Top 10 Children’s Non-Fiction September 2016

Harry Potter in the Non-Fiction section? What’s going on?

As the new Harry Potter book came out in the format of a play, or script, it can be found with other theatrical greats in the literature section where the other plays hang out.  The play version of The Witches by Roald Dahl hangs out there along with Shakespeare!

 

1. Minecraft, by Stephanie Milton

2. LEGO, by Daniel Lipkowitz

3. Minecraft, by Megan Miller

4. Star Wars, by David West Reynolds

5. Minecraft, by Nick Farwell

6. Harry Potter and the cursed child, by Jack Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany

7. Star Wars character encyclopedia, by Simon Beecroft

8. Minecraft, by Matthew Needler and Phil Southam

9. Small scenes from a big galaxy, by Vesa Lehtimaki

10. How Maui found his father and the magic jawbone, by Peter Gossage

Win your height in books

Take part in a competition to celebrate NZ Bookshop day.

NZBookshopDayBookshops are really important – they give you access to a huge range of amazing reading materials that you can fill your house and bedroom with. People who write and illustrate books use bookshops to sell their books and make money, so they can then write and illustrate even more books. So the more often you use your local bookshop, the more books can be created, and that’s an awesome thing.

NZ Bookshop Day is on Saturday 31st October (yup – same day as Halloween). To celebrate and get people involved they are running a photo competition. It’s really easy – just snap a funny and entertaining picture of yourself reading anywhere and any way, and upload it here.

The best photo will win their height in books, and the 2nd best photo will win their knee-height in books. That’s a lot of books!

Get reading, get snapping, and get into your local bookshop.

(Entries close 29th October at 5pm).

Welcome Spring!

Spring is finally upon us!  It’s time to enjoy the longer, warmer days and get stuck into some fun outdoor activities.

For budding junior gardeners we have a fantastic bunch of books to help you grow your own plants, fruit and vegies.  How cool would it be to start a vegie patch in your backyard?!

Spring is the perfect time to go exploring outdoors.  Browse from our selection of recreation books, grab your friends and go on your own nature adventures.

Creative kids will love our arts and crafts books, jam-packed full of fun, seasonal activities.

As well as a wealth of non-fiction, there are also Spring fiction and picture book titles that you might like to try.  Why not make the most of a sunny weekend and read a book (or two, or three…) up a tree!

Have fun!

image courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndeticsimage courtesy of syndetics

Te Reo translations of classic books

Huia Publishers have recently released more Te Reo translations of classic children’s books.

Check them out:

Kei Reira Ngā Weriweri (Where the Wild Things Are) by Maurice Sendak, translated by Te Tumatakuru O’Connell

 

 

 

 

Kei te kīhini o te pō (In the Night Kitchen) by Maurice Sendak, translated by Brian Morris

 

 

 

 

 

Te mīhini iti kōwhai (The Little Yellow Digger) by Betty Gilderdale, translated by Brian Morris

 

 

 

 

Te Tanguruhau (The Gruffalo) by Julia Donaldson, translated by Brian Morris

 

 

 

 

 

 

New non fiction : a miscellaneous collection

Definition of miscellaneous, from the Merriam-Webster dictionaryadjective, consisting of many things of different sorts.

500 fantastic facts

This book is definitely a miscellany (that’s a collection of various facts). It doesn’t go into much detail about each fact, but what it lacks in depth it makes up in the sheer number of topics covered.  It starts out with the big picture: the solar system is the first thing to be covered. And then it gets smaller and smaller, ending up with ‘miscellaneous’ facts.  It’s a quick and fun read and a great way to learn information for quizzes! You might also find that you get interested in a particular fact, and want to do some more research…

Do you know Dewey? Exploring the Dewey Decimal System

If you’ve ever looked at our non-fiction collection (which I hope you have!) You’ll have noticed that all the books have a number on their spines. This is because all the books are grouped together by subject, so everything is much easier to find! Melvil  Dewey invented the system in 1876, and it revolutionised the way libraries are organised.  This is great book for younger readers explaining what the different numbers mean and how to use the system to find the book you want.

 

 

 

 

You can fill a swimming pool with your spit! : the fact or fiction behind human bodies 

Rather than just a collection of “gross out” facts, this book takes a hard look at all the urban legends and old wives’ tales about the human body.  In fact, after reading this, you might be able to disprove stuff you’ve found out in other books! Of course, the book can get pretty gross, so don’t read it if you have a sensitive stomach, but it’s really interesting book and well worth a read. If only to work out whether eating your crusts makes your hair grow curly.  (Spoiler: it doesn’t.)

 

 

 

 

Let’s Get Art: children look at contemporary New Zealand Art

If you’ve ever been to an art gallery, you might have been surprised that not all the art consisted of paintings or statues. Some of it might look strange or not like ‘real’ art at all. This book looks at the different kinds of “contemporary” art (art that’s made by living artists) and tries to work out what these weird and wonderful pieces are all about.  It’s a good book  that will show you the different sorts of art that New Zealand artists are making today and will perhaps make you think about what the artworks might mean. It’s also a cool looking book; it’s a mixture of painting illustrations and photographs, so the book’s almost a work of art in itself.

 

 

 

Explore! The most dangerous journeys of all time

The price of glory is often danger; this is what this book will teach you. This is especially true if you were an explorer in the days before modern equipment. Marco Polo,  Roald Amundsen, and Yuri Gagarin are just some of the big names you’ll learn about. Of course, it wasn’t always men who were willing to risk their lives to make great discoveries; Mary Kingsley and Gertrude Bell also undertook dangerous voyages.  This book also has survival tips, although whether you’ll want to venture out into the jungle or to Antarctica after reading this book is entirely up to you!

New Non-Fiction to inspire you

The Hugo movie Companion

Hugo was an amazing film that came out in 2011 that won five Oscars. It was based on a book called The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. This brilliant book shows how you take an incredible book and make it into award winning film. This book is more in depth than your average movie guide. It includes not only interviews with the director and main cast members but also the costume, hair and set designers, as well as the cinematographer and the camera operators. So not only is it a great guide to a brilliant film, it’s also an excellent insight into the film making process.

 

 

 

 

Toy Story: the art and making of  the animated film

This is another great book that takes a close look at the making of a movie, Toy Story. It was groundbreaking back when it was released (1995!) and this book takes you through how a CGI movie is conceived and then animated. There’s lots of cool concept art to look through, and you can see how the story and the character designs changed over time.  It’s a must-read for Pixar fans.

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars Clone Wars: the visual guide to the ultimate battles

If you loved the Star Wars animated series, you’ll love this book. It discusses all the major battles in the series so far, as well as having some extra information on the characters themselves.  It doesn’t go into the making of the series, but for information about the story it can’t be beaten.

 

 

 

 

 

Knights and Castles

Although this book is aimed at young readers, it contains some useful information about what life is like for a medieval knight and how he tried to live his life. It’s interesting, but takes a bit of an optimistic view of knights. If you’re a bit older you might want to look at Terry Deary’s Horrible History book.

 

 

 

 

Rescuing Gus

Melissa Wareham always wanted a dog. So when she grew up she started working at Battersea Dogs Home, the oldest and most famous dog shelter in England.  There she meets “Gus” a part husky mongrel who’s had a bit of a rough start in life. So she adopts him, and tries to make sure he has the best life possible. Hard when he gets into a lot of trouble! This is a great book for those who are thinking about adopting pets.

 

 

 

 

 

Martha Stewart’s Favourite crafts for kids

This is a great little book that will teach you how to make 175 cool projects; everything from Terrariums to gingerbread houses.  The instructions are clear, and there’s a picture of everything you need to make the project, so everything’s easy to make.  We’ve recently gotten a whole heap of craft books: Art Lab is a cute book for preschoolers, Crafts for accessorising that look for  the fashionistas, and another ‘bumper’ book of crafty activities, 100 fantastic things to make, do, and play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture books for Christmas

The Christmas day kitten 

Mrs. Pickering calls in the vet James Herriot to look at one of her dogs. While he’s there, he notices a cat wandering in and out of the house. Mrs. Pickering explains that the cat, who she calls Debbie, is a stray. On Christmas day James Herriot is called to Mrs. Pickering’s house, because Debbie is very sick. But Debbie has bought a surprise for Mrs. Pickering…

 

 

 

 

Zoe’s Christmas List

Zoe wants just one thing for Christmas: a Kylie Kurlz doll.  So she sets off to the North Pole with her faithful dog Beans to tell Father Christmas in person.  There they meet a baby bear and Zoe learns some important lessons about friendship.

 

 

 

 

 

Mog’s Christmas

Everything is wrong in Mog’s house. For a start, everyone is busy doing strange things and there are too many new people about. A large walking tree frightens her enough that she goes onto the roof and refuses to come down. Will Christmas be the same without Mog?

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Giant

Humphrey the Giant and Leetree the elf are great friends. They help Santa by making the wrapping paper for all the presents.  Then, one day, Santa gives them a special job; grow a Christmas tree for the workshop! They work hard all year to make sure the tree is perfect, but sometimes the best laid plans go wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

The Story of Christmas

This is a simple re-telling of the Christmas story. Mary and her husband Joseph  must travel to the town of Bethlehem for a census. But Mary is expecting a very special baby, and all of the inns are full…The beautiful, rich illustrations set it apart from other books telling the same story.

 

 

 

 

 

 A kiwi night before Christmas

If you’re bored of stories about snow and cold, and are looking for a book that reflects what a New Zealand Christmas looks like, this is probably the book for you! It transfers the famous ‘Night before Christmas’ poem to a more contemporary New Zealand setting. Santa in black singlet and stubbies, anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

Olive the other reindeer

Thinking that “all of the other reindeer” she hears people singing about include her, Olive the dog reports to the North Pole to help Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. A fun an entertaining story about an ambitious wee dog.

Cycling at the Olympics

Cycling has been an Olympic sport since the very beginning of the modern Olympic Games. It made its first appearence at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens.

Bicylces had been around since the early 1800s, but they had only recently become popular. Can you imagine trying to race on the penny farthing? The bicycles at the first Olympics were much more like the bikes we ride today, with two wheels of the same size.

There was only one cycling event at the first modern Olympic Games: the men’s road race, which had only seven contestants. Five of them were from Greece!

Today there are 18 different events, with both men and women participating. In the men’s road race in 2012, there will be 145 contestants. That’s quite a step up from 1896! Probably the most famous New Zealand Olympic cyclist is Sarah Ulmer, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

 

New non-fiction to get you moving

Great kids non-fiction books with an ‘action’ theme.

 Free Running

Have you ever heard of free running? Free running is an awesome sport that is popular in many urban centres around the world, such as London, New York and Tokyo. This book talks about the short history of free running, why it has become so popular and how you can start free running! Unlike a lot of the other extreme sports, you don’t need any special equipment…just a good level of fitness and nerves of steel! This book is part of the ‘Adrenelin Rush’ series.

 

 

 

Snowboarding

This is another book in the Adrenelin Rush series, for those who love nothing more than to hit the slopes! It talks about the history of snowboarding, its famous athletes, and how you can start snowboarding yourself. It’s also got some good basic information on the types of tricks you do, and how to buy and get the best out of your equipment. It also gives some great tips on how you can stay safe while looking cool.

For those who like to draw rather than do there’s a great book for you as well:

 

 

How to draw manga action figures

This is a great book for those who are just starting out drawing. It’s got great instructions on important topics like perspective, what drawing tools to use and action poses. After you’ve mastered those basics, this book will show you how to draw figures who are jumping, kicking, falling or in a defensive posture…all essential if you want to draw your own action-packed manga!

If machines are more your thing, take a look at:

Drawing Speed Machines

This is another great book for those who have just started to draw. The pictures are large and clear, and the instructions will teach you, step by step, to draw sports cars or stunt planes or any other vehicle you could want! It’s got some interesting information about the machines featured as well.

 

 

Avoid being a ninja warrior!

This book will tell you everything you need to know about the real Ninjas of Japan.  Follow a young Ninja through his training to the end of his first mission, and learn all about the training, discipline and skills that made the Ninjas so famous.

 

 

 

 

Warships

Why fight with a sword when you can fight with a ship? Or even better, a fleet? If you want to learn about the modern warship, this the book for you!  It talks about how warships are built, and has great cross sections showing you different parts of the ship.  There are some great illustrations showing the different types of warship, and there’s a few pages on the warship through history.

 

 

 

 

Fighter Planes 

Did you know that pilots earn the title “Ace” after five victories in the air? If that and other facts about Spitfires, Hurricanes and the modern fighterplanes such as F-22 Raptors interest you, get this book out! It’s got plenty of information about fighter planes from the early biplanes to the futuristic UCAVs.

New Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in November

News Flash!

The Third Wheel, the 7th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will be realesed on November 13th.

The publishers reckon this book will be so popular that they are going to print 6.5million copies straight away. Wellington libraries will be sure to get lots of copies so you can read it as soon as possible.

Jeff Kinney, the author, is teasing us all by saying that at the end of the 7th book ‘the Wimpy universe will be changed in a way that will surprise fans of the series’.

I wonder what’s going to happen?! November seems so far away! I can’t wait…
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