Who' s Cooking Tonight? by Claire Gourley

reviewed by Keanu Fisher
This book is a cooking book, full of exciting recipes which are shown with easy to follow steps and clear photographs. These photographs show some of the cooking processes and what the finished food will look like.
The recipes are of yummy desserts, snacks and meals.
There is also information about reading food labels, healthy eating and safe food preparation.
I recommend this book to 8 year olds and up to teenagers, who like to cook yummy food.
I think this book has a really good chance to win, because it has a wide appeal.
Everyone loves to eat.

Sensational Survivors by Sandra Morris

reviewed by Cheralyn Dunwell
Sensational Survivors is about New Zealand's wildlife, from the ancient beginning of New Zealand.

It tells how most of the animals came to be here. There are also interesting facts about some animals and birds that are found only in New Zealand. This book is filled with facts and also little stories. There is a very touching tale about an old Black Robin called Old Blue.

It is re-written in a lovely way and it is gorgeous to look at. The book is filled with very detailed, interesting and cute pictures. I have learnt new facts by reading this book.

My Grandpa and I both enjoyed reading it. So I would recommend this book to readers of all ages, sharing with an experienced reader if you are young.

The Life Cycle of the Pukeko written by Betty Brownlie

reviewed by David Ball

This book tells about the Life Cycle of a Pukeko, and what it eats and its enemies. It is a non-fiction book.

Three interesting facts that I have learnt:
1. The Pukeko's predators are rats, cats, weasels, stoats and hawks.
2. Pukeko eat worms, duck eggs, shoots, spiders and small eels and fish.
3. The sounds pukekos make are whining, screeching, grunting, clicking, bleating, sighing, clucking, purring, crooning and humming.

I think that this book is very interesting and well-illustrated.

I recommend this book to year 4 to Year 6, boys and girls, especially bird-lovers.

The Kiwi Fossil Hunter's Handbook written by James Crampton and Marianna Terezow

Reviewed by Georgia Knowles
This book is about how to find and care for fossils in New Zealand. It includes where to find fossils (shells, coral, wood and bones), and what equipment you will need to collect them and how to store them.

For a serious Fossil Hunter, the book is well laid out with photographs, maps, black and white diagrams and clear contents of each chapter.

There is a great deal of facts and information, so I would recommend this book to 14 year olds and older fossil hunters.
I think it is quite an interesting book but to really enjoy this book, you would have to be a big fan of fossils.

Tussock by Elizabeth Pulford

reviewed by Kasey Lui
Tussock is set in New Zealand's high country of the South Island. Kate, a young teenager, has a great problem because her Dad has gone missing on a plane trip with a friend.
As the search for her Dad goes on, Kate meets Troy, who is also facing his own problems.

I think that this story is exciting, and well-written because I could feel what Kate would be feeling in her situation. It kept me wanting to read on, and I wish that the story could carry on because I am very interested in the characters. I would love it if this became the first book of a series.

I recommend this story to mainly girls, 10 years old and above, who enjoy adventure stories.
Also it is a great book for people facing their own problems because there is some good advice given, such as be strong, have courage and never give up.

Shadow of the Boyd written Diana Menefy

reviewed by Alan Chen
This story is set in 1809 and 1810.
Its main character is Thomas, a 12 year old apprentice sailor on the Boyd, a trader sailing from Ireland to New Zealand.

Thomas befriended George, the son of a Maori chief. George was unfairly punished on the ship and when the Boyd arrived in New Zealand, the crew was attacked by George's tribe. The Boyd was burnt.

The rest of the story tells of Thomas's capture, escape and return voyage back home to Ireland.

This book has been written for 11 years olds and older, because the use of language is quite mature and some parts are gruesome.
As a story I think that it is very interesting finding out about the adventures of Thomas and the historical events of that time.

Hollie Chips by Anna Gowan

Junior Fiction reviewed by Risheeka Chhiba
Hollie Chips and her mum move to a new neighbourhood. It is a fresh beginning.

Hollie is a very strange girl because she can’t tell a single lie. She is very intelligent and mischievous and is always eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. This is how her adventure unfolds.
One day she accidentally overhears a conversation taking place with businessman Barry Buckscud discussing about a big change that is going to affect Hollie’s quiet and peaceful neighbourhood.
This upsets Hollie and she can’t concentrate at school and she needs to fix it to help out the people in her neighbourhood.

I recommend this book for nine and ten year olds because it easy to understand and keeps the reader in suspense. You don’t know what is going to happen next.

The Haystack by Jack Lasenby

reviewed by Jude Dragh
I found The Haystack is a sad but interesting book.
The author, Jack Lasenby, based this story in Waharoa, a town in the Waikato where he grew up.

It is set in the 1930's, when New Zealand was in The Great Depression, and there was a lot of unemployment. Maggie is a 12 year old girl, and the story is about her growing up without her mother.

For me, the best part of this book was its ending. Because the story was so sad in the beginning, the ending resolved the story and left me with a hopeful mood, glad that Maggie got to learn the life lessons that she needed to.

I recommend this book to confident Year 5 readers and older, both boys and girls.

Finnigan and the Pirates by Sherryl Jordan

reviewed by Mariah
Finnigan is a pirate who doesn't want to be one.
He lives on board a ship with his aunt, Captain Wildbloode the Wicked, a very fierce and strict pirate.
Finnigan is not interested in doing the usual pirate activities. All he wants to do is dance.

I recommend this book to 7 to 9 year olds, but older readers could enjoy it as a quick read. It has nice, colourful illustrations showing pirate life, and Finnigan in dance action. On the last page of the book is a detailed cross-section diagram of a Galleon.

The book is in the Junior Fiction category.

100 PIECE PUZZLE

Today 4 people completed a puzzle with 100 pieces.
They did it in about 10 minutes.
These 4 people are Vincent, Hawon, Hayoung
and Dimitrios.

The Moon and Farmer McPhee

by Margaret Mahy
illustrated by David Elliot
reviewed by Lorna Su

In this picture book, Farmer McPhee does not smile because he is so tired from working hard on his farm.
His animals stay awake at nighttime to sing and dance under the moon. They thought that Farmer McPhee would also love to sing and dance under the moon.
Find out if the farmer begins to smile again.

I think that this is a really good picture book because the illustrations are beautiful, soft sketches of the nighttime and the farm animals, and the story is very exciting.
This picture book is good enough to win the best Picture Book.

A Dog Like That!

by Janene Cooper
illustrated by Evie Kemp
reviewed by Priyanka Chandra





"A Dog Like That" is a picture book written about different kinds of dogs doing different kinds of tricks.

Some dogs are lazy, some dogs are clever, some dogs are cuddly and some dogs are playful.
It compares the author's dog to all the other dogs. The author thinks that her dog is the best dog for her.

The book's illustrations are collage and the story is written for 5 to 7 year olds, and for dog lovers.

Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam.

by Juliette MacIver
illustrated by Sarah Davis
reviewed by Ellisha Haythornthwaite

Marmaduke Duck is a very funny and exciting children's picture book.
Marmaduke can make very nice marmalade jam.
When Marmaduke Duck was swimming in the river, along came a pile of hungry ducks, that chased after him and the marvellous marmalade jam he was eating.
Then with an oink, a ribbit and a woof, along came a hog, a frog and a dog too, all chasing after Marmaduke and his marvellous marmalade jam.
The author, Juliette MacIver, used the name Marmaduke because it was a name suggested to her by her husband. He wanted to name their son Marmaduke, but the author wanted something else.

I think that boys and girls, 5 - 10 years old would enjoy this book.

Hill & Hole

written by Kyle Mewburn
illustrated by Vasanti Unka
Reviewed by Emma Buckley

Hill and Hole are best friends. Each morning they wake up and wonder what it is like to be each other.
Mole has a way of helping them to swap places.
What do you think happens next?
You'll have to read it yourself, but you will like to because it is a funny and enjoyable story, suitable for 6 to 9 year olds to read.

The author, Kyle Mewburn, has already won awards in the NZ Post Book Awards-
Kiss Kiss Yuck Yuck - best picture book 2007
Old Hu-hu - overall winner 2010

New Zealand Post Book Awards 2011

Picture Books - reviewed by School Librarians from Room 11.
Juwon has reviewed Baa Baa Smart Sheep.
This book is written by Mark Sommerset and illustrated by Rowan Sommerset.
Baa Baa Smart Sheep is a story about a hilarious sheep who plays a trick on Quirky Turkey. The sheep is funny and clever so he manages to confuse the turkey and tricks him into doing something unpleasant.
This book is so funny and cool, that when Mrs Parker read it to us, we all loved it. Children as young as 6 years old will love it too.
The drawings of the animals are great. Quirky Turkey is funny-looking and hilarious too.
I think this book will win the Children's choice as well as the picture book category.
Mrs Sutherland thinks so too.

Library Computer Rules

Hi I'm Georgia, and his is the third year that I have been on library duty.

We have several computers in our library.
You can come and use them during the lunchtime.
After eating your lunch and when the bell goes, you can come into the library,
wait quietly at the issue desk and pick up a computer card.

You will have a 15 minutes turn.
Keep the volume down and be considerate of others using the library.
You must be on a suitable site for educational games.
If it is not your turn, you must not stand around the computers (stay behind the carpet's metal bar).
We do this so that it is not crowded and others do not interfere with the player's turn.

We hope that you keep to these rules, and keep enjoying coming to the library.