Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services

Tag: Special Schools

  • Creative Writing Competition 2020

    Creative Writing Competition 2020

    The Winners!

    The judges have spoken! Bali and Chitra very much enjoyed reading all of the work and although a prize-giving event was impossible due to Covid restrictions, they recorded messages for the participants. We’re very grateful for all their hard work in choosing the winners from the hundreds of stories an poems we received.

    Prize-giving and book launch

    Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a prize-giving event will not be possible this year, and so prizes and copies of the book will be sent out to the pupils’ schools.

    For pupils who left their school in July, we can send prizes to their home address OR to their new school. Please get in touch to make any arrangements.

    Winning poems and stories will feature in the paperback and eBook editions of ‘This Hidden Island’.

    Winners list

    Winners are listed alphabetically by school.

    Arnhem Wharf Connie He Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Ben Jonson Mohammed Yameen Hussain Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Blue Gate Fields Infants Sameeha Begum Year 1 and 2 Poetry
    Blue Gate Fields Infants Tasfiyah Marwah Year 1 and 2 Poetry
    Blue Gate Fields Juniors Adam Rahman Year 3 and 4 Poetry
    Blue Gate Fields Juniors Sohana Abbas Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Bonner primary Ivy Tighe Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Bygrove Primary Umaira Chowdhury Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Central Foundation Girls School Fateha Sonali Jahan Year 7+ Poetry
    Central Foundation Girls School Safaa Islam Year 7+  Short Story
    Christ Church C of E Primary Odysseus Rhys-Taylor Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Christchurch Primary Amira Miah Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    Clara Grant Primary Aleena Ali Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Columbia Primary Ada Joy Dalgleish Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Cubitt Town Junior Jennifer Scantlebury Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Cubitt Town Junior Unaizah Chowdhury Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Culloden Primary Olivier Badzioch Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Globe Primary Amelie Gilian Isenburg Daw Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Globe Primary Tanushe Ziesche Pacarada Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Guardian Angels Primary Elena Pellicci Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    Halley Primary Ronnie Davis Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Halley Primary Saarah Ahmed Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Harbinger Primary Abida Akhtar Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Home educated Kezia Burden Year 7+ Poetry
    Home educated Muhammed Aadil Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    Kobi Nazrul Primary Fariha Firdaus Sayed Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Marion Richardson Primary Fayqah Salum Omar Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Marner Primary Maryam Miah Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Osmani Primary School Mohammed Ali Year 3 and 4 Poetry
    Osmani Primary School Janan Ahmed Year 3 and 4 Poetry
    Osmani Primary School Kamran Ahmed Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Osmani Primary School Maliha Islam Year 3 and 4 Poetry
    Osmani Primary School Mohammed Ali Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Osmani Primary School Sarah Jannat Ali Year 3 and 4 Poetry
    Seven Mills Primary Kelsey-leigh Reynolds Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Sir John Cass Foundation Secondary Sazid Hoque Year 7+ Short Story
    St Elizabeth Primary  Michelle Rollins Ezeja Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    St Johns Primary Hannah Richards Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    St Johns Primary Lucy Richards Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    St Luke’s Primary Suhasini Shetty Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    St Mary and St Michael Primary Felipe Vieira Santos Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    St Mary and St Michael Primary Jacob Lees Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    St Mary and St Michael Primary McKenzie J Rutland Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    St Paul’s Whitechapel Primary Ali Ahmad Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    St Paul’s Whitechapel Primary Melino Momin Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    St Paul’s Whitechapel Primary Ibraheem Sadeek Year 1 and 2 Poetry
    St Saviors Primary Charlie Payne Year 1 and 2  Short Story
    Stebon Primary Inaya Rahman Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Swanlea School Zareena Hannah Raynor Year 7+ Short Story
    Thomas Buxton Primary Ruben Borg-Jones Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Virginia Primary Aqilah Malik Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Virginia Primary Jubayra Khatun Year 5 and 6  Short Story
    Wellington Primary Jinan Ahmed Year 5 and 6 Poetry
    Wellington Primary Rayan Hoque Year 1 and 2 Poetry
    Wellington Primary Arifah Akhtar Year 3 and 4 Short Story
    Woolmore Primary Tanisha Hassan Miah Year 5 and 6 Poetry

     

    The judges’ decision is final.

     

    The Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition is an annual event for schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for students aged six years to sixteen. Conceived in 2004 by Tower Hamlets Gifted and Talented strand of the Excellence in Cities programme, it has been run by Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service since 2011 with the aims of promoting wider reading and literacy, and to encourage young people to express themselves through the written word. Research carried out during the 2018 competition showed that pupils participating in the competition and in the author workshops benefited by gaining confidence in their writing ability and developing greater insight into the issues raised by the competition themes.

    We are thrilled to announce that Arts Council England has again awarded Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service with a grant to enhance our annual Creative Writing Competition with author-led creative writing workshops for schools, Idea Stores and home-educated children.

    In order to take advantage of these free author workshops, schools need to enter the competition by “buying” it via SLAonline (S0933 – Creative Writing Competition 2020) and letting us know who is to lead on organising the workshops.

    The grant also enables us to produce a book of the winning entries.

    This Hidden Island

    Our Guest Judges

    Every year the competition is judged by a childrens author or authors. This year Chitra Soundar will be reading the Year 1 to Year 4 entries and Bali Rai will be judging the stories and poems from year 5 and up. Both authors will be awarding prizes in June!

    Chitra Soundar is a closet clown, consummate liar, writer, teacher and storyteller. As a kid, she has danced in a Bollywood movie, acted on stage with her neighbourhood friends and disliked Maths because it never added up.

    She has over 30 books in print worldwide, including the Farmer Falgu picture book series and A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Wisdom. In the UK she’s published by Lantana Publishing, Otter-Barry Books, Walker Books and Red Robin Books.

    As a child, Bali Rai dreamt of playing football for Liverpool, being Bob Marley and becoming a writer.

    He has since written over 35 books, including the Tales from Devana High and Soccer Squad Series. Now Or Never : A Dunkirk Story was shortlisted for the 2019 Tower Hamlets Book Award

    Theme : This Hidden Island

    There is an island waiting to be found.

    If it does not exist, then it is up to you to shape it.

    Give it form, bring it into the world.

    Where is it?

    What is found on it?

    Who, or what, lives on it?

    What stories does it hold?

    Tell us one of them.

    You can interpret the theme This Hidden Island in any way you wish. We’ve collected possible ideas here.

    What are the distinctive cultures and features of  islands and groups of islands?

    • The people and culture
    • History
    • Contact with other cultures including colonial history
    • Myths, legends and folklore
    • Animals and nature
    • Geographical features and climate

    Story choices

    • What genre and style do you want to write in? Genres include; Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Horror
    • Who are the main characters and what are they doing in the story?
    • Because we don’t have long to get involved in your story – how do you make the reader interested in the characters or their situations?
    • If it’s a poem, what sort of poem is it? Is it in rhyme, a narrative poem? Is it meant to be read aloud?

     Things to consider

    • Islands can be real or imaginary
    • Or a mixture of both!
    • There are millions of islands in the world and people still haven’t been to them all
    • Islands can be isolated and alone, or part of something larger
    • Many islands are unique, with life or features and culture that are found nowhere else
    • Islands can be difficult to find and travel to
    • They can also be difficult to leave!

    Examples of real world Islands and archipelagos

    • Polynesia
    • New Zealand
    • The British Isles (soon to be minus Scotland and Ireland?)
    • Hawaii
    • Easter Island
    • Scottish Islands including Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland Islands
    • The Caribbean
    • Galapagos Islands
    • Ross Island (Antarctica)
    • The Faroes
    • Hong Kong
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Madagascar
    • Greek islands
    • The Isle of Dogs
    • Surtsey
    • Svalbard (Norway)

    Popular themes associated with stories about or featuring islands

    • Pirates
    • Treasure
    • Voyages and quests
    • Fantasy
    • Adventures
    • Identity and culture
    • Isolation
    • Isolationism / delusions of superiority
    • Being trapped
    • Finding oneself
    • Welcoming strangers
    • Rejecting strangers
    • Strange places
    • The unknown
    • Returning home

    Examples of books and stories featuring, or set on, islands (real and imagined).

    We’ve listed some of the themes of these books that are related to the use of islands as settings. These themes can inspire pupils’ own work.

    Picture books

    • The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan (Australia and colonialism/ invasion)
    • The Katie Morag Stories by Mairi Hedderwick (Scotland and island life – fictional but inspired by real islands)
    • The Little Island by Smriti Prasadam-Halls (UK – a satirical look at Brexit and the perils of isolationism)
    • Gregory Cool by Caroline Binch (Caribbean, identity and contrasting places)
    • Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Imaginary places and monsters)
    • The Island by Armin Greder (Imaginary and expressionist – exploring isolationism and prejudice against immigrants and refugees)
    • King Kong by Anthony Browne (Imaginary islands and taking someone from their home)
    • The Lighthouse Keeper series by Ronda and David Armitage (the problems of living in a remote lighthouse)
    • Three Monsters by David McKee (welcoming strangers / sharing / acceptance)
    • Jeremy Button : The boy that Darwin returned home by Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali (removing someone from their home, and returning home)
    • The Secret of Black Rock by Joe Todd-Stanton (mysteries, fantasy and living islands)
    • Archipelago : An Atlas of Imagined Islands by Huw Lewis-Jones (An imagined atlas created by a range of illustrators)

    Myths and Legends

    • Atlantis (Lost Islands -Various)
    • The Odyssey and the stories of Odysseus (Epic journey home and discoveries – Greek)
    • Brexit (a pyrrhic victory)
    • Jason and the Argonauts (Epic journey on a quest -Greek)
    • Stories of Maui and other Polynesian myths (Fantastical inhabitants of islands – Polynesia and also Hawaii and New Zealand)
    • Sinbad (sea voyages to islands – Arabic)

    Fiction

    • The Earthsea stories by Ursula Le Guin (Magic , fantasy and quests)
    • Peter Pan by J M Barrie (Pirates and imaginary lands)
    • Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo (Japan and isolation)
    • The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kieran Millwood Hargrave (Fantasy and mythology)
    • The Island at the end of everything by Kieran Millwood Hargrave (Banishment and journeys)
    • Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolke (Isolation)
    • An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls (Contemporary Treasure hunting)
    • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Pirates and treasure hunting)
    • The Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho Yen (An urban ‘island’ – being trapped in a tower block)
    • The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C S Lewis (Fantasy sea voyage and quest)
    • Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (Fantastical journeys)
    • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (Dinosaurs and science fiction)
    • Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaugrean (Being stranded and survival on a remote island : based on real events)
    • Oliver and the Seawigs by Phillip Reeve (Explorers and living, moving islands)
    • Meteorite Spoon by Philip Ridley (Excaping to a fantasy island)
    • Tintin and the Black Island by Herge (A mysterious island used by criminals)
    • Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (A castle as a wandering island)
    • The Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman (Featuring a journey to Svalbard)
    • Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (Lake District, sailing, camping, childhood holiday adventures)

    What are the judges looking for?

    Stories

    • An original approach to the competition theme
    • Good story structure (a beginning, middle and end)
    • Engaging and interesting characters

    Poetry

    • An original approach to the competition theme
    • The power of the poem!
    • Creative use of wordplay and style
    • Use of poetic forms and structure

    Rules

    All entries must be received by the Schools Library Services by the revised deadline date (see top of page)

    Prize Giving: Monday 2nd November

    Content

    • Entries must be appropriate to the theme!
    • Entries should not be adaptations of other writers’ or poets’ published work (such as stories or films), however alternative versions of fairy tales/ myths and legends will be accepted.
    • All entries must be the entrant’s own work, including all illustrations. All work shortlisted for a prize will be thoroughly checked and plagiarised writing and artwork will be disqualified. Please remind your pupils that copying work isn’t allowed!

    Boring but important

    • Entries can be cooperative efforts. Any prizes will be split between the named entrants.
    • Entries without entrant’s full name and competition category will not be eligible for judging.
    • Each page should have the entrant’s full name written clearly on it
    • Entries must be written or typed on one side of the page only
    • Work should be in black or blue ink or text on white paper
    • No decorative fonts unless they directly contribute to the writing/ storytelling
    • If you are illustrating your work, all artwork must be in black and white for consideration for the printed book
    • We will contact all winners via their school (or parents/ carers if home schooled) in May.
    • Work will not be automatically returned to entrants but can be collected on request after the competition closes. The Schools Library Services can take no responsibility for lost or damaged work.

    Privacy notice

    Commended and winning entries to be published in eBook and print formats. By entering the competition, entrants are giving permission for their work (including their name) to be published and distributed in these formats, and all supplied information including name and contact details to be held by the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services. Copyright on poems and stories will remain with the author(s). Supplied information, including names and contact details, of competition entrants who do not win prizes will not be stored beyond the duration of the event.

    Entering The Competition

    In 2020 there will be 4 age groups in the competition:

    • Group 1 : Years 1 & 2
    • Group 2 : Years 3 & 4
    • Group 3 : Years 5 & 6
    • Group 4 : Secondary schools

    Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places and for commended entries in each category.

    To enter

    • Write a short story up to 500 words (KS1/2) and 750 words (KS3)
      • may also be an illustrated story or comic book
    • Write a poem or verse story up to 25 lines (KS1/2) and 35 lines (KS3)
    • Poems and stories must follow the competition theme

    Pupils may enter both the short story and poetry categories. The competition deadline is Friday 15th May 2020. 

    If you are entering via a participating school entries should be passed to a teacher or school librarian

    If you are entering via an Idea Store entries should be handed into an Idea Store member of staff

    Parents / carers of home-educated entrants may send work directly or via the Tower Hamlets education safeguarding team.

    Entries can be submitted via:

    • emailed as an attachment : jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk OR
    • post: Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services, PDC, 229 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6AB

    and must include the information below.

    1. Writer’s full name
    2. Year group (age if home schooled)
    3. School (parents’/ carers’ contact email if home schooled)
    4. Class teacher/ English teacher (parent’s/ carer’s name if home schooled)
    5. The category being entered (select from below)
    • Group 1 : Years 1 & 2 Short Story                         Poetry
    • Group 2 : Years 3 & 4 Short Story                         Poetry
    • Group 3 : Years 5 & 6 Short Story                         Poetry
    • Secondary Short Story                                            Poetry
    1. Title of work (untitled winning entries will be given a title by the competition judges)

  • THe List 2020

    THe List 2020

    40 of the best new fiction titles for your secondary school Library

    The Teenage Book list is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools, and is a list of recommended fiction to buy for your school library.

    The teen list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last 12 months, and aims to cover a diverse  range of subjects, genres, authors and interests.

    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Tower Hamlets Book Award short list in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate in this event!

    Posters and Bookmarks for the 2020 booklists will be delivered a little later than normal this year – look out for them from September.

    Please contact the library for more information on the Teen List or to request additional posters or bookmarks (subscribing schools only).

    Click to view all of the books and blurbs
    Title Author notes
    You must be Layla! Yassmin Abdel-Magied Layla, Australian girl of Sudanese heritage, is ambitious and impulsive  When she takes up a scholarship in a prestigious new school her hijab singles her out and inevitably she faces more than educational challenges. She has to confront Islamaphobia and racism not to mention her own emotional journey in this entertaining and thoughtful story.
    Internment Samira Ahmed One thing 17-year-old Layla Amin never thought she’d face in life was INTERNMENT by the American government simply because she and her family are Muslim. They join thousands of other Muslims at Camp Mobius in the Californian desert, but Layla is determined to fight back.
    Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist David Almond Enter the strange world of writer David Almond and mixed media artist David McKean where there is much darkness and inexplicable happenings in a Tyneside council house.  Is there a poltergeist?  Is it a metaphor? Two boys on the brink of adulthood have much to discover…
    The Crossover (graphic novel) Kwame Alexander Dynamic, rhythmic rapping basketball story that just pounds its way through your head like a running, bouncing ball. Josh and his twin brother are having a great winning season, can they keep up the momentum?  Graphic artist Dawud Anyabwile fits the illustrations to the drama brilliantly.
    The Black Flamingo Dean Atta Michael is trying to find out who he is and where he fits in, but he struggles – mainly because he is gay and mixed-raced. Written in verse, Black Flamingo is a story of the bittersweet and exciting years of growing up – of heartbreak, dreams of fame, cute boys and making and losing friends.
    Crossfire Malorie Blackman Set in the alternative world of Zafrica, the White underclass, the Noughts, encounter constant racial prejudice from the Black Crosses. Accused of a murder he insists he did not commit, Tobey, a Nought, asks his teenage sweetheart Callie-Rose, a Cross, to defend him. The two have a complicated past, and an even more dangerous present as they take it in turns to tell their side of a highly dramatic story.
    The places I’ve cried in public Holly Bourne Amelie’s back story shows that she has so much potential for a full and rewarding life but clearly something went wrong.  She tries to work out how she got to a bad state by visiting places full of painful memories. On the way she charts how she ended up in a coercive and abusive relationship with Reese. This is a raw, honest story for upper teens.
    Wranglestone Darren Charlton This post-apocalyptic zombie thriller has a gay romance at its heart. Set in a unique location by a frozen lake where the community have much to fear from outsiders, Peter puts lives in danger by an act of kindness.  Help comes from nearby rancher Cooper to overcome the dangers, to discover what is really going on and to show how true love can win through.
    Chinglish Sue cheung English and Chinese merge in this story told by Jo Kwan in diary entries and doodles, a girl growing up in 1980’s Midlands above her family’s take away.  It’s not just about language mash ups, there’s humour and hard realities here too.  It’s clear Dad is a hiding a terrible secret – will Jo’s optimism see her through?
    The M Word Brian Conaghan There are some dark places in Maggie’s life, coping with her mum’s depression, and issues of self harm and suicide. Talking to her best friend Moya helps…but what has happened to Moya? Starting art school and finding her way in a relationship may be a good start but as this is made very explicit, it ain’t gonna be easy.
    You’re crushing it! Lex Croucher Social media sensation Lex gives her advice on to teens on how to live. It’s chatty, funny, helps you feel good about yourself when the whole world is telling you differently.
    Becoming Dinah Kit de Waal Dinah feels compelled to flee everything she’s ever known.  After being home-schooled, a recent period in mainstream schooling has turned her world upside-down, as has turbulent upheavals at home. Becoming Dinah is a road-trip re-invention of Moby Dick with a gripping mystery about what Dinah is running from to find a place to call home.
    Meat Market Juno Dawson When 16-year-old Jana Novak is scouted at Thorpe Park, she decides to take up a modelling career.  Jana’s story does not shy away from the dark underbelly of the fashion industry.  Of course, modelling can be a very glamorous career, especially for a working class girl for whom other opportunities may be scarce, but there is a price to be paid for the glitz and glamour.
    Monsters Sharon Dogar An intricate historical romance.  Two teenage stepsisters run away to Switzerland and join a scandalous circle of poets.  In this passionate hothouse Mary Shelley draws upon the monstrous elements in her own life to write the novel Frankenstein and challenges the way we think about faith, science and life forever.
    Good Hawk Joseph Elliott On a Scottish island Agatha, a girl with Down Syndrome, is a Hawk, keeping watch for the safety of the clan, and Jaime is an Angler, though he hates the sea.  When danger arrives from a rival clan they must put their worries aside and find new strengths to fight for survival.  A thrilling, historical fantasy full of Gaelic and Old Norse references and told as a dual narrative.
    Only Mostly Devastated Sophie Gonzales Smart and funny high school gay romcom which is a reimagining of Grease.  It’s about Ollie and Will, one out and proud, the other in the closet at school and struggling.  How’s it going to work out?  With some sassy support from three school girl friends, love may find a way in those summer days…
    Boy Meets Ghoul Birdie Milano Dylan is packed off to football camp at half term, just when he had planned to hook up with Leo, a gorgeous would-be ballet dancer. Add to the mix the arrival of a former crush, and best friend Kayla’s mission to see her favourite band, Deathsplash Nightmares, and the result is a funny, warm hearted delight.
    Pieces of ourselves Maggie Harcourt You know the plot, girl bumps into boy, girl hates boy, boy likes girl, girl starts to think maybe he’s not so bad after all. Throw into the mix the fact she’s struggling with bipolar, and he’s researching the mystery of a missing soldier in WW1, and together they uncover the story of a lost love and just maybe the start of their own.
    Wink Rob Harrell Just when Ross thought he had enough troubles fitting in at school he’s thrown a real curved ball – diagnosis of a rare eye cancer – which means he stands out even more. But this is a warm hearted story of the ups and downs of friendship, and how to cope with life’s problems both small and life threatening.
    A Pinch of Magic Michelle Harrison Betty Widdershins is reckless and rebellious and longs to break free from the island of Crowstone.  Betty convinces her sisters Fliss and Charlie to help her end the Widdershins Curse, which forces them to remain in Crowstone
    I Am Not a Number Lisa Heathfield Dystopian story set in the present day when The Traditionals are voted into power and start eroding civil liberties.  Life gets harder for those like Ruby who don’t fit in, labour camps are set up, and the real horror begins.  With references to the Holocaust and history repeating itself, there are present day references to set you thinking.
    Unpregnant Jenni Hendriks Veronica with her best-friend-but-weird Bailey sets off to get an abortion nine hundred miles away and they have a roller coaster adventure on the way.  Of course it’s not really light hearted – there are serious issues of women’s rights and moral judgements – and it sure makes for a road trip with a difference.
    Isles of Storm and Sorrow:  Viper Bex Hogan Pirates, murder and action abound in this absorbing fantasy.  Marianne must fight to save the Twelve Isles from Viper who prowls the seas and kills all in his way.  She is destined to succeed him but can she overcome this merciless man, who just happens to be her father?
    Floodworld / dustroad Tom Huddleston In the aftermath of climate change London is flooded and and Kara and Joe have to live as best they can in a dangerous sunken city.  The finding of a mysterious map leads to danger from cops, robbers and pirates in high tec submarines.  A gripping story in an all too believable world.  Followed by DustRoad, where adventures continue in USA.
    High Rise Mystery Sharna Jackson When their community art teacher Hugo is murdered, sisters Nik and Norva are determined to use their super sleuth skills (which are mighty) to solve the case. There are suspects aplenty. Horribly, one of them is their lovely dad who had a public row with Hugo the night before he died!
    That Asian Kid Savita Kalhan It’s hard to shine in class when your teacher hates you – and Jeevan is convinced he is a victim of racial prejudice.  But coming upon his teacher in the woods outside school in a compromising situation with another teacher, he films the scene on his phone and gleefully thinks he can get his own back at last – but does he dare upload it to social media – would the consequences be too dreadful after all?
    Rules for vanishing Kate Alice Marshall Once a year, a road appears in the forest, and at the end of it, the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons. It’s been exactly one year since Sara’s sister, Becca, disappeared, and Sara knows that the only way to find her is to follow the road when she has the chance– but is she brave enough?
    No fixed address Susan Nielsen Felix Knutsson lives with his mother and pet gerbil Horatio and is brilliant at memorising facts and trivia. But Felix and his mom Astrid have a secret: they are living in a stolen van. Astrid promises it’s only for a while until she finds a new job. But Felix has a plan to turn their lives around: he’s going to go on his favourite game show Who, What, Where, When and win the cash prize.
    Wain: LGBT reimaginings of scottish folklore Rachel Plummer The poems in this collection are delightful and magical, perfectly balancing a contemporary sensibility and approach to gender and sexuality with a deep familiarity with the original stories, using language carefully and deliberately to create something beautiful and thought-provoking.
    Heartstream Tom Pollock Cat is in love. She can’t believe that she’s actually dating a pop star. But the fandom can’t know – they would eat her alive. Amy uses Heartstream, a social media app that allows others to feel your emotions. She broadcasted every moment of her mother’s degenerative illness and death, but on the day of the funeral, Amy finds a strange woman in her kitchen. Who is she? What does she want? Amy and Cat are about to discover how far true obsession can go.
    Jelly Clare Rees Martha and her friends have been drifting on a giant killer jellyfish, finding life incredibly boring, ever since sea levels rose and the world ended. They are tantalisingly close to the shore and safety, or so they think, but what is waiting for them on the shore?  In this era of environmental hazards and plastic oceans, a thought-provoking read.
    Patron saints of nothing Randy Ribay A coming-of-age story about grief, guilt and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin’s murder.  Jay Reguero finds out that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. When no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.
    Wilder Girls Rory Power You will change.  You might survive.  A boarding school is in lockdown as a deadly virus kills the teachers one by one and school girls’ bodies change into something sick and foreign. When Hetty’s best friend Byatt goes missing she has to break out and confront whatever horrors lie beyond the fence. Compelling, shocking and brilliant.
    Are you watching? Vincent Ralph Jess takes part in a reality series on YouTube as a way of finding out who killed her mother when she was seven.  The murderer went on to kill many more…and now is watching Jess.  Fascinating and scary thriller which makes clever use of social media.
    The Tzar’s curious runaways Robin Scott-Elliot Katinka, a dazzling ballerina with a hunched back, and her friends Alexei the Giant and Nikolai the dwarf are different – which is why they are part of Tzar Peter the Great’s Circus of Curiosities. But it’s not the only life she’s known, and when the Tzar dies and they must flee the Winter Palace, Katinka is determined to guide her friends to the safety of her erstwhile home far away across the Russian Steppe.
    Watch Us Rise  Renée Watson Jasmine and Chelsea’s “Write Like a Girl” club has gone viral, with its messages of women’s rights and gender and racial equality – but as well as acclaim, there are trolls and people who want to silence them – are they prepared for trial by social media?
    The Wren Hunt Mary Watson Every winter, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. The boys who hunt her are judges, powerful and frightening pursuers, who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an augur, their sworn enemy, the game would turn deadly…
    Dancing the Charleston Jacqueline Wilson It’s the 1920s, and Mona’s life in a little cottage on the edge of the Somerset estate with her dressmaker aunt changes when things change up at the big house.  Suddenly she is invited to dazzling balls, dinners of delicious food and on glamorous trips to London – but there is something about Mona’s past that really ought to stay hidden…
    Jemima Small Versus the Universe Tamsin Winter Being forced to join the school’s healthy eating club (aka the fat club) as well as all the snide comments made by others does nothing for Jemima’s self-esteem.  Can she find a way to rise above the bullying and shine ?
    Kerb Stain boys Alex Wheatle Home’s not good for Briggy. Mum and Dad are always fighting. Briggy’s older bruv, Kingsley, wants out – he can’t stand Mum and Dad “cursing the tonsils outta each other”. School’s no better than home. His best bredrin, Terror, suddenly announces a plan to jack the local Post Office to impress Caldonia, the coolest chick in  Year 10 …

     

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  • Takeoff! 2020

    Takeoff! 2020

    The Takeoff! 2020 list is 20 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2019 and April 2020.

    These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse  range of authors, subjects and genres.

    For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!

    Posters and Bookmarks for the 2020 booklists will be delivered a little later than normal this year – look out for them from September.

    View the list of books
      Title Author Blurbs
    1. Too Small Tola Atinuke Tola might be small, and overshadowed by her bossy, fast, clever family in their flat in the busy city of Lagos in Nigeria, but when there is a crisis, Tola usually manages to save the day!
    2. The Funny Life of Teachers James Campbell Have you ever wondered what teachers do when they’re not in the classroom? Are they undercover detectives, champion roller-blade dancers or do they spend their evenings playing with their 576 cats?  But be warned – no teachers are allowed to read this!
    3. Phoenix of Persia Sally Pomme Clayton When the king abandons his newborn son because of his white hair, Simorgh, the wise phoenix, adopts him, brings him up with her own chicks and teaches him forgiveness. Background resources, including music, available from the Schools Library Service
    4. Adventure Duck vs Power Pug

    Adventure Duck vs The Wicked Walrus

    Adventure Duck vs The Armadillo Army

    		 Steve Cole A new series of adventures as Adventure Duck, discovering he has superpowers after a meteor lands in his pond, battles with Power Pug, a dastardly dog who hatches up dastardly and evil plans to take over the world.
    5. The Dog Who Lost His Bark Eoin Colfer In his short doggy life, Oz has suffered at the hands of bad people and learned that if he barks, he doesn’t get fed.  But he is the perfect companion for Patrick, lonely and confused by his father’s absence, who finds him at the animal shelter and gives him a home at last.
    6. My Babysitter Is a Robot Dave Cousins The twins’ inventor grandmother invents a robot to look after them and programmed to make them do their homework, so they must stop their squabbling and work together to get rid of him…
    7. Ariki and the Island of Wonders Nicola Davies Sequel to Ariki and the Giant Shark, Ariki and her pet pig, Bad Boy, skip school to go sailing around their island home, but don’t notice the storm clouds gathering.  Washed up on an unfamiliar island, they discover another castaway, living with the giant Mweep birds –but all is not as it seems.
    8. Kids Fight Plastic Martin Dorey Have you got 2 minutes? That’s all the time it takes to become a #2minutesuperhero. Plastic is everywhere. It is in the rivers and it is in the sea. We need superheroes to fight plastic and help save our oceans.
    9. Agent Weasel and the Abominable Dr Snow

    Agent Weasel and the Fiendish Fox Gang

    		 Nick East Agent Weasel, woodland superspy, gets kidnapped by the Fiendish Fox Gang who are spreading mayhem throughout the forest, and in the second story, animal athletes are mysteriously disappearing on the opening night of the Winter Whopper Games… can Agent Weasel discover what is going on?
    10. Granny Magic Elka Evalds Will didn’t realise the magical importance of the jumpers his Gran knits.  It is only when she dies and evil Jasper Fidget appears on the scene looking to steal all that she knitted does he realise that the knitting has powerful and unexpected powers – and he is launched into a magical adventure to save them!
    11. Yasmin the Superhero Saadia Faruqi Yasmin is a superhero! She’s got the cape. She’s got the mask. Now she just needs a villain to defeat!  Read more about Yasmin in this series of eight books about a spirited, creative and curious Pakistani-American little girl and her family
    12. The Dragon’s Breakfast Vivian French Legend has it that there’s pirate treasure hiding in Bullion Island’s sea-caves, guarded by a fearsome dragon – but nobody knows for sure, because no sailor has managed a return trip. But Princess Persephone Stephanie Tiffany Jane (“Pom” for short) isn’t afraid of dragons … or anything else!
    13. The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare Shannon Hale, Dean Hale In this sixth adventure for the masked heroes, the Princess in Black and the Princess in Blankets must confront the goo monster, and with a little bit of  scientific problem-solving, save the science fair for Princess Magnolia
    14. Invasion of the Living Ted Barry Hutchison As all teddy bears come to life to help Grizz take over the world, Lisa Marie and Vernon must battle a King-Kong-sized teddy bear with a mind for evil.  Third in the series that started with Night of the Living Ted and Revenge of the Living Ted
    15. The Day I Found a Wormhole at the Bottom of the Garden

    The Day I Started a Mega Robot Invasion

    		 Tom McLaughlin All sorts of people from the past clamber up through the weird wormhole Billy finds in his garden, but if Billy doesn’t round them up and send them back, history will be changed forever!  Look out, too, for “The Day I started A Mega Robot Invasion” when the robot Molly invented to do her homework decides to make more robots to take over the world.
    16. Hotel Flamingo: Holiday Heatwave

    And Hotel Flamingo: Carnival Caper

    		 Alex Milway  There’s a heatwave on, and a huge ice shortage, which could spell problems for Anna when Hotel Flamingo get a booking for their Royal Suite from King Penguin… and at Carnival time, Anna is determined to win the prize for Hotel Flamingo for the best display, but will rain wash the parade away?  Two more exciting stories about Anna and her fabulous hotel for animals
    17. Anisha, Accidental Detective Serena Patel Anisha is all set to be a (reluctant) bridesmaid at Aunty Bindi’s wedding…until a secret ransom note arrives. Bindi’s groom has been kidnapped and will only be released if the wedding is called off! With best friend Milo and some super skills of logic and observation, it’s up to Anisha Mistry to find her uncle and save the day.

     
    18. Kevin’s Great escape: legend of Kevin 2 Philip Reeve Misty Twiglet is a famous pop star and used to getting everything she wants, and she wants Kevin, the roly poly flying pony!  Kevin’s best friend Max and his sister Daisy must come to Kevin’s rescue, and there’s no way they’re giving up on him without a fight.
    19. My Parents Cancelled My Birthday! Jo Simmons “It all started when a pig fell off the roof” and this is the first of all the disasters tht ruin the day Tom has been looking forward to for months!  Undeterred, Tom decides to put on his own birthday party – thank goodness for little sisters!
    20. Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Spiders! Katie Tsang Sam Wu’s not going to let anyone know he’s afraid of spiders. And so when Tulip, the school tarantula, disappears from her cage, Sam decides it’s up to him and his friends to save the school from the eight-legged escapee . . .  Sam is not afraid of ghosts, sharks, zombies or the dark – but those are all other stories!

     

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  • Must Read 2020

    Must Read 2020

    40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.
    The Must Read Book list is one of our annual selections of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools, and is a suggested list to buy for your school library.

    For fiction for years 3 and 4, take a look at our Takeoff! booklist.

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

    Titles from the 2020 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Tower Hamlets Book Award short list. Don’t forget to register for this event!

    Posters and Bookmarks for the 2020 booklists will be delivered a little later than normal this year – look out for them from September.

    Please contact the library for any further information about the book list.

    Click here to see the full list
    Title Author Notes
    The Girl Who Speaks Bear Sophie Anderson Fairy tales ancient and modern weave in and out of this entrancing story of Yanka, the girl who as a baby was cared for by a bear.  Struggling with acceptance in her village as she grows up, Yanka must leave and journey through the forest full of dangers as well as extraordinary friends to the find the answer of who she really is.
    Asha & the Spirit Bird Jasbinder Bilan Asha leaves home in the foothills of the Himalayas to save her family after her father disappears and her mother is threatened by a cruel money lender. With help from her friend Jeevan and Nanijee, the spirit bird of her grandmother, she crosses mountains and faces many dangers including child exploitation. An exciting and uplifting story.
    No Ballet Shoes in Syria Catherine Bruton Aya’s dreams and love of ballet help her through heartrending situations. She, her mother and baby Moosa seek asylum in the UK after leaving her father behind in war torn Syria. A chance friendship enables her to attend a ballet class and her talent is recognised but will she find a new home in this challenging place?
    A Pocketful of Stars Aisha Bushby A magical story which begins with clashes between Safiya and her mum. But when mum falls ill, to save her Safiya is transported to Kuwait, mum’s childhood home, and she needs to use all her gaming skills to overcome dangers and rescue their relationship.
    Orion Lost Alastair Chisholm Fast paced science fiction. Space craft Orion is taken over by outside forces and only children are left awake and able to take control. Beth has to learn who or what to trust – the other children, the Artificial Intelligence system, or her own judgement – to save the ship and all aboard.
    What’s That in Dog Years? Ben Davis George’s beloved dog Gizmo is fourteen and won’t be around for much longer and George is helping him fulfil his bucket list, leading them into many adventures.  A loving, humorous read.
    Fire Girl Forest Boy Chloe Daykin An intense and exciting adventure in Peru. Maya from Scotland and Raul from the cloud forest alternately tell the story of environmental destruction, family pain, and rescue from the clutches of a logging company, with more than a splash of magical realism.
    Captain Rosalie Timothée de Fombelle Beautifully illustrated and poignant story told by five-year-old Rosalie living in hardship with her mother during World War One. Her father is away fighting and writes loving letters home. Rosalie is inspired to go on her own secret mission, but its revelation tells her, and us, more about grief and love than hard facts ever can.
    Talking to the Moon S E Durrant Iris loves living with her grandma and away from her noisy family, but grandma sometimes puts clothes on inside out, and her memories are fading away.  Who is Coral, the girl in the old photo?  Can Iris find her and bring comfort to her grandma? A tender and uplifting story.
    The Longest Night of Charlie Noon Christopher Edge Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny are determined to find out what lies in the heart of the wood, but as night falls, they become lost and time begins to twist around them. Charlie begins to fear for the future as they wonder whether this night in the forest is all that there is and ever will be…
    The Girl Who Stole an Elephant Nizrana Farook Chaya is a rebellious child. Daughter to the headman of her village in Sri Lanka, she feels perfectly justified to take from the rich to help those in need. Except one day she goes too far and steals the Queen’s jewels, unwittingly putting her village in danger – leading to an escape into the jungle with her friends. And the King’s elephant.
    To Night Owl From Dogfish Holly Goldberg-Sloan Avery’s very close to his Dad – it’s been the two of them his whole life, they’re best friends and tell each other everything. So he’s quite surprised when a stranger – Bett – sends him an email claiming that their fathers are now a couple.
    The House of Light Julia Green Nothing in the world is normal any more. There are poisonous dangers to be found on the seashore but Bonnie and Granda make their living there and risk discovery by the guards. When Bonnie finds a boat and a barefoot boy she knows she must act to change her world for the better.
    Nothing Ever Happens Here Sarah Hagger-Holt Izzy lives in Littlehaven where nothing ever happens. The most exciting thing is the upcoming auditions for the school production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ – until her dad breaks the news that he’s transitioning to become a woman and suddenly the spotlight is on Izzy’s family…
    The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet Martin Howard Meet Alfie Fleet. In this book, we’ll be travelling to the ends of the universe with him. On the way we’ll encounter brains-in-jars, twang bears, giant sand lobsters and other things that are not quite so wonderful.
    The Unexpected Find Toby Ibbotson William is different, and people don’t really like that. Judy is difficult, and people don’t like that either. So when they become friends, it’s unexpected. And everything that comes next is unexpected – teaming up with eccentric Mr Balderson and his campervan, the search for Judy’s father, the journey to Sweden, the crash, the fight and the fact that, somehow, William’s unexpected find turns out to be useful in the most truly unexpected way
    White Fox Chen Jiatong Dilah the white fox wants more than anything to be human and embarks on a quest guided by a magical moonstone. This is an exciting tale of animal transformation.  If it could happen the other way round, what animal would you like to be?
    Pog Pádraig Kenny There’s something powerfully strange in the woods, and Pog, a brave furry creature who acts as guardian, needs the help of David and Penny to overcome the evil unleashed.  The children are battling with their own troubles, the loss of their mother and their grief stricken father, and must find strength to win trials both fantastic and real.
    Small Mercies Bridget Krone Mercy lives with two eccentric but loving foster aunts in a crumbling house in South Africa.  Family life and school life can be a challenge, and then a housing developer threatens to make things really fall apart. What Mercy needs is a miracle…
    Pie in the Sky Remy Lai When his family move to Australia, Jingwen struggles to fit in, and his pesky younger brother doesn’t help either. Fun illustrations throughout make this book about baking, broken hearts and family love hugely entertaining.
    A House Without Walls Elizabeth Laird The Syrian war brings hardship to 13-year-old Safiya and her family. They flee to Jordan and have to live in a tent near relatives and Safiya is forced to stop school to look after everyone. All her dreams are endangered including the longed-for reunion with her lost twin, but will hope see her through?
    The Faraway Truth Janae Marks Do innocent people end up in prison? Really?

    Zoe’s never asked herself this question until a letter arrives from her father on her twelfth birthday. She’s never met her father. He was sent to prison before she was born. Her mum always said he was dangerous but he seems… nice.
    The Land of Roar Jenny McLachlan When twins Arthur and Rose were little they were heroes in Roar, their imaginary world which was filled with the things they loved – dragons, mermaids, ninja wizards – as well as the things that scared them the most. Now they are eleven, Roar is almost forgotten until strange things start to happen…maybe, just maybe, Roar is real?
    Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy Zanib Mian Omar is a lively and imaginative boy who goes into action to save the local mosque when it is threatened with closure. The story teems with characters, including the world’s grumpiest sister, not to mention a money-making scheme, a talent contest, a secret thief…and loads of cookies.
    Nevertell Katharine Orton “Imagining tends to give people inconvenient ideas, and those in power don’t like being inconvenienced.” Lina has ideas – she wants to see beyond the prison camp that has been her life for eleven years. One night she escapes across the snowy Russian wilderness but finds herself pursued by a sorceress and her wolves…
    Anna at War Helen Peters It’s 1939 and Jewish refugee Anna arrives in Kent on one of the last kindertransport trains to leave Germany.  Life with a foster family in England is not easy for Anna – local people are suspicious and don’t trust anyone or anything German, so when it looks like there is a spy in their midst, Anna must be brave and devises dangerous plan to prove her loyalty.
    Way of the Waves Janina Ramirez Viking girl Alva has stowed away, crossing the North Sea on a longship. There’s no turning back for this shield maiden – exploring new lands, solving mysteries and – she hopes – finding her father.
    Empire’s End: A Roman Story Leila Rashid The Roman Empire 207 AD – Camilla’s family are called to the Emperor’s side from their home in North Africa, but instead of Rome, Camilla’s family are sent to the furthest corner of the Empire, Britannica. After a traumatic journey, tragedy strikes and Camilla finds herself alone, navigating life in a cold and dangerous land at the mercy of a capricious Empress.  Based on a true story, we see that Roman Britain was a cultural ‘melting pot’ with a mix of ethnicities and religions at all levels of society.
    Demelza & the Spectre Detectors Holly Rivers Demelza is an inventor. She believes that everything in the universe can be explained by science and numbers and that there definitely isn’t such a thing as life after death and ghosts.

    On the other hand, she has no rational explanation for what just happened in the greenhouse…
    Spylark Danny Rurlander Tom has struggled to walk since the accident. His drone – Skylark – gives him the freedom he craves, exploring his world from above. But he finds more than freedom when he stumbles on a terrorist plot.
    Lampie: a seaswept fairytale adventure Annet Scaaf A lighthouse light not lit, a ship wrecked on the rocks, a drunken father – Lampie must leave her lighthouse home and work as a maid at the Admiral’s house – a dark foreboding place with rumours of a monster up in the tower.   But what Lampie discovers is not a monster….  An enthralling adventure that defends everyone’s right to be different.
    The Paninis of Pompeii Andy Stanton In Roman times there lived a fat merchant called Caecilius Maximus Panini. He was so fat he looked like a large football with a face on top, and this is what the name ‘Caecilius’ means: large football with a face on top.
    Extraordinary Birds Sandy Stark-McGinnis December knows all about getting kicked out of foster homes. And birds.  All she wants is to fly away, but when she’s placed with Eleanor, her new foster mum, she wonders if she’s found somewhere she belongs.
    Malamander Thomas Taylor This visit to Eerie-on-sea isn’t your normal English seaside holiday. Not just because it’s the middle of a bitterly cold winter, but because it’s quite likely that there’s a fish-man monster lurking in that shipwreck. And just what are the mysterious Violet Parma and Sebastian Eels up to?
    Some Places More Than Others Renée Watson Amara visits Harlem, New York, for the first time to see where her Dad grew up, and discover not just her roots but also the importance of place and family. Thoughtful and emotionally engaging.
    Cloud Boy Marcia Williams Harry and Angie are as close friends as could be, and explore lots of interests together including their love of clouds. When Harry develops a serious illness their reliance on each other starts to deepen. Written as a diary by Angie this is a life affirming story dealing with the hardest of issues.
    The Girl with Space in Her Heart Lara Williamson Mabel has a lot of worries – why has her father left home?  Why does her older sister hate her Mum’s new boyfriend so much?  At school, why is Dolly Rose so prickly and angry?  Mabel packs all her worries in a suitcase that is getting so full that it is going to explode – is there anyone who can pick up the pieces?  A funny but sensitive exploration of mental health.
    Gorebrah: Mightiest Chef in the Universe James Stayte He’s tough, he’s a barbarian…

    And he’s out to save the world with the most amazing cooking known to humans or monsters! Hilarious comic adventures to be taken with a pinch of salt or your choice of table sauces.
    The Way Past Winter Karen Millwood Hargraves It has been winter for five years, and when older brother Oskar is lured away by the same evil force that took their father away, Mila and her sisters decide to follow his trail to the frozen north, find a way past winter and bring their brother home
    Children Who Changed the World: Incredible true Stories About Children’s Rights! Marcia Williams Marking 30 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed by the United Nations General Assembly, discover the incredible true stories of child activists around the world. Important issues, such as the right to a safe place to live, the right to education and the right to protection from harm, are explained and explored through the stories of children who have stood up for them.

     

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  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2019

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2019

    Well done to Onjali Rauf!

    The Boy at the Back of the Class has been voted the winner of the Tower Hamlets Book Award by pupils from over 40 schools!

    Onjali Tweeted a lovely video message which we’ll share here: https://twitter.com/OnjaliRauf/status/1197906268700205056

    Thank you to all of the schools who attendedthe finale and to the staff at East Wintergarden.

    We’ll be updating this page soon with more details about the finale!

     

    About the Book Award

    The annual Tower Hamlets Book Award is just one of the exciting events made possible by subscriptions to the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services, and is a free event for subscribing schools.

    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.

    Download the book award guidelines and timeline 2019

    The shortlisted books!

    • The Boy at the back of the class by Onjali Rauf :There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy, Ahmet, is sitting in it. He’s nine years old and very strange. He never talks, never smiles and doesn’t like sweets. But then I learned the truth: He isn’t strange at all. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a War. With bombs and fires and bullets that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help.
    • The Train to impossible places by P G Bell : Disturbed by a noise in the middle of the night, Suzy wakes to find that someone’s run a railway track through her house. When the train arrives, she finds herself whisked away to work for an interdimensional post office…
    • Now or never by Bali Rai : Private Fazal Khan, from India, is proud to be in the British Army in World War Two, but is that pride misplaced when his comrades turn on him during the frightening evacuation at Dunkirk
    • Freedom by Catherine Johnson : Nathaniel doesn’t want to move to England with his master’s family and leave behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they’re free…
    • The Wild robot by Peter Brown : Robot Roz finds herself alone on a remote island, with only animals for company.  She has no idea how she got there, but in her programming is knowledge of what she ought to need to survive.  But then her programming was not designed for dealing with storms and vicious, unwelcoming animals….
    • Running on empty by S E Durrant : AJ’s parents both have learning difficulties. His Grandfather helped out with things like bills, money for the electricity meter and parents’ evening. But after he dies, AJ has to take on a lot more responsibilities and his ambition to be a runner suffers.

    Canary Wharf Group will once again be kindly providing each subscribing school with a free set of the shortlist, as well as hosting the grand finale on 22nd November.

    Why join in?

    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.

    The award, and the primary and secondary book lists, encourage pupils to make their own choices about what they read, and to discover new and exciting authors and stories.

    Schools have the opportunity to attend the grand finale, meet authors and generally have a great time.

    Grand Finale

    East Wintergarden

    43 Bank St, Canary Wharf, London E14 5NX

    Friday 22nd November

    • Meet the authors : S.E. Durrant, Catherine Johnson and P. G. Bell
    • Enter the presentation competition
    • Quizzes and competitions
    • Cast your votes for the winning book!

    Timetable (tbc)

    • 12:15pm : Schools can arrive, browse the bookstall, meet the authors and eat their packed lunch.
    • 1pm : Event begins (please arrive no later than this time!)
    • 2.20pm : Announcement of the winner of the presentation competition
    • 2.25pm : Announcement of the winning book
    • 2.30 – 3pm : Schools depart/ meet the authors

    For more info, email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

     

    Presentation Competition

    Every year 8 schools put on performances at the grand finale to be judged by our guest authors!

    If you wish to present a book at the finale, tick the appropriate box on the finale booking form above.

    • There is time for eight schools to present a book at the finale
    • As usual, schools will be allocated slots in the competition on a first come-first served basis as they confirm which book they are presenting, and as long as this book has not already been chosen by too many other schools (all 6 books should have at least 1 presentation each).
    • let the Schools Library Service know which book you’re championing by Friday 1st November (preferably earlier to ensure your choice of book!). If your book is already fully booked (pun intended), you’ll be asked to choose an alternative, so it’s good to have a reserve title in mind.
    • Presentations will be judged on the group’s ability to deliver their presentation in an entertaining, interesting and exciting way that will appeal to a pupil audience and inspire pupils to read their chosen book. Time limit: 3 minutes.
    • You could:
      • Perform a play about the book or perform an extract from the book
      • Dress up and role play as characters from the book
      • Show video footage of what pupils in their school think or video footage of pupils voting
      • Show an author interview (real or made up with pupil dressed up as author)

    Even if your club does not get to present a book at the Finale, they can perform for a school assembly!

    Notes for participating schools…
    • Please let us know whether photos can be taken of your groups
    • Be prepared to be using a raised stage on the day (approx. area 3m x 8m)
    • Radio microphones will be provided on the day and are not optional! The venue is very large and pupils won’t be heard without using mics. Pupils may wish to rehearse with prop microphones.
    • Presentations may include audio, video, still images and PP slides as backgrounds.
    • The sound/ video desk is upstairs from the stage on a mezzanine – if you have sound and video playback, one person will need to be upstairs during the performance to work with the technician
    • To ensure we can play back your AV files, you’ll need to provide them (or a sample file in the same format) before November 22nd.
    • You may bring as many props and costumes as you require to the finale, but please take them with you when you leave! Costumes and other items may be borrowed from the Schools Library Services
    • We can provide chairs to use on the stage.

    Art Competition

    Every year we run an art competition based on the shortlist books.

    Pupils are challenged to create an artistic response of their choice to any of the 6 Book Award books.

    Previous competition entries have included…

    • Drawings/ paintings of scenes from the books
    • Poems inspired by the stories
    • Alternative endings/ scenes
    • Comic strips based on the books
    • Character portraits
    • Book cover designs
    • Bookmark designs
    • Models of scenes from the books

    Winners will be awarded a prize at the finale where shortlisted work will be on display (guest authors have been known to request competition entries to put on their websites!).

    Competition deadline

    ALL entries must arrive at the Schools Library Services (PDC, 229 Bethnal Green Road) by the morning of Monday 18th November for judging. Any entries submitted after this date will not be judged!

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  • Michael Rosen on World Book Day 2019

    Michael Rosen on World Book Day 2019

    We are delighted to announce that we have secured Michael Rosen for our World Book Day event on Thursday 7th March 2019.

    He will be making two appearances at the Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, on that day at 10.30am and at 1.30pm, each for one hour.  His talk is suitable for all ages in KS2 and KS3.

    There will be a book stall provided by Brick Lane bookshop .

    Meeting Michael Rosen and pre-ordering books

    In order to ensure that representatives from every school get a chance to meet Michael, we ask that you choose up to FIVE children from your class who can join the queue at the end to get books signed.

    We will have pre-signed book plates for other children who want to buy books but can’t get to meet him.

    Here is an order form for the list of books suggested by Michael Rosen that will be available for sale at the Brick Lane Bookshop book stall, who are offering £1 discount on all titles.  Pre-orders are invited, and you are welcome to request other titles which are in print.  Please send  this form to Gillian.Harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk by Friday 15th February

    Nearer the time, we will invite you to send in questions your pupils might like to ask Michael, and we will choose a range to ensure we get a variety of topics!

    For more information about this event, please contact Gillian.harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2018

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2018

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    Contents

    1. Send your feedback
    2. The Books
    3. About the Book Award
    4. Why Join in?
    5. Timeline and guidelines
    6. Register
    7. Competition
    8. Grand Finale

    Congratulations, Neill Cameron!

    Votes were cast today for the 2018 Tower Hamlets Book Award, and Neill Cameron was the clear winner for ‘Mega Robo Rumble!’ Neill was present at the grand finale at East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf, along with ‘Illegal’ co-author Andrew Donkin, to receive the award in front of hundreds of children from Tower Hamlets and Newham schools.

    Competition winners

    Virginia Primary School won the Presentation competition with their interpretation of Nevermoor, with excellent performances from all the schools who took part.

    Our creative competition inspired lots of drawings, poems and models. The following winners were awarded prizes on the day:

      • Zahra Mostafa from William Davis School for her model box inspired by Welcome to Nowhere
      • Oisis Campbell-Wright from William Davis School for his model of a scene from Nevermoor

     

    • Lemonie Choudhury from St Saviours School for her Nevermoor poster and Welcome to Nowhere poem
    • Farihah Amin from Central Foundation Girls School for her Welcome to Nowhere Poem
    • Sehzik Rahman, Alesha Zaman and Talha Bhuiyan from Vicarage Primary School for their collaborative comic strip inspired by Illegal

    The Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services would like to thank Canary Wharf group and all of the staff at East Wintergarden for all of their work in supporting the Tower Hamlets Book Award this year.

    Teacher Feedback

    If you’ve been shadowing the award, please complete this short feedback survey . If you’re attending the grand finale, please complete this form after Wednesday!

    Click here for the survey
    Create your own user feedback survey

    The Shortlist!

    Image result for canary wharf group logo

    Canary Wharf Group have kindly continued to sponsor the book Award by buying a set of books for each school and providing use of the East Wintergarden building as the venue for the grand finale event.

    A free set of the shortlist will be sent to subscribing schools in the Autumn term, courtesy of Canary Wharf Group. Additional sets are available to buy at the discounted price of £39. Email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    Subscribing schools will also recieve:

    • Book Award posters
    • Book award bookmarks for year 5 and 6 pupils

    Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird : Twelve year old Omar is from the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar wants to become a successful businessman but soon bombs are falling and Omar and his family have to flee their home and homeland. But where do you go when you can’t go home?

    Caleb’s Cab  by Sally and Sylvain Chomet : Escaping from a surreal world where money means more than happiness, Caleb needs to find his father before the evil Money Mongers get to him first. His only hopes – a fake moustache and his dad’s taxi cab.

    Mega Robo Rumble : Mega Robo Bros 2 by Neill Cameron : Alex and Freddy are brothers. They’re also robot (not so) secret agents defending East London from rampaging villains!

    Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk : Crow has always lived on the island, ever since, as a tiny baby, she was found washed up on the shore by gentle Osh. But as she grows older, questions start to arise about who she really is…

    Nevermoor : The trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend : Morrigan is due to die on her twelfth birthday, and is less than happy when it turns out that her death is coming a year early. Unless, that is, a different fate is planned for her, involving the Wundrous Society, a giant cat and the phenomenally ginger Jupiter North.

    Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin : Ebo is one of thousands of refugees from West Africa, desperately attempting to make the crossing to the refugee camps in Italy. Following his sister and his brother he crosses the Sahara to Tripoli and finally to the merciless crossing over the sea.

    The shortlist was be selected from the 2018 Must Read list and the 2018 Teen Booklist

    About the Book Award

    “Children need to be enthused to read and if they are, this will become a springboard for their achievements throughout the curriculum.”

    (Report of the Inquiry into Overcoming the Barriers to Literacy, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education, 2011)

    The annual Tower Hamlets Book Award is just one of the exciting events made possible by subscriptions to the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services, and is a free event for subscribing schools.

    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.

    Why join in?

    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.

    The award, and the primary and secondary book lists, encourage pupils to make their own choices about what they read, and to discover new and exciting authors and stories.

    Schools have the opportunity to attend the grand finale, meet authors and generally have a great time.

    Timeline and guidelines

    book award guidelines 2018

    • July : THBA Shortlist announced
    • July : Make sure you’re on our Book Award mailing list so that you’re kept up-to-date about this event. Email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk
    • August : Pupils can read the shortlist as part of their Summer Reading Challenge (see Idea Stores and public libraries)
    • September : Launch your book award reading groups
    • October : Registration for the THBA Grand Finale opens
      • If you’re taking part in the presentation competition, start planning your performances
    • November : Join us at the grand finale

     

  • Creative Writing Competition 2018

    Creative Writing Competition 2018

    grant_png_blackThe Book

    We need to make some changes around here, the winning entries of the 2018 Creative Writing Competition, has been published as a paperback and an eBook with funding from Arts Council England. Copies of the printed book have been sent to schools subscribing to the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services. To request copies, please contact jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    The following electronic editions are available.

    About the competition:

    Changes for webThe Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition is an annual event for schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for students aged nine years to sixteen. Conceived in 2004 by Tower Hamlets Gifted and Talented strand of the Excellence in Cities programme, it has been run by Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service since 2011 with the aims of promoting wider reading and literacy, and to encourage young people to express themselves through the written word.

    Research carried out during the 2017 competition showed that pupils participating in the competition and the author workshops benefited by gaining confidence in their writing ability and gaining greater insight into the issues raised by the competition themes.

    The winners!

    I am pleased to announce that the prize-winners for the 2018 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition have been chosen!

    DSC_0012 croppedAward-winning author Berverley Naidoo judged the pupil’s work on creative approaches towards the theme, engaging stories and characters, and inventive and original writing styles. The quality of the work was incredible this year, so very well done to all of the winners. There were definitely some surprises!

    The Schools Library Services would like to thank Clifford Chance for hosting the prize-giving.

    View winners
    Category Prize Pupil name Pupil school Title
    KS2 Poetry 1st & best in school Tasnimah Nasrin Clara Grant Primary Ms Tower Hamlets
      1st & best in school  Fahim Ali Marner Primary A mother’s cry…
      2nd & best in school Marwa Aya Zaouchi Osmani Primary Look at it in a different way
    2nd & best in school Nyah Mahdiya Rahman Stebon Primary In 100 years
    3rd & best in school Umyma Ahmed St Paul’s C of E Beauty is Pain
    3rd Jeannette M Goldman Solebay Primary Up to You
    Commended Khadija Begum Osmani Primary Changes in my world
    Commended  & best in school Oluwafeyikemi Abodunrin Calverton Primary I dream
    Commended  & best in school Sarah Hasan Ben Jonson Why do we have to live like this?
    Category Prize Pupil name Pupil school Title
    KS2 Short Story 1st & best in school Mahek Yasmin Virginia Primary The forgotten note
    2nd Saarah Noor Virginia Primary The Unexpected
    3rd & best in school Yusuf Hussain Blue Gate Fields Junior The animal revolution
    Commended  & best in school Safwan Ahmed Halley Primary The forgotten child
    Commended  & best in school Yahya Alam Wellington Primary A million-mile flight
    Commended  & best in school Phoebe Harniess St Saviour’s C of E Home
    Commended Ruby Caldarone Wellington Primary Dealing with body image
    Best in school Saima Zahra Rahman Thomas Buxton Size Doesn’t Matter
    Best in school Tawheed Murshed Old Palace Help Save the Earth
    Best in school Tazkia Hoque Globe Ways to change a woman’s rights
      Best in school Mauli Islam Cayley We are all different
    Best in school Dolly Harvey St Johns The Heart of Stone
    Category Prize Pupil name Pupil school Title
    KS3 Poetry 1st Yusra Abdul Central Foundation Girls My World and Me
    1st Rhaven Coster Central Foundation Girls I’m walking home
    2nd Humairah Yasmin Central Foundation Girls Together we can
    3rd Sara Uddin Central Foundation Girls Underneath
    3rd Fairoz Faria Central Foundation Girls Prescribed By Those Who Want to Silence Us
    Commended Sameen Jannat Central Foundation Girls Change
    Commended Daiyan Ahmed Stepney Green Problems
    Commended Labibah Siddiqah Central Foundation Girls Feigning the Fight for Freedom
    Category Prize Pupil name Pupil school Title
    KS3 Short Story
    1st Namira Qaisar Sandhu Swanlea Secondary I’m not happy
    2nd Nashid Tabassum Central Foundation Girls Surprise
    3rd Anisha Khanom Central Foundation Girls On the Inside
    Commended Tahiya Rahman Central Foundation Girls Adilah’s Terror
    Commended  & best in school Jannatul Rashid Bow  Secondary Society’s ignorance
    Commended Bella Donaldson Morpeth Secondary This Girl is Called Jazmyn
    Commended Maisha Tanvir Ali Central Foundation Girls Truly be me
    Commended Charlotte Worley Morpeth Lost
    Commended Ayesha Yasmin Morpeth More to life
    Best in school Siddika Khanom Oaklands Secondary Homeless
    Best in school Mohammed Sadad Hossain SJC Sec It all started as a dream
    Category Prize Pupil name Pupil school Title
    KS4 Poetry 1st & best in school Taqiya Labiba Central Foundation Lost pearls

    DSC_0015 croppedPrize winners were also invited an exclusive workshop with Beverley, kindly hosted by the Canary Wharf Idea Store, where they explored poetry, stories and storytelling.

    The winning work will be published this autumn as a paperback. The official launch will be during the Write Idea Festival in November. For more information about the competition anthologies, please contact jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    The Theme

    We need to make some changes around here wat the theme for the 2018 competition. The theme changes each year and suggestions and resources to help pupils approach each theme are sent to registered schools.

    Taking Part

    Registration for the 2018 competition is now closed.

    1. Register for the competition via SLA online (Tower Hamlets Schools) or by contacting the schools library service (non-borough schools)
    2. Contact us to arrange your free writing workshops (see below)
    3. Inspire your pupils to write stories and/or poems around the competition theme
    4. Send the work to us by the end of the spring term for judging

    Free writing workshops

    The Arts Council England is supporting the project by funding a series of author-led workshops for participating schools.  Two workshops per school will be allocated on a first come – first serve basis in the spring term.

    The intention is to run the workshops in February/ March so as to provide inspiration and advice to pupils prior to the competition deadline.

    Workshops will be available to schools registering for the Creative Writing Competition

    So that we are able to book the most suitable authors; Please send us

    • date(s) that you’d like to hold your workshop(s) on.
      • Workshops on different dates may be run by different authors
    • the year group(s) that you’d like an author to work with (primary schools should note that the KS2 category of the competition is for years 5 and 6 only).
    • an estimate of numbers. The maximum size for a workshop is one class (30 pupils).

    The date of the workshop can be at any time during the spring term. Once you’ve chosen the date we will let you know which authors will be available to visit your school.

    Please note that the funding is to run practical workshops and not group talks/ assemblies.

    Publishing the winners of the 2017 competition

    We’re pleased to announce that the This is My Dream paperback edition is now available! This book collects the winning work by Tower Hamlets and Syrian pupils who entered the 2017 creative writing competition

    • All winners (below) are entitled to a free copy.
    • All schools who participated in the 2017 competition will receive a set of these books.
    • All schools subscribing to the Schools Library Services will receive a free copy

    Please contact the Schools Library Services for more information

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  • KS2 Poetry Slam 2018

    KS2 Poetry Slam 2018

    The Junior Slambassadors Finale took place on Thurs 8th Feb at the Waterside Theatre of Bow School, with three primary schools competing for prizes that included best group performance (Olga), best poem (Woolmore), best line in a poem (Lansbury Lawrence) and best solo performance (Sabirin Saheba, Woolmore).

    Slam 18 for web
    Lansbury Lawrence Team Poets

    Nazmia Jamal and Joelle Taylor of the Poetry Society expertly MC’d the event, with a guest performance from Charlotte Sonnex of Central Foundation Girls School, who was one of the 8 national winners of the senior Slambassadors last year.

    As usual, the quality of both the poetry written by the children during their poetry workshops and the delivery of the poetry in performance was stunning, with children speaking loudly and clearly and with passion, and mostly without notes!

    A big thank you to Tracy Smith of Tower Hamlets Education Partnership who joined Gillian Harris of the Schools Library Service and Nazmia on the panel of judges.

    Schools can sign up for the 2019 Slam via SLAonline now!

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