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So the day I've been looking forward to most since I started this role has finally arrived - Thursday 4 March - World Book Day. However not quite as I envisaged. I had anticipated plenty of activities in the library, but of course that is not possible due to lockdown. But when you page down, you will see we have a couple of SGS World Book Day competitions. And in the meantime I have found plenty of resources to share with you.
By now, you should have received your £1 book token by email. (We've also saved a copy on the P drive in the P:\LIBRARY\World Book Day 2021 folder). To help you decide which book to spend your token on, you may take a sneak peek inside any of the £1 books or meet the authors. The World Book Day £1 books can be found in major supermarkets and WH Smiths, or bookshops on your high street may be open during lockdown for click and collect. Participating bookshops will honour the tokens beyond the 28 March expiry date while stocks last, once they reopen after lockdown. BTW the token is also printed on McDonald’s Happy Meal boxes, so you may even manage to get more than one free book.
First of course is the official World Book Day website which is bursting with material. And they have a sub-site aimed specifically at teens. I'm sure you wish to have a browse around yourselves but I'll point out a few pages. There is a Design A Book Token competition open to those aged upto 16. Plus they are running a weekly 'Show Your Story Shares' competition and this week's theme is Bringing Books To Life.
There is a masterclass academy featuring challenges and activities from the authors and illustrators of the £1 books..
They have a brand new selection of free audiobooks to listen to. Page down to the bottom to find those targeted at KS3.
There are the 'Reading is Power' podcasts from authors including Muhammad Khan and Frances Hardinge.
Plenty of articles in their newsfeed, like Author Melinda Salisbury has been thinking about climate change and recommend some books for teens that feature protagonists dealing with ecological disasters.
I don't know whether Friday's 'Books and the Real World' live event at 10.30am will coincide with a suitable lesson, otherwise you may catch it later on YouTube.
Some YA authors share their recommended reads.
Your peers have voted on the top 25 books for teens. And I've downloaded the following booklists to the P Drive, which are saved in the P:\LIBRARY\World Book Day 2021 folder. Empowering Books Gender Politics Dystopian Tales
They are setting up a World Book Day book club which starts in April and the first title to read will be High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson.
Mrs Taylor's favourite book at the moment is 'The Last Paper Crane' by Kerry Drewery and her favourite book of all time 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' by Jules Verne. Difficult choice for Mrs Procter, as she loves all the books she has read by John Heldt, so couldn't possibly pick between them. Instead she will select her favourite YA read, 'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas.
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Now to take a look at World Book Day offerings from other sites.
There is a World Book Day competition on the Skulduggery Pleasant website, along with plenty more fun.
DK have created a downloadable activity pack to tie in with 'Protect the Planet' by Jess French. I have saved a copy on the P drive in the P:\LIBRARY\World Book Day 2021 folder.
This week's author of the week on the National Literary Trust's Virtual School Library is Katherine Rundell. The resources include an interview about her World Book Day title Skysteppers plus you may listen to a free audiobook of The Good Thieves. The latter title is also available to borrow from LLC.
Author Sita Brahmachari will be talking about her book When Secrets Set Sail, and her new World Book Day book The River Whale at 9am on World Book Day. This event is part of the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival and will be free to watch online until 19 March.
Scholastic have been holding World Book Day live events all this week and you can either watch live or watch a replay of any which have already happened. Some of them also have downloadable resources. I thought I would highlight the 4pm Book Club session with Phil Earle, author of The Bubble Wrap Boy (available to borrow online from LLC). Phil Earle kindly sent us a few free bookmarks which I distributed to some of you last term.
The ReadingZone Bookshow discusses new books and creative writing in a celebration of reading for World Book Day, featuring authors including Sam Sedgman and Ross Welford.
The Oxplore Book Club launches on World Book Day for students in Yr7-9, including prizes to be won. There will be a new book each month and the first title will be The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, (available on Sora).
Guppy Books publishers are setting up Guppy School, ready for World Books Day. This will be a resource bank to connect their authors with readers. These include Louisa Reid, author of Wrecked and Beverley Birch, author of Song Beneath the Tides.
How about having a go at the World Book Day Britannica Online Quiz with a chance to win prizes in every round plus the overall grand prize of £100 worth of non-fiction books.
153 authors, including Sophie Anderson, author of The House With Chicken Legs, all wish everyone a Happy World Book Day.
Please email your treasure hunt entry to kroberts67@suttonmail.org
Plus don't forget to email us your World Book Day photographs or videos by 15 March and we will award a housepoint each to our favourites. As mentioned last week, these could be on the theme of attempting a book-related Guinness World Record® like making the longest book domino line. But we are looking forward to seeing any other World Book Day photographs too.
This week is National Careers Week but we are unable to hold a Careers Fair at school due to lockdown. However you may view a virtual Careers Fair here.
The only careers books we could find on Sora are a series of easy readers in Spanish. So if that is a language you are studying, then you could try reading those.
But here are some more useful titles for everyone that you may borrow online from LLC. Reinventing Robotics by Saskia Lacey Careers in Computer Forensics by Terry Teague Meyer What Degree Do I Need to Pursue a Career in Information Technology & Information Systems? by David Kassnoff
On a more serious note, this week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. If you are worried for yourself or a friend, you may always speak to a member of staff. I have downloaded a copy of this information sheet to the P drive in the P:\LIRARY folder. And there is a list of helpful books here. There is more information on the NHS website too and their Youth Helpline is 0808 801 0711.
There is also a book available to borrow from Sora called Can I tell you about Eating Disorders by Bryan Last and Lucy Watson.
Another title, but the content is more aimed at parents is Anorexia and other Eating Disorders by Eva Musby. However it is available to read online here.
Now for a quick round-up of a few other ideas, resources and articles.
Random book fact for the day. Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes began their first adventure about 140 years ago in A Study in Scarlet on 4th March.
Penguin Virtual Talks are a series of live videos for young people focussing on issues including how to challenge inequality and prepare for the world of work. And also on the Penguin YouTube platform is the Platform YA Book Club.
There is a #SecondaryBookChat on Twitter for age 13+ on the second Wednesday of each month so the next one will be on 10 March at 8pm. The book being discussed this time is 'Emily Knight I am … Becoming' and author Abiola Bello will be on the chat.
Read for Good have collated a selection of free e-books, audiobooks and more.
British Science Week is from 5-14 March, but as this is already a packed bumper edition, we will cover that in next week's blog.
Finally if you have read down this far, here is a round-up of some more World Book Day activities. They are aimed at KS2 but Yr7 may enjoy.
Bournville BookFest for Schools has been scheduled for this week and has a great selection of videos from authors and illustrators including Katherine Rundell, Tom Palmer, Benjamin Zephaniah and Michael Rosen. I've saved a copy of the accompanying activity pack on the P drive in the P:\LIBRARY\World Book Day 2021 folder.
The Children's Bookshow Digital Festival 2021 has also been scheduled to coincide with World Book Day and here are the YouTube links to the sessions.
Michael Rosen at 11am on Wednesday 3 March
Kwame Alexander at 1.30pm on Wednesday 3 March
Catherine Johnson in conversation with Nicolette Jones at 11am on Thursday 4 March
Daniel Morden at 1.30pm on Thursday 4 March
The Anne Frank Trust are hosting an interview with author Tom Palmer on World Book Day at 10am. Please email us for the link to watch this video.
Gather a pile of books from your shelf if you wish to try this World Book Day Scavenger Hunt. I've saved a copy on the P drive in the P:\LIBRARY\World Book Day 2021 folder.
The National Literary Trust are hosting a Facebook live stream at 9.15am on World Book Day with Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton, authors of Football School. They have collated plenty of other football themed literacy activities, from authors including Tom Palmer and Dan Freedman.
David Walliams starred in a special live World Book Day Assembly earlier this week, but you may still register to watch it on catch up. He has also launched a World Book Day competition.
The 2021 Blue Peter Book Award winners will be announced in a Blue Peter World Book Day Special edition on 4 March at 5.30pm on CBBC. The winning authors will also be on the show. In the meantime, you may checkout extracts of the shortlisted titles.