Woodrush Star June 2013 | Page 17

ENGLISH & LIBRARY NEWS Borderlines Film Festival ON 7TH March students from Woodrush Film attended the Borderlines Film Festival for a special screening of The Life of Pi. Students enjoyed the film which was both visually striking and thought provoking. At the end of the screening students were given the opportunity to write their own reviews on the spot (The FilmClub charity actively encourages participants to write and submit film reviews on their website) and William Boucher won the prize for the best review of the six schools represented. Woodrush Winners! Our students who, along with others from around the county, had been reading six books shortlisted for the Worcestershire Teen Book Award, were invited to the presentation afternoon at County Hall to discover which title had been voted the overall winner. The event opened w ith an inter-school quiz in which we entered our strongest team to date, Holly, Louisa, Luke and Maisy. Their extensive knowledge of the books and authors ensured that they lead throughout the competition until the final round, which saw three teams in equal place; Maisy’s quick reactions, much to the evident delight of our students, ensured we won the tie-breaker and some new books for the school library! After enjoying the unexpected sunshine and a picnic lunch by the duck pond, we were treated to an extremely entertaining talk from Joe Craig, author of the Jimmy Coates series of books. The Shortlist catered for all tastes from comedy (Socks are not Enough) and ghost stories (The Haunting of Tabitha Grey) to thrillers, mysteries (Girl Stolen and Dead Time), and historical (Soldier Dog). This year’s winning book, as voted for by the students, is The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker. This book, which was a very popular choice with our students, tells the story of first love, survival and family loyalty in a dystopian world. All shortlisted books are available for loan from the school library. To view the trailer which Woodrush students created for the presentation afternoon follow the link on Frog – Curriculum – Library – Year 8. Worcestershire County Council Libraries & Learning Volunteer in your local library this Summer Are you looking for something worthwhile and fun to do this summer? Do you want to gain great skills and experience for your personal statement or CV? The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged 4 to 12 to read six books during the summer holiday. We want to help lots of children to complete the challenge this year. So if you can commit to volunteering a minimum of 5 hours this summer, please text Natalie on 07876 144905 with your name to find out more. As a volunteer you’ll get valuable work experience, a certificate, the opportunity to develop your confidence and skills and a chance to make new friends. Volunteering for the Summer Reading Challenge, you get to see just how enthusiastic children are about reading. I was nervous at the beginning, but I’m a far more confident person for it and I’m looking forward to helping again this year. Emma, Evesham Library www.worcestershire.gov.uk 17