Tuesday, December 14, 2021

End of Year 2021 - Update

Congratulations to Room 5 who were the first class with all student library books returned. Room 4 followed a few days later and Room 12 was next. Lets hope a few more classes are able to return their remaining overdues by the last day of term!"

The library stocktake is now completed. We still have a number of books that are missing - they are not in the library and they are not on issue. We'd love to have these books back again, so if you find any hiding behind shelves or under the furniture over the holidays, at school or at home, please put them in a safe place ready to drop back to the library next year.

(Updated every day or so until 16 December 2021)

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Dahlia Malaeulu Author Visit


On Wednesday, 24th November, author Dahlia Malaeulu visited St Brendan's. Dahlia was scheduled to visit us in September but with New Zealand going into a snap Level 4 lockdown due the COVID-19 Delta variant before this and Level 3 restrictions following we had to reschedule. Dahlia's visit was definitely worth the wait!

Dahlia held three 45 minute sessions, adjusting her approach to the age of the student audience. She told us about how she got started writing books, originally writing stories to introduce her two young boys to the Samoan language through numbers, colours and days of the week. Her first three books, published in 2019, were Mase's Room, Lagi Spies and Malia Shares. These proved so popular that she has continued writing books introducing the Samoan language to older children, and babies, and also sharing with young adult readers stories of growing up in New Zealand as a young Samoan in the books Teina Samoa and Tama Samoa.

In all three sessions Dahlia prompted students to say the Samoan numbers and cultural items after her. She read and shared the board book Going to Te Papa - Asiasiga 'i Le Falemata'aga - Te Papa about important Samoan cultural items showing and sharing her knowledge of the items and handing examples around for students to see and touch.

Thank you so much for coming to visit us Dahlia, we hope you can visit us again one day!

Monday, November 29, 2021

Getting Ready for End of Year 2021


The Christmas School Holidays are not far away now, but before they arrive there are some important tasks to get done. In the library we are preparing for our annual end of year stocktake!

All library books are due back before this Friday, 3rd December. You can help by returning all your library books to the library "As Soon As Possible" and before the end of this week please.

Will your class will be first to return all their library books this year?

If you have any other school books such as journals, junior reading books and class books lying around at home then now is a good time to return these to school too.

Monday, November 22, 2021

On the New Books Display this Week




Picture Book:

  • "Nadia Lim's Marvelous Marvin" by Nadia LIM; illustrated by Fifi COLSTON
      Fiction Book:
      • "A Bad Day for Jayden" by Tony BRADMAN
      • "Locked Down" by Jesse O 
      • "Shadow Warriors to Fail is to Die" by Chris BRADFORD
      • "Dork Diaries : Crush Catastrophe" by Rachel Renee RUSSELL (Dork Diaires series
      • "Ella & Olivia : Super Sandcastles" by Yvette POSHOGLIAN; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Ella & Olivia series
      Non-fiction:
      • "Snapper - The Real Story" by Annmarie FLORIAN; illustrated by Alistair HUGHES
      • "Up in the Air" by Terry DEARY (Horrible Histories series
      Senior Fiction:
      • "The Prisoner" by Robert MUCHAMORE (Henderson's Boys series)
      • "Step up, Shine on" by Angela May GEORGE

      Monday, November 15, 2021

      On the New Books Display this Week





      Picture Book:

      • "Mini Whinny : Bad Day at the OK Corral" by Stacy GREGG; illustrated by Ruth PAUL
          Fiction Book:
          • "Mum Never Did Learn to Knock" by Kathy HOPKINS
          • "Squiding Around : Fish Feud" by Kevin SHERRY (Squiding Around series
          • "Darcey the Dance Diva Fairy" by Daisy MEADOWS (Rainbow Magic - Showtime Fairies series
          • "Pearl : The Helpful Unicorn" by Sally ODGERS (Pearl the Unicorn series
          Non-fiction:
          • "Children's Birthday Cake Book - 40th Anniversary edition" edited by Sophia YOUNG
          • "Everything You Need to Know About Bugs" by Caroline BINGHAM
          Senior Fiction:
          • "Time Riders : The Eternal War" by Alex SCARROW (Time Riders series)
          • "Bullet Catcher : Sniper" by Chris BRADFORD (Bullet Catcher series)

          Browsing Book:

          • "Where's Wally : The Great Picture Hunt" by Martin HANDFORD (Where's Wally series)




          Monday, November 8, 2021

          On the New Books Display this Week




          Picture Book:

          • "Whitney and Britney Chicken Detectives" by Lucinda GIFFORD
          • "Dragon Tangle" by David ELLIOT
              Fiction Book:
              • "The Lion Roars" by Alan GIBBONS
              • "The Witches - Graphic Novel" by Roald DAHL; illustrated by Penelope BAGIUE
              • "Bury Me" by K.R. ALEXANDER
              • "George and The Great Brain Swappery" by Cal WILSON (George Pepperton series
              • "Wings : Spitfire" by Tom PALMER (Take to the Skies series
              Non-fiction:
              • "Lagi Spies" by Dahlia MALAEULU; illustrated by Darcy SOLIA (My Gaga 2 series)
              • "Malia Shares" by Dahlia MALAEULU; illustrated by Darcy SOLIA (My Gaga 2 series)
              • "Mase's Room" by Dahlia MALAEULU; illustrated by Darcy SOLIA (My Gaga 2 series)
              Senior Fiction:
              • "Grey Wolves" by Robert Muchamore (Henderson's Boys series)
              • "Gunpoint" by Jim ELDRIDGE

              Monday, November 1, 2021

              On the New Books Display this Week



              Picture Book:

              • "Sharing with Wolf" by Malinda SYZMANIK; illustrated by Nikki SLADE ROBINSON
              • "Tulip and Doug - Friends for (Almost) Ever" by Emma WOOD; illustrated by Carla MARTELL
                  Fiction Book:
                  • "The Graveyard Riddle " by Lisa THOMPSON
                  • "Looshkin" by Jamie SMART (Looshkin series
                  • "Part of Your Nightmare" by Vera STRANGE (Disney Chills series
                  • "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" by Judy BLUME (Fudge series
                  Non-fiction:
                  • "2021 Game On!"  
                  • "Puppy Love" by Nancy DICKMANN
                  Senior Fiction:
                  • "TimeRiders : The Doomsday Code" by Alex SCARROW (Time Riders series)
                  • "Web" by Alison PRINCE



                  Tuesday, October 26, 2021

                  On the New Books Display this Week





                  Picture Book:

                  • "This is the Dog" by Maura FINN; illustrated by Nina RYCROFT
                  • "Stupid Carrots" by David CAMPBELL; illustrated by Daron PARTON
                      Fiction Book:
                      • "Alesha the Acrobat Fairy" by Daisy MEADOWS; illustrated by Georgie RIPPER (Rainbow Magic - Showtime Fairies series
                      • "Donut the Destroyer" by Sarah GRALEY & Stef PERKINS
                      • "The Bad Guys : Episode 13 - Cut to the Chase" by Aaron BLABEY (Bad Guys series
                      • "Pearl the Happy Unicorn" by Sally ODGERS (Pearl the Unicorn series
                      • "Surface to Air" by Tom PALMER (Rugby Academy series
                      Non-fiction:
                      • "Sala's Surprise / Kuso's Clean" by Dahlia MALAEULU; illustrated by Darcy SOLIA
                      • "Horses and Ponies" by Caroline STAMPS
                      Senior Fiction:
                      • "Blue Fire" by Janice HARDY (The Healing Wars series
                      • "Secret Army" by Robert MUCHAMORE (Henderson's Boys series



                      Wednesday, October 20, 2021

                      Mrs Keane Recommends

                      Picture Books:


                      The Bad Seed by Jory John; illustrated by Pete Oswald





                      Mrs Blackhat by Chloe & Mick Inkpen


                      Vernon the Penguin by Natashia Curtin


                      Another Book About Bears by Laura & Philip Bunting

                      Monday, October 18, 2021

                      On the New Books Display this Week





                      Picture Book:

                      • "Another Book About Bears" by Laura BUNTING; illustrated by Philip BUNTING
                      • "Float or Sink?" by Kylie COVARK; illustrated by Andrew PLANT
                          Fiction Book:
                          • "Puppy Diary : A Pawfect Storm" Yvette POSHOLGLIAN; illustrated by Phil JUDD  (Puppy Diary series)
                          • "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp" by R.L STINE (Goosebumps series
                          • "Return of the Mummy" by R.L STINE (Goosebumps series
                          • "Bright Star" by Jenny OLDFIELD
                          • "Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories" by Jeff KINNEY (Rowley Jefferson series
                          Non-fiction:
                          • "Minecraft : Bite-Size Builds" by Thomas McBRIEN 
                          • "Isaia Says / Analia Asks" by Dahlia MALAEULU; illustrated by Darcy SOLIA
                          Senior Fiction:
                          • "This Wonderful Thing" by Adam BARON
                          • "Bullet Catcher" by Chris BRADFORD (Bullet Catcher series)



                          Wednesday, October 13, 2021

                          Draw Some Awesome Competition ...

                          If you love drawing, and you love winning stuff, this competition could be just for you!


                          To find out all about the competition and how to enter click on the picture or follow the link HERE.
                          The competition closes on Friday, 17 December 2021.
                           
                          Image is from a screen shot from upstartpress.co.nz HERE.


                          Monday, October 11, 2021

                          Mrs Keane Recommends

                          Senior Fiction



                          The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli
                          (Family & Relationships)
                          Cammie lives in prison, no not as a prisoner, she's the wardens daughter. Cammie has plenty of friends, and some are even her own age and not prisoners. But what Cassis wants most of all is a Mum.

                          The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor
                          (Fantasy/Detective & Mystery)
                          Pearl and Vally have a lot to figure out, and a lot to do, if they are to save their father and his wonderful bookshop. If  they can't solve the clues in time everything they know and love will be gone and no one will remember they ever existed.

                          Winter of Fire by Sheryl Jordan
                          (Fantasy)
                          In a bleak future world Elsha, chosen as handmaid to the Firelord, shakes up the accepted norms of society. Being from the slave class, known as Quelled, is against all tradition, and, she has a dream to change life for the Quelled, and indeed all of society.

                          The Skylark's War by Hilary Mckay
                          (Family & Relationships/Historical)
                          Clarrie and her brother, Peter, grow up spending the summer holiday's in the countryside at their grandparent's with their free spirited cousin, Rupert. Now it's 1914 and people start to talk of war, soon Rupert enlists in the army, and Carrie wonders, will life ever be the same?

                          TimeRiders  by Alex Scarrow
                          (Science Fiction)
                          Liam, Maddy and Sal have been plucked from certain death by a mysterious man known as Foster. But, their lives, if you can call them that, will never be the same. Now they will be trained as TimeRiders, the police of time, to stop those who travel back in time from destroying the world.


                          Wednesday, October 6, 2021

                          Books to Movies ...

                          Released online in February this year the Disney movie Flora & Ulysses is based on the book of the same name written by Kate Di Camillo.

                          Tuesday, September 28, 2021

                          On the New Books Display this Week





                          Picture Book:

                          • "I Really Want A Pet" by Jackie HOSKING; illustrated by Shane McGOWAN
                          • "Hedgehog Heart" by James ANTONIOU; illustrated by Nikki SLADE ROBINSON
                              Fiction Book:
                              • "Scare Me" by K.P. ALEXANDER
                              • "200 Minutes of Mystery" by Jack HEATH
                              • "Ella and Olivia : Butterfly Quest" by Yvette POSHOGLIAN; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Ella and Olivia series
                              • "Dick Turpin : Legends and Lies" by Terry DEARY
                              • "Combat Zone" by Tom PALMER (Rugby Academy series
                              Non-fiction:
                              • "The Book of Brilliant Bugs" by Jess FRENCH
                              • "New Zealand Garden Wildlife" by Dave GUNSON
                              Senior Fiction:
                              • "The Pain Merchants" by Janice HARDY (The Healing Wars series
                              • "The Grandest Bookshop in the World" by Amelia MELLOR



                              Wednesday, September 22, 2021

                              On the New Books Display this Week




                              Picture Book:

                              • "Mrs Blackhat" by Chloe & Mick INKPEN
                              • "Macca The Backpacker" by Matt COSGROVE
                                  Fiction Book:
                                  • "I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 - Graphic Novel" Lauren TARSHIS; illustrated by Haus Studio  (I Survived - Graphic Novel series)
                                  • "Deep Trouble" by R.L STINE (Goosebumps series
                                  • "A Night in Terror Tower" by R.L STINE (Goosebumps series
                                  • "Leah the Theatre Fairy" by Daisy Meadows (Rainbow Magic - Showtime Fairies series
                                  • "Race to the Frozen North : The Matthew Henson Story" by Catherine JOHNSON
                                  • "Princess Ponies - 3 Books in 1" by Chloe RIDER (Princess Ponies series
                                  Non-fiction:
                                  • "Kea : Curiouser and Curiouser" by Annemarie FLORIAN; illustrated by Alistair HUGHES (The Real Story series
                                  • "Mission Solar System" by Nancy DICKMANN
                                  Senior Fiction:
                                  • "TimeRiders : Day of the Predator" by Alex SCARROW (Time Riders series)
                                  • "Bullet Catcher : Blowback" by Chris BRADFORD (Bullet Catcher series)



                                  Wednesday, September 15, 2021

                                  On the New Books Display this Week



                                  Picture Book:

                                  • "The Wildest Book Week Ever" by Heath McKENZIE
                                  • "The Jolly Postman or Other Peoples Letters" by Janet & Alan AHLBERG
                                      Fiction Book:
                                      • "The Goldfish Boy" by Lisa THOMPSON
                                      • "Codename Bananas" by David WALLIAMS
                                      • "Puppy Diary - The Great Toy Rescue" by Yvette POSHOGLIAN (Puppy Diary series
                                      • "Thor and the Master of Magic" by Kevin CROSSLEY-HOLLAND
                                      • "Tales From Weird Street" by Anne FINE
                                      Non-fiction:
                                      • "The Giant Book of Germs" by Lorna HENDRY
                                      • "I te Timatanga / In the Beginning" by Peter GOSSAGE; translated by Katerina MATAIRA
                                      Senior Fiction:
                                      • "Wings of Fire - The Dark Secret - Graphic Novel" by Tui T. SUTHERLAND
                                      • "Refugee" by Alan GRATZ



                                      Thursday, September 9, 2021

                                      On the New Books Display this Week



                                      Picture Book:

                                      • "Wolfred" by Nick BLAND
                                      • "Vernon the Penguin" by Natashia CURTIN
                                          Fiction Book:
                                          • "Madison The Magic Show Fairy" by Daisy MEADOWS (Rainbow Magic : Showtime Fairies series
                                          • "In at the Deep End" by Michelle MAGORIAN
                                          • "Dandy the Mountain Pony" by Kelly WILSON (Showtym Adventures series
                                          • "Shoe Wars" by Liz PICHON
                                          Non-fiction:
                                          • "One Well : The Story of Water on Earth" by Rochelle STRAUSS; illustrated by Rosemary WOODS
                                          • "Planet SOS" by Marie G. ROHDE; illustrated by Rosemary WOODS
                                          Senior Fiction:
                                          • "Hey Kiddo - How I Lost my Mother, Found my Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction " by Jarret J. KROSOCZKA
                                          • "Magpie" by Eve AINSWORTH




                                          Wednesday, August 11, 2021

                                          On the New Books Display this Week



                                          Picture Book:

                                          • "His Royal Tinyness : A Terrible True Story" by Sally LLOYD-JONES; illustrated by David ROBERTS
                                          • "The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water" by Gemma MERINO
                                              Fiction Book:
                                              • "Still Water" by Chris PRIESTLY
                                              • "Olivia's Secret Scribbles : Fairy Cakes" by Meredith COSTAIN; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Olivia's Secret Scribbles series
                                              • "Wings : Flyboy" by Tom PALMER (Wings series
                                              • "Violet and the Pearl of the Orient" by Harriet WHITEHORN; illustrated by B. MOOR (Violet series
                                              • "Blue Moon" by Jenny OLDFIELD
                                              Non-fiction:
                                              • "New Zealand Disasters : Our response, resilience and recovery" by Maria GILL; illustrated by Marco IVANCIC
                                              Senior Fiction:
                                              • "Do You Know Me?" by Libby SCOTT & Rebecca WESTCOTT
                                              • "Theodore Boone : The Scandal" by John GRISHAM (Theodore Boone series




                                              Monday, August 9, 2021

                                              What LEGO Book Cover is that? #4

                                               Below are 5 more classic or popular children's book covers which have been turned into LEGO pictures using the website HERE.  I borrowed this great idea from 100 Scope Notes HERE.


                                              How many books can you name?

















                                              Monday, August 2, 2021

                                              On the New Books Display this Week






                                              Picture Book:

                                              • "Vlad's Bad Breath" by Rory H. MATHER; illustrated by Jesus LOPEZ
                                              • "William's Waitangi Day" English/Chinese edition by David LING; illustrated by Nikki Slade ROBINSON
                                                  Fiction Book:
                                                  • "Claudia and the New Girl" by Ann M. MARTIN; illustrated by Gabriela EPSTEIN  (Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series)
                                                  • "Ghost Beach" by R.L STINE (Goosebumps series
                                                  • "Olivia's Secret Scribbles : My Best Christmas Ever" by Meredith COSTAIN; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Olivia's Secret Scribbles series
                                                  • "Scrum!" by Tom PALMER
                                                  • "Houdini and the Five-Cent Circus" by Keith GRAY
                                                  Non-fiction:
                                                  • "Instagraphics : A Visual Guide to Your Universe" by Dan GREEN
                                                  • "Eliza and the White Camellia : A Story of Suffrage in New Zealand" by Debbie McCAULEY; illustrated by Helen CASEY
                                                  Senior Fiction:
                                                  • "White Bird" by R.J PALACIO
                                                  • "The Eagle Day" by Robert MUCHAMORE (Henderson's Boys series




                                                  Wednesday, July 28, 2021

                                                  On the New Books Display this Week





                                                  Picture Book:

                                                  • "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCLOUD; illustrated by David MESSING
                                                  • "Penguin" by Polly DUNBAR
                                                      Fiction Book:
                                                      • "The Bad Guys : Episode 12 - The One?!" by Aaron BLABEY (The Bad Guys series)
                                                      • "The Odds" by Matt STANTON (The Odd's series
                                                      • "Hattie in the Spotlight" by Poppy GREEN; illustrated by Jennifer A. BELL (Sophie Mouse series
                                                      • "Friday Barnes : No Escape" by R.A. SPRATT (Friday Barnes series
                                                      • "A Donkey Called Mistletoe" by Helen PETERS
                                                      Non-fiction:
                                                      • "How Maui Fished up the North Island" by Donovan BIXLEY
                                                      • "Armistice Day : The New Zealand Story : What it is and Why it Matters" by Phillipa WERRY
                                                      Senior Fiction:
                                                      • "Sunny Side Up" by Jennifer  L. HOLM; illustrated by Matthew HOLM (Sunny series
                                                      • "The Escape" by Robert MUCHAMORE (Henderson's Boys series



                                                      Monday, July 26, 2021

                                                      Book Fair 2021 - Update

                                                      St Brendan's Book Fair has wrapped up for another year. A BIG Thank You to everyone who came along, helping to make it another very successful Book Fair. This year, sales earned us almost 60 free new books for our library collection. 

                                                      An extra special thank you to the families who purchased a "Red Dot" book for donation to the library - keep a look out for them on the library “New Books Display” during this term, they'll all have special Book Fair 2021 Donation book plates inside!  

                                                      Books on order from the Scholastic Book Fair warehouse should arrive early this week, and all being well, I'll process and deliver them to the eager recipients in their classrooms before the end of the week.


                                                      Wednesday, June 30, 2021

                                                      Book Fair 2021

                                                      All purchases from the Book Fair help to 
                                                      earn new resources for our library.


                                                      Monday, June 21, 2021

                                                      On the New Books Display this Week




                                                      Picture Book:

                                                      • "Hello, Little One : A Monarch Butterfly Story" by Zeena M. PLISKA; illustrated by Fiona HALLIDAY
                                                      • "Bad Herbert" by Mike LUCAS; illustrated by Heidi Cooper SMITH
                                                          Fiction Book:
                                                          • "Pearl : The Proper Unicorn" by Sally ODGERS; illustrated by Adele K. THOMAS (Pearl the Unicorn series)
                                                          • "Space Jackers : The Lost Sword" by Huw POWELL (Space Jackers series)
                                                          • "Slime for Dinner" by Geronimo Stilton & Elisabetta DAMI; illustrated by Tom Angleberger (Geronimo Stilton The Graphic Novel series
                                                          • "Sunflower" by Ingrid LAGUNA
                                                          Non-fiction:
                                                          • "Life Savers : Spend a Day with 12 Real-Life Emergency Service Heroes" by Eryl NASH; illustrated by Ana ALBERO
                                                          Senior Fiction:
                                                          • "Lost" by Ruth AINSWORTH
                                                          • "The Traitor and the Thief" by Gareth WARD