AGSNews #5 - Spring 2023

When Darren Devlin is arrested for destroying his school with his bare hands, it's not just the police who are after him. Enter Marek Masters, 14 years old, 19% alien, and the most intelligent, most wanted 'almost human' alive Marek is here to tell Darren the truth - he is 21% monster, and together they must take down the secret organisation that created them.

SPRING 2023, No. 5.

April -June Carnegie Shadowing.

April 2nd - International Children's Book Day

May 4th - Star Wars Kahoot Quiz

May 15th - 21st Mental Health Awareness Week

May 21st - World Day for Cultural Diversity

June - Pride Month

June 21st - Carnegie Meeting at St. Mary's School.

June 26th -30th June - School Diversity Week

June 19th–25th - Refugee Week

July 10th - Teri Terry visit

July 17th Summer Scavenger Hunt.

July 21st - Games at Lunch.

2023 2023 2023 ssummer summer ummer What’s on What’s on What’s on

Localauthor,TeriTerrywillbevisitingAGSonJuly10thtogiveatalk tostudentsinYears7and8.

Following her successful trilogy 'The Circle' - Book 1, in the series, Blue Sky Rising won the Bucks Book Award in 2022, Teri will talk about her new book 'Scare Me' which is due to be released at the endofJune.

TherewillbeabooksigningafterthetalkandcopiesofScareMwe will willbeavailabletopurchaseviaParentPaynearerthetime.

LIBRARY RESOURCES

LIBRARY RESOURCES WEBSITE

Have you visited the Library's Google site? It contains links to reading lists, links to all our online resources such as the library catalogue and the eLibrary as well as linkstogamessuchasonlineescaperooms,puzzlesandbrainteasers. Pluslinkstoalltheformsmentionedbelowareonthesite.

Clickheretovisitthesite

DID YOU KNOW?

Aswellasreservingbookswehaveyoucanalsorequest fortheLibrarytopurchase booksthatyouwouldliketoread

Youcaneithervisitthelibraryandfillinabookrequestcard,orCLICKHEREtofillin the requestgoogleform.Youwillbenotifiedwhenthebookisavailable.

DO YOU NEED SOME BOOK SUGGESTIONS?

If you are struggling to find books to read, or maybe want some suggestions for differenttypesofbooksthenyouneedtheBookDoctor!

The Book Doctor has helped many students since it was introduced in September 2020 and with the introduction of the eBook library we can offer suggestions in different formats.

CLICKHEREfortheBookDoctorgoogleform.

eLIBRARY

Don't forget you can use the AGS eLibrary to download and read books on your phone, laptop etc. There is also an app available from the Windows/Google/Apple store.

Youcansign-inwithGoogleusingyourAGSlogin

CLICKHEREtoaccesstheeLibrary

Just to remind you you can alter the reading settings on the eBooks to suit your needs. You can change the font andfontsizeandyoucanalsousethedyslexiafriendlysettings

There are also some new features including Text to Speech (TTS), translation to 150+ languages, plus TTS for translatedlanguages.CLICKHEREtowatchashortvideoonthesenewfeatures.

BUCKS BOOK AWARD

AGS HOSTS THE BUCKS BOOK AWARD!

On March 8th, students from seven different schools in Bucks arrived at AGS to hear the announcement of the winners in both BBA book award categories The morning started with a talk by Sue Upton, the author of the dystopiantrilogy'PaperBoatsandButterflies'whogaveanengagingtalkonherwritingprocessaswellasdetailing someofthehistoricreferencesinherbooks.

Afterthetalk,SueannouncedthewinnersoftheBBAshortstorycompetition,followedby2023BBAWinners.

The Children's Book Prize was won by Until the End by Derek Landy and 'As Good as Dead' by Holly Jackson won the Sue Harris YAPrize.

After this, all 80+ students took part in the BigBucksBookAwardQuiz.

The quiz consisted of 6 rounds of 10 questions with individual prizes throughout thequiz.

AGS did well, with Joe in Year 8 winning a spotprizeaswellasbeingamemberofthe winning team along with students from St. Mary'sandTheGrange.

The AGS Bucks Book Award Shadowing Group with Sue Upton The winning team!

AGS BOOK WEEK

The second AGS Book Week was a great success with lots of competitions, activities and lunchtime quizzes!

KAHOOT QUIZ!

Every day during Book Week, the Library hosted a 10 minute Kahoot Quiz. There were 30 questions as well as a handful of spot prizes handed out in-between questions. The quiz gained momentum over the week with Friday beingthebusiestwithover30teamstakingpart!

OneofthequestionswastoputthelettersPOLQinalphabeticalorder...quiteashockthatonly40%oftheteams takingpartmanagedtoorderthemcorrectly!

Belowarethewinnersfromeachdaywhoallreceivedsomesweetsandabookprize

MONDAY - Team Ridlian, Y8

TUESDAY - T

WEDNESDAY- Team ISD, Year 9

THURSDAY - Harith, Y8

FRIDAY - Team njvdnkjdnkjvjvi ��, Y7

PHOTO COMPETITION

PETS CAUGHT READING

Wehadsomegreatentriesmakingthejudgingofthecompetitionincrediblydifficult However,awinnerhadtobe chosenandseeingherintenseconcentration,it'sclearLolaisanavidreader,soshewastheobviouschoiceforthe topspot!Unfortunately,LolawasotherwiseengagedsoherprizewascollectedbyGabrielinYear7.

runner up

runner up

runner up

Lottie Owner, Cody Year 9

Sid & The Cookie Monster Owner, Alex Year 7

Sky Owner, William Year 8

AGS BOOK WEEK

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?

EverydayduringBookWeekwehadatablelaidfordinner,a youhadtodowasguesswhothefourdinnerguestswere!

Our 'guests' were a mixture of book characters, aut celebritiesandhistoricalfigures.

This was very popular and it sparked a lot of discussion am studentsaboutwhotheguestscouldbe!

In total only 11 students correctly guessed all 20 and the stu whosenamewasdrawnasthewinnerwas SaminYear7

Below are three of the dinner settings of varying difficulty, how many can you guess? (Answers are on page 9.)

easy medium hard

BOOK IN A JAR

Thankyoutoeveryonewhoenteredthebookinajarcompetition,eachentrycost20pandintotalweraised£29.60 fortheMalawifund Outofalmost150entries,70ofthemcorrectlyguessedthatthebookinajarwas'HowtoSeize aDragon'sJewel'byCressidaCowell.Wehadaprizedrawtodecidethewinnerandtworunners-up.

jar

Oscar (and Tharuga not pictured!) in Year 8 claimed first and one of the runner-up prizes

YOTO CARNEGIES

WHAT IS THE YOTO CARNEGIES?

The Carnegie Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises one outstanding new English-language book for children or young adults. The shortlist was announced at the end of March and soon after this the AGS reading group (Year 8+) starts shadowing the award (reading the books) This year there are 7 books on the shortlist:

TheLightinEverythingbyKatyaBalen

Tom and Zofia are as different as they are mistrustful of one another. Tom is introverted and thoughtful, while Zofiaisloudandvivacious.Theyarebroughttogetherwhentheirparentsmoveinwithoneanother.Bothofthem mustlearntogetonwhilstalsodealingwiththerealriskthattheymightlosetheirnewlybornsister

WhenShadowsFallbySitaBrahmachari

Kaifeelsdisconnectedfromhisfamily,friendsandworldfollowingthelossofhisbabysister.Hemakesaseriesof dark and dangerous choices leading him into a world of uncertainty and crime Are there ways his friends can supporthimasheattemptstosteerhislifebackoncourse?

MedusabyJessieBurton

Amodern,feministre-imagingofaGreekmyth.Medusa’snarrativeprovidesadescriptiveaccountforhowMedusa and her sisters came to be cursed as Gorgons by the goddess Athena Discover the motivations behind why PerseuscametotheislandwhereMedusalivedandbecomefamiliarwithamorehumansideofMedusaasthey accessherinnermostthoughtsandfeelings.

TheEternalReturnofClaraHartbyLouiseFinch

Ahard-hittingcoming-of-agestorywhichisintelligentandpersuasive.Thenovelplayswithtimeandphilosophy tohighlightthedangersofeverydaysexism,thewaysthiscanbeperpetuatedandthecultureoftoxicmasculinity.

NeedlebyPatriceLawrence

Anextremelypowerfulstorythathasyouempathisingandrootingforacomplexmaincharacterfromtheoutset Readers are offered a painfully real glimpse into the teenage mind, exploring the microaggressions, racialstereotypingandinstitutionalracismthatcanbefacedbyblackteenagers.

IMustBetrayYoubyRutaSepetys

Trustandmistrustareathematictug-of-warforthecharactersinthisbook,whoareforcedbytheirgovernment tolie,stealandinformontheirfriendsandfamily.Shortchaptersanddocumentationcreatetensionanddanger andtransportreaderstotheworldofRomaniainthe1980s.

TheBlueBookofNebobyManonSteffanRos

Dylanandhismother,Rowenna,areisolatedsurvivorsofanuclearwar.Theystruggletonegotiatethechallenges of living off the land and being self-sufficient and the resulting impact that their new lifestyle has upon their mentalhealth.

BOOK SHELF

WHAT'S ON THE SHELF?

These are just a few of the new books we have purchased recently. Click on a cover to view it on the Online Library.

Magicborn by Peter Bunzl

21% Monster by P.J. Canning

Danny Chung Does Not do Maths by Maisie Chan

Can You Feel the Noise by Stewart Foster

Tag You're Dead by Katherine Foxfield

The Getaway by Lamar Giles

Two Degrees by Alan Gratz

The Day that No-one Woke Up by Polly Ho-Yen

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Pop! by Mitch Johnson

The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die by Peter Lan

The Forest of Ghosts and Bones by Lisa Lueddecke

Pony by R.J. Palacio

Happy Head by Josh Silver

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

Remember, new books are added to the Library all the time. If there is a book you want to read that we do not have, you can fill in a Book Request Card in the Library or submit a Book Request Google Form.

MANGA!

All our existing manga series have been bought up to date with the latest books in each series! Click on the cover to view the book details on the Online Library.

BOOK REVIEWS

THE MAZE RUNNER BY ALEX HARVEY (7PA)

Thisisathrillingread,itisanadventurebooksetinadystopianfuture.Theplotisthatateenager wakesupinanunfamiliarplacewithunfamiliarpeopleandhasnomemoryofhislife,theonlything hecanrememberishisname Ithinkthattheprotagonist,Thomas,developedwelloverthecourse of the story because when he arrived in his new life he was afraid and scared of his surroundings butasthestoryprogresseshebecomesbraveanddoeswhatisnecessarytohelpthosearoundhim Hedoesthiswhenhedeliberatelyhurtshimselftobecomeonestepclosertoeveryoneescaping.I found the plot exceptional and would definitely recommend it to any adventure lovers. Overall, I wouldsaythatthisisoneofmyfavouritebooksandshouldberated5stars.

THE MIST IN THE WOODS BY XAVI HAMILTON (8DE)

Thisisashortstoryaboutagirlandherfriendsgoingonaminivacationtoendtheirsummerandit issetinSriLanka.Thecharactersarewellpresentedmakingthisshortbookfunnyandinteresting. In chapter one Keisha suddenly started shouting "OMG Grade 8." The main character is presented excellently in this book with a lot of new things being found during the book The story ended up turning around on the mini vacation as animals in the woods who were non-carnivorous animals ended up wanting meat so they started chasing the girls and killing a lot of them. When the few girls who survived got home their house pets became carnivorous as well, killing them. This small storydidwellduetothefacttheypackedsomuchinformationinsuchafewpages.HoweverIthink itoverdiditandthereshouldhavebeenlessinformationforthereadertotakein.Thisbookwas written in 2022 so it is quite recent and readers recently have wanted a lot of information so this couldbethereasontheauthordidthis Theremaybebetterbooksouttherebutinmyopinionitis thebestbookIhaveseenofitsstyle.

THE CORAL ISLAND BY BEN COLCLOUGH MOSS (8LE)

‘ThisisanexplorationbooksetinthePacificOcean.Itsthreemaincharactersareshipwreckedona desert island, which they explore, discovering amazing secrets and natural wonders. They soon settleintoislandlife,buttheirlifechangesforeverwhentheyrealisethatthissetofislandsisnot uninhabited. This results in a huge adventure around the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The book, though its plot was well thought out, was not the engaging page-turner you would expect from a desert island adventure book. Particularly in the first half, it was slow-paced; they were still just livingpeacefullyontheislandaroundhalf-waythrough.However,itdidpickuppaceafterthis,but theplot-lineitselfwasnotespeciallyinterestingororiginal.Itcoveredpirates,wars,imprisonment and many other overused themes, making it a very standard book. It could have been made more interesting if it had had some sort of plot twist or cliff hanger to keep me engaged Despite this, it used much effective descriptive language and effectively incorporated humour into the plot, particularly in the character Peterkin Gay, who frequently jokes and jests throughout the book. Therewasalsoaveryeffectivesceneinwhichthecharactersarestuckonarockislandinastorm, whichincorporatesexhilaratingdescriptionstobringthegrimscenetolife.Iwouldrecommendthis booktofansofexplorationbooksandpiratebookfans.Overall,3outof5stars.

PUZZLE CORNER

EMOJI QUIZ

This is a picture quiz using emojis as the clues. There are 5 questions, which include book titles, TV shows and a movie character. How many can you get right?

Click here to access the quiz.

JIGSAW PUZZLE

A 60 piece jigsaw of Skulduggery Pleasant to commemorate 'Until the End' winning the Children's Book Prize in this year's Bucks Book Award!

Click here to access the jigsaw.

EASTER EGG MEMORY GAME

Giveyourbrainaworkoutwiththismemorygame Thereare14EasterEggstofindand match.

Clickheretoaccessthegame.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

There are 18 differences in the two Adventure Time themed pictures, some are obvious whilst others are quite tricky, can you find them all?

Click here to access the game.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Answers

Pleasant

1. Easy: Sherlock Holmes

2. Medium Difficulty: Skulduggery

3. Hard: Stormzy