March 2022 Roundup – Shawlands Academy School Library

World Book Day Week: This year, World Book Day was celebrated on Thursday, March 3rd and the School Library delivered a plethora of fun, bookish activities throughout the week. We published the results from our #ReadingSchools Library Survey and Book Personality Quiz that took place over January/February. The full report was uploaded to the Library channel on Teams, but an abridged version can be found here.  

Our World Book Day programme included the following activities, where participants were entered into a prize draw for a £20 National Book Token:  

  • Bookshelf Challenge: Pupils were invited to guess the teacher based on a clue and a picture a staff member’s bookshelf. The activity was uploaded to the Library Channels on each year group’s Teams and all participants were entered into the WBD prize draw 
  • Scavenger Hunt: Pupils had to guess the teacher and find which book they were reading which was displayed on a #ReadingSchools poster. Those who submitted completed forms were entered into the WBD prize draw.  
  • World Book Day Quiz: A book-themed quiz was delivered during both lunch periods in the School Library. All participants were entered into the WBD prize draw and those with the highest points received three entries into the draw.  

In addition to the World Book Day activities, the school library also launched reading challenges and competitions. These included: 

  • Bookopoly: Pupils are given a Bookopoly board. They can choose to read two fiction books per genre, one nonfiction book per subject, and/or three ‘chances’ where they can either select a ‘reading dare’ or spin the Wheel of Genre. The completion of each genre/subject/chance grants them an entry into the monthly school library prize draw. Pupils can also earn a certificate for completing the entire board.  
  • Ask Me What I’m Reading: The winning designs from our Ask Me What I’m Reading design competition were circulated alongside a sheet where pupils must ask five people what they’re reading. This is to encourage pupils and staff to have a conversation about books and promoting literature via word of mouth. Submitted forms grants one entry into the monthly school library prize draw. 
  • Reader of the Week: We’ve also launched a Reader of the Week initiative where pupils can complete either a #ReadingSchools shelf shouter to be displayed on the bookshelves (think Waterstones) or a book review template to be displayed on either the Reader Recommendations bulletin board, the monthly newsletter or Swatch magazine. Each submissions earns an entry into the school library monthly prize draw and pupils who submit the most reviews per week earn a Reader of the Week certificate and ribbon. 
  • Short Story competition: The Short Story competition is the brainchild of two pupils (S2 + S6) who are members of our Pupil Library Committee, both of whom are part of the judging panel. We received fourteen-short stories across all yer groups. The pupil judges divided the stories into 2 groups, BGE and S4-Senior. Within those groups, they judged each story based on a set of criteria based on various short story competitions we researched around the Web. The winners for each category are as follows:
  • BGE Stories:Top score: Mother

    Top Mechanics: The beginning of the rest of my life 

    Top Expression: Untiled

    Characterisation: Queen of all creatures

    Plot: A true love between sisters 

    Theme: Your melody flowing me away 

    Attention Grabbing Opening: A wonderful place called Cat 

    Passion: Corruption 

    Originality: Amanda sparks a woeful saga of pain 

    Short Story S4-Senior winners:

    Top score: Faithful Truth 

    Top Mechanics: Timeless Book Chronicles 

    Top Expression: Reminiscent Hours 

  • Fantasy Football competition: This is a fun literacy-based activity aimed at football fans and reluctant/struggling readers. Pupils are given a sheet to complete their own fantasy football team (based on real players, past or present) and instructed to give the reasons why they’ve been selected. This activity has also been promoted in Physical Education department. Each submission earns an entry into the prize draw for a copy of Ultimate Football Heroes: Sancho, signed by the author Matt Oldfield.    

Pupil Library Committee:  Our PLC members were very busy this month with various activities: 

  • Pop-Up Library: Members of our 50+ strong Pupil Library Committee volunteered to host a pop-up library stall in the Fuel Zone during lunches throughout World Book Day week. Members promoted the variety of World Book Day activities and reading challenges as well as selected books to display and promote for borrowing. This initiative was so successful that we’re planning on hosting other Pop-Up Libraries in the future.  
  • March Display: This month’s pupil curated display included highlights for International Women’s Day (March 8th), The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21st), World Poetry Day (March 21st) and Transgender Visibility Day (March31st).  
  • Spring Break Quiz: Two of our S3 PLC members researched and help compile a list of questions for our Spring Break Quiz, which included questions about the many faith-based and cultural festivals that take place during Spring as well as some book-based questions on book awards, upcoming book-to-film series, literary dates and author birthdays.  

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: In preparation for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (aka Anti-Racism Day), over 30 pupils from S1-6 were invited to select fiction and nonfiction books with anti-racism themes. Their suggestions will help inform the expansion of our ‘Equality and Empowerment’ section for next year as well as for the eBooks available on the Glasgow Libraries’ Libby app, thus ensuring a pupil voice is represented in the selection. See the full list here 

World Poetry Day Quiz: Pupils and staff were invited to participate in a quiz of Teams, inspired by the Librarian @GrammarLRC. Can you guess whether the passage is a lyric or a title?  

Library Publications: Swatch Spring 22 

 

March Booklists 

March 22 Booklists – Book Trust 

Best New Children’s Books – Toppsta  

Bookbug’s Books of the Month – Scottish Book Trust 

Books of the Month – LoveReading4Kids 

March Roundup – Love Reading 

Book of the Month – Scholastic  

Books of the Month – Waterstones  

Children’s Book Roundup – Guardian  

 

Upcoming Events (April) 

BigDog Book Festival (Wigtown, Scotland, 1st – 3rd)  

Cúirt International Festival of Literature (Galway, Ireland, 4th – 10th)  

Southside Fringe (Glasgow, Scotland) 

Wee Write Festival (Glasgow, Scotland) 

Cambridge Literary Festival (Cambridge, England, 20th – 24th 

Soutar Festival of Words (Perth, Scotland, 22nd – 24th) 

World Book Night (UK & International, 23rd) 

McLellan Arts Festival Poetry Fringe (Arran, Scotland, 28th 

Colonsay Book Festival (Colonsay, Scotland 30th 

Bocas Lit Fest (Caribbean, 30th – 2nd May) 

 

Past Events (March) 

International Women’s Day (8th ) & Women’s History Month 

British Science Week (11-20 ) 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week (21st – 27th  

Jaipur Lit Fest 

 

Literary Awards & Prizes  

Winners 

Audie Awards 

Blue Peter Book Awards 

OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature  

Rathebones Folio Prize 

Royal Society Children’s Book Prize 

Shortlists 

British Book Awards 

Tir na n-Og 

UKLA 

YOTO Carnegie Medal  

YOTO Kate Greenaway Medal 

Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize

Longlists  

International Booker Prize 

Jhalak Prize 

Women’s Prize 

 

In the news:  

A Field Guide to Strange Medieval Monsters – Open Culture 

Beyond the fog of war: Books to help us understand the invasion of Ukraine – Guardian 

Free Colouring Books from the Public Domain Review – Open Culture  

Outrage as LGBT author banned at state school – Politics.co.uk 

The Reading Agency partners with the British Science Museum on this year’s Summer Reading Challenge Theme – The Reading Agency  

 

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