Showing posts with label Boys Reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boys Reads. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Read Alikes

Do you have a favourite author or book? Do you want to read something else like it? Take a look at the "Book Sites Worth a Look" list of links down the right hand side of the blog for some sites you can look at for ideas on what to read next...

Here's a new addition I've added to the list today...



Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Derek Landy is coming to New Zealand - Again!

Fans of Derek Landy and Skulduggery Pleasant will be pleased to hear that Derek is coming back to New Zealand later this year. Those in the Wellington region have the chance to see him on Friday, 3rd October at 5.30pm at Scots College. Tickets cost $10 per child/adult or $33 for a copy of The Dying of the Light + a ticket. 
All profits to Save the Children.

To book contact:
The Children's Bookshop
Shop 26 Kilbirnie Plaza
Kilbirnie
Wellington
Ph: 04 387 3905
email: books@thechildrensbookshop.co.nz

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Mrs Keane recommends ...

 Fiction



Northwood by Brian Falkner
(Adventure/Fantasy) Cecelia Undergarment is a courageous girl. When she discovers a neighbour's dog needs her help she hatches a plan. Unfortunately her plan didn't involve the place she finds herself, Northwood Forest, a dark and mysterious place from which no one has ever returned. 
(Book trailer HERE)

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo
(Historical-WWII) Lizzie's father is fighting in the war, her mother works at Dresden Zoo. To save a zoo elephant Lizzie's mum brings it home to live in their backyard. But when the bombing starts it's not safe there either and the family and elephant must leave to find somewhere safe to stay.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger
(Humorous stories) Tommy's friend Dwight does some weird things, but he does one cool thing - origami. One day he makes a Yoda finger puppet, and Yoda gives great advice that really works. Tommy wants to know how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight really isn't smart. Is Yoda using The Force?
(Book trailer HERE)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
(Historical/Children's Classic) Orphaned Mary is sure she won't like living at her uncle's estate until she finds a secret garden, locked and forgotten since the death of her aunt. Mary starts working on the garden to restore it to its former glory. When she finds she has a young invalid cousin living in the house she hopes the secret garden will work its magic on him too.

Grimsdon by Deborah Abela
(Science fiction/Adventure) When the sea surged into Grimsdon three years ago many were rescued, some were lost. Those left behind inhabit the floors of buildings which still rise above the water. Isabella, Griffen and friends survive by scavenging, hiding from bounty hunters & making deals. But these aren't their only worries, they also fear the monster of the deep!
(Book trailer HERE)

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Mrs Keane recommends ...

Senior Fiction:


Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld (Science Fiction/Steampunk):
In an alternate 1914 Europe, Prince Alek is on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the world using machinery, he forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Time travel):
Miranda and Sal are best friends but when Sal gets punched by a new kid for no apparent reason, he shuts Miranda out of his life. Then she finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I ask two favours...

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Science Fiction):
A story of a catastrophic natural disaster which catapults one into a terrifyingly real world - where life as we know it has gone for ever... Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family’s struggle to survive.

Spooks Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney (Horror):
Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and has been apprenticed to the local spook. The job is hard, the spook is distant and many apprentices have failed before him. Somehow Thomas must learn how to exorcise ghosts, contain witches and bind boggarts.

H.I.V.E. series by Mark Walden (Thriller/Science Fiction):
Swept away to a hidden academy for training budding evil geniuses, Otto, a brilliant orphan, Wing, a sensitive warrior, Laura, a shy computer specialist, and Shelby, an infamous jewel thief, plot to beat the odds and escape the prison known as H.I.V.E.

Princess Plot
by Kirsten Boie (Suspense):
When auditions take place for a movie about a princess, Jenna is amazed to be chosen over her more talented friends. Strangely, even Jenna’s strict mother gives permission for her to fly off to begin filming in the small, romantic kingdom of Scandia. But soon Jenna discovers things aren’t what they seem. She’s the spitting image of the real Princess of Scandia - who’s mysteriously gone missing... An extraordinary coincidence - or is Jenna caught up in some sort of dangerous plot?"

Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams (Fantasy/Adventure):
Will Burrows has little in common with his family except for a passion for digging which he shares with his father. When his father suddenly disappears down an unknown tunnel, Will decides to investigate with his friend Chester. Soon they find themselves deep underground, where they unearth a dark and terrifying secret.

Beauty by Robin McKinley (Fairytale adaption):
A retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast. Contrary to her name, Beauty is not the prettiest girl in her family. But she is the cleverest, bravest, and most honorable. When her father makes a promise with a beast who lives in an enchanted castle, Beauty fulfills her father’s pledge.

Mortal Engines series by Philip Reeve (Science Fiction/Steampunk):
Set in the distant future, when cities move about and consume smaller towns. Tom lives in London and has a boring job at the Museum.  He unexpectedly gets a chance to fulfill his day-dream of being a hero, as he attempts to save a famous adventurer from a would-be assassin. But Tom is not at all prepared for what happens next...

Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson (Historical-Germany/Suspense):
After twelve-year-old Annika, a foundling living in late nineteenth-century Vienna, inherits a trunk of costume jewelry, a woman claiming to be her aristocratic mother arrives and takes her to live in a strangely decrepit mansion in Germany.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Read it! Loved it! Now Updated



Earlier in the year I made a post about the site Read it! Loved it!  Todays post is to let you know that Read it! Loved it! has been updated and it now includes recommended reads for boys aged 10 to 16+ as well as girls.  So if you're stuck for ideas of what to read next why not take a look - you might find just what you've been looking for.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Mrs Keane recommends....

Fiction books:


Measle and the Wrathmonk by Ian Ogilvy
(Fantasy) Measle touches his uncle's precious miniature train set, his uncle's so angry he shrinks him into the train set. There he meets all sorts of people sent there before him, and they all want to find a way out.

Lionboy by Zizou Corder
(Adventure) What do you do when you discover that your parents have been kidnapped? Well if you're brave you go looking for them of course, and if you can speak cat you have help from all your feline friends too.

Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
(Fantasy) Septimus Heap is stolen at birth and the very same night his father rescues a baby girl from a path in the woods. The Heaps decide to bring her up as their own. But who is she, and where is Septimus?

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A Spratt
(Humorous) Nanny Piggins, the world’s most glamorous flying pig, runs away from the circus and goes to live with the Greens as their nanny.

The Key to Rondo  series by Emily Rodda
(Fantasy/Adventure) The old music box, with its strict rules, has been carefully handed down through Leo’s family for hundreds of years, but it's black lid hides an amazing secret as Leo is about to find out.

How to Train your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell
(Humorous/Fantasy) Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III wasn't always a truly extraordinary Viking Hero. In the beginning, he was the least Viking-like Viking you've ever seen. This is the story of his rise to fame.

The Mysterious Howling by Mary Rose Wood
(Historical) Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope is hired as governess to three young children who have been raised by wolves. She must teach them to behave in a civilized manner, and quickly, before the Christmas ball.

Ice Lolly by Jean Ure
(Real Life)When her mum dies Laurel is sent to stay with relatives, they don't seem to care about anything she loves, so she decides she won't feel anything and becomes Ice Lolly, the girl with the frozen heart.

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell
(Adventure/Mystery) A string of daring burglaries have taken place all over town. Something must be done. Can Miss Ottoline Brown and her friend Mr Munroe come up with a clever plan?

Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi
(Fantasy/Graphic Novel format)  Emily and Navin move to a new home, but the strange house is dangerous. Soon a creature lures their mum through a door in the basement, they follow her into an under-ground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Paul Jennings

Another in a series of posts about popular children's authors and their books.

Paul Jennings is one of Australia's bestselling children's authors. He was born near London in wartime England, April 1943, that's around the middle of World War II.  He emigrated to Australia with his parents and little sister Ruth when he was six and he grew up in Melbourne. When he finished school Paul trained to be a teacher, after teaching for a few years he retrained to become a Speech Therapist. Later he also worked as a Lecturer in Special Education and a Lecturer in Language and Literature.  In 1985 Paul's first collection of short stories Unreal!, was published. For the next four years he worked as a lecturer part-time and wrote part-time, then in 1989 he started writing full-time.  In 1992, he became the first author to sell a million books in Australia. In addition to his collections of short stories, Paul has also written children's novels and picture books.  In 1998, Paul teamed up with Australia's other bestselling writer for children, Morris Gleitzman, to create Wicked! - a gripping serial, composed of six short novels.  Paul's books have been translated into 18 languages and have sold more than 8.9 million copies around the world. Paul and his books have received many awards, including the Young Australians' Best Book Award more than a dozen times.

Books by Paul Jennings we have in our library:  We have more than 20 books written or co-written by Paul Jennings including The Cabbage Patch War; The Cabbage Patch Fib; The Gizmo; The Gizmo Again; Sink The Gizmo; Come Back Gizmo; Tongue-Tied! ; Wicked - all six books in one  in the Fiction section. Also  Paul Jennings' Trickiest Stories, Paul Jennings' Spookiest Stories and Paul Jennings' Weirdest Stories in the Senior Fiction section.

Upper Hutt Library currently holds copies of about 45 children's books and 1 teen book by Paul Jennings and 7 Audio Books.

The above information about Paul Jennings was adapted from here and here.

For more information about Paul Jennings and his books you could visit the Paul Jennings website.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Mrs Keane recommends ...

Senior Fiction:

  
Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy (Fantasy/Horror/Humour)
In the Shadow of the Palace by Judith Simpson (Historical-India)
The 13 Treasures and sequels by Michelle Harrison (Fantasy)
The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan (Adventure/Fantasy)
Malice and Havoc by Chris Wooding (Horror)
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer (Fantasy/Adventure)
The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsyth (Historical-England/Adventure)
At the Sign of the Sugared Plum & Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper (Historical-England)


The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R.Tolkien (Fantasy/Classic)
Send Simon Savage by Stephen Measday (Time-travel/Adventure)
The Merlin Conspiracy by Dianna Wynne Jones (Fantasy)
The Phoenix Files series by Chris Morphew (Mystery/Thriller)
Oracle by Jackie French (Historical-Ancient Greece)
The Crowfield Curse and sequel by Pat Walsh (Fantasy/Horror)
Knife and sequels by R.J.Anderson (Fantasy)
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (Fantasy)

You can follow the links on the book or series titles above to a review or homepage for that book or series.

Have you read any of these books? 
What books would you recommend?

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Adventure Series

One in a series of posts about children's classic books available for borrowing from our school library.

The Adventure books are a series of 14 books written by Willard Price between 1948 and 1980. Willard Price was a journalist and naturalist who traveled the world working for National Geographic and other publications. The series tells the Adventures of Hal and Roger Hunt, whose father John Hunt, owns a wildlife park in America.  He is a wildlife specialist who specializes in taking animals alive. His two sons are both years ahead of their classes, so he makes them an offer: stay in school, or take a year out to travel the world and learn the family business. Not surprisingly they choose the second option.  During their year away, the boys travel to Africa with their Safari team; North & South America and the South Seas with Captain Ike and the Lively Lady; the waters of Australasia with Captain Ted and the Flying Cloud, as well as India, the arctic and other exotic places.  Hindered by opponents, ranging from humorous and incompetent to deadly and dangerous, dealing with rare and dangerous animals and learning from the locals, the boys take readers on a thrilling ride across the world.

We have three compendium books, each containing two of the Adventure Series stories, in the fiction section of our library.

Upper Hutt Public Library has the three compendium books as well as three other single titles in the Children's section.

You can find out more about Willard Price and the Adventure Series from: here (most of the above information was adapted from there too). 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Asterix

One in a series of posts about children's classic books available for borrowing from our school library.

The Asterix books are a popular series of comic books which follow the exploits of a village of ancient Gauls as they resist Roman occupation.  Asterix, along with his friend Obelix have many adventures, some in and around their village but other stories see them traveling to various countries around the world.

Asterix,  written by  Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, began as a comic strip in the first issue of the french magazine Pilote in 1959.  The first Asterix book Asterix the Gaul was published in 1961, followed by one or two books each year until 1976.  In 1977 Rene Goscinny died suddenly and from then on Albert Uderzo continued the adventures of Asterix alone.  Currently there are 34 Asterix books (you can see them all here) the last was published in 2009 to celebrate Asterix and Obelix's 50th Birthday.   

We have a number of Asterix titles available for borrowing in the Mature Picture books, also a compendium with three stories in the Fiction section.  Upper Hutt Public Library has many Asterix books available in the Comics section, and a movie in the Children's DVD section.

You can find out more about Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo here.

The above information has been adapted from here and here.