Library Latest March 2022
Hello and welcome to the March edition of Library latest. Despite February being an almost total washout, it is so good to see the sun again and the green shoots of spring popping up in the park – it truly gladdens the soul!
Books of the Month
A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood
In the autumn of 1931, 18 year old Freya runs away from her home in Cornwall to follow her dream of becoming an actress. When she finds work with a touring theatrical company, Freya thinks her path to success is clear and amidst all the glamour and bustle of stage life she finally discovers a place where she can belong. But can reality ever live up to expectations and what if her life turned out to be nothing like she had planned?
“ captivating, charming and nostalgic” “a brilliant, beautiful book”
Robin Hood : Piracy, Paintballs and Zebras by Robert Muchamore
Mobster Guy Gisborne has offered a £100,000 reward for anyone who captures Robin Hood. But while the grown ups try and keep Robin out of danger, the young rebel is determined to fight back with a robbery, a plot to hack the computers at Sherwood Castle and a daring assault using paintball guns and smoke bombs…
“intensely readable, outrageously enjoyable action”
New books
We have recently added over 40 new fiction books to our library shelves which are already being borrowed and really enjoyed. Titles include: Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann – a verse novel for older readers about Amber who is trapped by her father’s strict rules and expectations; Rick by Alex Gino about a boy questioning his identity and finding his place in the world; a series of hard hitting stories by Alan Gratz including Refugee, Grenade and Allies; A Secret of Birds and Bone by Kiran Millwood Hargreave – an enchanting and mysterious tale set in Italy.
Please come and see what other titles we have on offer.
Blind Date with a Book
To get us in the mood for Valentine’s Day every form was given a book carefully wrapped up in suitably romantic paper. Form tutors were encouraged to reveal the book to their form and enjoy a few chapters together. Hopefully it was a match made in heaven and everyone got to enjoy something a little different
World Book Day 3rd March 2022
St James continues to embrace World Book Day which in turn encourages a love of reading and books. This year some teachers were asked to hide behind a mask – The Masked Reader! – and read a chapter from their favourite children’s book. Could students guess who it was? Some proved to be very difficult!
In the library students could attempt a challenging literary quiz but if that proved too difficult there was some lovely colouring in courtesy of the Gruffalo and Zog – even teenagers need a bit of escapism and a reminder of happy days at primary school!
World Book Day has been happening for 25 years now and below are some of the books that were voted the most popular over the years as part of the Young Readers Programme:
1997 – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
1998 – Skellig by David Almond
2006 – Where’s Wally
2007 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
2010 – Billionaire Boy by David Walliams
2012 – Wonder by R.J.Palacio
2020 – a Kind of Spark by Ellie Nichol
2021 – You are a Champion by Marcus Rashford
All the above are available in library to borrow and the full list can be viewed on the World Book Day website
And don’t forget to exchange your voucher for a free book!
Dyslexia Friendly Books
We have added more dyslexia friendly books to our collection of short easy reads which are now clearly marked with a yellow label. These books have the ideal font, spacing and paper colour to make it easier for those who struggle to read. There is a wide range of engaging, topical themes and genres that handle a number of current issues which should be of interest to many. So please pop into the library or if you know of anyone tell them about it and we will point you in the right direction
Happy reading!
Mrs Peters
Librarian