19 March 2015
Let the reading commence!
OLA shadowers rushed to the Ratcliffe Library to find out which books had made the shortlist for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. As they settled down to read what I can only describe as a 'delicious silence' descended; that quiet which comes from an absorbing activity, which every reader experiences at some time. Are we reading a future classic, a title which will become as well known as The Borrowers or Watership Down? Challenging themes including war, sickness and adversity run through the shortlist. But to quote part of the criteria, "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."
12 March 2015
Shadowing the Carnegie Medal
On Tuesday 17 March come to the Library and find out which books are on the shortlist for this prestigious book award.
What does Shadowing the Carnegie Medal involve?
• Reading Books. Past Carnegie Medal winners have become classics. These include The Borrowers, Watership Down, Skellig, Flour Babies, and Northern Lights. You will be reading future classics!
• Meetings. There will be ‘shadowing’ meetings in the Library on Mondays, at 4.05, where you can come to change your books, chat about the books you have read, write reviews and persuade others why your favourite should win the Medal.
• Writing Reviews. You post your review on a special shadowing website, where other ‘shadowers’ around the country are doing the same.
• Meeting Carnegie Shadowers from other schools and the Carnegie Forum. The six secondary schools in Abingdon have worked together over the Carnegie Medal for over 10 years. We have three joint meetings: a launch 'tea' to introduce the books, a quiz a few weeks into the shadowing, and a joint Abingdon Carnegie Forum in the Guildhall, where 100 students from local schools discuss and vote for their Abingdon winner.
What does Shadowing the Carnegie Medal involve?
• Reading Books. Past Carnegie Medal winners have become classics. These include The Borrowers, Watership Down, Skellig, Flour Babies, and Northern Lights. You will be reading future classics!
• Meetings. There will be ‘shadowing’ meetings in the Library on Mondays, at 4.05, where you can come to change your books, chat about the books you have read, write reviews and persuade others why your favourite should win the Medal.
• Writing Reviews. You post your review on a special shadowing website, where other ‘shadowers’ around the country are doing the same.
• Meeting Carnegie Shadowers from other schools and the Carnegie Forum. The six secondary schools in Abingdon have worked together over the Carnegie Medal for over 10 years. We have three joint meetings: a launch 'tea' to introduce the books, a quiz a few weeks into the shadowing, and a joint Abingdon Carnegie Forum in the Guildhall, where 100 students from local schools discuss and vote for their Abingdon winner.
04 March 2015
Caroline Lawrence at the Abingdon Joint Author event 2015
Year 7 pupils picked up some powerful writing tips from best-selling author Caroline Lawrence, best known for her Roman Mystery series. An avid film fan, and former classics teacher, Caroline set out her seven screenwriting ‘beats’ for moving along a story, afterwards using the example of her first book The Thieves of Ostia. This was a richly illustrated interactive talk with images from film and books demonstrating archetypal characters, as well as telling us about her research, favourite places of the classic world and her books.
Her current series is set in the Wild West of Virginia City in 1862, with a 12-year-old Private Investigator, P.K. Pinkerton. Her next series, out next year, will be set in Roman Britain in 94 AD. 'Seekers' will be about five children investigating mysteries.
The Joint Author visit is an annual event co-organised by OLA, Abingdon and St Helen & St Katharine school librarians, inviting other local schools. Over 600 school children attended her two talks.
The sponge on a stick caused great hilarity, but was in regular use by Ancient Romans.
More about the author
Inspiring tips here
Her current series is set in the Wild West of Virginia City in 1862, with a 12-year-old Private Investigator, P.K. Pinkerton. Her next series, out next year, will be set in Roman Britain in 94 AD. 'Seekers' will be about five children investigating mysteries.
The Joint Author visit is an annual event co-organised by OLA, Abingdon and St Helen & St Katharine school librarians, inviting other local schools. Over 600 school children attended her two talks.
The sponge on a stick caused great hilarity, but was in regular use by Ancient Romans.
More about the author
Inspiring tips here
28 September 2014
OLA Festival of Reading
A week of exciting visits for the 2014 OLA Festival of Reading.
On Monday 22 September the author Michael Malaghan both entertained and challenged Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. He read extracts from two of his books 'The Lost Prophecies' and 'Greek Ransom'. Explaining his personal pathway into becoming a writer of children's' books gave an insight into the various routes a budding author could take. With some additional amusing anecdotes, particularly regarding his family cat, lead to two interesting workshops. Oliver in Year 7 had already read one of Michael's books which he'd enjoyed, having also shared the cat-humour with all, and was looking forward to picking up the next one.
How does one write an ending to a story? This was one of the tasks set. Michael complimented many on their group contributions. Given a scenario, how does one continue and develop a story in short steps? Many pupils took up this other challenge and may have recognised the satisfaction it gives to work towards accomplishing such a task.
On Wednesday 24 September Guy de Beaujeu, the producer of the film 'Private Peaceful' (written by Michael Morpurgo, author of 'War Horse')gave Year 10 pupils an insight into being a film producer, comparing it to the role of a 'Headmaster', and the differences between a producer and director. The Producer is in charge of financial budgets, where millions of pounds are the norm! Examples of the variety of a producer's work and stresses include gaining rights to a book/screen play to film; health and safety issues - including stopping the stars from playing football in case they break a leg and hold up the production; hiring a crane with driver at £1500 per day and finding the weather is not suitable to film! It was fascinating to hear . Guy showed examples of how sections were filmed in the film 'Private Peaceful', for example how the father of Tommie and Charlie was killed by a tree. Screening of the film in the evening was well attended and a moving experience. After the film a fascinating half hour or so of Q&A.
Neill Cameron is the comic book illustrator who writes and draws for the weekly Phoenix Cartoon Comic and is illustrator in residence at the Story Museum in Oxford. Spending the day at OLA he engaged pupils with his humour and amazing skills with the pen, transforming the young people’s ideas into a cartoon. He explained how, at the age of eight, he started drawing cartoons with his brother, and their greatest fan was MUM. Neill insists that all people can draw; creativity and sense of humour are important facets and a story can be drawn in four squares, demonstrating this with the story of Beatrice the Ninja Cupcake..JPG)
Andy Mulligan, the author of 'Trash', soon to be released as a major film, explained to his audience at OLA that for his writing he 'steals' observations to put into his books, giving examples from his Ribblestrop series and Trash. When he worked as a teacher in the Philippines an outing to the city dump, for the privileged pupils he taught, gave him an opportunity to meet and speak to the children who spent their day picking through the rubbish to extract items which could be sold for a few cents in order to survive. He incorporated this experience his thriller Trash. Some anecdotes and background about the making of the film left us all eager to see the film when it comes out. Andy also lead some writing workshops with Year 9 resulting in some great characters and story openers.
On Monday 22 September the author Michael Malaghan both entertained and challenged Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. He read extracts from two of his books 'The Lost Prophecies' and 'Greek Ransom'. Explaining his personal pathway into becoming a writer of children's' books gave an insight into the various routes a budding author could take. With some additional amusing anecdotes, particularly regarding his family cat, lead to two interesting workshops. Oliver in Year 7 had already read one of Michael's books which he'd enjoyed, having also shared the cat-humour with all, and was looking forward to picking up the next one.
How does one write an ending to a story? This was one of the tasks set. Michael complimented many on their group contributions. Given a scenario, how does one continue and develop a story in short steps? Many pupils took up this other challenge and may have recognised the satisfaction it gives to work towards accomplishing such a task.
On Wednesday 24 September Guy de Beaujeu, the producer of the film 'Private Peaceful' (written by Michael Morpurgo, author of 'War Horse')gave Year 10 pupils an insight into being a film producer, comparing it to the role of a 'Headmaster', and the differences between a producer and director. The Producer is in charge of financial budgets, where millions of pounds are the norm! Examples of the variety of a producer's work and stresses include gaining rights to a book/screen play to film; health and safety issues - including stopping the stars from playing football in case they break a leg and hold up the production; hiring a crane with driver at £1500 per day and finding the weather is not suitable to film! It was fascinating to hear . Guy showed examples of how sections were filmed in the film 'Private Peaceful', for example how the father of Tommie and Charlie was killed by a tree. Screening of the film in the evening was well attended and a moving experience. After the film a fascinating half hour or so of Q&A.
Neill Cameron is the comic book illustrator who writes and draws for the weekly Phoenix Cartoon Comic and is illustrator in residence at the Story Museum in Oxford. Spending the day at OLA he engaged pupils with his humour and amazing skills with the pen, transforming the young people’s ideas into a cartoon. He explained how, at the age of eight, he started drawing cartoons with his brother, and their greatest fan was MUM. Neill insists that all people can draw; creativity and sense of humour are important facets and a story can be drawn in four squares, demonstrating this with the story of Beatrice the Ninja Cupcake.
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Andy Mulligan, the author of 'Trash', soon to be released as a major film, explained to his audience at OLA that for his writing he 'steals' observations to put into his books, giving examples from his Ribblestrop series and Trash. When he worked as a teacher in the Philippines an outing to the city dump, for the privileged pupils he taught, gave him an opportunity to meet and speak to the children who spent their day picking through the rubbish to extract items which could be sold for a few cents in order to survive. He incorporated this experience his thriller Trash. Some anecdotes and background about the making of the film left us all eager to see the film when it comes out. Andy also lead some writing workshops with Year 9 resulting in some great characters and story openers.
10 July 2014
Abingdon community read to commemorate start of World War One
OLA is inviting members of the local community to join the school in reading the novel Private Peaceful this summer as part of the town’s World War One commemorations.
Abingdon Library is supporting the initiative and will be including the book in its Summer Reading Challenge, with Abingdon’s two independent bookshops, Mostly Books and The Bookstore, offering discounted copies during the next few months.
Private Peaceful charts eight hours in the life of a young soldier at the Front, as he looks back over the formative events of his life. Written by one of Britain’s best loved writers for children, Michael Morpurgo, Private Peaceful won the Blue Peter Book Award and has been adapted into an acclaimed stage play and film.
Readers can submit their reflections and reviews of the book to a special online forum which I have set up on the website Goodreads.
This year is a really important time for us all to remember everyone who suffered during the Great War. Private Peaceful is such a powerful book, and it’s worthy of a place on everyone’s book shelf.
Lynne Moores, the Manager of Abingdon Library, said: “The Community Read provides an opportunity for Abingdon to come together and think of all the men who fought and died for our country and our freedom. Private Peaceful is a great choice because it offers the chance to reflect on a profound time in history that affected the lives of everyone in the town.”
The Community Read will culminate with a screening of the film adaptation of Private Peaceful and talk by its Producer, Guy de Beaujeu, on Wednesday 24th September 2014. The screening is part of OLA’s annual Festival of Reading, and is open to members of the public. To book tickets, please contact the school.
The full URL for the Goodreads groups is www.goodreads.com/group/show/137931-abingdon-community-read-private-peaceful. The short URL is http://bit.ly/1qDNPYF.
Abingdon Library is supporting the initiative and will be including the book in its Summer Reading Challenge, with Abingdon’s two independent bookshops, Mostly Books and The Bookstore, offering discounted copies during the next few months.
Private Peaceful charts eight hours in the life of a young soldier at the Front, as he looks back over the formative events of his life. Written by one of Britain’s best loved writers for children, Michael Morpurgo, Private Peaceful won the Blue Peter Book Award and has been adapted into an acclaimed stage play and film.
Readers can submit their reflections and reviews of the book to a special online forum which I have set up on the website Goodreads.
This year is a really important time for us all to remember everyone who suffered during the Great War. Private Peaceful is such a powerful book, and it’s worthy of a place on everyone’s book shelf.
Lynne Moores, the Manager of Abingdon Library, said: “The Community Read provides an opportunity for Abingdon to come together and think of all the men who fought and died for our country and our freedom. Private Peaceful is a great choice because it offers the chance to reflect on a profound time in history that affected the lives of everyone in the town.”
The Community Read will culminate with a screening of the film adaptation of Private Peaceful and talk by its Producer, Guy de Beaujeu, on Wednesday 24th September 2014. The screening is part of OLA’s annual Festival of Reading, and is open to members of the public. To book tickets, please contact the school.
The full URL for the Goodreads groups is www.goodreads.com/group/show/137931-abingdon-community-read-private-peaceful. The short URL is http://bit.ly/1qDNPYF.
26 June 2014
Abingdon Carnegie Forum 2014
The joint schools' Abingdon Carnegie Forum took place today at the Guildhall. Ninety-seven students attended, from the six secondary schools. They have been avidly reading the shortlisted books nominated for the prestigious children's book award, the Carnegie Medal. This event was the culmination of 3 months of reading and reviewing.
All over the country students have been shadowing the Carnegie Medal: reading the shortlist and posting their reviews on a special website. Twelve students from OLA's Year 7 & 8 met other keen readers to discuss the books and, in ten mixed school groups, present a review of their favourite book in front of a panel of judges.
The judges had to decide which presentation would convince them to read that book, and also decided on the best book reviews. Prizes of book tokens and books were awarded. The students also voted for the Abingdon Carnegie winning book and shared a Carnegie cake.
OLA Book Review prizewinners:
Best Book Review for Rooftoppers - Ollie
Highly Commended Book Review for Blood Family- Dannan
At the end of the Forum the chair of the judges, who were from the worlds of publishing, bookselling and education, spoke about how much they had enjoyed the day. They were impressed that the award the criteria of the Medal were addressed in the reviews, the presentation of the shadowers’ own responses, whether positive or negative, and the varied vocabulary to express their opinions.
OLA Best Contributor in Group winners:
These nominations were made by the group leaders for group work during the course of the day.
Best Contributor in Group - Lizzie
Best Contributor in Group - Dannan
Group presentations, lasting no longer than four minutes, took a variety of forms from film awards to news reports and key scenes to a court room drama. The judges agreed these were of a high standard: witty, exciting, interesting to watch, involving all the students in each group, who took part enthusiastically. Hard though it was choose the judges decided that the Best Group Presentation should go to the group who presented 'The Wall' as a news report and then brought it back to the Forum itself.
Which book was voted by the shadowers as the Abingdon Carnegie Winner? It was Bunker Diary, with Ghost Hawk and All the Truth That’s in Me joint second. For the first time in the Abingdon Carnegie Forum’s history the Abingdon shadowers agreed with the CILIP Carnegie Judges about the winner.
All over the country students have been shadowing the Carnegie Medal: reading the shortlist and posting their reviews on a special website. Twelve students from OLA's Year 7 & 8 met other keen readers to discuss the books and, in ten mixed school groups, present a review of their favourite book in front of a panel of judges.
The judges had to decide which presentation would convince them to read that book, and also decided on the best book reviews. Prizes of book tokens and books were awarded. The students also voted for the Abingdon Carnegie winning book and shared a Carnegie cake.
OLA Book Review prizewinners:
Best Book Review for Rooftoppers - Ollie
Highly Commended Book Review for Blood Family- Dannan
At the end of the Forum the chair of the judges, who were from the worlds of publishing, bookselling and education, spoke about how much they had enjoyed the day. They were impressed that the award the criteria of the Medal were addressed in the reviews, the presentation of the shadowers’ own responses, whether positive or negative, and the varied vocabulary to express their opinions.
OLA Best Contributor in Group winners:
These nominations were made by the group leaders for group work during the course of the day.
Best Contributor in Group - Lizzie
Best Contributor in Group - Dannan
Group presentations, lasting no longer than four minutes, took a variety of forms from film awards to news reports and key scenes to a court room drama. The judges agreed these were of a high standard: witty, exciting, interesting to watch, involving all the students in each group, who took part enthusiastically. Hard though it was choose the judges decided that the Best Group Presentation should go to the group who presented 'The Wall' as a news report and then brought it back to the Forum itself.
Which book was voted by the shadowers as the Abingdon Carnegie Winner? It was Bunker Diary, with Ghost Hawk and All the Truth That’s in Me joint second. For the first time in the Abingdon Carnegie Forum’s history the Abingdon shadowers agreed with the CILIP Carnegie Judges about the winner.
16 June 2014
OLA School Read: Private Peaceful
This summer holiday, with the anniversary of the start of World War I in August, I'm suggesting and recommending that OLA pupils and their families make time to read, either together or separately, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo.
This book is worthy of a permanent place on your bookshelf at home. Suitable for 9+ to adult, it is a striking story of the First World War. Told in the voice of a young soldier, the story follows 24 hours in his life at the front during WW1, and captures his memories as he looks back over his life. Full of superbly researched detail and engrossing atmosphere, the book leads to a dramatic and moving conclusion.
Michael Morpurgo is a former Children’s Laureate and has written over 100 books, with War Horse his best known work.
If you tweet you may wish to add your comments to #OLASchoolRead when you finish the book.
This OLA School Read will be followed by a screening of the film adaptation of Private Peaceful and talk by the Producer during the OLA Festival of Reading on Wednesday 24th September 2014.
This book is worthy of a permanent place on your bookshelf at home. Suitable for 9+ to adult, it is a striking story of the First World War. Told in the voice of a young soldier, the story follows 24 hours in his life at the front during WW1, and captures his memories as he looks back over his life. Full of superbly researched detail and engrossing atmosphere, the book leads to a dramatic and moving conclusion.
Michael Morpurgo is a former Children’s Laureate and has written over 100 books, with War Horse his best known work.
If you tweet you may wish to add your comments to #OLASchoolRead when you finish the book.
This OLA School Read will be followed by a screening of the film adaptation of Private Peaceful and talk by the Producer during the OLA Festival of Reading on Wednesday 24th September 2014.
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