Happy 212th anniversary birthday today (well technically August 30) to English writer, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Her Gothic novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus is considered her most famous work and created one of the world's best known monsters. She was inspired to write the work by a spontaneous creative writing competition during the rainy summer of 1816, in Lord Byron's Villa on the Lake Geneva. Frankenstein is not, as often assumed today, the name of the monster in the novel. The monster remains nameless. It is instead the name of the monster's creator – Victor Frankenstein – on whom the beast later takes revenge (because Victor Frankenstein would not create a mate for him). The story has become famous through numerous movies based on it with Boris Karloff most famous for playing the 1931 Hollywood version and it is the basis for a parody-character “Frank N Furter” in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Mary Shelley was married to Percy B. Shelley, one of the most famous English romantic poets. So read her works or watch a scary movie to mark the occasion. Portrait: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, oil on canvas by Richard Rothwell, first exhibited 1840; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

How fast has this month flown by? It is nearly the end of August and you have until Monday 31 August to enter our Good Reading Online competition. Just answer the easy easy easy, so easy question to be in the running for book prizes. Access Good Reading online via the www.cwl.nsw.gov.au Reading and Writing page using your library card and answer this question: Which American author does gr profile in the article “Let there be light” on page 12 of the August 2009 issue? I said it was an easy question. Email your answer, along with your name and contact details to [email protected] or fill out an entry form at any CWL branch by 31 August. So put fingers to keyboard and send an email or put pen to paper and fill out an entry form. Good Luck!

Local author Charlotte Calder entertained 80 children at Storytime during Children' Book Week with an animated reading of her new children's book Stuck! illustrated by Mark Jackson and published by Walker Books. The story is about a series of items that get stuck up a tree and of course the children wanted to know what happened next. They loudly called out Stuck as each item stayed up in the tree. Thank you to everyone for coming along.

Follow the footprints……

We are celebrating Children's Book Week – the longest running children's festival in Australia, celebrating its 64th birthday in 2009. The theme in 2009 is… Book Safari.

Come and follow the animal footprints to see the 2009 Children's Book Council of Australia Award winning books on display along with lots of toy jungle animals to delight children.

The Book of the Year for Older Readers is Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan, and the Book of the Year for Younger Readers is Perry Angel's Suitcase by Glenda Millard and illustrated by Stephen Michael King and the Picture Book of the Year is Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan. For a full list of award winning books please visit the Children's Book Council of Australia website www.cbc.org.au

And don't miss local author Charlotte Calder reading her book Stuck! at Storytime tomorrow at 11am and launching her book at 6pm.

Orange Family History Group Vice President Shirley Duckworth presented Central West Libraries, Library Services Manager Jan Richards with a copy of the Orange and District Pioneer Register CD-Rom during National Family History Week. The CD is a compilation of Volumes I and II of the printed versions. The Pioneer Register records the families who contributed to the development of the area up until1888. The CD is available for purchase $20 per copy at Orange City Library. Pictured above is Jan Richards receiving a copy of the Pioneer Register CD Rom from Shirley Duckworth on behalf of the Orange Family History Group. Congratulations to all involved in this valuable project.