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

Desert Island Reads - The Librarians

 

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 20th of April

A bumper opening edition, we have the choices of all three librarians:

Mrs Swan 1. The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies (single volume edition - so not cheating)  - because it's truthful but optimistic about human nature. 2.  Adam Bede by George Eliot - because it's beautiful and contains a very brilliant sermon. 3. Green Dolphin Country by Elizabeth Goudge - because, although a little sentimental at times, Goudge really understands spirituality and the complicated byways of the human heart. 4.  The Complete Short Stories of HG Wells - because, since my father gave to me in1979 it's always been my essential bedside book. 5. A poetry anthology - but I'd have to put it together myself because the Oxford is good, but doesn't have my favourite Donne, and Other Men's Flowers - Wavell is lovely, but not enough moderns (I want Norman McCaig) CD - Rachmaninov Vespers, Opus 37 [The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir version] Luxury - an unlimited supply of paper, an unbreakable fountain pen and unlimited ink

Mrs Finch 1. Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard 2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier 4. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 5. Star Island by Carl Hiassen CD - Help! by the Beatles Luxury - A big feather bed

Mrs Saint-Smith 1. Persuasion by Jane Austen - a tale of love, hope, constancy and patience; all things required if you are stranded on a desert island I should imagine. 2. The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett - I can always count on Pratchett to make me laugh. 3. Gertrude Bell: A Biography by H.V.F. Winstone - Gertrude Bell was an incredible woman, if you don't know who she is then look her up, and this book inspires me every time I look at it. 4. Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones - it has been one of my favourite books since I was a tweenager, it is a delight to read. 5. A history of the geographic region in which the desert island is situated - whenever I travel I like to learn as much as I can about the place I am in. CD - the soundtrack to the film Swingtime, sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Luxury - a large rolltop bath with an inexhaustable supply of hot water

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

Tiny Url

If you have been looking on the library VLE page you might have noticed that some of the links look like this: http://tinyurl.com/c49n6p .
You may have thought to yourself: what is this tiny url, and what does it have to do with dolphin biology, or a Jacqueline Wilson interview or whatever you might have been looking at at the time?
The reason a lot of the links say tinyurl.com is because we have used what's called a redirection site, in this case http://tinyurl.com/ . These sites are useful if you are putting together a web page, or an email, and you want to put in a link that is really long. That can make a page stretch, or take up loads of space, so to make it look neater you use a redirection site to give you a short link.
Try it out for yourself next time you send someone a link!

Improve Your Grammar!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9081943/Pupils-banned-from-using-slang-in-school.html

The Grey Coat Hospital Reading Olympics!

To celebrate World Book Day and the 2012 Olympics, The Grey Coat Library has launched a competition for staff and students to take part in. There are 6 events:

Sprint – a quick read = 1 point

Marathon – a longer, more difficult read = 4 points

Hurdles – try a new genre or a novel from the adult section = 3 points

Javelin – hit the spot with a book recommendation that your friend adds to their reading list and really enjoys = 1 points

In the Commentary Box – write an imaginative review for the display = 2 points

Synchronised Swimming – work with friends on an entry for the Read This competition, or another group activity (e.g. Making a poster promoting reading, or a podcast for the library VLE)= 3 points

 Everyone gets a badge to show which events they are/have been competing in, and a challenge booklet to record their points. The competitors with the most points at the end of the year will recieve prizes!