Recommendations from the Graphic Novel Club

This week, the Graphic Novel Club would like to share some of their own recommendations!

Collectively the group have put together a new reading list of graphic novels and manga titles. All of these are available to borrow from GCH Library.

All titles in italics are the first in their series.

Assassination Classroom [STM]

'The students of class 3-E have a mission: kill their teacher before graduation. He already destroyed the moon, and has promised to destroy the Earth if he can not be killed within a year. But how can this class of misfits kill a tentacled monster, capable of reaching Mach 20 speed, who may be the best teacher any of them have ever had?'

Pumpkinheads [STA/STM]

'Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .

What if their last shift was an adventure?'

My Hero Academia [STA]

'What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…'

Ms Marvel [STA]

'Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!'

Fullmetal Alchemist [STA]

'Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime!

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies...the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg…and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders…even to kill. Except his powers aren't unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are…'

Mooncakes [STA]

'A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.'

Zita the Spacegirl [STA]

'Zita's life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye.

When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don't even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita's quest.

Zita the Spacegirl is a fun, captivating tale of friendship and redemption from Flight veteran Ben Hatke. It also has more whimsical, eye-catching, Miyazaki-esque monsters than you can shake a stick at.'

Happy reading!

New Year, New Books!

The GCH Library team have been busy this week processing new books! 

We have plenty of exciting titles available with genres ranging from fantasy and romance to horror, poetry and graphic novels and brand new books from the Scholastic Book Fair.

These can all be found on our 'New Year, New Books' displays at both Libraries.

Check out some of the books available below:

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi [STA/STM]

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman [GN]

They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman [STM]

Rapunzella, or Don't Touch My Hair by Ella McLeod [STA] 

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds by Gwenda Bond [STM] 

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera [STA] 

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala [STM]

Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan [STA] 

These Are the Words by Nikita Gill [STA/STM - 821.9 GIL] 

The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean [STA] 

Happy New Year!

Winter Reads

As we approach the final week of term, students are now able to borrow up to 5 books from the Library. To celebrate the festive season, the GCH Library team have put together a list of Christmassy reads for the holidays - enjoy!

All titles in bold are the first in their series and any 'Holiday special' books part of a series are also identified.

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle [STA]

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens [STA]

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern [STA/STM] 

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick [STA]

The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave [STA]

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave [STM]

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater [STA/STM]

All Wrapped Up  by Holly Smale [STA] - A Geek Girl Novella 

A Winter's Promise (eBook) by Christelle Dabos 

Stealing Snow by Danielle Page [STM -New!] 

A Mystery in White by Joseph J. Farjeon [STA]

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin (eBook)

Murder and Mistletoe by Robin Stevens [STA] - Part of the Murder Most Unladylike series

And a Happy New Year? by Holly Bourne [STA/STM] - Part of the Spinster Club series

Hetty Feather's Christmas by Jacqueline Wilson [STA] - Part of the Hetty Feather series

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab [STM]

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher [STA]

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn [STA]

Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren [STA]

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong [STA/STM - New!] 

Happy Holidays!

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.

A Trip to the Archives

This week, a group of our Year 9 and 10 students got the opportunity to visit Westminster Archives as part of a research day organised by our Librarian, Mrs. Swan.

Here they were lucky enough to read the original minute books of The Grey Coat Hospital from 1863-1885 for themselves. We also had great fun looking into the student's behaviour as recorded in the 1850s reports and admiring the dramatic penmanship of the 1780s.

After returning from the archives, the students researched Victorian life using library resources and learnt about what schools were like for children at that time.

The afternoon was then spent researching the lives of 19th century Grey Coat students using Ancestry and working on some creative writing pieces featuring the former students - which we look forward to sharing very soon!

Transgender Awareness Week

In the UK, the 13-19th of November is marked as Transgender Awareness Week. 

This aims to support and raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people while bringing a focus to the issues faced by the community. In this spirit, we have put together a reading list of some of the great books featuring and written by transgender or gender non-conforming people.

All books listed are available to borrow from the Library unless stated otherwise!

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo [eBook*]

'A new kind of big-hearted novel about being seen for who you really are.'

Available as an ebook, this book was inspired by Meredith Russo's own life. It is celebrated for bring the first widely distributed YA book written by a transgender woman about transgender teenagers. 

'Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she's determined not to get too close to anyone. 

But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can't help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realises just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda's terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it. 

Because the secret Amanda's been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew. Will the truth cost Amanda her new life, and her new love?

Meredith Russo's If I Was Your Girl is a universal story about feeling different and a love story that everyone will root for.'

Trans Mission by Alex Bertie [STM - 301.415] 

'Being a teenager is difficult enough, but having to go through puberty whilst realising you're in the wrong body means dealing with a whole new set of problems: bullying, self-doubt and in some cases facing a physical and medical transition.

Alex is an ordinary teenager: he likes pugs, donuts, retro video games and he sleeps with his socks on. He's also transgender, and was born female. He's been living as a male for the past few years and has recently started his physical transition.

Throughout this book, Alex will share what it means to be in his shoes, as well as his personal advice to other trans teens. Above all, he will show you that every step in his transition is another step towards happiness. This is an important and positive book, a heart-warming coming-of-age memoir with a broad appeal.'

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman [STM]

Told in a dual POV style, Alice Oseman's third book explores fame, friendship and the complexities of identity. 

'For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark - a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by story. Being part of The Ark's fandom has given her everything - her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He's their frontman - and playing in a band it all he's ever dreamed of doing. It's just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Because that's the problem with dreaming - eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.'

Melissa by Alex Gino [STA/STM]

Previously titled George, this book was renamed by the author in 2021. Melissa was written is response to a lack of transgender representation in children's literature and has been described by Alex Gino as 'the book [they] wanted to read' while growing up. 

'When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

Melissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa, really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte - but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.'

What's the T? by Juno Dawson [STM-301.415]

'Discover what it means to be a young transgender or non-binary person in the twenty-first century in this frank and funny guide for 14+ teens, from the author of This Book is Gay. 

What's the T?, Stonewall ambassador, bestselling trans author and former PSHE teacher Juno Dawson defines a myriad of labels and identities and offers uncensored advice on coming out, sex and relationships with her trademark humour and lightness of touch. Juno has also invited her trans and non-binary friends to make contributions, ensuring this inclusive book reflects as many experiences as possible, and features the likes of Travis Alabanza and Jay Hulme.

The companion title to the groundbreaking This Book is Gay, What's the T? tackles the complex realities of growing up trans with honesty and humour, and is joyfully illustrated by gender non-conforming artift Soofiya.'

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino [STA]

Also by GCH favourite Alex Gino, Alice Austen Lived Here is a brilliant novel about friendship, family, identity and queer history. 

'Sam is very in touch with their own queer identity. They're nonbinary, and their best friend, TJ, is nonbinary as well. Sam's family is very cool with it... as long as Sam remembers that nonbinary kids are also required to clean their rooms, do their homework, and try not to antagonise their teachers too much.

The teacher-respect thing is hard when it comes when it comes to Sam's history class, because their teacher seems to believe that only Dead Straight Cis White Men are responsible for history. When Sam's home borough of Staten Island opens up a contest for a new statue, Sam finds the perfect non-DSCWM subject:  photographer Alice Austen, whose house has been turned into a museum, and who lived with a female partner for decades.

Soon, Sam's project isn't just about winning the contest. It's about discovering a rich queer history that Sam's a part of - a queer history that no longer needs to be quiet, as long as there are kids like Sam and TJ to stand up for it.'

The following YA books are not currently available at the Library but also come highly recommended!

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (Fantasy/Romance/Contemporary)

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (First Love/High School/Contemporary Romance)

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver  (Contemporary Romance/Mental Health)

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee (Rom-Com/Contemporary)

May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor (Contemporary Romance/High School/Rivalry)

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Fraser [GN] (First Love/Friendship/High School)

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore (Historical Romance/Friendship/Inspired By)

*For more information on how to borrow our eBooks check out this blog post: Spotlight on eBooks!

Create a Comic Competition

This month, GCH Library is proud to promote ReadingZone's Create a Comic Competition.

Comics may be created by individual students or by pairs and groups. You can use any media form but all entries should be printed on a single A4 page and handed in to Ms. Weston before December 1st. 

Prizes include subscriptions to The Phoenix comic and graphic novels for the school of the winning student. 

You can collect a template from the front desk at St Andrew's Library or download one here! There are also some great video resources on the ReadingZone website about planning stories, comic layouts and cover and blurb design. 

Please ask at the Library desk if you have any questions about the competition and good luck!