HOLIDAYS! What are you reading?

I LOVE the holidays because I get to hang out with Morag in the garden and because I get to read whenever I like. Right now I am reading Morris Gleitzman's "Once". So far it is fabulous. Happy holidays everyone. :-)

$300.00 worth of books!!!!

Today Gwen and I had the privilege of choosing almost $300.00 worth of books. We had a lot of vouchers that were won at the NZ Post Lit Quiz in 2008 and 2009. Gwen also kindly donated a book and I "topped" up a few as well. We had a blast choosing books ranging from dear old classics (like Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild, Gwen's very generous donation) to exciting newly published reads (like Marcus Sedgwick's Flood and Fang). I can't wait to read them, get them processed and get them onto the shelves. Many thanks to all who participated in our Rapaura School Literary teams. Your great efforts have really benefited your school. Well done.

William's book review: The Wrong Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I liked The Wrong Book (by Nick Bland) because he uses lots and lots of expression. The illustrations are awesome, especially the pirate. His boat is weird but really cool. I give this book an 8 out of 10 because the characters are doing really weird things.

Phoebe's book review: The Secret Island

The Secret Island (by Enid Blyton) is interesting and exciting because when the adults come to the island you don't know wht's going to happen. (And it turns out to be a big surprise!) I like the characters and I like the story. it is a 10 out of 10!

A commercial plug (but really an effort to boost the library budget): Wheelers Books

If you like shopping on line for books then please consider Wheelers Books. It is the on-line bookstore where I now buy many of our library and resource books. When you shop with Wheelers you can specify Rapaura as your nominated school which means that 10% of the value of your purchases is credited to our library. Click on the title of this post to learn more.

Are you wondering what to buy a small friend for Christmas?

Here are a few perfect choices:

1. Old Hu-Hu written by Kyle Mewburn and illustrated by Rachel Driscoll is a must have. You could say it is a book about death. Or you could say it is a book about a Huhu Beetle. Or you could say it is a visually stunning, beautifully written story about life, death and rebirth and so therefore is the perfect book for Christmas. (Or you could say it is the perfect book. Period.) Kyle Mewburn dedicated it to 'Momo', who apparently was his old cat. That's another good reason to buy it. Rachel Driscoll? May she never, ever stop illustrating children's books. I really, really love this book and if it doesn't win heaps of awards I will eat my hat.

2. A great pictorial version of the Christmas story can be found in Julie Vivas' The Nativity. No matter how you feel about the "Silly Season" or the Christian heritage of Christmas you cannot deny that this book is a joyful look at the famous old story of Jesus' birth. Washing on the line and hiking boots on the angels add amusing measures of domesticity and cheerfulness. (And I must say that Vivas' take on a large, pregnant, unwieldly Mary is very refreshing.) There are some out there - authors, singers - who use Christmas as a great opportunity for sales. Julie Vivas' book, on the other hand, uses Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate Life. Hallelujah.

3. There is a Bird on your Head! by Mo Willems is one of a series of books about Elephant and Piggie which, in future, will no doubt enjoy the same legacy as The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seus. With simple line drawings chock-full of expression, a great plot and simple, repetitive yet well-written words this book is a perfect choice for an emerging reader or for anyone else who can appreciate pure genius.

4. If you are like me and have always had a hankering to show off your talent for Spanish, French and Texan accents The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend (illustrated by John Manders) is the read-aloud book for you. This is a story of gluttony, greed, selfishness, deceit and avian brawls not to mention orphans, a male adoptive mother and an especially cosy, happy ending. Fabulous family fun, as they say.

5. Guji-Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen is a fab book because of the fun take on the Ugly Duckling tale, the gorgeous illustrations and the fact that Mother Duck is so absorbed in her book she doesn't notice a rather large addition to her clutch of eggs. You go, girl. It is also a splendid book because it is published by the incomparable Gecko Press.

Oh, and 6. Did I mention Room on the Broom??? LOL

More suggestions to come....

Star's cousins know all about atoms!

I never knew my Star is from such a smart family of dogs...

Morag's big brother helped to create this!

Rosa's review of Tiny's Big Wish

There is a little elephant that has a big wish. But all the other elephants have the same big wish. He wishes that he is big like all the other big elephants. Then his mum gives him a big hug and tells him he will be big when he grows up. I liked this book because it has elephants and because it was a happy story.

Library news

What an amazing and busy week so far culminating in the visit from Springlands Kindy.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making the library look so beautiful today for the little ones who came to visit. It made me really very proud to walk in and see everything in place and ready to go. Thank you all.
Today Maddox, Bella, Melissa and I were treated to an Elephant and Piggie story read to us by Kees. Great reading, Kees! I think your brother and sister are lucky to have you. And welcome to Maddox - you are now a library card holder. I hope you enjoy the book you issued today.
Another big thank you to George M. who was the first student in Room 3 to post a reply on this blog.
Shayne and Josh have been busy playing a card game at lunchtimes which is a change from writing a book and I have also been challenging them to a memory game. They are really good at it.
See you on Friday :-)

And the bookworm award goes to...

Georgie, from Room 3. Georgie read an awesome story to me about bees and then we looked at the honey comb Murray gave the library. Thanks, Georgie, for reading to me. It was lovely! :-)

The Bookworm Award goes to....

Ashley's mum, Karen Griffiths, the very first parent to ever post on the library blog. Yay!!!! Thank you, Karen, for your wonderful comments.

I nominate Star for R.E.A.D. at Rapaura

Many of you know Star who often accompanies me to school where she waits patiently for me in the car. But what if she came into the library as a READ dog?
Check out the link by clicking on the title of this post. It explains more about the Reading Education Assistant Dogs (READ) who go into libraries to be read to.
The video quality is not great but the article underneath is very interesting. I suggest we all start recommending Star as Rapaura's new teacher aide to Mrs Williams!

Apologies :- (

Firstly: apologies! I have not posted for so long and I have neglected to tell you all about the great new books we have in the library. I will make amends. Soon!

Secondly: welcome to our new tenants in the library: Room 3, Room 4, Mrs Stark and the staff room. It is wonderful to have such a busy library and I have noticed that there is a lot of reading going on. Yay!

Thirdly: it would be great to hear about all the books you are reading so let me know either in person or send us a post in reply. :-)

More awesome goal setting examples....

Here is a great example of a girl who did some goal setting!

Science Fair Amazement

Wow! I toured the Science Fair exhibits in the Hall on Friday and boy, was I impressed! Well done everyone - I think Rapaura School is full of Einstein clones. :-)

Talia's Book Review!!!!

I thought "Theres a monster in the toilet" was a great book.There was a little boy called Max who didn't like sitting on the toilet.Every time he flushed, he heard funny noises.He thought that the noise was a monster.He was so scared, he stuffed loads of toilet paper down the toilet.His dad came out of the toilet looking mad!That night his dad spoke to him.Max just had to find another way to stop the monster getting out.So he made a big rope, just in case the monster decided to come out will he was there.But he thought that wasn't enough.So he decided to make quick get away shoes, just in case.In the end, he started to get use to the toilet.He drew pictures and got his mum to put them on the wall.He thought mabye the monster was the same age as him.He also thought he was a little boy, just like him.So he decided to give the monster his favourite toy car he got for christmas.Once he flushed the car down the toilet, he was sad and happy at same time.After that each day he gave the monster a little gift.His dad made some shelfs for his toys and books.Now Max loved sitting on the toilet!He now sits on the toilet and read for hours.So did the monster!

Greetings from Malaysia

Hello from Borneo! I hope the library is being well-used and well taken care of. Morag and I miss you all. We have seen monkeys, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, giant spiders (in the toilet, ugh!) and amazing fireflies. We also got to release an endangered baby turtle into the sea today - think that was a highlight for us all. It is very hot here but luckily we are staying right by the ocean just now so we jump into the sea whenever we can. We are actually sleeping in tree huts which is very cool especially during thunder and lightening storms.
Sorry to be posting this on the library blog - it is hardly a literary posting but we just wanted you to know that we are missing you. From Morag and Kerry, the librarian.

Two weeks of bookworm awards...

My apologies for not posting the winners of the bookworm awards for the last two weeks.
The bookworm 2 weeks ago went to Liv for being such an awesome and dedicated librarian. She has been doing a splendid job at keeping her area neat, tidy and shelved properly. Well done, Liv, and thank you.
Last week's bookworm award went to Tahlia because she was very persistant, but patient, about a certain picture book which she wanted to read to Maisie. Finally the book came back, Tahlia read it to Maisie and by all acounts Maisie was wide-eyed throughout. Well done, Tahlia, for reading to a younger person. That is a super thing to do!

Science Fiction

I have been reading your definitions of science fiction that are up around the school. Fascinating stuff and you all have put so much thought into your work. Here is a quote from a very old edition of A Journey to the Centre of the Earth about the author Jules Verne (this edition will soon be in our library for all you sci-fi fans out there):

"Many people have said the Verne 'invented the future'. They may be right, for Verne 'invented' the submarine in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, space travel in From the Earth to the Moon, heavier-than-air flying machines in The Clipper of the Clouds, and around-the-world travel in Around the World in 80 Days."

This quote is a little scary when you think about the kinds of stuff we read about now in modern sci-fi books - humanoid experiments for one! Yikes.

Last week's bookworm award goes to...

Guy and Abby! Guy got his because he helped me stamp some new library books and Abby got hers because she has been doing a wonderful job at shelving (even when I make her do more than her share). Thank you and well done, guys. Don't forget to come and get your worm!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

It was great to run into so many Rapaura students and old-students at the cinema today. I noticed that Gwen and Aine were first in line for the 1:40pm showing. (Why am I not surprised, Gwen!) All in all it was yet another fantastic HP movie with the added bonus of lots of comedic interludes. There were gasps, oohs, aahs, laughs and even a few tears from those around me (and yes, I confess to all of it too). The acting was superb - the 2+ hours flew by. I can't wait until the next one. I also can't wait until it comes out on DVD. Let me know what you thought about it. Either post a response here or drop into the library on Monday.

The Silver Donkey

Sometimes you get lucky and come across a perfect little read in a perfect little book. The Silver Donkey is one such book. Two small French sisters, Coco and Marcelle, find an English soldier hiding in the woods. With the aid of their older brother, Pascal, the two sisters help the soldier escape the horrors of war. The lieutenant, in return, tells the children four gorgeous stories about donkeys. This is the best book I have read in a long, long time. Mrs Walker and Room 2 are reading it right now but soon it will be back on our library shelves. I hope some of the students in Room 2 will let us know what they think of this book. For me it is a 10 out of 10 because of the stories, because of the characters and above all because of the perfection of the writing. Recommended to everyone 8 years old and up.

And the bookworm award goes to...

Nicky! Nicky won last week's bookworm award because he grabbed Fergus, then he grabbed a book and then he read to him. (Actually, I think the real story is that Fergus grabbed a book and then grabbed Nicky but the important fact here is that Nicky read to a smaller someone and it was all good.) It is soooooo great to see you older people read to the younger people. Well done Nicky and many thanks.

Ashley's book review of Don't Cut My Hair!

Coco and Diana Neild

A few weeks ago, as part of the NZ Bost Book Awards festival week, Coco, Patrick, William and I went to hear Diana Neild read from and discuss her book Piggity Wiggity Jiggity Jig. Stupidly I forgot to bring the camera but luckily Pauline from Fairhall School didn't so she was able to take this photo of Coco getting her book signed by the author.

A review by Pippa: Rascal the Dragon by Paul Jennings

Pippa is 5 years old.

Last week's bookworm award goes to...

Congratulations to Kees and Sasha. They were the recipients of last week's bookworm award (redeemable for a worm!) Kees won his award because of his generosity and kindness and Sasha because of her dedication and hard-work. Well done, guys!

Have you told someone you love them today?

Check this out and be happy :-) It's cute and funny. I, er, howled with laughter.

More New Books

Hi everyone, There are heaps more books on the New Books shelf so take a look the next time you are in the library. Whoever was keen to have more horror will be pleased to see More Horror by Anthony Horowitz (or is that Horrorwitz?) and all you Twilight fans will now finally be happy. (I'm still waiting for posts about just WHY you like this book....) For all of you who are keen to read Kaimanawa Princess after seeing Liv's review it is up there too as well as some cool non-fiction titles about this and that. Star Wars and Christian the Lion fans will be happy too. Reserved books from last week will be ready on Friday... See 'ya then.

Liv's review of Kaimanawa Princess

This book is about a girl named Becky and how she brought two Kaimanawa ponies from a stockyard and then how Bill Worth, a trainer, came and trained Becky's new ponies (Kaimanawa Princess and Queenie) as well as giving Becky a clump of lucky tussock grass from where the Kaimanawa horses roam free. In part 2 Becky and Kaimanawa Princess went to compete in a horse show and some one steals Becky's lucky tussock grass. Luckily they find it. One day Becky finds out that there is a committee of people that want to kill the Kaimanawa horses over some plant but a stronger group of people out beat them with the help of interviewing Becky and putting her on the news. Finally it is time to put Kaimanawa Princess into the float and take her down the desert road but she doesn't know how Kaimanawa princess will behave. I really liked this book.

What is in a title?

When you go to choose a book off a library shelf do you choose it because of the cover or because of the "blurb" written on the back? Do you choose it because it looks easy to read or because it might challenge you a little? I think when I choose a book there are a lot of things that influence me (including what sort of mood I am in). "The Boy in the Dress", though, is a book that I chose on the basis of its title alone. Okay, I lie: I also chose it because it is illustrated by the incomparable Quentin Blake and hey, if he could be bothered to draw pictures for it then it has to be good, right? Anyway, I digress. I have created a poll, the first of many, I think, on this blog. Check it out on the right. :-0

I dare you to read "The Boy in the Dress"

Do you remember how much fun it used to be to dress up when you were a little kid? (And "dress" is the operative word here!) If you do then please give this book a go. Dennis is sick of his boring life in his boring house in his boring street in his boring town so he bravely goes where few boys have gone before.... A super footballer who also happens to love fashion Dennis meets Lisa and then the ball really starts to roll.... With trademark quirky illustrations by Quentin Blake this is a funny book filled with great characters. Highly recommended for a giggle.

Winners of the NZ Post Book Awards!

Last week I forgot (yikes!) to announce the winners of the NZ Post Book Awards. Here they are:
Picture Book: Road Works
Junior Fiction: Old Drumble
Non-fiction: Back & Beyond: New Zealand Painting for the Young and Curious
Children's Choice: The Were-Nana
All the NZ Post Books will be on the New Book Shelf by Wednesday. They will be ready next week for general issuing. :-)

In the library next week...

Bruno and his family must move to another location for Father’s work. The new place is puzzling and unattractive compared to Berlin but when Bruno meets a boy his own age life seems to get a lot better...
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity at the beginning of this book; Bruno may be a naïve 9 year old but the story is a distressing and upsetting parable – one which ought to be read by everyone. Our horror grows as Bruno’s naivety remains and it is this parallel interpretation that delivers such a shockingly brutal read.

**The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a “black dot book” (restricted to Year 7 & 8). It needs to be read with a certain amount of maturity. It is also a book that needs to be talked about. Have your parents or teachers read it too or come to the library and we can have a chat.

Twilight: the movie

Much, much better than the book! I actually enjoyed this. Once you guys have finished reading Jane Eyre what say we get together to chat? :-)

Ok, guys: TWILIGHT, the book

Well, I have finally finished it and here's what I have to say: Read Jane Eyre and we'll talk. :-)

Rapaura teams at the Lit Quiz

Congratulations to Ella, Dallas, Sara and Abby who, as "Legs on Lit Quiz", came in a close 2nd and to Bonnie, Sadez, Sasha and Gwen, who as the "Rapaura Were Students", came in a close 3rd! The cup was a wee bit elusive this year but to lose by only 1/2 a point is hardly losing at all. Well done everyone!! You worked very hard and overcame a few obstacles so I am sure you all feel good about your efforts. A huge thank you to Shelley B who came in to help with costumes.

Good news, Jack and Reuben!

YAY!! We have 5 new ZAC POWER books:

Base Camp
Boot Camp
High Stakes
Code Red
Moon Rider

They are now on the New Books shelf and can be reserved.

Little Beauty by Anthony Browne

A very special gorilla has his own special form of sign language and has everything he wants. But he is lonely so the zoo keepers give him Little Beauty, a kitten. They become best friends until Gorilla loses his temper and almost loses his friend too! Check out how Gorilla and Little Beauty do everything together(!!!) and see if you can find the gorilla hiding in the roses. Recommended for all ages.
This was Monday's read-aloud in Rooms 6, 2 and 3 and I think everyone really liked it. (I know I did.)
PS: Yes, Room 3, this book is based on a true story. A gorilla in a Californian zoo "babysat" a kitten, got angry one day and broke a sink (not a tv) and then blamed it on his zookeepers!

And the bookworm award goes to...

Congratulations to Georgia from Room 5 who won the Bookworm Award last week. Georgia did an awesome job of tidying the shelves. Thank you very much and well done!

Thanks!

Wow! Thank you so much for all your posts and suggestions for books for the library. Our library has bought "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" but Mrs Vavasour borrowed it. It will be back soon and in our library! We have our first "Hannah Montana" book and I am almost finished "Twilight" and will process it as soon as. For you Horror fans out there most recently we had Anthony Horowitz's Horror on the New Book Shelf. Watch out for the second one from him which will be available to you soon. Also, "Goodnight, Mr Tom" is already in the libary (although it is a very old-looking edition). I love that someone has requested "Tom Sawyer". It is great to see that the classics still hold interest.
Keep an eye out for your favourite books on the New Book Shelf.

Herbert: The Brave Sea Dog, by Robyn Belton

Hurray for New Zealand picture books! And a huge hurray for Herbert. This is a gorgeous narrative made even more special by the fact that it is based on a true story set in our very own Marlborough Sounds. Herbert, a little dog well-loved by young Tim, is lost at sea after slipping from the deck of a boat. We all know that the Marlborough Sounds can be treacherous and cold - does Herbert survive? The artwork is superb; the use of colour and perspective is striking. The end papers contain maps, photos and newspaper clippings from the time of the real Herbert's disappearance which add visual interest and historic significance. A beautiful book. Highly recommended.
This book was very kindly donated to our library by the publishers (a huge thank you to Craig Potton Publishing in Nelson!)

Edward the Emu

Edward is an emu who thinks the grass is greener in the other enclosures at the zoo. Surely it would be better to be a seal, or a lion, or a snake? After trying to be something he isn't Edward eventually returns to his own pen and discovers a great surprise. This book is a wonderful story about self-knowledge and self-acceptance. It uses rhyme to great advantage but it is the illustrations that take the breath away. An Australian picture book classic. For all readers irregardless of age. Highly recommended.

If the World Were a Village

IMAGINE if you took the world's population and shrunk it down to just 100 people.... This is exactly what David J Smith does in his fascinating book. Our world contains over 6 1/2 billion people. It is difficult to comprehend such a huge number so by reducing it to just 100 people that fit into 1 small village readers are able to begin to understand the lives of our international neighbours. For example: in our global village of 100 people did you know that 34 people always have enough to eat, 16 people are severely undernourished and 50 PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A RELIABLE SOURCE OF FOOD? Unbelievable! (And unbelievably unfair. Roll on 40 Hour Famine) Highly recommended. For ages 9+.

A Fortunate Life, by AB Facey

G'day, Miss Penman. I had never heard of this Australian classic but now I am really intrigued! That this book was penned by someone who had to teach HIMSELF how to read and write is interesting enough but the fact that this was written not long before the author's death and became such a well-loved read makes me want to dip into it tonight. Thanks for the suggestion! (I have found a nice edition of it on Fishpond....)

Warrior Cat Series - WOW (or do I mean MEWOW?)

What a great plug for this book, Sweet Lil Litquiz Girl. Your writing made me want to rush out and buy the series! Thank you so much for taking the time to convince me that I have to find the first book (at least) this week. Isn't it very cool that there are 3 writers (or 2 plus a plot editor)? This is similar to Lionboy's authors: a mum and a daughter. (Now there is a thought for you - and your mum - Sweet LLG!). Ciao (Miao?) for now.

Lionboy!!!!!!!!

Awesome, Horse Lover Kahn. Lionboy is on my bedside table fighting for space - I have the enviable problem of deciding what to read tonight (Lionboy or Twilight)! What a great book Lionboy is (and only 4 chapters read so far). I can't wait to finish it, process it and get it into the library. Thanks for all your lovely comments about this blog and our school library. Hey, if you are such a huge horse lover (and so am I BTW) why don't you let us know some of your favourite horse books? I have read Kaimanawa Princess. Have you? Let us know :-)

Mao's Last Dancer

Hi Reading Rocks,
Thank you so much for your post because up until today I did not realise there is a young reader's version of Mao's Last Dancer. I read this book (the original adult version) several months ago and really loved it. Talk about setting goals for yourself! Boy did I feel humbled. As you may know from a previous post I have just begun reading Twilight (my copy is for the library) but I have to confess I haven't read the Spiderwick series yet. Mmmm, looks like I need to get cracking on some more reading. You rock Reading Rocks: I will try to find the young reader version of Mao's Last Dancer in the bookshops this week. Cheers for now and keep posting.

I HAVE NOTHING TO READ! HELP!!!!!!!

THE TIME: The first Monday morning back after the holidays
THE SCENE: At the school library
THE CHARACTERS: your teacher, your classmates and you. And the weird librarian
THE PLOT: your teacher tells you to get a book for a week
THE CONFLICT: there ain't anything to read!!!!!!!

Argh, this must be the start of a horror movie but nothing is jumping out at you from the shelves. What to do?

PLEASE POST YOUR LITERARY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS BLOG AND LET ME KNOW THE 3 BOOKS THIS LIBRARY HAS TO HAVE. (or the 3 authors or series) If you give me a good enough reason I will run out and buy your recommended books this week!

Gracias!

How Go the Holidays?

Hi everyone! By now the Easter eggs have all been painted and the chocolate has been eaten. (I now weigh 2 more kilos than I used to!) Hurray for the holidays! I hope everyone is having a safe, fun time.
For me the school holidays are the best time to catch up on my reading. I would love to hear what everyone else is reading. Of course, the Lit Quiz Kids are diligently reading the NZ Post books but what are the rest of you reading? Here's what I am up to-

I am currently reading: The Colour by Rose Tremain. (Kindly lent to me by Mrs Stark)
I have just finished reading: The Shack by Wm Paul Young (Kindly lent to me by Mea)
I will next be reading: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (When I find it under the huge pile of books on my desk)
I am continuously reading: Stuff (Internet news), The Marlborough Express, everything about Horse Whispering I can find on the Net, horses and ponies for sale on Trademe, sailboats for sale on Trademe and St John articles and texts for my ambulance training.

With all this reading and chocolate-eating these holidays are going by fast :-) Please post a reply and let me know what you are reading. Happy Holidays!

A quick word on Books for Girls/Books for Boys

There are lots of book reviews that say "Recommended for boys" or "Would suit girls" or something similar. These recommendations should only act as "guidelines". In other words a reader can choose a book based on their own likes and dislikes. If you are a 10 year old boy and want to read a book that says "Recommended for girls" just GO FOR IT! I have read heaps of books "for boys" (and I am a girl) and I know heaps of boys who have read books "for girls".

Aliens Stole My Dog

Aliens Stole My Dog by Ian Whybrow (illustrated by Tony Ross) is a fast and fun read in the series "Books For Boys". On the way home from school David finds a CD which opens up a whole new world for him. David must pilot spaceships, save his dog and appease the Commander of the Klergs. Can he do it? An exciting Quick Read that is not just for boys. Recommended. Find it on the New Books Shelf.

NZ Post Book Quizzers

Today was our first real NZ Post Book Awards meeting . I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. We read two picture books and had quiz questions on them. Congratulations to Jack (age 5) who was in the library at the time and was able to answer question No. 10. Yay!

Next Tuesday we will get into our groups and get stuck into the chapter book finalists. Should be fun. The 3 groups are:

Rachel, Sara, Kahn, Sadez
Abby, Bonnie, Georgia, Ashleigh
Sasha, Gwen, Ella and Dallas

C U then.

Another CHF done and dusted

Well done to everyone who participated and helped out at the Country Harvest Fair. It was a huge success! The weather was kind, the food was good and the fun was had.

Book review #1

Duffy's Search for the Pohutukawa by Alan Duff

Alan Duff of Once Were Warriors and "Books in Homes" fame has written an exciting story for New Zealand kids. Picton, Rotorua, New Zealand history and geysers feature. The change from realism to magic realism at the very end is a little jarring but young readers will no doubt take it in their stride. About choice and friendship this is written in a colloquial style and would be fun to read aloud. Would be great for Room 4 but Mrs Halton will need to practice her Maori beforehand. (Junior Fiction, illustrated)