Cwtch up with a book!

There’s definitely a chill in the air out there! It’s the perfect weather for cosying up by the fire and settling down with a good book (and perhaps a cup of tea and a biscuit!). With that in mind, the staff at Townhill Library have picked out some ‘cosy fireside reads’ to tempt you this Autumn. See anything you fancy?

Hydref

Children's Book Week

Yes, it’s Children’s Book Week this week! We love a good children’s book at UWTSD Swansea libraries, with lots of quality books for youngsters from early years to teens available in the Teaching Practice collection at Townhill, and a good selection of beautiful picture books available on the shelves at Griffith Library in Dynevor. We all have our favourite reads from childhood, and many so-called 'children’s' books make good reading whatever your age, so do feel free to have a browse next time you’re in.

Children’s Book Week has been going for over 80 years now and aims to support reading for pleasure. You can find out more on the Booktrust web  pages, where you’ll also find links to resources such as Booktrust’s 100 Best Books (how many have you read?) and a toolkit to help parents encourage a love of reading in their children. You can also take a look at the Booktrust Best Book Guide 2014, which has been published to coincide with this week's celebrations. Perfect if you’re looking for some new books for the special little someone in your life!

Festivities officially end tomorrow (4^th July), but we think every day is a good day to enjoy reading a good book. Let’s see how many of the 100 Best Books we can read over the summer!

The Tale of Beatrix Potter

It’s Beatrix Potter’s birthday on Sunday (28^th July). If she was still alive she’d be 147-years-old! The author is probably best known for her enduringly popular children’s books about Peter Rabbit, the Tailor of Gloucester, Jemima Puddleduck and Tom Kitten, to name but a few. I’m sure most of us are familiar with her beautiful illustrations of these animal characters, especially Peter Rabbit in his blue jacket.

Helen Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 in South Kensington, London. Despite a city upbringing, the Potters enjoyed long holidays in the countryside and had an array of much-loved family pets, many of whom went on to appear in Beatrix’s books! You can find out lots more about the author from TheBeatrix Potter Society and from books at Townhill Library. Amongst those shelved at 828.8 POT, you’ll find The Journal of Beatrix Potter from1881 to 1897 and you’ll see conference papers from The Beatrix Potter Society at 823.912 POT.

As you’d expect, we’ve got books written by Beatrix Potter too! You’ll find Peter, Jemima and the gang in the Junior Fiction section of Townhill Library. The linguists amongst you might like to read about their exploits in French! Find L’histoire de Toto let Minet and more at Teaching Practice 843.91 POT. Magnifique!



The House of the Tailor of Gloucester (photo by Hannah Meiklejohn)

Calling all Muggles!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part one) is released in cinemas this week. If you can’t wait to see it, or you just want to get yourself in the mood for the film, you can catch up with the adventures of Harry, Hermione and Ron at Townhill Library. We have all seven books in the series available to borrow from the Junior Fiction section of the Teaching Practice collection. You can even read about Harry in Welsh with Harri Potter a Maen yr Athronydd (the Welsh translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). Perfect for some light relief when you need a break from all that studying! (Don't forget, if you can't make it to Townhill Library, you can ask for books to be sent to your home library at Dynevor or Mount Pleasant. Just ask at counter for details.)