SHAUN TAN

Shaun Tan would have to be one of the most talented writer/illustrators of sophisticated picture books. He has also made a short film 'The Lost Thing', which has won an Acadamy Award this year for the best animated short film (beating The Gruffalo, one of my favourites!).

We have many of these books in our Library here at KNS - Eric, The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, Memorial, The Rabbits (written by John Marsden, illustrated by Shaun Tan) and The Arrival.

Check out the Shaun Tan website (by clicking on the SHAUN TAN heading) to find out more about this amazingly talented artist.

BOOTSIE AND THE TOURISTS written by Mike James

I have just had word from the author of Bootsie - Mike James, that the next book is now available (this is the 5th book of 8). I have ordered it and it is on it's way to KNS from Australia.

Reserve it now!

Watch the following clip which was shown on Australian television featuring Mike James talking about how and why he started writing the Bootsie series.

FATHERS DAY NEXT SUNDAY (4TH SEPTEMBER)

COME ON INTO THE LIBRARY DURING THE WEEK AND MAKE A CARD FOR YOUR DAD OR GRANDPA

WOW (World of Wearable Art) IN WELLINGTON

Mrs Lynskey has just been to Wellington to see the WOW (World of Wearable Arts) show - which was amazing!

The following You Tube clip is a collection from previous years. People enter from all over the world and also come from other countries to watch the show. This years supreme winner was 'Hylonome' (pictured below).

A Savile Row fashion designer with a taste for leather has taken the supreme WOW award for her garment based on a mythological horsewoman.

Mary Wing To, a 28-year-old Chinese-Vietnamese designer, born in Manchester and based in London, won more than $20,000 in prizes for Hylonome, made using 200 metres of leather cord, horsehair and pony shoes.

The top awards, announced at last night's show, were chosen by WOW founder Suzie Moncrieff, artist Nigel Brown and fashion designer Trelise Cooper.

The judges said Wing To's design won out with superb craftsmanship. Her multiple talents as a designer and award-winning saddler showed in her work, Ms Moncrieff said. "Even the horse's head is hand-moulded in leather. It is absolutely beautiful close up, from afar, and in performance."

MUM AND DAD GLUE written by Kes Gray, illustrated by Lee Wildish

I found this wonderful new picture books whilst I was waiting for my flight back from Wellington. It is a lovely story of a boy who is looking for some 'glue' for his parents who are splitting up. This would be a great book for any student who may be in the same situation. Although it is a picture book, it would be suitable for students of all ages.

A little boy tries to find a pot of parent glue to stick his mum and dad back together. His parents have come undone and he wants to mend their marriage, stick their smiles back on and make them better. This story is brilliantly told with a powerful message that even though his parents may be broken, their love for him is not.

EDWINA THE EMU written by Sheena Knowles, illustrated by Rod Clement

It has arrived!

'YEEK!' shouted Edward, he seemed to be choking, 'Ten little emus? You've got to be joking!'

Read all about how Edward and Edwina care for their 10 little emu eggs.

Watch the following You Tube clip as it shows a real baby emu hatching from its egg.

WILD BOARS COOK written by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall

This picture book has come highly recommended by Zac Harding (Children's Librarian)

It is on its way to us here at KNS. Reserve it now!

TO DIE FOR written by Mark Svendsen

For his birthday, Christos takes his father's mackerel dory on his first solo trip. He plans to fish and then camp overnight on a local island. But things go terribly, terrifyingly wrong when Christos runs the dory aground on a reef, attracting a four-metre tiger shark as company for the most harrowing night of his life - a night during which he decides what he would be willing to die for.

Reviewed by Bob Docherty. Reserve it now!

EDWARD THE EMU

This would have to be one of my favourite picture books. It may have something to do with the fact that it is about an Australian animal!

Edward the emu was sick of the zoo,
There was nowhere to go, there was nothing to do,
And compared to the seals that lived right next door,
Well being an emu was frankly a bore.
Tired of his life as an emu, Edward decides to try being something else for a change. He tries swimming with the seals. He spends a day lounging with the lions. He even does a stint slithering with the snakes.
But Edward soon discovers that being an emu may be the best thing after all. And so he returns to his pen, only to find a big surprise awaiting him. . . .

Edwina the Emu has been ordered and on its way. Can't wait! (another favourite of mine!)

STORYLINES CHRISTCHURCH EVENT - 21ST AUGUST

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FREE EVENT, CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE

ANOTHER DAY OFF SCHOOL DUE TO SNOW!

A perfect time to curl up, keep warm and read a good book!

THE BFG written by Roald Dahl

The BFG is a book about a little girl from an orphanage named Sophie who is lying awake in bed one night and sees a giant walking the streets. She tries to hide once she has seen him but it is too late. He takes her out of her room and runs back to his cave. At first she is worried that he is going to eat her but he is not that type of giant. He is known as the Big Friendly Giant and eats disgusting vegetables that taste like rotting frogs. His main idea of fun is catching dreams and blowing the happy ones into children’s bedrooms at night. The other nine giants however are man eating giants and they go to different countries every night to eat people. They take them from their homes while they are sleeping and eat them. Sophie thinks these other giants need to be stopped but they are a lot bigger and meaner than the BFG. In the end she does come up with a plan to mix up a dream to tell the queen of England what is going on with these giants. Sophie and the BFG create a dream that tells the queen all about the bad giants and what they do at night and about her and the good giant. When the queen awakes Sophie is on her windowsill to confirm the dream and to help create a plan of action. After a very interesting breakfast during which the BFG is sitting on a piano piled with other things for his chair and a ping pong table on top of four grandfather clocks for his table then the queen invites the heads of the military in to create a plan. They decide to catch the giants while they are sleeping and carry them off with helicopters. In the end the bad giants are forced to stay in a huge pit and they are fed the disgusting vegetables that the BFG was forced to eat before. The BFG gets a nice huge house next to the castle and Sophie gets a little cottage next to him and the BFG writes a book about his experiences, which as we find out in the end is the BFG, the book we just read.

If you haven't yet read the BFG, click on the link below and listen to the first chapter of the book being read.

2,001 VIEWS ON OUR LIBRARY BLOG!

I'm not really obsessed (well maybe just a little bit!)

UTTERLY ME, CLARICE BEAN written by Lauren Child

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean. Clarice Bean, Spells Trouble and Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now are written by Lauren Child. They are easy to read and fun!

Friday, This is me, Clarice Bean. I am not an only child, but I sometimes wish I was. My family is six people, which is sometimes too many. Not always, just sometimes. Mainly my dad is mostly in an office answering the phone and going, "I can't talk now, I'm up to my ears in it." Mum is always gribbling about pants on the floor and shoes on the sofa. She says, "This house doesn't clean itself you know. Who do you think does everything around here? Mr Nobody? I don't get paid to pick up your smelly socks! If I did I'd be a rich woman" etc etc non-non-stop.

ANDY GRIFFITHS - Just Stupid!, Just Tricking!, Just Annoying!, Just Crazy!, Just Disgusting!, Just Shocking!

Are these the right books for you? Take the TEST and find out.

Do you wish you could drive around in a monster truck crushing everybody and everything that gets in your way?
Do you love watching videos of people having painful accidents?
Do you do any - or all - of the following: touch electric fences, play with loaded mousetraps or put buttons up your nose?
Do you think stories about exploding pink butterflies are funny?
Do you ever laugh so hard that you feel like you're going to throw up all over yourself...and then you actually do?
Do you worry about getting sucked into the top of escalators?
Do you push doors marked PULL and pull doors marked PUSH?
Do you believe a bogeyman hides under your bed?
Do you automatically turn around when somebody calls 'Hey, Stupid!?
Do you bounce so high on your bed that you hit your head on the ceiling?
Do you ever look in the mirror and see a crazy maniac staring back at you?

Well, if you answered yes - these are the books for you!

WIMP YOURSELF - DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

JOHN MARSDEN, AUTHOR

I was lucky enough to go along and hear the wonderfully talented John Marsden speak about how he writes, where he gets his ideas from to write and how to write well. My two daughters and I had books signed by John.

You will find the following books written by John Marsden in our library;

- Tomorrow when the War Began
- The Rabbits (illustrated by Shaun Tan)
- Staying alive in year 5

MY DAD THINKS HE'S FUNNY written by Katrina Germein

And when Dad says, "Time for a special announcement," we leave the room fast, before it really starts to smell. My dad thinks he's funny.

THE HIGHWAY RAT written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

This book is due to be released in September. We have it pre-ordered and will be sent to us here at KNS from England.

Give me your buns and your biscuits! Give me your chocolate eclairs! For I am the Rat of the highway, and the Rat Thief never shares!' Life is not safe for the other animals, as the villainous Highway Rat gallops along the highway, stealing their food. Clover from a rabbit; nuts from a squirrel - he even steals his own horse's hay. Will he finally meet his comeuppance, in the form of a cunning duck? A fabulous, rollicking rhyme, in the style of the famous Alfred Noyes poem, 'The Highwayman', from the authors of 'The Gruffalo' and 'Zog'.

ZOG written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Another beautiful picture book by the very talented team of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He's also the most accident-prone. Luckily, a mysterious little girl always comes by and patches up his bumps and bruises. But will she be able to help him with his toughest test: capturing a princess? This is a wonderfully funny new story from the creators of "The Gruffalo and "Stick Man".

THE MOON AND FARMER McPHEE written by Margaret Mahy

A wonderful book that I was lucky enough to hear Margaret Mahy read.

First, a heart-warming story - with lots of fun wordplay - about a grumpy farmer whose animals keep him awake at night singing and dancing by the light of the moon. Eventually he is won over by the moon and the animals and learns how to be happy. Classic Margaret Mahy! Secondly, marvellous illustrations that will delight children and their parents - and that take the story to another level. David Elliot returns to picture book illustration with a gem of a book. Added to this are beautiful book production values with die cuts and fold-out pages.

Reserve it now!

THE GIANT JAM SANDWICH written by John Vernon Lord

I remember this one when I was young (and that was a long time ago!) - A favourite worldwide for over 35 years, this funny rhyming tale about the wasps of Itching Down to delight generations of children.

One hot summer in Itching Down, Four million wasps flew into town. What are the villagers going to do about this noisy, nasty nuisance of a swarm? Make a giant jam sandwich - that's what!

SENSATIONAL SURVIVORS, an illustrated guide to New Zealand's remarkable wildlife written by Sandra Morris

This is another fantastic book that has been donated to our library.

An ancient land isolated by vast oceans, New Zealand is home to many fascinating creatures. From a prehistoric reptile to one of the world's largest insects, you'll discover some of the most unusual and impressive species on our planet.

THE KIWI FOSSIL HUNTER'S HANDBOOK written by James Crampton

We have been very lucky to have had this wonderful book donated to us here at KNS. It was a Finalist at the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards.

Kids are fascinated by dinosaurs, and love the idea of the fossils they have left behind. New Zealand has a rich fossil record which is accessible to the amateur fossil-hunter in locations around New Zealand, including shells and plant remains as well as the bones, teeth and other remnants of ancient reptiles, birds and fish. This handy pack-sized guide features 30 accessible locations around the country where kids and their families can find fossils. Each location contains specific information on where to look and what to look for, as well as the geological background and other details of each site, and colour images of fossils that could be found there. What the sites look like now is supplemented by colourful mini-posters showing reconstructions of New Zealand in the past by well-known artist Dave Gunson.

Reserve it now!

FRINDLE written by Andrew Clements

I have just finished reading this book. It is a quick read and very funny (reviewed in an earlier post).

Reserve it now!

QUESTION - What is the title of the next Diary of Wimpy Kid book?

Come and see me with the answer for a treat.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID CABIN FEVER written by Jeff Kinney

The next book in the series is due out on the 16th November. We have pre ordered a copy for our library :-)

STAR WARS - CHARACTER ENCYCLOPEDIA

I am always asked "do we have any books on 'Star Wars'?" - well, now we do!

This title details everything you ever wanted to know about your favourite classic "Star Wars" characters! If you love "Star Wars" then meet all the characters from the TV series. From heroes like Luke Skywalker and C-3PO, to villains like Darth Vader, you'll learn the ins and outs, ups and downs and secret info on all your favourite characters. Focused entirely on the characters from the classic "Star Wars" series, this chunky encyclopedia will take you from A to Z in the Star Wars empire.

Reserve it now!

THIS MORNING I MET A WHALE written by Michael Morpurgo

This is a fictional account of the day a whale swam up the Thames, in which the whale makes an environmental plea to the boy who first sees him.At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him - one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world. The whale warns that the earth's days are numbered and that humans must put right the damage they are doing, but how can Michael fulfil his promise to tell others when neither his teacher nor his classmates will believe his story? Within hours, the city and the wider world have learned of London's remarkable visitor, and all eyes are on the whale's struggle against the receding tide. Michael must now join his new friend in a race against time to reach the ocean, and hold fast to his promise in the race to save the world itself.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF - GRAPHIC NOVEL

This is a new graphic novel (similar to a comic) to the library. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief is written by Rick Riordan.

Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

'GRUFFALO' DAY - THIS FRIDAY AT LUNCHTIME

All Koru and Wheki students are invited to 'celebrate' the wonderful story of the Gruffalo.

Come on in to the library and colour in a Gruffalo mask to wear on Friday.