Do you want to be a master of slimy, mushy, oozy or stinky facts about the body? Well you might want to read this book which is truly a science of really gross things!
Surprise your friends, relatives, families or even the odd stranger with your knowledge of the grosser side of life. An example: in your mouth alone there are more critters than there are people in Australia and Canada combined! So that makes your mouth the most unsanitary part of your whole body! Yikes!
If you’d like to master the art of grossology then check out Grossology by Sylvia Branzei at the children’s non fiction area with the call number J612BRA. Explore the grosser side of life! Enjoy!
Are you a fan of the Inkheart books by Cornelia Funke? Did you see it at the movies? Well, you might be interested to know that the library has now got Inkheart on DVD. You can reserve it now!
Other new DVDs include Me, Eloise, based on the Eloise books by Kay Thompson; The Big Aquarium, a documentary about an aquarium in America; and the complete Jane and the Dragon collection.
For more new DVDs and CDs visit the My Library Children’s Sound and Vision page.
Never. But it’s true some research tasks are more fun than others. I love sitting in the library reading about long ago times. Especially if there are swords involved. Did you know samurai swordmakers once tested their blades on criminals from the jail?
I also love visual research – whether it’s documentaries, YouTube clips or watching episodes from the 1960’s TV series The Samurai.
Not all research is done sitting in a comfortable chair. When I was writing Samurai Kids I went to swordfighting classes. The first thing I learned was I was not very skilled and couldn’t get a single move right. But I did learn important details that helped me write credible swordfighting action scenes. Now I take my wooden practice bokken on school visits to tell stories about swords.
When I was writing Polar Boy I wanted to feel cold, wet and frightened. I couldn’t visit the Arctic but you don’t need ice and polar bears. Not if you’ve got a good imagination. I sat in my front garden on a cold, wet night in my underwear. “Why not your swimmers?” lots of kids ask. I wanted to feel afraid too and if you are in your underwear, you are always listening, scared, terrified…. worried a neighbour might come outside and see you.
Research is fun, whether you are looking up facts or using your imagination to apply them.
Hello,
This month we’ve got some new series books. There’s the new 39 Clues book, The Black Circle, the new Charlie Bone (Charlie Bone and the Red Knight), and the next instalment in the Rondo series by Emily Rodda (The Battle for Rondo).
There are other interesting new books too, from monstrous saltwater crocodiles to werewolf warriors and a Viking adventure. Visit the My Library Children’s Fiction page for more descriptions!
Sandy our author says – ‘Yes you do. You need to be historically accurate. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use your imagination. Much of history is undocumented. We don’t know exactly what happened so we make realistic guesses.
While writing Samurai Kids I spent days researching 17th century Japan. Many story features were determined by what happened in the past. I can’t change the clothes the samurai wore, their hairstyle or katana swords. History has a detailed record of the samurai way of life.
But history doesn’t have a record of Sensei Ki-yaga or Niya – they aren’t real people. One way to write imaginative history is to invent characters. If you write about real people you need to be true to what is known about them. If you create people then you can create their life and adventures.
So I can’t change how Niya dressed, or the skills he learned but I can invent his friends, his teacher, the Cockroach ryu where he trains and all the adventures a one-legged samurai might have.
My favourite advice about writing history is: go to the library junior reference section and find books with pictures. Pictures show you historical accuracy and kick-start your imagination. What is the person in the picture doing? What can he see from the castle wall? Who is coming to the castle tomorrow?
Getting the facts right doesn’t limit your imagination. It helps you pretend you were really there.’
