This month we are excited to be celebrating Non-Fiction November in the school library. Check out our big library screen for some great subject specific suggestions. If you enjoyed reading a non-fiction or fiction book from our school library recently, don’t forget to leave a review on the Libresoft plus earn yourself an achievement point.
Thank you to everyone who entered our bookmark competition, we had some incredible and creative designs submitted to us.
Remember to keep a look out for our Book Advent Calendar, Year 7 Christmas tree and our library Christmas quiz, coming soon.
National Non-Fiction November
National Non-Fiction November is all about celebrating real-life facts and fascinating information! It started as National Non-Fiction Day, thanks to Adam Lancaster, during his years as chair, and has grown into a whole month dedicated to readers who love learning about the world around them.
This year’s theme is Past Puzzles and Timeless Treasures. From big global events to personal stories, there’s something for everyone to explore. Ever wondered how we know what happened in the past? Historians, archaeologists, and even forensic scientists work hard to piece together clues and share them with us. And it’s not just in books—history is everywhere! Look around: buildings, statues, museums, and galleries all hold secrets and treasures from the past. You might even discover some local history treasures near your home or check out our school’s history archives, available for students to access.
The NNFN have put together a fantastic Past Puzzles and Time Treasures Booklist.
Credit: www.fcbg.org.uk/nnfn
Remember to keep safe online. Always ask your parent/guardian or a member of staff if you are unsure.
In our school library we are big fans of author and historian Dominic Sandbrook. We recommend his “Adventures in Time” series of books for KS3 upwards. KS5 students might like to borrow: Great British Dream Factory, The: The Strange History of Our National Imagination; Who Dares Wins: Britain, 1979-1982; State of Emergency: Britain, 1970-1974.
125 Books Nominated for The Carnegies Medals for Writing and Illustration 2026
Nominations have been announced for the 2026 Carnegies, the UK’s longest-running and best-loved children’s book awards. A grand total of 125 books have been nominated for the 2026 Medals. 62 books are in contention for the Carnegie Medal for Writing, which is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that sparks an outstanding reading experience, and 65 books for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, which celebrates an outstanding reading experience through illustration. This includes two titles that have received nominations in both Medal categories.
Among the nominees is Jeremy Strong, a beloved author and champion of school libraries. The Carnegies are organised by CILIP, the UK’s library and information association, and are uniquely judged by librarians.
Discover the 125 books nominated for the Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration. We have a few titles already in our school library: The Beck by Anthony McGowan; What Happens Online by Nathanael Lessore; Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns; A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson; Traumaland by Josh Silver.
Join KS3 Book Club
Expand your mind this autumn and come along to our School Library KS3 Book Club. We meet fortnightly on Wednesdays week B. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 26th November at lunchtime, in the school library.
Discover amazing stories, share your thoughts and read something new. Whether you’re into fantasy books, mystery books, or adventure books, there is something for everyone. Everyone from Year 7 – 9 is welcome.
Alice in Wonderland
by Blog Buddy Wenlong 9W
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is an excellent book centred around the many misadventures of a young girl named Alice, often with humorous consequences. Alice encounters many strange creatures, such as the baby who transforms into a pig after being cradled by Alice for some time. She is given to sudden changes in mood, and is impulsive and impetuous, but strives to be polite, often in vain.
The book is believed to be based on the stories Lewis Carroll told to the Liddell family during boating trips. Lewis Carroll became friends with Henry Liddell, who was the Dean of Christ Church at Oxford, where Carroll (whose real name was Charles Dodgson) taught mathematics.
The character of Alice, is a pivotal figure in the making of Alice in Wonderland, born out of Carroll’s imagination, and whilst one of Liddell’s daughters shares the same name as the fictional character, there remains disagreement as to how much the story is based on her.
There is an official sequel to Alice in Wonderland, entitled Alice Through The Looking Glass, as well as several other sequels by modern writers. You will find both books in our school library available
to borrow today.
Author Birthday – Robert Louis Stevenson
13th November 1850 By Blog Buddy Aadarsh 9G
On 13th November we celebrated the birth of the Renowned Victorian Author, Robert Louis Stevenson. Robert Louis Stevenson had a childhood marked by chronic illness, which confined him to bed for lengthy periods and led to much of his education taught by private tutors. This isolated but imaginative childhood was spent reading, listening to stories from his beloved nanny “Cummy,” and taking trips with his father, an engineer, around Scotland to inspect lighthouses.
He was the only child of Thomas and Margaret Stevenson and came from a family of engineers, lawyers, and ministers, with his family expecting him to do the same. But he did not, instead he followed his passion and decided to take a leap of faith and become a freelance author in 1867. He did not have much traction until 1883 (16 years later) when he wrote his first real success being “Treasure Island.” Nowadays his books are revered in English secondary school curriculums; such as “Jekyll and Hyde.” And despite his premature death in 1894, his books with their detailed storytelling and complex themes will be remembered for a long time.
Spotlight on Author Neil Gaiman
By Blog Buddy Zach 9M
Gaiman was born in Porchester on the 10th November 1960. This month is also his birthday! Here are some of the books you can find by him in the library.
American Gods
After three years in prison, Shadow Moon is free to go home. But hours before his release, his beloved wife is killed in a freak accident. Numbly, he boards a plane where he meets an enigmatic stranger who seems to know Shadow and claims to be an ancient God – and King of America.
The Graveyard Book – The Graphic Novel
This book follows a boy named Bod, as he grows up, but in a graveyard, raised by ghosts and a vampire! He is constantly hunted by ‘the man Jack’ and at one point Bod attends school. It tells the stories of his friendships and adventures in life.
Both The Graveyard Book and American Gods are in our school library available to borrow. We also have The Ocean at the End of the Lane; Neverwhere; Norse Mythology and Caroline (Graphic Novel – 741). Don’t forget to check out Sora for The Graveyard Book novel.
Christmas Activities Coming soon…
Get involved with some of our exciting things happening before the Christmas break:
Our library Advent Calendar
Year 7 Book Christmas Tree
KS3 Christmas Quiz