Eastbank School Library was super lucky to have Neil Slorance as a visiting author this month.  Neil is an illustrator who has worked with many well known clients such as the BBC, STV, Titan Comics  – and contributed to the official Dr Who comic books.

Our S3 pupils took part in a session where Neil demonstrated how to build characters.   The pupils went on to draw their own ideas with guidance and tips from Neil, finally creating an individual comic strip narrative.  You can see how interested and hard working our pupils were during the session below.  And thanks go to the Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Scheme, who part-funded the session.

 We would love to have Neil back again soon.

It has been such a busy start to 2024 in the library here at Eastbank Academy.   I think with everyone being off school in the Christmas break, they’ve tidied their rooms and brought back lots of books at the start of term.  In one single afternoon, from a tidy desk at midday, the library returns desk looked like this !

But on the other hand, January often is a time when we’re stuck inside as the weather is awful, we can’t get out and play sports or anything – so instead we like to have some of our favourite books to read and enjoy.  I think all these things have combined together and left our football book spinner as bare as last year’s Christmas tree in January !   Pupils – please bring back all the overdue books as soon as you can, especially the football collection, manga and the Wimpy Kid books.  Other pupils are waiting to read them and the bookcase is missing being full.

Last, but by no means least, we have more brilliant books just added to the library bookshelves.  Come and see them soon.  In particular, we are loving Ultra Wild by Steve Mushin.  Even the cover art is amazing !  Ultra Wilde is a series of very detailed comic strips which give wild, extreme and wacky ways we could help to return cities to the wild and combat climate change.  Although lots of fun, it really highlights the problems we have with urban environments co-existing with nature.  Steve’s narrative describes how we got to where we are today in modern cities, and how science around bringing nature back in to cities is possible.  It’s such a fun book as the ideas are taken to the extreme with instructions even on how to put a cannon into your toilet – so much fun! But again, it gives lots of interesting ideas and data on climate change as well, making it really useful.  Get it out on loan today – you will love it.

** For more information on the illustrator Neil Slorance please visit his website – www.neilslorance.com

***And for more information about the Ultra Wild book please see www.ultrawild.org