Wellington Library is happy to announce the beginning of two new regular programs for children.

Story Times will continue on Wednesdays at 11am for the under 5s, and is a great program for introducing young children to early literacy as well as fun craft.

The tiny ones now have their own session as well, with Rhyme Time aimed at infants and featuring songs, rhymes and stories for babies and toddlers.

Rhyme Time will be held every Friday at 10am and is a half hour session which all parents, carers and their little ones are welcome to join.

For the school-age children, Fun Zone will be a regular after school activity on Thursdays from 3.30 to 4.30pm with a new art or craft activity each week.

All of these programs are free and run during school term.

For more information call 6845 2156.

Even Dogs in the Wild

Ian Rankin's new novel brings John Rebus out of retirement, and sees him firmly back in his element as Scotland's misanthropic crime solver, on the case of the death of a senior lawyer.

If you have not read one of Ian Rankin's many novels in the John Rebus series, this one proves that Rankin is still one of the best British crime writers today.

In spite of more than 20 novels centred on the character of Rebus, he has not slackened the pace or the interest, making Even Dogs in the Wild a fine addition to a strong series.

If you like intelligently written, uncompromising characters with more than their share of flaws, step into Rebus' world and meet the mysteries of Scotland head-on with its surliest detective.

John Green fans, meet David Arnold

If you like your characters quirky and larger than life, enter Mary Iris Malone or MIM, the subject of David Arnold's debut novel, Mosquitoland.

She takes weird to a whole new level, and offends plenty of readers along the way by being a hot mess of a 16-year-old who decides to take a 1000 mile bus trip to see her mother in the wake of her parents' divorce.

Difficult themes come by the bucket in this story, including mental illness, sexual assault, ancestry and the trauma of broken-down families.

These are all washed down by the smart, sarcastic voice of MIM who sees the world through semi-medicated eyes and a whole lot of personality.

Mosquitoland is available for loan in the Young Adult section at Wellington Library.

Macquarie Regional Library, Wellington Branch, is located on the corner of Maughan and Percy streets, Wellington.

Phone: 6845 2156

Website: www.mrl.nsw.gov.au

Hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12pm, Sunday closed.