500 Word Story Competition

It's back! On Monday 30 January 2012 Chris Evans launched the second 500 WORDS short story competition, open to anyone in the UK aged 13 and under.

Last year the competition had around 30,000 entries and this year is going to be bigger and better than ever!

To enter, your story has to be no more than 500 words, and must be an original fictional work by the entrant. The writers of the 50 best stories will be invited to join Radio 2 when they broadcast the Chris Evans Breakfast Show live from the Hay Festival on Friday 1 June!

Just like last year, they are looking for grown-ups around the UK to get involved, too! They are asking teachers and librarians to volunteer and help judge this year's stories.

So what are you waiting for?

National Libraries Day

The 4^th February is National Libraries Day, a day devoted to all types of libraries, library users, library staff and supporters. National Libraries Day has been organised to bring attention to the importance of libraries and the problems with the library closures currently taking place. Now, libraries are much more than just aisles of books now taking the role of a guide to information. People use libraries for family history searching, learning to use computers and much more. So, why not support your local library by popping in to see them!

More Information at: http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk and http://www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk/ .

Calling all budding scientists

The Google Science Fair has started a science fair and is calling anyone who loves sciences and finds it interesting. The idea is to come up with an exciting, interesting project. Make sure you are ready to submit your project by the 1^stApril. There is more information on the competition at the website:http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/index.html. Good Luck to anyone who takes part!

Author of the month: January

The author of the month for January is Darren Shan. Have a look at the display board in the library, by the desk. Why not send us a book review on one of his books?

Library Newsletter-Term 3

The latest Library newsletter is out! Please find copies in the Library, on the display boards or on the school website:

http://www.kings.lincs.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=News+from+the+Library&pid=275

Lord of the Flies; Design a cover competition

A competition is open to design the new cover for Lord of the Flies. The competition is open to teenagers aged 13-16, and the deadline is the 20^th January 2012. Artists will need to have a read of the Illustrartion Brief but once they’ve had a read of that, pencils to the paper! The competition is being organised by Faber and Faber, an independent publishing house in London and The Guardian Children’s Books Website.

More information at: http://lordofthefliescover.com/

Merry Christmas

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, from all the Library Team!

Merry Christmas!!

Ready for Christmas? Count down with The Guardian's Children's Books Advent Calendar. I'm afraid to say, there is no chocolate though! Here is the link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/interactive/2011/dec/01/count-down-christmas-childrens-books-interactive

All The Library Team wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Best wishes for 2012!

Book Review- How to make Wargames Terrain

How to make Wargames Terrain, By Games Workshop.

This is a good book for starting to make a warhammer games board.

8/10

JP, 7E

Book Review-Takeshita Demons

Takeshita Demons, by Christy Burne

It had a good story to it but it was really hard to get into.

6/10

JP 7E

Book Review-Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney

When Greg Hefley is(sort of) falsely accused of a crime, he thinks his life cannot get any worse but it does when he is snowed in with his family! An incredibly funny book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The drawings are charming as always, and the book is full of personality. The only thing is I think I might be a bit old for this!
9/10

NR 10F

Book Review-The One that Got Away

The One that got Away by Chris Ryan.

I like the action in it and how the author describes the setting and the battleplan (strategy) they are going to use. At times it can be gruesome when mentioning the killing of the hostages. But altogether I liked it! 8/10

TM 7B

Book Review-One dog and his boy

One dog and his boy-Eva Ibbotson

This has got to be the best book I have ever read! It is a book that hooks you in and it is hard to stop reading. Personally, I love this book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves reading.
9/10

JP 7E

Book Review- Percy Jackson and the battle of the labyrinth

I enjoyed this book a lot! It is very humerous at times. It involves Greek Gods and Titans(Roman). There are lots of battles which are very enjoyable!
10/10

TM 7B

Animal Farm-Book Review

Animal Farm is a superb story, set at Manor Farm. One night, all the animals gather together to listen to what the well-respected Middle White Board, Old Major, has to say. He tells the animals about his dreams of Animalism and how he wants a farm without Mr Jones, the mean and careless farmer. Old Major passes away three days later, fuelling the other Animal's desire to put Old Major's dream into reality. After careful planning and preparation, they literally kick out Mr Jones and his wife, and begin to run the farm. The pigs, especially Snowball and Napoleon, assume leadership, and begin thinking about how to improve the farm (renamed by the animals as Animal Farm).

They come up with various ideas, from special committees to a windmill that will mean no work for the animals. But everything changes when Napoleon gets rid of Snowball. Everything turns horribly wrong, with the animals doing more work than ever. They see how everything they ever worked for, mainly freedom, has been turned on its side. Lies, corruption and selfishness take over in the farm, leading to the end, when Napoleon and the rest of the pigs invite local farmers to visit the farm and all is work. The other Animals, the hard-working horses, the donkeys and all the rest of them can no longer see the difference between the pigs and the humans. Everything is back to where it started!

JAK 10C

Library Newsletter

The latest Library newsletter is out! Please find copies in the Library or here:













http://www.kings.lincs.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=News+from+the+Library&pid=275

Book Review-Ice Angel

Ice Angel-Charlotte Haptie

This book was not to my liking, but it was good as a thriller. It started to get confusing after Page 110.
7/10

CB 7E

Book Review-An Apple a Day

An Apple a Day is a book all about proverbs and explaining them. It has a long list of proverbs and then goes into detail explaining each of them.

For example, have you ever thought about the proverb "You've got to eat a peck of dirt before you die"? Caroline Taggart explains how the unit measure, a peck is about 9 litres - basically an awful lot of dirt to eat!And take "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". Caroline Taggart explains how really, this is just basic courtesy!

And did you know that the Japanese version for "once bitten, twice shy" is "One year bitten by a snake, for three years afraid of a grass rope"? I would really recommend this book. A good read, really interesting, with some good humour in it too!

By JK 10C

Please send the Library your book reviews. You can also upload them via the Library Portal.

Book Review-Easy Peasy Chinese

Book Review: Easy Peasy Chinese

This book written by Elinor Greenwood is a very easy to read introduction to Mandarin Chinese. The bright and interesting pages reveal lots about Chinese culture and language.

Both characters and pinyin are shown clearly with memory aids, pictures and vocabulary lists.This is an interesting book for not only those beginning in Mandarin but anyone interested in foreign culture.

The book comes with a CD which is very useful for listening and learning pronounciation.

Review by RH 8E. Thanks to RH for trying to teach and explain to a few of the Pupil Library Assistants. Very interesting!

National Short Story Week

This week (7^th November-13^th November 2011) is National Short Story Week. Have a look at the website(http://www.nationalshortstoryweek.org.uk/) , which gives lots of information about the week and the aims of the week. You can also listen to a few short stories on the website. The recommended reading list for teenagers and adults is:

From Herabout Hill by Michael Morpurgo

Whodunnit by Philip Pullman

The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers

Skin and other stories by Roald Dahl

Tales of terror for the tunnel’s mouth by Chris Priestley