If you would like to know about this period in the history of west Lothian copies of 'Shale voices' by Alasdair Findlay (who featured in the programme) are available for loan from the School Library.
West Lothian History
BBC 2 programme 'Scotland's first oil rush' presented by Professor Iain Stewart told the story of the shale oil industry in West Lothian. West Lothian was the home of the world's first true 'oil rush' when James "Paraffin" Young developed a process which refined lighting fuel from shale. As a result of this discovery West Lothian became the centre of the shale oil industry for nearly one hundred years and saw the population of the region boom. The huge success of the industry was not without it's tragedies - in 1947 an explosion at the Burngrange mine near West Calder saw the loss of 15 men.
If you would like to know about this period in the history of west Lothian copies of 'Shale voices' by Alasdair Findlay (who featured in the programme) are available for loan from the School Library.
If you would like to know about this period in the history of west Lothian copies of 'Shale voices' by Alasdair Findlay (who featured in the programme) are available for loan from the School Library.
Good Bye and Good Luck
I would like to wish all students in S6 the very best of luck in the future. Thanks to those who helped out in the Library especially Erin and Ruth. I will miss all of those students who spent all their study periods in the Library. You were a great year group! No matter what you do in life remember:
"The only thing you absolutely have to know,
is the location of the Library." Albert Einstein
"The only thing you absolutely have to know,
is the location of the Library." Albert Einstein
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Remember this one as you move on! |
Book Spine Poetry
One of the first year classes were doing some book spine poetry in the Library. Below are some of the poems/stories they made up using the titles of some fiction books.
Scholastic Book Club
Our new Scholastic Book Club is now up and running.
Go to Scholastic to browse the latest books and order online.
For every £1 you spend on books this month, our School Library will earn 20 pence in Scholastic rewards.
Leaflets are available in the School Library and from the English Department. you can also browse the selection online.
Please place your order by 29th March 2016. Book are delivered FREE to the school to Mrs Aitken the School Librarian who will then distribute.
Holocaust Memorial Day
On 27th January 1945 the death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated and this date is used to remember all victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, and to honour the survivors of these atrocities.
There are many fiction books which have been set during the time of the Holocaust. We are probably most familiar with John Boyne's "The boy in the striped pyjamas" but there are many others available in the Library to try.
There are many fiction books which have been set during the time of the Holocaust. We are probably most familiar with John Boyne's "The boy in the striped pyjamas" but there are many others available in the Library to try.
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| Now by Morris Gleitzman |
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| Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli |
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| The Mozart question by Michael Morpurgo |
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| The boy in the striped pyjamas by John Boyne |
500 Words
From the BBC Radio 2 website: "Six years ago, Chris Evans had a dream: to get children excited about reading and writing. All children, no matter what their ability. 500 Words is now one of the most successful story-writing competitions for kids in the world. Nearly half a million pupils have written a story for us; that’s over 215 MILLION words!
It’s very simple. Pupils write an original story on any subject or theme in 500 Words or fewer and submit it online. If they win, their story will be read live on the radio by a superstar celebrity…like Sir Kenneth Branagh, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Bonneville or Sherlock himself – Benedict Cumberbatch. Each year, 10 million Radio 2 listeners hear, read and love these stories.
Winners will rub shoulders with the world’s biggest celebrities and massive pop-stars performing at the final. Plus in 2016, 500 Words is delighted to welcome back real-life royalty to the competition: Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, who returns in 2016 to support the competition as our Honorary Judge! She'll be reading and debating the top 50 stories of the competition with our amazing author panel: Malorie Blackman, Charlie Higson, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Francesca Simon.
AND in the year of Shakespeare's 400th anniversary, our final will be live from the home of British story-telling,Shakespeare's Globe, on the 27th May.
Entry to this competition is open to persons who will be aged between 5 and 13 years on the 27th May 2016 who are full time residents of the UK
The competition is open from the 18th January 2016 and closes for entries at 7pm on the 25th February, so it’s perfect teaching for Spring term."
For more information visit the website
Burns Night
If you are celebrating the life and work of Scotland's bard - Robert Burns - on Monday evening you will find many useful books in the Library to help you. There are books about planning a Burns Night supper - including recipes for making your own haggis - as well as books of Burns' poetry and biographies.
January blues?
It's cold and wet outside and maybe we are all suffering a little from the January blues. The Library has certainly taken on a blue hue. Everywhere you look there are fiction books of all genres, from romance to horror, from mystery to war stories all displaying their jackets which come in various shades of blue. So why not curl up with a good book somewhere warm and cosy and beat the blues?
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