Black & White Inc. Book Club reviews

Nancy Piggins Pursuit of Justice by R.A. Spratt

Can Nancy Piggins handle jail-time? Can the criminal justice system handle Nanny Piggins? Can tightrope walking be a crime?!

In this scintillating sixth instalment of her adventures, the world's greatest flying pig sinks her teeth into 5000 hours of community service, impersonating pirates, kidnapping the school bus and battling amnesia along the way. I recommend this book to boys and girls, aged 8-13.

Claudia Room 14

New Zealand Post finalist's books will make awesome prezzies for Prince George

"2014 New Zealand Post Book Awards 

8 Apr 2014

What special Kiwi gift can you give a small prince who is not even a year old? Specially inscribed Picture Books from the cream of New Zealand children’s authors — that’s what.  

Prince George will be the recipient of the five finalists’ Picture Books for this year’s New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, whose finalists are announced today. Each book has a personal message from the author to Prince George. 

The chair of the Book Awards Governance Group (BAGG) which oversees the Awards, Nicola Legat, says, “With this week’s Royal visit coinciding with the announcement of the finalists in the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we saw an ideal opportunity to organise a booky gift for Prince George. The authors’ messages to the Prince are absolutely delightful and very personal to him.”

“Each year we will send Prince George autographed copies of the Award finalists. First the Picture Books as he’s so young, then he’ll receive the Non-Fiction and Junior Fiction. When he’s 13, we’ll send the autographed Young Adult Fiction books. By the time Prince George grows up, the Cambridge family will have a wonderful collection of New Zealand literature, all personally inscribed. We’re packing these books up now, and they will be waiting for him at Kensington Palace when he and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge return home from this trip.”"

http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards/2014-new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards-finalists

Book reviews by Black & White Inc. book club

Black Beauty - by Anna Sewell

Black Beauty himself is handsome and a sweet-tempered horse but strong, spirited and with fine instincts. His various owners make him do all kinds of tasks, from being a carriage horse on a country estate to a cab horse in town. Black Beauty's tale is very interesting.

This book has some cruelty. In the olden days for fashion, the riders would hold the horses heads up higher than they needed to be with a bearing rein. This puts a strain on their necks (especially up a hill) and shortens their lives.

I recommend this book to confident readers age 8 to 12 years old.

This book is probably one of the best-loved animal stories ever written, as it can tear your heart in two, as well as make you smile. I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope you do too.

By Arlo, Room 14

Book reviews by Black & White Inc. book club

Zac Powers: Spy Camp - Zac Cracks Down - Larry H.I.

Zac and his friend go to spy camp for five weeks to learn spy tricks. Then Zac slides down a slide and then Zac and agent Pizza Breath go on a mission to save the world. There are aliens trying to blow up the world. Zac and agent Pizza Breath kill the aliens and destroy the bomb from destroying the earth.

This book is for boys and girls. It is a really great book.

By Joshua, Room 13

It's that time of term - please return your books.

Please can you start to return all library books so that we can get all our little darlings back before the end of term. Thank-you!

Forgiveness

Our virtue of the week is Forgiveness. Nelson Mandela embodies forgiveness. We have a new book in the library told, "in poignant verse and glorious illustrations" (back cover). You'll find it on the quick picks stand on the issue desk. 

New Lego and Star Wars books coming soon to a galaxy near you!

If I had a dollar for every time a young boy asked me if we have any Lego / Star Wars books, well I'd be rich. Bearing that in mind, I try to select a few new ones every time we get to pick new Scholastic books through the lucky book club, and I also purchase them selectively. These are great hook books - and I don't like to cast gender stereotypes - but boys especially love these books. 

I am busy cataloguing the following books - so once they've been stickered, taped and covered, they will soon be available for borrowing. I also have three new Thea Stilton chapter books, a new Geronimo Stilton, an Adventure Time Encyclopedia, a Minecraft book and an exciting new series called Spirit Animals and the latest Freak Street. Five new Where's Wally books are being processed, plus Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson, Tuck Everlasting, Skulduggery Pleasant (for those who like something a little scary) and an excellent non-fiction book titled "Maori in New Zealand". 

Look out for "The Church Mice at Christmas" by Graham Oakley. This series was my absolute favourite as a child and I still love them. The characters are ironic but lovable, the humour is dry, and sometimes outright hilarious and the illustrations are just amazing. If you ever have any books that you would like me to purchase, pop in and see me or leave me a note in the library office. 

May the Force be with you.