Suggested Reading Lists - Newly independent readers and first chapter books

    

     

Year 3-4 suggested reading lists

Fiction

Newly independent readers love reading books in a series but can get ‘stuck’ on one favourite. There's a huge variety of simply gorgeous early reader books out there, and we've listed just a few popular ones in the collections below.

Give these series a go:

* Tashi – Anne Fienberg

* Zac Power – H.I. Larry (several series)

* Horrible Henry – Francesca Simon

* Flat Stanley – Jeff Brown

* The magic treehouse – Mary Pope Osborne

* Geronimo Stilton, Thea Stilton, and The kingdom of fantasy series– Geronimo Stilton

* Ella and Olivia – Yvette Poshoglian

* Sporty kids – Felice Arena

* Hey, Jack! & Billie B Brown – Sally Rippin

* Aussie Nibbles; Aussie Bites; Kiwi Bites – various authors

* The magic school bus science chapter books  – Joanna Cole

* Boy vs. beast, D-Bot Squad – Mac Park

* Rainbow magic series - Daisy Meadows

    

                       

For further extension, these fantastic fiction authors will excite and challenge your Year 3 and 4 readers(7-8 year old):

* Michael Morpurgo

* Lauren Child – Clarice Bean and Ruby Redfort series

* Megan McDonald – Judy Moody and Stink series

* Shamini Flint – Diary of a sport star (not!) series

* Jacqueline Harvey – Alice Miranda and Clementine Rose             series

* Amelia Cobb – Zoe’s rescue zoo series

* Aaron Blabey – The bad guys series

* Jeffery Brown – Jedi Academy series

* Kyle Mewburn - Dinosaur rescue/ Dragon Knight series(NZ)

* Kate DiCamillo – Mercy Watson series

* Chris Blake – Time Hunters series

* Dan Gutman – My weird school series

* Anna Branford – Violet Mackerel series

* James Russell – The Dragon Defenders (NZ)

* The Jolley-Rogers series by Jonny Duddle

* Kelly Wilson – Showtym Adventures, Horse series (NZ)

And lastly, some of our old favourites; oldies but goodies:

* Roald Dahl – The Twits, The magic finger, and many more

* Judy Blume – Tales of a fourth grade nothing series

    * C.S. Lewis – The Narnia chronicles

    * Dick King-Smith: wonderful books about animals

    * Joyce Lankester Brisley – Milly Molly Mandy

    * E.B. White – Stuart Little & Charlotte’s Web

    * Astrid Lindgren – Pippi Longstocking

    * Enid Blyton – The Secret Seven, The Famous Five and The Magic Faraway Tree.

                                                        

Need More suggestions? 

Ask our Librarians, or email

Michele Coombridge michele.coombridge@pinehurst.school.nz

If you like Harry Potter ... try these

If you like Harry Potter-style fantasy...try some of these  reading suggestions.

Recently I made a wall display featuring some 'if you loved Harry Potter' reading suggestions. We get asked for Harry Potter read-alike book recommendations all the time, so, I thought I would turn our suggested fantasy book list into a blog post 

Below is a little blurb about each book and a comment on why I think it is a good 'read after' for the ever popular Harry Potter series.. 😀 

From Goodreads: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. 

The Percy Jackson series is an eternal favourite, and the second most popular series in our library. Suitable for all ages.

From Goodreads: This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unravelling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds - through an accidental gap, a portal of sorts, that hasn't appeared in centuries, and it’s attached itself to a parking meter just outside Madeleine’s home.

I am a fan of the complete uniqueness of this clever fantasy trilogy filled with adorable characters who will appeal to those who love the Harry Potter cast. A complex plot, more suited mature readers.

 

The classic fantasy that has stood the test of time and continues to impact children everywhere. Narnia… the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter, a magical country waiting to be set free. 

Suitable for all ages.

From Goodreads: It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before, and powered by a secret cipher hidden within their creations. But after the Morningstarr’s disappeared, the puzzle was never solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world became little more than a tourist attraction.

Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment house—until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. And if Tess, Theo and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to find the clues and solve it themselves. 

Suitable for all ages.

Suitable for mature readers only, Year 9/10 upwards. Contains offensive language and violence. (Think, Harry Potter - the first year of university days).

In the start of this  all-new series, Naomi Novik introduces us to a dangerous school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death – until one girl begins to rewrite its rules.

El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school. Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it... that is, unless she has no other choice.

From Goodreads: When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him. The ensuing quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies - and where a team of scientists is conducting experiments too horrible to be spoken about.

Lyra overcomes these strange terrors, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for her - something with consequences which may even reach beyond the Northern Lights...

   

From Goodreads: Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

We love the Nevermoor series at Pinehurst and have celebrated each new book on its release. This enchanting series is popular with all age groups, young or old.

From Goodreads: Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real life—orphans are just kids without parents. At least that’s what Denizen thought. . . .

On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to a car that almost growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride into the city, they are attacked. Denizen soon learns that monsters can grow out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep them at bay

A sinister fantasy that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Suitable for year 7 and 8 upwards. 

  

Eleven-year-old Casper Tock hates risks, is allergic to adventures and shudders at the thought of unpredictable events. So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts. All Casper wants is to find a way home, but Rumblestar is in trouble

A fantastic novel suitable for all ages.

This is the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who have been taught to hate each other like poison; and the thrilling tale of what happens when their two worlds collide.

Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests. The Wizard boy, Xar, should have come in to his magic by now, but he hasn't, so he wants to find a witch and steal its magic for himself. But if he's got any chance of finding one, he will have to travel into the forbidden Badwoods. Xar doesn't realise he is about to capture an entirely different kind of enemy. A Warrior girl called Wish.  So good! Suitable all ages.

From Goodreads: When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' -- and its owner, Mr Silver -- draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.

Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.

But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble. Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?

Ross MacKenzie unleashes a riot of imagination, color and fantasy in this astonishing adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Cornelia Funke and Neil Gaiman. 

Suitable all ages.

Other fabulous fantasy suggestions:

The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke 

The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Uncommoners Series (The Crooked Sixpence) by Jennifer Bell

The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan   

  

  Take a look at these new books for staff and senior students.

                                Fiction         

                                                     

                        

1. Home Stretch - Graham Norton's latest novel, set in his trademark Irish small village.

2. Girl, Woman, Other - Booker Prize winner 2019.

3. Addressed to Greta - A NZ novel gaining a lot of attention. Fiona Sussman is a Pinehurst Parent from a few years back. 

4. The Dry - Seen the movie? Read the book, and the other titles by this author. 

                                   

5. Where the Crawdads Sing - read the book everyone is raving about.

6. Boy Swallows Universe - A story of love and loyalty against the background of a dark 

    and sinister underworld.

7 Mr Wilder and Me - A woman looks back on a summer in Greece, when she worked on 

     the set of the Billy Wilder Movie, Fedora. 

8. Pachinko - Historical fiction following four generations of a Korean family, through Korea and Japan. 

                                                                        

                                                   Non-Fiction 

                                                                         

               

Have you used our eBook Platform? Install the Wheeler's ePlatform APP

 on your smart phone or tablet. Log in with your Pinehurst email and password. 

 

eBook available

eAudio available

eBook available

eBook available

Email: Library@pinehurst.school.nz 

 If you'd like to borrow or reserve one of these titles. Enjoy!

 💗

Donovan Bixley

 

Donovan Bixley visited us at Pinehurst in the last few weeks of November 2020, so I was greatly delighted when I came across his name while reading the Queen’s list of New Year’s Honours this year. Donovan received a ONZM honour for services to children’s literature as an illustrator. Our warmest congratulations go out to you, Donovan!

Donovan is a very engaging and entertaining presenter. While he was speaking to our year three and four students he elaborated on his creative process and his dream for making a book series about adventurous pilots flying aircraft like the Spitfire. As he spoke, he illustrated his thinking process on a drawing board and drew illustrations to show how his creative thinking progressed. This process left him wondering: what if those brave pilots where actually cats!

The series that evolved is so very cute and clever – mixing a little touch of history with a good dollop of fantasy. The ‘Flying Furballs’ books are very popular with our young readers and since Donovan’s visit, we have purchased another full set to keep up with the borrowing demand. 

Take a look at this video to see where some of Donovan Bixley's  cat-spiration comes from:

Donovan Bixley is a talented artist who illustrates all his own stories and is in high demand as an illustrator for other writers. You can see his work in books by authors such as Kyle Mewburn and Barry Crump.

His work has been published in many languages and we are very fortunate to have the Chinese editions of the Dragon Knight (Kyle Mewburn, author) series in our World Languages collections.

Just last week, Donovan was in contact again –  offering us his latest translation in Chinese. We are very thankful to have such a range of quality children’s resources available to us in our collections, and it is especially wonderful to have books that support some of the home languages of our school community.

   

                                                                               

New books to get excited about

New books in the library - Term Two 

Here's an overview of some of the new books that arrived in the library last term. There are so many great titles and a real mix of genres and themes. All are 4-5 star reads in our opinion - and we highly recommend them.  

Keep your eye out for regular blog posts that feature our wonderful new books.  

 

A joyful story of misfit travellers 

  

      Chasing Vermeer - features some very clever kids solving an art crime that has remained undetected for decades. Coded puzzles that must be solved are included in the story.

                                             

Katherine Rundell, author of The Explorers and
The Wolf-Wilder, nails it again in her
latest children's
novel.





Nowhere is a dry and dusty town in Arizona.This realistic adventure is a mix of Holes & the movie 'Stand by Me'. 
Simply perfect storytelling.




This story puts children in charge - empowering them to make a difference. Exciting action adventure - an alternative for students who love the CHERUB series.




A marvelous fantasy in a modern Narnia - like setting
💗 

Senior College Reading: 

Fabulous teen fiction - 5 Star recommendations.

New books in the Primary library:

         

             

Ask the librarians to help you find these great books - if they're not on the shelves you can reserve them at the library desk.

                       We💖reading for pleasure. 

  

                                                

                                                          

We're Back!

It's so good to be back in the library. It was incredibly quiet without any students around and only a skeleton staff on the campus during Level 3 restrictions. However, it was a great feeling to be back in the shelves again, organising the items we had been working on over lockdown, and having access to our book collections once more. It is a pretty cool and unique thing when your school principal deems the library staff 'essential services' and calls you back in to the workplace. 

Book Parcels 

Our plan was to get books out to our school community families who were still in lockdown at home - using our own library version of 'click and collect'. I remembered an idea I had used when making up Christmas holiday reading parcels and quickly made up an online sign-up form that was sent home to all families. After overcoming a slight techno hitch (note to self: always check the links before sending off the email!) students of all ages started signing up with great enthusiasm. It was so much fun hand-selecting recommended reading for the parcels going home. Sixty eight parcels were sent out over the two week period we ran this promotion. The quirky questions and feedback that returned to us, encouraged our efforts and made the project very rewarding. 

                                            

eBooks and eAudio

Our eBook platform was set up just a couple of weeks before we all went into lockdown. Usually educating students about how and where to access such online collections takes quite a bit of promotion. However, the unique conditions imposed by lockdown saw students and parents discovering the delights of eBook and eAudio without any advance explanation! 

The borrowing stats on both the primary and college eBook platforms have been extraordinary. Twice during the first months we hit our maximum number of loans when students borrowed over 350 books per month! Since returning to school in level 2 the stats have of course dropped, but remain steady.

I could not have dreamed of a more incredible uptake of these wonderful collections. Download the ePlatform app and start browsing the collections  found there. 

Download the ePlatform App for easy access to the Pinehurst Primary & Pinehurst College ePlatforms!

                                                                                  ⇩