The Eastern Regional Library Show 8-15th December 2010 [Eastern FM 98.1]

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On 8th & 15th December's shows

The last three weeks have whirled by, and so there are several topics covered in the radio show which we need to catch up on.

Firstly, the children's and teenager's books which Pia reviewed are as follows.........
Gorgon in the gully by Melina Marchetta which is part of a great new series from Puffin. Priced to be affordable from a kid's pocket money, and great stories from popular authors. Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod and Freya Blackwood contains several short stories about Maudie and her friend Bear, with beautiful illustrations. A fantastic new book to share with young children..

Wonky donkey, words and music by Craig Smith, illustrations by Katz Cowley. A crazy story/song for primary school age that will have you laughing out loud. Ultimate Dino-pedia by "Dino" Don Lessem, illustrated by Franco Tempesta is a fantastic book for dinosaur fans to enjoy. Torment by Lauren kate is the second in a romance/adventure series, perfect for those teens who love the paranormal.

For family history researchers, there is the good news that you can access Ancestry and FindMyPast databases via Wifi in all our libraries. This means that you do not need to book a library pc, but can research with these resources on your own laptop as long as the library is open. And not to forget the excellent resources available through the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies www.aigs.org.au and the Genealogical Society of Victoria www.gsv.org.au

Music on our recent shows has been from So Frenchy So Chic 2009 and Cafe Musette by Enrique Ugarte.

Cheers, Maryanne

The Eastern Regional Library Show 28th July 2010

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On 28th July's show

Comic books have been around since at least 1827, and the combination of fast paced storyline and pictures continues to evolve and grow in popularity. The current popular format is the graphic novel, and it is used in storytelling for young children, teenagers and adults. A new series for younger readers features Babymouse. The first title in the series is Babymouse, Queen of the world! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. Babymouse is an endearing character with a big imagination. Babymouse longs to attend Felicia Furrypaws' sleepover party. When she finally receives an invitation she is estactic, but forgets her promise to watch a movie with her best friend, Wilson Weasel. Read the book to find out if the party lives up to her expectations. There are several more titles in the Babymouse series.

For teenage readers, Apache: girl warrior by Tanya Landman is about Siki who in her fourteenth summer witnesses Mexican soldiers killing her little brother. Swearing revenge upon them, Siki undergoes a great deal of hardship to become an Apache warrior. Based on a true story this exciting novel gives the reader a first hand look at the Apache way of life and being. And Beautiful creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a great novel for those who love paranormal romances. A deliciously dark fantasy about Ethan Wate and new girl in town, Lena Duchannes. Lena is cursed and, on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided.

A new addition to the  picture book collection is Black book of colours by Menena Cottin and Roasana Faria. Thomas can't see colours but he can hear them and smell them and touch them and taste them. The reader can try the see the world the way Thomas sees it through raised, textured line drawings. Braille letters are included as an introduction for sighted readers.

---- Pia, Youth Services Librarian
Knox Library

George Ivanoff book signing

George Ivanoff, author of Gamers' Quest (Ford Street Publishing, Melb., 2009), a science fiction novel for children and young teens will be doing a book signing in Ringwood in May.

Official Gamers' Quest website

When: Saturday 8th May 11:30am-12.30pm
Where: Angus & Robertson bookstore (Ringwood - Shop L026a, Eastland Shopping Centre, 171-175 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood) 

Cheers, Maryanne

Eastern Regional Library Show 20th Jan & 27th Jan 2010

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On 20th January's show 

Exciting discoveries in Family History can come when you least expect them. Just for interest sake I did a Google search for one of my great great grandgathers "Richard James Quinnell". Not only did I find records produced on www.familysearch.org/Eng/, but also record of his registration as a doctor in Victoria in 1892, and deregistration at  his death in 1902. The important thing in doing a search like this is to enclose the name you are searching for in quotation marks, "Richard James Quinnell" so that you get exactly the person you are looking for. I also found this ancestor's will available via a link from ERL's Family History page,which took me to the Public Records Office of Victoria. Wills lodged up to 1925 have been scanned and are freely available. After this date, you will need to order the documents you are interested in.

Book Chat groups will be underway again from February, so check out if there is one at a convenient time and library for you. These groups meet monthly, are informal, and a great way to share thoughts on what you are reading, and be given new ideas for your next book. Lilydale Library's Chataboutabook club meets on the third Wednesday of the month, and as a part of our world trip through literature, have been reading about India and Asia over the last month. Some books I can recommend are, A passage through India by Saili and Gill which is a beautifully produced travel and photography book of the sub-continent; Stranger to history : a son's journey through Islamic lands by Aatish Taseer, a highly readable and enlightening book of a young man's journey through the Middle East in an attempt to understand Islamic culture and values; and Great voyages of the world
which includes stories of travel down the Ganges, Rhine and Yellow rivers, around the coast of Britain, through the fjords of Norway, by lake and canal from St Petersberg to Moscow, and much more. Enough to give anyone itchy feet.

Music today was from Noel Coward.


On Wednesday 27th January's show

Some great fantasy teenage novels which have recently arrived were reviewed by Pia today. Crowded Shadows by Celine Kiernan is the gripping sequel to Poison Throne. Alone for the first time in her life, Wynter travels unprotected in bandit-infested mountains searching for missing Prince Alberon. But every tyrant and bully who ever threatened the kindgom is gathering to Alberon's table, and the forest is alive with spies and wolves. In Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George  there is a reimagining of the fairy tale of the Twelve dancing princesses. Rose is the eldest of 12 sisters condemned to dance each night for the wicked King Under Stone deep in his palace. It is a curse that has haunted the girls since their birth - and only death will set them free. The Rose meets Galen, a young soldier turned gardener with an eye for adventure and a resolve that matches her own. Suddenly freedom begins to seems a little less impossible.

A new addition to the teenage graphic novel collection is Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale and is a sequel to Rapunzel's revenge. Jack thinks of himself as a criminal mastermind, with an unfortunate amount of bad luck...then one day  Jack chooses a target a little more gigantic than the usual, and as a small bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk his troubles really begin.

For our junior readers, a couple of new novels are A birthday in the life of Ozzie Kingsford by Val Bird, and Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley. In the first, Ozzie Kingsford is celebrating his 11th birthday with his mate Fletch and his family. They are heading off to Cracker Beach for the day, will things go according to plan? And in the second, Snake and Lizard share a house and a friendship that is sometimes as rocky as the desert they live in. With a little patience, wisdom and much tolerance their friendship survives their essential differences.

A new junior graphic novel is Captain Congo and the Maharaja's monkey by Ruth Starke.  When the Maharaja of Bekar dies suddenly and mysteriously, Captain Congo and his loyal offsider Pug set off for India to investigate. They arrive in Rajputana to find the royal palace teeming with intrigue. Even as preparations begin for young Prince Beki to be annointed as the Maharaja, it is clear that powerful enemies are scheming against him. Whille Pug goes deep under cover, Captain Congo races agaisnt time to unravel a dastardly plot.
Finally, the wonderful Alison Lester has produced another lovely picture book, Running with the horses.  A tale of the dancing White Stallions of Vienna and their escape during World War II. A young girl's faith in an extraordinary old horse makes this an unforgettable story of courage, adventure and friendship. Nina and her father run from Vienna with some of the precious stallions to elude the advancing German army.

----Lesley

Eastern Regional Library Show 16th Dec 2009, 23rd Dec 2009 & 30th Dec 2009

 Still playing catchup with the last few radio shows. Apologies to everyone from webgurl.

On the 16th December's show

GREAT HINT NO 2# Hot days, cool libraries! When the mercury is over 35, nothing could be more pleasant than an armchair, a good book or magazine to read, WiFi or internet close at hand, and it's all free. This is also an ideal time to explore family history resources. Check out the extensive collection at Ringwood Library, access Ancestry or Find My Past from any of the library PC's, or book onto a dedicated Genealogy computer, available at most branches. Computers can be booked for up to 3 hours for family history research.

To stay up-to-date with family history resources, check out or subscribe to the Family History Newsletter, available from our webpage. We also like to let you know of interesting up coming events run by the AIGS (Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies) and GSV (Genealogical Society of Victoria) The AIGS is running a very interesting talk on Sunday 21st of February from 2pm Two speakers will give advice on 'Preparing for your research trip to Britain : England, Wales and Scotland'. If you are interested in this talk, check details on the website www.aigs.org.au.


On the 23rd December's show

At this time of year we often catch up with family we haven't seen for a while. If there are very young children in the midst of all our celebrations, reading a picture book to them is a lovely way of establishing a rapport. Pia had some delightful new picture books today, including Eleventh Sheep by Kyle Mewburn illustrated by Claire Richards. It is the story of Sian, a young girl, counts sheep to help her get to sleep. She counts from one to ten while the poor old eleventh sheep waits patiently just out of sight for her to count just one more. Then one night the eleventh sheep can wait no longer. It leaps in, unbidden, and much fun follows. Bubble trouble by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Polly Dunbar is about a girl who blows a magic bubble around her baby brother that carries him off, causing havoc until sibling love wins over rivalry. An hilarious tongue twister. Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld is a clever use of a simple line drawing which could either be a duck or a rabbit. There is lovely humour and a lot to make this worth re-reading many times.  Don't lose Pigley, Wibbly Pig! by Mick Inkpen is a story we are all familiar with...when a child loses a much-loved toy, nothing can replace it! And our dear little Wibbly Pig soon learns his lesson!

For teenage readers, the first two of a series by Suzanne Collins, Hunger games and Hunger games : cathcing fire are rivetting reading. Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. She has to be; she's representing her District in the 74th Hunger Games in the Capitol, the heart of Panem, a new land that rose from the ruins of a post-apocalyptic North America. To punish citizens for an early rebellion, the rulers require each district to provide one girl and one boy, 24 in all, to fight like gladiators in a futuristic arena. The sequel is about the continuing trials and tribulations of the main characters. It is difficult however to speak about this book without giving away the events of the first book.

Music today was from Come out swinging, a double CD of many great artists and classic songs.

On the 30th December's show

Food, glorious food, have you eaten too much of it? It's oh-so-easy to over indulge during the festive season, to the point where boiling an egg seems unnecessary. However, you will feel excited about food again some day soon, and to inspire you, I have some wonderful cook books to recommend. The books I like best are the ones which tell you a bit about the author, and some background to the recipes too. Someone who comes accross on the page as well as he does on dvd is Jamie Oliver. Jamie's dinners aims to give you easy, inexpensive and creative ways to feed your family, and lots of great tips on how to simplify your cooking. You can find all his dvd's and books in our collection, and they are lots of fun. Mary Moody has given her book The long table : my love affair with food the full autobiographical treatment. She has mixed great recipes with gorgeous photos and recollections of her childhood, bringing up her children, living in France, and life on a farm in New South Wales.

For some interesting new takes on food, try The Produce Chef in which Matt Clark has taken a lot of unusual ingredients, particularly Australian wild foods, and created fascinating combinations. I am still doubtful about oysters with Red Bull granita, but you can't be sure unless you try. From simple recipes for 'Bush tomato sauce' to sophisticated 'Lemon Myrtle smoked chicken turkish sandwich with mango dressing' the book is full of stimulating ideas. The great Aussie Bloke's cookbook takes a different tack, which is that blokes want to cook food that "tastes great, makes him look good and doesn't take all day". I like the sound of that myself. With a lot of practical (and humourous advice) Kim Terakes covers 'Leaving home', 'Food to watch the footy with', 'Kids cooking' and much more.

Finally, The food of Australia, with contributions from many wll known chefs, but simple enough to cook at home. Contributions from Maggie Beer, Bill Marchetti, Tetsuya Wakuda and many more are definitely inspiring.

There are hundreds of wonderful dvds in the collection, such as The cook and the chef, Masterchef Australia, and Stefano De Pieri's Gondola on the Murray; and if you enjoy just reading about food, you can't go past anything by Ruth Reichl, Elizabeth David or Jeffrey Steingarten.

Music today was from Cruising stations with the Royal Australian Navy Band

--- lesley

The Eastern Regional Library Show 21st & 28th October 2009

Things have been a bit hectic lately so I have been remiss in updating the summaries from the last 4 episodes of The Eastern Regional Library Show so I'll upload them here in these two posts. Many apologies.

For those that don't know, library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.


On 21st October show


History Week and Childrens' Week, from the 25th - 31st of October makes for a very busy time in our libraries. There are a range of activities and exhibitions from Local History groups which are interesting for the light they throw on our region, and also can provide some extra data for family historians. Several of the photographic displays have photos for which the organisers are seeking identification. If you have some local knowledge, or family connections, you may be able to help fill in some of the gaps for the Historical Societies. Kathy Smalley reminded us that Ann Dixon will host a talk and display Hats, history and the Cup at Yarra Juntion Library on Wednesday the 28th of October, and that the Military History group is meeting at Croydon Library on Friday the 30th of October.

Kathy wanted to let family history researchers know that the two databases which are available on public internet access in our libraries, Ancestry and Find My Past, have not made available the newly published 1911 UK Census. It is available to individual subscribers, and public libraries will continue to lobby to have it made available to organisational subscribers. We will keep you posted.

An interesting upcoming event for family history researchers is  Introduction to  Italian family history for Australians which will run at Lilydale Library on the 23rd of November, don't forget to book.

At this point most of the activities for children are booked, but there are still places at Boronia Library on Friday the 30th for Halloween hullabaloo for kids, and some presentations on literacy for 2 and 3 year old children presented by visiting librarians from the United States, at Lilydale on Friday the 30th of October.

Music today was from At the drop of a hat by Flanders and Swan.


On 28th October show

Pia brought along a great range of children's and teenage books along today including Troll by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts which is a quirky take on The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Two stories are being told at once, a tale of  strangers trip trapping over Troll's bridge, and the tale of some pirates far out to sea. The pirates are moving from island to island finding treasure and getting hungry, but not enjoying their food. Gradually the two stories come together with a surprise ending.

Noodle Pie by Ruth Starke is about Andy's father (a former refugee) returning to Hanoi for the first time in over twenty years along with Andy. Vietnam is a shock to Andy. His relatives seem to be money grubbing and their restaurant is not the big place he expected it be. But he, and the reader, learn about Vietnamese culture and life at the same time. A wonderful, funny read.

Miki Falls: Spring by Mark Crilley is a teenage graphic novel, Manga style. It is Miki's final year in High School and she's determined to make it the best year yet. Enter a mysterious new male student. Hiro is very self possessed and doesn't seem to need  friends. Miki finds herself falling for him...

Ripple and the horses of White Cloud Station by Trudy Nicholson tells of Suzy, Alexa and Lucy who live and breathe horses. Unfortunately for Suzy her allergies prevent her from having a horse of her own. Until, that is, she finds Ripple. He has been gathered up in the annual round up on White Cloud station ready to be sold at auction. Through some happy circumstances Suzy finds herself Ripple's proud owner. A book about horses that young girls will love.

The fantastic undersea life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino relates the fascinating story of Jacques Cousteau, the undersea explorer, the undersea world he discovered and the inventions he helped build and design to enable himself and the world to see it better.

Cheers, Maryanne

Childrens Book Sale

Heaps of pre-loved library books. Stock up for Holiday Reading.

When: Tuesday 13th - Saturday17th January
Where: Ringwood Library, 4 Ringwood Street Mall, Ringwood

Cheers, Maryanne

The Eastern Regional Library Show 10th December 2008

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On today's show

Every Christmas we are asked in the library for some suggestions for presents of books for children and teenagers. Pia has compiled a list of some books which she found particularly enjoyable this year.

For the littlies, Ten Little fingers and ten little toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury is a delightful picture book . Very simple, lyrical and clever text with the gorgeous illustrations by Helen Oxenbury. A story that very quickly invites the reader to tickle the toes of their child and give three little kisses on the end of their nose. Another is Splat the cat by Rob Scotton, the perfect book for all those young ones heading off to school next year. Splat doesn't want to go to school. He tries every trick in the book to avoid it but in the end he must. When he gets to school he finds that it is a whole lot more fun than he ever imagined.

For older children (and in fact teenagers and adults who love puzzles) Enigma by Graeme Base is another very clever picture book by the award winning author/illustrator.The magic props belonging to the residents of the Retirement home for Elderly magicians have disappeared. The magic show will have to be cancelled. Enter Bertie Badger to save the day. He visits each resident in turn to find out what is missing and then hopefully locate it. As always there are lots of things to look for on each page and an enigma wheel at the end to help crack the secret code.

Finnikin of the rock by Melina Marchetta is a departure from Melina's previous novels for teenagers set in the contemporary world; this is a fantasy. The world of Lumatere is an exciting and dangerous one, a world that Finnikin must negotiate to locate the people of his country and to help rebuild it. Where the streets had a name by Randa Abdel Fattah is a story of today. We have heard a lot from the Israeli side of the conflict with Palestine. Now it is time to hear the opposing view. When her grandmother becomes dangerously ill, 13 year old Hayaat decides to enter the occupied territories to retrieve some of the soil from her Grandmother's homeland. Though only about 20 kilometers away, it is in the Israeli territory. It takes hours to move, with so many checkpoints. An amazing and thought provoking tale.

Picture books with a Christmas theme are especially enjoyable at this time of the year. Some new ones with an Australian theme are Russell's Christmas magic by Rob Scotton about Santa being stranded in Firefly Wood with a broken sleigh and Russell the sheep coming to his rescue. An amusing tale. An Aussie night before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison and Kilmeny Niland is a chance to see Santa in a whole new way as he delivers gifts in a rusty old ute wearing old thongs and stubbies. And Aussie jingle bells by Colin Buchanan, illustrated by Nick Bland is the tune of jingle bells with words with an Australian flavour! It even has a CD with it.

Music today was from the CD Carol of the drum, produced by the Royal Australian Navy Band.

---- Lesley

The Eastern Regional Library Show 22nd October 2008

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On Wednesday's show

Pia brought in a lovely pile of new books for children and young adults today. The first is in the teenage collection, which has hosts of great reads by exciting writers such as Garth Nix, Phillip Pullman, Tamora Pierce and John Marsden. Knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness is described as speculative fiction. In a world which has reverted to simpler times, Prentisstown is a town inhabited only by men. There is no privacy as everyone can hear each others thoughts, even animal thoughts can be heard. Todd is the only child left. It is only days till he will become a man at the age of fourteen. No big celebration though as he finds himself, his dog and a stranger, the first girl he has ever seen, on the run from the males of Prentisstown.

For younger readers, from around ten to fourteen years, Diary of a Wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney is a novel in cartoons. Funny and sad at the same time, our hero Greg writes and draws himself into this diary (sorry journal!!) about the every day trials, troubles and fun of young teenager.

And for the very young, a delightful picture book Russell the sheep by Rob Scotten. Poor Russell cannot get to sleep and he tries everything, including a walk, sleeping in a cave and on a branch before finally finding the foolproof method.

Two picture books that Pia didn't have time to talk about, but recommends are Edwina, the dinosaur who didn't know she was extinct by Mo Willems, a fantastic newish author/illustrator. Edwina is happy with her life. All the townsfolk love her except for Reginald who insists she shouldn't be here as she is extinct. At first Edwina is depressed about this peice of news but then she decides to go on with life regardless. And

Roland Wright Brand new page by Tony Davis, illustrated by Gregory Rogers. A sequel to Roland Wright Future Knight. Roland has been invited by the King to become a page at his castle. Unfortunatley not everyone is pleased to see him. Hector, another of the pages, doesn't believe lowly born people should be allowed to become pages. He picks on Roland. Should Roland retaliate in the same way as Hector...?

---- Lesley

The Eastern Regional Library Show 17th Sept - 8th Oct 2008

Well it's my first day back at work for three weeks and one of the first things I need to do is catch everyone up on what's been happening on the radio show. So here's four weeks worth of show summaries. For those not in the know, library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.


17th Sept 2008

Can you imagine not having the right to vote? One hundred years ago, in Victoria, women over the age of 21 gained the right to vote in State elections, the last State in Australia to legislate for this. It was the culmination of many womens' struggle for acknowledgment, and a slow and grudging response from those in power. Along with the suffrage struggle went the demands for equal wages, property rights, equality in education and rights of children. We can sometimes forget, while contemplating what we would like to change for the better, the social changes which have improved life for us.

One of the focal points of the celebration is a petition of 30,000 signatures collected in 1891, of women across Victoria who supported the call for the vote, nicknamed 'The Monster Petition'. It was pasted onto a huge roll of calico and apparently took four men to lift. Kathy Smalley and staff at Croydon and Ringwood libraries have organised an event to commemorate this petition. Signature Stories of Ringwood & Croydon Suffragettes, is an opportunity to sign a new petition which will become part of the history of womens' suffrage in the future, a performance by Wilma Farrow as Vida Goldstein, a prominent suffragette, and a look at the stories of local women who signed the original petition. It will take place on Friday 17th of October from 7.15pm, and you can book at any ERL branch or by ringing Ringwood Library on 9870 0177. Kathy is also interested in tracing the histories of several women from the local area who signed the original 1891 petition. If your family has links back to that period, or you know of others who do, Kathy would like to hear from you on the Ringwood phone number.


24th Sept 2008

As parents and grandparents we are often keen to introduce our young family members to classic stories we have loved. Pia and I agreed that often we find that the younger folk are less than enthusiastic about our beloved favourites. For every generation, it is important to read books in contemporary language, about people and situations that they recognise. This is important for their literacy and for their emotional development. So well written books aimed at teenagers are especially welcome. Lili Wilkinson is a Melbourne writer who knows what will interest teenage girls, and her latest, The not quite perfect boyfriend is a great read. It tells the story of 16 year old Midge who has never had a boyfriend, whose friends talk about boyfriends so much, she makes one up; only to find a boy just like the one she described turning up at her school at the start of the year. The story becomes very tangled before Midge sorts out her priorites.

A book which has been around for a while, but has sparked some new borrowing because it was made into a film in the last year is Nim's island by Wendy Orr. This is a lovely story to read to children between the ages of 6 and 10, about a young girl who lives on a Pacific island with her dad. One day her dad disappears at sea, Nim writes to tell her favourite adventure writer Alex Rover of the mystery. Will Alex come to the rescue?

Pia also had some lovely picture books with her today, including Donkeys Adelheid Dahimene-Heide Stollinger which tells of a couple of donkey friends who quarrel, but discover that no other creature fits in quite so well with them as the other donkey. Sunday Chutney is by Aaron Blabey who won the Early Childhood category of the Children's Book of the Year awards this year with Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley. His latest book is equally quirky and warmly affectionate, about a little girl who is different, but full of charm.

Finally, Molly and her Dad by Jan Ormerod describes the challenge to a little girl whose mum and dad live a plane flight apart, and whose dad comes to look after her while her mum has to go away. Molly discovers that while her dad may not be like the other kids' dads, he has many endearing qualities which she comes to love.


1st Oct 2008

P.D. James began her detective writing career in 1962, and has written fourteen novels featuring the very English Inspector Adam Dalgliesh. According to Lyn Baines, Adam should be about 80 by now, but in the parallel universe of detective fiction, our favourites never age dramatically. There is a good chance this will be the last of James' very popular character as she is 88 years old, and has earnt the right to put her feet up on the couch and do some reading herself. Adam Dalgliesh has resolved his love life and become engaged in this novel, and offered promotion, so many of the loose ends of previous novels have been tied. In this latest novel The Private Patient, you have to wait a hundred pages for the crime (Lyn's dad would have given up after page fifty), and a lot of character building and scene setting prepares you for a puzzling murder in an isolated old house in Devon, with an ancient stone cirle somehow involved. If you are interested in knowing more about P.D. James, you can check out the official P.D. James website.

Lyn's second book review today was on her other passion, history. The fears of Henry IV : the life of England's self made king by Ian Mortimer introduces us to an English king who is comparatively unknown, his short reign of fifteen years troubled by insurrection and assassination attempts. He is primarily known as the king who ousted his cousin Richard II from the throne, and as the father of Henry V, the successful soldier whose victory at Agincourt led to his success in combining the crowns of England and France. Mortimer has written a compelling story of the power struggles and conflicts, with a rich background of what medieval life in England was like.


8th Oct 2008

The girl with the cardboard port by Judith McNeil is a harrowing true story of a young girl's life from the age of fourteen to twenty four; her search for love and belonging, and the failings and outright rejection of her birth family and the family she married into. There is a resolute honesty and freshness of recall that means this story leaps off the page.

It was a privilege to talk to Judith on the radio program today about the experiences of that period of her life, and of what it meant to write it down. The cardboard port of the title accompanied Judith from the small north Queensland town which her mother and five syblings had to leave when her father, a railway fettler, was killed. It accompanied her to Brisbane and frightening period with a homicidal step father; to Sydney to which she escaped at sixteen and met a student from Singapore to whom she became pregnant, then married; to Singapore to live with her husband's family which she had believed to be wealthy, but discovered living in poverty; to Kuala Lumpur where she lived a fractured life between high society parties and poor rural kampong; and finally back to Australia, when she knew she would have to leave or go mad.

Through ordeals of sexual violence, extreme poverty, fear for her children's and her own life, she managed to maintain a curiosity about the worlds she found herself in, and recalls scenes, dialogue and customs which make this a compellingly sensual book in many ways. As simple as her determination to find a Christmas tree in the jungle, and as complex as the exploration of new towns and cities, their sights, smells and complex relationships of class and culture, all is fascinating. This is a story which will resonate for some time after you have finished it.

---- Lesley

The Eastern Regional Library Show - Jan 16 2008

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On today's show with Pia

The books I spoke about today were:

From book to movie

Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Lyra Belacqua is an orphan who lives in a parallel-universe Oxford, where children are being kidnapped by a mysterious shadow organization. An fantastical adventure.

Golden Compass : the official illustrated movie companion by Brian Sibley
A look at the making of the movie, the stars and the world. Great to look after seeing the film.

Water horse by Dick King-Smith
From the author of the book Babe, a gentle story about two children who find an old fish's egg that grows into an enormous, enchanting sea creature. (The movie certainly expanded and changed the story!)


Junior Novels

Igraine the brave by Cornelia Funke
When Igraine's parents accidentally turn themselves into pigs and an evil wizard threatens to destroy their castle, it is up to Igraine to put things right even if that does involve facing giants and three headed dragons.

Lost treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton and Down and out down under by Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo, the editor of the Rodent's Gazette, finds himself involved in some amazing adventures usually through no fault of his own.


Picture books

Gingerbread man illustrated by Elena Temporin.
Run, run as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread man! An classic tale brought to life again with some enchanting illustrations.

Wolf's coming! by Joe Kulka
A 'scary' tale with an unexpected twist. A delightful story.

Phooey! by Marc Rosenthal
Life seems pretty boring for one little boy. If only he would turn around a take a look behind him!

Thanks, Pia