The Camden School for Girls Parent Portal - Friday News

The Best New Library Books of 2021 - for Readers in Y7 to Y9

This is a list of 24 books selected by Ms Green, the librarian and currently displayed in the form of an Advent Calendar in the library.

The Dark Lady by Akala

Henry is the son of The Dark Lady, a mysterious black woman who features in some of Shakespeare’s sonnets. He’s an orphan, alone in the mean streets of Tudor London. He also has magical powers.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

The well known fairy tale becomes a dystopia in a world where teenage girls are forced to parade for eligible men at the annual ball. Those girls not chosen are never heard of again.

Endgame by Malorie Blackman

The final book in the acclaimed Noughts and Crosses series and following on from the cliffhanger at the end of the previous book, Crossfire.

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

A horror story, full of blood and gore. Set in a small town in the American midwest, a group of teenagers find themselves under attack by killer clowns. The action takes place during “Founder’s Day Weekend”, a somewhat different event from Founder’s Day at CSG.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wei Chin

Anna is a Chinese Australian teenager who finds herself taking on more and more family responsibilities as her mother’s mental health deteriorates and her father works crazy hours at the family restaurant.

What We’re Scared of by Keren David

A teenage story about antisemitism both in London today and during the Holocaust. Evie and Lottie are non-identical twins. They are totally unalike, even attending different schools. They are also Jewish, though not very religious. Then the family experience a series of anti-semitic incidents.

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

An action-packed science fiction adventure story set in South London. It is about a boy affected by gang culture who meets a girl 15 years into the future. The book is soon to be on Netflix, starring ex-CSG student Daniel Kaluuya.

On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

A story about first love set in Ireland during the long, hot summer of 1976. It also involves a dolphin, rival teenage gangs and an Irish legend.

When Life gives you Mangos by Kereen Getten

Life on a tropical island is precarious. One day you are surfing in the clear, warm sea; the next day a hurricane arrives. Living in a small place everybody knows your secrets as Clara is to discover the summer that a new girl arrives from London.

Fake News by Tom Jackson

The term fake news is bandied about frequently. But do you really know what it means? Do you know your wikimedia from your blogosphere? Are you stuck in your own filter bubble or echo chamber? What about troll farms and socbots? Confused? Then you should read this book.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

A real life story about Hani (a Muslim of Bengali heritage) and Ishu (a Hindu of Indian heritage) who pretend to be dating one another. It is an unlikely relationship, but the girls find they get on extremely well!

The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Littie Brooks by Katie Kirby

For fans of Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Dork Diaries. A hilarious diary about a girl just starting secondary school and worried because she does not wear a bra!

The Crossing by Manjeet Mann

Written in blank verse, this is the story of 2 teenagers, linked by the English Channel. Sammy is a refugee from Eritrea who is trying to get to England. Natalie’s mother has died from cancer and her family has fallen apart. A harrowing read.

The Swallows Flight by Hilary McKay

A family story set in the years leading up to and during World War 2. The book follows the fortunes of both an English family and two boys living in Hitler’s Germany. These include characters from McKay’s previous work The Skylark’s War, though it is not necessary to have read that to enjoy this book.

A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll

Addie is an autistic girl who loves history. As an outsider herself, she sympathises with the women who were tried as witches in her own town and starts a campaign to build a memorial for them. An easy but thought-provoking read about how we treat people who are different.

The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings

Graphic novel. The first in a new series about mental health. The characters feel that they do not belong, that they are like ghosts and invisible. This volume is about social anxiety

Be Resilient by Nicola Morgan

Even the best laid plans may go awry. Can you cope when they do? Can you accept setbacks and not fall apart? Do you have the emotional strength to bounce back stronger? A useful read for when “Life Happens”

Last One to Die by Cynthis Murphy

A thriller. Niamh has come to London to study drama. No sooner has she arrived than a fellow student is murdered. And then another, and another. And all the murdered girls look just like Niamh!

The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls

An historical novel set at the end of World War One. Margot’s fiance was missing in action and presumed dead. Unexpectedly he turns up safe and well. But there can never be a happy ending. Margot has a secret, something that would destroy her whole family were the truth to be revealed.

How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons

Ella is a mixed race girl living with her extended family in segregated South Carolina during the 1940s. Then she goes to live with her mother in Boston and is amazed to find black and white people mixing freely

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

An historical romance set in Spain during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, a period in modern history that is often overlooked. The historical background has been meticulously researched. Highly recommended for students studying or thinking about studying GCSE history.

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Bea has come to terms with her parents divorce. She is pleased that her father is getting married again. She gets on well with his new, gay, partner. She is even excited about her new step-sister. So why does she feel constantly anxious?

Tsunami Girl by Julian Sedgwick

The 2011 earthquake was the most powerful ever to hit Japan. It led to a tsunami and the meltdown of a nuclear reactor. Told mainly in prose but also in manga, this is the story of 2 teenage survivors.

Girl (in Real Life) by Tamsin Winter
Ever dreamt about being famous?

Eva is famous, thanks to her parents YouTube channel which has documented every aspect of her life since before she was born. When she was younger, she enjoyed her celebrity status. Now she’s a teenager and longs for more privacy.

Hugo Young Award

Recognising young talent in political opinion writing

Year 12 student, Sophie, has been chosen as one of two runners-up in this prestigious competition.

The Hugo Young Award is a political opinion writing competition, created in memory of Hugo Young, a political columnist at The Guardian for almost 20 years. Hugo was one of the most influential figures in British political journalism.

Championing the best political opinion writing amongst students and young people across the UK, this award celebrates Hugo’s legacy by encouraging fresh voices, new perspectives and great writing.

Entries were judged by chief leader writer at the Observer and a Guardian/Observer columnist, Sonia Sodha, Guardian deputy production editor, Suzanne Warr, and Guardian leader writer, Susanna Rustin.

Here is Sophie’s entry:

Anger at “Anti-Refugee” Bill

I am in a throng of people in the freezing cold. 4:30pm in Parliament square on the 20th of October, voices scream over the cacophony of car horns and motorcycles. Parliament itself towers above us, but we focus on a stage, which has emerged from the back of a van. We are here to protest the passing of the Bill of Nationality and Borders.

Hundreds gather outside Parliament to protest the passing of the Bill

This Bill would make legal passage to the UK physically impossible for thousands of asylum seekers. There are currently two ways to cross the border: through regular routes (those made official by the UK government) and through irregular routes (those which have not been). In an attempt to limit illegal smuggling, the government is debating a new policy which will criminalise asylum seekers using irregular routes. I spoke to Ros Ereira, one of the organisers of the demonstration, who thinks that the smuggling issue stems from a more fundamental problem. “If there was sufficient legal passage to the UK,” she says, “smugglers would be out of a job”.

The Bill narrows down the number of regular routes, meaning that many people attempting to enter the UK will now be classed as criminals. In short, this Bill will ensure that the only safe and legal way of crossing the border is via official routes, and these are too narrow to accommodate the vast numbers of asylum seekers arriving in the UK.

“I’m a sister. I’m a daughter. I’m a friend,” Nour Jarrouj proclaims, onstage. “I’m a human with lots of angles to my identity before I’m a refugee.” Nour Jarrouj leads the charity Refugee Youth and was forced to flee to the UK from Syria. She addresses the stigma around rights for illegal immigrants. “What they don’t tell you,” she says, “is that we’re simply here because we want to live safely.”

Protestors raise placards against the criminalisation of irregular routes

Joel Mordi was at the forefront of the fight for gender and sexuality equality in Nigeria; he became a person of interest and sought asylum in the UK. “People talk about the ‘good’ versus the ‘bad’ refugee - and why?” Warm light glances off his dazzling black and gold suit. “We’re all human” he declares, to whoops from the crowd, many of whom are currently classed as refugees in the UK.

The conditions at the detention centres where asylum seekers are being held are appalling. A letter sent anonymously from a detention centre details one experience: there are “bars on doors and gates and high fences with security wire”. Their “only respite is sleep without nightmares”. Some days, they “forget what laughter feels like”.

Zahra Joya, who arrived just two weeks beforehand as a passenger on one of the last flights out of Kabul, gives a speech in English for the first time: “I am here today with a broken heart and lost hope.” Mariam Yusuf, one of the organisers, an activist for the rights of female refugees and an asylum seeker herself, proclaims that “all of us have a role to play in making the UK a more welcoming place”.

What is ‘a more welcoming place’? Asylum seekers want safe passage to the UK. They want to reunite with families and rebuild their lives here. They want love, kindness and safety to be put at the front of the Bill. This should be the government’s priority.

Say it loud and say it clear: refugees are welcome here. Shouts from the crowd fill the air; people raise placards; surrounding cars slow to watch. On the 4th November, the bill will be discussed by Parliament. After this, it may be finalised. The lives of thousands of humans are at risk. A mantra begins to form on that day in Parliament square; it echoes around the streets as the voices onstage crack with emotion, and we scream their words back to them. Kill the Bill.

What can you do?

Here is a petition in favour of stopping the ‘anti-refugee’ Bill:

overviewhttps://act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/86829/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=webbr%20/

Writing to local members of parliament is always beneficial; many members of parliament are supporting the Bill because this is what they see their constituency wants - we can change that.

Here is what the judges said:

From the final judging panel: This piece had a great opening, it was well structured and passionate. The style of the piece was much more in the news/reporting style than opinion in the purest form, which can work as long as the coherence of argument is clear. This piece could have been more convincing through use of research references in addition to the first-hand accounts. The ending could be strengthened by proposing alternative solutions beyond only the petition. There was a good amount of colour in the piece, in terms of the vivid and descriptive language and overall an excellent read. Well done!

From the short-listers: This is brilliantly reported and explored – it's great that the quotes from the protest work to build a strong argument rather than simply being colour and reportage. And I really like it's crusading tone and the fact that it lets the reader know what steps they can take.

Angie Fearnside
Head of English

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