March is our month to focus on family times. Browse events and resources that cater for young and old. Babytimes and Storytimes at your local library are a great way to enjoy music, stories and rhymes with preschoolers. Getting ready for school? Learning parties and our Ready for reading packs help get you and the kids sorted for this big adventure. The Pulse is our website with practical information and more for Christchurch teens. We also offer tailored services for older adults. Learning Centres provide innovative programmes and a fun learning environment for all generations. Keep up with cool new stuff for kids. Subscribe to our Picture Books and Kids newsletters to get an email about the latest books. You can also check out our monthly New Titles for CDs, DVDs, fiction and picture books. |
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New and Recently Released!
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From Earth's end; the best of New Zealand comicsby Adrian KinnairdShowcases the best New Zealand comics being produced today, and features stories in a range of comic and cartoon genres by over 30 of New Zealand's most prominent cartoonists, from internationally recognised creators to new emerging talents. The first major book dedicated to New Zealand cartoonists, the collection also features interviews with creators, rare historical information and comics appreciations from notable New Zealanders including Dick Frizzell, Chris Knox, Emily Perkins, Elizabeth Knox, Vincent Ward, Jonathan King and more.
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Salt, sugar, fat : how the food giants hooked usby Michael MossA Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative reporter traces the rise of the processed food industry and how addictive salt, sugar and fat have enabled its dominance throughout the past half century, drawing on confidential reports and inside sources to reveal deliberate corporate practices behind current trends in obesity, diabetes and other health challenges.
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Man belong Mrs Queenby Matthew BaylisBaylis discovered the existence of a Philip cult on the South Sea island of Tanna. Why was it there? Nobody had a convincing answer. Nobody even seemed to want to find one. His curiosity fatally piqued, Baylis travelled over 10,000 miles to find a society both remote and slap-bang in the shipping-lanes of history. A place where US airmen, Lithuanian libertarians, Corsican paratroopers and Graeco-Danish Princes have had as much impact as the missionaries and the slave-traders. On the rumbling slopes of this remarkable volcanic island, banjaxed by daily doses of the local narcotic, suffering from a diet of yams and regularly accused of being a divine emissary of the Duke, Baylis uncovered a religion unlike any other on the planet. Self-deprecating, hilarious and enlightening, "Man Belong Mrs Queen" is travel writing at its horizon-expanding best.
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Kangaroo Dundee
by Chris Barns
One determined man, a mob of baby kangaroo orphans and a story full of heart.
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Absolutely barkingby Michele HansonThe world of dog ownership in Britain has always attracted a good number of enthusiasts some would say eccentrics who are passionate about their pets. Whereas in previous decades owners had only dog obedience classes and dog shows to cater for their interests, there is now a huge industry offering a wealth of canine-centred activities, such as extreme grooming, dog dancing schools, luxury dog spas and bespoke designers offering a baffling choice of pet accessories.
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Ghost hunters : William James and the search for scientific proof of life after deathby Deborah BlumTraces how the respected psychologist brother of Henry James announced his belief in the paranormal at the end of the nineteenth century and set out to gather scientific data proving the existence of ghosts, an endeavor for which he formed the American Society for Psychical Research along with contemporaries Richard Hodgson and James Hyslop.
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| I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom's Highway by Greg KotThough Mavis Staples has recently enjoyed a career resurgence as a solo artist, she's probably best known for singing with her family on the church circuit in Chicago before they made their way up the charts with songs like "I'll Take You There." In addition to describing their movements though gospel, R&B, and even disco, author Greg Kot also details friendships with other artists, like Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, and their involvement with the civil rights movement. Check out I'll Take You There for full immersion in the Mavis Staples sound.
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The Godfather Family Album
by Steve Schapiro
.As special photographer on the sets and locations of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, Steve Schapiro had the remarkable experience of witnessing legendary actors giving some of their most memorable performances. Schapiro immortalized Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton in photos that have since become iconic images, instantly recognisable and endlessly imitated. Gathered together for the first time in this book are Schapiro's finest photographs from all three Godfather films, lovingly reproduced from the original negatives.
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Where countries come to play : celebrating the world of Olympic hockey and the Triple Gold Club
by Andrew Podnieks
Where Countries Come to Play chronicles each Olympic tournament, from the 1920 Antwerp games to Vancouver in 2010. Illustrated with photographs from the IIHF archives, the book features rare pictures of games and players, as well as memorabilia and artifacts. Each event is retold through a detailed narrative that will offer fans a complete history of Olympic hockey, including amazing stories from both on and off the ice, organizational challenges, bitter battles, player's tales, and spectacular hockey action.
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| 1963: The Year of the Revolution by Robin Morgan and Ariel LeveCentering mostly on what was happening in the U.K. at the time, this oral history examines the year 1963, a pivotal time in fashion, music, and art. Though the 1960s may have seemed like one long revolution, the authors of this book consider 1963 central to the emancipation of British and American youth from the stodgy culture of their parents. The quotes and interviews contained within come from a diverse group of people, from Rolling Stones member Keith Richards to hair stylist Vidal Sassoon, and illuminate a groundbreaking time. Next, try Mark Kurlansky's 1968 for a detailed look at a similarly remarkable year. |
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Books You Might Have Missed
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| My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly La Force (editor); illustrated by Jane MountEver wanted to know what leading cultural figures like Malcolm Gladwell, Judd Apatow, Alice Waters, or James Patterson think about reading? Here's your chance to find out. In My Ideal Bookshelf, dozens of influential men and women define the books that mattered most to them as they began to make names for themselves. If the reading habits of famous people interest you, you can also learn all about the favorite bookstores of 84 different authors in My Bookstore, edited by Ronald Rice. |
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Dior glamour : photographs from 1952-1962
by Mark Shaw
Collects photographs of Dior collections between 1952 and 1962 for Life Magazine from Mark Shaw. Iconic photographer Mark Shaw documented the ultra-exclusive Parisian fashion world, focusing on Paris's long-standing top couturier Christian Dior. Shaw's photographs—some of the first fashion photographs ever shot in color—capture the most stunning and extraordinary fashion of the era. This lavish volume embodies the glamour of that time, from rare moments of Christian Dior during fittings to editorial-style photographs of models, socialites, and actresses posing in Dior's ballgowns, day suits, and haute couture collections.
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| Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road by Willie NelsonAs in his other books, this charming, low-key collection of "musings" from country singer Willie Nelson contains personal anecdotes about time spent with various collaborators, dirty jokes, song lyrics, philosophical thoughts, and other stories. Always good natured, Nelson entertains throughout the collection, which Kirkus Reviews calls "much like its author: funny, inspirational and bawdy, with a well-honed sense of humor." For a more straightforward account of Nelson's life, try his autobiography (Willie), or Joe Patoski's biography, Willie Nelson. |
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| Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee WilsonWhy use a fork when hands work just as well? That was a common sentiment for centuries after the implement was first introduced to Western Europe in the 11th century; knives, on the other hand, predate the act of cooking. In this tasty blend of history, science, and gastronomy, award-winning British food writer Bee Wilson traces the history of everyday kitchen items past (cider owl, dangle spit) and present (mortar and pestle, frying pans), as well as the ones that didn't quite catch on (water-powered egg whisk, anyone?). Wilson also presents engaging cultural anecdotes while demonstrating how technological innovations (we can thank the military for both microwaves and stainless steel) have shaped how and what we eat. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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