This week is Banned Book Week; It’s a global event that celebrates the freedom to read and value of free and open access to information.
This week is Banned Book Week; It’s a global event that celebrates the freedom to read and value of free and open access to information.
The American Library Association (ALA) explains it really well on their website:
“Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws international attention to the harms of censorship.
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.”
We will have a display this week with library books that are/have been banned for one reason or another in another country or libraries. Per title it will be explained why it is/was banned. Please feel free to pop in and have a look!
Several studies have indicated that having classical music in the background whilst reading or studying helps to improve children's development and attention.
With this in mind we have now installed speakers in the library where, during appropriate times, we play classical music in the background to enhance the children’s' reading experience.
This year we’ve been reminding the children how the library is used, e.g. for quiet reading and drawing. This has been a great success and many children and parents are now enjoying a much quieter library environment during the school day and after lessons. Parents, we would like to ask for your support in promoting a calm environment. Firstly, by placing mobile phones on mute and popping out of the library if you wish to take a call. We would also like to ask that, although parents are more than welcome to enjoy the library's facilities during school hours, if classes are using the space then priority is given to student learning. We are very grateful for you helping us to keep the library such a pleasant place.
Great for story-time:
Midnight at the Zoo by Faye Hanson
Max and Mia are very excited about their school trip to the zoo. But when they arrive not much is happening; the zebra is asleep, the lions are hiding and they can't even see a monkey. Max and Mia make the best of it - after all, if you look very carefully there is something to see everywhere. Then they fall too far behind everyone else . . . and are locked in the zoo at night! What they didn't realise is that midnight is time the zoo comes alive. Flamingos are doing the flamenco, the lions dance till dawn and the pandas have a party. Illustrated in Faye Hanson's magnificently detailed style, this is an exciting new book from the writer and illustrator of The Wonder.
For the younger readers age 8+:
Galactic Hot Dogs 2: The Wiener Strikes Back by Max Brallier
Cosmoe, Princess Dagger, Humphree, and the gang are back for another wild space adventure in the second hilarious illustrated novel of the Galactic Hot Dogs series, which Lincoln Peirce calls an “an insanely entertaining, eye-popping adventure.” What could go better with wieners than a flying space circus? Nothing! Which is why Humphree’s all jazzed up at the chance to sell Galactic Hot Dogs as the official food of Crostini’s Cosmic Carnival and Wonder Circus train. Cosmoe’s not entirely convinced—but once his skills as a monster tamer are unveiled, the deal is done and the Neon Wiener is officially hooked onto the train. Only things aren’t quite what they seem at this circus, and pretty soon Cosmoe realizes he and his buddies are in more danger than ever. To get to the bottom of it all, they have to travel somewhere pretty familiar, providing a glimpse at last into Cosmoe’s past and how he ended up aboard the Wiener in the first place.
For the older readers:
The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
In this compelling and thought-provoking fantasy set in the world of The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Newbery Honor-winning author Gail Carson Levine introduces a spirited heroine who must overcome deeply rooted prejudice—including her own—to heal her broken country.
Peregrine strives to live up to the ideal of her people, the Latki—and to impress her parents: affectionate Lord Tove, who despises only the Bamarre, and stern Lady Klausine. Perry runs the fastest, speaks her mind, and doesn’t give much thought to the castle’s Bamarre servants, whom she knows to be weak and cowardly.
But just as she’s about to join her father on the front lines, she is visited by the fairy Halina, who reveals that Perry isn’t Latki-born. She is Bamarre. The fairy issues a daunting challenge: against the Lakti power, Perry must free her people from tyranny.
Non-Fiction
The Cities Book (Lonely Planet Kids) by Lonely Planet Kids
Do you know where in the world you can buy drinkable gold; why an 'elephant's foot' is one of the most dangerous objects in the world; or where you might have to swim to school? Discover the answers to these questions and loads more mind-blowing facts in The Cities Book, where readers aged 8+ are taken on an incredible world tour through 86 of the world’s greatest cities. Sister title to the bestselling The Travel Book, every page is packed with facts on city living, and gives kids a flavour of what it's like to grow up in each place featured. From food and festivals, to awesome architecture and amazing history - there's something for everyone. A mix of wow photography, beautiful illustrations and hand drawn maps bring each page to life. It's the perfect gift for curious kids everywhere.
All reviews and photos credit to Amazon.com
Since last weekend, our high school library has had more sitting areas accommodating more passionate readers beside the library entrance as well as in the middle of the library. Surely students and parents benefit from new facilities in terms of reading, collaboration, discussion, etc. As many has experienced, it is always one of the most touching moments that a mother is sitting next to her daughter to help her work in the library. In the meantime, as for parents, we would like to ask for your understanding to make our library a quiet, pleasant learning place at all time, so that if a lesson is being taught in the library, you can move to the designated area for parents next to the library entrance door. In addition, it would be greatly appreciated if you can give any suggestions or ideas of how to improve our library to libraryhs@standrews.ac.th.
It is with great delight and pleasure that our HS library takes part in the global awareness event of the ALA’s Banned Books Week from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30, 2017. According to the ALA (American Library Association), “Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information.”
The ALA is opposed to censorship and works to make sure everybody has free access to information. Therefore, the Office for Intellectual Freedom(OIF) compiles a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books every year in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. In our HS library, we keep several books on the last 5 year Top Ten lists and display them on a “Challenged Books” bookshelf with the reasons why they were banned. Please come take a look at those challenged books and challenge them.
Over the summer break, a lot of new books have arrived and many of them are on display on top of each bookshelf and the “New Arrival” bookshelf. Here are some popular, interesting books for young adults and they are available in the library now. You can see the book reviews from Amazon.com and/or Bookdepository.com in our library system, Destiny. Please scan the QR codes or click the images below if you want to see the detailed information of the books. We hope you will enjoy them!
With the goal of providing meaningful help to the flood victims in the northern regions of Thailand, our entire community at St Andrews Bangkok came together to raise funds and donations for the affected families. In the span of a few short weeks, added to donations of food and clothing, we managed to raise an astounding total of 386,676.50 THB in donation funds. To all students, teachers, parents, and staff who participated in our efforts and contributed to this cause—thank you!
Last Friday, the STA Primary campus was transformed into a celebration of all things maths! The day was packed with engaging, hands-on activities across all year groups, making maths truly come alive for our students.
Senior student at St Andrews Bangkok, Pun (Year 13), devises an innovative solution for effective waste management. Recently, he completed an ambitious project: an AI-powered waste sorting system. After much research and testing, he got the system to work and put the model to use in one of our rooms at school!
Physics students from St Andrews Bangkok made quite an impression at the Beamline for Schools (BL4S) competition and won the Best Outreach Award for their brilliant work. BL4S is a prestigious global physics contest organised by CERN (the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, Switzerland) and DESY (the German Electron Synchrotron in Hamburg, Germany), inviting High School students worldwide to propose detailed experiments to be conducted at a particle accelerator beamline. While our students did not win the main prize of conducting their experiment in Geneva, they still stood out and were recognised from an entry of over 400 teams.
