Opening of Die Bron Library
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CBN’s new workshop facilitator
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
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Stanford Training Course Done and Dusted
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.
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What are Toolboxes For?
78% of South Africa’s children cannot read for either meaning or enjoyment by the age of ten. They are unlikely to proceed any further unless some urgent action is taken. Even children who can technically read (decipher some basic sentences), are not comfortable with the written word. It is easier to opt out, to stop
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TRAINING COURSES 2022-2023
Aimed at job creation and expansion/sustainability of CBN Our aim has always been to create and provide reading materials for children between 10 and 13 that will increase their interest in books and reading capability. The material for the first of our Reading Toolboxes is now complete. We would like to be able to complete
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It’s Up to Us: A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet
It’s Up to Us  A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet.  Join world history author Christopher Lloyd on a visually stunning story of global climate change covering 4 billion years of Earth’s history, based on  It’s Up to Us – a collaboration with The Prince’s Foundation with a foreword provided by HRH The Prince of
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Books History of … Absolutely Everything!
Absolutely Everything!  History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things too Numerous to Mention. World History Author Christopher Lloyd takes his audience through 13.8 billion years in the story of Absolutely Everything through 15 of the most amazing moments that have shaped our universe, planet, life and people from the beginning of time
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Books for the children – Anthony Gregorowski
Over the years since he became Chairperson of CBN, Anthony Gregorowski and his wife Ursula have donated a monthly amount that has increased the CBN reference book collection considerably. We need books to source material for workshops and Reading Club book-boxes – books that are constantly referenced when preparing new material; books that eventually graduate
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Donation of books from Kate Hosford in New York
Fantastic donation of books from America Opening a box of new books is possibly the greatest pleasure outside birthdays and Christmas. A lovely donation arrived by various couriers from Kate Hosford in New York. They are all super-appropriate to the many projects we are now involved in – from books for younger children that will
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Many thanks to Stanford Rotary!
There is always a huge need for new books to keep the interest and stimulate the reading activity of hundreds of children in Stanford who are now part of our Book Box Project. Rotary Stanford recently made a donation towards the cost of some additional books to add to the collection. There are now nine
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Books In The Toolboxes
How do we choose the books? Keeping up with new books and reviving past favourites is an endless (but lovely) task. Thousands of new books are published every year … and then often go out of print in a relatively short time.  Our booklists cannot be permanent as books so often become unavailable, or new titles
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What Is A Bookbag?
In each of our Reading Toolboxes, there are a number of themed bags, packed with books, ideas, challenges, and excitement. Most importantly, there is a handbook. This is the roadmap, the way in, the explanation of how to get the most out of the contents of the bag. In the theme Bravery, for example (Red
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What, Exactly, Is A Children’s Book Network Toolbox?
FIRST, they are about children reading. That is what we do. We introduce children to the idea that books are fun, that books are interesting – that reading is a critical life skill. SECOND, they are about thinking and imagination – playing with ideas.  THIRD, they are about writing and illustrating, thinking individually and critically,
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The Fashion Workshops inspired by Rotary Rotweil
A generous donation of beautiful children’s clothes backed up by funding to cover workshops in the first two quarters of this year, led to a series of immensely popular reading workshops. This theme will eventually be part of our FUN (Yellow)Toolbox and the children just loved it!  The clothes themselves, plus a selection of second-hand
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Fashion Fun
Children have a discerning eye for style – as we discovered on Saturday 23 April, when CBN explored ideas around clothes, shoes, jewellery, beadwork, and architecture. This time non-fiction was the backbone of the reading activities, backed up by a CBN story focusing on how consumerism can get in the way of real values. Large
Workshops in April
Children’s Book Network is always trying to change and keep ahead. That has been difficult lately, particularly in the last two years. We have to think – and act – fast.  We are doing more, smaller workshops, so that we can comply with Covid restrictions, but also so that we can work more closely with
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Franschhoek Rides Again!
Franschhoek Rides again! 2022 sees the return of the Franschhoek Literary Festival with its attendant excitement of writers, publishers and intellectuals. It also signals the reinvention of a reading event for younger readers, and CBN will be there! The revived event will be called Franschhoek Reading and will involve upper primary school learners – just
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Engage with the Page
Book-Books This entirely novel concept could have a boring title like ‘Project Book’. Book-Book says a lot more. We experimented with these books during lockdown, when we could only wok remotely with children. We found it created a tremendous sense of pride and achievement. The books were beautifully decorated and presented. (Illustration is a whole
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Car Design
Car Design by Andrew Sparg and Jeanne Maclay-Meyers is a delight and a lovely surprise. Why don’t we have more books on technology? Especially such well written and designed ones? CBN uses this book in it’s collection of stories about imagination – just to show that imagination isn’t all about fairies and wizards. Imagination is
How many ways can I say I Hello?
This charming book illustrates more than just how to say ‘Hello’ in different languages, it shows South African children of all kinds just being together. Comes with a CD attached. Written by Refiloe Moahloli and illustrated by Anja Stoeckigt and published by Penguin Random House in 2017.
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