The Take Time Take Ten Literacy Program celebrates a milestone – handing out its 5,000th book to a newborn since the program began in 2002. The nuts and bolts of literacy are established in childhood and that's why this program is so important. Presenting newborns with a book is the first stage of our ongoing programs for children, we also have our Baby Rhyme and Read program for toddlers, Storytime for pre-schoolers and library resources for school students. We would like to thank the Take Time Take Ten volunteers - Orange Base Hospital Blue Ladies, Orange Base Hospital Maternity Ward, Margaret Schwebel at Book City for purchasing the books and our sponsors. Orange Credit Union has allowed us to purchase books for the 900 or so children to be born in Orange this year. The lucky family receiving the 5,000th Take Time Take Ten book was Amanda and Mark Paterson, of Orange, and their newborn daughter Amelia Jane. Pictured above is the Take Time Take Ten team: Margaret Schwebel of Book City, Blue Ladies President Cheryl Lobsey, Blue Ladies volunteer Mary O'Hare, Orange Credit Union Marketing Coordinator Noelle Cornish and Orange City Librarian Elizabeth Barry. Pictured below is Amanda and Amelia receiving the 5,000th book (and flowers) in the Take Time Take program from current sponsor Noelle Cornish from Orange Credit Union.

Join in talks by author Libby Gleeson and local illustrator Freya Blackwood when they tell school children about their latest book Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House. The book is published by Little Hare Books and was launched just this month. It is about a little boy called Clancy who has moved to a new house that is huge and unfamiliar. He is missing his old house terribly - the new house is much too big and much too lonely. How will he ever make it his home? As despair takes hold Clancy hears a small voice. Soon, Clancy with the help of his new friend Millie is building towers to the sky and trains to the street outside, and together they build the home that Clancy thought he had lost forever. Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood will be talking about their new book Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House at Orange City Library on Friday 30 October at these times: 9.30am – 10.30am; 11.30am – 12.30pm; 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Come along and sit in on one of the talks by this award-winning team. The event is supported by Boomers Bookshop & ABC Centre.

Children had lots of fun at our Holiday Activities crafty workshops learning felting or quilling. Quilling is also known as paper rolling, paper scrolling and paper mosaic and children made fantastic creations in these classes. Creative children were also adding their own touches to colourful felt zipper purses with love hearts, dogs, flowers, snowmen and lady beetles all making an appearance. Pictured is Caitlin, then Julia and Emily,then Katherine and Isabel showing their own felt designs.

Robots, apples and others things quite unmentionable were topics discussed by best selling children's author Andy Griffiths and his fans at Orange City Library recently. Children asked lots of questions about where his ideas come from, how he came up with his book titles, details about his characters and what's coming up next. The author was in Orange to promote his latest book Robot Riot and he encouraged children to tell their own stories, getting them to generate ideas throughout his talk and even calling on volunteers to perform a robot showdown. It was all in good fun as he took time to sign autographs, shake hands with fans and learn from them their favourite things about Orange. He suggested a name change was in order because the city was known for apples but no one in the large audience voted yes. The event was a joint presentation with Angus & Robertson Bookstore. Pictured above is Kaleb Cook meeting Andy and below is Orange City Librarian Elizabeth Barry getting up close to Andy's touring bus.

Abracadabera! There are amazing things happening at Cowra Library with its Magicians Workshops taking place. There is still room for 13 - 15 year olds at 10.30am - 12 noon tomorrow Friday 9 October and 12 - 15 year olds at 1pm - 2.30pm. These are Warriors Apprentice workshops combining skills from the worlds of magic, circus and Japanese martial arts. Cost is $5 per person and please call the Library on 6340 2180 to book your place. The workshops are being presented by Manik Jones from the School of Transmogrification. Check out more details in the Cowra Guardian article: http://www.cowraguardian.com.au/news/local/news/general/spellbinding-workshop-for-the-holidays/1642840.aspx

The historic town of Forbes will be a hive of activity on Saturday when the town celebrates the Ben Hall Festival. A full program is available on the Forbes Council website www.forbes.nsw.gov.au. A highlight will be the Outlaw Spectacular in Victoria Park with live musical entertainment, historical re-enactments, bush poetry, folk artists, historical exhibitions, street theatre, historical tours and much more. It will take place in Victoria Park and surrounds from 12pm until 6pm, and the best part is most events are free. Children can also learn the history of bushrangers in the Forbes Library with the Bushranger Show taking place from 3pm. Enjoy!

Local author Charlotte Calder entertained 80 children at Storytime during Children' Book Week with an animated reading of her new children's book Stuck! illustrated by Mark Jackson and published by Walker Books. The story is about a series of items that get stuck up a tree and of course the children wanted to know what happened next. They loudly called out Stuck as each item stayed up in the tree. Thank you to everyone for coming along.

Follow the footprints......

We are celebrating Children's Book Week - the longest running children's festival in Australia, celebrating its 64th birthday in 2009. The theme in 2009 is... Book Safari. Come and follow the animal footprints to see the 2009 Children's Book Council of Australia Award winning books on display along with lots of toy jungle animals to delight children.

The Book of the Year for Older Readers is Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan, and the Book of the Year for Younger Readers is Perry Angel's Suitcase by Glenda Millard and illustrated by Stephen Michael King and the Picture Book of the Year is Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan. For a full list of award winning books please visit the Children's Book Council of Australia website www.cbc.org.au And don't miss local author Charlotte Calder reading her book Stuck! at Storytime tomorrow at 11am and launching her book at 6pm.

One warm and windy day, Charlie and his friends decide to fly a kite. It takes off and soars and swoops and plunges straight into a tree. The kite is stuck. One by one, Charlie's friends each try to free the kite with their toys all of which end up stuck in the tree along with the kite. Just when it looks as though everything is stuck forever, the cat loses its footing on a branch and sets off a chain reaction, sending their toys to the ground. But guess who is stuck now?"

Orange City Library together with Book City and Children's Medical Research Institute present Charlotte Calder reading her new children's book Stuck! beautifully illustrated by Mark Jackson, published by Walker Books at Storytime 11am on Tuesday 25 August at Orange City Library.

You can also meet Charlotte and help launch the book during Children's Book Week at the Charlotte Calder Author Talk Tuesday 25 August, 5.30pm for 6pm, refreshments served at Orange City Library, Byng Street, Orange. Your $5 donation supports the Children's Medical Research Institute. Please RSVP to 6393 8132

Children had a fantastic time at our school holiday activities weaving and making felt and glue bookmarks (with a bit of sewing too!). The range of bookmarks was just amazing with everything from puppy dogs to mice and Christmas trees being created. It will certainly be fun to see which one pops up in your next book. Pictured are Fletcher and Cooper with their incredible creations – enough for a pile of books, Julia's puppy and mouse and Georgia and Emily with their clever creations. Well done everyone!!!!!