OLCSS Library News

Something for everyone!

• Decorate-a-Door-as-a-Book Competition
• Dress up as a Book Character, lunchtime. Lots of prizes!
• Whole School Reading, 3.45 - 4.00 p.m. The three afternoon lessons are shorter by 5 minutes so everyone can stop and read. Stay with your teacher from period 8, but remember to bring something to read, or visit the Library earlier in the day.
• Assembly. There will be a special assembly on the theme of World Book Day.
• World Book Day voucher. All students will receive a £1 voucher which can be used towards book purchases in a variety of ways: in participating bookshops, orders from Cover2Cover magazine in school, and the Book Fair next week.
• Book Fair in the Library 7-12 March. Look out for opening times, mainly lunch times. Viewing only (no sales) on 7th. Reserved books must be paid for by Monday 12th, please.
• Caught Reading! Look out for the posters around school – which teachers have been caught reading?
• Donate a Book to local hospitals. Bring in a good quality book you no longer want and know it will be put it to good use.
Look out for other special events in school.

Thank you to the English Department who have organised most of the activities this year.

The final testing of the Top 10 books is now happening.
At school we will be voting for the Books for Older Readers category. These are:

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
Soul Eater by Michelle Paver

You must have read all three in order to vote them 1, 2, or 3 by early May.
Voting forms are available from the Library.

The rest of the Top 10:

Books for Younger Readers:
The Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth by Eoin Colfer
Araminta Spook: My Haunted House by Angie Sage
You’re a Bad Man Mr Gum by Andy Stanton

Books for Younger Children:
Silly Billy by Anthony Brown
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
The Lamb Who Came for Dinner by Steve Smallman and Joelle Dreidemy
Who’s in the Loo? by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds

As well as encouraging reading, as a professional librarian I am also promoting library and research skills. For Years 7 & 8 I have a progressive programme of library and information skills which runs throughout the school year.

Recently all year 7s have been researching a favourite author. They have been making notes in their own words, and using some of the facts to fill in an author profile. The Author Profile is one of the elements for the Silver level of the Reading Olympics. The Book Review, which all Year 7 have now completed, was part of the Bronze level of the Reading Olympics, and the reviews are bound into a booklet on display in the Library. A number of girls have received their Bronze certificates, and a few their Silver, but I am sure there are many more who simply need to update their list of books which they have read.

Year 7 have had an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the layout of the resources in the Library, and also practised their scanning skills. Sessions in the ICT rooms have encouraged use of the library’s computerised catalogue, and explored some of my favourite sites about books and reading.

In the last few weeks half of Year 8 have been planning and researching a factual topic of their own choice to present as a library and information skills project. The aim of this project is to become familiar with the processes of researching, planning and presenting a piece of work. The project provides the opportunity to become familiar with the library and different types of information resources, and is guided by the Librarian and English teacher. Although the finished work is important, equally important is the process of ‘doing’. The skills of independent learning, time management and working methods are essential skills to develop.

The other half of the year group will do the same after half-term.

The 2006 Costa Book of the Year has been won by Stef Penney's The Tenderness of Wolves - a murder mystery set in the snowy landscapes of Canada. It follows a 19th century couple who leave Scotland as part of the Highland Clearances and emigrate to a remote part of Canada. This is the writer’s first novel and the London-based writer, who was born in Edinburgh, never visited Canada for the project, researching the book entirely in the British Library.
http://www.costabookawards.com/

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the publication date has been announced, at one minute past midnight British Summer Time on Saturday 21 July 2007. I know I'll be in a queue to buy a copy somewhere at that time.

The winner of the Marsh Award was recently announced. This award aims to encourage the translation of foreign children's books into English. It is a biennial award open to British translators of books for 4-16 year olds, published in the UK by a British publisher. The winner was Anthea Bell for her translation of The Flowing Queen by Kai Meyer.

The story is set in a parallel Venice where mermaids swim in the canals, flying stone lions patrol the skies and wispy phantoms inhabit magic reflections. Armies of mummies, led by a reanimated ancient Pharaoh, besiege the city, and plot to capture its protector: the Flowing Queen of the lagoon. Merle manages to save the Queen, but her friend, the attractive pickpocket Serafin, is caught. Merle and the Queen flee towards the mountains taking with them one of the last talking stone lions.

Marcus Sedgwick has won the North East Teenage Book Award for his book The Foreshadowing narrowly beat Candy by Kevin Brooks as the teenagers' favourite.

Philip Pullman, the author of the trilogy His Dark Materials has been given the Freedom of Oxford. The author received the rare honour in a special ceremony at the Town Hall in Oxford last month.

The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize is in its third year and was created to uncover hidden talent in children’s writing. Tom Becker won £1,000 in cash and his novel Darkside is on display in all Waterstone’s branches nationwide. Previous winners of the competition were Stuart Hill Cry of the Icemark in 2005 and Julia Golding The Diamond of Drury Lane in 2006. See the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2007 shortlist.

Julie Hearn was our guest today for the annual Joint Schools Author Visits organised by librarians from the three secondary independent schools. Students from all the local secondary schools were invited, and enjoyed an entertaining and fascinating talk about her writing. Julie told us about some of her research into the historical facts which trigger the creation of her fiction, the process of writing a novel, some examples of the choice of language used, as well as looking at a selection of front covers. We are all delighted that this talented novelist, who lives locally, has once again been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and wish her success with her third novel Ivy for the Carnegie shortlist, which will be announced on 20 April. Visit her website.

In the afternoon primary school children were treated to a storytelling session by professional storyteller Peter Hearn (who also happens to be Julie Hearn's father). Accompanying his tales with music, playing, at various times, the harp, banjo and bongos, we heard stories, taken as he said, from his imagination, from storybooks, from other storytellers, and from around the world. We heard about the Walking Fish, the Sand Frog from Australia, the Banjo Player of Frankville, and joined in some enjoyable songs. This was an excellent event to mark National Storytelling Week which is held during the first week of February every year. We can all join in one of the oldest traditions in the world, by retelling a story to other listeners.