Author Event

THE WEST OF SCOTLAND CHILDREN'S BOOK GROUP

An evening with two outstanding authors of teenage fiction: Gayle Forman and Carmen Reid.

When: Monday 11 May 2009 at 6.45 pm

Where: The Mitchell Library, The Blythswood Room (5th floor)

Adults and teenagers all welcome.

RSVP Teresa Lowe by email teresa.lowe1@btinternet.com or call Margaret Bell on 01698 384665

Our Book of the Week

The Return by Victoria Hislop

Beneath the majestic towers of the Alhambra, Granada’s cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets. Sonia Cameron knows nothing of the city’s shocking past; she is here to dance. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and an intriguing collection of old photographs draw her into the extraordinary tale of Spain’s devastating civil war.

Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the close-knit Ramírez family. In 1936, an army coup led by Franco shatters the country’s fragile peace, and in the heart of Granada the family witnesses the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, fighting a personal battle as Spain rips itself apart.

Carnegie Medal Shortlist Announced

The shortlist for this year's Carnegie Medal has just been announced:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Macmillan (Age range: 8+)
ISBN: 9781405054645

Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks
Puffin (Age range: 14+)
ISBN: 9780141381459

Airman by Eoin Colfer
Puffin (Age range: 9+)
ISBN: 9780141383354

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
David Fickling Books (Age range: 12+)
ISBN: 9780385614269

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
Definitions (Age range: 12+)
ISBN: 9780099456575

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Walker (Age range: 14+)
ISBN: 9781406310252

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson
Bodley Head (Age range: 14+)
ISBN: 9780370329291

All of the shortlisted books are available for borrowing from the Library. The winner will be announced at a special ceremony on 25th June. Further details can be found at http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2009awards/carnegie_shortlist.php

N.B. Recommended minimum age range for general guidance only.

Twitter

For anyone who would like to find out more about Twitter try:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14062777/Twitter-Handbook-for-Teachers

It gives an overview and ways to use it in education for a group of educators attending Twizza (Twitter & pizza) gathering in Perth, Western Australian on April 8, 2009.

Man Booker International Prize 2009

The Man Booker International Prize has announced the Judges' List of Contenders for this year's prize, which differs from the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that it highlights one writer's continued creativity, development and overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. It is awarded every two years. The winner will be announced in May.

The authors in contention are:
Peter Carey (Australia)
Evan S. Connell (USA)
Mahasweta Devi (India)
E.L. Doctorow (USA)
James Kelman (UK)
Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
Arnošt Lustig (Czechoslovakia)
Alice Munro (Canada)
V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad/India)
Joyce Carol Oates (USA)
Antonio Tabucchi (Italy)
Ngugi Wa Thiong'O (Kenya)
Dubravka Ugresic (Croatia)
Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia)

The Library has books by many of the shortlisted authors - please check the catalogue for details or ask a member of Library staff.