Women's History Month

With the beginning of March, GCH Library is once again celebrating Women's History Month.

Check out our displays at St Andrew's and St Michael's Library for a wide variety of Women's History themed choices including historical fiction, classics by female authors, feminist retellings, biographies and non fiction history books covering hundreds of years of Women's History.

To mark the occasion, the Library team have also chosen a few of these to share in a timeline style reading list. All books in purple are fiction books (historical fiction, retellings and classics) while all titles in blue are non fiction books (history monographs or biographies).

Over 1000 years of Women's Stories:

Medieval Women by Henrietta Leyser [STA - 942.0144] - England 450-1500 (Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, Empress Matilda & many more!)

The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy - 12th century France (Eleanor of Aquitaine)

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman- 13th century England 

All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls - 14th century England (The Black Death, Yorkshire)

And I Darken by Kiersten White - 15th century Ottoman Empire (Vlad III  Gender Swapped Retelling)

Joan of Arc 

Divine Heretic by Jaime Lee Moyer  - 15th century France (Jeanne d'Arc, The Hundred Years War)

The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir [STA -942.05242]- 1530s England (Anne Boleyn)

Pirate Queen by Sam Hart and Tony Lee [GN] - 16th century Ireland (Grace O'Malley, Tudor control of Ireland)

Artemisia Gentilschi by Jonathan Jones [STA - 709.032 GEN] - 17th century Italy (Greatest female artist of the Baroque age)

The Familiars by Stacey Hall - 1612 England (Pendle Hill Witch Trials)

The Rover and Other Plays by Aphra Behn [822 BEH] - 17th century England (One of the first English women to earn a living through her writing. Behn was greatly praised by Virginia Woolf  and is considered a trailblazer who broke barriers for later generations of female authors)

Queen of Freedom by Catherine Johnson - 1720 Jamaica (Queen Nanny, First Maroon War)

Drama and Danger by J.T. Williams - 18th century England (Elizabeth Sancho and Dido Belle, London)

Dido Belle 

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - 18th century Ghana-21st century America (Slave Trade, British Colonisation, American Civil War, Jazz Age)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - 19th century Europe (Arguably the very first Science Fiction novel)

The Five: the Untold Lives of the Women killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold [STM- 920.72]  - 1880s England (Victorian London, Experiences of working class women)

Mysterious Element: The Story of Marie Curie by Pam Robson [STA     530.092]- 19/20th century Poland and France

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - 20th century America (Follows the struggles of several Black women in rural Georgia. The great success of Walker's novel led to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in History in 1982 - making her the first African-American woman to do so)

Wild Swans by Jung Chang [ STA 920 CHA] - 20th century China (Experiences of three generations of women under Mao's rule of China and life during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960/70s)

Frida Kahlo by Andrea Kettenmann [STA 709.0431 KAH] - 1940s Mexico (One of the most significant 20th century painters and part of the Mexicayotl movement which aimed to define Mexican identity after the revolution of the 1910s)

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank [STA/STM 920 FRA] - 1940s Amsterdam (Follows teenager Anne's experiences living hidden in a warehouse for two years during WWII and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands)

The Wheel of Surya by Jamila Gavin - 1947 India (Partition of India and war in the Punjab)

Malala Yousafzai

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys - 1957 Spain (Experiences of working class woman in Madrid under the Franco dictatorship)

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly [STA 920 VAU] - 1960s America (Follows the four African-American mathematicians who made great contributions to the US space program - set during the Civil Rights era, Space Race, Cold War and gender equality movement)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi [GN] -1970s Iran (Tehran, Overthrowal of the Shah's regime, Islamic Revolution and war with Iraq)

Becoming by Michelle Obama [STA/STM 920 OBA]  - 20/21st century America (Charts Michelle Obama's life so far including her childhood in Chicago, experiences as a successful lawyer, advocate for women and role as the first Black First Lady of the United States)

A Very Large Expanse of Sea - 2002 America (Experiences of an American Muslim teenage girl one year after 9/11)

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb [STA 920 MAL] - 21st century Pakistan (Follows Malala's campaign for girl's rights to education beginning with the Taliban's seizure of Swat Valley in 2007) 

As usual all books mentioned are available to borrow from the school Library!

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!

LGBT+ History Month

Every February the UK observes LGBT+ History Month in celebration of the rich history of the LGBT+ community and in remembrance of the related histories of the gay rights and civil rights movements. 

This year the UK celebrates the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the census for the first time in over 200 years. As Stonewall summarises: 'after years of invisibility, we are now officially part of our country's story'. 

2023 also marks two decades since the repeal of Section 28 - a law which banned the 'promotion of homosexuality' which led to censorship in schools and libraries all over the UK.

To mark LGBT+ History Month, the Library team have set up displays in both libraries. Here you can find a wide range of books including classic works of literature written by famous LGBTQ authors including Virginia Woolf and Alice Walker, biographies of historical figures such as Anne Lister and Alan Turing, historical fiction featuring queer protagonists and novels we have highlighted for their roles in introducing larger audiences to LGBTQ+ stories.

To find out more about literary queer icons Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, E.M. Forster and Alice Walker check out last years blogpost 'LGBT+ History Month at the Library' here!

We have also highlighted some (of the many!) figures in LGBTQ+ History below with an accompanying book recommendation. 

Alan Turing (1912-1954)

Alan Turing: Enigma by Andrew Hodges [STM: 920 TUR]

• Alan Turing was responsible for breaking the Nazi's code during WWII. He played a major role in ending the war and his work is said to have shortened the war and undoubtedly saved many lives.
• He was convicted for his relationship with another man and prosecuted in 1952.
• In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a public apology to Turing on befalf of the government.
• Turing was eventually pardoned in 2013 by Elizabeth II and the 2017 law that retroactively pardoned all men convicted for homosexual acts is commonly known as the 'Alan Turing Law'.
• He has been voted 'The Greatest Person of the 20th Century'.

Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)

What's the T? The Guide to All Things Trans and/or Nonbinary by Juno Dawson  [STM: 301.415]

• Marsha was an American trans and gay liberation activist.
• When Marsha was 23, police raided the famous Stonewall Inn in New York and used excessive force against the patrons. Marsha stood up to the police during the raids and led protests demanding rights for the LGBT community. 
• Together with Silvia Rivera, Marsha founded an organisation called STAR in order to help gay and trans people who had become homeless. 
• Marsha is remembered as the 'Saint of Christopher Street' by many for their unfailing generosity to the LGBT community in New York. 

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Frida Kahlo by Andrea Kettenmann [STA: 709.0431 KAH], Anthology of Amazing Women by Sandra Lawrence [STA: 920.72] and The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver [STA/STM]

• 
  Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican artist and openly bisexual woman. 
• Kahlo taught herself to paint whilst recovering from a serious bus accident and her art was often influenced by her experiences with chronic pain. It is thought that prior to the accident, Kahlo intended to study medicine.
• Her works are also notable for their explorations of class, gender, race, identity and postcolonialism. 

Peter Dorey, Ernest Hole and Jonathan Cutbill 

Pride: the Unlikely Story of  the True Heroes of the Miner's Strike by Tim Tate (Coming Soon to GCH Library!)

• Dorey, Hole and Cutbill were activists who founded the UK's first LGBTQ bookshop Gay's the Word in 1979.
• They provided a much needed space for the LGBTQ community in London to meet and share their love of books.
• In the 1980s, the store served as the headquarters of 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners' in support of the striking workers. 

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

Girls Can Do Anything by Caitlin Doyle [STA: 920.72] and Who's Who in African-American History by Sande Smith (ed.) [STA: 920.092]

• 
  Josephine Baker was the first African American woman to star in a film.
• During the German occupation of France she worked for the Red Cross and spied for the French Resistance.
• Though she lived in France, she travelled back to the U.S. to partake in Civil Rights demonstrations.
• Baker had romantic relationships with both men and women including French author Colette and artist Frida Kahlo.

Jacqueline Wilson (1945-)

Jacky Daydream, The Runaway Girls and The Story of Tracey Beaker [STA]

• 
  Jacqueline Wilson is a much-loved children's author but before the breakthrough success of Tracey Beaker in the 1990s, she had already written over 40 books.
• Wilson took the A-Level English exam when she was 40 years old - for which she was awarded an 'A'.
• In 2020 she publicly announced that she was in a relationship with her partner Trish. They have now been together for over 20 years. 

All books mentioned can be found at GCH Library.

Spotlight on 'Britannica'

This term Y8 students have been visiting the Library during registration to learn how to use Britannica. As we have learnt, Britannica contains only articles published by reliable sources and all information there has been very carefully edited - making it the perfect resource for homework!

Britannica is accessible via the Library App. You can also find this under 'The Grey Coat Hospital', 'Library' in SharePoint if you're working at home, or pinned to your desktop if you're using a school computer.

1. You now need to login to access Britannica. To do so, click 'Guest' in the top right corner of the screen and select 'Login via SSO'.
2. This will bring you to your account which will show you all the books on loan to you!
3. Type in your research term into the 'Search' bar at the top of the screen. This is the topic that you are trying to learn more about - e.g. 'Mary, Queen of Scots', 'Chess' or 'Japanese Mythology'.
4. When you search this term, the Library App will then show you all the books we have in the library on this topic. 
5. To find the Britannica resources relating to your search you must select 'One Search' from the bar on the left side of the screen. You should then see 'Britannica' as one of the top options underneath this.
6. To login to Britannica, follow the instructions that appear on screen: open the 'Connect with Provider' page, close this new tab and then select the second button which should say 'Search'.
7. This will show you all the Britannica resources on your chosen topic. From here you can browse articles, images, videos and explore the 'More' tab which will show you a list of 'Web's Best Sources'. This is full of accurate, fact-checked information written by credible sources.

As always, please ask for help at the Library if you are struggling to use any of our resources!

New book adaptations to look out for this year!

In a follow-up to our earlier blog post, the GCH Library team have put together an updated list of book-to-screen adaptations coming in the next year following the success of Heartstopper, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Vampire Academy and many more!

Coming soon in 2023:

Catherine Called Birdy (Out Now on Prime)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Netflix, TBA)

The Power (Prime, TBA)

One Piece (Netflix, TBA)

The School for Good and Evil (Out Now on Netflix)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (In Cinemas November 2023)

On the Come Up (Out Now on Paramount+)

Matilda (In Cinemas November 2022, Netflix 2023)

Red Queen (Peacock, In Development)

Raybearer (Netflix, Development Approved)

Siege and Storm - 'Shadow and Bone' Season 2 (Netflix, March 2023)

Interview with the Vampire (Out Now on AMC, UK streaming TBA)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Disney+, Late 2023)

It's Not Summer Without You - 'The Summer...' Season 2 (Prime)

Lockwood & Co. (January 2023, Netflix)

Half Bad (Out Now on Netflix)

Heartstopper Vol.2 (Netflix, Filming Complete) 

Firekeeper's Daughter (Netflix, Development Approved)

The Colour Purple (In Cinemas December 2023)

The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix, TBA)

All titles listed are available to borrow from GCH Library!

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!