Thursday 17 December 2015

Merry Christmas

School is out, the sun is shining and summer holidays are here!
Have a very Merry Christmas and may you find some great books to read over the summer. 

 

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Answer a question and win!

School is almost over for the year and Christmas is around the corner. Won't it be great to have time to relax with a good book?  Perhaps one of your Christmas gifts will be a book. If you could choose a book, or even a whole series, to receive for Christmas what would it be?

Fill in the answer on the Google Form below and be in to win a brand new book  (open to Kāpiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 4 December.

Tuesday 17 November 2015

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong

Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for.

Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn’t dare reveal.

The last thing either of them wants is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp alongside five other teens with “issues.” But that’s exactly where they are when three masked men burst in to take the group hostage.

The building has no windows. The exits are sealed shut. Their phones are gone. And their captors are on a killing spree.

Riley and Max know that if they can’t get out, they’ll be next—but they’re about to discover that even escape doesn’t equal freedom.


I had a mixed reaction to this book.  The main characters were well developed and interesting. Max, in particular, is a complex character and the reader comes to understand his struggles of learning to live with schizophrenia. The plot is compelling and the story is a gripping thriller with plenty of plot twists. However parts of the story seemed rather implausible, such as the setting of the therapy weekend, and I found the story had too much violence for my taste.

Reviewed by Carolyn

 

Tuesday 10 November 2015

The Wrappers Recommend

The following books were recommended by Wrappers at the meeting on Friday.  Read one and see if you agree - is it a great read?
NB I've changed the way the title links to the catalogue so hopefully it works for you now. 

Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

The Iron Trial (Magisterium series) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Killing Club by Paul Finch

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong



Thursday 29 October 2015

Answer a Question and Win!

You've been accepted at Hogwarts and you're filled with eager anticipation and some nervousness about which house you will be belong to.  The sorting hat is placed upon your head and, lo and behold, your house is ...................

OK, so you can't actually go to Hogwarts (this year) but you can have a bit of fun online and complete a quiz to find out which house you might be allocated to.  

Harry Potter Personality Quiz

Which Hogwarts House

Hogwarts House Sorting Quiz

These are just a few. You can find other quizzes using the search terms 'which Hogwarts house'.  Submit your entry via the Google Form below (open to Kāpiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on November 6th.





Wednesday 21 October 2015

What to read now?

Want to try something new? Wondering what to read next? Why not look at some suggestions on our website and reserve them directly from the catalogue online. 

The Read page on the Teens section of the library website has some links to book lists.  At the bottom of the page you'll see the cover images of new books. Click on an image and you can go directly to the catalogue record to reserve the book.

There are also some themes that you can use to find books of interest to you. They include Read Alikes - if you liked the Hunger Games or if you liked The Fault in Our Stars. The links go to a catalogue list of similar books.

Also, because you asked for it, there is a link to a catalogue list of the most popular teen books. These titles are the most borrowed books from Kāpiti Libraries over the past year. 

Happy Reading!

http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/libraries/teens/read/

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Damage Done by Amanda Panitch


22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after.
Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend.

After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police.

Now that she’s Lucy Black, she's able to begin again. She's even getting used to the empty bedroom where her brother should be. And her fresh start has attracted the attention of one of the hottest guys in school, a boy who will do anything to protect her. But when someone much more dangerous also takes notice, Lucy's forced to confront the dark secrets she thought were safely left behind.

One thing is clear: The damage done can never be erased. It’s only just beginning. . . .


This was a disturbing and suspenseful story.  I didn’t really warm to any of the characters but it wasn’t supposed to be a feel good read.  Some of the thoughts and actions of the main character, Julia, were odd. The reason for this becomes clear at the end but it did affect the flow of the story for me, and some of the events stretched the imagination.  However the nasty twist at the end does help fill in some of the apparent gaps in the plot.  In many ways this is a clever, gripping thriller. 

Reviewed by Carolyn

Monday 5 October 2015

The Wrappers Recommend

This month's theme read for the Wrappers was murder/mystery. The agreement was that the story should be reality fiction only, no paranormal or sci fi stuff allowed, but that proved to be a bit of a challenge! Here are some of the recommended reads:

Crusher by Nial Leonard

Deadman Wonderland by Jinsei Kataoka

Spiral (Manga online)

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Blood Tracks by Paula Rawsthorne  



Thursday 24 September 2015

Answer a Question and Win

Our reading theme for October's Wrappers meeting is murder/mystery.  Have you found a good one to read this month?  The prize draw question is related to our theme - how do you like your murder mysteries?  Do you prefer them as a book or movie?  Perhaps you'd rather play a game of Cluedo or learn about a real murder mystery in the newspaper in a 'truth is stranger than fiction' kind of way.

You can tick as many answers as you like. Submit your entry via the Google Form below (open to Kāpiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on October 2nd.



Tuesday 22 September 2015

We Were Liars by E Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.


So that's the blurb. It doesn't tell you much about the story line but maybe it's better not to reveal too much.


I liked this book even though I didn’t like it.  It is a great suspense but also tragic.  The characters, including the adults, seemed liked annoying spoilt rich kids at times, but what happens as the family disintegrates is also sad. It’s one of those books that I would say to you ‘read it as I’d really like to know your opinion of it’. Like me, perhaps you’ll be left thinking “what an odd, twisted family story”  but also “what a gripping tale of woe.”
 
Reviewed by Carolyn


Monday 14 September 2015

Being Magdalene by Fleur Beale

Being Magdalene revisits the Pilgrim family and its closed religious community, The Children of the Faith.

Four years have passed since Rebecca ran away. The community simmers with tension and rumours of an approaching split, and life has become terrifying for Rebecca's remaining siblings as Elder Stephen seizes any chance to take revenge on them. Twelve-year-old Magdalene lives in fear that her strong-willed little sister, Zillah, will be his next target.

The girls have run out of people who can protect them. To Zillah their path is clear but Magdalene is torn. How can she cause more hurt and shame for her parents? But, equally, how can she face a life with no freedom to be herself?

And another question scares her most of all. Without the elders' suffocating rules that tell her how to live, who would Magdalene be?


I was excited to see this book arrive at Paraparaumu Library as I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Fleur Beale's previous novels about the Children of the Faith. Being Magdalene is just as gripping and thought provoking as the previous stories. Of all the Pilgrim children Magdalene is the one most torn between the decision to stay or leave. She is struggling to cope psychologically in the strict religious community but will removing the structures and rules she has grown up with be the answer to her problems?  Highly recommended. 

Reviewed by Carolyn





Monday 7 September 2015

The Wrappers Recommend

Books discussed, liked and recommended at the August Wrappers meeting.

Batman - Nightfall    (If you like graphic novels this is one of the best Batman books - Peter) 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

Deadpool (Marvel graphic novel)

Things Not Seen  by Andrew Clements

Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn  (ebook - free from Amazon) 


 

Wednesday 2 September 2015

The Cat at the Wall by Deborah Ellis



A cat sneaks into a small Palestinian house on the West Bank that has been commandeered by two Israeli soldiers. The house seems empty, until the cat realizes that a little boy is hiding beneath the floorboards.
Should she help him?
After all, she’s just a cat.
Or is she?

It turns out that this particular cat was once a regular North American girl, one who wasn't used to thinking about anyone but herself. That was before she died and came back to life as a cat, in a place with a whole different set of rules for survival. 

While the premise of a teenager being reincarnated as a cat seemed bizarre at first the author has cleverly developed an engrossing story narrated by a cat/teen.  The story alternates between her American girl life and her cat life in a conflict zone.
As a girl reincarnated as a cat she still thinks like human, but her behaviour as a cat and the response of the people around her to a cat, means she is uniquely placed to experience the unfolding drama of the situation she finds herself in. 

This is a story of amazing complexity for such a short book (142 pages) and it is a very rewarding read.  Highly recommended.




Friday 28 August 2015

Answer a Question and Win

Where is your favourite place to read? Is it in the library or in your bedroom? Perhaps you prefer the fresh air outside or a busy place such as a cafe with a book in one hand and a snack in the other.

Choose your favourite place from the list below. Submit your entry via the Google Form below (open to Kāpiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on September 4th. 




Thursday 20 August 2015

The Wrappers Recommend

Books discussed, liked and recommended at the August Wrappers meeting.

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah


Monday 17 August 2015

Mandy Hager Wins Book of the Year



Great news -  our very own local author, Mandy Hager, has won the overall prize at the 2015 N.Z. Children’s Book Awards.  Her novel, Singing Home the Whale, won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award and the Best Young Adult Fiction award.  Mandy is great supporter of Kāpiti Libraries and a very talented author.   
  
Other awards went to:
Best picture book - Jim's Letters by Glyn Harper, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
Best junior fiction - Monkey Boy by Donovan Bixley 
Best non-fiction - Motiti Blue and the Oil Spill by Debbie McCauley and Tamati Waaka
Maori language - Nga Ki by Sacha Cotter, translated by Kawata Teepa
Best first book - Maori Art for Kids by Julie Noanoa