History

5 New Non Fiction just in time for Autumn

Katie

Looking for some new non-fiction reads? Expand your brain with these 5 new titles that are just hitting your library shelves. There’s animals, history and bad guys in the mix – something for everyone!

 

image courtesy of syndeticsOcean: a children’s encyclopaedia.

Descend into the vast, hidden depths of earth’s oceans and discover an amazing world in this stunning visual encyclopaedia.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsCelts.

The Celts were fearsome warriors, but they also developed trade routes across Europe and made beautiful jewellery. Find out about Celtic tribes, how Boudicca rebelled against the Romans, and how the Celts celebrated with feasts and festivals.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsDoes a seal smile?

Does a Seal Smile? explores the meanings of body and facial expressions in wild animals and people. A funny, kid-like question (“Does a coyote smile?”) is shown with a realistic scenario (coyote howling), and thoughts/facts about how animals express themselves.

 

Top 50 villains.image courtesy of syndetics

Prepare for something… horrible. New to the Horrible Histories series, this book will introduce you to 50 of the most vilest villains imaginable. From gangs of gangsters to maniacs who massacre, come face to face with the biggest baddies in history.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsZoo Animals.

Arts and craft, and the ability to create your own personal zoo. Zoo Animals, makes all this possible. This book shows you how to craft all kinds of zoo creatures and has bucket loads of extraordinary facts about them as well.

April School Holidays Announcement

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Forsooth! Dust off your neck ruffles and pantaloons, Shakespeare is coming to the library!

During the April School Holidays we will be celebrating Shakespeare’s amazing life and his famous works of poetry, plays and writing. Many of our libraries will be holding fun Shakespeare-themed activities for you to enjoy.

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of his death. If you don’t want to do the math, the records say he died on April 23rd 1616 in an English town called ‘Stratford-upon-Avon’. During his life he wrote around 37 plays and 154 sonnets – wow! If you’re interested in finding out more, we recommend you take a look at the BBC web page on Shakespeare, or the Folger Shakespeare Library web site. There are heaps of facts and fun activities at both web sites.

There will be lots of Shakespeare fun going on during the holidays, and your librarians are busily planning out the activities.

Check back here, on the What’s On web page, or the library Event Calendar for updates. All activities will be free, no booking are needed, and will be suitable for primary school children aged 6+.

6 new non-fiction children will love

Katie

image courtesy of syndeticsFatal fever: Tracking down Typhoid Mary.

Move over Swine Flu, This book chronicles the story of the early 1900s typhoid fever epidemic in New York, providing details as to how its infamous carrier, Mary Mallon was ultimately tracked down and stopped.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndeticsBig Cats:

Check out Tiger and Lion in the Big Cats series. These books introduces young readers to some of the fascinating cat species on earth.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsLego Awesome Ideas.

Calling all Lego fans, Are you ready for the most awesome LEGO building adventure yet? This book takes on a journey through six incredible worlds bursting with hundreds of new LEGO approved fan ideas and building tips! Learn how to make a wild west train, outer space aliens, a realistic-looking mobile phone and much, much more. Create your own amazing models with step by step guides that unlock the secrets of great LEGO building!

 

image courtesy of syndeticsLego Star Wars in 100 Scenes.

When you put together six Star Wars movies and a lot of Lego bricks, this is what you get: The complete Star Wars saga retold in Lego bricks. This fun Lego Star Wars book retells the six Star Wars films in 100 iconic scenes using LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures. Relive the amazing Star Wars adventure in miniature form with this humorous retelling of the LEGO Star Wars complete saga.

 

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsEyewitness: Pirate.

Be an eyewitness to the bloodthirsty activates of pirates, from the barbarous corsairs of the Mediterranean to the cutthroat buccaneers of the Spanish Main.

 

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love

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Valentine’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Valentine, originated more than 1000 years ago in the Roman Empire, although the exact history is unknown.

It started off as a day to honour Saint Valentinus, a Roman priest who died in the name of his Christian religion.

Valentine’s Day didn’t become a celebration of love until 800 years later in the late 14th century, when an English poet named Geoffrey Chaucer referenced Saint Valentine in a love poem he had written about the engagement of the King and Queen.

Poetry has therefore remained popular on Valentine’s Day, and you might have heard this well-known phrase (or variations of it):

Roses are Red, Violets are blue,

Honey is sweet, and so are you.

 

Nowadays, people from countries all around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving chocolates, roses and handwritten cards to the ones they love, as well as spending time together.

Although it is traditionally a romantic occasion, many people also choose to celebrate special friendships on Valentine’s Day.

Why not create your own cards and gifts to show your loved ones how much you appreciate them?

 

Visit our catalogue to find out more about Valentine’s Day and for great crafted gift ideas. Here are some to get you started:

       

6 New children’s non fiction just in time for Summer

Katie

Summer is coming (we promise!), which means long warm days to relax with a great read, or two! These have just hit the shelves, grab them while they’re hot!

 

Why Should I bother to keep fit?

This book offers children an approachable source of information on key subjects such as why keeping fit is good for you, how to choose the appropriate exercise regime and a how to stay healthy in day-to-day life.

 

 

Why shouldn’t I eat junk food?

This book describes food that is nutritious and healthy and food that does not have many nutrients.

 

 

 

Redstone : the unofficial guide to tips and tricks that other guides won’t teach you.

Packed with expert tips, cheats, and hacks on redstone. With over one hundred screenshots, Hacks for Minecrafters: Redstone shows exactly how the experts wield redstone power, and how you can construct some classic and crazy contraptions and machines. Detailed step-by-step illustrated guides will let every player use redstone to defend their buildings in inventive ways. A must read fro Minecraft fans.

 

Command blocks : the unofficial guide to tips and tricks that other guides won’t teach you.

By reading this book, kids will learn everything they need to know about manipulating and programming command blocks within Minecraft. This book also has tons of fun tricks and projects for making your own custom maps and mini-games. Another must read fro Minecraft fans.

 

Adventure Time: The making of awesomeness.

filled with quirky, vibrant, irreverent and eccentric images and information, Adventure Time’s weird and wonderful post-apocalyptic world has captured the hearts of fans young and old, worldwide. Great for ages 7 years and over.

 

The Tudors : kings, queens, scribes and ferrets.

This is a simple books that details the life and times of all the Tudor Monarchs, including Henry VIII and his six wives, Queen Elizabeth I’s victorious win against the Spanish Armada and special appearances from Christopher Columbus, William Shakespeare and a scribe’s pet ferret.

Books with Fireworks!

admin

The 5th of November is tonight! All week long your cats and dogs will be ducking for cover as they hear fireworks exploding left, right and centre! If you’re lucky you might be allowed to stay up late and watch the Sky Show Fireworks this Saturday night! If not then maybe you can read a book with fireworks in them. Yes, it’s pretty hard to put fireworks into books. Maybe as you read about the fireworks in these books below you can make loud exploding sounds? Just tell anyone who asks that you’re trying to make the story you’re reading seem as real as possible!

 

Remember That November! by Jennifer Beck

This is a special book in our collection that was a finalist in the 2013 NZ Post Children’s Best Picture Book Award. What’s even cooler is that we have a version of the story in our collection that is in entirely in Te Reo: Maumahara ki tērā Nōema nā Jennifer Beck. We really encourage you to check them both out!

“It’s almost Guy Fawkes Night, and at the school speech competition, Andy talks about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. The children cheer, thinking Andy will win the contest. But then, Aroha tells the story of another fifth of November – in 1881, at Parihaka. This is a beautifully illustrated picture book about the passive resistance led by Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi in Taranaki. This is a piece of history that was forgotten for a long time!” (Goodreads)

 

Secret Seven Fireworks by Enid Blyton

For those avid Secret Seven readers you may want to check out book 11 in the series! It is all about fireworks and adventure.

“Jack’s little sister, Susie, is very annoying and the Secret Seven are furious when she forms a rival club. But is Susie wicked enough to have stolen some money?” (Goodreads)

 

Olivia forms a Band by Ian Falconer

Olivia is one of the coolest characters I’ve ever meet in a book. This picture book is of course ideal for younger siblings in your family! But sometimes us older kids (adults) like to read a picture book too. Fireworks in this story are guaranteed!

“Olivia has decided to form a band: a one-pig band, to be exact. And as we soon find out, Olivia is certainly capable of making enough noise to sound like an entire orchestra.” (Goodreads)

 

Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot by Sarah Ridley.

Because knowledge is power here is a non-fiction book from our collection that gives you a good introduction to the sneaky history of Guy Fawkes. This book is full of gun powder! (Not actually, as that would be unsafe and uncool!)

 

 

7 new children’s non fiction to make learning fun

Katie

Chess Endgames For Kids.

Master the art of chess by reading this book and learn vital skills and a few key endgame techniques will dramatically increase your confidence, as you  will understand what positions to aim for and which to avoid.

 

 

Guinness World Records 2016.

Contains thousands of records that span every field of human and non-human endeavors, including science and technology, animals, sports, geography, arts and entertainment, education, hobbies and pastimes, unusual rituals, and many others. Guinness World Records 2015 is crammed with new and updated records, and never-before-seen photography.

 

LEGO minifigure year by year : a visual history.

Check out this amazing book jam packed full of visual history, fantastic photographs and profiles of more than 2,000 minifigures and other Lego characters.

 

 

 

Historium.

Welcome to the museum! Here you will find a collection of objects from ancient civilisations. Objects of beauty, functionality, war, life, death and burial. As you wander from room to room, explore the magnificence of what civilisations have left behind over thousands of years of human history! Great for ages 8 to 12 years old.

 

 

Neil Armstrong and travelling to the moon.

Fly to the moon and back with Neil Armstrong and travelling to the moon. Read all about hoe Armstrong trained for his mission, what he found on the moon and what astronauts eat in space.

 

 

 

The World’s Craziest records.

Feel like a change from Guinness World Records or Ripley’s believe it or not, then check this exciting book  that describes some of the craziest, silliest, and most extraordinary records achieved by people around the world.

 

 

The World’s Oddest Inventions.

Describes some of the oddest, strangest, and most bizarre inventions from around the world

 

 

 

4 New Children’s Non Fiction

Katie

Just in time to finish off the School Holidays – get your hands on these 4 hot new books from your local library.

 

Christopher Columbus : Sailing to America.

Read all about Christopher Columbus and his dream to sail to Asia. Follow his journey into the unknown, discover what he found in America and see what happened to him on his later voyages. A simple fun picture quiz helps readers to recall what they have read. A perfect one-stop-shop for help with homework assignments!

 

 

Star Wars: Absolutely Everything you need to know.

It’s less than two months away until the release of Star Wars : the Force Awakens. So check out  Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, which is crammed with weird and wonderful Star Wars trivia, strange-but-true facts and fascinating “Did you know?” Q&As. Find out who cleans the floors of the Death Stars and what takes 1,000 years to digest its victims! From movie-making trivia to quirky facts you never knew, this book will excite new and old fans alike of Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars The Clone Wars and the Star Wars movies I-VI. Great to have on hand for Star Wars reads day.

Also check out the trailer of Star Wars : the Force Awakens.

 

Everything Birds of Prey.

Introduces the most ferocious raptors to rule the skies, from ospreys to vultures to hawks, and describes what raptors’ lives are like as well as what sets them apart from other birds.

 

 

 

Two Tengu Tales from Japan.

Be prepared to be introduced to the world of Japanese folklore by reading this lively and engaging retelling of two fantastic *tengu tales. A beautiful book, with even more beautiful illustrations that set an atomosphere inspired by classic Japanese art.

*a magical being who grant wishes to those who asks.

 

7 New Children’s Non Fiction

Katie

Ghoulish Get-Ups.

Whether you are planning a fancy dress party and want to get some ideas for Halloween, Fifi Colston’s book,  Ghoulish Get-Ups gives you the low down on ghoulish get ups and creative costume ideas. Be warned, you may have to raid the recycling and plunder the pantry. MUAHAHAHA!

 

 

Where on Earth.

This book Contains a collection of 80 … specially commissioned world maps that show you where everything is on our planet. The world’s most dangerous predators, ancient mummies, disastrous asteroid impacts, and towering skyscrapers–find out where they all are in this ultimate atlas that showcases the best of geography, history, nature, culture, and technology. A great book to have on hand for geography and history projects and homework.

 

 

The Comedy, History and Tragedy of William Shakespeare.

Friends, Kiwis and youths, lend me your eyes and let me tell you about the new edition to our junior non fiction collection. Read The Comedy, History and Tragedy of William Shakespeare,  who wrote many popular plays of all time, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (Recently performed by the Royal New Zealand Ballet); Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, and discover everything you need to know about him, such as his family, his society, his theatre  his queen, (Spoiler: Queen Elizabeth I) and his country. Best of all, this book will tell you all about his plays – the comedies, histories and tragedies in plain English. (Great for those who are not fluent in Shakespearian)

 

 

Top Ten: Pets.

Read this book and find out about of furry and feathered friends that have made it to the top 10  ranging in most popular pets, popular pet names and even most expensive, richest and highest-paid in Hollywood pets. As an added bonus, you will even get to see the top ten ugliest dogs! Specially for young animal lovers, a must-have book containing everything from the super-cute to the silly and slimy, and packed with lists and facts for readers to share with their friends. I consider this book the Guinness book of records for pets.

 

 

Top Ten: Gaming.

Which X-box games are the best in the business? What game are your friends all dying to try? What character will give you the best advantages? Find out the answers to all these and more in this jam packed book, full of checklists for children to try out with their friends. Easy to follow, funny and a playground essential, Top 10 for Kids: Gaming is a must-have for any kid who likes a bit of competition!

 

 

100 Things to make you happy.

Need some cheering up from the winter blues?  Check out this amazing book jam packed full of facts, jokes, quotes, advice, and exercises includes animal trivia, historical tidbits, and inspirational wisdom designed to help kids become actively involved in their own well-being. This book is guaranteed to motivate and empower you to get happy. A perfect pick me up just in time for spring.

5 new children’s non-fiction just in time for Spring

Katie

Love your dog.
Read this book and find out how to choose and look after dogs and what to do to make a new dog feel safe. Discover the secrets of dog behaviour and learn how to keep your dog happy and healthy.

 

 

 

Love your cat.

This book tells you everything you need to know about looking after cats. A great book to read if you are looking at introducing a cat as your new family pet.

 

 

 

World War I.

Provides an eyewitness account of the war that devastated Europe, from the assassination of an archduke to the killing fields of France. Also discover how it felt to go over the top, what happened to all the bodies, how people dealt with shell shock, why war led to revolution, and much, much more.

 

 

William Shakespeare : scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer.

Follow the amazing life of William Shakespeare, vividly described in words and pictures, with graphic dramatisations of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

 

Dirty rotten vikings : three centuries of longships, looting and bad behaviour.

if you thought  Horrible Histories was gross, then prepare to be further grossed out by reading Dirty Rotten Vinkings. Prepare to get all the dirty rotten low down on who was vicious, who was vile and who was just very, very bad – or just mad? You will also discover what the Vikings were really like and what they got up to, and learn whether they really were that rotten.