We will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us.
- Gena Turgel MBE, survivor of the Holocaust (1923-2018)
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2021 is Be the light in the darkness. It encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide.
Annexed by Sharon Dogar The diary of a young girl by Anne Frank Then by Morris Gleitzman
Hanna's suitcase by Karen Levine Maus :a survivors tale by Art Spiegelman The tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on the 27th January, marking the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on that day in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. This day is time to remember the many millions of innocent people who died during the Holocaust and in later genocides across the world.
The theme for WMD 2021 is 'Be a light in the darkness'
For more information visit the Holocaust Memorial day website
Burns has written some very famous songs and poems including Auld lang syne; Tae a mouse; Address to a haggis; A man's a man for a' that; Aye fond kiss; My love is like a red, red rose and Tam O'Shanter.
Read these and more of his poems on the Scottish Poetry Library's website
Here are a few books with snowy titles.
Convinced? Want to know a bit more about the story? Watch this book trailer for Ready Player One.
Looking for some new reading suggestions? Browse our carefully selected book lists to find something new for you, your family or your classroom.
To add a bit of variety to your leisure reading with the #invyreads programme, the Edinburgh Book Festival has many free online events including DrawAlongs on their FaceBook page and author events via their Learning Site You might enjoy a discussion between authors Eoin Colfer, Cressida Cowell and Kiran Millwood Hargrave about the joys of escaping through reading and creative writing:
One of my favourite dystopian series of books has been made into a movie, set for release this year and starring Tom Holland. The Chaos Walking books by Patrick Ness are not only one of my favourites but the only series of books read by my youngest son - now a vet. I know he will also watch the movie because the main character's dog is a border terrier the same as his own.
Chaos Walking is set sometime in the future. An alien race known as the Spackle have infected all of humankind with a virus called the Noise germ. This killed off all the women and left men and animals able to hear each others thoughts. The books are brilliantly written and Patrick Ness has an amazing imagination. The books are exciting and at times immensely sad and the emotions portrayed and the sheer nerve jangling tension make the books well worth reading before you see the movie.
The books in the series are: The knife of never letting go, The ask and the answer, Monsters of men. These are available from the Library, once the school reopens.
In the meantime here is the movie trailer to watch
The BBC Bitesize website now includes new content to help with learning during Lockdown. If you are looking for more inspiration for the #invyreads challenge you should check out the Authors Live section. In partnership with the Scottish Book Trust there are some 36 live webcasts from famous authors inclusing: Liz Pichon, Cressida Cowell, David Almond, Patrick Ness and Marcus Sedgewick to name but a few. There are more too on the Scottish Book Trust's website.
It's the start of a new term and once again the Library is closed. However there are still many different ways to connect with books and reading. Below are a few examples. Keep coming back to the blog for more ideas in the days to come.
Scottish Book Trust has lots of book reviews, recommended reads, resources for writers, competitions and much, much more. Always worth a look!
