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September @ St. Andrew’s

We’re back for another school year and have lots of things to update everyone on!

Library move/refurb

After our move to English 4, we have moved again! This time to a much larger space. We are currently awaiting a full refurb of the library but once this is done, we look forward to bringing back our full programme of clubs and events – no less the Manga Club! Watch this space for updates.

S1 Inductions

September was a month for meeting and getting to know our new S1s. It was great having them down for their library inductions and there were a lot of keen readers amongst them.

ProQuest/GALE sessions

We are already underway with our research skills workshops as Advanced Higher Drama got their first ProQuest/GALE/Oxford DNB session of the year. We are hoping to continue this with both Social Subjects and English classes next month.

 

Next Month

October will see us continue with our class borrowing periods for all S1 to S3 pupils and work with S6 paired readers. As the new S1s get their iPads, we are looking to begin Libby/Borrowbox sessions to promote our online resources. October also marks Black History Month (UK) and we will have a pupil-curated display in the library to mark this.

Dyslexia Awareness Week

From the 2nd to 8th October 2023, Dyslexia Awareness Week  will be celebrating individuals with dyslexia from all backgrounds and walks of life. This year’s theme is Uniquely You, which celebrates the diversity of the dyslexic community and the rich variety of lived experiences of dyslexia. 

Barrington Stoke Logo which reads 'Dyslexia Friendly'To celebrate the week we’re spotlighting some of our new Barrington Stoke books in Whitehill School Library.  Each book has a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paper stock so that even more readers can enjoy it.  Barrington Stoke publish a fantastic range of fiction and non-fiction books for all ages and interests, and there are lots more available in the school library.

Click the images to get a sneak peek of first chapters. 

The day the hiccups took overimage of book cover for 'the day the hiccups took over'

Frank has a big day ahead of him, with a trip to the dentist, a trumpet exam, a swimming contest and, most important of all, he has tickets to see his knitting hero on stage right here in his hometown! But all that is put at risk when Frank wakes up with the hiccups. And they just won’t STOP!  

Helped by his new friend Daisy, Frank tries ever more madcap ideas to get the hiccups to go away. But will the whole day end in disappointment and humiliation, or will Frank manage to turn calamity into a dramatic triumph? 

Book cover for 'Bertie and the alien chicken'Bertie and the alien chicken

Bertie is NOT looking forward to spending the summer holidays on stinky Long Bottom Farm. But things take an interesting turn when he encounters Nugget, the alien chicken. Nugget’s mission is to find the Earth’s most valuable resource and transport it back to Nurgle 7, and he needs Bertie’s help.

But what could the Earth’s most valuable resource be, and can they find it in time to stop the Nurgles exterminating the Earth?! 

 

 

Calling the walesImage of book cover for 'Calling the wales' by Jasbinder Bilan.

When Tulsi and her best friend Satchen spot something unusual in the sea near their home in Scotland, they decide to investigate. But little do they know how much danger they are putting themselves in. After rowing out to a nearby island, they become involved in a risky rescue mission and their boat capsizes in a storm. 

But just as they think all is lost, help arrives from an unexpected source … 

Image of book cover for Ravencave by Marcus Sedgwick

Ravencave

While mucking about in the ruins of an old farm while on holiday in Yorkshire, James hears strange laughter echoing around the walls. The ghost of a young girl appears to him and urges James to follow her but at first he’s too afraid. 

When she appears again, this time James follows. But will he be able to face the terrible truth she reveals …? 

 

Little womenImage of book cover for Little Women a retelling by Laura Wood

 

When you’re one of four sisters, it can be difficult to find your own identity. But that’s never the case for the March girls – sweet Meg, tomboyish Jo, shy Beth and precocious Amy. 

With their father away at war and their mother working long hours, the sisters have to look out for each other and make their own entertainment. Although disagreements arise, their strong bond, vivid imaginations and infectious sense of fun see them through the darkest of days in this timeless coming-of-age story. 

 

Image of book cover for Frankenstein: a retelling by Tanya LandmanFrankenstein

A thrilling gothic tale of hubris gone badly wrong. A young man’s search for the secret of the spark of life leads him to a horrific experiment in which he creates a gigantic creature from dismembered body parts. Rejected by his creator, the initially gentle creature turns monstrous when his desire to find companionship and love are thwarted. 

Tanya Landman revisits Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic horror story, bringing to life Dr Frankenstein and his monstrous creation in an accessible format that more readers can enjoy. 

The curio collectors

Image of book cover for The curio collectors by Eloise Williams

Lily, Tom and Ma Hawker are the Curio Collectors, travelling the country and enthralling crowds with their amazing collection of treasures. When an unusual piece of scrimshaw, a shell with delicate carvings, comes into their possession, it attracts the attention of a young maid, who is searching for a special shell that belonged to her mother. But another shadowy figure is also very interested in the scrimshaw, and it appears he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it.

Can the Curio Collectors uncover the mystery behind the carvings before time runs out?

Image of book cover for Dragonracers by Peter BunzlDragonracers

Kitty Hawk dreams of taking to the skies and competing in the world’s first long-distance air race. But little does she imagine that her first flight will take place on the back of a dragon! When Kitty and her brother find an unusual egg, the little dragon that hatches from it grows rapidly into a magnificently powerful creature that learns to fly with Kitty riding on her back.

Together, can they win the huge prize that’s at stake, and will their daring adventure bring Kitty closer to achieving her dreams?

 

September 2023 Roundup – Shawlands Academy School Library

S1 Library inductions: We delivered in-house Library inductions to our ten S1 classes. The pupils learn about the library offer, including all the activities and programmes we have planned throughout the year as well as an introduction to our collection with a library treasure hunt. Pupils were given a map of the Library along with five questions to help them locate books and familiarise themselves with each section of the Library.

SfL Book Group: The Library is working closely with the Support for Learning department to host another book group for our SfL pupils following the success of last year’s group. The pupils have chosen to read Horowitz Horrors by Anthony Horowitz, a collection of short horror stories to see us through the spooky season.

Pupil Library Committee: Our Pupil Library Committee are back on the scene, helping out in the Library, planning future activities, and creating monthly displays that tie in with cultural and literary events. Our display for September included East and South East Asian Heritage Month, Zero Waste Week, Read a New Book Month, and Maths Week Scotland.

Summer Writing Competition Winners: Congratulations to our four pupils who won our Summer Creative Writing Competition.

Swatch: Our Autumn issue of Swatch, the Glasgow School Libraries eMagazine is now available. Here are some links to our previous issues: Summer 23, Spring 23, Winter 22, Autumn 22, Summer 22Spring 22, Winter 21, Autumn 21, Summer 21, Spring 21, Winter 20, Autumn 20  

Trending Booklists:

Best New Children’s Books – Topptsa

Bookbug’s Book of the Month – Scottish Book Trust

Books of the Month – Love Reading For Kids

Books of the Month – Scholastic

Books of the Month – Waterstones

Children’s Books Roundup – Guardian

New Releases – Epic Reads

 

Upcoming Literary and Cultural Events – October:

1st – 2nd: The Words of War Book festival (Perth, Scotland)

7th – 8th: Libraries Week (Nationwide)

7th – 8th: Bookmark Book Festival (Blairgowrie, Scotland)

13th – 29th: Scottish International Storytelling Festival (Edinburgh, Scotland)

21st – 22nd: Boswell Book Festival (Dumfries, Scotland)

27th – 28th:  Tobermory Book Festival (Tobermoray, Scotland)

26th – 29th: Orkney Storytelling Festival (Stornoway, Scotland)

Awards:

Booker Prize – Shortlist

Diverse Book Awards – Winner

Klaus Flugge Prize – Winners

 

Book Buzz:

BBC

Book Riot

Buzzfeed

Epic Reads

The Guardian

Huffpost

The New York Times

 

All change at Eastbank – library refurbishment

Come and see our transformation in the Eastbank Academy Library !

Through the summer, Mrs Marshall and her many helpers (thank you librarians and janitorial staff !) worked to transform the library space at Eastbank Academy.   The whole project involved recycling unwanted bookcases from other libraries with little or no money spent.  Some bookcases work so well in a different space and our library has a new lease of life.  At the start of the project, when you decide to change a library space, you have to move lots – and lots, and lots – of books !

   

And when the books are off the shelves, then the shelves are the next thing to dismantle.  What a job that was!  It involved lots of helpers to take down the bookshelves which had been at Eastbank for several years.  Being a green school, we saved some of these shelves for other projects.  Here’s how the shelves looked all piled up after taking the bookcases apart.

One by one we built the new bookcases and got the new spinner book cases into place.   The library definitely was looking quite different now.   The light colours of the bookcases definitely looked brighter and gave us more room to relax while choosing books.

 

In addition, the library was provided with 2 brand new small bookcases which will become home to special collections in the library, such as our Shelf Help selection of books.

 

Finally, this week, the last bookcase arrived to complete our transformation !  It’s looking great and certainly makes the non-fiction more attractive and easier to see.

Overall, the pupils’ feedback has all been very positive, and they enjoy coming into the new space to choose their books. The library now is far more attractive, but also far easier to use.  With a new layout instead of just rows of books and new signage, book borrowing is a better experience.  The library itself is a lovely space to be in.  We are all looking forward to the rest of the school year in our the new library space.

 

 

 

Lochend new non fiction

We’ve had some amazing new non fiction arrive last week at Lochend.  Why don’t you prepare for Halloween at the end of October by reading some gruesome and scary new books?

Do No Harm and Cursebreaker 

Nothing is scarier than real life, and in Do No Harm there’s lots of real life medical stories from the past to the present day.  This book shows how we’ve come from cutting off limbs with saws right up to date – making progress in the fight against cancer and other diseases.  A great read, with short sections and fantastic graphics

 

Cursebreaker   

Want to be scared?  This book, with it’s creepy adventures, gives you the choice to play a game where you can escape from prison – then fight your way to freedom via a fantasy world.  Great fun.

New Non Fiction

There’s lots to love in our new non fiction selection. Whether you want to find the confidence to speak up and be heard, or select a new film to watch there’s something for everyone.  Even a new Vegan cook book to get you cooking new recipies !

 

 

 

Book of the Month for October – Artificial Intelligence by Tom Jackson

This tiny book is a colourful explosion of  great information, with 4 chapters taking us from the early days of AI decades ago right up to today.   It’s a great read, giving clear information and you can dip into topics without having to read the full book.

Genrefying the Library

At Bannerman High, the fiction section has been divided by genre rather than alphabetical order. This was done in hopes of supporting our readers in finding a book they might enjoy by following the kind of plot they prefer the most, as well as to invite them to read across different genres. The genres are: history in stories; animals are pals; action; fantasy and magical stories; comedy; slice of life; crime-horror-mystery.

There will also be a monthly “theme” display where the pupils will have the opportunity to highlight a specific collection in the library.

Lots of Newness in Bellahouston

New School Year, New S1s, New Library Layout, New Librarian, New Books!

A huge welcome to our new S1s. S1 inductions are ongoing and our library class visit timetable is up and running. We’ve been super busy at interval and lunchtimes as well.

Check out the new books that have arrived this month, including some amazing books in different languages to add to our growing collection.

 

 

Welcome back to all our pupils at John Paul Academy!  Get back into the mood for school with these great school-themed books: