Kids Blog

Forget Me Not by Jo Cotterill

Kate Morrell used to have it all – fun, friends and family. But since her mum died three years ago, Kate can’t remember what it’s like to feel properly happy any more. A summer job at the local garden centre gives Kate a chance to re-discover the spark she once had – and arguing with her arrogant (but gorgeous) co-worker Simon makes her really come out of her shell! But then there’s an attack on the centre – and Kate begins to wonder if Simon knows more than he’s letting on…

Pea’s Book of Best Friends by Susie Day

 Meet eleven-year-old Pea and her definitely not ordinary life! When Pea’s dizzy but dazzling single mum becomes the super-selling author of the Mermaid Girls series, everything changes overnight. It’s time to leave their tiny flat in Tenby for a fancy house in London, and a whole new life! Pea likes the red front door, and the attic bedroom all to herself. She even likes her hideous school uniform, in a masochistic Malory Towers sort of way. But something is missing. There’s an empty chair beside her in every lesson, and no one seems to want to fill it. In the absence of volunteers, Pea is going to have to acquire a best friend.

Smells like Pirates by Suzanne Selfors

“Homer thought membership in L.O.S.T., the mysterious Society of Legends, Objects, Secrets, and Treasures, would help him find pirate Rumpold Smeller’s missing treasure. But when Homer’s enemy, Lorelei, forms an evil organization called FOUND, Homer and Dog face an impossible decision: Work with Lorelei to find the prize once and for all, or abandon their lifelong quest to locate the treasure”–Provided by publisher.

Itch by Simon Mayo

Meet Itch, a fourteen-year-old, accident-prone accidental hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. This is Alex Rider with Geek-Power! Itchingham Lofte — known as Itch — is fourteen, and loves science, especially chemistry. He’s also an element-hunter: he’s decided to collect all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom. Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him but soon, someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch is in serious danger…

Fawn by Margi McAllister

Kirsty Weaver loves watching a herd of deer in the hills behind her house. She discovers that a fawn has been left abandoned on the hill. She rescues him and coaxes him down from the hill and into a shed. As Kirsty battles to keep Fawn both safe and a secret, she realizes she can’t keep doing everything alone and has to decided whether she can trust Toby, the local farmer’s boy, with her secret.

Slave Girl by Alexa Moses

Thirteen-year-old exchange student Jenna has nabbed an appointment in New York’s coolest hair salon, but when her teacher insists she stay with the group at the boring Metropolitan Museum, she storms off and stumbles into what she thinks is a fancy-dress party. And it is a party. In ancient Egypt. 3500 years ago.

Once Jenna accepts she’s really travelled back in time, she realises she has to work out a way home – with only her big mouth, a smart phone and a pair of second-hand Marc Jacobs sandals to get her out alive.

Jenna’s attempts to bluff her way out of her precarious situation are often brave, sometimes ingenious and guaranteeably funny.

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In the Haunted School, Angeline and Edgar have to go to their Senior School Sleepover, but Angeline is dreading having to talk to the other kids.

The night goes wrong when a ghost appears in the dormitory where they are camped out. Their classmates are terrified – and Principal Primm is not happy!

With the aid of Ghost Club, Angeline and Edgar must find out who the ghost is so they can help her. But first they have to convince their principal that kids can be ghost-catchers too, and they have to avoid Travis the bully, who is spying on them – causing trouble wherever they go.

Hey kids – have you been practicing making breakfast in bed?

Mother’s Day is this Sunday - May 12th, and I’m pretty sure Mum would love to be surprised with a yummy breakfast to start the day -this is a tradition for Mother’s Day in New Zealand along with giving cards and gifts.

Modern-day Mother’s day started in 1908 in West Virginia (USA) by a woman called Anna Jarvis. Previous attempts at getting a formal Mother’s Day celebration recognised in the 1800s had failed, but Anna was successful in having it recognised as an official holiday in the USA in 1914.

As this American holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures around the world, the date was changed to fit other celebrations that honor motherhood. That’s why different countries celebrate Mother’s Day on different dates. The second Sunday in May is when New Zealand celebrates Mother’s day, along with 81 other countries. Other popular days that countries celebrate Mother’s Day are March 8th, March 21st and the last Sunday in May.

Wikipedia has a great article about Mother’s day. Check it out for more info.

We also have some great books about Mother’s Day:

Want to make mum a present? Try these crafty books for some ideas:

Don’t forget the breakfast in bed! Here are some favourite cooking books for you to get some inspiration and recipes from:

Do you own books at home? How do you keep them organised?

One thing you can do is name your books, and you can do this by using book plates. Book plates are a label that you stick inside the front cover of the book to tell people who it belongs to. There is a really cool website that has HEAPS of book plates that you can print off and stick in your books. Check out My Home Library – you’ll find small, medium and large book plates, and lots of them in colour. The coolest bit is that many of them have been designed by favourite and well-known illustrators (like Quentin Blake!).

Here are some of my favs:

There are even bookmarks you can print off. Have fun, but remember – don’t put book plates in our library books, only the ones you own at home.

London: A Time Traveler’s Guide.

Did you know that London is thousands years old? So when you walk through its busy streets, you are standing on top of history. Forget Doctor Who, With this guide you can travel back in time and discover all the relics of the past, ancient treasures and long forgotten buildings throughout London, England. You will find out all about  of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, Medieval times, the Tudor, the Victorians to the present day. So come on down to the library and take a fact-filled journey through the history of London, one of the world’s greatest cities.

A City Through Time : From Ancient Colony to Vast Metropolis.

In the mood for some more time travel? Check out this new and  stunning update of the popular original, A City Through Time. Follow the story of a city from ancient colony to vast modern metropolis with full-colour illustrations that will transport you back to another age. Reading this book may be the closest you ever get to what really goes on in a Roman bath-house, a medieval castle or a modern skyscraper. Comes complete with a photographic section that profiles great cities through history and a glossary that tells you what you need to know about architecture, technology, work and costumes throughout the ages. Great  for parents and children to look at together or for school projects.

Norse Myths and Legends.

This book explores the gods, goddesses, heroes, villains, tricksters, and quests that make Norse myths and legends so compelling. Forget Thor, the hero from the Marvel comics, now is the time to really study and learn all you have ever wanted to know about the Norse Mythology and the Vikings. As a bonus, you will also discover facts and information that  you didn’t know, like Thor’s favorite weapon was a magical hammer, (Okay, maybe that’s something you already knew), some gods used goats or cats to pull their chariots and gods believed rainbows could be bridges between worlds.

Solving Mysteries with Science.

Do you like reading about the strange  and unknown? With this new series on solving mysteries, you are in for a treat. Read all about the encounters, what scientists and other experts think and the evidence that supports the existence of  The Loch Ness Monster, Mermaids and The Bermuda Triangle.

Treasure Hunters.

Two new books from the Treasure Hunters series is now available at Wellington City Libraries. Tomb Explores explores all the tombs and treasure you will find in parts of the world such as Egypt, China and South America. You will also discover amazing facts and found out answers to questions like what sort of booby traps were hidden in Pyramids?, Why were the Terracotta Army craftsman ordered to be killed? and Where have tomb explorers used remote-controlled cameras? Great Art Thefts combines the subjects of Art, Mysteries and Crime into one resource. Read all about the great art crime capers that took place throughout history including the theft of the Mona Lisa that took place in 1911, the Boston burglary in 1990 where 13 artworks were stolen and the theft of The Scream in Norway, 1994 during the Winter Olympics.

The Ultimate Moshlings Collector’s Guide.

Move over Pokemon, there are very cute, cool and collectible creatures  to catch! Check out this new and amazing guide book on the Moshlings! Monstro City’s top Moshling collector, Buster Bumblechops, shares his tips on collecting all the little Moshlings roaming wild in the world of Moshi Monsters! Buster is the ultimate collector and this awesome book is packed full of his stories from years of Moshlings tracking. Find out how to plant the right seeds to attract Moshlings, and how to keep them entertained once you have adopted them! As well as Buster Bumblechop’s collector’s notes the guide contains extracts from his diary plus an exclusive extra Moshling (available only with this guide). Great for anyone a fan of Pokemon and Digimon.

Spellbound: Tales of Enchantment from Ancient Ireland.

If you are bored with Fairy tales and Greek mythology, why not try out Irish Folk Tales? This book is a wonderful treasure that holds a collection of seven stories from Ancient Ireland linked by themes of magic and enchantment that are that will make you spellbound! Great for kids aged 6 to 9 years, who love adventure, romance and the occasional nasty shock.

Horrible Histories: The Beastly Best Bits – The executioner’s cut.

Well, Terry Deary has done it again! More horrible histories for your viewing and reading pleasure… with all the nasty bits left in. Read all about the awful Egyptians, the Rotten Romans, the vile Victorians and the woeful Second War World. The beastly Best Bits is a wicked history of the world collected by Terry Derry from twenty years of Horrible Histories Books.

The Fairy-Tale Princess : Seven Classic Stories from the Enchanted Forrest.

This beautiful collection of seven classic fairytales is organized around the theme of the fairytale princess. Su Blackwell’s paper sculptures evoke a magical world of beauty and mischief are accompanied by Wendy Jones’ lyrical retellings of the stories. I really liked how each fairy tale emerged from the pages through a series of intricate paper sculptures cut from the pages of  each of the fairytales. A great book for girls and anyone a fan of fairy tales.

Follow, Follow: A book of reverso poems.

Imagine fairy tales upended. / Upended fairy tales? Imagine!

In the mood for some reverso poems? This book is a  collection of short poems called reversos. First you read the poems from top to bottom, then when you reverse the lines and read from the bottom to top, they provide new perspectives on the fairy tale characters they feature. A fantastic book that plays with language and fairy tales to create a celebration of sight, sound and story.

Just Joking 2 : 300 hilarious jokes about everything, including tongue twisters, riddles, and more.

This book is the book you must read if you wish to master all the silly jokes known to kids, which includes knock-knocks, tongue twisters, riddles, traditional question and answer jokes and much more! Just Joking 2 comes complete with  colorful photos of laughing animals, including amazing facts about each animal featured, funny people, and other colorful photos are paired with each joke, which is gurenteed to add  an extra laugh on each page.

The weather forecast for this weekend is wet, wet, wet!  But not to worry because the library has many fun and fantastic books to keep you entertained indoors.  Here are some great new titles to get you started.

Marbles is such a fun game, but have you ever wondered how they are made? I found this cool video that explains the process.

We have a couple of great books about marbles and how to play. Check these ones out:

I’ve always pondered this.

We have some great books about astronauts. Check these out: