New Non Fiction: Myths, Mysteries and… Time Travel!

May
07
Posted in Books, New Material
by Katie

London: A Time Traveler’s Guide.

Did you know that London is thousands years old? So when you walk through its busy streets, you are standing on top of history. Forget Doctor Who, With this guide you can travel back in time and discover all the relics of the past, ancient treasures and long forgotten buildings throughout London, England. You will find out all about  of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, Medieval times, the Tudor, the Victorians to the present day. So come on down to the library and take a fact-filled journey through the history of London, one of the world’s greatest cities.

 

 

 

A City Through Time : From Ancient Colony to Vast Metropolis.

In the mood for some more time travel? Check out this new and  stunning update of the popular original, A City Through Time. Follow the story of a city from ancient colony to vast modern metropolis with full-colour illustrations that will transport you back to another age. Reading this book may be the closest you ever get to what really goes on in a Roman bath-house, a medieval castle or a modern skyscraper. Comes complete with a photographic section that profiles great cities through history and a glossary that tells you what you need to know about architecture, technology, work and costumes throughout the ages. Great  for parents and children to look at together or for school projects.

 

Norse Myths and Legends.

This book explores the gods, goddesses, heroes, villains, tricksters, and quests that make Norse myths and legends so compelling. Forget Thor, the hero from the Marvel comics, now is the time to really study and learn all you have ever wanted to know about the Norse Mythology and the Vikings. As a bonus, you will also discover facts and information that  you didn’t know, like Thor’s favorite weapon was a magical hammer, (Okay, maybe that’s something you already knew), some gods used goats or cats to pull their chariots and gods believed rainbows could be bridges between worlds.

 

 

 

Solving Mysteries with Science.

Do you like reading about the strange  and unknown? With this new series on solving mysteries, you are in for a treat. Read all about the encounters, what scientists and other experts think and the evidence that supports the existence of  The Loch Ness Monster, Mermaids and The Bermuda Triangle.

     

 

Treasure Hunters.

Two new books from the Treasure Hunters series is now available at Wellington City Libraries. Tomb Explores explores all the tombs and treasure you will find in parts of the world such as Egypt, China and South America. You will also discover amazing facts and found out answers to questions like what sort of booby traps were hidden in Pyramids?, Why were the Terracotta Army craftsman ordered to be killed? and Where have tomb explorers used remote-controlled cameras? Great Art Thefts combines the subjects of Art, Mysteries and Crime into one resource. Read all about the great art crime capers that took place throughout history including the theft of the Mona Lisa that took place in 1911, the Boston burglary in 1990 where 13 artworks were stolen and the theft of The Scream in Norway, 1994 during the Winter Olympics.

 

  

 

 

Kids’ Club Review by Rosa: The Ogre Downstairs

May
03
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

The Ogre Downstairs, by Diana Wynne Jones

The ogre downstairs is a great book for people who love fantasy and magic. Its a story about getting to be a friend with a father that hates children and toffee bars and dust balls that come to life with a chemistry set.

5 stars

Reviewed by Rosa from Karori, 9 years old

Kids’ Club Review by Haara: Lily

May
01
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

LilyLily, by Holly Webb

Lily is a young girl who is neglected by her magician mother.
Her older sister Georgie is involved in a sinister plot to bring magic back into the country by overthrowing or in this case trying to kill the queen. Lily and her sister Georgie run away in a attempt to hide from their wicked mother and spell maid, Marten.

4 stars

Reviewed by Haara from Johnsonville, 12 years old

Kids’ Club Review by Hannah: Bliss

Apr
16
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

BlissBliss, by Kathryn Littlewood

10 year old rose has always wanted to run a bakery and know she finally has a massive opportunity to run her parents. then her creepy aunt lily comes and tries to help out, but just makes it worse, so do her brothers and sister, the recipes are not as they seem as they try them out and it all turns horribly wrong. Rose is a fun loving and happy character. This book is a very fun and cool fantasy type of book by Kathryn Littlewood, she has made the characters personallty captivating.I would recommend this to an age of 9+ kids

4 stars

Reviewed by Hannah from Kilbirnie, 12 years old

Kids’ Club Review by Michelle: A dragon’s tail

Apr
08
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

A dragon's tailA dragon’s tail, by Martin Baynton

This is about when dragon has a sore head plus he has a bad case of curly trail so Jane goes to find a plant that will made him better.

The plant that she has to find is called Skyleaf and it grows on the far side of the mountain and it loves the salt from the sea.

She soon finds it and makes him better

So if you want to find out what happens next in the story you will have to get it out from the library.

5 stars

Reviewed by Michelle from Tawa, 10 years old

Kids’ Club Review by Michelle: Three’s a crowd

Apr
08
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

Three’s a crowd, by Martin Baynton

This story is about when Dragon plays dung wars with Gunther Rake but Jane is not happy about Dragon and Gunther being friends.

Later on in the story Gunther ask Dragon if he could do some jobs for him and he dose but Dragon dose something very bad

So if you want to hear what happens in the story you will have to get the book out for the library.

5 stars

Reviewed by Michelle from Tawa, 10 years old

NZ Post Book Awards: Junior Fiction

Here are the shortlisted books for the Junior Fiction category of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards:

 

The ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi & Gregory O’Brien

Perry’s mother and father are busy people … they’re impatient, they’re tired, they get cross easily. And they think that only children, like Perry, should be kept busy. On Saturday mornings Perry and her father visit her gran, Honora Lee, at the Santa Lucia rest home, but Gran never remembers them. ‘Who is that man?’ Honora Lee asks when Perry’s father leaves the room. After movement class is abruptly cancelled, Perry is allowed to go to Santa Lucia on Thursday afternoons. She discovers her Gran has an unconventional interest in the alphabet, so Perry decides to make an alphabet book with the help of Honora and the others. Soon everyone is interested in Perry’s book project.

 

The Queen and the Nobody Boy (A Tale of Fontania) by Barbara Else

Hodie is the unpaid odd-job boy at the Grand Palace in the Kingdom of Fontania. Fed-up, he decides to leave and better himself. The young Queen, 12-year-old Sibilla, is fed-up too. Sick of gossip about her lack of magical ability, she decides to run away with Hodie, whether he likes it or not.

This is the sequel to The Travelling Restaurant.

 

 

My Brother’s War by David Hill

It’s New Zealand, 1914, and the biggest war the world has known has just broken out in Europe. William eagerly enlists for the army but his younger brother, Edmund, is a conscientious objector and refuses to fight. While William trains to be a soldier, Edmund is arrested. Both brothers will end up on the bloody battlefields of France, but their journeys there are very different. And what they experience at the front line will challenge the beliefs that led them there.

 

 

Red Rocks by Rachael King

While holidaying at his father’s house, Jake explores Wellington’s wild south coast, with its high cliffs, biting winds, and its fierce seals. When he stumbles upon a perfectly preserved sealskin, hidden in a crevice at Red Rocks, he’s compelled to take it home and hide it under his bed, setting off a chain of events that threatens to destroy his family. Red Rocks takes the Celtic myth of the selkies, or seal people, and transplants it into the New Zealand landscape, throwing an ordinary boy into an adventure tinged with magic

 

 

Uncle Trev and His Whistling Bull by Jack Lasenby

More humorous stories of life on the farm with Uncle Trev and his family set in New Zealand during the 1930′s.

There are many other Uncle Trev books. Why not try the first book called ‘Uncle Trev‘ or Uncle Trev and the Treaty of Waitangi, or  Uncle Trev’s Teeth and Other Stories?

 

 

 

From these 5 great books a winner will be announced on June 24th. You can vote for a winner too – in the Children’s Choice Award (and you’ll go in the draw to win $500 of book vouchers for you and your school).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids’ Club Review by georgia: The neverending story

Apr
02
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

The neverending storyThe neverending story, by Michael Ende

A action packed book , full of enchanted and perilous pages. When Bastian steals a book and hides away to read it he finds in a dyeing world. Age 10 or over.

4 stars

Reviewed by georgia from Island Bay, 7 years old

Kids’ Club Review by Tia: Northwood

Apr
02
Posted in Kids Club Reviews
by adrienne

NorthwoodNorthwood, by Brian Falkner

Northwood is about a girl called Cecelia Undergarmat and her adventure in the northwood forest. The forest is made out of thick black tarblood trees and humoungous black lions! Cecelia finds herself lost but soon finds saftey in a old castle,but will she make it out of northwood with twice as much lions as before? Read the book to find out!

5 stars

Reviewed by Tia from Miramar, 10 years old

Top 10 fiction for March

Mar
28
Posted in Top 10
by adrienne

Here are the most popular children’s fiction books for March. How many have you read?

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

2. Conspiracy 365 series by Gabrielle Lord

3. Dirty Bertie by Alan MacDonald

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling (HP is still popular!)

5. Where’s Wally series by Martin Handford

6. Captain Underpants and the Big Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy (part 1 and 2) by Dav Pilkey

7. Judy Moody and Stink series by Megan McDonald

8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

9. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
10. Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child