Last day of term!

Finally! The last day of term!

I hope that everyone has an absolutely lovely holiday, and that you've all taken home your "One for the Sun" to read over Summer.

Today is my last day as assistant at Highbury Grove so I just want to say goodbye and good luck to you all. Thanks for a brilliant year at Highbury Grove!

- Ms. Stubbs

New books for boys!

As part of the government's "Boys into Books" campaign, Highbury Grove Library has been given twenty new books for boys!

The titles include: Darren Shan - Blood Beast; Alan Durant - Stat Man; Dean Vincent Carter - The Hand of the Devil; Melvin Burgess - Blood Song; Stephen Cole - The Aztec Code; James Patterson - Maximum Ride; J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit; Jack Shadow - The Crime Lord; Mal Peet - The Penalty; Roald Dahl - Boy and Going Solo; So you think you know The Simpsons?

Check out these books and more in the Library!

Carnegie Event

Mr Kelly's Y8 English class went to City University to make a presentation about some of the books shortlisted for the Carnegie Award, to an audience of students from other Islington Schools. The event was folowed by a delicious lunch.

All participating students recieved a certificate, and two of them also got a twenty pound book token each, for reading all the books.

If you would like to see what our students thought about the books, please visit the Carnegie Shadowing website.

Meg Rosoff wins Carnegie Medal 2007!

Meg Rosoff has won the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2007 for her second novel, Just In Case.

The winner was announced at 12.30pm today and has been voted for by a panel of judges. You can read more about the judges decision here.

“To me,” says Rosoff,“the CILIP Carnegie Medal is particularly special. ‘Just In Case’ is the sort of book that people either love or hate; that they either identify with, or they don’t. For a panel of librarians to agree that it deserves this historic medal is just amazing; I’m thrilled, honoured and astonished.”

In the book, 15 year old David Case thinks that fate is out to get him. There are so many things you could do in life such as reinvent yourself, change your name and the way you look; leave home and find yourself caught up in a series of strange misadventures and even romance. But what’s the point if you’re not in control and if David isn’t, who is?

Congratulations to Meg Rosoff, who lives locally in Highbury!

The new Children's Laureate is announced!

The new Children's Laureate was announced yesterday as Michael Rosen.

You can read all about it on the official website.

Michael Rosen will hold the post until 2009. It is a very important and prestigious role in the UK. The Children's Laureate has to promote reading for children in new and exciting ways. Michael Rosen is the first poet to be given this role, so it will be exciting to see his ideas.

We have many of his poetry books in the library. Come and see if you think his poems are any good!

We also have lots of books from the previous Children's Laureates too - see below.

Previous Children's Laureates:

2005-7 Jacqueline Wilson
2003-5 Michael Morpurgo
2001-3 Anne Fine (on the Carnegie shortlist this year)
1999 -2001 Quentin Blake

Shadowing the Carnegie Awards 2007

This half term, Mr Kelly’s Year 8 English class are shadowing the 2007 Carnegie Awards.

The Carnegie Award is a presitgious literary prize given to a children's writer.

The nominees this year are:

Ally Kennen - Beast
Anne Fine - The Road of Bones
Kevin Brooks - The Road of the Dead
Siobhan Dowd - A Swift Pure Cry
Meg Rosoff - Just in Case
Marcus Sedgwick - My Swordhand is Singing

The class will be attending an event with other Islington schools, where the students will decide which book they think should win the prize.

You can read their reviews here:

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/shadowingsite/group.asp?groupid=388

All of the Carnegie nominated books are available now in the Library!

A blog for Highbury Grove School Library!

This is the new blog for Highbury Grove School Library!

Here are some of the things that you can expect to find on the new blog.

• Information about new Library books
• Links to author's websites
• Competitions relating to books and publishing
• Book reviews
• Recommendations for great books in the library
• Information about new and forthcoming books

You will also be able to tell us what things you want to include on the blog by emailing us at:

highburygrovelibrary@googlemail.com

Keep checking the blog for exciting updates!