Children's Non-fiction Recent Picks
October 2009
The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
What the world eats, by Faith D'Aluisio; photographed by Peter Menzel.
"Every day, millions of families around the world gather - at the table or on the floor, in a house or outdoors - to eat together. Ever wondered what a typical meal is like on the other side of the world? Or next door? Cultural geographers Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio visited twenty-five families in twenty-one countries to create this fascinating look at what people around the world eat in a week. Meet a family that spends long hours hunting for seal and fish together; a family that raises and eats guinea pigs; a family that drinks six gallons of Coca-Cola a week." (www.amazon.com)
Is there anyone out there?, by Nic Bishop; illustrated by Nic Bishop and Jon Hughes.
"Have you ever looked up at the sky on a dark night and wondered if there's anyone out there? Are there other planets like Earth? What would they be like? And who - or what - might live there?" (Cover)
Miley Cyrus: miles to go, by Miley Cyrus; with Hilary Liftin.
"Three years ago, Miley Cyrus was a virtual unknown. Her life in rural Tennessee was filled with family, friends, school, cheerleading, and the daily tasks of living on a farm. And then came a little show called Hannah Montana. In Miles to Go, Miley offers an honest, humorous, and often touching story of one girl's coming-of-age--from private moments with her pappy to off-roading with her dad, Billy Ray, to her run-ins with mean girls. Miley talks about suffering through drama and heartbreak and coming out the other end unscathed (relatively). And now for the first time, she will discuss it all-the milestones still left to reach (driver's license! voting!), dreams to live out (travel to Asia! find true love!), and the lessons to be learned (remembernig to enjoy every moment!)." (www.amazon.com)
London, by Richard Platt; illustrated by Manuela Cappon.
"Follow the turbulent history of one of the world's most exciting cities, from 3500BCE to the present. Meet settlers, warriors and rulers, witness invasions from overseas, and experience London life through the eyes of its citizens." (Book Cover)
Caterpillar to butterfly, by Camilla De la Bedoyere.
"What do caterpillars eat? Where do butterflies lay their eggs? How long do butterflies live? Packed with fascinating facts about life cycles, amazing photographs of every stage and labelled diagrams to explain growth and development." (Book Cover) Others in the Life Cycles series are: Pup to Shark; Joey to Kangaroo; Egg to Chicken; Seed to Sunflower and Tadpole to frog.
Clothes of the medieval world, by Christine Hatt; illustrated by Danuta Mayer.
"Clothes of the medieval world looks at how fashion changed as trade, travel and inventions opened societies to new influences and a greater choice of fabrics and styles. From stately royal robes to homely tunics and leggings, stunning, detailed artwork on every page recreates the clothes worn in medieval times." (Book cover) Other titles in the Dress Sense series are: Clothes of the Ancient World: prehistory - 500AD, Clothes of the Early Modern World: c.1500 - 1800, Clothes of the Modern World: from 1800 to the present day.
Awesome Aotearoa: Margaret Mahy's history of New Zealand, by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Trace Hodgson.
"At last, a history of New Zealand that children (and their parents) will want to read! Margaret Mahy, New Zealand's most acclaimed children's author, combines forces with cartoonist Trace Hodgson to tell the New Zealand story - from Gondwana to Gallipoli, whaling to welfare state, kauri forests to kohanga reo and the Treaty to the TAB - in a fresh and irreverent way. Whoever said our history was boring? Perfect for bedtime reading, classroom discussions and stealing from your kids' bookshelf, Awesome Aotearoa is set to become a Kiwi classic." (Book Cover)
Untangling spaghetti: selected poems, by Steven Herrick.
"Are toenails a good source of vitamin C? What are ten things you will never hear your parents say? And, more importantly, how do you untangle spaghetti? A collection of humorous, touching and thought-provoking poems celebrating the everyday lives of children through topics as wide-ranging as food, animals, school, friends and sport - especially soccer!" (Book Cover)
Green stuff for kids: an A to Z guide to what's up with the planet, by Tanya Ha.
"Green Stuff for kids is a young readers' guide to what's up with the planet and what thay can do to make a difference. Jam-packed with fun facts, eco-activities, information and green tips, this book covers a huge range of environmental issues and hot topics, including air pollution, biodegradability, climate change, e-waste, litter, natural disasters, recycling and water conservation." (Book Cover)
Awesome archaeology, by Nick Arnold; illustrated by Clive Goddard.
"Have you ever wanted to know... Why it's dangerous to follow ducks into a tomb? How to expose a cannibal using fossilized poo? Why the burrowing bunny is a threat? It's all in Totally Awesome Archeology. (First published under the series title The knowledge in 2001, this new series Totally includes titles such as Riotous Robots and Dead Dinosaurs)." (Book Cover)
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