Category Archives: Castlemilk High School

CHS Rights Respecting Book-of-the-Month: October

The Rights Respecting Schools Award recognises a school’s achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond. Castlemilk High School is currently working hard towards getting a Gold award this year. To help raise awareness of pupils rights, every month the library features one book that highlights some articles from the UNCRC. October’s Book-of-the-Month is The curious case of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon,  which links to a number of articles including:  

  • Article 2: Nondiscrimination
  • Article 12: Respect for the views of the child
  • Article 23: Children with a disability

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. 

Fifteen-year-old Christopher knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he discovers a dead dog on a neighbour’s lawn he decides to solve the mystery and write a detective thriller about it.

As in all good detective stories, however, the more he unearths, the deeper the mystery gets.. 

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time is available now in bookebook and audiobook format from the school library.

Find out more about borrowing ebooks and audiobooks using the Libby app

Rights Respecting Book-of-the-Month: September

Castlemilk High School: Rights Respecting School

The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. The Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens. 

The Award recognises a school’s achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond. 

The Rights Respecting group and Mrs Heffron are working hard to get the Gold award for Castlemilk High School. One part of this is a Book-of-the-Month promotion, to help raise pupils’ awareness of their rights under the UN Convention . Each month, the library promotes one book highlighting UNCRC articles. This month’s book is ‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Black, which links to a number of articles including:  

2: Nondiscrimination 

15: Freedom of association 

28: Right to an education 

In an alternate reality the population is divided into two: the white Noughts are second-class citizens, and the black Crosses are highly-revered and perceived as the superior race.Sephy is a Cross: she lives a life of privilege and power. Callum is a nought: he’s considered to be less than nothing – a blanker, there to serve Crosses.

They’ve been friends since they were children, and they both know that’s as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies – love is out of the question. Then – in spite of a world that is fiercely against them – these star-crossed lovers choose each other. But this is love story that will lead both of them into terrible danger . . . and which will have shocking repercussions for generations to come.

Noughts and Crosses is available now in book and ebook format from the school library. 

 

New term, new books!

Its the start of a new school year and we’re delighted to welcome everyone back to the library. We can’t believe it’s autumn already!  

Even though school is just back, we’ve already got lots of lovely new reads on offer. Our library assistants have been excitedly rifling through the new books. Here they share their top picks and the reasons they’re excited to read them. 

A tale of two knights : An Arthurian love story / ill. by L S Biehler 

When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. In this reimagining of an Arthurian legend, Knights of the Round Table Lancelot and Tristan set out on a quest to find the missing magician Merlin but instead discover an unexpected romance. 

Pupils say: This looks like a very good slow-burn love story 

If my words had wings / by Danielle Jawando 

When fifteen-year-old Tyrell Forrester gets caught up in a high-profile armed robbery, he’s sentenced to eighteen months in a young offenders’ prison.  Inspired by a visiting poet while inside, Ty discovers a whole new world through spoken word and is finally finding his voice. But will society ever see him as anything other than a criminal? A life affirming story of rehabilitation and hope after prison. 

Pupils say: The book cover is really eye catching and the title sounds engaging. 

The hunt for Star-Lord / Illustrated by Cam Kendell 

Rocket and Groot are living their best lives touring the galaxy for the very best deep-dish pizza in the universe. Just as Rocket is about to bite down on a gooey slice of pizza with extra trash, an alert pops up on his bounty tracker: Star-Lord has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom! 

Pupils say: I like Marvel in general, especially Star-Lord 

Deadly deep / be Jennifer Kilick 

It’s summer term and time for a school trip with a difference! Year 8 are on a boat off the coast of France, learning about ocean life. But things are about to get WEIRD . . . 

Who is the creepy man on board the ship? And what IS the vast, shadowy creature seen lurking at the bottom of the ocean? A perfect story for fans of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Stranger Things! 

Pupils say: The cover tells me it’s a very good read and the blurb sounds amazing. 

Black Hole Cinema Club / by Christopher Edge  

When Lucas meets his friends at the local cinema – nicknamed ‘The Black Hole’ – they’re excited about the movie marathon ahead. Non-stop action, blockbuster special effects and all the snacks they can eat. But as the lights go down, Lucas, Ash, Maya, Caitlin and Finn watch in disbelief as a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen and the five friends find themselves swept into an epic adventure. 

Pupils say: The cover and the back look interesting, it sounds like a very good read. 

Dead lock / by Simon Fox 

Archie Blake thought his policeman father teaching him how to pick locks and open safes was just a bit of fun. But when a diamond necklace is stolen and his dad is arrested, Archie realises the only way to prove Dad’s innocence is to go on the run and use everything he’s learned to uncover the truth. But Archie soon finds himself deeply tangled in the criminal underworld, where it’s hard to know who to trust and even harder to see what’s right or wrong. 

Perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Artemis Fowl. 

Pupils Say: The art of the cover makes this look like a really cool book.  

 Skandar and the unicorn thief / by A. F. Steadman 

Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider. To be one of the lucky few selected to hatch a unicorn. To bond with it for life; to train together and race for glory; to be a hero. But just as Skandar’s dream is about to come true, things start to take a more dangerous turn than he could ever have imagined. A dark and twisted enemy has stolen the Island’s most powerful unicorn – and as the threat grows ever closer, Skandar discovers a secret that could blow apart his world forever . . . 

The first book in the award-winning, international hit fantasy adventure series. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Fireborn  

Pupils say: The cover has a fantasy vibe and it kind of looks like the Percy Jackson series, which I really like.  

Dune / by Frank Herbert 

Melange, or ‘spice’, is the most valuable – and rarest – element in the universe. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe. When stewardship of Arrakis is transferred to his house, Paul Atreides must travel to the planet’s dangerous surface to ensure the future of his family and his people. But as malevolent forces explode into conflict around him, Paul is thrust into a great destiny beyond his understanding.

Librarian’s pick: I really loved the Dune movies, the story is so exciting and mysterious. I grabbed this new edition arrived, I wanted to read it and find out more about the characters. Plus, this way I don’t need to wait for the next movie to find out what happens next!

What will your next read be?

June@ Castlemilk Highschool Library

Pride 2024

Every June, Pride Month celebrates the rights of LGBTQ+ people in societies all around the world. Pride brings awareness to the LGBTQ+ community and the history of people’s fight for equal rights. 

We have loads of books that can help you learn more about LGBTQ+ cultural and history. Or why not read a book by an LGBTQ+ author this month? Browse our Pride collect on Padlet and visit the library to collect your next read.  

Dungeons & Dragons

On Fridays afternoons, pupils in S1-S3 have the opportunity to take part in lots of different activities as part of the Wider Achievement program. For the summer term, the library hosted a beginners Dungeons & Dragons group. Pupils spent a few sessions building their characters, choosing their skills and inventing backstories. We ended up with elves, druids, halflings, and lots of Dragonborn. Then we were ready to play! Big thank you to our star pupil Payton, who was our D&D oracle and lead everyone through some very exciting trap-filled adventures.

New New New

We also got some great new books, just in tie for the holidays. Here’s a wee sample of top picks in fantasy, sci-fi and the supernatural. All of these are available now from the school library.

 

April @ Castlemilk Highschool

What’s happening this month..

World Autism Acceptance Week: 2-8th April 

Autism Acceptance Week is a yearly event planned around Autism Acceptance Day. It aims to help more people understand autism and the experience of autism. It also highlights and celebrates the achievements of autistic people past and present.  

Reading books is a brilliant way to develop understanding and share life experiences from many perspectives. Along with information books, there’s a great range of fiction books written by or about people with autism, available in the school library. You can get the full list on our library Padlet page. Here’s a bit more about a few of our top picks from the list:

A kind of spark by Elle McNicoll  

Kind of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers.

Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and make her voice heard?  

Finding my voice by Aoife Dooley

Frankie is different, and so is her best-friend, Sam. So when they both start secondary school, it’s tough.

When she gets the chance to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest Frankie couldn’t be more excited. Except, to have a band, you need to have band members. And to have band members, you need to be good at making friends… Can Frankie learn to find her voice and stand out? 

Ways to be me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott 

Tally had high hopes for Year 6.Being in the top class at school means a whole host of privileges, and even better than that is the school production But at home, things aren’t going so well. Mum and Dad have been making Tally feel pressured and upset. Sometimes she feels so misunderstood and frustrated, she could explode!  Then Tally’s mum and dad tell her about something she’s never heard about before. Something called autism. And everything changes. 

Exam Season  

 It’s a busy and stressful time for our senior pupils, as they begin their exams this month. It’s extra important to look after yourself and your mental health during these kinds of stressful times.

There are lots of books and ebooks available from the school library to help with managing stress, anxiety and finding a wee bit of calm in the chaos! Browse our ebook collection, ‘Young Minds – Mental Health and Wellbeing’,  in the Teen section of Overdrive and Libby.  

You can also download digital practice papers in lots of exam subjects. Browse the collection on Overdrive here or search for ‘SQA’ in Libby. 

Good luck to everyone starting exams next week!

New books 

Finally we’ve got lots of lovely new books in this month! There’s a great variety of genres so plenty to choose from. Here’s a few of the highlights we think will be first off the shelves.  

Romance 

Boy like me / by Simon James Green

Cuts both ways / by Candice Brathwaite

A British girl’s guide to hurricanes and heartbreak / by Laura Taylor Namey

 

 

 

Fantasy 

Tyger / by S. F. Said & Dave McKean

The kingdom over the sea /  by  Zohra  Nabi & Tom Clohosy Cole

The ivory key / by Akshaya Raman

 

 

Spooky 

Most haunted theatres / by Yvette  Fielding & Hannah Shaw

Jodie / by Hilary McKay & Keith Robinson

Wise creatures / by Deirdre Sullivan

 

March @ Castlemilk Highschool Library

What’s been happening this month

World Book Day 2024

World Book Day is all about celebrating the magic of storytelling and the joy of reading. It’s a chance for book lovers of all ages come together to share their favourite stories, discover new adventures, and explore the wonderful world of books. Every year during March, you can claim a FREE book from book shops and participating retailers. All you need is a World Book Day token- and there’s lots of available in school.  You can collect tokens from your English teacher or the school library until March 31st. Check out what books are available to choose from here. 

Equality & Pride @ CHS

The CHS Equalities group provides a welcome space for all LGBTQ+ pupils and allies to meet every Wednesday at lunchtime. The group has been meeting in the library recently, where
they’ve made a new LGBT+ book display, bringing a lovely bit of colour to the shelves. This month everyone has been reading Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. The latest book in the series is in high demand, so if you have to wait, you can
try one of Alice Oseman’s other books like Loveless, Solitaire or Radio Silence 

 

Heartstopper/ Alice Oseman

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. 

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is held annually on 8th March. The aim of IWD is to raise awareness for gender equality and challenge stereotypes. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across the world, both from the past and the present day. These can range from female leaders to pioneers in technology to the women in our everyday lives, like female friends, mothers and grandmothers.

We have two spotlight lists for IWD this month. Our ‘heroines’ list features stories with inspirational women and girls, chosen here for their bravery, conviction,and smarts. Our HERstory list features books about real women who have done amazing things throughout history in science, art, politics and society.

You can view both lists on our School Library Padlet.

 

Made with Padlet

 

New Books

There are loads of new books to choose form this month, particularly if you like a murder or a lol in your stories! Here’s some that we’re most excited to read this month.  

The black queen / Jumata Emill 

A dark and twisty murder mystery – Ace of Spades meets Riverdale

Catch your death / Ravena Guron

Trapped in a mansion with a murderer and a family of liars – how would you survive? A mind-blowing thriller from the author of THIS BOOK KILLS, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.

Deadly little scandals / Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Shocking twists, family secrets, a fish-out-of water protagonist and a page-turning mystery combine in Little White Lies and Deadly Little Scandals (The Debutantes Duology) – perfect for fans coming from THE INHERITANCE GAMES series looking for their next addictive read from the Master of YA Mysteries, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Loki : a bad god’s guide to ruling the world /  Louie Stowell

Loki’s third doodle-packed diary in the number one best-selling series.

Worst week ever! : Monday / Emma Amores & Matt Cosgrove

The first book in the hilarious new seven-part highly-illustrated series for fans of Tom Gates, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Treehouse series.

The totally disastrous school-trip of Lottie Brooks / Katie Kirby

Lottie Brooks continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments and plenty of lols. 

 

Happy reading!

February @ Castlemilk High School Library

Children’s Mental Health Week takes place from 5–11 February 2024. This year’s theme is ‘My Voice Matters’, which is all about empowering children and young people to express themselves.  

To mark the week, this month in school we’re highlighting books from our ‘shelf help’ collection. School libraries have a great range of mental health and well being books available for pupils. These titles are chosen to support young people in building resilience and self-esteem, as well as managing anxiety and overall mental health.

You have the power : find your strength and believe you can/ Leah Williamson 

Join Lioness Leah Williamson, Arsenal and England women’s football player, as she shows girls that they can be a leader at any age, and that huge things can happen when they believe in themselves! 

Dare to be you / Matthew Sayid

What would you dare to try if you stopped worrying about fitting in?
When you stop doubting yourself, embrace change and let your kindness loose, you become your own action hero. This groundbreaking, practical and positive book will help kids develop the inner confidence to grow into happy adults who know – and, more importantly, LIKE – themselves. 

Banish your self-esteem thief : a cognitive behavioural therapy workbook/ Kate Collins-Donnelly 

Packed with activities and real-life stories, this imaginative workbook will show you what self-esteem is, how it develops, the impact it can have and how all this applies to your own self-esteem 

Yes you can : ace school without losing your mind / Natasha Devon

Secondary school can seem overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be. Natasha Devon uses her expertise to show you how to navigate school and stay calm in the face of exams.   Learn how your brain works, what kind of learner you are, and  how to deal with exam days with the help of mindfulness.

A better day : your positive mental health handbook/ Alex George

A positive, accessible and practical toolkit guiding young readers in how they can care for their mental health with confidence.From peer pressure and exam stress to online trolls and anxiety, life is full of ups and downs. But there are ways we can stay on top of our mental health – including overcoming stigma, talking about our feelings, developing resilience and switching our mindset.

Fighting invisible tigers : stress management for teens/ Earl Hipp

This book offers proven techniques that teens can use to deal with stressful situations in school, at home, and among friends. They’ll find current information on how stress affects health and decision making and learn stress-management skills to handle stress in positive ways—including assertiveness, positive self-talk, time management, relaxation exercises, and much more. Filled with interesting facts, student quotes, and fun activities, this book is a great resource for any teen who’s said, “I’m stressed out!” 

 

The mental health and wellbeing workout for teens 

Informed by the experiences of teens themselves, this friendly guide gives practical tips and strategies on how to overcome everyday stresses and ditch negative thinking ‘frenemies’ before they develop into more serious issues. Teens will be better equipped to recognise negative thoughts and emotions, monitor their mood and behaviour, and flex their positive thinking muscles in order to combat the mental health blips we all face sometimes. 

You can browse for more books in the ‘mental health and well being’ section of our school library book lists. 

January in Castlemilk H.S. Library

New year-and new librarian

Happy 2024!  My name is Ms Barron and I’m the new librarian in Castlemilk High School. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new pupils getting to know everyone this year. I will be in school on Wednesdays and Fridays this term. You can visit the library during breaks and after school. 

Exams

January is prelim time and the library has been very busy with senior pupils doing exams. Good luck everyone! Did you know you can borrow SQA practice papers on your ipad? Search ‘SQA on the libby app to see what subjects are available. While the exams are on, there will be a mini mobile library visiting classrooms for pupils to borrow from. Visits will be back to normal in February.  

Burns Night

January 25th is Burns Night, celebrating Robert Burns and Scottish traditions with haggis, neeps, tatties and poetry. Why not join in the celebration of Scotland’s creativity and read a Scottish author in January? Check out this month’s burns Night collection, available now from Glasgow Libraries, for ideas.  

Not sure what to pick? You could try ‘A night out with Burns: ‘, a collection of Burn’s greatest poems that brings his timeless work to life.

If you a prefer a story to poetry, there’s also a nice selection of teen fiction on the list. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan

Dylan Mint has Tourette’s. Being sixteen is hard enough, but Dylan’s life is a constant battle to keep the bad stuff in – the swearing, the tics, the howling dog that seems to escape whenever he gets stressed… But a routine visit to the hospital changes everything. Overhearing a hushed conversation between the doctor and his mother, Dylan discovers that he’s going to die next March. So he grants himself three parting wishes or ‘Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It’. But as Dylan sets out to make his wishes come true, he discovers that nothing – and no-one – is quite as he had previously supposed. 

The Gifted, the Talented and Me by William Sutcliffe

Fifteen-year-old Sam is not a famous vlogger, he’s never gone viral, and he doesn’t want to be the Next Big Thing. In fact he’s ordinary and proud of it.
None of which was a problem until Dad got rich and Mum made the whole family move to London. Now Sam’s off to the North London Academy for the Gifted and Talented, where everyone’s busy planning Hollywood domination or starting alt-metal psychedelica crossover bands. Sam knows he’ll never belong, even if he wanted to. And that’s before he ends up on stage wearing nothing but a fur onesie … 

Beyond the Wall by Tanya Landman & Tom Sanderson

The story of a runaway slave girl and her dangerous journey through the murky underworld of Roman Britain, by Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman.

Cassia does not fear to die, but for her – for a slave who has maimed her master – there are worse things than death. Yet the mighty Roman Empire has its limits. Beyond her master’s estate, beyond the river, far to the north stands Hadrian’s Wall. And beyond the wall? Freedom. With dogs on her trail and a bounty on her head the journey seems impossible. But then Cassia meets Marcus – slick, slippery, silver-tongued – a true and perfect son of Rome. And her only hope.

 All of these titles are available as eBooks on the Libby by Overdrive app. Click the book covers to find out more about each one. You can use your library card and PIN to add them to your account. 

Remember if you have any trouble using eBooks or other eResources you can visit your school library for help.