As October was Black History Month, in this issue we will be showcasing some of the fantastic books in the library written and illustrated by Black authors and illustrators and featuring Black main characters.
We will also be celebrating Diwali by looking at some incredible books which are currently on display outside the library.
We have a whole new group of brilliant librarians, led by head librarian Cerys, to help you out during break and lunchtime opening hours and Mr. McInnes is on hand for book chat and recommendations after school on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Mrs. Jones Recommends...
Zo and the Forest of Secrets by Alake Pilgrim
A thrilling Caribbean island adventure with futuristic twists.
When Zo decides to run away from home, she isn't scared; after all, she knows the island like the back of her hand. But, as she journeys through the once-familiar forest, terrifying creatures and warped visions begin to emerge. With a beast on her heels and a lost boy thrown into her path, could a mysterious abandoned facility hold answers?
Zo must unravel the secrets of the forest before she is lost in them forever...
Author Spotlight
Sharna Jackson
Sharna Jackson was born and raised in Luton, lived in Brighton, London, Kent and Sheffield but now writes from Rotterdam on her old ship – Anna Maria was built in 1897.
Before writing books full-time, she had a wide range of jobs including the founding Creative Director at Hopster and she created the Tate Kids website, back in 2007.
Her debut mystery novel 'High-Rise Mystery', released in 2019, has won numerous awards including Best Book for Younger Readers at the 2020 Waterstones Book Prize and Sunday Times Book of the Week. The sequel, 'Mic Drop', was released in 2020. She has also written 'Black Artist Shaping the World', which celebrates the diversity of work created by contemporary Black artists from around the globe and 'The Good Turn', a funny, fast-paced and intriguing mystery adventure. She has contributed to books such as 'Happy Here', 'The Very Merry Murder Club' and 'Read, Scream, Repeat'.
Sharna is incredibly busy writing, working on committees and advisory boards and curating exhibitions such as 'Ensemble' which celebrates Black and Minority Ethnic talent working in the UK games industry.
Sharna works hard to help kids thrive – especially those who are disengaged, disadvantaged and generally don’t think arts, culture, reading and writing is for them.
Some of Sharna's books available in Lansdowne Library include: 'High Rise Mystery', 'Mic Drop', 'The Good Turn', 'The Very Merry Murder Club', 'Happy Here', 'Read, Scream, Repeat' and 'Black Artists Shaping the World'.
Watch Sharna read from 'The GoodTurn':
Find out how to write a murder mystery from Sharna:
Watch the Story Museum's interview with Sharna:
Illustrator Spotlight
Selom Sunu
Selom is an award-winning illustrator based in London. He is a devout Christian and credits God as the source of his creativity.
Selom is widely regarded for his strong character work and ability to ‘bring characters to life’. His inspirations are mostly the cartoons and books he grew up with in the 90s as well as the real life characters he comes across on a daily basis.
He has illustrated many children’s books, including the ‘Run’ series of books by Jason Reynolds, ‘The Christmas Carrolls’ by Mel Taylor-Bessent and ‘The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me’ by Serena Holly. In 2022, Selom won a British Book Award (Nibbie) for Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year as part of a team of illustrators that worked on the picture book ‘Hey You!’, an empowering celebration of growing up Black.His book illustrations have been published by Puffin, Farshore, Simon and Schuster, Simon Spotlight, Oxford University Press, KnightsOf and UcLan.
He also loves teaching others to draw and has run several workshops for school children, including a big one at a football stadium for World Book Day 2022.
Outside of drawing, Selom enjoys playing football, singing, acting, writing poetry and playing board games.
Some of Selon's books in Lansdowne Library include: 'Ghost', 'Patina', 'Sunny', 'Lu', 'Look Both Ways', 'The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me', 'Hey You!' and 'The Octopus, Dadu and Me'.
Watch Selom create an empathy emotions map for this year's Empathy Day:
M is for Melanin
Be bold. Be fearless. BE YOU.
M is for Melanin is an empowering alphabet book that teaches kids their ABC and celebrates black children. Each letter of the alphabet contains affirming, black-positive messages, from E is for Empowerment, to L is for Lead to W is for Worthy. This joyful book, written and illustrated by Tiffany Rose, encourages all kids to love the skin they're in.
M is for Melanin shining in every inch of your skin. Every shade, every hue. All beautiful and unique.
The Undefeated
This is for the unforgettable. The unafraid. The undefeated.
From New York Times bestselling-author Kwame Alexander comes this powerful and important ode to black history: the strength and bravery of everyday people and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest artists, athletes, and activists.
With references to lyrics and lines originally shared by our most celebrated heroes, this poem digs into the not-so-distant past to underline the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present.
Jummy at the River School
A glorious adventure set in Nigeria - a story of friendship, empathy and fighting for what you believe in.
Jummy has won a place at the River School, the finest girls' boarding school in Nigeria.
Nothing can dampen her spirits, not even when she learns that her best friend Caro won’t be joining her.
By the Shine-Shine River, school is everything Jummy dreamt of, with friendly new girls, midnight feasts and sporting prizes - but when Caro suddenly arrives at the school to work, not to learn, Jummy must bring all her friends together to help.
The Infinite
FIGHT CRIME, ACROSS TIME!
Leaplings, children born on the 29th of February, are very rare. Rarer still are Leaplings with The Gift - the ability to leap through time. Elle Bíbi-Imbelé Ifíè has The Gift, but she's never used it. Until now.
On her twelfth birthday, Elle and her best friend Big Ben travel to the Time Squad Centre in 2048. Elle has received a mysterious warning from the future. Other Leaplings are disappearing in time - and not everyone at the centre can be trusted.
Soon Elle's adventure becomes more than a race through time. It's a race against time. She must fight to save the world as she knows it - before it ceases to exist . . .
Legacies: Black British Pioneers
Discover the inspiring stories of iconic figures from Black British History in this informative, boldly illustrated collection of Black icons.
Learn the incredible untold stories of the people that shaped Britain, and be inspired to continue learning beyond the page.
In this brand new series from The Black Curriculum, discover inspiring stories about key figures from Black British History. Learn about Britain's Black STEM heroes, like Dr Cecil Belfield Clark who changed medicine; incredible musicians from Evelyn Dove to Arlo Parks; sports stars who broke new ground, like Maurice Burton and Lewis Hamilton; and activists like Olive Morris and Claudia Jones who fought for their communities. Learn about the links between different legacies and how people from the past paved the way for modern day heroes.
The Story of Afro Hair
The Story of Afro Hair celebrates the fashion and styles of Afro hair over the last 5,000 years.
From plaits to the Gibson Girl, cornrows to locks, the hi-top fade to funki dreds, The Story of Afro Hair is the ultimate book of Afro hairstories. Kicking off with an explanation of how Afro hair type grows and why, The Story of Afro Hair then takes us right back to the politics and fashion of Ancient Egypt. Speeding forwards to modern times we experience the Kingdom of Benin, Henry VIII's court, the enslavement of African peoples, the Harlem Renaissance, the beginnings of Rastafarianism, Britain in the 1980s – and much more.
Future Hero
Destiny is Calling...
When Jarell discovers that the fantasy world he is obsessed with doodling is actually real, he is launched into an incredible adventure.
Ulfrika, the land of his ancestors, is in trouble and he is the hero they need.
With the help of brave and wise-cracking Kimisi, Jarell must stop the evil Ikala. The future of Ulfrika depends on it...
Zombierella
A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs … and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as ZOMBIERELLA. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse Lumpkin back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all?
Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after.
We're Going to Find the Monster!
A rip-roaring picture book adventure from superstar pairing Malorie Blackman and Dapo Adeola.
Over the shimmering ocean, up the huge, high mountain, through the deep, dark forest . . . WE'RE GOING TO FIND THE MONSTER!
Join two intrepid adventurers as their imaginations transform their house into a wild wonderland - and their big brother becomes a mighty monster. A joy to read-aloud with its cumulative refrain, and full of funny, relatable characters, this is a contemporary celebration of creativity, fantasy and family.
My Hair
My birthday's coming up so soon,
I'll need new clothes to wear.
But most of all, I need to know,
How shall I style my hair?
Will it be dreads or a twist out? Braids or a high-top fade? Joyous and vibrant, this captures perfectly the excitement of getting ready for a celebration, as well as showcasing a dazzling array of intricate hairstyles.
Children of the Quicksands
City girl Simi is sent to stay with her long-lost grandmother in a remote Nigerian village. There's no TV, internet or phone. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside.
Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what?
Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring. Caught in the sinking red quicksand of a forbidden lake, her fantastical journey begins...
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. When she makes the important discovery that she can control her hair with her mind, she's whisked off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with superpowers – are trained