Library News

The Library now has its own Instagram page, @hkhs_library, that the school community can follow to keep updated on events, competitions and all things books. 

This term we celebrated the annual Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week. The CBCA winner's announcement video was played over lunchtime to open the week and to showcase the great variety of Australian young adult literature available. This year the Older Readers category winner was the contemporary take on J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the graphic novel Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva. This book and many of this year’s other nominees can be borrowed from the library.

Throughout the week there were a number of activities students were involved in. During break times on Tuesday students joined in making their own mini-book keyring. A quick activity with extremely cute results. Later this year we will be offering students an opportunity to make holiday ornaments filled with mini books to reflect their own reading journey. 

Our second ever Cosplay competition was held on the Thursday of Week 6. The talents of our students were on display, from our terrific emcees- Tayla Dudley and Mya Feather, our sound and lighting team- Lex Jephtha, Marley Mitchinson and Mia Clarkson, to our phenomenal contestants who battled their nerves and took to the stage in front of an audience and the judges. Our amazing judges Miss Ellis, Max Lewry and Dolma Tentso awarded runner up to Emilie Liang as Lucy from Narnia’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Paige McIlwrath was crowned the winner after a great performance as Rui Kamishiro. 

We ended Book Week with a Starbooks Cafe and indoor picnic. A successful way of connecting students with stories with positive feedback given by the participants and one student returning to let me know they read the book they'd been given in one night and we’ve been able to connect them with some more novels they’ve enjoyed since then.  

Book Week competitions are still underway with the art and writing competitions closing on Friday of Week 9. We are looking forward to reading all of the stories entered and in finding out which artwork will grace the cover of the next issue of the Henry Kendall High Scho Bellbirds Literary Magazine. The staff door decorating competition generated some wonderful entries again this year. The winning faculty will be decided by a people’s choice vote, with voting open to the whole school community.  

Next year's Book Week theme has been announced and is sure to provide some inspiration for Cosplay participants, Reading is Magic.

Shelley Klein

Librarian