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Wacky Facts and Brain Teasers
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE
WOMAN WHO DISCOVERED
MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE
DINOSAUR BONES IN NEW
ZEALAND?
The Ancient Greeks worshipped many different
gods and goddesses. They
believed the gods had magical powers and controlled
different aspects of life.
Zeus was the supreme god
who led all other gods.
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What is
papyrus
made from?
This is the face of a very
famous inventor, writer,
painter, sculptor,
architect and engineer—
he painted the Mona Lisa—the world’s best
known painting. Can you
name him?
The forked tongue of
a snake picks up a
scent. And though
they have no ears
their sensitive skin
can detect
vibrations passing
through the ground.
D
O
W
N
L
O
A
D
JULY
2006
STORYQUIZ
HEAT 1
And the winners are…
KIWIS: Michael, Josiah & Nathan
CONGRATULATIONS also go to the
other two teams, “The Childchewers” &
the Retros, who also go through to the
final in April 2007. PLUS thanks goes
to all those who participated and their
support crews. Your support made this
event a fantastic success. Look inside
this month’s issue of DownLoad for
details of StoryQuiz Heat 2.
An Interview with Geoffrey cox
What’s the best thing about being a artist/writer?
There are a lot of highlights. Having an excuse to spend time not only reading up
about subjects that interest me but also contacting experts and getting to talk with
them is definitely a big plus. And, of course, seeing the final book, with the words
and pictures put together as I have always imagined they would be, is a wonderful
way to finish up.
Do you illustrate/write everyday and is there a pattern to your writing day?
When I am working on a book (which I don’t do all the time) I tend to work on it
most weekdays. There is no particular pattern - some days are spent mostly in research, some in writing. When I have a painting to do I concentrate on it, which in
the case of a complex painting usually means I spend three or four days at a stretch
on drawing and painting.
Do you prefer to illustrate/write in a quiet solitary environment?
I definitely prefer a quiet environment. It is essential for the research phase, and preferable for the painting phase. If I have the text clear enough in my mind, however, I
can write it in bits and pieces while interacting with other people.
Can you share with us why you choose to write books as well as illustrate them?
When I was about 12 years old, I came to Auckland, and was surprised to find that
the city was built on lots of little volcanoes, but no one I spoke to knew anything
about it. When, years later, I wrote my first book, it was about those volcanoes, and
was in fact the book I would have liked to have been able to read when I was 12.
Most of my other books have also been written for the benefit of my childhood self.
It is only be writing and illustrating my books that I can be sure they will be the
way I want them to be.
What art mediums do you work with and which is your most favourite?
I always paint using gouache. This is a water based paint, a bit like poster paint, but
with a wider range of colours. I use it because it is quick drying, and goes on thickly,
allowing me to work fast. However, I also do colour work using colour pencils, especially when I am drawing for fun, I like to work in pencil or drawing pens.
As a child what were your interests and what books did you like to read?
I always loved drawing, although until my teens the subject was entirely animals, and
I could never be bothered doing backgrounds. I also loved reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, about animals.
When writing do you re-write as you go or do you revisit your work at a certain
point?
What’s Around The Corner
September School Holiday
Programme
In the footsteps of Dance Battle 2005—
we now bring you
EXPRESS IT!
(note: name subject to change)
Details coming soon.
Visit your library or our website for updates.
StoryQuiz
It’s on again!
Heat 2
Thursday, October 5th, 2006 @ 10.30am
During the September School Holidays we will be
holding Heat 2 of StoryQuiz 2007. This time the Quiz
questions will be based on these two hugely popular
children’s books:
ARTEMIS FOWL—the first in the ‘Artemis Fowl’
series by Eoin Colfer
THE BAD BEGINNING—the first in ‘A Series of
Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket.
ARE YOU READY!!
REGISTER YOUR TEAM @ THE LIBRARY NOW OR BY
OCTOBER 2ND 2006 AND MEET THE CHALLENGE!
The top two winning teams will qualify to compete
against the winning teams from Heats 1 & 3 and the
2006 champions in the 2007 StoryQuiz final to be held
in April 2007.
Challenge those brain cells and
CHECK OUT YOUR LIT SKILLS
1.
Name the new book by the author Ben Galbraith that has a strong conservation theme and is loosely based on the story of the Three Billy
Goats Gruff.
2.
Jabberwocky is a nonsense poem by which famous author and in
which book of his did it appear?
3.
What is the title of the book by Penelope Lively about a bothersome
ghost of a sorcerer that returns to haunt his former home and tries to
enlist the help of James, a young boy, as his apprentice? This book
won Penelope Lively the Carnegie Medal in 1973.
4.
What book precedes J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings?
5.
Do you know the surname of the young New Zealand female poet
whose poems appear in the compilation Laura’s Poems?
6.
What is the sequel to Rick Riordan’s novel The Lightning Thief?
7.
The ancestral castle Stregaschloss belonging to the Srega-Borgia clan
features in which series by the author Debi Gliori?
8.
Who wrote and illustrated the book Dinosaurs New Zealand?
9.
Name the main character in the series of books written by Astrid
Lindgren? (Hint: this character is strong enough to lift a horse, has a
bag full of money, lives by herself and wears her long hair up in plaits)
10
What is the name of the dog in the Famous Five series by Enid
Blyton?
Answers to the March Quiz:
1. Aquatic Centre 2. a) Maddigan’s Fantasia & Kaitangata Twitch b) Maddigan’s Quest c) Firstly, it was felt that there might be a conflict or confusion with
Disney's Fantasia. Secondly, it was felt that Maddigan's Quest more accurately described what happened within the show, and the character's journey. 3. Moa, Morepork, Kiwi, Kea, Fantail, Tuatara, Pukeko, Weta, Brown frogs, Bats 4.. animals 5. Whakatane, 1936, 70 6. The Grass Growing Spectators Club 7. Denmark 8. False 9. Silver Fin; 10. e.g. Kit’s Wilderness, The Fire-eaters
The Rotorua Public Library would like to thank The Friends of
the Library for their commitment and generous sponsorship of
the Fletcher Tuatara Club. Their support has made this very
exciting and dynamic programme possible.
I do both. I usually read what I have written almost as soon as I have written it, and
tidy up the grammar and improve the sentence structure. Then I come back to it later,
when I am re-reading all the book, and make further changes. I also make changes as
I discover new facts which need to be inserted, or realise that information which I
thought I would include elsewhere should be put in here.
How do you relax?
I enjoy tramping and mountain biking. I have just started to learn to play the French
horn, which is really difficult but great fun. I like reading poetry, and the occasional
novel or non-fiction book, often on history. I draw and paint, and make models, usually of prehistoric animals.
Were there any teachers you particularly remember that had a significant influence
on you?
The most influential teacher I probably ever had was my 5th form maths teacher who
not only did wonders for my maths but also had a great philosophy on life - all about
seizing opportunities, doing what you want and not worrying too much about the
future.
Is there any one book—either children’s or adult—that has had the greatest influence
on you?
Lots of books for lots of different reasons. The first book I ever bought with my own
pocket money -Animals of East Africa, which I still have, was instrumental in establishing my love of animals; The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a book I
have re-read again and again since I first discovered it in my early teens. It's just a
great adventure story, with lots of dinosaurs, and a lovely gothic Victorian feel. The
books on prehistoric life illustrated by the brilliant Czechoslovakian artist Zdenek
Burian were something I assiduously collected while they were available. He worked
from the 1940s through to the 1970s, and is rather out of date now, but his paintings
are still better than most modern artists of prehistoric life.
Which of your books do you personally like the most?
That's hard to say. I think my latest - Dinosaur New Zealand - is a really attractive,
information-packed book on the subject, and my earlier book, Prehistoric Animals of
New Zealand, is also a book I am very proud of. I re-read my first book - Fountains
of Fire - recently, and was quite impressed by it.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young yet-to-be published author and/or
artist what would it be?
Don't spend years writing and/or illustrating a non-fiction book (this advice does not
apply to fiction) and only then try to find a publisher. Instead spend about a week
writing a description of your book, a list of chapter headings, and an example of how
you would write it, and the sort of illustrations you plan on doing. Take that to the
publishers, and wait until you have their agreement to publish, and their requirements
as far as size, contents, etc, are concerned before doing the real thing. It will save you
a lot of grief and frustration.
In addition to your illustrating and writing you also construct life-like models. What
attracted you to this field and can you briefly describe the process and what medium
you use?
New Books to Check Out @ Your Library
I started making models while at intermediate school. The first were not of animals
but of, um, Thunderbirds. In those days you could not buy toy Thunderbirds in the
shops, and I wanted to have some to play with. I made them out of plasticine. I soon
moved on to animals, and eventually learnt how to construct wire frameworks to stop
the plasticine models from collapsing. I used to make lots of do-it-yourself kits, so
had plastic modellers paints, which turned out to work perfectly for colouring them.
Now I make small models out of polymer clay such as Du-Kit. They still have a wire
skeleton, and are bulked out with tin foil, then after baking are painted with modellers' paints. The life-size dinosaurs are carved out of polystyrene, and painted with
the same paints that are used for house painting.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
And finally – and I just have to ask this –
What is you most favourite food, movie, author and time of day?
I'm not sure if it is really possible to answer this. I like pizza, and fudge, and apples. I
suppose my favourite movie might be Ben Hur (can't beat that chariot race!). Author? Well, perhaps Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - not only The Lost World, but also
Sherlock Holmes stories, and a wealth of other short stories. Among more modern
authors George McDonald Fraser stands out. I don't really have a favourite time of
day - it depends entirely on what I am doing.
FICTION
Sabine by Tim Kennemore
The Case of the Singing Sea Dragons — # 6 in The Freaky Joe Club series by P.J. McMahon
Will Buster and the Carrier’s Flash by Odo Hirsch
The Cottonmouth Club by Lance Marcum
Bonebreaker by Peter J. Murray—author of the Mokee Joe series
Blart: The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Save the World by Dominic Barker
The Time-Travelling Cat & the Aztec Sacrifice by Julia Jarman
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming by Chitra Banerjee Dvakaruni
Max Remy Spy Force: The Amazon Experiment by D. Abela
The Unquiet by Carolyn McCurdie
NON-FICTION
Thank you Geoffrey Cox.
Greece: in Spectacular Cross-Section by Stewart Ross; Illustrated by
Stephen Biesty
Fletcher’s Book Club
Suitable for children aged 9—12 years
The club meets at the library on the third Wednesday of
every month @ 4– 5-pm
August: 16th
Come along and share your thoughts on
September: 20th
your latest reads, learn about the magic
October: 18th
of ‘story’ and meet local authors and
November: 15th
illustrators.
December: 20th
January 2007: 17th
The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters by Judy Sierra; Illustrated by
Henrik Drescher
Highly Recommended Talking Books
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
Dragonkeeper & Garden of the Purple Dragon
by Carole Wilkinson
The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis
Bad, Bad Darlings by Sam Llewellyn
The Wind Singer & Slaves of the Mastery—parts 1 & 2 of
The Wind on Fire trilogy by William Nicholson
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
A young girl, Cat, loves the theatre – a place she has lived
most of her life. Though she lives at the theatre she has had
to learn to survive the streets of Covent Garden and now she
must also protect a young violinist, Pedro, who has joined
the troupe. But a mystery shrouds the theatre and danger
now haunts its corridors plunging both Cat and Pedro into a
perilous journey to unmask the truth while causing Cat to
question the loyalty of both her friends and protector. If you
enjoy getting caught up in a good mystery this is a must!
A young girl, Cat, loves the theatre – a place she has lived
most of her life. Though she lives at the theatre she has had
to learn to survive the streets of Covent Garden and now
she must also protect a young violinist, Pedro, who has
joined the troupe. But a mystery shrouds the theatre and
danger now haunts its corridors plunging both Cat and
Pedro into a perilous journey to unmask the truth while
causing Cat to question the loyalty of both her friends and
protector. If you enjoy getting caught up in a good
mystery this is a must!
Finders Keepers by Emily Rodda
Finders Keepers by Emily Rodda
Ever wondered where things go when they disappear? Things like
single socks and jigsaw pieces…
Imagine an invisible wall that separates us from another dimension…….and tears in that wall where things can slip through!!
Would you go through if someone invited you and promised you
wonderful prizes?
Patrick is about to have the time travelling adventure of a lifetime,
but will he be able to solve the riddles…….and will he live to tell
the tale?
A completely riveting read for ages10+
Ever wondered where things go when they disappear? Things
like single socks and jigsaw pieces…
Imagine an invisible wall that separates us from another
dimension…….and tears in that wall where things can slip
through!! Would you go through if someone invited you and
promised you wonderful prizes?
Patrick is about to have the time travelling adventure of a
lifetime, but will he be able to solve the riddles…….and will
he live to tell the tale?
A completely riveting read for ages10+
The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby
This is a fascinating read, well crafted with tension, mystery and
curious happenings that kept me reading and wondering right to
the end. It is an adventure story set in a time and place where
almost everyone can fly. It is about Gurl, a young orphan girl,
who can make herself invisible, and Bug, also an orphan who
dreams of “flying like a ‘Wing’” yet seems destined to remain a
‘leadfoot’. Together they must discover their past to face their
future. A highly recommended read for readers aged 10+
The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby
This is a fascinating read, well crafted with tension, mystery
and curious happenings that kept me reading and wondering
right to the end. It is an adventure story set in a time and place
where almost everyone can fly. It is about Gurl, a young
orphan girl, who can make herself invisible, and Bug, also an
orphan who dreams of “flying like a ‘Wing’” yet seems
destined to remain a ‘leadfoot’. Together they must discover
their past to face their future. A highly recommended read for
readers aged 10+
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
The Five Sisters by Margaret Mahy
.The Five Sisters by Margaret Mahy
How much fun can five paper dolls have??? Lots and lots
of fun and everything else, if they’ve got anything to do
with it!
This is a wonderful heart warming tale of five very
individual young women, their friendship, their courage
and some totally crazy adventures.
For ages 8+
How much fun can five paper dolls have??? Lots and lots
of fun and everything else, if they’ve got anything to do
with it!
This is a wonderful heart warming tale of five very
individual young women, their friendship, their courage
and some totally crazy adventures.
For ages 8+
Layla Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard
This is a heart-warming story about life’s little miracles.
Layla would like to take someone special to the Senior
Citizen’s Day at her school and with the help of her best
friend Griffin she sets out to find just the right person. A
wonderful book for confident readers aged 7+
Imagine a Day by Sarah L. Thomson
What does impossible mean???
To say too much about this book would spoil its wonder……but you must take a look!!
It is filled with magical pictures of the weirdest most absurd
possibilities (or impossibilities??) ever!
A sophisticated picture book for any age.
Layla Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard
This is a heart-warming story about life’s little miracles.
Layla would like to take someone special to the Senior
Citizen’s Day at her school and with the help of her best
friend Griffin she sets out to find just the right person. A
wonderful book for confident readers aged 7+
Imagine a Day by Sarah L. Thomson
What does impossible mean???
To say too much about this book would spoil its wonder……but you must take a look!!
It is filled with magical pictures of the weirdest most
absurd possibilities (or impossibilities??) ever!
A sophisticated picture book for any age.