Focus on books at Free Family Days in Northland

More than 50 volunteers are gearing up to help Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust run the second Northland Storylines Free Family Day to be held at the Whangarei Library and The Old Library Arts Centre on Saturday 21 August from 10am-2pm.

With a focus on the very best in New Zealand writing and book illustration for children, this free day, geared for kids aged 4-12 and their families, has key guests, performances and activities to entertain throughout the day, sure to attract big crowds.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and the support of the Whangarei Central Library and the Whangarei District Council, the festival returns to Northland this year with its second free family day.

Tessa Duder, writer of the Alex quartet, and the recently re-released Jellybean, is among a gathering of local and visiting authors, storytellers, performers and illustrators at the centre of a huge range of activities, from puppetry to microscopy and creating your own book illustrations. All day, performances bring new and favourite books to life, while a large non-fiction area caters for children of all ages who are interested in the way books tell real stories about ourselves and the world around us.

Add the chance to meet favourite authors and illustrators, the opportunity to hear favourite books read aloud, writing and illustration competitions, plus book talks, artists at work and book signing sessions – the 2010 Storylines Northland Family Day promises to be a real celebration of New Zealand children’s books of all kinds and an opportunity to share with others the joy and magic in the thousands of books and stories on display.