6 New Non Fiction to read in the new year.

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first junior non fiction blog post of 2018! Featured are books all about science experiments, a follow up of successful women who changed the world and made history, history at its most horrible and entertainment thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndetics365 Weird Wonderful Science Experiments.

Whether you’re making your own slime, rockets, crystals, and hovercrafts or performing magic (science!) tricks and using science to become a secret agent, this book has something for every type of curious kid. Each experiment features safety precautions, materials needed, step-by-step instructions with illustrations, fun facts, and further explorations.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsMore girls who rocked the world.

“From the inspiring author of Girls Who Rocked the World comes another comprehensive collection of true, inspiring profiles of successful young women throughout history who made their mark on the world before turning twenty. Young women today crave strong, independent role models to look to for motivation. In the follow-up to the bestseller Girls Who Rocked the World, More Girls Who Rocked the World offers a fun and uplifting collection of influential stories with forty-five more movers and shakers who made a difference before turning twenty. From Annie Oakley and Queen Victoria to Malala Yousafzai and Adele–each with her own incredible story of how she created life-changing opportunities for herself and the world–you’ll get to know these capable queens of empires and courageous icons of entertainment. Also included are profiles of gutsy teenagers who are out there rocking the world right now and personal aspirations from today’s young women”– Provided by publisher. Also check out Girls who rocked the world.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Big Earth Book.

Planet Earth. Four elements. Once incredible story. Get ready for a roller-coaster ride through history, geography, science and more. Take an amazing journey into the planet’s past and discover how four elements — earth, fire, air and water — created the world and everything that exists today. This book combines amazing facts with stunning photography and hand-drawn illustrations to bring our planet and its past to life in an exciting and engaging way.

IMAGE COURTESY OF SYNDETICSF2 Football Academy.

Take your football skills to the next level with the world’s biggest football YouTubers, the F2.F2: Football Academy features the greatest players, the biggest teams, and most jaw-dropping moments from across the football world, and teaches the skills and the tekkers it takes to be the best!Want step-overs like Sanchez? Or a pile-driver like Ibrahimovic? Or quick-feet like Messi? Let the F2 show you how. Filled with tips and hacks, as well as the inside track on your favourite stars: Pogba, Suarez, Aguero and the rest. With a free app that brings the book to life and shows you how to turbo-charge your tekkers, there’s not a moment to lose open, read, learn, download and get out on the pitch and practice. Love, peace and tekkers.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe last Jedi : the visual dictionary.

This book presents a guide to the characters, droids, aliens, and creatures of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” with details on costumes, weapons, and accessories.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsHorrible Histories: 25th Anniversary Yearbook.

This is a must-have for all Horrible Histories fans. Packed with foul facts, gory games, dreadful jokes, quick quizzes and putrid puzzles, it’s a yearbook with rat-itude! Discover all the dreadful details about your favourite eras of history from the Rotten Romans, to the Terrible Tudors and the Gorgeous Georgians to the Woeful World Wars. History has never been so horrible!

 

Wonders of the World!

There are so many awesome things to discover about our world.

The land we live on, the animals that share it, different cultures, ancient times, volcanoes, earthquakes and World Wars. Not to mention us!  Now that is a very interesting and complicated topic.

The National Geographic Kids website is a great place to visit and just have fun discovering all sorts of interesting things about our planet and everything on and in it.  We can even go a little bit further and explore space and beyond. For instance I discovered that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. That’s at least a billion trillion. Wow – amazing.  I also learnt that a new skyscraper goes up in China every 5 days and that all the blood in my body travels through my heart every minute.

I love this website – there are so many great and interesting things to discover.

You also might like to check out these great books on some of the very special places and interesting things about our world.

 


 

 

5 new children’s non fiction to read in term 3.

Here is your chance to discover a hidden world beneath the surface of things. Whether it is what goes on deep within the bowels of a city, what is really going on inside the human body. Or even what is going on right outside your backyard.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking under the city.

Tall building and bright lights. Honking  and cool water fountains. This is what a city looks like above ground. But what wonders lie beneath? Let’s go below the streets and take a peek.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking under your skin.

Arms, leg and a big smile. Waving hands and dancing feet. This is what a person looks like from the outside. But what wonders lie inside? Let’s go below your skin and take a peek!

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking Underground.

Leafy trees and green grass. Chirping birds and children playing games. This is what the earth looks like above ground.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsEgyptian Mummy: The Embalmer’s Handbook.

Prepared to be dazzled and spellbound the glorious mysteries of ancient Egypt. Read this and discover a civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and discover how they embalmed their dead. Contains beautiful illustrations, a guide to Egyptian coffins, ‘true or false’ quizzes, and a spectacular gatefold image of the River Nile.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsThe beginners guide to netball.

Willing to bring out your inner Silver Fern? This check out this fantastic beginners guide to netball. This book features the basic skills every netballer should be familiar with, no matter what their position. Read about the story of netball as well as Maria’s own journey to becoming an international netball superstar.

 

 

 

New Non Fiction: Encyclopedias and Handbooks galore!

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe childrens encyclopedia of dinosaurs : begin to discover the amazing prehistoric world.

This encyclopedia is a great introduction about the incredible time of dinosaurs. Truly lives up to its expectations providing amazing facts and awesome pictures. Great resource to use for homework on dinosaurs and prehistoric period.

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsThe childrens encyclopedia of oceans : begin to discover the amazing underwater world.

Dive in and take an amazing voyage of discovery and exploration by reading this fantastic encyclopedia that tells you anything and everything about ocean life. With easy to understand text and remarkable photography, you will be able to unlock the secrets of the sea.

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsTop 10 For Boys 2014.

Breaking news, Boys! Here is a book that holds the coolest collection of facts, feats and fun things for boys to do! From the 10 greatest superhero movies and 10 most successful video games, to the  10 deadliest animals and 10 tallest roller coasters this book will simply amaze you! – I for one am simply amazed!

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Big Book of Awesome Animals.

Get ready to go on a journey where you will uncover the bizarre behaviour and horrid habits of the world’s most unusual creatures. I have to say, they don’t call this “The Big Book of Awesome Animals.” for nothing. You are bound to find information to all the tough and queasy questions you have about your favourite animals.

 

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsWhats where in the world.

There is one word for this book – Awesome! This unique visual encyclopaedia is literately planet earth as you have never seen it. By reading this book, you will take a unique tour of Planet Earth and find out what goes where in the world. Covers diverse topics in six chapters on Geography, Nature, People, History, Arts & Entertainment and Science & Technology, as well as anything and everything from shipwrecks and castles to wildlife and hurricanes,  fantastic picture maps that show you what’s where in the world, the world’s tallest buildings, longest rivers, most dangerous earthquake spots and even where you can find animals that glow! I was very impressed with the world maps. I felt they presented a very clear account of world geography. This book is  perfect for school projects in the areas of geography, nature, history and technology projects.

 

 

The Real Wonders of the World.image courtesy of syndetics

Ready to see the real wonders of the world? This book is just the ticket! Get ready to go on a journey of discovery to find the most awe-inspiring places and experiences on the planet, from the Empire State Building to Death Valley, Dubai’s wonder worlds, and Egypt’s Great Pyramids. Combines traditional world wonders with the ‘real’ wonders of their world. Even better, this is a book not for parents. Great for ages 8-12 year olds.

 

Earth in 30 seconds!

Are you feeling under pressure?

Did you know the weight of the air in the atmosphere presses down on everything on the Earth, including you.

This is air pressure. It varies all the time. Lows are areas of low pressure, with the lowest pressure in the centre. Highs are areas of high pressure, with the highest pressure in the centre. Lows usually bring wet, cloudy weather and Highs usually bring sunny, dry weather. So poor old Wellington has been getting a lot of low pressure recently.

 

 

Try this 3 minute mission Air-pressure trick.

You need:

  • One piece of card (7.5 x 12.5 cm)
  • A glass
  • Water
  1. Fill the glass a third full with water.
  2. Wet the lip of the glass and cover the top with the card. Hold the card in place.
  3. Take the glass to the sink and turn it upside down. Carefully, take your hand away.
  4. What happens? The force of air pressure against the card should hold the card in place.

Earth in 30 seconds has 30 amazing topics for Earth explorers explained in half a minute and there are lots of exciting mini-mission to test facts or find out more.

So explore the earth’s structure, learn about the season, understand volcanoes, earthquakes, wild weather and discover our watery world.

Odd Stuff: Volcano creates a new island

A volcanic eruption has created a new island in the sea South of Tokoyo, Japan.

The island hasn’t been named yet (the Japanese Government is waiting to see if it sticks around or sinks back into the sea), but it’s 200m wide and is just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, which is also known as the Bonin Islands.

The Japanese Coast Guard managed to grab some incredible footage of the island:

 

Volcanoes are cool, and we have heaps of them in and around NZ, so it pays to know a bit about them…

 

Weird and Wonderful New Non-Fiction

Unusual Creatures: a mostly accurate account of some of the world’s strangest animals

Amateur biologists, this one’s for you! While some of the ‘facts’ are rather tongue in cheek (I’m sure we’re all aware that P Diddy is not an expert on puffer fish) the majority of the information in this book is really interesting. For starters, it explains Biological Classification, which is a way of organising different types of animals. It then shows how each animal is classified under this system.  But the main attraction is the weird and wonderful creatures contained within. From the Flying Snake to the Jesus Christ Lizard (so called because it can walk on water) this book will tell you all about Mother Nature’s more odd creations.

 

 

 

The Magic School Bus inside the Earth

This one’s a classic…I remember the Magic School Bus books from when I was a kid! But the information’s as fresh and as useful as ever. It’s  a cross between a picture book and a science book, so it’s  good for younger readers.  What’s really handy is the pronunciation guide at the back!

 

 

 

 The Alien Hunter’s Handbook

This may seem a little bit “out there” but this book is extremely useful! The beginning of the book defines exactly what constitutes “life” is, talks about what the stars are made of, and how life on earth is supported by water, the sun, and the intricate web of plants and animals that feed off each other to survive.  It’s a book that’s more about the hard science behind what life on other planets might look like, rather than your average book about alien abductions, little grey men and flying saucers.

 

 

 

 

Drawing the villains in your graphic novel 

To write a proper story you need conflict; and if you’re writing a superhero story then you need a proper villain. This book will show how to draw many different types of villains, from the Wicked Warlord to the Mad Scientist to the Evil Queen. This isn’t a book for those who’ve just started out drawing their own comics, but if you’ve got a bit more experience then this should be a handy source of inspiration.

 

 

 

The Soul Bird

“Inside the soul, right in the very middle of it, there’s a bird standing on one foot. This is the soul bird…” This is an excellent book for understanding what is means to have a soul, using simple language and pictures to discuss very complex ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

Universe: journey into deep space

Another great book for the astronomers among you. This beautiful book will explain the wide universe beyond our tiny solar system. It talks about what different types of planet there are, and what you might find on them, depending on their proximity to the nearest star. It also looks at what happens to stars when they burn out. The reference section at the back is also very good. The illustrations are beautiful and it manages to convey just how big the universe really is and how we know so little about what lies beyond our (tiny) galaxy.

 

World of discovery: new non-fiction

New non-fiction that reaches from the sky to the deepest depths.

 

Rocks and Minerals

Whether they are igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic, this little book is crammed full of facts about different types of rocks and minerals. Do you want to know the difference between the types of rock? Read this book to find out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Sky

Have you ever looked into the night sky and wondered what exactly you were seeing? This book will explain everything you need to know about watching the stars. It’s got some amazing pictures of deep space; the picture of the butterfly nebula is particularly beautiful.  There are star maps for both hemispheres, so wherever you are, you can look up and map the constellations. There’s plenty of information on the constellations, too; where they are, when you can see them and how they got their names.  If you have an interest in astronomy or just want to know more about the stars, then this is definitely the book for you.

 

 

Get the scoop on animal poop! : from lions to tapeworms, 251 cool facts about scat, frass, dung & more! 

If you’re easily grossed out, you’d better avoid this book! If you’ve got a strong stomach, then this book has got some surprisingly interesting facts about what comes out of the wrong end of our feathered, furry and scaly friends. For example, did you know that the waste material of insects is called frass? Grasshoppers and other insects have complete digestive systems, just like humans, which means they have to get rid of waste the same way.

 

 

 

53 ½  things that changed the world and some that didn’t

This is a hilarious book that talks about the great inventions of human history…and those that weren’t so great. It goes through the history of each ‘thing’…I like the pages on the development of the toilet. As well as talking about the printing press, telephones, guns and antibiotics, this has some really funny information about chewing gum, the miniskirt and the sandwich. But really, what would a school lunch be without a sandwich?

 

 

 

 

Darkest Depths and other Underground Megastructures

Find out about everything that happens underground in mines and tunnels. This interesting books will let you know all about the biggest underground projects and what it’s like working underground. Explore the dangers and find out what’s going to happen in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little book of slime

This is another book you might want to avoid if you’re easily grossed out! From jellyfish to the Banana slug, this book has information on all sorts of slimy creatures and plants, whether on land or in the water.

 

 

 

 

When dinos dawned, mammals got munched, and Pterosaurs took flight : a cartoon pre-history of life in the Triassic 

That’s the coolest (and the longest) book title I’ve seen in a while. But never mind that; this book will tell you all about what life was like before the dinosaurs ruled the earth.  After erupting volcanoes  caused mass extinctions, dinosaurs were just one of the many forms of life that got started in the Triassic period. With its great illustrations and amazing facts, this is a great book about a period of time that isn’t often discussed.

In September 2010, the San Jose copper mines in Chile sustained a serious but not unpredicted cave-in that trapped 33 miners 700m below the earth’s surface. This book is an amazing and exciting account about how the men survived underground for 69 days and how they were rescued.