha M. in Year 5 who has already completed the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2007. Michaela in Year 5 is following close behind. Don't forget to borrow the Challenge books and keep your list up to date so we can put them online for you. Let's see who can be finished third!

You might like to write a review of a Challenge book you have read. Contact me in the library if you would like to and we can arrange a time for you to do it. To read some reviews go to

http://prc3-4holycross.blogspot.com

or

http://prc5-6holycross.blogspot.com

Friday, April 20, 2007

Shortlisted Books for 2007 CBC Awards

The 2007 Shortlist for the Children's Book Council Awards has been announced. Follow this link to check out the books that have been nominated

http://www.cbc.org.au/short07.htm

then check out iBistro and see what we have in the library at Holy Cross. Happy searching!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Meeting Celebrities at the Sydney Writers Festival








Just like Hollywood, Holy Cross is used to having celebrities at our school. This year though we have been invited to attend the Sydney Writers Festival at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta and meet some celebrity authors. Three lucky children from Year 4 up will be able to accompany me. I will let you know how soon!!

We will get to see Andy Griffiths
http://www.andygriffiths.com.au

Phillip Ardagh
http://www.philipardagh.com/

and Kate Forsyth.
http://www.chainofcharms.com.au

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Premier's Reading Challenge 2007 Web Log

From now on children in Years 3-6 will be reviewing their Premier's Reading Challenge books on two blogs.
The first is the PRC3-4 Blog located at
and the PRC5-6 Blog located at
We do hope you will visit these blogs and leave your comments of encouragement for our first-time reviewers. They might even whet your appetite to read some of the books on the challenge.