Please click into the individual blog post, as the links are currently missing on the library page, (formatting issue being investigated).
Sorry that we still haven't been able to give you access to the school library in person yet, but currently it is being used as part of Yr 13 bubble.
In the meantime, let me give you a reminder of how to access our Sora library app. There is a link to the Sora app on the pupil page of the school website or at the top of the sidebar here on the main library page. Download the Sora app or explore in browser https://soraapp.com Enter the setup code uksecondary if asked, and sign in with your school Google login and email password. And in the meantime, here is a Getting Started video guide or there is a PDF version on the P drive in the P:\LIBRARY\Sora folder.
I'm going to repeat a top tip from last term which is how to access a public library within Sora. Under settings, click add a public library, then type in London Libraries Consortium (for Sutton public library) in the search bar and select by clicking on the "This is my library" button.
Today is Read An Ebook Day so you'll find plenty to choose from on Sora. Also if you use the hashtag #ebookLove on social media to tell the world which ebook you’re enjoying, you'll be entered into a free draw to win Sora apparel.
We noticed over the summer that the most popular books you chose on Sora were the Wimpy Kid series. We are hoping you will expand your reading repertoire, as there are so many great genres out there, but for you Wimpy Kid fans, we've found a competition where you have the chance to win the entire Wimpy Kid collection.
~~~~
National Poetry Day is on 1st October and this year's theme is vision. Schools are encouraged to create poems, performances, displays and their own special poetry anthologies as part of the National Poetry Day celebrations using the hashtag #MyNPDPoem. Also Poetry By Heart will once again be running their annual competition, in which Alim of Y8 did so well, with his 2020 runner-up achievement in the London South area. You may see details for 2021 here.
And on the theme of poetry, the RSPB are running a WildVerse competition in conjunction with Fun Kids Radio.
Now for a quick round-up of a few other ideas and resources.
LoveReading 4 Kids is an excellent website where you can search over 300,000 fiction and non-fiction books by target reading age. It encompasses book reviews, extracts, audiobook samples, awards, competitions and activities. And it has a good feature in its debut of the month section on Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty, 16 year old winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize.
Do you enjoy listening to stories? Lara McDonnell who plays Holly Short in the movie is currently reading a chapter of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl each day. The film is one of those that has missed the big screen due to lockdown.
There is an opportunity to win a Skype visit to the school by Tom Gates author Liz Pichon, along with other goodies. In line with the theme of her latest title Shoe Wars, all you need to do is draw your ultimate gadget shoe.
As I've previously mentioned, there are always plenty of giveaways on the Book Trust website. Today I am going to point out this one to win two confidence-boosting books to help you improve your self-esteem and dare to be brilliant at (almost) anything.
Another website which features lots of giveaways for all ages is the National Book Tokens website. Currently they have one to win a set of Agatha Christie's titles. This ties in nicely with 2020 marking 100 years since the publication of Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (available on Sora) – the book that introduced Hercule Poirot to the world. Plus it is 130 years this week since she was born on 15 September 1890.
The National Literary Trust have launched a new Virtual School Library this week, where every week, a popular children's author or illustrator will provide you with free books, exclusive videos and their top three recommended reads. This week's librarians are Greg James and Chris Smith, authors of Kid Normal and it includes a free audio download of their first book in the series, which may be of interest to Yr 7.
The Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival has gone online this week and their events will be available to watch until 30 September. These include sessions with Juno Dawson, Alex Wheatle and Devon Glover.
This weekend will be Open House London 2020, where traditionally you get the opportunity to visit properties that are not usually open to the public. Obviously the event has had to be scaled down significantly this year, but there are still a few events happening locally, plus some online events. Here are those in London Borough of Sutton. I would particularly like to highlight the online story behind BedZED eco-village, which is the UK’s first large-scale, mixed-use sustainable community.
And in case you are unaware, Sutton public libraries opening hours have now returned to pre-lockdown timings on Monday to Saturday but currently remain closed on Sundays.
Don't forget that we will happily accept all book-related contributions from students and staff to our blog. Plus you have just over a week left until 28 September to submit your book reviews for the prize-winning summer holiday reading challenge. And please email us your suggestions for what you would like to see on our blog.
Finally now for a bit of fun, we have a Roald Dahl crossword to share with you, to link in with Roald Dahl Story Day which was on 13th September, shared with permission from Roald Dahl Fans.com