Premiers Reading Challenge
Only two months remain to complete the Premiers Reading Challenge for 2023. Students will need to have read 20 books (10 PRC books and 10 of own choice) by Friday 18th August. Premiers Reading Challenge books in the Senior Library can be identified by the red sticker found on the book’s spine. To be entered in the competition students need to return to Library staff a signed parental permission form along with a completed book list. Permission notes/book lists can be found in the IRC.
Taking the Library on holidays with you
Want to take lots of great books on holiday with you but don’t know how to pack them all? The library has the answer for you! Try borrowing some e-books! Students at Thomas Hassall have access to digital books through the Overdrive student app Sora.
The Sora app is available on Window and Mac computers, iPhone and iPad, a wide range of mobile and android devices as well as Google Chromebooks. Setting up an account is quick and easy, and there is a wide range of great books available for borrowing.
A detailed help guide that covers every aspect of the Sora app is available on the library’s canvas page. For more information, please speak to Library staff who will be happy to help.
Media & Duke of Edinburgh equipment
Students who still have Media and Duke of Edinburgh equipment need to return them to the library before the end of the term. Please ensure all returning equipment has been cleaned and is complete.
Book Bites
Take a book bite to see if it is to your taste!
‘Prey Zone’ – Wilbur Smith, Keith Chapman & Steve Cole
“Ralph and Robyn live at Crocodile Lodge, their family ranch in South Africa. They follow in their famous forebear's footsteps, helping animals, aiding conservation efforts and learning the land. That is, until a mysterious predator starts terrorising the reserve... On the trail for answers, the siblings discover the fearsome the largest crocodile they've ever seen, uncannily similar to the long-extinct Sarchosuchus Ralph recognises from his favourite game, Predasaur. And when a nearby village is ravaged by a deadly disease, seemingly stemming from a millennia-old animal, the stakes rachet up higher than ever. As the Ballantyne siblings follow the clues, all roads lead them to Crocodile Lodge's infamous millionaire tech giant and hunting enthusiast Josef Gerhard. Could it really be that Gerhard is bringing the beastly creatures of Predasaur to life - and at what cost?”
‘Prey Zone’ is an exciting action-packed adventure of terror and suspense. A story of survival against an ancient monster brought back to the present, of science corrupting nature. Part Jurassic Park, part Hunger Games, this novel, the first in a brand-new series, is guaranteed to hook readers from page one. With likeable and well written characters, and a wonderfully detailed and wild setting, this is the perfect novel for readers looking for a heart pounding adventure. Suitable for students in Years 7 to 9.
‘28 Days: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto’ – David Safier
“Warsaw, 1942. Sixteen-year old Mira smuggles food into the Warsaw ghetto to keep herself and her family alive. When she discovers that the entire ghetto is to be "liquidated"―killed or resettled to concentration camps―she desperately tries to find a way to save her family. She meets a group of young people who are planning the unthinkable: an uprising against the occupying forces. Mira joins the resistance fighters who, with minimal supplies and weapons, end up holding out for twenty-eight days, longer than anyone had thought possible. During this time, Mira has to decide where her heart belongs. To Amos, who will take as many Nazis as he can with him into the grave? Or to Daniel, who wants to help orphans in a shelter?”
Inspired by true events, ’28 Days’ is a harrowing and emotional story of one woman’s fight to save her family amidst the terror and horror of the Warsaw Ghetto. Gripping and tense, author David Safier has written an incredible story that helps brings light and understanding to the determination and courage of the real people who the characters in this novel are based on. Rich with detail, this is a wonderful novel that should be widely read. Suitable for students in Years 9 and above.
Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith
Senior IRC Library Team
