Monthly Roundup:

Rights Respecting Schools: We are pleased to announce that Shawlands Academy has achieved Silver accreditation on our Rights Respecting Schools journey. Pupils can browse our updated human rights collections in our newly named Rights Respecting Reads section.

Paint: We are so excited for our School Library to be painted over the summer. Pupils have submitted their preference for colours so all will be revealed come August!

Book of the Day:

02.06.25: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow

09.06.25: Climate Action: The Future is In Our Hands by Georgina Stevens and Katie Rewse

11.06.25: The Pavee and the Buffer Girl by Siobhan Dowd

13.06.25: Ocean by DK

16.06.25: When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Iman Geddy

18.06.25: Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

20.06.25: The Fights that Makes Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt

23.06.25: Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah

25.06.25: Rebel Girls STEM Stars: 25 Tales of Women in Science by Rebel Girls

 

Author Spotlight:

02.06.25: Ele Fontaine

09.06.25: Yaba Badoe

23.06.25: Christopher Edge

 

Series Spotlight:

02.06.25: Little Badman by Humza Arshad and Henry White

09.06.25: Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

23.06.25: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

 

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for April (Book Lists and Displays):

Audiobook Appreciation Month: June is Audiobook Month, a time to celebrate and promote the listening experience of audiobooks. Check out Glasgow Life’s audiobook range on Borrowbox and Libby by Overdrive.

Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month: Through celebration, education and raising awareness, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month helps to tackle prejudice, challenge myths and to amplify the voices of Gypsies, Romas ad Travellers in wider society.

National Crime Reading Month: National Crime Reading Month is an annual initiative spearheaded and developed by the Crime Writer’s Association. It runs throughout June, this year in collaboration with The Reading Agency. National crime Reading Month aims t bring new books to existing readers and new readers to the world’s most popular and best-selling genre.

Pride Month:  Pride Month is an annual celebration dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ+ history and contributions and coincides with the anniversary if the 1969 Stonewall riots.

World Environment Day (5^th June): World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

World Oceans Day (8^th June): World Oceans Day aims to raise the awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans.

Empathy Day (12th June): Empathy Day is a national event in the UK that is part of the wider Empathy Day festival running from June 2^nd-12^th. The theme for 2025 is “What’s your spark?”. The day aims to inspire children and young people to learn about empathy and experience it through stories and put it into action.

Refugee Week (16^th-22^nd): Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience pf refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

Windrush Day (22^nd June): Windrush Day marks the anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush on 22^nd June 1948 and to recognise and thank all of those from the Windrush generation and their descendants to their enormous contributions.

International Women in Engineering Day (23^rd June): International Women in Engineering Day is an international campaign that aims to raise the profile of women in engineering and encourage more people to consider engineering career. This day highlights the achievements of women engineering and provides a platform to celebrate their work and inspire the next generation of female engineers.

  Trending Book Lists

 Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

  Book Awards

Winners:  FCBG Children’s Book Awards | Jhalak Prize | James Tait Black Prizes | Orwell Prizes | Sir Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction | Sports Book Awards | UKLA Book Awards | Women’s Prize | YOTO Carnegies

Monthly Roundup:

 Pop-Up Library: This month saw exams taking place in the library, so we’re crossing our fingers for our Seniors. Best of luck everyone! Our Pop-Up Library will take place lunchtimes in an English classroom where there will be activities and a small selection of books to choose from.

Creative Writing Contest winners announced: Congratulations to N (S1) for their fantastic short story which won our World Book Day creative writing contest, selected by our Pupil Library Committee judges.

Bookmark Design Competition: We’ve received eight beautiful designs as part of our annual School Library Bookmark design competition. Voting has commenced on the School Library Channel of Teams.

BGE Class Visits: It’s that time of year! We’ll be visiting each S1-S3 English classes with a list of books out on loan. Library Return Boxes are located within each classroom to make it as easy as possible to return items. And there is no pressure to return books if you’re still reading them, just get in touch to renew!

 

New Book Highlights:

The Usborne Creative Writing Book by Louise Stowell

Graphic Novel Builder: The Illustrated Guide to Making Your Own Comics by Edward Ross

Play Like Your Football Heroes: Pro Tips for Becoming a Top Player by Matt Oldfield, Seth Burkett, Tom Jennings

 

Book of the Day:

02.04.25: Finding My Voice by Aoife Dooley

04.04.25: Be Resilient: How to Build A Strong Teenage Mind For Tough Times by Nicola Morgan

23.04.25: Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter

25.04.25: A Different Kind of Freedom: A Romani Story by Richard O’Neill

28.04.25: Astronomy for Curious Kids: An Illustrated Introduction to the Solar System, our Galaxy, Space-Travel – and More! By Giles Sparrow and Nik Neves

30.04.25: This Book Will Save the Planet: A Climate-Justice primer for Activists and Changemakers by Dany Sigwalt and Aurelia Durand

 

Author Spotlight:

23.04.25: Krystal Sutherland

28.04.25: Camryn Garrett

 

Series Spotlight:

23.04.25: Laura Marlin Mysteries by Lauren St John

28.04.25: Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby

 

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for April (Book Lists and Displays):

 World Autism awareness Month: World Autism Awareness Month is an opportunity for everyone to come together and raise awareness, foster acceptance, and create a society where autistic people are supported, understood, and empowered. Visit the National Autistic Society’s website for more information.

 Stress Awareness Month: Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and management strategies for stress. We’ve highlighted some books available in your School Library and signposted some websites with more information about management: Aye Feel, mentalhealth.org.uk, SAMH.org.uk

 National Pet Month: National Pet Month celebrates and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership.

 International Children’s Book Day (2^nd April): Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. Find out what made the BBC’s Top 100 Children’s Books of All Time.

International Romani Day (8^th April): International Romani Day (8 April) is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people. Visit the Romani Arts website to learn more.

Passover (12^th -20^th April): Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It begins before sundown on Saturday April 12, 2025, and ends after nightfall on April 20, 2025. Happy Passover to those celebrating.

 Easter: Easter also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday is a Christian festival and cultural holiday. Additional customs that have become associated with Easter and are observed by both Christians and some non-Christians. Happy Easter to those celebrating.

International Dark Sky Week (21^st-28^th April): International Dark Sky Week is a global celebration of the night. From the darkness needed for a restful night’s sleep to the activities we enjoy beneath the stars, the night plays a crucial role in protecting healthy wildlife ecosystems, advancing science and exploration, preserving cultural knowledge, and much more.

Earth Day (22^nd April): The theme for Earth Day 2025 is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, inviting everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

National Gardening Week (28^th April – 4^th May): National Gardening Week is a time for people to learn about gardening, connect with other gardening enthusiasts, and get inspired. Find some gardening tips on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website.

 

 Trending Book Lists

 Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 

 Book Awards

Winners: Peters Book Awards

Shortlists: The British Book Awards | Branford Boase Awards | Jhalak Prize

 Longlists: Women’s Prize | Crime Writer’s Association

World Book Day: World Book Day activities were celebrated throughout the week beginning March 3^rd.

 Scavenger Hunt: We collaborated with the English department to host a scavenger hunt for all year groups, featuring ten books set in Glasgow and surrounding areas to tie in with the city’s 850^th birthday festivities. Pupils were encouraged to located the posters with the book’s descriptions in classroom windows for a chance to be entered into our prize draw.

 Glasgow 850 Quiz: On Wednesday, members of our Pupil Library Committee delivered a Glasgow-themed general knowledge quiz

 Bookmark Competition: We launched our annual School Library bookmark design competition, where pupils will vote on their favourite design to become the official school library bookmark for the 2025-26 school year. Deadline is Friday, April 4^th. Voting will take place week beginning April 21^st and the winner will be announced in May.

 Creative Writing Competition: We’ve received several short stories and poems as part of our World Book Day creative writing competition to be judged by senior members of our Pupil Library Committee.

 Our Future Self: In September 2020, one of our S1 English classes volunteered to participate in Our Future Self writing exercise where pupils wrote a letter to their future selves about as well as predictions for the future. The completed forms were held in the library until their Senior year and have been given back before exams. Pupils very much enjoyed reading their letter (many forgotten they even wrote one!), fondly remembering all the pop music and video games they used to enjoy as well as comparing their predictions to present day.

 International Women’s Day Quiz: Two of our house captains delivered a quiz for International Women’s Day to tie in with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. The quiz highlighted the societal gains women have made over the past 50 years and highlighted several pioneering women in their fields.

Visibility Day Quiz and Crafts: We collaborated with the LGBTQ+ group to host a lunchtime quiz and craft event as part of the school’s Visibility Day festivities. Members of the group created and delivered a fun, informative quiz about LGBTQ+ rights and held a badge making session where pupils could either create their own designs or help prepare badges for the Visibility day celebrations.

Biblio Bistro: We teamed up with the Support for Learnings young baristas to host another popular Biblio Bistro event. The team utilised a section of the library to set up a café space where they could take orders and prepare drinks. A selection of popular library stock and activity sheets were set up on tables to encourage pupils to relax with their hot chocolates and browse some of the fabulous books that the library has to offer.

 

Book of the Day:

 03.03.25: Suffragettes the Battle for Equality by David Roberts

05.03.25: Fake News by Tom Jackson and Cristina Guitian

07.03.25: A Trip To The Future: How Today’s Science Will Shape Tomorrow’s World by Moira Butterfield

10.03.25: Four Eids and a Funeral by

12.03.25: Timelines from Indian History by DK

17.03.25: Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity: 25 Tales of Creative Thinkers by

19.03.25: An Amazing Animal Atlas of Scotland by Anders Frang

21.03.25: Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

24.03.25: Stories for Southa Asian Girls by Raj Kaur Khaira

26.03.25: An Anthology of Fungi by

28.03.25: Engineers Making a Difference: Inventors, Technicians, Scientists and Tech Entrepreneurs Changing the World and How You Can Join Them by Dr Shini Somara, Manual Sumerac, Adam Allsuch Boardman

31.03.25: Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

 

Author Spotlight:

03.03.25: Jennifer Mathieu

10.03.25: Tom Fletcher

17.03.25: Yaba Badoe

24.03.25: Ruta Sepetys

31.03.25: Adam Silvera

 

Series Spotlight:

03.03.25: Miss Peregrine’s Children by Ransom Riggs

10.03.25: Tales From The Pizzaplex by Scott Cawthon

17.03.25: Sam Wu by Katie and Kevin Tsang

24.03.25: Agent Zaiiba Investigates by Annabelle Sami

31.03.25: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

 

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for March (Book Lists and Displays):

 Ramadan (28^th February – 30^th March): Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and holy month for Muslims. Happy Ramadan for those who are celebrating.

 Cyber Scotland Week (24^th February – 2^nd March): Cyber Scotland Week invites individuals, organisations and communities across Scotland to raise awareness of cyber security and strengthen our collective cyber resilience.

World Wildlife Day (3^rd March): United Nations World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year to celebrate wild animals and plants. Every year, they recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.

World Engineering Day (4^th March): UNESCO’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development raises awareness of the role of engineering in modern life, which is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change and advance sustainable development.

British Science Week (7^th-16^th March): British Science Week is coordinated by the British Science Association and supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is a ten-day celebration of science, research and innovation. This year’s theme is ‘Change and adapt’.

International Women’s Day (8^th March) and Women’s History Month: Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day are annual observances that take place during March celebrating the social, eco nomic, cultural, and political achievements of women past and present.

Holi (14^th March): Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring. Happy Holi to those who are celebrating.

St Patrick’s Day (17^th March): St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture commemorating Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17^th – 23^rd March): Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, organisations, and others around the world with the opportunity to recognise the many skills and talents of neurodivergent individuals, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.

 Global Recycling Day (18^th March): Global Recycling Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and promote sustainable waste management.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21^st March): The International Day for the Elimination of racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21^st March since declared by the United Nations in 1966 to remember the victims of peaceful demonstrators in South Africa.

International Day of Forests (21^st March): International Forest Day is a global initiative to highlight the importance of all types of forests and their role in the fight against climate change.

World Poetry Day (21^st March): World Poetry Day was established by UNESCO in 1999 to promote linguistic diversity and give endangered languages through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered language to be heard.

World Water Day (22^nd March): World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance day that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

World Meteorological Day (23^rd March): World Meteorological Day commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization in 1950 and highlights the importance of meteorological services in addressing climate change. Check the Met Office for your daily local weather updates

Shakespeare Week (24^th-20^th March): Shakespeare Week is an annual national celebration of Shakespeare and his works.

Transgender Day of Visibility (31^st March): Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.

  

Trending Book Lists

 Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 Book Awards

Winners: Inclusive Books for Children’s Awards | Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize | Waterstones Children’s Book Prize

Shortlists: UKLA Book Awards | YOTO Carnegies

 

Culture Day: Shawlands Academy hosted it’s annual Cultural Day in the Assembly Hall and Library celebrating the school’s rich cultural and diversity and featured several information kiosks, a fashion show, food, and our library’s large range of books. It was a fantastic effort by the teachers and pupils involved in organising.

What’s Your Magic Power Competition Winner: Congratulations to our S1 pupil who won second place in our What’s Your Magic Power art competition in Swatch, the Glasgow School Libraries’ eMagazine for their design ‘Clarivoyance’.

New Book Highlights

An Anthology of Fungi by Ali Ashby, Lynne Boddy, and Daniel Long

Cosmos: Explore the Wonders of the Universe by Dr Becky Smethurst

How Philosophy Works by DK

Legacies: Black British Pioneers by Lania Narjee, Illustrated by Chante Tomothy

Myths of China: Meet the Gods, Creatures and Heroes of Ancient China by Xiaobing Wang, illustrated by Katie Ponder

Rise Up and Sing!: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music  By Andrea Warner, Illustrated by Louise Reimer

Weird and Wonderful Nature: Tale of More Than 100 Unique Animals, Plants, and Phenomenon by Ben Hoare

Underwater World: Aquatic Myths, Mysteries and the Unexplained by Tamara Macfarlane

 

Book of the day

03.02.25: Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Khan

05.02.25: Women in STEM: Women Scientists in Physics and Engineering by Catherine Brereton

07.02.25: Failosophy for Teens by Elizabeth Day and Kim Hankinson

10.02.25: Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride: 25 Tales of Self-Love and Community by Elena Favilli

12.02.25: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

14.02.25: Saints and Misfits by SK Ali

21.02.25: Fantastically Great Women Scientists and their Stories by Kate Pankhurst

24.02.25: The Exes by Anam Iqbal

26.02.25: Jay’s Guide to Crushing It by Ruby Clyde

28.02.25: This Book Will (Help) Make You Happy: 50 Ways to Find Some Calm, Build Your Confidence and Make Yourself Smile by Suzy Reading and Alex Paterson

 

Author of the Week

03.02.25: Ross MacKenzie

10.02.25: Robin Talley

17.02.25: Tiffany D Jackson

24.02.25: Malorie Blackman

 

Series of the Week

03.02.25: Onyeka by Tola Okogwu

10.02.25: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

17.02.25: Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

24.02.25: Leap Cycle by Patience Agbabi

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for February (Book Lists and Displays)

LGBT+ History Month UK: LGBT+ History Month takes place in the UK every February. LGBTQ History Month was initiated in the UK by  Schools OUT UK, and first took place in February 2005.

Children’s Mental Health Week (3rd -9th February): Hosted by national charity ‘Place2Be’, Children’s Mental Health Week takes place every February. and aims to promote positive mental health for children.

Languages Week Scotland (3rd-7th February): Languages Week Scotland is a celebration of language learning and multilingualism in Scotland. The theme for 2025 is “Our multilingual futures”.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11th February): 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS) and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, two significant milestones in the global effort to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

PALentines’s Day (13th February): Palentine’s day is a global celebration of friendship and platonic love to compliment Valentine’s Day.

Valentines Day (14th February):  Valentine’s Day is originated as a Christian feast holiday honoring Saint Valentine but is now also a celebration of romance and love around the world.

Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February): Random Acts of Kindness Day is an global celebration about spreading kindness without expecting anything in return and offer a chance to reflect on the value of empathy.

Trending Book Lists

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 Book Awards

Winners: Inclusive Book Awards | Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize | Waterstones Book Prize

Shortlists: UKLA Book Awards | YOTO Carnegie Medals

Rights Respecting Schools E qualities: This month we worked with the BGE E qualities group to look at ways the School Library can support out Rights Respecting Schools journey. Pupils suggested created themed book lists relating to some of the 54 articles in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and will also be spearheading a reading suggestions wall of rights themed books.

Glasgow 850 Challenge: 2025 marks Glasgow’s 850th birthday and to celebrate we’ve launched our Glasgow 850 Challenge, packed with Glasgow themed literacy activities including word jumbles, quizzes, match games, and fill-ins. Completion of each ‘mini-challenge’ earns an entry into a prize draw at the end of the school year. Our Glasgow -themed BGE and Senior book list is also available on the School Library Teams.

What’s Your Power Art Competition: Glasgow School Libraries are running an art competition for a chance to win the Hedgewitch trilogy by Skye McKenna. Participants are to draw their magical power and include a brief description of the power and why they’ve chosen it. Each entry will be featured in the Spring issue of Swatch, the Glasgow School Libraries eMagazine. Deadline Friday 14^th February.

 Read Your Way Creative Writing Competition: As part of our upcoming World Book Day festivities, we’ll be hosting our next seasonal creative writing competition on the theme ‘Read Your Way’. Participants have the freedom to write whatever inspires them in any creative format they enjoy. Maximum 1800 words, deadline 6^th March.

New Book Highlights:

Hedgewitch by Skye McKenna

The Fight That Makes Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Rivet Boy by Barbara Henderson

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite

Book of the Day:

06.01: Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia

08.01: Iron Widow by Xiran jay Zhao

10.01: Eagle Warrior by Gill Lewis

13.01: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

15.01: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animals: An Incredible Journey Through the Animal Kingdom by Claudia Martin, illustrated by Marc Pattenden

17.01: All About Religion by Aled James

20.01: Stride Towards Freedom by Martin Luther King Jr

21.01: Robert Burns And All That by Allan Burnett, illustrated by Scoular Anderson

27.01: The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

29.01: All About Lunar New Year: Things to Make and Do by Kevin Tsang, Illustrated by Linh Nguyen

Author of the Week

06.01.25: Hanna Alkaf

13.01.25: Alastair Chrisholm

20.01.25: William Sutcliffe

27.01.25: Vashti Hardy

Series of the Week

06.01.25: School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

13.01.25: Front Desk by Kelly Yang

20.01.25: Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo

27.01.25: Supernatural Investigators by BB Alston

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for December

Science Fiction Day (2^nd January): National Science Fiction Day is unofficially celebrated by many science fiction fans  on January 2, which corresponds with the official birthdate of famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

Martin Luther King Jr Day (20^th January): Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (27^th January) The International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. It also commemorates recent genocides recognised by the UK government, and the genocide in Darfur. 27 January was chosen to commemorate the date when the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.

World Religions Day (19^th January): World Religion Day is an observance that was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States, which is celebrated worldwide on the third Sunday in January each year. Though initiated in the United States, World Religion Day has come to be celebrated internationally by followers of the Baháʼí Faith.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (24^th-26^th January): Big Garden Birdwatch is the UK’s biggest citizen science wildlife survey. By taking part, you can help the RSPB understand how garden birds are doing right now.

Burns Night (25^th January): A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet’s birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night.

Chinese Lunar New Year (29^th January): Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring, this festival takes place from Chinese New Year’s Eve (the evening preceding the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.

Trending Book Lists

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 Book Awards

Winners:  Nero Book Awards

Longlists: Branford Boase Award

Pop-Up Library: Prelims took place in the School Library throughout December, so we took the library to the classrooms! We delivered our ever-popular Pop-Up Library in the English classrooms during lunchtime, given our regulars a safe and warm place to chill as well as a chance to return books and get help with their Libby app before the festive period.

Festive Quiz: We visited ten S1 and S2 classes to deliver a fun festive quiz for a chance to win a prize. We had thirty questions across rounds: Literature, Film, Music, Traditions, Nature, and Food. Pupils found it both fun and challenging, with some of the questions prompting a lot of discussion and debate.

Swatch Magazine: Our Winter 2024 issue of Swatch, the Glasgow School Libraries eMagazine is out now including an exclusive interview with Skye McKenna, talking about her new book Seawitch.

 New Book Highlights

Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask by RL Stine, illustrated by Maddi Gonzalez

Artificial Intelligence: The Road to Conscious Machines by Michael Woolridge

Ditching Saskia by John Moore and Neetols

Author of the Week

02.12.24: Maz Evans

09.12.24: Danielle Jawando

16.12.24: Savita Kalhan

Series of the Week

02.12.24: Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

09.12.24: Football Academy by Tom Palmer

16.12.24: BZRK by Michael Grant

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for December

UK Disability History Month (14^th Nov – 20^th Dec): UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) is an annual event creating a platform to focus on the history of disables people’s struggle for equality and human rights. It is a chance to discuss the history of disabled people, the positive contributions disabled people have made, and a chance to find out how we as a society can be more inclusive.

Bhodi Day (8^th December): Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is said to have attained enlightenment.

World Soil Day (5^th December): World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.

Human Rights Day (10^th December): Human Rights Day commemorates the anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

International Animal Rights Day (10^th December): International Animal Rights Day is an annual event honouring animals as sentient beings who deserve the same protections as people. This global observance is marked by demonstrations that expose animal exploitation, mourn the animal victims of human tyranny and rally support for universal animal welfare.

International Migrants Day (18^th December): International Migrants Day gives us a special opportunity to shine a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of millions of migrants around the world. It’s also a day for us to highlight the increasingly complex environment in which migration occurs.

Yule (December 21^st): Yule is a winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. In present times adherents of some new religious movements (such as Modern Germanic paganism) celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival.

Christmas (25^th December): Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.

Hanukkah (25^th December – 2^nd January): Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

Kwanzaa (December 26^th – January 1^st): Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day.

New Years Eve/Hogmanay (31^st December): In the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year also known as Old Year’s Day. Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner.

Trending Book Lists

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 Book Awards

Winners:  Lollies | The Saltires: Scotland’s National Book Awards | SLA Information Book Awards | Waterstones Book of the Year

Shortlists: Excelsior Awards

Book Week Scotland: The School Library held some fun activities to celebrate Book Week Scotland. On Monday 18^th, we announced our winner of the Shawlands Academy Quills Creative Writing Cometition on the theme of ‘Hope’ or ‘Scotland’, judged by our pupil-led panel. Congratulations to our S2 winner for their excellent poem ‘Hope’.  On Wednesday we held our annual quiz. On Friday, we held another successful ‘Biblio Bistro’ in collaboration with our talented baristas from Wider Achievement who served us up some very yummy, extra special hot chocolate. Pupils and staff were invited to come along to our ‘café’ and partake in our ‘Interview A Reader’ activity to chat about books and for a chance to entry our prize draw. And throughout the week, the School Library teamed up with the English Department to deliver a scavenger hunt that encouraged pupils to solve clues and locate picture of famous book covers displayed in classroom windows.

Rights Respecting School: Shawlands Academy are going for the Rights Respecting School bronze award and the School Library is thrilled to be involved. The Rights Respecting Schools Award UK is run by UNICEF UK, which ‘encourages schools to place the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of its ethos and curriculum’.

eResource Workshop for Seniors: We delivered a workshop specifically designed for seniors who are university bound, where we introduce them to online databases and how to navigate scholarly journals as well as tips for conducting research using these resources.

New Book Highlights

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Braids Take A Day by Zainab Boladale

Astronomy for Curious Kids by Giles Sparrow and Nik Neves

Books of the Day

1:11.24: Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World by Burhana Islam, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, Reya Ahmed, Saffa Khan, Aaliya Jaleel, Deema Alawa, Aghnia Mardiyah

4.11.24: Horrible Histories: Woeful Second World War by Terry Deary, illustrated by Martin Brown

6.11.24: What’s the T? The No-nonsense Guide to all Things Trans and/or Non-binary for Teens  by Juno Dawson, illustrated by Soofiya

8.11.24: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

11.11.24: Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer

13.11.24: Black Poppies: The Story of Britain’s Black Community in the First World War by Stephen Bourne

15.11.24: A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe

18.11.24: Talking about Islamophobia: What is it and How Do We Challenge It? A Beginners Guide for Children by Sabeena Akhtar and Na’ima B. Robert

20.11.24: Lily and the Rockets by Rebecca Stevens

22.11.24: Keedie by Elle McNicoll

25.11.24: Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time by Saira Mir

27.11.24: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

29.11.24: Eyewitness World War I by Simon Adams

Author of the Week

4.11.24: Cath Howe

11.11.24: Sarwat Chadda

18.11.24: Yasmin Rahman

25.11.24: Renee Watson

Series of the Week

4.11.24: Crossover by Kwame Alexander

11.11.24: First Aid for Fairies by Lari Don

18.11.24: Pages & Co by Anna James

25.11.24: Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley

Literary and Cultural Celebrations for November

Anti-Bullying Week (11^th – 15^th): Anti-Bullying Week is an annual campaigned aimed at raising awareness, impact and prevention of bullying. This year’s theme is ‘Choose Respect’.

Book Week Scotland (18^th – 22^nd): Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading run by the Scottish Book Trust. This year’s theme is ‘Hope’.

Islamophobia Awareness Month: Islamophobia Awareness Month is aimed at raising awareness of islamophobia and challenge stereotypes as well as celebrate the contributions and culture of Muslims. This year’s theme is ‘Seeds of Change’.

Nonfiction November: Nonfiction November is an annual celebration of information and factual books run by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. This year’s theme is Why Don’t You? (Hobbies and Leisure)

Remembrance Day: Shawlands Academy honored Remembrance Day on November 11^th with a minute of silence at 11am.

Transgender Awareness Week 913^th-19^th): Transgender Awareness Week is a weeklong celebration leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance. This year’s theme is ‘Our Trans Heroes’.

Trending Book Lists

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

Book Awards

Winners – Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction | Booker Prize | Diverse Book Award | Wainwright Prize

Libby Inductions: Now that the s1s have received their iPads, we visited s1 English classes to deliver Libby inductions. Pupils were given their library card numbers and given step by step instructions on how to access and navigate the eBook app suing their School Library cards.  Pupils loved the ease of access and range of topics and genres available on the app. For more information, visits the Glasgow Life Libraries Libby page.

Black History Month: We compiled scores of books by Black British authors as part of an S3s English reading project for Black History Month. Pupils were presented with a range of fiction and nonfiction books for junior, Young Adult, and Senior audiences to select from.

Pupil Library Committee: Our new Pupil Library Committee recruits successfully completed their first task of helping to process a huge six-box delivery. They helped stamped the date labels with the school library logo, sorted and arranged each book according to genre or subject, and helped shelved the books into the appropriate places.

Creative Writing Contest: Our Creative Writing Contest submission date was the 31^st October, and we received six excellent entries from pupils across all year groups. They have been handed over to our pupil judges who will select and announce the winner come Monday, 18^th November during Book Week Scotland.

 

New Book Highlights

The History of the Computer: People, Inventions, and Technology That Changed Our World by Rachel Ignotofsky

The Secret World of Plants: Tales of More Than 100 Remarkable Flowers, Trees, and Seeds by Ben Hoare

Lonely Planet Kids The Ocean Book: Explore The Hidden Depth of Our Blue Planet by Derek Harvey

 

Books of the day

02.10.24: Black Artists Shaping the World by Sharna Jackson

04.10.24: Dragonracers by Peter Bunzl, illustrated by Lia Visrin

07.10.24: Horrible Histories: Ghosts by Terry Deary, Illustrated by Martin Brown

09.10.24: Hidden Figures: the True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Shetterly

11.10.24: Kemosha of the Caribbean by Alex Wheatle

21.10.24: Wrath by Marcus Sedgewick

23.10.24: An Illustrated History of Ghosts by Adam Allsuch Boardman

25.10.24: Science Museum: The Book of Discoveries: Incredible Breakthroughs That Changed the World by Time Cooke and Drew Bardana

28.10.24: Black and British: An Illustrated History by David Olusoga, Illustrated by Melleny Taylor

30.10.24: Haunted Dolls by Martha London

 

Author of the Week:

01.10.24: Tom Mitchell

07.10.24: Ross Welford

21.10.24: Gill Lewis

28.10.24: Efua Traore

 

Series of the Week

01.10.24: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

07.10.24: My laugh Out Loud Life by Burhana islam

21.10.24: Strangeworlds Detective Agency by LD Lapinski

28.10.24: Thousand Worlds by Yoon Ha Lee

 

Literary and Cultural Celebration Book Lists and Displays for October

Dyslexia Awareness Week Scotland (Sept 20^th – Oct 6^th)

World Space Week (Oct 4^th – 10^th)

Black History Month (Throughout October)

Mental Health Day (Oct 10^th)

Diwali (Oct 31^st)

Halloween/Samhain (Oct 31^st – Nov 1^st)

Trending Book Lists:

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

Book Awards

Winners: Diverse Book Awards | Forward Prizes for Poetry | Polari Prizes

Shortlist: Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction

With the Library back into full swing after last month’s S1 Library inductions, it has been one of the busiest months to date! We’ve issued over 700 books to our BGE classes this month alone.

Creative Writing Competition: We’re receiving some excellent piece for our Quills Creative Writing Competition on the theme of ‘Hope’ and/or ‘Scotland’. The winners will be selected by our Pupil Library Committee panel judges and announced during Book Week Scotland.

New Book Highlights:

The Djinns Apple by Djamila Morani

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitrzgerald

 

Book of the Day:

02.09: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

04.09: Sky Dancer by Gill Lewis

06.09: The Big Ask by Simon James Green

09.09: Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey

11.09: Hijab and Red Lipstick by Yousra Imran

13.09: The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

16.09: Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

18.09: Kane Rules by Simon Mugford

20.09: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

23.09: Usborne Politics for Beginners by Rosie Hore, Alex Firth, and Louie Stowell

25.09: Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon

 

Author of the Week:

WB 2^nd: Brittney Morris

WB 9^th: Elizabeth Wein

WB 16^th: Nick Lake

WB 23^rd:  Kacen Callander

 

Series of the Week:

WB 2^nd: Daevabad by SA Chakraborty

WB 9^th: Enemy by Charlie Higon

WB 16^th: Train to Impossible Places by PG Bell

WB 23^rd:  Imposters by Scott Westerfeld

 

Literary and Cultural Celebration Book Lists for September:

East and South East Asian Heritage Month: September is East and South East Asian (ESEA) Heritage Month with the aim to celebrate and honour people of ESEA heritage and their culture, and everything in between.

Trending Book Lists:

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 

Recent Awards: UK book award winners, shortlists, and longlists

Winners: Klaus Flugge Prize, McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Book of the Year, Wainwright Prize, The Week Junior Book Awards

Shortlist: Booker Prize

Longlist: UKLA Book Award

 

Book Buzz: Latest book news from major media outlets and websites

BBC | Book Riot | Buzzfeed | Epic Reads | The Guardian | Huffpost

 

S1 Inductions: What a delight it was to meet all the new S1s in our library inductions this year! We managed to cover all 10 of our S1 English classes in August meaning as of September, we can begin our regular book borrowing periods. Throughout August, our S1s have borrowed 160+ books for class and personal reading.

Reading Challenges: We’re launching three reading challenges this year. Bookopoly encourages pupils to read out with their comfort zone, challenging them to select books on different themes and genres they wouldn’t normally choose. Pupils have a chance for their names to be enter into a quarterly prize draw when the book is read and returned. Our 4 Word Book Review slips are a super easy way to get pupils to review and recommend books using only four words to describe the book. Each completed slip earns and entry into the quarterly prize draw. We’ve brought back Ask Me What I’m Reading challenge to encourage discussion around books and reading for leisure. Each completed form earns an entry into the prize draw.

Creative Writing Competition: The School Librarian is collaborating with the members of the Pupil Library Committee on launching our Quills Creative Writing Competition. We’re accepting any form of creative writing, maximum 500 words on the theme of ‘Scotland’ and/or ‘Hope’. Deadline is Friday, November 1^st.  Senior members of our Pupil Library Committee are judging the competition and we’ll announce the winner and three runner ups on Monday, 18^th November during Book Week Scotland.

AHE Gale Literature Resource Centre Workshop: We visited Miss McDonald’s Advanced Higher English class to deliver the Gale Literature Resource Centre workshop to help them with their upcoming dissertation. Gale Literature Resource Centre provides up-to-date biographical information, overview, full-text literary criticism and reviews for 13K+ writers, offering high quality source of information useful for Advanced Higher English pupils. Glasgow Libraries subscribes to Gale and pupils can access the resources with their school or community library card.

Games in the library: In last year’s pupil survey, respondents requested that the School Library have board games. We now have the following board games in stock to borrow during breaks and lunchtime: Catastrophe, Chess, Disney Villainous, Exploding Kittens, Lost Worlds, Monopoly: Glasgow Edition, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Throw Throw Burrito, Uno

Creation Station: The School Library now offers borrowable creation packs containing a selection of felt tipped pens, pencil crayons, mechanical pencil, sharpener, ruler, eraser and glue sticks to help pupils get crafty and creative.

Monthly Newsletter: We’ve relaunched our monthly newsletters this year, featuring new book and eBook highlights, current book award information, short books lists, genre spotlight, librarian recommendations, monthly book lists, and author and book birthday calendar. The interactive newsletter is in PDF format on the Library Channel in Teams.

New Book Highlights:

The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will by Maya MacGregor

Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar

Gwen and Art are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Franklin

Medicine: A Magnificently Illustrated History by Briony Hudson, illustrated by Nick Taylor

Unlocking the Universe by Stephen Hawking

 

Book of the Day:

19.08: Thornhill by Pam Smy

21.08: Frankie’s World by Aoife Dooley

23.08: Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

26.08: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

28.08: Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke, illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi

30.08: A Trip to the Future: How Today’s Science Will Shape Tomorrow’s World by Moira Butterfield, illustrated by FagoStudio

 

Author of the Week:

WB 19^th: Susin Nielsen

WB 26^th: Katherine Woodfine

 

Series of the Week:

WB 19^th: Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

WB 26^th: Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

 

Literary and Cultural Celebration Book Lists for August:

South Asian Heritage Month: South Asian Heritage Month (July 17^th-August 17^th) celebrates the heritage of people with roots in South Asian countries. This year’s theme is ‘Free to be me’.

Trending Book Lists:

Epic Reads New Releases | The Guardian Children’s Book Roundup | LoveReading4Kids Books of the Month | Scholastic Books of the Month | Scottish Book Trust Book Lists |Toppsta Monthly Highlights | Waterstones Books of the Month

 

Recent Awards: UK book award winners, shortlists, and longlists

Winners: Arthur C Clarke Award for Science Fiction | CWA Daggers Awards | James Tait Black Memorial Prize | UKLA Book Awards | Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, YA Book Prize | Young Quills Award for Historical Fiction

Shortlists: Forward Prize for Poetry | Little Rebels Award | Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing

Longlists: Booker Prize | Diverse Book Awards

 

Book Buzz: Latest book news from major media outlets and websites

BBC | Book Riot | Buzzfeed | Epic Reads | The Guardian | Huffpost