New and recommended books for children

Picture Books

Scary Tales: Rhymes for Brave Children. Judi Billcliff
This is a thoroughly entertaining read full of scary (though not too scary) rhymes about werewolves, zombies, monsters and many other fantastic beings. Titles such as Mary had a Little Ghost and Sing a Song of Silliness are accompanied by humorous pictures and there is a useful glossary of things creepy at the back of the book. Did you know that ghouls are mythical creatures that first appeared in Arabian folklore?

Miss Kraken. Nicki Greeberg
The minute the class saw their new teacher, Miss Kraken, the children knew it was going to be a bad year. It wasn’t because she looked weird (she was in fact an octopus). It was because she was strict. When they were taken to the aquarium for a class visit the children went wild and Miss Kraken disappeared. Eventually the children became worried and after a long search they found their long lost teacher in the tank with the fish! This is a cleverly illustrated picture book that will appeal to young children and older readers too.

Readers 8+

You Go First.  Erin Entrada Kelly
Charlotte (aka Lottie Lock) and Benjamin (aka Ben Boot) are friends who live miles from each other, talk to each other regularly but have never met. Their friendship has grown from their rivalry as young online Scrabble champions and the fact that although they are very different, they have lots in common, including sitting alone at lunchtimes at school. The story is told by both of them, and it is an engaging read about friendship, isolation, changing families, bullying and surviving school. I really enjoyed meeting these two young people and it was great to see how positive their online support for each other was, based totally on respect from playing against each other. Some challenging moments happen to them both as they struggle with change and meanness, but their journey of finding their way ends with both of them finding a friend to play with on a real board. Great read for anyone 8+ years...

Box of Shocks. Chris McMahen
Oliver spends a lot of time in the basement, mainly to get away from his over-protective parents. He fills his days in the basement digging the dirt floor and dreaming of treasures he might unearth. When one day he digs up an old wooden box he is very disappointed to find it empty. He decides to keep the box and finds a great hiding place for it in his bedroom. He calls it his “Box of Shocks” and decides to fill it with things that his parents would find shocking. The series of antics he thinks up in order to achieve this goal provide the reader with much entertainment and laugh out loud moments. This is available through Tumblebooks which can be found on the Dunedin Public Libraries website under 'Digital Library'.

Fiction 10+

His Name was Walter. Emily Rodda
When the bus they are travelling on breaks down in the middle of nowhere a group of children and their teacher seek shelter in an old run down house. They are very relieved to find a place to wait although the house is pretty spooky and they are kept awake by thunderstorms and creaking floorboards. Their night takes an unexpected turn when they find an old hand-written book in a secret compartment of a desk. The tale within, like the story itself, is so enthralling that, once started, is difficult to put down and two of the students spend the night reading aloud to each other as the storm rages outside. Another great book from this well known author.

The Magician’s Elephant. Kate DiCamillo
There is an air of intrigue right from the start of this magical story. The tale is set in a far off land full of mystique, magic and madness. When Peter squanders the food money on a fortune teller what she tells him turns his world upside down. She tells him that his sister (who he’s been told has died) is still alive and that he must find her using an elephant. This is a book that once started is difficult to put down.

The Good Thieves. Katherine Rundell
Vita and her mother are called from London to take care of Vita’s grandfather in New York after the death of his wife, Vita’s grandmother. Somehow he has been duped by a famous conman and has lost his home (which is actually a castle) as a consequence. Vita hatches a plan to get the castle back for her grandfather and with the help some carefully selected new-found friends she tackles the task of reclaiming her family’s ancestral home. The team have to deal with a lot of nasty people along the way and are frequently in a lot of danger. This is another great read from the author of The Explorer and The Wolf Wilder.