Monsters and dragons and minions, oh my! There are some great favourite movies amongst the DVD listings for May.
Adventures abound for Geronimo, the popular mouse hero of middle fiction continues on his world wide escapades. Fancy writing your own article for The Rodent Gazette? What adventure would you report to the editor? Let us know your ideas in the comments.
Here’s your Top 10 for last month:
1
. My little pony, friendship is magic
2. Inside out
4. Minions
6. Dragons
9. Home
These winter days and nights are great for getting stuck into a book and being swept away on countless adventures. Here are 5 new books that have just hit our libraries. Grab them while they’re hot!
The Curse of the Cairo Cat by Dan Metcalfe
Welcome to the British Museum, home to Lottie Lipton: nine-year-old investigator extraordinaire! Lottie loves living in the museum with Great Uncle Bert but, when the Golden Cat of Cairo disappears at the launch of a new exhibition, Lottie’s home is under threat. Can Lottie, Great Uncle Bert and Reg the caretaker follow the clues and find the cat in time, or will Lottie lose her home forever?
The Parent Problem by Anna Wilson
Skye Green’s mum is driving her insane! When she’s not posting EMBARRASSING pictures of Skye online or experimenting with BIZARRE clothing, she’s forever taking up new hobbies – and her latest obsession is ballroom dancing! It’s only a matter of time until she waltzes down the street in spandex and sequins – and to make matters worse, Skye’s younger brother is wildly (and irritatingly) enthusiastic about Mum’s new hobby, and about wearing Mum’s sparkly new outfits! As if this wasn’t HORRIFIC enough, Skye’s mum has also enlisted the new neighbour’s son to come and ‘babysit’ when she’s at dance class, and he’s only a year older than Skye! Talk about MORTIFYING in the EXTREME! At least Skye’s best friend, Aubrey is there to help Skye cope with her family’s madness. They’ve been friends since before they can remember, and nothing will ever, EVER change that …right?
C
entaur School by Lucy Coats
Demon has always counted on his magical medicine box to help him cure the sick beasts on Mount Olympus. But Chiron, his new healing master, insists Demon learn to find the cures on his own. Demon’s new skills are soon put to the test when he must save an ailing phoenix–or face the wrath of its fiery guards.
Nancy Parker’s Diary of Detection by Julia Lee
On this day 24th June 1920 I turned fourteen. I plan to have a very exciting future now that I have thrown off the SHACKLES of SCHOOL! A detective is what I would most like to be. I cannot think of any reason why I could not be one. Except perhaps I am too young. And I don’t like blood. Nancy Parker has recently been engaged in her first position – as a housemaid for the very modern Mrs Bryce. It’s not Nancy’s dream job (she’d rather be investigating crimes like they do in her beloved six-penny thrillers) but as Mrs Bryce starts to entertain her new neighbours with lavish parties, it becomes clear that something strange and interesting might be afoot. Local burglaries, a cook with a deep, dark secret – and Mrs Bryce’s own glamorous but murky past. Will Nancy solve the mysteries while still keeping on top of her chores? A hilarious and energetic middle-grade mystery, narrated part in the third person and part through Nancy’s journal.
Chaos in Cluckbridge
by Jennifer Gray
Danger is looming over Cluckbridge Town. A cobra has escaped from the local zoo and is after the local birdlife. And if that isn’t bad enough, the dastardly Most Wanted Club are back and causing trouble, too. Can Agent Cluckbucket and the Elite Chicken Squad vapourise the cobra’s venom and keep the birds of Cluckbridge safe?
With winter settling in what better time to rug up with a warm blanket, a cup of milo and some of these new Kids Fiction books from your local library!
Hour of the Bees
by Lindsay Eagar
This novel blurs the line between truth and fiction as Carol unravels the fantastical stories of her mentally ill grandfather. When she and her family move to his deserted ranch in order to transfer him to a care home, Carol struggles to cope with the suffocating heat and the effects of her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s. Bees seem to be following her around, but the drought means this is impossible. She must be imagining things. Yet when her grandfather chooses her as the subject for his stories – tales of a magical healing tree, a lake, and the grandmother she never knew – Carol sees glimmers of something special in what her parents dismiss as Serge’s madness. As she rethinks her roots and what she thought she knew about her family, Carol comes to the realization that Serge’s past is quickly catching up with her present.
How to Capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin
Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible.
Teresa by Deborah Abela
Teresa and her family survived the bombing of their home and went hungry during the long siege of their island during the war. Life in peace time is still hard. Her parents want a better life, and so apply to migrate to Australia to find it. But after the long voyage to Sydney, there are more testing times ahead for Teresa as she tries to learn Australian ways, avoid the bullies and do well at school. She is not about to let anything stop her from making her family and her nanna back in Malta proud of her.
The Secrets we Keep by Nova Weetman
Clem Timmins has lost everything – her clothes, her possessions, her house and her mum. Now living in a tiny flat with her dad, Clem has to start a new school and make new friends. On her first day, Clem tells Ellie that her mum died in a house fire and immediately regrets it when Ellie latches on and confides that her own mother is dying of cancer. When Clem receives a letter she doesn’t want to read, it becomes clear she can’t run from her past forever, especially when the truth appears right in front of her face.
Wicked’s Way
by Anna Fienberg
Will could walk a tightrope and juggle bananas as he went. ‘One day you’ll be the star of a circus,’ his mother told him. ‘But until then, you must be a secret.’ For each year pirates came to the islands to steal young boys for their crew. And if that happened to you, well, you may as well kiss your life goodbye. So what’s a young lad to do when his mother disappears and pirates arrive at his door?..Will takes courage from a crazy truth-telling parrot, and his mother’s advice: ‘Keep putting one foot in front of the other and your eyes on the prize.’ But will this be enough to survive the perils at sea? And will that infuriatingly polite boy called Horrendo finally tip the balance?..A high-seas pirate adventure about scoundrels and blaggards, devilish treachery, and finding the most precious treasure of all…
More new books! It’s like they are just flying in the doors simply so they can fly back out again in your hands. You know what to do… find them in your local library or seek them out on our catalogue.
PAX by Sara Pennypacker “After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back”– Provided by publisher.
Waiting for Callback by Perdita and Honor Cargill Geek Girl meets Fame meets New Girl in this brilliantly funny new series! When Elektra is discovered by an acting agent, she imagines Oscar glory can’t be far away, but instead lurches from one cringe-worthy moment to the next! Just how many times can you be rejected for the part of ‘Dead Girl Number Three’ without losing hope? And who knew that actors were actually supposed to be multi-lingual, play seven instruments and be trained in a variety of circus skills? Off-stage things aren’t going well either – she’s fallen out with her best friend, remains firmly in the friend-zone with her crush and her parents are driving her crazy. One way or another, Elektra’s life is now spent waiting for the phone to ring – waiting for callback. Can an average girl-next-door like Elektra really make it in the world of luvvies and starlets?
The nine lives of Montezuma by Michael Morpurgo This is the story of the nine lives of a very special cat, from impetuous young kitten to the king of the farmyard. Wherever Montezuma goes, adventure and excitement are sure to follow.
Electrigirl by Jo Cotterill Holly Sparkes was just your average 12-year-old, that was, until she’s hit by a bolt of lightning. Now Holly is EXTRAordinary. Like a human battery Holly can generate a massive amount of electricity in seconds, which could come in handy if she’s ever going to solve the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. Because when you’re dealing with the likes of Professor McAvity and her mysterious CyberSky corporation, you need all the help you can get!
Just my Luck by Cammie McGovern Since entering fourth grade, Benny Barrows worries that he will never be good at anything, that he is responsible for an accident that sent his father to the hospital, and that his attempts at winning a school contest will never be noticed.
Diary of a Wimpy kid is still numero uno! Is it the allure of cartoon/comic content? Check out Jeff Kinney drawing his characters here!
The popular Liz Pichon with Tom Gates and Rachel Renée Russel with Nikki Maxwell (dork diaries) have great drawings as part of their stories too
1. Diary of a wimpy kid series, by Jeff Kinney
2. Tom Gates series, by Liz Pichon
3. Treehouse series, By Andy Griffiths
4. Harry Potter series, by J.K.Rowling
5. Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford
6. Dirty Bertie, by Alan MacDonald
7. Dork Diaries, by Rachel Renee Russel
8. Ruby Redfort series by Lauren Child
9. Big Nate series, by Lincoln Peirce
10. Awful Auntie by David Walliams
D
rawings as part of the story are a great way to connect with characters and situations in a book. Has anyone checked out The Marvels? This beautiful book (the cover is smothered in gold leaf) tells the grand tale of shipwreck and adventure. Told in pictures, the first part of the book has expressive drawings that lead you through the story. The written half pieces together the mysterious and wonderful story of the performing Marvel family.
Road trips with DVDs? Turns out that it’s now a thing! There are some great DVDs in the Childrens collection to while away the easy summer hours. Our collection has classic series like Scooby-Doo and newer cartoon series following the Lego heroes of Chima, the ponies from the world of Equestria or the Strawberry shortcake gang. Inside out from Pixar has had some great reviews, from the writer of Monsters, Inc., Wall-E and Up, Pete Docter, the little voices in Riley’s head are brought to life as she struggles with the move to a new city. The animation deserves a mention as Pixar uses a more cartoonish style this time round. Heading to Tokyo in the next few months? you can catch the Pixar exhibition at The Museum of Contemporary Art
1. My little pony, friendship is magic
2. Minions
3. Inside out
4. Home
5. Dragons
6 . Cinderella
7. Scooby-Doo! 13 spooky tales
10. Paper planes
The 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.
Precious 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.
Longbow 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
George 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
The 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.
Check out these great new fiction titles. Get them while they are hot!
Coco Banjo is having a Yay Day
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 Graff
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 Sun
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 Barry
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.
Kenny 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?
The Vanishing of Billy Buckle by Sally Gardner
The famous fairy detective agency, Wings & Co, has a big problem. Well quite a few of them actually. There’s the missing giant, Billy Buckle, who has vanished without a trace, and left his giant daughter behind. There’s a surprise visit to the seaside, which uncovers a murder and a stolen diamond. And then there’s that tricky business of the TV talent show. Squat on a squid, this is Emily, Buster and Fidget’s most complicated case yet. – taken from back cover.
Looking Glass Girl
by Cathy Cassidy
Alice nearly didn’t go to the sleepover. Why would Savvy, queen of the school, invite someone like her? Now Alice is lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Lost in a wonderland of dreams and half-formed memories, she’s surrounded by voices – the doctor, her worried friends and Luke, whose kisses the night of the fall took her by surprise . . . When the accident happened her world vanished – can Alice ever find her way back? A wonderful modern-day reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic, Looking Glass Girl is the stunning new book from Cathy Cassidy, an unforgettable tale of friendship and love from one of the UK’s best-loved authors;- www.Goodreads.com
Trash Mountain
by Jane Yolen
When the gray squirrels kill his parents, a young red squirrel vows revenge, finding unlikely allies in the rats and gulls of Trash Mountain.
Sock Monkey Into the Deep Woods
by Matt Danner & Tony Millionaire
“In this all-new storybook adventure, the sock monkey Uncle Gabby, his button-eyed friend Mr. Crow, and their little doll pal Inches embark on a dangerous plan to rescue their missing human, Ann-Louise, from the vicious Amarok monster that they believe has kidnapped her into the haunted woods! The epic quest that follows takes them by sea, land, and air through breathtaking lands, including a colorful cast of fanciful new characters, including the Trumbernick, the Gardsmen of Bear Town, flying harpies, and a hideous sea monster!”–page [4] of cover
Harvey Angell Beats Time
by Diana Hendry
‘After the Great Storm the air was buzzing. Fences were toppled, trees were uprooted. With all the mess in Henry’s town, it didn’t surprise him to find a bundle of trash stuck in his Aunt Agatha’s hollyhocks. But when Henry discovers that the bundle is a baby — a baby with tiny antennae instead of eyebrows, and ears that look like buttercups — he suspects his old friend Harvey Angell is responsible. After all, Harvey Angell does have very special connections! But Harvey Angell is nowhere to be found, and witchy women are lining up around the block, desperate to see the baby. Henry is running out of time. He’s got to find Harvey Angell before this mystery turns into cosmic disaster’.- www.goodreads.com
WARNING – You are about to read my UTTERLY BIGGEST SECRETS.
Can I trust you? OK then.
I’m Ella, and these are my diaries.
Its a new school year, and everything is perfect. Ella has a new uniform, glittery stationery and cant wait to meet her new teacher. Until class starts, that is – and EVERYTHING goes wrong. She can’t believe she has to sit next to her absolutely WORST ENEMY EVER, Peach Parker! No matter how far she moves her pencil case across the desk, Peach is in her SPACE. Where’s her BFF Zoe? Can this year get ANY WORSE? Tune into the secret thoughts of Ella as she battles the school bully and turns a lunch time curse into a lunch time craze!
Ella dreams of dancing, but she also wants to be taken seriously. Shes in Year 5 after all! When her dreams of being the lead in the ballet recital are dashed, she starts to wonder if it might be fun to try something new. But when MEAN QUEEN PEACH takes up gymnastics and executes an AMAZING backflip in the playground, the school is taken over by the new craze. Will Ella backflip on her love of ballet? Can she bear to go along with Peach and her traitorous BFF Zoe? Leap beside Ella as her secret thoughts uncover the truth about friendship and trying new things.
Ella and Zoe want to start their own dog-walking business. They make a sign, hang it up in shops and wait by the phone for their first call. When their only job turns out to be minding a lizard, and sneaky Peach Parker starts behaving very suspiciously, Ella starts to wonder what’s up. Zoe and Ella must go undercover! Will they discover the terrible truth?