What is your favourite children’s book?

Introducing our Shire of Dardanup Library Services staff by revealing their favourite childhood books.

We all love books and agree that children’s books are a vital part of early learning. From the very earliest age when neurons are making connections in a baby’s brain, picture books, early readers and first chapter books take kids on a fabulous journey to faraway places and wildly imaginative worlds.

We asked our staff: What was your favourite read at age 8 – 10 and why has that story stayed with you?

Do you share any of their favourite books as a child?  Please tell us about them on our Facebook page:

Helen’s favourite book was The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.  Little 8 – 10 year-old Helen enjoyed this book because it took her away to a world where the characters  got into lots of mischief and even got themselves out of trouble.  Helen liked the idea of a magic tree, and the mischievous characters have remained with her since.

Kelly’s favourite book was Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery.  Kelly read this popular children’s classic novel with her Nanna creating very special, warm and happy memories of reading.  Sharing a story is a wonderful bonding experience at any age.

Dean’s favourite book was Return of the Jedi Comic Book by Archie Goodwin.  As a big fan of the Star Wars series, this book allowed Dean to revisit the story time and time again.  As you could only see the movie at the cinema the best way to relive the story was to read his comic from cover to cover….and all over again.  Dean was up until late in the night re-reading and reliving the experience of the movie.

Michaela’s favourite book was Mr Meddles Muddles by Enid Blyton.  Michaela loved that Mr Meddles was always making a mistake making it a very funny read.  Enid Blyton has been credited with 10,900 short stories, poems and plays (enidblyton.net).

Suzanne’s favourite book as an 8 – 10 year-old was Jules Verne classic Journey to the Centre of the Earth.  Suzanne loved this book because it fired her imagination as to the possibility of other worlds and what they may look like.  It is a non-stop adventure story that keeps you reading to the very end.

Sam’s favourite book was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling, a firm favourite for many muggles.  Ten-year-old Sam hoped she too would get a letter from Hogwarts but instead Sam escaped into the novel of magic and excitement far from her regular muggle world.  Sam said ‘considering the three main characters were around her age it made their exploits relatable’ – apart from the magic that is.

New Titles in Fiction

Secrets From Norway by Christopher Masterman

Two young people meet in Norway in the summer of 1940. The man, Colin, is a British RAF pilot who is trying to build an airfield for the Allies as part of their vain attempt to prevent the Nazi occupation of Norway; the woman, Ingrid, needs to get to Britain with a valuable burden that she wants to keep out of the clutches of the advancing Nazis. Teaming up together, they make a perilous voyage to Scotland where Ingrid is persuaded to join the Special Operations Executive, tasked with causing sabotage behind enemy lines.
From Goodreads.com

Day of the Caesars by Simon Scarrow

Veteran soldiers of the Roman army Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro have fought side by side in battles, skirmishes and sieges across the vast Roman Empire, from Britannia to Egypt, from Spain to Syria. Proven to be heroic in battle and loyal to the death, to each other and to their men, they are selected for the most dangerous missions and given command of troops whose lives as well as the fate of the Empire depend on their military might and vision. As the reign of Emperor Claudius ends, turmoil in Rome spreads unease across the globe, giving heart to the enemy. There could be no more deadly time to be far from home, even for the army’s most experienced officers.

From Goodreads.com

Girls at the Piano by Virginia Lloyd

A brilliant memoir about how learning the piano shaped the lives of two women worlds and generations apart that will resonate for music lovers everywhere and for anyone who has tried to master the piano.By: Virginia Lloyd

Virginia Lloyd spent much of her childhood and adolescence learning and playing the piano and thought she would make a career as a pianist. She originally started writing this book to understand the mystery of her very musical and deeply unhappy grandmother Alice, and how their lives both at and away from the piano intersected and diverged.

From Goodreads.com

New from Audio Books

Flesh Wounds : An Inspector Troy Novel by John Lawton

An old flame has returned to Troy’s life: Kitty Stilton, wife of an American presidential hopeful. Private eye Joey Rork has been hired to make sure Kitty’s amorous liaisons with a rat pack crooner don’t ruin her husband’s political career. But he also wants to know why Kitty has been spotted with Danny Ryan, whose twin brothers, in addition to owning one of London’s hottest jazz clubs, are said to have inherited the crime empire of fallen mobster Alf Marx. Before Rork can find out, he meets a gruesome end. And he isn’t the only one: bodies have started turning up around London, dismembered in the same bizarre and horrifying way. Is it possible that the blood trail leads back to Troy’s own police force and into Troy’s own forgotten past?

From Goodreads.com

Making Peace by Fiona McCallum

It’s been a year since Hannah Ainsley lost her husband and parents – her whole family – in a car crash on Christmas morning. Despite her overwhelming loss, she’s worked hard to pull the pieces of her life together with the help of a group of dear, loyal friends. But while Hannah is beginning to become excited about the future again, she’s concerned that her best friend and talented artist Sam is facing a crisis of her own. It’s now Hannah’s turn to be Sam’s rock – can she save Sam’s dreams from unravelling?

From Goodreads.com

New in DVD’s

The Layover (MA+15) (2017)

Cast: Kate Upton, Alexandra Daddario and Matt Barr

Director: William H. Macy

Two friends find themselves going through a rough patch as they are both single and jobless. Desperate to escape, they book a last minute getaway but their plans for relaxation are derailed when a storm reroutes their flight. While waiting out the storm the friends find themselves in need of entertainment so they befriend a fellow passenger and find their vacation has turned into a competition for his attention. The flight may be off but the fight is on!

IMDB Rating 4.7

The Flatliners (M) (2017)

Cast: Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton and Kiersey Clemons

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Five medical students, obsessed by what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods, each triggers a near-death experience – giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife.

IMDB Rating 5.