Mystery, Mayhem and Madness: A detective Adventure!

Wow! I can’t believe that the school holidays are almost upon us and this time have we got a treat in store for you at Wellington City Libraries! It’s time to delve into the World of mystery, mayhem and madness with a great detective adventure story, yes you are going to be the detectives! We have clues galore for you to search for and a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself. Always wanted to get your detective license? Well, now’s your chance! Solve the mystery that has been baffling the librarians and we will reward you with a special Detective license. Are you up for the challenge? Can you solve the mystery and escape the Library…

So don your Deerstalker, nab your notebook and check for clues at a Wellington City Library near you!

Dates for School Holiday Detective Adventure:

Johnsonville Library: Wednesday 4 October, 2pm

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie Library): Thursday 5 October, 10.30am

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library: Thursday 5 October, 2pm

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library: Friday 6 October, 11am

Miramar Library: Wednesday 11 October, 10.30am

Central Library: Thursday 12 October, 11am

Karori Library: Thursday 12 October, 2pm

Khandallah Library: Friday 13 October, 11am

These free events are for children aged 6+

 

New Non Fiction: Junior Non Fiction to get you started on your journey to Beyond the Page.

Hey Kids! Hope you enjoyed some of the fabulous events at the Beyond the Page Festival. Check out some junior non fiction books to help you follow up some of the events that took place at this memorable festival. Hopefully your creativity, literary and digital knowledge has been inspired. This post kicks off with books on coding – to collaborate with the Meet The Robots and Lego Challenge.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndeticsCoding Games in SCRATCH.

Coding computer programs is one of the most valuable skills for anyone to have. Written for children with little to no coding experience, Coding Games with Scratch guides children through building platform games, puzzles, racers, and 3-D action games. Schools have incorporated computer coding into their curriculum, beginning as early as kindergarten to ensure students understand the languages and uses of computer coding. The step-by-step guides are simple and easy to follow with Minecraft-style pixel art. Children will learn essential coding skills while having fun and creating games to play with their friends. The many different styles and types of games are covered, such as classic and arcade games. When people learn to code in Scratch, they learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas. Coding Games with Scratch empowers children to be creative and to have fun while teaching them practical real-life skills. Great for ages 9 to 12 years old.

Also check out:

image courtesy of syndeticsComputer coding games for kids.

Your kids will be building computer games and learning code in no-time with ‘Computer coding games for kids’. Kids can enter the world of programming in this illustrated guide packed with step-by-step explanations showing kids how to build all types of games, from puzzles and racers to 3D action games. The perfect way to introduce a reluctant child to coding, ‘Computer coding games for kids’ shows kids how to have fun with Scratch by creating games. Simple instructions and graphics breakdown coding with Scratch so kids learn all the code they need to build, play and share their favourite games with friends.

image courtesy of syndeticsHelp your kids with computer coding : a unique step-by-step visual guide, from binary code to building games.

This unique guide is full of fun exercises and helpful tips that will help children learn all aspects of coding. Step-by-step explanations make the complex art of programming clear, teaching the basics of JavaScript, Python, and C++. Eventually building to more advanced projects, Help Your Kids with Computer Coding will have children and parents alike creating their own games, apps, 3-D models, animations, and websites in no time. 

image courtesy of syndetics365 Things to do with Lego Bricks.

“365 Things to Do with LEGO® Bricks inspires you to look at your LEGO bricks in new and exciting ways. This interactive book features imaginative play and building ideas, from LEGO projects that take just a few minutes and require a handful of bricks to inspirational build ideas and activities to keep you occupied for hours. Visual tips and advice from LEGO fan builders will encourage you to get creative and have fun while learning new building skills such as building your own LEGO pet, challenging your friends to make the tallest LEGO tower against the clock, and creating a LEGO treasure hunt. 365 Things to Do with LEGO Bricks is full of games and activities that will keep you busy every day of the year, “–Amazon.com.

image courtesy of sydneticsThe Lego Ideas Book: Unlock your imagination.

Features all-new LEGO® building projects, tips to supplement and enhance your LEGO creations, inspirational builds, and expert advice from LEGO Master Builders.

Author Visit: Des Hunt at Central Library.

Attention all literary fans! Come on down to the Central Library and learn how to create amazing stories with a master storyteller! Join 2017 Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award winner Des Hunt for a writing workshop like no other. This event is part of Beyond the Page, a literary festival for children and youth on from 8-23 July, for more information, check out the website.

Where: Wellington Central Library, Young Adults area.

When: Tuesday 11th July, 1pm to 2pm.

Age Group: This workshop is aimed at ages 9-12 and spaces are limited. Make sure you register to secure a spot.

About Des Hunt: Des Hunt was a science and technology teacher for many years, interspersed with periods of curriculum development both in New Zealand and overseas. During this time he had several textbooks published to support the New Zealand curriculum. Over the last twenty years he has experimented with other ways of interesting youngsters in science, creating computer games and writing non-fiction and fiction with scientific themes.

After living in Auckland for much of his life he moved with his wife, Lynne, to Matarangi on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. He retired from the classroom in 2007 to concentrate on writing fiction for children. He continues his aims of fostering young peoples’ natural interest in the science of their surroundings by visiting schools and libraries where he runs workshops and presentations.

Five Des Hunt books have been finalists at the Children’s Book Awards. Cry of the Taniwha was awarded the 2016 Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book. Then, in 2017, Des was the recipient of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award for lifetime achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand children’s literature and literacy.

Find out more about Des and his books: www.deshunt.com

While You’re at it, check out some of Des Hunt’s books that you can find at your local library.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndeticsPhantom of Terawhiti.

“It’s the school holidays and Zac thinks he might go crazy with boredom. He’s living in exile with his disgraced father on the remote Terawhiti Station on Wellington’s wild south-west coast. Zac and his father witness a shipwreck off the coast. Investigating further, he finds a set of unusual paw prints on the beach. Whose yacht it is? And what animal could have made the paw prints? Soon Zac is drawn into a mystery which threatens his life and those around him. He must protect the secret of the Phantom of Terawhiti from those intent on hunting it – and him – down”–Publisher information.

image courtesy of syndeticsFrog Whistle Mine.

Twelve-year-old Tony has travelled all around New Zealand with his nomadic mother, and desperately wants somewhere to belong. When they arrive in Charleston, a gold-mining ghost town, he is almost afraid to hope this might finally be the place. But things aren’t as they seem, and he finds himself caught up in mysterious events.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsWhere cuckoos call.

Twelve-year-old Ben is a keen ornithologist who looks after endangered birds on his family farm in the Coromandel Peninsula. But Ben must grow up fast in the face of threats to his home, his family and his beloved birds.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsWhale Pot Bay.

Jake lives with his father in a remote part of the Wairarapa, where he can surf and watch the whales. But then Jake’s dad begins a relationship with a new partner, who moves in with her daughter Stephanie, and at the same time a local photographer starts stalking their next door neighbour Milton Summer, an international rock celebrity, and Jake’s peaceful life erupts into violence and deceit. An when a whale and her calf get into trouble on the treacherous coast, the history of Whale Pot Bay seems doomed to repeat itself unless Jake, Milton and Stephanie can survive the deadly tide.

image couresty of syndeticsCry of the taniwha.

Matt Logan isn’t looking forward to spending the school holidays in Rotorua with his grandmother and her new husband. Matt has taken his metal detector along, and when he and Juzza – the boy next door – unearth a handcuffed skeleton, a dangerous chain of events begins to coil around them.

 

April School Holiday Fun!

Did you know that dragonflies have been around for 300 million years or that our native snail, the Powelliphanta, can live for up to 20 years? What do you know about bugs and other creepy crawlies? Love them or hate them bugs are fascinating! In fact at Wellington Libraries we think Bugs are so awesome we put beehives on the roof of Central Library.

These school holidays we are going to be worming our way into the World of bugs, through games, fun facts, microscopes and crafts. So fly down to your local library and join in with some of the fun, free activities we have on offer, during the April school holidays.

These free events are for children aged 6+

Mervyn Kemp  Library – Tawa: Wednesday 19 April at 11am

Karori Library: Wednesday 19 April at 2pm

Ruth Gotlieb Library – Kilbirnie: Thursday 20 April at 10.30am

Cummings Park Library – Ngaio: Friday 21 April at 11am

Miramar Library: Wednesday 26 April at 10.30am

Wellington Central Library: Thursday 27th April at 11am

Johnsonville Library: Thursday 27th April at 11am

Khandallah Library: Thursday 27 April at 6pm

Newtown Library: Friday 28 April at 6pm

Movie Review: Moana

Around the Christmas break, I went to see the movie, Moana on the big screen and it is in a word… AMAZING!

image courtesy of amazon.comA tribute to the Polynesian culture and mythology, and full of heroic exploits of the heroes and heroines that Kiwis will be familiar with, namely Maui, the demigod. The plot follows the adventure and journey of Moana , a spirited teenager, who like most Disney princesses has a lot on her plate. This involves sailing out on a daring mission to save her island, restore the heart of Te Fiti – the island goddess, fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest and save the world. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui, and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures against impossible odds. Once again, Disney has put together a movie of epic proportions filled with quirky and memorable characters, as well as an amazing cast, including Kiwi actors, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement and Oscar Kightley. Kids, if those names don’t ring a bell, ask your parents and a Disney Princess in the form of Moana who embodies the qualities of an adventurous, headstrong, practically fearless, and physically capable heroine. An 8/10 all the way!

Also check out these youtube clips from the movie soundtrack: “How far I’ll go” and “You’re Welcome!”

Enjoy!

Summer Reading Challenge

Kia ora everyone

A big thank-you and congratulations to all those who took part in Summer Reading Challenge this summer!

We really enjoyed reading all your fantastic reviews and hope that you will keep writing and sending more reviews in for our Kids’ Club.

We would also like to congratulate our overall Summer Reading Challenge winners. The prizes this year go to Zahra from Karori, who was very excited by her new book collection and Ben from Miramar who loves books on sharks!


The school challenge this year was taken out by Karori  West Normal School who had the most students taking part. They received $500 worth of book tokens for the school and some great books for the School Library. It was pretty close, so don’t forget to get your friends at school to take part next summer.

Sadly summer is now drawing to a close but we still have lots of great books at the library to get stuck into. If you can’t decide what to read look at some of the ideas from the Kids Blog and Kids Reviews pages in the Kids’ Club. If you can’t get down to the library try downloading a book or an audio book online!

Happy reading everyone.

 

 

Official Beauty and the Beast Trailer is here!

Believe it or not, the official trailer for the 2017 live action movie, Beauty and the Beast has been released and what you will see so far shows promise!

image courtesy of amazon.comThe animation and special effects are fantastic! The beast is monstrous on the outside, but perhaps a gentle soul inside and the Beauty in the story, well I think she has the potential to steal the show.

Based on the much loved classic fairy-tale, a monstrous prince is transformed into a beast.  In order to break the horrible enchantment, the beast must fall in love with a beautiful young woman named Belle, played by none other than Emma Watson (Hermione from the Harry Potter movie), but to complicate things further he must earn her love in return.

Now is the time to pen in the date, 17th March 2017, to be a guest for one of the most highly anticipated Walt Disney movie releases of all time!

 

Movie recomendations and reviews : Walt Disney from E to H

Continuing the list of must-see Walt Disney DVDs, in alphabetical order, this covering movies from E to H. Looking for A-D? Here it is! Check out the list and see what movies tickle your fancy and that you want to watch during the drizzly spring weather and during the next round of school holidays.

 

image courtesy of amazon.comEnchanted. Prepare to go on a journey where the world of animation and live action collides. Giselle (Amy Adams) finds herself in a bit of pickle when she torn away by the “love of her life”, Prince Edward and banished from the animated “fantasy” land of Andalasia by the evil queen into a “harsh reality” in the form of the gritty streets of the real, modern-day Manhattan that does not abide by the principles of happily ever after.

So now this pampered princess must rely on her wits alone, (no fairy god mother, fairy dust and enchantments to help her out of this one) survive in the real world and figure out how to get back home, but add further complication, Giselle begins to fall in love with the cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer who has come to her aid, making her question her choice of who Prince Charming is in her eyes.

What I love about this movie is the transition that Giselle under goes from pampered princess waiting for a knight in shining armour to sweep her off her feet to  a tough, no-nonsense heroine that must save the day, not to mention the world and her true love from the evil clutches of the wicked queen. I think girls will really enjoy this movie.

 

 

image courtesy of amazon.comFrozen. I never get sick of this movie, nor do I ever get sick of renditions of “Let It Go“.

Frozen takes you on magical and icy journey where fearless optimist Anna, teaming up with Kristoff, his reindeer Sven  and a hilarious snowman named Olaf must  find Anna’s sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.

I cannot stress enough how fantastic this film is! I absolutely loved it! This is a very entertaining girls movie and a celebration the bond of friendship, sisterhood and  the Scandinavian culture that is sure to thaw a frozen heart. I haven’t enjoyed a Disney film this much since The Lion King.

 

 

image courtesy of amazon.comThe Good Dinosaur. If you loved the movie, The Land Before Time, then this is the movie for you.

What if an asteroid never hit earth and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

 

 

image courtesy of amazon.comThe Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo, after being trapped and ridiculed by his guardian, the sinister Frollo, for the way he looks, finally ventures from his tower to take part in the joyous festival of fools.

However things go pear shaped when  the crowd cruelly rejects him because of the way he looks. But he finds a likely friend and ally in the equally persecuted, gypsy Esmeralda, who rescues him in knight in shining armour style. Together, as well as joining forces with dashing soldier and three comical gargoyle statues, named Victor, Hugo, and Laverne. They have to do battle with Frollo to save the people and the city of Paris.

This film is a reminder to see people as they are rather than how they appear and that sometimes beauty is held in the eye of the beholder. Another great family movie about the true meaning of friendship and celebrating individuality!

The School Holidays are here!

Looking for something to do for the holidays? Here’s what’s happening in the library.

During the school holidays we will be celebrating World Space Week by creating Space Movies!

J001033-LIBRARY-july-school-holidays-850x638

Calling all Space, Film and Technology buffs! Bring your own device, or use one of our tablets to showcase Earth from space by creating a stop-motion animated film.

 

Here’s when the events are on at a library near you:

Week 1:

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library: Wednesday 28 Sept, 11am

Miramar Library: Wednesday 28 Sept, 2pm

Khandallah Library: Thursday 29 Sept, 2pm

Johnsonville Library: Friday 30 Sept, 11am

 

Week 2:

Karori Library: Tuesday 4 Oct, 2pm

Wellington Central Library: Wednesday 5 Oct, 11am

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library: Thursday 6 Oct, 2pm

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library: Friday 7 Oct, 2pm

 

Some important notes:

  • Please bring your own device if possible. The library will have a limited number of tablets that can be used on the day.
  • If you bring your own device, it needs to be an Android or iOS tablet or smart phone with a camera
  • Before the event, please download a free app called Stop Motion Studio on to your device.
  • The event is free, and no bookings are required. However due to limited resources and library spaces, librarians may limit numbers on the day depending on how many people turn up.
  • Suitable for ages 7+

Upcoming movie releases for the school holidays

The next round of school holidays are coming up, we thought you’d appreciate watching the latest trailers for movies that are due to be released!

You are in for a treat with this lot!

secret life of pets_The Secret Life of Pets

The secret life of pets takes you into a world of what your pets REALLY get up to when you leave the house. Very hilarious moments in the trailer includes a poodle that is into heavy metal music, a psychotic bunny and a dachshund using a cake mixer as a DIY massager. you’ll laugh yourself silly.

 

 

image courtesy of amazon.comPete’s Dragon

The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. A live-action reboot of the beloved 1977 Disney classic with a fantastic cast, shot in New Zealand!

Location spots to keep an out for while watching movie includes:

Redwoods Forest in Rotorua (Where the forest scenes were shot), McLaren Falls Park in Bay of Plenty, Queenstown & Paradise, Tapanui, and Wellington. (Stone Street Studios in Miramar.)

 

image courtesy of amazon.comStorks

Where do babies come from? Surely this a question you have asked Mum and Dad. One possible place is… Storks deliver them or at least they used to! Which is the case in this lovable, upcoming movie where the storks  deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. Trouble brews when the Baby Factory produces an adorable but wholly unauthorized girl.  Now it’s a race against time where a stork, Junior and a human, must make their first unofficial baby drop. Let operation baby drop commence!

 

 

Check out this sneak peek as well!

image courtesy of amazon.comTrolls

Two things came to mind when I watched this trailer:

1) This is a movie that makes me want to get up and dance!

2) This movie is probably the most fun, uplifting film since Shrek.

So here’s a question, in what event would a pink Smurfette look-a-like and a grumpy troll, (who would give Shrek a run for his money), joins forces to save the day? Well, this is the case in Trolls. Join Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the optimistic leader and princess of the trolls, and Branch (Justin Timberlake), her polar opposite on a quest to save Troll Town’s population from the Bergens. TROLLS is a fresh, broad comedy filled with music, heart and hair-raising adventures. Sorry kids, you’ll have to wait until December to see this movie. But something to look forward to before Christmas. Start saving your pocket money! Also check out Cant’ Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake from the Original Motion Picture “Trolls”. This song DEFINITELY wants to make you get up and dance your socks off, and a song I dance regularly during my evening dance fitness class.