Katherine Rundell, OLA visitor, shortlisted for Blue Peter Award

Rooftoppers, launched at OLA on World Book Day 2013, has been shortlisted for the Blue Peter 2014 Best Story Award. We wish Oxford-based author, Katherine Rundell the very best of luck.

Rooftoppers is one of three books on the shortlist and the winner will be announced live on Blue Peter’s World Book Day edition on 6 March 2014, during which judge Marcus Sedgwick, who will be visiting OLA the very next day, will present the winners with their Awards.

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BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS 2014 – shortlists
Best Story
Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve, illustrated by Sarah McIntyre
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
Whale Boy by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Joe McLaren
Best Book with Facts
Marvellous Maths by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Thomas Flintham
Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: World War II by Tony Robinson, illustrated by Del Thorpe
The World in Infographics: Animal Kingdom by Jon Richards, illustrated by Ed Simkins

More than 200 children from 10 schools across the UK will now read the six shortlisted books and vote for their favourites in each category. The two winning books will be announced live on the Blue Peter programme scheduled for World Book Day on 6 March 2014, during which judge Marcus Sedgwick will present the winners with their Awards.

THE COSTA BOOK AWARDS
The Costa Book Awards (originally launched as the Whitbread Book Awards in 1971) celebrate books published in the last year over five categories; First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book by UK and Ireland resident authors.
Category winners each receive £5,000, and will be announced on 6th January. An overall winner is decided from these five winners, who will receive the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year 2013 Award on 28th January 2014.
The 2013 Costa Children’s Book Award shortlist:
Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door by Ross Montgomery
The Hanged Man Rises by Sarah Naughton
Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
More information about the full shortlist.

STAN LEE EXCELSIOR AWARD
This book award is for graphic novels and manga - where kids aged 11-16 choose the winner by rating each book as they read it
The 2014 shortlist:
Indestructible Hulk: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu (Marvel)
Quantum and Woody: The World’s Worst Superhero Team by James Asmus and Tom Fowler (Valiant)
The Judas Coin by Walter Simonson (DC)
Aliens: Inhuman Condition by John Layman and Sam Kieth (Dark Horse)
Earth 2: The Gathering by James Robinson and Nicola Scott (DC)
Sherlock Bones (Volume 1) by Yuma Ando and Yuki Sato (Kodansha)
Captain America: Castaway in Dimension Z by Rick Remender and John Romita Jr. (Marvel)
The Halloween Legion by Martin Powell and Thomas Boatwright (Dark Horse)
The Awards Ceremony will be in July 2014.
More information

Kids' Lit Quiz – the sport of reading!

OLA teams from Years 6 and 7 took part in the Oxfordshire and Berkshire heat of the international Kids’ Lit Quiz (KLQ) in Oxford.

The teams worked hard to answer 10 rounds of 10 questions on subjects as diverse as Foxes and Characters from Legend. None of the themes or questions was known in advance, and there was serious concentration and quiet conferring when the questions were being read out.

The event was opened by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, with the Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council and the Mayor of Wallingford also present for the whole quiz. 10 children’s authors also played the quiz (though their scores didn’t count of course!). Although OLA didn’t win, they played with zeal; over 40 school teams took part. The winning team plays against the other regional winners in the KLQ National Final in London this week.

Well done to our team members for their enthusiasm – when it comes to reading , everyone’s a winner!

Recent book award news

GUARDIAN CHILDREN'S FICTION AWARD
This was won by Rebecca Stead for Liar & Spy.
The Guardian children's fiction prize is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above, and is the only children's fiction award selected by fellow writers. The winning author receives a cheque for £1,500. Last year the prize was opened up to writers outside the UK, and New York author Rebecca Stead is the first American writer to win the prize.
Previous winners of the prize include Mark Haddon for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson and The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

ELEANOR FARJEON AWARD
David Almond, writer of Skellig and My Name is Mina and other children’s books, has won the Eleanor Farjeon award for "outstanding contribution to the world of children's books".
The prize, now in its 47th year, is voted for by members of the Children's Book Circle, an informal association of children's book professionals including editors, writers and booksellers. The award is named in memory of Eleanor Farjeon, best known for writing the hymn ‘Morning Has Broken’, and the author of children's books
The Eleanor Farjeon award recognises an outstanding contribution to children's literature and can be awrded to an individual or organisation. Previous winners include the children's book illustrator Quentin Blake and Malorie Blackman, author of the Noughts & Crosses trilogy, who is the current Children's Laureate.


RED HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD
The children of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups have been busy reading all year and now their favourites have been selected as the shortlist for the 2014 Red House Children’s Book Award.
The shortlisted books are in three categories:

Books for Older Readers
• Killing Rachel – Anne Cassidy
• The 5th Wave – Rick Yancey
• W.A.R.P.: The Reluctant Assassin – Eoin Colfer

Books for Younger Readers
• The Land of Neverbelieve – Norman Messenger
• Atticus Claw Breaks The Law – Jennifer Gray
• Claude In The Country – Alex T Smith

Books for Younger Children
• Superworm – Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
• Walter and The No Need To Worry Suit – Rachel Bright
• How To Hide A Lion – Helen Stephens
• Hippospotamus – Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

There is a dedicated website www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk where any child can vote there for their favourite book until January 18 2014.

ROALD DAHL FUNNY PRIZE

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize, which was launched in 2008 aims to promote laughter and humour as a feel-good factor when reading, to draw attention to funny books as readable and enjoyable books and to reward authors and illustrators who write and illustrate books using humour.
The Prize has two categories:
* The funniest book for children aged six and under
* The funniest book for children aged seven to fourteen
The winner of each category will receive £2,500, which will be presented at an awards ceremony in December. Over 200 children, selected from schools around the UK, will help judge the award. Their votes will be combined with those of the judging panel to find the two winning books for 2013.

The shortlist
The funniest book for children aged seven to fourteen:
* The Grunts All at Sea by Philip Ardagh and Axel Scheffler
* My Parents are Out of Control by Pete Johnson
* Pants are Everything by Mark Lowery
* Geek Girl by Holly Smale
* Fish-Head Steve by Jamie Smart
* I Am Still Not a Loser by Jim Smith

The funniest book for children aged six and under:
* Weasels by Elys Dolan
* Spaghetti with the Yeti by Charlotte and Adam Guillain and Lee Wildish
* Troll Swap by Leigh Hodgkinson
* Monkey Nut by Simon Rickerty
Do Not Enter the Monster Zoo! By Amy Sparkes and Sara Ogilvie
* Noisy Bottoms by Sam Taplin and Mark Chambers

Ratcliffe Library - the new name for the OLA school Library

The school Library was officially renamed today in honour of OLA alumnus Bertram Ratcliffe, who was awarded the Military Cross for his daring escape in World War One.


His story was told today by Principal Mr Oliver, who recounted the achievements of this Old Boy of Our Lady's Convent School. Born in 1893 and living to the ripe old age of 98, Captain Ratcliffe was known as a writer as well as for his military career. From Abingdon he went onto Harrow and Sandhurst, finishing his training just in time for the outbreak of World War One.

As a young second lieutenant, he took part in the Battle of the Aisne, being among the first British soldiers to be wounded when he was shot through the lung. Taken prisoner as an officer he was treated with old world courtesy and was operated upon by a German surgeon who restored the use of his right arm. He was imprisoned in Ingolstadt Castle, where he was able to exchange correspondence with his family and even receive parcels, such as racquets and balls.

A friend back home tried to send him a map of Bavaria welded inside a sardine tine, but it was never sent as it was reported to the police. However his mother did manage to smuggle a compass hidden in a tin of Harrogate toffees. These items are kept in the Special Collection of the Brotherton Library , Leeds University, named after Ratcliffe's uncle, who endowed that library.

In 1917 the opportunity to escape came when he was being transferred to another prison further north. He jumped from a moving train and using the compass kept walking for 36 hours, and eventually crawled under the frontier wire into Holland.

Making newspaper headlines Betram Ratcliffe was invited to tell his dramatic tale by King George V at Windsor castle, and he was later awarded the Military Cross.

Although he went on to do many other things Bertram Ratcliffe never forgot his happy time at the school and gave a large sum to equip a ‘Ratcliffe Library’ in 1948, set up school prizes and was generous in many ways.

With the anniversary of the Great War approaching this has been an opportunity to honour Bertram Radcliffe’s memory and exploits by naming the Library of the Senior School as the Ratcliffe Library. Guest of honour the Hon. Sir Thomas Boyd Carpenter, the County President of the Royal British Legion cut the ribbon following Mr Oliver's talk to older pupils in the school.

Read the report in the local press here.

Additional information from Children of Mercy: the story of the schools of Our Lady's Convent Abingdon by Penny Roker, 2000.

OLA Festival of Reading continues

The OLA Festival of Reading continues with five more events in the week of 23 - 27 September, with one open to the public on Thursday evening.

Monday 23rd September: Mark Robson, best-selling fantasy fiction author and former RAF pilot
Lessons 1 & 2: ‘Devil’s Triangle’ for Years 7 – 10 in CMA
Lessons 3 & 4/7 & 8: Workshops on Developing Fictional Characters for Year 9, half year group in each workshop in Room 22
Meet the author
As well as his three sessions Mark Robson will be in the Library at lunchtime to answer any questions you have on the RAF, his books, writing & reading, etc.

Tuesday 24th: Mercy Day
Mr Oliver on OLA Alumnus ‘Bertram Ratcliffe and the First World War’
9 am – 10 am for Years 10 & 11 in CMA
Followed by VIP Visitor Sir Thomas Boyd Carpenter, County President of the Royal British Legion, to cut the ribbon for re-naming of the Library as the Ratcliffe Library in honour of Bertram Ratcliffe, awarded the Miltary Cross for his daring escape from a prisoner of war camp in World War I, and who endowed the school's first Ratcliffe Library in 1948.

Thursday 26th: Julie Hearn, Carnegie shortlisted local writer of historical fiction.
Lessons 1 & 2: ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ for Year 8 in CMA
Lessons 4 & 5: ‘Emily and Hazel’ and the Suffragette Movement for Year 9 in CMA
Lessons 7 & 8: ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ for Year 7 in CMA

Thursday 26th: Bernard O’Donoghue, Whitbread Poetry Prize winner. 'An Evening of Irish Poetry' – All welcome
6 pm Refreshments from 5.30 pm. No need to book.

Friday 27th: H. L. Dennis, author of the Secret Breakers series, exciting adventures mixing fact and fiction and code breaking
Lessons 1 & 2: 'Weaving Fact and Fiction' for Year 7 in CMA
Lessons 3 & 4: 'Code Cracking' for Year 9 and Year 10 in CMA
1.30 pm: 'Weaving Fact and Fiction' - OLA welcomes 300 children from local primary schools to enjoy a session with this exciting new writer.

Michelle Paver enchants her audience of 300

A packed school hall at OLA, with children from seven schools, listened with glee as they heard Michelle Paver regretting that she hadn't tried the seal's eyeballs offered to her on one of her research trips. This author travels far and wide to find out how her characters would have lived and reacted, from swimming with dolphins and hearing the clicks and whistles as soon as she put her head in the water to spending time with wolves, a particular passion of hers. The lively question and answer session ranged from the author's use of mythological gods to uses for hare's skull. The end result - a happy bunch of children, an author delighted with her audience, a sell-out for the local bookshop, and a satisfied librarian.


OLA press release
Michelle Paver's website

Michelle Paver kicks off OLA Reading Festival

The OLA Reading Festival starts with a flourish. Michelle Paver is visiting Our Lady's Abingdon on Wednesday 18 September as part of her national publicity tour following the launch of her second book in the Gods and Warrior series, The Burning Shadow. Pupils from OLA will be joined by children from other local schools to listen to Michelle talking about the inspiration behind and writing of her new book and the first in the series, The Outsiders. The series set during the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean appeals to both boys and girls.
Mostly Books bookshop will be on hand to sell books for autographing.

OLA Festival of Food - Saturday 14th September

Our Lady's Abingdon is holding its first Festival of Food on Saturday 14 September, 10 am - 2 pm. Showcasing local food producers and including a book stall of recipe books, etc. by local bookshop The Bookstore.

Entry is free!

Stalls include:
Peachcroft Farm
Added Ingredients
Bellinger's brewery
Sheridan's Kitchen
Brynmoor Conserves
Brookwood
Longley's honey
Pukeko coffee
Garden Trading
Chillis 2U
Ugandan foods in honour of OLA’s link to Maryhill School in Uganda

... and many more!

Bring your apples (washed) and some empty bottles and use the Apple Press.

Activities include Decorate a cup cake, Face painting and a Fruit and Vegetable Creatures competition for children.

As well as tasting all the delicious produce, there's a Sausage Sizzle lunch, tea and cakes.

All profits are going to the If campaign – Enough Food for Everyone

And, as part of Heritage Weekend, our school chapel will be open to visitors for the first time, from 10 am to 4 pm.

OLA visitor shortlisted for major prize

Katherine Rundell's second book for children, Rooftoppers, which was launched at OLA on World Book Day earlier this year, has been shortlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize.

Four books are shortlisted:
Katherine Rundell's Rooftoppers,
David Almond's The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers,
Rebecca Stead's Liar & Spy,
John Green's The Fault In Our Stars.

The shortlist, chosen by Hillary McKay and Andy Mulligan, both previous winners and the 2010 Costa-winner Jason Wallace, was announced at the Edinburgh international book festival. The winner will be announced in October.

More information

Summer Reading Challenges

Incoming Year 7s - please enjoy a summer of reading, and come in September with a list of the books you have read.
Seven books and a book review will gain you the OLA Bronze Reading Olympics, ready to read for the Silver level.

You can, if you prefer, sign up at your local library for the Summer Reading Challenge, to read library books of your choice, collecting stickers and other rewards along the way. The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer holidays, and ihis year’s challenge is called Creepy House . More information: http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/.

On 11 July Blue Peter featured the Summer Reading Challenge with Chris Riddell as ‘resident illustrator’ during the show, take a look at the BP website.

Guinness World Record

After a long wait for authentication, our 80 OLA writers received a certificate for their contribution to the Guinness World Record for the most people writing a story at multiple venues. They were part of 3,217 participants across 69 different venues on 6 February.

Super coverage in the local press, with a shortened article online here.

Abinbgdon Carnegie Forum 2013

The Abingdon Carnegie Forum at the Guildhall is an annual event organised by the Librarians of the six secondary schools, and is an opportunity for keen readers to share the love of reading, meet old friends, and make new ones. Fourteen OLA pupils from years 7 & 8 joined over 70 others to discuss the eight books on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal, the prestigious children's book award, whose past winners include The Borrowers, Watership Down and Tom’s Midnight Garden.

The ‘Carnegie shadowers’ have been reading and reviewing the books since Easter, all in their own free time. On this day they were in mixed school groups, and devised a 3-minute dramatic presentation about their favourite book, which they later performed in front of a panel of judges. The judges, who were from the worlds of publishing, book selling and education, had to decide which presentation would convince them to read that book. They also read a selection of reviews, and selected the best book reviews. Prizes for Best presentation, Best group contributor and Best book reviews were awarded. The students also voted for the Abingdon Carnegie winning book and shared a Carnegie cake.

The winning book, by an overwhelming majority, was Wonder by R. J. Palacio. It seems to have become a tradition that the Abingdon Carnegie Forum vote is at odds with the official judges, who announced the following day that the winner of the Carnegie Medal, was Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner.

For a report by one of the judges, Mark Thornton, Manager of Mostly Books in Abingdon, do read his blog and navigate to 18th June 2013.

Planning the next OLA Reading Festival

The OLA Reading Festival will be 23-27 September, with six speakers, enabling all members of the school to enjoy at least one session. Fantasy writer and former RAF pilot Mark Robson, playwright and novelist David Calcutt, Carnegie nominated local writer Julie Hearn and H.L.Dennis, author of the acclaimed puzzle-breaking series, Secret Breakers will be guests at OLA. An evening with Whitbread winning poet Bernard O'Donoghue will also be open to visitors.

New Children's Laureate - Malorie Blackman

Congratulations to Malorie Blackman, OBE, author of more than 60 books for children and teenagers including the bestselling Noughts & Crosses series, who has today been announced as the new Children's Laureate.

The post is awarded every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children's books. Malorie takes over from Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson. Previous Children's Laureates include Anthony Browne, Michael Rosen, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Quentin Blake.

Each Children's Laureate plans a particular focus and in an interview with the BBC Malorie Blackman said that one of her 'major projects was a website to host creative responses to books by young people who had grown up immersed in technology and social media'.

More information: http://www.childrenslaureate.org.uk/

Carnegie Quiz

The Carnegie Quiz took place today with over 80 keen readers from all six secondary schools in Abingdon. In this annual event leading up to our Abingdon Carnegie Forum in the Guildhall next month, a dozen teams collaborated to answer 10 questions on each of the books on the shortlist. The most difficult thing was planning to ensure each team had a balance of readers who had between them read all the titles, and a mix of schools. The questions were tricky, but the winning team scored a magnificent 67 out of 80, with other teams close behind. Each of the Librarians also chose one of their shadowers for a deserving surprise prize, ranging from most competent reviewer to most enthusiastic and first to read and review all eight books.

OLA shadowers have posted over 90 reviews on the Carnegie website, do take a look at them here.

Carnegie Shadowing

Our reading group of keen readers who are shadowing the Carnegie Medal have not only been busy reading but have also been writing reviews. This is an important element of the shadowing process, considering whether the books match the award criteria. This includes the plot, characterisation and style, and crucially "The book that wins the Carnegie Medal should be a book of outstanding literary quality. The whole work should provide pleasure, not merely from the surface enjoyment of a good read, but also the deeper subconscious satisfaction of having gone through a vicarious, but at the time of reading, a real experience that is retained afterwards."

We have over 50 reviews on the OLA page, do take a look at them here.

CAT Talks - Culture and Technology in Abingdon

The first of our OLA CAT talks is tomorrow, Wednesday 17th April at 7.30pm in the Clare Moore Auditorium at Our Lady's Abingdon Senior School.

The speakers are:
• Mr Ian Yorston (Director of Digital Strategy, Radley College) - "Please be nice to your robot"
• Mrs Jill Carver (Proprietor of Added Ingredients and promoter of Choose Abingdon - "Food glorious food - my views on supermarkets"
• Professor Stephen Bennington (Founder of Cella Energy) - "Hydrogen, the fuel of the future"
• Mrs Helen Holden (Head of Art, OLA) - "Talking pictures"

The event will start at 7.30 pm with two talks and then an interval with refreshments. The other two talks will follow. The inspiration for the format of the CAT Talks is based on the well regarded TED Talks.

This event is open to all adults in the Abingdon area and will be the start of regular CAT forums. RSVP to Miss Gunn at the school.

Any Questions at OLA on 5 April

BBC Radio 4's Any Questions was recorded at OLA yesterday. One of my questions - The Times Educational Supplement today [5 April] lists the top 100 favourite books by 500 teachers. What are the panel's favourite reads? - was selected! But the programme ran out of time before I could ask it. I had prepared my own choices in case I was asked the question and here they are:
Books I re-read every few years: E.M. Forster's A Room with a View, Jospeh Heller's Catch 22, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
Children's books: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Louis Sachar's Holes, Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful and a new best book, one recently shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon.
Reading group recommendations: Henry James' Washington Square, Ian McEwan's Atonement and the recent children's book by R.J.Palacio, Wonder.
At the OLA Reading Festival in September Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games was by far the most popular title.

2013 Carnegie Medal shortlist

The shortlist for the prestigious children’s book award, the Carnegie Medal, has been announced and we have a keen reading group of over 20 pupils from years 7 and 8 who will be shadowing the award.
The eight titles on the shortlist are:
The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan, Bloomsbury
A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle, Marion Lloyd Books
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, Hot Key Books
In Darkness by Nick Lake, Bloomsbury
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Bodley Head
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick, Indigo
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton, David Fickling Books
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Electric Monkey

Founded in 1936, the Carnegie Medal is awarded annually by CILIP (Chartered Institute for Librarians and Information Professionals) which encourages schools to get children and teenagers reading the books shortlisted with its Carnegie Shadowing scheme.
The OLA 'shadowers' are reading and reviewing the books as well as meeting pupils from the five other local secondary schools to discuss the books.
Read our reviews here

Recent Book Awards

Waterstones Children's Book Prize
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher has won the Waterstones children's book prize.

BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS 2013
Hundreds of children from schools across the country chose Tom Gates: Genius Ideas, Mostly by Liz Pichon as the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story.
Horrible Science: House of Horrors by Nick Arnold and Tony De Saulles is the winner of the Best Book with Facts.

RED HOUSE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2013.
The Federation of Children's Book Groups have announced the winners of the Red House Children's Book Award 2013, where the votes are cast by children. Over 800 books were submitted over the course of the year for the award by all major UK publishers with more than 53,000 votes cast for the top ten books in this year’s shortlist.
The Medusa Project: Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie won the category for Older Readers.
Gangsta Granny by David Walliams won the Younger Readers category.
Spooky Spooky House won the Younger Children category, and beat the winners of the other two categories to the overall prize, which was presented by Patrick Ness, winner of last year's award with A Monster Calls.

Decorated Doors for World Book Day

The Decorate-a-Door-as-a-Book competition produced some stunning entries - it turned out to be a difficult task for the three judges. 'Highly Commended' went to 7B’s The BFG and 8B’s two entries, Elmer and The Hobbit . 8A’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and 9D’s Ballet Shoes were awarded 'Very Highly Commended'. The Gruffalo’s Child by 9B came second, and 9C’s Winnie the Pooh 3rd, but the winners were Form 8C with a hugely creative and inventive interpretation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.








Staff also entered some doors.




Rosettes for winners were also made in school:

World Book Day - Thursday 7 March

World Book Day is Thursday 7 March and OLA will be celebrating!

We are delighted to host the book launch of Kate Rundell's second children's novel Rooftoppers. Years 6 & 7 and children from local junior schools will be meeting the author and hearing about the book.

Planning and preparations are also in hand for the Decorate-a-door-as-a-Book Competition which is for forms and clubs. Over the years this activity has produced some wonderfully inventive ideas, so watch this space for photos.

Guinness World Record attempt at OLA Library

On Wednesday 6 February thousands of students in over 100 schools across the UK will be attempting to set a new Guinness World Record in collaboration with author Matt Haig. Students will take part in “Parallel Universes”, a story-writing workshop that will attempt to break the world record for the most people writing a story. The current record is 953 participants at 5 venues. The beginning of the story has been written by the award-winning children’s author, and on the day each venue will then continue this story, with each participant adding a maximum of two sentences.
At OLA the Mayor of Abingdon will be in the Library to witness the launch of OLA's version of "My Family and Other Aliens". Pupils from OLA Junior School will begin the session, which will continue all afternoon, in the presence of independent witnesses.
This is one of the many celebrations taking place this week in school, college, university, workplace and public libraries across the UK to celebrate National Libraries Day on 9 February.

Report: Eighty pupils from OLA's Years 4 to 6th Form contributed to the story writing record attempt. We won’t know until late May if the record of 953 has been beaten, as each of the venues has to send off their story, photographic and video evidence plus witness statements. Over 120 schools took part with at least 25 participants at each school.

Blue Peter Book Awards 2013 shortlist

A shortlist of six books for this year's Blue Peter Book Award has been announced.
Best Story
The Boy who Swam With Piranhas by David Almond, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes
Tom Gates - Genius Ideas (Mostly) by Liz Pichon
Best Book with Facts
Horrible Science: House of Horrors by Nick Arnold & Tony De Saulles
Walter Tull's Scrapbook by Michaela Morgan
Fantastic Mr Dahl by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake.
These will now will now be judged by 200 Blue Peter viewers from 10 schools and the winning books in the two categories will be announced on World Book Day, Thursday 7 March.
More information

Costa Book Awards - Category Winners

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner has won the Costa Children's Book award. Other category winners are:
Costa Novel Award: Hilary Mantel - Bring up the Bodies
Costa First Novel Award: Francesca Segal - The Innocents
Costa Biography Award: Mary Talbot and Bryan Talbot - Dotter of Her Father's Eyes
Costa Poetry Award: Kathleen Jamie - The Overhaul.
The winner of the Costa Book of the Year will be announced on 29th January.