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Showing posts from December, 2018

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Virus by Chris Bradford

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Set in a future world in which kids risk their lives for real playing an online fantasy game, Virus is a nerve-tingling combination of science-fiction and martial arts extravaganza. Scott know that playing Virtual Kombar will put his life in danger, but the only way to destroy the game is from the inside, and he really wants to avenge the death of his friend.  In this he's helped by a group of techno-hackers, but when it comes to the crunch, his tae kwon do skills mean he is on his own against powerful opponents. Chris Bradford is an expert at keeping the tension high and this is a page-turning, super-readable adventure. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 9+

KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - The Colour of the Sun - David Almond

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The day is long, the world is wide, you're young and free.  One hot summer morning, Davie steps boldly out of his front door. The world he enters is very familiar - the little Tyneside town that has always been his home - but as the day passes, it becomes ever more mysterious.  He turns away from the gossip and excitement and sets off roaming towards the sunlit hills above the town. As the day goes on, the real and the imaginary start to merge, and Davie knows that neither he nor his world will ever be the same again.

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - Becoming by Michelle Obama

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In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America - the first African-American to serve in that role - she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history. She also established herself as the most powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her-from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an execut

LRC Book Critic - The Song from Somewhere Else by A F Harrold

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This book is about a girl called Frank and a boy called Nick. No one likes Nick, he is big, weird and he smells. At first, Frank did not want to be his friend, or have anything to do with him.  They met when Nick ‘saved’ her from a group of bullies one afternoon.  Frank felt strangely calmed by the music at his house, so she decides to investigate.  My favourite part of this book is when Frank met the ‘troll’ in the basement, this is because the author described the scene very descriptively and you could really picture what was happening. My favourite character is Frank, this is because even though Neil bullied her, she offered to help his immediately when he got hurt.

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Mary Poppins: Illustrated Gift Edition by P. L. Travers and illustrated by Lauren Child

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An exquisite flagship gift edition of an iconic classic, illustrated by Lauren Child. When Mary Poppins arrives at their house on a gust of the East Wind and slides up the bannister, Jane and Michael Banks's lives are turned magically upside down. Who better to reimagine this endearing children's classic than today's most instantly recognisable and best-loved artist-illustrator? Lauren Child brings the magic of Mary Poppins into the hearts and imagination of readers and fans new and old. First published in 1964, Mary Poppins has been delighting readers ever since, both in books and on film. This stunning deluxe edition is published ahead of the release of the hotly anticipated Disney film Mary Poppins Returns.

KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

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The first book in the award-winning  Mortal Engines quartet. In a dangerous future, huge motorized cities hunt, attack and fight each other for survival. As London pursues a small town, young apprentice Tom is flung out into the wastelands, where a terrifying cyborg begins to hunt him down.  Mortal Engines  launched Philip Reeve's brilliantly-imagined creation, the world of the Traction Era, where mobile cities fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic future. Now, in time for the film debut, the critically acclaimed  Mortal Engines  quartet is repackaged with a fantastic and eye-catching cover featuring new artwork.

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - Dynasties - The Rise and Fall of Animal Families by Stephen Moss

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With a foreword by  Sir David Attenborough . Family isn't just important. It's everything. From lions hunting as a pride to penguins huddling together to keep from freezing in the bitter Antarctic winter, many animals are dependent on complex social relationships for their survival. Powerful dynasties lay claim to vast swathes of territory, fighting off rivals and securing their hunting grounds for generations to come.  Dynasties  offers an immersive insight into the shifting hierarchies of animal families. Each chapter follows a different dynasty, from the Marsh Lions of the Masai Mara to rival packs of painted wolves, from a tiger protecting her newborn cubs to a chimpanzee troop and the penguin colonies of the Antarctic. Alongside tender moments when bonds are strengthened through grooming and play, the book charts the rivalries that tip the balance of power, when family members turn against each other and younger animals grow strong enough to challenge for contro

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

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A Game of Thrones is the first volume in the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin. Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must ... and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty. The old gods have no power in the south, Stark's family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

KS4 LRC Book recommendation - Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

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Sephy is a Cross: dark-skinned and beautiful, she lives a life of privilege and power. But she's lonely, and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her. Callum is a nought: pale-skinned and poor, he's considered to be less than nothing - a blanker, there to serve Crosses - but he dreams of a better life. They've been friends since they were children, and they both know that's as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies - love is out of the question. Then - in spite of a world that is fiercely against them - these star-crossed lovers choose each other. But this is love story that will lead both of them into terrible danger . . . and which will have shocking repercussions for generations to come. Voted as one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic.

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - See you in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

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An astonishingly moving middle-grade debut about a space-obsessed boy's quest for family and home.  All eleven-year old Alex wants is to launch his iPod into space. With a series of audio recordings, he will show other lifeforms out in the cosmos what life on Earth, his Earth, is really like. But for a boy with a long-dead dad, a troubled mum, and a mostly-not-around brother, Alex struggles with the big questions. Where do I come from? Who's out there? And, above all, How can I be brave?  Determined to find the answers, Alex sets out on a remarkable road trip that will turn his whole world upside down . . . For fans of Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jack Cheng's debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time.

Happy Hanukkah!

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What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah (or Chanuka) is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It lasts for eight days and is usually celebrated in November or December. Hanukkah traditions include lighting candles, giving presents, playing games and eating food fried in oil, like doughnuts or potato pancakes. Special candles The traditional Hanukkah candle holder is called a Hanukkah menorah or hanukkiah and it has been used as a Jewish symbol since ancient times. A Hanukkah menorah has nine candles which are lit at night-time during Hanukkah. In London you can see a giant menorah lit up with candles for the Hanukkah London event, in celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights. This huge menorah in Trafalgar Square is installed close to the Christmas tree for a truly multicultural winter celebration. Playing dreidel A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each one of its sides. Playing with the dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game played in Jewish homes in Britain an