Friday, 5 June 2009

From Somalia With Love


Ms Sparkes has just read From Somalia With Love by Na'ima B. Robert.

This book is about a British Somali girl who lives in East London ( around Stratford somewhere). It doesn't have a lot of action, but if you like reading stories that seem true to life I think you'll really enjoy this one. Safia is a typical teenager who lives with her mum and two very different brothers. Her best friend, Hamida, is Bengali. She enjoys a close relationship with her mum, but that changes when her dad, whom she hardly remembers, arrives from Somali. In the confusion she feels she is drawn towards her fast-living cousin, Firdous and the world of boyfriends. As you can imagine she feels torn between the lifestyle she has been brought up with and the 'fun' that Firdous offers.

The book seems to capture, in a very easy-to-read style, the complexities of growing up a muslim girl in East London. It also tells you quite a lot about Somali culture that is really interesting. I liked the way the author used a lot of somali and arabic words that made it seem more authentic : don't worry if you don't understand them; there's a glossary that explains what they mean in the back.

If you are a girl/muslim/somali or two of those things( e.g somali boy/muslim girl) I'd really like to know if you think it seems true -to- life. If, like me, you're none of those things, I still think you'd enjoy reading it and I'd like to know if you found it informative and entertaining too.

Monday, 18 May 2009

Sarah Singleton



On Thursday 14th May the author Sarah Singleton visited St Paul's Way to talk to students about her new book, The Poison Garden. Sarah briefly described her four previous books, and then read from the The Poison Garden. She answered a variety of questions from students, including who her favourite authors how, where does she get her inspiration for her books and how long does it take her to write a book. Congratulations to all the students who took part. (There are more photographs on display in the library.)

Carnegie Award Shadowing Group








If any student in Year 8 or Year 9 would like to join the Carnegie Award Shadowing Group please see Ms Connell. Members of the Shadowing Group are reading the books which have been shortlisted for this year's Carnegie Book Award. Seven books have been shortlisted, but it is entirely up to you whether you read all, some or just one of them. We meet once a week during Friday lunchtime and I hope that we will be able to repeat last year's trip when we met with other schools to hear the judges' choice for the winners of the Carnegie and Greenaway awards.

Year 8 Football Reading Challenge

Congratulations to Talal, Tanvir, Basit, Abdi, Ruhul, Rahi and Maruf from 8S who have completed the Premier League Reading Stars Challenge. Their challenge was to read 100 books before the end of term, and they have succeeded in a record time. They will be receiving their prizes shortly. If you would like to take part in the next reading challenge after half term please speak to Ms Connell.

Monday, 2 March 2009

World Book Day

Thursday 5th March is World Book Day, and you will all be receiving your World Book Day book tokens this week. You may exchange them for one of the six special World Book Day books or put them towards the price of any book at participating book shops. Some of your favourite authors, including Andy Stanton (Mr Gum books), Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson books), Terry Deary (Horrible Histories),Mark Walden (H.I.V.E. books) and Cathy Hopkins (Mates, Dates books) have written books especially for World Book Day.

Where to exchange your World Book Day book token:
Victoria Park Books, 174 Victoria Park Road
Eastside Books, 166 Brick Lane
Newham Bookshop, 745 Barking Road
WH Smith, Stratford Shopping Centre

Monday, 19 January 2009

Holocaust Memorial Day

Tuesday 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day, which is the international day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and of other genocides. 27th January was chosen as the date for Holocaust Memorial Day because it is the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. The theme for this year's HMD is Stand Up To Hatred, and we have a display of posters, information and books relating to the Holocaust and other genocides in the library. For further information go to the website www.hmd.org.uk.

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

What are you reading?

At the moment I am reading The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer by David Leavitt. Click on comment to tell me what you are reading.

Monday, 5 January 2009

Book reviews by 7P

Here are some more book reviews from our keen readers in 7P. Anybody who writes a review which is published on the blog will receive a merit.

The Witches (Roald Dahl) reviewed by Tahera

This story is about a little boy who has a grandmother who tells him how to keep away from witches. She tells him you could be sitting next to a witch and you'd never know it.
This story is very adventurous, and there are loads of illustrations by Quentin Blake in this book which describe the characters. My favourite character is the grandmother. It's a story where things don't go quite as well as planned by the characters.

How to Train Your Parents (Pete Johnson) reviewed by Mizan

I like this book which has lots of jokes in it. It has really inspired me to read more and more. When I read the forst paragraph I just wanted to know what happened next. I kept reading for one whole hour: it was so good I could picture it. It was like a film going in your head. So I like a lot of Pete Johnson books.
So what are you waiting for? You can enjoy the excitement by going to the library at St Paul's Way. Get reading!


Journey to the River Sea (Eva Ibbotson) reviewed by Alima

Journey to the River Sea is about a girl called Maia who is an orphan who wishes to have parents who care about her.

(added by Ms Damms: I think this will be a children's classic: it has well drawn, very engaging characters (and some really nasty ones), a fine, twisty plot and a satisfyingly happy ending for Maia - who is an immensely likable heroine. I'd have loved it when I was 11 or 12.)

Why Eating Bogeys is Good for You
reviewed by Masud

This is a great book.It is really funny as well as enjoyable: you get stuck right into it and just want to read the whole thing. It contains lots of disgusting facts. Also, it answers lots of gross questions you always wondered about, such as 'Why is poo brown?', 'Why don't ladies have beards?', 'Is it possible to knock yourself out with your own fist?' and many more horrible but fascinating facts.

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

16th December 1971

To mark the anniversary of the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War on 16th December 1971 we have a display in the library about the history of the war and fiction and non fiction books which deal with the subject. These include A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam, and if you go to the author's website you can watch an interview with her about the War. Just click on 16th December 1971 above.

Friday, 28 November 2008

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas wins the Tower Hamlets Book Award 2008

Tower Hamlets Book Award

Your votes are all in now, and there is a clear winner at St Paul's Way, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but will the other schools in Tower Hamlets agree with us? Watch this space later today to find out.

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

The Kite Rider

Boody, Agibou, Ahtik and Samiur from 9T have been reading the Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. Here is a fantastic piece of work they have done on it.

Terror in Dagu!
Children Trapped
in Fire


A widow and two young children survived an enormous blaze which devastated a family home in Dagu yesterday evening.

A two-year-old girl called Wawa and her mother Quing-an Gou, aged 39, were pulled from the roaring inferno by hero Di Chou, first mate of the Chabi, at around 10pm.

Crisis in Dagu

The disaster happened just a few weeks after Pei Gou, Quing-an’s husband, died in a wind-testing tragedy. It is believed that Quing-an may now marry Di Chou. The first mate said, “I was just passing and I heard screams. I ran in and pulled them out, it was nothing.”
It took neighbours and friends two hours to put out the intense
flames, which destroyed dozens of kites made by the widow’s 12-year-old son Haoyou. Police are
investigating the cause of the fire, led by Inspector Ben Tham.

The Inspector said, “We found a burnt match at the scene and we are gathering a lot of evidence. I will be interviewing neighbours to help with my inquiries.”

Friday, 21 November 2008

Year Seven Book Reviews

I'm always very pleased to receive book reviews from students, and I will award a merit to anyone whose review is published on the blog. Here is a review from Numan in 7P.



I read a book from the library, and the book's name was 'Why Eating Bogeys is Good For You.' I've read only 23 pages of the book and it's funny. The book has some good questions in it. The good thing about this book is the questions because they are too funny. I'll tell you one funny question from the book: 'If kangaroos keep their babies in their pouches, what will happen to all the poo?' (The baby kangaroo's poo).


Ruhul has been reading Varjak Paw.


A Mesopotamian cat named Varkak Paw. He lives in an old house with his family on a hill. One day his grandfather told them about seven skills. They only knew three: slow-time, moving circles, and shadow-walking. He left home and went to a dangerous city.

The city was full of dogs, cat gangs and, most mysterious of all, the vanishings.

Varjak was the youngest one in his family. He got a mission to succeed in: to find dogs and talk to them...


Farhadul has reviewed Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

Kensuke's Kingdom is a good adventurous book. It's about a boy that goes into an island with his dog. They've got no food or water. If you want to find out what happens to them ,read the book. It's a really good book. Read it! Read it!

Lutfha has read Everything I Know About You by Belinda Hollyer.

The thing I like about this book is it's a bit funny. It talks about a family but their mother is dead. Lizzie and Eric start fighting, telling different stories. She starts working in a gift shop but there's a mystery in her family and she has to solve it.

There is a little poem or song and it's a bit sad because they talk about their mum and she's not alive, but it's very enjoyable. Just read it.

Fahmida has enjoyed Let's Get Invisible from the Goosebumps series.

The best part of the story is when the main character goes invisible and no one can see him. I like this part because if I were invisible I could do anything that I dreamed of. The worst thing in the book is when ... (perhaps Fahmida was going to give away too much). I like the book because it is spooky and I like spooky stories.

Now you see him; now you don't.

Simran on 'Sleepovers' by Jacqueline Wilson, with illustrations by Nick Sharratt.

All of Daisy's friends in the Alphabet Club - Amy, Bella, Chloe and Emily - have had sleepovers for their birthdays.

Daisy has a dilemma: she'd love to have a sleepover too, but then she'd have to let her friends meet her sister...

I think this book was really fun to read and I think that other people would like it too. My favourite character is Daisy because she was the main person.

Jahed
has been reading HIVE by Mark Walden.

The book that I am reading is called 'HIVE' - Higher Institute of Villainous Education

This book is about a thirteen-year-old master criminal boy (his name is Otto Malpense) who has been chosen to attend H.I.V.E., the top-secret school of villainy.

Otto is in a helicopter with an Asian boy who is sitting next to him, and they both are trying to figure out where they are. I won't tell you any more in case I spoil the story, but find out for yourself what happens next.

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Anne Cassidy at St Paul's Way


Year 8 and Year 9 students were incredibly lucky to take part in two writing workshops given by Anne Cassidy, the author of some fantastic books including Looking For JJ, Love Letters and Forget Me Not. Anne spoke to the students about how difficult it is to get a book published and the importance of a good beginning to a story. Most of us were amazed to find out that publishers only read one page before deciding not to publish a book! Anne gave the students the opening sentences of some books that she hasn't written, and after a short discussion about why the sentences were interesting, everyone settled down to write the first paragraph of a story. The results were fantastic, and you can read some of them as they are on display in the library. Congratulations to all the students who took part. Anne Cassidy was very impressed with you and so was I.

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

New Magazines in the Library

For those of you interested in football, and I know there are a few (including me), we now have Match of the Day Magazine in the library every week. The first issue we received featured our very own Danny Shittu who came to this school a few years ago and who plays for Bolton.


If you are into science you can now read the New Scientist every week in the library. This week's issue includes articles on endangered animals and the water supply in Bangladesh.

Finally, we have a new magazine called Iris which is about the Classical World (Ancient Greece and Rome). It contains articles on the Olympics, drama, myths, science fiction and loads more.



Friday, 31 October 2008

Pete Johnson visits St Paul's Way


The author Pete Johnson visited school on October 15th. He spoke to all the Year Seven students who were thrilled to listen to his stories of how he became a writer and how he writes his books. Congratulations to everyone who managed to answer Pete's questions correctly and went away with a prize!

Monday, 8 September 2008

Big Bang week

It's Big Bang week in the library, to coincide with the start of the experiment in Switzerland on Wednesday when scientists will try to recreate the aftermath of the Big Bang so that they can learn more about the origins of the universe. We've got books on the Big Bang and the universe on display, our fiction author of the week is Douglas Adams who wrote Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and our poem of the week is Big Bang by Valerie Bloom.

For more information on the experiment have a look at the CERN website. http://public.web.cern.ch/Public/Welcome.html

Radio 4 is broadcasting several programmes about the Big Bang and particle physics on Wednesday. You can listen to them through the BBC website or download the podcasts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

Welcome to the new Year Sevens

Welcome to all the new students at SPWCS. We hope you will visit the library as often as possible and make use of all the fantastic resources we have here. Whether you are looking for a book to read for pleasure or information to help with your homework, you are sure to find what you want in the library. This blog will keep you informed with library news, and you can add your own comments to it.

Why not start by telling us what books you like to read. Just click on comment and follow the instructions.

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Geography resources: Year 11

Bangladesh Flood Action Plan

Bowden, R. The Ganges. 954
Cumming, D. Bangladesh. 954.92
Oxlade, C. Floods. 551.48
Hari, J. Bangladesh is set to disappear under the waves by the end of the century – a special report. Independent, 23 June 2008.
Spilsbury, L. Food and Agriculture. 338.191
Waugh, D. Key Geography for GCSE. 910
Waugh, D. The New Wider World. 910

Stratford Olympics

Anderson, J. Ways to do Surveys. 910.7
Olympic Delivery Authority. Your Park leaflets in English and Bengali.
Series of leaflets on issues relating to the Olympic Park including local jobs for local people, sustainability, transport.

Al Naib, S. London Docklands: Past Present and Future. 942.1
Foster, J. Docklands: Cultures in Conflict, Worlds in Collision. 942.1
Nicolson, A. Regeneration: the Story of the Dome. 942.1
Ogden, P. London Docklands: the Challenge of Development. 942.1

Islamic Golden Age resources in the library

Barber, Nicola. Islamic Art & Culture. 297
Bloom, Jonathan. Islam: Empire of Faith. 297
Culpin, C. Collins History Connections Medieval Realms. 940.1
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide Islam. 297
Hattstein, Markus. Islam: Art and Architecture. 297
Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World. Volume 3, 501 – 1100. 909.1
Lunde, Paul. Islam: Faith, Culture, History. 297
Martell, Hazel. The World of Islam before 1700. 297
Senior, Kathryn. Doctors, Demons and Drugs. 610
Spilbury, Richard and Louise. The Islamic Empires. 909.09