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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Experience the world of eight classic fairy tales through gorgeously illustrated maps of the stories’ magical lands! In every fairy tale, the main characters set off on a journey or a quest. Now, stunningly designed and detailed maps invite readers to join their adventures in an exciting new way. Thanks to the imaginative pen of Claudia Bordin, this follow-up to Atlas of Fairy Tales brings eight enchanting kingdoms brilliantly to life. In a single glance, you can view the castles, villages, forests, and oceans where such beloved figures as Sinbad, Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, and Thumbelina wander. From Sleeping Beauty and The Snow Queen to The Jungle Book and Aladdin, these stories are sure to delight as never before.
Whether it’s Little Red Riding Hood wandering through the woods or Alice falling down the rabbit hole, almost every children’s classic tells the tale of a protagonist’s journey. This atlas depicts those incredible adventures as never before, in stunningly illustrated maps. Enjoy a breathtaking aerial view of Dorothy and her friends following the Yellow Brick Road, or of Pinocchio’s travels as he tries to become real.
Get Potty with Harry Potter and Lego with The magicalguideto the wizardingworld. A must have read for all the Harry Potter and Lego fanatics!
A world of wizards, witches, and magic awaits! Meet all your favorite LEGO Harry Potter minifigures and discover the secrets hidden within Hogwarts Castle. Relive memorable movie moments, including exciting Quidditch matches and spooky adventures in the Forbidden Forest.
Build up your Minecraft skills with the Ultimate Builder’s Guide in Minecraft.
Creation is arguably the most important aspect of Minecraft, from mining resources to crafting buildings, vehicles, and even entire worlds … [This book is meant] for players of all ages who want to improve their building skills. [It] will take you all the way from crafting your first shelter to putting the finishing touches to your very own mega-build master classes
Are you ready for an adventure? Minecraft Maps is a visual guide to the Minecraft landscape, created by an explorer on a quest to find the most valuable loot whilst avoiding danger. Explore each of the fifteen major biomes through highly detailed, illustrated maps, then read the explorer’s notes about the unique features and discover an inspirational themed build idea for each. A beautifully illustrated visual guide in its own right, Minecraft Maps is also a survival tool. You’ll learn which biomes are home to the most dangerous mobs, where to look for to exclusive blocks, how to find naturally generated structures and the best places to search for loot. Once you’ve discovered each biome you can get building – construct an ice palace in the ice plains biome and an entire village suspended in the tree canopy above the jungle floor.
Unicorns, we need more of them in our lives. Why not read all about their secret lives in this amazing book! From anatomy to evolution. discover just how much you didn’t know about unicorns in this stunning guide.
Christmas is coming to the Capital and to the library! Why not get into the Christmas spirit and check out the amazing Christmas themed books and DVDs we have in our collection in between Christmas shopping and life! The countdown to Christmas and the end of 2019 is on!
Learn what Christmas is, and how it is celebrated. Learn about the religion of Christianity, and what Christmas means to its followers.
Learn about prayers and carols, Santa Claus and his reindeer, and traditional decorations and gifts. Also learn about festive Christmas foods and traditions of giving to charity at Christmas.
Some handy ideas for Christmas Crafts:
Need some ideas on making Christmas cards, decoration and gifts? Why not check out books such as:
From baking Christmas pudding sweets to creating hand-printed angels. These projects include how to make a pop-up polar bear card, a snowman paper chain or glittery decorations. Two pages of stickers are included and each project is accompanied by simple step-by-step instructions and an illustration or photograph of the final creation.
This book explores the festival of Christmas and the story behind it and features six simple origami projects for your own festive fun! The book shows how people around the world celebrate Christmas both in church and at home. Attractively designed, its simple text and wonderful full-colour photos make this an essential book for children celebrating or learning about the festival. The origami activities are accessible to all and are explained with step-by-step illustrations. Your fantastic creations can be used as decorations for the festival, for presents, to impress your teacher for a Christmas school project or simply to wow your friends!
With all the excitement of Christmas approaching, it’s no surprise that Marley, the loveable pup with a nose for trouble, wants to get in on the action. Anticipating his very first snowfall and Santa’s arrival, Marley jumps in to help his family every way he can. But Marley, being Marley, always ends up on the wrong side of right.
When Simon sees a competition in the newspaper for the best decorated Christmas house, he is keen to enter it. His mother says she can’t afford expensive lights and decorations. So Simon decides to decorate their caravan in his own way.
Late one Christmas Eve, a boy boards a mysterious train that waits for him- the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers him any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the reindeer’s harness. It turns out to be a very special gift, for only believers in Santa can hear it ring.Liam Neeson’s gravitas lends the story just the right sense of magic and possibility in the book and CD edition.
There are just a few days to go before Christmas, and everyone’s busy putting up decorations, preparing food and getting ready for the big day. Then comes the shock news – Santa’s cancelled Christmas. Santa had so many disasters last year that he can’t face it again, and he’s quit. The elves try everything, but they can’t get him to change his mind. In this Aotearoa Christmas picture book, the kids come up with a clever plan and amazing gadgets to get Christmas back on and Santa back in the sleigh delivering presents.
A cup, a compass, a key: the magic tree house has brought siblings Annie and Jack to Camelot, where they embark on a mysterious mission to find these enigmatic gifts. In this special hardcover addition to the bestselling Magic Tree House series, the young adventurers must travel to the Otherworld, an “ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of the Earth, the place where all magic began” to save Camelot from dark wizard Mordred’s evil spell. If they fail, Camelot will be forgotten forever. Fans of the beloved, highly readable series by Mary Pope Osborne will rise to the challenge of this longer, more complex companion to her other titles, which include Earthquake in the Early Morning and Twister on Tuesday. As in every story in the sequence, Jack and Annie bravely plunge into their quest, learning about a culture and time very far removed from their own, and prove once again that children can make a difference.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a cranky old mouse who is only concerned with his business and making money. Scrooge thinks Christmas is just a waste of time. But on the night of Christmas Eve, he is visited by three ghosts who take him on a journey through his past, present, and future. His experience could change him forever and teach him the true meaning of Christmas!
One year has passed since William Trundle’s incredible adventure with the most extraordinary dinosaur: the Christmasaurus. Now, William is swept back to the magical North Pole, where he meets a mysterious witch – whose power to control time allows Santa Claus to make the long journey all around the world every Christmas Eve. And when they learn that the fate of Christmas itself hangs in the balance, William and the Christmasaurus must work with the Winter Witch to protect it.
A beautiful edition of the timeless Christmas classic. A Christmas Carol is the book that defines the Christmas spirit. Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean-spirited miser, is visited by three ghosts one Christmas Eve. The ghosts show Scrooge the true value of Christmas: charity, good humour and love for his fellow man.
A re-telling of the classic tale about a grumpy old creature living in a cave on Mt. Crumpet who can’t stand to see his neighbors in Whoville enjoying themselves. Things are especially bad at Christmas, when the Whos kick their merriment into high gear with fantastic celebrations. This year, the Grinch decides to dress up like Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and steal all the Christmas gifts and decorations so the Whos can’t enjoy the season. What he finds, however, is that Christmas in Whoville is much more than gifts and decorations, it’s a time to celebrate love and friendship.
Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy (voice of Daryl Sabara and Tom Hanks), an astonishing event occurs. Late on Christmas Eve night, he lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa’s sleigh. When to his surprise, a steam engine’s roar and whistle can be heard outside his window. The conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pajama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.
When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs, and imagination of children all over the world.
Olaf teams up with Sven on a merry mission. It’s the first holiday season since the gates re-opened and Anna and Elsa host a celebration for all of Arendelle. When the townspeople unexpectedly leave early to enjoy their individual holiday customs, the sisters realise they have no family traditions of their own. So, Olaf sets out to comb the kingdom to bring home the best traditions and save this first Christmas for his friends.
The Lion King is finally at WCL! Why rent the DVD… rent the original film this Christmas and relive the class tale of Simba, a delightful lion cub who is heir to the throne of the pride lands. However, when Simba’s father is killed… by Simba’s treacherous uncle, Scar, poor Simba, feeling guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile until the moment where he must confront his uncle and reclaim his identity , as well as destiny as the future King. Another movie trailer filled with (wild) animals and cute baby animals!!!
And coming soon to movie theaters…
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, produced, co-written and directed by J. J. Abrams. It will be the third installment of the Star Warssequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and the ninth and final episode of the main Star Warsfilm franchise.
“The saga comes to an end”… on December 19th 2019, and from the looks of this trailer, they definitely saved the best for last.
To get into the spirit of a Kiwi Christmas, relive the magic of Kiwi Christmas song, Summer Wonderland so you can sing along and take part in the festive cheer while strolling through a summer wonderland. To recap, Summer Wonderland is a Kiwi spin on a much beloved classic Christmas carol Winter Wonderland, with a lyrical twist for the Southern Hemisphere and recorded for Air New Zealand. This Christmas carol really showcases and beautifully captures the spirit and essence of a Kiwi Christmas of tucking into ham and pavlova, playing cricket, mozzie spray and tan marks. Check it out!
On behalf of the staff at Wellington City Libraries, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
We know you love taking a break at this time of year, and we do too!
Some of our regular library programmes won’t be available during the holidays. Here’s what is and isn’t happening:
Baby Rock & Rhyme:
There will be no sessions from Monday 16th December to Sunday 2nd February
Preschool Storytime:
There will be no Sessions from Wednesday 25th December to Sunday 5th January.
-Brooklyn Library will start back on Tuesday 14th January.
-Wadestown Library will start back on Monday 27th January.
Kōhunga Kōrero:
All sessions are happening! Check the event calendar to find out when and where.
Let’s Go Lego:
There will be no sessions from 16 December to the end of January.
Except at the new Johnsonville Library at the Waitohi Hub, who will have two sessions of Lego each week during December and January.
Code Club:
This programme runs during school terms only, and will return in February 2020.
Look out for new clubs at the new Johnsonville Library at the Waitohi Hub – including Level 1 and 2 Code Club, and Code Time. Coming soon!
Crafterschool:
This programme runs during school terms only, and will return in February 2020.
Family Movies:
Some sessions are cancelled, and some are still running. It’s best to check the library event calendar to see what’s on and where.
Tech Time:
This programme runs during school terms only, and will return in February 2020.
What is happening?
Have a look in the library event calendar to find out what is happening. There are lots of school holiday and makerspace events happening in the Johnsonville Library.
You can also take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, which is on ow until the end of January.
Going on Holiday? Through our website you can download thousands of books, magazines, movies, TV shows, interactive books and storytimes, and so much more! Click through to our eLibrary to find your next favourite or binge.
Joined by a new companion, the Dinosaur Explorers return to the Jurassic period, when the first non-dinosaurs begin to emerge — and start looking for dinner!
George Beard and Harold Hutchins are back with original new comic adventures starring the world-famous Waistband Warrior, Captain Underpants! This collection features George and Harold’s hilarious comix from the first two seasons of the TV show.
Nick Fury has declared Miles Morales a super hero; now, it’s time for that super-hero rite of passage: the team-up! But the new Spider-Man’s first team-up couldn’t possibly be with the Prowler, could it? It will be if it’s up to Miles’ Uncle Aaron, who’s not above resorting to threats to get his way. But Miles isn’t going to take such manipulation lying down, setting up a titanic battle of wills between uncle and nephew – with the Scorpion caught in the middle! Miles Morales has the powers. He has the costume. Now, he even has the web-shooters. With aid from Peter’s former girlfriends, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, Miles confronts the dark side of the Parker legacy. And as his life is turned upside down once again, he learns that – for Spider-Man – with great power there also comes great tragedy.
Following their last battle, Dr. Eggman’s been mysteriously absent from Sonic’s life. What shocking secret will Sonic discover when he learns the bad doctor’s whereabouts? Plus, Sonic isn’t the only one looking for Eggman–so’s his old frenemy Shadow the Hedgehog! There are twists and turns in the course of this high-speed, action-packed mystery-adventure! But with a little help from his friends–including a new ally–Sonic’s fast enough to overcome any obstacle! Collects issues #5-8 of the ongoing series.
Meet Bigby, a curious bear with a big appetite … for adventure! Join him and his furry friends as they explore nature’s wonders and engage in silly experiments of all kinds. Young or old, everyone can learn a thing or two from Bigby Bear and his extraordinary view of the world!
Discover the machine used in New Zealand that changed world sport forever! Which machine works best when it’s raining? And which machine is just a load of hot air? You’ll find all the answers inside, together with lots more about machines in New Zealand; their history, present use and their future, including the yacht that can race along at 100 kilometres an hour without getting wet, the two-wheeler that can’t fall over, and the Historic Place that keeps moving around.
Elephants have roamed the Earth for millions of years, but only two species remain in the world today: the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Though African and Asian elephants are noticeably different, these enormous, intelligent animals have many similarities, too. Their trunks are powerful enough to pick up even the smallest of berries. With their amazing memories, they find watering holes they haven’t visited in years. Their cushioned feet can detect the powerful footfalls of other elephants from six miles away. And, just as humans are right-handed or left-handed, elephants can be right-tusked or left-tusked!
Make the mythology of Ancient Greece come to life for young readers through engaging stories and dramatic photos and illustrations. Discover the gods and goddesses behind the myths and the powers they used to control and change the world. There’s Zeus, the king of the gods who ruled the sky, and Poseidon, the god and ruler of the seas, plus many more. Sidebars, facts and infographics help uncover how these myths influenced the culture and daily life of Ancient Greece.
Is Superman the strongest Super Hero alive? Where is Wonder Woman from? Is Darkseid the most evil Super-Villain ever? Who is the fastest man alive? Who are Batman’s allies? Have to know the answers to these questions? Look no further than the DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide: New Edition. Written by DC Comics experts, this illustrated encyclopedia features more than 200 incredible characters and Super Hero teams, including Batman, Harley Quinn, Justice League, and so many more. The DC Comics Universe changed forever following their epic Rebirth event, and so did the characters. This comprehensive guide covers the latest key storylines for each character and includes stunning new images from the comics. It is also packed full of vital statistics and explains each character’s super powers, from indestructibility to sorcery.
Dive into the world and the stories behind all of your favourite women in the Marvel Universe, including Captain Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Shuri, Ms. Marvel, Wasp, America Chavez and many more! This gift book showcases the amazing stories, personal victories, and powers of dozens of extraordinary Marvel heroes. Powers of a Girl is sure to excite girls and women of all ages who are looking for inspiration and a little bit of themselves in the heroes they love.
A beautifully illustrated picture book about Barbie the most famous doll in the world and her visionary creator, Ruth Handler. After noticing how her daughter played with “grown-up” paper dolls, Ruth Handler wanted to create a doll that would inspire little girls to use their huge imaginations and big dreams about their futures. While others told her it wasn’t possible, Ruth Handler proved them all wrong by creating the most famous doll ever. This book will inspire children to believe that anything is possible especially with Barbie! Since 1959, Barbie has shown girls that they can live their dreams. From an astronaut to a chef to a president, she knows that girls can do anything!
Take a sleigh ride into your local library for our annual festival family storytimes. These popular events are back for 2019, with more opportunities to join in with the fun.
Suitable for families with children of all ages, these storytimes are free and bookings are not required.
Come along for stories, songs and carols, crafts and activities with a festive Christmas theme:
Thursday 12th December
Karori Library, 6 – 7pm
Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, 6.30 – 7.30pm
Friday 13th December
He Matapihi (Molesworth St) Library, 10 – 10.45am, Bilingual Storytime
Saturday 14th December
Arapaki (Manners St) Library, 10.30 – 11.15am
Monday 16th December
Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, 6 – 7pm
Miramar Library, 6 – 6.45pm
Brooklyn Library, 6.30 – 7.15pm
Thursday 19th December
Island Bay Community Centre, 4.30 – 5.30pm, Christmas Crafts
There are only a couple of weeks left of spring. Why not spring on down to your local library and check out the latest new junior non fiction!
Read books where you can learn languages with Sesame Street, get spellbound with Harry Potter, read how Maui slowed the sun in English and Te Reo, get your STEAM on and so much more!
Odd Science: Inventions is filled with weird and wacky facts that you’ve never heard before. Read about the trainers made of spider silk, wonder at the first record played in space and tell your friends about the robot built in 1937. There are facts about electricity being used as glue, facts about glow-in-the-dark cats and facts about nano-robots that can ‘swim’ inside the body during biopsies!
With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators tells the stories of these amazing men and women who turned a small hobby into a multimillion-dollar industry that changed the way we play and interact, from our living rooms to the arcades, on our computers to our hand-held devices. Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators is the perfect read for those with creative spirits, curious minds, and a love of technology and video games– Provided by publisher.
Sesame characters help readers learn Mandarin so they can connect with friends who speak the language. Welcoming words relating to everyday life and friendship give readers new language tools to become smarter, kinder friends.
Sesame Street characters help readers connect to new friends who speak French. Simple words and phrases relating to everyday life and a colorful approach help readers learn a new language to become smarter, kinder friends.
Sesame Street characters help readers learn German so they can connect with friends who speak the language. Welcoming words relating to everyday life and friendship give readers new language tools to become smarter, kinder friends.
Tales of Aotearoa: How Maui Slowed the Sun in English and Te Reo!
Re-tells the story of how Maui slowed the journey of the sun through the sky each day.
Read all about Wilma Rudolph, the remarkable sprinter and Olympic champion. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete’s life.
This book takes kids on a journey to discover the history of games, and then leads them from their initial idea for a new game through several iterations of a game all the way to playing the final version of a game they created. Explore the processes of both playing and creating games while developing critical and creative thinking skills that apply to tasks and concepts across academic fields. — adapted from back cover.
The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook is a beautiful, elegantly designed reference that details all of the known spells cast in the Harry Potter films, books, video games and card games, as well as official Harry Potter spinoffs, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Each spell is given its own entry including spell name, pronunciation details, a description of the spell effect, spell casting methods, wand movements, hand movements and vocalizations, plus primary sources in which the spell was used. Readers will also find trivia related to each spell, such as who it was used against, what the outcome was, or what a spell’s unusual history might be. There are more than 200 spells in all, plus suggestions for strategic spell use and methods for creating original spells.
“Meet 50 super-inspiring kids! It’s never too early–and you’re never too young– to make a difference in the world! The amazing musicians, writers, scientists, athletes, activists, and other fascinating kids in this book accomplished great feats by the age of eighteen. They impacted people’s lives by coming up with new inventions, making art and music, competing in sports, and speaking out about important issues. Let their incredible stories inspire you to follow your dreams, achieve your goals, and strive for greatness now!”–Back cover.
Packed with inserts, concept illustrations, and behind-the-scenes photography, Harry Potter: Spells and Charms: A Movie Scrapbook is a guide to the spells and incantations of the Harry Potter films. A must-have collectible for all Harry Potter fans.
Hi Kids! Get your paws on the latest new junior non fiction at Wellington City Libraries! Read all about the stories and secrets of some of history’s most heroic hounds! Enhance your LEGO skills! Also, find out how to travel the world in 50 ways!
Get your paws on the stories and secrets of some of history’s most heroic hounds! An engaging collection packed with over 30 real-life dogs, including film stars with fur, hounds that love to help, superstars of science and war heroes – these rebel dogs are the stars of their own stories. With incredible fur-raising facts on record-making dogs, marvellous mutts in literature, internet-sensation pups and much, much more – this beautiful book is perfect for pup fans of any age. Rebel Dogs is the perfect gift for any pup lover, all year round!
Provides an introduction to the basic concepts of measurement, including common units of measurement, how to convert from one unit to another, and the difference between measures used in the United States and the metric system.
There’s no stopping him: Joachim Klang, bestselling author of more than eleven titles on building with LEGO? bricks, is as enthusiastic and inventive as ever! He has thought up lots of stunning and exciting new projects over the years, which can be built with bricks from your own home collection. This new volume features the most fascinating and extraordinary record-breaking vehicles ever created – not just cars, but also ships and airplanes from well-known TV shows and movies. Each model comes with the usual easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
“Set off from London and travel across the globe. Then try to make it back! In Lonely Planet Kids’ Around the World in 50 Ways, kids choose their favourite routes and transportation, from tuk-tuks and sleds, to steamboats and hot-air balloons. They’ll visit famous cities and exotic, far-flung places – and learn amazing facts about each destination along the way. But they’ll need to be careful: not every path will take them where they want to go!”–Publisher’s website.
Smart Charts series.
Go with the flow and take a piece of the pie in this exciting real-life series. Explore topics such as the weather, animals, space, and plants and use our Smart Charts to see the world by numbers. How much rain falls in the UK every year? Which animals eat the most–and sleep the least? How many people ride the New York Subway every day? Get data-driven answers to all this and more in this colorful and engaging series.
Mighty Jack and Zita The Spacegirl.
Minecraft: Stories from the overworld.
Baby Rock & Rhyme:
Preschool Storytime:
Kōhunga Kōrero:
Let’s Go Lego:
Code Club:
Crafterschool:
Tech Time:
