Kids Blog

A free, fun programme of rhymes, stories and finger plays for babies 0–2 years will be available at the following branches.

This week on Friday we have a new Baby Rock & Rhyme session starting at Tawa Library.

Check out the sessions times:

Central: Wednesdays at 9.30am

Cummings Park, Ngaio: Wednesdays at 10.15am
(Starting 14 October – replacing the Thursday pre-school story time)

Island Bay: Wednesdays at 9.30am

Johnsonville: Thursdays at 9.30am

Karori: Mondays at 9.45am

Mervyn Kemp, Tawa: Fridays at 10am
(Starting the 4 September – replacing the Wednesday pre-school storytime)

Miramar: Tuesdays at 10.15am
(Starting 13 October – replacing the Tuesday pre-school storytime)

Ruth Gotlieb, Kilbirnie: Fridays at 10.15am

(These sessions are available during term time only)

Have you ever considered your body as some kind of awesome machine? You’ll be surprised by how many machine-like terms can be associated with the human body functions. Examples would be body framework and motors or automatic air inlet/exhaust system. Has that perked up your curiosity? The Body Owner’s Handbook (a Horrible Science book) by Nick Arnold looks at the human body in an interesting light. It has funny illustrations and I found it very interesting how the human body functions were turned into some kind of high technology machine. Do check it out at the children’s non fiction area with the call number J612 ARN. Happy reading!

You will never be bored again after checking out How to eat a huhu grub. This book is jam-packed with weird and wonderful ways to keep your jaded mind electrified. Have a go at making your own paper with sheep poo, launch a drink bottle 60 metres into the air, or what about making a water bomb from a piece of paper? It’s full of mad, cool and dangerous ideas for Kiwis who like doing stuff.

Herbet is a book that has just won the Russell Clark Award at the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards in Wellington. It’s a true story about a dog washed from a boat and found still swimming for his life 30 hours later! This book tells about Tim and Herbert. Everyone thought Herbert was lost in the sea, but Tim did not. Thirty hours later Herbert was found paddling, exhausted but still alive. Come and check out the book for a good read!

I love listening to a good story! There are many ways to listen: cassette tape, CD, IPOD. You can even listen to video story-times on the internet! You probably already know about our library’s online story-time, but did you know that the Screen Actor’s Guild of America have produced an online story-time too? Stories on the Story Online website are read by famous actors. For example, Lord of The Rings stars Elijah Wood and Sean Austin both read a story. How cool is that?!

Father’s Day Special

Hey guys, in two weeks we have a special Stories @ 7! Bring along your dad, grandfather or uncle for stories and games at Central Library Friday the 4th of September @ 7pm.

For more details check our website.

Are you one of those people who likes to get their hands busy creating gorgeous, cute and useful stuff? “Made by Me” by Jane Bull is just the book for you. It has lots of great things to make and best of all it’s so easy peasy! There are ways to jazz up a shirt, create awesome containers, make scented pouches and decorate a hair accessory. Who knows you might reawaken the creative side of you.

If you really like dragons and want to see them in action, all of these films are available through the library. You can reserve them for free on your child’s card. All you have to do is pay $0.50c to borrow them.

Pete’s Dragon: This is a musical dragon film! Pete befriends a dragon named Elliot who is invisible to everyone but him.

The Neverending Story: Fantasia is about to be overwhelmed by the Nothing. Luck dragon Falkor helps save it.

Mulan: In this animated movie, a young girl takes her invalid father’s place in the army. She has a small dragon as an ally.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Features a brief appearance by Norbert the baby dragon.

Shrek: Shrek rescues Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a large purplish dragon.

Spirited Away: Japanese animated movie in which 10-year-old Chihiro enters a strange world. She is befriended by Haku, a dragon who shape-shifts into a boy.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Features Harry’s encounter with a dragon as the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Eragon: Film version of Christopher Paolini’s novel.

Do you want to do your part in saving the earth? Little steps combined together add up to giant leap to help keep the earth green and clean. Rubbish and Recycling by Gerard Bertolini and Claire Delalande will help you get and idea on how the rubbish can be reused. It also has a lot of interesting facts about the history of rubbish and what happens to things we throw away. It also has great illustrations and helpful tips on how we can help out. There’s even a mini quiz at the end which is a fun thing to try. Its at the children’s non fiction area with the call number J363.7 BER. Remember: reduce, reuse, recycle!

Have you guy’s heard about the “choose your own adventure” books?They’re cool. You know all the times you read a book and think “if I was that character I wouldn’t be so dumb as to do that!” Well in the choose your own adventure books you decide what happens. You are the hero of the mission and as you make choices throughout the story , those decisions make the difference to whether you complete the mission or die!
My favourites are the I Hero series by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore. Check it out.

Come see other cool books that we discuss at our BookSeekers club. BookSeekers is this week. Here are the new sites starting this week and the dates and times:

• Brooklyn Library (Tuesdays)
• Central Library (Tuesdays – NEW CLUB starting August 2009!)
• Karori Library (Tuesdays)
• Tawa Library (Wednesdays)
• Ruth Gotlieb Library, Kilbirnie (Thursdays)
• Johnsonville Library (Thursdays – NEW CLUB starting August 2009!)