Kaupapa Moana – Sea Week 2018

Seaweek – Kaupapa Moana 2018 is on! Saturday 3 to Sunday 11 March 2018. The theme this year is  “Toiora te Moana – Toiora te Tangata – Healthy Seas, Healthy People”. 71 percent of the world is covered with ocean! So this week is a great time to find out more about it.

We are so lucky living in a coastal city where the sea is right on out doorstep, or not too far away.  There’s heaps of things to do in Wellington for sea week . To take a look at exciting creatures under the sea head to the behind the scenes trips at Te Papa and Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab in Island Bay.  How about on top of the water? A boat show!

Keen to investigate some of Wellington’s sea life yourself? How about some great books about our sea and shore life:

 Rock pool secrets, by Narelle Oliver.

Narelle Oliver has created some great illustrations to show you who could be hiding in the tidepools.  Fish, sea snails, shrimp, crabs and sea slugs. Some of the pages fold out to show you the creatures inside.

 

The new ocean : the fate of life in a changing sea, byBryn Barnard.

Want to know about how environmental changes are affecting sea life? Then this book has some facts and information for you, some of the information is challenging as it deals with  oil-well accidents, litter, and pollution.  Looking at different ocean dwellers: blue-green algae, coral, jellyfish, orcas, sea turtles, and tuna.

 

Shark lady : the true story of how Eugenie Clark became the ocean‘s most fearless scientist, written by Jess Keating ; illustrations by Marta Álvarez Miguéns. 

Ever wanted to train a shark? Then you have something in common with Eugenie Clark.  This ichthyologist – a fish scientist discovered sharks were not just eating machines, but could be trained.  Clark also discovered new species of fish in her underwater studies.

 

Fish Girl / by David Wiesner & Donna Jo Napoli.

This is a strory about captivity, friendship and greed.  Fish Girl is an exhibit set up on the wharf like other sideshows. But why is this aquarium set up like a house?  David Wiesner has written and illustrated some great books. A couple of them, Flotsam and Neptune rising have explored stories of the sea before.

 

 

20,000 leagues under the sea / by Jules Verne ; illustrated by Stephen Armes.

This classic underwater tale has inspired so many stories and re-tellings.  Written nearly 150 years ago the story included some amazing ideas for the time.  Not only in exploring under the sea, but also in submarine technology.  Discover the original for yourself!

 

Talk Like a Pirate!

Well “Shiver me timbers” and “Hoist the mainsail” it’s International Talk Like a Pirate day on Tuesday the 19th of September! So how good is your pirate language? Ever wanted to learn how to speak pirate? Well now you can through Mango Languages! If you go to My Gateway on the Library website: www.wcl.govt.nz/mygateway then select Mango Languages on the database, put in your library card number and surname, then select Pirate you’ll come up with the “Booty”! Soon you’ll be confounding your teachers and classmates by asking them to “Belay yer carsouin’ and haul wind smartly”. So try introducing yourself on Tuesday as “A fine gentleman of fortune, I may tell ye plainly” and see how many people turn tail and run before they have to walk the plank!

Want to find out more about the real pirates who sailed the seven seas? We have loads of books with information about what really happened on the high seas. There were many famous pirates such as Captain Kid and Blackbeard who I most definitely would not want to have met! But did you know that there were female pirates as well? Anne Bonny was one of the most famous and could handle a cutlass as well as any man. Lots of interesting facts to find out about pirates in this book, “The Everything Pirate book: A swashbuckling history of adventure on the high seas” by Barb Karg and Arjean Spaite.

Have you ever read “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson? “When young Jim Hawkins is left a treasure map by the dying buccaneer Billy Bones, he sets sail on the Hispaniola in search of the island. Among the crew, the one-legged Long John Silver becomes his greatest friend, but Silver has a shocking secret in store, and when they reach their destination, Jim faces danger and adventure greater than he could ever have imagined.” A truly great read! Continue reading

New Non Fiction: Sports, Inspirational Lives and objects… and bringing out your inner artist.

Netball.

A great book to read that tells you everything you want to know about Netball, one of the greatest and most popular sports played in Australia and New Zealand. In reading this book, you will learn everything there is to know about Netball including the history of the sport, the rules, training, clothing and equipment. Great for anyone who is a fan, plays  netball and/or wanting to play.

For more information about Netball, you visit the website, Netball New Zealand.

 

 

The Story of Buildings.

Anyone who is doing a project on the history of buildings and architecture will love this book! This book explains how and why famous buildings in history came to be built. The book also goes into further detail about how did people start making buildings, how did they learn to make them bigger, stronger and more comfortable? And why they decorated them in so many different ways. Great for ages 10 years and over.

 

 

Pastels.

As a child of the 80’s and 90’s, pastels were the norm of bringing out children’s inner artist. Thirty/twenty years later using pastels still hasn’t gone out of fashion. So what are you waiting for? Now is the Time to bring out your own inner artist! Have a big art project coming up? Bored with water colors and acrylic paints, Why not give pastels a go? This book will provide you with step-by-step guides show how to create a variety of projects using pastels.

 

 

Dare the Wind.

Girls, this is one book you need to read on inspirational women. This book tells the true story of one of the first female navigators, Eleanor Prentiss and her ship, the Flying Cloud who, despite battling raging storms, broken masts, and dangerously slow winds managed to complete its maiden voyage  from New York to San Francisco in a period (and world breaking record) of eighty nine days. Also will be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone who is interested in sailing and ships.

 

 

Florence Nightingale.

Children of all ages will enjoy this beautifully illustrated picture book written by celebrated author and artist Demi. This new picture book biography of Florence Nightingale beautifully portrays the story of Florence’s life and explores the long-lasting effects of her career, including her innovative and revolutionary ideas on medicine, emphasising the need of cleanliness in hospitals, nutritional values of hot food and organization of hospitals. Children will not only learn about Florence Nightingale’s inspirational life, but also the history of hospital and nursing practices that are still used today.

 

 

How the Beatles changed the world.

The Beatles are one of the most innovative and revolutionary bands that broke many world records and changed the face of music forever. Fifty years after the British invasion began, Martin Sandler explores The Beatles’ long-lasting impact on the world in this wonderful book. Overall I think you will be overly impressed and astonished by the amount of information held in this book about everything you thought you knew (and didn’t know) about The Beatles and their musical history. A great book for anyone who is a fan of The Beatles’ music and history.

You may also like The Beatles were fab (and they were funny).

FACT: “Hey Jude” was released in August 1968 as the first single from the Beatles’ record label Apple Records. More than seven minutes in length, it was at the time the longest single ever to top the British charts.

 

Top 10 non-fiction for January

Here are the most popular non-fiction books for this month. Looks like a couple of Christmas ones from December have sneaked into the list too!

1. Star Wars by David West Reynolds

2. Ripley’s believe it or not! by Rosie Alexander

3. Guinness world records 2013 by Craig Glenday

4. Kiwi kids sing favourite Christmas songs & Carols Linda Adamson

5. Star Wars character encyclopedia by Simon Beecroft

6. The LEGO book by Daniel Lipkowitz

7. Guinness world records 2014 by Craig Glenday

8. Horrible Christmas by Terry Deary

9. The official collectable figures guide by Richard Dinnick

10. The Usborne big book of big ships by Minna Lacey

Top 10: Non-Fiction for November

Here are the most popular non-fiction books for November. Grab them while they’re hot!

1. Star Wars by David Reynolds West

2. Ripley’s believe it or not! by Rosie Alexander

3. Guinness world records 2014 by Craig Glenday

4. Art detective by Doris Kutschbach

5. The LEGO book by daniel Lipkowitz

6. Guinness world records 2013 by Craig Glenday

7. Wow! Dinosaur by Douglas Palmer

8. The vicious Vikings by Terry Deary

9. Animal record breakers by Steve Parker

10. The Usborne big book of big ships by Minna Lacey

 

Top 10 Non-Fiction for June

These books were the most popular children’s non-fiction during the month of June.

1. The Kingfisher space encyclopedia by Mike Goldsmith

2. Star Wars character encyclopedia by Simon Beecroft

3. The horrible history of the world by Terry Deary

4. Amazing giant dinosaurs by Marie Greenwood

5. The Usborne big book of big ships by Minna Lacey

6. Big book of papercraft by Fiona Watt

7. The LEGO book by Daniel Lipkowitz

8. Ripley’s believe it or not! by Rosie Alexander

9. Beastly best bits by Terry Deary

10. Guinness world records 2013

 

 

New Non Fiction: Horrible Histories, Lost and Found and Shipping Disasters.

Story of the Titanic illustrated by Steve Noon.

Interested in boats and ships, especially history of famous shipping disasters? Then this is the book for you. This is the tragic story of the Titanic, the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner the world had ever seen, which sank on her maiden voyage on April 13th 1912. Find out all you need to know about the Titanic from when the Titanic was built on 10th March 1911 to its untimely end. You will also find out what happened on the night it sank, why the Titanic sunk so quickly? and how many people were saved and how many lives were lost.

 Tony Robinson’s Weird World of Wonders: Egyptians.

Tony Robinson has written a lot of books about Ancient History. He has now done it again with his latest book on Ancient Egypt. Why did the gods look so strange? Why tomb raiding was a bad idea? Why they loved cats? How to make a mummy in eight easy steps?You will find out all the answers to these questions and more in this action packed read.

   
From the Lost and Found  series:

Tutankhamun and other Lost Tombs by John Malam.

Interested in History and archaeology? Want to read about tombs that to be lost but now found, for example the tombs of Tutankhamun, King Phillip II and Liu Sheng? Then this is the book for you. You will read and uncover the secrets behind the world’s lost towns, tombs, shipwrecks and treasures, and find out how archaeologists discovered them.

 The Titanic and other Lost Ships by John Malam.

If you enjoyed Story of the Titanic, then you will love this book! You will find out all you need to know about ships lost and found around the world. Read all about the sinking of the Titanic to the discovery of its resting place, the recovery of a treasure filled Spanish galleon and much, much more. Great if you are interested in boats and ships.

 The Terracotta Army and other Lost Treasuresby John Malam.A fantastic read that describes the historical circumstances that led to treasures such as the Terracotta Army, Trojan treasure, the Dead Sea scrolls and the gold of El Dorado being lost or hidden and the archaeological discoveries that found evidence of these treasures.
From the Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary:

 Dark Knights and Dingy Castles. Ever wanted to know why one nutty knight chopped off his own finger? The revolting truth about a gong-farmers job? What went on in gruesome castle garden robes? Then this is the book to read. Discover all the answers to these questions and foul facts that make the history of knights and castles so horrible.

 Cruel Kings and Mean Queens. 

Ever wanted to know which king died after falling off the toilet? Why people thought King John was a werewolf? Why Queen Anne’s feet were covered in garlic? Then this is the book to read. Discover all the answers to these questions and details of some of the more obscure facts and habits of British monarchs and much, much more.