PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES
These are my displays promoting the Book of the Year Notables and Short list.
Inspired by Shaun Tan’s artwork this year, I have used red, orange and yellow as my main theme colours. I used Outback as the font, which I downloaded from dafont. Yellow and orange crepe paper in a simple twist pattern create a quick and easy border.
Both the Notables list and Short list can be found on the CBCA website.
This is the second part in my Library Olympics prep – my display ideas can be found under Display: Olympic Games.
This library challenge is designed so that students can engage in a competitive but inclusive challenge to inspire them to read more, read with their friends and use books to help them complete fun tasks.
Students can complete any or all tasks individually or in teams. They will earn points for their class group or school house team.
Challenge 1: Flag design
Design your own flag. It can be a personal flag or make a team and share the design. We will display the flags with the other countries’ flags bunting, from Mr Printables.
Challenge 2: Paper plane making and flying competition
Create the most aerodynamic or the most fantastic looking paper plane. Create a paper plane that can fly the highest or do the most loops. We will test the planes during lunchtime outside the front of the library.
Challenge 3: Origami making
Using the library’s origami books, create an origami piece to add to our display. Can you create one that is sports themed?
Challenge 4: Pictogram design
Design a new set of Olympic Pictograms for reading in a variety of exciting ways. Reading while lying on the beach, reading while surfing, or maybe reading while riding a horse???
Challenge 5: Reading Challenge
This event is based on the Olympic Reading Challenge found on Mrs Mac’s Library.
Artistic Gymnastics: Read 3 Picture Books
100m Sprint: Read a short story (or book from the Easy Reads collection)
Marathon: Read for 30mins straight
Triathlon: Read 3 books by 3 different authors
Weightlifiting: Read a book of more than 200 pages
Relay: You and a friend read the same book.
Equestrian: Read a book about animals, fiction or non-fiction.
Looking for fun ways to engage readers this Book Week? Here are a few more activity ideas, both my own and adaptions from others’, for this year’s Book Week. Also, check out my post Book Week 2016 – Activities Ideas post.
Book in a jar: This is already a wildly popular guessing competition. Give it a Book Week 2016 twist by choosing an Aussie title to shred (or cut into squares).
Who Am I?: I was born in 1974 in Bendigo, Victoria. Before becoming an author I was an actor, university lecturer and artist. I write and illustrate books for children. This year, my book is nominated for Book of the Year: Early Childhood. Who am I?
The name you know me by is actually a pseudonym, a fake name to conceal my identity. I grew up in Sydney. I have written over 50 books for children. This year, my novel has been shortlisted for Book of the Year: Younger Readers. Who am I?
This guessing competition might also need a few author information posters displayed nearby or perhaps hidden around the library, or students can use their devices or the books’ author pages to find details to help them solve the clues.
Book Week is a fantastic time for promoting libraries and engaging readers in a variety of activities to increase their connection with reading, Australian literature and library services. Here are just a few activity ideas, both my own and adaptions from others’, for this year’s Book Week.
Guest storyteller: Many libraries are fortunate to be able to afford a special guest visitor or author during the Book Week celebrations. This year storytellers, performers and Indigenous storytellers are sure to be popular. But if the budget doesn’t stretch to such an event, perhaps look within the library or school community. I’m sure someone within that population sticks out as a person who is good at spinning a yarn or has a knack for making a story spring to life. And if you still can’t find a willing victim, perhaps try an online video or retelling.
Group storytelling: Story cards and dice, such as Rory’s Story Cubes, are excellent for promoting storytelling with a group. While any story cards or flip chart would work I particularly like the Story Cubes (no, I’m not being paid to write this), as they are so tactile and pretty. But a cube net that students can create and design their own set of cubes would also work.
Bingo: I’ve promoted this Reading Bingo from Random House before, but I think it would make an excellent giant bingo game. Create a giant board by enlarging each square and laminating. You would also need smaller copy to cut up and place in a container from which to randomly draw each square. As a square is drawn players have to name a title that fits, e.g. A Book That Became A Movie – The Hobbit. Write the book title on the square on the giant board (use a whiteboard marker so that it can be erased to play multiple times). This could be played competitively, with the names of students also listed on the squares, in teams or simply to see how quickly a group can fill the whole grid or one line.
Scrabble or Bananagrams: Check out this post from Constantly Lovestruck about a giant game of bananagrams, with a list of how many tiles you will need of each letter.
Pac-Man: This librarian created a giant Pac-Man board on the floor of her library. Details can be found on the blog Tvahlsing.
Guess Who: I have seen giant Guess Who games and DIY Guess Who games using everyone from Bible characters to US Presidents. I would make a giant Guess Who game using book characters. You could use animated characters from popular titles such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid or instead use the actors that have become the iconic representations of book characters.
The theme for Book Week 2016, Australia: Story Country, offers plenty of great ways to celebrate and decorate!!! Here are some of the ways I hope to decorate the library for this year’s Book Week.
Every year the library displays the books on the Book of the Year Short list, which you can find on the CBCA website. 
This year a backdrop of hessian and Aussie road signs will decorate this display and give it an Aussie touch.
I plan to update the Reading Tree to a Coolibah Tree, like the one mentioned in Waltzing Matilda, changing the leaves to gumtree-shaped leaves. 
With a few neutral coloured pieces of fabric, the bench seats will feel a little more outback-like and a fake campfire in the centre of the area will create a great space to gather for storytelling. Hanging stars will give the area an-outdoor, storytelling under the stars feel.
If you like to match your Book Week costume to the theme, represent a literary character or maybe try to do both then the 2016 theme gives you plenty of room to move. Australia: Story Country is a theme that lets one explore all the wonders of Australian fiction, storytelling, writing, history, culture and pretty much anything else you want. Here are some of my ideas for costumes that fit with the 2016 Book Week theme. Continue reading
This Book Week 2016 I wanted to honour the theme, Australia: Story Country, by updating our literary signpost. Australia has some iconic place names, some of which have starred in Australian literature.
I have added these to the literary signpost to give it a fresh look and tie it in with the Australian theme.
The theme for Book Week 2016 has been announced – Australia: Story Country.
Book Week 2016 will run from the 20 – 26 of August 2016. Shaun Tan has illustrated the artwork.
Australia is a pretty amazing country with some diverse stories to tell, so the 2016 theme will allow for a huge range of ideas, displays and costumes (I’m imagining our library staff all dressed as jillaroos and jackaroos, just as a start). From the beach to the bush, Dreamtime stories, and Australian children’s classics, I can’t wait to explore this theme more.
Meanwhile, you can check out my Pinterest board, Library – Book Week, which I will be updating to reflect the 2016 theme.
Book Week 2016: Literary Signpost
October 18-24, 2015 is Teen Read Week in the US, a literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association. This year’s theme is Get Away @ your library.
Now, down here in Australia we don’t usually celebrate Teen Read Week. We have recently celebrated the CBCA Book Week, which is for all ages, but I love the idea of specifically targeting teenage reading audiences. And really, what librarian wouldn’t another excuse to decorate the library and celebrate the fabulousness of young adult books.
This year’s Teen Read Week theme conjures images of summer reads (holding onto the last summer rays for those in the Northern Hemisphere, while awaiting the coming warmth in the Southern), holiday destinations and, of course, the epic Road Trip.
While our library won’t be celebrating Teen Read Week as such, it is certainly timely for inspiring some teen-related displays, activities and book lists.
September 15 (ish) is International Dot Day. It is a celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. The day is inspired by Peter H. Reynold’s beautiful book The Dot.
International Dot Day provides a wonderful opportunity to engage students in reading and creative tasks, and there are myriad possibilities for fun displays and activities.
You can find more information on the Dot Club website, beautiful dots created by authors, illustrators and celebrities on Celebri-Dot, and ideas for using The Dot in the classroom in the Candlewick Teacher guide for The Dot and Ish.
How will you make your mark on International Dot Day?
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