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West Dunbartonshire Council
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Young People's Library Services

Click here to see the Bookstart slideshows
Click on the banner to see the Bookstart slideshows

Summer Reading Challenge

Quest Seekers Logo
Quest Seekers Logo

There’s a magical challenge awaiting primary school children in the library this summer.

 

Sign up to become a Quest Seeker and receive fabulous prizes for each book you read, including ‘magic’ pens with invisible ink, magnets, bookmarks and puzzles. 

 

If you read 6 books you’ll get a special mystery prize and a certificate and medal will be sent to your school! 

 

 

There are games, activities, exclusive author blogs, and top tips.

Summer Fun in the Libraries Banner
Summer Fun in the Libraries Banner

Catherine Rayner Illustration Workshop at St Joseph's Primary School

Catherine Rayner, the award winning Illustrator and childrens author, held an illustration workshop for P6 of St Joseph's Primary School in Faifley.

 

This was part of the prize for a pupil in the class winning the 'Design a Library Card Competition' last year.

 

As you can see, the children had lots of fun and created some brilliant animal artwork. Click on the link below to see a slideshow of the spectacular animal illustrations.

 

Catherine Rayner Workshop at St Joseph's Primary School
Catherine Rayner & P6, St Joseph's

Booked! West Dunbartonshire Festival of Words May 2009

Click here for information on the Children's Events in Booked! 2009
Click on banner to see how the Children's Events went in Booked! 2009

Easter Activities 2009

Link Banner for Easter Activities 2009
Click on the banner to see the Easter Activities 2009

Bookstart Bookcrawl

Bookstart Logo
Bookstart Logo.

We are relaunching the Bookcrawl but with a bit of a difference! This time we are going to have a start date (20th April) and finish date (18th August). The finish date coincides with the end of the end of the summer reading challenge.

 

There will be new collector cards and new certificates available. We are hoping to promote the Bookcrawl by having several storytelling sessions with local nurseries in the first few weeks. 

 

For more information contact Aly on 01389 772137. You can email Aly by clicking here.

 

Dads Aloud!

There will be a Bookstart Rhymetime for Dads only every second Saturday in Alexandria Library at 10:00 am, starting on 25th April, 2009.

 

Bookstart Rhymetimes free fun activities for babies, toddlers and their parents/carers. Come along to the library and join in lots of great rhymes, actions and stories.

 

For more information contact Aly on 01389 772137. You can email Aly by clicking here.

 

Bookstart in Scotland Day

 

Bookstart in Scotland is now 10 years old.  The Gruffalo, the popular creature created by Julia Donaldson, celebrates its 10th birthday this year. By way of a double celebration, there was a special event featuring songs, games, stories and goodies held in Balloch Library.

 

 

Bookstart Rhymetime Taster Session

A Bookstart Rhymetime Taster Session took place at Faifley Library on 23rd January 2009.

 

Click on the link banner on the right to see the amazing photographs of this action-packed event.

Click here to see the photographs of the Bookstart Rhymetime Taster Session in Faifley Library.
Click on the banner to see the Bookstart Rhymetime photographs.

Project Author - Ross Collins

Ross Collins P4 Aitkenbar
Click photo to enlarge

Children from Aitkenbar Primary were very excited to be part of West Dunbartonshire’s highly successful ‘Project Author’. The project involves two sessions with an author in the school’s local Library. The Primary 4 children met the brilliant writer and illustrator, Ross Collins, who has just won the 2008 Royal Mail Award in the Early Years category. In the first session the class listened to Ross talking about his craft and what it’s like to be a writer and illustrator. Ross then came back a week later after the children had read and discussed his books in class and researched Ross on the internet. The children had also spent this time putting together a list of interview questions to ask Ross. This was all filmed and will be going up on West Dunbartonshire Libraries website next year giving us all the opportunity to see the next generation of Michael Parkinsons...

Library-Card Competition for Children

West Dunbartonshire Libraries have been holding a major competition for primary school children to design our first ever children’s library card.

 

The children were asked to draw or paint their own fun, colourful designs and hand them into their local Library.

 

We had a massive response of 458 entries and were extremely impressed at the brilliant array of fun, colourful designs that the children created.

 

After much deliberation, the fabulous prizewinning children’s illustrator, Catherine Rayner, chose the winner and runners up:

 

 

Winning Entry Library Card Competition
Winning Entry
  • 5-7 age group: PATRICK AYTON Age 6 Bonhill Primary WINNER (Age 5 -7 Categrory)
  • 8-10 age group: NATALIE HOUSTON  Age 9 St Joseph’s Primary OVERALL WINNER
  • 11-12 age group: CHLOE DOUGAN Age 11 Our Lady of Loretto Primary WINNER (Age 11 - 12 Categrory)

 

Catherine Rayner said of the competition: "This was such a hard competition to judge. There were some beautiful designs. In the end I had to consider which entries would work best on the scale of a library card which is really quite small. The winner’s card designs all contained vibrant eye catching colours and images that I think will make wonderful child friendly library cards that will really stand out. I was very impressed by the level of talent and the imagination shown in all of the submissions. Well done!"

 

The overall winner receives an ipod shuffle and framed print of their entry. She will see her entry produced on all of our children’s library cards and her class will receive an illustration workshop with Catherine Rayner.

 

The prize-giving will take place at 2pm on Friday 7th November  in  St Joseph’s Primary School Faifley Road, Faifley, Clydebank.

 

Project Author - Dawn Nelson and Frank Rodgers

Dawn Nelson and the Pupils of St Martin's
Dawn Nelson and the Pupils of St Martin's

Children from Carleith Primary and St Martin’s Primary were very excited to be part of West Dunbartonshire Libraries highly successful ‘Project Author’ which has been awarded funding from the Scottish BookTrust, Live Literature programme for the 3rd year running.

 

The project involves two sessions with an author in the school’s local Library. Carleith Primary went along to Duntocher Library and met the well known writer and illustrator Frank Rodgers from Glasgow, whilst children from St Martin’s Primary in Alexandria met new, up-and-coming author D.A. Nelson from Cardross. In the first session the classes listened to the authors talking about their craft and what it’s like to be a writer. Frank Rodgers, who is also an illustrator, showed the children how to draw pictures of his characters.

The authors then came back a week later after the children had read Frank and Dawn’s books and researched them on the internet. The children had also spent this time putting together a list of interview questions that they then put to the authors. The sessions were filmed and will be going up on West Dunbartonshire Libraries website next year giving us all the opportunity to see the next generation of interviewers like Jonathan Ross and Michael Parkinson!

 

 

Bookstart Rhymetimes

(for parents/carers and 0 to 3 year olds)

Bookstart Rhymetimes are fun, FREE 30-40 minute sessions for babies, toddlers and their Parents & Carers.  They include a mix of songs, rhymes, rhythm and movement, and provide the opportunity to share games, novelty books and toys. Click on the link below to download a Bookstart Rhymetimes schedule:

 

 

 

Click on the banner to see the photos of the Big Draw Workshops
Click on the banner to see the photographs of the Big Draw

Loch Lomond Kids

Loch Lomond Kids was set up to help parents find daytime activities for their children in the Loch Lomond and surrounding area.

 

Loch Lomond Kids website