Awesome options for children to enjoy from our new books trolley

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.

Top 10 Children’s fiction August 2015

Puzzle books are always in the Top 10! These books are great for visual development, left brain thinking, inferring information and they’re fun!  Where’s Wally? tends to dominate the field in this ranking but there are other great titles to get your brains working.  Use this super technical term in the search bar Picture puzzles juvenile literature and enjoy!

1.   Diary of a wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney

2.   Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

3.   Dirty Bertie by Alan MacDonald

4.  Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford

5.  Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child

6.   Conspiracy 365. by Gabrielle Lord

7.   Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

8.   Big Nate by Lincoln Pierce

9.  The 26-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

10. The 52-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

 

Top 10 Children’s fiction July 2015

Heaps of library books were taken home over the school holidays! So what were the favourites? Below are the Top 10

Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking a.k.a. Pippi Longstocking has made a daring foray into the Top 10. The Delicatessa is tongue in cheek, of course due to her amazing feats of superhuman strength!  Astrid Lindgren has been honoured with her own bank note.  Her visage – with a drawing of our heroine Pippi – will grace the kr20 note to be released in Sweden October 2015,  that’s the average price of a hot chocolate here in New Zealand.

1.   Diary of a wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney

2.   Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

3.   Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford

4.   Dirty Bertie by Alan MacDonald

5.   Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

6.   Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child

7.   The 39-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

8.   The 26-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

9.   The boy in the dress by David  Walliams

10. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Is there a Sherlock Holmes hidden in you? 6 great children’s cipher books to try today.

Do you have what it takes to go undercover and discover the secret world of espionage?

Well if you can break the following code I think you will have what it takes!

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I    J   K   L   M   N   O   P    Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

H   I   J    K    L   M  N   O   P  Q   R   S   T    U   V   W   X   Y   Z   A   B   C   D   E    F   G

_        _   _        _        _   _   _   _         _    _    _    _    _    _    _

P        H  T        H        J   V   K   L       I     Y    L   H    R   L   Y

If you managed to work out the code – you are awesome!!!

Did you know Samuel Morse developed a code that could be sent electronically using short dots and long dashes.

It became known as:

_   _   _   _   _                   _   _   _   _

T   V   Y   Z   L                  J   V    K   L

Lord Robert Baden-Powell the founder of the scouting movement used visual codes by sketching details of a fortress on a picture of a:

_    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _

I    B    A    A    L    Y   M    S     F

Making codes and ciphers is great fun. Why not create your own and test them out on your family and friends.

 

 

 

5 great new children’s fiction to get you through these chilly winter days

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe 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 GirlImage courtesy of Syndetics 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 MountainImage courtesy of Syndetics 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 WoodsImage courtesy of Syndetics 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 TimeImage courtesy of Syndetics 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

 

 

 

Top 10 Children’s fiction for May 2015

Orange covers rule the current favourite fiction reads. Ever go on a read-by-colour cover binge? Let us know the best selection for your favourite hue

1.    Diary of a wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney

2.    Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

3 .   Dirty Bertie by Alan MacDonald

4.    Where’s Wally?  by Martin Handford

5.    Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

6.    Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child

7.    The 39-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

8.    Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

9.    The 26-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths

10.  Awful Auntie by David Walliams

Top 10 children’s eBooks for April 2015

Downloading titles is a great way to access books where and when you want them.  April was a popular month for Harry Potter – J. K. Rowling’s inventive world has captured so many hearts and minds. Explore this world further online through Pottermore.

Paddington’s recent movie has sparked interest in this sagacious character and his adventures.

1.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
3.  A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
4.  Disney Frozen Cinestory: Based on the Disney Film
5.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K.  Rowling
6.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
7.  Day of Doom: The 39 Clues by David Baldacci
8.  Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond
9.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
10. The Magician’s Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

5 new children’s fiction worth trying!

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.

 

Top 10 children’s fiction for April 2015

The series books are holding their own in the popularity stake but, classic author, Roald Dahl has a serious fan base out there

1. Diary of a wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney

2. Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell

3. Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford

4. Dirty Bertie by Alan MacDonald

5. Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

6. Matilda by Roald Dahl

7. Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child

8. The 52-storey treehouse by Andy Grifiths

9. Awful Auntie by David Walliams

10. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

Get your hands on these 6 new kids fiction books

Image courtesy of SyndeticsA Funny thing Happened on the Way to School by Benjamin Chaud

A humorous story about imaginative excuses for being late to school. Sophisticated picture book.

 

 

 

 

Murder Most Unladylike Image courtesy of Syndeticsby Robin Stevens

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up a secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls to solve the murder of their Science Mistress, Miss Bell.

 

 

 

 

 

Jim’s LettersImage courtesy of Syndetics by Glyn Harper

A moving story of two brothers separated by the First World War, based on the thousands of letters sent by and to Anzac soldiers fighting at Gallipoli.

 

 

 

 

White Horse of Zennor and other storiesImage courtesy of Syndetics by Michael Morpurgo

“At the furthest edge of Britain where the sea gently washes over the land and myths brush against reality, lies Zennor. Set in a churchtown where men become beasts and ghosts roam freely, are haunting and unforgettable tales where magic lies around every corner.” -back cover.

 

 

 

 

The Leaky Battery Sets Sail Image courtesy of Syndetics Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates ; 1  by Gareth. P. Jones

Causing chaos wherever they sail, the robotic Steampunk Pirates are roaming the high seas, hunting for gold! But the evil Iron Duke has other ideas…He’s determined to capture the pirates in return for a handsome reward from the King.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe Bad Book by Andy Griffiths

‘WARNING! This book contains nothing but bad stories,

bad drawings,

bad poems,

bad cartoons,

and bad riddles about bad characters doing bad things. It is a BAD book’- (inside cover).