November 2025 Library Newsletter

The Libraries of Hauraki District Council are taking part in the 2025 Library Community Impact Survey run by Public Libraries of New Zealand (PLNZ) to better understand what you value most about the services and activities we offer.

The survey is quick to complete and you have until Friday 5 December to fill it in. 

You can complete the survey by clicking the link here >>> 2025 Library Community Impact Survey or by scanning the QR code below, or by visiting one of our libraries at Ngātea, Paeroa or Waihī where the staff can assist you to fill it in.

Waihī Veg Fest

Make sure to check out the most amazing food festival that is Waihī Veg Fest on Sunday 9 November from 10am- 3pm at 132 Landlyst Road. 

Step right up to our stall for a spectacular, colourful display of our best vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. Even though we won’t have food on hand to sample, you can:

Peruse and Plan: Flip through our samples of stunning vege cookbooks—from global cuisine to easy weeknight meals—and get inspired to take your own cooking to the next level. 

Sign Up for Free: Discover how easy it is to borrow these fantastic resources with a library card! 

🎁 Fabulous Cookbook Giveaway! 

Feeling lucky? We'll be running a special giveaway right from our stall, giving you the chance to win some brand-new, fabulous recipe books to kickstart your culinary adventures. Stop by, say hello, and enter to win! We can't wait to see you there! Look for our friendly faces and all the beautiful books.

Paeroa Whānau Day Out

Following the fantastic time we had at the Waihī Whānau Day Out earlier this year, making it to the Paeroa Whānau Day Out was an absolute must-do for our team! We're excited to connect with the wonderful Paeroa community and share all the amazing ways your library can support local families. 

Mark your calendars! The Paeroa Whānau Day Out is happening on Wednesday 19 November from 10am to 1.30pm at the Paeroa War Memorial Hall. 

At our vibrant stall, you’ll get a close-up look at everything we offer from our wide range of books to the popular programmes we run, including our weekly Story Times, monthly Senior Film Sessions and our successful Summer Reading Challenge. 

Whether you need help finding resources for a school project, want to know how to get a library card, or just want a recommendation for a great family read, come and have a chat with us. 

We can’t wait to meet you! Come to our stall to connect, share a smile, and discover how your local library is a fun and free resource for the whole family.

The Writing Desk by Di Morris

After reading an article about the importance of graphic novels in school library collections, I was inspired to read a graphic novel and chose The Writing Desk which was a finalist in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in the best first book category. 

The article stated that graphic novels can have a vocabulary that is just as ‘literary’ and sophisticated as a novel and that the illustrations work overtime to help decode the text. 

My children have been reading The Baby-Sitters Club, Asterix, Footrot Flats and World War II inspired Sophie Scholl: daring activist of World War II, Nancy Wake: fearless spy of World War II and The courageous Six Triple Eight the all-black female battalion of World War II. I knew from their varied collection that graphic novels can cover a range of topics from friendship, farms and fantasy and non-fiction. 

I found that my interest in New Zealand history was satisfied in The Writing Desk as the story is written in a sparse but engaging manner using appropriate language and the illustrations linked the hopes and dreams of the Balfour family. I enjoyed reading the information provided from old newspaper articles sourced from Papers Past and the use of portrait style images brought the family tree to life and the prints of official documents, postcards and photographs of objects gave the story the true element I was looking for. 

Book review by Sharlene ~ Library Assistant 

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan

Fans of Fourth Wing can enjoy another epic romantasy series. 

‘A Forbidden Alchemy’ is the first book in this new series where children aged 12 are sent to the capital to discover whether they have powers or not. Nina and Patrick are two such children who uncover something suspicious that the powers in Belavere have kept hidden for a long time. What results from this will set the world on fire.

Note there are no dragons here BUT who knows what might come as the series is written!

Book review by Rochelle ~ Senior Librarian - Technical

And if you enjoyed A Forbidden Alchemy, why not try Arcana Academy by Elise Kova.

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Digital Drop-In sessions are back at Waihī Library! 

In collaboration with Waihī Community Resource Centre we have one of their fabulous staff members, Matt, who will be available on Tuesday mornings from 10am - 11.30am for any digital assistance you might need. 

No bookings are required, just drop-in.

Congratulations to Jan - the winner of our Māori Language Week competition! We hope you enjoy your new books!

Our Senior Film Sessions continue to be a huge hit at our libraries! 

Our November film is ‘The Dark Horse’. A brilliant but troubled New Zealand chess champion finds purpose by teaching underprivileged children about the rules of chess and life. 

Our next film session is Friday 28 November.

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Website - https://library.hauraki-dc.govt.nz

Phone - 07 862 8609 

Email - hdc-library@hauraki-dc.govt.nz