Robot, clone, dragon and alien’s stories! New Children’s Fiction to grab.

The great escape, by Judy Brolin

Meet Archie the cat, Sparky the mouse and Flo the bird – three pets built by a brainy professor to be the perfect robo-friends!

But without him, their quiet life is turned upside down. The mechanical marvels are forced to leave their house and use all of their special robot powers to survive the dangers of the outside world!

The right base for a robot is hard to find, but could a school full of children be the new home they are looking for?

Age 8 and +

 

 

Game of clones, by M.E. Castle

Fisher Bas was able to track down his gone-Hollywood clone – two- but only with the help of Amanda Cantrell. Now “Three” and Dr. X remain on the loose. If Fisher is going to stop his secret from getting out, he’ll have to figure out a cover for his brother clone and keep Three from helping Dr. X take over the world.

Easier said than done, though. Two’s true identity can no longer be concealed after a disastrous school dance, and then crazy things start happening at Wompalog Middle School. Turns out Three has come to Palo Alto bent on eliminating Fisher and Two. The boys will have to join forces with their friends and an unlikely ally- with hilarious consequences – to stop Three and his clone army. The future of Fisher and Two’s hometown depends on it.

Age 9 and +

 

Opal Moonbaby forever, by Maudie Smith

Martha’s best friend is an alien. Opal Moonbaby can move things with her eyes, make popcorn fountains, and travel all over the world in her very own spaceship. Martha can’t imagine life without her.

But Opal’s time on Earth is almost at an end. They have one final summer together. So why is Opal acting so strangely all of a sudden?

A madcap story of friendship, fun- and aliens!

Age 8 and +

 

 

The story of Owen, dragon slayer of Trondheim, by E.K.Johnston

Valiant at heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stoof between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival.

There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition.

But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected.

Such was trondheim’s fate until Owen Thorskard. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds – armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard.

Age 10 and +

Top 10: DVDs for November

Looking for something to watch? Try one of these, the top 10 most popular DVDs for November. (Actually, just for fun, this month we’ll post the top 24 DVDs – lots to chose from!)

1. Strawberry Shortcake series

2. Dino Dan series

3. Ninjago, masters of Spinjitzu series

4. The cat in the hat knows a lot about that! series

5. My little pony, friendship is magic series

6. Dinosaur train series

7. Thomas & friends series

8. The Garfield show series

9. Babar and the adventures of Badou series

10. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated series

11. Hotel Transylvania

12. Wreck-It Ralph 

13. Escape from planet Earth

14. The little mermaid 

15. Rise of the guardians 

16. Brave

17. Ice age

18. Madagascar

19. Shaun the sheep series

20. Oz the great and powerful

21. The Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes! series

22. Arthur Christmas

23. Horrid Henry

24. Room on the broom

 

 

Fun Fiction reads!

Try these fab new books to snap you out of your holiday boredom! You can reserve them through the Library catalogue .

Eric Vale – Epic Fail  by Michael Bauer

Have you ever had a stupid nickname? A rotten run of bad luck? A best friend who just looks on the bright side even when the bright side looks black? Well, Eric Vale’s got all three, and they’re pushing him towards the Epic-Est of all Epic Fails!

 

 

My brother’s a Wormburger  by Gretel Killeen

Zeke and Eppie’s mum wants them to play with their neighbours ALL DAY, (but really don’t want to as they’re sure they are aliens!) Read this book to find out what crazy alien tricks they play on Zeke and Eppie!

 

 

 

Fintan Fedora the World’s Worst Explorer by Clive Goddard

Join Fintan Fedora on his exciting mission to the jungle to try and find the rare and precious Chocoplum treasure!

 

 

 

DogHead Bites Back by Jill Marshall

In this hilarious sequal to Doghead, schoolboy Jack, who has a dog alter ego- Anubis, travels to the Afterlife and join his dead grandparents in a fight against evil that could affect the whole of history.

 

 

Dako-snappysaurus by Kyle Mewburn

Arg goes hunting with his dad and the older Neanderthals. They stop at a beach where everyone falls asleep.  Arg wakes up and notices that his dad has floated off and is about to be eaten by a dinosaur for breakfast! But can Arg save his dad from the hungry dakosaurus?

 

 

 


Weird and Wonderful New Non-Fiction

Unusual Creatures: a mostly accurate account of some of the world’s strangest animals

Amateur biologists, this one’s for you! While some of the ‘facts’ are rather tongue in cheek (I’m sure we’re all aware that P Diddy is not an expert on puffer fish) the majority of the information in this book is really interesting. For starters, it explains Biological Classification, which is a way of organising different types of animals. It then shows how each animal is classified under this system.  But the main attraction is the weird and wonderful creatures contained within. From the Flying Snake to the Jesus Christ Lizard (so called because it can walk on water) this book will tell you all about Mother Nature’s more odd creations.

 

 

 

The Magic School Bus inside the Earth

This one’s a classic…I remember the Magic School Bus books from when I was a kid! But the information’s as fresh and as useful as ever. It’s  a cross between a picture book and a science book, so it’s  good for younger readers.  What’s really handy is the pronunciation guide at the back!

 

 

 

 The Alien Hunter’s Handbook

This may seem a little bit “out there” but this book is extremely useful! The beginning of the book defines exactly what constitutes “life” is, talks about what the stars are made of, and how life on earth is supported by water, the sun, and the intricate web of plants and animals that feed off each other to survive.  It’s a book that’s more about the hard science behind what life on other planets might look like, rather than your average book about alien abductions, little grey men and flying saucers.

 

 

 

 

Drawing the villains in your graphic novel 

To write a proper story you need conflict; and if you’re writing a superhero story then you need a proper villain. This book will show how to draw many different types of villains, from the Wicked Warlord to the Mad Scientist to the Evil Queen. This isn’t a book for those who’ve just started out drawing their own comics, but if you’ve got a bit more experience then this should be a handy source of inspiration.

 

 

 

The Soul Bird

“Inside the soul, right in the very middle of it, there’s a bird standing on one foot. This is the soul bird…” This is an excellent book for understanding what is means to have a soul, using simple language and pictures to discuss very complex ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

Universe: journey into deep space

Another great book for the astronomers among you. This beautiful book will explain the wide universe beyond our tiny solar system. It talks about what different types of planet there are, and what you might find on them, depending on their proximity to the nearest star. It also looks at what happens to stars when they burn out. The reference section at the back is also very good. The illustrations are beautiful and it manages to convey just how big the universe really is and how we know so little about what lies beyond our (tiny) galaxy.