Kids Blog

Hey guys! Look at this cool library. This town of about 800 people had a mobile library that used to come to them, when it stopped they solved their own problem…..have a look at how cool it is!

Do you like the book Shark in the park! by Nick Sharratt? I do! I love reading it outloud…Timothy Pope, Timothy Pope is looking thourgh his telescope…guess what? We now have Shark in the dark! Guess what? Some of the pictures actually glow in the dark! 

Hey guys! Want to give gifts this Christmas but don’t have much money? You could try making some! I’m going to try and make some presents this year myself! Come in and check out our books for ideas and instructions. From making your own yummy treats to making your own cards you can surprise your family this year!! Check out Making presents by Juliet Bawden.

Here are some books you might like to read these summer holidays!

I am a genius of unspeakable evil and I want to be your class president by Josh Lieb is not only a book with a very very cool title, it is also very funny, according to one librarian. A great book for intermediate age kids who like a laugh and a good book. Oliver Watson doesn’t look like much, just your average chubby geek, but he’s actually a supergenius with a plot to take over the world, basically, starting with being elected as class president.

Also new this month: Dreadnought, the new H.I.V.E. book by Mark Walden; Z-Rex by Steve Cole, the first book in a new series that is action packed, gripping and contains a 21st century prehistoric monster (the title of the book should give you a clue); and The Time Quake, the final book in the Gideon trilogy by Linda Buckley-Archer.

For more great new books visit the My Library Children’s Fiction page.

A special edition Geronmio Stilton book for you…..Christmas Catastrophe. Skiing can’t hurt a little rodent can it? See where Geronimo Stilton landed himself for Christmas..his stories are fa-mouse-ly funny!

Have you ever wondered what spies really do? What kind of training is involved? Do you have to go to a special school or take a polygraph test? How do you live your cover? Is there danger? Well then check out The Real Spy’s Guide. It’s the official handbook for anyone who dreams of one day becoming a spy and working in the intelligence field. This book is written by a former operative in the CIA Clandestine Service who now works as the executive director of the International Spy Museum. There are lots of fascinating facts, definitions of key terms, historical timelines and other great information.

Dragons have been on postage stamps all over the world.

China’s first stamps appeared in 1878 and had dragons on them! They are known as “large dragon stamps” and are very rare. A miniature sheet of stamps was issued in 1988 to commemorate the 110^th anniversary of the original dragon stamps.

Japan’s first postage stamp appeared in 1871 and also featured dragons!

In 1966 Germany issued a stamp with a mushussu dragon (a dragon that is part serpent, lion and eagle) from the Ishtar Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient city of Babylon.

In Britain a stamp was released in 1998 that had Bilbo, and Smaug the Golden Dragon, from The Hobbit. Regional stamps for use in Wales always feature the Welsh dragon emblem. Stamps are often released in Britain and Europe that show Saint George and his dragon.

Whenever the Chinese year of the Dragon comes around, many different countries issue dragon stamps. The year 2000 was a dragon year, and dragon stamps were issued in China, Macau, U.S.A, Canada, Christmas Islands, Hong Kong and Japan.

For more information on dragons have a look at the library catalogue.

Hey guys we have a new CD called Whispers in the wind that will be going on sale tomorrow. It is a collection of stories written and read by Wellington authors. Some of them are your favourite authors. Want to hear what they sound like? Come in and buy a copy or reserve it on our library catalogue.

If you had read Wow! Earth then this would be a great follow up to that. It is as awesome as that book and also filled with quadzillion amazing facts about animals.It is also jampacked with great pictures that will keep you turning the pages forever! From the animals life skills like feeding, speed defences to lifestyles like habitats, migration and alien species you will not notice the time as you go through it all. So go check out Wow! Animal at the children’s non fiction area now. The call number is J590.3WAL. Have fun reading!

Whether you are writing historical fiction, mystery, horror or even romance, the best place to start is with things that interest you. When J.K. Rowling was asked for advice for young writers, she said: Write what you know — your interests, your feelings, your family and pets. I wholeheartedly agree with that.

My own words became publishable when I began to write stories based on my love of ancient history. I’ve written about samurai kids in 17th century feudal Japan – a place of cherry blossoms and misty mountains, a time of action, swordplay and Zen puzzles. I’ve written about an Inuit brother and sister on Baffin Island (Canada) in the 14th century – a place of ice and darkness, a time of Vikings, polar bears and extreme hardship. My next book is set in Aztec Mexico – with sacrifices to the Sun God, a Spanish invasion and the mighty Eagle and Jaguar warriors.

History is fun. It is a ready made backdrop of action and adventure. Exciting things are already happening before I put my characters into their historical setting.

I start with a real place and time that interest me. I specifically avoid the lives of famous people. Too much is known about them and I would rather have more room to imagine what happened to ordinary people whose lives are not documented. However, their lives are affected by actual events of the time and while that doesn’t tell the story, it has a critical impact. In Jaguar Warrior I am not telling a story about the Spanish invasion, but this event is the catalyst for what happens to Atl, a twelve-year-old boy waiting to be sacrificed.

When writing history, or anything else, you can start anywhere. But the best story will come from what you know and love.

[Sandy Fussell is the author of the Samurai Kids series about a group of children in 17th century Japan training to become samurai warriors.]