there's always so much reading to be done

I've got such a lot of reading to do. Have you read the Notables? What do you think of those on the short list? Plenty up for discussion. Check out the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards lists here.
My old review of Kill the Possum here. I'd vote for Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia - that man is amazing.

Oh yeah - Wednesday was wicked, thanks. A job interview and a reunion with my dearest friend who's been overseas for three years, only recently returned. Wild.

love libraries

I would love to have the Cubic Structural Evolution Project in a public library - it's touring regional Queensland galleries now. Kids are having such fun with the 300 kilos of white lego. Here's the batbear sitting on the rubble. He's a class mascot from a local school, touring around with a child each night. He certainly had fun at the Project.

Shoe store workers could learn a lot from libraries. Today I went to buy some black shoes and only found one pair in my size. To her credit the shop assistant did call the store in the next town to see if they had any of the others in (but they didn't). Now if that was a library we would be working hard to find that elusive product to suit the client's need. This is the new line too, and I was told that they only ever get one box in of that size - librarians would have ordered enough to cover anticipated demand and would have had them moving in and out. And why don't they have email alerts set up to let me know when that elusive one box comes instore? So, I did get one pair of gorgeous black shoes today (but not in the style I desired more) and I wore them to work in the afternoon. Halfway happy.

Send good fortune my way on Wednesday - two great things will happen for me that day. Here's wishing you a Wild, Wonderful Wednesday too.

for poetry enthusiasts

want to be there.
one day poem pavilion: http://people.artcenter.edu/~jsong5/thesis/index.html.

the pyjama foundation's readathon

Gearing up for a term full of reading - The Pyjama Foundation's first Readathon is gathering supporters now to read ten books before the end of June, and to raise funds to enhance children's literacy development.

Register yourself or your school as a fundraiser, or donate to my campaign here. Thank you! Here's what they say online:
The Pyjama Foundation is transforming children’s lives through literacy. We are committed to giving children in care the same opportunities in life as other children. Through our volunteer 'Pyjama Angels' we deliver a read aloud program to assist children in foster and alternative care in Australia improve their literacy. Literacy is critical to a child's success in life.

Participants review in print or with a YouTube video, and an outstanding review can win a TV studio visit. The school that raises the most money will be visited by author Nick Earls and Queensland’s Australian of the Year 2009, The Pyjama Foundation’s CEO & Founder, Bronwyn Sheehan. Excellent, much?

You will read marvellous stories while in your pyjamas.
- new Australian saying.

RAP and NSS

What better way to start the day than to share a book. I've signed up to work with a student on the Reading Assistance Program (RAP). Yes, I'm a RAPPER, along with about ten other volunteers. We're assigned a student between two volunteers and we each spend 45 minutes with them each week - so they get an hour and a half of one on one reading time. This week we were reading a story about Rosie who likes red things, so apart from reading a few chapters we also wrote red-related words on the chalkboard (roses, stop sign, fire engine, paint..) to extend L's vocabulary, and played snap with the M100words (the red set).

Make sure you're in your school or public library on Wednesday 27th May to participate in National Simultaneous Storytime with the whole of Australia. Everyone's reading Pete the Sheep at 11am -it's a funny book.
A bit like The Man from Ironbark with animal characters. I suggest / challenge a library partner with a woolshed or a hairdressing salon to take NSS to unusual places. Jondaryan Woolshed looks good.Where will you be for NSS?

typekey treasures

Kathleen Noonan does it again! She revisits Shelly Jackson's Skin project and alerts me to this stunning Australian site - Typekey - which will do for me until I get my READ pin from America. Danni creates these bracelets, necklaces, cufflinks and earrings from old typewriter keys. Love it, much?

smart people use library services

Thank goodness for Dr Glen Gole and other champion doctors at Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital who are advocating for a world-class library and research centre in the proposed new Queensland Children's Hospital. It was revealed this week that due to space shortages the library has been omitted. Des Houghton reported in The Courier Mail (Jan 10-11, p. 54) that 'Doctors were infuriated when it was suggested they should look up the internet instead'. The internet replace a medical library? You. Are. Joking.
Check out the Herston Health Sciences Library's collection, facilities and services. Those database subscriptions to Medline and CINAHL don't come free.
Smart people use library services, and advocate for them when others demonstrate they have no idea of their importance.