|
December 2022/January 2023
|
|
ON THE FRONT LINES WITH SUZANNE LIVETT
 Hello Suzane! Tell us a little about your Library Service!
Hello! We have two libraries – the Cotton library in the junior school and the Seymour library in the senior school. We serve around 1400 students from Pre-prep-12, plus their teachers and support staff. We provide spaces to read, to study and to work together. We provide books to read, books to listen to, as well as magazines, databases and other digital content. We host authors, run craft workshops, trivia days and all manner of other events to serve our community.
How did you end up being a Librarian?
I taught English for ten years and worked with some inspirational librarians, and some less inspiring ones! I realised the difference that qualified librarians in well-resourced libraries can make to both the wellbeing and the academic achievements of students. I enrolled in a Masters Education (Teacher-Librarian) in 2018 and never looked back. It’s an excellent mix of what I’m most passionate about – literature and serving school communities.
What is one of the most awesome parts of your job?
Using creativity to get students to read. We’re launching a Spring into Reading program this term. Girls can borrow a ‘kit’ with a basket, picnic blanket, novelty sunglasses and some spring-inspired books. They can go outside, take their shoes off, relax and read. I learn a lot from other librarians and try to incorporate the best of what I see into my practice. But the best thing is the inspiring and dedicated team that I’m lucky to be a part of.
Share some of your upcoming or past programming
We’ve had some guest author visits this year as part of Book Week. Being in a girls’ school that values STEM, we are about to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day for the first time. We’re redesigning our Year 7 orientation program to keep girls reading for pleasure as they transition into senior school, as well as programs and reward systems that will keep them reading throughout the year. We’re also launching a steminist book club in 2023. There’s always a lot happening in our libraries!
What are you reading?
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which evokes Lana Del Rey vibes and is a gripping story well told. In the land of non-fiction, I’m reading The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate, which is making me rethink everything I know about ADHD and other psychological diagnoses. Finally, Underland by Robert Macfarlane. I loved The Overstory, so it serves as a fitting counterpart. Non-fiction is always more relatable and interesting when it’s combined with narratives, and Underland is that in a nutshell.
If you had to choose one children’s or YA book to take to a desert island what it be and why?
Tough question! I’d go back to my original love – The Baby Sitters Club. It grew up on those books so they’d be so comforting to read when stuck on an island. And now that there’s spin offs and graphic novels, I’d be entertained for hours! It’s truly the series that keeps giving.
Libraries are awesome because?....
Along with schools and hospitals, they’re one of the most enduring institutions in society and are found all over the world, which speaks to their awesomeness. Well-resourced libraries provide answers to questions people don’t know they have, help people learn about themselves and their place in the world through literature, and ultimately help people build better lives. Everything about them is awesome!
|
|
BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR JOSH LANGLEY
|
|
Hello Josh! Tell us about yourself!
When I was a kid, all I wanted to be was a train driver, but strangely and completely unintentionally, I ended up writing and illustrating kid’s books. I love how life steers you in a direction that is completely opposite to what you expect! It all happened when I wrote a book for my 8-year-old self, called Being You is Enough. I’d suffered childhood trauma and as part of my healing I wrote a book telling my younger self everything he needed know about life including that he was perfect the way he was and that he was loved. That book changed my life.
6 years, 5 kids’ books, and an Australian Book Industry Award later, I’ve created a whole business based around helping kids build self-acceptance, resilience and empathy. In 2018 I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, which I see as a positive as it helps me connect and understand kids who are neurodivergent or feel different for whatever reason. I see it as my responsibility to help these kids feel seen.
I’ve been with my (now) husband for 22 years where we live on 7 and half acres in the South West of WA where my favourite thing to do is daydream… and maybe drink the odd cheeky glass of red or two.
How did you decide to become a writer, and who or what are major influences on your work?
I’ve spent the last 25 years writing radio commercials, so the leap to writing kids’ books, wasn’t that big. Both require short sentences; you need to engage the reader quickly and keep them interested until then end. However, I much prefer writing and illustrating kids’ books as it feels like I’m using my powers for good, not evil!
Maurice Sendak is one my biggest influences. Even though I don’t hold a candle to his genius, I feel a kinship with him. Did you know that he never told his parents that he was gay, nor mentioned his 50-year relationship with his partner? The reason, he was Jewish and felt he would disappoint them. He once said, "All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew." Maurice carried that shame with him until he died. I wish I could have sent him a message saying that he was wonderful and perfect the way he was. In homage, I dedicated an illustration to him on page 41 of my latest book, How to be a Wonder Hunter.
What was your favourite book as a child?
Obviously, I loved Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak but I also loved the Adventures of Blinky Bill, by Dorothy Wall. Both main characters were a little cheeky and got to go off on big adventures! Even now when I head out somewhere with my husband, we say we’re going off on a ‘Blinky Bill Adventure’!
 What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love getting emails and messages from parents telling me how much my work has helped their kids. It fuels my passion to keep going. One mum told me that after reading It’s Ok to Feel the Way You Do countless times with her unsettled 5-year-old boy, she said he ‘no longer has separation anxiety, has tools to deal with anger and it a lot more comfortable in himself. Thankyou.’ It makes me realise that books can be a powerful conduit for life changing conversations and connections.
Since we're all library lovers here, how has the library played a role in your life?
Growing up, every Friday night my dad would take me to either Subiaco or Nedlands library where I’d get out all the spooky books I could find. I was fascinated with everything ghosts, supernatural and paranormal and the library was a place where my imagination could be let loose!
Now days I do lots of talks at libraries, whether it’s a parent talk or kids’ workshop and I love how libraries have become more of a community hub than just a place for reading. This year I was able to get 41 kids to yell, ‘Even cool kids have to poo’ across the City of Bunbury Library. That wouldn’t have happened when I was a kid!
Plug time! What's your latest book and where can fans stalk - I mean follow - you online?
My 5th book in the Being You is Enough series, How to be a Wonder Hunter was released in September through Big Sky Publishing. It’s about getting today’s kids to put down their devices for a while and discover a world of wonder outside and inside themselves. Yes, I’ll admit I want today’s kids to go on a Blinky Bill adventures like I used to. I thought all my Christmases had come at once when I saw that Maggie Dent had shared it on her Facebook page!
My Kids Books:
· Being You is Enough
· It’s OK to Feel the Way You Do
· Magnificent Mistakes and Fantastic Failures
· Being Wildly Kind
· How to be a Wonder Hunter
Website: www.joshlangley.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshlangleywriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlangley_inspiringkids/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-langley-7941868/
|
|
BOOK BITES
Picture Books
 Bin Chicken and the Christmas Turkey
by Kate and Jol Temple
Full of rhyme and glorious pages full of colour, this is a super fun Christmas read! I just adore the Christmas spread and the mischief these two birds get up to! Full of quirkiness! Readers will love all the fun details Ronojoy Ghosh has included on each page.🎄
These two birds know how to party when there is a feast to gobble! Highly recommend this one for some festive fun!
(Nicola McGeown)
Junior Fiction
 The Last Light Horse
by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds
”There were 136,000 Australian horses sent to fight during the First World War. Just one came home.”
The Last Light Horse is the story of Sandy, the only warhorse to return to Australia after the First World War. Dianne Wolfer’s story allows us to see World War One from a Light Horse’s point of view and all the action and horrors that the war would have unleased. There are 4 parts to the story which correspond to the names of Sandy’s owners throughout his life. Because of the war, Sandy travels great distances across the world from Victoria, Australia to Egypt, Gallipoli and France and he experiences many hardships while diligently serving his country.
The Last Light Horse is the fourth book in the Light series and once again it is illustrated by the incredible charcoal drawings of Brian Simmonds. Although this is historical fiction, the book has many actual images of Sandy, photos and newspaper clippings from the time of World War One and this provides another element to the story for readers to investigate.
This book is highly recommended for children aged 10 and over. Teachers notes and other resources can be found here.
(Rachael Drummond)
Junior Non-Fiction
 How to be a Wonder Hunter
written and illustrated by Josh Langley
How to be a Wonder Hunter is the fifth book in the Being you is enough series, and encourages all kids to be curious and to take some time to discover incredible things around them. Josh Langley explains that being a Wonder Hunter means to stop looking at a screen and to start finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
The text is well designed to lead the reader through the process of training to be a Wonder Hunter and the different steps this takes with a final checklist at the end of book to encourage kids to revise what they learned. Josh Langley’s illustrations are hilarious and kids will enjoy laughing at the bright pictures while reading the simply written, nonetheless meaningful, accompanying text. This book suggests we use our imagination, be curious, ask questions and read more; then life will never be boring again.
Highly recommended to children aged 5 and over.
(Rachael Drummond)
Young Adult
 What We All Saw
by Mike Lucas
Sammy, Shell, Gray and Charlie all have different accounts of how Denny Jones died at Hag’s Drop. Though they swore never to speak of it, Sammy and his friends can’t help but attempt to uncover just what really happened at the quarry that day. Strange happenings, missing children spanning generations, and the tale of the Witch haunt the friends at every turn. While their accounts differ, there’s no denying that something sinister lurks in Hag’s Drop.
What We All Saw tells a story of summer with friends, small town mysteries, and a mysterious quarry all set to the backdrop of 1970s suburban England. Lucas blends generations of small town legends and mysteries to tell a suspenseful teen horror story, perfect for young fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things.
Graphic Novel
Junior
 Star the Elephant (Surviving the Wild series)
by Remy Lai
Star is the baby of the pack and it is time for he and his herd to find a new home. As they embark out Star is separated from his family and he must journey alone into the great unknown. Star will face many challenges on his travels from wild creatures, strange humans and swimming a mighty ocean but will be reunited with his family.
Star the Elephant is the first book in Remy Lai’s Surviving the Wild series. Each book features a different heroic animal and introduces kids to important themes such as climate change and what they can do to help protect our environment. This is a great series to include in your junior collections!
(Gabby Cundy)
Graphic Novel
YA
 The Greatest Thing
by Sarah Winifred Searle
At the start of sophomore year Winifred is alone. Her two best friends have transferred to private schools and she is nervous how this year will go. However, that does not last long when she meets Oscar and April in art class and they quickly bond over sleepovers, thrift store shopping, and starting their own zine publication. But Win is keeping secrets not only from her friends but from herself which could threaten everything she’s built.
This is a wonderfully made graphic novel that deals with some fairly heavy topics. Mental health, LGBTQI+ issues and self perception are all present throughout the story but are dealt with in a way that teens can connect and see themselves reflected. It is a beautiful coming of age story that should be a part of collections everywhere.
(Gabby Cundy)
|
|
BRAG PAGE
Shout Out! Youth Storytelling Competition, Western Downs Libraries
|
|
Shout Out! was a brand-new storytelling competition for young people across the Western Downs to have their stories heard. We hear stories about young people all the time – but the trouble is, it's not young people that are telling them.
In July 2021, Western Downs Regional Council were successful in attaining a Mental Health and Wellbeing grant from Queensland Health to enhance wellbeing and re-establish community connectedness. As part of this grant, we developed a new Youth Storytelling Competition to showcase the resilience and talent of our regions youth: Shout Out! Youth Storytelling Competition. From this competition, 3 finalists would be selected to have their stories professionally produced into short films.
After researching, we found that young people are a key demographic for mental health responses. According to Beyond Blue, one in seven young people experience a mental health condition in any given year, and suicide continues to be the leading cause of death for young Australians. While we aligned the project with the grant criteria, we also aligned with our Councils Strategic Plan and our Library Operational plan.
The competition is designed to empower young people in the Western Downs to tell their own stories, rather than have stories told about or for them, and to showcase the resilience and talent of our region's youth. Through information we come to know, but through storytelling we may come to understand:which is key to breaking the stigma of mental illness. By encouraging our youth to share their stories of adversity, we hoped that others in similar situations would feel less alone.
The competition was open to young people aged 13 to 18 who live, study or work in the Western Downs. In collaboration with local high schools, students were encouraged to submit their stories (written or verbal) on Overcoming adversity with the help of their community. Promotion also extended to boarding school students, home schoolers and school leavers within the age category, as well as caregivers of these young people.
 To assist with the creation of their stories, Western Downs Libraries provided digital 'support kits' — including learning resources, stimulus materials, and access to an online workshop — throughout the duration of the competition. Lydia Burton is an ABC presenter who grew up in the Western Downs, she has strong links to our region and was very passionate about the Shout Out! competition, so much so, she offered to create and online workshop video with us.
The next part of our project was to engage a videographer to bring the finalist stories to life. Clancy Sinnamon grew up telling stories in the tiny town of Jackson, QLD. Fast forward a few years, Clancy now spends his time following Cricket Australia around the globe with his camera, while also establishing the Outback Film Club. Clancy is incredibly passionate about rural storytelling and encouraging country kids to follow their dreams. His relatability to the hardships of rural youth made him an obvious choice when it came to selecting the videographer for this project. As well as working with each of the finalists to bring their stories to life, Clancy also created a promotional video and a preview of the films.
 Three finalists were selected by a panel of judges and the films were premiered at Words Out West: Western Downs Readers & Writers Fest 2022. Each winner also received a double pass to the WOW Festival Day, as well as cash prizes.
The full films are featured on our website www.westerndownslibraries.com/shout-out
Western Downs Libraries received the Gold Local Government Authority Award at the Queensland Public Libraries Association conference in October. This Award recognises outstanding community service through the delivery of an individual program or initiative.
Jacinta Ward
Library Support & Marketing Officer
|
|
|
|
