Kids Blog

September is quite exciting – check out the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book!

1. Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan – New Book – this is the 3rd time the 3rd book in the Heroes of Olympus Series is #1 on the Reserves list!

2. Kingdom of the Wicked, Derek Landy – Available Now - The latest Skulduggery Pleasant is up from #10 last month.

3. Yellowfang’s Secret, Erin Hunter -  New Book – up from # 4 last month – the 5th book in the Super Edition Arc.

4. Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers, Dav Pilkey – Available Now - 4th month on the Top 10!

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the third wheel, Jeff Kinney – New Book – The latest in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Greg is in middle school – it debuts at #5! Reserve it now!

6. Big Book of Billy B. Brown, Sally Rippin - New Book – 4th month on the top 10 list!

7. Guide to Pokemon Legends, - New Book – 1st time on the list. Reserve now and learn all about the legends of Pokemon!

8. The Third Door, Emily Rodda - New Book – Join Rye as he faces another door – the third, wooden door.

9. The 26-Storey Treehouse, Andy Griffiths – Available Now – Get in quick – For everyone who enjoyed the 13-Storey Treehouse!

10. Emerald Star, Jacqueline Wilson - New Book - Reserve your copy of Hetty Feather’s latest adventure now!

Mirror, mirror on the wall what’s the tallest structure in the world? That would be the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a shimmering 828 metre silver skyscraper. It has 160 habitable floors and 11 mechanical floors and cost 1.5 billion US dollars ! It takes a team of people four months to clean its whole exterior. Might be a good job for Spiderman! If you want to know more about the mega structures in the world, why don’t you check out Towering Giants and Other Tall Megastructures  by Ian Graham. You’ll be amazed at how we are reaching for the sky.

Get in quickly! The most popular kids’ books reserved at Wellington City Libraries for the month of July are:

1. Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan – (new) – up from #2 last month – Book 3 in the Heroes of Olympus Series.

2. Guardian Angel, Robert Muchamore – (new) – up from #3 last month – Book 2 in the Cherub Series.

3. Summer’s Dream, Cathy Cassidy -  up from #4 last month – Part of the Chocolate Box Series.

4. Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers, Dav Pilkey – (new) – up from #5 last month – Can Captain Underpants stop Tippy Tinkletrousers?

5. Yellowfang’s Secret, Erin Hunter – (new) – The 5th book in the Super Edition Arc.

6.  Big Book of Billie B. Brown, Sally Rippin (new) – Another one of Billie B. Brown’s exciting adventures!

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling – You loved the book – you’ll love the audio book – narrated by Jim Dale.

8. Angel and the Flying Stallions, Stacy Gregg – one of the popular Pony Club Secrets.

9. All Because of a Cup of Coffee, Geronimo Stilton – Geronimo Stilton falls in love! What?? Geronimo in LOVE?? What will he get up to?

10. The Demigod Files, Rick Riordan – a collection of three short stories featuring your favourite hero, Percy Jackson!

Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Davidson

This is a nice simple biography on the life of Queen Elizabeth II. This is the book to read if you want information on the story of her life with phtographs that capture her childhood, as well as the grandeur and drama of her reign.

Olympics by Richard Platt, Illustarted by Manuela Cappon

A Fantastic book to read that retraces the history of the Olympics from the very beginning in Greece 776BCE to the present day in London 2012. Contains lotes of facts about athletes from ancient Greece, sporting triumphs, poliitcal protests and worl breaking records.

Look Closer Ocean by John Woodward, Illustarted by Gary Hanna

This book is a fantastic read that takes you on an extraordinary underwater adventure. Lots of amazing facts and information on colourful coral reef, great white sharks and much, much more.

For Boys Only by Marc Aronson.

Hey Boys! Are you ready for some serious fun? Then this is the book for you. You will find all the information you need from ancient wonders to extreme sports. From learning how to land an aeroplane in an emergency to finding buried treasure. You are sure to never grow bored from reading this book.

Where I live: Astonishing animals, Bizarre Behaviour by Karen McGhee

Ever wanted to know what kind of animals live permanently in the dark?, What are the advantages of living in a community?, Other than birds, which animals build elaborate nests? Then this is the book to read. Contains lots of incredible photographs and illustrations that capture the amazing range of animal shelters from a simple stack of twigs to extensive tunnel systems and sprawling nests.

Penguins by Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris

Dive into the amazing life of penguins. This books has information about every kind of penguin up close and how they survive natural and man-made dangers in thier ice home.

Fox Tales : Four Fables from Aesop by Amy Lowry

Four wonderful fables from Aesop that have been woven together to make a single story in this beautifully illustarted picture book. 

Goldilocks on CCTV by John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura

If you a fan of fairy tales, then this is the book to read. This book has a collection of narrative poetry about your favorite fairy tale characters trying to live out their adventures in the mordern world. Stories include Sleeping Beauty trying to fetch a price on her nightdress, Rumplestiltskin finding his name sold to the paparazzi and a Giant finds his views have less impact in the days of Twitter. 

CHERUB Series: The Killing by Robert Muchamore

I’m Not A Supermouse! by Geronimo Stilton

Big Nate: In A Class By Himself by Lincoln Peirce

Ways To Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

Ways To Live Forever is an emotional, yet effective and powerful novel, by the one and only Sally Nicholls. Sam – the main character – is twelve years old and is struggling with leukemia. He wants to conquer everything before he dies, and with the help of his teacher and best friend Felix, he does everything from riding in an airship to kissing a girl. This book will make you laugh your head off one minute, and sob into your pillow the next! It is a whole emotional rollercoaster; a good one, of course. I would recommend it to children aged 10 – 14. 5 stars.

Review by Jemima of Karori

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

I will recommend this book for people who enjoy other series about diaries. 5 stars.

Review by Eva from Karori

Mondays are murder / Tanya Landman.

I know what you did last Wednesday / Anthony Horowitz.

Classic mysteries set on isolated Scottish islands where the invited guests are being killed off one by one.

Try and figure out who’s responsible, but be warned, the authors throw in red herrings to try and make you suspect the wrong people.

These skinny books are a fast paced read for older kids and teens.