Giving a book for Christmas is easy, nice and useful. Our local book store has a little brochure “Give a book, it’s the perfect gift!” with plenty of suggestions to please everyone.

If you prefer buying online, I recommend Wheelers because they have a large selection, an easy to use website and often the best prices. Besides, 10% of your purchase is recredited to our College Library, when you click on the Apple at the check-out… Wheelers has an end-of-year sale which ends 16th December.

• Offering a book to your children will show you value reading and literacy, which is linked to their success at school.
• Offering a book to your parents can be a way to convey a message or could be very useful (for example, a chocolate desserts book!).
• Offering a book to your siblings will keep them quiet for a while AND you can then read it too!

Think of non-fiction books. What is s/he interested in? From mountain bike, fishing or facebook to yoga, drawing or travel, there are books to deepen knowledge in everything. Type these words in the Search box and choose!

Here are a few sure-to-please suggestions:

For Boys and Girls: any Cherub book. Cherub Agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radars and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. Punchy, easy to read, they are the most popular books at the moment. If you suspect s/he has already read them, get “People’s Republic” as it is the latest. Click here to see what we already said about Cherub books on the library blog.

Another extremely popular series for both Boys and Girls is the Hunger Games series. Again, s/he might well have already read the first book so go for the second, Catching Fire, or the third book, Mockingjay. They will be so proud of having their own copy and so grateful for not having to wait to read it, as there are long waiting lists for these…

I think it is a good time to offer and read the Hobbit, if you have not done it yet, it is a truly great story.

More suggestions for Girls: Jacqueline Wilson’s latest book “Lily alone” is a favourite, and for older girls, I’d suggest the powerful and well written “Blood and Chocolate“, by Annette Curtis Klause. A “Child Called It”, by Dave Pelzer is a real, moving story that older girls enjoy.

And For Boys: Younger boys will enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, while older readers crave the Matthew Reilly books, like Hover Car Racer. I would also recommend The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, as every person who has read it has been enthralled with this poignant, wise and funny story.

Useful books recommendations:

• The Courage to be yourself : True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure
• Wise Highs : how to thrill, chill, & get away from it all without alcohol or other drugs
• Go ask Alice : The true diary of a 15-year-old drug addict

For Parents (to offer and read together)

• You Shut Up ! by Eva Maria, to improve parent/teenager relationships
• What teens really want from their parents How to parents teens, written by teens!
• Daughters and their Dads: discusses the importance of fathers and father-figures in a daughter’s life.
• Come On Dad 75 things for fathers and sons to do together
•  You don’t really know me: Why mothers and daughters fight and how both can win

And if you really do not know which book to choose, you can get $5-up book tokens for them so they can choose their own books.

Always remember to read during the holidays to overcome the “Summer slide”.

Happy Reading! Happy Holidays!

If your books are all returned and if your accounts are paid in full (including school donation) by Wednesday 30th November, then you will get the College Magazine as well as go into the prize draw for an Apple ipod Nano!

Library House Competition detailed results

 So the results of the Library House competition are:

1^st Barker

2^ndPisa

3^rdRoy

4^th Iron

 Congratulation Barker!

And congratulations to RWT for being the greatest readers whanau!

• The Two Ronnies – The Confusing Library  : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGlN_EaEgPQ
• Conan the librarian http://youtu.be/mZHoHaAYHq8

But here is what a library can do for you:

• Ninja Librarian to help with homeworks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDb4fzowB8&feature=related
• Song from the Joe Uveges about what librarians do! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB4HvVEMFig&feature=related

And here is how it works:

• Librarians do Gaga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_uzUh1VT98
• Dewey decimal Rap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiUQb5xg7A&feature=related

More Library fun!

• Library is fun (by Christina Aguilera) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9CKXrhBffA&NR=1 
• Domino books! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwihz7iZlx0&feature=related
• Blonde at the library! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHX2mvFVQMs

A book hook is a short and sharp blurb designed to hook attract you to a book, written by someone who was hooked enjoyed it and wants to recommend it.
It can be used in book talks or speed booking sessions. We used them to present 3 books in 1 minute in Assembly.

In another way, a “Hook Book” is the book that hooked you into reading, the book which made you love reading, the book which made you realise how good it is to read. As far as I remember, the book which hooked me into reading was Enid Blyton’s “Five on a Treasure Island”, first of the Famous Five series and when I have finished the series, I went on with anything on the small school library shelves and started my reading career…

Which book hooked YOU into reading?

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Please leave a comment below to complement your answers. Thank you.

Book hooks have been pasted on the library window, for every one to be inspired and for decoration.

Book fishing is so popular that I don’t want to advertise it, as it does require work to wrap the books and add a string. The happiness of children fishing and their pleasure when they unwrap the book is the reward though! 

Library week is also the occasion to redecorate the library, removing faded signs and posters and putting up new ones instead. Getting a fresh spring look!

Lots of fun ahead!

 Other spy series

• Young Bond series, by Charlie Higson (in fiction HIG)
• Alex Rider series, by A. Horowitz  (HOR)
• Spy High series, by A.J. Butcher  (BUT)  
• Alpha Force series, by Chris Ryan  (RYA)
• Gallagher Girls, by Ally Carter  (CAR)  
• Henderson Boys, by Robert Muchamore  (MUC)

Special schools series

• H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education, by Mark Walden (WAL)
• Shapeshifter series, by Ali Sparkes (SPA)    Special gifts
• Harry Potter series, by J.K.Rowling (ROW)   Magic/sorcery
• VampireAcademy, by R. Mead (MEA)    Vampires (for Girls)
• House of night series, by P. C. & Kristin Cast (CAS) Vampires (for Girls)

Fast-paced punchy stories

• Cirque du Freak then Darren Shan Saga, by D. Shan (SHA) Vampire, thriller
• Maximum Ride Series, by J. Patterson, (PAT) Adventure, fantasy-realism
• The Darksmith Legacy (Doctor Who), by R. Dungworth,  (DUN) Sci-fi crime buster
• Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins   (COL)  TV reality show
• Boy Soldier series, by Andy McNab     (MCN) War, Spy
• Ice Station, Contest and other by Matthew Reilly  (REI)  SAS

 Special Gifts series

• Evil Genius series, by Catherine Jinks (JIN)   Computer hacking
• Ranger’s Apprentice series, by John Flanagan (FLA)   Knighthood, sorcery
• Artemis Fowl Series, by Eoin Colfer (COL)    Magical Realism

04 July - 10 July 2011

• Participate in the whanau Quiz, to add points to your house
• Maori display in the library, with fantastic authentic items thanks to MAC maori teacher, with free leaflets
• Maori signage throughout the school

Lots of books in the library :

Te reo Give it a go!

Kara whiua!