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The Mobile Book Club Boxes were initiated at the beginning of 2021 after lockdown. There was a need for children to have access to books without going to the local library. Covid restrictions didn’t allow them access to the facility. Children’s Book Network, recruited local organisations in the community and keen parents to assist us […]

Children’s Book Network Workshops 2024   TERM 1 January – March   Special Workshop Themes Regular Workshops February Valentine’s Day Leap Year March  Human Rights Day Easter Three workshops a week at three different venues. Mondays  The Learning Tree (Stanford South) Okkie Smuts Laerskool Wednesdays Enlighten Trust (small) One Saturday a term  Enlighten Trust (Big)

  We are kicking 2024 off with a facilitators training workshop. We currently have three venues where workshops are being held. Stanford South, where children are under the very capable hands of Rachel van Rooyen and Georgette Plaatjies (local residents). These two facilitators have lead successful workshops in 2023. Enlighten Trust, weekly workshops are facilitated

As schools begin thinking about getting back to work after the holidays, Children’s Book Network is committed to increased involvement and participation. Here is our plan of action: Our goal remains, and will always remain: To bring a love of books and stories to the under-served age group of 10- 12 years old. To do

Dear Librarians, ​In these toolboxes are keys to unlock kingdoms of wonder and curiosity for the young patrons who walk through your door. Unlike standard school curriculums that are designed as if every student learns in the same way, thesetoolboxes allow your young patrons to discoverand explore their unique interests, passions and learning styles. The

TIMELESS WHISPERS “In South Africa, the Karoo is always ‘over the mountains’. Wherever you come from, you must cross high blue mountains by dangerous passes that corkscrew up into the sky and then let you down again on the other side. It is very beautiful. It is very big. It is very dry – except

    The faded image of a paper found floating around our Children’s Book Network store after last week’s devastating floods says it all. Stanford has been through a terrible week.  First there was the image of our river entirely out of control. There was disbelief. (It can’t be coming through the door!)  Followed by

    On Monday 25th September 2023, our local river here in Stanford transformed itself from the Klein (small) River to the Huge River. It swept through the town causing incredible damage – but fortunately no loss of life. Now we are cleaning up and assessing the enormous damage to property. There is mud! The

As part of an archaeological outreach (and reading) programme, CBN recently travelled to the Tankwa Karoo in the arid Northern Cape. We gave five workshops in all, two at Elandsvlei farm school, where the children welcomed new ideas, new books – and a chance to conduct their own archaeological survey. We have been trialing our

The children of Elandsvlei Farms School received gifts of bracelets made of ostrich shell after their min-excavation of a square metre of Tankwa desert and a presentation of CBN’s new book – Time Trackers. The bracelets were made by Kelly Semu and were so much appreciated! Thank you Kelly!

As part of our toolbox development programme, and in association with Dr Emily Hallinan, who is an archaeologist working in the Tankwa, we have contributed stories about the importance of her work looking at how people made stone tools in the Middle Stone Age. Along the way, an absorbing book for teenagers emerged that has

  This year, we are celebrating Heritage Month with several workshops. Most excitingly, we will be travelling deep into the Karoo – to the Tankwa – to launch a new publication on Amazon of the story of the stones – the stones that were worked into tools many thousands of years ago. As part of

When the community of children’s book people lost Jay Healein late 2021, we lost one of our greatest friends. Jay was often called Mr Book by people who knew him well – always with a smile. Usually, they were remembering a shared story, an adventure, an experience; a book.

Children’s Book Network (1) CBN is pure magic. We start off with children who have learned the basics of reading – the ABC of it. We wave a magic wand and turn some of them into readers and give all of them the chance to experience what books can do for their imagination. Well …

Our AGM for the year 2022 (rapidly followed by our usual ordinary meeting was held at 14 Longmarket Street between 10-12 am on a sunny day at the end of summer. Three members of the board were able to attend (Anthony Gregorowski, Lesley Beake and Dave Mohr) and we moved rapidly through both agendas. CBN

Some of our books went travelling (in their own suitcase) to Enlighten Educational Trust, where 16 children assembled on a rainy Saturday for a workshop that the facilitators enjoyed as much as they did. We had books from fat to thin, from big to small, from tiny to huge – all with different purposes and

Conducted my first CBN workshop as a new Facilitator and it was fantastic so were the kids. We did some reading and then some Activities based on what we read which included drawing a picture of their best friend, it was so much fun and I really loved all their drawings! I am very happy

The training of new facilitators, which started on 20 September 2022, has ended successfully. We have three new trained facilitators to help with Book Club Workshops in and around Stanford. The new facilitators will accompany the current facilitators in the months of October and November to see the practical side of the Book Club Workshops.