Stuck for gifts ? Give books this Christmas
By your librarians
Books have always had an important place in my life from many perspectives – reading , curating and self-publishing . What I would pick as my “ favourite ” changes over time but at the moment I think it would have to be The soul of an octopus by Sy Montgomery .
Over the last few years I have become fascinated with the octopuses we have around our New Zealand shoreline and am keen to get to know them better . Full of stories that illustrate the behaviour and lives of these fascinating animals , I found that this book provided a very readable way to do that . The author ’ s description of her amazing experiences shows her passion for these animals and her ability to relate to them in their environment . My experiences with octopuses have been sufficient for me to relate to the content of the book , albeit from a practical , behavioural focus .
So does an octopus have a soul ? I really don ’ t know . What is important to me is that it can interact with me in a way that I feel is meaningful – if it wants to . And the book gave me more insight into how I can encourage it to want to .
Raewyn Adams - Librarian
My favourite novel .
Take one unloved child , a school of abject cruelty , an avenging man of substance and a mad wife , all set against a backdrop of darkened , Yorkshire landscapes and you have the ingredients for one of the most cherished novels in the history of publishing .
Essentially , what continues to amaze me re Jane Eyre is its timelessness . The heroine is “ disconnected , poor and plain ” yet her determination to be independent of thought and deed is impressive . She is a complex character , analytical and disciplined but deeply passionate and rebellious . At times , she almost demands the reader acknowledges the consciousness of women . The novel interweaves a number of sharply drawn characters and themes : empire , sexuality and insanity but it is Jane ’ s clear and unyielding integrity which defines the book and Jane as a heroine for any age . Published in 1847 , Charlotte Bronte is writing about the liberation of women within the social landscape of a Victorian age and almost a century before women obtained suffrage in Britain . The relevance of the book for today is something I find fascinating .
Carol Charters - Librarian
Bring back the joy of reading to little ones . Put a book into Santa ’ s stocking this Christmas . Developing a love for reading begins at home . Share that precious one on one time to instil in children the knowledge that reading is fun ! Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare them with a foundation for academic excellence .
As well as the contact with you during story time , your child is gaining valuable communication skills , mastering language , enhancing concentration and discipline through learning to stay put for the duration of the book . From an early age by listening to you read the basic sounds of language are formed .
Early reading choices include :
Superbly illustrated The Gruffalo , one of the world ’ s best-loved monsters , is just one book in a series by Julia Donaldson .
For excellent rhymes and quirky illustrations try any of the Dr Seuss titles .
And NZ ’ s own prominent author Lynley Dodd with her Hairy Maclary adventures .
Once children pick up those all-important language skills you will no longer be able to skip pages to hurry through to the end of the book . They ’ ll know and are now well on the way to becoming proficient readers .
Lynley Whitaker – Librarian
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