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
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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 »
We are excited about the more cheerful beginning to 2022 and hoping against hope that the signs of cautious optimisim in South Africa continue. Whole books could be (and have been) written on the subject. But we believe in planning for the best possible outcomes and forging ahead with a vigourous plan – one that
A positive slant on the year Read More »
The Toolbox Project explained For five years now, CBN has been writing, creating, discussing (and testing with upper primary schoolchildren) a different way to encourage reading. Our toolboxes are not a ‘reading scheme’ with graded readers. Neither are they library boxes with carefully chosen books in them. They are something different, something new. They have
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Not to difficult to guess! They cost a lot. A book, by its very nature, is going to be expensive. It is, or at least should be, a fine, quality object to be treasured, stroked, sniffed, cherished and – above all – enjoyed. It should last for years and give endless pleasure to a crowd
The other problem with books … Read More »
When we began the toolbox project, we thought the book selection would be easy. What a pleasure to read a hundred books, or so, choose some, and develop materials around them. It wasn’t easy at all. The nature of publishing has changed over the last two decades so that it is hardly recognizable as the
The problem with books Read More »
After a short break for refurbishing (a longish-short break!) we are back in full flow.CBN never paused or faltered. We were storming along all the time, holding many workshops, developing new materials, increasing the number of book clubs … making big plans. We can’t guess yet what 2022 will throw at us, but we are
Our Website is back in action! Read More »
• Children’s Book Network encourages and promotes reading with 9-14 year-old learners • We do this in small workshops (following strictly Covid protocols) • We have nine book-box libraries circulating at present and this will grow • We have adapted our Reading Toolbox Project to be more child-friendly and will be distributing more of these
Thank you. That is what the children, and the team at Children’s Book Network wish to say. Thank you for the kindnesses ranging from small to really large. Thank you for the belief in the work that we do. Thank you for the friendship and interest. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the
The launch of a new project to assist with the essential reading aloud that used to happen at workshops, and now has to happen in more restricted circumstances. Hearing stories is an essential part of learning to read – and they have to be well read, well produced – and well organized. When we looked
