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Books in Homes is blessed with great sponsors and supporters who keep us focused on maintaining our vision... to create an Australia where every child and family has access to books in the home. But what happens when children have no home, such as those who have lost their homes (and schools!) in the recent bushfires? That's when some wonderful individuals and organisations step up and donate additional books that we can distribute around Australia by means outside of our usual charter, and that's why we're about to ask you for your help. Over the last few years we have been working with a wonderful organisation called Good360, which distributes new non-perishable goods to Not for Profits in alignment with their corporate partners. Recently, Good360, in conjunction with Woolworths and Big W, donated 400 new Wiggles books to us. Their intention is to support the bushfire disaster recovery campaign and help us get a large percentage of those books to afflicted children and schools in fire zones. If you know of any families or schools in need, then email us at: support@booksinhomes.com.au so we can start spreading the book love. We'll also get this message out through our social media portals.
In anticipation of a fantastic response to this call-out, we just want to remind you of our Postage Fund. We need help in getting these books out to recipients so any donation you can spare will help us achieve that goal. Donations to the fund can be made through the link:
www.givenow.com.au/booksinhomes-postage-fund
On another note, we're delighted to welcome three new Sponsors to our community: Adani Australia, Ansvar Insurance, and the Kensington Gardens Craft Group who are funding several new primary schools onto the program. You'll find out more about them in our Sponsor Spotlight column today and in upcoming months. We also want to issue a big hello to our new volunteer who has just joined our team... Maura Pierlot, who is taking on the role of Grant Application Coordinator. Maura is an author-playwright, and you can find out more about her in the Role Model Corner column below, as she is also coming on board as a Role Model and as a Sponsor of a school from Term 2, 2020.
Have fun and keep reading until next month!
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Peter Large
Chief Executive Officer &
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
HEALTHY READING IN ALBURY WODONGA
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Story and photos contributed by Nicole Rootsey from the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service.
The Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) was lucky to secure a grant through a local health district last year and we decided that we would love to promote the benefits of reading and book ownership to both parents and children who attend our child and family health program. We believe books are more important than ever in this digital age to promote children’s learnings and to allow for quality parent child interaction.
We introduced the Books in the Home Program with this funding. Children who attend a health check between the ages of 2 and 4 years are signed up for a year of the program. The families are able to look at the books during their appointment and together pick the books they want.
So far we have delivered one term of books to children. Delivery happened just before Christmas and the look on the children’s faces when they received their bags was priceless. The feedback from families has been overwhelmingly positive. Seeing the families looking through the books at their appointments is lovely too; parents delight at how much their children love the stories when they are read to them.
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PHOTO (Top): Nicole Rootsey (Child and Family Health Nurse), Gabrielle Whitling, Yalara-Lee Murray, and Paula Harrison (Child and Family Health Nurse).
(Bottom): Isabella-Rose (on lap), Corey Murray (dad) and Yalara-Lee .
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Sponsor: Kensington Gardens Craft Group
Location: Shepparton, Vic
What does the Kensington Gardens Craft Group do?
The Kensington Gardens Craft Group comprises residents of Kensington Gardens Over 50s Lifestyle Village in Shepparton. The Group, numbering over twenty ladies, meets weekly to create and chat. The members enjoy knitting, crocheting, sewing and card-making to name a few. Some of their handcrafted items are sold in the Group's craft room to residents and visitors. All the funds raised are donated to local charities.
How long has the Kensington Gardens Craft Group been supporting Books in Homes Australia?
The Craft Group is a new Sponsor and began supporting Books in Homes in Term 1, 2020.
What school does the Kensington Gardens Craft Group sponsor?
The Craft Group is supporting Lemnos Primary School in Lemnos, Victoria.
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Name: Maura Pierlot
Location: Canberra, ACT, and Jamberoo, NSW
Job: Author-Playwright
Website: www.maurapierlot.com
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What part of your work most interests you?
I’m a juggler with many ideas and projects on the go. Even when I’m meant to be relaxing, my brain’s always ticking over, which is usually good but sometimes tiring ;-) The great thing about working in the arts is I get to play with ideas. Whether I’m creating characters, establishing a setting, building a plot or dropping a bombshell, I love the challenge of creating a new world that resonates with readers and audiences. With each journey I learn a bit more about myself, which is pretty cool too.
How did you choose your career path?
I didn’t really have a career path. As a young girl I had many different interests and loved learning. I was always asking questions (still am!), which I’m sure my teachers and parents sometimes found exhausting. From this learning came many exciting opportunities that led to travel, jobs and new experiences. Looking back on my careers, all of my work has involved writing in some capacity but often it was what other people wanted me to write. About seven years ago I set out to re-ignite my creative self and started writing the stories that I wanted to tell. And that’s led to even more exciting opportunities. Who knows what will happen next?
Who has inspired you most in life? Why?
This is a tough question because there have been many people who have inspired me at different times for different reasons. My Aunt Bianca was one of them. We weren’t even technically related but she was like family. She was a trendsetter in many ways, working full-time when most women were expected to stay home and raise children. She was well-read, had a cool style, and never said a bad word about anyone. Even when she was in her mid-80s, she was still commuting by bus from the Bronx to Manhattan for full-time work and travelling the world. She showed me that anything’s possible at any age.
What did you most enjoy about school?
Books have always been my friends, helping me get through some rocky times in life, especially when growing up. I’ve always been super curious—about people, events, the world—and school nurtured this desire to learn. Rainy weekends were often spent in the library. I would sit on the floor, surrounded by a pile of books, and devour the pages. For me, reading has opened the door to new worlds beyond my wildest imagination.
What did you hate most about school?
When I transferred to a new school in Year 7, it was tricky for me to make new friends. Although I only moved from the Bronx about sixty kilometres away to New Jersey, it was like I was visiting another planet. I discovered some kids just weren’t very nice though it took me some time to realise that was often because they were grappling with other issues in their lives. I didn’t like the politics of ‘groups’ so I flitted about, eventually making friends in all of them but never really belonging to any particular one. I learned early on if you don’t like something, set out to change it and make it work for you. That philosophy has taken me far in life.
What advice would you give your 10-year old self?
You’re a good kid with big dreams. Don’t waste time trying to be someone you’re not. Play to your strengths, be fair, kind and work hard, embrace uncertainty and you’ll get there in the end.
What three children’s books were your favourites when you were at school?
I remember the Golden Book series (yes, I’m old haha), especially The Poky Little Puppy. I was always challenging rules and identified with the curious pup who wandered off then secretly ate the rice pudding. In primary school I was a huge fan of the Nancy Drew mystery series and still have my copy of The Secret of the Old Clock. But it was when I read Little Women that something changed. I identified strongly with the character Jo who wanted to be a writer and threw myself into her world utterly and completely. Little Women taught me the power of literature and that books can be life-changing.
What three things would you take to a desert island?
I’d take music, a book and someone who knows a lot about living on a desert island!
And just for fun, choose your preference below:
Lions, tigers or bears (oh my!)? Lions.
Jelly babies or jelly snakes? Jelly snakes.
Spring, summer, autumn or winter? Autumn. Definitely.
Tennis or cricket? Cricket. Took me years to work out the rules but now I'm hooked!
Passionfruit or mangoes? Mangoes.
Ghosts or goblins? Ghosts. Preferably friendly ones.
Planes, trains or automobiles? Trains. So I can relax and enjoy the scenery.
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger or Ron Weasley? Hermione Granger.
Fantasy or sci-fi? Sci-Fi… because it generally has a future focus with some challenge for humanity.
Running or yoga? Yoga. Which reminds me I need to stretch now.
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Children's author, performing artist and Books in Homes Role Model Chris Collin and his wife Nadia will continue their great travels in the Funky Chicken bus around Australia in 2020. Chris will also be attending two Books in Homes Book Giving Assemblies in South Australia. Thanks, Chris!
Chris's author presentations and workshops are adaptable to suit any age and are focused on literacy through fun and funkiness! He incorporates live narration of his books to audio-visual musical slideshows, puppets, singing/dancing, art activities—all with rhyme and fun as a common thread. If you are interested in booking Chris, he and Nadia will be in South Australia (Greater Adelaide region) during Term 1 and Western Australia (greater Perth region) during Term 2. They will also be in Alice Springs at the end of Term 2 from the 20-25 June 2020.
Here’s a link to a 2 minute video snapshot of what you can expect from my funky author visits! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6KfMq6lEQc
Here’s a link to a recent presentation for popular children’s TV show Crocamole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o_wc3IRq2I
For more information on author visits go to: https://www.funkybooks.com.au/author-visits/
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FUN BOOK FACTS WITH RACHEL
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The idea for Charlotte’s Web came from E.B. White’s fascination with the many spiders in his home. He brought a spider egg sac from his farm in Maine to his New York apartment. He then allowed the hatched baby spiders free reign in his home, until his cleaner complained.
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Fun Book Facts have been contributed by Role Model and emerging author, Rachel Armstrong, who is located in Townsville, Qld. You can read more about Rachel here: www.rachelarmstrongauthor.com.au
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BEAUTIFUL YUMMY FOOD COMPETITION
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We have 5 sets of of Beautiful Yummy Food: Fruit and Beautiful Yummy Food: Vegetables to be won! That is TWO books per set.
Written by dietician and mum Tanya Nagy, these books are designed for ages 1.5 to 16 and lay the foundations for the next generation of responsible healthy eaters. Information covered includes Seasonal Eating, How Food Grows and Serving Sizes. The books include child-friendly recipes and tips for shopping for and sorting each fruit and vegetable.
To enter the competition just send an email to support@booksinhomes.com.au with the following information:
1. Email Subject Line: BEAUTIFUL YUMMY FOOD COMPETITION
2. Your full name
3. Your school name (if applicable)
4. Your address
5. Your phone number
6. Answer the following question:
What is the name of the author of the Beautiful Yummy Food books?
COMPETITION RULES:
* The closing date for the competition is Friday 13 March 2020 at 5:00pm (AEST – Sydney time).
* The competition is open to all subscribers of THE BRIDGE (students, Schools, Role Models, Sponsors and others) excluding any employees of Books in Homes Australia.
* Enter as many times as you like for more chances to win.
* The first five correct and complete, randomly selected entries will be deemed the winners of one set (containing two books) each.
• Only one prize will be awarded per person or school.
* The competition will be drawn on Monday 16 March 2020 at 11:00am.
* The winners will be notified by email on Tuesday 17 March 2020, and the prizes will be mailed to the addresses of the five winners included in the emails of the winning entries.
* The winners' names will be published in the next issue of THE BRIDGE (#64, March 2020).
Good luck!
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MEEKA COMPETITION WINNERS
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Thank you to all the individuals who entered the MEEKA COMPETITION that was published in last month's edition of The Bridge. The answer to the question was: Suzanne Barton and Anil Tortop.
Congratulation to the five winners. They are:
- Bianca Russ, Urbenville Public School, NSW
- Ethan Russ, Urbenville Public School, NSW
- Amelia Russ, Urbenville Public School, NSW
- Makaylah Kiem, Urbenville Public School, NSW
- Gabriella Lee McGrath, Urbenville Public School, NSW
Keep an eye out for further exciting competitions in this edition, as well as future editions of The Bridge.
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MAINFREIGHT CALENDAR – MARCH 2020
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The March 2020 image was illustrated by Nevaeh Chu-Kau
(Age 11) from Carole Park State School (Qld).
CLICK on the image above to download the calendar page.
Provided courtesy of Mainfreight.
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