4 New Non Fiction: Heroes and Wizards vs Zombies and Monsters.

image courtesy of syndeticsBeastworld: Terrifying Monsters and Mythical Beasts.

Step into a spine-chilling world of terrifying mythical beasts from ancient myths, strange sightings and folklore. Mythical beasts includes Bigfoot, the Loch ness monster and the kraken.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsHarry Potter: The Character Vault.

Unlock new information about your favourite characters from the Harry Potter movies with this book profiling the good, the bad, and everything in between. Concept art, behind-the-scenes imagery, and film stills track everyone from Harry, Hermione and Ron to Dobby, Mad-Eye Moody and Dolores Umbridge, telling their complete stories as they evolve throughout the film series. A must read for all the Harry Potter fans out there.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsZombies: The truth behind history’s terrifying flesh-eaters.

Zombies, are they real or some made up story? Only reading Zombies: The truth behind history’s terrifying flesh-eaters, will allow to separate fact from fiction. This book describes ancient history, medieval lore, and modern portrayals of zombies in today’s popular culture. A must read for anyone who is interested in information about zombies… or who wants to prepare for a zombie apocalypse.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPaws of Courage: True Tales of Heroic dogs that protect and serve.

Inside each courageous canine beats the heart of a hero. Readers will cheer for the hero dogs featured in this collection, profiled with stunning photos and inspiring tales of bravery, friendship, heroism, and devotion. Great for ages 10 years and over.

 

 

The Ella Diaries – three great reads

WARNING – You are about to read my UTTERLY BIGGEST SECRETS.

Can I trust you? OK then.

I’m Ella, and these are my diaries.

Its a new school year, and everything is perfect. Ella has a new uniform, glittery stationery and cant wait to meet her new teacher. Until class starts, that is – and EVERYTHING goes wrong. She can’t believe she has to sit next to her absolutely WORST ENEMY EVER, Peach Parker! No matter how far she moves her pencil case across the desk, Peach is in her SPACE. Where’s her BFF Zoe? Can this year get ANY WORSE? Tune into the secret thoughts of Ella as she battles the school bully and turns a lunch time curse into a lunch time craze!

 

 

Ella dreams of dancing, but she also wants to be taken seriously. Shes in Year 5 after all! When her dreams of being the lead in the ballet recital are dashed, she starts to wonder if it might be fun to try something new. But when MEAN QUEEN PEACH takes up gymnastics and executes an AMAZING backflip in the playground, the school is taken over by the new craze. Will Ella backflip on her love of ballet? Can she bear to go along with Peach and her traitorous BFF Zoe? Leap beside Ella as her secret thoughts uncover the truth about friendship and trying new things.

 

 

Ella and Zoe want to start their own dog-walking business. They make a sign, hang it up in shops and wait by the phone for their first call. When their only job turns out to be minding a lizard, and sneaky Peach Parker starts behaving very suspiciously, Ella starts to wonder what’s up. Zoe and Ella must go undercover! Will they discover the terrible truth?

5 new children’s fiction worth trying!

Tom Gates; Yes! No. (maybe…)Image courtesy of Syndetics by L Pichon

“Sometimes making up my mind isn’t easy to do. Especially when my grumpy sister Delia is looming over me. Mum’s on a mission to tidy up the whole house. She says if I can’t decide what to get rid of – she’ll do it for me. Which would be a disaster! Luckily for me the fossils come to my rescue (more than once).”–Back cover.

 

 

 

Emily Sparkes and the Friendship FiascoImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ruth Fitzgerald

Emily Sparkes thinks having your best friend move to Wales at the same time as your parents decide to have a new baby is probably more trauma than anyone should have to cope with. But things go from bad to worse when she’s paired with revolting Gross-Out Gavin for the school trip. Emily is determined to escape him, and when glamorous new girl Chloe Clarke turns up it seems her prayers might be answered. Unfortunately, everyone has gone Chloe Clarke mad and Emily finds her ‘sworn enemy’ Zuzanna has had the same idea. Getting and keeping Chloe as a friend proves a lot more troublesome than Emily anticipated and leads her into a whole new set of disasters.

 

 

The Nowhere EmporiumImage courtesy of Syndetics By Ross MacKenzie

When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the ‘shop from nowhere’ – and its owner, Mr Silver – draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment. Recruited as Mr Silver’s apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium’s vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms – rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined. But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble. Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever? Scottish Children’s Book Award winner Ross MacKenzie unleashes a riot of imagination, colour and fantasy in this astonishing adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Corneila Funke and Neil Gaiman

 

The Adventures of SholaImage courtesy of Syndetics by Bernado Atxaga

While Shola may look like an ordinary little white dog, she and her long suffering owner know that she is in fact a highly cultivated creature. Shola is always ready to find her inner lioness or lead a wild boar hunt but still likes her home-made cheese and home-cooked chips.

 

 

 

The Dream SnatcherImage courtesy of Syndetics by Abi Elphinstone

Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare – the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life. Because Moll is more important than she knows…The Oracle Bones foretold that she and Gryff, a wildcat that has always been by her side, are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher’s dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Moll is drawn into a world full of secrets, magic and adventure.

 

New Books From the Fiction Trolley!

Stone GoblinsImage courtesy of Syndetics By David Melling

“Saggypant and Seepage are Stone Goblins – but they’re not much good at collecting stones! So imagine how they cope with a dragon’s tail”–Back cover

 

 

 

 

Rain ReignImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ann .M. Martin

Struggling with Asperger’s, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet.

 

 

 

 

My Palomino Pony Wins Through Image courtesy of Syndeticsby Olivia Tuffin

Can Georgia come to terms with Secret, the new foal, moving away from the stables?

 

 

 

 

Sleuth on SkatesImage courtesy of Syndetics by Clementine Beauvais

Precocious eleven-year-old self-made-supersleuth Sophie “Sesame” Seade investigates the disappearance of Jenna Jenkins, a student at Cambridge University, where Sophie’s father is chaplain and her mother is Head of Christ’s College.

 

 

 

The Ice Dragon Image courtesy of Syndeticsby George R. R. Martin

Leaving in its wake desolate cold and frozen land, the legendary ice dragon has never been tamed until it meets Adara, a winter child who looks to the creature to help save her world from destruction.

 

 

 

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: the Magical CarImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ian Fleming

Two children persuade their inventor father to purchase and restore an old car which turns out to have magical powers.

 

 

Latest New Kids Fiction

Image courtesy of SyndeticsNest by Esther Ehrlich

On Cape Cod in 1972, eleven-year-old Naomi, known as Chirp for her love of birds, gets help from neighbor Joey as she struggles to cope with her mother’s multiple sclerosis and its effect on her father and sister.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsA Wonderlandiful Life by Shannon Hale.

“When a mysterious being from Wonderland begins to infect Ever After High with a strange magic, everything goes topsy-turvy. Lizzie Hearts, Wonderland’s future queen; Cedar Wood, daughter of Pinocchio; and Madeline Hatter, heir to the Mad Hatter’s Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe, seem to be the only ones who haven’t completely lost their heads. It’s up to them to save their best friends forever after from a curse that threatens to give their school–and their lives–a very unhappy ending”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Girl who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll

Louie, was abandoned at Chipchase’s Travelling Circus as a baby and dreams of becoming a ‘Showstopper’. She secretly practises the tightrope and dreams of being the Girl Who Walked on Air. Mr Chipchase reluctantly lets Louie perform. She is a sensation, and gets an offer from the sinister, opposition, Mr Wellbeloved to perform… over Niagara Falls. But nothing is quite as it seems and soon Louie’s bravery is tested not just on the highwire but in confronting her past and the shady characters in the world of the circus.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsAngels in training  by Karen Mccombie

Riley’s life has changed a lot since she discovered the Angelos sister’s secret. You see her new neighbours are a little bit …magical. They know things that no-one else does and that’s why she thinks they can help her find out about mum. But just as she’s about to get some answers, mysterious events start happening at school. As things get stranger and stranger, Riley begins to suspect that they’re the only ones who can work out what or who is behind them.

 

 

 

The Winter WolfImage courtesy of Syndetics by Holly Webb

Amelia is exploring the huge, old house, where her family are spending Christmas when she finds a diary hidden in the attic. It was written by a boy struggling to look after an abandoned wolf pup. Before she knows it, Amelia is transported into the wintry world of the diary…

 

New Fiction for early readers ONLY!

If you are between 6 and 8, these new books are going to be perfect for you!

(but hey… if you are older and you want to read your brother or sister’s books, read these ones, they are really cool! But shhhhhh, don’t tell anybody!)

Be careful what you sniff for, by Nancy Krulik

When Sparky takes a bite of a delicious-smelling bone he dug up in his backyard, he’s in for a big surprise. Chomp, chomp, kaboom! Sparky is magically transported to London. What’s a puppy to do? Eat, of course. Sniff, sniff, sniff- Sparky’s nose leads him to a sausage, cheese, and… the dogcatcher?!

His only hope for escape is to take another bite of his bone. His only problem:He’s nowhere near it! Will Sparky ever be able to make it home?

 

 

The playground problem, by Sally Rippin

Jack’s friend Billie is away, so he hangs out with Alex instead. They have heaps of fun together! But what will happen when Billie comes back?

If you like this book then start collecting the books from the series “Hey Jack!”!

 

 

Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout, by Megan McDonald

CROAK! SQUEENK! RIBBET!

Stink has been going to swimming lessons frog-ever and he still won’t put his face  in the water. But that’s before he meets King Otto the Third, radioactive mutant ninja frog. Now Stink’s feeling more than a little froggy…

Could he be turning into… the amazing frog-Boy?

 

 

Alice and the Airy Fairy, by Margaret Clark

 

Mary the Airy Fairy is coming to stay with Alice and her family. Is she a real fairy? Or is she just a free spirit who needs Alice’s help?

And if you have always wanted to be a Fairy, check out the instructions in the book to make your own magic wand!

 

 

So blast off on a great adventure with all these very cool books! They are designed especially for you if you want to start reading independently…

New Non Fiction: Pets, Animals and Farmyard Friends.

Amazing Giant Wild Animals.

Ready to take a walk on the wild side? Then read this amazing book and get ready for a thrilling adventure into the wild and meet some of the tallest, widest, longest creatures that roam the Earth! This book has fold-out pages that open to reveal the most amazing wild animals ever, the illustrations are stunning that bring animals to life and has fun and colorful pages packed with bite-size facts and figures. Kids get facts and fun all in one book!

 

 

Shimmer and Splash: The sparkling world of sea life.

Get ready to shimmer and splash with this new book on sea life. Looking for information on sea creatures and marine wildlife? Acclaimed naturalist Jim Arnosky will bring out your inner explorer with Shimmer and Splash, as he explains why a puffer swells up like a balloon, how sharks locate prey in the darkness, and why some fish like to swim in the shadow of a manatee. This book is great to read alongside Amazing Giant Wild Animals, which contains giant fold out pages to see nearly 200 sea creatures from a tiny fiddler crab to an enormous killer whale. An absolute must read!

 

 

Farmyard Friends.

Ready to make some farmyard friends? Check out this amazing new book which will tell you all you need to know about the daily life of farmyard animals. You will also learn some amazing facts like foals are born with no teeth and their teeth begin to grow when they are four weeks old.

Looking after Guinea Pigs.

New from the Usborne Pet Guides series is how to care for guinea pigs. The ideal pet guide for guinea pig owners or those dreaming about acquiring a new pet that Covers everything from choosing a guinea pig and helping it settle in, to grooming, playing and going to the vet. Thoroughly checked by experts, this book also includes internet links to specially selected websites where you can find out more about guinea pigs, including fun things to make for them and video clips of how to care for them.

FACT: Guinea pigs feel safer in a group than on their own.

Also check out Looking after Cats and KittensLooking after Dogs and Puppies and Looking after Rabbits  from the Usborne Pet Guides series.

 

Rats and Mice.

This is an ideal book offers a comprehensive look and information of how to care for pet mice and rats. This book also explores and compares the behaviour of rats and mice to that of their cousins in the wild. Complete with clear colour photography and an appealing visual layout, this book can be very appealing to young readers.

 

 

 

 If you were a Cat and If you were a dog.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a cat or a dog? How would you think? How would you sense the world around you? How would you communicate? Well, here’s your chance to read books that offer fascinating insights into the different ways that cats and dogs experience the world. Also great books to read if you are interested in finding out  information on cat/dog psychology, breeds and diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic New Fiction Books for your holiday reading!

The Extincts by Veronica Cossanteli

George loves to help out at hidden Wormestall Farm, even though it’s full of extinctly scary creatures, like the dodo in the dog bed and the dinosaurs in the duck pond. When Mortifer the giant basilisk goes missing, it’s up to George to find him before wicked taxidermist Diamond Pye can add to her stuffed animal collection …

 

 

Danny, who fell in a hole by Cary Fagan

When Danny finds himself stranded at the bottom of a giant construction hole, he makes use of the items in his backpack to get through the next few days and befriends a poetry-spouting mole.

 

 

 

Space Blasters by Philip Caveney

The mysterious Mr Lazarus has helped Kip and his father completely change the fortunes of the small local cinema they own and run – but now Stephanie a local journalist is sniffing around, wanting to know how he’s done it…With the launch party for the huge space adventure movie, “Space Blasters”, approaching, Kip is desperate to keep Stephanie away. But when Mr Lazarus himself ends up stuck inside the film at the mercy of the evil Emperor Zarkan, Kip has no choice. He has to go in after him – to a galaxy far, far away.

 

 

The Crystal Mirror by Paula Harrison

Laney’s thinks the summer’s going to be boring but how wrong she is! From the moment she sees a blood-red moon, things take a turn for the magical. For Laney is a faerie, a member of the Mist Tribe, and things are about to get exciting, and mysterious, and dangerous. Laney and her faerie friends must stop an evil Shadow Faerie finding the magical objects he needs to become all-powerful. (from Goodreads).

 

 

The Eye of Neptune By Jon Mayhew

Prince Dakkar, heir to an Indian Kingdom, has been expelled from the best schools in England.  Now he;s stuck with the mysterious Count Oginski, genius inventor of a top secret machine; the world’s first submersible.  But in a dangerous world of spies and secrecy, someone would do anything to capture Oganski’s invention.  When the count is kidnapped, Dakkar escares in the submarine, only to face  horrifying creatures of the deep, lethal giant squid, and, above all, the sinister Cryptos, who is hell-bent on taking over the world… (from book cover).

 

New Non Fiction: Amazing Series.

 

Art Smart.

Two new books, Paint it! and Make it!  from the Art Smart series has made it to our library shelves. With the school holidays just around the corner, why not check out these awesome new non fiction books, each complete with 12 inspiring projects to try out and get inspired on making  a puppet, sock snake, dino doorstop, (in Make it!) and different painting techniques such as watercolor acrylic and sgraffito (in Paint it!) I thought the project ideas in the books were fantastic, especially the activities for creating your own Picasso self portrait in Paint it! and the get well card project in Make it! These projects are a great way to beat the boredom busters during the school holidays and even better during a rainy day!

 

     

Disgusting & Dreadful Science.

Prepare to be grossed out! Prepare to be shocked and amazed! Prepare to be gut wrenched! Prepare to be enlightened! Boys and girls, the newest (and greatest) resources are here to help you with your science homework (and questions) and ideas for science fair experiments! In Ear-Splitting Sounds, you will learn the awful truth about all the yucky, painful,  disgusting and dreadful aspects of sound, not mention there are some equally gross, but interesting photos contained in this book. Gut-Wrenching Gravity contains even more disgusting facts about gravity! Covers everything from blackouts caused by g-forces to toilet-troubles in space. Glaring Light covers all the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of light. Finally Electric Shocks covers everything you need to know about the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of electricity, like whizzing electrons and static shocks to flying flies and freaky frog legs.

 

    

Animal Family Albums.

You will find books about Cats, Dogs and Horses and Ponies from this series at your local library. Each title in the Animal Family Albums series feature information about all favorite pets and animals which includes descriptions of popular breeds, facinating facts about wild relatives and a quiz to help you discover which breed you would be. The book about cats was a fantastic read. I learned a lot of interesting facts, especially  about Russian Blue cats , which are considered to be good luck and the Manx cats, which are born with either no tail or a short stumpy tail. The book about dogs contained facts about how pet dogs are descended from wolves, and like their ancestors, they like living in packs, which is made up of its human family. It was very interesting to learn while reading about horses and ponies, wild horse herds are normally led by a female and how the herds include other females, foals, a stallion and a few young males.

 

      

World Cultures.

Feel like taking an amazing journey and exploring all the different cultures the world has to offer? There are four new books exploring the  Maasai, Bushmen of Southern Africa, Polynesians and Maori  culture, from the World Culture series. These books are great resources to use that takes an educational look at cultures that are struggling to maintain their traditions in an ever-changing world, so these books are great to use if you are doing an assignment or homework on exploring issues and oppression within different cultures. Each book unveils the traditions, myths and social activities of each culture. Also includes bibliographical references and index. Great for ages 4 to 12 years.

New Non-Fiction to inspire you

The Hugo movie Companion

Hugo was an amazing film that came out in 2011 that won five Oscars. It was based on a book called The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. This brilliant book shows how you take an incredible book and make it into award winning film. This book is more in depth than your average movie guide. It includes not only interviews with the director and main cast members but also the costume, hair and set designers, as well as the cinematographer and the camera operators. So not only is it a great guide to a brilliant film, it’s also an excellent insight into the film making process.

 

 

 

 

Toy Story: the art and making of  the animated film

This is another great book that takes a close look at the making of a movie, Toy Story. It was groundbreaking back when it was released (1995!) and this book takes you through how a CGI movie is conceived and then animated. There’s lots of cool concept art to look through, and you can see how the story and the character designs changed over time.  It’s a must-read for Pixar fans.

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars Clone Wars: the visual guide to the ultimate battles

If you loved the Star Wars animated series, you’ll love this book. It discusses all the major battles in the series so far, as well as having some extra information on the characters themselves.  It doesn’t go into the making of the series, but for information about the story it can’t be beaten.

 

 

 

 

 

Knights and Castles

Although this book is aimed at young readers, it contains some useful information about what life is like for a medieval knight and how he tried to live his life. It’s interesting, but takes a bit of an optimistic view of knights. If you’re a bit older you might want to look at Terry Deary’s Horrible History book.

 

 

 

 

Rescuing Gus

Melissa Wareham always wanted a dog. So when she grew up she started working at Battersea Dogs Home, the oldest and most famous dog shelter in England.  There she meets “Gus” a part husky mongrel who’s had a bit of a rough start in life. So she adopts him, and tries to make sure he has the best life possible. Hard when he gets into a lot of trouble! This is a great book for those who are thinking about adopting pets.

 

 

 

 

 

Martha Stewart’s Favourite crafts for kids

This is a great little book that will teach you how to make 175 cool projects; everything from Terrariums to gingerbread houses.  The instructions are clear, and there’s a picture of everything you need to make the project, so everything’s easy to make.  We’ve recently gotten a whole heap of craft books: Art Lab is a cute book for preschoolers, Crafts for accessorising that look for  the fashionistas, and another ‘bumper’ book of crafty activities, 100 fantastic things to make, do, and play.