Kids Blog

What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio is a fascinating book.

The authors visited 25 families in 21 countries and recorded everything they ate in one week.  That was 525 meals. Some of the countries visited were India, Mexico, Greenland, Poland, Mali, United States, China and Australia.

There are large photos of a week’s food spread out so you can really have a good nosey at what they ate. You may be surprised at how many brands you recognise. Some have lots of meat while others have many vegetables. Some are mainly packaged . They also calculated the cost per week which of course varied significantly depending on the wealth of the nation. There are lots of great photos of the families cooking and shopping plus features and facts on life expectancy, literacy and fast foods.

Duncan read the book There’s a Worm on My Eyeball by Adam Taor. It tells you where the best place to live is plus lots of details of stuff living inside you as well. He likes it for because it has lots of information about insects. He gives it a 100% rating.

Benjamin read the book Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. He really liked the action filled book specially when they get attacked by fire breathing metal bulls. It is truly an exciting book with lots of adventure. He gives it 10 out of 10.

Georgia read another Percy Jackson series, which is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. She found the book really good and truly awesome because it has lots of fighting and real adventure. She gave it a 9 out of 10.

Nathaniel liked The Complete Peanuts comic book because it was very funny. He gave it a 9.75 out of 10.

Waving in the wind, a flag may not seem like a code. But hidden in the stripes, stars, suns, moon, and colours of the world’s flags are the keys to understanding different countries’ shared histories and cherished ideals. Like the New Zealand flag – the Union Jack  shows us as being  part of the former British colony and the Southern Cross is our most commonly known constellation. So check out Flags of the World and learn how flags can reveal major insights into another country’s background and culture.

You’re just a kid, right? So what can you do to change the world? Well then check out Teach your Granny to Text & other ways to change the world. This book was created by thousands of children but it has to be finished by one person in particular (you!). You can test your teacher, make a pizza, walk your dad and sticker the street.  All these things you can do to help other people or our planet. So get out there and inspire people to use everday actions to change the world.

If you like the Henry’s House series, then this is another book for you. It’s called Creepy Crawlies by Philip Ardagh. It is like every other Henry’s House book, packed with fun facts about all the types of creepy crawlies you can imagine. There are lots of cool illustrations as well. Would you like to know what the world’s most dangerous insect is?  It is the mosquito. Now you would have to read the book to find out why. Check it out at the children’s non fiction area with the call number J 592 ARD. Enjoy!

I just love reading about interesting facts - things that are strange and weird and things that are wonderful and amazing. You can learn new facts about everyday animals and things that you would never have considered. For instance, did you know that the blue whale has a heart the size of a small car and that some of the major arteries in the whale a five year old child could crawl through? I think that is incredible. Or did you know that you grow faster in the first two years of your life than you do at any other time, and that as people get older they sometimes start to shrink? There are some great books in the library about this kind of stuff but check out Really Big Stuff for some super size stuff to expand your brain.

We would never get caught with our pants down even if we are wearing our best underwear, but have you ever wondered how it got there? I came upon this cool and information-packed book entitled How Underwear Got Under There by Kathy Shaskan and was really amazed at the history of underwear. Our underpants are the descendants of a  funny little garment called the loincloth. Much like the ones you’ve seen Tarzan wearing! I found out that before the mid 1800s underwear did not come in sizes because it was handsewn and fitted for a particular person. There are a lot more cool facts in the book so go and check it out at children’s non fiction area the call number is J 391.42 SHA. Happy reading!

Have you ever considered your body as some kind of awesome machine? You’ll be surprised by how many machine-like terms can be associated with the human body functions. Examples would be body framework and motors or automatic air inlet/exhaust system. Has that perked up your curiosity? The Body Owner’s Handbook (a Horrible Science book) by Nick Arnold looks at the human body in an interesting light. It has funny illustrations and I found it very interesting how the human body functions were turned into some kind of high technology machine. Do check it out at the children’s non fiction area with the call number J612 ARN. Happy reading!

You will never be bored again after checking out How to eat a huhu grub. This book is jam-packed with weird and wonderful ways to keep your jaded mind electrified. Have a go at making your own paper with sheep poo, launch a drink bottle 60 metres into the air, or what about making a water bomb from a piece of paper? It’s full of mad, cool and dangerous ideas for Kiwis who like doing stuff.

Ever wondered what it was like when Captain Cook was sailing around? Want to understand Ancient Greece? History is fascinating…… battles, glorious empires, revolting revolutions, monstrous monarchs and so much more….. Chart the progress of World War 2 from inside a bunker. You will love Take me back. Read this book and become a history pro!