The book cover of "How to Train Your Dragon" by Cressida Cowell is artfully displayed in an empty cinema near you, with the big screen showcasing the same captivating title, creating a magical movie-like ambiance.

Coming to a cinema near you…

SLS UKPHSE

Relationships between characters in books show us who we are and who we can become. Books in classroom collections and school libraries have an important part to play in this.

A heart-shaped cutout shows four young people reading books together, superimposed on a background of a damaged, cluttered room with debris on the floor. This poignant scene highlights the efforts of Spellow Community Library to restore peace and harmony in their troubled environment.

The burning of Spellow community library – how libraries can help to restore peace and security for our children and young people

SLS UKNews

Rachel JohnstonHarrow SLS Librarian’s view: From the many images of senseless destruction in the riots following the tragic murders in Southport this summer, those of the blackened, ransacked public library in Spellow, Liverpool seemed to encapsulate the horror of attacks driven by social media misinformation. The community had lost not only its library but also all that it had represented in terms of shared cultural heritage and access to learning.  In those first hours it seemed an insurmountable challenge to recover from such a blow to a key part of the community’s identity. In the days that followed, the …

A woman sits in an educational classroom with children who are holding hand puppets. The children are seated on the floor and facing the woman, who is smiling and holding two colorful puppets.

Using Puppets in the Classroom

SLS UKCreativity

Wanda GajewskiWandsworth LRS Librarian’s view: Storytelling is often considered as a daunting activity. We all have a natural propensity towards telling and will have told many anecdotes and recounted many events.  Research has shown that children who are read to and hear stories before coming to school are most likely to succeed in school. Using a puppet to tell the story is a wonderful technique which can lead children to discover the joy of literature and learning. Within the context of language and literacy puppets can be used anytime to bring stories to life and spark your pupils’ imaginations. …