Book Review by Elsa: Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog

Well written bio during a very turbulent time in modern native American history. Took part in most of the political events of the 60's and 70's. Named to Leonard Crow Dog spiritual leader of the American Indian Movement. Won American book award in 1991.

Book Review by Clayton D: The foretelling by Alice Hoffman

This is an easy fantasy read for teens 13-14 years old. A good story for girls. The story is about a warrior princess being prepared for the throne once her mother is no longer queen. As young girls they are ready to fight for what they believe and most times they are fighting against men. they are powerful young ladies. Very good read!

Book Review by Mandla: UmSamariya olungileyo

This is about educating your children about the bible.
This is a well-known story for kids, I recommend this for Sunday Schools in churches. (No book cover available)

Book Review by Lindikhaya: The Walrus and the Carpenter and other favourite poems in aid of the Children's Trust by Sarah Cure (Compiler)

 It's a collection of poems by different celebrities. It is entertaining and easy to read.

Book Review by Kaylene: Miffy and Melanie by Dick Bruna

This book is about acceptance and friendship between a white bunny and a brown bunny.

Book Review by Crystal: Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

A quick, enjoyable book, page turning. A story of first time teenage love, with all the emotions attached. Not recommended for younger, impressionable teenagers.

Book Review by Happiness: Umlini onomahluko by Sindiwe Magona

Its a story of courage, love, acceptance and hope for kids with disabilities. Well written with beautiful illustrations. (No book cover available)

Book Review by Jongihlanga: The Gingerbread Man by Vera Southgate

Gingerbread Man story, very exciting and enjoyable. The book is similar to Thando Rocker by Dorothy Kowen.

Book Review by Clayton O: Heart-shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

It’s gripping and emotional.  There’s a longing for everything to work out for Emily. It’s a fantastic piece for young and old.

Book Review by Hadjira: Oh, the things you can think! by Dr Seuss

Ideal for children just beginning to read on their own. The rhyme, rhythm and repetition make them easier to read, helping to building confidence.

Book Review by Christo: The Future of us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Protagonists Emma & Josh discover Facebook 15 years before it was invented. Their lives are affected by the choices they make.  Recommended read (interesting) for teens following social media.

Book Review by Joshua: Teen Titans by Geoff Johns - Part of a Series

Loved it. It was exciting, very enjoyable. Graphics were amazing and the storyline was good for teens and adults alike to follow.

Book Review by Rouvaun: Zach's Lie by Roland Smith

Good read.  It made me think a lot. I could picture myself in the main character’s position.  A mystery-suspense. I hope there will be a second book to continue.  Recommended for youth and adults.

Book Review by Aziza: Classical Comics: Frakenstein

Classical comics offers a range of classical literature in comic/graphic format. Benefit to young adults is the visual impact of character, to imagine and re-imagine.

Book Review by Nonkqubela: Andiboni Wumbi by Nomazwi Phakane

It is a great and easy book to read about 2 teenagers who had a child before they could finish studies.  The child was never loved;  the girl didn’t finish school.  This shows exactly what happens in our community today.  It’s a wake-up call to the teens. 

(No front cover of Book available)

Book Review by Nomalungelo: Follow the Swallow by Julia Donaldson

This is the story of Chack the blackbird and Apollo the swallow who become friends. Chack tells Apollo thata there will be change in his colour one day and Apollo does not believe him. This book teaches a child that seasons change, the colour of birds changes as they grow old. Life changes as one grows.

Book Review by Angela: Nokulunga, Mother of Goodness

This book is about a wife who bewitched other wives as her husband was a polygamist. She uses her child to kill these women through the special pot that she got from her mother.  I recommend this for children and teenagers.

Book Review by Mtoleni: Bluish by Virginia Hamilton

A story about a girl who is different from other kids. She is recovering from cancer. The girl befriends one of her classmates and the other kids finally accept her. The book deals with friendship, illness and acceptance. Good example of bibliotherapy.  Good story.

Book Review by Nabeweya: The Cat in the Hat

Funny, exciting, intriguing story of a devious cat who makes any situation that's dull and boring into fun! Magic powers. Definitely recommend it to all children and adults that remember the child within...

Book Review by Deirdre: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Young Sophie Hatter works in a hat shop in the magical land of Ingary where cloaks of invisibility and seven-league boots are commonplace. Turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste and unable to tell anyone that she is under a spell, Sophie leaves home and, hoping to have the curse removed, forces her way into the moving castle of the notorious Wizard Howl.  A wonderfully imaginative and entertaining fantasy by a consummate storyteller.

Book Review by Renee: Scarred by Julia Hoban

The story focuses on Willow, a 17 year old who loses her parents one night. Her parents are drunk from drinking too much wine at dinner and ask Willow to drive them home. They meet with an accident and both Willow's parents die. Willow feels responsible and blames herself for their deaths. Trying to overcome her pain she starts to mutilate herself by slicing her wrists.

Book Review by Tania: Gone by Michael Grant

An exciting post-apocalyptic title. One day in a Southern California town, everyone over the age of 15 DISAPPEARS! What follows are the challenges of children trying to survive in a world where all the rules have changed.

Book Review by Kim: The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Set in 1943 Spain, during WW II.  Max Carver’s father, an eccentric watchmaker, relocates his family to a quiet seaside wooden home. A series of terrifying encounters occurs, from discovering sinister statues in their back garden to encountering a terrifying spirit called the Prince of Mist, who is out to settle old scores.

Book Review by Stacey: William the Fourth by Richmal Crompton

First published in 1923, this is one of a series of books about an irrepressible 11-year old boy, William, and his adventures with his group of friends, called “The Outlaws”.  The fact that the books are constantly being reprinted is an indication of the timeless appeal of the very funny stories.

Welcome to Central Library

Welcome to Central Library! Situated in the heart of the Cape Town CBD, we are surrounded by the rich history, awe-inspiring beauty and the incredible innovation that makes the Mother City great. We inhabit the Old Drill Hall on the corner of Parade and Darling Streets - find us across from the Grand Parade, next to the historic City Hall, and within walking distance of the public transport hub.

Within our walls you will find books old and new, across a wide variety of topics and genres. You will find the largest free public internet hub, free Wi-Fi, a dedicated art library, a dedicated music library, a reference section that makes students weep with gratitude, and a group of people to skilfully guide you when navigating the waters of information.

This blog aims to highlight our collection, from e-resources to books, and will be updated regularly. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, comments or complaints. Full details on the Contact page.

E-resources at Central Library

Heritage Festival: 22 & 23 September 2015

August 2015 Events Calendar

DATE	EVENT CALENDAR FOR AUGUST 2015
1
2
3
4
5
6	Start of Polio Awareness Week
7
8
9	Woman's Day
10	Public Holiday LIBRARY CLOSED
11	Woman's Day Tea at 11am (Elizabeth Roos Home)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19	Talk on Public Art by Valerie from Yalla Shoola @ 3pm
20
21
22
23
24
25
26	Central Library's Fashion Expo
27	Day 2 Fashion Expo
28	Central Library's Annual FASHION SHOW
29	Poetry Circle 14h15 to 15h45
30
31

July 2015 Events Calendar

DATE	EVENT CALENDAR FOR JULY 2015
1
2
3
4	Step Afrika @ 12:00
5	World Population Day
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18	Nelson Mandela day
19
20	Schools Re-Open (3rd Term)
21
22
23
24	Central Library's Mandela Day Event
25	FOCAL Poetry Circle @ 15:15
26
27
28	World Hepatitis Day
29
30	Prof Brenda Flanagan - Poetry Discussion 15:00
31	J.K ROWLINGS BIRTHDAY





On 24 July Mandela Event

We are planning on feeding our community’s bodies on this day, much as we feed their minds through-out the year. To that effect we will be handing out sandwiches and hot beverages to approximately 300 people. We will also encourage passers-by to join the library, and speak about our regular offerings such as the reference material, e-resources and free internet services.

Feel free to join Central Library on this day to help others

Fine Free Week at Central Library From 7 September 2015 to 13 September 2015

E-Resouces at Central Library

Encyclopedia Britannica promotes knowledge and learning, providing timely relevant and trustworthy information. With seamless access to the whole Britannica Collection.

- Editors Picks

- biographies

- E-Books & Primary Sources

- Extended Play Videos

- Media collections

- Quotations

- Compare Countries 

- This day in history

- Time-lines

- Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

3 age-related encyclopedias. And links to reference books and out-of-copyright e-books.

World Book Kids

Based on World Book's Award Winning

Encyclopedia World Book Kids is a children's learning website that includes thousands of easy to read articles, engaging images and illustrations, interactive games and activities as well as teacher resources for children.

Available at all libraries with Smartcape services.

World Book Advanced

Designed for High School and College students, World Book Advanced is a powerful tool that includes an Online Encyclopedia, multimedia collection, E-books and primary source databases fully intergrated in a single search.

World Book Student

This online learning website includes articles from World Book Encyclopedia, a biography centre, dictionary atlas and an has an extensive multimedia collection, plus thousands of selected e-websites & much more.

Available at all libraries with Smartcape Services

 

Topical articles, reference materials, life skills information and interactive features for students with language and /or learning difficulties. World Book Discover helps develop research skills by providing users with research tools such as timeline and citation builder. The "How to do research" feature provides tutorials and excerses on 21st Century information skills.

Available at the following libraries are - Kensington, Masiphumelele, Nazeema Isaacs, Delft South, Elsies River, Melton Rose, Central And Harare Library  



Resources for pre-schoolers and children in early primary phase.

Available at Central and Harare Library



Access to 20 SA databases containing current and historical info.    Includes:     SA NEWS: full-text records from Sa newspapers and periodicals 1978 onwards, ISAP: the indec to South African periodicals       SA e-Publication:   Access to 86 full full-text SA periodicals in the areas of business & finance, medical & health, science & technology, social science & humanities     SANB: the national library's catalogue of all material published in SA AFRICAN DIGITAL Repository: records from the institutional repositories of various SA and African research institutions...and much, much more...

Available at Central and Bellville Library

 

Based in South Africa, Sabinet has been a leader in facilitating access to electronic information.   The legal products and services cover the legislative landscape from monitoring policing -related developments in Government and Parliament to the publishing of up-to-date national Legislation, Provincial Legislation as well as Government Gazettes.    Online access to SA Legislation, Statutes, gazettes, Law reports etc.

Available at Central and Bellville Library   



Library Press Display is the most convenient and complete way to read all your favourite newspapers.

Available at Central & Bellville Library

Ask at the main desk at Central Library for assistance when you are using the e-resource computers for the first time. It is situation in the Reference Library at Central Library

Stimulating and enlightening multi-media content on issues of topical interest. that stresses critical analysis and consideration of various points of view

Available at Central and Bellville Library





 Autodata is one of the world's leading supplier and publisher of technical information to the automotive market, including providing information for cars, light commercial vehicles and trucks.

Available at Central and Bellville Library