Category: Books

a good girl’s guide to murder

source: Surrey Teens Read

The high school students of Surrey have spoken. They have selected Holly Jackson’s a good girl’s guide to murder as the winner for Surrey Teens Read in 2022.

Thanks to all the students who voted, all the students who read the books, and to all the Teacher Librarians who make Surrey Teens Read happen.

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright died on March 23, 2022.

Madeleine Albright was born in 1937 in Prague ( in what is now Czechia). Her family fled from both the Nazis and the Communists. The family first left the country after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, returned after the end of the Second World War, only to flee again, this time from the Communists in 1948. Albright was a brilliant student who would go on to earn her PhD from Columbia University. She then served in both academic and government positions, providing expertise as a foreign policy advisor. In 1993 she became U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1997 she became Secretary of State, the first female to be appointed to that prestigious position in the U.S. Cabinet.

Madeleine Albright leaves many legacies from her life of academics and public service, including the book Fascism: A Warning.

Firekeeper’s Daughter

As always, this year’s list of Surrey Teens Read nominees is deep with compelling reads. This week we look at Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley.

Come down to the School Library to see Firekeeper’s Daughter and the other nine nominated titles for this school year’s version of Surrey Teens Read.

Find out more at surreyteensread.weebly.com

The Invention of Sophie Carter

Surrey Teens Read has a wonderful list of titles for students to enjoy. This week we look at The Invention of Sophie Carter by Samantha Hastings.

Come down to the School Library to see The Invention of Sophie Carter and the other nine nominated titles for this school year’s version of Surrey Teens Read.

Find out more at surreyteensread.weebly.com

The story that SCARED me the most…

Teachers and staff at Lord Tweedsmuir share the stories that scared them the most. Use the comments below if you want to add your scariest story to the list.

Ms. Robinson shares:

“I  literally slept with the lights on for WEEKS and ALWAYS look twice at storm drains…”

Ms. Miller says:

“The idea of being passive-aggressively locked in an amusement park against my will with a bunch of monsters is terrifying!!”

Welcome to Horrorland, part of the “Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stine

Mr. Eckert named this book..

No explanation given.

Must be too scary to talk about…

Mr. Buist tells us:

“Here is the Context: I was reading this in my grandparents old farmhouse on a windy night. My Aunt has a cat ( but I didn’t know that the cat was in the house or that its favourite sleeping place was the bed that I was sleeping in that night. I finish the story, am trying to sleep, cat jumps on my bed then crawls onto my back…

the horror… the horror…”

“You Know They Got a Hell of a Band” by Stephen King. Originally appeared in Shock Rock; later republished in Nightmares and Dreamscapes.

Ms. Harding shares:

“The scariest book I ever read was The Stand by Stephen King. I was in high school at the time, and was home sick with the flu when I read it.”

Ms. Nicholls adds:

Pet Semetary by Stephen King

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home

Mr. Ferrier writes:

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Just kidding.

The Ruins – by Scott Smith. I don’t really have a favorite scary book. I found this one entertaining enough, even if it is a little predictable. There’s even a movie!”

Mr. Cameron says:

“Definitely IT.  I read the book while in University and I literally couldn’t read it at night if I was alone in my apartment. 

What made it scary was simply Pennywise the Clown.  King’s description of Pennywise was so vivid and just reading “Beep Beep Ritchie” terrified me. 

Also, back then I read a lot of Stephen King novels and he would add Pennywise in a different novel (Tommyknockers) in just one sentence to let the reader know, Pennywise was still around even if it was a completely different novel.”

Ms. Barnes adds:

“Romeo Dallaire’s Shake Hands With the Devil is not traditionally scary. Took a long time to get through.

I will never forget it.”

Ms. Turgeon shares:

“Cujo was scary because of the reality of that scenario and Mr. King’s descriptive skills.  I won’t ruin the ending but its emotional impact has stuck with me through the years. “

Mr. Ghuman reveals:

“This book scares me so much. Pigs, geese and other farm animals talking to each other is FREAKY. And a spider that can write? I can’t even.”

Mr. Hoelzley adds this classic of true crime:

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

Surrey Teens Read: Blood Water Paint

Come down to the School Library to have a look at Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough, and the other Surrey Teens Read selections for 2020-2021.  You can also go online and borrow many of them as e-Books and/or Digital Audiobooks.

Click here to find out more about our e-Books and Digital Audiobooks
Click here to find out more about Surrey Teens Read