NB Learning and Information Centre Blog

October is... Black History Month

2007-10-05T04:02:00.000-07:00

October sees the yearly celebration of Black History Month in the UK.
This year the focus is on the anniversary of the Slave Trade Act 1807, which officially abolished slavery in the UK.

To co-incide with this, there are displays in the LIC on slavery and a resource list is available with suggested website and books.

You might want to look at these sites on the topic:

National Maritime Museum's mini-site for KS3 pupils

Direct gov's section

Parliament archives on slavery

Recovered histories

Anti-Slavery's 1807 anniversary site

Portcities: exploring the role of the UK's ports in the slave trade

Buy some books!

2007-09-12T01:25:00.000-07:00

Look out for your Cover to Cover magazine soon! It has lots of discounted new books for you to buy. Read through the magazine with whoever is paying, fill in the coupon on the back and take it to the LIC with the correct money. Deadline is the 28th Sept.

Look out for our book fair arriving soon!
26th Sept - 1st Oct. Another great way of buying some snazzy new reads. LIC, breaktimes. Look out for more publicity.
We will also be publicising the bookfair with a competition where you can win a free book!

Welcome [back]

2007-09-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome (again) to the LIC blog. We had some technical hitches last term but hopefully this can again be the place for you all to get more information not only about the LIC but lots of different ways of helping you become more INDEPENDENT LEARNERS. That is what school is for, after all...

If you have any homework topics you need good weblinks for, or would like anything to be shared on this blog (like your own book reviews) talk to the librarian, Ms Swinyard.

Careers blog

2007-09-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Mr Hones (Careers) has created another blog to deal with everything you need to know about careers.

Log on to the NBS Careers Blog here.

Alternatively you can visit the careers area in the LIC, which has not only information about careers but also universities and general life choices.

Wimbledon

2007-06-29T02:09:00.001-07:00

Well, even though we have no Brits to support for the rest of Wimbledon, it's still an exciting contest. We have an interactive display in the LIC - help us fill in the scoreboard by looking up results on the internet or in the papers. All the interesting Wimbledon-related news is on there too. Come and see!

Check out these websites:

Official Wimbledon website

Times newspaper: Wimbledon

Newsround's sports pages

COMPETITION: Guardian Young Critics

2007-06-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

If you're under 16, write a 200-word review of one of the nominated books for the Children's Fiction Prize as part of the Young Critics award.

Prizes:
10 people will win £20 of Book Tokens and a set of the nominated books for their school.

If you enter as a class and write lots of good entries overall, then the whole class together could win a trip to the Guardian Newsroom, £300 of Book Tokens and a set of the nominated books.

Click here for how to enter.
Click here for the longlist.

Fairtrade chocolate and Ghana

2007-06-26T00:18:00.001-07:00

Here are some weblinks for looking at the topic of Fairtrade chocolate in Ghana:

'Dubble' website, a Fairtrade chocolate company

'Divine' website, another Fairtrade chocolate company

Oxfam's teenage website, about Ghana and chocolate

And if you have time...

Teachers' resources

Non-Fairtrade chocolate company 'Jamieson's', but does have information about culture in Ghana

and the Carnegie winner is...

2007-06-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

Meg Rosoff with her book called 'Just in case'.

From the blurb:

"Every minute of every day, a million things happen... The day David Case saves is brother's life, his whole world changes... He changes his name and the way he looks... He finds himself caught up in a series of strange and extraordinary misadventures. He even falls in love..."

The judges picked it because of the 'highly original' plot, cleverly realised characters, 'edgy and often unpredictable' writin style and 'wonderful use of language'.

Read some teenage reviews of this book.

Come and borrow our LIC copy, or seek it out at the local library or bookshop.

Do you think it's as good as the judges say??

Flickr Vision

2007-06-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

Do you know about the site Flickr.com where you can put your photos onto the internet? (You can't access it from school so there is no link here but you might like to try it at home).

Now someone has come up with the idea of logging all the images which are uploaded, so you can look at a world map and see who is posting what, where, as it actually happens.
It's really interesting to watch.

It's called 'Flickr Vision'.

Things to think about:
What images are coming from what countries?
What is the time in the country where they are posting? 3am? lunchtime? bedtime?
Which parts of the world seem to be using the internet the most?

It's best to try it at home where connection is faster - that way you can see the pictures too, not just where they are coming from.

Carnegie Shadowing by 8ASY

2007-06-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

8 ASY have been reviewing the Carnegie shortlist in English lessons based on first impressions. The 3 things we looked at were the cover, blurb and opening pages.

Take a look at their reviews and the school page.

8 ASY voted overwhelmingly for Beast as the best book, but we will have to wait until next week for the official winner of the award.

You can view the shortlist and post your own review as we said back in May.

We will try to buy a few more copies for the LIC collection, as Beast looks like it will roar off the shelves!

Big Bad Write

2007-06-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Think you can create the ultimate baddie?

Write a short story about a super-villain and enter into the Big Bad Write competition.

All the info is on the website (click on the link above) but here are the basics:

You have to be aged 8-16

The story has to be 500 - 1000 words long

Dealine is 10th August 2007.

Get writing now!

Darren Shan competition no.2

2007-06-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

"WHSMITH is also running a Blood Beast competition this month -- you lucky, lucky people!!! In this competition, you and a friend have a chance to get a limited edition poster with a facsimile of my signature, and you also have the opportunity to win a meeting with Darren Shan!!! To enter, you'll need to pay a visit to your local branch of WHSmith and pick up a FREE Blood Beast booklet (it features a chapter out of Lord Loss, to whet the appetites of those who haven't yet sampled the delirious delights of The Demonata!!). The booklet will provide you with a web link where you'll be able to submit your details and enter the competition."

From an extract on Darren Shan's own blog: http://www.darrenshan.com/monthly/index.html

The new Children's Laureate is announced!!!

2007-06-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

The new Children's Laureate was announced yesterday as Michael Rosen.

You can read all about it on the official website.

Michael Rosen will hold the post until 2009. It is a very important and prestigious role in the UK. The Children's Laureate has to promote reading for children in new and exciting ways. Michael Rosen is the first poet to be given this role, so it will be exciting to see his ideas.

We have many of his poetry books in the LIC. Come and see if you think his poems are any good!

(And we have lots of books from the previous Children's Laureates too - see below).

Previous Children's Laureates:

2005-7 Jacqueline Wilson

2003-5 Michael Morpurgo (born in ST ALBANS!)

2001-3 Anne Fine (on the Carnegie shortlist this year)

1999 -2001 Quentin Blake

The new Harry Potter???

2007-06-11T03:41:00.000-07:00

People in publishing are worried about what will be the next 'Big Thing' now that Harry Potter is finishing. The man who discovered JK Rowling thinks he knows what it will be - a book called 'Tunnels'. It's about a boy who digs tunnels under London leading to other worlds. Find out more here.

Do you think it sounds interesting? Post a comment!

Casting call for GIRLS!!!

2007-06-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Do you want to be in a new film adaptation of Louise Rennison's book

Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging???

Click here for how to audition! But be quick! They're soon!

Darren Shan competition no.1

2007-06-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

The bookshop Waterstones have launched a fantastic Darren Shan competition. Complete the 10 challenges and you could win an X Box 360!

The competition is called Have you got the guts for Darren Shan?

The first 3 challenges are available now.

Challenges 4,5 and 6 come out on 8th June.

Challenges 7,8,9 and 10 come out on the 15th June.

Darren Shan visits St Albans

2007-05-24T02:41:00.000-07:00

Darren Shan, writer of the 'Demonata' stories will be signing copies of his lastest book, 'Blood Beast' and talking about all his books at the Maltings Arts Theatre on Sat 9th June (end of half-term).

Tickets are only £4.50! Go here for more information.

If you haven't read any of his books then have a look at his own (very strange) blog.

Calling all comic makers!

2007-05-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

Are you a budding artist or writer? Fancy trying to write your own story or make your own comic trip?

Have a play on the Comic strip maker on the Doctor Who site, where you can get tips on being a writer and make your own comic strip.

New staff!

2007-05-22T01:18:00.000-07:00

NB has a new LIC Manager - Ms Swinyard.
Ms Swinyard is a professionally qualified librarian with lots of experience of working in libraries. She will be working hard to make the LIC an even better place to support you in your learning.
Keep looking at this blog for more info, and come and visit the LIC over the next half term to see what's new!

Carnegie Shadowing

2007-05-15T02:12:00.000-07:00

6 books have been shortlisted for this year's Carnegie Medal.
This is arguable the most prestigious award for children's authors in the UK!
Authors really value winning because the winner is chosen by librarians, who know what makes a great book and know what young people like to read.

YOU too can read the 6 books and decide which one you think should win!

Go to the shadowing site and click on post a review and find our school in the alphabetical lists. (Or go straight there). Type your reviews about the 6 books into the box and see them posted on our own part of the site! You can also look at other schools and what they think.

Get reading! The books this year are very dark, deep and though-provoking.

Welcome to the LIC blog!

2007-05-08T01:46:00.000-07:00

This is the new blog for the LIC at Nicholas Breakspear RC School.

A blog is short for a 'weblog': an online diary.

This is the place you can look to find out about the LIC and what it does. There will also be information about books, reading, authors, competitions etc. and help with homework.