Reward yourself with these fantastic new kids fiction books

Not so normal Norbert by James PattersonImage courtesy of Syndetics

Normal Riddle lives in the United State of Earth, where normal means following the rules, never standing out and being exactly the same as everyone else. He’s been normal his whole life – until a moment of temporary hilarity when he does a funny impression of the country’s dictator and gets caught. Now Norbert’s been banished to the Astronuts Camp on planet Zorquat 3, where kids who defy the rules are exiled forever. He’s been taught his whole life that different is wrong, but everyone at Astronuts seems crazy creative, or are they just plain crazy?


Image courtesy of SyndeticsWar is Over by David Almond

It’s 1918, and war is everywhere. John’s dad is fighting in the trenches far away in France. His mum works in the munitions factory just along the road. His teacher says that John is fighting, too, that he is at war with enemy children in Germany. One day, in the wild woods outside town, John has an impossible moment: a meeting with a German boy named Jan. John catches a glimpse of a better world, in which children like Jan and himself can come together, and scatter the seeds of peace. Gorgeously illustrated by David Litchfield, this is a book to treasure.


Sea; Huntress Trilogy #1 by Sarah DriverImage courtesy of Syndetics

‘In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born. Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka. Sea-churning, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, whale-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure”–Publisher’s description.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe case of the left handed Lady by Nancy Springer

Pursued by her much older brother, famed detective Sherlock Holmes, fourteen-year-old Enola, disguised and using false names, attempts to solve the kidnapping of a baronet’s sixteen-year-old daughter in nineteenth-century London.


The Slightly alarming tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty

I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute. That’s what bothered me most. This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that. The town of Spindrift is frequented by pirates, Shadow Mages and charlatans. It’s also home to the Orphanage School, where Finlay lives with Glim, Taya and Eli. Just outside town is the painfully posh Brathelthwaite Boarding School, home to Honey Bee, Hamish and Victor, Duke of Ainsley. When the two schools compete at the Spindrift Tournament, stakes are high, tensions are higher, and some people are out to win at any cost. Before long, the orphans and the boarding school are in an all-out war. And then Whispering Wars break out, and Spindrift is thrust onto the front lines. Children are being stolen, Witches, Sirens and a deadly magical flu invade the town, and all attempts to fight back are met with defeat. Finlay, Honey Bee and their friends must join forces to outwit the encroaching forces of darkness, rescue the stolen children, and turn the tide of the war. But how can one bickering troupe outwit the insidious power of the Whisperers? And who are the two mysterious figures watching them from the shadows?

Some great new Summertime reading from the kids fiction shelves at your Library!

Summertime is in the air! These awesome new kids fiction books have arrived at your library!!!… so pop down to your local branch library to get your hands on these gems….

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsChill of the Ice Dragon; Dragon Masters #9 by Tracey West

The Dragon Masters are still reeling from the desertion of Rori and her fire dragon Vulcan, when Mina, a Dragon Master from the far north, arrives with a problem–King Lars needs a fire dragon to defeat the Ice Giant who has frozen his kingdom; and so the Dragon Masters set out to find Rori and convince her to help.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsLenny’s book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

Lenny, small and sharp, has a younger brother Davey who won’t stop growing and at seven is as tall as a man. Raised by their single mother, who works two jobs and is made almost entirely out of worries, they have food and a roof over their heads, but not much else. The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell’s Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia. Through the encyclopedia, Lenny and Davey experience the wonders of the world and dream about a life of freedom and adventure, visiting places like Saskatchewan and Yellowknife and the gleaming lakes of the Northwest Territories. But as her brother’s health deteriorates, Lenny realizes that some wonders can’t be named.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsHead Kidby David Baddiel

Bracket Wood is about to be visited by the school inspectors. But there’s one big problem: Ryan Ward. The maestro of practical jokes, Ryan has played so many tricks that in the end the Head Teacher just walks out. And then the new Head Teacher, Mr Carter, arrives. A man so strict even the teachers are scared of him. So imagine his surprise – and Ryan’s – when they swap bodies. Now Ryan is Head Teacher – and his mortal enemy is one of his pupils. It’s every naughty kid’s dream! But soon Bracket Wood School is in a total mess – and only its worst ever pupil can fix it…


Image courtesy of SyndeticsSquirm by Carl Pliaasen

Billy Dickens discovers that his mysterious father lives in Montana, so this summer Billy will fly across the country, hike a mountain, float a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, and save his own father.


Image courtesy of SyndeticsThe First Adventures of Princess Peony by Nette Hilton & Lucinda Gifford

Once upon a time there was a dear little girl called Peony. That’s P.E.O.N.Y. And it’s me. I live in a Castle with my Dragon whose name is Totts. That’s T.O.T.T.S And that makes me a Princess if you really want to know. Princess Peony is not really a princess, but she does have a pet dragon, which means she’s kind of like a princess. In her first adventure, she must keep an evil troll (her brother) from trying to steal her dragon (dog)–and avoid being eaten by a bear, which is really hard work.

Top 10 Children eBooks Summer 2018

eAudiobooks and eBooks are a great way to read what you want when you can’t get into the library.  Harry Potter is dominating the online borrowing at the moment.  A significant addition to the Top 10 is Wonder.  The book about dealing with difference at school has proved really popular in print, online and in movie theatres. The author uses four points of view to tell the story giving the reader an understanding how people are affected by August Pullman’s differences.

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, by J. K. Rowling
  2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling
  3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling.
  4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling
  5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Read by Eddie Redmayne, by J. K. Rowling
  6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
  7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling
  8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling
  9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J. K. Rowling
  10. Wonder, by R. J. Palacio

Top 10 Children’s Fiction Summer 2018

Great children’s series with new additions! Author Rachel Renee Russell wrote her first book when she was still at school, she was around 10 years old! It was a birthday gift for her brothers.  The Dork Diaries books are inspired by her daughter Nikki and Erin.  Does one of those those names seem familiar?  Russell credits her daughters in authoring the books. Cool!

Have you ever written a book for anyone’s birthday?  It would be a such a great gift.  Or an terrible one if you wrote awful things. Maybe don’t write terrible things!

But definitely check out these popular authors for some great ideas:

 

  1. Diary of a wimpy kid, by Jeff Kinney
  2. Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
  3. Storey Treehouse series, by Andy Griffiths
  4. Tom Gates, by Liz Pichon
  5. Dork Diaries, by Rachel Renée Russell
  6. The World’s Worst Children, by David Walliams
  7. Fantastic beasts and where to find them, by J. K. Rowling
  8. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban,  by J. K. Rowling
  9. Magnus Chase and the ship of the dead, by Rick Riordan
  10. The bad book, by Andy Griffiths

New Kids Fiction books for you to kick back and relax with (once you’ve finished your homework!)

School is back! so here’s 10 wonderful new kids fiction books for you to chose from, to help you get back into the swing of things! Grab them today from your local Library! 🙂

Image courtesy of SyndeticsBronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan

When Sunflower, a young city girl, moves to the countryside, she grows to love the reed marsh lands – the endlessly flowing river, the friendly buffalo with their strong backs and shiny round heads, the sky that stretches on and on in its vastness. However, the days are long, and the little girl is lonely. Then she meets Bronze, who, unable to speak, is ostracised by the other village boys. Soon the pair are inseparable, and when Bronze’s family agree to take Sunflower in, it seems that fate has brought him the sister he has always longed for. But life in Damaidi is hard, and Bronze’s family can barely afford to feed themselves. Will the city girl be able to stay in this place where she has finally found happiness?

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsMatt Millz by Harry Hill

Meet Matt Millz – Britain’s Youngest (and funniest!) Comedian! Matt may be small but he is truly mighty on the comedy circuit. Well, he is in his head anyway. When the school holds a talent show, Matt has the opportunity to demonstrate that he’s got the magical chutzpah quip to take him all the way to the Apollo. With the help of his diminutive manager, Kitty Hope, and his hapless form teacher, as well as the school brute, his heartthrob and Rob his best friend, Matt learns what it takes to be really funny . . . A hilarious new book from National TreasureT and real-life (very) funny man Harry Hill.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsMez’s Magic by Eliot Schrefer

Caldera has forever been divided into those animals who walk by night and those who walk by day. Nightwalker panthers, like young Mez and her beloved sister, have always feared daywalkers as creatures of myth and legend. Until the eclipse. Now Mez has discovered that she can cross the Veil and enter the daylight world. Her magical power has unknown depths, but she must rush to discover it after a mysterious stranger arrives at her family’s den, bearing warnings of a reawakened evil. Saving Caldera means Mez must leave her sister behind and unite an unlikely group of animal friends to unravel an ancient mystery and protect their rainforest home.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsArmstrong & Charlie By Steven B. Frank

“During the pilot year of a Los Angeles school system integration program, two sixth grade boys, one black, one white, become best friends as they learn to cope with everything from first crushes and playground politics to the loss of loved ones and racial prejudice in the 1970s”– Provided by publisher

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsWinterhouse by Ben Guterson

Elizabeth, eleven, spends Christmas break at Winterhouse hotel under strange circumstances, where she discovers that she has magic, and her love of puzzles helps her solve a mystery.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsBah Humbug! by Michael Rosen

This Christmas, join Michael Rosen and Tony Ross with their unforgettable retelling of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic. In a school theatrical production of ‘A Christmas Carol’, the boy who plays Scrooge is extra nervous because his very busy father is in the audience. However, it’s likely his father won’t stay for the duration, due to business. As always. Will the classic story’s message of Christmas cheer and family love reach his father’s distracted heart?

 

IImage courtesy of Syndeticsvy by Katherine Coville

A young girl helps her grandmother care for magical creatures.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsGoodly and Grave in a deadly case of murder by Justine Windsor

The second page-turning adventure in this sharp-witted, magical mystery series. When reports come in that valuable magical objects are being stolen, Goodly and Grave are on the case, but just when they think they know whodunit their prime suspect turns up – murdered! Will Lucy be able to track the real villain without putting herself in deadly danger…? An page-turning mystery with a magical twist.

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsGrover’s New Friends by Claire Garth

Grover McBane is a lucky dog. He has a new family, and he’s making friends at the park. But Grover’s owner, Annie, needs his help. A puppy called Peanunt has arrived at the animal shelter and is scared and confused. Thank goodness Grover and his new friends from the dog park are there to help! What will happen to Peanut? Where will he go?

Top 10 Childrens Fiction October 2017

The latest adventures from Jeff Kinney and Liz Pichon are on the shelves.  Jeff Kinney has the Heffleys escaping the holiday stress for their own special kind of fun in the twelfth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.

The latest Tom Gates book release saw author Liz Pichon travelling around London in a Taxi covered in Fur!  They were handing out free copies of the book Family, Friends and Furry Creatures.  Want to read a copy for free?  You can! head down to your library and reserve your copy now (it’s really popular!).

  1. Diary of a wimpy kid series, by Jeff Kinney
  2. Tom Gates series, by Liz Pichon
  3. Story Treehouse series, by Andy Griffiths
  4. Just series, by Andy Griffiths
  5. Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford
  6. The Secret Seven, by Enid Blyton
  7. Matilda, by Roald Dahl
  8. The enormous crocodile, by Roald Dahl
  9. The bad book, by Andy Griffiths
  10. Gangsta granny, by David Walliams

Top 10 Children’s Fiction October 2016

Conundrums, convoluted doodles and confusion abound in this month’s favourite childrens fiction.

Puzzle books are high on the list where people pitch their skills of against skilled doodlers and designers creating cool adventures.  Detection and deceit are captivating our audience of young readers as they read through some of the great series found on our library shelves.  Great series that didn’t quite make the top 10 were Lincoln Peirce Big Nate and Thea Stilton (penned in her very own hand!)

Top 10:

1. Diary of a wimpy kid, by Jeff Kinney

2. Tom Gates Series, by Liz Pichon

3. Treehouse series, by Andy Griffiths

4. Puzzle Book series, by Susannah Leigh

5. Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford

6. Dork Diaries series, by Rachel Renee Russell

7. Dirty Bertie series, by Alan MacDonald

8. The BFG, by Road Dahl

9. The Secret Seven, by Enid Blyton

10. George’s marvellous medicine, by Road Dahl

Movie Review: Lilo and Stitch.

I think the tag line for this movie was “There’s one in every family.”

image courtesy of amazon.comThey certainly didn’t get that wrong in the wonderful world of Disney with regard to Stitch, a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and journeys to the lush and tropical Hawaiian Islands. There he is adopted by a lonely tittle girl named Lilo, who thinks he is an innocent puppy.

Stitch’s only interest in Lilo is using her as a human shield to evade the alien bounty hunters who are bent on recapturing him. In the end, it is Lilo’s unwavering faith in “ohana”, the Hawaiian tradition of family, that unlocks Stitch’s heart and gives him the one thing he was never designed to have – the ability to care for someone else.

This movie is awesome! Awesome story! Awesome music!, (Lots of Elvis Presley tracks as well. Kids, if you don’t know by now who Elvis is, ask your grandparents! HAHA!), Awesome scenes (the one with Stitch ‘playing a record’ and the action alien battle scene with Hound Dog by Elvis Presley playing in the background are favourites of mine!) Awesome dialogue! (I always crack up at the phrases “Abomination”, “Stupid Head” and “Aloha!”) This is definitely a movie that the whole family will enjoy. 7/10 all the way!

As a extra special treat I have included some Walt Disney movies trailers where Stitch gate crashes classic Disney movies such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid! Man oh man, are they funny! A repetitive line throughout the trailers are “Get your own movie!” Hmmm irony?

Also check out songs featured in the movie soundtrack: Hawaiian Roller Coaster ride performed by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu and New Zealand’s own North Shore Children’s Choir and a cover of Elvis Presley’s hit song, Can’t help falling in love by A-teens.

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!

5 Shiny, sparkly, new-to-your-library Kids Fiction!

Looking for some good reads for when the weather turns bad? Here’s some great new fiction for you to try. Grab it from your local library before someone else does.

 

Warning CryImage courtesy of Syndetics by Kris Humphrey

When a raven drops a white feather at the doorstep on the day of your birth, it is a symbol of your destiny. You are a Whisperer – a guardian of the wild. The kingdom of Meridina is under threat. When Nara and her leopard companion, Flame, receive the call to attend a Whisperers’ council of war, they begin the long journey north. But signs of the shape-shifting Narlaw are everywhere. Can Nara and Flame make it to the palace or will the demons reach them first? The future of the natural world is resting on their shoulders.

 

Star Wars; Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far AwayImage courtesy of Syndetics by Landry Walker

A collection of six tales tells the other stories of some of the aliens that are seen in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

 

 

From the Cutting Room of Barney KettleImage courtesy of Syndetics by Kate De Goldi

An unnamed man in a hospital bed tells the story of thirteen-year-old film director Barney Kettle and his sister Ren, who are on a mission to film the story of their local street.

 

 

Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates; The Leaky Battery Sets SailImage courtesy of Syndetics 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.

 

 

Bloodlust and BlundersImage courtesy of Syndetics by Poppy Inkwell

Alana Oakley suspects her new neighbours are vampires. All the signs are there: they are deathly pale, too good at everything, and laugh derisively at vampire-lore with a knowing mwah-ha-ha. Khalilah, Maddie and Sofia hope Alana is right – everything they’ve read about vampires sounds so very cool and the new neighbours are so very hot… Despite her friends’ warped sensibilities, Alana is determined to reveal the neighbours’ bloody secret. If only her mum would stay out of trouble, Alana would have this mystery in the bag, but Emma is tangled up with Katriona and Ling Ling’s mission to Never Grow Old, avoid Chinatown’s resident loan shark- Fok Wee Mung, and meet Kylie Minogue.