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Showing posts from March, 2020

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

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Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2016 Winner of Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2017 We knew we was just fragments of legend… There is no better feeling. After signing up for the US army in the 1850s, aged barely seventeen, Thomas McNulty and his brother-in-arms, John Cole, go on to fight in the Indian wars and, ultimately, the Civil War. Having fled terrible hardships they find these days to be vivid and filled with wonder, despite the horrors they both see and are complicit in. Their lives are further enriched and imperilled when a young Indian girl crosses their path, and the possibility of lasting happiness emerges, if only they can survive. Moving from the plains of the West to Tennessee, Sebastian Barry's latest work is a masterpiece of atmosphere and language. Both an intensely poignant story of two men and the lives they are dealt, and a fresh look at some of the most fateful years in America's past,  Days Without End  is a novel never

KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - Havenfall by Sara Holland

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Maddie loves spending summers at her uncle's Inn at Havenfall. But the Inn is much more than a Maddie's safe haven, and life in Havenfall isn't without its secrets. Beneath the beautiful, sprawling manor in Colorado lie hidden gateways to other worlds, some long-sealed by ancient magic. When a body is found on the grounds, the volatile peace brokered between these worlds is irrevocably compromised. What's worse is that Maddie's friend Brekken stands accused of the murder. With everything she loves at stake, Maddie must confront shocking truths about the dangers lurking beneath Havenfall - and discover who she really is. This sweeping new series, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Melissa Albert and Holly Black, is sure to enthral readers old and new.

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Alex Rider - Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

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The first action-packed adventure that started the number one bestselling Alex Rider series. In the first book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country. But the teenage spy soon finds himself in mortal danger.

2020 Carnegie and Greenaway Shortlists

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SHORTLISTS FOR 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist (alphabetical by author surname): 1.      The Black Flamingo  by  Dean Atta , illustrated by Anshika Khullar (Hachette Children’s Group) 2.      Nowhere on Earth  by  Nick Lake  (Hachette Children’s Group) 3.      Lark  by  Anthony McGowan  (Barrington Stoke) 4.      Patron Saints of Nothing   by  Randy Ribay  (Little Tiger) 5.      Lampie  written and illustratedby  Annet Schaap  and translated by  Laura Watkinson  (Pushkin Children’s Books) 6.      Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black  by  Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick , illustrated by Alexis Deacon (Walker Books) 7.      On the Come Up  by  Angie Thomas  (Walker Books) 8.      Girl. Boy. Sea.   by  Chris Vick  (Head of Zeus)   LONGLISTS FOR 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED 2020 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist (alphabetical by illustrator surname): 1.     

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - The Mirror & the Light - The Wolf Hall Trilogy 3 by Hilary Mantel

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From a bloodied and tormented child on the rough-and-ready streets of Putney, to the service of the country’s most rich and powerful, Thomas Cromwell has ascended to the highest echelons of Henry VIII’s tumultuous court. He has survived the fall of Cardinal Wolsey and inveigled his way into the King’s confidence, overseen the overthrow of two queens and taken revenge on those who betrayed his former master. Now all of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows and the question remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze? Eagerly awaited and eight years in the making,  The Mirror & the Light completes Cromwell’s journey from self-made man to one of the most feared and influential figures of his time. Told with immediacy and pace, Mantel’s novels immerse readers in her Tudor world; rich with the sights, smells and textures of 16th century Engl

KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - The Dark Lady by Akala

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A pickpocket with an exceptional gift. A prisoner of extraordinary value An orphan haunted by dreams of the mysterious Dark Lady Henry is an orphan, an outsider, a thief. He is also a fifteen-year-old invested with magical powers ... This brilliant, at times brutal, first novel from the amazing imagination that is Akala, will glue you to your seat as you are hurled into a time when London stank and boys like Henry were forced to find their own route through the tangled streets and out the other side.

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day by Dominique Valente

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Willow Moss, the youngest and least powerful sister in a family of witches, has a magical ability for finding lost things - like keys, or socks, or wooden teeth. Useful, but not exactly exciting . . . Then the most powerful witch in the world of Starfell turns up at Willow's door and asks for her help. A whole day - last Tuesday to be precise - has gone missing. Completely. And, without it, the whole universe could unravel. Now Willow holds the fate of Starfell in her rather unremarkable hands . . . Can she save the day - by finding the lost one?

KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - Dare to be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World by Lizzie Velasquez

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Celebrated motivational speaker and YouTube sensation Lizzie Velasquez shows us how we can learn to accept all parts of ourselves and others to create a culture of kindness and a more compassionate world. Born with a rare genetic condition, Lizzie Velasquez always knew she was different, but it wasn't until she was much older that she understood what that meant to others. At seventeen she came across a viral video entitled 'World's Ugliest Woman'- only to discover that it featured her. In response, she decided to stand up on behalf of victims everywhere and created one of YouTube's most popular motivational channels and a TEDx talk that has drawn tens of millions of viewers. In this daring, inspiring book, Lizzie reveals the hidden forces that give rise to self-doubt, shame and cruelty, and empowers us to redirect them to unlock empathy and kindness for ourselves and others. Through her own battles with anxiety and coping with disappointment, she demonstr

KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky

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Women in Sport  celebrates the success of the tough, bold and fearless women who paved the way for today's athletes. The sportswomen featured include well-known figures like tennis player Serena Williams and broadcaster Clare Balding, as well as lesser-known pioneers like Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel, and Keiko Fukuda, the highest-ranked female Judoka in history. From the creator of the bestselling  Women in Science , this richly illustrated book highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable sportswomen from the 1800s to today, including trailblazers, Olympians and record-breakers in more than forty sports. It also contains infographics on topics such as muscle anatomy, pay and media statistics for female athletes, and influential women's teams.

KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Girls Who Changed the World by Michelle Roehm McCann

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From the inspiring author of  Girls Who Rocked the World  comes another comprehensive collection of true, inspiring profiles of successful young women throughout history who made their mark on the world before turning twenty. Young women today crave strong, independent role models to look to for motivation.  Girls Who Changed the World  offers a fun and uplifting collection of influential stories with forty-five more movers and shakers who made a difference early on in life. From Cleopatra to Mindy Kaling, and Aretha Franklin to Emma Watson - each with her own incredible story of how she created life-changing opportunities for herself and the world - you'll get to know these capable queens of empires and courageous icons of entertainment. Also included are profiles of gutsy teenagers who are out there rocking the world right now and personal aspirations from today's young women.

OPHS World Book Week KS5/Adult LRC Book Recommendation - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript of the Original West End Production (Paperback) J. K. Rowling (author), John Tiffany (author), Jack Thorne (author)

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A full nineteen years has passed since the climactic finale of  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Voldemort is a shadow of the past; Harry Potter himself is now a burdened employee at the Ministry of Magic, the wizarding triumphs of his youth seemingly shelved for the demands of family life. Once again, the vaulting arches of Kings Cross become the gateway to wild adventure as young Albus Severus Potter – Harry’s now second son – boards a waiting Hogwarts Express, prepared to fulfil his own destinies.   What lies ahead is as much about the past as it is the future; it will be a time of unexpected alliances and the extraordinary lure of potentially changing what has already come to be. Although much-loved comrades will indeed play their part – no Harry Potter tale can possibly be complete without the courage and companionship of Ron and Hermione – this is very much the next extraordinary chapter, a story where the son of the world’s most famous wizard finds both camaraderi

OPHS World Book Week KS4 LRC Book Recommendation - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

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‘Potter, did she say?’ ‘The Harry Potter?’ Life isn’t much fun at number four Privet Drive, at least not for Harry Potter, living under the stairs in a cupboard full of spiders, but all of that is about to change.  On the eve of Harry’s eleventh birthday the letters start arriving; letters written in emerald green ink on yellowing parchment with an unmistakable letter H on purple wax seals. Be cause Harry Potter is no ordinary boy, he is the boy who lived, the wizard whose name everyone in the magical world knows and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin and life for Harry Potter will never be the same again.

OPHS World Book Week KS3 LRC Book Recommendation - Matilda by Roald Dahl

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Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most silly, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, nightmare of a school principal, Miss ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge. She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never