12 Word Christmas Stories by Staff

1. In occupied territory, single mother gives birth in temporary accommodation. World changes! [Ms O'Reilly]
2. "Heaven's sake! You've burnt the turkey, Gerald!" She eyed the carving knife. [Mr Morton]
3. Sleigh breaks air speed circumnavigation record for yet another year running. [Ms Thompson]
4. Presents, presents, queen, presents, turkey, pud, sherry, indigestion, alka-seltzer, onesie, coma. [Ms. Salter]
5. For sale: baby manger, used once. Slight smell of frankincense and sheep [Mr McKeever]
6. The Real Christmas message: Fail to plan, plan to sleep horribly rough. [Mr Cooper]
7. Joseph: I told you we should have taken out private health care. [Mr Cooper]

12 Word Christmas Story Competition

The Library ran a competition to see who could come up with the best 12 word story about Christmas. Here are the winners and the best of the rest...

Year 7

 

1^st - Turkey with gravy. Yum! Christmas pudding. Delicious! Brussel sprouts – um, er – yuck!! [Wendy 7H]

2^nd - It is Boxing Day and I am disappointed.  I only got Brussel Sprouts. [Jennifer 7T]

1. It was Christmas Eve and a voice cried, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” [Lisa 7T]
2. The star will shine, on the Christmas tree, Jesus will be born. [Marianne 7T]
3. Dad: out drinking – Mum: sees Santa lying in bottles – Child: social services [Clara 7Y]
4. Yum, yum! A Christmas pudding just for me – hey, who ate it? [Wendy 7H]
5. In the postbox, then flying high, passing the North pole, my letter! [Wendy 7H]

Year 8

 

1^st - The decorations greeted each other again….All went silent when Emily came… [Ann 8T]

 

2^nd - Christ is here, let us cheer, we are saved, by this babe. [Olivia 8T]

 

3^rd - Christmas starts getting boring when you spend it writing twelve word stories. [Alice 8T]

1. I ran outside to enjoy the blissful aroma of fresh, crunchy, snow! [Hannah]
2. Santa Claus is coming to town, so you better watch out tonight! [Isabel  8H]
3. ‘What is it? Tell me!’ ‘Alright, an Easter Egg.’  ‘What?’ ‘Oh no…’ [Georgie 8T]
4. “this i-pod is EPIC!” “Wait, how do you know what…” “already opened!” [Aphrodite 8T]
5. Snow fell, Angels sang, all around, bells ring, Christmas had arrived again. [Olivia  8T]
6. “I bring you Myrrh.” “Gold, Myrrh? I brought you the i-phone 5.” [Josie 8T]
7. “Fa, la, la, is it Christmas yet?” “No!” “La, la, la, la.”[Ines 8T]
8. ‘We’re walking in the air…’ “Ahhh Mummy! There’s a flying snowman outside!” [Sophia  8T]
9. Knock, knock,“We wish you a merry Christmas, we wis –“ “ugh!” Slam! [Ines 8T]

The Grey Coat Hospital's Most Popular Authors Autumn/Winter 2012

And the winners are....

12. Grace Dent [New Entry]
11. Jodi Picoult [New Entry]
10. Jeff Kinney [9]
9. Jane Austen [New Entry]
8. Mary Hooper [10]
7. Sophie McKenzie [7]
6. Cathy Cassidy [New Entry]
5. Louise Rennison [4]
4. Malorie Blackman [2]
3. Meg Cabot [6]
2. Robert Muchamore [3]
1. Jacqueline Wilson [1]

No surprises, Jacqueline Wilson clings to the top spot like a limpet having more than double the number of issues of her nearest competitor, Robert Muchamore.

[comments in square brackets are a comparison with their ratings in the Spring 2012 chart]

Roald Dahl Day!

For those of you who don't know, last week was Roald Dahl Day, a celebration of the children's author and a chance to promote his charity, Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity. Here at Grey Coats we joined in by doing a Roald Dahl quiz. The girls filled in a sheet consisting of 9 questions plus a tie-breaker: "If you could be an Roald Dahl character, which one would you be and why?"
A staggering 90% of those who handed in quiz sheets said that they would be Matilda, and all but one person wanted to be a character from the same book.
Here is a selection of the best tie-breaker answers:

"If I could be a Roald Dahl character, I would be Hortensia (from Matilda) because she doesn't care if she gets caught or not. She's so cool, she's certified with swag. She has a sense of humour and her character may not be the best, most polite or pleasant but she makes the book Matilda really fun and enjoyable for me to read. Yes she plays pranks all day and she just makes me laugh most of the time" - Mary

"Matilda, because she's a book worm, just like me! She's adventurous and intelligent and a keen learner as well. I'd choose to be her so that I could have incredible supernatural powers just like her." - Kesaia

"If I could be one of the Roald Dahl characters, I would love to be Miss Honey. Although by no means a major character in comparison to others in the book, she is a character with an interesting past who learns not to care what Miss Trunchbull threatens her with, but that she has to make a stand which was a very admirable thing to do." - Bethia

"Matilda because she ends up living with lovely teacher, she has a library near her home so she can go whenever she wants and she has magic powers" - Bie Tu

"The Giraffe (from The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me) because I'm tall and I can reach tall trees" - Jasmine

First Post of the New Term!

The Grey Coat library blog is back in session for the new school year. There is plenty going on in the library at the moment, what with the upper school library being closed for refurbishment (should be finished at the end of next week!), thousands of textbooks to give out and lots of new students to show around!

Desert Island Reads is currently taking a bit of a break as we are so busy, but we hope to be able to bring you more next month. We are also hoping to have some more book reviews, and news of all the great activies the library is providing this year.

Desert Island Reads - Mr Jones

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

 

Friday 13th of July 

 

Mr Jones, LSA and environmentalist.

 

1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell – like five novels in one, each with mind boggling detail to discover on every read.

 

2. The Life of Pi  by Yann Martel – beautiful book about being lost at sea, so maybe there’ll be some good tips for coping on a desert island. It’s also the kind of book you can read over and over without getting bored.

 

3. The Self Sufficient-ish Bible by Andy Hamilton and Dave Hamilton – Packed full of eco advice, from how to grow your own food to how to darn your socks. Great for tips on survival, but also on how to care for the environment on my desert island.

 

4. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – a magical book about a boy on a journey trying to get back home. I’d take the original version so that I can brush up on my French while I’m waiting to be rescued.

 

5. The Collins Illustrated World Atlas – so that I can explore the world even though I’m stuck on one island.

 

 

 

 

 

Luxury item: the biggest chocolate cake I can find.

 

CD: In Rainbows, by Radiohead. Choosing the band was easy, but if I’m forced to choose which album, it would have to be this one as it always makes me happy and I can leave it on repeat for days without getting bored of it.

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk  

Desert Island Reads - Mrs Thompson

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

 

 

 

 

Friday 6th of July 

 

Mrs Thompson, maths teacher has sent in her choices.

 

1. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov (the short story in the anthology Nightfall One, not the later novel in partnership with Robert Silverberg)

2. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

3. What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe

4. So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor

5. Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

 

Each of these books had a strong emotional impact when I first read them and I have since reread each of them countless times. I have recommended them to all my friends and family and do so to you now - read these books, you will love them!

 

My CD would be Second Coming by the Stone Roses and my luxury would be an endless (!) supply of pencils and paper.

 

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Cassandra Clare

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 29th of June 

Cassandra Clare,  author of the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series has responded with her selections. Keep an eye out for the Mortal Instruments film, which is coming out next year.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

4. The Two Towers by J.R. R. Tolkien

5. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Also a CD of the Goldberg Variations and an ipod that never runs out of batteries as a luxury! 

We have all of Cassandra's books in the library. You can find out more about them from her website: http://www.cassandraclare.com/

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Catherine Macphail

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Monday 25th of June 

Catherine Macphail, popular author of Another Me, Roxy's Baby and Worse Than Boys has given us her choices. If you have any questions about Catherine's books you can contact her via her website: http://www.catherinemacphail.co.uk/, she promises to always answer back.

 

Had a really hard think about this, so hard. So many books! But here goes:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Couldn't do without my Mr. Darcy

2. Salem's Lot by Stephen King -  because I love vampires

3. A biography of Houdini - He's one of my heroes and he could escape from anything, so it would maybe help me to escape from the island. If it was big enough I could use it as a boat!

4. Pears Encyclopedia - I still have the one I got for my 10th birthday, still read it. It has history, all the Greek myths and legends, a general knowledge section, a cookery section, a geography section. you name it!

5. The Complete Works of Agatha Christie in one volume - I love murder mysteries. Is that cheating? If not I'll take And Then There was One.

 

The CD I would choose, Queen's Greatest Hits.

 

 

 

And the luxury? Pencils and paper.

 

We have all of Catherine's books in the library.

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

British Library Trip

Our blog update for this week was slightly delayed because the library took some year 9 pupils to the "Writing Britain" exhibition at the British Library on Friday. We had a fantastic time, we did a brilliant workshop that encouraged us to discover the parts of the exhibition that meant the most to us personally.
Prior to going to the library we had a group discussion about places that meant a lot to us, and some people had a go at writing about them. This theme continued in the objects that the girls liked best in the exhibition.
We were excited to see original manuscripts of Harry Potter, Cider With Rosie and Jane Eyre. Mrs Saint-Smith was thrilled to see Persuasion written in Jane Austen's own hand, and everyone loved Stephen Walter's map of Liverpool.

For more information see: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/writingbritain/index.html

Desert Island Reads - Robert Muchamore

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 15th of June 

 

 

 

Robert Muchamore, the most popular male author in the GCH library, creator of the Cherub and Henderson's Boys series, has given us his choices. 

   

 

1. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - The Hunger Games is a pretty amazing book. But this dystopian fantasy is about ten times better.

2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - This is a fictionalised retelling of some murders that took place in the USA in the 1960s. It’s so well written that I get kind of jealous that my writing will never be this good!

3. Asterix In Britain by Goscinny and Uderzo - Happy childhood memories. I was a huge Asterix fan as a kid and I can still remember every word and every joke!

4. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - I must have read this surreal book about WW2 bomber pilots five or six times and it still makes me laugh every time.

5. Soldier Bear by Geoffrey Morgan & W A Lasocki - This book is based on a true story about a bear that served with the Polish Army during WW2. It’s the first story I can remember my mum reading me, when I was about five years old. Sadly the book is now out of print, but I still have my battered old copy.

 Robert Muchamore's website can be found here: http://www.muchamore.com/

Luxury

An iPad (with solar powered charger!) so I can while away endless hours playing Angry Birds and Retro Racer.

 

CD

I suppose I could cheat by making a compliation, but if it was just one album it would have to be Abba Gold. I could strut my stuff to all those cheesy Abba hits, and nobody would ever be able to see me and laugh.

 

We have all his works in the library, and have already ordered the next Cherub book Guardian Angel, which comes out in August.

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Review of the Week - Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Heart Shaped Bruise is a book by Tanya Byrne and it is her first book, a very good first book in my opinion; it was gripping and exciting the whole way through and I never wanted to put it down!

It is the diary of a girl called Emily Koll who is in the Psychiatric unit of Archway Young Offenders Institution after doing something terrible. Throughout the whole diary, Emily slowly tells us her story and bit by bit, we start to see how she ended up in the Psychiatric unit, and why. We learn about how her life fell apart after her Dad is stabbed and she discovers the second life of her father, the life of a feared gangster, and how she coped with the whole world calling her 'Crazy Koll'  The book leads us to feel sorry for Emily Koll, a girl who has done something that seems unforgivable and raises questions about identity, forgiveness and revenge.

Heart Shaped Bruise is a carefully written and well thought out book, that is expertly crafted so that an elaborate picture of Emily Koll's life, thoughts and feelings are created slowly but not so that it becomes boring.  I love this book is because of the clever way it has been put together and the fact that it makes you connect with the 'baddie' which is not usually what happens when reading a book.

One thing which I did not like about the novel was the way it ended, as it didn't feel like the book was finished, but felt like there should have been a few more chapters. However, although I didn't like this, some people might like the way Heart Shaped Bruise ended as it left the reader to decide what would happen and let the reader use their imagination.

In conclusion, I thought the Heart Shaped Bruise is a very well written book which helps people to think about things in a different way and instead of giving everything to you on a plate, lets you work things out for yourself, put the puzzle pieces together independently.

By Amana 9H

Gatz

The Great Gatsby

Teaching or studying A-Level English next year? Interested in spending 8 hours watching a play? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then Gatz may be for you. An uncut production of The Great Gatsby, Gatz has had rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. It is on now at the Noel Coward Theatre -  http://www.gatzlondon.com/

Desert Island Reads - Mrs McMellan

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 1st of June 

 

Mrs McMellan, leader of the Debating Team, English teacher extraordinaire and all-round wonderful human being, has sent in her choices.

   

1. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

2. Armadale by Wilkie Collins

3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens  

4. Spies by Michael Frayn

5. Setting the World on Fire by Angus Wilson

There were other serious contenders - even in a flash decision moment - as I would welcome Fielding, Thackeray, Trollope, Spark et al but feel I'll think about those without the text. Those selected have made a strong impact on first reading and I would really enjoy re-reading these stories. It is impossible to imagine that any further wonderfully dramatic event could possibly occur after the prologue to Armadale. I loved the local setting of the Angus Wilson, and the sadness/structure of Dickens and Frayn. It is a joy to read Jane.

CD: The Marriage of Figaro

Luxury: A never-ending supply of clean underwear.

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Mary Hooper

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 25th of May 

 

Mary Hooper, author of the exceptionally popular Megan trilogy, At the Sign of the Sugared Plum and Velvet has given us her selections.

     

1. The London Encyclopaedia edited by Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert - A huge and fabulous  volume detailing every last piece of London, past and present. With this I can start planning the books I’ll write as soon as I get off the island.

2. Pepys Diary – I’ll have time to read the unabridged version.

3. Lost London by Philip Davies - moving and evocative photographs of London taken from 1870 onwards.

4. The Quincunx – Charles Palliser - it’s an epic book, fascinating and detailed, but oh-so-difficult to work out what’s going on. On the island I shall put sticks in the sand and work out everyone’s relationship to everyone else.

5. Just William - Richmal Crompton - after all the heavy stuff above I shall be glad of a little light relief, and William always makes me laugh.

My CD: I shall go for one of the musicals: South Pacific, say, learn all the songs and sing them around the island.

My luxury:  I’ll need a top-class moisturiser.

Mary Hooper's website is: http://www.maryhooper.co.uk/  

Her books are available in the school library.

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Sophie McKenzie

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 18th of May 

Sophie McKenzie, author of The Medusa Project series and Girl Missing has chosen her desert island reads. Sophie would also like to say hi to all those girls she met when she came to visit us a couple of years ago.

 

1. Little Women by Louisa M Alcott One of my favourite books as a child. I named my son, Joe, after the main character (though he wasn’t very pleased when he found out the ‘Jo’ in the story was a girl!)

 

2. The Kingdom by the Sea by Robert Westall I read this YA novel after I started trying to write my own books and before I got published. It begins and ends brilliantly and I still find it truly inspiring.

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I’ve re-read this many times and always adore it. When I was younger I was mainly drawn to the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy but now I enjoy the economy and wit of Jane Austen’s writing just as much.

4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt This is one of my comfort reads! It’s a modern tale about a group of students who become embroiled in a murder. I love the believable characters and gripping plot.

5. Pretties (Uglies Quartet) by Scott Westerfeld The start of a great sci-fi adventure series that makes you think about society’s obsession with youth and beauty. Like all the books here, this one really challenged some of my preconceived ideas about life and writing.

***

My luxury would be my computer (and an endless supply of electricity to power it!) so I could keep writing stories.

I wouldn’t need a CD because if I had my Macbook with me, I’d have access to its entire music library!!!

Sophie McKenzie's website (from where I borrowed the pictures) is: http://www.sophiemckenziebooks.com/   

Her books are available in the school library.

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at:

 lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

 

Desert Island Reads - Gemma Malley

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

 

Friday 11th of May 

Gemma Malley, author of The Declaration and The Returners has sent us her selection.

 

1. Camping for Beginners

2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - never read it, seems like the idea opportunity!

3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - one of my favourite books, and it can take a lot of re-reading.

4. A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell - this one I have read, but again, I'm going to have time on my hands to chew over some big questions and this is a great place to start.

5. All Men Are Mortal by Simone de Beauvoir - a brilliant book that will remind me of the importance of living each moment.

CD would have to be all of Mozart's symphonies (I know that might sound like I'm cheating, but you can get them on one CD, I promise!). Exquisite.

And my luxury would be sunglasses. So I can read without squinting. But I also really, really want a notebook. And a pen. Or, even better, a computer.

With email.

Okay, fine, just sunglasses...

Gemma Malley's website (from where I borrowed the pictures) is: http://www.gemmamalley.com/

Her books are available in the school library.

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Mr McCaulay

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 4th of May 

This week LSA Mr Macaulay gives us his selection:

1. Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie 2. The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith 3. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy 4. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley 5. The Killing by David Hewson There's a bit of everything - all different genres  CD – MF Doom "Mmm...Food"  Luxury – A pack of cards

If you are interested in having your choices featured in this column, please email them to: lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

GCH Top Authors - Spring Term 2012

Here is a list of the most borrowed authors from the Grey Coat Hospital school library for the Spring Term:

1 Jacqueline Wilson

2 Malorie Blackman

3 Robert Muchamore

4 Louise Rennison

5 Sophie McKenzie

6 Meg Cabot

7 J K Rowling

8 Charles Dickens

9 Jeff Kinney

10 Mary Hooper

11 Agatha Christie

12 Michael Morpurgo

Jacqueline Wilson and Malorie Blackman maintain a seemingly unbreakable hold on the top spots, but Robert Muchamore and Sophie McKenzie have advanced a number of places. New to the list from last term are J K Rowling (I suspect some people have been to see the HP studios) Charles Dickens and Jeff Kinney (Wimpy Kid).

Desert Island Reads - Mr Cooper

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 27th of April

This week Drama/English/Film Studies teacher Mr Cooper gives us his selection:

1. Watchmen by Alan Moore - There’s just so much to it I could read it 100 times and still discover new things. 2. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - The funniest book I’ve ever read. 3. Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown - Filled with stuff about how the mind works, with this much time on my hands I might understand it!!! 4. Dracula by Bram Stoker - Because it rocks! 5. The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard - The book that got me into card magic and I really should read again to perfect my techniques! CD – The recording of the Pandemonium Tour by the Pet Shop Boys – 1. Awesome concert, 2. You can hear me whooping in it, as I was stood by the audience mic when they recorded the concert!!! Luxury – A pack of cards - because no-one can be bored with a  pack of cards on them!

If you are interested in having your choices featured in this column, please email them to: lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk