Getting Crafty: Arts and Crafts Books From Our eLibrary

If you’re anything like me and my sister you will be reaching for the arts and crafts supplies to get you through these next few weeks. Of course, it can be hard to get started on a project, or think up an idea all by yourself which is where the library comes in. We have loads of great crafting books online you can check out and help you get creative and pass the time throughout the lockdown.

Origami activities for children / Araki, Chiyo
Want to get creative but don’t have many craft supplies around the house? Then origami would be perfect! Learn how to make boats, flowers, pumpkins and more out of just a square of paper. Each project comes with step by step instructions and all are graded so you can start off simply and progress to more difficult designs as you improve your origami skills. Have fun keeping your hands busy and decorating your room with some wonderful paper creations.

Life hacks for kids / Keller, Sunny
Who doesn’t love a fun life hack? Sunny Heller will take you through her favourite hacks from her youtube channel and teach you exactly how she makes them. Feel like creating your own bowling alley at home? Or maybe some duct-tape earrings or even a new cat toy for your kitty? Sunny can help you make all this and more with this wonderfully colourful and fun craft book.

20 ways to draw a tree and 44 other nifty things from nature / Renouf, Eloise

Incredible Dinosaurs / McCurry, Kristen

Itching to draw and paint but can’t quite decide what you should create? Then the library can help you figure out your style and help perfect your pictures. These are just two books from our elibrary that are designed to teach you how to draw certain things and inspire you to create your own amazing landscapes, dinosaurs and more!

These are just a few of the books we have available in our elibrary so if they’re not quite right for you feel free to check out the rest of our collection.

One thing to remember is that it might be hard to get a hold of all the supplies needed for some of these projects because most shops are closed and we can’t leave our houses much. It might be best to talk to your Mum or Dad about what you have available when you’re picking your projects and using some kiwi ingenuity by swapping out things you can’t get with similar bits and pieces around your home.

I hope these books can inspire you and help you get crafty over the next few weeks!

OverDrive Kids’ Reads – check them out!

Hi everyone! Even though our libraries are closed at the moment, we still have thousands and thousands of books and audiobooks for you to read and listen to online through our Kids’ Reading Room on OverDrive! Awesome new titles are being added all the time, and we even have a special Book Club collection with unlimited loans, so they’re always available, no matter how many other kids have borrowed them! All you need is a Wellington City Libraries membership — click here if you don’t have a library card and would like to join online.

Here are some of my favourites from the Kids’ Reading Room:

Flunked / Calonita, Jen
Age range 10 to 14 
This is the first book set at the Fairy Tale Reform School, where all the teachers are former villains from classic fairy tales, like Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother, and The Big Bad Wolf. It’s kind of like Harry Potter, but with less of the learning-how-to-use-magic-responsibly, and more of the learning-how-not-to-be-evil. Super funny, absolutely wicked, and with a cast of quirky characters you won’t soon forget, this is not a series you want to miss!

Women who dared : 52 stories of fearless daredevils, adventurers, & rebels / Skeers, Linda
Age range 8 to 14
There’s some awesome nonfiction (books about true stuff!) to be found on OverDrive if you know where to look, and this is one of them! Take a deep dive through history and learn about some of the amazing women who have made the world turn, but that you might not have heard of. Learn about the first woman to go into space (Valentina Tereshkova), the first woman to become a professional stuntperson (Helen Gibson), and many, many more. Go to the OverDrive Kids nonfiction browser here to find more books like this!

P is for pterodactyl : the worst alphabet book ever ; all the letters that misbehave and make words nearly impossible to pronounce / Haldar, Raj
Age range 6 to 12
This isn’t your average alphabet book, that’s for sure. In this book, we explore the wonderful world of the silent letters — the “k” in “knight,” or the “g” in “gnat” — that make spelling so, erm, fun. Pair it up with some beautiful illustrations and great wordplay, and you have the perfect concoction to soothe any word nerd as we all spend some more time indoors.

The witches / Dahl, Roald
Age range 8+
OverDrive is full to the brim with classics as well as brand new books, and this is definitely one of the classics! This audiobook version of Roald Dahl’s hilarious tale of magic, defiance, and a top-secret plot to unravel the plans of the Grand High Witch is sure to frighten and delight. Follow this link to find nearly 2,000 more children’s audiobooks to read and enjoy.

While we’re all staying inside, Wellington City Libraries has you covered for online entertainment with books, audiobooks, activities, games, learning resources, streaming video and movies, and more. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates on our awesome range of eResources, and visit MyGateway to explore them for yourself!

Download Harry Potter

The whole Harry Potter book series is now available for you to download for free as an ebook or audio book from Overdrive. Which means you can now listen to the series on your MP3 player, or read it on your computer. Awesome!

While you’re there you can check out all the other children’s titles available for download as eBooks or audio books – there are loads to choose from!