how to find a great book

Our library has a fantastic range of books available but sometimes it can be difficult a book among the thousands.

​If you have trouble finding a great book to read, try some of the following strategies:
1. WHERE DO I LOOK?
GENRE

Our fiction books are arranged by genre. This makes it easier for you to find the type of book you like to read.

Most people often like a particular type of movie. What type of movies do you like? What genre does this match?
THESE ARE THE GENRES AVAILABLE:
ACTION  ADVENTURE
  • physical action and excitement
  • characters placed in extreme situations
ANIMALS
  • a story that centres around an animal
BIOGRAPHY
  • true stories about real people
CONFLICT
  • setting is usually a war, not necessarily a real one
  • includes stories about the Holocaust
CONTEMPORARY
  • ​​stories about teenagers
DYSTOPIAN
  • worlds that are the opposite of a paradise
  • usually some form of government control
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
  • ​stories about families
FANTASY
  • stories about things unlikely to happen
HISTORICAL FICTION
  • stories set in the past
HORROR
  • scary stories
HUMOUR
  • stories to make you laugh
ROMANCE
  • ​stories about relationships and love
MYSTERY
  • a story where there is a situation that needs to be solved
  • includes crime stories
PARANORMAL
  • events or powers beyond science
  • includes ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons and people with powers like ESP and Telekinesis.
SCIENCE FICTION
  • stories that are often about science and technology
  • often set in the future
SPORTS STORIES
  • stories about people playing or being involved in a sport
AUTHOR

Do you have a favourite author or heard about an author who is popular?

You can search our catalogue to find all of the books by a particular author.
READING LISTS

Our reading lists page will give you book recommendations on different topics. 
SUGGESTIONS

Do your friends or teachers have suggestions?

What about the Goodreads website? This is a social networking site for books. It provides reviews, ratings and recommendations on what's good to read.
DISPLAYS

Have you checked the new books display?

What other books are on display?
2. USING THE BOOK
COVER

Publishers use the cover to try and get you to read the book.
Often the pictures and colours used can give you an idea about the story.
What do the following covers say about their story?
colours and their meanings
Red
Energy, enthusiasm, emotion, power
Dark red
Passion, depth, dominance, prestige
Orange
Positive, dynamic, optimistic, confident
Pale Yellow
Friendly, approachable, warm
Bold Yellow
Ambition, motivation, creativity, cutting edge
Green
Nature, vitality, environment, health
Blue
Dependability, trust, thoughtfulness, calm
Dark Blue
Deep sincerity, intuition, truth
Light Purple
Prosperity, spirituality, creativity, harmony
Dark Purple
Depth, wealth, mystery, fantasy
Grey
Sophistication, knowledge, prestige, wisdom
Pink
Youth, playfulness, emotion
White
Clean, straightforward, self-sufficient, simple, innocence
Black
Authority, power, control, mystery, suspense
Brown
Natural, of the earth, comfortable, organic
Source: ​https://www.coverdesignstudio.com/best-colors-book-covers/
Just be careful as a book cover sometimes may not be an accurate representation of the story.
TITLE

​The title of a book is also used to try and get you to read the book.

Does the title sound interesting?
BLURB
The blurb is usually found on the back of the book.
​
It usually gives you some information about the plot, characters or setting.

Sometimes blurbs also provide a 'hook' to make you want to keep reading.
READ A PAGE

​Try reading the first page or two to see if you like the way the author writes.
FIVE FINGER RULE

​This is a great strategy to see if the book is right for you. 

Read the first page of the book and hold up a finger for each word you don't know or can't pronounce. If you get to 5 fingers, the book is not right for you.
Source: ​https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Five-Finger-Rule-Poster-291635?st=4f31085d6296d54f6f54952420d29c50