More great Pixar films to watch and… a special bonus Pixar surprise.

image courtesy of amazon.comThe Pixar theme continues! Here are more Pixar DVD choices to watch over the school holidays and a special bonus Pixar surprise that shows why you must go down to your local theatre and see Finding Dory!

 

 

Toy Story, 2 and 3.

image courtesy of amazon.comToy Story was the first Pixar film ever released and changed the world of animation films forever.

These films are timeless classics that takes you on a journey into the world of the secret life of toys. Join Buzz, Woody, Jessie and lots of amazing toys that unexpectedly embark on adventures that challenge and change them. These films are full of excitement, adventure and will change the way you think of toys.

 

image courtesy of amazon.comA Bug’s Life.

Life is not easy, especially if you are a bug. An inventive ant named Flik hires ‘warrior bugs’ to defend his colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers, led by Hooper. But when Flik’s cavalry turns out to be a ragtag group of circus performers, the stage is set for comic confusion …as well as unlikely heroes.

 

image courtesy of amazon.comMonsters Inc.

In the world behind our closet doors, monsters like Mike and Sulley work hard for their income. To be exact, the monster world depends on our children’s screams: It is their energy that makes lightbulbs glow and cars drive. Big companies like Monsters, Inc. collect the scream energy, and many monsters work there in shifts. In these times, it is getting harder and harder to shock the kids properly, since they’re so spoiled by television, so that there’s an energy shortage in the monster world. Sulley, the number one frightener, one day accidentally lets a human child into the monster world. Since kids are supposed to be poisonous and carry loads of diseases, pandemonium ensues. After Mike and Sulley discover that the girl they named Boo actually seems quite harmless, they decide to bring her back through her door into her room. But Boo’s presence is more than just a mere accident. Now, Mike and Sulley have to face an enemy within their own ranks.

 

image courtesy of amazon.comMonsters University.

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

 
image courtesy of amazon.comBrave.

One of my favourite Pixar films and a tribute to my Scottish ancestry. When chaos is unleashed in the kingdom as a result of Princess Merida’s actions, she must harness all of her skills and resources to break the beastly curse before it’s too late, mend bonds “torn by pride”  and discover the meaning of true bravery. If you’re not convinced that this DVD is worth watching, have a read of my review here.

 

 

 

Special Pixar bonus: (Drum roll please….)

Movie review of Finding Dory

image courtesy of amazon.com

Last weekend I went to see Finding Dory at the movies and it is in a word, FANTASTIC! Finding Dory reunites the friendly but forgetful blue tang fish, Dory, along with her friends, Marlin and Nemo on an epic quest to find Dory’s family. The questions that hangs on everyone’s lips are what does she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak whale? Favourite moments in the film include Dory as a baby – Boy, she’s adorable!, Marlin and Nemo’s encounter with the seals, Still can’t get the ‘OFFOFFOFFOFF’ aka the seal talk out of my head, Dory making new friends with Hank, an octopus with seven tentacles and who, for a guy with three hearts is very bad tempered, Dory reuniting with her childhood friend, Destiny and the odd cameo of previous characters from Finding Nemo. Overall, I loved the film! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you want to watch it over and over again. It is truly unforgettable.

A well deserved 9/10.

 

Also check out footage of Baby Dory and the Pixar short film, Piper that was released alongside and screens before Finding Dory.

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.

 

 

Top 10 Children’s Fiction May 2016

There are some terrific series in the lists for May.  Adventure, laughs and brave heroes of a young age taking on the extraordinary and the very ordinary – both can be pretty daunting!

There’s lots of reading going on with the long winter evenings, some of it will be the finalists in the New Zealand Post Book awards.  I wonder if any of these will make it into the Libraries’ Top 10??  Remember Hell Pizza are really keen to tempt you into expanding your world of imagination, wonder and delight by rewarding you with pizza!  Every seven books entitles a lucky reader (5-12 years old) to a free pizza. Yum!

 

Here’s your Top 10 novels for May 2016:

1.Diary of a wimpy kid, by Jeff Kinney

2. Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon

3. Storey Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths

4. Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford

5. Dirty Bertie series by Alan MacDonald

6. Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan

7. Ruby Redfort series by Lauren Child

8. Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce

9. The Secret Seven, by Enid Blyton

10.Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone, by J. K. Rowling

Top 10 Children’s Comics for May 2016

Join Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy and the rest of the gang in their crazy adventures in and out of school and throughout the baseball season.  Come fly with Snoopy and Woodstock as they battle the Red Barron once again!  Other school capers in Big Nate’s adventures are ready for winter adventures. Prepare your snowball skills online

1. Tintin, by Herge

2. Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz

3. Big Nate series, by Lincoln Peirce

4. Pokemon series by Hidenori Kusaka

5. Garfield, by Jim Davis

6. Adventure time, By Ryan North

7. Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi

8. Chi’s sweet home, by Kanata Konami

9. Babymouse, by Jennifer M. Holm

10. Asterix omnibus, by Goscinny and Udzero

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Children’s comics April 2016

Asterix and Obelix have new creators, Conrad and Ferri!   With the blessing of the remaining Asterix creator Albert Udzero, these two are creating some great new adventures for our Gaulish heroes.

Where do you think they will send our heroes next? Where would you set an adventure for Asterix and Obelix? Let us know in the comments.

1. Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz

2. Pokemon, by Hidenori Kusaka

3. Big Nate, by Lincoln Peirce

4. Asterix, by Goscinny and Udzero

5. Tintin, by Herge

6. Garfield, by Mark Evanier

7. Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi

8. Adventure time, by Ryan North

9. Chi’s sweet home, by Kanata Konami

10. Sonic Saga series, by Ian Flynn

 

New fiction for children – Get your hands on them now!

More new books! It’s like they are just flying in the doors simply so they can fly back out again in your hands. You know what to do… find them in your local library or seek them out on our catalogue.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsPAX by Sara Pennypacker “After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsWaiting for Callback by Perdita and Honor Cargill Geek Girl meets Fame meets New Girl in this brilliantly funny new series! When Elektra is discovered by an acting agent, she imagines Oscar glory can’t be far away, but instead lurches from one cringe-worthy moment to the next! Just how many times can you be rejected for the part of ‘Dead Girl Number Three’ without losing hope? And who knew that actors were actually supposed to be multi-lingual, play seven instruments and be trained in a variety of circus skills? Off-stage things aren’t going well either – she’s fallen out with her best friend, remains firmly in the friend-zone with her crush and her parents are driving her crazy. One way or another, Elektra’s life is now spent waiting for the phone to ring – waiting for callback. Can an average girl-next-door like Elektra really make it in the world of luvvies and starlets?

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe nine lives of Montezuma by Michael Morpurgo This is the story of the nine lives of a very special cat, from impetuous young kitten to the king of the farmyard. Wherever Montezuma goes, adventure and excitement are sure to follow.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsElectrigirl by Jo Cotterill Holly Sparkes was just your average 12-year-old, that was, until she’s hit by a bolt of lightning. Now Holly is EXTRAordinary. Like a human battery Holly can generate a massive amount of electricity in seconds, which could come in handy if she’s ever going to solve the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. Because when you’re dealing with the likes of Professor McAvity and her mysterious CyberSky corporation, you need all the help you can get!

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsJust my Luck by Cammie McGovern Since entering fourth grade, Benny Barrows worries that he will never be good at anything, that he is responsible for an accident that sent his father to the hospital, and that his attempts at winning a school contest will never be noticed.

Top 10 Children’s eBooks December 2015

eBooks are great for the holidays. The library is closed for 4 days over Christmas and  4 days over New Years, but your electronic library is always open. Overdrive and Borrow Box now both offer a return before the due date.  So for you voracious readers you can have up to 15 eBooks at one time, finish one, return and download another.

The ‘Recommended for you’ section at the bottom of the lending page will give you great ideas for more holiday reading.

If you’d like some more tips to expand your reading take a look at the Summer Reading Challenge.  Post your reviews and win prizes!

 

1. The Son of Neptune: The Heroes of Olympus Series, Book 2, by Rick Riordan

2. Game On! by Lincoln Peirce

3. The Mark of Athena: The Heroes of Olympus Series, Book 3, by Rick Riordan

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

5. Big Nate Makes a Splash, by Lincoln Peirce

6. The House of Hades: The Heroes of Olympus Series, Book 4. by Rick Riordan

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling

8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling

9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling

10. The Sword Thief: The 39 Clues Series, Book 3, by Peter Lerangis

Top 10 comics July 2015

As popular as some of the new comic series are (Adventure Time Vol. 6 has just hit the shelves) old favourites like Tintin hold their place in the running.  Long before popular film directors were making cameo appearances in their movies Hergé was adding himself into his comics.  Wondering who the blond guy with the big nose is? See if you can spot the creator in these comics.  Let us know in the comments (page number, title of comic and description of the character) and we’ll see if you agree with the experts

 

1. The complete Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz

2. Pokemon, by Hidenori Kusaka

3. Big Nate series, by Lincoln Pierce

4. Garfield, by Mark Evanier

5. Tintin, by Herge

6. Adventure time series, by Ryan North

7. Amulet series, by Kazu Kibuishi

8. Chi’s sweet home series by Kanata Konmai

9. Asterix omnibus by Goscinny and Udzero

10. Warriors series, by Dan Jolley

 

Start Term 3 with this awesome new kids’ ficiton

Check out these great new fiction titles. Get them while they are hot!

Coco Banjo is having a Yay DayImage Courtesy of Syndetics by N.J Gemmell

Coco Banjo loves her life. She sleeps in a tiger onesie, wears her mum’s diamonds just because she can, and has dolphins and penguins for friends. Today Coco’s planning a Yay Day of fun on her secret island home in the middle of Sydney Harbour. But wait . . . what’s that Secret Signal? Oh no, Narianna (known as N) is being bullied! Coco sets off for school to rescue her. But when cranky school principal Miss Trample sees Coco’s school uniform (customised, thank you very much), Coco might be in even more trouble than her best friend. How will she get out of this one?

 

 

Absolutely Almost by Lisa GraffImage Courtesy of Syndetics

Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself. First person recount.

 

 

 

Lost in the SunImage Courtesy of Syndetics by Lisa Graff

“As Trent Zimmerman struggles to move past a traumatic event that took place several months earlier, he befriends class outcast Fallon Little, who helps him understand that he can move on”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

 

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave BarryImage Courtesy of Syndetics

When the eighth grade civics class of Miami’s Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend Matt’s decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists–and it’s up to the boys to stop them.

 

 

 

Image Courtesy of SyndeticsKenny Wright Superhero by James Patterson

Kenny Wright is a sixth grade ‘Grandma’s Boy’ in a tough inner city school, struggling with bullies, schoolwork and keeping his detentions secret from his ‘G-ma’. Though in his active imagination he’s a world-famous superhero, Stainlezz Steel, who fights crime, saves lives and rescues helpless animals. But now Kenny’s neighbourhood needs him – can he step up in his real life and help his ‘G-ma’ save the best School Principal he’s ever had?

4 Fun new Fiction books for children

Image courtesy of SyndeticsSave Rafe -Middle School;6,  by James Patterson

“Middle schooler Rafe Khachadorian faces his greatest challenge yet as he struggles to complete a week-long wilderness survival course to prove to his school administrators that he can succeed”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

 

 

The Complete Adventures of Johnny Mutton Image courtesy of Syndeticsby James Proimos

The many adventures of Johnny Mutton — Johnny Mutton, he’s so him! — Mutton soup — Extras, extras, read all about it!  Presents a collection of humorous stories about Johnny Mutton, the young sheep raised as a regular boy.

 

 

 

Archie Greene and the Magician’s SecretImage courtesy of Syndetics by D. D Everest

Archie Greene has lived with his grandmother since he was a baby, but when a mysterious package arrives on his twelfth birthday with instructions to take it to a strange bookshop in Oxford, he finds himself involved with a secret society of people who protect the world’s magical books, and discovers that he has family he never knew about.

 

 

 

Emily’s Tiara Trouble Image courtesy of Syndetics– The Anti-Princess Club;1

Talented ten-year-olds Emily, Bella, Chloe and Grace are sick of teachers assuming they are helpless princesses. When maths whiz Emily Martin’s mother enters her in the local beauty pageant, it’s the last straw – the four friends form the Anti-Princess Club, with the motto We Don’t Need Rescuing. Can they use their awesome skills to show the world that girls want to be valued for more than what they see in the mirror?