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Librarian Top Reads
20 September 2019
Need a good book to curl up with? One that you haven’t read a billion times? Look no further than these Top Book Picks from your very own school librarian! Whether you’re looking for something fresh and new or seeking out a classic, there should be something in this for everyone. The best part is they’re all available in the school library!
The World’s Worst Teachers - by David Walliams - Humour (suitable for all ages)
Think your teachers are bad? Wait till you meet this lot. These ten tales of the world’s most splendidly sinister teachers will have you running for the school gates. Dr Dread teaches science and is half man, half monster… Watch out for the ghastly Miss Seethe. She is ALWAYS furious – and she’s on a detention rampage. And as for Mr Phobe, he’s a teacher with a real difference. He is bone-shakingly terrified of… children!
Miss Lee’s Comments: Not all teachers are perfect! Grab this book and read some hilarious short stories of the World’s Worst Teachers!
A Darker Shade of Magic – by V.E. Schwab – Fantasy (suitable for all ages)
Kell is one of the last Antari - magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes - Red London - and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing first-hand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
Miss Lee’s Comments: For those of you tired of dragons dominating all kinds of fantasy books, take a peek at A Darker Shade of Magic for a fresh idea and an interesting plot. Imagine there being four different London’s, all different, all with their own problems to face…
Openly Straight – by Bill Konigsberg - LGBT (suitable for all ages)
Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.
And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.
So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret - not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible.
This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.
Miss Lee’s Comments: Absolutely funny and sweet. Definitely a must-read, it will get you giggling and sometimes roaring with laughter, but it also has a nice, strong
message!
Librarian's Top Reads
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