Famous People

4 new children’s non fiction that will blow your mind!

Katie

Diary of a Time Traveller.

Join Augustus on his global adventure back in time and meet hundreds of history’s most interesting characters, including Einstein, Columbus and the young Mozart. Packed with interesting facts, awesome illustrations and even a timeline of events, this diary makes a million years of history accessible at a glance.

 

 

David Walliams.

Author, actor, comedian, charity fundraiser, TV talent show judge – David Walliams ticks all the boxes! Now you can read his biography, and discover some of his greatest achievements, how he began his comic career, where he finds his inspiration for his hilarious children’s books and the enormous amount of work he does for charity.

 

 

The Best (& Worst) jobs in Ancient Rome.

Here is your chance to explore the job market in Ancient Rome. Discover which jobs brought wealth and glory and which were dirty, smelly and dangerous.

 

 

 

Ripley’s Believe it or not! : eye-popping oddities.

Brace yourself for some eye-popping oddities. There is an all new Ripley’s believe it or not and it is jam packed with even more odd and bizarre things you never thought was possible such as a man pulling a track with his nose, a woman marrying a Ferris wheel, cow farts blowing up building and many more crazy stories! Proceed with caution when you read, it’s earth shattering!

 

6 new non fiction staring a blue whale, issac newton, angry birds and a special guest called cupcake.

Katie

The Science Book.

The Science Book is an inventive visual take on astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. With eye-catching artwork, step-by-step diagrams, and illustrations that break down complicated ideas into manageable concepts, The Science Book will have readers conversant in genetic engineering, black holes, and global warming in no time. Along the way are found mini-biographies of the most well-known scientists, and a glossary of helpful scientific terms.

 

 

The Blue Whale.

A picture book all about blue whales, who could ask for more. This book is one a word – gorgeous. It is full of relatable facts from every day life that help to make the size and habits of the blue whale easily comprehensible and engaging. Especially great for a younger audience.

 

 

 

Issac Newton.

Read all about the life of Issac Newton, the man who discovered gravity when an apple fell to the ground and came up with the three basic ideas that are applied to the physics of most motion.

 

 

 

Custom confections : delicious desserts you can create and enjoy!

Feast your eyes on a book that you can sink your teeth into. Mmmm, custom confections. All the delicious deserts that you can create and enjoy! This book contains step by step instructions and photos on making all the delicious sweet treats known to man from red velvet cookies to tiramisu. A great book to have on hand for your next high tea or bake sale. Great for ages 9 to 13 years.

 

 

Tell Me Everything.

Want to know the answers to hundreds of the world’s most fascinating questions? Then check out this book and discover over 300 information packed pages that will take you through everything, including the world, the human body, history and science and technology. Whether you are looking up information for a project or coursework or out of interest, Tell Me Everything has all the answers.

 

 

Angry Birds Friendship Bracelets.

Angry Birds Friendship bracelets presents instructions for creating over fifty woven friendship bracelet patterns based on the personalities of the different Angry Bird characters.

 

 

 

 

*** Special Guest alert!

Also check out Bake Sale. A junior comic about a cupcake called… Cupcake, who runs a successful bakery with his best friend, Eggplant, but dreams of going abroad to meet his idol, Turkish Delight, who is the most famous pastry chef in the world.

6 new non fiction: Buzzing bios, Cooking Madness and the mysterious world of the greeks and… an egg.

Katie

Nelson Mandela : it always seems impossible until it’s done.

Read the incredible story of Nelson Mandela, a remarkable man that would fight against discrimination,  his country’s cruel system of apartheid and eventually become president of his country. A great resource to use for anyone studying Nelson Mandela and apartheid.

 

 

Shackleton’s Journey.

This book tells the story of the shipwreck of the Endurance in a sea of ice en route to Antarctica, and the survival of all 28 members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

 

 

 

Complete Children’s Cookbook.

Yummy, yummy, yummy and just in time for the winter season. This book features over 150 delicious recipes to get you and your kids in the kitchen. From eggy bread to sunflower loaves, lamb hotpot to ice cream, there’s a scrumptious recipe for every occasion in the Complete Children’s Cookbook. One word to describe this book, YUM!

 

 

Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece.

This book serves as a wonderful introduction to the world of gods and goddesses of the Olympians. From Zeus to Athena, read about the family of gods and goddesses that the ancient Greeks believed watched over them.

 

 

 

The Olympics of ancient Greece.

Read this book and learn all about the athletes, competitions, and religious ceremonies of the ancient Olympics. Great for a younger audience.

 

 

 

Egg : nature’s perfect package.

Explore how a simple, often colorful, sometimes surprisingly shaped package, reveals nature’s life cycle, unusual animal defensive strategies, parenting behaviour, evolution, and more, in this beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book. Overall this is a fantastic book that gives you insight into the remarkable and mysterious world what really goes on inside an egg and what fantastic animals emerge from eggs.

6 new New Zealand and fairy tale non fiction just in time for winter.

Katie

Operation Nest Egg Chick.

“Deep down in a dark burrow, a father kiwi snorts and snuffles in his sleep. Underneath him , a large creamy egg lies snug and safe from pilfering predators.” Read more in Operation Nest Egg Chick, a creative non-fiction story about a BNZ Operation Nest Egg chick. Each page features beautiful illustrations, photographs and text boxes about how kiwis are being saved. A must have read!

 

Snow White : 4 beloved tales.

Retells the classic German version of Snow White, together with three similar tales–Marigo of the Forty Dragons from Albania, The unnatural mother and the girl with a star on her forehead from Mozambique, and The magic needle from Turkey

 

 

Rapunzel : 3 beloved tales.

Retells the classic German tale of Rapunzel in the tower, along with the similar tales of Clotilde from the Philippines, and Petrosinella from Italy.

 

 

 

Little Red Riding Hood Stories Around the World: 3 Beloved Tales.

Retells the classic German version of the fairy tale of a girl and a wolf, along with similar tales from Italy and Taiwan.

 

 

 

Alice‘s food A-Z : edible adventures.

Written by Alice Zaslavsky – one-time Masterchef contestant and the host of TV quiz show Kitchen Whizz, this book contains information about all the things you ever wanted to know about food… and some things you probably didn’t. Packed to the brim with funny food facts, clever cooking tips and kidfriendly recipes, this is a book for the fact-hungry, food-obsessed or those who like to mess about in the kitchen. A great book to have on hand, especially with winter around the corner.

 

 

New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame : 25 Kiwi champions.

This book features information about 25 famous New Zealand sportspeople across a wide range of different sporting disciplines. Includes a caricature, an action photograph, a profile of the person, timeline, inspirational quote, description of the sport, training regime and trophy board. One book you must read!

New Non Fiction: Made up of heroes, phonies, mammals and the dead.

Katie

image courtesy of syndetics

Marvel super hero character encyclopedia.

This is a book for all your Marvel fans. Check out this amazing A to Z guide to the Super Heroes of the Marvel Universe – from Ant-Man to Wolverine, and everyone in between! The guide gives detailed descriptions of everyone’s favourite characters including their origins, powers and secret identities. Full of trivia and fun facts on more than 100 heroes, this exciting book is sure to delight Marvel fans, young and old!

 

image courtesy of syndetics

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and their parents.

Brace yourself for cuteness! This book is filled with information about every baby mammal, from a tiny harvest mouse ‘pinky’ to a fierce lion cub, needs food, shelter, love, and a family. Also filled with illustrations of some of the most adorable babies in the kingdom and goes into full detail of the traits that all baby mammals share and proves that, even though they’re born in the wild, they’re not so very different from us, after all” Overall a very enjoyable read.

 

image courtesy of syndetics

Famous phonies : legends, fakes, and frauds who changed history.

“Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History is the first in a new nonfiction middle grade series that will explore the underbelly of history, making you question everything you thought you knew about history’s finest. It’s perfect for the history buff, the reluctant reader, or that kid who loves the strange and unusual.”

I never thought I would see this day where they finally publish a book on all the famous legends, fakes and frauds who changed history. If you are in the mood for a little controversy, then check out this amazing book which allows you to see a different side of the famous historical figures you know and admire and all the gory details of their dirty secrets and scandals that shape their phoniness.

A must read book!

 

The day of the dead = El dia de los muertos.image courtesy of syndetics

This book tells the story of two children as they celebrate their ancestors on the vibrant holiday: The day of the dead. With sugar skulls, sweet-smelling marigold petals and joyful songs, Hispanic families welcome back ancestors on this holiday. Complete with lush college and lyrical text in both English and Spanish, this wonderful picture book creates the perfect introduction to this festival (and perhaps also to the Spanish language)

Another must read book!

 

image courtesy of syndeticsThe beach they called Gallipoli.

Many books have been written about the battles of Gallipoli; the men who went to war and what they faced, the letters, and the tears of those left behind. But this is a book about Gallipoli, the place, and what happened on Gallipoli Beach from April – December 1915. Created by the award winning duo, Australian Children’s Laureate, Jackie French, and renowned artist and illustrator, Bruce Whatley, this powerful and moving book highlights an almost forgotten aspect of Gallipoli: the land itself. This is more than a book about ANZACS; this is a book about and for all of the nationalities who fought at that cove, not matter what side they were on. This is one book to get your hands on and read just in time for ANZAC day.

 

 

 

New Non Fiction: Amazing Facts.

Katie

Big Book of When.image courtesy of syndeticsRead this book and find out all the answers to questions such as when was the first text message sent and when did people start using clocks. This book also contains great photos, timelines, diagram and more than 801 fascinating facts.

image courtesy of syndeticsZoom In.
Move over Magic Eye and Actual size, Zoom In takes you on a journey where you encounter ordinary objects, like an eye or the head of a felt tip that are magnified a hundred times. Overall this book is a fantastic read full of amazing super-magnified images that will leave you guessing what they actually are.

image courtesy of syndeticsDoctor Who: How to be a Time Lord.
A must have read for all you Doctor Who fans. This ancient book contains thousands of years of time lord wisdom everything you need to know in order to become the next Doctor Who.

Girls who rocked the world.image courtesy of syndetics
Girls who rocked the world is the ultimate girl power book that pays tributes to many famous and influential young women that changed the world, such of Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa and Coco Channel.

Horrid Henry’s Ghosts.image courtesy of syndetics
Check out Horrid Henry’s guide to all the weird, wonderful, hilarious and horrid facts about anything and everything you have ever wanted to know about… Ghosts.

image courtesy of syndetics image courtesy of syndetics A Mob of Meerkats and Other Mammal Groups and A pod of Dolphins and other sea mammal groups.
Prepare to be overloaded with cuteness and amazing facts when reading these books about mammals. These books tell you everything you need to know about their habitat, how they communicate, find food and care for their young. Great resources to use for homework and projects about mammals.

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

Katie

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.

 

Entertainment Over Christmas and New Year’s: Angry Birds, Movie Mania and Celebrity Madness.

Katie

The World of Angry Birds Official Guide.

You may know (and have played) the game, but do you really know everything about the Angry Birds and why they are so angry? Here’s your chance to find out. Read the official guide and take a journey to Piggy Island, home to the Angry Birds, Bad Piggies… and the mysterious Mighty Eagle, where Mighty Eagle takes you on a tour of the magical island, introducing you to all the heroes, villains and places where you finally get to to hear all the stories behind Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Space games.

 

 

 

 

The hobbit : the desolation of Smaug : movie storybook. 

It’s only days away until the next hobbit movie is released. How about reading ahead to see what you can expect from the movie, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Join Bilbo Baggins and the company of Dwarves in the continuation of battling against evil forces, the dwarves’ quest to recapture the lost Kingdom of Erebor and meeting some new (and old) characters along the way. With this amazing retelling of the movie, you too can visit Middle Earth and [perhaps catch a glimpse of Smaug himself.

Also check out the movie  trailer of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

 Michael Morpurgo : War child to War horse : a biography.

We all know Michael Morpurgo as the author of War Horse and Private Peaceful. But what don’t you know? Read the latest biography on his life and find out how a boy who dreamed of becoming an army officer became a famous author instead and what true events inspired him to write his most-loved books. This is one biography that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages!

If your looking for movies to watch over the Christmas and New Year Period, Check out War Horse, Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and the stage play War Horse by Nick Stafford and Private Peaceful.

 

 

 

Around the world with One Direction.

Fancy a trip around the world with Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn?, Then this is the book for you. Author Sarah Oliver has the inside scoop from One Direction’s biggest fans around the world that managed to even have up close and personal encounters with these amazing and talented pop stars! You will get the full low down on what Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn are like in real life and hear about tour secrets you are less likely to hear any where else. A must have read for all One Direction fans!

Also check out 1D : One Direction : behind the scenes.

Disney Planes : the essential guide.

Seen the movie? Now read and enjoy this fantastic photo-filled movie book. Relive the story of the lovable characters from Planes. Join Dusty Crophopper and his pals in Propwash Junction, travel the globe to meet all the high-flying heroes of the air-racing circuit and discover the top racing tips and tricks that Dusty needs to learn to become a champ of the air.

Also check out the movie trailer of Planes.

New Non Fiction: Buzzing Bios.

Katie

Dav Pilkey.

This book series gives you an intimate look at the life of  Dav Pilkey, the man behind Captain Underpants, Super Diaper Baby and Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot. Read and find out everything you ever wanted to know about Dav Pilkey’s childhood, education and career. As an added bonus, you will also find out what inspired Dav Pilkey to write and how he came up with his story ideas.

 

 

 

Kate Middleton.

We all know her as the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William, second in line to be King of England, but what don’t you know? Read the latest and revised biography of this real-life princess and find out everything you have ever wanted to know about her:  Her family, childhood, relationship with Prince William, wedding, royal duties, and more.

 

 

Jennifer Lawrence.

Jennifer Lawrence is a talented American actress. She has appeared in popular movies, but is best known as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series. Now is your chance to kick back, read and enjoy her unofficial biography. Crammed full of photos, you read and find out all those little things you always wanted to know about this successful actress from her humble beginnings, chased down by agents, small parts on television to playing Katniss Everdeen, the role that finally put her on the A-list.

Steve Jobs.

Read all about highlights the life and accomplishments of the co-founder and long-time CEO of Apple Computers and former CEO of Pixar, Steve Jobs who helped create many of  today’s popular electronic devices. You will learn all about this amazing genius’ inspiration life from how his interest in electronics developed, how  he founded Apple with his partner, Steve Wozniak, his family life,  how his career came to an end due to an illness that led to his death in 2011 and how his remarkable legacy changed and revolutionized the way we think about computer, music, entertainment  and cellphones.

Also check out  Steve Jobs: Digital Innovator.

FACT: As of 2012, Apple has sold more than 350 million iPods.

 

Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates’ innovations at Microsoft have made him one of the most influential and well-known figures in the history of personal computers. Along with his wife, Melinda, he has also become one of the world’s foremost philanthropists and have built a foundation that aims to  enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty,  to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. Now you can read all about this famous husband and wife team  from their childhoods to their incredible success.

FACT: Bill Gates was a student at Harvard University, but dropped out before graduating.

 

Mark Zuckerberg.

You may be familiar with Facebook, but how much do you know about the man who created it? Read all about Mark Zuckerberg, one of the world’s youngest billionaires and discover how his studies at Harvard led to the creation of Facebook and how Zuckerberg was able to turn it into a money making business. Also find out how Mark Zuckerberg became interested in computer coding, why he moved to Silicon Valely and how his ideas have shaped the way we communicate.

Also check out Facebook.

 

 

Happy Birthday George Ferris!!!!!

wcl staff

It’s George Ferris 154th Birthday today!!!!!

So who is this guy?

What did he do !!!!

Well he was an American engineer who built bridges. You have probably gone on one of  his best ever inventions –  The Ferris Wheel!!!!!  He was challenged to see if something could be built that would rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris !!! He wanted something  ‘original, daring and unique.’ So he came up with the cool idea of a gigantic wheel with carriages to ride in!!! Hooray for George!

So the first original Ferris wheel was built in Chicago for The World’s Columbian Exposition held in  Illinois, 1893.

So remember George next time you line up for a ride on a Ferris wheel and remember it’s his  154th birthday!

Happy Birthday George Ferris!!!!!