Challenges

Scottish Children's Book Awards 2012

The winners of the Scottish Children's Book Awards were announced yesterday afternoon and the ICHS students who had acted as judges watched some of the ceremony via a live feed from GLOW. The winner of the 8-11 years Category was first-time author Ross McKenzie with his fantasy book 'Zak and the dream pirates'. This was also the favourite book of the ICHS judges in that category.

The winner in the 12-16 Category was Nicola Morgan' s book about love, life and fate  - 'Wasted'. Although we had enjoyed this book, the majority of ICHS judges voted for 'The Blackhope enigma' by Teresa Flavin.



All of the shortlisted books are on display in the Library, along with the sequels to 'The Blackhope enigma' and 'The case of the London dragonfish'.
For more information about the Scottish Children's Book Awards visit the Scottish Book Trust

E-Book survey

With us all getting more and more interested in reading e-books, whether on Kindles, i-phones, i-pads or other devices West Lothian public Libraries are looking into how to best provide an e-book service for Library users. If you would like to help them gather information on this subject please fill out the survey here.

World Book Day 2012

This year World  Book Day is on Thursday 1st March. If you cannot wait that long for some new reading material why not download the FREE World Book Day App where you can read exclusive new short stories by: Malorie Blackman; Neil Gaiman; Charlie Higson; Anthony Horowitz; Sophie McKenzie and Rachel Vincent. The App also has news, videos and extras. Go to the World Book Day website for more information.
This year's £1 books are:
  1. Where's Wally now by Martin Hanford
  2. Magic Molly:the clever little kitten by Holly Webb
  3. Roald Dahl's fantabulous facts by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
  4. How to train your dragon:the day of the Dreader by Cressida Cowell
  5. Big day out by Jacqueline Wilson
  6. Skullduggery Pleasant: the end of the world by Derek Landy
  7. Winnie flies again by ValerieThomas and Korky Paul 
  8. What the ladybird heard song by Julia Donalsdon and Lydia Monks

The Isle of Berk is being stalked by a deadly sea dragon called the BIG DREADER, fires are ravaging the forests and the Hairy Hooligans are trapped on the island without any food! All except Toothless who has found a stash of eggs that he plans to keep all to himself… But not if the BIG DREADER has anything to do with it!

A jam-packed, fun-filled book of Roald Dahl facts!
It’s a trip through a year; with letters and observations by Roald Dahl himself about everything under the sun – from what he got up to as a boy and the best time of the year for conkers, to why he hated Christmas.
Jam-packed with weird and wonderful facts (find out what the most expensive food in the world is, and how to cook savoury crocodile), plus jokes, quizzes and top tips, here is the stuff that every Roald Dahl fan should know.



 Wally-Watchers, get ready to dive into the past – and maybe the future – on your        search  for Wally and his friends, Woof, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard and Odlaw.
 Full of incredible searches, made even more fiendish in this miniature edition of the classic picture book.



Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back – just in time to see their whole world get turned upside down…
While they struggle to protect a known killer from an unstoppable assassin, Valkyrie is on a secret mission of her own. This quest, to prevent her dark and murderous destiny, threatens to take her to the brink of death and beyond. And then the body-snatching Remnants get loose, thousands of twisted souls who possess the living like puppets, and they begin their search for a being powerful enough to lead them. Facing such insurmountable odds, Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly and Tanith can trust no one. Not even each other…


Enjoy four very special days out this World Book Day, in this collection of fun short stories from Jacqueline Wilson. From a trip to the country to a seaside outing and a funfair adventure, Big Day Out is a wonderful treat for dedicated fans of Jacqueline Wilson, and for readers who are discovering her for the very first time.

Valentine's Day

The latest Library display celebrates love and romance for Valentine's Day. Read the romantic verses on the display board or borrow one of the love stories.
Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen
Kissing Vanessa by Simon Cheshire
A teenage worriers guide to lurve by Ros Asquith
Loves me, loves me not by Per Nilsson
Wild roses by Deb Caletti
Breathing underwater by Julia Green
Love, lies and Lizzie by Rosie Rushton
My funny valentine by Karen McCombie
Beauty by Robin McKinley


Most popular authors borrowed

Every year public libraries announce who have been the most borrowed authors via the figures they keep under PLR (public lending right). For the year July 2010-June 2011 the most popular childrens' (all ages) authors were:
1.   Daisy Meadows                                            
2.   Jacqueline Wilson                                          
3.   Francesca Simon                                           
4.   Julia Donalsdon                                            
5.   Mick Inkpen                                               
6.   Adam Blade                                                 
7.   Terry Deary                                                 
8.   Fiona Watt                                                  
9.   Roald Dahl                                                   
10. Lauren Child

Terry Deary author of Horrible Histories etc

Jacqueline Wilson

Roald Dahl
                                         

Charles Dickens

Tuesday 7th February marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens birth. The newspapers have been full of articles about Charles Dickens and televission programmes have brought us adaptations of some of his books as well as prorammes about his life. Many people consider him second only to William Shakespeare in terms of  his contribution to English literature, a great many more disagree! To mark the anniversary of his birth there is a display in the Library of books by, and about, Charles Dickens.


You might also like: (some of my own favourite nineteenth century books)

The moonstone by Wilkie Collins

North and south by Elizabeth Gaskell

Middlemarch by George Eliot


Blue Peter - Best Books

The BBC television programme Blue Peter want you to vote for you favourite book of the last 10 years from a short-list of 10 books. Voting is open until 4pm on the 23rd of February and the winning book will be announced on the 1st of March - World Book Day. To vote you need to go to the Blue Peter website and you will need a CBBC id to vote, but you can set one up - just follow the instructions on the site.

The short listed books are:-
All of the books are on display in the Library to help you make up your mind about which is your favourite.