Category: What’s on

‘Reading Unleashed’

with Canine Friends Pet Therapy and Palmerston North City Library

Reading to dogs can offer children a non-judgmental, calm, and supportive environment in which to practice both their reading and reading aloud skills. Studies have shown an association between reading to dogs and improvement in reading, motivation, emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, confidence, self-perception, and/or concentration. It is also suggested that the presence of dogs can help reduce a child’s stress levels and, thereby, possibly helping the young reader to develop a more positive approach to learning.

Excited by such potential, Palmerston North City Library and Canine Friends Pet Therapy are very happy to introduce ‘Reading Unleashed’ – a free programme where children can practice their reading in a fun way by reading to one of Canine Friends’ beautiful dogs.

Sessions are available for primary school aged children, and currently run at the Central Library on Wednesdays 3.30pm – 4.30pm during term time. Individual sessions run for 15 minutes and bookings are essential: email content@pncc.govt.nz. The programme also runs at Awapuni and Roslyn branches but is currently on hold due to building maintenance. Please visit the branches’ FAQ pages on our website for updates.

Look forward to meeting you at ‘Reading Unleashed’.

Kay: Content Development Librarian

‘Writing For Children’ panel discussion

Some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best writers will feature again in this year’s Off the Page series.

We launch on Wednesday 26 April, 6:30pm with a panel discussion on Writing for Children featuring a panel of multi-award winning authors.

Kate de Goldi
 says, “there is nothing quite as rousing and nourishing for a writer as close proximity to the imaginative life and perspective of young people”. Read about Kate’s life in books and thoughts on reading or listen to her talk about her passion for hooking children into good quality literature and her work co-editing Annual, a collection of stories, comics, poems, crosswords, games and songs – created by some of the best New Zealand writers and illustrators – now up to its third edition.

Brigid Feehan thinks that young people and older people sometimes see things clear and true – things that people in the middle might be too distracted to see. Her latest novel, The Life and Times of Eddie McGrath, portrays the forming of a strong bond between an old woman and a young girl, who only meet by chance, over their shared affinity for animals. Read about her approach to writing for young adults.

One piece of advice Philippa Werry offers to young writers is, “Be curious. People tell each other stories every day. Learn to listen to them”. Philippa wanted to be a writer from very young and wrote stories, poems and book reviews for the Children’s Page in the Saturday Evening Post newspaper, “and I still have the book that I pasted them into!” Check out this Stuff article about her influences and how she writes.

Anna McKenzie was born here in Palmerston North before moving to Hawkes Bay. Extremely versatile in her approach, her most recent novel tells the story of a young woman coming of age in the years of WWI. Listen to Anna talking at NZ Festival Writers Week about the origins of Evie’s War, the stories that stand behind it and the research that supports it.

The Off The Page series includes talks, readings, discussions and workshops from and for writers and connects the Manawatū to the beating heart of contemporary literature. The series is a partnership between Massey University School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication, Bruce McKenzie Booksellers and the Palmerston North City Library.

Versions Tuawhā submissions are open!

The Versions writing project is on again this year!

This is a great opportunity to see your name in print. If you want to have a go at writing a short story, a poem, or a play, use our prompt as a jumping-off point. Your story doesn’t have to be directly related to the prompt, it’s only there if you need something to get started.

Deadline for submissions is August 31, and we’ll publish a physical book as well as an ebook in October.

Prompt – The day Mark Twain came to town.

There will be some workshops to help you along the way – keep an eye on our What’s On page.

Submissions and questions can be sent to content@pncc.govt.nz

Let your creative muse fly!

Census 2023

Palmerston North City Library will be hosting events where you can get assistance with filling out your census form.

During these drop-in sessions, there will be Census staff/volunteers from Stats NZ on hand to help.

You simply need to bring your paper forms or online code.

Outside of these events, you are welcome to come in and use the computers and free wi-fi to self-complete your census forms.  Library staff cannot fill out the forms for others, but we can put you in touch with people who will help.

Times and locations:

Central Library March 8th, 11am – 1pm

Te Pātikitiki Library, March 14, 10am – 1pm

Ashhurst Library, March 14, 3pm – 5pm

Roslyn Library, March 15, 10am – 1pm

Youth Space, March 15, 2pm – 4pm

Awapuni Library, March 16, 10am – 1pm

Meet Manawatū author Vicky Adin

Award-winning historical fiction author Vicky Adin is coming to the library on Thursday 10 November to tell us about her New-Zealand inspired novels as part of our Writers and Readers programme.

Vicky describes herself as a genealogist in love with history and words. She loves to weave family stories and bygone days together in a way that brings the past alive. She recently won a Gold Medal in the Women’s Historical Fiction Category in The Coffee Pot Book Club Book of Year Award 2022 for Gwenna the Welsh Confectioner.

Her latest novel, Elinor, is a dual-timeline tale about discovering your roots. The story follows a rural family living in the Manawatū throughout the post-war years of the 1920s and into the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Vicky has many connections with the Manawatū. Her surname may be familiar to some. She married into a family who first came to Foxton in the 1860s. Many descendants still live in the area today. A wander around the cemetery will tell its own tale, or you could read her first book, The Disenchanted Soldier.

The Disenchanted Soldier is inspired by the true story of Daniel Adin, a British soldier fighting in the New Zealand Wars of 1864. Delve into the riveting experiences of a young British soldier in war-torn New Zealand and after, where Daniel, as patriarch and the father of World War One conscientious objectors, faces natural disasters, endures family tragedies and witnesses the birth of a nation.

We had a chat with Vicky to get the conversation started:

PNCL: Hi Vicky, please tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a Welsh-born, Cornish-raised Kiwi. I’m also a genealogist, antique lover, wife, mother, grandmother, and all-round nosy parker. I love Mediterranean food and red wine. Fortunately, I love to cook, but I love words more. My favourite past-time is delving into the past, looking at old photos, reading old newspapers and discovering those who shaped our world.

PNCL: What inspired you to write your latest book, Elinor?

Genealogical research. It’s such a mouthful, I wish there was a simpler word for it – but I find by digging into the social aspects of the past I understand more of how New Zealand developed as a nation. Elinor is not one person; she is a compilation of many women; women who survived whatever life threw at them. The fact she lived in Manawatū and for a short time in Pahīatua, is a bonus.

PNCL: What inspired you to write your latest book, Elinor?

New Zealand is a young country by world standards. After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, Pākehā immigrants began to arrive in their thousands to create a new way of life in an untamed land with little infrastructure. My stories reflect the everyday struggles of those immigrants to our beautiful country. Except there was nothing ordinary about how the women survived; women who rarely appear in the annals of history but who oversaw the birth of a nation and helped shape many lives. They are the people who inspire me.

PNCL: How many books have you written?

I have six books in The New Zealand Immigrant Collection – they are family sagas about overcoming the odds. Some are entirely historical, some are dual-timeline, others are contemporary novels about searching for the past. One of those stories, Gwenna the Welsh Confectioner is set in Karangahape Road at the turn of the 19th century. The other stories in the collection are The Disenchanted Soldier, The Cornish knot, Portrait of a man, Brigid : the girl from County Clare and The Costumier’s Gift.

Elinor is Book Two in a new series The Art of Secrets, a series about about finding your roots. Book 3 is due out next year.

You can meet and hear from Vicky at the Central Library, second floor, on Thursday 10 November at 10:30am. The event includes morning tea and a chance to win a prize. Please RSVP to vicky@vickyadin.co.nz

October School Holidays Week Two

WOAH – we’re about to head into week two of the October School Holidays! Halloween is coming near and we’ve got some spooky stuff to celebrate and more play outside with our mates Sport Manawatu in parks around the city. The final screening of the Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival, and a visit from Donovan Bixley, award-winning author and illustrator of kiwi faves Squawk!, Draw Some Awesome, and Ki te moe Aotearoa.

So grab your diary and take note of what’s coming up – we’ll see you here!

Monday 10 October

Look Up! Explore Our Universe! Reading Challenge

From 1 to 31 October, blast into a new reading challenge to celebrate International Space Week 2022. With NASA at My Library, explore and read about the universe at your own pace, and earn online badges along the way.

Find out more and sign up here.

Grab and Go Activity Pack: Spooktacular Halloween Fun

Central Library; Main Desk, first floor.

Get your Halloween started a little early with some craft bits and bobs. It’s a whole bag of Spooktacular fun!

Grab and Go packs are available in limited numbers

Aimed at ages 5+

Tuesday 11 October

Canine Friends Pet Therapy Visit

Central Library; Children’s Zone, 2-3pm

Come read to our dog pals from Canine Friends Pet Therapy. They’re excellent listeners!

Pop-up Play with Sport Manawatū

Te Pātikitiki Library; 157 Highbury Ave, 2-3:30pm

Let’s have some fun in our local parks with the crew from Sport Manawatū.

Don’t forget to slip, slop and wrap!

Wednesday 12 October

Pop-up Play with Sport Manawatū

Terrace End School, 10-12noon

Let’s have some fun in our local parks with the crew from Sport Manawatū.

Don’t forget to slip, slop and wrap!

Brazilian Kids Movie Festival – Turma da Monica, Uma Aventura no Tempo/ Monica’s Gang in an Adventure in Time

Central Library; Mezzanine, 10:30am – 12noon

Our heroes need to take a trip in a Time Machine, to recoup the essence of the four elements before the Earth gets frozen. The Gang will face the dangers of the Ancient History.

Find out more about the Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival.

Te Pātikitiki Rocks!

Te Pātikitiki Library, 57 Highbury Ave. 11am – 12:30pm.

Rock painting for all. We have all the stuff, so come along and paint up some rocks with us.

Please bring stones to paint if you have them.

Free event.

Pop-up Play with Sport Manawatū

Village Valley Centre; Ashhurst, 2-4pm

Let’s have some fun in our local parks with the crew from Sport Manawatū.

Don’t forget to slip, slop and wrap!

Thursday 13 October

See Award Winning Illustrator Donovan Bixley in Action

Central Library; Children’s Zone, 2-3pm

In this fun family event Donovan will read from his books and share his best drawing tips and ideas for budding artists. PLUS, be the first in the world to get your paws on Donovan’s brand new full colour Flying Furballs annual/comic book Take-Off! from Paper Plus Palmerston North.

Donovan Bixley is the author/illustrator of several award winning books. Find a selection of his work at the Library.

Friday 14 October 2022

Freaky Friday – Spooktacular Halloween Story Time

Central Library, Children’s Zone, 10 – 11am

Scary, spooky, and strange stories to fright and delight. Dress up in your Halloween costume if you dare and come join in the fun. Aimed at ages 5+

Bring your Hell Reading Pizza Wheels along to do a book chat after, or grab a wheel to start!

Pop-up Play with Sport Manawatū

Awapuni Park, 10am-12noon

Let’s have some fun in our local parks with the crew from Sport Manawatū.

Don’t forget to slip, slop and wrap!

We hope you had an out-of-this-world school holidays! If you want to keep the good times rolling, our Reading Challenge is still open for new registrations. It’s not too late to jump aboard the space ship, so sign up here.

October School Holidays – Week One

It’s the October School Holidays! No doubt your tamariki are super excited, but if you’re wondering how to keep them entertained, the Library is here to help you! We’ve got activities happening in our Community Libraries and at the Central Library on the Square. From author visits, the Brazilian Kids Film Festival, grab-and-go bags, and a NEW reading challenge, we’ve got loads to pack the first week of your school holidays.

All through the holidays

Look Up! Explore Our Universe! Reading Challenge

From 1 to 31 October, blast into a new reading challenge to celebrate International Space Week 2022. With NASA at My Library, explore and read about the universe at your own pace, and earn online badges along the way.

Find out more and sign up here.

Saturday 1 October

Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival: O Menino no Espelho/ The Boy in the Mirror

Central Library; Ground Floor, 3:30-5:30pm

Fernando is a kid who lives all his fantasies in an intense way and with lots of imagination. Together with his friend Mariana and his dog Capeto, he commands a secret society and solves great mysteries like a ‘haunted house’.

Find out more about the Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival.

Monday 3 October

Grab and Go Activity Pack: Give Me Some Space

Central Library; Main Desk, first floor.

Blast off the school holidays by celebrating International Space Week. Create your own planet and rock your own rocket!

Aimed at ages 5+

*Grab and Go packs are available in limited numbers

Tuesday 4 October

Pop-up Play with Sport Manawatū

Te Pātikitiki Library; 157 Highbury Ave, 2-3:30pm

Let’s have some fun in our local parks with the crew from Sport Manawatū.

Don’t forget to slip, slop and wrap!

Canine Friends Pet Therapy Visit

Central Library; Children’s Zone, 2-3pm

Come read to our dog pals from Canine Friends Pet Therapy. They’re excellent listeners!

Wednesday 5 October

Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival: O Cavaleiro Didi e a Princesa Lili/ The Knight Didi and Princess Lili

Central Library; Mezzanine, 10:30am – 12:00noon

Didi plays King Lindolfo’s groom and valet, a faithful servant to the royal family. After the King’s death, his evil brother Jafar tries to seize the throne.

Find out more about the Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival.

Te Pātikitiki Rocks!

Te Pātikitiki Library, 57 Highbury Ave. 11am – 12:30pm.

Rock painting for all. We have all the stuff, so come along and paint up some rocks with us.

Please bring stones to paint if you have them.

Free event.

Thursday 6 October

‘Monarchs of Aotearoa’ with author Erin Willson @ Central

Central Library; Children’s Zone, 10–11am

Join visiting author Erin Willson and celebrate the magical Monarch butterfly and the unique story of their journey to Aotearoa. With a very special story time, you’ll also learn how you can care for Monarch butterflies in your garden and take home your own swan plant seedling.

‘Monarchs of Aotearoa’ with author Erin Willson @ Te Pātikitiki Library

Te Pātikitiki Library, 57 Highbury Ave, 2 – 3pm

Join visiting author Erin Willson and celebrate the magical Monarch butterfly and the unique story of their journey to Aotearoa. With a very special story time, you’ll also learn how you can care for Monarch butterflies in your garden and take home your own swan plant seedling.

Friday 7 October

Freaky Friday – Give Me Some Space! Story Time

Central Library; Children’s Zone, 10am – 11am

Board the spaceship and travel to new spaces and places with stories from Planet Library.

*Bring your Hell Reading Pizza Wheels along to do a book chat after or grab a wheel to start.

Aimed at ages 5+

Saturday 8 October

Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival: Taina 2, A Aventura Continua/ Taina 2: A New Amazon Adventure

Central Library; Ground Floor, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

The young warrior Indian Taina must battle against biopirates. She is joined by a new boy from the big city and an Indian girl who wants to follow her steps as a protector of the jungle.

Find out more about the Brazilian Kid’s Movie Festival.

We hope you have a blast in the first week of the school holidays, and we’re looking forward to seeing you here soon!

Future Living Skills

Would you and your whānau like to be more sustainable in your daily lives?

There are some very good reasons to take up sustainable practices.  Not only are they kinder to our climate and planet, but they will often save you money and have multiple health benefits too.

The journey towards sustainability can be much easier with the support of others and reliable information at hand.  With that in mind, Environment Network Manawatu (ENM) is offering a new series of workshops on practical sustainability known as “Future Living Skills”.  This series follows on from three successful series held by the Palmerston North City Council last year.   

Facilitated by experts from the community and the council, the 8 workshops are based on freely available learning guides. Topics range from growing your own food, to travel options, minimising waste, eco-building, community resilience, and more! 

Friendly and informal, the workshops are a great opportunity to learn from others in the room, as well as sharing your own ideas, challenges and tips.  What do you know that you’d like to share? 

You will also hear about some local sustainability initiatives, such as the new Repair Café, the Plastic Pollution Challenge, the Manawatū Food Action Network, and many other local opportunities for connecting with others who are making a practical and positive contribution to our community and environment. 

Future Living skills is hosted by the City Library and run by ENM.

Are you interested?  We’d love to have you join us!

To find out more or register visit https://enm.org.nz/news-1/future-living-skills, or check out ENM’s Facebook event and page.  Please note that numbers are limited and pre-registration is required (at the link above). Confirmation of the dates sessions will be sent to you..

Registration costs $40 but this fee is optional.

Future Living Skills was developed collaboratively by local government in NZ and is supported by Palmerston North City Council.  It is published by an independent charity called Sustainable Living Education Trust – www.sustainableliving.org.nz   

Any questions, please email Sally Pearce at support@enm.org.nz

The Gautam family, Chida, Chiteeze, Phampha, Salafa and Saafal, planted veggies, flowers and a plum tree.      

Find the sign, earn a takawai (waterbottle)

As part of our celebration for Mahuru Māori, and continuing te wiki o te reo Māori a bit more, we have a special challenge for you. The library has signs in te reo Māori across all of our floors. Your challenge is to find the sign to earn a takawai – a drink bottle.

Find the right sign on the right day from 14 – 20 September between 2pm – 3pm. One of our kaimahi will be waiting nearby, and when you tell them the sign, you win a takawai!

The sign for Wenerei – Wednesday (14 September) is: Nau mai haere mai ki Te Ara Whānui o te Ao. Found on the Welcome Wall, Mezzanine Floor

The sign for Tāite – Thursday (15 September) is: Kōpae Ataata/Movies. Found in the Sound and Vision area, Mezzanine Floor.

The sign for Paraire – Friday (16 September) is: Kaupapa Māori. Found in Heritage, Second Floor

The sign for Hātarei – Saturday (17 September) is: Kia Ora/Hello. Found on the First Floor

The sign for Rātapu – Sunday (18 September) is: Ō Pukuhohe/Humour. Found in the Children’s area, First Floor.

The sign for Mane – Monday (19 September) is: maru āhuru mōwai/your living room. Found in the Sound and Vision area, Mezzanine Floor.

The sign for Tūrei – Tuesday (20 September) is: pukapuka hou/new books. Found in the Fiction area, First Floor.

Good luck, and we’ll see you between 2-3pm with your takawai!