Continued Sense of Wonder Continues...
In 2024 Continued Sense of Wonder will consider some fun topics and in June, celebrate the anniversary of a significant win awarded to a famous New Zealand children's writer. Whether you like picture books, or books written for young adults, are reading these books for the first time, or reminiscing over books from your own childhood, come along for a relaxing evening of banter about books.
Continued Sense of Wonder: The Monster March
Wednesday 20 March | 7pm
4th Floor | City Library
Whether they’re hairy, scary, taloned, or tame, monsters can be some of the greatest (or most dangerous) characters!
Bring along a book to share, written for young people, that contains a monster or many monsters, whether the monsters be friendly or fearsome, literal or even metaphorical!
Continued Sense of Wonder: The Mahi of Mahy
Wednesday 19 June | 7pm
4th Floor | City Library
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Changeover by Margaret Mahy winning the 1984 Carnegie Medal for Writing.
The June meeting of Continued Sense of Wonder occurs on the eve of the now rebranded Yoto Carnegies, when the best children's book writing and illustration medals for 2024 will be awarded in the United Kingdom. Margaret Mahy had previously won this prestigious medal in 1982 for The Haunting, so her 1984 win made her the second person to ever become a double Carnegie winner, and the first non-UK resident to do so.
Bring along anything written by Margaret Mahy to share at the June meeting. The range of Margaret Mahy's mahi/work is incredible; for as well as her international award-winning Young Adult fantasy novels, she wrote many more novels for older children, chapter books for younger children, many collections of short stories, a huge range of picture books, as well as plenty of poems. It is 55 years since her first book was published: A Lion in the Meadow was picked up from a 1965 New Zealand School Journal and published both in the United Kingdom and United States, launching Mahy's writing overseas and here in Aotearoa.
We will also celebrate Mahy's win with an excerpt of The Changeover read aloud at Reading Allowed on June 12 at 5.30pm at The Cube, Ground floor, City Library.
Continued Sense of Wonder: Survival Stories
Wednesday 18 September | 7pm
4th Floor | City Library
Scared, stuck, stranded, but surviving. These are the kinds of books that’ll keep us alive!
Bring along a story of survival to share at the September discussion. The survival story might be based on a true story, or be completely fictional, set during an historical event or set in an imagined future. Survival stories are about overcoming odds, gaining resilience and skills, and include a good dose or two of adventure.
Continued Sense of Wonder: Merry and Bright
Wednesday 20 November | 7pm
4th Floor | City Library
‘Twas the month before Christmas, and all through the Library, everyone was reading very merrily and brightly.
Every year the children's publishing world goes a little mad on Christmas stories. Bring along a favourite Christmas themed book (or two) to share full of Christmas cheer and seasonal spirit.
Share a favourite or a new discovery, for these adult conversations about children’s books. Suitable for tertiary students and adults of all ages.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL: 03 474 3690, library@dcc.govt.nz, or
For more information: jackie.mcmillan@dcc.govt.nz
Continued Sense of Wonder is FREE, and you'll get a cuppa too!