For book-lovers, it doesn’t need a Book Month to inspire interest in anything to do with books! E-books notwithstanding, even the smell of a book is inspirational!
But Book Month is an opportunity to celebrate books. Actually, it’s really a month-long series of celebrations of New Zealand authors, illustrators and books centred in Wellington. It’s also an opportunity to inspire others—that includes the kids in the classroom.
Here’s just a few things you can do.
1. Become a book month activist and make it an event
Have a look at the NZ Book Month web site. It’s full of good stuff. Get the class (and staff) involved:
- Get them to become a Book Month Activist.
- Design a Book Month event with your class. You can even post a Book Month event on the NZ Book Month web site! (You must be NZ Book Month Activist to do this.)
2. Hear Joy Cowley’s Janet Frame Memorial Lecture
Joy Cowley, a pre-eminent New Zealand author of children’s books, will deliver the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture, at 6pm on the Marae at Te Papa. This event effectively launches the Book Month.
This event is open to the public and will appeal to teachers, librarians, and book-lovers everywhere – especially those grown-up children who were first introduced to books through Joy Cowley’s writing. And, what about encouraging the class to go along!
Radio NZ National will be recording the event (you can usually download such recordings from their web site), and Joy will be interviewed on TV One’s Good Morning show on Wednesday 2nd March.
3. Book an author to talk to your class—online—through BookTalks
CORE Education’s BookTalks programme is a great way for your students to talk directly with New Zealand writers and illustrators. And it’s easy and fun. All you need to do is register online at: www.booktalks.org to share a Skype conversation that your whole class can enjoy.
The BookTalks site has heaps of information on over 40 New Zealand authors and illustrators. It also features monthly video book reviews by the lively Bob Docherty of Bob’s Books Blog fame.
It’s well worth registering. You’ll want to use it often.
So, that’s just a few ideas. You may have some more. We’d love to hear them. And make the most of the opportunity to connect with an author during NZ Book Month.
Elizabeth Craker manages a range of projects on behalf of CORE Education, including content development for the Key Competencies site and Middle Schooling section of NZC, organises the CORE Breakfasts, and is the project manager of the BookTalks web site.
Elizabeth Craker
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[…] Gina Revill has another great idea for educators to use for Book Month, to add to those in our earlier post: It’s Book Month in March: Make the most of it! […]