LIBRARY NEWS

This term it is the turn of Year 9 to get an author visit. We are very lucky that Alan Gibbons is returning for the fourth year on Monday February 14. Those who have heard him on previous visits will tell you that his talks are like stand-up comedy. He is very popular.

Alan is an amazing writer who seems to be able to turn his hand to anything: gripping horror stories, fantasy, football and comedy as well as serious teenage issues. Key books he will be talking about are 'The Edge', 'Scared to Death', 'Caught in the Crossfire' and 'Shadow of the Minotaur', which students can be reading. He will talk to the whole year and some lucky students will have a writing workshop with him. At break and lunchtime there will be opportunities for his fans to talk to him and buy his books.

You may have heard his name recently as he has been spearheading a campaign to save libraries in Wirral and Gloucestershire (and now many other authorities). We feel strongly that libraries and reading are vital to the education of young people so he is something of a hero to the library staff too.

In the Sixth-form Library, students have a great opportunity to follow the TV Book Club that started on Sunday 16th January at 7:50pm on Channel 4. The books are: 'Room' by Emma Donoghue, 'The Long Song' by Andrea Levy, 'The News Where You Are' by Catherine O'Flynn, 'Even the Dogs' by Jon McGregor, 'Bleed for Me' by Michael Robotham, 'Spies of the Balkans' by Alan Furst, 'The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars' by Patrick Hennessey, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot, 'Tiger Hills' by Sarita Mandanna and 'My Last Duchess' by Daisy Goodwin.

All of these books are available in the Sixth-form Library for one-week loan so get a copy quick and get reading!