birds & animals

This month, prepare to be freaked out!

wcl staff

Check out our scary new selection of non-fiction. After that you can relax reading about Lego or Music or just the wonder of our world in general. Have fun!

Syndetics book coverThe werewolf hunter’s guide / Ursula Lestrade.

Over thousands of years and across hundreds of countries, tales and legends of dreadful creatures lurking in the night have terrified people. This guide has been slowly pieced together by expert werewolf hunter Ursula Lestrade and uncovers many secrets of these shape-shifting monsters.  Arm yourself against the creatures of the night with this Werewolf Hunter’s Guide. (Book cover) There are three other scary books in this Monster Tracker Series; The Alien Hunter’s Guide, The Vampire Hunter’s Guide and The Ghost Hunter’s Guide. If you like freaky stuff then check them out.

Syndetics book coverChildren’s book of music / Deborah Lock
This is a must read for anyone interested in music. Great photos and interesting text help you learn heaps about music from its very beginnings right up to contemporary artists like Lady Gaga.
Syndetics book cover

Standing small : a celebration of 30 years of the Lego minifigure / Nevin Martell.

Find out all about your favourite LEGO characters. Do you have a Lego Ghost ? Maybe Lego Exo-Force is your favourite . Were you one of the first to get Lego Batman in 2006? Whatever your collection, you will have heaps of fun looking through this book.

Also new this month is The Lego Book. This is a larger more detailed book. Find out how the bricks are made as well as learning some secrets of the LEGO Master Builders. Lots of fun in these pages including current LEGO art creations. A must for every LEGO fan.

Syndetics book coverStarting school / Caryn Jenner & Arthur Robins.

This is a really good book for reading to your younger brother or sister who may be starting school. It is a fun book with great cartoony illustrations. It will remove any fears they may have about their new life and deals with everything from getting ready in the morning to those school toilets ,( even what to do if you don’t make it in time.)
Syndetics book coverPlanet Earth / Daniel Gilpin.
There are ten wonderful books in this series. All have beautiful photographs and easy clear text so you can learn heaps fast. This book covers the whole planet in 32 pages! Check it out, especially if you are a younger reader.

This month we have a crazy collection of new books full of attitude and facts

wcl staff

Syndetics book coverBut why can’t I? / written by Sue Graves ; illustrated by Desideria Guicciardini.

George thinks rules are silly and refuses to keep them. Find out what happens when his babysitter arrives. Does he change his mind?Syndetics book cover

Not fair, won’t share / written by Sue Graves ; illustrated by Desideria Guicciardini.

Posy, Ben and Alfie have to share playing with a superdooper space station but Posy doesn’t want to share. Do the others get their turn? Read and see.
Syndetics book coverWho feels scared? / written by Sue Graves ; illustrated by Desideria Guicciardini.

Jack is having a sleepover at his house but he and his friends all hear noises and get scared. How does his father come to the rescue?
Syndetics book coverThe Masai : tribe of warriors / written and photographed by Jonathan and Angela Scott.

Cattle are the centre of life for the Masai people of Kenya and Tanzania. In the past, young men would raid cattle to prove themselves as warriors and have to kill a lion with only a spear. What do they have to do today? Read this great book to find out and enjoy learning about a totally different culture. Great photos and easy text make this a great read .
Syndetics book coverFootballers / Adam Sutherland.

Did you know that Wesley Sneijder’s coaches blew a whistle and stopped training every time Sneijder touched the ball with his right foot? This was to help him practise with his weaker left foot. Learn heaps more about today’s greatest footballers from around the world in this new book. We also have other titles in this Celebrities Secrets series; Film Stars and Pop Stars are two of them.

Syndetics book coverMusical instruments for children : choosing what’s right for your child / Richard Crozier.
This book is really to help your parents understand why you want to learn a particular instrument, the kettle drum for example. It gives them advice on what really is the best instrument for your personality and all the tips on how to keep you motivated till you’re a world class performer!

Syndetics book coverAnti-terrorism campaigns.

If you’re studying terrorism and are year 8 or older then this book will be a great help. It focuses on USA campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and is written from the American perspective. Crammed full of facts with lots of maps too. The text is best suited to advanced readers.

Syndetics book coverThe AWW cooking school for kids / food Director, Pamela Clark.

Another wonderful book to get you cooking! Mouth watering photos of every recipe and the steps involved make the cooking easy. My favourites are Caramel Banana Tart and Chicken and Mushroom Party Pies. Yum!

Syndetics book coverSpotlight on South Africa / Bobbie Kalman.

Apartheid is no longer a law in South Africa. Some people have better jobs with more pay but many are still living in shantytowns. This book gives a good overview of the country as it is today, with easy text and lots of great photos. The glossary at the back helps you understand some of the words you may not know.  Good for projects. Look out for this SPOTLIGHT series as there are books on lots of countries you may want to study.

Syndetics book coverLife cycles / written by Sally Morgan.

If you want to know all about the life cycle of salmon then this is the book! There is a general section on  life cycles covering many insects and animals then the remainder of the book is about the North Atlantic salmon. Wonderful photos and pictures help explain the text.

Syndetics book coverBig book of big animals / Hazel Maskell ; illustrated by Fabiano Fiorin.

Open the huge fold-out pages to see some of the tallest, longest and heaviest animals in the world. Great little facts about each animal add to the interest of this book. Lammergeiers, for example are huge birds of prey that eat bones. They often drop bigger bones onto rocks to shatter them into smaller bite-sized pieces. Who knew?

Syndetics book coverChildren of the Dust Bowl : the true story of the school at Weedpatch Camp / Jerry Stanley ; illustrated with photographs.
This book is for older readers. It starts by describing the conditions of the  farmers and settlers during the drought of  the 1930s. Lots of photos help us understand the desperate conditions that drove them to travel across the country to California. The remainder of the book focuses on the efforts of Leo Hart, who founded  Weedpatch School.  The children from the dust bowl states, (Okie children)  actually helped build it. Throughout are songs and stories from people who survived. They tell of the filth and heat and dust, of the meals of coffee grounds and apple pips, and of the prejudice and poverty encountered in the California promised land.  “A powerful account of a desperate time” (Book cover)
Syndetics book coverHow to do everything / written by John Woodward ; contributors, Francesca Baines … [et al.] ; illustrated by Tobatron.
How to do, make and explore just about everything! How to Do Everything is a fantastic and unique combination of reference material, fun facts, exciting activities and instructions for life. It covers everything from boiling an egg to making a movie so you’ll never be stuck wondering what to do again! So what are you waiting for? Get Busy!  (Book cover)
Syndetics book coverHow to beat your dad at chess / Murray Chandler.

This is a chess book for everyone, from eight to eighty, beginner to master. It explains the best ways to beat a stronger opponent by forcing checkmate. So if you want to do the Double Rook Sacrifice or the See-Saw or the Arabian Mate check out this book.

Saving the Kakapo

debbie 1 Comment

Did you know that the Kakapo is the rarest parrot in the world, there are only 122 left. Most live off the southern coast of New Zealand on a remote island called Codfish Island.

These birds are so precious that they have a dedicated team of people who work around the clock to help save these amazing creatures.

Here are some interesting facts about the Kakapo that you might not know:

They are the world’s heaviest parrot.

Their feathers are very soft because they don’t need them to be strong and stiff for flying.

Kakapo don’t talk, but they growl like a dog, boom like a bullfrog, and ching like a cash register.

Their feathers smell strongly of honey.

They climb high in trees using their massive feet and beaks and to get back down they jump with their wings spread.

They can live for up to one hundred years.

If you would like to learn more about these birds then take a look at Kakapo Rescue – Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot.

Guinea Dog

debbie

Rufus really wants a dog. He really really wants a dog. Everybody he knows has a dog, from his best friend to his worst friend. The family down the street has three! But his clean-fiend Dad says no way!

Dogs bark and beg.

They drool.

They slobber.

They carry bloodsucking fleas.

When Mom, despite protests, brings home a guinea pig as a compromise, the whole family is in for a shock. Because Rufus’s new pet doesn’t act like a guinea pig at all: She runs. She fetches. She’ll eat his homework. If Dad thinks dogs are trouble, wait until he has to live with Fido, the Guinea Dog!

Here Kitty Kitty

wcl staff

What do cats do when we aren’t around?  Where do they prowl on those long summer days and moonlit nights? Some cats recline on the mat in that patch of sun, some sit by the food bowl patiently waiting for bis-cats, some shred your new curtains and some survey the world from the garden wall. Other cats though, according to Erin Hunter anyway, prowl in clans hunting, fighting and defending their territory against all odds.

 

 

Erin Hunter is actually a group of three writers who write the Warriors series using the pseudonym Erin Hunter. I have just read the first book of the Warriors series called Into the Wild. This book follows the story of Rusty – a pet cat or “kitty-pet”, and his transition into a member of the Thunder Clan. Lots of kids really like these books, Mehrbano from Tawa has even written reviews on this blog. I think the clan crests are cool and there are interesting descriptions of human life seen through wildcat eyes. The books in the first Warriors series are:

Into the Wild

Fire and Ice

Forest of Secrets

Rising Storm

A Dangerous Path

The Darkest Hour

 

 

Another fantasy book about cats is Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin. If I could purr I would purr each time I think about this book. It is a short tale about four sibling cats that are mysteriously born with wings. The story is beautifully illustrated by S. D. Schindler and as you read you can imagine yourself flying along side Harriet, James, Roger and Thelma as they try to find a safe home away from the dangers of the city. If you like cats and you have kind hands I strongly recommend you read Catwings.

Mammoths and Mastodons

debbie

In 2007 ten year old Kostia discovered the frozen body of a baby mammoth in northern Siberia. It was the first time that anyone had ever found such a complete and well preserved mammoth and it was very exciting. The baby mammoth nicknamed Lyuba had died over 40,000 years ago, yet you could still see the wrinkles on her skin and the taste buds dotted along her tongue. Her eyeballs rested in their sockets, and her internal organs had retained nearly all their original shapes. Scientists hope by studying her they will learn lots of secrets from her past. So take a walk into the ice age and check out Mammoths and Mastodons to learn more about Lyuba and others of her kind!

E3 Call Home

wcl staff

E3 Call Home is a true story about two godwits that were tagged by New Zealand scientists to track their flight by satellite transmitters in 2007. E3 is the male godwit and E7 is the female. The study showed that godwits are able to fly a distance of about 17,000 kilometres from New Zealand to Alaska and then all the way back to New Zealand!

 

The book has beautiful illustrations and photos, and fascinating facts about godwits. It’s portrayed in a very easy and fun filled way. Brilliant for kids and adults.

 

5 stars.

Useful warnings

wcl staff

Have you ever seen a  little monkey and thought how cute it is? Well hold that thought because if you smile at a monkey, it may see your teeth and think that you’d like to hurt him and it will respond violently by biting you! I read this really informative book about animal behaviours and warnings that we should keep an eye out for. The book is called Never Smile at a Monkey by Steve Jenkins with a call number J591.65 JEN. So if you ever get caught out in the wild this book might prove handy.

Animal Close Encounters

wcl staff

There are so many small creatures around us but because they are miniature we tend to overlook them. I came across this book and was totally amazed at how all these small creatures were magnified so that we can totally see and understand them. It is filled with incredible pictures and facts about the small animals that it’ll make you stop and stare at a spider,frog or bug and really see them. The book is entitled Animals Up Close by Igor Siwanowicz with the call number J590 SIW.