Weblog Archive

Bookstart Bear gets to have a rest this weekend after his busy first week in North Lincolnshire.  But don't worry if you've not had chance to meet him yet as there's plenty more planned for next week.  As well as some more visits to nurseries and early-years settings, there's also his 2 day appearance at our Bears' Booknic at Normanby Park on Wednesday and Thursday.  Don't forget to bring your picnic and teddy bears along to meet their idol - Bookstart Bear.

Bookstart Bear had his very own party at Crowle Library on Friday.  Children from some local schools and nurseries were invited to receive their Treasure Boxes and meet the VIB (Very Important Bear).

They also got to meet Bookstart Bear's baby bear, who started the day in the doghouse.  The cheeky bear managed to sneak into the room before the party, leaving muddy footprints on the floor, and made himself a comfortable throne on a pile of the Treasure Boxes.  The children didn't seem to mind but I'm not sure how popular he is with the cleaner right now!

It was a surprise appearance at storytime at the Central Library this morning.  Following a dance and the chance to formally shake hands with the children Bookstart Bear led them and the Pied Piper on a merry dance across Church Square to 20:21 for some painting.  But since he's already blue he decided not to stay!

More fun tomorrow!

Bookstart Bear has had a busy morning visiting pre-schools in Bonby and South Ferriby.  The children were very excited to meet him and were armed with all sorts of questions such as "How did you get here today if you don't fit in the car?" and "Where do you live?"  Unfortunately, since bears can't talk, we're still in the dark.  Although I'm sure that if we were to go on a bear hunt we might be able to find out.  "We're going on a bear hunt.  We're going to catch a big one.  What a beautiful day!  We're not scared..."

Bookstart Bear's tour continued yesterday afternoon with another trip on the Mobile Library.  This time he went out to Hibaldstow to visit a nursery and present some three-year-olds with their Bookstart Treasure Boxes.  He received a rousing reception with children waving from all of the windows as he arrived.

Once the children had received their boxes (and hugs) they were rewarded with a round of applause and a spot of dancing from Bookstart Bear - which the children responded to by joining in!

He was then visited by some of the older and younger children from other rooms in the Nursery - not all of whom were impressed by the sight of a very large dancing blue bear!

Bookstart Bear is out and about again today visiting some pre-schools and distributing more Treasure Boxes.

Tomorrow you can catch him (if you dare) at the Central Library where he will be joining in with the storytime session (from 10am to 10.30am).  I'm not sure how good bears are at storytelling, but we'll soon find out!

The Bookstart Bear is in town for the next two weeks, promoting the Bookstart scheme, meeting children and gifting Bookstart packs.

This morning he arrived at Little Goslings Nursery in style. aboard the mobile library, where he greeted everyone and was met with waves and hugs by the children.  The children were very generous and in return for being allowed to cuddle Bookstart Bear's baby bear they shared their dinosaur toys with him!

There's more fun with another trip on the mobile and a nursery visit this afternoon where he'll be giving out treasure boxes to the three-year-olds there.

There's much more to come over the next two weeks, so watch this space.  And keep checking our photo album for the pictures.

Did you know that Puffin Books are 70 years old this year.  I don't imagine there's anyone who hasn't read a Puffin at some point in their childhood.

To celebrate Puffin have created a list of the 70 best ever children's books (all Puffins). How many have you read?

The list in full: 

The Best Mischief and Mayhem
1. The Twits by Roald Dahl
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
3. The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong
4. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend
 
The Best Weepies
1. Watership Down by Richard Adams
2. The Truth about Leo by David Yelland
3. Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman
4. Charlotte's Web by E B White
 
The Best to Cuddle-Up With
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
2. The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis & Gwen Millward
3. Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
4. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
 
The Best Blood and Guts
1. The Enemy by Charlie Higson
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
3. Being by Kevin Brooks
4. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 
The Best Swashbucklers and Derring-Do
1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae & Russell Ayto
3. Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford
4. Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
 
The Best Heroes
1. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
2. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3. Young Bond: SilverFin by Charlie Higson
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
 
The Best Characters
1. Charlie and Lola: Excuse Me But That is My Book by Lauren Child
2. Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll & Jan Pienkowski
3. Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird & Helen Craig
4. Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs
 
The Best Sugar and Spice
1. Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley
2. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
4. The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child & Polly Borland
 
The Best Animals
1. Spy Dog by Andrew Cope
2. The Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith
3. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
4. Lionboy by Zizou Corder
 
The Best Friends and Family
1. Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy
2. The Borrowers by Mary Norton
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4. The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett
5. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
 
The Best Phizzwhizzers
1. The BFG by Roald Dahl
2. Matilda by Roald Dahl
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
4. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
 
The Best War and Conflict
1. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
2. Once by Morris Gleitzman
3. Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian
4. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden
 
The Best BEST BEST BEST!
1. Stig of the Dump by Clive King
2. Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery
3. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson
4. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
5. Junk by Melvin Burgess
 
The Best Fantasy and Adventure
1. TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow
2. Dot Robot by Jason Bradbury
3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
4. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
 
The Best Weird and Wonderful
1. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. Five Children and It by E Nesbitt
3. The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
4. Peter Pan by J M Barrie
 
The Best Rhymes and Verse
1. Please Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg
2. Michael Rosen's A-Z The best children's poetry from Agard to Zephaniah
3. Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah
4. Bad Bad Cats by Roger McGough
 
The Best Alternatives to Twilight
1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
3. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
4. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen