Recreation

GlobeEscape to another world the power of imagination

“Reading gave me power over stories, but, in a way, it also gave stories power over me. I have never been able to get away from them. That is part of the mystery of reading.” Margaret Mahy, in her message for International Children’s Book Day 2007.

Our imagination has an amazing ability to take us from the routines of everyday life to a different place from where we emerge energised, curious, inspired, transformed, entertained. Imagination helps us to look at our world in a new way and sometimes to create a “different” world. In the technology age, there are so many ways that people can come together to create their own worlds game playing and online communities like Second Life.

When we lose ourselves in listening to or reading a story, when we listen to or perform a piece of music, view a work of art, gaze rapt at a play or a movie we are giving our imagination a workout. Children spontaneously give way to their imagination when they play a box becomes a car, imaginary friends are never far away. Check out our fun ideas for children’s reading, including interactive reading guides.

The library is a great place to find things to expand your imagination. Of course, the library is home to a diverse range of fiction, but you can also borrow music on cd and tape (and even a few classic vinyls!) or great films and plays on dvd and video.

Some examples:

Booklists will give you many ideas for great reads. Booklists can be highly subjective of course but the same titles will appear across many different lists. The library has a comprehensive Good Reads page which recommends websites and booklists e.g. 100 most meaningful books of all time.

The library has developed a range of booklists along the theme of “If you like…” e.g. If you like fantasy and science fiction

The library can help you find ways to express yourself imaginatively: