A Suitable Boy and other Indian Tales

Vikram Seth’s epic family saga, A Suitable Boy, is airing on BBC One from this Sunday.  Set in India in 1951, just after independence and partition, in essence, it is the story of Mrs Rupa Mehra’s hunt for a husband for her daughter, Lata and is one of the BBC’s 100 Novels that Shaped Our World.

This novel, as well as other great novels set in India, such as The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy,  A Passage to India by E M Forster and The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, are available to borrow from the EPHS Library from September. 

London Museums - reopening announced

Many of London’s Museums are set to re-open to the public again soon, which is great news if you are planning a day out this Summer. It will be a different experience - although still free, you will have to book a visit in advance, mask wearing will be encouraged and you may need to follow a one-way system. 

The Natural History Museum - image by Pixabay.com

Timeout have put together a list of the top museums in London for you to visit this Summer, including the V&A, The Natural History Museum and The Science Museum - click here to find out more.

Meanwhile, you can still experience virtual tours of many of the top museums and galleries around the world by visiting their websites.

Summer Reading

The long summer holiday provides the perfect opportunity to relax with a good book or two.  Not sure what to choose?  Read on!

Research from the National Literacy Trust on wellbeing and reading has shown that reading is most successful when you choose what to read.  There are lots of great book recommendation websites out there (you will find links on this blog).  One of my favourites is LoveReading4Kids.co.uk.

Reading recommendations are best tailored to the individual.  Think about what you enjoy - sport, gaming, film, cookery, drawing, music?  Why not try a biography or autobiography, a cookery book, an art book, a graphic novel or manga?

There are many films, TV and Netflix series that were originally books such as His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and To All the Boys I’ve Loved by Jenny Han.  What about one of these?

What sort of genre do you like to read?  Horror, crime, action, adventure, comedy?

Ask a friend to recommend a book they think you might like.

Don’t forget Book Awards, such as the Carnegie and Greenaway Awards - these are another great source of recommendations.

It’s important to develop a reading habit so set aside time every day to read - maybe just 15 mins to begin with.  And remember, if you don’t enjoy reading at the moment it’s just that you haven’t found the right book yet!

Don’t forget that you can download e-books and audio books for free from your local public library - click here to find out how.

Writing Competitions!

Love writing and looking for something to keep you busy over the Summer Holidays?  You may want to enter one of the competitions below.  

The Young Wild Writer Competition is aimed at 5 - 14 year olds with an interest in wild life.  The deadline for entry is 24th July 2020.  To find out more and how to enter click here.

The Young Walter Scott prize, is aimed at 11-19, with an interest in history and writing.  The closing date for this competition is 31st October 2020 and you are asked to write a story set in a time before you were born.  To find out more and how to enter click here.

The Books that Made Me - Ms Castro Davila

Over recent weeks we have asked members of staff to share ‘the books that made them’.  Below are the choices of Ms Castro Davila, Languages Teacher.

The book that I am currently reading is Sylvia Plath Poems chosen by Carol Ann Duffy.

My favourite book as a child was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.

The last book that made me cry was The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The last book that made me laugh was The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

My comfort read is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The one book I think everyone should read is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

These are the last reading recommendations in this series.  A big thank you to everyone that has contributed - it has been wonderful to share so many great book recommendations.  We hope you’ve enjoyed them too!

Many of the books featured are available to borrow from the school Library.

The Books that Made Me - Ms Peters

We are asking members of staff to share ‘the books that made them’.  Below are the choices of our very own Ms Peters.

I book I am currently reading is:  
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. It’s a super cute romcom that I fell in love with from the first page. 

My favourite book as a child:

I got Sabriel by Garth Nix at a school book fair at primary school. It’s the first fantasy book I remember reading and I still go back and read it now and then because it’s so good.

The last book that made me cry was:

A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima. The first volume is all about a boy bullying a deaf girl until she transfers to a new school at which point the bullying turns on him. The rest of the series focuses on the complex relationship between the two of them and their friends/bullies. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time for so many reasons. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The last book that made me laugh:

Deadendia: The Watcher’s Test by Hamish Steele nails my sense of humour. It’s sort of like Scooby Doo but if they were way more diverse and worked at a Dollywood inspired theme park. And the monster of the week is an actual monster. And Scooby Doo can talk because he was possessed by a demon once.

My comfort read is:

Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson is my go to comfort read. Whenever I’m not sure what to read next or I need a pick me up I read this again. It’s about a guy that gets a job at a craft shop to meet women but who ends up falling for the guy that owns the shop. It’s such a cute story it always makes me feel happy.

The one book I think everyone should read is:

The ABCs of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell. Regardless of how much or how little you may know about the subject. It’s so accessible and yet so comprehensive. It’s great to see so much attention focused on lesser known identities and to read the many #ownvoices contributions throughout.

Louise Rennison National Funny Award competition

Do you enjoy making people laugh and would you like to show off your writing and performing talents?  Then this competition is for you!

Aimed at 11 to 18 year olds, there are two categories to enter, comedic writing and comedic performance.  The competition closes on 31st August and there will be prizes!  For ideas and inspiration and more information on how to enter click here.

The competition is inspired by the author Louise Rennison (1951 - 2016), whose brilliantly funny books include the Georgia Nicholson series, the first of which was made into the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. The Georgia Nicholson series and other books by Louise Rennison are available to borrow from the EPHS Lower Library.

Re-Opening of Public Libraries Announced

Great news for public library users, as from 4th July, local libraries will begin to re-open to the public.  Opening hours and services will be limited to begin with and social distancing measures will be in place.

Some Bromley Libraries will be opening from Monday, 6th July, including Beckenham and Penge libraries.  To find out more about which libraries will be open and what services will be available here.

Don’t forget, you are still be able to access free e-books, audio books and research resources via your local public library online services.  To find out more click here.