X
RSS

Blog

My Daughters Scratch Project

My daughter has started to learn scratch programming, actually as I'm typing this I'm told she is way past that, she's an expert!. Anyway scratch is a way for kids to learn how to code. It's an MIT  inspired project which allows you to drag and drop script onto a project, which when put together can achieve some pretty spectacular results.

The project below is from one of the scratch books on this site, http://www.childrensbooks.ie/20-games-to-create-with-scratch-. There is lots of projects in the book, 20 in total. Each project is layed out fairly simply, so if you follow the instructions end to end and not skip any of the steps, you should be able to create some pretty cool games. 

Coder Dojo is a weekly meetup of kids wanting to learn coding. So I would also recommend taking a visit to you local Dojo and they will put you in the right direction. Here is a description from their website.

CoderDojo is a worldwide movement of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for young people. Anyone aged seven to seventeen can visit a Dojo where they can learn to code, build a website, create an app or a game, and explore technology in an informal, creative, and social environment.

The CoderDojo movement believes that an understanding of programming languages is increasingly important in the modern world, that it’s both better and easier to learn these skills early, and that nobody should be denied the opportunity to do so.

Anyway here is an example of some of this script in action. Below is a small game which allows a penguin to jump over large lumps of ice and land on small icebergs. Click the arrow when you think you have the right angle to land on the iceberg. Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you or if you know any kids who are interested in putting a scratch project onto this site let us know.

 

Top childrens books to read

Top Childrens books

For kids who love books or kids who are just getting into books or even for those who are reluctant when it comes to books, there is sure to be one to suit here.

the gruffalooh, the places you`ll go  Charlie and the chocolate factory  Georges Hair Is Too Long The Early Years at Malory Towers Mr Stink Granpas great escape Harry Potter and the prisoner

For the younger ones anything Julia Donaldson is sure to grab their attention for the fantastic stories with lots of rhyme and repetition and each story has fabulous illustrations to capture children’s imaginations and bring the story to life on each page. Julia Donaldson is best known for The Gruffalo,  The story of a mouse who takes a walk in the deep dark wood and is met by lots of different creatures on his journey who would like to have him for their “tea”, but the quick thinking mouse invents a really scary creature who he calls  the Gruffalo,  as he proceeds through the woods he comes upon a very big creature by the name of “The Gruffalo”.

Other brilliant stories by Julia Donaldson include The Gruffalos Child, Monkey Puzzle, A squash and a squeeze, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale, Tiddler, and lots more.  Check them out here 

Dr Seuss books are still hugely popular  today with children as they were many years ago, The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places Youll Go!, The Lorax are just a few of his brilliant books

Roald Dahl one of the greatest story tellers of all time,  Dahl`s books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. Best known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Twits, Witches, other books include The Fantastic Mr Fox which was made into a movie, the BFG which is currently being made into a movie. 

Enid Blyton wrote over 760 books, selling more than 600 million copies worldwide and her books were translated into over 80 languages. Best known for The Famous Five, which now has been translated into Irish.  Very popular series include The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, Malory Towers, The Naughtiest Girl Collection, St Clare’s, Amelia Jane and The Faraway Tree Collection. http://www.childrensbooks.ie/blyton-enid

David Walliams brilliantly funny stories, kids from about the age of 7 are loving David Walliams books he is being compared to a modern day Roald Dahl, his aim is to get all children reading and his stories are certainly capturing their attention all over the world, have sold over 6 million copies in the Uk alone and his book have been translated into over 40 languages. Books include the latest Grandpas great escape, Awful Auntie, Gansta Granny, Billionaire Boy, Mr Stink, Demon Dentist, Rathburger and the Boy in the Dress his first Novel published in 2008.

The Harry Potter Series is another set of Top childrens books,  by JK Rowling. The stories are all based around Harry Potter who learns that his parents were killed by a dark lord and that he is a wizard, he then heads off to a magical school called Hogwards where his life takes a big change from his previous very ordinary unhappy lift with his aunt and uncle who didn’t treat him well at all.

Harry goes on adventures and learns the power of being a wizard, the first of the Harry Potter series is the Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, books are suited from around 7 upwards.

Check out all these fantastic books and much more at www.childrensbooks.ie

Classic Childrens Books

Classic Children’s Books

good  night moon the very hungary caterpillar  the bfg heidi charlottes web

There are so many fantastic classics for children such as Heidi, Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, The Lion the witch and the wardrobe, all brilliant books still enjoyed by children today.

Roald Dahl is high on the list for classic children’s books having sold over 200 million copies worldwide. Books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Fantastic Mr Fox, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG and Matilda.

Nothing can compare to the books and the joy kids get from reading Roald Dahls fantastic stories, all of which are witty, entertaining and most have stories in which the adults are the villains of the child characters, with one good adult, the stories also have a warm sentiment to them. The characters are very well portrayed and the children can really picture the characters in the stories. The books have illustrations throughout to aid the story telling. 

Roald Dahls Poetry are humorous versions of the well know classic rhymes and fairy tales, with surprise endings to the original happy ever after.  These can be read the book Revolting Rhymes which is also available in a audiobook format.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is also a baby classic book now available in lots of different versions this book has been popular since first published in 1969. The caterpillar eats his way through a variety of foods each day before pupating and turning into a beautiful butterfly.  The book has been winner of lots of children’s literature awards and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

Goodnight Moon, another great classic first published in 1947, story about a child saying Good Night to everything around "Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light and the red balloon ..."

Enid Blytons Famous Five are a great example of classic books, written over 60 years ago.  The adventures of four children and a dog, the stories are set when the kids are on school holidays, they all return from their boarding schools and get caught up in an adventures together, usually involving lost treasures and criminals. The Famous Five is one of the biggest selling children’s series of all time.

Other classics from Enid Blyton include:  The Secret SevenMalory TowersThe Naughtiest Girl CollectionSt Clare’sAmelia Jane and The Faraway Tree Collection.

Check out the fabulous selection of classic children’s books available at our site www.childrensbooks.ie we cater for all ages of children from babies to young adults and have all our fiction broken into age categories.

Gangsta Granny Book Review

Ben's Granny isn't too distinctive to numerous different grannies - she has white hair, false teeth and tucks tissues up her sleeve. She has a couple of remarkable characteristics however. There's her affection for cabbage and a little insight about her past. Ben's granny was a international jewel thief.

Little does Ben suspect that his gangsta granny is as yet arranging her most prominent gem heist ever – taking the royal gems from the Tower of London. Friday evenings with Granny have all of a sudden turn into the most energizing portion of Ben's week.

For the most part diverting and now and again entirely touching, Gangsta Granny is another phenomenal novel for youngsters by surely understood UK humorist and writer David Walliams. Understood for his work with Matt Lucas as a major aspect of the Little Britain drama group, Walliams is likewise settled as an author whose works incorporate the youngsters' books The Boy in the Dress and Billionaire Boy.

I'm not a specific aficionado of Little Britain silliness and admit I was reluctant when I first perused Walliams books. There was no requirement for concern, be that as it may. The books are greatly entertaining, loaded with the kind of senseless funniness that speaks to school kids, maybe from the age of eight upwards.. Ben's formal dancing fixated folks, his Granny's meddlesome neighbor and their endeavors to take the royal gems make for an extremely exciting story.

The book likewise has its astute minutes, with some fascinating bits of knowledge into parental desires, the era crevice and the extremely unique bond that can exist in the middle of grandparents and their grandchildren.

Gangsta Granny has joined The Boy in the Dress as a most loved in our home.

Next up we are going to review Davids latest book, Granpa's great escape. At the moment I am waiting for Lily to finish the book first, then it's my turn.

Enid Blyton`s Children’s Books

Enid Blyton`s Children’s Books

Amelia Jane   Naughtiest girl Secret Seven  Famous Five  Magic Faraway Tree Malory Towers

Enid Blyton one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors, wrote over 760 books, selling more than 600 million copies worldwide and her books were translated into over 80 languages.

Her books are as popular with children today enjoying the fantastic range of stories and book series and all the different characters throughout. Enid wrote her books off the top of her head, she didn’t pre plan stories, and wrote up to 50 books a year. Rumours said she had an army of ghost writers, but she always denied these rumours.

Very popular series include The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, Malory Towers, The Naughtiest Girl Collection, St Clare’s, Amelia Jane and The Faraway Tree Collection.

The Famous Five, the adventures of four children and a dog, the stories are set when the kids are on school holidays, they all return from their boarding schools and get caught up in an adventures together, usually involving lost treasures and criminals. The Famous Five is one of the biggest selling children’s series of all time.

The Secret Seven or otherwise known as The Secret Seven Society, are a group of seven children who are child detectives, they all go to the same day school.

 Malory Towers is based on a girl who attends a new boarding school and how she wants to fit in and get new friends, stories are about her making friends and the adventures she gets up to while at school.

The Naughtiest Girl collection is about a really naughty girl who is so badly behaved her child minder leaves, her parents send her to a boarding school, and she decides she is going to behave so badly that they will have to expel her. But then she realises that she was very lonely being an only child and decides to behave herself at school so she can stay with her friends.

The Faraway Tree Collection, stories are based in an enchanted forest in which a gigantic magical tree grows – the eponymous "Faraway Tree". The tree is so tall that the top of it branches reach into the clouds and it is wide enough to contain small houses carved into its trunk. The forest and the tree are discovered by three children named Jo, Bessie, and Fanny, who move into a house nearby. It is then that they start their adventures to the top of the tree.

David Walliams books age range

What ages range do David Walliams Books Suit ?

What age are David Walliams books forMy eight year old has read most of the David Walliams books.I've also read Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny myself just to see why his books are so popular. We loved them. All his books are great funny. Personally I find some of the humour in the books suited to adults rather than kid. The billionaire boy is a great example. His father after earning all the money with his popular product called bum wipes, attracts a lot of undesriable attention from a model. The model was a star in certain page of a magazine, namely the third page of the magazine ! Funny but definitely more adult than kid humour.

My daugher Lily had the following opion. He's very funy, and makes me laugh. Every page has something which makes me stop and laugh.

I would say though that David Walliams doesn't shy away from tough subjects. There's death in GG and Mr Stink, which could lead to questions. Mr Stink is a homeless guy, who is down on this luck. He befriends a girl and together they have an adventure together.
Great laugh again, but one can, help feeling sorry for the poor guy down on this luck.

So personally I think kids between the ages of 8 and maybe 12 would enjoy these books. There is an element of adult humour in all the books, but i feel author David Walliams adds this, to keep himself amused.

Roald Dahl`s Fantastic Children's Books

Roald Dahl Books

        

Roald Dahl, the amazing childrens author best known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach are but a few.

Roald started his career as a fighter pilot and later became an author, his first book was The Gremlines, James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was his third book. This was inspired back when in school Cadbury would send chocolates to the school to be tested by the pupils, Dahl dreamed of inventing the best chocolate bar what would be approved and praised by Mr Cadbury himself.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been since made into major Hollywood movies.

Dahl`s books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. The BFG, the big friendly giant is currently being made into a another big Hollywood movie directed by Steven Spielberg due for realise July 2016 and is sure to be a big hit.

Nothing can compare to the books and the joy kids get from reading Roald Dahls fantastic stories, all of which are witty, entertaining and most have stories in which the adults are the villains of the child characters, with one good adult, the stories also have a warm sentiment to them. The characters are very well portrayed and the children can really picture the characters in the stories. The books have illustrations throughout to aid the story telling.

Lovekidsbooks recommend all the Roald Dahl Books for children, whether you are reading them to your child to enjoy together or for children who are starting to read on their own, they will hopefully really enjoy the stories and develop a great love for books to enjoy forever. These books are timeless classics to be enjoyed by children of all ages

Books include: (click here to go straight to Roald Dahl page)

Charlie and the Chocolate factory

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

James and the Giant Peach

The BFG

Fantastic Mr Fox

The Twits

The Magic Finger

The Witches

Matilda

The Giraffe the Pelly and me

Esio Trot

Well known Roald Dahl movies include:

The Gremlines

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

 

David Walliams Children’s Books

David Walliams Children’s Books

David Walliams Books

David Walliams well known actor and comedian known on TV for Little Britain, Doctor Who, a judge on “Britains Got Tallent”. Walliams has also done a lot of work for charities over the years for Sport Relief, he swam the British Channel, The Thames and also the Strait of Gibraltar.

David Walliams published his first children’s book in 2008 with “The Boy in the Dress”, this book was a great success it was not only witty, entertaining but also explored areas of cross dressing, relationships along the lines of gender, while incorporating Walliam`s humour throughout.

In 2009 Walliams published his second book “Mr Stink”, story about a 12 year old girl who friends a homeless man/tramp and looks after him while keeping it a secret from her family and friends, this book and also “The Boy in the Dress” were illustrated by Quentin Blake.

The following year he published “Billionaire Boy”, a story about Joe Spud, the richest kid in England, his Dad was an inventor of a special type of toilet paper, his house was so huge his bathroom had a bathroom off it!!!

Gangster Granny his forth book about Ben a boy who gets fedup and bored having to stay with his Granny at the weekend while his parents are out Ballroom dancing, Ben discovers his Granny is not your regular Gran, he catches her breaking into a Jewellers and soon discovers she is not what she appears to be. They embark on a adventure together to steal the crown jewels, but what will happen... 

The next books to be published are Ratbuger, Demon Dentist, Awful Auntie and the latest book is Grandpa's Great Escape.

David Walliams have won serveral awards for his Childrens books, he won the Specsaves National Book Awards for Ratburger, Demon Dentist and Awful Auntie.

Check out all these fantastic books here

Books by Roald Dahl, a true master

The glittering eyes cast on the whole world to discover the secrets hidden in unlikely spots is an interpretation of a line fixed in the legacy of Roald Dahl's works. The imaginative mind of the author provides a hint that the way people are searching to solve problems determines the way they aspire for achieving a goal. The poetry reading of "Cinderella" by Roald Dahl has encouraged many generations for creative behavior and modes of expressing hidden internal worlds.

An RAF fighter pilot during WWII, Dahl shared his adventures in the pages of the Saturday Evening Post. Those were his initial writing endeavors, and the first book, named The Gremlins, appeared in 1943. The intention for writing the book was to serve as a basis for an animated Walt Disney production, but the idea was left behind because of certain copyright and other concerns. The historical line is fusing with mystery and the mythical Gremlins - Dahl's invention - in the book. Their popularity in the U.S. motivated Eleanor Roosevelt to read it to the family. In a comic version, The Gremlins enjoyed a success story. A Spielberg's movie also stirred the spirit of the furry creatures in the 80s of the twentieth century. 

A military tales collection of 10 short stories related to Dahl's RAF experience appeared in 1946, under the title Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying. The atmosphere, the sense of tragic developments and outcomes, dramatic twists, etc., impress the reading audience with a specific aspect of Dahl's approach to life, somehow in disharmony with his enjoyable style in other stories for grownups. Someone like You that followed in 1953 and Kiss, Kiss in 1959 gained a best-selling status for their author. The surrealism and dark humor of the former book, as well as its twist endings, attracted Hitchcock's attention to use one of the stories as a movie adaptation. Adele may have been inspired by the book, too, to dedicate a song with the same title - who knows?! The latter book is not a conventional love story book, although the dynamic of romantic relations is in the focus. The different storylines are imaginative and creative, as are the situations with their own merits.

After that period of writing for grownups, Dahl, while living in England, preferred starting to write children's books that earned him an everlasting fame. Some specifics of his writing refer to a comic style, dark humor, and violence. Child protagonists are usually under a threat from the actions of evil-intentioned and hostile adults. In 1961, James and the Giant Peach was intentionally written to entertain Dahl's own kids. A movie, based on the book, was released in 1996. The positive role model of James, an orphan and adventurer, enjoys the success of both creative works. Overcoming difficulties and stimulating friendship are among the main messages stemming from the plot. 

The Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie of 1971 was an adaptation of Dahl's next book for children, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, published in 1964, and followed by another movie with the same title in 2005. Fantasy, magic, revenge, and a quest for justice are among the most challenging aspects of the plot. The Wonka chocolate factory and a golden ticket open door to the main hero. In the movie with the same title, the tandem Burton, as director, and J. Depp, as Wonka, brings home the eccentric spirit of the story, its charm as a science fiction tale and the traits of a comedy.

Fantastic Mr. Fox was published in 1970. What is the identity of the thief, visiting the farmers, not in a capacity to catch him ever? Will the community rely on Mr. Fox's actions and clever approaches? The animated movie of 2009, enjoying the voices of G. Clooney and M. Streep, sheds light on Mr. Fox's new status as a journalist. 

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, 1972, and the elevator traveling into space, is the sequel of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The characters are familiar and spell the same charm, wisdom and magic. Dahl's interest in science provoked the story years after the first landing on the moon. Still years after The Enormous Crocodile, The BFG, The Witches, and Matilda, one of his last books, Dahl believed that as everyone could go to any place in the world, nothing held the fabulous any more...

The story behind Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was born on 11th August 1897. She lived until 28th November 1968. Enid Blyton was an English author of many children's books. Her books were very popular, and sold well over six million copies. Today, Enid Blyton books still continue to be very popular. Enid Blyton did not plan her writing. She typed up her stories as they came to mind. 

Enid was the oldest of three siblings. She had two younger brothers named Hanly and Carey. Enid's family re located to a semi-detached villa in Beckenham. This is where her brothers were born. Enid herself was born in East Dulwich, London. Not long after Enid was born, she experienced a whooping cough from which she nearly died from. However, her father managed to restore her to health once again. Enid loved her father very much. Sadly, Enid had an unhealthy relationship with her mother. She also did not attend the funerals of both of her parents. 

Between the years 1907 and 1915, Enid Blyton went to St Christopher's School in Beckenham. She loved the physical activities and even became the champion of tennis at the school. She also became captain of lacrosse. Enid did was never very good at any of the academic topics. However, she was superb at writing. In 1911, Enid entered a children's poetry competition and had her publishing's printed. She was encouraged to persevere and to continue on with her writing. 

Some of the most popular books that Enid Blyton produced include: the Famous Five, the Faraway Tree, and the Secret Seven.

The Famous Five is a series of children's novels. These novels are about a small group of young children who go off on many different adventures together. The names of the children are: Julian, Dick, Anne and Georgina (George). They also had a dog named Timmy. When the stories occur, the children are always in their school holidays. The type of adventure and location that the children go on, are different in each book. Most of the settings are in a rural location such as the beach or countryside. The adventures include: bicycle rides, making their own food, lemonade, picnics and ginger beer. Enid Blyton's intention was to only produce six to eight books in this series. However, due to her success and superb sales, she continued to produce up to twenty-one full-length Famous Five novels. In some countries, each Famous Five novel was also produced for television shows or movies. 

The Faraway Tree is a series of well known children's books. There are at least four books in this series. These books are titled: The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk of the Faraway Tree and Up The Faraway Tree. The setting in which these stories take place are in an enchanted forest that has a very large magical tree that continues to grow. The tree reaches right up as high as the clouds. It even has two small houses in the trunk of the tree. There are three children named Jo, Bessie and Fanny. These children make a discovery of this tree and move into a house near this tree. After they have moved into the house near the tree, they then create their own adventures that get them to the top of the tree. 

The Secret Seven is about a group of children detectives. The Secret Seven characters include: Peter, who was the leader of society. Janet, who was the sister of Peter. Jack, Barbara, George, Pam and Colin. Jack has a sister named Susie. Susie has a best fiend named Binkie. Susie and Binkie are also included in the books. Susie and Binkie really do not like the Secret Seven and have fun going about messing around with the Secret Seven just to annoy them. However, it is mainly because they want to feel like they want to be a part of the society. The characters of the Secret Seven all go to schools during the day. Therefore, this means that their adventures occur during the school term time. There were seven novels of the Secret Seven made into a short series. Fifteen novels then came out as full length stories. Some episodes of the Secret Seven were also made into English audio.