LIBRARY NEWS

Welcome to another busy but fun week in the library with lots of books being borrowed and read. 

This Week’s Reads

Kindergarteners are still having fun with their Term 4 'Hot Summer Reads' theme. Over the past two weeks, they've enjoyed exploring some wonderful beach-themed books, including one of my favourites, ‘Magic Beach’, by Alison Lester, and the entertaining ‘Chip’, by Kylie Howarth. The students used their imaginations to create stunning artwork, drawing both fictional and non-fictional things that might be found on their very own magic beach. Additionally, by reading two different books about the cheeky seagull, Chip, the children were introduced to the concept of a book series and following a character's adventures across multiple stories. Check out some of KM's amazing drawings.

Stage 1 students are continuing their exploration of the moon and space this term. Last week, we read 'Moonwalkers' by Oisín McGann, a great example of narrative non-fiction. This book blends a fictional story about a group of children pretending to be astronauts with amazing true facts about the 1969 moon landing. Students were captivated by images of the first moon walk and the lunar module, and eagerly drew what they would see if they landed on the moon themselves. This week, we launched into 'Stellarphant' by James Foley, which continues the astronaut theme with a wonderful story of persistence and resilience as Stella, an elephant, refuses to take no for an answer in her quest to go to space. The book also cleverly combines the fictional tale with real-life facts about animals that have travelled to space—the heroic space dogs have definitely been the most popular so far!

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Over the last two weeks, Stage 2 has been introduced to the exciting genres of action/adventure, fantasy and science fiction. Students have been learning to identify the key elements of these genres—such as magical creatures, unique worlds, or advanced technology—in the various books they explore. Fantasy remains the most popular genre in our school library, and this year is no different. To connect with the genre, students are enjoying the first chapter of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ by Cressida Cowell, followed by watching the movie trailer to spot the fantasy elements in action. They are consolidating their learning by creating their very own unique dragon, using the text as inspiration for their design. 

Finally, Stage 3 students have expanded their understanding of graphic novels and comics by learning the correct terminology. They can now identify parts like frames, panels, and gutters, as well as literary features such as sound effects, narration, thought and speech bubbles, and motion lines. 

This week, they began exploring the art of comic character design. Students viewed a variety of classic heroes and villains, exploring the deliberate techniques used in their creation. Did you know these characters are carefully designed with distinct body types & stances, specific clothing & costumes, a deliberate colour palette, and the use of light to enhance their traits? Students are currently applying these concepts to analyse a well-known Marvel character before designing and illustrating their very own superhero or villain using the techniques learned in graphic novels.

Here are some more Stage 3 book trailers for you to enjoy, too.

SORA eBooks of the Week - Lest We Forget

This week, the featured SORA Ebook collection centres on the important theme of Remembrance Day. This collection includes a variety of fiction and non-fiction stories for all ages, offering students valuable opportunities to learn about and reflect on the significance of November 11th. To access SORA's full digital library, your child will need their school email address and password. You can find detailed login instructions here.

Overdue, Lost or Missing Books  

As we approach the middle of Term 4, I would like to remind everyone that I will shortly follow up on books that have been overdue for a significant time. If any of these books are completely lost, please let me know by sending in a note with your child or by emailing invlibrary@arm.catholic.edu.au. We close borrowing for the year at the end of week 8, so if you could please have a good look for these books, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Scholastic Book Club

A big thank you to families who ordered from the last Book Club of the year. It was finalised last week, and orders can take a couple of weeks to process. They should be here soon. Thank you for continued support of reading and our library!

Meet the Reader

Meet Lilly, who loved finding a special book with her name on - Lily the Elf. 

Happy reading,

Mrs Toni Fraser