Pupil Librarian Training Day

 This week, our Pupil Librarians travelled to The Elmgreen School for a busy day of training and a talk by Sufiya Ahmed, author of Rosie Raja: Churchill's Spy and Noor Inayat Khan.

At Elmgreen, we heard from former CILIP* President Barbara Band about the Pupil Library Assistant of the Year award and gained a lot of inspiration from hearing about the work of other Pupil Librarians throughout London. 

In the morning, our students learnt more about day to day library work, customer service and GDPR. We then spent a busy afternoon completing book themes quizzes and working on promotional posters. As part of this task, students were introduced to a new book and asked to create an A3 promotional poster. 

Our Pupil Librarians did a great job producing two beautiful posters in oil pastels which will soon be up on display in the LCA!

* Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

 

Happy World Book Day!

 This year, GCH will be celebrating a belated World Book Day on Wednesday 8th March. 

There will be bookish events all week (6th-10th March) including:

• Mrs Swan's Scavenger Hunt - find and name all the book characters in order to win a prize!
• Spot Staff Reading - some teachers and members of support staff will be wearing badges with their favourite books on. The aim of this game is to find all the badges, ask the wearer why this book is their favouite and record all these to show the Library team. Without these answers your findings won't count. 
• Book Recommendation Bingo - gain a library merit!
• Make a Bookmark -ask at the desk for pencils etc and make a bookmark at St Andrew's Library during break and lunch. 
• Book Swap - recycle your old books and pick up something new! This will be held on the balcony at break and lunch on Wednesday 8th March. 
• Poster Competition- showcase your 'Top 10 Reads' at St Michael's Library. 

And of course author Julia Golding will be visiting on Wednesday 8th for a busy day full of workshops, assemblies and book signing. For more information about her visit check out our previous blog post here!

Upcoming author visit: Julia Golding

 On Wednesday 8th March, GCH will be celebrating a (slightly belated) World Book Day - an event made even more special by the attendance of author Julia Golding.

Known for her Cat Royal Adventures, Tudor romance series The Lacey Chronicles under the penname Eve Edwards and YA paranormal romance series The Benedicts written as 'Joss Stirling', Julia Golding's novels have been a GCH staple for many years.

The Library team are particularly excited to hear more about her new Jane Austen Investigates series which looks likely to be a new favourite of our Murder Most Unladylike, Sinclair's Mysteries and Scarlet and Ivy fans!

Julia will be speaking to Years 7,8 and 9 during P2 about her books and her life as an author. She will then be leading a writing workshop for Year 7 students during P3 and another for Years 8/9 students later in the day. 

Julia will also be in the Library during lunch to sign books so please bring along any copies you might have at home too. 

Please ask Mrs Swan if you have any questions about World Book Day. All students attending the workshops will be informed shortly!

Scholastic Book Fair

From December 8th-14th, the Library will be home to the Scholastic Book Fair. Come along at break or lunch or visit Mrs Swan at the Guild Christmas Fair this Friday to buy a book!

There will be some great titles available this year, including The First to Die at the End (prequel to GCH favorite They Both Die at the End), Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus, the Heartstopper Yearbook and Marcus Rashford's new book You Can Do It. 

If you would like to purchase a book from the fair during school time please bring in cash -  cash and card will be accepted during the Guild Christmas Fair only.

The Scholastic Book Fair will open at St Andrew's Library at break on Thursday 8th December.

National Poetry Day

On Thursday 6th October, GCH Library celebrated National Poetry Day!

Students had the opportunity to browse our poetry display featuring collections from a range of poets including Simon Armitage, Emily Bronte, John Keats, Carol Ann Duffy and Benjamin Zephaniah.

We were also proud to display Nikita Gill's new debut YA collection of beautifully illustrated feminist poetry. 

In Library lessons, Mrs Swan also read poems to classes of Year 7, 8 and 9 students. 

Throughout the term, students have been encouraged to create their own black-out poetry made from the pages of old, damaged books.

Thank you to everyone who handed in their work!

The Year of Giving: A Reading List

To celebrate Theme Day this week, the GCH Library Team have put together a reading list to celebrate the year of 'Giving'.

Reading lists will shortly be available at the Library desk but for now here are some of the great titles we've chosen to highlight this year:

Available now:

You should see me in a crown by Leah Johnson 

Becoming by Michelle Obama 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy 

Not my problem by Ciara Smyth 

Alex Neptune - dragon thief by David Owen 

Carve her name with pride by R J Minney

Fountains of silence by Ruta Sepetys 

Coming soon to GCH Library!

The secret life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain 

You can do it - how to find your voice and make a difference by Marcus Rashford 

Love in colour: mythical tales from around the world, retold by Bolu Babalola

Love in the Blitz by Eileen Alexander 

Courage to care by Christy Watson 

Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel 

Anatomy: a love story by Dana Schwartz 

Keep an eye out for our upcoming 'Giving' display for more book recommendations! 

Graphic Novel Club News: Trip to Forbidden Planet!

Towards the end of last term, the Graphic Novels Club were lucky enough to visit the Forbidden Planet Superstore!

Having already eagerly read (and reread!) the broad range of graphic novels available at the Library, our book club members were tasked with picking out some brand new titles.

Working together to manage their book-buying budget, the students carefully chose a great selection of graphic novels including the next instalments of My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist and many more exciting new books. 

All books purchased by the GN Club will soon be available to be borrowed by all students. Keep an eye out for our 'Chosen by the Graphic Novel Club' stickers on all new titles.

Thank you to Lee and Victoria at Forbidden Planet for all their brilliant help and expertise - the GN Club very much looks forward to returning again next year!

Summer Reading for Staff

As the summer holidays approach, our Pupil Librarians and Library regulars have been busy helping everyone get ready for a summer full of reading!

This year, teachers and support staff alike have been encouraged to request a summer reading recommendation from our students. 

With the vast majority of staff opting for a 'Student's Choice' recommendation, our pupils have had a great week selecting books they think their teachers will enjoy and sharing their favourite books with GCH staff!

All Summer Reading picks are now available for staff to collect from both Libraries. We look forward to hearing your reviews and having some great discussions in September!

Read with Pride!

This year the UK are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride!

Inspired by the Stonewall riots, the very first UK Pride march took place here in London on 1 July 1972. At this time, and for many years to come, LGBTQ people in the UK faced terrible discrimination. For example, gay marriage would not be legalised until 2013 and gay and bisexual people were forbidden to enter the armed forces until 2000.

Pride is now celebrated every year to celebrate the impact that LGBTQ people have had in the world, uplift their voices, raise awareness of issues facing the community and promote important ideals such as acceptance and equality. 

While London Pride does not take place until July, Pride Month is celebrated throughout June. 

Here at the Library, we have selected a broad range of titles featuring LGBTQ characters and written by LGBTQ authors. Ranging from graphic novels, classics, fantasy fiction, to romance and mysteries there is sure to be something for everyone! 

If you would like to learn more about LGBTQ History and the importance of Pride, check out the following resources available via the Library:

Sensible Footwear: A Girl's Guide by Kate Charlesworth 

Blending her own personal experiences with social history, Sensible Footwear explores the movement for LGBTQ rights in Britain chronicling events from the 1950s to present day. Featuring key events such as Stonewall, Pride and the introduction of Section 28, this graphic novel is a brilliantly accessible introduction to anyone wanting to learn more about LGBTQ history. 

English Heritage -  London Pride: LGBTQ stories from history (Blue Plaque Stories)

In this article, English Heritage provides fascinating insight into the lives of famous London residents including Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Siegfried Sassoon. Learn more about their work and experiences by clicking the link above and keep an eye out for their Blue Plaques around the city!

The British Library - A short history of LGBT rights in the UK

Here Steven Dryden traces the history of LGBTQ rights from the reign of Henry VIII up until the 21st century. Explore this brief timeline to learn more about how laws have changed over the years and check out the brilliant primary sources available via the British Library!

These articles, and many more, are all available via the Library app.

All students also have access to the digital library JSTOR which is full of brilliant academic journals, primary sources and books. Access to History Today is also available via the Library app. Aimed at students this is a great resource which explores a broad variety of topics including LGBTQ history.

You can find our Pride displays in both St Andrew's and St Michael's Libraries. 

The Big Jubilee Read

As we draw closer to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, the GCH Library team would like to highlight some of our own Jubilee themed events!

As many of our students will already know, our Jubilee displays can be found in both libraries. Inspired by the BBC's The Big Jubilee Read, our displays feature many of the titles found on the official reading list.

Intended to promote reading for pleasure and highlight the many talented authors across a wide range of Commonwealth countries, the list features a book for every year of Elizabeth II's reign from 1952-2022.

Titles from the official list such as The Remains of the Day, Things Fall Apart, The Memory of Love and Life of Pi can all be found at GCH Library.

Click here to view all 70 Big Jubilee Read titles!

The Library team have also come up with a Jubilee reading list of our own including a wide range of teen and YA Commonwealth authors.

Titles from our list include:

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales (Australia)

Growing Yams in London by Sophia Acheampong (Ghana)

The Tiffin by Mahtab Narshimhan (India)

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Nigeria)

Longbow Girl by Linda Davies (Wales)

To mark the occasion, we are also running a new Jubilee Bunting Competition. To enter simply read a book from the Commonwealth Book List (found in the Library) and colour in the author's country on our map. We will then give you the corresponding bunting flag for you to write a review on the back. The flags will then be combined to form a string of bunting to decorate the Library!

Please do ask at the Library desk if you have any questions - we look forward to seeing your entries!

Shakespeare Week: Competition Entries!

Following the 458th birthday of William Shakespeare on 23rd April, GCH Library have spent the last week celebrating his work!

To mark the occasion, the Library team put together a display including the classic works of Shakespeare, manga adaptations of his texts and Lisa Klein's brilliant Hamlet retelling titled Ophelia. 

As part of the week's celebrations, students also had the opportunity to partake in an exciting 'Shakespeare's Idioms' competition. To enter, we asked everyone to create a piece of art based on a Shakespearean idiom such as 'a heart of gold' (Henry V) and explain in their own words what this means.

Thank you to Ivy (7R) for her brilliant interpretation of 'the world's mine oyster' which she defines as 'you can do anything or go anywhere you want to'.

We also encouraged students to create an illustration based on a passage from A Midsummer Night's Dream,  Antony and Cleopatra or a play of their own choosing.

Thank you to Bea (7R) for this lovely illustration inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Well done to everyone who entered! 

The Excelsior Award

As following yearly tradition, the Graphic Novels Club have been busy reading and reviewing the blue and red shortlists for the Excelsior Award!

Beginning in 2011 as The Stan Lee Excelsior Award, this project aims to encourage reading for pleasure among the students and highlight the value of graphic novels and manga within schools. 

As part of this, our Librarian kindly provides the club with the books selected for the blue and red shortlists. These are then circulated within the Graphic Novel Club where we discuss and compare the shortlist picks. 

This year, we have read and rated Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade, U.S.Agent: American Zealot, The Eternals: Only Death is Eternal, Mama Akuma, Miss Endicott and How to Pick a Fight. All six titles will shortly be available for all library users to borrow!

We have also created our own Excelsior themed display in the Library and entered our work in the official 'Nuff Said Award.

Featuring detailed reviews from club members, information on the Excelsior Award and bunting made from recycled graphic novels, the display can be found both in the Library and online via the Excelsior Award website.

Click here to view the 'Nuff Said Award entries!

The GN Club now looks forward to resuming work on their own original graphic novel!

Harry Potter Book Night

On Friday 25th February, GCH Library held their annual Harry Potter Book Night at The Grey Warlocks distance-learning branch of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry!

 

Upon arrival, students were assigned their new Hogwarts house by the sorting hat and joined either Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Together with their new housemates, all students then embarked upon a wide range of magical studies.

With Madam Cygnus, our pupils learnt more about the art of wand making before each attempting to craft their very own wands.

Ancient Runes also proved to be a useful class as students decoded secret messages before going on to search for dragon heartstrings during Potions. 

Of course, all students tried their hand at Quidditch and each played a very lively (and mostly honest) game!

Congratulations to Gryffindor for winning the Quidditch cup this year!

World Book Day

Thursday 3rd March is the 25th World Book Day!

Come to the Library for events such as: book quizzes, bookmark making and to take part in the brilliant book sale run for charity by 7C!

We will also be promoting the National Book Token competition throughout March.

To enter simply collect a form from the Library desk, fill it in with your own original bookish design and hand it back in to the Library team before Monday 28th March.

The winner of each age group category will then receive an £100 book token for themselves and a £250 token for the school Library!

The overall winner (best out of all age categories) will also win a £10 book token for their entire class!

Some design tips from the World Book Day website:

- Think about how to make your design stand out - what will make it eye catching?

- What can you add to make your design really bookish?

- What kind of design would you like to see on a book token if you were given one?

- Remember not to get mixed up and copy the £1 World Book Day token designs!

For more information please ask at the Library desk!

Women's History Month

Did you know that March is Women's History Month in the UK?

To celebrate, the GCH Library team have put together a broad reading list including both fiction and non-fiction books for everyone to enjoy. 

Fiction

Things a bright girl can do by Sally Nicholls

The silence of the girls by Pat Barker

The hate u give by Angie Thomas

Mad, bad and dangerous to know by Samira Ahmed

Code name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 

I, Ada by Julia Gray

Small island by Andrea Levy

Classics

A room of one's own by Virginia Woolf

Middlemarch by George Eliot

The haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 

Little women by Louisa May Alcott

Non-fiction 

Medieval women by Henrietta Leyser 

Don't touch my hair by Emma Dabiri 

Warrior queens by Antonia Fraser

Women of the cousin's war by Phillipa Gregory 

Wild by Cheryl Strayed 

We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Biography

The life and death of Mary Wollstonecraft by Claire Tomalin 

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb 

The invisible woman: the story of Nellie Ternan and Charles Dickens by Claire Tomalin

Becoming by Michelle Obama 

Graphic Novels

Lumberjanes (series) by Noelle Stevenson and Shannon Watters

Kindred by Octavia Butler

The Baby-sitters Club (series) by Raina Telgemeier 

Ms. Marvel by Willow Wilson

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

Sally Heathcoate: Suffragette by Mary M Talbot 

All titles listed are available to borrow from GCH Library. Check out our Women's History Month displays in St Andrew's and St Michael's Libraries too for more recommendations!

Children's Mental Health Week

Did you know that reading for just ten minutes a day can improve your mood, improve your quality of sleep,  boost your concentration skills and help build your self-confidence?

Not only is reading for fun important in helping develop skills that will be useful in lessons, it is also a great way to take time for yourself and your own well-being. Reading can also provide a fun, temporary escape from real life and can be an ideal way to unwind and reduce stress.

Not only this but reading also improves the pathways and neural circuits of our brain while lowering our blood pressure and heart rate!

To mark Children's Mental Health Week, the library team have put together a display of mental health resources and 'comfort reads' to promote reading for student wellbeing. 

Highlights from our display include:

Mind your head by Juno Dawson

Am I normal yet? by Holly Bourne 

You got this by Bryony Gordon

The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky  

I'll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson

The teenage guide to stress by Nicola Morgan 

Curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

For more mental health related book recommendations, check out the library app!

Helpful terms to search for more of these kind of books include: 'shelf help', 'just ask' and 'mental health'.

Upcoming author visit: Phil Earle

The GCH Library are delighted to announce that another great author will be visiting us soon! 

Award-winning novelist Phil Earle will be visiting Grey Coat on Monday 7th February.

He will be speaking to all students from years 7 and 8 during period one about his latest book When the sky falls. Phil will also be hosting a workshop for a smaller group of students later in the morning.

Copies of When the sky falls will be available to purchase on Monday 7th but we advise students to pre-order a copy from the Library to avoid disappointment. Books will be sold at the special GCH price of £6 rather than the standard £7.99!

Phil will also be available to sign books at break.

If you'd like to read a book by Phil Earle before his visit we have a good range of his works available right here in St Andrew's Library.

Titles here include: When the sky falls, Saving Daisy, Mind the gap, Heroic, The bubble wrap boy and Being Billy. 

Remember, order forms must be in by Thursday 3rd February!

When the sky falls by Phil Earle

'Inspired by a true story. Its 1940, and Joseph has been packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. To Joseph's amazement, she owns the rundown city zoo where Joseph meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is ferociously strong and dangerous, but Joseph finds he has an affinity with the lonely beast, But when the bombs begin to fall, it is up to Joseph to guard Adonis's cage should it be damaged by a blast. Will Joseph be ready to pull the trigger if it comes to it?'

Return of the Scholastic Book Fair!

From this Thursday 20th January to Wednesday 26th, the GCH Library will be hosting the Scholastic book fair. Come along at break or lunch to browse from the 200+ new books available with prices starting from £2.99!

Some exciting picks from the 2022 fair include the new Karen McMagnus mystery You'll be the Death of Me, a new historical adventure from Jacqueline Wilson entitled Runaway Girls and the increasingly popular They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. 

The teen book fair also includes popular graphic novels such as Ghosts and beloved classics such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

With genres ranging from romance and mystery to fantasy and non-fiction -  there truly is something of interest for everyone. If you would like to purchase a book from the fair please bring in cash to do so rather than other payment forms.

The book fair will open at break and lunch on Thursday 20th.

Upcoming author visit: Ross MacKenzie

The GCH Library is proud to welcome multi award-winning author Ross MacKenzie to Grey Coat next week on Monday 22nd!

Ross will be speaking to years 7 and 8 during the morning but all students are welcome to come to the library at break time when he will be signing copies of his books!

Copies of Evernight and its sequel Feast of the Evernight are available to order from the library at a special GCH discount. Copies will be available on the day but please do collect an order form at the desk and order your copies in advance to avoid disappointment. We will be accepting completed forms with payment until Thursday 18th.

If you would like to borrow a copy of Evernight from the library please ask us at the issue desk (where free taster chapters of the book are also available!)

 Evernight

The Evernight has been unleashed. As far back as she can remember, orphan Larabelle Fox has scraped together a living by treasure-hunting in the sewers. In a city where emotionless White Witches march through the streets and fear of Hag magic is rife, Lara keeps her head down. But when she stumbles upon a mysterious little box in the sewers, Lara finds herself catapulted into a world of wild magic - facing adventure, mortal danger and a man who casts no shadow.

Feast of the Evernight: (Spoilers ahead for Evernight!)

The Evernight has been defeated, and the sun has returned, thanks to Larabelle Fox and her friends Joe and Double Eight. White Witches have their souls back and the evil Mrs Hester is no more. It should be a time of celebration and relief. But a new threat is emerging from the mists of the Veil, the dangerous forest that surrounds the Silver Kingdom's southern lands. Mysterious killings are taking place, and                           Double Eight is the suspect. Lara and Joe journey to Lake End to                               discover what's really happening, all the while trying to stay one step                        ahead of the secret police...