All books listed are available now! With a PIN number and a little practice you can easily reserve any book for yourself, or you can ask any librarian to help you. JUNE 2014 Fantastic Children’s Fiction! TYING THE KNOT – ACHDE AND GERRA If you are into the Lucky Luke graphic novels, here is the latest. As usual it’s in full colour, and it will make you laugh. This is the 45th Lucky Luke book, and it sees Ma Dalton trying to find brides for her boys so they don’t get hung. Full of detail of the Old West, these books are highly recommended for fans of Tintin and Asterix. Remember, on a child’s card you can reserve any book fact | fiction | fun THE ESCAPE – KATHRYN LASKY Here’s another series for horse lovers to get their teeth into. This is book one of Horses of the Dawn, from the author who wrote the popular Guardians of Ga’Hoole series. In the series we meet Estrella, a horse with a destiny. It’s Estrella’s job to lead a herd of horses to safety and freedom, but obstacles and danger are everywhere. Can Estrella succeed? Best suited to 9-12 year olds. Fascinating New Non-Fiction! THE THORNTHWAITE INHERITANCE – GARETH P. JONES Ovid and Lorelli are twins – some would say very lucky twins. They don’t go to school, are fabulously rich, and they live in a mansion. They also spend most of their time trying to kill each other. When their parents die, however, they have to work together to save their inheritance and solve the mystery of their parents deaths. Can they overcome years of rivalry and do it? Recommended for 9-12 year THE ADVENTURES OF STUNT BOY AND HIS AMAZING WONDER DOG BLINDFOLD – LOLLIE BARR Stunt Boy does stunts in the Stoked Stunt Circus, but when his dad has an accident, he suspects someone is trying to sabotage them and get the circus shut down. Along with his friend and wonder dog, Stunt Boy sets out to solve the mystery. Recommended for ages 9-12. ELIZA BOOM’S DIARY : MY EXPLOSIVE ADVENTURE – EMILY GALE As you would expect, this book is told in diary form. It’s packed with really cute pictures, and it has appealing, easy to read format. In her first diary, Eliza and her dog Einstein are on a mission to catch a spy and banish a bully. Can she do it? Book two in this series, My Fizztastic Investigation, is also available now. Best suited to 7-10 year olds. CREATIVE CREATURES – DONNA WILSON If you like cute, quirky crafts you will love this book. In it are instructions for making creatures out of socks, gloves and scraps of material, plus lots of fun bits and pieces for the creatures. You will only need basic sewing skills and you won’t need hardly any equipment or material. Get this out and get creative! DEADLY! THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOST DANGEROUS CREATURES ON EARTH – NICOLA DAVIES This appealing little book is packed with facts and cute, cartoon style pictures that are sure to appeal. If you want to find out about the scariest and most deadly creatures on the planet, and discover all the ways they have of killing, you have the right book! BONE COLLECTION – ANIMALS – ROB COLSON This beautiful book displays the skeletons from some of the most fascinating animals that exist. If you want to see what a viper, penguin or anteater looks like without its skin, this book will show you. It’s also full of facts and colour pictures, fabulous for dipping in and out of or reading cover to cover. 101 THINGS FOR KIDS TO DO OUTSIDE – DAWN ISAAC This lovely book is packed full of outside activities for kids. You won’t be stuck for inspiration again after picking up this and having a go at planting a bean wigwam, making a twig star, making a butterfly feeder or playing torch tag. I LOVE DOGS AND PUPPIES – NICOLA JANE SWINNEY If you are a dog lover you will really enjoy this book. It covers over 50 breeds, and is jam-packed full of colour photographs. There isn’t too much text so it’s suitable for younger readers as well as older. We also have another book in the same series – I love Horses and Ponies. THE GREAT FAIRY BAKE-OFF – JOANNA BICKNELL If you like baking special treats and goodies, this book is for you. It is full of beautiful creations like fairy cupcakes, cutest cake pops, magic melts, gingerbread wands and twinkly treats. Each recipe is introduced by a fairy who gives out all the instructions, and there are photos of every step. This book would be great for mums making party food as well as for aspiring bakers. Excellent Picture Books SEADOG – CLAIRE SAXBY The dog in this story is a seadog. He’s messy, muddy, stinky and energetic and that’s the way he likes it. But every now and again even the messiest of dogs needs to get clean …. This lovely rhyming story is accompanied by bright, untidy pictures that sum up the seadog perfectly. Highly recommended! BOA’S BAD BIRTHDAY – JEANNE WILLIS From prolific author Willis comes another gem – a funny tale about a Boa who is sure he is going to have the best birthday ever. When he starts unwrapping his presents his day starts going downhill rapidly though – turns out there are lots of presents that aren’t suitable for a snake at all…. Older children and younger children will appreciate this original story. WE’RE GOING ON A CROC HUNT – LAINE MITCHELL This is a new version of the much loved classic ‘We’re going on a AND HARE GO FISHING – EMILY GRAVETT bearBEAR hunt’. It’s great for children to join in with, with lots of actions, This is a very short, simple, engaging story, featuring a bear and a hare. andThe a CD is included which features Jay Laga’aia singing. beautiful pictures by Emily Gravett say as much as the text does. This would be a lovely, quick bedtime story and it would also be perfect DINOSAUR FARM to – FRANN PRESTON-GANNON for a child learning read. The farmer in this story doesn’t have an ordinary farm – he has a dinosaur farm! Follow the farmer throughout his day as he feeds, washes after his animals. This simple story is SHH! and : WE cleans HAVE Aup PLAN – CHRIS HAUGHTON accompanied by bold, bright pictures, and little would devoured This is a visually eye-catching book with very text.beIt features a by group of characters all dinosaur fans … who go hunting, but they have the tables turned on them by their prey. This would be a lovely book to read one-on-one with THEa child, BLACK AND WHITE – ALICE HEMMING as the pictures reallyCLUB invite discussion. Giraffe is sad when the penguins start a new club at the Wildlife Park, because it’s a black and white club, so he can’t join in. He decides to start his own club, the Tall and Short club. But how I HAVE A DOG (AN INCONVENIENT DOG) – CHARLOTTE LANCE does he decide who is tall and who is short? In the end he This very sweet story looks at the friendship between a boy and his dog. decides a off club everyone the best type of club of all. It starts by that listinglet’s all the ways the join dog isisinconvenient, which anyone canstory relate about to. However, thenand it looks at all the ways in which Thiswith is a dog lovely inclusion acceptance. the dog makes life so much better. A charming story for all dog-lovers! BEARS LOOSE TOOTH – KARMA WILSON If you have read Bear Snores On and Bear Stays Up, you’ll be familiar with Wilson’s lovely stories, and Chapman’s beautiful, heartwarming illustrations. Bear and all of his friends are back in this story, which is told beautifully in rhyme. This story has a wonderful rhythm and would be a lovely read-aloud. B IS FOR BEDTIME – MARGARET HAMILTON This soothing story rolls off the tongue as it details a child’s bedtime routine. It is told in rhyme and works right through the alphabet, so it’s great for reinforcing vocabulary. It is short enough for bedtime, and the soft pictures really add to the gentle text. THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY – DJANGO WEXIER This fantasy book has been compared to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and The Neverending Story. In it Alice finds herself living with a distant relative with a library she isn’t allowed to access. When a talking cat lets her in she finds herself in a world where the magic is controlled by readers. To find a happy ending she has to conquer dangerous beasts and face fearsome foes . . . This captivating illustrated book is recommended for 9-12 year olds. MISTER MAX : THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS – CYNTHIA VOIGT Max is in a tight spot. His parents are missing, and all he has to go on is a cryptic note. He sets off to find them, making the most of his talent for disguise and his ability to solve a mystery. Along the way he solves plenty of other problems but solving his own proves trickier . . . This book from award-winning Voigt also features lovely pictures. Best suited to 10-12 year olds. LITTLE CHEF, BIG CURSE – TILNEY COTTON Matty is a dishwasher in a horrible diner, but he has big dreams of being a chef. When the King of Yurp advertises a cook-off competition, Matty knows he has to enter. The prize is what he has always wanted – the position of Royal Chef. However being ruthless has its own issues, as Matty finds out. Best suited to 8-12 year olds. PAWS AND WHISKERS – JACQUELINE WILSON, MICHAEL MORPURGO, ENID BLYTON AND MORE This compilation contains a brand new story from Jacqueline Wilson, as loads of other short stories by fabulous authors. There’s a section for cat stories, dog stories and pet stories, perfect for dipping into at bedtime. If you are an animal lover this book is for you! Recommended for boys and girls aged 7-12.