National Storytelling Week activities

National Storytelling Week runs from Saturday February 1 to Saturday February 8.

Why not come and join in with some of our story sessions that are happening across our libraries:

• Wargrave Library Saturday February 1, 10.30am to 11am with Pirate stories and activity sheets.
• Spencers Wood Library Little Explorers Storytime Monday February 3, 3.45pm to 4.15pm  with Pirate stories and activity sheets.
• Wokingham Library Tuesday February 4, 4pm to 4.30pm  Come and join local author Vidya who will be reading her story book Chickoo’s Adventures.  All about little chickoo who is looking for his lost papa. With colouring activities
• Arborfield Green Community Centre Wednesday February 5,  9.50am to 10.10am with silly stories and action rhymes.
• Finchampstead Library Friday February 7, 11am to 11.30am with Pirate stories and activity sheets and at 11.30am to 12noon fun craft activities.
• Woodley Library Saturday February 8, 11am to 11.30am with Pirate stories and activity sheets.

So just drop in to any of the sessions.

 

 

News and Events from Wokingham Borough Libraries February 2020

What’s on for Adults at Wokingham Library To book call (0118) 9781368

 Art Journalling for Well-Being Group– Use mindful art techniques to help soothe and calm and keep anxiety at bay. A new afternoon group starts this month- every Thursday 1pm to 3pm. Contact Rachel Freegard for details on 07591075635 or via Facebook Group Art Journalling for Well-Being

3D Letters Craft Workshop- Make your own giant 3D letter. With tutor Rachel Freegard. £5 plus cost of materials

Saturday February 29 10am to 1pm

Teddy’s Jazzmen in the Café – Come, hear the music play – a cosy morning of soft classic jazz with a group of local jazzmen. Teddy’s jazzmen is a group of local musician who enjoy playing jazz in a relaxed atmosphere – show tunes, jazz standards, and bossa nova. Just drop in!

Saturday February 15 11am to 12noon

Tony Knight– A repeat talk with the well-known railway worker at Wokingham station who cheers up commuters on their way to work. Free event

Thursday February 27 5.45pm to 7pm

Three Weeks with the Guna Yala – Crowthorne based artist Chris Holley shares her art residency experience with us of her time among the Guna Yala people who live in the remote Panama jungle and coastline. See some amazing images and hear their story. Free talk.

Thursday February 13 6pm to 7pm

Library Love letters – Throughout February drop by Wokingham Library and learn how to make an origami heart for our art installation.

 

Reminiscence Groups

If you enjoy talking about times gone by why not join one of our friendly Reminiscence Groups. They provide a great opportunity to talk about your memories and you can make new friends too! All sessions are free

Twyford Library (0118) 9340800

Meets on the First Tuesday of each month, 10.30am to 12noon

Wokingham Library (0118) 9781368

Meets on the first Thursday of each month 10.30am to 12noon

Woodley Library (0118) 9690304

Meets on the last Thursday of each month 10.30am to 12noon

 

 

Children’s Mental Health week – February 3 to 9, 2020

In support of Children’s Mental Health Week we will be running a Relax Kids Family Session at Wokingham Library.

 

Come and enjoy positive time together with your child(ren), in a Relax Kids Family session. Learn techniques to calm and relax, whilst having fun together. For families with primary school aged children. £1 charge, places must be booked on 0118 978 1368. Session will be on Tuesday February 4, 2020 from 4pm to 4.45pm

 

We will also be running a Year 6 SATS Survival Workshop at Wokingham Library

A workshop to help Year 6 children to learn how to beat stress, giving them techniques to keep calm, focus and gain confidence. With Relax Kids. For children in Year 6, £1 charge, places must be booked. by calling 0118 978 1368
On Monday February 10 from 4pm to 4.45pm

What’s On for Children February half term

Monday February 17

Guide Dogs Morning – Just drop into learn and meet guide dogs and their owners. Take part in some fun activities.

Wokingham Library 10am to 11.30am

*Sold out!*Alices tea cup adventures! with The Enchanted Players Theatre Company – Join us for this musical theatre show, with Alice, Tinkerbelle and Captain Hook! Followed by a mad hatters crown craft. £5 charge per child and £1 charge per adult. Places must be booked. Woodley Library 3pm to 4pm

Tuesday February 18

Children’s Origami Club – For children aged 7 and over. 50p charge. Places must be booked. Wokingham Library 4pm to 4.45pm

Lego Creation Session – Lego building session, for children aged 5 to 10 years old. £1 charge. Places must be booked.

Lower Earley Library 10am to 10.45am and 11am to 11.45am

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in! Twyford Library 11am to 11.30am

Storytime – For children aged 5 years old and under. Free, just drop in! Twyford Library 3.45pm to 4.15pm

Children’s Storytime with SP K-Mushambi – The Mysterious Melody – Come and have some fun with this interactive storytelling session, hear “The Mysterious Melody” story then have a go at creating your own rhythm with African drums and shakers. Free event, just drop in! For children aged 7 and over. Wokingham Library 4pm to 4.45pm

Wednesday February 19

Get Arty – Arts and crafts fun on for children aged 4 to 10 years old. Places must be booked. £1.50 charge. Places must be booked. Woodley Library 10.30am to 11.30am

Grammar workshop with Explore Learning – Free session with Explore Learning, as you travel back to medieval times and children will joust their way through many grammar tournaments. Places must be booked.

Wokingham Library Session for children aged 5 to 6 9.45am to 10.45am

Wokingham Library Session for children aged 7 to 8 11am to 12noon

*Sold out!*Quirks Animal Roadshow – Quirks Animal Roadshow will allow children to interact with a variety of animals. For families with children aged 4 to 12 years old. Please phone to book a place, £ 4 per child. Wargrave Library 11am to 12noon

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in! Wokingham Library 10am to 10.30am and 11am to 11.30am

Thursday February 20, 2020

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in! Spencers Wood Library 10.15am to 10.45am

Sand Art – Just drop in and create a sand art picture or sand bottle with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. £4 per picture or £3 per bottle for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Just drop in! Lower Earley Library 10am to 11.30am

Sand Art Craft session – Create a sand art craft with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. Charges apply, for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Drop in! Lower Earley Library 1pm to 2.30pm

Sea-cycle* – Make creatures from the sea out of recyclable items, with an opportunity to learn about recycling as you create. Places must be booked. £2 charge. For children aged 5 to 12 years old. Wokingham Library 2pm to 3pm

Friday February 21, 2020

Get Arty – Pirates and Mermaid themed – Arts and crafts fun on for children aged 4 to 10 years old. Places must be booked. £1.50 charge. Wokingham Library 10.30am to 11.30am

Sand Art – Just drop in and create a sand art picture or sand bottle with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. £4 per picture or £3 per bottle for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Woodley Library 10am to 11.30am

Sand Art Craft session – Create a sand art craft with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. Charges apply, for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Drop in! Woodley Library 1pm to 2.30pm

For information about all our events go to http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries

Poetry and Pudding at the Berkshire Care Home

Poetry and pudding were the order of the day at The Berkshire Care Home as residents celebrated Burns night by exploring the life and works of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Our very own Heather Dyson and volunteer Barbara Turner from Wokingham Library joined in the fun to give a fascinating insight into his life!

They also recited some of his most famous poems including ‘Tam o Shanter’, ‘A Red, Red Rose’, and of course ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Click below to find out more

https://cutt.ly/wrTDrrz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employment & Training Drop-in at Wokingham Library

Employment & Training Drop-in at Wokingham Library

Are you thinking of returning to work after a break?
Come in and talk over your options:
 Assess your skills and aptitudes
 Make an appointment with a
Careers Advisor
 Get information about training courses and jobs

Every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm at Wokingham Library in the café

To find out more, call 0118 974 3797 or e-mail: adulteducation@wokingham.gov.uk or
just drop in!

Recommended Books for Holocaust Memorial Day – Suggested Book Titles for Young People

And Tango Makes Three – Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell – Picture Book

Based on a true story, this charming and heart-warming tale proves that all you need to make a family is love.

A Berlin Love Song by Sarah Matthais – Teen Read

Max is 17, a German schoolboy, when he meets Lili, a trapeze artist from a travelling circus that performs every year in Berlin. Lili is from a Romani gypsy family whose life and customs are very different from those of Max and his family. Their friendship turns into love – but love between a member of the Hitler youth and a gypsy is forbidden. As events tear them apart can their love survive

A family secret : a graphic novel by the Anne Frank House – Eric Heuvel – Picture Book

While searching his grandmother’s attic for likely items to sell at a jumble sale, Jeroen finds a scrapbook his grandmother made during World War II. It brings back painful memories for her and she tells Jeroen for the first time about her experiences as a girl living in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

Hitler’s Canary – Sandi Toksvig – Children’s Fiction

Based on true-life events during the Second World War, this novel is a funny and gripping account of a childhood spent under occupation and a daring rescue.

Kommandant’s Girl – Pam Jenoff – Teen Read

Overnight, Jewish 19-year-old Emma Bau’s world is turned upside down when Germany invades Poland, and after only six weeks of marriage, her husband Jacob, a member of the Resistance, is forced to flee.

No Stars at the Circus by Mary Flynn

‘No Stars at the Circus’ is the beautifully told story of 10-year-old Jonas Alber, as written in his notebooks. Jonas lives in hiding in the Professor’s house during the six months following the round-up of Jews in Paris on 16 July 1942. He spends his days reading about his favourite subjects and also writes about his present life in the attic, as well as the past, in which the circumstances of his rescue are revealed. He writes about his friends at the circus and the family he greatly misses. Unaware of the atrocities happening around him and throughout Europe, Jonas hears that his parents have gone off ‘to work’ and is worried about his little sister, Nadia, who is deaf – so worried that one day he steps outside in the hope of finding out where she is.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Set in an alternative reality to the current day, Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses books (there are currently four of them in the series) posits a world divided into two: crosses, the ruling black people, and noughts, white people. Malorie Blackman cleverly finds things we take for granted in our society and turns them on their head, forcing the reader to challenge their preconceptions of the world.  The first book in the series, Noughts and Crosses, establishes the central characters, notably Sephy Haley, a cross, and Callum McGregor, a nought. It is clear from the outset that their relationship will be pivotal to the plot: noughts and crosses do not usually mix and their friendship is discouraged by both their families. The book is very compelling and ends leaving the reader wanting to dash straight into the next book!

Number the Stars – Lois Lowry – Children’s Fiction

It is 1943 and for 10 year old Annemarie life is still fun. But there are worries too – the Nazis have occupied Copenhagen and there are food shortages, curfews and the threat of being stopped by soldiers and Annemarie’s best friend is a Jew.

Once – Morris Gleitzman – Teen Read

For three years and eight months Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. Escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland.

Put Out the Light – Terry Deary – Teen Read

‘Put Out The Light’ is a thrilling tale following the adventures of two groups of children during World War II.

Refugee Boy – Benjamin Zephaniah – Teen Read

A victim of the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Alem finds himself alone in England, abandoned by his parents. This story charts his fate as he is moved from children’s home to foster home, and in and out of court hearings.

Saving midnight – Suzy Zail – Teen Read

Fourteen-year-old Alexander Altmann doesn’t need to look at the number tattooed on his arm. A10567: he knows it by heart. He also knows that to survive Auschwitz, he has to toughen up. When he is given the job of breaking in the commander’s new horse, their survival becomes intertwined. Alexander knows that the animal is scared and damaged, but he must win its trust. If he fails, they will both be killed.

Susan Laughs – Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross – Picture Book

Susan laughs, she sings, she rides, she swings, she gets angry, she gets sad, she is good, she is bad, Susan is no different to any other child. At the end we see her in a wheel chair, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t just like me, just like you.

Tales from the Secret Annexe by Anne Frank – Teen Read

Tales from the Secret Annexe is a collection of short stories and fictional accounts which were found amongst the papers and Diary of Anne Frank after the discovery and arrest of Anne and her family in Holland in August 1944.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Teen Read

Narrated in the all-knowing matter-of-fact voice of Death, witnessing the story of the citizens of Molching. By 1943, the Allied bombs are falling, and the sirens begin to wail. Liesel shares out her books in the air-raid shelters. But one day, the wail of the sirens comes too late.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne – Teen Read

A story of innocence existing within the most terrible evil, this is the fictional tale of two young boys caught up in events beyond their control.

The Colour of Home – Mary Hoffman & Karin Littlewood – Picture Book

Hassan feels out of place in a new, cold, grey country. At school he paints a picture showing his colourful Somalian home, covered with harsh colours of war from which his family fled. Things change and Hassan begins to see the new colours of home.

The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank – Teen Read – Non-Fiction

Anne Frank was born in Germany on 12 June 1929.  She moved with her family to Amsterdam in 1933 when the Nazis came to power in Germany.  Anne and her family were trapped in The Netherlands when the Nazi invasion began in 1940.  Anne began to keep a personal diary on her thirteenth birthday.  She wrote ‘I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support’.  In July 1942 the Frank family and four other people went into hiding in a secret annex. Anne is perhaps the most famous victim of the Holocaust but as an ordinary Jewish teenager she represents the millions who died because of one group’s hatred of another.

The Earth is singing by Vanessa Curtis – Teen Read

My name is Hanna. I am 15. I am Latvian. I live with my mother and grandmother. My father is missing, taken by the Russians. I have a boyfriend and I’m training to be a dancer. But none of that is important any more. Because the Nazis have arrived, and I am a Jew. And as far as they are concerned, that is all that matters. This is my story.

The English German Girl – Jake Wallis Simons – Teen Read

Kristallnacht, November 1938. After the Nazis run rampage in Berlin, killing Jews and ransacking and destroying their homes, 15-year-old Rosa manages to escape from the city and head, alone, to England. Her objective: to secure work permits for her family and enable their release.

The missing : the true story of my family in World War II – Michael Rosen – Children’s Non – Fiction

By turns charming, shocking, and heart-breaking, this is the true story of Michael Rosen’s search for his relatives who ‘went missing’ during the Second World War – told through prose, poetry, and pictures. The story he uncovered was one of terrible persecution – and it has inspired his poetry for years since. Here, poems old and new are balanced against an immensely readable narrative; both an extraordinary account and a powerful tool for talking to children about the Holocaust.

The Mozart Question – Michael Morpurgo – Children’s Fiction

When cub reporter Lesley is sent to Venice to interview a world-renowned violinist, the journalist is told she can ask Paolo Levi anything about his life and career as a musician, but on no account must she ask him the Mozart question. Paolo has finally realised he must reveal the truth.

The Search – Eric Heuvel, Ruud Van Der Rol & Lies Schippers – Picture Book

‘The Search’ showcases World War II and the Holocaust as a time when defining good and evil and right and wrong is a constant struggle and when every decision is an attempt to choose between the lesser of two evils. As the story unfolds the protagonists find that not everything is as black and white as they had expected.

The Silver Sword – Ian Serraillier – Children’s Fiction

The night the Nazis come to take their mother away, three children escape in a terrifying scramble across the rooftops. Alone in the chaos of Warsaw, they have to learn to survive on their own.

Then – Morris Gleitzman – Teen Read

The moving story of two orphans fighting to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Soon – Morris Gleitzman – Teen Read

The Second World War has officially ended, but the streets are still a battleground – for food, for shelter, for protection. Felix is in hiding to stay safe, but finds he has been left holding the baby – literally. An orphaned infant has been left in his care and he will do everything he can to protect the child, in the way a few incredible people did for him during the Holocaust.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr – Children’s Fiction

Partly autobiographical, this is first of the internationally acclaimed trilogy by Judith Kerr telling the unforgettable story of a Jewish family fleeing from Germany at the start of the Second World War.

Waiting for Anya – Michael Morpurgo – Children’s Fiction

Jo finds out that Jewish children are being smuggled away from the Nazis over the mountains near his village. All goes to plan until German soldiers start patrolling the mountains, and Jo realises the children are trapped. Jo’s slightest mistake could have devastating consequences.

All of the recommended titles can be borrowed from Wokingham Borough Libraries https://wokingham.spydus.co.uk or visit www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries

Holocaust Memorial Day 2020: Books for Adults

In Support of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, 2019, libraries in Wokingham Borough will have materials on display along with information booklets from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

 

Suggested Book Titles for Adults  A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal A Lucky Child is the memoir of Thomas Buergenthal, a survivor of Kielce ghetto and both Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camps.  The story tells of a happy childhood and the vibrant parents who had to flee their peaceful life in Lubochna, Czechoslovakia. .  However, the story he tells is thoughtful, understated and very powerful.  His amazing strength at the age of 10 when he was finally separated from both of his parents in Auschwitz resonates throughout the book.  When, in 1945 he escapes from the deserted Sachsenhausen, the account takes an unexpected turn as we learn how he spent time in the company of the Polish army.  He later became a minor celebrity whilst in an orphanage, as it was so unusual for a child to have survived Auschwitz.  In these early post-war days, he desperately tries to ignore the likelihood that his mother and father are dead.  However, he is reunited with his mother in 1946, and we learn her story too. – If this is a Man by Primo Levi If This is a Man is Primo Levi’s memoir of his experiences in the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz III.  Between 1944 and 1945 Levi spent 11 months as a prisoner in the camp where conditions were so brutal that life expectancy was only three months for new prisoners.  If This is a Man recounts not only the author’s extraordinary survival of Auschwitz, but the reasons behind the inhumanity of the Nazi concentration camp system. – See more at: Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally Schindler’s Ark tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi Party member and factory owner, who saved over 1000 Jews from certain death. While the story is true the book is written as a novel. The book also charts the story of the creation and liquidation of the ghetto in Krakow.  The book won the Booker Prize in 1982 and was made into the Academy Award winning film Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg in 1993. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky Suite Francaise consists of the first two sections an uncompleted five-part novel examining life after the German occupation of France in 1940.  The novel was written as the events portrayed were actually unfolding and reflects the experiences of Irène Némirovsky and her family. –   The Book Thief-Marcus Zusak The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year old girl fostered by a family on Himmel Street, Molching, Germany in the late 1930s.  Liesel’s story includes her obsession with reading, her theft of books and the impact of the Second World War and anti-Jewish actions on the people of Himmel Street and is told to us by Death himself. – See more at: The Children of Freedom by Marc Levy The Children of Freedom is written from the perspective of 18 year old Jeannot who has, along with his younger brother, found refuge from Nazi persecution in Toulouse in 1942.  The brothers join the 35th Brigade – a group of young foreigners who fight back against their oppressors. Based on true accounts from the Resistance, including that of the author’s father, the book follows the stories of members of the 35th Brigade and looks at those who resisted – in small or large ways – the hatred of the Nazi regime. The OtherSchindlers by Agnes Grunwald Spier In The Other Schindlers, Agnes Grunwald-Spier explores the motivation of those who rescued, hid, saved or assisted Jews in the Holocaust.  She explores the moral choices made by rescuers and asks us to consider the moral choices we make today. Alone in Berlin-Hans Fallada Alone in Berlin is based on a true story.  Otto and Anna Quangel’s son has died whilst serving with the German Army.  In a moment of anger, Anna blames Otto and ‘his Fuhrer’.  Otto is offended and decides to resist the Nazi regime in his own unique way – writing and dropping anti-Nazi postcards.  The novel is an interesting look into the fear of ordinary Germans, how many people were made into criminals even though they were living their ordinary lives.  The story also follows the Quangels as they go to jail and their subsequent tria   My Enemy’s Cradle by Sara Young Polish born Cyrla has been sent to live with her Aunt, Uncle and Cousin in Holland by her Jewish father in 1939.  Her family keep the secret of her heritage whilst the German Army occupy Holland and Cyrla lives in hiding, afraid that her neighbours suspect her.  Carrying the child of a German soldier, Cyrla’s cousin, Anneke is destined to move to a maternity home in Germany which houses the Lebensborn breeding programme.  Anneke’s death leaves Cyrla facing a dilemma – should she face her Uncle and his growing resentment, or should she take Anneke’s place at the maternity home? – See more at: Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir with Damien Lewis Tears of the Desert is the memoir by Halima Bashir, a survivor of the Genocide in Darfur.  In this book she talks about growing up in a village in Darfur, about the persecution of her tribe – the Zaghawa tribes by the Arab Sudanese government.  She speaks about her triumph of training to be a medical doctor in Khartoum and the escalation of violence and the use of rape and torture during the ongoing genocide, and her fight to find asylum in the UK. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway The Cellist of Sarajevo is a novel which follows the lives of three inhabitants of Sarajevo during the Siege of Sarajevo which lasted from April 1992 to February 1996. The story is set during a brief period when a cellist plays in the street in remembrance of those killed in a mortar attack on a bread queue. The novel follows the lives of Kenan, who crosses the city to find water for his family; Dragan, who has become isolated from his friends and Arrow, a counter-sniper protecting residents from snipers on the hills surrounding the city. – See more The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman Wladyslaw Szpilman was born in 1911 in Sosnowiec in Poland.  He studied the piano and composition as a young man in Warsaw and Berlin.  On 1 April 1935 he joined Polish Radio, where he worked as a pianist performing classical and jazz music, until the German invasion of Poland reached Warsaw in autumn 1939 and Polish Radio was forced off the air. Szpilman and his family were forced to move to the Warsaw Ghetto where he continued to play piano in cafes and bars. Szpilman survived with the help of friends and a German captain, Wilm Hosenfeld.  His family was murdered at Treblinka.  After the War Szpilman returned to Polish Radio and his music career and died in Warsaw in July 2000 at the age of 88. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink Schlink explores questions of guilt, deceit, betrayal and memory in this novel which traces the relationship between a German lawyer, Michael, and an older woman, Hanna, who was formerly a guard at a satellite camp attached to Auschwitz. The Disappeared-Kim Echlin After more than 30 years, Anne Greves feels compelled to break her silence about her first lover and a treacherous pursuit across Cambodia’s killing fields.

E-services Free From Wokingham Borough Libraries

E-Services

Did you know you can borrow a range of e-books, e-audio, e-comics newspapers and magazines completely free of charge if you are a library member? Just go to https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/

library-services/e-books/ or download the RB Digital app and use your library card number to create a free account with a username and password.

E-books

• Read books on your home computer, smartphone or tablet
• Borrow 6 books at a time for up to 21 days
• Choose from over 2000 books, with new titles added every month

E-audio

• Listen to audio books on your phone, MP3 player, iPod or computer
• Choose from over 1000 books, with new titles added every month
• No limit on the number of titles you can borrow

E-Comics

• Read graphic novels on your home computer, smartphone or tablet
• Choose from over 1000 titles, including Marvel Comic titles, which can be borrowed for 30 days

Press Reader

E-newspapers and magazines are available via the Press Reader App, please visit: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-magazines/ for more information.

The service allows you to:

• Read and download newspapers and magazines on your computer, smartphone or tablet
• Read the current copy of most daily and Sunday newspapers, many local newspapers and a wide selection of magazines
• Access a selection of newspapers and magazines from all over the world

The BBC 100 Novels That Shaped Our World – Identity

The BBC asked a panel of leading writers, curators and critics to choose 100 genre-busting novels that have had an impact on their lives. The resulting English language novels, written over the last 300 years, range from children’s classics to popular page turners. Organised into 10 themes, they reflect the ways books help shape and influence our thinking.

The first theme is Identity. The panel have chosen these novels on the theme of Identity: Beloved by Toni Morrison; Days Without End by Sebastian Barry; Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels; Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; Small Island by Andrea Levy; The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath; The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy; Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe; White Teeth by Zadie Smith.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved follows the story of Sethe as she tries to live life as a free woman in Ohio, while battling with memories from years lived in slavery.

The novel brings the reader into Sethe’s life with her daughter and the ghosts of her past, and at the same time draws upon the wider destructive legacy of slavery and the multi-layered scars this has left in generations of Black Americans.

 

 

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

Having signed up for the US army in the 1850s, aged barely 17, Thomas McNulty and his brother-in-arms, John Cole, go on to fight in the Indian wars and, ultimately, the Civil War. Orphans of terrible hardships themselves, they find these days to be vivid and alive, despite the horrors they both see and are complicit in.

 

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Jakob Beer is seven years old when he is rescued from the muddy ruins of a buried village in Nazi-occupied Poland. Of his family, he is the only one who has survived. Under the guidance of the Greek geologist Athos, Jakob must steel himself to excavate the horrors of his own history.

 

 

 

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

Set in Nigeria during the 1960s, this novel contains three main characters who get swept up in the violence during these turbulent years. It is about Africa, about the end of colonialism, about class and race, and the ways in which love can complicate these things.

 

 

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader’s wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel – the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.

Small Island by Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy’s Mother and Father sailed to England in 1948 on the Windrush, and through its four main characters Small Island tells of post-war Caribbean migration at that time.

Returning to England after the war Gilbert Joseph is treated very differently now that he is no longer in an RAF uniform. Joined by his wife Hortense, he rekindles a friendship with Queenie who takes in Jamaican lodgers. Can their dreams of a better life in England overcome the prejudice they face?

 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

‘The Bell Jar‘ is Sylvia Plath’s account of a young woman’s breakdown. Renowned for its intensity and its vivid prose, the novel follows her attempted suicide, hospitilisation and recovery.

 

 

 

 

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Set against a background of political turbulence in Kerala, this is the story of twins Esthappen and Rahel who try to craft a childhood for themselves amongst the vats of banana jam and heaps of peppercorns in their grandmother’s factory.

 

 

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

‘Things Fall Apart‘ tells the story of Okonkwo, an important man in the Igbo tribe in the days when white men were first on the scene. Okonkwo becomes exiled from his tribe, as a result of his pride and his fears, with tragic consequences.

 

 

 

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

A sweeping saga about the actions and interactions of three generations of the Jones, Iqbal and Chalfen families. Beginning with Archie Jones and Samal Iqbal’s friendship forged during the Second World War, and progressing to their children’s lives in London at the close of the 20th century, White Teeth explores the ways our history defines ourselves today.

 

If you are inspired to read any of these books, you can reserve a copy via the Wokingham Borough Libraries online catalogue at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

For much more information on the books, authors, suggested book club questions, and related links to BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer please visit the BBC Arts website https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4BVkZMWFwdMVDcqTQpfgyyN/finding-your-story-ten-remarkable-novels-about-identity

 

New Fiction in Libraries

We have some great new fiction in libraries this week.

The Spitfire Sisters by Margaret Dickinson

It is the 1930s and the Maitland family have spent the years following the Great War struggling to come to terms with its catastrophic aftermath, and their hopes now lie with the next generation. Their Lincolnshire village of Doddington suffered terrible loss and it has taken great courage for the bereaved families to rebuild their lives without their loved ones. When war is declared again, it is Daisy Maitland and her peers who must now take up the fight for freedom. Feisty and a daredevil like her beloved Aunt Pips, who spent World War One on the front line serving with a flying ambulance corps, Daisy had persuaded a family friend to teach her to fly as a young woman. Now her country is at war, she is determined to put her skills to good use, enlisting in the Air Transport Auxiliary.

The Velvet Ribbon by Nadine Dorries

Mary Kate Malone has come to Liverpool from Ireland to seek her fortune, but from the very beginning things have gone wrong. Now she is living secretly with her great love, Dr Nicholas Marcus, while his wife Lavinia, mother of his two sons, plots her revenge on the girl who she believes has destroyed her marriage. When disaster strikes, Mary Kate’s first instinct is to flee to her family in Ireland. But back in Tarabeg, a charismatic American stranger has set the village by the ears and it isn’t the place Mary Kate remembers any more. To add to her problems, Dr Gaskell and Matron from St Angelus Hospital have come to Tarabeg to recruit nurses – and Mary Kate’s Liverpool life is about to come back to haunt her with a vengeance.

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel

Saint Ambrose Prep has been the school of choice for the sons of the great and the good for over a hundred years. Now, for the first time, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled its first female students. While many of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling dealing with family, insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire. The day after a Halloween party, a student lies in the hospital, seriously injured and with a dangerous level of alcohol in her blood. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked know what happened, and they have closed ranks. As parents, students, staff and the media attempt to establish the truth, no-one at Saint Ambrose will escape the fallout.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together. Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive. The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

To reserve any of these titles please visit the library catalogue at http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

What’s On for Children in Wokingham Borough Libraries February Half-term 2020

Monday February 17
Guide Dogs Morning – Just drop into learn and meet guide dogs and their owners. Take part in some fun activities.
Wokingham Library 10am to 11.30am
Alice’s tea cup adventures! with The Enchanted Players Theatre Company – Join us for this musical theatre show, with Alice and Captain Hook! Followed by a mad hatters crown craft. £5 charge per child and £1 charge per adult. Places must be booked.
Woodley Library 3pm to 4pm
Tuesday February 18
Children’s Origami Club – For children aged 7 and over. 50p charge. Places must be booked. Wokingham Library 4pm to 4.45pm

Lego Creation Session – Lego building session, for children aged 5 to 10 years old. £1 charge. Places must be booked.
Lower Earley Library 10am to 10.45am and 11am to 11.45am

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in!
Twyford Library 11am to 11.30am

Storytime – For children aged 5 years old and under. Free, just drop in!
Twyford Library 3.45pm to 4.15pm

Children’s Storytime with SP K-Mushambi – The Mysterious Melody – Come and have some fun with this interactive storytelling session, hear
“The Mysterious Melody” story then have a go at creating your own rhythm with African drums and shakers. Free event, just drop in! For children aged 7 and under.
Wokingham Library 4pm to 4.45pm

Wednesday February 19
Get Arty – Arts and crafts fun on for children aged 4 to 10 years old. Places must be booked. £1.50 charge. Places must be booked.
Woodley Library 10.30am to 11.30am

Grammar workshop with Explore Learning – Free session with Explore Learning, as you travel back to medieval times and children will joust their way through many grammar tournaments. Places must be booked.
Wokingham Library Session for children aged 5 to 6 9.45am to 10.45am
Wokingham Library Session for children aged 7 to 8 11am to 12noon

Quirks Animal Roadshow – Quirks Animal Roadshow will allow children to interact with a variety of animals. For families with children aged 4
to 12 years old. Please phone to book a place, £ 4 per child.
Wargrave Library 11am to 12noon

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in!
Wokingham Library 10am to 10.30am and 11am to 11.30am

Thursday February 20, 2020

Rhymetime – Rhymes for under 5’s and their parents. Free, just drop in!
Spencers Wood Library 10.15am to 10.45am

Sand Art – Just drop in and create a sand art picture or sand bottle with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. £4 per picture or £3 per bottle for children aged 4 to 11 years old.
Lower Earley Library 10am to 11.30am

Sand Art Craft session – Create a sand art craft with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. Charges apply, for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Drop in!
Lower Earley Library 1pm to 2.30pm

Sea-cycle – Make creatures from the sea out of recyclable items, with an opportunity to learn about recycling as you create. Places must be booked. £2 charge. For children aged 5 to 12 years old.
Wokingham Library 2pm to 3pm

Friday February 21, 2020
Get Arty – Pirates and Mermaid themed – Arts and crafts fun on for children aged 4 to 10 years old. Places must be booked. £1.50 charge.
Wokingham Library 10.30am to 11.30am

Sand Art – Just drop in and create a sand art picture or sand bottle with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. £4 per picture or £3 per bottle for children aged 4 to 11 years old.
Woodley Library 10am to 11.30am

Sand Art Craft session – Create a sand art craft with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. Charges apply, for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Drop in!
Woodley Library 1pm to 2.30pm
Wokingham Borough Libraries Phone Contact details
Arborfield Library 0780 1664520
Finchampstead Library (0118) 908 8176
Wargrave Library (0118) 940 4656
Winnersh Library (0118) 979 7519
Lower Earley Library (0118) 931 2150
Spencers Wood Library (0118) 988 4771
Wokingham Library (0118) 978 1368
Woodley Library (0118) 969 0304
Twyford Library (0118) 934 0800