Our Place in Space: October School Holiday Events

World Space Week – Libraries blast off! 

This year, our October school holiday programming coincides with World Space Week, which runs from October 4-10. This year, the international theme is ‘space and sustainability.’

Space-themed events at at your library!

To celebrate, Wellington City Libraries has a suite of events across our library branches (visit our event calendar for the full list — note that some events require registration):

  • Let’s Go Lego®: The Final Frontier – Put your creative skills to the test to design and build your space-bound masterpieces. Recommended for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
  • Whānau movie screenings – join us for a range of space-themed family friendly titles at sites including Newtown, Te Awe, Johnsonville, and Wadestown.
  • Crafting and design sessions:
    • He Matapihi Library is hosting Space Suit of the Future on 12 October, along with space themed Craftivity sessions on 8 and 15 October!
    • Over at Te Awe, we have Make Your Own Planet sessions on 6 and 12 October, along with Space Rockets on 5 and 11 October!
    • Tawa has the awesome ‘Personal Space!’ Clay Workshop For Kids on 7 October, prepared for young space cadets!
  • Ozobot Stellar Journeys – Join us at Kilbirnie or Cummings Park library for stellar journeys with our Ozobot coding robots!
  • Outer Space Preschool Storytimes –  Join us for special session of space themed stories, to celebrate World Space Week 2022! Some sites will also offer space-themed Baby Rock and Rhyme for your wee one!
  • Ukulele Universe – get in quick to sign up for an introductory ukulele session with our Johnsonville Library instruments and talented staff! Sessions are coming up on 6 and 13 October.
  • Star Stitching – Embroider your constellation and mount it on card! Recommended for children (10+) accompanied by parents, or young adults (14+), but open to all. Events are at Johnsonville Library on 9 and 16 October.
  • Experience VR ISS: International Space Station – suitable for older kids and teens using our Oculus Quest 2s and Oculus Rifts at Miramar, Karori, and Te Awe.

Other special events during the October School Holidays!

Storytime with Alan Wade

Storytime with local author Alan Wade – Alan Wade, author of ‘Grandma and Grandpa Save the Day, is joining us for a very special storytime! Alan and his daughter will do a reading of the book, followed by a little craft activity based on the book’s illustrations! All ages welcome to come along to Cummings Park Library on 13 October at 11:00am.

Spanish Language Storytime – This holidays, join us for a special Spanish language storytime! Fun and interactive stories in Spanish, and crafts for pre-schoolers, kids and the whole whānau. All ages welcome to come along to Karori Library on 4 October at 10:30am.

Bee Curious Bee Curious: Learn about Bees with Eva the Apiarist – Local apiarist (bee keeper & enthusiast), Eva, is coming to Wadestown library on 6 October, to run a wonderful practical session about bees for children and their whānau! Registration is required: please register your interest with Louise Davies by email (louise.davies@wcc.govt.nz)


Poetry Workshop – Come along and learn some poetry techniques with the wonderful Wadestown crew!

Recommended for ages 5 – 12 with their caregivers.

Takes place on 3 – 4PM on Monday 10  October!


Keep an eye out on our event calendar as more events arise (and maybe learn about Lego® sessions for parents and  adults too!)

 

April School Holidays: General Nerdery!

The April school holidays are only two weeks away! This year, Wellington City Libraries is inviting you to join us for General Nerdery all through the holiday period, from the 17th of April to the 2nd of May.

Everyone has something they’re nerdy about, our librarians included. For some, it’s tech-y stuff like robots and VR that get them going; for others, it might be comic books or movies; some of the more adventurous among us don armour, shield and sword for fantasy adventures in games like Dungeons and Dragons. Whatever you get nerdy about, there’s something for you at your local library during the April school holidays! If you’re a bit older, don’t worry — there’s plenty on for teens too. Click here for the lowdown on what’s on for teens! If you want to see the entire event calendar, click here. If you’re a kid — read on!

Child wearing denim dungarees and a makeshift visor with a cardboard jetpack standing next to a cardboard robot, surrounded by images of planets, aliens, and stars. Text: "Join us this school holidays for General Nerdery, 17 April to 2 May"

Join us for nerdy events you can really sink your teeth into!

Board Game Builders

Whether you’ve been dreaming up your own version of Snakes and Ladders, or have a whole new tabletop game world in mind, this event is for you! Join us at Te Awe Library to learn about how your can use our special templates to build your own custom board game that you can then take home and play with your friends and family! All materials will be supplied.

Board Games Builders is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Friday 23 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

City Nature Challenge: Wellington Bioblitz!

Throughout the holidays, people from all over the world are participating in the City Nature Challenge! Wellington is teeming with wildlife, from the mountains to the sea. You can get involved in the City Nature Challenge Wellington Bioblitz using the iNaturalist app — just take a picture of a plant or animal you find and upload it to the app! Click here to join in on the fun, and don’t forget to pick up a special City Nature Challenge activity sheet from your local library during the holidays.

Crazy Collages

Have you ever looked at an old book or magazine and thought, “This would really look a lot better if I tore it apart and made it into art?” We have, too! Come along to Te Awe Library and join our librarians in repurposing some old magazines into beautiful works of art that you can be proud of.

Crazy Collages is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Wednesday 28 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

El’s Party!

To celebrate the end of the school holidays, you are invited to a special party right here in the library! Do you want to play party games? Do you enjoy dance and song? Then grab your brown-up, bring them to Te Awe Library, and be prepared to have entirely too much fun with El, our very own party librarian!

El’s Party is perfect for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Thursday 29 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

Embroider Your Own Patch

Join us at Johnsonville Library during the school holidays to learn how to embroider your own patch that you can sew onto your clothes, schoolbag, or jacket! Wear your nerdy finery with pride and chill with like-minded folks in the library while picking up a new skill. Materials will be provided, and registrations are not required.

Embroider Your Own Patch is suitable for children aged 9+ with their caregivers.

  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm
  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm

Experience VR

Virtual reality (VR) offers us a new and exciting way to learn about and experience the world around us. From 3D painting and virtual sculpting to exploring some of the world’s most extreme locations, this is your opportunity to experience VR from the safety and comfort of your local library.

Experience VR! is suitable for children aged 9+ accompanied by their caregivers, and teens of all ages.

  • Karori Library, Tuesday 20 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
  • Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, Thursday 29 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm

Family Movie Afternoon

Bring a cushion and a bottle of water and relax at our FREE, fun family movie afternoons — popcorn will be supplied! All movies chosen will have a G rating, and are suitable for families with young children. Contact the host library to find out which movies are screening!

Family Movie Afternoons are suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Monday 19 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
  • Karori Library, Wednesday 28 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
  • Te Awe Library, Friday 30 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

Fort Night

Fancy yourself a builder, engineer, architect, or artist? Join us at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library to put your skills to the test by helping us turn the library’s children’s and teens sections into a magnificent, interconnected box fort! Drop in and have a go, or stay for the whole time and watch your masterpiece take shape, from foundation to parapet.

Fort Night is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers, and teens of all ages.

  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 22 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm
  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 29 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm

LEGO® Time

Come down to the library and get creative in these free-build sessions with our extensive LEGO® collections. Builders of all ages and experience levels are welcome to get stuck in.

LEGO® Time is suitable for children aged 5+ and their caregivers, and everyone is welcome.

  • Te Awe Library, Sunday 18 April, 11.00am – 12.00pm
  • Te Awe Library, Thursday 22 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
  • Te Awe Library, Tuesday 27 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
  • Te Awe Library, Sunday 2 May, 11.00am – 12.00pm

Let’s Go LEGO®

Let’s build — let’s explore — let’s create! Come along to your local library to create your LEGO® masterpiece. At Let’s Go LEGO® your brickish nerdery will be put to the test as you work your way through our special themed challenges.

Let’s Go LEGO® is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Karori Library, Saturday 17 April, 2.00 – 3.00pm
  • Newtown Library, Monday 19 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
  • Brooklyn Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2 – 3:30pm
  • Miramar Library, Thursday 22 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm

Plus, come along for a special ‘under the sea’ themed LEGO® building session at Wadestown Library:

  • Wadestown Library, Wednesday 21 April, 3.00 – 5.00pm

Meet the Robots

Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a robot? Join us at Te Awe Library to meet some of our resident library robots, find out how they work, and then try your hand at programming them! No prior coding knowledge is required.

Meet the Robots is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Wednesday 21 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

Myths and Music

The magic of storytelling takes many forms, and myths and legends in many parts of the world have often been told through music. Join our librarians for a musical journey through Celtic and Maori mythology — and be prepared to make some noise of your own!

Myths and Music is suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.

  • Johnsonville Library, Friday 23 April, 3.00 – 4.00pm
  • Johnsonville Library, Friday 30 April, 3.00 – 4.00pm

Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop

Johnsonville Library is excited to work with VIVITA Aotearoa to bring this VIVISTOP Mini pop-up programme to the library. During this 5-day workshop, you will learn about the concepts of design thinking, engage in creative problem solving, learn to use software and hardware and other tools in the library’s Tūhura HIVE Makerspace, and then apply these lessons to the creation of a board game centred around the theme of conservation.

This workshop is FREE. Space is limited to 15 participants. Click here to register. Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop is suitable for young creators aged 9-15.

  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April to Saturday 1 May inclusive, 10.00am – 12.00pm

Paper Plane Cloudracers

Join us at Te Awe Library to bring your aeronautic dreams to life as paper planes! Learn new designs, construct your plane, then see how your design fares against our librarians in the paper plane aviation race of the century. All materials will be supplied.

Paper Plane Cloudracers is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

  • Te Awe Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

6 New books to read before the year ends.

Check out the latest junior comics and non fiction at Wellington City Libraries. Grab them before the year ends.

Enjoy!

Junior Comics:

Mighty Jack and Zita The Spacegirl.

Teaming up with new friend Zita the spacegirl, Jack and Lilly confront an army of dangerous giants and screeds ready to lay siege to Earth and determined to end all human life.

Monkey & Robot.

Presents four stories about best friends Monkey and Robot, who celebrate Robot’s Built-Day, face an exterminator, take care of a parakeet, and learn important things about babies.

Minecraft: Stories from the overworld.

With tales of witch and pillager rivals finding common ground, a heartless griefer who bit off more than they could chew, and valiant heroes new (or not!) to the Overworld, this anthology tells tales that span the world of Minecraft. Featuring stories from star writers Hope Larson, Kevin Panetta, Rafer Roberts, and Ian Flynn and exciting artists Meredith Gran and more, this collection brings together stories from all realms, leaving no block unturned!

 

Junior Non Fiction:

Gardening with Emma.

Gardening with Emma is a kid-to-kid guide to growing healthy food and raising the coolest, most awesome plants while making sure there’s plenty of fun. With plants that tickle and make noise, tips for how to grow a flower stand garden, and suggestions for veggies from tiny to colossal, Emma offers a range of original, practical, and entertaining advice and inspiration.


Children’s first cookbook.

Whip up some yummy treats this Christm with Children’s first cookbook.With recipes for scrummy scrambled eggs, funny face pizzas and a chocolate sundae surprise, Annabel Karmel shows how, togetehr with mum and dad, you can create food that’s delicious and good for you too.Dinosaur Hunter.


Dinosaur Hunter.

The true story of paleontologist Joan Wiffen, whose fossil discoveries proved that dinosaurs lived in ancient New Zealand. In picture book format.

 

7 new children’s non-fiction for the start of 2019

Hi Kids! Check out more new non fiction in the junior collection to read in 2019. Books featured in this post include information about Robots, the lady, (Spoiler: Mary Shelley), who wrote a famous novel about a zombie, (Spoiler: Frankenstein), and so much more!

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndeticsHubots : real-world robots inspired by humans.

“Robots that look, act and think like humans are no longer the stuff of science fiction – they actually exist in the real world! Hubots explores the characteristics of 10 human-like robots, examines the challenges of integrating them into society and offers a sneak peek at the next generation.”–Page [4] of cover.


image courtesy of sydneticsDivorce is the worst.

“”How can you not love a children’s author who sees so clearly from her reader’s point of view?”–Julie Bowen, actress, Modern Family, “This book provides, through honest language and evocative imagery, a uniquely realistic view of how children experience divorce. While neither softening or white-washing this difficult topic, Higginbotham offers an ultimately comforting message to parents and children experiencing separation and divorce.”-Lisa Spiegel, LMHC, Soho Parenting, NYCKids are told, “it’s for the best”-and one day, it may be. But right now, divorce is the worst. With honesty and humor, Anastasia Higginbotham beautifully conveys the challenge of staying whole when your entire world, and the people in it, split apart. The first children’s book to tackle divorce from a child-validating point of view, Divorce Is the Worst is an invaluable tool for families, therapeutic professionals, and divorce mediators struggling to address this common and complex experience. Divorce Is the Worst is the first book in a series of feminist children’s books, Ordinary Terrible Things, which deals with common childhood crises and how children themselves find their own way to cope and grow. Anastasia Higginbotham is a writer and illustrator in Brooklyn, NY, whose childhood experience of divorce inspired this book”– Provided by publisher.


image courtesy of syndeticsGirls’ home spa lab : all-natural recipes, healthy habits, and feel-good activities to make you glow.

“For today’s active, plugged-in girls ages 9 to 13, finding healthy ways to unwind and de-stress is an important part of well-being. Girls’ Home Spa Lab is packed with all-natural recipes, activities, and tips for self-care and relaxation specially designed for tweens. From homemade facial steams and hair masks to foot soaks, tub teas, and body balms, the 50 head-to-toe recipes can be easily made from ingredients found in the kitchen cupboard, like honey, oats, and coconut oil. Girls will also learn how to soothe themselves with easy yoga poses, homemade sleep tea, and natural remedies for a headache, stuffy nose, or sore throat. Maya Pagán’s upbeat voice encourages girls to explore their creativity and develop self-confidence while having fun mixing up their own spa treatments.”– Provided by publisher.


image courtesy of syndeticsMary who wrote Frankenstein.

How does a story begin? Sometimes it begins with a dream, and a dreamer. Mary is one such dreamer, a little girl who learns to read by tracing the letters on the tombstone of her famous feminist mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and whose only escape from her strict father and overbearing stepmother is through the stories she reads and imagines. Unhappy at home, she seeks independence, and at the age of sixteen runs away with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, another dreamer. Two years later, they travel to Switzerland where they meet a famous poet, Lord Byron. On a stormy summer evening, with five young people gathered around a fire, Byron suggests a contest to see who can create the best ghost story. Mary has a waking dream about a monster come to life. A year and a half later, Mary Shelley’s terrifying tale, Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus, is published — a novel that goes on to become the most enduring monster story ever and one of the most popular legends of all time. A riveting and atmospheric picture book about the young woman who wrote one of the greatest horror novels ever written and one of the first works of science fiction, Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein is an exploration of the process of artistic inspiration that will galvanize readers and writers of all ages.


image courtesy of syndetics

Cool builds in Minecraft

Teaches players how to build fifty different objects in Minecraft, including houses, vehicles, farms, and castles.


image courtesy of syndetics2019 Game On!

Learn all about the hottest games like Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite and Spider-Man, how they were developed, and how to beat them in this annual gaming guide. Get ready for another awesome year of gaming with this ultimate guide to the best games including a definitive list of the biggest games of the past year and the new ones coming in 2019. Featuring Five Nights at Freddy’s and Hello Neighbor! Game On! 2019, the most comprehensive guide to all the best games, tech, and YouTube stars, features some of the year’s greatest moments including exclusive interviews with YouTube legends, top streamers and game developers. This complete guide is packed with information on all the latest gaming hardware, tech, and essential mobile games. Also including the best gaming secrets, stats, tips, and tricks to help unlock achievements and trophies on games like Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, Spider-Man, GT Sport, Sea of Thieves, and so much more! All games featured in Game On! 2019 are rated T for Teen or younger keeping it appropriate for young gamers.


image courtesy of syndeticsRobotpedia.

Take an in-depth look at the history and cultural impact of robots through the years in this educational and interactive guide! Robots are everywhere-building cars, driving cars, performing surgery, helping soldiers and fire fighters, even vacuuming! From high up in space to the bottom of the ocean, robots are an instrumental part of how humans are learning about the world. This encyclopedic guide to robotics takes kids through the evolution of robotic technology: from the ancient Greek inventors, to the first robot at the World’s Fair, to nanotechnology already in use today, to D.I.Y. robotics, and even a peek into the robotic future as told by the scientists creating it. And keeping readers company along the way are many of our favorite robots from film and TV. Filled with interactive inserts, Robotpedia takes a fun approach to STEM learning.

4 New Non Fiction… and movie trailers just in time for the new year… and summer!

Hey Kids! Christmas and the end of 2018 is just around the corner. Check out the latest new non fiction books about upcoming movies and books that will get your unleash your inner builder and engineer.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of sydneticsTransformers Robots in Disguise: Where Crown City comes to life.

Bumblebee and his team have come to Earth to recapture escaped Decepticons from a prison ship that’s crashed.

Check out the trailer to the latest “Transformers” movie, Bumblebee.

 


image courtesy of syndeticsSpiderman into the Spider-verse.

“There’s a new Spider-Man on the block! Meet Miles Morales, a teenage Spider-Man with super powers as spectacular as his predecessor Peter Parker! Discover everything you ever wanted to know about his astonishing costume, loyal allies and frightening enemies. Find out about his amazing origin story and his fiercest clashes as you learn how he juggles high school life with his status as a Super Hero. Marvel Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: The Official Guide will cover all of the movie’s memorable characters, plus key locations, themes and fun facts from the movie in DK’s lively and informative non-fiction style.” — ONIX annotation.

Check out the trailer to Spider Man : Into the Spider Verse.



IMAGE COURTESY OF SYNDETICSDC Absolutely Everything you need to know.

Provides a guide to the superheroes and archvillains of the DC universe, featuring such characters as Superman, Batman, Cyborg, Darkseid, Brainiac, John Constantine, and the Joker.

The infographic design of each spectacularly illustrated, double-page feature gives readers a totally new slant on the DC Comics Universe and its super-powered heroes and villains, fantastic weapons, futuristic technology, strange planets, exotic places, and alternate worlds. The punchy, accessible text incorporates key data, fun facts, lists, quotes, and amazing stats, spanning 80 years of DC Comics Super Hero thrills.Information is presented in exciting box styles and illustrated with DC Comics artwork. Themed boxes capture the essence of characters or topics by pinpointing their most unforgettable aspects.

Discover Superman’s strangest powers and Batman’s top death-defying escapes! Find out who wins when Wonder Woman and Cheetah go head to head. Check out The Joker’s best and worst days! Learn the greatest secrets of Aquaman’s undersea kingdom Atlantis! Explore the darkest corners of Arkham Asylum and Apokolips!

These and many more eye-popping revelations and strange, intriguing insights await readers of DC Comics: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know–a book that will inform, delight, and enthrall DC Comics fans of all ages.

Check out the trailer to latest movie from the DC universe, and member of the Justice League: Aquaman.


image courtesy of syndeticsThe Zoom Fly Bolt Blast STEAM Handbook.

Rockport’s creative engineering extraordinaire, Lance Akiyama, returns again with Zoom, Fly Bolt, Blast STEAM Engineer and 18 STEAM approved projects to get kids doing, thinking, and building!– Provided by publisher.

8 New Non Fiction to read during the holidays!

Kia ora koutou tamarikima!

The school holidays are almost over (Boo!). Cheer up though; we have some new amazing non fiction that you must get your hands on and read before the holidays are over. Books about cooking with pokemon, outstanding world breaking records and there the world of space, animals and records collides.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of sydneticsPlanet Awesome.

In this hilarious and informative book filled to the brim with eye-opening, kid-friendly facts about our planet, you’ll find scientifically accurate information from beloved children’s book author Stacy McAnulty and vibrant art by award-winning illustrator David Litchfield.

 

image courtesy fo syndeticsThe Pokémon cookbook : easy and fun recipes.

Create delicious dishes – from desserts to pizza- that look like your favourite Pokémon characters with more than 35 easy recipes. One pokemon book you must catch!

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsRecord Breakers!

Check out the latest Record Breakers, where you will read all about  the first, fastest, longest, largest, biggest, and best records in the world. One book you must get your hands on these school holidays.

 

 

 

image courtesy fo syndeticsFootball record breakers : goal scorers! trophy winners! football legends!

From the biggest leagues to the most exciting cup tournaments, football’s record-breaking stars are here. This book is packed with thousands of eye-popping stats about incredible trophy-winning teams and legendary goal scorers from around the globe, and contains all the need-to-know facts and figures from the 2016-2017 league seasons around the world.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsA cat’s guide to the night sky.

Cats and astronomy are combined in this beautiful book where you will join Felicity the cat on a discovery of the night sky. You will learn about the phases of the moon, the constellations and how to spot the Northern Lights and the Milky Way. This beautiful, fun book will introduce you to the beauty of the night sky and show you the stars like you’ve never seen them before. A librarians choice all the way!

 

image courtesy of sydneticsPredators.

Check out iExplore Predators and Extinct Animals, where you will learn is the most ferocious animals on earth, as well as bring them back to life  with the use of augmented reality. You will get to learn about these animals  learn and be entertained for hours on end. Good to have on hand for a rainy day.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsRobot : meet the machines of the future.

The robots are here at the library, in the form of this amazing book! “From giant fighting robots to nanobots that can work inside the human body, this book explores the latest technology transforming out world. The robot revolution is here to stay!”–Publisher’s description. Contains information about popular and famous robots, such as PARO, as robotic seal designed for pet therapy, bionic kangaroos, social robot called  Pepper and you even get to learn more about our very own humanoid NAO robots, Blue and Red! Another librarians choice all the way!

Space and Science Festival – see you there!

Celebrate New Zealand TechWeek 19 – 27th May!

Wellington City Libraries will be at the Space and Science Festival at Onslow College on 19th May. We will have all our robots and programmable toys there for you to have a go with, and lots of Lego! There will be mBots, Spheros, Dash, Ozobot and more. You can even say hello to one of our Nao Robots (and they will say hello back)!

There will be heaps of cool companies, scientists, and tech experts at the Space and Science festival, including a scientist and astronaut from NASA. Take a look at the full list and programme to find out more.

See you there!

 

Make, Create, and Innovate in the April School Holidays

Spin a Sphero, make music, code a cart, and rock with a robot!

You get to be the engineer, architect, or scientist at your local library during the school holidays. Have a go at the latest programmable toys, gadgets and robots, and get creative with Lego and coding games. Open to all ability levels.

 

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library: Tuesday 17th April, 10.30am

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library: Wednesday 18th April, 10.30am

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library: Thursday 19th April, 10.30am

Karori Library: Friday 20th April, 2.30pm

Johnsonville Library: Monday 23rd April. 2.30pm

Newtown Library: Tuesday 24th April, 10.30am

Khandallah Library: Thursday 26th April, 10.30am

Central Library: Friday 27th April, 10.30am

 

These free events are for children aged 6+ and run for 1 hour. No need to book – just turn up!

There are eight different robot and coding events happening across Wellington City Libraries during the school holidays. Contact your library to find out more. Follow the our Facebook page or check back on this blog for updates.

 

6 New Non Fiction: Coding, dance and world wonders.

Hey Kids!

Check out the latest junior non fiction at Wellington City Libraries. This post features new books in the wonderful world of robotics, coding and dance!

Enjoy!

Robots.

Get an up-close look at all kinds of cool robots, from cyborgs and humanoids to robots in movies, with amazing images and mind-blowing facts. Also check out Coding, which ties in with the Robotics theme, and is packed with fascinating facts and amazing pictures from the world of coding.

image courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndetics

 

 

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndetics

Washington, DC. (City Trails)

Lonely Planet Kids has done it again with the latest release from the City Trails series all about Washington DC – Capital city of USA! Read this book and uncover of the best kept secrets, tourist attractions and more exciting information about Washington DC! Coolest attraction in this book is the house that looks like a watermelon.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsNational Theatre : all about theatre.

Read this book and go backstage at the National Theatre and hear from experts on every aspect of stagecraft, from acting and directing to set building, costume design and prop-making. A definitive theatre book for anyone interested in theatre and acting.

 

 

image courtesy of syndetics

Top Dance Tips.

Jazz, ballet, tap, and hip hop-there are so many different sides to dance. Learn the ins and outs of dancing all sorts of styles like a pro!

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsBallerina : a stepbystep guide to ballet.

Leap into the world of ballet with this beautiful guide and accompanying DVD!

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsWrite to me : letters from Japanese American children to the librarian they left behind.

A touching story about Japanese American children who corresponded with their beloved librarian while they were imprisoned in World War II internment camps. Prepare to have tissues on hand. A librarian’s choice all the way!

 

Rise of the Robots: Doing it Gangham Style!

Wellington City Libraries are embracing the following trends: technology, coding and robots. To support the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) learning platform, we now have two new team members to assist library staff in this process in the form of Nao Robot twins: Blue and Red.

Blue and Red are fully automated Nao, (pronounced ‘now’) humanoid Robots. They are 58cm tall, autonomous, and fully programmable. They walk, talk, listen to you, and even recognise your face. Blue and Red can even whip out a few dance moves to Thriller by Michael Jackson, Gangnam style by PSY and more! Like most humans, if the robots fall down they manage to get themselves back up again, along with a few grunts and groans, and touch wood without any broken limbs or bones.

The robots made their official debut at Wellington Central Library on Monday 10th of July, at the ‘Meet the Robots’ event, part of the Beyond the Page literary festival for children during the school holidays. Apart from a few technical difficulties and performance anxiety issues, for both the librarians’ and robots the event proved to be a success. Blue and Red were the main attractions and stole the show. Parents and kids were whipping out their cell phones to photograph and film the robots paparazzi style! Everyone was mightily impressed with what the robots could do. They loved the performances and there were a lot of ‘ooohs’, ‘aaahs’ and giggling, and a huge round of applause at the end! Overall Blue and Red are a welcome addition to the library, as well as an ideal learning platform for teaching STEAM subjects. With the robots on our team, Wellington City Libraries can continue to work alongside organisations, such as schools, businesses and Information Technology Institutes.  Together we’ll ensure the STEAM platform is promoted and taught to the wider community – Gangnam style!