Botany Downs Secondary College Library Blog

New books at the library!

2009-09-03T09:52:00.000+12:00

War of the witches / Carranza, Maite
Book 1

The chosen one will arrive one day.
She'll have fire in her hair,
Wings and scales on her skin
A howl in her throat,
And death in her eyes.

She will ride the sun
And brandish the moon

When her mother disappears without a trace, Anaíd is baffled. Taken in by friends, she learns a shocking truth: her mother is a witch, but not just any witch . . . She is the chosen one who is prophesied to end a bloody war with the cruel Odish clans who are intent on attaining eternal life, at whatever cost. As Anaíd struggles with this discovery, she starts developing powers of her own, and sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue her mother and, ultimately, herself. This magical fantasy by internationally acclaimed author Maite Carranza delves deeply into the unspoken ties between mothers and daughters and the mysteries of growing up. (summary taken from publisher's website)

The society of S / Hubbard, Susan
Society of S: Book 1

Aqriella Montero is a sweet, sensitive 13-year-old girl from Saratoga Springs. Unbeknownst to her, she is also a vampire. Raised by her widowed father, Ari is told she has a weak immune system and should stay away from crowds. When she learns that her father is also a vampire and that her mother may not be dead at all, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth about herself and her family.(summary taken from publisher's website)

The forest of hands & teeth / Ryan, Carrie
In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? (summary taken from publisher's website)

The devil you know / Norrington, Leonie

88 is angry. Damien can feel it prickling the air between them. Every muscle in his body is taut, ready to run, planning his escape over the fire between those chairs and straight down to the creek. But he can't run. Not yet. Nothing has happened, yet. He'd just make a fool of himself. Out of the corner of his eye he watches as 88 slowly packs tobacco in a cigarette paper, rolls it into a cylinder, gets up and moves to sit right next to Damien, so close Damien has to clench his teeth and hang onto the chair to stop himself from bolting.Damien can't bear the thought of 88 coming back to live with him and Mum; memories of past violence are too strong. But there's glamour in having a father who rides a Harley Davidson and it leads Damien to run with the in-crowd at school and abandon his real friends. (summary taken from publisher's website)

Dark calling / Shan, Darren

The Demonata: Book 9

“I know it's ridiculous. Lights can't whisper. But I swear I heard a voice calling to me. It sounded like static to begin with, but then it came into focus, a single word repeated over and over. Softly, slyly, seductively, insistently. Come…"The Disciples are being manipulated by beings older than time. Only Kernel Fleck knows that something is wrong. But he is in the grip of a creature who cares nothing for the fate of humanity. Voices are calling to him from the darkness and he's powerless to resist.Kernel has already been to hell and back. Now he's about to go further… (summary taken from publisher's website)

Plague of the undead / Cross, Gary
Chronicles of blood: Book 1

Northern Italy, September 10, 1650

The boy knew his father was going to kill him.

Just like he'd killed everyone else tonight.

The boy's mother, his two older sisters and baby brother, the servants.

All of them dead.

When Lucius is ten years old his father returns home one evening as a vampire and destroys his entire family. By luck Lucius is spared.
Fifteen years later Lucius has joined the elite group of vampire hunters that saved his life that night. Now it's his turn to lead the hunt - this time on the trail of a master vampire who has survived hundreds of years and is intent on turning the world into a vampire race.
Through Paris and the wilds of Europe Lucius tracks his quarry, eventually running him to ground in the plague-infested streets of London.
But this is no ordinary vampire and the skills Lucius has used in the past have no effect on this extraordinary foe. Will Lucius be able to survive or will he too enter the realm of the undead? (summary taken from publisher's website)

Anzac Day 25th April - Lest we forget

2009-04-02T08:33:00.015+13:00

Anzac Day is the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli by the Australian and New Zealand Army.

The Poppy worn by many on Anzac Day is a traditional symbol of remembrance for the fallen.

On display right now are our books on Anzac Day.
Some of the titles are:

Harry and the Anzac poppy / LOC
Anzac Day / 355.009 BOO
The donkey man / HAR
Grandad's medals / DUN
The Anzac's at Gallipoli / 940.4 PUG
On active service : New Zealand at war / 355 NZ WOL
All quiet on the Western Front / REM
The Western Front / 940.4 BAR
All quiet on the Western Front DVD
Soldier boy : the true story of Jim Martin the youngest Anzac HIL
The Gallipoli story / 940.4 CAR
The Anzac experience / 940.4 NZ PUG
Scarecrow army : the ANZACS at Gallipoli / 940.4 NZ DAV

Check out the catalogue to see all available titles.

Henderson boys

2009-03-17T15:12:00.001+13:00

From the bestselling author of the Cherub series Robert Muchamore:

No 1 in the new series Henderson boys : The escape.

Set in 1940, two British children are being hunted by the German Army and Charles Henderson is trying to reach them firt. Action packed read.

NZ Post Book Award Finalists 2009

2009-03-12T08:43:00.002+13:00

Great titles, grab one and getting reading it today.
Check them out, on display in the Fiction section

The boy in the striped pyjamas

2009-03-12T08:30:00.009+13:00

A world of innocence in a world of ignoranace

Finally this much read novel is now a film.

About...
Bruno has just moved into an isolated house in the middle of nowhere and he feels imprisoned by his mother's warnings never to venture beyond the garden's high walls. And he's captivated by the view from his bedroom window: a strange sort of farm, he thinks, where the workers seem to have jumped straight out of bed to work on the fields....

View the trailer by clicking here

International Poetry Competition

2009-03-05T13:26:00.004+13:00

The New Zealand Poetry Society's annual International Poetry Competition Verse and Haiku, is now underway.

The Junior Open and Junior Haikau sections are open to students who are under 17 years of age or younger on 31 May 2009.

Details and entry forms are on the website, as well as last year's results, including the winning poems. Cash prizes.

Visit the website by clicking here

Coming soon....

2009-02-23T12:29:00.007+13:00

Double cross by Malorie Blackman.
The 4th in the Noughts & Crosses series.

Leave us a comment if you would like to reserve it.

Movie - Slumdog millionaire

2009-02-18T12:05:00.010+13:00

Based on the novel Q & A by Vikras Swarup, it is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much?

View trailer here

Nation by Terry Pratchett

2009-02-10T09:30:00.011+13:00

On the day the world ends...
...Mau is on his way home from the Boy's Island. Soon he will be a man.
And then the wave comes - a huge wave, dragging black night behind it and bringing in a schooner, the Sweet Judy, which sails over and through the island rainforest. As the ship comes to a crashing halt, only one soul is a left alive (or two, if you count parrots).

Read review

Available now for issue.

2009-02-09T15:17:00.007+13:00

Filming of the first Tintin movie has begun this month and Tintin has been cast.
Word has it that the first Tintin movie will be based on The Secret
of the Unicorn.

Read more here

New from J K Rowling

2009-02-09T09:22:00.004+13:00

The tales of Beedle the Bard

A collection of wizarding fairytales.

1.The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

2. The Fountain of Fair Fortune

3. The Warlock's Hairy Heart

4. Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump

5. The Tale of the Three Brothers

Available for issue now.

2009-02-09T09:20:00.001+13:00

Welcome back everybody and a warm welcome to students new to BDSC.
We look forward to your comments on our Blog.

Christmas traditions from around the world

2008-12-05T09:50:00.014+13:00

Check out some of these sites to see how other
cultures celebrate Christmas.

Christmas traditions - BBC website
A picture gallery explaining the legends and history behind some
of the traditions associated with an English Christmas.

Christmas around the world
Describes a typical Christmas Day in 20 different countries.

The symbols and traditions of Christmas
History of the symbols and images associated with Christmas.

Why Christmas?
Various Christmas customs from around the world.

New from Brian Falkner

2008-12-05T09:11:00.007+13:00

The tomorrow code

If you could send a message through time....
To the past....
To yourself...
What would you send?
Advice
A warning
Exam answers
Lotto numbers

Tane and Rebecca have just received a message. A message from the future.
They must act - and fast.
Crack the code......or tomorrow is history.

View the book trailer by clicking here

Tell us what you think
Get involved, share your thoughts by leaving a brief comment.

2008-11-14T13:00:00.011+13:00

Rangers apprentice Book 8
The kings of Clonmel

Will is at the annual Ranger Gathering but Halt is investigating mysterious happenings in the west. When he does finally return, it's with bad news. Hibernia is in turmoil. A false religious cult calling themselves the Outsiders are sowing confusion and sedition, and five of the six Hibernian kingdoms have been undermined. Now the sixth, Clonmel, is in danger. Halt, Will and Horace set out to restore order. Can the secrets of Halt's past help them in their mission? One ranger can stop a riot, but this time two Rangers may not be enough....

Check out all the titles in the series by clicking here

You may leave a comment for the Library staff if you would like to reserve this book.

2008-11-07T12:22:00.003+13:00

Botany Downs Secondary Junior Students were visited this week by Ms Leslie Longsdale-Cooper. Aged 85 and on holiday here from the UK Leslie is the translator of the Tintin books from French to English. And what stories she had to tell.

2008-11-07T11:59:00.006+13:00

The Movie

Opens Boxing Day

View trailer here

2008-11-03T15:26:00.008+13:00

from Terry Pratchett
Nation

After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all the things that are important in their lives.

Subjects
Tsunamis - Fiction
Survival - Fiction
Human relations - Fiction
Adventure stories

Genetics and Reproduction Year 10

2008-10-21T15:51:00.028+13:00

These are the sources that will help you find the information you need for your Genetics and Reproduction research.
Remember to use a variety of different sources.

You have been given this assignment to:

Appreciate that Science is relevant in every one's daily life

Emphasise the positive impact that scientific discoveries
continue to make

Understand that Science is a developing discipline in which
major discoveries continue to be made

During our lesson today we looked at:

The Library catalogue
Search terms
Medical advances 610.28
Cloning 571.8
Stem cells 174
Checkout the websites linked from the catalogue.

Databases
Epic had an abundance of sources of information

Discovering Collection
Health & Wellness
Encyclopedia Britannica
Opposing Viewpoints
Proquest Science

Don't forget about World Book Online.

Many Answers
You can still search Many Answers even if you can't see your keyword in the tag cloud.
Searching Cloning on Many Answers links you to "How stuff works"
and Genetic diseases to Kids Health.

And lastly don't forget the web based resources book marked using
del.ici.ous

Any good sites that you find, leave a comment and share it with your class.

Noman

2008-10-16T16:35:00.007+13:00

If you enjoyed Seeker and Jango then I know you will enjoy the third book in The Noble Warriors series.
The legendary fighter monks are no more. The mighty warlord of Orlan has managed to destroy their fortress. Without a base or a leader the Nomana's power has grown weak and the fighters have scattered across the land. And so the hunt begins for a new leader and an answer to the mystery that has never been uncovered.
Grab it now!!!

Rita Angus

2008-10-16T15:30:00.013+13:00

Rita Angus is one of New Zealand's most signifant artists. She was a pioneer of modern painting in New Zealand and influenced many other well-known local artists.
This year being the centenary of her birth Te Papa in Wellington is holding an exhibition of her work.
By clicking here you can browse Rita's sketchbooks, listen to commentaries about her work and follow podcasts of behind the scenes of the exhibition.

Two new titles available now are:
Rita Angus : life and vision
Rita Angus : an artists life

College goes all out for refugees

2008-09-26T09:46:00.005+12:00

Doing extra chores at home helped year 10 students at Botany Downs Secondary College raise money for a worthy cause......
read more

Diversity

2008-09-24T14:29:00.011+12:00

Here is a selection of titles where the genre reflects the
multicultural make-up of our school.

Fiction
Does my head look big in this?
Journey to Jo'burg
Walk in my shows
The river sai
Broken glass
First crossing
Mahtab's story
Boy overboard
Sold
The arrival

Non Fiction
Zlata's diary
One day we had to run
Economic migrants
Migration and refugees
Refugee camp
Immigration and asylum
Refugees

The noble warriors trilogy

2008-09-24T10:44:00.008+12:00

Those of you who have been waiting for the last in the trilogy,
Noman is here now. You can leave us a comment if you would
like to reserve it.

Read more about the book including an excerpt by clicking here

Book Club

2008-09-22T15:55:00.001+12:00

Next get together for Book Club is Monday Term 4 Week 2.
Look forward to seeing you all again then and hearing about
what you read over the holidays.

Mrs McCauley

Juno of taris

2008-09-19T10:19:00.009+12:00

An excellent read for all ages really. Plenty of twists and turns and revelations, that keep the momentum going. A futuristic book, which explores what we could be...maybe...

Reviewed by Mrs Stuart

Read a description here

Darren Shan Demonata series

2008-09-15T11:43:00.009+12:00

For those of you following this thrilling series Book 6 Demon apocalypse and Book 7 Death's shadow are here now. Book 8 Wolf island is due for release in October.
Read Synopsis here

Check out Darren Shan quizzes and trivia.

Coming soon.....

2008-09-08T17:04:00.010+12:00

Book 3 in the Inheritance cycle series
by
Christopher Paolini

You may make a reservation for it by leaving a comment to this post.

Stephanie Meyer

2008-09-08T16:36:00.009+12:00

Stephanie Meyer has put on hold the release of her 5th title 'Midnight sun' after a partial draft was posted on the Internet. She says she knows who leaked it and has shelved it indefinitley.

Read the full article

September is New Zealand Book Month

2008-09-05T10:21:00.007+12:00

New Zealand Book Month is a celebration of New Zealand writers and their work.

Published in conjuction is The six pack. Six succulent segments of winning New Zealand writing will satisfy the appetite of the most ravenous reader. Pick one up today!

http://www.nzbookmonth.co.nz