New Zealand Book Month - March 2013

March every year is New Zealand Book Month.
Mrs Atkinson is handing out $5 book vouchers to every student.
These can be used at shops like Whitcoulls, Take Note, Paper Plus,The Warehouse on a book that costs $10 or more. You then get $5 off the price of one book.

We have a NZ book display down the back of the library too - read a NZ author for a change!
Mrs Atkinson has also made up some NZ author cards with biographical information and these are popped into a few books written by a particular author.

Another new display is on our term topic "Healthy Living". These books are flying out of the library fast! We have lots too. Ask your classroom teacher if they have ordered a box of books from the National Library too - they will send out topic boxes to also help you read on the term topic in your classroom.

Don't forget I will order particular books for you too (within reason!)
Vi of Room 3 is waiting for new "Dragon Breath" books to arrive and Olaloa and Losaline of Room 28 are waiting for new "Frankly Frannie" titles to come.
Charlotte and Simran are always waiting for the latest Geronimo/Thea Stilton titles!

happy reading! Mrs Atkinson

Zayphoir, Cleo and Javan of Room 29 get their poems published!

Zayphoir, Cleo and Javan have had their ANZAC Day poems published in the June/July 2012 issue of the Upstart magazine!

What fantastic work. They received prizes in the post too.

You can give your school work, stories, poems , letters, jokes to Mrs Atkinson and she can e-mail them into Upstart. Upstart is a NZ children's magazine with contributions from children just like you all around NZ. It comes out every 2 months (so bi-monthly). It has competitions, games, book reviews, articles, recipes, the latest toys and movies - all sorts of fun things. We have 3 copies of every issue in the library. Come and haev a read today!

Book Review - Disgusting Dave and the Bucketful of Vomit

Book Review by Nawaz, Shaeez, Tayla, Minna and Frankie of Room 2

Title - Disgusting Dave and the Bucketful of Vomit
Author - Jim Eldridge

Dave went to school. Banger Batts is a bully who annoys Dave. On this day, Banger Batts tried to play a prank which involved the whole school. He vomits and blames the school dinner (lunch) for it. His dad is a lawyer who then decides to sue the school. Detective Kevin (a cousin of Dave) comes to investigate. The mystery is solved with the  help of  Dave's farting dog and Kevin.

Read this book! Room 2 loved it and they laughed and laughed! They are now reading "Disgusting Dave and the Farting Dog."

Goosebumps Horrorland - Welcome to Horrorland : A Survival Guide - Review by Daniel, year 7, Room 24

Reviewed by Daniel, Year 7, Room 24

Author = R.L Stine

Goosebumps Horrorland tells you how to survive in Horrorland. There are questions you can answer in the book. Horrorland includes places like Stagger Inn (see if you can stay a night here!), Black Lagoon Water Park (caution! Species lurking in the water!), Zombie Plaza (bring your mummy - I mean your money!),Vampire Village (try not to make a sound!)\ and Rides and Entertainment (try to stay OFF these rides!).
If you want to find out what the scary rides are, then read this book! We have lots of R.L Stine books in the library.

Kensuke's Kingdom - Reviewed by Rhonda, Year 7, Room 24

The book is interesting and it was a sad story. It is about a boy named Michael who floated to an island after falling from his parent's boat. And he went to sleep with his dog and when he woke up there was food there for him. He wanted to thank whoever gave him the food, so he wrote a message on the rocks to thank that person.
When he lit a fire, he saw an orangatan throwing sand on his fire and when the orangatan came close, it was actually an old man. And the old man told him to not light a fire anymore. Michael was afraid of the old man.  Michael liked the red bananas from the old man. Afterwards they became friends and the old man taught him how to paint and how to fish and one day the old man told him he he got onto the island. He told Michael he is Japanese and when he got to the island he learned how to survive by copying the orangatan and at the end the old man promised the boy that he'd go with him when a rescue ship comes. And when Michael's parents found him, the old man didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted to stay with the orangatans.
By Rhonda of Room 24 .

Rhonda's dad has also read the book! He took the book from Rhonda, so he could read it himself!!

**** Mrs Atkinson has read this too and LOVED it! And cried!!!*****

We LOVE books!

It is Valentine's Day tomororow. While I don't celebrate it (and think it is a waste of money personally!), I LOVE books. Books and reading  should be celebrated every day of our lives!
I thought I would show you some of my favourite books ever!

 Allen and Unwin is one of my favourite publishers ever! Every month I received a FREE book from them and all I have to do is read it and review it. This review then goes up onto their website - http://www.allenandunwin.com/ .

Look up these titles and you will find my review...

Trouble Twisters
A Song for Lorkie
Grumpy Little King
Darius Bell and the Crystal bees
The Road To Goonong
Paradise Trap
Vinnie's War
That's Not a Daffodil
The Girl Savage
Odd and the Frost Giants
Shake a leg


Some of my favourite EVER books :

"The Playground" Compiled by Nadia Wheatley is one of my favourite books at the moment. This is a collection about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia combined from memoirs and oral histories. Oral histories are when you talk about your own life. "We use the bush as our school and as our playground" says one of the authors. The warmth of home and family and the strength of the community shines through in the stories by both adults and students.
I think it is very important to know about all minorities and the Aboriginal community has a wealth of knowledge. A fantastic insight into a culture close to NZ.

"Are We There Yet? " is an Australian classic picture books that I think should be read by everyone! My 8 year old received a copy when he was 4 and can nearly recite it off by heart now. It is a journey around Australia and you learn so much about the geography, famous landmarks etc - a fantastic introduction to an amazing country!

"Two Summers" is a book about the great cycles of nature  - it is set on a farm and relays the story about the same farm, same friend coming to visit but to a totally different landscape. The ravages of drought can be so terrible.

"Baa Baa Smart Sheep" is hilarious when read to classes. A New Zealand book written by Mark Sommerset, it tells the story of a smart sheep and apile of poo....

Roland Harvey is also an Australian author and he writes about the beach, in the city, in the bush etc. All of his titles are beautifully illustrated and a bit like the "Where's Wally" books, in that there is a lot to look at and find in the pictures. They always teach you about Australia and the land, animals etc - I love all of the series.
- "In the City" , "At the Beach", "In the Bush."

I think picture books are totally under -rated and we ALL need to read more of them - yes even year 7/8!!!
There are "Sophisticated Picture Books" written for older children too - but that is another post! (and a whole library lessons session!)

 "Are We There Yet?"

 Roland Harvey books

 "Two Summers"

Mark and Alex's Book Review

Mark (Year 4 ) and Alex (Year 3)  read this Gagana Samoa book in the holidays. They then wrote me this in the library - well done!