Summertime Reading Club is for the littlies too

Don’t forgot to drop in a great board or picture book into the picnic basket or backpack as you head to the park this summer. They are a great way to entertain and engage with your kids as you lounge in this glorious weather.

Reading a book with tamariki provides awesome opportunities to explore, laugh and build bonds that come from conspiring over the antics of Hairy Maclary or Spot the dog. Maggie and I are looking at cheeky bears, foxes and chicks in this board book at Upper Riccarton Library.

Christchurch City Libraries Summertime Reading Club – Kōrero pukapuka ā te wā o raumati this year is for newborns to teens, covering ages from zero to 13 year olds. Developing language, a curious wonder of the world and love of reading – all come from the books we share right from when our children are babies. Plus there are great prizes to be won!

We will be here at the library all summer, so pop on down and grab a great book. Don’t forget to let us know which books made your day.

If you want some ideas, our Holiday Reading lists are highlight the best books of 2017, including picture books.

Storyland by Catherine McKinnon

Storyland is set in an ‘up ended’ land that’s evergreen, with birds that fly at night and the unimaginable around every river bend. This is a tapestry of five different groups, in five different times across 237 years of Lake Illawarra’s existence. A mere drop in time for this ancient Australian landscape, but with monumental consequences for both the land and its people.

From the moment the small boat Tom Thumb is pushed away from the ship Reliance, we are immersed in the hearts and minds of the people who chose to make this part of Australia home. We begin with a Huck Finn-esque adventure up river following the fates of men with ideals in their heads and claims to stake; where anything is still possible.

As you tumble and sometimes pass gently through time, the common threads of what makes a home; survival, suspicion and competition for resources become apparent. What does the future hold for these characters and most of all our land?

Storyland
by Catherine McKinnon
Published by HarperCollins New Zealand
ISBN: 9781460752326

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful

In Eric Lindstrom’s latest young adult novel, A tragic kind of wonderful, Mel is a beautifully complex young woman grappling with confronting decisions and emotions, navigating relationships with her family, friends and her internal ‘animals’.

Lindstrom’s use of a first person narrative allows the reader to experience the intensity of Mel’s experiences, memories and decisions as she tries so hard to navigate her present dilemmas and the omnipresent events that led to her brother’s death.

As much as Mel would like to curl up and withdraw from the world, her own spirit and those around her prove time and time again the importance of connections and taking leaps of faith.

Mel must face her greatest fears and be honest with herself and others to an extent that to her feels like jumping over a huge cliff.

Before I read this book I thought my review would centre on the ever present challenge Mel had with her Bipolar disorder. However I now feel that Eric Lindstrom presented Mel’s experience so empathetically that I understand how mental illness did not define Mel but was ultimately what made her and her bonds with family and friends all the more tragically wonderful.

This book shows us ways in which mental illness and traumatic events can impact individuals in similar and very different ways and the possibilities for hope that exist at the darkest of times.

A tragic kind of wonderful
by  Eric Lindstrom
Published by HarperCollins New Zealand
ISBN: 9780008147471

Down in the Vege Patch

Right about now the seedlings from your Supermarket mini gardens and garden centres are basking their leaves in the delicious spring sunshine. Leafy and bursting to stretch their legs, so let’s roll up our sleeves.

Whether you are an experienced gardener or have had your interest piqued recently by the spring buzz, anyone and everyone can enjoy the satisfaction of a homegrown feast.

What better way to save money and guarantee a supply of nutrient rich food for you and your family, then by growing it yourself! Crops in pots, in the ground, with all day sun, or partial shade – it is amazing what you can grow in any situation.

I am into my third summer as a small garden novice and I am pleased to say, my results have bloomed by knowing a small number of essential tips and tricks.

As with any endeavour for me, my first stop was a good browse on the net. We are all familiar with hypnotizing rabbit hole that this can become. There seems to be a growing (excuse the pun) number of blogs with tips, ideas, inspiration and advise. Inspiration and ideas are a key part of why we enjoy getting into our little patch of soil, however unchecked advice or misinformation can lead to frustrations and a long walk up the proverbial garden path.

Much like falling back to my trusty watering can and hoe, I find myself tapping into tried, tested and published sources that allow me to pick the brains of the experts. If you can imagine it, our libraries have a gardening book, magazine, or journal that will provide everything you could possibly want to know. This year I want to try organic pest control and fertilizers, how about you?

Now let’s get those seedlings into the ground.

Suggested reads

For more inspiration and garden paths of discovery, go to our Gardening page or check out these beauties –