24th October United Nations Day

The concept of the United Nations is a beautiful one, setting high standards for human, animal and environmental wellbeing so that, one day, we might reach a fairer world. United Nations Day commemorates the anniversary of the UN Charter of 1945.

After World War II, 51 countries united to promote international peace and security, better living standards and human rights. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill are the ones who wrote the declaration, which was then signed by other countries. Antonio Guterres has been the Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2017.

On this UN Day, let’s stand together and fulfil the extraordinary promise of your United Nations. Let’s show the world what is possible when “we the peoples” choose to act as one.

António Guterres
The four main purposes of the United Nations are to:• Maintain International Peace and Security.• Protect Human Rights. • Deliver Humanitarian Aid.• Support Sustainable Development and Climate Action.

This video is a short summary of what this day is all about. School students need to understand how global mindedness and global initiatives can make our world a better place.


There are some general books that outline the role of the United Nations.

If you want to follow up on the 17 United Nation Sustainable Goals please see my book suggestions on Pinterest, one for each of the goals. 

22nd October International Wombat Day

 

I have written about this day before, but given the CSIRO's new book Wombat Poos Are Square  has just arrived at our library, I felt I had to celebrate the day. While this humorous book is not strictly speaking about wombats, but rather explains the important role poo plays in our environment, it has an eye-catching cover that would look great in a display of wombat books.

Some other more recent books are Abi Cushman's Wombats Are Pretty Weird, John Lesley's Wombat, the stories Wurrtoo  by Tylissa Elisara and Beth Ferry's Wombats Go Wild for Words.

Of course there are other books about wombats. See Pinterest. But if you want to combine wombats and halloween, look for:

18th October International Repair Day; World Op Shop Day

Today is International Repair Day, which falls every year on the third Saturday of October. This global event aims to motivate people to attempt to fix something themselves or drop by a local shop and get their broken devices fixed. In addition, it promotes a community mindset by encouraging individuals to share their repair skills, inspire others to get involved, and organise repair events all over the world.

There are many benefits to repairing something rather than replacing.  One is that you are doing your part to alleviate the global landfill crisis. Every year, people throughout the world produce billions of tons of landfill waste. This is projected to increase to 2.2 billion tons by 2025. All of this garbage in the landfills is not good for the environment. Overflowing landfills cause greenhouse gas pollution and groundwater pollution. When the waste is transferred from one location to another, it also causes carbon emissions.

The Repair Shop is a popular television show in the UK and it has a series of picture books that promote their ideals.

In Australia, it is also the inaugural World Op Shop Day. World Op Shop Day is more than just a celebration; it's a call to action. Op shops play a crucial role in reducing waste, supporting those in need, and funding essential community and welfare programs. Every month, Salvos Stores help divert millions of items from landfill, contributing back literal tonnes of textiles, electronics, and home goods into the circular economy.

The concept of op shops, or "opportunity shops," has been around for over a century in Australia and is increasing in popularity as a shopping destination. They are also a good place to look for good quality second hand books.

Look for some of these books in your library:

16th October International ShakeOut Day

It is International ShakeOut Day, which always falls on the third Thursday of October. The first event occurred in California in 2008 and intended to educate the earthquake-prone state on safety. Over the years, the cause grew, resulting in over 55 million participants in the world. The ShakeOut organisation promotes the most important technique called “Drop, Cover and Hold On” to reduce injury and death. It involves laying on the ground while covering your head and body, preferably under a table.

When I was a child I remember experiencing two earthquakes, but as an adult I feel that Australia seems to have had many more. At school we practise fire drills and lockdowns regularly, but I have never practised what to do in the event of an earthquake. ShakeOut Day is a day when children practise  what to do during an earthquake.

Earthquakes can be terrifying, and it is natural for children and adults to be afraid. According to the  Association of School Psychologists, earthquakes are especially difficult to cope with because they come without warning and are followed by aftershocks. With continued shaking, survivors do not experience a clear end to the crisis. I remember talking to a friend whose niece was a teacher in Christchurch, NZ when they felt as if they were having a run on earthquakes, and this teacher said the biggest problem was being able to ask the young children's questions eg when will the next one be? why are they happening here?

Australia does not typically experience large earthquakes and on average only experiences a single magnitude 5 (or greater) event each year. Understanding whether you are in an earthquake prone area is important so that you can take measures to reduce the potential impacts and know what to do during a disaster.

Queensland Health has published a pamphlet telling parents and caregivers what to do and it includes a picture book story called Birdie and the Earthquake. It is available online and in book format.

There is also an activity book Rocket's Earthquake Safety Activity Book which teaches children the tools they need to stay safe and prepared.  

Your library may have one of these books:

Lily and Niko's childcare class is practicing for the Great ShakeOut™. They learn that the Great ShakeOut™helps prepare them for an earthquake. They learn the basics of what causes an earthquake, how it causes things to fall and break, and how it can sound like a really loud tummy rumble. They also learn where they can go and what they should to (drop, cover, and hold on) to be safe inside buildings, outside, and in a car. At the end of the day they know what to do to be safe during an earthquake.

Many of the general nonfiction books about earthquakes may make your young audience scared so you will need to know your audience well and the books well in order to match them up.

Look for:

 

16th October Steve Jobs Day: Dictionary Day;

Firstly, it is Steve Jobs Day on the 16th October and I am not sure why it is on this date. He was neither born or died on the 16th October, but  in 2011 the day was proclaimed by the Governor of California. The day brings forth the opportunity to reflect on the life of the famed innovator and how his contributions have helped advance the human race. From iPhones to iPads and every single app in between, one could argue that humanity would not be as technologically savvy without the work of Steve Jobs. There are several biographies about Steve Jobs that are written for children so today is the day to read one of these. Here's a few:

Dictionary Day is also celebrated on the 16th October. It is celebrated annually in honour of Noah Webster's birthday. The day celebrates dictionaries and the importance of words, commemorating Webster's work as an American lexicographer who created the first American dictionary and championed American English. It is somewhat ironic that now a student at school is much more likely to look up the meaning of a word on some form of device, rather than go to a dictionary. Both men were definitely products of the time they were alive.

Although this happens I do hope that dictionaries will always exist and lexicographers will still enjoy compiling them. Samuel Johnson was the first English person to create a dictionary and he did so before Noah Webster who felt strongly that American English was different from British English. Australian children are very clever, they read both!

How to celebrate? There are several picture book biographies about Noah Webster, but you may prefer to spend some time exploring Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston's book, The Dictionary Story.

13th October Silly Sayings Day

Silly Sayings Day is a day to celebrate and use humorous and metaphorical expressions, often referred to as idioms or colloquialisms. Idioms, adages, and proverbs are common expressions and sayings that have meanings beyond what can be understood by their individual words. 

idiom: a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. over the moon, see the light ).

adage: a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth. 'out of sight, out of mind'.

proverb: a short, well-known pithy saying, stating a general truth or piece of advice.

Modern English language is loaded with idioms. We use common idioms every day, often without giving them a second thought. Consider these common phrases; “Don’t spill the beans,” “You’re barking up the wrong tree,” “Every cloud has a silver lining,” or “It’s not my cup of tea.”

However, for young children, multilingual learners, and neurodiverse learners, idioms can be very difficult. 

Idioms are a form of figurative language. Many picture books that make children laugh as they read use idioms. Tedd Arnold's Parts Trilogy of books is a good example of this.

Other books to look for:

And this amazing book might be in a library near you.