Our Term 3 host was Steph and the Napier Boys' High School 'Memorial Library'. A lovely old library, with an alcove that is dedicated to remembering our ANZAC's. Thanks for the opportunity to have a look at your library Steph, and for the yummy nibbles :-)
Favourite Reads
Picture Books:
Oi Frog! by Kes Gray
- Frog doesn't want to sit on the log and wants to sit on different objects. Cat advises him that other animals sit on these.
- A great book for rime and word patterns/spelling
- Really funny read
- Great read-aloud
How many legs by Kes Gray
- A really funny counting rhyme book
This is a ball by Beck & Matt Stanton
- A book to mess with your mind
- Good for getting children to interact with the storyteller
Click, Clack, Peep by Doreen Cronin
- Another book from the 'Click, Clack, Moo' and 'Click, Clack, Boo' author
- Great read-aloud
Batmouse by Steve Smallman
- Mouse dreams of being bigger & different than what he really is
- A fun read
Book-o-Beards by Donald Lemke
- 'A wearable book'
- Interactive beard book
- Great fun to take photos of the children (and adults!) wearing the beards
The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers
- So fantastic
- The crayons write letters to their owner
- Good resource for letter writing
It's a Book by Lane Smith
- Awesome book
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Sick Simon by Dan Krall
- "You are a germ hero"
- A slimy germ filled book
- A humorous way of getting an important message across
- Awesome read
Enemy by Davide Cali
- Sophisticated Picture Book
- War themes
- Illustrations are very stark
- Propaganda making you think about 'The Enemy', but in reality it's not that way
Children's Fiction:
The Warlocks Child series by Paul Collins & Sean McMillan
- Australian authors
- Quick and easy read
- Fantasy
- Friendship, betrayal, family conflict
- Told from three perspectives - each chapter is headed with the character
-- Dantar, his sister Velza, the Dragons
-- Also includes some of the other secondary characters
- Easy to follow the characters and storyline
The Mapmaker Chronicles by A.L. Tait
- Fantasy
- Follows main character 'Quinn'
-- Mum teaches him to read
-- Has a photographic memory
-- King has just heard that 'the world is NOT FLAT!!!'
-- Quinn is sent to the palace to train as a mapmaker to explore the world
- Upper Primary Year 5/6+
YA Fiction:
The Nemo Paradox Bk1 20 Million Leagues Over the Sea by K.T. Hunter
- A great Space-Opera
- Steampunk / Sci-Fi with a bit of espionage, mystery and suspense thrown in
- "A romp in the universe of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne"
- "A little bit of Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters in space"
- Based on the original '20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' but after Earth had been invaded by Martians
- Lots of reference to New Zealand in the settings (although author is from Tennessee, USA)
- A really great concept
- An awesome read
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
- Friendship
- 'Sick Lit'
-- Themes of sickness and death
- Good for Level 2 NCEA
Miss Hazel & the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell
- Same kind of book as 'The Help'
- Set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement
- Story told by main character and one of the black maids
- Main character falls from grace and she goes from being privileged to being a field hand
- Bad things happen but things come right in the end
- A 'Nice' Book
- Good for girls
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
- Really interesting
- Sci Fi / Conspiracy mystery
- Friendship story
- Told in the form of 'actual letters'
- American boy is allergic to electricity
-- Lives in the middle of nowhere
-- Doctor suggests he might like to write to boy in Germany who has no eyes and a heart defect
--- Has a pacemaker so the boys can never meet in person
- Beautiful sense of 'voice' from both boys
- There is a girl element
- Really really good read
Gifted Bk1 by Donald Hounam
- Forensic sorcerer
- Alternative reality - science has been replaced by sorcery
- Has a really dark thread running through it
-- A real 'blackness' to the story
- Isis type stuff against sorcerers
- Self Harm
- Hate crime
- Very Dark and Diseased society
- Frank is an engaging character
- Appeal to 'Screaming Staircase' readers
- Better read for Junior High +
What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott
- Kelly has come from the City and moved into a rural area
- Doesn't really fit in anywhere
- Invited to go camping with other girls
- Plays on the fact 'you think you know what is going to happen'
- Light / Enjoyable read
Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin
- Thriller
- Meet main character as she is coming out of last of 7 surgeries to remove her memory
- Wraps up a bit too quick at the end
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Endgame : The Calling by James Frey (Pittacus Lore)
- 'Hunger Games' mixed with 'I am Number Four'
- Last person standing saves their entire race
- "Can't figure out if I really want to read it"
-- "Note sure if I'm enjoying it, but keep picking it up"
Singing Home the Whale by Mandy Hager
- New Zealand Author
- Read after Recommended at a previous meeting
- Really well done
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
- "Enjoyed it I think"
- Rape scene was unsettling for quite a long time
- Recommended at a previous meeting
The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
- 'Wonder' for Teens
- Bullied as a child and tied to a tree
-- Lightening hits the tree and he is badly burned
-- Lonely kid
- Friendship
-- Power dynamic
-- Popular guy doesn't 'need' to be friends with the 'disfigured' boy
- Start a band to get girls
-- Go on tour as they get quite popular
-- Everyone else is invested in the band except the popular guy
- "Who your friends are"
- Good for Level 2 NCEA
An Island of Our Own by Sally Nichols
- Like 'Counting by 7's'
- Cancer (mother died)
- Family
- 19 year old boy looks after siblings and has a job doing dishes
-- Quite hard at home
- Aunt dies and leaves them 'something'
-- Clues to finding 'treasure'
- Get lots of help from a big 'maker-space' in London
- Nice gentle story
- Maybe use for Level 1 NCEA
-- More a junior novel
-- OK for Intermediate school
Me being Me is exactly as insane as You being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy
- Book written in lists
- Totally draws you in to Darren's story
-- Parents split up and Dad has just come-out as gay
- Very clever
- Good for Gifted kids and Reluctant readers
Challenger Deep by Neal Schusterman
- This is a 'biggie'
- "Had to keep putting it down and thinking about it"
- Teenage boy has a breakdown and is diagnosed as a schizophrenic
- Part hallucination / Part what's happening in the real world
- Ends up in a psychiatric ward
- Very clever
- Really well done
- Pretty heartbreaking
- Illustrated by the 'boy' as he is an artist
-- Images are actually drawn by Neal's son while he was in hospital going through a similar situation
Adult Fiction:
Great Zoo of China by Matthew Riley
- "Boy is it action packed!!!!"
- Jurassic Park with Dragons
- Dragons laying dormant for hundreds of years
- Dragons are very inteligent
- Great 'map' of the zoo
- Seriously action packed
- Short chapters
- Good for Level 2 NCEA
Girl of Shaddows Bk2 by Deborah Challinor
- New Zealand Author
- Set in England and Australia
-- Four women all end up in prison for various deeds
-- Form and alliance
-- All sent to Australia as convicts
- Good solid story
- Great characters
Lost Empress by Steve Robins
- American author who is into genealogy
- Each of his stories involves / weaves crime into it
- Each book is based on some factual event
- Set in England and Canada just as war is breaking out
- Main character is threatened that unless she spies for the Germans she won't see her children again!
- Twist at the end
- 'Lost Empress' was a ship that sunk
Secret Life of Luke Livingston by Charity Norman
- New Zealand Author
- "Charity is a really cool person!"
- Transgender themes
- Really well done between Luke and his wife
- Really buy into the story
-- Feel for his wife
- Sooooo good!!!
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Evie's War by Anna Mackenzie
- New Zealand Author
- Anna's 9th book
- Our own 'Jan Clothier' is in the acknowledgements page AND has a character named after her - Nurse Clothier
-- So exciting!!!
- Historical
-- Characters travel from New Zealand to England
-- Set during WWI
-- Friendships are formed on the boat trip
-- Main character wants to help with the war efforts
-- Helps in the hospitals, but mother has no idea what she is doing!
- Really enjoyed and really well done
- Not a 'light' novel
- Loved the language used in the book
- Quite factual
- Diary format - short entries
- Great novel for anyone researching WWI
Emergence Bk1 by John Birmingham
- Fantasy, Contemporary, Military
- 'Save the world'
-- Kind of an Anti-Hero - he's a hero but not in the nicey-nice way they are usually depicted
- Geo-political undertones
- Review on 'Bite the Book'
- Really really good read
-- **Warning** Lots of swearing
Non Fiction:
Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison
- Young Adult NF
- At 19 Peter left Australia to go to Africa to be a tour guide ... He's still there
- Appeal to boys
- 'She'll be right attitude'
Rhyme & Reo : aeiou by Jessica Ngatai
- Children NF
- A fun way to learn Maori vowels
- Help learn the correct pronunciation of basic vowel sounds used in Te Reo
- Good teaching resource
The Design Library : Maori Design by Penny Brown
- Upper Primary / Young Adult NF
- CD included
- Contemporary and Traditional Maori designs
- Copyright free
- Great source book of ideas
- 9781844488421
Making Machines with Screws by Heinemann Raintree Publishers
- Middle / Upper Primary NF
- Very easy, straightforward instructions on how to make things
- Simple machine projects
- Hands-on projects
- Part of a series - Levers / Pulleys / Ramps ...
- 9781410968098
Are you what you eat? A guide to what's on your plate and why! by DK
- Upper Primary
- Healthy eating and nutrition
- Explains what foods you should eat to fuel your body
- Awful lot of detail
- Quizzes, facts, questions
- 9781465429445
Other Tips and Hints
Adele has started a Children and Teen Fiction - Book Reviews Wordpress - Helping You Choose A Book From Napier/Taradale Libraries
- Tags for Action, Grief, Horror etc
- 3 Categories - Extending Readers / Intermediate Readers / Teen
- Check it out - It's awesome
Must Watch!!!!! Movie trailer for 'The Martian' - Andy Weir
- Soooooo amazing
- Inadvertently humorous
- Very grown up Andy Griffiths "In the shower" story
- The book is a real page turner
- All the science in it is accurate
Saturday 5 September 2015
Saturday 1 August 2015
May 2015 : Term 2
Term 2 saw us being hosted by Jan at Karamu High School. A fantastic recently redesigned library space at the center of the new-look school. Thanks Jan for the yummy nibbles and a chance to take a look at you library :-)
Favourite Reads
Picture Books:
Use your Imagination by Nicola O'Byrn
- Alternative Fairy Tale theme - Little Red Riding Hood
- Big Bad Wolf is 'helping' Bunny to use his imagination and write a story
- Surprise ending
- Good tool to model story-writing and imagination to students
Children's Fiction:
Birthday Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka
- An early chapter book with a difference. Bunny has edited his boring 'Birthday Bunny' book to make it more interesting.
- A funny read, but also a great tool for modelling to students how a bit of editing can change the whole feel of a story.
- Awesome illustrations - Bunny has also edited these to tie in with the new story.
- Appropriate for all levels as a modelling tool, or middle/upper primary as a reader.
Big Game by Dan Smith
- Coming of age
- Translated and adapted from a 'Finish' tale
- ISIS connotations, so very topical. One scene where the US President is threatened with being killed on camera, however it is not 'overly' graphic.
- Movie coming out.
- Year 6+ (with warning of how 'realistic' the main issue is)
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
- Great interactive book to get the kids to talk back to you
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Dragon Knight series by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Donovan Bixley
- New series set in the future ... well the future if you are a fan of 'Dinosaur Rescue'
- - Fire / Rats / next coming mid-August
- Brilliant read
- Humorous with snippets of 'fact' interspersed throughout
- Bixley's illustrations enhance the story by giving extra information / descriptiveness
- Year 3+
Goth Girl by Chris Riddell
- A great read - even for adults
- The stories have a strong female character - not girly-girly at all, which boys will enjoy just as much
- References to fairy tales but with a twist.
- Historically accurate but told in a way that will keep students engaged
- Includes a small 'graphic novel' with the animal side-kicks story
- The end-papers are 'too die for' - silver skulls on a black background. And the outer edges of the pages are metalic (purple and red for the first two books!)
- Riddell's use of black & white illustrations add to the descriptiveness of the story
- Year 4+
Araminta Spook series by Angie Sage
- Been out for a while
- New publisher - titles are now 'Araminta Spookie'
- Araminta lives with 'Uncle Drac' & 'Aunty Tabitha'
- Funny scary books
- Year 3+ (7-9yrs)
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M Draper
- 1932 setting, North Carolina
- Klu Klux Klan
- Time of Hoover / Roosevelt presidential change over
- Blacks can't vote
- Stella has learning difficulties at school
-- Gets given a typewriter
-- Pretends to be a reporter
--- Reports about what is happening with KKK
- Lots of 'nasty things' but good comes of it
- Lovely read, Easy read
- More of a girly read
- Well written
- Thoroughly enjoyed
- No Death / Drugs / Broken Hearts
-- Just a lovely nice book
- Year 6+
YA Fiction:
Big Game by Dan Smith
- Coming of age
- Translated and adapted from a 'Finish' tale
- ISIS connotations, so very topical. One scene where the US President is threatened with being killed on camera, however it is not 'overly' graphic.
- Movie coming out.
- Year 6+ (with warning of how 'realistic' the main issue is)
Kete Whakairo : Plaiting flax for Beginners by Margaret Rose Ngawaka
- Non-Fiction
- Exclusive availability through Plaza Books, Hastings (Beattie & Forbes 'other' store)
- Author lives on Great Barrier, But .... Published in USA
- Appropriate from Primary school through to Secondary
I Am J by Chris Beam
- LGBT
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
- Abuse
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
- Intersex (not transgender)
- Pregnancy
-- Decisions about whether to have an abortion or not
- Bullying (by 'best friend')
-- 2 brothers - 16 & 10
-- Parents are Highflying lawyers. Dad running as MP in electorate
-- Best friend, who has always known about his 'situation', rapes the 16yr old
- Amazing read
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- Brilliant read
- 'X-men meets Hunger Games'
- Recommended at a previous meeting
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- Well balanced
- Really good book
-- Cried & cried & cried
- Suicide
-- Perspective of mentally ill person has been portrayed really well
--- Not something he could control. Not doing it for attention.
-- Perspective of the survivor guilt portrayed really well
--- Could I have done more?
--- Should I have done things differently?
- Good idea to put a note inside about "seeing the guidance councilor"
Dead Ends by Erin Lange
- Wrote 'Butter'
- Anger issues
-- 18 yr old
-- Has itchy palms - needs to 'thump someone'
-- Suspended if does one more time
- New neighbour moves in with Down Syndrome
- Both have absent dads
-- Down Syndrome boy becomes obsessed with finding dad
- Main character grows as a person while helping his Down Syndrome neighbour
- Wasn't the ending that was expected!
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
- Really Cool!!!!!
- Suffers from OCD - goes to adolescent OCD group
-- Take on Superhero persona while 'in-group
-- Batman
-- The girl 'Robyn' becomes 'Robin'
- Love story
-- No Love Triangle!!!
- Coming of age
- Parents are separated - Mother issues
- Really good message about sharing your problems
The Martian by Andy Weir
- The science is 'spot-on'
- Really really good book
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin
- Thriller
- Main character is undergoing surgery to remove her memory
-- Power goes out as surgery starts
-- 'Something' gets put in her hand
-- Memory starts to come back
- She can't work out if she is there because she is a victim of a perpetrator
- Disappointed by the ending - really rushed!
Pandora Jones series by Barry Jonsberg
- #1 Admission, #2 Deception, #3 Reckoning
- Set in Melbourne, Australia
- Apocalyptic / Post-Plague
I Have a Bad Feeling About This by Geoff Strand
- Loved It!
- LOL read
- Kid gets sent to survival camp
-- Something not quite right about the camp!!!
-- Dodgy teacher
-- Bands up with a couple of other kids and everything 'just goes wrong'
- 'Survival tips' at end of chapters - funny!
- Really good for boys 12+ (probably even 10+), and adults
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- If John Green & Rainbow Rowell had a love child this would be it!!
- LGBT
- Online emailing to 'friend'
-- Accidentally leaves email open and another boy see it
-- Threatens to reveal his secret
- Blackmail
- Dealing with revelation of what happens
- Family dynamics
-- Good family representation
-- Both parents are there
- Nice, Funny, Gentle, Realistic
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
- The 'Wicked' series
- Dorothy needs to be assassinated because shy has 'ruined' Oz
- Obligatory 'cute guy' that helps Amy Gunn
- Really funny
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
- Interesting reviews
- Incest - 16 & 17 year olds
- Parents not on the scene
-- Trying to raise younger brother & sister
- Ending is what you would expect
- No descriptiveness (of sex scenes)
- Uncomfortable read
Thirst by Lizzie Wilcock
- "Couldn't put it down"
- Set in middle of Australia
- Foster homes
-- Get shipped out to Alice Springs as she & 8yr old boy have been through so many foster homes
-- Accident on way
-- Stuck in middle of outback with 40deg + temperataures
- Survivalist
- Growing bonds of family & friendship
- Both have issues
-- Feeling of hurt about what her mother did
-- Can't get over it
-- He has anger issues
- Really really nice / lovely lovely story
- Feel good book
- Well written, Easy to read
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M Draper
- 1932 setting, North Carolina
- Klu Klux Klan
- Time of Hoover / Roosevelt presidential change over
- Blacks can't vote
- Stella has learning difficulties at school
-- Gets given a typewriter
-- Pretends to be a reporter
--- Reports about what is happening with KKK
- Lots of 'nasty things' but good comes of it
- Lovely read, Easy read
- More of a girly read
- Well written
- Thoroughly enjoyed
- No Death / Drugs / Broken Hearts
-- Just a lovely nice book
- Year 6+
Beneath by Roland Smith
- "Really terrible cover but the boys love it"
- Story is not what the cover depicts
- Mum is an astronaught
- Dad is a Nobel Prize winner
- Secret correspondence with older brother
-- Pat goes to New York to look for him
- Underground community. No taxes etc. With an even deeper community.
- "Where the hell is his brother & what is really going to happen"
- CIA / Anti-Society / Terrorists
- Exciting!!!!
- "Oh Shit!!!! .... It's a series!!!!!"
- Interesting narrative style
-- Pat - 1st person
-- 3rd person
-- Tapes from brother
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
- Romance
- Space / Sci-Fi
- The Starbound trilogy
- "Glorious Space Opera"
One of Us by Jeannie Waudby
- Dystopia
- Topical
- Exclusive Bretheren
- Main character is an orphaned girl
-- Parents killed in Brotherhood bombing
-- Lives with Grandmother
- 'Radicilising' kids at a Brotherhood school
-- Girl is asked to infiltrate and spy on what is happening
- Sees events from the perspective of the other side
- 'What is the truth?'
- One-off book
- Satisfying ending
- Well worth the read
- World is not as black & whiteas she was led to believe
- NCEA Level 1 response
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Cannibalistic water horses
- Capture one and it will win the Scorpio Races
- One-off book
- Undercurrent of Celtic magic running through it
- Really good
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James
- "Couldn't put it down"
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Adult Fiction:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- Brilliant read
- 'X-men meets Hunger Games'
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healy
- Debut novel
- Beginning of Alzheimer's
-- Writes herself notes
--- "Elizabeth is missing"
--- Keeps trying to find Elizabeth
- Hard read at times (especially if own family member has Alzheimer's)
- Lovely story
The Martian by Andy Weir
- The science is 'spot-on'
- "Really really good book"
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Day Shift #2 by Charlene Harris
- Midnight Series incorporates of lot of minor characters from her other series
- A lot happens but it doesn't seem to have a high point that draws you in
- Move about the characters and small town life
Non Fiction:
Kete Whakairo : Plaiting flax for Beginners by Margaret Rose Ngawaka
- Exclusive availability through Plaza Books, Hastings (Beattie & Forbes 'other' store)
- Author lives on Great Barrier, But .... Published in USA
- Appropriate from Primary school through to Secondary
Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
- North Korean Political Prisons - That don't supposedly exist!!!
- Based on story of one of only escapees - actually born in there
- Brutal descriptions of captivity
- 10 rules in the prison ... end with "break them and you are shot"
- Interaction between China / North Korea / South Korea
-- 'On the ground' interesting reactions of people
-- South Korea to North Korea's relationship is almost schizophrenic
- Children are brought up to 'snitch' on anybody & everybody
- 'Law of association' = everybody is guilty
- Coming from being an 'animal' to being a 'person'
- Fitting into society
- Where possible the book has been backed up with other 'escapees', or those that get let free, views
-- Only the Political Prisoners are never allowed to be released
- Not a hard read at all
- "Loved it"
-- So well done and so interesting, although pretty nasty
-- "Couldn't put it down"
- Year 9+
Favourite Reads
Picture Books:
Use your Imagination by Nicola O'Byrn
- Alternative Fairy Tale theme - Little Red Riding Hood
- Big Bad Wolf is 'helping' Bunny to use his imagination and write a story
- Surprise ending
- Good tool to model story-writing and imagination to students
Children's Fiction:
- An early chapter book with a difference. Bunny has edited his boring 'Birthday Bunny' book to make it more interesting.
- A funny read, but also a great tool for modelling to students how a bit of editing can change the whole feel of a story.
- Awesome illustrations - Bunny has also edited these to tie in with the new story.
- Appropriate for all levels as a modelling tool, or middle/upper primary as a reader.
Big Game by Dan Smith
- Coming of age
- Translated and adapted from a 'Finish' tale
- ISIS connotations, so very topical. One scene where the US President is threatened with being killed on camera, however it is not 'overly' graphic.
- Movie coming out.
- Year 6+ (with warning of how 'realistic' the main issue is)
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
- Great interactive book to get the kids to talk back to you
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Dragon Knight series by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Donovan Bixley
- New series set in the future ... well the future if you are a fan of 'Dinosaur Rescue'
- - Fire / Rats / next coming mid-August
- Brilliant read
- Humorous with snippets of 'fact' interspersed throughout
- Bixley's illustrations enhance the story by giving extra information / descriptiveness
- Year 3+
Goth Girl by Chris Riddell
- A great read - even for adults
- The stories have a strong female character - not girly-girly at all, which boys will enjoy just as much
- References to fairy tales but with a twist.
- Historically accurate but told in a way that will keep students engaged
- Includes a small 'graphic novel' with the animal side-kicks story
- The end-papers are 'too die for' - silver skulls on a black background. And the outer edges of the pages are metalic (purple and red for the first two books!)
- Riddell's use of black & white illustrations add to the descriptiveness of the story
- Year 4+
Araminta Spook series by Angie Sage
- Been out for a while
- New publisher - titles are now 'Araminta Spookie'
- Araminta lives with 'Uncle Drac' & 'Aunty Tabitha'
- Funny scary books
- Year 3+ (7-9yrs)
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M Draper
- 1932 setting, North Carolina
- Klu Klux Klan
- Time of Hoover / Roosevelt presidential change over
- Blacks can't vote
- Stella has learning difficulties at school
-- Gets given a typewriter
-- Pretends to be a reporter
--- Reports about what is happening with KKK
- Lots of 'nasty things' but good comes of it
- Lovely read, Easy read
- More of a girly read
- Well written
- Thoroughly enjoyed
- No Death / Drugs / Broken Hearts
-- Just a lovely nice book
- Year 6+
YA Fiction:
Big Game by Dan Smith
- Coming of age
- Translated and adapted from a 'Finish' tale
- ISIS connotations, so very topical. One scene where the US President is threatened with being killed on camera, however it is not 'overly' graphic.
- Movie coming out.
- Year 6+ (with warning of how 'realistic' the main issue is)
Kete Whakairo : Plaiting flax for Beginners by Margaret Rose Ngawaka
- Non-Fiction
- Exclusive availability through Plaza Books, Hastings (Beattie & Forbes 'other' store)
- Author lives on Great Barrier, But .... Published in USA
- Appropriate from Primary school through to Secondary
I Am J by Chris Beam
- LGBT
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
- Abuse
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
- Intersex (not transgender)
- Pregnancy
-- Decisions about whether to have an abortion or not
- Bullying (by 'best friend')
-- 2 brothers - 16 & 10
-- Parents are Highflying lawyers. Dad running as MP in electorate
-- Best friend, who has always known about his 'situation', rapes the 16yr old
- Amazing read
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- Brilliant read
- 'X-men meets Hunger Games'
- Recommended at a previous meeting
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- Well balanced
- Really good book
-- Cried & cried & cried
- Suicide
-- Perspective of mentally ill person has been portrayed really well
--- Not something he could control. Not doing it for attention.
-- Perspective of the survivor guilt portrayed really well
--- Could I have done more?
--- Should I have done things differently?
- Good idea to put a note inside about "seeing the guidance councilor"
Dead Ends by Erin Lange
- Wrote 'Butter'
- Anger issues
-- 18 yr old
-- Has itchy palms - needs to 'thump someone'
-- Suspended if does one more time
- New neighbour moves in with Down Syndrome
- Both have absent dads
-- Down Syndrome boy becomes obsessed with finding dad
- Main character grows as a person while helping his Down Syndrome neighbour
- Wasn't the ending that was expected!
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
- Really Cool!!!!!
- Suffers from OCD - goes to adolescent OCD group
-- Take on Superhero persona while 'in-group
-- Batman
-- The girl 'Robyn' becomes 'Robin'
- Love story
-- No Love Triangle!!!
- Coming of age
- Parents are separated - Mother issues
- Really good message about sharing your problems
The Martian by Andy Weir
- The science is 'spot-on'
- Really really good book
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin
- Thriller
- Main character is undergoing surgery to remove her memory
-- Power goes out as surgery starts
-- 'Something' gets put in her hand
-- Memory starts to come back
- She can't work out if she is there because she is a victim of a perpetrator
- Disappointed by the ending - really rushed!
Pandora Jones series by Barry Jonsberg
- #1 Admission, #2 Deception, #3 Reckoning
- Set in Melbourne, Australia
- Apocalyptic / Post-Plague
I Have a Bad Feeling About This by Geoff Strand
- Loved It!
- LOL read
- Kid gets sent to survival camp
-- Something not quite right about the camp!!!
-- Dodgy teacher
-- Bands up with a couple of other kids and everything 'just goes wrong'
- 'Survival tips' at end of chapters - funny!
- Really good for boys 12+ (probably even 10+), and adults
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- If John Green & Rainbow Rowell had a love child this would be it!!
- LGBT
- Online emailing to 'friend'
-- Accidentally leaves email open and another boy see it
-- Threatens to reveal his secret
- Blackmail
- Dealing with revelation of what happens
- Family dynamics
-- Good family representation
-- Both parents are there
- Nice, Funny, Gentle, Realistic
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
- The 'Wicked' series
- Dorothy needs to be assassinated because shy has 'ruined' Oz
- Obligatory 'cute guy' that helps Amy Gunn
- Really funny
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
- Interesting reviews
- Incest - 16 & 17 year olds
- Parents not on the scene
-- Trying to raise younger brother & sister
- Ending is what you would expect
- No descriptiveness (of sex scenes)
- Uncomfortable read
Thirst by Lizzie Wilcock
- "Couldn't put it down"
- Set in middle of Australia
- Foster homes
-- Get shipped out to Alice Springs as she & 8yr old boy have been through so many foster homes
-- Accident on way
-- Stuck in middle of outback with 40deg + temperataures
- Survivalist
- Growing bonds of family & friendship
- Both have issues
-- Feeling of hurt about what her mother did
-- Can't get over it
-- He has anger issues
- Really really nice / lovely lovely story
- Feel good book
- Well written, Easy to read
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M Draper
- 1932 setting, North Carolina
- Klu Klux Klan
- Time of Hoover / Roosevelt presidential change over
- Blacks can't vote
- Stella has learning difficulties at school
-- Gets given a typewriter
-- Pretends to be a reporter
--- Reports about what is happening with KKK
- Lots of 'nasty things' but good comes of it
- Lovely read, Easy read
- More of a girly read
- Well written
- Thoroughly enjoyed
- No Death / Drugs / Broken Hearts
-- Just a lovely nice book
- Year 6+
Beneath by Roland Smith
- "Really terrible cover but the boys love it"
- Story is not what the cover depicts
- Mum is an astronaught
- Dad is a Nobel Prize winner
- Secret correspondence with older brother
-- Pat goes to New York to look for him
- Underground community. No taxes etc. With an even deeper community.
- "Where the hell is his brother & what is really going to happen"
- CIA / Anti-Society / Terrorists
- Exciting!!!!
- "Oh Shit!!!! .... It's a series!!!!!"
- Interesting narrative style
-- Pat - 1st person
-- 3rd person
-- Tapes from brother
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
- Romance
- Space / Sci-Fi
- The Starbound trilogy
- "Glorious Space Opera"
One of Us by Jeannie Waudby
- Dystopia
- Topical
- Exclusive Bretheren
- Main character is an orphaned girl
-- Parents killed in Brotherhood bombing
-- Lives with Grandmother
- 'Radicilising' kids at a Brotherhood school
-- Girl is asked to infiltrate and spy on what is happening
- Sees events from the perspective of the other side
- 'What is the truth?'
- One-off book
- Satisfying ending
- Well worth the read
- World is not as black & whiteas she was led to believe
- NCEA Level 1 response
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Cannibalistic water horses
- Capture one and it will win the Scorpio Races
- One-off book
- Undercurrent of Celtic magic running through it
- Really good
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James
- "Couldn't put it down"
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Adult Fiction:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- Brilliant read
- 'X-men meets Hunger Games'
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healy
- Debut novel
- Beginning of Alzheimer's
-- Writes herself notes
--- "Elizabeth is missing"
--- Keeps trying to find Elizabeth
- Hard read at times (especially if own family member has Alzheimer's)
- Lovely story
The Martian by Andy Weir
- The science is 'spot-on'
- "Really really good book"
- Recommended at a previous meeting
Day Shift #2 by Charlene Harris
- Midnight Series incorporates of lot of minor characters from her other series
- A lot happens but it doesn't seem to have a high point that draws you in
- Move about the characters and small town life
Non Fiction:
Kete Whakairo : Plaiting flax for Beginners by Margaret Rose Ngawaka
- Exclusive availability through Plaza Books, Hastings (Beattie & Forbes 'other' store)
- Author lives on Great Barrier, But .... Published in USA
- Appropriate from Primary school through to Secondary
Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
- North Korean Political Prisons - That don't supposedly exist!!!
- Based on story of one of only escapees - actually born in there
- Brutal descriptions of captivity
- 10 rules in the prison ... end with "break them and you are shot"
- Interaction between China / North Korea / South Korea
-- 'On the ground' interesting reactions of people
-- South Korea to North Korea's relationship is almost schizophrenic
- Children are brought up to 'snitch' on anybody & everybody
- 'Law of association' = everybody is guilty
- Coming from being an 'animal' to being a 'person'
- Fitting into society
- Where possible the book has been backed up with other 'escapees', or those that get let free, views
-- Only the Political Prisoners are never allowed to be released
- Not a hard read at all
- "Loved it"
-- So well done and so interesting, although pretty nasty
-- "Couldn't put it down"
- Year 9+
Friday 6 March 2015
March 2015 : Term 1
Goodness Gracious! Where did 2014 go???? A crazy busy Christmas break with some of us working on our final ILS paper (thank god!). Yay for coffee breaks, and recreational reading time!!!
BookTalk this term saw us being hosted at 'Hastings Public Library'. WOW! What an awesome place to be. I for one will definitely be going over to make use of the super space and just absorbing the amazing atmosphere. Thanks to Kristin & Mya for hosting us :-) p.s. the brownies were DEVINE!
Our BookTalk theme was to share what we had been reading over the summer break (well ... break for school librarians anyway).
Favourite Reads
Picture Books:
Press Here / Mix it Up by Herve Tullet
- Interactive books
- Adults & kids really get into them
Fifteen things not to do with a baby by Margaret McAllister
- Humorous
- GREAT READ-ALOUD
Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist
- Re-telling of the 3 Little Pigs story
- Such a cool story!
Open Very Carefully by Nicola O'Byrne
- Interactive book
How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton
- A-MA-ZING read
- Tongue-in-cheek realistic
Children's Fiction:
Pippi Longstockings illustrated by Lauren Child
- Modernised the story without loosing the integrity of the original
Spirit Animals : Tales of the Great Beasts by Brandon Mull & Others
- Stand-alone to the sereis
- How the Great Beasts came to be
- Year 5+
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
- Great read-aloud
- Check out the YouTube clip of him reading 'The Book With No Pictures' from Penguin Kids
Brotherhood of Thieves Bk1 The Wardens by Stuart Daly
- Fantasy / Thieves / Quest
- Awesome read
- Year 5+
Jessica Cole Model Spy Bk1 Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky
- Female James Bond
- Year 6+
Angela Nicely Bk1 by Alan MacDonald
- Author of 'Dirty Bertie' series
- Angela is Bertie's neighbour
- NOT a 'girly' book - despite the pink cover
-- She tries to be good and 'all things nice' but she is a little rascal
- 3 stories in each book. 4 chapters per story
YA Fiction:
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
- Based on research of the Walled City in Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, before it was destroyed
- Not a historical story though
- Used the research as a guide to write the story, and does include a lot of factual information
- Done really well
When we Wake by Karen Healey
- Author is a Kiwi living in Aussie
- Dystopian
- Cryogenic theme
- Questioning if she is a person or owned by the government
- Environmntal / Climate change / Political issues
- Clever that it is set in Aussie with Imigration issues (it wouldn't have the same impact with an NZ setting)
- While we Run is the sequel, BUT you don't have to read it. It can be a stand-alone read
Pure trilogy by Julianna Baggott
- Very creepy dystopian
- Great read ... BUT very 'black'
- Senior read, not Junior school
Singing Home the Whale by Mandy Hager
- Kiwi Author
- Chapters alternate between the main character and the Orca whale
- Connections - man & beast
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
- Elephants
- Very interesting
- Very well written
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James
- Suicide
- Each person has their own take on what happened
- Shows how different people have parts to play
The Secret Life of Luke Livingston by Charity Norman
- Kiwi Author
- Suicide
- Set in Britain
- Woman in a guys body
-- How do you tell your wife you want to be a woman?
- Deals with family and how well can you ever know someone
- Really good book
- Being officially launched Friday 6th March 2015
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
- Novel in Verse
- AWESOME read
- Reading poetry without realising you are reading poetry
- Rhythm of a basketball game
- Split into quarters like a basketball game
- Life teachings told through the game of basketball
- Sibling rivalry
- short read - good for reluctant readers
- So well done!
- Good text for NCEA Level 1
- Suitable for Year 7+
Unwind series by Neil Shusterman
- Premise is so creepy and disgusting
- Pro-lifers & Pro-choicers - come to a compromise
- So many layers to the story
- Amazing read
Reality Boy by A.S. King
- Defication (Poo!)
- Dysfunctional families
- As a 5-year-old the family were on a Reality Nanny show
- Very well done
-- Alternates between present day & flash-backs to the show
- Anger issues
- Coming of age
- Good text for NCEA Level 2
The 100 series by Kaas Morgan
- TV series based on the book
- Set in a Space Station which is failing
- Over 18-year-olds (100 of them!) get put on a shuttle back down to Earth
- Post-apocalyptic
- Earth plot-line is very basic
- Flash-backs of main characters
- Suitable for Year 7+
The F- It List by Julie Halpern
- Really good read
- Cancer (friend) / Death (father) themes
- Bucket list
- Better than 'Fault in Your Stars'
- Well written
- ** WARNING ** - Masturbation scene/paragraph in about the 3rd chapter
- Senior read, not Junior school
The Broken Hearted series by Amelia Kahaney
- Distopian
- Scared but Strong female character
- Really good read
- Book trailer is really good (from HarperTeen)
- Suitable read for Year 7+
Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
- Hot Demon Librarian!!!
- Plucky Heroine
- Buffy if Buffy was a normal human
- Friendship / Relationships themes
- Nancy Drewish
The Martian by Andy Weir
- Best book read in ages!
- Humorous
- Main character is lost on Mars, during a Mission to Mars that was aborted
-- Is a Botanist & Engineer
-- Has to last for 4 years until the next mission is sent up
- MacGyver on Mars!!!
- Diary style
- 3 Points-of-view - Main character, Control center, Crew still on ship
- Boys will love it!
- Being made into a movie
- One of the funniest books to read
Adult Fiction:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- X-men meets Hunger Games
- Post-apocalyptic world
- Really well written / Beautifully written
- Very good characterisation
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- Plot twist
- Get to the end and you want to start it all again as it's not the book you thought!
- Girls!!!
- Set in WWII in France
- WOOOO!!!!! (Lots of hand gesticulation!!!) 5*
Last to Die by Tess Geratsin
- Best book by far of hers
- Set in Africa
- Massacre / Only survivor / Set 7 years in the future
- Awesome read!
Other Tips and Hints
Check out Derek Landy talking about the title of his new book
Steph found it on his blog which he updates regularly with his trademark humour. Thanks Steph :-)
Book Trailers 4 Kids and YA - Desna Wallace, Kiwi Author
Blog for reviews and book trailers
BookTalk this term saw us being hosted at 'Hastings Public Library'. WOW! What an awesome place to be. I for one will definitely be going over to make use of the super space and just absorbing the amazing atmosphere. Thanks to Kristin & Mya for hosting us :-) p.s. the brownies were DEVINE!
Our BookTalk theme was to share what we had been reading over the summer break (well ... break for school librarians anyway).
Favourite Reads
Picture Books:
Press Here / Mix it Up by Herve Tullet
- Interactive books
- Adults & kids really get into them
Fifteen things not to do with a baby by Margaret McAllister
- Humorous
- GREAT READ-ALOUD
Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist
- Re-telling of the 3 Little Pigs story
- Such a cool story!
Open Very Carefully by Nicola O'Byrne
- Interactive book
How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton
- A-MA-ZING read
- Tongue-in-cheek realistic
Children's Fiction:
Pippi Longstockings illustrated by Lauren Child
- Modernised the story without loosing the integrity of the original
Spirit Animals : Tales of the Great Beasts by Brandon Mull & Others
- Stand-alone to the sereis
- How the Great Beasts came to be
- Year 5+
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
- Great read-aloud
- Check out the YouTube clip of him reading 'The Book With No Pictures' from Penguin Kids
Brotherhood of Thieves Bk1 The Wardens by Stuart Daly
- Fantasy / Thieves / Quest
- Awesome read
- Year 5+
Jessica Cole Model Spy Bk1 Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky
- Female James Bond
- Year 6+
Angela Nicely Bk1 by Alan MacDonald
- Author of 'Dirty Bertie' series
- Angela is Bertie's neighbour
- NOT a 'girly' book - despite the pink cover
-- She tries to be good and 'all things nice' but she is a little rascal
- 3 stories in each book. 4 chapters per story
YA Fiction:
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
- Based on research of the Walled City in Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, before it was destroyed
- Not a historical story though
- Used the research as a guide to write the story, and does include a lot of factual information
- Done really well
When we Wake by Karen Healey
- Author is a Kiwi living in Aussie
- Dystopian
- Cryogenic theme
- Questioning if she is a person or owned by the government
- Environmntal / Climate change / Political issues
- Clever that it is set in Aussie with Imigration issues (it wouldn't have the same impact with an NZ setting)
- While we Run is the sequel, BUT you don't have to read it. It can be a stand-alone read
Pure trilogy by Julianna Baggott
- Very creepy dystopian
- Great read ... BUT very 'black'
- Senior read, not Junior school
Singing Home the Whale by Mandy Hager
- Kiwi Author
- Chapters alternate between the main character and the Orca whale
- Connections - man & beast
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
- Elephants
- Very interesting
- Very well written
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James
- Suicide
- Each person has their own take on what happened
- Shows how different people have parts to play
The Secret Life of Luke Livingston by Charity Norman
- Kiwi Author
- Suicide
- Set in Britain
- Woman in a guys body
-- How do you tell your wife you want to be a woman?
- Deals with family and how well can you ever know someone
- Really good book
- Being officially launched Friday 6th March 2015
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
- Novel in Verse
- AWESOME read
- Reading poetry without realising you are reading poetry
- Rhythm of a basketball game
- Split into quarters like a basketball game
- Life teachings told through the game of basketball
- Sibling rivalry
- short read - good for reluctant readers
- So well done!
- Good text for NCEA Level 1
- Suitable for Year 7+
Unwind series by Neil Shusterman
- Premise is so creepy and disgusting
- Pro-lifers & Pro-choicers - come to a compromise
- So many layers to the story
- Amazing read
Reality Boy by A.S. King
- Defication (Poo!)
- Dysfunctional families
- As a 5-year-old the family were on a Reality Nanny show
- Very well done
-- Alternates between present day & flash-backs to the show
- Anger issues
- Coming of age
- Good text for NCEA Level 2
The 100 series by Kaas Morgan
- TV series based on the book
- Set in a Space Station which is failing
- Over 18-year-olds (100 of them!) get put on a shuttle back down to Earth
- Post-apocalyptic
- Earth plot-line is very basic
- Flash-backs of main characters
- Suitable for Year 7+
The F- It List by Julie Halpern
- Really good read
- Cancer (friend) / Death (father) themes
- Bucket list
- Better than 'Fault in Your Stars'
- Well written
- ** WARNING ** - Masturbation scene/paragraph in about the 3rd chapter
- Senior read, not Junior school
The Broken Hearted series by Amelia Kahaney
- Distopian
- Scared but Strong female character
- Really good read
- Book trailer is really good (from HarperTeen)
- Suitable read for Year 7+
Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
- Hot Demon Librarian!!!
- Plucky Heroine
- Buffy if Buffy was a normal human
- Friendship / Relationships themes
- Nancy Drewish
The Martian by Andy Weir
- Best book read in ages!
- Humorous
- Main character is lost on Mars, during a Mission to Mars that was aborted
-- Is a Botanist & Engineer
-- Has to last for 4 years until the next mission is sent up
- MacGyver on Mars!!!
- Diary style
- 3 Points-of-view - Main character, Control center, Crew still on ship
- Boys will love it!
- Being made into a movie
- One of the funniest books to read
Adult Fiction:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- X-men meets Hunger Games
- Post-apocalyptic world
- Really well written / Beautifully written
- Very good characterisation
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- Plot twist
- Get to the end and you want to start it all again as it's not the book you thought!
- Girls!!!
- Set in WWII in France
- WOOOO!!!!! (Lots of hand gesticulation!!!) 5*
Last to Die by Tess Geratsin
- Best book by far of hers
- Set in Africa
- Massacre / Only survivor / Set 7 years in the future
- Awesome read!
Other Tips and Hints
Check out Derek Landy talking about the title of his new book
Steph found it on his blog which he updates regularly with his trademark humour. Thanks Steph :-)
Book Trailers 4 Kids and YA - Desna Wallace, Kiwi Author
Blog for reviews and book trailers
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