NEWSEUM
The Newseum, in Washington DC, is a museum of newspapers. They have a website where, amongst other things, you can look at today’s front pages for newspapers from all around the world. Click on the logo to go to the page where you can search by map, then click on the coloured dots to look at newspaper front pages.
This could be handy for Modern Studies, Modern Languages or even to compare opinions for discursive essays in English.
BOOK OF THE WEEK – SMALL CHANGE FOR STUART
For a much needed change, this week’s book of the week is light-hearted and funny – the author, Lissa Edwards used to be a stand-up comedian and is now is a comedy producer for television.
Small Change for Stuart was short-listed for the Costa Children’s Book Award.
Stuart Horton – ten years old and small for his age – moves to the dreary town of Beeton, far away from all his friends. And then he meets his new next-door neighbours, the unbearable Kingley triplets, and things get even worse.
But in Beeton begins the strangest adventure of Stuart’s life.
He is swept up in a quest to find his great-uncle’s lost workshop – a workshop stuffed with trickery and magic. There are clues to follow and puzzles to solve, but what starts as fun ends up as danger, and Stuart begins to realize that he can’t finish the task by himself…
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
January 27th is Holocaust Memorial Day, and the theme this year is ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust trust are asking you to consider what you see and hear around you, and to use your voices to speak up against hatred and discrimination.
Watch their video, and think about it.
CHEMISTRY MAP OF SCOTLAND
Click the link to go to an interactive map of Scotland with lots of information about famous Scottish scientists (mostly chemists) and places in Scotland connected to Chemistry. This is quite a new project, so hopefully more will be added to it over time. Have a look at the link to James Paraffin Young, our own local chemist.
CLOCKWORK PRINCE – REVIEW BY LH
There’s no denying that I enjoyed ‘The Clockwork Angel’. The combination of thrilling, well-paced action, a genuinely interesting mystery, Clare’s fantastic command of language and an intriguing romance sub-plot created a wonderful book.
There’s no denying when compared to its predecessor, ‘The Clockwork Prince’ is not an enjoyable read. I was excited for its release, however found myself incredibly disappointed with the result. There is no mystery and very little action. The entire book focuses on the love triangle between Tessa, Will and Jem, a romance that works perfectly as a sub-plot but doesn’t shine when shoved into the spotlight.
There’s no denying that this book lacks any and all aspect of plot. The book seems to focus on the main characters wandering through London and the surrounding area looking for the Magister, the villain that escaped in the first book. This should make for an interesting plot yet it is diminished by Tessa’s overwhelming desire for the two leading males, a romance that is dull and leads you to become utterly sick of Tessa herself. I almost tossed the book to the floor when I stumbled across the line ‘she fell asleep finally, not sure if she was dreaming of kissing one of them, or the other’. The novel focus too much on the relationships between characters, making the romance sub-plot the main plot and replacing it with what should be the story. There is no searching for clues or fighting monsters. There is only Tessa and her pathetic pining for boys.
There is no denying Clare has a talent for writing and a certain finesse, but this book is atrocious. It took 390 pages until I found the first real plot twist and even that was shortly dismissed. It’s like going to a restaurant, ordering a nice fancy starter and then foraging in the bins for your next course. I recommend the first book in the series, but it may be better just to leave it at that.
OPINIONS MAY VARY
Not all book reviews will be positive, but readers like different things so that is reasonable. I know that there are lots of people waiting to read the new Cassandra Clare book – the library reserve list is long enough for me to consider buying a second copy – so don’t be put off by the review that follows, it may be that you will feel differently (and if you do, please consider reviewing Clockwork Prince in a different way).
FLIPSIDE
The latest edition of Flipside is in the library today. This one has articles about forensic technology now and in the past; how to make the perfect pizza; the future of Facebook; Olympic hope and gymnast Dan Keatings; the world’s weirdest toilets and the usual mix of new technology, music, games and gadgets.
BOOK OF THE WEEK – MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece has been shortlisted for both the Galaxy and Red House children’s book awards. It’s a quick read, but not an easy one.
From the blurb –
Ten-year-old Jamie hasn’t cried since it happened. He knows he should have – Jasmine cried, Mum cried, Dad still cries. Roger didn’t, but then he is just a cat and didn’t know Rose that well, really.
Everyone kept saying it would get better with time, but that’s just one of those lies that grown-ups tell in awkward situations. Five years on, it’s worse than ever: Dad drinks, Mum’s gone and Jamie’s left with questions that he must answer for himself.
This is his story, an unflinchingly real yet heart-warming account of a young boy’s struggle to make sense of the loss that tore his family apart.
THE HOUSE OF SILK – REVIEW BY MRS V
I will admit that I am always a bit sceptical about new books that use someone else’s well-established characters, but I am such a huge Sherlock Holmes fan that I had to give this a try, in fact I was so keen that I asked for it for Christmas. And (although I haven’t finished it yet) so far it hasn’t disappointed me at all. As in all the Sherlock Holmes stories, it is told by Dr. John Watson – and Dr. Watson sounds right, so you very quickly forget that you are not reading one of the original books and just get caught up in the very exciting story. Like the originals it moves fast, and although Anthony Horowitz refers to the other tales (and this is in fact set in the middle of the series) the book doesn’t rely on them so it would be quite possible to read this as a stand-alone story.
But why wouldn’t you want to read the others too?
I only have one regret and that is that I bought this as an ebook, so I missed out on having a copy with the gorgeous tactile black and red cover.
THE SCARF
Mr Potter’s play ‘The Scarf’ will be performed to S1 pupils periods 6 & 7 today, and to an open audience in the school hall tonight. The play was inspired by former pupil and Hearts player Jimmy Boyd who died at the Battle of the Somme during World War One, and is about Duncan and Jimmy who follow the Hearts players’ example by joining up with McCrae’s Battalion and going off to the war.
Laura Cummings, writing in the Evening News, said this:
He was once an ordinary school pupil just like them – but his heroics during the First World War carved him a legacy the city still honours nearly 100 years after his death.
Former Hearts star Jimmy Boyd, who joined the famous McCrae’s Battalion, has become the inspiration for a play to be performed by pupils at his former secondary school.
The popular footballer was killed in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 having famously become one of 13 Hearts players to volunteer for service under city soldier Sir George McCrae – prompting hundreds of fans and other men to do likewise.
McCrae’s Battalion was nicknamed after Sir George McCrae who led them. Thirteen Hearts players volunteered for service despite the fact they were leading the Scottish First Division (now SPL) at the time.
Five hundred of the club’s fans and hundreds of other local men followed suit, including players from Hibs, Raith Rovers and East Fife. Many, like Boyd and teammates Duncan Currie, Harry Wattie and Ernest Ellis, died in the Battle of the Somme.
I believe ‘The Scarf’ is pretty close to being a sell-out, despite the jannies managing to fit an extra fifty chairs into the hall!