After our most recent Bookworms meeting, our pupil committee decided to bring back our film club in the form of Movie Mondays, where we can gather to watch the film adaptations of amazing books.

Here’s a quick list of some great YA book adaptations that are worth a read and a watch!

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place.
Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games.
There is only one rule: kill or be killed.
When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence.
But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he’s not alone.
He’s surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade – a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they came to be there – or what’s happened to the world outside.
All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything – even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out …

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions – Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. Every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice Prior, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is. Her choice shocks everyone, including herself.

The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare

Available to watch as both a movie and TV series!

Love.  Blood.  Betrayal.  Demons.   Irresistibly drawn towards a group of demon hunters, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City and the dangers of forbidden love.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan

Available to watch as both a movie and TV series!

Percy Jackson is having a bad week. His life has gone from totally normal to monsters-from-Greek-mythology-randomly-appearing kind of strange. Worse still, the king of the gods thinks Percy has stolen his all-powerful lightning bolt – and it seems making Zeus angry is a very bad idea.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to catch the true lightning thief and stop all-out war from erupting on Mount Olympus. . .
What could possibly go wrong?

Heartstopper, by Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love.

Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they’ve never met … until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance.
But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.

Nimona, by ND Stevenson

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc.
Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for every boy she’s ever loved.
When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only.
Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control!

Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold – a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here – one of whom was his own grandfather – were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow – impossible though it seems – they may still be alive.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. In Nazi Germany, the country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier – and will become busier still.
By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed forever when she picks up a single object, abandoned in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, and this is her first act of book thievery. So begins Liesel’s love affair with books and words, and soon she is stealing from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library . . . wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times, and when Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, nothing will ever be the same again.

Our Movie Mondays are kicking off with a classic, a favourite, and one of the few films I believe is better than the book: The Princess Bride!

This year we had a week of World Book Day celebrations in the John Paul Academy Library!

Library Competitions

The library ran two competitions this year for World Book Day: A Micro-story competition on the theme of ‘books’, and a competition to design a new library mascot!

We had joint winners for the micro-story competition from S1 and S3.  Check out their stories below:

As he opened the book the magic engulfed him, exploding everywhere.  The books pages flipped rapidly, he had taken the wrong book and he would pay for it.  Hands came outstretched from inside, grabbing and pulling him inside.  He would be another victim of the books curse, suffering for eternity.  – S1 pupil

There was an old book with stories to tell, I was a curious reader looking for a story to read and the book said: Books are like a passageway into another world, they let your imagination take you to places you’ve never been.  With books, you can live a thousand lives. – S3 pupil

The library is also proud to introduce our new library mascot, designed by an S1 pupil – The Libeery! 

Prizes of books and chocolate were bestowed to the winners of these competitions!

A World Book Day Mystery

This year we hosted our annual World Book Day Mystery Scavenger Hunt!  Pupils had to work in teams to solve the riddles, find the clues to eventually locate the stolen Golden Book.

Our winning team each won a bundle of World Book Day books, and a sweet treat!

World Book Day Quiz

We finished off the week with a bookish quiz, led by one of our bookworms as quiz master!  Pupils had to answer a variety of book-themed questions covering genres, movie adaptations, comic characters and emoji puzzles!

Our winner received not only books and chocolate, but also the grand prize of a Golden Library Pass!

So much reading!

Our returns box shows just how much our pupils were reading in the run-up to World Book Day – the box was overflowing every day!  It’s wonderful to see so many pupils trying lots of different books, and especially on the day that celebrates all things books!

A lot of our activities this year were decided and organised by our wonderful Bookworms, the pupil library committee, so I would like to give all of them a big thank you for their wonderful ideas and enthusiasm helping to decorate the library!

Between 1941 and 1945, the Nazis and their collaborators systemically murdered millions of Jewish people throughout Europe.  We remember this genocide as the Holocaust, and reflect upon it’s horrific impact on Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January).  You can learn more from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

It is important to learn and understand from our history, particularly in these turbulent times.  Learning through fiction as well as non fiction helps us to feel the impact of war and persecution beyond the harrowing facts we’re taught.  This Holocaust Memorial Day, try these books to build your empathy and understanding on how people are affected by the devastation of war and discrimination throughout the world, both today and in the past.

Starting this year, I’m going to be sharing some themed book lists here on our blog for inspiration for all our readers.  I’m starting off with a theme that’s growing in popularity in John Paul Academy – Myths & Legends!  Our library volunteers recently made a display on this theme, so I’ve created this list based on the books they curated for the display.  I hope you enjoy these reading recommendations!

Her Dark Wings, by Melinda Salisbury

This story is a modern-day twist on the Persephone myth. After being betrayed by those she loves most, Corey feels vengeance take root in her heart. She starts to see things she isn’t meant to, until she’s taken in by the Furies, and taught to harness the dark power growing within her. As Corey works out what it is she wants, and how to get it, she brings life to a stagnant world and change to an unyielding god. Can life bloom in the Underworld, or is it a place only for death, justice, and vengeance?

Medusa, by Jessie Burton

the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love, betrayal . and destiny itself.  Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except

The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh

Every night, the Caliph of Khorasan takes a new bride. Every morning, he has her executed. After Shahrzad loses her best friend to the monster boy-king, she vows vengeance and offers herself as the next bride. She’s determined not only to stay alive, but to end the Caliph’s reign of terror. Through the power of stories, Shahrzad convinces Khalid to let her live, over and over. The longer she spends with him, the less he seems like the monster who killed her friend. Is there more going on to this story than there seems from outside the palace? Shahrzad is determined to find out.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea.  Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

This book series is also available in graphic novel format.

This Poison Heart, by Kalynn Bayron

When Briseis’s estranged aunt dies and leaves her a run-down estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to visit and decide what to do. But Briseis discovers the estate is the perfect place to explore her secret power: she can make plants grow with a single touch. However, Briseis discovers deadly plants on the property, and secrets come to life around her. While she tries to fit in to a new town, Bri discovers not all the locals are as they seem, and some are even more dangerous than she could imagine…

Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters, by Nikita Gill

Wonder at Medusa’s potent venom, Circe’s fierce sorcery and Athena rising up over Olympus, as Nikita Gill majestically explores the untold stories of the life bringers, warriors, creators, survivors and destroyers that shook the world – the great Greek Goddesses.

Vividly re-imagined and beautifully illustrated, step into an ancient world transformed by modern feminist magic.

Ferryman, by Claire McFall

After dying in a horrific train crash, Dylan finds herself in a wasteland, haunted by wraiths searching for human souls. Waiting for her is a boy, Tristan, ready to transport her soul safely to the afterlife. But something is different about their meeting, and love and destiny intervene. Can their love survive, or is there a fate worse than death?

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good, by Louie Stowell

After one prank too many, trickster god Loki has been banished to live as a kid on Earth. If he can show moral improvement within one month, he can return to Asgard. If he can’t? Eternity in a pit of angry snakes. Rude! To keep track of Loki’s progress, King Odin (a bossy poo-poo head) gives him this magical diary in which Loki is forced to confess the truth, even when that truth is as ugly as a naked mole rat. To make matters worse, Loki has to put up with an eleven-year-old Thor tagging along and making him look bad. Loki is not even allowed to use his awesome godly powers! Will he finally learn to tell good from bad, trust from tricks, and friends from enemies?

Daughter of Darkness, by Elizabeth & Katharine Corr

Deina is trapped. As one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world – unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out. Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts.So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades… The prize of freedom is before her – but what will it take to reach it?

Skin of the Sea, by Natasha Bowen

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable–she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods. To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . . Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.

The Mythology Book

This incredible book contains eighty of the world’s greatest myths and characters, from early creation stories to classical hero narratives to the afterlife. Unravel myths from across the world and experience different cultures.

The Girl of Ink and Stars, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped. When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart. But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Fierce, Fearless and Free, by Lari Don

Once upon a time, there were strong, fierce women who plotted, schemed, took action, showed kindness, used magic and trickery, and made their own destiny. From the long-haired Petrosinella who escaped the tower and broke the spell that the ogress had cast over her and Nana Miriam who beat a hippo using politeness and magic, to Kate Crackernuts who tried to save her stepsister from her mother’s curse, these are stories of girls doing it for themselves!

An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures, by Theresa Breslin

Mysterious selkies, bad-tempered giants, devious fairies, and even Loch Ness’s most famous resident, these are the mythical beasts of Scottish folklore.

An Arrow to the Moon, by Emily X.R. Pan

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Homer’s The Iliad, by Diego Agrimbau

After ten years of siege by Greek forces, the walls of Troy remain intact. Only the intervention of the greatest warrior of all time, Achilles, can tilt the balance in favor of the invaders. On the Trojan side, Prince Hector is the only one who can face him. This is the story of the greatest war of all time. The war that brought all the heroes of ancient Greece together and turned them into immortal legends. It is the war that made the gods of Olympus face each other, due to their envy and vanity. This is the Trojan War.

The Siren, by Kiera Cass

“You must never do anything that might expose our secret. This means that, in general, you cannot form close bonds with humans. You can speak to us, and you can always commune with the Ocean, but you are deadly to humans. You are, essentially, a weapon. A very beautiful weapon. I won’t lie to you, it can be a lonely existence, but once you are done, you get to live. All you have to give, for now, is obedience and time…”

The same speech has been given hundreds of times to hundreds of beautiful girls who enter the sisterhood of sirens. Kahlen has lived by these rules for years now, patiently waiting for the life she can call her own. But when Akinli, a human, enters her world, she can’t bring herself to live by the rules anymore. Suddenly the life she’s been waiting for doesn’t seem nearly as important as the one she’s living now.

Lore, by Alexandra Bracken

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

Beasts of Prey, by Ayana Gray

Magic doesn’t exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome and magical creatures to pay off her family’s debts and secure their eventual freedom. But the night her loved ones’ own safety is threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand–and the consequences are dire.

As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six–an elite warrior–and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, a fire upends his plans. In its midst, Ekon not only encounters the Shetani–a vicious monster that has plagued the city and his nightmares for nearly a century–but a curious girl who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani down and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani and selling it for a profit could be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon–each keeping their true motives secret from the other–form a tentative alliance and enter into the unknowns of the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, by Axie Oh

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

Are there any good Myths & Legends books I’ve missed?  Let me know in the comments!

Even though most of the month was taken up with the Easter Break, April has still been a very fun and busy time here in the library!  Here’s everything we got up to in just two weeks!

New Club – Storycraft Club

We have started a brand new lunch club in the library – the Storycraft Club!  For those of you keeping track, yes, that is now a library club every single lunchtime of the week!  In this club, we will take part in reading, writing, arts, crafts, games, building and all sorts of creative enterprises revolving around storytelling!  The focus of our club is on mental health and wellbeing and diverse stories.  I’m looking forward to telling you about the exciting projects this club will be getting up to.  This project is supported by the Scottish Government School Library Improvement Fund.

Comic Club

We have been working on our own comic strips since returning from the Easter break – hopefully we can share some finished comics with you in the May update.

EAL Book Club

Cinderella stories are still being written!  The group has all agreed to write their own individual stories and when they are finished, we’ll take the best elements of the stories to create one as a group – possibly as a play!

RPG Club

Our pupils have continued their campaign in A Battle of Bookwyrms!  After meeting their mysterious host, Oskar Tremorspear, a librarian for Dragonsport Library, the characters have been sent on a quest to retrieve a very rare and powerful spellbook that was borrowed and not returned.  (Is this story fuelled by this librarian’s frustrations about overdue books?  You can be the judge of that.)  The characters set out on the trail north of town to the home of Rairdon Grimm, the Mage who borrowed the book.  Not long after entering the Briar Rose Woods, they come across a Blink Dog, who despite an unfortunate incident with a Firebolt, has been persuaded to join the group.  The new party member has been named MJ, short for Michael Jackson.  When the party found the Mage’s hut, it appeared to be empty, but upon investigation the group was attacked by a Vine Blight hiding inside!  Check back again next month to find out how the group faired…

Volunteers Club

Our volunteers have been working hard since our return after the Easter Break to make the library better for everyone.  They have started work on a mew project to label all the fiction books with their genre and keywords, making it easier for everyone to find the right book for them.  Obviously this is a massive project, but with the effort of our volunteers it could hopefully be completed before the summer!

Wee Write Author Visit – S.M. Wilson

Our S1 pupils were treated to an author visit from YA author S.M. Wilson as part of the Wee Write Festival – Glasgow’s Book Festival for Children and Young People.  Susan came and spoke to the children about her love of space and dinosaurs and her writing process – amazing stuff!  The pupils were riveted all period and had a great time.

S2 Authors

Speaking of authors, the library hosted a wonderful event for an S2 English class!  The pupils had written their own novels, and were invited to a ‘book launch’ event in the library.  They pitched their novels to the different ‘publishers’ present (consisting of the wonderful teachers and SLT here at JPA, as well as myself) and then enjoyed some drinks and nibbles while negotiating their book deals!  The pupils were all so enthusiastic about their books, with talk of series potential and movie deals!  I was thrilled to host this event in the library and hope we have have similar events in here again!

Phew!  That’s everything from April.  If you want to see what’s coming up in May, then check out the latest edition of our newsletter, Bookmarked, at this link.

Happy Reading, 

Miss West (Librarian)