2010 Best Borrowers

The best borrowers for the year so far have been found.
These children are the most consistent at returning their library books and bringing their bookbag and taking home another book.
Middle school - Herbert, Jamie and Ahsan - all from Room 9
Junior school - Thomas W, Willem, Watalu, Kevin, Zane and Nilpa
Senior school - Annabelle, Georgia and Emma
Well done. The students are pictured with their book prize.

What is Kirigami?

Paul is the first to see our new book Origami and Kirigami; 75 Fun-To-Do Projects. He has made 2 Origami animals and 3 Kirigami items. Look in the book to find out what Kirigami is. Reply to Mrs Sutherland on the blog and collect a sticker from the library (first 6 replies).
Look for Origami projects in Dewey Decimal # 745.54.

Wet Weather? Spend some time being ARTY.

This week's new books on display all have an art theme. You can't get out and play as much as usual, so take time to increase your knowledge and ability of art skills.

Non-fiction: Calligraphy DD# 745.61 The Good Green Footprint DD# 745.5
You Can Draw Cartoons DD# 745.2 How to Draw fantasy Art DD# 743
A Sense of Place DD# 704 Samoa (Patterns of Polynesia) DD3 709.9
Monet DD# 759.4

Fiction:
The Black Book of Colours - a Sophisticated Picture Book which has raised line drawings and Braille letters. This book describes colours but is on a black page with white writing. Kept in the Senior Fiction area, COT.

The Foggy Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt. Guess which fairytale characters are in the foggy forest. Kept in the Picture Book section S.

"The Mine's Afire"
The Journal of Tommy Carter, Brunnerton 1896
by Susan Battye & Thelma Eakin
"The Mine's Afire" is an historical journal about an 11 year old boy living in Brunnerton, a South Island mining town.
It is one of the "My Story" books which tell of the lives of New Zealanders living in past generations.
Disaster strikes when there is a mine explosion.
This story starts quite slowly and I found it hard to get into. Although I have not finished the book yet, I am interested enough to get to the end to see what happens.
I recommend this book for very confident Year 6 readers and older.
I think it has a good chance of winning the Junior Fiction category.

Cry of the Taniwha by Des Hunt
Junior Fiction
Cry of the Taniwha is a really exciting mystery featuring Matt and Eve, both 13 years old, and Jackson, who wants to be a gang member.
The adventure is set is Whakarewarewa, the thermal area in Rotorua. The book also refers to the Tarawera Eruption in 1886 because something that happened then effects the story.

I thought that this book is a great story which kept me so interested that I wanted to read the whole book in one night.
I recommend this book for very mature Year 6 readers and those at Intermediate School.
I predict and hope that Cry of the Taniwha will win the Junior Fiction category because it is so good!

The Word Witch by Margaret Mahy

Picture Book

This book is a poetry book. All the poems are written by Margaret Mahy, the famous New Zealand Childrens' author.

The illustrator is David Elliot (writer of Sydney stories).

There are poems about witches, trees, magic, stars, dreams, animals, camping...

Some of them we already have in our library in other books.

My Favourite poem is Harry the Hawk because it is all about flying and it makes me dream of flying.

This would be a great for class poem sharing, especially for years 3 and 4.

It is entered in the picture book category but it is kept in the Poetry section DD #821.

I think it will do well.

Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe
Junior Fiction

A boy named Michael was tricked into exchanging his life for that of a Loblolly Boy.

Wings outstretched, ready to fly, the new Loblolly Boy eased through the air, meeting people, watching conversations and moving things while invisible.

How great is that but ... when you find out the consequences of being a Loblolly Boy, your mindset changes and what would you do?

Read on to find out!

I recommend this to capable Year 6 readers with good vocabulary knowledge. It is a rich fantasy novel which would be great for Year 6 teachers to read to their class and discuss the vocabulary.

I highly recommend this book because it is really interesting with its different twists and surprises. A boy named Michael was tricked into exchanging his life for that of a Loblolly Boy.