Happy New year from the SGS Library! As we leap into the spring term we have some exciting books to kick off January.
Did you get some new books for Christmas? Please review them on Reading Cloud via the review section or email us your written review:
mailto:library@suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk
We have some super new reads which have landed in the library. Check out these titles: Guinness book of Records 2022; Behave by Robert Sapolsky; Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson; Luck Uglies by Paul Durham; The End of Everything by Katie Mack; Brisinger by Christopher Padini and from the acclaimed American writer Mitch Albom, Stranger in the life boat.
Graphic Novel Club for year 8
Starting in January the Library will be launching our new Graphic Novel club for year 8 students. Using the exciting genre of Graphic Novels and Comic book styles, we will explore and learn all about this popular and unique way of storytelling. We will even produce our own Graphic Novels. Interested….? Come and join our great new club, on Monday 17th January, period 7, 14.50 – 15.35pm
Check out graphic novels on Sora, they have a huge selection for any fan or perhaps you would just like to have a browse and try something different.
English Language KS3 / KS4: Comic strips and graphic novels - BBC Teach
Exploring diversity in comic books
There has been some debate in recent years whether Comic book superheros are diverse enough? Marvel, the US Comic book creators tackled this issue with the creation of their character Riri Williams, a 15 year old black girl who becomes ‘Ironheart.’
Writer, Brian Michael Bendis, who spent time writing in troubled Chicago, USA, was struck by the issues the city faced with street violence. He went on to create the character, Riri, an engineering student living in Chicago with her mother following the death of her father. Riri is a super genius and creates a suit of armour similar to Iron man with which she uses to prevent crime. Tony Stark, Ironman, hears of her heroic acts and helps her to become a super heroin ‘Ironheart.’ Riri really is a unique and modern superhero!
If you are a comic book fan you may have heard of “Sandman” by Neil Gaimen. His collection of award-winning graphic novels is dark and combines modern myth and fantasy, in which historical drama, contemporary fiction and legend are intermixed. Once you start you’ll be instantly hooked!
https://www.goodreads.com/series/40372-the-sandman
Why not check out some other novels by this no.1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman: Norse Mythology, Coraline, Good Omens (written with Terry Pratchett, available on Sora) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is currently showing as a West End stage production, at the Duke of York theatre, London.
Holocaust Memorial Day 27th January 2020
On 27th January we mark the anniversary of the liberation of the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, 77 years ago. We remember on this day the over one million people who lost their lives and witnessed the horrors of concentration camps. Look out for author, Tom Palmer's book, After The War, which follows children liberated from concentration camps arriving in the Lake District.
You might like to explore some other book titles along a holocaust theme by searching on Sora and typing in ‘Holocaust.’
Alternatively we have a great range in the school library: The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman; The Diary of Anne Frank; The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Story by Heather Norris; The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab; Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe.
National Story telling week 30th January – 6rd February 2022
National Story telling week is a chance to promote and encourage storytelling. Perhaps we remember an adult or teacher reading to us in our primary school. The truth is, we all enjoy a good story whether it is one that is read to us, one that is relayed by a friend, listened to in an audio book, podcast or Youtube. It is also a great time to think about writing your own story. Authors: Jamila Gavin, Keith Gray, Jacqueline Wilson, David Almond and Malorie Blackman share their writing secrets with Anthony Horowitz and explores their passion for the writing, the spoken word and the importance of reading aloud.
English Language KS3 / KS4: What makes good story writing? - BBC Teach
Restored Big Ben rings out for 2022
On New Year’s Eve, people heard the sounds of Big Ben ring out for the first time since 2017. The iconic London landmark had been undergoing restoration and was finally unveiled for all to see with its revered chimes.
It got us thinking about some book titles with a London theme, here are some you might like to look at: The London Eye Mystery by Dowd Siobhan; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; The Left-handed booksellers of London by Garth Nix; Framed by Frank Cottrel-Boyce.
Buckingham Palace unveils the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee plans
Puddings, parties, parades and pageants
On 6th February the Queen will make history by becoming the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum jubilee, marking her 70 years reign on the throne. Renowned author, Sir Michael Morpurgo, has written a fairy story titled “There once is a Queen,” to embrace the creative talents and the arts from every part of nation.
Her majesty’s celebration plans have recently been made public with “puddings, parties, parades and pageants,” being the order of the four day UK bank holiday weekend 2nd – 5th June 2022.
Pudding Competition
A pudding competition has been launched for the general public to enter their best recipe for a Platinum pudding. All entries will be judged by Dame Mary Berry; Great British Bake off star, Liam Charles; Masterchef’s, Monica Galetti. Much like the Coronation Chicken recipe which was created for the Queen’s Coronation, the Platinum pudding is set to become just as iconic.
Calling all Sutton Grammar budding bakers
If you are an amateur baker with a great idea for a pudding fit for our Queen? Why not give it a go by submitting a recipe via Fortnum & Mason’s website:
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/platinum-pudding-entry
Here are a few books that have inspired us in the library to get some ideas brewing:
The Mad Hatters tea party, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll; Growing your own food, The Martian by Andy Weir; Professor Dumbledore’s quote: “Let the feast….begin,” The banquet at Hogwarts, Harry Potter, The Philosophers Stone by JK Rowling, Gooseberry Foyle (gooseberry Fool), Falstaff, Henry IV Part II by Shakespeare; Wonderful melt in the mouth chocolate, Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
We also have some super cook books in the library for you to browse for ideas our ref: 641. We liked Monet’s Cookery Notebooks by Claire Joyles and 20-Minute Cookbook by Steven Wheeler.
Check out’s:
https://bookriot.com/ya-thrillers-fall-2021/
British politics and leadership – free book and e-book offer
A downloaded PDF version of this book is available in the Library folder on the 'P' drive.
Quentin Blake’s story comes to life
Much loved illustrator and author Quentin Blake made a wonderful appearance over the Christmas holidays in a television programme called “Quentin Blake – The drawing of my life.” The show talks about Blake’s passion for drawing from a young age to working with authors David Walliams, Roald Dahl, poet Michael Rosen and his work in French novels, such as, Candide Ou L’optmise by Voltaire, to note. Blake has illustrated 500 books, his appealing and unprohibited work will be at the centre of a new gallery devoted to illustration opening in London 2022.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0012xpw/quentin-blake-the-drawing-of-my-life
Reading lists reminder
We have reading lists available on the P drive in the Library folder including a Black lives matter reading list.
Don’t forget your reading passports
10 books Bronze
20 books Silver
30 books Gold Awards
Well Done to our winning students!
Congratulations to Eric, Ezra and Raadin, Y7; Ludwick, Y8; Christian, Y9, the top Lower School Library book borrowers last term. All have received a book prize from the Library.
Congratulations also to 7L who once again were the winners in the Library Christmas Quiz by submitting the most correct entries.
Overheard in the library!
Iron –on! Recently in the news a man claimed to still be using the same Iron that was given to him by his Grandmother who originally bought it in the 1940’s! It got us thinking about appliances that we have around the house today which have revolutionised our day to day existence. The book “Fifty things that have made the modern economy,” by Tim Harford, is an excellence read which you will find in our economics section in the library.