Opening up to a world of books

By Kath Gannaway
LITTLE Charlie Graham is just a day old but, thanks to the Rotary Club of Healesville, he has a magic start to a lifetime of literature.
David and Bernadine Graham were delighted to learn that Charlie, who was born at Healesville Hospital on 11 October, is the first baby to receive Mem Fox’s muchloved children’s book Possum Magic as part of the Rotary Club’s 100th birthday literacy project.
“It’s his first book and it’s a great idea by Rotary. We can start reading straight away,” Bernadine said.
Charlie has a ‘big’ brother, Ashley, 4, who will also enjoy the book and two sisters Alyce, 12 and Jacinta, 15, who can help with the reading.
Healesville Rotary’s director for new generations Sally Browne chose the book.
She said they wanted an Australian story by an Australian author.
“Possum Magic is all that and it’s a bit of fun.
“It can be read to children from a very young age and when they are older, with the gorgeous illustrations, it is something they can actively participate in.”
Rotary will present 100 books to babies born at Healesville Hospital this year in recognition of Rotary International’s 100 years of service to communities throughout the world.
Rotary president Greg Suhr said the book program was a local initiative of Rotary’s drive to promote literacy.
“Earlier in the year we collected a couple of hundred kilos of pencils to send to schools in Zimbabwe and this is something we are now doing at a local level.”