The Online Library Newsletter - November Issue #4

The OPHS Library Online Newsletter

November 2021  #4

Welcome to our Online Monthly Library Newsletter

Every month, in our Library Newsletter, we will have reviews on wonderful books that we have in our Library, snippets of new books on the horizon and interesting information about lovely Authors and books-to-movies information. There will be links to access upcoming books that are in The Library and lots of book information that you will enjoy.  We will have competitions, winner announcements, links to short stories and poems and other interesting literacy information all in one Newsletter!  

If you would like to add a contribution to our next Newsletter (December issue), such as:  What is your favourite book from our Library?  What were your favourite and/or worst books that you have ever read?  Would you like to send in a book review and/or a literacy picture? Can you think of anything else that would look great in our newsletter?  Then please email:

ltaylor@oakspark.redbridge.sch.uk

If your contribution is displayed in the Library Newsletter you will get a 

‘Thank You’ certificate from The Library and fabulous achievement points 

will be added to your Sims account.

Show us what you have read and we will publish your photo in our next issue of our online Library Newsletter!

World Book Day 2022 is coming on the 3rd March 2022!

We're so excited to announce the 25th anniversary of World Book Day on

 3rd  March 2022. It will be filled with lots of exciting, celebratory ways to 

promote reading for pleasure, and all-year round, including the new £1 books.

Author News 

 Remembrance Day 2021 resource

Author, Tom Palmer and his link to Chapter 1 of his  Book, Armistice Runner:

https://www.tompalmer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Armistice%20Runner%20Sampler%20PRINT.pdf

A note from the Author 

“I wanted to write a book about fell-runners past and present. My

daughter is a fell-runner and her races have become a big part of our life. The

idea for Armistice Runner came to me standing with other parents and

grandparents in muddy fields, watching our children enjoying taking part in

sport. Every weekend I see active children being friendly, healthy and happy,

completely contradicting the cliché that all children today are device-addicted

and woefully unfit. I have also heard older relatives inspiring children by

sharing memories of sport from their childhoods. That made me want to write

about sports handed down from generation to generation, drawing me initially to

the history of fell-running and then to the fascinating stories of the war

heroes of its past. In the muddy fields, along with the parents and

grandparents, stand the coaches. Volunteers who give up their time and use

their passion to make it possible for millions of children to enjoy dozens of

sports every week in the UK. Armistice Runner is dedicated to them.” 

TOM PALMER

Rubik’s Cube Club has started!!

Pop into the Library to put your name down to join the Club, which is held every Wednesday in The Library

Games Club is starting!! Pop into the Library and put your name down on our waiting list!

The Club will be held every Tuesday Lunchtime!

Book Reviews from Students

Title: The Bubble Boy

 Blurb: Amir is mad. He’s crazy. But the hospital wouldn’t let a crazy person in. They must have interviewed him and checked his qualifications. But maybe he didn’t even meet them? Maybe he hasn’t even come from India. He might have arrived on an alien spaceship and snuck in here in the middle of the night. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 because it didn't have that much action but then it was also about the boy's life and how hard it was for him to deal with the illness that he had.

 

Why did you like this book:

This book was good because it was almost kind of saying that we should be happy with what we've got because there are some less fortunate people who don't have the things that we do.

Year 8 Student Book Review

Name:    Hunger Games Mockingjay

Author:  Susan Collins

Genre:    Action and adventure

Blurb:     Katniss is found by the rebellion from district 13 after a raid by the capitol on her home district. Katniss is asked to join the rebellion but she says no. Just then, she finds out Peter was taken hostage by President Snow so Katniss joins the rebellion as Mockingjay to save Peter. 

What I Like about this book: One feature about this book that I like is the type of genre this book is. This is because I like action and adventure books as it makes it easier to picture and imagine the scene. The type of genre also allows me to feel excited and impatient to know what's going to happen next as there are lots of suspense in the book

Another feature I like about this book is the creativity. For example, you’ve got different districts and different people from these districts compete in a simulator called the Hunger Games in the main district. I like this because it makes the book sound interesting and fun to read.

My Favourite Character: My favourite character in this book is Katniss. Katniss is a very brave character and strong. She makes you feel inspired and teaches you to always speak up for yourself. I also like Katniss because she was able to be mentally strong and take on a lot of pressure which some people can’t do.

Should you read this book:  If you love action and adventure books, definitely. This book is full of it and also includes a dramatic and interesting storyline  Rating: 5/5

 

The Long Road Ahead

Year 8 Student Poem

It’s 6am and I roll out of bed,

Eager to start the journey ahead.

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go,

Will it go fast or will it go slow.

 

Now in the car, seatbelts on,

The radio’s playing my favourite song.

Excitement starts to fill the car,

I hope this journey isn’t too far.

 

Oh wait we’ve stopped, the traffic has begun,

This will be a lot of fun.

Foggy fumes and beeping horns,

Boredom starts to make me yawn.

Crawling along as slow as a snail,

So many cars bumper to tail.

We start to move, the lights go green,

I hope this means a change of scene.

 

There I see it standing tall,

Stay in the car or you might fall.

Now I’m building up a fear, 

As the Dartford Bridge gets near.

Sit up straight, you’ll be okay,

Here we go, get ready to pay.

I hear my mum begin to moan,

She has to pay via her phone.

 

We’re through the crossing, look at the view,

Too much to see for me and you.

The sights are beautiful, don’t you agree,

Although all you can see is tree after tree.

 

Finally out of the city roads,

Gone are the trucks with heavy loads.

Now we are driving through the lanes,

These are the countryside’s veins.

The roads are beginning to become more narrow,

I see bushes and flowers and oh look a sparrow.

These small villages never seem to end,

There is a new one after every bend.

 

As we drive through the county’s heart,

The rumbling tummies begin to start.

We stop off at Tesco to get a bite to eat,

Finally standing and can stretch our feet.

Back on the road, my excitement growing,

Going up the hill, the traffic starts slowing.

We gain back our speed and head to the campsite,

I begin to scratch, I’ve got a nasty bug bite.

 

I’m really happy, we’re 5 minutes away,

It’s just sad my mum can’t stay.

I see the sign, Horam Manor Country Park,

I hear laughing, screaming and dogs starting to bark.

We turn the corner and ask where to go,

Suddenly we see signs to go real slow.

We park up the car and get settled in,

Hooray we’re here, let the holiday begin. 

 

Year 8 Student Scary Story

SCARY STORY 2

The blood-thirsty stallion 2

The Haunted Halloween of Hudson.

We all know the story of the blood thirsty stallion and how it came to an end. But now, we are going to hear the story of what happened to the town of Hudson on Halloween night 5 years before he turned to guts. (Part 1:)

https://oaksparklrc.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-library-scary-story-winner-blood.html

It was just an ordinary day in the town of Hudson as it always seemed to be when the stallion would show up. However, we know that a storm would fill the sky and a life would be lost. This did not happen today.

 Normally on Halloween everybody is frightened of the horse- with its majestic mane and his big beady eyes that turn people to stone when you look him straight in the face- it would come to the town trying to kill the people. This year was different. Everybody was excited! They were all dressed up in funny or scary costumes, the streets were decorated with banners and creepy figures stood in shop windows to display the wonderful options of costumes they had to sell.

For the first Halloween ever, the people of Hudson were happy. There was no way the stallion would show up. He knows when to come through his great sense of telling when people are terrified of his arrival. The people would be happy and show no fear to hope the beast doesn’t come galloping towards them, hungry for more. Little did they now, the horse was still planning to attack, he couldn’t lose to a bunch of small town villagers. 

You see, this horse is incredibly smart. Smarter than you or I could ever be (that says a lot considering we are both incredibly smart) and that means he has planned out exactly when to put his mischievous plan into action. The people always had a warning if it was the day the stallion would come and unleash its almighty power that no one to this day has ever seen since his death.

The stallion’s plan really was quite simple. A storm appeared when the citizens were scared he would show his shiny-coated self. This was mainly on Halloween. But this year, the people weren’t scared, but enjoying themselves and getting ready to party the night away. That meant the horse could catch them by surprise and kill them all in one big swoop.

It’s time. The stallion heads to Hudson. Head held high, galloping through the wind as fast as lightning using all four hooves. He travels all through the night. And finally, he saw it, sat on a little hill. The little village of Hudson. Sitting there in all its glory. The closer he gets, the slower he gets as he is trying to be discreet.

As he reaches the town, he hears Halloween music blaring out and as he hides in the shadows he sees a large party taking place in the town square. People were dancing, singing and having fun. Children were playing and trick-or-treating. This was his chance.

He sneaked over towards a bunch of middle-aged adults. They didn’t mean to but they looked him dead in the eye and turned to stone before being able to warn the others that the stallion had found them. Then a gush of wind went by, blowing their ashes across the village and off into the sky. He continued to do this to about half the adults in the village before he was caught. 

Once someone has witnessed the recent event, the emergency alarm was sounded and everyone who surprisingly was still alive was informed of the incident. They ran and slammed their doors shut, locked them and their windows too. The curtains were all closed and the people hid under the covers. The horse had no way of getting them now. At least he had got half the town’s population. He called it a win and galloped all the way back home, past a large forest, a mountain and through fields as big as 1000 acres. He hides in a cave so far away so he will never be found and killed. But we all know he does in 5 years when he attempts to attack the poor people of Hudson who don’t deserve to be turned to stone. 

We never know what happened to all the people he did kill in the past but some people believe the ashes all blew together and created hurricanes and tornadoes as an attempt to kill the beast before he does more damage. Remember to be careful on Halloween this year and have fun.

          

Books to Movies

 

What film adaptation did you love?

What is your favourite movie that has been adapted from a book?  Below are a few Movie adaptations from books that are highly recommended:

‘Cruella’ based on the book ‘101 Dalmations’ by Dodie Smith

The ‘Fear Street’ Trilogy by R. L. Stine

‘A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams

 

If your favourite book to movie adaptation is not on this list, let us  know the name of the book and movie, saying if you prefer the book or the movie, and why.  Your contribution will then be added to our next Newsletter in November!

 

 

 

How to Write an Epic Short Story

Write a short epic

Truth is stranger than fiction. Often it is funnier too. Short Epics are nuggets from the daily news that might raise a smile or prompt a remark that starts: “You wouldn’t believe it, but…” They must be no longer than 140 characters long including spaces. Do have a go at writing one and send it to ltaylor@oakspark.redbridge.sch.uk and your epic story will be in our next issue of our online Library Newsletter!

Great New Books coming to The Library!!

 

 

Great Book Quotes 

13 inspiring Roald Dahl quotes

Known as one of the world’s best storytellers, it’s no surprise that Roald Dahl has produced quite a number of inspiring quotes. So, below are our favourite wise words from the giganticus author to inspire you.

 

1. Great things often start off small.

‘A little magic can take you a long way.’ – James and the Giant Peach

2. Try to be optimistic even when things look hopeless.

‘But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.’ – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

3. There’s value in doing things that scare you.

‘I will not pretend I wasn't petrified. I was. But mixed in with the awful fear was a glorious feeling of excitement. Most of the really exciting things we do in our lives scare us to death. They wouldn't be exciting if they didn't.’ – Danny the Champion of the World

4. Don’t forget to believe in yourself.

‘Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.’ – Matilda

5. Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

'A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.' – The Twits

6. Always try to give 100%.

‘Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...’ – Matilda

7. Take constructive criticism like a champ.

‘I understand what you're saying, and your comments are valuable, but I'm gonna ignore your advice.’ – Fantastic Mr Fox

8. Let go of things you can’t control.

‘You’ll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that.’ – Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

9. Be open to new opportunities and discoveries.

‘And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.’ – Billy and The Minpins

10. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

‘"Meanings is not important," said the BFG. "I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right."’ – The BFG

11. You don’t need to change to be loved.

‘“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.”’ – The Witches

12. Always dare to dream.

‘Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything? Those buildings. These lights. This whole city. Somebody had to dream about it first. And maybe that is what I did. I dreamed about coming here, but then I did it.’ – James and the Giant Peach

13. Power is a gift, do not abuse it.

‘Having power is not nearly as important as what you choose to do with it.’ – Roald Dahl

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Reader

All Year 7 and Students MUST have at least ONE library book on them at all times.  You must read your AR library book for AT LEAST twenty minutes every night.  Please do not forget to write your completed book in your planner on page 20.  You must then complete your online book quiz within 24 hours of completing the book, then write your quiz result on page 19 of your planner!!!

 

 

ePlatform

Please do not forget that you can also use our reading app ePlatform to read lots of fabulous electronic and audio books!  For instructions on how to use ePlatform, please use the link below:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8064653522683152574/1799106046324446297

 

 

Well, that is the end of this month’s Library Newsletter!

 

Is there anything else that you would like to see in The Library Newsletter?  If you have any contributions, queries or great ideas please email: ltaylor@oakspark.redbridge.sch.uk