Elizabeth Gaskell

The new BBC adaptation of Cranford begins soon. Why not read the book first or try one of Elizabeth Gaskell's other novels from the Library:

Cranford

Cranford in the 1840s is a small Cheshire market town on the cusp of great change. The railway is pushing its way relentlessly towards the town from Manchester, bringing fears of migrant workers and the breakdown of law and order. The arrival of handsome new doctor, Frank Harrison from London causes a stir; not only because of his revolutionary medical methods, but also because of the effect he has on many of the ladies' hearts in the town...

Mary Barton

Mary's father is a mill-hand and staunch fighter for workers' rights. When the owners ignore their workers' requests for better treatment, the men decide to murder Henry Carson as a warning, and nominate Barton to fire the gun. Mary's beloved Jem is arrested for the crime, and Mary has to face the agony of proving his innocence by incriminating her father.

North and South

A moving story of the developing relationship between southern-born Margaret Hale and John Thornton, the young northern mill-owner.

Cousin Phillis

Newly arrived in Eltham, young Paul Manning eagerly takes up his position as clerk to Mr Holdsworth, a railway engineer. His distant cousins - the robust and learned Reverend Holman, his wife and their clever daughter Phillis - warmly welcome him into their home.Although drawn to Phillis, who is as beautiful as she is innocent, he feels himself to be her unequal. When Mr Holdsworth, a handsome, well-travelled young man, meets the Holmans they are captivated by his wit and knowledge of the world. An enchanted summer ensues as Paul and he become regular visitors to Hope Farm. There is the promise of love ... but where, Paul wonders, will is lead to?

Back Again

At last I have a chance to update the blog after quite a few months of inactivity. Life in Hutchie Library has been busy - we have said goodbye to Mrs Fair and welcomed Miss Crole as our new Library Assistant. We have also changed our Library System to one called Oliver, which has caused some problems - as IT changes often do!
On a more positive IT note over the summer holidays our laptops were replaced by lovely new ones so S6 and staff can now borrow them to use wirelessly in the Library - without having to wait half an hour to log-on!
We have been disappointed this month by the postponement of the visit by Chris Ryan to the school, unfortunately due to his ill health. However we are hoping he will visit in May instead.

Carnegie Medal Winner Announced

The winner of the Carnegie Medal for 2007 has been announced as Just in Case by Meg Rosoff. For more information go to http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2007awards/

Readers' Resolutions

Perhaps the wrong time of year for these!

Courtesy of Camille DelVecchio of the Penfield Public Library in New York.

1. Reread a book you loved as a child.
2. Finally read that classic you’ve been avoiding.
3. Try a book of poetry.
4. Spend a while just browsing in the library.
5. Read a book written in the year I was born.
6. Create a journal and keep notes about the books and magazines you read.
7. Read a book on the history of your city/town.
8. Read a book written from a point of view totally opposite to your own.
9. Read a book about a place you’ve never been.
10. Reread a book that you just didn't ”get”.
11. Ask a librarian to find you a book you wouldn’t have chosen.
12. Read a book written by an overseas author.

Carnegie Medal 2007 - Shortlist Announced

The books shortlisted for this year's Carnegie Medal were announced today. They are:

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks Available from Library

A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd Available from Library

The Road of Bones by Anne Fine Coming Soon

Beast by Ally Kennan Available from Library

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff Available from Library

My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgewick Coming Soon


For more information on the award and this year's shortlisted books go to:

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2007awards/carnegie_shortlist.php

P.S. My favourite so far is My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgewick - a chilling take on the vampire myths of Eastern Europe.

St Patrick's Day

Celebrate St Patrick's Day with some Irish fiction from the Library:

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle

Paddy Clarke, a ten-year-old Dubliner, describes his world, a place full of warmth, cruelty, love, sardines and slaps across the face. He's confused; he sees everything but he understands less and less.

That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern

Drama unfolds during a year in the lives of a group of characters who have come home to Ireland in search of a different life from that in London.

The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien

The country is Ireland. The girls are Cait and Baba and this is the story of their escape from countryside and convent to the alluring 'crowds and lights and noise' of Dublin.

The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin

It is Ireland in the early 1990s. Three Women, Dora Devereux, her daughter Lily and her grand-daughter Helen, have arrived, after years of strife, at an uneasy peace with each other. They know than in the years ahead it will be necessary for them to keep their distance. Now, however, Declan, Helen's adored brother, is dying and the three of them come together in the grandmother's crumbling old house with two of Declan's friends. All six of them, from different generations and with different beliefs, are forced to listen to each other and come to terms with each other.

Hidden Treasures

These are great reads which are not brand new, so you may have missed them when they were first published, but are well worth trying:

Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

A magical time travel story. Lucien's father buys him a beautiful notebook, and when he falls asleep clutching it he wakes up in Bellezza, a parallel Venice. Bellezza is a city of contrasts that values magic and science in equal regard. And Lucien finds himself in a position of power, danger and intrigue as he continues to 'stravagate' between the two worlds...

Books on Screen

If you enjoyed the film why not try the book - recent film titles currently available from the Library include:

The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
The Children of Men by P.D. James

Competitions

To celebrate World Book Day there are also two Jacqueline Wilson competitions organised by Borders - you could win one of Jacqueline's famous rings plus £1000 worth of books for your school or an invite to a tea party in London to celebrate the launch of her new audiobook. Find out more at http://www.bordersstores.co.uk/world_book_day_2007/.

World Book Day - Thursday 1st March 2007

Celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 1st March. Everyone will receive a £1 book voucher which can be used to buy the special World Book Day books or get £1 off any book or audio book costing more than £2.99. Visit the official site at http://www.worldbookday.com to find out more.

Games

Did you know that you can now borrow games to play in the Library at lunchtime and after-school? So far we have Chess, Draughts, Blokus and Scrabble but if they are popular we will add more to the collection. Please ask at the Library Desk if you would like to use any of them.

Richard and Judy Book Club

For anyone who is following the Richard and Judy Book Club selections at the moment, the following titles are available from the school library:

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Restless by William Boyd
Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

For more information try: http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/book_club_07/book_club.html

Small Island Read 2007

From http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Visitors/AyeWriteGlasgowsBookFestival/Events/SmallIsland/

Small Island Read 2007 is the largest mass-reading project that has ever taken place in Britain. It is a community-based initiative that encourages everyone to read the same book at the same time, promoting more reading, writing and creative work inspired by that shared experience, and using this as an accessible and innovative means of learning about our past.


The book that has been chosen for this exciting initiative is Andrea Levy’s Small Island, a widely acclaimed novel that describes the arrival in post-war Britain of Jamaican immigrants, the descendants of enslaved Africans. Small Island Read 2007 is linked to the 2007 commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, a year that is being used to explore the legacy of slavery and its continuing impact upon modern, multicultural Britain. Andrea Levy’s novel embraces the themes of identity, racial awareness, forgiveness, ignorance and survival with humour, high drama, anger and pathos, making it an unforgettable read and a fitting topic for discussion in 2007.

Find out more at http://www.smallislandread.com/


Free copies of Small Island are now available from Glasgow City Libraries or you can borrow a copy from the school library. It won the Whitbread Book of the Year and the Orange Prize for Fiction and is highly recommended - a fantastic read!

Book Events

Don't forget about the Aye Write Book Festival in Glasgow, taking place from Friday 16th - Sunday 25th February. There are lots of fantastic authors taking part, including Christopher Brookmyre, Alan Spence, Denise Mina and Iain Banks. Find out more in the Library or at www ayewrite.com.

Welcome

Welcome to the new blog for HGS Library. Check regularly for news on what's happening in the Library and lots of stuff on books in general.