Category Archives: youth

Are You READY for Adelaide’s newest LGBT+ safe space?

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For this post, our latest work experience student Miriam (Mim), who identifies as non-binary, interviewed friend and fellow work experience student Carissa. Both are passionate about creating a safe community space for sexually diverse and gender diverse teens.

Read the interview below:

Hiya, I’m Mim (they/them*) and for my addition to the blog, I wanted to share with you a new independently run safe space called READY. As a non-binary person, I am really excited about this. I do have a small bias as a contributor to the project and as a close friend to the founder, Carissa Fischer. As I write, Carissa is still working hard to finalise the safe space, and will be setting up a dedicated READY Facebook page. where she will post announcements about the official launch.

picture of carissa and i

Carissa and me!

During my work experience week at Tea Tree Gully Library, I interviewed Carissa about the motives behind the safe space and she had this to say.

Why did you want this safe space?

I wanted to create a safe space for LGBT+ people to meet other LGBT+ people and to create a support network to strengthen our alliance as diverse people. During late last year it dawned on me that the only sexually diverse and gender diverse youth I know personally is you.

So I did research into the other safe spaces in Adelaide, and found an entire community that I wanted to meet. I learnt that there is no safe space locally (North-east Adelaide) for the broad spectrum of LGBT+ youths. This concerned me because this is a recurring theme in LGBT+ teens – often they will only know one other LGBT+ teen personally or more commonly, they won’t know anyone.

I knew I had to start this space because, to my knowledge, no one else had.


What does the name READY mean?

READY stands for Rainbow Education and Alliance of Diverse Youths. It is also a metaphor in being ready for the world ahead and growing up. This program aims to help prepare sexually diverse and gender diverse adolescents to figure out how they fit into the world with their diverse lives.

Adolescence is a really hard time for anyone, but mental health statistics show that it’s especially tough for sexually diverse and gender diverse teens. It’s hoped the READY space will help these teens develop self-love and self-worth. The program also aims to encourage (but not enforce) self-discovery.
What do you hope to see happen in READY?

My main hope is that READY become a well-known program with a thriving sexually diverse and gender diverse community, which can engage with other safe spaces in Adelaide.

Just before our official launch we are planning to screen the movie Love, Simon which will hopefully kick off monthly movie nights.

I want to be able to watch some movies with representation of the LGBT+ community and reflect on portrayals and stereotypes which will allow critical thinking and self-reflection. I honestly just hope this program works.

READY is going to be open to sexually diverse and gender diverse youths aged 15-22. Of course allies** (and people wanting to become allies) and questioning** are always welcomed.

All I ask is, are you READY?
Glossary:

*Non-binary: Not identifying within the feminine and masculine binary. I prefer that people use the pronouns they or them, when I am mentioned in written or spoken form, instead of he or she.

**Ally: is a heterosexual person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBT social movements, and challenges homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

***Questioning: A person who is questioning their sexuality or gender

Way back when, Wednesdays

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A stylish new school for the modern era

Did you attend Modbury High School? The North East Leader, a Messenger Newspaper reported on the prospective success of the new Modbury High School on the front page of the edition dated 8 April 1965. This was only the second issue of the North East Leader which had commenced publication on 1 April.

New Modbury High School

Image:  Page 1, North East Leader, a Messenger Newspaper, 8 April 1965

Modbury High School opened on 9 February 1965 at 62 Pompoota Road, Modbury. Much had changed since Robert Symon Kelly had encouraged the development of and named the little village of Modbury on his farming land in 1857/1858 (Auhl, Ian, 1976, Settlement to City A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-1976, 2nd ed. Adelaide: Griffin Press, pages 202-203).  Modbury and it’s adjoining suburbs had grown with sub-divisions opening up for housing. Since 1958 many young couples and families (including immigrants, many from the United Kingdom and Ireland) had moved into the area and by 1965 there a need for a local high school. In 1959 the population of the District of Tea Tree Gully numbered 2,672 living in 765 houses. By 1965 the number of residents had increased to 20,071 people and there were 4,820 dwellings! (Auhl, Ian, 1976, Settlement to City A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-1976, 2nd ed. Adelaide: Griffin Press, pages 339-334).

Modbury High School opened on 9 February 1965 at 62 Pompoota Road, Modbury. Much had changed since Robert Symon Kelly had encouraged the development of and named the little village of Modbury on his farming land in 1857/1858 (Auhl, Ian, 1976, Settlement to City A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-1976, 2nd ed. Adelaide: Griffin Press, pages 202-203). Modbury and it’s adjoining suburbs had grown with sub-divisions opening up for housing. Since 1958 many young couples and families (including immigrants, many from the United Kingdom and Ireland) had moved into the area and by 1965 there a need for a local high school. In 1959 the population of the District of Tea Tree Gully numbered 2,672 living in 765 houses. By 1965 the number of residents had increased to 20,071 people and there were 4,820 dwellings! (Auhl, Ian, 1976, Settlement to City A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-1976, 2nd ed. Adelaide: Griffin Press, pages 339-334).

The first principle appointed at Modbury High School was Mr A.G. Strawbridge who held this position until 1975. In 1965 seven teachers were appointed as there were only 99 students enrolled for their first year of high school (now year 8). It seemed that the school curriculum would also grow with its students as children would be able to progress to their second year of high school (now year 9) at Modbury in 1966.

Lessons were taught in what still is the main building at Modbury High School, an E-shaped structure with a façade featuring steel rimmed windows and stone crazy paving. At the time, this style of architecture in the mid-century modernist style was considered stylish and progressive. Modbury residents would have been proud to have such a state-of-the-art school built in their local area. This building picture above had twenty-four classrooms and could accommodate a maximum of 850 students. Students could study traditional disciplines of Mathematics, English, Science, French, Geography, as well as art and craft.

As stated in the article above, in 1965 only three classrooms were in use as well as other facilities such as science laboratories, an art room and a library.

Science class at Modbury High School

Image: Science class. Bottom of page 1, North East Leader a Messenger Newspaper, 8 April 1965

There were also rooms dedicated to the study of crafts and home economics – note the kitchen and laundry rooms were only girls would be taught how to run a household! It would be interesting to learn what activities boys pursued in the craft unit, possibly wood, leather or metalwork. In the following year, students would also be able to undertake office studies in a custom built commercial room.

At the time of this newspaper article, the Modbury primary school was temporarily sharing space and facilities with the high school in the main building.

The North East Leader also printed a photograph depicting local business the Savings Bank of South Australia donating books for Modbury High School’s library on page 2 of the edition dated 10 June 1965.

Books presented to new Modbury High School

Image:  Page 2, North East Leader, a Messenger Newspaper, 10 June 1965

By 1972 enrollments at Modbury High School had grown to a record number of 1383, so the school expanded out of the main building into transportable unit classrooms. By 1970 Modbury High was able to offer its first matriculation or Leaving Honours class to pupils (now year 12). In 2017 821 students enrolled at Modbury High School. The current principal School is Ms J. Costa (https://www.modburyhs.sa.edu.au/our-school/history).

#waybackwhenwednesdays

 

 

Why I love volunteering at Parkrun

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On any given Saturday you’ll be sure to find our recent Tea Tree Gully Library work experience student Erica volunteering at one of Adelaide’s many Parkrun events. She tells us why below.

Hi! My name is Erica and I have spent one week at the Tea Tree Gully Library completing my work experience placement.

When work experience was first mentioned at my school, the library was the first place that came to mind when thinking of where I wanted to go. I absolutely love literature and reading (even though I’m incredibly slow), and I thought working behind the scenes would help me to develop certain skills and give me an insight as to what having a job is like – and it did!

But not only do I love reading, I also enjoy volunteering. I just love being able to go out into the community and spend my time helping so many different people for so many different reasons.

I have volunteered at several places and events (and I will be looking into volunteering at the Tea Tree Gully Library – which I highly recommend), but by far one of my favourite events to volunteer at is Parkrun.

Blog pic 1

My mum and I at the Parkrun event in Mawson Lakes

Now you might be thinking, “What on earth is Parkrun?” Well, I’m glad you asked!
Parkrun is a weekly 5km running event, in which people of all ages are allowed to participate. It begins every Saturday morning at 8am, and you are able to walk or run as slow or as fast as you would like (it’s not a race, so there’s no need to feel pressure to rush).

There are so many different people who participate in Parkrun, so you should never feel intimidated or out of place. Athletic people do attend of course, but so do large families, small children, women with prams, and some older people (and there’s never a shortage of dogs, either).

Another aspect of Parkrun I love is the vast amount of locations you’re able to go to. I personally visit the Mawson Lakes Parkrun often as it’s close to my home, but Tea Tree Gully has its own Parkrun, too! It’s located at the Jubilee Community Centre, and participants have to complete one full lap around a park. It’s a great event, and I highly recommend attending.

Blog pic 2

No matter the weather,  nothing can stop my mum and I from volunteering at Parkrun!

If you’re interested in taking part in Parkrun, you can register and find more information here Best of all, it’s free!

Once you’ve registered for Parkrun, you can also sign up to volunteer! There are so many different jobs you can volunteer for, too. My favourite job is the Tail Walker, because I am able to help out whilst completing the walk at the same time. As Tail Walker you need to stay at the very back of all of the runners, so the other volunteers know who the final person is to cross the finish line.

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Sometimes I run the Parkrun course, instead of volunteering – here’s me about to hit the finish line.

After each event all of the volunteers group together for a photo, and meet at a nearby cafe or coffee van for a free drink of their choice!

You can also volunteer to be a marshal, a barcode scanner, a timekeeper, a photographer, or finish token support. All of these roles help to support Parkrun, and without them the event wouldn’t be able to take place. So once again, I highly recommend signing up to help out.

My two best friends: Mekah and Lara

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After a rough start to high school in 2016, Year 10 work experience student Jessica sought out a new puppy to bring some happiness into her life. It was love at first sight when she met German Shepherd puppy Mekah. Below, Jessica tells the story of how they met … 

It’s interesting how some people say diamonds are a girl’s best friend – in my case, my dogs are my best friends.

A couple of years ago, I was in Year 8, my first year of high school. I had a rough start trying to find my feet and didn’t know where to go.

One day I came home exhausted and complained to mum and dad I wanted a puppy. Mum and dad were considering it, but had their doubts at the same time. I already had a dog named Zara, a German shepherd, the most beautiful and athletic dog.

Still, I kept asking and my parents ended up looking at German Shepherd puppies online. They chose a breeder who looked professional and knew what she was talking about, so we called her up and arranged a time to see the puppies the next day. I was filled with joy!

The next day we drove all the way down to Penfield to look at the puppies. When we got there, there were at least 40 German Shepherds barking at us as we waited to get let into the yard.

Finally, the gates opened and we walked into the puppies’ cages. I got to choose which puppy I wanted and I chose the girl – she was so tiny, as small as my two hands put together.

Mekah

The lovely Mekah, as she looked when we first laid eyes on her at the breeder’s place

We put a deposit down but we couldn’t take her home yet because she still needed some needles and also had to be vaccinated.

I went home and started to choose names. I decided on the name Mekah – yes it’s a different way to spell it from Meeka, the standard way it is spelt, but I liked it because it was different.

A week later we went and picked Mekah up and took her home. She fell asleep straight away. A few days later we took her to the vet because her back legs were a bit wobbly and she kept falling over.

Mekah as a puppy

A picture of Mekah one week after we took her home

Mekah had her X-rays done and it turned out she had severe hip dysplasia in both of her hips. We contacted the breeder, who was shocked. She said none of the dogs she had bred had ever had hip dysplasia before. The breeder refunded our money and said she was going to take Mekah and put her down. But we couldn’t let that happen to Mekah – she was only a puppy! So we kept her. We have looked after her ever since and still to this day, Mekah is a fun and adventurous dog who loves to play and EAT!!!

We still had Zara at the time we got Mekah and they both got along so well, until one night Zara had several seizures and had to be put down. Zara was only two years old when she died on the 11th of July 2017.

It was sad and my family didn’t know how to move on without Zara, because she was so close to us and was the best dog. My brother wanted another dog, so once again we searched for a puppy online, this time for a Siberian husky. One evening he came in and said ‘I’ve found a dog and I’m buying her.’

She was the cutest puppy I have ever seen: a Siberian Husky with long and fluffy white fur and big bright blue eyes.

My brother made a booking as soon as he could to go and see the puppy, because so many people were interested in her and wanted to buy her.

I went with my brother and my mum and dad to meet the dog and the breeders, who were so nice and friendly.

A few days later we collected the dog and named her Lara. We chose Lara because it rhymed with Zara, the name of our previous dog.

Lara

My gorgeous puppy Lara, who turned one earlier in the year

Both Mekah and Lara love playing and sleeping a lot, when they are not eating…..

Mekah

Lara and Mekah, chilling at home

Mekah is currently two and a half years old.

Mekah 2

Mekah is now two and a half years old and is a big sook

Lara has only just turned one.

Both Lara and Mekah have had big impacts in our family’s lives. They bring a lot of happiness and smiles to my family and that’s why we love them the most.

THE MANDELA EFFECT

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Year 10 work experience student Caitlin is a massive fan of supernatural phenomena and the unknown. While watching a YouTube video on conspiracy theories, Caitlin stumbled onto the ‘Mandela effect’. She writes more about the topic for us below:

Have you ever been convinced something is set a particular way but it turns out you were completely wrong? Chances are you have. This is referred to as false memory or “The Mandela Effect.” The Mandela effect is a psychological phenomenon and it is a collective of misremembered facts or events. Some believe it is just our mind weaving a lie but others speculate this is evidence you have experienced events from a different reality.

Don’t worry though, you are not alone. Many people experience similar Mandela effects. The human memory is a complex thing and although we do know a lot about it, there are still some holes in our research. These past events that people remember feel so real and vivid, most refuse to believe the evidence. Various theories have been speculated and proposed – some are sensible but others still have many confused.

If you are still confused let me give you an example:

In the popular and iconic movie Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (which if you haven’t seen it, were you raised under a rock?) Luke finds out Darth Vader is his father. Darth Vader says to him, “Luke, I am your father.” Well at least that’s what most of us remember. In fact he actually says “No, I am your father.” If you remembered it correctly, well done, but if you believe it to be the other way around you’re in the same boat with thousands of other people. It gets even more confusing because there is various evidence complementing both sides of the story.

The Mandela Effect began in 2010 when American paranormal enthusiast, Fiona Broome, posted on her website about Nelson Mandela. She claimed she remembered seeing news coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death in late 1991 in a South African prison. It wasn’t just something small and hazy – Broome clearly remembered news clips of his funeral, the mourning in South Africa, rioting in cities, and the heartfelt speech by his widow.You may be thinking she’s crazy, due to the fact Nelson Mandela died in 2013.

 

Fiona Broome.jpg

Fiona Broome                                                 Image source:     https://cynthiasuelarson.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/berenstain-bears-mandela-effect-thanksgiving-thursday/

When she heard the official news in 2013, Broome believed she had just misunderstood the previous information but when she attended Dragon Con she learnt from a member of security there were a number of people at the event who also remembered that Nelson Mandela died in prison.

Nelson Mandela

But did he really die in 2013?                                                                                                                                   Image source: https://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1205/491152-nelson-mandela/


This notion spiralled and Broome found thousands of people who were in the same boat as her. When she started posting about it online, she got hundreds of response messages. One person who remembered Nelson Mandela dying in prison was with their mum and when hearing of his death in 2013, both were confused. Both remembered the Oprah show dedicated to Mandela and a specific concert that was live and shown on multiple channels in memory of Nelson Mandela. There is even proof of a Time magazine article stating he died in 1991, 22 years before his reported 2013 death. Many remember discussing Nelson Mandela’s death with family and friends and one even had a notebook where they documented his death prior to 2013.

Here’s the newspaper ‘proof’

Mandela effect - proof

Image source: https://in5d.com/the-mandela-effect-proof-that-negative-timelines-are-collapsing/

 

Maybe you’re skeptical. But if you are someone who remembers Nelson Mandela’s death prior to 2013, then go to this link to discuss with others:

http://mandelaeffect.com/nelson-mandela-died-in-prison/#comment-4891

If you still are completely turned away by this, then let me give you even more evidence:

Remember the ever-so-popular line from Disney’s rendition of Snow White by the Brothers Grimm. The line goes “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” You would think this line would be easy to remember, seeing as IMDb actually describes this film as “by far most memorable full-length animated feature from the Disney Studios.” What if I told you the Queen never says ‘mirror, mirror’ but instead says ‘magic mirror’. In earlier written copies of Snow White, each has the stated line “mirror, mirror”. Snow White was written around 100 years prior to the film and each rendition uses “mirror, mirror”. Of course a logical explanation is that Disney just changed the wording – but why are there so many people who vividly remember the film version saying “mirror, mirror”? You can even see the line being used in pop culture references, appearing in TV shows, on t-shirts and even a movie having it as its title.

I could go on and on about this topic with hundreds of other Mandela Effect examples but I’ll leave you to explore and make your own judgements.

Natsume’s Book of Friends – an anime/manga recommendation

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Work experience student Jasmine recently spent a week with us at Tea Tree Gully Library – she loves anime and highly recommends the series ‘Natsume’s Book of Friends’ .

Here’s Jasmine in her own words:

Hello, my name is Jasmine and I have just completed one week of work experience at the library. I chose to come to the Tea Tree Gully Library because of my passion for books – being surrounded by them for a whole week is a dream come true. After school I usually come here for many reasons, mainly to read and borrow books from the vast collection. I also place holds from the many other amazing libraries in South Australia. I enjoy reading many different genre books such as fantasy, horror, action and comedy.

My absolute favourite kind of books to read are manga books: a Japanese light novel of sorts, with a unique and distinctive art style. Manga is closely connected to anime, which uses the same art style as manga in an animated show or video format (which I am also obsessed with). More often than not, manga has an anime adaptation and vice versa, in the case the anime was created prior to the manga. This is to engage viewers who prefer either media, as it can also show different story directions. For example if an anime had two seasons, in the first half of the manga almost all of the same events occur and then in the second half of the manga, the second season of the anime commences. The story takes a different direction, creating a different result for the conclusion.

It is impossible for me to pick a favourite manga series – however I would like to share with you a series I am currently reading. I would like to show and suggest to you Natsume’s Book of Friends, a fantasy series depicting the life of Takashi Natsume. Not having any parents around from a fairly young age Natsume was shuffled between many family members throughout the majority of his life, none of whom cared for Natsume and were simply looking after him because they had to. Natsume did not have any friends while being shuffled from house to house for two simple reasons:

a) He wasn’t in one place long enough to keep any

b) Because he could see creatures called yokai

Yokai are a kind of spirit that cannot be seen by most people, however there are a select few who can see them. Some yokai are malevolent – others are quite passive. Each of the yokai look unique and bizarre, apart from the humanoid-looking yokai who wear yokai masks.

Most of the people who can see the spirits either:

  1. Ignore them
  2. Research the yokai
  3. Become exorcists

Throughout his childhood Natsume repeatedly tried to explain to his classmates and family about the creatures nobody else seemed to be able to see. Everybody, including his family, thought he was imagining it or was making up things for attention, Natsume was left alone to figure out what these creatures were and why he could see them when no one else could. This was until he moved into his aunt and uncle’s house, when he decided not to mention his ability to see yokai at all to his new classmates, or to his aunt and uncle. By not telling anybody about his ability at his new school allowed him to make friends, however he still remained a bit of an oddball.

The main plot line of this manga/anime series is driven by the events following Natsume’s discovery of a special book ‘The book of friends’, which belonged to his grandmother Reiko Natsume. It is a small book containing names of many yokai. The names contained in the book symbolise contracts that were made between Reiko and the yokai, which ruled the yokai do anything at her will. After Natsume found the book it was his responsibility to return all the names to their owners, break the contracts and defeat any yokai cruel beyond reason. Soon after being burdened by the responsibility of returning yokai names, Natsume met a yokai who resides in a ceramic cat body known as Nyanko – sensei.

While residing in the ceramic cat, Nyanko-Sensei can be seen by all humans, but cleverly hides the fact he is a yokai to most people. After running into heaps of danger and odd situations, Natsume makes a few more friends who can see or at least know about yokai and they go on yokai adventures together throughout the series.

As the series progresses Natsume starts to learn about his grandmother and discovers secrets about his family. Eventually it becomes an objective of his to know as much as possible about his family.

 

 

 

I enjoy this series in every way, from the characters and character development, the art style, plot line and many other things. It is a series I definitely recommend looking into. Personally I have been unable to watch the anime at this point but am up to date on the manga. I have been told the anime is of great quality and quite popular in Japan and among western audiences. I absolutely can’t wait to watch the anime considering how amazing the manga is.

That is it for my blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Way back when, Wednesdays

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Funky fashion arrives in the North East

The days are getting shorter and the Autumn/Winter fashions are now in the stores. Let’s have a look at what people were wearing in 1971. The North East Leader, a Messenger Newspaper covered the coolest threads on offer for men, women and boys, from pages 36 – 37 of the edition dated 14 July 1971.

Knitted suits for men

Yes, these photographs are real. Perhaps these brands of menswear should have been labelled with a hazard warning “Wearing this garment may compel doe-eyed women to hang themselves precariously off your person at any given opportunity.”

Mens fashions knit shirt

These articles focused on how it was essential for a man to be stylish if he wanted to be admired and attract a lady companion. The photographs are over the top by modern standards but we all know that the advertising industry still uses sex appeal and prestige to sell products! John Brown’s smart knitted suits for casual and weekend wear were styled following overseas trends. Note the focus on Australian manufacture, no doubt using fine Australian wool. Maybe these women are not really gazing adoringly up at the male models – they are really just feeling the texture of these garments. For as the article states, women might be coveting the clothing for themselves!

A married man would make his wife’s life at home a lot easier if he chose to wear modern, easy care drip dry fabrics. Synthetic fabrics had been popular during the 1960s. These colourful and distinctive knit shirts in the ‘Summerknits’ range by John Brown were made from high tech fabrics such as Tricel and Teteron.

 

hotpants in crimplene

Conversely, the ladies modelling a new range of women’s clothing don’t need men as accessories in these photoshoots. Wearing funky hotpants, this girl is confident, in style and ready to have fun.

During the 1970s fashions changed greatly from the beginning of the decade to its end. In 1971 the fashions were very much like those of 1969. Garments made from polyester were popular as they were inexpensive and did not need ironing. Bright colours and bold prints were still in demand. Checks and tweeds were in vogue too.

 

Lady with silver buckle

Distinctive fashions by young Prue Acton, the first Australian designer to break into the American market.  Prue embraced both new synthetic and natural fibres, to create her bold and colourful designs (https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/2377).

 

Young women still liked mini-skirts but long, flowing skirts were also worn. Fashion continued to be influenced by the hippie era and ethnic influence of the late 1960s. Women wore long bohemian print dresses with billowing sleeves. Men’s loose shirts in floral patterns had ties around the neck or an open neckline. Not forgetting the leather sandals and scarves tied around your head. And hippie men wore beards and long hair.
Turtleneck jumpers were popular with both sexes and every woman owned at least one cowl neck jumper, to wear with pants or under a pinafore dress. Ladies still liked trendy short hair styles. But long hair might be worn down loose, plaited or dressed in a soft, bohemian up-style for a natural look. Or you could set it in waves.

Another trend emerged – the 1970s was the first decade where women wore pants and pantsuits for work and leisure. Women could wear jeans at home and elegant or trendy pants to a nightclub or restaurant. Some dress codes allowed women to wear business suits with pants to the office. By the end of the decade, women could basically wear what they wanted, which was revolutionary (https://www.retrowaste.com/1970s/fashion-in-the-1970s/1970s-fashion-for-women-girls/).  Trousers for both men and women were low rise, firm on the hips and with a wider leg which was sometimes cuffed. Corduroy clothing or men and women such as jeans, and sports coats with wide lapels, were seen everywhere (http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1971fashions.html).

 

boys 2

Knitwear and shirts by John Brown for little men, made from machine washable wool.

#waybackwhenwednesdays

 

Harry Potter, the illustrated editions

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You can now borrow the wonderful illustrated editions of the first three Harry Potter stories through the One Card Library network:  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

HP trilogy

These books are illustrated in full-colour and are accompanied by J.K. Rowling’s original text. We have grown used to picturing the novels’ characters as played by the actors in the Harry Potter films. British artist and illustrator Jim Kay presents the reader with a new, unique interpretation of the magical world we love.

 

22248756805_496fe1d7a8_h Owl post

The Owl Post

 

Jim’s style appears fresh, spontaneous and sometimes whimsical. However when you examine his captivating pictures, you discover how Jim achieves an amazing amount of detail and texture through brushstroke. Jim’s images could even be used as the foundation for an animated version of the Harry Potter films.

SortingHat-large

The Sorting Hat

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Buckbeak the Hippogriff

Peruse and enjoy some excellent features such as the Marauder’s Map, portraiture and detailed schematics of magical creatures, such as the Phoenix and the Grindylow.

snape

HP2_Phoenix_layers_edit

The illustrated editions offer readers a wonderful way to revisit the Harry Potter stories or introduce new young readers to the series. Read them as a family or to yourself, curled up in your favourite armchair, in the company of your magical familiar.

Reserve the Harry Potter illustrated editions through the Library’s online catalogue.

kitty cropped 2

On the Pottermore website you can  read a fascinating interview with Jim Kay, in which he discusses how he is inspired by real people to depict the characters in the Harry Potter books.

 

 

Living with six cats

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Many book lovers are also cat lovers. Work experience student Tayla was over the moon the day she discovered a litter of kittens joined her family – all of a sudden, they had six cats to look after! Here is Tayla’s story, in her own words: 

You never know the moment your life will change forever. It can happen any minute and you wouldn’t know. For my family, we were just returning home from my sister’s Year 7 Graduation. We didn’t become billionaires or win a trip overseas or anything… instead a small, scrawny kitten approached us from the darkness of night. We knew there were a few other cats that lived in our neighbourhood but we had never seen this one before. Either way, we brought it inside and poured it a small bowl of milk to quench its thirst. I can remember how my sister and I were over the moon with excitement, thinking we were going to have a new pet cat! But of course my parents thought otherwise…

It was after all of our begging and pleading that my parents agreed to take care of the kitten and see where things went from there. Little did we know this decision would change our lives forever! At the time we already ‘owned’ one cat, which would come and stay with us whenever it pleased… even though it technically belonged to our neighbours. Of course, our neighbours were fine with ‘Patch’ living with us as long as she was happy too.

Squizzy

One of my cats, Squizzy

Months passed and after asking around the neighbourhood to see if anyone had lost their cat, we decided it was time to give the kitten a name. Now my family have never been good at naming animals. In fact we usually just stick with the first thing that comes to mind… so we called it ‘Squizzy’. I think it was probably because of the fact its bushy tail resembled a squirrel in some way.

One day we happened to notice something strange about Squizzy. We were petting Squizzy’s stomach and saw it looked bigger than usual. When we felt it there was a small kick that responded. It was from that day onward we concluded that ‘it’ was actually a ‘she’ and Squizzy was going to be a mother! But excitement aside – my parents immediately decided we were to give away the kittens once they were born… but my sister and I didn’t give up hope yet. We had decided that we were going to keep those kittens one way or another!

The day of arrival came at last. My mother came and picked me up from school early that day due to the fact one kitten had already been born! She was tiny, fluffy and was curled up in a small ball in the corner of Squizzy’s basket. Soon after the first kitten, later named ‘Rosie’, was born, a second small ball of fluff popped out and joined her. We called him ‘Badger’. Another hour passed and we were presented with two more beautiful kittens, which we named ‘Panther’ and ‘Navi’. I know, creative names, right? Once we saw them we knew we couldn’t let them go, and thus it was the beginning of how we came to own six beautiful cats!!

My four cats Navi, Badger, Panther and Rosie

Front row: Navi, Badger and Panther and Rosie is the one up the top

Over the years we have been through a lot with our cats. Rosie, our eldest, had to get a bone in her hip removed due to falling out of a tree! It was a tiresome few months for her as she couldn’t walk or move and had to spend her time in a large cage watching cartoons on the TV. She was very quiet throughout the days but after she recovered, she was up and running again like nothing ever happened. We call her ‘our little mechanical girl!’

Another thing that happened the same year the kittens were born had quite an impact on everything. My favourite cat, Badger, had grown quite close to me since he was born. He took an instant liking to me and his younger sister, Navi, and became the happiest cat alive. And the strangest. He would always sleep alongside me at night and before we would go to sleep, he would come up to my face and lick my nose. Badger would also purr so loudly that it was impossible to fall asleep before he did. Whenever the heater was on Badger would go and sit directly in front of it and stare into the flames. He became my best friend in such a short amount of time.

I never knew it would end so soon…

I can remember the day like it was yesterday. Badger had been missing for a few days but seeing as our cats wandered outside, we didn’t think much of it at the time. I was talking to my sister in the living room when my parents told me the bad news. They had found him on the side of the road a few hours earlier and buried him out the back. It felt like my world came crashing down in one night… Of course I was upset but we had a nice funeral for him and buried him with some flowers. His sister Navi seemed to distance herself from the rest of the family over the years, yet she grew closer to me. Badger was only a few months old when he died but I believe he had a great time while he was alive and we made lots of memories. I will forever hold him in my heart and remember all of the good times that we had!

Our cat Leo

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Year 10 student Sophie was with us for a week’s work experience recently, and decided to write about her beloved Leo, her family’s moggy. Read her story below. 

We got Leo when I was four. We never thought we would get a cat as we had just moved into a house which is right next to a busy road but my mum loves cats so much. The first year Mum would always try to keep Leo in at night so he wouldn’t go wondering, but he soon worked it out and started hiding in the bushes, so Mum couldn’t find him to bring him inside. Leo didn’t seem to be going on the road because he would always be back home the next morning, so we started leaving him outside at night.

Leo was mostly in a playful mood. Even though he passed the kitten stage pretty quickly, he would never give up an opportunity to claw something. You would think he was a playful cat, but in fact, he was mostly scared. He was always hesitant walking through the front door or turning a corner – instead he always liked to be hiding under his favourite bush out in the front yard.

Leo

My beautiful cat Leo

When I turned ten, I started getting bored with Leo and I wanted a dog. I would complain to Mum that Leo wasn’t fun and if we had a dog you could take them on walks and on holidays. When I was eleven we got a dog and named her Lizzie, I was so happy. Lizzie didn’t like Leo but Leo didn’t really care. Leo kept out of the backyard and spent his time inside and out the front, away from Lizzie. I played with Lizzie as much as I could after school. I soon realised as I got older that Lizzie wasn’t as great as I thought she would be. Lizzie would smell, but Leo didn’t. Leo loved cuddles, but Lizzie didn’t. My sister started being great pals with Lizzie and I then went back to loving Leo the most.

On the 23 of January 2015 at 9:11pm (I remember it very clearly) we were watching a movie when mum’s mobile phone rang – it was the local vet. The vet said Leo had been brought in because he had been hit by a car. My mum then asked if she could come and get him the next day (thinking he was OK) but the vet then told mum he didn’t make it. Mum told us what happened and we all started crying. I was then crying for the whole night and the next week.  I couldn’t believe he was gone forever and I would never see him again. It really hurt I didn’t get to say goodbye.

My mum spoke to our neighbours about Leo’s death and they mentioned there had been a dead fox on the road. We now think Leo had been chased by the fox onto the road. I had Leo for eight years and I am glad I have beautiful memories and photos of him. We are not considering getting another cat at the moment but when I am older, have a house of my own and live next to a quiet road I would like to have another cat like Leo.