Our Key Stage 4 Book Club choice for December is ‘If You Could See Me Now’ by Cecilia Ahern.
‘What if love was right in front of you – you just couldn’t see it?’
This book is from the bestselling author of "PS, I Love You" and "Where Rainbows End." Everything in Elizabeth Egan's life has its place and order and precision keep life under control - and Elizabeth's heart from the pain and hurt she has suffered in the past. The only cloud on the horizon is her sister Saoirse, a red-haired whirlwind always leaving behind pieces, which Elizabeth struggles to pick up - including her six-year-old son Luke. Until, one day, a stranger unexpectedly comes into their lives. Ivan is carefree, spontaneous and always looking for adventure - everything that Elizabeth is not. In no time at all he has started to change her life in ways she could never have imagined. She knows barely anything about Ivan - who he is and whether he is everything he seems....
Full of Cecelia Ahern's trademark warmth and poignancy, "If You Could See Me Now" is a love story with heart - and just a little bit of magic!

Calling all football fans

Tom Palmer is a huge football fan and author. He has written two series of books with football themes. The first series is called 'Foul Play' and involves football crimes and the second is 'Football Academy' and centres on what it is like to play in a Premier League. His website includes details of the books, news, games and activities and information about Tom himself.
So, if you are a football fan, why not come along to the LRC and try one of his books for yourself? Or try the website:http://www.tompalmer.co.uk/

Book Club News

The Book Club have just finished reading The Island by Victoria Hislop. Here are a few of our reviews:

I thought this book was amazing. I found the story really interesting. It made you feel as if you were really there.
I give it 9½ out of 10
Alice Pritchard

It is one of my favourite books and I absolutely love it. I was gripped from the very beginning. It made me feel as if I was actually a character in the book. The detailed world the author creates is amazing. A definite MUST read!
I give it 10 out of 10
Miss C Parkhouse

Emotional and full of sadness, but touching. It pulls on your heart strings
I give it 8 out of 10
Naomi Mombutshi

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it particularly interesting as I’ve been to Spinalonga. Hislop manages to mix believable fictional characters with a horrifically real disease to create a novel that leaves a gap in your life when you finish it.
I give it 10 out of 10
Mrs R Hughes

Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010

The winner is announced!
The winner of the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 is Gregory Hughes for his novel Unhooking the Moon
A debut tale of two orphans on a perilous and eventful road trip to New York, penned by a deep-sea diver, has been announced as the winner of this year’s Booktrust Teenage Prize. Unhooking the Moon has been called an ‘original’ and ‘poignant’ piece of fiction. It follows the journey of 'Rat' and her brother Bob, who both, following the death of their father, travel to New York to find their long-lost drug dealer uncle. The Rat is no ordinary child and her eccentric character and disturbing premonitions mean that many adventures ensue, as Bob tries to keep them safe and out of a children’s home.

Despicable Me

Why not take a trip to the cinema during half term to see the new 3D animation film from Universal?
The movie centres on Gru who thinks he is the greatest villain in the world, but now he has competition. Someone else has stolen the Great pyramid of Giza, so Gru has to do something even more daring. So, he sets his sights on stealing the moon...
Find out more at http://www.despicableme.com/

Key Stage 4 Reading Club News

Look out for our reviews of 'The Ostrich Boys' that will be on display in the LRC very soon. We all agreed that it was a great read.
Our new choice is 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop
This is a family story set on Crete and Spinalonga, Greece's former leper colony.

'A page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary circumstances.'

Sunday Express

We are all looking forward to reading the first 5 chapters ready for our meeting this Friday!

Calling all CHERUB fans

For all the latest news on the Cherub series, including previews of new books and sample chapters go to

http://www.cherubcampus.com/index.html

National Poetry Day

Today is National Poetry Day. On this day we celebrate all the great poetry that has been written so why not have a look at these websites for some fun poems?

www.poetry4kids.com

www.fizzyfunnyfuzzy.co.uk

Enjoy!

Worth a Look...

If you enjoy stories that focus on families and growing up, then Jacqueline Wilson could be the author for you.

Try her great website at:

http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/

Here you can find details about her stories and her life, fun and games, and competitions. You can also listen to Jacqueline reading extracts from her books. Log on and see for yourself!

Book Club News

The Book Club are currently reading The Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray.
'It's not really kidnapping, is it? He'd have to be alive for it to be proper kidnapping.'

Kenny, Sim and Blake are about to embark on a remarkable journey of friendship. Stealing the urn containing the ashes of their best friend Ross, they set out from Cleethorpes on the east coast to travel the 261 miles to the tiny hamlet of Ross in Dumfries and Galloway. After a depressing and dispiriting funeral they feel taking Ross to Ross will be a fitting memorial for a 15 year-old boy who changed all their lives through his friendship. Little do they realise just how much Ross can still affect life for them even though he's now dead.

Drawing on personal experience Keith Gray has written an extraordinary novel about friendship, loss and suicide, and about the good things that may be waiting just out of sight around the corner . . .

Half Boy, Half God, All Hero

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of fictional adventure and fantasy books written by Rick Riordan. The books are based on Greek mythology, with the first book being the basis of a film called Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Check out the website at http://www.percyjackson.co.uk/ for lots of fun and info.

Roald Dahl Day

Roald Dahl Day 2010

Roald Dahl Day takes place on his birthday, 13th September, every year. Why not come along to the LRC and vote for your favourite Roald Dahl story? Also, go online to check out some great activities on the Roald Dahl website.

http://roalddahl.com/

Key Stage 4 Online Book Choice

The Winter House is a new short story film and website that has been designed by Naomi Alderman who won the Orange Prize for New Writers in 2006 for her novel Disobedience.
The story, which plays on the website like an animated film and includes game-like interactive elements, focusses on a central character, Millie, whose father has been murdered.
'The Winter House' hopes to encourage young adults to read stories online, by making them interesting and visual, so that being on a computer is an encouragement to reading, rather than as opposing it.
It’s also a useful teaching aid in subjects such as History, Citizenship, English and Media Studies, and there are some educational links on the site to help with this.
This story was commissioned by Booktrust and supported by Arts Council England, as part of the Story campaign.

To read 'The Winter House' go to http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/

Book Club News

The key stage 4 and staff Book Club is currently reading 'My Swordhand is Singing' by Marcus Sedgwick. This is a fast-paced story that brings vampire legends to life. There is a real sense of menace in this book and is the sort of story you read in one sitting.

'... breathes new life into the tale of the living dead...'
The Bookseller

The Book Club meets for the new term on Friday 17th September. Look out for our comments and reviews!

Many thanks

A huge thank you to Year 7 students who have been raising money for sick children by taking part in Readathon.

It works just like a sponsored swim or walk, but the children read books instead!

Over £280 has been raised by students doing extra reading in their lessons in the Learning Resource Centre, classroom and at home.

Well done to all who took part. You should be very proud of yourselves!

Mrs B

Carnegie Shortlist

Here is another of the Carnegie titles from the competition shortlist.

GAIMAN, NEIL THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
Bloomsbury (Age range 9+)
ISBN: 9780747569015
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, would be a completely normal boy if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts. For it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, a danger that has already killed Bod's family.
A fantastic story full of humour, humanity and wonderfully drawn characters. The beginning manages to be horrifying without a single mention of blood, and though episodic in its structure, the story comes together beautifully at the end.

Carnegie/Greenaway Shortlist Announced

The Carnegie and Greenaway Medals are awarded by children's librarians for outstanding books for children and young people. The shortlist of titles for 2010 has just been released. For more information go to http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/.

Information on the Carnegie titles will be posted here each week, so look out for some great new reads.

ANDERSON, LAURIE HALSE CHAINS
Bloomsbury (Age range 11+)
ISBN: 9780747598077
As the Revolutionary War rages in 18th century America, Isabel and her sister Ruth are slaves, sold to a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons. Having lost their mother, Isabel vows to protect her younger sister and keep hold of the one important thing in their lives – hope.
A thrilling and page-turning novel that is extremely believable and well-constructed, giving fresh insights into the subject of slavery. Isabel is an outstanding character and the power of her spirit and self-belief is beautifully conveyed.

Let me tell you a story...

Year 7 students enjoyed a day of stories with professional storyteller David Ambrose on Thursday 22nd April. David was supposed to join us earlier this year, but his visit was postponed because of snowy weather.
However, I think everyone agreed that his visit was well worth the wait. David is an experienced storyteller who performs around the world and he told a wide variety of stories from Wales, Europe and beyond! He also brought along an interesting selection of musical instruments to add atmosphere to his tales.

We look forward to more visits from authors and storytellers in the future and hope this session has encouraged Year 7 to write some stories of their own.
Mrs B