Local Studies

I spent part of yesterday's non-pupil day creating a new Local Studies section in the Library; now located at the end of the Reference Library next to the stained-glass window. Up to now books about Essex have been scattered all over the Library, but I have gathered them all together in one place.

Books range from wildlife to windmills, Domesday and earlier to 21st century.


Come and browse and find out more about the County you live in.

Year 8 Geography Passport

Year 8s are taking part in a joint Geography/Library reading project. Their aim is to read at least nine magazine articles and books on the subjects of Geography and Travel and write brief reviews to add to the display in the Library (designed by Kate Knight). At each of three levels of achievement they can earn themselves a certificate confirming their status as Day Trippers, Seasoned Travellers or Intrepid Explorers, and we hope along the way they will also learn what a fascinating and exciting subject it is.

New Books in the Library

These are some of the new titles recently added to the Library stock

"That Honourable and Gentleman and Gentlemanlike House", by Tony Tuckwell

Tony Tuckwell was Headmaster of KEGS from 1984 to 1999. This is the second edition of his history of the school from its foundation in 1551 by King Edward VI to 2008.

Copies of this scholarly and readable book can be bought from Mrs Gray in the Library for £14.95. Cheques should be made to KEGS School Fund.

Contact library@kegs.org.uk for more information.

Campaign For The Book

The Campaign for the Book
The Campaign for the Book is a combination of individuals and organisations united around the following Charter.

We, the signatories of this Charter commit ourselves to campaigning for the following:
1. The central place of reading for pleasure in society.
2. A proper balance of book provision and Information Technology in public and school libraries. We welcome the integration of new technologies but believe that they must not erode the key place of books and the need for a healthy and expanding book stock.
3. The defence of public libraries and librarians from attempts to cut spending in a ‘soft’ area.
4. An extension of the role of the school librarian and a recognition of the school library as a key engine of learning. All staff employed in school libraries to have access to appropriate and adequate support and training.
5. The recruitment of more school librarians. It is a national scandal that less than a third of secondary schools has a trained librarian.
6. The defence of the professional status of the public and school librarian. We oppose downgrading. In some places this has reduced librarians’ salaries by up to half.
7. A higher profile for reading for pleasure in schools, including shadowing book awards, inviting authors and illustrators to visit, developing school creative writing magazines.
8. To support the sustainability and future development of Schools Library Service provision nationally.
9. To promote a more positive reading culture in school, in which the reading of whole books is preferred to studying extracts alone

Reading Group News

For summer holiday reading the more ambitious of us are undertaking the recent new translation, by Anthony Briggs, of Tolstoy's War and Peace. Meanwhile for next half term's meeting, which will take place early in July - exact date to be agreed - we have chosen Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, translated into French as Elle s'appelait Sarah.

We will also be discussing Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies.

For more information about Tatiana de Rosnay and her books look at her website:



And there are some questions to help you think about the book in the Library area of Kegsnet.

Carnegie Medal Shortlist Announced

Carnegie medal judges draw up 'boysy' shortlist

Judges of Britain's oldest children's book award focus on stories about 'what it feels like to be a boy'

guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 April 2009

The seven books on the list are

Frank Cottrell Boyce: Cosmic
Kevin Brooks: Black Rabbit Summer
Eoin Colfer: Airman
Siobhan Dowd: Bog Child
Keith Gray: Ostrich Boys
Patrick Ness: The Knife of Never Letting Go

There are copies of all titles in the Library. Why not read them all and let us know which one you think is the "outstanding" children's book of the year. A warning though; the Kevin Brooks is unsuitable for younger readers.