families

Rainbow storytime at Out in the Park Saturday 12 March 2016

Dusty

rainbowstorytime2The Library Bookbike is taking part in the Wellington Pride Parade on Saturday 12 March – yay! We will be transporting free books, stamps, badges and storytellers to Out in the park.

We’re celebrating the diverse families of the Wellington community with a couple of Rainbow Storytimes. These feature picture books about families incorporating all sorts of children and adults. Bring the children along at 11.30am and 1.30pm, suitable for 3- 7.  All welcome – look for the colourful book bike at the fair.

The library has a great collection of picture books that encompass diverse families. There will be a selection at the book bike and some of them will read aloud in the storytime. Here’s a sample of some of the titles the library has:

 

 

and tango makes three, by Justin Richardson and Pete Parnell

Roy and Silo, New York zoo residents, a couple of boy penguins who make a nest together.  A zoo keeper recognises their affection for each other and helps them create a family by providing an egg. This story is beautifully illustrated by Henry Cole.

 

Bring your family to the Picnic in the park, by Joe Griffiths and Tony Pilgrim

This picture book has soooo many different families!  The tale of a birthday party that shows how families of different makeups come together to celebrate with each other.

 

 The different dragon, By Jennifer Bryan, illustrated by Danamarie Hosler

Noah and one of his Moms create a story together of one a night time adventure.  A great story and an inspiration for storytelling with children

 

10,000 dresses, story by Marcus Ewert, illustrations by Rex Ray.

What does it look like when your family don’t support who you are?  10,000 dresses tells the tale of Bailey.  She’s a girl who dreams of amazing dresses that are truly fantastic designs.  But her family only knows her as the boy that grew up with them. Luckily for Bailey the story ends well.

 

 

The library has some great resources for people exploring different ways of expressing who they are and for their families understanding that journey.  The Librarians are always willing to help you find books, information and other library materials. If you’re unsure where to look, or what search terms to use in the library catalogue, please feel free to ask.

 

 

 

New school year means new children’s fiction to try

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We know you’re excited about the new school year school starting, and we reckon you should get excited about these new titles too! Give them a go; try something new!

Sammael’s Wings by Hilton Pashley

“Everything Jonathan loves is threatened. His angel father is wounded and lost, and his demon mother is missing in Hell. When his great-aunt Sammael, an archangel, returns from exile, Jonathan finally has a chance to bring his family back together. But a terrible new enemy wants to create chaos and fear throughout the universe, and he needs Jonathan’s wings to do it. Jonathan must go through Heaven and Hell to save them all…”–Back cover.

 

A Galaxy Too Far Away by Jamie ThomsonImage courtesy of Syndetics

Harry was just an ordinary teenage boy from Croydon when he was abducted by aliens and accidentally became the captain of their starship. His quest to get back home to Earth continues – but now he’s acquired an alien ‘son’ and a new spacecraft, and he’s being pursued by an eight-foot robot bounty hunter.

 

The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela BrownImage courtesy of Syndetics

When seven bored children discover an abandoned chapel in their home town, they decide to renovate it and to form the Blue Door Theatre Company. The talented and resourceful group soon discover that they are serious about their theatrical ambitions, but will their parents stand in their way?

 

The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha LoweImage courtesy of Syndetics

Ten-year-old Poppy will do anything to realize her dream of becoming a baker, although her parents insist she attend Ruthersfield, the exclusive girls school for witchcraft, where she excels despite her dislike of magic. Includes baking tips and recipes.

 

 

Pieces of Why by K.L. GoingImage courtesy of Syndetics

Twelve-year-old Tia lives in a white slum in New Orleans with her mother, and her whole world revolves around singing in the gospel choir with her best friend, Keisha–but when practice is interrupted by a shooting outside the church, and a baby is killed, Tia finds that she cannot sing, and she is forced to confront her feelings about her incarcerated father who killed a girl in a failed robbery years before.

Great new kids fiction for the new school year!

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Image courtesy of SyndeticsCrowns and Codebreakers by Elen Caldecott (The Marsh Road Mysteries #2)

Minnie’s Gran picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport. Then Minnie’s house is burgled and the only thing taken is the suitcase. The suitcase was full of boy’s clothes. Who was the boy? What has happened to him? Minnie knows there is a mystery to be solved here and reassembles her gang to solve it.

 

Stop Those Monsters! by Steve ColeImage courtesy of Syndetics

The Wizard of Oz meets Monsters Inc in this MONSTROUSLY funny stand-alone story from bestselling author phenomenon, Steve Cole. I’m Bob, a human boy stuck in a land of MONSTERS. I’m trying to get out with the help of three – count them, three – incredible creatures. There’s Verity, who looks like a giant hamster. Alfie, who’s about as scary as a bag of crisps. And Zola, a gorgon who can’t turn people to stone (though she can manage cardboard at a push). We’re on a crazy, death-defying quest to escape with our lives. And all around us, the cry goes up: STOP THOSE MONSTERS!!!

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsA Horse Called Dora ; Knight in Training #2 (by Vivian French and David Melling

Sam J. Butterbiggins’ only ambition is to be a Very Noble Knight, but he has a problem he’s been packed off to the castle next door to stay with his aunt, uncle and annoying cousin Prune while his parents are away. But Sam’s discovered an ancient scroll listing the six quests to be completed in order to become a knight, and he’s already completed the first one! Now he’s found his True Companion (Prune), next on the list is to track down a Snow White Steed. But when Aunt Egg orders Sam and Prune to journey to Weasel’s Hill to deliver Horace the warthog back to his owner, it looks like the young knight-in-training looks will have to put his quest on hold. Or will he?

 

Under Suspicion by R.A. SprattImage courtesy of Syndetics

Since Friday Barnes was arrested after cracking the case of Highcrest academy’s swamp-yeti, she is not so sure boarding school was the smartest choice! And there’s a new boy at school who’s take a shine to her to deal with. Can Friday navigate the school grounds and decipher a decades-old mystery without getting caught in an unexpected love triangle?

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsNancy Drew; The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene

‘Nancy Drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery.  The ranch is being haunted by a phantom horse and maliciously damaged by an unknown enemy.  Local people believe that the ghostly animal is carrying out the curse of Dirk Valentine, the romantic outlaw who was killed many years ago at Shadow Ranch, where he had gone to fulfill a promise to his sweetheart’…. –taken from inside book cover.

 

 

Movie Review: Inside Out.

Katie

A very funny interpretation of what happens in the human mind when emotions set in.

Produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Inside Out is set in the mind of a young girl, Riley Andersen (Kaitlyn Dias), where five personified emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling)—try to lead her through life as her parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) move the family to a new city.

Overall this is a cute movie that provides a very funny interpretation of what happens in the human mind when emotions set in, what roles each our emotions play in our personalities, how we communicate and form relationships with people.

Some very funny moments in the film, especially when Anger loses his temper, Disgust’s sarcastic and cynical behaviour and finding what role Sadness plays in our lives (Spoiler: Very important role).

Rating: 8/10

For a sneak peek of Inside Out, check out the trailer here.

Awesome options for children to enjoy from our new books trolley

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Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Princess of Trelian by  Michelle Knudsen Princess Meglynne of Trelian will soon be named the princess-heir, next in line to be queen, but her link to the dragon Jakl makes the kingdom’s people more than a little uneasy.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsPrecious and the Zebra Necklace by Alexander McCall-Smith A photograph, a necklace and a missing family. A new pupil, Nancy, arrives at Precious Ramotswe’s school, and the two girls soon become firm friends. When Precious finds out that all Nancy has to remind her of her missing parents is a photograph and a necklace of beautifully carved zebras, she offers to help find them. This is the start of an exciting adventure that leads the two girls deep into the remotest parts of Botswana, where they meet an old lady who recognises the necklace and has some extraordinary news for Nancy.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsLongbow Girl by Linda Davies Merry Owen is desperate for her family to stay on their struggling farm in Wales, in the shadow of the Black Castle, owned by the de Courcys who have been enemies of Merry’s family for generations. Skilled in the family tradition of archery, Merry is happiest out riding – but when she finds an overturned tree and a buried chest containing an ancient Welsh text, it leads her into a past filled with treasure, secrets and untold danger

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsGeorge by Alex Gino “When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl. George thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part . . . because she’s a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte — but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all” –provided by publisher

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Watcher Shadows on the Sea # 2 How did Wendy end up in such a place? Just a few months ago, she was enjoying life in Maine, supporting the American war effort. but she was kidnapped, then betrayed by her own mother, who is actually a Nazi spy. As a new Berliner – and now a German – Wendy is expected to speak in a language she’s never known and support a cause she doesn’t believe in. There are allies, though, among the Germans. Allies who have been watching Wendy since she arrived. And Wendy, along with her ne German Shepherd puppy, must confront them. Her life depends on it.

Some New Kids Fiction Delights to Devour!

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Image Courtesy of SyndeticsThe Girl in the Torch by Robert Sharenow
“After her father is killed in a pogrom, twelve-year-old Sarah and her mother immigrate to America–but when her mother dies before they get through Ellis Island, and the authorities want to send her back to the old country, Sarah hides in the torch of the Statue of Liberty.” (Library Catalogue)

Image Courtesy of SyndeticsTiger Boy by Mitali Perkins
“A tiger cub has escaped from a reserve in the Sunderbans in West Bengal, India, and Neel, a poor boy from the islands, is determined to find her in order to save her from being captured and sold on the black market by Mr. Gupta and his men.” (Library Catalogue)

Image Courtesy of SyndeticsMasterpiece by Elise Broach
“Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays’ apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Dürer. But James can’t go through with the plan without Marvin’s help. And that’s where things get really complicated (and interesting!).” (Catalogue summary)

Image Courtesy of SyndeticsThe Beast in My Belly  by Grzegorz Kasdepke
“A young girl is puzzled, then frightened, by the growling, gurgling, and grunting she hears in her belly, but no one believes she has a beast living there.” (Library Catalogue)

A Semi-Charming Kind of Life Semi-Charming Kind of Life by Suzanne Selfors
“Darling Charming is bored in Damsel-In-Distressing class. She’d much rather be in Hero Training with her brothers. The only thing is, she has secretly been helping her brother Dexter ace the class. If anyone finds out, a scandal would erupt at Ever After High. One of the most prestigious families in town, the Charmings have a reputation to uphold. Darling is destined to be a damsel…but this Rebel may want to decide her own destiny.” (Library Catalogue)

Start Term 3 with this awesome new kids’ ficiton

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Check out these great new fiction titles. Get them while they are hot!

Coco Banjo is having a Yay DayImage Courtesy of Syndetics by N.J Gemmell

Coco Banjo loves her life. She sleeps in a tiger onesie, wears her mum’s diamonds just because she can, and has dolphins and penguins for friends. Today Coco’s planning a Yay Day of fun on her secret island home in the middle of Sydney Harbour. But wait . . . what’s that Secret Signal? Oh no, Narianna (known as N) is being bullied! Coco sets off for school to rescue her. But when cranky school principal Miss Trample sees Coco’s school uniform (customised, thank you very much), Coco might be in even more trouble than her best friend. How will she get out of this one?

 

 

Absolutely Almost by Lisa GraffImage Courtesy of Syndetics

Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself. First person recount.

 

 

 

Lost in the SunImage Courtesy of Syndetics by Lisa Graff

“As Trent Zimmerman struggles to move past a traumatic event that took place several months earlier, he befriends class outcast Fallon Little, who helps him understand that he can move on”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

 

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave BarryImage Courtesy of Syndetics

When the eighth grade civics class of Miami’s Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend Matt’s decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists–and it’s up to the boys to stop them.

 

 

 

Image Courtesy of SyndeticsKenny Wright Superhero by James Patterson

Kenny Wright is a sixth grade ‘Grandma’s Boy’ in a tough inner city school, struggling with bullies, schoolwork and keeping his detentions secret from his ‘G-ma’. Though in his active imagination he’s a world-famous superhero, Stainlezz Steel, who fights crime, saves lives and rescues helpless animals. But now Kenny’s neighbourhood needs him – can he step up in his real life and help his ‘G-ma’ save the best School Principal he’s ever had?

5 new children’s fiction worth trying!

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Tom Gates; Yes! No. (maybe…)Image courtesy of Syndetics by L Pichon

“Sometimes making up my mind isn’t easy to do. Especially when my grumpy sister Delia is looming over me. Mum’s on a mission to tidy up the whole house. She says if I can’t decide what to get rid of – she’ll do it for me. Which would be a disaster! Luckily for me the fossils come to my rescue (more than once).”–Back cover.

 

 

 

Emily Sparkes and the Friendship FiascoImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ruth Fitzgerald

Emily Sparkes thinks having your best friend move to Wales at the same time as your parents decide to have a new baby is probably more trauma than anyone should have to cope with. But things go from bad to worse when she’s paired with revolting Gross-Out Gavin for the school trip. Emily is determined to escape him, and when glamorous new girl Chloe Clarke turns up it seems her prayers might be answered. Unfortunately, everyone has gone Chloe Clarke mad and Emily finds her ‘sworn enemy’ Zuzanna has had the same idea. Getting and keeping Chloe as a friend proves a lot more troublesome than Emily anticipated and leads her into a whole new set of disasters.

 

 

The Nowhere EmporiumImage courtesy of Syndetics By Ross MacKenzie

When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the ‘shop from nowhere’ – and its owner, Mr Silver – draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment. Recruited as Mr Silver’s apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium’s vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms – rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined. But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble. Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever? Scottish Children’s Book Award winner Ross MacKenzie unleashes a riot of imagination, colour and fantasy in this astonishing adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Corneila Funke and Neil Gaiman

 

The Adventures of SholaImage courtesy of Syndetics by Bernado Atxaga

While Shola may look like an ordinary little white dog, she and her long suffering owner know that she is in fact a highly cultivated creature. Shola is always ready to find her inner lioness or lead a wild boar hunt but still likes her home-made cheese and home-cooked chips.

 

 

 

The Dream SnatcherImage courtesy of Syndetics by Abi Elphinstone

Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare – the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life. Because Moll is more important than she knows…The Oracle Bones foretold that she and Gryff, a wildcat that has always been by her side, are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher’s dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Moll is drawn into a world full of secrets, magic and adventure.

 

4 Fun new Fiction books for children

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Image courtesy of SyndeticsSave Rafe -Middle School;6,  by James Patterson

“Middle schooler Rafe Khachadorian faces his greatest challenge yet as he struggles to complete a week-long wilderness survival course to prove to his school administrators that he can succeed”– Provided by publisher.

 

 

 

 

The Complete Adventures of Johnny Mutton Image courtesy of Syndeticsby James Proimos

The many adventures of Johnny Mutton — Johnny Mutton, he’s so him! — Mutton soup — Extras, extras, read all about it!  Presents a collection of humorous stories about Johnny Mutton, the young sheep raised as a regular boy.

 

 

 

Archie Greene and the Magician’s SecretImage courtesy of Syndetics by D. D Everest

Archie Greene has lived with his grandmother since he was a baby, but when a mysterious package arrives on his twelfth birthday with instructions to take it to a strange bookshop in Oxford, he finds himself involved with a secret society of people who protect the world’s magical books, and discovers that he has family he never knew about.

 

 

 

Emily’s Tiara Trouble Image courtesy of Syndetics– The Anti-Princess Club;1

Talented ten-year-olds Emily, Bella, Chloe and Grace are sick of teachers assuming they are helpless princesses. When maths whiz Emily Martin’s mother enters her in the local beauty pageant, it’s the last straw – the four friends form the Anti-Princess Club, with the motto We Don’t Need Rescuing. Can they use their awesome skills to show the world that girls want to be valued for more than what they see in the mirror?

New Books From the Fiction Trolley!

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Stone GoblinsImage courtesy of Syndetics By David Melling

“Saggypant and Seepage are Stone Goblins – but they’re not much good at collecting stones! So imagine how they cope with a dragon’s tail”–Back cover

 

 

 

 

Rain ReignImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ann .M. Martin

Struggling with Asperger’s, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet.

 

 

 

 

My Palomino Pony Wins Through Image courtesy of Syndeticsby Olivia Tuffin

Can Georgia come to terms with Secret, the new foal, moving away from the stables?

 

 

 

 

Sleuth on SkatesImage courtesy of Syndetics by Clementine Beauvais

Precocious eleven-year-old self-made-supersleuth Sophie “Sesame” Seade investigates the disappearance of Jenna Jenkins, a student at Cambridge University, where Sophie’s father is chaplain and her mother is Head of Christ’s College.

 

 

 

The Ice Dragon Image courtesy of Syndeticsby George R. R. Martin

Leaving in its wake desolate cold and frozen land, the legendary ice dragon has never been tamed until it meets Adara, a winter child who looks to the creature to help save her world from destruction.

 

 

 

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: the Magical CarImage courtesy of Syndetics by Ian Fleming

Two children persuade their inventor father to purchase and restore an old car which turns out to have magical powers.