We’re thrilled to announce the winning entry for the 2021 Green Pencil creative writing competition on the theme of Climate Change is ‘We need to stop this now!’ by Alfie Ross, from St. Mary’s Primary School.
And we’re delighted to invite you to listen to a specially recorded reading of Alfie’s poem by poet, Jeda Pearl Lewis.
Here is, ‘We need to stop this now!’
A big thank you to all the children and young people who entered the Green Pencil creative writing competition. We enjoyed reading all your writing.
This year’s theme tackled a very hot topic – climate change. P4-P7 aged children and young people in S1-3 were challenged to write a poem, piece of prose or story on the theme.
Once again, we were unable to hold an awards ceremony in Central Library, so here instead, you can listen to the finalists read their highly commended entries in these special Green Pencil videos.
Congratulations to all our talented finalists!
Come back tomorrow when the winner will be revealed…
For the past year here at Oxgangs Library we have been working hard to improve the green spaces around the library. This has been done with the help of the community, especially the local children who have played a pivotal role in getting things done!
Initially the kids seemed unsure, can gardening really be that exciting? Well it turns out… it can!
Our first project involved planting some lovely pollinator friendly bulbs at the front of the library, these were a mix of snowdrops, crocus and snakes head fritillary. Although the local earthworm population might be a bit disgruntled, it turns out they have played a key role in getting the kids involved. Who can find the biggest earthworm providing all the motivation needed to get stuck in do some digging.
We then set our sights on bigger goals! Our attention was brought to the wonderful Free Trees scheme by the Woodland Trust, so we decided to apply for a hedging pack. This provided us with a whopping 36 trees, including Dogrose, Dogwood, Crab Apple, Hawthorn and Hazel! These arrived mid-November and were successfully planted once the ground had thawed, again with the kids providing a helping hand.
Box of saplings from the Woodland Trust
We are looking forward to these maturing over the next couple of years. Not only will our new hedge provide food and shelter for local wildlife, it will also provide a nice outdoor space were the community can feel closer to, and learn about, nature.
If you would like free trees from the woodland trust scheme, please find more details here https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/
Edinburgh Libraries are proud to announce that we are bringing Dekko comics to all our community branches. Set up in 2016 Dekko turned KS2 educational content into engaging comic strips, helping break down barriers to reading and learning. This is especially true for Autism and Dyslexia.
They come in a Dyslexia friendly font and feature colour-coding and footnotes, and are recommended for late primary, early secondary age children, although Glasgow University did recommend them as refresher material for pupils starting university.
The comics cover English, Maths, History, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French and German. Please note that Dekko comics will only be available to read in branch.
Read more about Dekko Comics here https://dekkocomics.com/
Central Library
are teaming up with Edinburgh Art Festival this summer to offer a programme of art workshops for 8-13- year olds.
Workshops explore the Edinburgh Art Festival theme: Stories for an Uncertain World, linking to exhibitions around the city and creating small- and large-scale artwork using collage, projection, zine making and animation.
July 15th
Light Fantastic: Making slides and acetates for creative projection, then becoming part of the art. Photographic images can be emailed after the workshop.
July 22nd
Cut & Paste: Telling stories with collage and creating collage artwork on 3D objects.
July 29th
Stop motion Animation: Using collage and projection to create short stop motion sequences which can be emailed to you.
August 5th
Festival Zines: Using a wide range of materials to make booklets or comics with your stories for the future.
All workshops run 2-4pm and are based in the George Washington Browne Room, Central Library. Join us for all sessions or drop in for a one off. Book online www.edinburghreads.eventbrite.co.uk or tel 0131 242 8040
Edinburgh City Libraries are calling on children across Edinburgh to take part in The Reading Agency’s 2019 Summer Reading Challenge, Space Chase!
Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, Space Chase will see children team up with the futuristic family, the Rockets, for an exciting space mission – tracking down books stolen by a mischievous band of aliens. As part of the challenge, children are asked to borrow and read any six library books over the summer.
Each library book read for the challenge, gains a sticker (some even have mysterious smells) to help children and the Rockets solve clues, dodge asteroids and find the missing books. There will also be lots of fun and adventure along the way! As well as visiting your local library to borrow books, you can also borrow books online through our OverDrive Kids service – look out for the Space Chase online collection!
To take part in this year’s challenge, come to your local library to sign up and receive your challenge card to keep a record of your Summer Reading Challenge journey. Look out too for events and activities in your local library over the summer holidays to celebrate the Summer Reading Challenge.
The June exhibition in the Art & Design Library is Young Artists At Work, showcasing the work produced by Central Library’s Children’s Art Club. The exhibition illustrates the work produced over the last year by the club’s hardworking members. The club was founded in September 2018 for children aged 8-12 and this exhibition will act as a celebration of their achievements as the final session for the year draws near.
Children’s Art Club has explored many different artistic disciplines, whilst trying to keep a real focus on using recycled or household materials; art can be made anywhere with anything and the children’s creativity and ingenuity has certainly proved this!
The exhibition runs from 4th-27th June in the Art & Design Library. For any information regarding the Children’s Art Club, please contact Central Children’s Library.
Around 1,200 four-year-olds across the capital will receive two brand new books each, specially chosen to inspire children to read and share stories.
Reading Rainbows, aims to spark a love of reading amongst under-fives, giving them the best start when they begin school.
Reading Rainbows launch 2019 at Muirhouse Library
The initiative is also designed to support parents and carers to share books and stories with their children, encouraging them to think about sharing books together and to visit libraries more often.
On Thursday 16 May, children from Forthview and Pirniehall nurseries visited Muirhouse Library to receive their Reading Rainbow packs from Councillor Alison Dickie – Vice Convener for education, Children and Famillies. The packs included two brand new books – ‘Everybunny Count!’ by Ellie Sandall and ‘This Zoo is Not for You’ by Ross Collins and enjoyed a visit from Cool Creatures, where they got a chance to meet some new friends up close.
Cool Creatures visit at Reading Rainbows launch
Reading Rainbows is a joint library and Early Years initiative focusing on areas of disadvantage across the city. It addresses the fact that, in Scotland, children receive free book packs between birth and the age of three and once they turn five from the Scottish Book Trust, but nothing when they are four.
By supplying free literacy gift packs, including two books, a white board and marker and a literacy advice pack for parents and carers, as well as story and craft events, we aim to impact children’s literacy development.
Cool Creatures visit at Reading Rainbows launch
Calling all 8-11 year olds with dyslexia!
Come and join our fantastic Dyslexia Chatterbooks Group for children in Primary 4 – Primary 7, on Tuesday 25 September, 6-7.30pm in Central Children’s Library.
Group members working on book cover designs
We meet the last Tuesday of the month for an evening of fun reading games and book related crafts and activities. The group is run by library staff and supported by our fantastic volunteers, who tailor the programme to meet children’s interests and talents.
A typical session involves a story either told or read by a library member of staff/volunteer, some quick supported paired reading, drawing and story making games (e.g. reading bingo, word recognition, word searches). Acting out plays, poetry and riddle making are some of other popular activities with the group. There is also time for a snack and time at the end to choose a book for next time.
A visit from author Vivian French
We often have authors visiting the group meetings , most recently Lari Don and Vivian French, as well as other special events such as animal Zoolab workshops, magic shows and story making workshops etc which have all been popular.
For more information please contact:
childrenslibrary@edinburgh.gov.uk or 0131 242 8027.
This year Edinburgh Art Festival’s Explorers programme in partnership with the Art and Design Library comes to Central Library for informal, creative sessions suitable for ages 8 to 13 on Thursdays 5 and 12 July and 2 and 9 August from 2 to 4pm.
Join us for all the sessions or just drop in for one. We’ll be drawing, cutting, sticking, chatting about art, playing art games, working together and making fun stuff. We’ll be using found materials and transforming unwanted materials where possible. Feel free to bring in your own stuff to incorporate into the workshops.
You can book online or drop in at 2pm on the day.
Thursday 5 July, 2 to 4pm – Collage
Manipulate and transform printed material and imagery through collaborative collage games. Come along to cut, tear, fold, stick, and make strange and surreal artworks. Book online
Thursday 12 July, 2 to 4pm – Cut-Up
Can a word be a picture? Focusing around words, in today’s workshop we’ll be making collaborative collage poems, word weaves, and combining words, images and drawing to make new and exciting artworks.
Book online
Thursday 2 August, 2 to 4pm – Artists Books
Today’s workshop will focus on drawing, mark-making and collage, using found and natural objects as inspiration to create your own unique artist’s book.
Book online
Thursday 9 August, 2 – 4pm – Assemblage
Using a wide range of found and collected materials, we will be making crazy, inventive assemblage sculptures. Feel free to bring your own objects to add to the sculptures, anything from a shell to an eggbox to a bicycle tyre!
Book online
This summer, join Edinburgh Libraries for the Mischief Makers Summer Reading Challenge!
Mischief Makers is inspired by the much-loved and iconic children’s title Beano, and features Dennis, Gnasher and friends from the comic.
Children are invited to read six library books during the long summer holiday to collect stickers and the all important finisher’s medal. All library books read during the holidays count towards the challenge including ebooks and audiobooks.
And to help keep children out of mischief, there will also be loads of fun events happening in all libraries during the holidays. Contact your local library for details and how to take part.
The challenge starts on Saturday 23 June and runs until the end of August.
Join the fun at your local library!
Well even if you are not heading to sunnier climes this summer, Spain can still come to you! Craigmillar Library is hosting a Spanish Week Festival from 16th-23rd June, filled with amazing events.
During this celebration of Spanish culture you’ll have the opportunity to meet one of Spain’s best female film and documentary directors, Iciar Bollain as well as exhibitions, dancing, book sessions, workshops, live music and more.
Pop in any time to see the exhibition “The Diversity of Spain’s Landscapes and Cultural Heritage“, an art exhibition by Marta Giron Adan and a crafts display. Or come along to the following events:
Saturday 16th June
10:30-12:00 Film Zipi Zape (English subtitles, 8+ years). Booking required
12:15-13:45 Animation Workshop by illustrator Pilar Garcia (8+ years)
15:00-16:00 Lingotot Nursery – songs, games & storytelling (0-5 years)
Monday 18th June
17:30-19:00 CinemaAttic. KIMUAK Basque Country short fils, from animation to comedy
Tuesday 19th June
15:00-16:00 Spanish footballers, writers, singers etc… event for teens
17:45-19:30 Talk by Iciar Bollain, one of Spain’s best directors plus a showing of her film “The Olive Tree” (English subtitles +12 years). Booking required
Wednesday 20th June
15:30-16:30 Children Crafts
17:30-19:00 Books showcase by Manu Rodriguez, and Introduction of Therapeutic Writing (Spanish/English)
Thursday 21st June
10:30-11:30 Spanish Bookbug and Crafts
13:00-14:00 Flamenco session by Cheekyrrikis Flamenco Power
Friday 22nd June
10:30-11:30 Spanish Bookbug
15:30-16:15 Alba Flamenca School dancers
Saturday 23rd June
13:30-16:30 Live Music Day
All events are free and no need to book, except for Zippi Zappe film and Iciar Bollain’s talk and Film – book online at http://www.facebook.com/CraigmillarLibrary or phone Craigmillar Library on 0131 529 5597. Anyone under the age of 8 will need supervision by a guardian aged 12 or over.
At the start of the year, Currie Library launched a Creative Writing Club for P5-7 pupils from local primary schools. The club, which meets on alternate Saturdays from 3 to 4pm, kicked off with 12 children (six girls and six boys).
Club Adviser Suzanne Green, who is part of the Currie, Colinton and Balerno Libraries team, is a freelance writer and editor with almost 30 years of experience. She aims to keep the club members engaged, providing them with new challenges at each meeting. The focus is very much on helping them to enjoy writing by finding out what they like to read, helping them to discover their strengths and what they enjoy working on, regularly giving them new prompts and challenges to keep them engaged and ensuring they enjoy the club and look forward to the next session.
One week the children were asked to go to the children’s section of the library and choose a book by one of their favourite authors. When they returned with their books, they were challenged to write a story, copying the style of their preferred author. Later, when they read their stories out loud, the other members of the club guessed which author they were trying to imitate. Suzanne explained that sometimes it’s good for artists to copy someone who is very good at their craft, and then later develop their own personal style.
At the next meeting, Suzanne gave each club member the first few lines of a Horrid Henry story she had written, inviting them to finish it:
It was Tuesday.
Horrid Henry woke up and a feeling of dread descended over him.
Today was the day of the dentist appointment. And it wasn’t going to be like most visits to the dentist. This time it was not a check-up. This time Henry would have a tooth filled.
Henry had never had to have a filling done. And he still could not believe it was true. But at his last check-up the dentist, Dr. Overbite, said to him, “Well, Henry, it looks like you have been eating too many sweets and having too many sugary drinks! We will have to do a little filling on your next visit…”
More recently, club members were invited to take turns accessing scholastic.com’s interactive story starter site. By pulling the levers to spin four different wheels, the children were given a genre, a character, an adjective describing that character and a situation or plot. The club has also been challenged to examine the contents of a bag of 10 random everyday objects and then write a story in which two or three of those objects play a part.
Attendance is normally between eight and ten children, and their tastes range from science fiction, to adventure, to mystery stories, to fantasy. So far, they have not been keen to work on poetry, so that will be a challenge for the Club Adviser!
If you know someone in P5-P7 who likes to write and would be interested in joining the group, contact Currie Library for more information.
The Summer Reading Challenge has arrived! The challenge for children aged 5-12 is to read six books over the school holidays. The theme is Animal Agents – who are investigating strange goings on in the library! Children collect stickers as they go and help crime busting creatures solve the clues to reveal the mystery!
On successfully completing the challenge, children receive a certificate and a gold medal!! There are also some excellent prizes on up for grabs this year including Dynamic Earth family passes, astronomy evenings at the Royal Observatory and Edinburgh Leisure passes, with more to be confirmed.
Pop into your local library and sign up to join in the fun. Borrow some animal agents themed books whilst you are there or any book you like. You can also find out what children’s activities will be taking place over the summer in your library whilst you are there. As well as borrowing books from the library you can even download some of our children’s ebooks and audiobooks to join in with the fun. Check out our Summer Reading Challenge collection on our OverDrive Kids site.
The Animal Agents adventure starts on the 23 June and runs until 27 August.
This year the Edinburgh Art Festival’s Explorers families programme comes to Central Library for free weekly creative art making sessions suitable for ages 8-13. These sessions are inspired by the EAF artist commissions programme and the ‘Making of the Future’ theme. Join us weekly or drop in for a one-off session to creatively re-imagine your city.
“Tower” by Toby Patterson, Dunfermline 2014
Each session will look at a different artist and include 2D and 3D arts activities such as building a miniature bothy inspired by artist Bobby Niven, designing a modernist city after artist Toby Paterson and creating inflatable giant flower sculptures inspired by artist duo Walker and Bromwich.
All sessions will be held in the George Washington Room within the Central Library –
Thu 6 July 2-4pm
Explorers at the Library: Walker and Bromwich
Create your own inflatable sculptures and model dragons inspired by Walker and Bromwich’s Dragon of Profit and Private Ownership.
Thu 13 July 2-4pm
Explorers at the Library: Bobby Niven
Design and build your own miniature bothys and dens inspired by Bobby Niven’s Palmhouse.
Thu 20 July 2-4pm
Explorers at the Library: Shannan Te Ao
Make musical instruments and write your own musical score inspired by Shannan Te Ao’s use of Maori songs and proverbs.
Thu 3 August 2-4pm
Explorers at the Library: Toby Paterson
Make your own 3D collage of a fantasy building, drawing on Paterson’s modernist architectural influences.
Thu 10 August 2-4pm
Explorers at the Library: The Making of the Future
Design and build a miniature installation in the library, of a future Edinburgh city centre inspired by the “grandfather of town planning”, Patrick Geddes.
In celebration of the children’s work the outcomes of each workshop will 
be exhibited in the Children’s Library for the last week of the festival, 21-27 August.
These sessions are free and all materials are included. Booking is recommended, but not essential. To book call 0131 242 8040 or visit www.edinburghreads.eventbrite.co.uk
The staircase exhibition in Central Library for April is Idyllic Garden in Mind: Childhood Dreamland which uses illustrations from Kate Greenaway’s children’s books. The exhibition was created by Lin Fan, an Art History master’s degree student at the University of Edinburgh.
Fan has selected some beautiful Kate Greenaway books as well as some lovely winners of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library’s collections. Last month, she also held a Garden Book Family Craft Workshop inspired by Kate Greenway’s illustrations and some of the books created by the children will be on display too.
Browse the ‘childhood dreamland’ in the Central Library staircase and foyer display areas from 3 – 28 April 2017.
Want to help your children or grandchildren improve their maths? Why not 
get them signed up to use Mathletics through Edinburgh Libraries. Mathletics is a fantastic website that teaches children maths in a fun and addictive way. You sign them up at their Scottish school level so you know they will be learning exactly what they need for school. They can work towards “medals” and can compete against each other in online maths games.
There are almost 5 million children of primary and secondary age using Mathletics around the world including many who use it in their schools. A study at the University of Oxford recently found that pupils regularly using Mathletics outperformed non-users in Primary 6 Standard Attainment Tests in terms of attainment and progress.
Many parents pay a subscription for their children to use Mathletics, but you just need to sign up through Edinburgh Libraries to use it for free.
Recent research by the National Literacy Trust into technology and reading suggests that alongside books technology can play an important role for children in supporting early communication, language and literacy.
Edinburgh Libraries has got a brilliant range of online resources for children and teens to help them do just that! They are all available to use from home or the library. So get them started on –
If they need some support with maths as well get the best online help from –
Rannagan na chloinne: Seinn comhla rinn!
Sing with us at our Gaelic song and rhyme times for under fives at Blackhall and Leith Libraries.
The sessions take place at the following dates and times:
Thursday 28th April, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Leith Library
Saturday 30th April, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Thursday 12th May, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Blackhall Library
Saturday 14th May, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Saturday 21st May, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Thursday 26th May, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Leith Library
Saturday 4th June, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Thursday 9th June, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Blackhall Library
Saturday 11th June, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Thursday 23rd June, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Leith Library
Saturday 25th June, 11.00 – 11.30 am: Leith Library
Thursday 7th july, 10.30 – 11.00 am: Blackhall Library
Last week nearly 30 children from across the city brought their soft toys
(not the favourite ones!) to the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
They enjoyed stories and songs in the cosy Imagination Lab after that the toys were tucked in for a sleepover.
As their carers were away for the night, the soft toys decided to stay up late and explore the book festival venue.
What did they get up to during the night? Look through the full range of pictures on Flickr to find out!
Tales of One City 