Rainbow Beach – Library Happenings December 2015
Local kids will be ready for the Summer Reading Club once school is out!
Monday & Thursday 9.30am – 12.30pm, Wednesday & Friday 2pm – 5pm, Saturday 9am – 12noon, 5486 3705, Visit us at: www.gympie.qld.gov.au/library
Christmas Closures
All branches of Gympie Regional Libraries will be closed on Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December, Monday 28 December, and Friday 1 January, 2016.
Christmas Holiday Activities
Mark your diary now to make sure you take the kids to the free school holiday activities at 10.30am to 11.30am at Tin Can Bay Library and 2pm to 3pm at Rainbow Beach Library on Wednesday 23 December. Children will get into the Christmas spirit being entertained with Christmas stories, craft activities and games. Also be sure to keep an eye out for the Christmas edition of “Jampacked”, which provides hours of entertainment and fun things to do at home.
Summer Reading Club
Gympie Regional Libraries is once again hosting the Summer Reading Club throughout the summer holidays and this year the theme is Lost Worlds.
Registration is FREE! So bring the kids into the library to register and they will receive a Summer Reading Club pack to get them started. Fill in your very own reading log and return it to the library for a lucky dip reward.
You can also register through the Summer Reading Club website at www.summerreadingclub.org.au. The Summer Reading Club allows children and young people to develop a sense of community with other children across the country. No matter where they are during the summer holidays, children and young people will be able to participate in activities, discover great Australian authors and illustrators, and share their voice by engaging in literary and creative activities, both online and in libraries.
Certain Admissions: A beach, a body & a lifetime of secrets
Gideon Haigh
ANF 364.1523 HAIG
Gideon Haigh has been a Melbourne journalist for over thirty years and has written thirty-one books. His latest release, Certain Admissions, details the strange circumstances surrounding the death of young Beth Williams on Albert Park beach in 1949.
According to the Argus newspaper, John Bryan Kerr, a radio announcer at the time, had made “certain admissions” about her death. Despite the police hinging their evidence on his confession, Kerr denied responsibility. This led to three rather public trials in which the death penalty was avidly discussed. Finally Kerr was sentenced to prison and eventually released. After his release, another man on his deathbed confessed to the murder as well as two other crimes.
Another interesting side of the book is how Kerr’s public fame raised the profile of the death penalty at the time. Kerr was handsome and likable and had a strong female following. Women would queue each day at the trial for a glimpse of him. Once he was finally found guilty and imprisoned, he became a model prisoner and became a poster boy for rehabilitation.
The confusing story that unfolds from Haigh’s research sheds much doubt on this cold case from the forties. An enjoyable read for those who like crime thrillers, but concentration is needed to keep up with the volume of characters and their associations.
