Conspiracy of blood and smoke by Anne Blankman

This is the gripping sequel to Prisoner of night and fog. Having escaped from Germany, Gretchen and Daniel are beginning to make a life in London when Daniel receives a telegram that his cousin is in hospital.  Daniel decides to return to Germany without Gretchen.  Gretchen is torn between wanting to remain safe and her concern for Daniel.  In the end, despite the danger, she returns to Germany to help Daniel.  Once in Germany she finds that Daniel has been accused of murder.  Daniel is determined to clear his name and Gretchen sets out to help him.  As they work to find a way to clear his name, they discover a conspiracy which could break Hitler’s hold on power.  Can they find a way to both clear Daniel’s name and implicate Hitler at the same time? This book had me enthralled till the nail biting finish.

Reviewer: Rita @ Hawthorn

What now?

• Add your thoughts in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow an ebook
• Review a book yourself

e-resources: Oxford Reference Online

Homework help at your fingertips! The Library has a great range of Online Resources, including full text and searchable newspapers, magazines and journals. All you need is your Library ID number and pin to access these from home. Don't risk your assignment on Google alone!

Below is a review for Oxford Reference Online. Kindly supplied by one of our Community Service Students.

I am currently in year 12, studying mostly maths and science. Many (all?) of my resources come from books published by Oxford University Press. These resources included quick references, books, etc.

Things I liked about Oxford Reference Online:

• Subject specialisation search
• See recently viewed searches and content 
• Add new lines with different conditions in advanced search
• Highlight text for dictionary definition
• Annotate text

When finding information online, I normally use a search engine (Google). The results include many websites and webpages from all over the internet. Oxford Reference seems to use its own published books as resources (which they have a lot of) so the reference can be useful for viewing content from their books.

Would I use this in preference to a Google search? Probably not. Using a search engine is more convenient and has results from more different sources.

However, Oxford Reference does have potential to have more detailed information about some topics since it uses its published books as sources (rather than public websites).

Web searches on some topics such as history often only show a small number of useful results (Wikipedia, …) Oxford reference claims to have a reference library best for "conducting more comprehensive research on a specific topic, drawing from in-depth articles".

Overall, this online reference can be useful for browsing Oxford's books and possibly conducting deeper research.

What now?

• Add your thoughts in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow an ebook.
• Review a book yourself

Book Week 2015

We love books and we super love Book Week!

Hope everyone managed some quiet time, either on your own or with a loved one, to enjoy a great book. Or joined in with the dress up day at Ashburton Library!

Special shout out to Freya Blackwood who won the CBCA trifecta. Her illustrations and words are just divine and I am happy to recommend her books to all ages.

One of the winners, Go to Sleep Jessie by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood made me sob, bringing back memories of my own little one crying out. The beautiful ending, with the young siblings cuddling in bed, made me cry again.

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Borrow it as an ebook.
• Review a book yourself.

Reading Hour

Here's the staff at Ashburton Library, hanging out with the Reading Hour ambassador, Chrissie Swan.

Reading Hour is celebrated on Tuesday, 18 August from 6-7pm all over Australia. But of course, the message is reading - any time, anywhere. Reading 10 minutes a day is all it takes to raise your own little reader.

What will you be reading for Reading Hour?

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow it an ebook
• Review a book yourself

Meet Scot Gardner

Want to meet a fantastic Australian author?
Want writing inspiration and tips from the real deal?

Scot Gardner will be talking about why he loves writing and what inspires him to write for young people.

Kew Library
August 25 @ 7pm
Head to the Boroondara Libraries website for booking details.

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrowas an ebook
• Review a book yourself

Beneath by Roland Smith

Pat O’Toole is just a kid.  His older brother, Coop, has suddenly left home without any explanation and to make matters worse their parents look like splitting up. Pat has a lot of questions and no-one around to answer them - until he receives an intriguing package in the mail.  It is from Coop. At first Pat is furious and wants to ignore his request. But the bond between the brothers is too strong and he soon finds himself embarking on an exciting search to find Coop, only gradually realising just how much danger they are both in. 

Reviewer: Philippa @ Balwyn 

What now?

• Add your thoughts in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow an ebook
• Review a book yourself

The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone

Moll has always had nightmares but, when they start to become real, Moll knows it’s time to find answers.  With the help of her wild cat Gryff, and a boy called Alfie, Moll sets out to find the Amulet of Truth. Armed with Amulet she begins to unravel the truth about her parents’ death and who is behind the dark magic which is luring her into peril.

Reviewer: Rita @ Hawthorn

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Borrow it as an ebook.
• Review a book yourself.

REVIEWbyU - 1984 by George Orwell

An amazing political fiction about the dark world under dictatorship. She core of the book is 'language and power'. The government in the novel uses language to control peoples minds, which proves that language has the power to change society, people, thought processing and maintain power. This inspiring book is definitely worth reading, especially for those who want to explore English language.

What now?

• Add your thoughts in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow an ebook
• Review a book yourself

Secret Library Stuff

Want to know what happens behind the scenes? 
Here is a review from a recent work experience student.

This last school holidays, I did work experience at Ashburton Library.

I learned about (and participated in) shelving, perfect ordering (making sure books can be found), children's activities (storytimes and holiday programs), home library (making sure those who can't get to the library can still access books) and processing (preparing books to be borrowed).

It was great fun and I really enjoyed helping out with the holiday program for kids.

I love the fact that the working environment at the library is comfortable and friendly. It surprised me that the library is more than 'just put the books back in order'.

I would definitely recommend this career to book enthusiasts like myself.

If you're enthusiastic about reading in all its forms, helping the community and community events; check out your local library!

LoveOzYa - Read Local

I'm not sure if you've heard but Australian YA is a big deal. We have some seriously talented authors who write about amazingly diverse and exciting characters. A movement has started to push these stories into the spotlight. YA fiction isn't all about 'The Fault in Our Stars' (which is so fabulous, but I can't survive on John Green alone).

Follow LoveOzYa on Instagram and the hashtag for some great reads. Their latest post is this fabulous poster showing great reads and their equally fabulous Australian matches. The poster was created by the passionate Apha Reader and designed by the talented Trinity Doyle. Grab a copy for yourself and spread the Australian YA love.

What now?

• Add your thoughts in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve
• Borrow an ebook
• Review a book yourself