Best Wishes

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year from Mrs Aitken in the Library.

Why not come into the Library and borrow a book about Christmas or with a  Christmassy theme.

Study support/Homework help

In need of help with homework? Need advice about how to study? The Library offers two after-school classes which may be of help to you.

On Mondays from 3.30pm until 4.30pm there is the S4-S5 Study Support group where S6 students and staff offer helpful advice about homework and study skills.

 

On Tuesdays there is the S1-S3 Homework Club where the Librarian and teachers from each faculty are available to help with homework problems. Free snacks are also available. This also runs from 3.30pm until 4.30pm.

Book Week Scotland

There are lots of books by Scottish authors on display all around the Library, so if you are looking for something to read why not try one of the books from the diplays. There are books from all genres from adventure to fantasy, from dystopian to horror. Once you have chosen a book why not pledge to read the whole book by the end of BWS (30th November) and add your pledge to the Pledge Wall?

Some of the authors you could try are: Lari Don, Gill Lewis, Elizabeth Laird, Theresa Breslin, Barry Hutchison and James Jauncey - to name but a few!

Book Week Scotland

This year Book Week Scotland runs from the 24th to the 30th November, as well as lots of events run by West Lothian public libraries there is also a lot happening in the School Library.
Add your pledge to the BWS Pledge Wall - you pledge to do something book related for the whole week. Ideas for pledges include:
 My family will sit down and read together for Book Week Scotland 2014

•I will read something Scottish for Book Week Scotland 2014

•I will alphabetise my bookshelves for Book Week Scotland 2014

•I will colour-code my bookcase for Book Week Scotland 2014 (send me your pictures for the Library Blog!)

•I will go to a Book Week Scotland event for Book Week Scotland 2014

•I hate [SCI-FI, ROMANCE, NON-FICTION, etc] but I’m going to read ……………. for Book Week Scotland 2014.

 

Why not vote for your favourite character in a Scottish book? There will be a box to place your votes in on the Library Issue Desk. Characters you could vote for include: Harry Potter or  Hermione Granger(Harry Potter): Norm (World of Norm); Kyle (Invisible fiends); Adam or Salim (Crusade); David Balfour (Kidnapped) - the list could go on.

 

There will aslo be displays and competitions in the Library during the week.

 

For lots more information about Book Week Scotland visit the Scottish Book Trust website

 

Remembrance Day

There is a display in the Library to commemorate all those who have given their lives in the service of their country.
 Remembrance Sunday is on the 9th of November when all who have died in war are remembered. Armistice Day is 11th November, when all those who died in World War One are remembered by two minutes silence at 11am.
The display includes books about 'Poppy Day' and World War One as well as fiction books set during the First and Second World wars.

Books get a Movember makeover

To support all those growing moustaches for charity in November, some of the fiction books have had a 'Movember makeover'.

Display for Halloween

As the nights grow ever longer and darker and the weather becomes colder and wetter what could be better than to sit indoors and read a lovely, long... horror story!!
Celebrate Halloween by choosing from the many horror books on display around the Library. If you are not afraid of spiders you could even borrow one from the shelves beneath the display board! So, 'Don't be a scaredy cat.. read some horror!!'

 

New display

The idea for the latest display in the Library was taken from a television program which is a favorite of many staff and students alike - The Great British Bake Off. Or, in this case, "The great book-ish bake off" highlighting books with cakes or other bakes in the title!

Book of the week 8th September

'Over the line' by Tom Palmer is set in the trenches of the First World War and is based on a true story. From the blurb: "It's the proudest moment of Jack's life - his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his counrty.
But it is 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battallion and Jack has little choice but to join up. The promise of a Cup in Flanders offer a glimmer of hope, but Jack and his team-mates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again."

For more information about the inspiration behind the book and some footage of a football match from 1914 visit Tom Palmer's websiteIf you enjoy this book you would also enjoy 'Soldier's game' by James Killgore which tells the story of a Hearts of Midlothian player who is also sent to the front during WW1. To hear James Killgore talk about the book click here

 

Flip Side

You may not have noticed, but the latest issue of FlipSide is also the LAST EVER issue because the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) have decided to close the magazine.  However there are still all the back issues available to enjoy, but I know we will all miss this amazing magazine.

In this month's issue you can find out about : whether chimps are actually clever enough to take over the planet; forensic science; how to get a job in games and reconstructing dinosaurs. You will also find all the usual amazing and weird photographs (including a photo feature entitled "animals eating each other")!; game, book and music  reviews.

DON'T MISS THE LAST EVER ISSUE!

Book of the week

To celebrate the return of Doctor Who to the television, this week's Book of the Week is the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary collection "11 Doctors, 11 Stories". A collection of stories featuring the Doctor by 11 different, but very famous authors.  A 'must read' for all fans of the Doctor.

Welcome to a new term

The first display of the new term welcomes you 'Back 2 school'. This is a fiction display of books with a school based story, so includes some very familiar titles like the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and 'The worry website' by Jacqueline Wilson. Also some less familiar books, for example 'Concrete chips' by Bali Rai and 'Wayside School is falling down' by Louis Sachar.

Book of the week 16th June

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is this week's Book of the Week.
From the blurb:
 "Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.
 Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black tee-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor...never to Eleanor.

 Slowly, steadily through late-night conversations and an ever growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose."

Book of the Week 9th June

Book of the week this week is Divergent by Veronica Roth. Not a new book by any means but very popular in school just now - possibly something to do with the film release. So, in case you have missed out on this latest phenomenon the book is a dystopian novel set in post-apocalyptic city (Chicago). At the age of 16, the young are assessed to determine which of five Factions they suit best  but theycan still make the final choice of which Faction to join on their own. Most opt for their home Faction but there are some, such as Tris the heroine of the novel, who make a jump, turning their backs on their families to join their chosen Faction. The initiation and training are far from easy and Tris battles to settle in to her chosen Faction and cope with being away from her family. If you like 'The Hunger Games' trilogy then you will enjoy this series too. Worth reading the book BEFORE you see the movie!

FlipSide Magazine

The June edition of FlipSide magazine is available in the Library. This month's issue has two front covers featuring new movies, one shows an image from ' X-Men: Days of future past' the other the new Tom Cruise film 'Edge of tomorrow'. There are articles about both films as well as articles about Johnny Depp, the fight to save jaguars from extinction, skin and all the ususal reviews and unusual photos.

Chose this image as X-Men has featured so frequently in past issues!!

Book of the week 2nd June

This week's featured book is 'The bone dragon' by Alexia Casale.
From the blurb:    'Dreams are the fire that warms the soul. Evie refuses to talk about why she needed an operation. Saying it out loud would hurt too much. Instead she focuses on carving the piece of her rib that the doctors removed into a tiny dragon - a dragon that comes to life at night, helping her to heal. Finally, she can feel safe again.
But Evie's dragon dreams are becoming more and more powerful, and soon the dragon is calling for revenge...'
This is a deep, powerful, and compelling novel which plays havoc with your emotions!

Book of the Week 26th May

The book of the week this week is 'Wild boy' by Rob Lloyd Jones. The book is set among the rough fairgrounds and grimy slums of Victorian London and tells the story of a boy raised as a freak and displayed in the fairground sideshow.

From the blurd: " London 1841. A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show. A boy with an extraordinary power of observation and detection.

 A boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth."

Ideal for anyone who likes a good murder mystery, especially of the Sherlock Holmes variety.

Visit the author's website - here - for more information about the book, Victorian London and lots more.

 

Book of the week 19th May

The book of the week this week is 'Stay where you are & then leave' by John Boyne the author of 'The boy in the striped pyjamas'.

From the blurb: "The day the First World War began, Alfie Summerfield's father promised he wouldn't go away to fight - but he broke that promise the very next morning. Four years on, his letters have stopped, and all Alfie knows is that he is very far away on a secret mission.

Then, while shining shoes at King's Cross Station, Alfie unexpectedly spots his father's name on a stack of papers belonging to a military doctor. Bewildered and confused, Alfie realizes that he's a patient in a hospital close by - a hospital treating soldiers with an unusual condition. And he's determined to rescue his father from this strange, unnerving place...'

May Flipside

The latest issue of FlipSide magazine is now available in the Library. The May issue features articles on Pompeii - the latest movie and some information about volcanoes; diving in the Red Sea; creating a game for PS4 and the northern lights as well as all the usual reviews and weird facts and photos!

Book of the Week 5th May

Book of the week for this week is 'She is not invisible' by Marcus Sedgwick. This is a novel about Laureth whose father is a writer researching a book about coincidences. When he goes missing she takes her younger brother, Benjamin, with her to search for their father in New York following the clues he has left in his notebook. Needless to say the pair encounter all sorts of difficulties during their quest, these are magnified by the fact that Laureth is blind and her brother has a knack of causing machinery to crash! This book is a really good read and the characters are very believable.

Hear the author talk about this book in the clip below:

S1 Posters

A s part of the S1 Information Skills Course students had to research an animal found in the rainforest and produce a poster with a hand-drawn picture and ten facts about their chosen animal. Some of the fantastic results are displayed in the Library.

New display

The latest display in the Library highlights books about VOLCANOES. There are both fiction and non-fiction books on the display, so a must for all would-be volcanologists.

Book of the week 28th April

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell is a fabulous book which is has already won many awards. It is about an orphan caleed Sophie who is convinced that her mother did not die in a shipwreck. She travels with her guardian to Paris following a clue found in her mother's cello case. In Paris she is helped in her quest by children who live on the rooftops of the city, they cross the city on the rooftops using tightropes when necessary. This is a wonderful, quirky book. Other than Sophie, my favourite character has to be her guardian - Charles Maxim- who is very eccentric, but very wise and understanding. Read and enjoy.

World Book Day

This year World Book Day is on Thursday 6th March. Find out about the £1 books available, the YA app and more by visiting the WBD website.

World Book Day display

One of the World Book Day displays is up and running in the Library. The display, imaginatively titled 'A world of books for World Book Day', has a host of fiction books set in countries from France to Australia via Brazil, China, South Africa and beyond.Something for everyone to enjoy.

March FlipSide

The March edition of FlipSide magazine is now available in the Library. There are the usual weird and unusual facts and photographs to freak you out - tweeting sharks, frog-eating snakes, and a meat teddy bear!  This month you can read articles about West Ham's Olympic stadium, ten amazing natural wonders and high speed motor sport engineering. Enjoy.

Be my Valentine

As you must be aware it is Valentine's Day on Friday (14th February). To celebrate there is a display in the Library encouraging you to 'Fall in love with a good book' with a selection of romantic fiction to choose from.

Flip Side

The February issue of Flip Side is now available in the Library. As usual it is packed full of fascinating articles and very strange pictures. If you want to know more about deadly reptiles, real-life robot patrols or extreme rock climbing then pick up FlipSide from the Library desk.

Chinese New Year

The year of the horse begins on 31st January. To celebrate the Chinese New Year there is a display in the Library with information about the Chinese zodiac and books about China and horses!

New exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland

If you are looking for something to do at the weekend or during the Februaty break you could visit the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh to see the new exhibition called 'Mammoths of the Ice Age'. Learn lots of interesting facts about mammoths - for example did you know that not all mammoths were large in size? Pygmy mammoths were just the size of a large horse! The exhibition runs from 24th January to 20th April. For more information visit the NMS website
Can't wait to learn about mammoths? Then come and borrow a book or two from the Library including 'The mammoth's tomb' by Dougal Dixon.

Write 500 words

 Chris Evans has launched the '500 words' competition for young people aged 13 or under. If you enjoy writing short stories why not enter the competition. Entires must be submitted by 26th February and your short story should be no more than 500 words. Click information to visit the website for all the details.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2014

Holocaust Memeorial Day (HMD) takes place each year on the 27th January- marking the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on that date in 1945 at the end of WWII.

This day is a time to remember the many millions of innocent people who died during the Holocaust and in later genocides across the world in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Learn more about HMD

There is a display in the Library about the Holocaust and the subsequent genocides.

Burns Night

Robert Burns was born on 25th January 1759 and every year on this date people celebrate Scotland's Bard by holding Burns Suppers -  where they eat haggis and recite his poetry. If you are not familiar with the poetry of Robert Burns or if you want to know more about what happens at a Burns Supper come along to the Library where there is a display to celebrate one of Scotland's great poets.