'Shelfies' for World Book Day

OLA Library is launching a competition for pupils to take photographs, or ‘shelfies’, of their bookcases at home to celebrate World Book Day.

There aren't many things that say more about you than your bookshelf. 2013 was officially the year of the selfie - so let's celebrate reading and make 2014 the year of the shelfie!

We have already collected shelfies from almost 20 celebrated children’s authors, including Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin, Booktrust Teenage Prize winner Marcus Sedgwick, and Oxford-based Korky Paul, the illustrator of the well-known Winnie the Witch series.

Using the hashtag #olashelfie, we will tweet the best pupil photographs from our Twitter account @OLAabingdon every day in the run-up to World Book Day on 6th March. All pupil entries will also be judged by a panel of teachers, with the winner receiving a set of book tokens to spend on the next addition to their collection.

This is an exciting way for us to celebrate reading in a way that will really engage young people. Having your own collection of books at home, however large or small, is a real joy. I am delighted that so many authors have shown their support for this project.

Pupils, or their parents, should email their shelfies to me by Thursday 6th March (aka World Book Day).

Happy snapping!

Read more on the school website.

Here's a shelfie from Korky Paul to get us started.

Jo Cotterill's new book Looking at the Stars

Many congratulations to Jo Cotterill, an old girl of OLA, whose latest book, Looking at the Stars, was published yesterday. I was delighted to be invited to the launch party at Blackwells in Oxford.

Jo's first work was published in 2004, and she has continued writing for teenagers and young people. She has been a regular at OLA literary events in recent years, including the 2012 Festival of Reading.

Looking at the Stars tells the story of Amina, a thirteen-year-old girl, and her family, who live in a country dominated by a tyrannical ruler. To keep her own spirits up, as well as those of the people around her, Amina starts to tell stories: stories of imagination, hope, and the stars. It is published by Bodley Head, an imprint of Random House, and is suitable for readers aged 11 up. Copies (autographed, of course) are available for loan from the Ratcliffe Library.

Read more on Jo's blog.

500 WORDS Competition

Chris Evans Breakfast Show's 500 WORDS competition is running again this year.

You have until 7 pm on Wednesday 26 February 2014 to enter!

More information