World Book Day Week: This year, World Book Day was celebrated on Thursday, March 3rd and the School Library delivered a plethora of fun, bookish activities throughout the week. We published the results from our #ReadingSchools Library Survey and Book Personality Quiz that took place over January/February. The full report was uploaded to the Library channel on Teams, but an abridged version can be found here.
Our World Book Day programme included the following activities, where participants were entered into a prize draw for a £20 National Book Token:
- Bookshelf Challenge: Pupils were invited to guess the teacher based on a clue and a picture a staff member’s bookshelf. The activity was uploaded to the Library Channels on each year group’s Teams and all participants were entered into the WBD prize draw
- Scavenger Hunt: Pupils had to guess the teacher and find which book they were reading which was displayed on a #ReadingSchools poster. Those who submitted completed forms were entered into the WBD prize draw.
- World Book Day Quiz: A book-themed quiz was delivered during both lunch periods in the School Library. All participants were entered into the WBD prize draw and those with the highest points received three entries into the draw.
In addition to the World Book Day activities, the school library also launched reading challenges and competitions. These included:
- Bookopoly: Pupils are given a Bookopoly board. They can choose to read two fiction books per genre, one nonfiction book per subject, and/or three ‘chances’ where they can either select a ‘reading dare’ or spin the Wheel of Genre. The completion of each genre/subject/chance grants them an entry into the monthly school library prize draw. Pupils can also earn a certificate for completing the entire board.
- Ask Me What I’m Reading: The winning designs from our Ask Me What I’m Reading design competition were circulated alongside a sheet where pupils must ask five people what they’re reading. This is to encourage pupils and staff to have a conversation about books and promoting literature via word of mouth. Submitted forms grants one entry into the monthly school library prize draw.
- Reader of the Week: We’ve also launched a Reader of the Week initiative where pupils can complete either a #ReadingSchools shelf shouter to be displayed on the bookshelves (think Waterstones) or a book review template to be displayed on either the Reader Recommendations bulletin board, the monthly newsletter or Swatch magazine. Each submissions earns an entry into the school library monthly prize draw and pupils who submit the most reviews per week earn a Reader of the Week certificate and ribbon.
- Short Story competition: The Short Story competition is the brainchild of two pupils (S2 + S6) who are members of our Pupil Library Committee, both of whom are part of the judging panel. We received fourteen-short stories across all yer groups. The pupil judges divided the stories into 2 groups, BGE and S4-Senior. Within those groups, they judged each story based on a set of criteria based on various short story competitions we researched around the Web. The winners for each category are as follows:
- BGE Stories:Top score: Mother
Top Mechanics: The beginning of the rest of my life
Top Expression: Untiled
Characterisation: Queen of all creatures
Plot: A true love between sisters
Theme: Your melody flowing me away
Attention Grabbing Opening: A wonderful place called Cat
Passion: Corruption
Originality: Amanda sparks a woeful saga of pain
Short Story S4-Senior winners:
Top score: Faithful Truth
Top Mechanics: Timeless Book Chronicles
Top Expression: Reminiscent Hours
- Fantasy Football competition: This is a fun literacy-based activity aimed at football fans and reluctant/struggling readers. Pupils are given a sheet to complete their own fantasy football team (based on real players, past or present) and instructed to give the reasons why they’ve been selected. This activity has also been promoted in Physical Education department. Each submission earns an entry into the prize draw for a copy of Ultimate Football Heroes: Sancho, signed by the author Matt Oldfield.
Pupil Library Committee: Our PLC members were very busy this month with various activities:
- Pop-Up Library: Members of our 50+ strong Pupil Library Committee volunteered to host a pop-up library stall in the Fuel Zone during lunches throughout World Book Day week. Members promoted the variety of World Book Day activities and reading challenges as well as selected books to display and promote for borrowing. This initiative was so successful that we’re planning on hosting other Pop-Up Libraries in the future.
- March Display: This month’s pupil curated display included highlights for International Women’s Day (March 8th), The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21st), World Poetry Day (March 21st) and Transgender Visibility Day (March31st).
- Spring Break Quiz: Two of our S3 PLC members researched and help compile a list of questions for our Spring Break Quiz, which included questions about the many faith-based and cultural festivals that take place during Spring as well as some book-based questions on book awards, upcoming book-to-film series, literary dates and author birthdays.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: In preparation for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (aka Anti-Racism Day), over 30 pupils from S1-6 were invited to select fiction and nonfiction books with anti-racism themes. Their suggestions will help inform the expansion of our ‘Equality and Empowerment’ section for next year as well as for the eBooks available on the Glasgow Libraries’ Libby app, thus ensuring a pupil voice is represented in the selection. See the full list here
World Poetry Day Quiz: Pupils and staff were invited to participate in a quiz of Teams, inspired by the Librarian @GrammarLRC. Can you guess whether the passage is a lyric or a title?
Library Publications: Swatch Spring 22
March Booklists
March 22 Booklists – Book Trust
Best New Children’s Books – Toppsta
Bookbug’s Books of the Month – Scottish Book Trust
Books of the Month – LoveReading4Kids
March Roundup – Love Reading
Book of the Month – Scholastic
Books of the Month – Waterstones
Children’s Book Roundup – Guardian
Upcoming Events (April)
BigDog Book Festival (Wigtown, Scotland, 1st – 3rd)
Cúirt International Festival of Literature (Galway, Ireland, 4th – 10th)
Southside Fringe (Glasgow, Scotland)
Wee Write Festival (Glasgow, Scotland)
Cambridge Literary Festival (Cambridge, England, 20th – 24th)
Soutar Festival of Words (Perth, Scotland, 22nd – 24th)
World Book Night (UK & International, 23rd)
McLellan Arts Festival Poetry Fringe (Arran, Scotland, 28th)
Colonsay Book Festival (Colonsay, Scotland 30th)
Bocas Lit Fest (Caribbean, 30th – 2nd May)
Past Events (March)
International Women’s Day (8th ) & Women’s History Month
British Science Week (11-20 )
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (21st – 27th )
Jaipur Lit Fest
Literary Awards & Prizes
Winners
Audie Awards
Blue Peter Book Awards
OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Rathebones Folio Prize
Royal Society Children’s Book Prize
Shortlists
British Book Awards
Tir na n-Og
UKLA
YOTO Carnegie Medal
YOTO Kate Greenaway Medal
Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize
Longlists
International Booker Prize
Jhalak Prize
Women’s Prize
In the news:
A Field Guide to Strange Medieval Monsters – Open Culture
Beyond the fog of war: Books to help us understand the invasion of Ukraine – Guardian
Free Colouring Books from the Public Domain Review – Open Culture
Outrage as LGBT author banned at state school – Politics.co.uk
The Reading Agency partners with the British Science Museum on this year’s Summer Reading Challenge Theme – The Reading Agency
The Night Circus by Erin Morgensten “I really loved this book. It’s the definition of a fantasy book. It’s so magical and really transports you to another world. Definitely my favourite book.” Isha, S4
Lunchtime Reading We were delighted to win 10 copies of Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin. We hope to read and review this book together. Happy to share our spare copies!
Taiba : “I like reading because it allows me to stand in other peoples’ shoes and experience someone else’s life for a while. I always struggled to decide what I wanted to pursue at university. Reading books written by many different professionals in their careers, such as ‘When Breath Becomes Air‘ made me feel I could make a more educated choice. Reading has also prepared me for the university application process and has given me things to talk about in interviews”.
Our EAL Book Group continues to meet at lunchtimes when we have fun chatting, eating lunch and finding new books to enjoy together.
On National Poetry Day we had a visit from Anita Govan. Ms Longo’s S3 put their heart & soul into improvising and performing their own poems. Anita presented us with a copy of her book. What a fantastic day.
Alex Nye visited us for Book Week Scotland. S2 & S3 loved Alex’s ‘Art of the Ghost Story’ workshop. Miss Cameron & Mr Clarke’s classes came up with brilliant questions. A fascinating insight into being an author. Well done all!
A December highlight was a visit from Metaphrog (John & Sandra). It was amazing to learn all about the creative process. Our audience included our EAL Book Group, and our own published graphic novelists now in S4, who had worked with John and Sandra previously. It felt like a lovely family reunion.
