This song has been chosen as the official Te Reo Māori song to support our Olympic athletes at Rio. It ties in with the theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, 'ākina te reo - behind you all the way'. You will recognize at least one of the Māori sayings that you were taught to say when encouraging a team. See if you can pick it out. There are lots of others in the video you could learn as well.
Meet Max - it's 1936, Bavaria, and he's still a foetus inside his blonde, blue-eyed mother. Utterly indoctrinated in the Nazi ideology, he will address you, tell you his story until 1945 - his destiny as an exceptional being, the prototype of the 'Lesbensborn' program, designed to produce the perfect specimens of the Aryan race to regenerate the Reich. When Max meets Lukas, a young Polish boy who resembles him but who rebels against the Nazi system, cracks start to appear in Max's convictions. (Back cover)
Paul Diamond provides an interesting review of this book in a radio interview at Radio New Zealand.
When environmental scientist Laura Alvarado is sent to a remote Antarctic island to report on an abandoned whaling station, she begins to uncover more that she could ever imagine.
This novel rates very well on Good Reads click on the link to read reviews about this tense, eerie thriller.
Heading off on tour with the hottest band in the world, Nina's ready for tantrums, paparazzi and drama - but soon discovers there's more to The Point than just guitars and girls... (Back cover)
Sophia Bennett, the author talks a little about her novel in the following video.
Need any more convincing? Read an extract of the book here.
The library committee has organised for you to take a chance on a blind date with a book. Choose your date from the selection on display and issue it to yourself. To go into the draw for the pamper pack (below) use the bookmark inside your 'date' to rate your reading experience. Write your name on the back of the bookmark and place it in the box in the library. Prize draw will be done on Monday 20th June.
Celestine
North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked
by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art
Crevan. But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an
instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing
repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be
found FLAWED. (Back cover)
Cecelia Ahern talks about her book with Anthony Breznican at the L.A. Times Festival of Books in the following video.
Stella Gordon's life is a lie. She does not belong in Thunder Basin, Nebraska. As
the star witness in a murder trial against a drug dealer, Stella is now in the
Witness Protection Program. The small town locals can never know who she really
is. Not even Chet Falconer, the one boy who makes her want to reveal her true
self. She knows that telling the truth will only bring violence to this safe
haven.
Despite how hard Stella tries to stay under the
radar, danger is fast-approaching. (Source: Simon and Schuster)
Anya
used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand-new life. But as she sits
in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and
the place where she once belonged. Then Anya meets bad boy Dan. He's no angel,
but she's sure there's a sweeter side to him. And when things begin to fall
apart, Anya realizes she's not alone - how can Dan be such bad news when being
with him feels like heaven? (Back cover)
Read or listen to an extract of the book at CathyCassidy
Book 1 in the Soldier Girl series. Set in an alternate World War 2 where young women are called up to fight alongside men, this is the story of Rio Richlin and her sisters-in-arms as they go into battle against Hitler's forces. Read a review here and check out the book trailer below.
She knows duck-billed platypuses don’t have stomachs.
She knows that fourteen squirrels were once detained as spies.
She knows that both chess and snakes and ladders were invented in the same country.
And for once, Harriet knows exactly how her life should go. She’s got it ALL planned out. So her friends seem less than happy, Harriet is determined to Make Things Happen!
If only everyone else would stick to the script…
But is following the rules going to break hearts for GEEK GIRL? (Source: HarperCollins)
Good Reads reviews are raving about the fifth book in the Geek Girl series.
Twenty Questions for Gloria
Gloria is tired of her ordinary life. So when a mysterious boy bent on breaking the rules strolls into her classroom , Gloria is ready to fall under his spell. By the time she learns the truth about him, she is a long way from home... (Back cover) This thriller will have you intrigued, read a review here.
It's 1942, and Featherston becomes the location for a prisoner-of-war camp for Japanese soldiers. Ewen and his friends are given the impression that these enemies deserve to be treated harshly. On seeing the prisoners through a barbed wire fence, the boys only see people, not a dangerous and cruel enemy. However, tensions are rising.....
The story is based on an historical incident that resulted in the death of Japanese prisoners and one guard. It has been described as a dark moment in New Zealand's history. You can find out more by reading this article from the Dominion Post.
New Zealand Sign Language
Week is an opportunity for all New Zealanders to find out a bit more about New
Zealand Sign Language, and get a chance to try it for themselves.
Try your ninja signing skills in this online game. It is challenging but worth a go. Listen to the following video about Ren who expresses her frustration at the way others treat her because she is deaf. I am guilty of number four. I attended a community class to learn sign language and it was the first encounter I had to converse with a deaf person and I fell into this trap. I learnt a lot about my own ignorance. Have you seen or heard of any of the other ten?
