Author: slsadmin

Must Read Booklist 2015

40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.

The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.

Titles from the 2015 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in May 2015.

Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (subscribing schools only)

View the full list

Baisch, Milena	Anton and Piranha	Anton is planning to spend his holiday with his grandparents in the pool. But then disaster strikes . . . their holiday camp DOES NOT HAVE A POOL! Instead it has a lake – a lake filled with murky, slimy, dark, disgusting sludge – and Anton just can’t understand why everybody else is so happy to dive-bomb and swim in it all day long.
Black, Holly	Doll Bones	A chilling ghost story – Poppy’s old china doll is telling her that she is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl, that her spirit is trapped inside and must be released…
Boyne, John	Stay Where You Are and Then Leave	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’s far away on a special, secret mission, but the truth is harsher…
Carroll, Emma	The Girl Who Walked on Air	Louie, abandoned at Chipchase’s Travelling Circus as a baby, dreams of becoming a ‘Showstopper’, but Mr Chipchase keeps her tucked away in the ticket booth. No death-defying stunts for her. But Louie has been secretly practising the tightrope. She just needs to be given the chance to shine.
Cousins, Dave	Charlie Merrick’s Misfits	Charlie wants his team to play in the exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament, but there’s one problem. He’s got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that’s not easy when your team are rubbish at football!
Cowell, Catherine	Ernest Simba	Liwida the lizard is Ernest’s best and only real friend as he grows up, disabled, in the African orphanage where he was abandoned as a baby, and Liwida can do amazing things…
Creech, Sharon	The Boy on the Porch	John and Marta find a strange boy asleep on their porch with a short note in his pocket “plees taik kair of Jacob.” He doesn’t speak, has a knack with the animals and loves to paint, but where has he come from and to whom does he belong?
DiCamillo, Kate	Flora & Ulysses : the Illuminated Adventures	The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book ‘Terrible Things Can Happen to You!’ so she is just the right person to save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses the squirrel has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry…
Elson, Jane	A Room Full of Chocolate	Grace’s life changes when she is sent to live with her grumpy granddad in the country while her mother is in hospital. At her new school she becomes the bullies’ latest target. Then she meets rainbow-girl Megan and her pig Claude and they hatch a plan to run away that involves Claude, chocolate Easter eggs and a mad dash home to London.
Federle, Tim	Five, Six, Seven, Nate	Armed with a one-way ticket to New York City, small-town theatre geek Nate is off to start rehearsals for E.T.: The Broadway Musical. It’s everything he ever practised his autograph for! But as thrilling as Broadway is, rehearsals are nothing like Nate expects: full of intimidating child stars, cut-throat understudies, and a director who can’t even remember Nate’s name.
Fischel, Emma	Witchworld	The witches of Witchworld have no need for wands or broomsticks, not when they have Spellsticks and Skyriders instead. And no one has a cauldron anymore, just a cupboard full of Potions2Go. So when Flo’s old-fashioned grandmother flies into town to warn them of a Ghoul attack, no-one believes her – after all, Ghouls died out years ago and she still rides around on a broomstick, for goodness’ sake!
Gaiman, Neil; Riddell, Chris	Fortunately, the Milk	You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do, and the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets, so the next morning he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
Gayton, Sam	Lilliput	200 moons after leaving Lilliput, Gulliver has returned to take back proof of his amazing travels – proof in the form of Lilly. Three inches tall and now imprisoned in a bird cage in London, she dreams of escaping back home.
Gemin, G. R.	Cowgirl	If Gemma ever stops to think about it, she knows hiding a herd of cows on a housing estate is a bit mad, but how else can she help Cowgirl keep them from the abattoir?
Gilman, David	Monkey and Me	Beanie wears a beanie because his hair fell out during his treatment for leukaemia. Much as he wants to get better, he doesn’t think this should be at the expense of experiments on animals such as the monkey he finds at the deserted house.
Gleitzman, Morris	Extra Time	Introducing a marauding fluffy mascot, a wise-as-an-owl landlady and a WAG called Terrine, this is an irresistible story of how one boy helps stressed-out top footballers find the fun in a kickabout again, with help from his fearsome agent (and little sister), Bridie.
Griffiths, Mark	The Impossible Boy	Shielding her eyes against the intense afternoon sunlight the young girl stared in astonishment at the mayor and wondered why no-one had noticed the ghost standing behind him….so begins an impossible investigation for Geek Inc!
Hart, Caryl; Smith, Alex T.	The Road to Fame and Fortune	Foxy DuBois is on the road to fame and fortune. Only one thing stands in her way – Alphonso the Alligator! Will gullible Alphonso go along with Foxy’s cunning plan?
Hartnett, Sonya	The Children of the King	The wealthy Lockwood family flee London as bombs start to fall during the Blitz and take an evacuee, twelve-year-old May, with them to remote Heron Hall. The children discover two strange boys hiding in the ruins of an old castle and every night Uncle Peregrine tells the tale of the two princes in the tower. Their stories become entwined in an extraordinary adventure.
Hill, Kirkpatrick	Bo at Ballard Creek	Two gold miners ‘rescue’ little Bo from an orphanage, and take her up north with them, bringing her up in an Inuit village in Alaska.
Ho-Yen, Polly	Boy in the Tower	Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. But one day, other tower blocks start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out…
Irving, Ellie	The Mute Button	Anthony loves his family, but they can be very very noisy. He’s already got two brothers, a sister and a cat, and then another older brother turns up and things are going to get even noisier – so Ant starts a silent protest to try to get some attention, but what will it take for him to start speaking again?
Johnson, Pete	The Vampire Bewitched	Something has happened to half-vampire Marcus following a mysterious accident. He’s lost his memory and cannot remember anything of his life as a vampire hunter…
Laird, Elizabeth	The Fastest Boy in the World	Solomon loves to run and dreams of winning a gold medal, but when his grandfather collapses, Solomon is the only one who can run for help. Can he last the distance?
Lee, Julia	The Dangerous Discoveries of Gully Potchard	Gully Potchard never means to cause any trouble, but when bully Nathan Boldree involves him in a scheme for kidnapping people’s dogs and holding them to ransom, Gully is quickly caught up in mischief and skulduggery. Can Gully sort things out and become a hero after all?
Lester, Cas	Harvey Drew and the Bin Men from Outer Space	Harvey’s spaceship is on a collision course with the Toxic Spew – an intergalactic waste disposal ship – are they heading for mutliple spaceship pile-up on hyperspaceway B16…?
McCombie, Karen	The Girl Who Wasn’t There	Maisie doesn’t believe in ghosts, but when she starts a new school there are rumours and she spots a pale shape in the art-room window. Together with new friend Kat they try to learn more about the ghost. Then Maisie finds some very old photos of someone who looks exactly like Kat…..
McKay, Hilary	Binny for Short	Max came into Binny’s life and went again within a few short months and despite all the other dreadful things happening in her life, she can’t forget the adorable little black and white dog – will she ever see him again?
Mitchelhill, Barbara	Billy’s Blitz	Life is London in wartime is not much fun – friends have been evacuated, and rationing means no treats -but in September 1940, things are going to get a whole lot worse…
Montgomery, Ross	The Tornado Chasers	Safety is very important to Owen’s parents – which is why they moved to Barrow where children have to wear bright yellow at all times and are never allowed outside except to go to school. To relieve the boredom, Owen and his friends form the Tornado Chasers. Their mission: to get as close to a Grade 5 tornado as possible…
O’Shea-Meddour, Wendy	Wendy Quill is Full Up of Wrong	It is very tricky to get things right all of the time – as Wendy Quill knows all too well…. this is her diary of her slightly awful accidents.
Ross, Tony	A Word in Your Ear	A collection of surprising tales, each one with a twist. From bullfighters to ghosts, sea captains to uninvited friends, there are plenty of mysterious characters and curious places to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Slater, Kim	Smart	Kieran has skills – not socialising or getting on with people skills, but drawing and detective skills – which ought to come in handy when a homeless man is murdered down by the canal…
Sparkes, Ali	Destination Earth	Lucy is the only survivor from another planet. Her spaceship is programmed to take her to Earth, but can she convince the earthlings that she’s a real teenager and start her new life? Except a killer alien has hitched a lift, and the whole human race is in danger.
Stead, Rebecca	First Light	Peter accompanies his parents on an expedition to Greenland. In another world, there is Thea, who lives with her family in hiding under the ice, unable to go above it. When Thea and Peter meet, two worlds will collide, and a host of secrets will be released.
Stewart, Paul; Riddell, Chris	Scavenger: Zoid	Fourteen year-old York is a Scavenger on board an intergalactic spaceship looking for a new Earth. The ship also contains the most advanced Zoids ever created, who have rebelled, wiping out most of the crew. York has to risk life and limb to destroy the Zoids and scavenge the parts necessary to keep their human technology running.
Sutcliffe, William	Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom	It all starts to look very exciting when Armitage Shank’s Impossible Circus rolls into Hannah’s boring town, but no one realises just how nasty and slippery Armitage can be…
Walter, Jon	Close to the Wind	Nine-year-old Malik and his grandfather have lost nearly everything to the war. Struggling to survive, they attempt to flee their country on the last ship out…
Westcott, Rebecca	Dandelion Clocks	Liv is just a normal 11-year-old with a love for photography and hate for moronic Louise at school. But her life is turned upside down as the learns the truth about her mum’s illness.
Williamson, Lara	A Boy Called Hope	Dan wants money, a new sister who doesn’t say horrible things, a swimming pool of chocolate cereal and to go to a school for wizards instead of his own boring school. But most of all, he wants a Dad…

Poster and bookmark design by Angela Wraight

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30/04/2015

About the service
“I am always extremely happy with the selection of books I receive from the Library Service. The children love them and they are always of a high quality. This is a very valued service and I am always grateful that I am able to use it. The staff at the library are always incredibly helpful and efficient. They work very hard and do an excellent job

Our aims

Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service is a traded service within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and provides learning resources, librarians and library-related advice and support to schools in London and the South East.

We aim to:
- To provide a wide range of high quality learning resources (for early years, primary, secondary and sixth form) that reflect our multicultural and diverse community in a balanced and accurate way, as an efficient, cost-effective way for schools to resource the curriculum and promote reading for pleasure
- To support schools in their aim to have excellent school libraries by providing professional advice and training on the management and organisation of learning resources and by supplying the services of a professional librarian to manage the school library on a regular basis
- To enrich the curriculum through global learning and pupil participation, helping young people make the connection between the local and the global
Our offer to you

Our resources collection
- Borrow books, artefacts, costumes and more for primary, secondary and special schools as well as early years settings and other organisations. Each library user may borrow up to 70 items for the whole term – delivered to your school and collected.
- Our request for resources service. Tell us what you need and our expert librarians will select resources for delivery
- Average value of 70 items borrowed per term for a year equates to £2100 for each borrower. A substantial saving for your school budget
- Resources to enrich and raise attainment. Including support for Philosophy for Children (P4C), British values and The Global Dimension.
- Resources to promote race, religious, ethnic, gender, disability, LGBT, age and class equality
Advisory services

“The work of a School Librarian has the potential to make a huge contribution to the school in ways that I had not realised until we found ours. Her work has impacted directly on the children; their involvement and enthusiasm for reading as well as our participation in enrichment activities and the maintenance of the reading environment.”
Headteacher, Primary School in Tower Hamlets

We offer a comprehensive advisory service for all of your school library needs. Let us set up and help maintain an inspiring library that is the heart of your school.
- A professional librarian working in your school!
- School library staffing and training
- Reading promotion
- Library refurbishment and design
- Buying the right books
- Stock Audit
- Impartial library software support
- Literacy resources including Accelerated Reader, CLPE book bands (Which Book and Why) or Catch-Up reading schemes.
- Digital and information skills including recognising fake news, net savviness and independent learning
- Much more!
Our events
- An exciting calendar of events to inspire pupils for early years, primary, secondary and special schools.
- Includes poetry slams, creative writing, author visits and our book award
- Raise pupil confidence and attainment
Our team

Head of Service

Gillian Harris MBE

Library Staff

Kalsuma Bibi, Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, Sylvia Cummins, Shajan Hekim, Mohammad Shahjahan, Jacob Turner

Global Learning London (formerly HEC Global Learning Centre)

Alia Alzougbi, Triny Diaz, Fatema Zehra

Primary School Librarians

Asma Ali, Laura Bennett, Shajan Hekim, Mary Igoe, Vikki Lowther, Janet Noble

Deliveries

Maggie Walker

How to subscribe or buy a service

Any school or organisation within Tower Hamlets, or within any local authority which does not already provide a schools library service, may subscribe to Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service or buy an advisory visit
- Tower Hamlets schools subscribe via SLA online.
- all other schools and settings, please either complete the form below, or telephone the library on 020 7364 6428
Error: Contact form not found.

*amount based on a school with 20 staff borrowing

See Also:
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09/03/2015
KS2 Poetry Slam 2015

The KS2 SLAMbassadors took place at Swanlea School last Thursday 5th February 2015.

Using the theme “Identity” year 6 classes in eight primary schools wrote and performed their own poetry at a thrilling event at Swanlea.

Schools have had poets in schools working with the classes during January.

There was a group performance and a solo performance from each school, for which a trophy was awarded to the winner and runner-up in each category. In addition, the judges selected other contributions for the best line, the best imagery, and the best performance as well as the Joelle Taylor Award for Joelle’s favourite!

Junior SLAMbassadors has engaged primary school children in East London for the last 2 years. It is a project that focusses not only the participants’ literacy and oracy, but also crucially on their emotional literacy.

“it has been really inspiring to see the range of different children who have taken part and taken so much out of this fantastic initiative” -Tower Hamlets Teacher

Schools can sign up for next year’s SLAMbassadors through SLAonline. The secondary schools’ event is in July 2015, and the junior event will be in February 2016

Email gillian.harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information or use the contact form below.

Contact us
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11/02/2015
Tower Hamlets Book Award Winner 2014
Wild Boy, by Rob Lloyd Jones

Congratulations to Rob, who inspired pupils to vote for his book at the 8th annual Tower Hamlets Book Award. Berlie Doherty was the runner up with The Company of Ghosts.

Berlie, Gill Lewis and Sita Brahmachari were present at the finale to be entertained by performances based on the shortlisted books. Guardian Angels primary school were the winners with their presentation of My Friend the Enemy by Dan Smith.

We would like to thank Berlie, Sita and Gill for their time and Swanlea secondary school for hosting the event.

Sita, Berlie and Gill announce the winner of the presentation competition

St Pauls Primary School performing ‘Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf’

Blue Gate Fields Junior School performing ‘Wild Boy’ with added hairiness.

We welcome all feedback about the award

Bookmark competition

Well done to our winners for the bookmark competition. We received so many great designs that it was a very difficult task to pick the winners, but below are the 6 postcards that will be printed next year as part of the 2015 Book Award publicity.

From left to right/ top to bottom:
- Amathullah Siddiqah, Marion Richardson Primary School
- Kelly Smith, St Johns Primary School
- Zara Qaisar Sandhu, Swanlea School
- Samuel Lutukai, St Pauls Primary School
- Yasmin Tuala, Blue Gate Fields Junior School
- Heeba Tahsin, William Davis Primary School
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27/11/2014
Tower Hamlets Book Award 2014
The 2014 Tower Hamlets Book Award Shortlist is:
- David Almond – The Boy who Swam with Piranhas
- David Almond – Mouse Bird Snake Wolf
- Sita Brahmachari – Kite Spirit
- Berlie Doherty – The Company of Ghosts
- Gill Lewis – Moon Bear
- Rob Lloyd Jones – Wild Boy
- Chris Riddell – Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
- Dan Smith – My Friend the Enemy
Download the Shortlist PowerPoint (revised 8/9/14)

Cast your vote!
- There can only be one winner for the award, and YOU get to decide! Votes will be counted at the finale on the 28th November and every pupil has their own individual vote for their favourite book.
- You can download the Ballot Paper here, to bring to the finale or drop off at the library OR you can email me a tally of votes from your reading groups to jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk
- If your group isn’t coming to the finale then votes must reach the library by Thursday 27th or they wont be counted (because we’ll all be at the finale having too much fun to be checking emails).
Book Award timeline and suggested activities (After the award!)
Invite the winning author and/or the other shortlisted authors to your school

Encourage pupils to read and discuss the winning book if they haven’t already done so

Plan your next reading event!

Get thinking about the books that you think should be nominated for the 2015 Tower Hamlets Book Award – all books must have been published in paperback in 2014
Bookmark Competition

Thank you for all of the great artwork for the competition. We’ve chosen the winners and will make the final announcement at the award finale.

The Prizes:
- Pupils will be awarded a prize at the grand finale (if they can’t attend, the prize will be sent to their school).
- Winning bookmarks will be printed next summer term and sent to schools as part of the 2015 Book Award.
About the award:

The Book Award is for pupils aged 10 to 13. The aim is to encourage children to read, to bring children together to enable debate and discussion about books and to encourage children to share the pleasure of reading.

Because the award bridges primary and secondary schools, it encourages pupils from different phases to share in reading events and work together. Schools who have taken part in the award have found it to be highly beneficial in encouraging children to broaden their reading range and develop their literacy – not just in reading but also in speaking and listening, as a core part of any book award is discussion and debate.

Posters and postcards will be delivered in September
Author websites
David Almond

Sita Brahmachari

Berlie Doherty

Gill Lewis

Rob Lloyd Jones

Chris Riddell

Dan Smith
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15/07/2014
KS3 & 4 Poetry Slam 2014

The KS3 Poetry Slam 2014 finale took place today, Thursday 3rd July at Wilton’s Music Hall. The event was the final showcase for Tower Hamlets participants from Swanlea, Sir John Cass, Stepney Green, Bow Boys, and Morpeth Secondary Schools. Winners go on to participate in the Poetry Society’s national Slambassadors UK events.

All the performers at the close of the event
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03/07/2014
I picked up a pen and started writing : Creative Writing Competition 2014
The winners of the 2014 Creative Writing Competition have been chosen!

Children and staff and their guests were entertained by author and libraries campaigner Alan Gibbons on the 17th June as the prizes for the 2014 creative writing competition were awarded for winners in six categories for poetry and short stories.

Several winners read from their work, which will be published as an eBook in July – available here and on the Amazon marketplace. The next day Alan hosted exclusive creative writing workshops for the lucky winners.

The Schools Library Service would like to thank Alan Gibbons for judging this year’s entries, Clifford Chance for hosting the prize-giving, and all of the teachers and librarians who encouraged the hudreds of pupils to write the amazing poems and stories that we recieved.
- – download the eBook (.pdf)
- I picked up a pen and started writing 2nd ed – download the .mobi eBook
- Buy from Amazon (Kindle edition)
Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
1st    Cara Mila Protopopov    Hermitage Primary School
2nd    Ruhina Khanam    John Scurr Primary School
3rd    Naazihah Amin    Globe Primary School
Commended    Sonny Bissessar    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
Commended    Maariyah Ayman    Lansbury Lawrence Primary
Commended    Zahirah Sultana    Cyril Jackson Primary School
Commended    Libby Mashedi    Our Lady Primary School
Commended    Tasfia Begum    Hague Primary School
Commended    Ryan Hunter    Chisenhale Primary School
Commended    Simone Enzo Macharia Ciavarro    Guardian Angels Primary School

Key Stage Two Poetry Winners

1st Work withdrawn
2nd    Hope Wardley    St Edmunds Primary School
3rd    Mia Fay Fischer    Hermitage Primary School
Commended    Malisa Amin    Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
Commended    Zarin Tasmin    Cayley Primary School

Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
Joint 1st    Nishat Humaira    Central Foundation Girls’ School
Joint 1st    Nuha Quddus    Central Foundation Girls’ School
3rd    Leanne Lam    Central Foundation Girls’ School
Commended    Aafriya Al-Mamun    Central Foundation Girls’ School
Commended    Thibyan Haque    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
Commended    Muhammad Safaraz Jowardhar    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
Commended    Sophie Pereyra Bowdler    Morpeth Secondary School
Commended    Ruma Begum    Langdon Park Secondary School
Commended    Yasmin Abedin    Langdon Park Secondary School

Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
1st    Lailing Berthoud    Central Foundation Girls’ School
2nd    Tasnia Choudhury    Central Foundation Girls’ School
3rd    Tameika Bamfo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
Commended    Rima Zaman Mohini    Central Foundation Girls’ School
Commended    Lucy Vo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
Commended    Stephanie Quarty    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
Commended    Samirah Ahmed    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
1st    Thasnia Khan    Oaklands Secondary School
2nd    Mohammed Hassan    Bow School of Maths and Computing
3rd    Anika Haque    Swanlea Secondary School
Commended    Ahsan Mahmud    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing

Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
1st    Rahim Choudhury    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
2nd    Mohammad Hamidul Islam    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
3rd    Tahmena Miah    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
About the competition
The 2014 competition runs from January to April. Children are invited to choose one of four opening lines and write a short story or poem. The first prize in each key stage and category (short story and poetry) is £50 with additional prizes for runners up and commended entries. All prize-winners are invited to attend a writing workshop with the guest judge.

This year’s guest judge will be acclaimed author Alan Gibbons.

An anthology of the winning entries will be published as an electronic book via Amazon to take the children’s work to a worldwide audience, and can also be uploaded to school VLEs and websites.

This year, the prize-giving ceremony will take place on Monday 16^th June at the Clifford Chance Building for the winners and members of their family.

Posters

There are four A3 size posters for this year’s competition that will be sent to registered schools from January.

There are three steps to taking part:

Register your school. Email schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk or use the contact form below. The entry fee of £75 for primary schools is payable via SLA online. The fee for secondary schools is included in their “creative literature” subscription package.

Children write the stories and poems! The stories and poems must start with one of the four opening lines.

Send us your entries by Wednesday 2nd April 2014 for the final judging. Primary schools must send us their shortlist of 10 entries per category. There is no limit to entries from secondary schools.
Competition Rules
Closing date: Monday 24th March 2014. Return entries to your English teacher. Entries to reach the Schools Library Services by Wednesday 2nd April for judging.

Prize Giving: Monday 16th June 2013

The Competition

Write a short story up to 500 words (KS2) 750 words (KS3) or 1000 words (KS4) (may also be in illustrated story or comic book format)

Or a poem up to 25 lines (KS2 & KS3) and 35 lines (KS4)

You may submit a maximum of one entry in each category

Entries must start with one of these opening lines:

I jumped out of the window and started running.

Inside the old leather suitcase was a notebook, a pencil, an apple, and…

Looking over the edge of the hole was enough to set your head spinning…

The sky turned black. We stood and waited in silence.

Who may enter

Students in KS2 (years 5 and 6) KS3 and KS4

Submitted work

A completed entry form (emailed to schools) must be attached securely to the front of each entry.

Entries must be in English. written or (preferably) typed on one side of the page only, or emailed in Word format

Work should be in black or blue ink or text on white paper

Illustrations/comic pages should be originals or files scanned at 200 – 300 dpi

No Word Art or clipart!

Each page should have the entrant’s full name and school written clearly on the back.

All entries must be the student’s own work, including all illustrations. Plagiarised writing and artwork will be disqualified.

The judge’s decision will be final.

Returning work

We will return fully illustrated work to the applicant’s school if this is requested when the work is submitted

We cannot return any other submissions, so please keep your own copy.

Prizes

Prizes of £50, £30 and £20 for first, second and third entries in each category

Prizes of £10 for commended entries

Commended and winning entries will be published electronically with rights retained by the author

All winners will be invited to an exclusive workshop with author Alan Gibbons on Tuesday 17th June

Published anthology

The final published book will be made available from 16th July 2014 on the Amazon Kindle store and other platforms.

Good luck!
Previous creative writing competitions:
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17/06/2014

Must Read Booklist 2014

40 of the best new books for your primary school Library

The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.

Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in early May.

Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (where available)

View the full list

Alexander, William	Goblin Secrets	When Rownie encounters a troupe of goblins who are daring to perform a play – an activity severely outlawed – he is convinced they can help him find his lost brother.
Almond, David	The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas	Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear, he runs away with the fair. He finally has a chance to shine, but will he have the courage to dive into the piranha tank and discover who he can really be?
Almond, David	Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf	Long ago, the gods created a wonderful world, but they became lazy – they didn’t finish what they had started. Harry Sue and little Ben decide to fill the empty spaces with creations of their own and their creations are more powerful than they or the gods could ever have imagined.
Avery, Tom	In Too Deep	Prince and Emanuel are suspicious when a woman claiming to be their mother turns up, and when they find out their father being blackmailed by gangsters in Tanzania, they decide it is time to take matters into their own hands
Bowler, Tim	Sea of Whispers	Hetty sees pictures in the sea glass that she collects on Mora’s beaches, her remote island home. After a fearful storm, a strange woman is washed up on the shore. Is this the person that Hetty sees in the sea glass? But the stranger brings disaster and Hetty must decide to leave her island home for ever.
Caldecott, Elen	The Great Ice-Cream Heist	The McIntyre family next door are noisy and argumentative but Eva is intrigued by Jamie who sits on the shed roof to escape the chaos. When Jamie is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva rushes to his aid with the help of a local ice cream van. A funny adventure about sticking up for your friends.
Cole, Steve	Magic Ink	12-year-old Stewart Penders loves comics. Granddad, a great comic book artist has just died, and when his family move into his house, strange things start to happen. When Stew starts drawing with a mysterious pot of ink, his artwork springs into life – and so begins a hilarious adventure.
Cossanteli, Veronic	The Extincts	George loves to help at Wormestall Farm, even though it’s full of extinctly scary creatures. When Mortifer the giant basilisk goes missing, it’s up to George to find him before wicked taxidermist Diamond Pye can add to her stuffed animal collection …
Creech, Sharon	The Great Unexpected	Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans and live in the same little town in America. Curious events start to unfold when they meet a strangely charming new boy, Finn, who changes their world forever.
Davies, Nicola	Whale boy	When a terrible storm wrecks his home and his dreams of owning his own boat, Michael is forced to take a job working for a rich, mysterious newcomer named Spargo. But on the plus side, the job brings Michael into contact with whales….
Diamand, Emily	Ways to see a ghost	Isis is the daughter of a fake psychic, but unlike her mother, she really can see ghosts, and the ghosts she can see are putting everyone in danger….
Gardner, Sally	The Vanishing of Billy Buckle	The famous fairy detective agency, Wings and Co, has a big problem. The giant Billy Buckle is missing and his daughter Primrose is desperate to find him. There’s also the small case of a murder and a missing diamond to keep the team busy – nothing is ever quiet for Emily, Buster and Fidget!
Goodhart, Pippa	Finding Fortune	When Ida’s mother dies, she is left in the care of her beloved Fa. But Fa plans to travel to the Klondike in search of gold and Ida must find a way to go with him. The long hard journey will test them to the limit but will help them build the future together.
Hartley, Steve	Oliver Fibbs: Attack of the Alien Brain	Oliver has been telling the class about his adventures as a Defender of Planet Earth – battling against the evil Alien Brain Drain who wants to take over the world. Everyone loved it except Miss Wilkins, who gave him a detention for telling fibs. He keeps telling them – THEY’RE NOT FIBS, THEY’RE STORIES!
Hussey, William	The Nightmare Eater	Imagine what happens when your very worst fears come true! That’s what happens to Tomasz when he visits the fairground.
Jones, Rob Lloyd	Wild Boy	London, 1841. Behold the savage spectacle of Wild Boy. A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show. He’s a boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth. Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats. The show is about to begin!
Kemp, Ann	The Great Brain Robbery	Frankie and his pals are trying to save the world from another diabolical scheme by the evil Dr Gore. This time he’s planning to control the minds of children everywhere using his army of robot toys! Can Frankie and his friends stop him before it’s too late?
Kessler, Liz	North of Nowhere	The sleepy seaside village of Porthaven hides a mystery. Mia’s granddad has vanished and nobody knows why. Mia makes friends with a local girl Dee through her diary but never seems to be able to meet her. Can Mia solve the mystery and find her granddad in time?
LaFleur, Suzanne M.	Listening for Lucca	Siena’s younger brother Lucca hasn’t spoken for over a year. When the family move to Maine their new home feels hauntingly familiar and Siena starts to experience flashes from the past about the family who used to live there. Can the secrets of the past help Siena break her brother’s silence?
Lee, Julia	The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth	Clemency is an orphan and alone in the world when she arrives in Southampton from India. Clemency sets out to find her rich relatives with the help of the marvellous Marvels and what happens next is fast and furious adventure.
Lewis, Gill	Moon Bear	Tam’s life is turned around when his family is moved from their mountain and he is sent to the city to work on a bear farm. Tam learns the horrors of bear farming but builds a close relationship with one young bear and the story tells of their struggle to get away from the city and back to their families.
Lowery, Mark	Pants Are Everything : … When You’re Definitely NOT a Nudist	A date with the girl of Michael’s dreams ends with him a) getting arrested, b) becoming a local celebrity and c) becoming an internet sensation BECAUSE THEY THINK HE’S A NUDIST. (He isn’t.) Michael is swept up in a sequence of uncontrollable events that will RUIN HIS LIFE. Again.
McCaughrean, Geraldine	The Positively Last Performance	Gracie moves to the seaside with her parents who want to take over the shuttered and decaying Royal Theatre, which comes complete with a motley collection of ghosts that only Gracie can see. The old theatre is under threat, can Gracie and her friends be able to save it from being burnt down?
McKay, Hilary	Caddy’s World	The Casson Family saga begins when Caddy is twelve, and Rose just a baby. The Casson family is eccentric, but lovable, and this warm and humorous story describes the trials and tribulations of growing up and family life.
Mitchelhill, Barbara	A Twist of Fortune	When Pa goes off to America and Ma dies, the Pargeter children find themselves in dangerous Victorian London with a strange aunt and uncle. But this is only the start of the twists and turns their lives will take as Sam, Eliza and Alfie set out in search of a rich grandfather they have never known . . .
Morgan, Gaby	Poems of the First World War	A new collection to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Poskitt, Kjartan	Agatha Parrot and the Thirteenth Chicken	Agatha Parrot and her friends are up to mischief again. A new term starts at Odd Street School and they have some newly hatched chicks to look after, but one disappears. Panic! Where could he be?
Preller, James	Home Sweet Horror	Liam’s family have moved into a run-down old house in a new town, but it is not as empty as they think, and Bloody Mary is just dying to get to them….
Prue, Sally	Song Hunter	The future of Mica’s Neanderthal clan is uncertain as the weather gets colder and the mammoths get fewer. Mica is full of new ideas to help them survive but they are stubborn and want to cling to the old ways. Then she makes an extraordinary discovery and sets out with her childhood friend to find a better life.
Reeve, Philip	Oliver and the Seawigs	Oliver has grown up in a family of explorers but when he has to rescue his parents he begins a big adventure all of his own. But before he can put his rescue plan into action there’s the evil Stacey de Lacey and an army of pesky sea monkeys to contend with.
Riddell, Chris	Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse	Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her strange father, Lord Goth, numerous ghosts and an array of servants. One night everything changes when Ada meets the ghost of a mouse called Ishmael. There’s trouble afoot, and he and Ada are the only ones who can solve the mystery.
Rundell, Katherine	Rooftoppers	When baby Sophie is rescued from a shipwreck, everyone assumes she is an orphan. But Sophie is convinced that her mother survived and sets out to find her in an exciting race against the authorities across the rooftops of Paris. Will she find her mother before it’s too late?
Sedgwick, Marcus	Dread Desert	Elf Girl and Raven Boy are hot and bothered in the desert as they battle to save the world from the wicked Goblin King
Shaw, Hannah	Stan Stinky	Stan Pipe Stinky has to come to the rescue when Uncle Ratts and his sidekick Roachy disappear up a u-bend into the terrifying unknown …a HUMAN HOUSE.
Silberberg, Alan	Cartoon Kings	Wouldn’t it be cool if you had a magic pen and all your cartoons come to life? That’s just what happened to Craz and Matt, but beware, mistakes cannot easily be rubbed out!
Smith, Dan	My Friend the Enemy	It’s 1941 and a German plane crashes near Peter’s home – but what can Peter do to help the injured pilot he finds trapped inside?
Sparkes, Ali	Out of this World	The glowing lump of metal that Ty finds in the woods seem to give him amazing powers, but problems start when those powers attract the attention of sinister agents intent on capturing him.
Stead, Rebecca	Liar & Spy	When Georges moves into a new apartment block he joins the Spy Club and becomes a trainee spy for twelve year old Safer, spying on the mysterious Mr X who lives in the flat upstairs. But how far do you go for your new friend. What is a game and what is a lie?
Torday, Piers	The Last Wild	In a world where few animals have survived, twelve-year-old Kester Jaynes is extraordinary… he can hear animals talk to him. They need his help and pigeons fly Kester to a wild place where the last creatures in the land have survived. Together they must embark on a great journey to save the animals.
Wilson, Anna	I’m a Chicken, Get Me Out of Here!	Titch the Chicken finds herself in the chaotic and wacky household of Wilf and his menagerie of pets – and wants out… but when danger threatens, can she leave without helping the others?

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19/05/2014

THe Teen List 2014

40 of the best new books for your collection.

The Teenage Booklist is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools.

Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate!

The list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing secondary schools from May.

Please contact the library for more information on the Teen List or to request additional posters or bookmarks (where available).

View the full list

Barroux	Line of Fire: Diary of an Unknown Soldier (August, September 1914)	A moving personal account of the First World War, beautifully illustrated.
Blaxill, Gina	Saving Silence	A gripping thriller set in the East End of London – Sam’s life is in danger, but who can she trust?
Brahmachari, Sita	Kite Spirit	Coming to terms with a best friend’s suicide is hard indeed. Kite’s spirit has been broken – will it ever mend?
Brooks, Kevin	The Bunker Diary	Why is Linus in a building with no doors and windows? The only way in or out seems to be a lift, and if it’s moving, who is in it?
Bryce, Celia	Anthem for Jackson Dawes	In hospital for the first time for treatment for her brain tumour, Megan finds funny, cute, rebellious Jackson Dawes there already, keen to show her the ropes
Melvin, Burgess	The Hit	A new drug is going around – Death. It gives you a huge rush for a week, and then it kills you. Adam’s life is rubbish, so why not take it? Not for the faint-hearted!
Cassidy, Anne	Finding Jennifer Jones	Sequel to “looking for JJ”, the guilt Jennifer carries inside her cannot be masked by her new name and new identity as a university student, so even if she can avoid the media, can she come to terms with herself?
Charlton-Trujillo, E.E	Fat Angie	The new girl, KC, is beautiful, hip and smart and everyone wants to know her, so what does she want with overweight and messed-up Fat Angie?
Christopher, Lucy	The Killing Woods	A murdered girl, a world war two bunker, a crazy night – what happened to Aimee? Damon and Emily must piece together the evidence if Emily’s dad is to avoid conviction for murder
Coley, Liz	Pretty Girl Thirteen	Angie is amazed to learn that she has been missing for three years – she can’t remember anything – but someone else can…
Crockett, S. D. (Sophie D.)	One Crow Alone	Magda and Ivan, illegal immigrants from Poland, need all their cunning and know-how to survive in an unwelcoming and hostile London
Cross, Gillian	After Tomorrow	Banks have failed, food prices are rocketing, there’s no money. Armed robbers are targeting anyone who is hoarding food, so Matt and his family realise that their only option is to get through the Channel Tunnel and seek refuge on the continent – but can they cope with life as refugees?
Doherty, Berlie	The Company of Ghosts	Footsteps, shadows strange lights, a haunting song: more and more Emily realises she is not alone on this beautiful island
Earle, Phil	Heroic	When Jammy comes home on leave from the war in Afghanistan, his experiences have scarred him. His brother, Sonny, left behind on the housing estate of their boyhood home, is the only one who can see that there’s something wrong
Flood, C. J.	Infinite Sky	Iris is curious about a group of travellers that arrive and, despite the things her alcoholic dad and always-angry brother say about them, makes friends with Trick. But it’s only so long before tensions build up between Iris’s family and the travellers that threatens to destroy everyone
Gardner, Sally	Maggot Moon	A boy with one green eye and one blue eye has no chance of staying out of trouble in a world where conformity is paramount – but there is more originality in Standish than just his eyes
Gibbons, Alan	Raining Fire	Sport or crime – the two choices most people have on the estate where Alex and Ethan live. Ethan gets the opportunity to leave for football training, but where does that leave Alex?
Grant, Neil	The Ink Bridge	Omed makes the perilous journey from Afghanistan to Australia to seek asylum from the Taliban and the horrors he has witnessed, and meets Hector, silenced by grief, at the candle factory where they both work, but other secrets are lurking.
Green, John	The Fault in Our Stars	Hazel’s cancer has never been anything other than terminal, but her life is further turned upside-down by the arrival of the gorgeous Augustus and their crossing paths with a reclusive Dutch author…
Herne, Lily	Deadlands	Cape Town, South Africa. First there was the apocalypse, then the remaining humans found themselves penned in and protected from the zombies – but who are their mysterious guardians?
Hiaasen, Carl	Chomp	Wahoo’s lost in the everglades, with alligators, snakes, bats and a crazy survival TV show star for company, not to mention a gun-toting father looking for his runaway daughter…
Hooper, Mary	The Disgrace of Kitty Grey	Regency England. Sent on an errand to London, Kitty takes the opportunity to search for her missing sweetheart. Out of her depth in the city, she is at the mercy of both the criminals and justice system.
Hussey, William	Haunted	Someone in the town of Milton Lake is using the Ghost Machine to call the spirits of the dead back to our world. Only Emma and the mysterious Nicholas can find out who is coming…
Johnson, Catherine	Sawbones	It’s 1792 and the illegal trade in dead bodies to doctors and dissection tables has never been more profitable, but are the corpses piling up a little too regularly…
Kuehn, Stephanie	Charm and Strange	Andrew Winston Winters is his own mystery. Is he Win, a self-exiled loner. Or is he Drew, with anger, violence and a secret that is destroying both of them.
Levithan, David	Every day	Every day I wake up as someone else. New body. New life. After 16 years I’ve got used to it. Usually I don’t make any waves, but now I’ve met someone I want to be with for more than one day.
Lott, Tim	How to be invisible	Strato Nyman, age 13, has learned to become invisible. He already knows more about particle physics than any teacher, but now he’s about to learn a bit more about the people around him.
McDowell, Nigel	Tall Tales from Pitch End	Pitch end is a brooding town of one-footed ravens and clockwork sentries. But it’s Bruno’s home and he knows his place, or at least he did until he discovers a book belonging to his murdered father.
McGowan, Anthony	Brock	Nicky’s mum has gone and his dad is on bail. One night his brother drags him out to witness a local gang setting their dogs on a family of badgers. Appalled, Nicky makes a decision that will change all of their lives.
McKenzie, Sophie	Missing Me	Madison and Lauren learn that their biological father was an anonymous sperm donor and set out to track him down. Her search bears fruit sooner than she expects, but is the father she discovers all he seems?
Motion, Andrew	Silver:Rreturn to Treasure Island	Young Jim Hawkins has grown up listening to his father’s tales of Treasure Island, but he is unprepared to be summoned to London by the infamous Long John Silver, to accompany his daughter Natty and return to claim the rest of Flint’s lost treasure…
Nicholls, Sally	Close Your Pretty Eyes	Olivia knows that she is evil; she’s had fifteen homes already so of course nobody wants her. So as soon as sets foot in the next one she knows that something bad is going to happen.
Nowra, Louis	Into That Forest	Stranded in the forest, Hannah and Becky come to love their life with the tigers – so why do the men want to take them away?
Pitcher, Annabel	Ketchup Clouds	Zoe writes letters to a death row prisoner, slowly revealing the sequence of events that led up to the terrible act she believes she has committed.
Pratchett, Terry	Dodger	Dodger is a scavenger living in squalor in Dickensian London, but he knows the ropes and knows how not to get caught – but when he rescues a young girl from being beaten, he suddenly has to learn new tricks…
Schneider, Robyn	Severed Heads, Broken Hearts	Ezra’s perfect life and athletic ambitions are shattered when a reckless driver mows him down. Struggling to come to terms with what has happened, he thinks things can’t get any worse –or can they?
Sedgwick, Marcus	Dark Satanic Mills	Framed for a murder she did not commit, Christie has to run for her life. Set in a near-future Britain, her journey takes from the flooded landmarks of London to the vast, scorched and abandoned hills of the north.
Smale, Holly	Geek Girl / Geek Girl Model Misfit	Two stories about Geeky Harriet, who knows a lot about a lot of things and can’t work out why people don’t like her. The one thing she doesn’t know is how to handle boys….
Terry, Teri	Slated	Kyla’s mind has been wiped – the government say she has been given a second chance after her life as a terrorist, but the truth lurks tantalisingly out of reach… first book in a trilogy.
Whyman, Matt	The Savages	Apart from the fact that they are cannibals, the Savages are an ordinary loving family, but for Sasha to have a boyfriend who is vegetarian…. Well, no-one can quite understand it!

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19/05/2014

Author: slsadmin

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