Friday, 3 December 2021

Gems from 'The Nowhere Emporium': A Creative Writing Workshop with Ross MacKenzie

On Monday 22nd November, Evernight author Ross MacKenzie visited the Library where he held a writing workshop for year 7 and 8 students. 

As part of the workshop, Ross talked about his book The Nowhere Emporium and encouraged students to invent their own magical rooms in a short piece of creative writing.

All of our students produced brilliant work and we have chosen a few 'rooms' to share with you all to demonstrate the broad range of creative writing produced by years 7 and 8!


My door: Its Purr-fect by Isabella 7R

You move towards the shiny purple door, faint 'mews' can be heard. Click. The door swings open revealing an extensive world. The jagged horizon made of mountains, frames the souring casts, their wings casting shadows over the vast land. Roaring mews fill your ears. The air feels soft, like it gently lays on your skin and a subtle fishy, almost salty, smell lingers over a creamy lake glistening in the sun. Cats fill every corner, leaping over the luscious green grass. This world thrives, no sign of melancholy or guilt. Almost as though they have been banished. Every sad thought you've ever had is replaced with the memory of a joyous cat. The world feels right here. 


The Colour of Music by Michal 8C

As I staggered into the shop, everything was a shad of grey, black and white. People observed the items and instruments in awe and admiration. I thought 'what was there that was so impressive?'.

 I went up to the cashier and said 'nothing is colourful'. 

Then she came up close and said 'there is but you are looking carelessly'. 

I strolled through the shop, thinking about what she meant. I could smell a fresh breeze of metal and rotten pieces of skin from the drums. I approached the guitars, hung high up on the wall and slowly brushed my soft hands against the surface. It was as smooth as a baby. It's string suddenly plucked itself and made a gentle and smooth note. It echoed across the whole room, making the ground tremble and the instruments sang with colour dispersing across the unlively surfaces of the instruments.

As I circled the room, I could see yellows, reds, pinks, purples, blues, turquoises and many more. The room lit up, sending big smiles across the customers faces.

I picked up a drum, sat down, and played a beat that echoed through my ears, full of colour and joyfulness. The room was like an enchanted forest and now I can see the colours because I looked closely and found my imagination.


The Room of Possibilities by Kimora 8C

A never ending space of wonder, marble walls with splats of colour stretch out across the room. Pens, pencils, paints and paper of all colours, shapes and sizes fill the empty spaces in this magical place.

The smell of fresh paint and ink linger in the warm, cooling air. At the far end of the room there on the wall is a golden plaque, engraved in it are the words 'The Room of Possibilities'. 

The place looks as if it belongs in a palace with magical pens, pencils, and paint that can bring whatever you draw/paint come to life. At the very end of the room right next to the plaque there is a door, a simple white door with a golden doorknob... 


Well done to all students who participated - everyone at the library (and Ross himself) were very impressed with the work shared!

Evernight and Feast of the Evernight are now available to reserve from the library!

Wednesday, 24 November 2021

Spotlight on eBooks!

This week the library team would like to draw attention to another great resource called ePlatform. This eBook provider can be accessed via the webpage https://gch.eplatform.co/ or using the ePlatform app which can be downloaded from the app store.


To login and borrow eBooks, simply use your school email and IT password. 

After borrowing a book via ePlatform, it is then yours to read for two weeks and will be automatically returned on the due date. If you borrow your books using the app, these will be automatically downloaded to your phone or tablet when you make your choice.


New additions to the Grey Coat eBook Library include:

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 

Death Sets Sail by Robin Stevens

                                                                 ...and many more!


 

If you require any help accessing our ebooks, as ever, please ask at the desk and the library team will happily assist you. 



Friday, 19 November 2021

Non-Fiction November: Facts and Folklore

Non-Fiction November is not over yet at GCH Library! This week our library team has put together a display focusing on ancient history, mythology and folklore - all of which topics can be found in the non-fiction section of the library.

To help students better access these topics, we have paired some modern fiction books with a non-fiction pick about the history or mythology that inspired it.





For example, fans of Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard or the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan might enjoy learning more about ancient Greek deities in Leon Ashworth's Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece.


You may also be familiar with classic historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe, but how much do you know about Roman Britain? To find out more check out Terry Deary's Rotten Romans or Hadrian's Wall by James Forde-Johnstone. 


Many kinds of history, mythology and folklore feature in modern books today. Why not borrow a title from the popular my story collection and pair it with a non-fiction book to gain some further insight into your historical fiction reading? 




If you're looking to learn more about ancient Egyptian rulers you could also borrow The Egyptians by Michael Hayes from the non-fiction section and pair it with Princess of Egypt: an Egyptian Girl's Diary to experience the royal political drama of 1490 BC. 



We also have fiction books which directly retell classic folktales. For example, an exciting new addition to the library, The Wrath and the Dawn is heavily based on the traditional Middle Eastern folktale collection known as One Thousand and One Nights (or often known as The Arabian Nights in English). 



If you would like any further recommendations, or help looking for a book on a certain topic, please do ask at the desk!

Happy reading!


Wednesday, 17 November 2021

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...