Kids Blog

Cleopatra by Adele Geras is a very interesting book! It’s written in diary style by a young girl called Nefret who went to work for Queen Cleopatra when she was 10 years old. Nefret’s diary tells of the events that happened between the years we call 41-40BCE. It’s quite gripping and I’ve learnt heaps!

History is very fascinating! Have a read and let me know what you think. Imagine being a handmaiden in a palace for a queen. Have you heard of Queen Cleopatra before? Do you already know anything about her?

I’ve just finished reading a really cool book based on the true facts of the exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, a former and famous Emperor of France. Betsy and the Emperor by Staton Rabin is very well written and very interesting! It made me want to go and read the real story that Betsy has written herself. Betsy was about 13 when Napoleon was exiled to the Island of St. Helena in 1815. He came to her parents estate ‘Briars’ to live, and she got to know him very well. This is a good read!

Sir Edmund Hillary died on the 11th of January at the age of 88. Together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay he was the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest in May 1953, the world’s highest mountain, but he wasn’t just a mountaineer and adventurer. Sir Edmund will perhaps be best remembered for his tireless humanitarian work. Visit the library catalogue to learn more about Edmund Hillary, a kiwi legend…

Did you go and see the fireworks display on the waterfront?  It was pretty spectacular, and lots of fun, but do you know why we even celebrate the 5^th of November with fireworks and bonfires?

It’s a British tradition, dating back to 1605.  A man called Guy Fawkes and his friends didn’t like the English king, James I, so they tried to blow him up, along with the Parliament buildings. Their plan was called the Gunpowder Plot. They managed to sneak 30 barrels of gunpowder into the cellar of the Houses of Parliament, but before anything exploded, they got caught, and were eventually executed for treason (that means for not being loyal to the government).
You can find more information about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot here and here, or check out the links on Kids Cat.