Recommended by Miss Rogers, Teacher of English

I recommend Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe. It follows the adventures of a diverse band of pirates fiercely loyal to their leader, the Pirate Captain and the Pirate Captain’s trusty sidekick. With cameos from Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin, plus a scientific discourse on the proper cooking of ham and some somewhat ironic animal rights activism (see ‘ham’), this romp through the Victorian era is an adventure novel which is hilariously good fun.

This is the first in a series (the other titles being: The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling; The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists; The Pirates! in an Adventure with Napoleon; The Pirates! in an Adventure with the Romantics) so there are plenty of piratical activities to follow to keep you entertained with both buccaneering blunders and brilliance. Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists was also made into a motion picture in 2012, but the book almost always certainly better.

Recommended by Miss Rogers, Teacher of English

I recommend The Collected Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s collected works includes hilarious comedies, engaging histories and heart-wrenching tragedies, alongside a collection of soul-moving poetry; something for everyone! If you’re looking for Comedy, perhaps a visit The Merry Wives of Windsor or Much Ado About Nothing. If History is more your speed, you could check in with Richard III. When it comes to Tragedy, Shakespeare knows his stuff! Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar….and the list goes on! The 23^rd of April marked the remembrance of Shakespeare’s birthday in 1564, and what better way to remember such an amazing poet and playwright, than by reading his esteemed and celebrated work?

Shakespeare’s plays can be widely found in the original Renaissance English, or they can be found in modern English, in comics, or in graphic novel form. There’s even a graphic novel of Deadpool doing Shakespeare or re-tellings of the Star Wars tales in Shakespeare’s English, if you are so inclined, and I am here for all of it! (I particularly appreciate Shakespearean Chewbacca.) There is also a myriad of film versions available to buy on DVD, or Shakespeare’s plays can be viewed through National Theatre Live at Home. National Theatre at Home (ntathome.com) The continued relevance of many of the themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s writing just goes to show how timeless he is as a literary artiste.

‘Diary of a Haunting’ by M. Verano

The main character, Paige moves from LA to a bug infested house in Idaho due to her parents' divorce. In her new house strange things start happening like things duplicating or completely going missing, strange unreadable words appearing on the walls and her brother sleepwalking in the dark hours of the night. What is the history behind this house? What is going on with the shady secretive downstairs neighbour? What sinister things will Paige discover?

‘Diary of a Haunting’ is written in the form of an online diary that includes photographs, dates, and times to make it feel realistic. It is a horror book that will always have your constant attention. Diary of a haunting is one of my all-time favourite books and it is filled with mystery and suspense; I highly recommend this book as I find it truly wonderful and if you do decide to read it then I hope you enjoy.

Lucy, Y9

What’s on:

Every Friday at 11.00am, The Globe Theatre, in London, release a limited number of £5 standing tickets for performances the following week. These tickets are only available online and are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

If you’re looking for that last-minute way to get up close and personal with one of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, perhaps a trip to Shakespeare’s London Theatre would be a fun way to spend the day? The play tickets are currently being released for is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, studied by year 7 at Sir Harry Smith Community College.