Library

Last week, Book Week, with its theme of Curious Creatures Wild Minds, was celebrated across the whole school. The Junior Campus was awash with wild minds and curious creatures as students and teachers dressed in character. On the Senior Campus, as it coincided with the first week of the HSC, we celebrated more quietly.

Tristan Bancks and Yr 8 had a “Zoom experience” this year. Tristan shared his writing process with students and discussed his novel Detention (shortlisted in the Younger Readers category this year). Top tips included constant redrafting and use of concrete details to enrich the writing. He spoke about episodes from his childhood that somewhat transformed, which have found their way into his work. Each novel follows a slightly different process. In particular, he highlighted the inspirations for his novel Detention, including the news stories around refugees. He also discussed some of his favourite reads including Once by Maurice Gleitzman, Jack Heath’s 500 minutes of Danger and Gabriel Lord’s Fortress. In short, an empowering presentation, which not only encouraged and inspired wide reading but also gave top tips for creative writing.

Next year the theme is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds and while we look forward to celebrating in 21 -27 August, the readers of Redlands will be celebrating and enjoying books all year as the value of reading is always important. Old Worlds will take us to places in the past; Once by Maurice Gleitzman (World War 2) or Bring up the Bodies (Tudor England) by Hilary Mantel or Chains (American War of Independence) by Lauren Halse Anderson. In these works and others like them, we experience via our imaginations what it was like to live in other times and places. We come to understand how the protagonists overcame the limitations of their time and discover a common humanity. Science fiction can take us to new worlds. Classics, like Frank Herbert’s Dune or The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, or even The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, allow us to see our world in a new light and catch a glimpse of possible futures.

Reading enriches our imagination, increases our emotional empathy and opens windows to the world. Start exploring these new worlds now.

Bronwyn Curtis 
Coordinator of Libraries
bcurtis@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9839