20th March World Sparrow Day

The house sparrow was one of the first animals that developed a very close association with humans as agriculture developed in the Middle East and people first began to create permanent settlements. Fossilised remains of house sparrows have been found in the Middle East that are over 10,000 years old and from a Bronze Age long house in Sweden that is 3,000 years old.

Over the past few thousand years sparrows spread passively alongside humans as we expanded our range around the world. Within the past 150 years, this spread was actively facilitated by people as the house sparrow was deliberately introduced into the Americas, parts of Africa, and in Australia and New Zealand from 1863. As such, the house sparrow is now the most widespread urban bird in the world.

While some people have bemoaned the sparrow as a feral introduced pest, overwhelming we have found Australians enjoy the company of this little brown bird.

As native species are less likely to inhabit urban areas, we cannot afford to simply “write off“ interactions with non-native species. By encouraging people to reflect on, and enjoy their local interactions with common urban species like the house sparrow, we can make them more likely to respect and value nature and biodiversity at a global scale.

There's not a large number of picture books about sparrows, but you should manage to locate one of these in your library.

• The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow  by Jan Thornhill

This fascinating book includes the life history of tthis perky little bird, the House Sparrow. It is one of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, from its beginnings in the Middle East to its spread with the growth of agriculture into India, North Africa and Europe. Everywhere the House Sparrow went, it competed with humans for grain, becoming such a pest that in some places "sparrow catcher" became an actual job and bounties were paid to those who got rid of it.

• Sparrow Girl  by Sara Pennypacker

Ming-Li looked up and tried to imagine the sky silent, empty of birds. It was a terrible thought. Her country's leader had called sparrows the enemy of the farmers--they were eating too much grain, he said. He announced a great "Sparrow War" to banish them from China, but Ming-Li did not want to chase the birds away.

•  Little Bot and Sparrow  by Jake Parker

When Little Bot is thrown out with the garbage, he meets his first true friend, a bird named Sparrow, who takes him under her wing. Sparrow teaches Little Bot about the perils of flying, her wild world, and the importance of dreaming. As winter arrives, Sparrow must leave and fly south, and they share a tearful good bye. Little Bot revisits where he and Sparrow shared happy memories, and that night, for the first time, he dreams of him and Sparrow taking flight together.

•  Kozo the Sparrow  by Allen Say

A young boy sees a baby bird quivering in the hands of a neighbourhood bully. Suddenly, he wants the orphan sparrow more than anything. He trades all his treasures for the bird and calls it Kozo, Little Boy. But how will he keep Kozo alive?

• The Greedy Sparrow  by Lucine Kasbarian                                                                             A sparrow receives kindness from strangers and repays each act of kindness with a trick to get more, but at last, in a surprising twist, the sparrow is back with his original problem

• Pine and the Winter Sparrow by  Alexis York Lombard                                                             Can an act of kindness change you? According to an ancient legend attributed to the Cherokee Indians, pine trees stay green throughout the winter because of the generosity they showed towards an injured little sparrow. Award-winning author, Alexis York Lumbard, and award-winning illustrator, Beatriz Vidal, bring to life this charming fable where trees and birds speak to each other, and which reminds us that no act of charity goes unrewarded.

14th March International Ask a Question Day

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing, said Albert Einstein. And we couldn't agree more! 14th March  is International Ask a Question Day, dedicated to learning how to be comfortable with asking questions. Why? Because we believe that the thirst for knowledge should be stronger than the fear of sounding stupid! The day occurs on Einstein's birthday, one of the greatest minds of all times. 

To celebrate and to promote 'curiosity' which is a school value over the last week in the library we have talked a lot about questions. Before I read Derek  to a preschool class this week I showed the cover and introduced Derek the goldfish. We talked about what we wondered about him, but then talked about what sort of questions Derek might have. The examples the four year olds gave were amazing. Why are my eyes so big? Why am I by myself in the bowl? What are my fins used for? 

Blurb: Derek is a fish with many questions.

Why is the universe round? Where do bubbles come from? Why does food rain down from above?

But the question Derek asks himself more than any other is: ‘Why am I alone?’

I had also put out a display of books where the title was a question and many of the children borrowed one during the week. This is not a new phenomenon.  Are You My Mother?  and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? are still borrowed. Here's some examples to start with that offer some good questions to be answered.

   

If you would rather celebrate Einstein's birthdaylook for these books...highlighting his love for asking "why" and visualising complex ideas.

16th - 20th March Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is designed to recognise and celebrate the strengths of people who are neurodiverse, as well as challenge preconceptions of what they can or cannot achieve. It aims to bring about worldwide neurodiversity acceptance, equality and inclusion in schools and workplaces.

For too long, classrooms and workplaces have been built around a narrow view of a “normal” brain. The neurodiversity paradigm challenges this by recognising that brains develop and function in a variety of ways as a natural part of human diversity.

Rather than treating autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and similar diagnoses as deficits to be managed, this approach views them as variations from the neurological majority. These differences are not inherently positive or negative—they simply are. Embracing neuroinclusion means both acknowledging the unique strengths that neurodivergent people bring and recognising challenges and requirements for their support.

Here's ten books to get you started on a reading adventure.

This book explores neurodiversity including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing and synesthesia in a beautiful, funny and engaging way.

An informative and inclusive children's guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent.

Shows readers that understanding how different brains feel and learn can help us connect with others . . . and keep our own brains happy! Through humorous, engaging text and brightly coloured art, readers are introduced to the fundamentals of how our brains work, how our unique neurology influences how we think and act, and how the world is a better place when we understand each other’s brains and use them collectively. 

Teaches us to embrace not only who we are, but also to embrace the people around us who are brilliantly different thanks to their own amazing, colourful stripes. Zane the zebra feels different from the rest of his classmates. He worries that all they notice about him is his 'autism stripe.' With the help of his Mama, Zane comes to appreciate all his stripes & the unique strengths that make him who he is!

With insight and warmth, this heartfelt story from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum celebrates the everyday magic of friendship.

This appealing brother and sister duo spend a lot of their day together, eating meals, going to school and playing. But life with an autistic sibling is not always easy. Through the eyes of the brother, we find out how they are both very different, but also very similar in other ways, and come what may they have lots of fun together and love each other just the same. 

When Hudson Talbott was a little boy, he loved drawing, and it came naturally to him. But reading? No way! One at a time, words weren't a problem, but long sentences were a struggle. As his friends moved on to thicker books, he kept his slow reading a secret. But that got harder every year. He felt alone, lost, and afraid in a world of too many words. This inspiring story vividly reveals the challenges--and ultimately the rewards--of being a non-mainstream kind of learner.

The central character is a young boy who has an obsessive interest which dominates his life and that of his family. This is a trait often present in children who have Autism Spectrum disorder. The story is narrated by Hugo's older sibling who grapples with acceptance of her brothers eccentricity. Hugo's obsession and consequent skill with numbers brings rewards for him and his sister, so that the story ends positively, celebrating Hugo's unique abilities.

Bernie thinks in boxes. She has boxes for everything: for home, for school and even for the park. 

Bernie likes boxes. When things fit into boxes, they make sense.
But one day, Bernie's boxes collide, and she must find a way to make sense of her world again.

When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe!

7th March World Tennis Day

World Tennis Day on 7th March  aims to foster global interest in the game.

Tennis, as we know it today, can be traced back to a medieval game, jeu de paume, played in France. In the 16th century, there were no less than a thousand tennis courts in Paris only, showing how popular the sport was back then, among royalty and commoners alike.

I have written about tennis and children's books before on Play Tennis Day which is on 23rd February. For books see here.

As this is the day before International Women's Day I thought I might do a small display on Monday of the books that feature successful women tennis players.

The library has books about Evonne Goolagong, Billie Jean King, the Williams sisters Venus and Serena, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Ash Barty, but start with Lottie Dod. Charlotte Dod (24 September 1871 – 27 June 1960) was an English multi-sport athlete, best known as a tennis player. She won the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles five times, the first one when she was only 15 in the summer of 1887. She remains the youngest ladies' singles champion.

Blurb: “Girls can’t play tennis as well as boys? What a lot of NONSENSE!” Lottie Dod is DETERMINED to show that girls can be just as good as sports as boys. She runs and jumps and leaps after the ball – playing tennis makes Lottie feel WONDERFUL. After beating her brothers, she eventually goes on to reach the finals of the most important tennis competition of them all – WIMBLEDON! Can she continue her winning streak to become the world’s first female sports SUPERSTAR? NEVER underestimate what girls can do!

16th - 22nd Harmony Week 21st March Harmony Day

Harmony Day is celebrated annually in Australia on 21st March to coincide with the 

UN's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It celebrates Australia's cultural diversity under the theme "Everyone Belongs," promoting inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for all, often marked by wearing orange. In 2026, the week-long celebration, Harmony Week, runs from 16-22 March.

At school I am often asked to set up a display of books in the school foyer that focus on diversity, inclusion and racism, but this year I thought I might do an 'orange' display in the library. Last week while browsing in the art gallery bookshop I saw this new book by a favourite illustrator, Julie Morstad.

I stood there and skim read it. I was not disappointed. Everything 'orange' is included here. Here's the blurb:

Look closely. The color orange is all around you, not only in the natural world—from fruit and foxes to minerals and mushrooms—but in the human-engineered world, too, from works of art to religious ceremonies to astronaut survival suits. Ranging through time and circumnavigating the globe, witty stream-of-consciousness text and jaunty illustrations explore color through surprising social, historical, cultural, and artistic lenses. With more than thirty vivid examples and a gentle introduction to color theory, this eye-opening voyage into the heart of orange is a clever appeal to experience other colors—and the world at large—with an open and expansive mind.

I immediately started to think about where it would fit in the library. I thought about how we had had displays before that focus on colours ...green in time for St Patrick's Day; purple to coincide with wearing purple for Epilepsy Day etc and then thought about how Harmony Day is coming up and how the students are sometimes asked to wear orange coloured clothes.

A quick look in the catalogue told me we had these books:

And then I will add to it by collecting 'orange' books because there are so many...just an example...