Crisis at Christmas 2017

Thousands of people will be homeless this Christmas.

Each year, some of the staff at TRS choose to make a donation to Crisis instead of sending Christmas cards.  This year the total raised is £290.  

In addition, our amazing Teaching Assistants organised and funded a cake sale and staff raffle, with the money raised also going to Crisis. This brings the total raised to £435, which will reserve more than 17 places for homeless people this Christmas.

Crisis is a charity which offers shelter, companionship and life-changing services to people who are homeless.  To find out more visit the Crisis website..

🎅Books into Film at Christmas

What are you reading over the Christmas holiday? Come and browse and borrow from our display of Christmas books in the War Memorial Library and books with a film tie-in on TV in the Discovery Library!

School Librarian, Helen Smith, has compiled her annual list of Christmas book and film tie-ins that are on TV over the Christmas period.  Please click on the link to view: Christmas TV List 2017.

The Ravensbourne School - Eden Park High 2017 Poetry Anthology

So excited about The Ravensbourne School - Eden Park High 2017 Poetry Anthology! All proceeds go to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

 Contact mshuttleworth@e21c.co.uk

 for details.

Reading for Pleasure increases vocabulary regardless of background

Research by the UCL Institute of Education (IoE), has revealed that teenagers who read for pleasure on a regular basis have a better vocabulary than those who never read. 

11,000 14-year olds were given word exercises and even taking into account factors such as parents’ qualifications and profession, teenagers who read every day understood 26% more words than those who do not read in their spare time.  

According to lead author, Dr Alice Sullivan, “the link between reading for pleasure and better vocabularies suggests that if young people are encouraged to discover a love for books, it could alter the course of their lives, regardless of their background.”

Are You Ready To Take A Risk At Christmas?

The Library’s ‘Take a Risk’ competition is back by popular demand for Christmas! 

To take part, all you need to do is borrow a mystery ‘Take A Risk Book’, fill in the short questionnaire and you will automatically win a prize, and have your name entered into a free prize draw with the chance to win more prizes. PLUS there are spot prizes to be won!  

See a Librarian in the Discovery Library for details - Everyone's a winner!

Writing Guides from Cliff McNish

Author Cliff McNish writes brilliant fantasy and supernatural novels, some of which are available to borrow in the Discovery Library.  He has created six guides to help you write amazing stories, which he normally only gives away as part of an author visit.

The six guides are entitled The 4 Basic Stories, Five Easy Steps to Creating a Great Story, Creating great Heroes/Heroines in your stories, Creating Great Villains in Your Stories How to Write a Fantasy Story and How to Write a Ghost Story.

To find out more about Cliff McNish click here.

School Library Association Information Book Awards 2017 - Winners Announced!

The Information Book awards are designed to support school libraries, reinforce the importance of non-fiction and highlight the high standard of resources available.  The winner of this year's SLA Information Book Awards are:

Survivors of the Holocaust by Kath Shackleton - overall winner.  A graphic novel telling the stories of real-life holocaust survivors. On our wish list!



Mind Your Head by Juno Dawson - Children's Choice winner.  A must have book for teenagers about their mental health.  This is available to borrow from the War Memorial Library.

In addition, the winner of the first Hachette Children's Group Award for Outstanding Contribution to Information Books 2017 is Nicola Davies.  You will find some of her books in the Discovery Library.

Save our School Libraries

A campaign to halt the continuing decline in school library provision and the number of professionally qualified librarians in state-funded schools and colleges in England has been launched by CILIP, the professional body for Library and Information Professionals. 

150 authors, including Neil Gaiman, Philip Pulman, Malorie Blackman and Chris Riddell have co-signed an open letter to Justin Greening, the Secretary of State for Education, written by Dawn Finch, past President of CILIP, urging the Government to take urgent action to “counter the loss of school and college libraries before we consign a generation to a lifetime of low attainment and mobility”.  Caroline Roche, Chair of the School Libraries Group, has written an excellent piece on her blog, The Heart of the School, about the campaign, which has also been covered by the Guardian newspaper.

In an article in The Bookseller, Jo McCrum from the Society of Authors highlights the effects that cuts to libraries have on children 'who have limited or no access to books at home or through public libraries' and the importance, in an age of 'fake news', of teaching them how to 'question, to research and seek out well-documented evidence to support assertions'.  As she puts it, "guidance from a trained librarian and access to books is vital to their learning of these skills as well as general wellbeing, mental health and, ultimately, economic success".

We are fortunate at TRS that we currently have two excellent Libraries, which are well resourced and staffed by three professionally qualified librarians who are passionate about encouraging reading for pleasure and equipping students with information literacy skills.

World Book Day Christmas Poetry Competition

Why not get into the Christmas spirit by writing a 12 line poem (for the 12 days

of Christmas) on the theme of Christmas for the World Book Day Christmas Poetry Competition?  The poem can be about anything to do with the festive season!  

The competition is open to students up to age 18 and is split into three categories, 5-8, 9-12 and 13+.  The winner from each age group will receive a £25 National Book Tokens gift card and the top three entries will have their poem published on the World BookDay website.

The closing date is 1^st December and entries should be emailed to mail@worldbookday.com.  For more information click here.

Anti-bullying Week 2017

This week is Anti-Bullying Week, coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which aims to highlight bullying and encourage students, teachers and parents to take action against it.

We have a display of brilliant books in the Discovery Library on difference, acceptance and bullying, to highlight anti-bullying week, many of which appear on The Book Trust list.

Remembrance Day

Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, takes place on 11 November every year, marking the official ending of the WWI on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.  A two minute silence is held to remember the people who have died in wars.  There is also Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November, which falls on 12th November this year. 

The Discovery and War Memorial Libraries have special Remembrance displays of war time books for you to borrow.

At TRS, we will be holding assemblies for all form groups and selling poppies and other products in support of the Royal British Legion Annual Poppy Appeal.  There will also be visits for Year 7 students to see the school War Memorial. Initially dedicated to students and staff who gave their lives in the Great War, the Memorial is in the KS4/5 Library; known as the War Memorial Library.  

Carve Out Time to Read This Halloween!

Why not choose a 'scary' book to read over half term? Come and browse our display of horror books for Halloween in the Discovery and War Memorial Libraries. We have something for everyone - from Darren Shan to Bram Stoker, werewolves to vampires - and some books that are horrifying and funny! 

Libraries Week 9-14 October

It is Libraries Week. At TRS we have two fantastic Libraries, which are well resourced and staffed by three passionate and professionally qualified Librarians!

Nobel Prize in Literature 2017

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2017 has been awarded to Kazuo Ishiguro.

We have his books Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day in the War Memorial Library for you to borrow.

National Poetry Day 2017

Thursday the 28th of September is

National Poetry Day are running some great Poetry competitions, you can find details here.  They also have a list of recommended poetry books for young people.  If you're looking for inspiration, why not come and take a look at our display of Poetry Books in the Discovery Library?

Post-a-Read 2017

Thank you to everyone who told us what they were reading over the summer holidays. We've had postcards from Grenada to Whitstable and Croatia to Crete and lots of excellent book recommendations!  All the students who sent us a postcard have been awarded achievement points.

Come and have a look at our display, which is on the noticeboard outside the Discovery Library.  Remember, we are a reading school, so feel free to ask you teachers what they are reading!

Man Booker Prize 2017 - shortlist announced

The Man Booker Prize is awarded for fiction and is open to authors writing in English regardless of their nationality.

The six books on this year's shortlist are:

• 4321 by Paul Auster
• History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
• Elmet by Fiona Mozley
• Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
• Autumn by Ali Smith

The winner of the year's Man Booker Prize will be announced on Tuesday, 17th October.




Previous Man Booker Prize winners and shortlisted titles are available to borrow from the War Memorial Library.

International Literacy Day

Today is UNESCO's annual International Literacy Day.

Set up in 1966 to champion efforts to improve literacy around the world, this year's theme is 'literacy in a digital world'.

Welcome Back!

We would like to welcome back all the TRS students and staff and welcome all those who are new to the school, including the Eden Park High students and staff and the Bromley FC students.  We hope that you enjoy your time here! 

We hope you had a good summer, whether you went away or stayed at home.  We have received some postcards telling us what you were reading and look forward to displaying these. 

We have a great collection of fiction and non-fiction to browse and borrow in our Libraries, with Librarians on hand to help with homework and recommend a great read - just ask!

Display in the WML

For the KS3 students, the Discovery Library is open before and after school as well as at lunch time for quiet study. For KS4 students, the War Memorial Library is open at lunch time and for Post 16 students, it is available to use throughout the day including morning break.

Look out for our library competitions, including our weekly Word of the Week competition, with loads of great prizes to be won. We have changing book displays and displays of new books to encourage reading for pleasure. We are happy to consider buying any books that we do not currently have – just ask! There are suggestion boxes too for any comments or suggestions you may have.

Bromley Waterstone's Teen Book Club

Do you enjoy talking about books with snacks?  Why not try out the Waterstones' teen book club?  It is aimed at 14 -20 year olds and the next meeting is Thursday 24th August at 6pm.  This month's book is One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, described by Lovereading4kids as 'a hyper-tense high school who dunnit'.

If you are interested, email bromley@waterstones.com.

Free App for free eBooks from your public Library.

Great news from Bromley Libraries, there are two great new free Apps which allow you to download eBooks from the Public Library for free!!  All the details can be found here.

Author coming to Waterstones Bromley

Karen McManus, author of One of Us is Lying, is coming from the USA to Waterstones Bromley on Monday the 31st of July.  Click here for details.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
    Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
    Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
    Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
    Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
    And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
 
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom alive. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. He died on a Monday. But that Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates. Now, all four of them are suspects in his murder. Are they guilty? Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
 
They all have a motive. They all have something to hide. They all have a history with Simon. And one of them is definitely lying.

Missing your Librarian?

Why not use Book Sorter to help you find a great book to read during the holidays?

Man Booker Prize 2017 - long list announced

The Man Booker Prize is awarded for fiction and is open to authors writing in English regardless of their nationality.  

The long list, or Man Booker dozen, includes established and debut writers:

4321 by Paul Auster
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack
Resevoir 13 by Jon McGregor
Elmet by Fiona Mozley
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
Lincoln in Bardo by George Saunders
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Autumn by Ali Smith
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The shortlist will be announced on 13th September and the winner on the 17th October.  Previous Man Booker Prize shortlisted and winning novels are available to borrow from the War Memorial Library.

Jane Austen Bicentenary

Today, Tuesday 18th July, marks 200 years since the death of acclaimed novelist, Jane Austen.  Her portrait is to be used on the new £10 notes, which will be issued on 14th September 2017.  During her life time, however, Jane Austen’s novels were published anonymously and she is buried in Winchester Cathedral with no mention of her books.

Jane Austen’s novels, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma have been adapted for film and television.  They are available to borrow from the War Memorial Library.

YALC 2017

The UK's YA Lit Con is back for a fourth year.  Set up by acclaimed author Malorie Blackman during her time as Children's Laureate, the event celebrates the best in Young Adult fiction.  It will be taking place between 28-30 July as part of the London Film and Comic Con.  There will be writing workshops and book signings and lots of brilliant authors including Alex Wheatle, Holly Smale, Juno Dawson and Patrick Ness.  For more information click here.

Don't forget, we have lots of brilliant YA novels for you to read in War Memorial Library.  Ask your librarians or check out the new books page on the blog.

Carnegie Shadowing 2017 at TRS

A group of our Year 7 students, Alfie, Aimee, Amy, Avril, Dominika, Juliette, Oscar, Sebastian and Tanaka, took part in shadowing this year's CILIP Carnegie Children’s Book Awards.  This involved reading, discussing and reviewing the eight shortlisted titles selected by the judges.

Known as the Cosmic Ravensbourne Readers, the Shadowing group met for the last time on Tuesday, 27th June.  As well as discovering books they wouldn't normally choose, that challenged their existing ideas, the group enjoyed being able to express their opinions in a relaxed and friendly environment. As a thank you for taking part, everyone received a certificate, bookmark, printed copy of our Shadowing magazine, chocolate and a free book of their choice. We look forward to Carnegie Shadowing 2018!

The winners of the awards were announced on Monday 19th June.  They were Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys and The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon.  These books, and the other shortlisted titles, are available to borrow from the Discovery and War Memorial Libraries.

Summer Reading and Post-a-Read 2017

We would love you to send us a postcard of what you are reading over the summer! It doesn’t matter where the post card is from, Bromley or Borneo, Luton or Las Vegas, as long as you tell us what you are reading.  All entrants will have their postcard displayed and will be entered into a free prize draw!  

If you are looking for ideas of what to read ask your Librarians or check out the Lovereading4kids.com summer reading suggestions.

We have brilliant displays of new books as well as old favourites to browse and borrow.

Summer Reading in the WML

Harry Potter celebrates 20th Anniversary

Today, Monday 26th June, is the 20th Anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter book by J K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. There are lots of celebrations taking place, including the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at the British Library running from October 2017 to February 2018.  

Carnegie and Greenaway Medal Winners 2017 Announced!

The 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal, awarded for an outstanding book for children, has been won by Ruta Sepetys for Salt to the Sea, a heartbreaking and inspiring novel, told from the perspective of four young people, each with a secret to keep.  Based on true events, it tells the little known story of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff passenger ship during World War II, carrying 9,000 civilian refugees, nearly all of whom were drowned.

The brilliant Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon was awarded the Amnesty CILIP Honours, as the book on the shortlist that most distinctively illuminates, communicates, or celebrates our personal rights and freedom.

The Greenaway Medal for most outstanding illustration for children and young people was won by Lane Smith for There is a Tribe of Kids.

Check out the our Shadowing page, the Cosmic Ravensbourne Readers, soon to find out which books were our Shadower's favourites!