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 […]
What are Toolboxes For? Read More »
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
TRAINING COURSES 2022-2023 Read More »
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
It’s Up to Us: A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet Read More »
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
Books History of … Absolutely Everything! Read More »
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
Books for the children – Anthony Gregorowski Read More »
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
Donation of books from Kate Hosford in New York Read More »
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
Many thanks to Stanford Rotary! Read More »
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
Books In The Toolboxes Read More »
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
What Is A Bookbag? Read More »
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,
What, Exactly, Is A Children’s Book Network Toolbox? Read More »
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
The Fashion Workshops inspired by Rotary Rotweil Read More »
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
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
Workshops in April Read More »
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
Franschhoek Rides Again! Read More »
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
Engage with the Page Read More »
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
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.
How many ways can I say I Hello? Read More »
A toolbox is a fair weight when you heft it to see what it will involve to get it to a venue. (Which is why they have wheels!) Each toolbox is made to cope with about twenty kilograms of books. The books come in sturdy book-bags and are filed according to topic. The actual titles
How big is a toolbox – and what’s in it? Read More »
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 different
Torchbearers – a series of four books by Wendy Maartens published by Penguin Random House in SA in 2021. These remarkable books each hold the stories of three South African women who have been exceptional achievers in widely differing activities, from poetry to sport by way of political activism and law. We have been waiting
Book Review – Torchbearers Read More »
