The Mystery of the Mummy's Treasure

Joe, Lee, Samantha and Catherine went on a trip to Egypt with their parents. They had been waiting eagerly for this holiday and it was the one they would never forget.

It was Saturday and Lee stepped out of the plane. He was so glad to be in Egypt. Lee loved studying history and his favourite topic was Ancient Egypt.

He was joined by the others and they called a taxi. First they went to the inn where they were staying and then left to go to the Egyptian Museum.

There was a lot of information about mummies. On display there was a note that was written to the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It said that when he would die he would be gifted with lots of gold.When the children had a look at it and read it they had an idea, an adventurous idea.

The next day the children were supposed to go to visit the Capital City but they asked their parents to go see the pyramids instead. After ten minutes of pleading, their parents said yes so they were off to the pyramids.

When they arrived the children were amazed! They couldn't believe how big the pyramids were! Their parents went around the pyramids slowly, talking to each other. While they were distracted, the four children ran away.

They looked for Tutankhamun's pyramid and when they found it they entered. They looked around the pyramid but saw nothing special. They kept on walking and they fell into several traps but after they finally managed to reach the tomb of the Pharaoh. The four children opened the tomb and out came a mummy.

Trembling with fear, they hid behind the throne. But the mummy didn't come for them, it just kept on walking. After the mummy was out of sight they looked inside the tomb and found the treasure. They carried it back and showed it to their parents who were surprised.

Then they went back to the inn for a nap.

This was the best adventure they had ever had! They will never forget this day!

World Book Week 2011

Short Story Competition Runner-up

Adrienne Gatt

The Funny Bunny

There was a bunny bunny bunny

who was very funny funny funny.

He had a lot of money money money,

he kept it all in his tummy tummy tummy.

But he missed his mommy mommy mommy,

so he got married married married,

his wife in his arms he carried carried carried.

He had a baby baby baby,

who was called Maybe Maybe Maybe,

but he ran away from home home home,

and went all the way to Rome Rome Rome.

So there was this bunny bunny bunny...

World Book Week 2011

Poetry Competition Runner-up

Nicholas Galea

The Magical Chair

Once there was a boy called Oswald and he had an old chair in the darkest corner of his room. It was decorated with wonderful gold leaf all around. One day he invited his friend over to his big lovely house. They went up to his room.

As soon as Oswald sat down on the chair, it started to glow. There was a flash of light and the room changed into what seemed to be a study with books of all kinds.

Books about dragons and giants and all sorts of magical creatures.

The boys were startled. They had no idea where they were and wondered whether they were ever going to see their parents again.

They opened the door and saw a huge staircase that looked like it went on forever. Oswald looked back and saw that the chair had gone. They took a few books with them as they knew it was a magical world.

When outside they realised that they were in a forest. This odd creature came up to them and said: 'I know where your chair is. Follow me on a quest and go back home.'

So the boys followed him. They got out of the forest and found the chair but one leg was missing. Oswald saw a creature running away with the leg. Luckily, the creature was friendly and gave them the leg back. He glued it back on and left.

When the boys got home Oswald said:'Phew, I'm glad we're back.'

World Book Week 2011

Short Story Competition Runner-up

Daniel Grech

Wildlife

In the deep blue sea

there's a strange whale

in the cold blue water

deep and bright and pale.

On the white ice

there sits a sea-lion

not like the one in Africa

this is not a fierce lion.

World Book Week 2011

Poetry Competition Runner-up

Alexander Hawkes

The Absent-minded Scientist

I am the best scientist in the world. I make a potion every day. Today's potion will bring dead flowers back to life. You just have to mix it with the water.

There, it's ready. I leave it on the table to settle. I need to go to the bathroom.

When my mother sees it and she puts it in the fridge. I come back from the bathroom. I am thirsty and I go to get a drink. There is some fruit juice, which is unusual, because my mother believes that it is unhealthy. I still drink it. A few minutes later I go for a nap.

When I wake up I go to the mirror to fix my hair and I have the biggest shock ever. I have become an old man! I have white hair, I am short, my face is wrinkly. And I am hairy all over!

I go to the doctor and he starts laughing. He tells me that since I am a scientist I should solve the problem myself.

I rush back home. It clicks that I must have drank the potion, thinking it was juice. I go back to my laboratory and do some more, keeping in mind that this time it has to work the other way round.

I drink it, hoping it will turn me back to my former self.

It does! I am back to being beautiful me. And, as my mum adds, stupid me.

World Book Week 2011

Short Story Competition Runner-up

Lisa Galea

Rita Antoinette Borġ and Marisa Attard visit San Anton

As part of World Book Week activities, an award-winning author and illustrator visited San Anton School.

Rita Antoinette Borġ, the author of Taqsamx it-Triq, Fuxa and Rebecca's Choice, amongst other titles, accepted our invitation for the second year running.

She started off by introducing her parrot friend Pepito, a lively puppet that hails all the way from South America. The Grade 4s were keen to mention other animals that live in the same region as Pepito's, such as the caiman, the anaconda, the cougar and the macaw.

Ms Borġ then read her story about Fuxa, a timid hedgehog who tries to cross the road amidst the busy traffic of rush hour. After much trepidation and concern, the tiny animal finally makes it to the other side, to the relief of all her friends and family.

Finally, Ms Borġ read an excerpt from one of her favourite books by one of her favourite authors: The Tale of Desperaux by Kate Di Camillo.

It was a great way to spend a morning and the children enjoyed Ms Borġ's visit tremendously.

The Grade 5s were in for a surprise because Marisa Attard, one of the best local illustrators, came over and treated them to an art workshop.

Ms Attard's portfolio is vast and includes such titles as Bongi Wongi u versi oħra għat-tfal and Ir-Razzett tan-Nannu Turu. She brought a sample of her work to show around and the children were amazed to see that Ms Attard is the person behind some of their favourite illustrations.

Ms Attard introduced herself by drawing a self-portrait. She then proceeded to sketch some characters displaying a particular emotion, and the children had to follow suit. It was wondrous to see with what glee the students took to this task, and everyone was keen to add his or her particular touches to the characters.

What followed was a drawing-by-request session. The Grade 5s were asking Ms Attard to draw something for them, which she did, and then they had to copy what she did or do their own version. So the library was full of drawings of dogs, lions, cats and people doing fun things.

It was a great session and one that the children will surely treasure.

RITA ANTOINETTE BORĠ WEBSITE

MARISA ATTARD WEBSITE

Myths: The Story of Adonis

There once was an eleven-year-old boy called Adonis and he lived in Ancient Athens. He was tall and slim with jet black hair and a dark complexion. His eyes were as blue as the sky on a clear day and he was very strong and good-looking.

Everybody loved him because he was very helpful and kind. Every day, on his way to school, he passed the twelve white columns that used to support the ancient building called the Pantheon. He was always amazed with this building and every day he took a look around inside. Even though he loved Zeus, he was always afraid to speak to him.

One day Zeus came upon him and said, ‘Naughty children will never be on my side but you are different...I might make you a God!’

Adonis was very happy and he went back home smiling, but Hades, the god of the Underworld, was overwhelmed with jealousy because he wanted him on his side. So Hades appeared to Adonis and tried to get him on his side with special gifts like a flying horse. He also sent spirits to make his wishes come true. Adonis started smelling something fishy, but it was not actual fish of course! He knew, from all the books he had read, that Hades was trying to trick him.

The next day, Adonis received more presents from Zeus and Hades, and very soon, the two started to fight over him. They hurled lightning bolts at each other and Athens was very stormy. Adonis had had enough. He decided to stop the lightning.

After thanking the two gods, he told them he would prefer to remain human. And both gods had no other option but to respect his wishes. Adonis knew that his happiness could not be achieved by power. And he died a happy man in his old age.

Kyle Cuschieri

The Apple Tree

Once upon a time there was an apple tree. A little girl named Rebecca said: "I want an apple." But her mother said no. So then she went to her father. But her father said no too. So she felt very sad.

Then she remembered her cousin's house. But even he said "No, you can't have an apple." Then she remembered her other cousin but she said no too. Then she went to ask her grandma but it was no use because she said no too. So she went to her grandpa and finally (phew!) he said: "yes, you can have an apple from the apple tree."

When she went to pick an apple from the tree, her mother came and she told her she wasn't allowed to eat apples from the tree so Rebecca said that her grandpa had given her permission. Her mother was very angry. Rebecca told her father and even he was cross with her. Then she went to her cousin's house to tell him that she picked an apple from the apple tree. She expected him to be glad but he was furious. So she tried her luck with her other cousin. But she was as furious as her mother. So she tried at her grandma's house. She was VERY cross.

Finally she went back to her grandpa's house. Fingers crossed! When she told him he laughed out loud and said: "You silly girl! It was only a joke! You can't really have one!"

"Ok. Sorry for picking an apple from the apple tree. Goodbye!" she replied.

by Ylenia Coleiro

New THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA trailers!

Two of the most popular comic titles will soon hit the cinema screens. Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger are sure to be great hits with superhero action film fans.

New Books for the Library!

The nice people over at AUDIO VISUAL CENTRE have donated a number of awesome books to the library. The titles are varied: sports, history, science, entertainment, astronomy, biology. They are beautiful books (as one expects from DK) that will enrich the library's reference section and are sure to prove invaluable to the students.

The Gypsy

Esmeralda and her puppy were hiding in the bushes, hoping that the angry crowd would go away. They were after the girl because they wanted to put her to death.

Esmeralda was a gypsy and people believed that all gypsies were thieves. But Esmeralda was not a thief and in order to earn pennies she organized shows and dances with Yuri. This angered the people so they decided to kill her, which is why she was hiding. There, in the bushes she stayed, until Mr. Dobblin spotted her.

She took her bundle of clothes and whispered to Yuri: “Someday this will end. The sooner we go, the sooner it will happen.”

They reached a field of wild horses. She looked for her horse, Bluebell.

Luckily she found him, and lifted herself up. Yuri and her bundle of clothes were with her and so they galloped off. Only when they reached France did they stop for a rest.

She knew she was safe here. In France they were celebrating the birthday of Captain Grainger, a famous captain who fought and won a battle against gypsies.

Actors and dancers were invited to perform. Esmeralda, who knew nothing of the captain’s hatred towards gypsies, wanted to join in the celebration and so she danced along with the French. She made a show that included singing, dancing and some tricks she had taught to Yuri.

Claude, one of Grainger’s friends, fell in love with the girl. They became good friends but she loved the captain and not Claude. The captain was in love with her too and soon enough, proposed to Esmeralda.

They were married and lived happily but one day the servant of the captain heard Esmeralda tell her awful tale to herself, while riding on a horse. The servant told the captain about it and the captain forgot all about his love for Esmeralda.

She was taken to prison with all the other gypsies. They were going to cut her head off.

She was puzzled and no longer loved the captain. But she didn’t stay in prison for long as Claude rescued her.

He bought a piece of land where they hid and built a high wall which only he knew how to go through. Then, together with Esmeralda and Yuri, he built a house. Claude took care of the two. Yuri guarded the house from wild animals and he slept on a cushion next to Esmeralda. Esmeralda made crafts that Claude sold at the market for 10 gold pieces.

Esmeralda started loving Claude the way he loved her. But alas, one day Grainger found Esmeralda. He grew suspicious seeing Claude selling all those crafts at the market, and followed him to the house. The captain arrested the three of them and wanted to have them hanged. But before the hanging, Esmeralda asked the people:

“Why should I be hanged. I did not steal, like the other gypsies, and I’ve been a good wife to the captain, but in his hatred, he forgot how to love.”

The people realised how unfair the captain had been to his wife and was punished. As for Claude, he married Esmeralda and the two of them and Yuri lived in their house. The wall was removed.

With all the money they earned from selling crafts, they bought a lot of new furniture.

They continued selling crafts and started making up shows.

Christina Camilleri

Horrid Henry Film!

A live feature film (in 3D!) chronicling the adventures of our favourite naughty boy is in post-production. This means that Horrid Henry's first foray into film is ready and the technicians are adding the finishing touches. It should be out for Summer. :)

Here is what the people at IGN MOVIES have to say about it:

The film sees Horrid Henry, Lord High Majesty of the Purple Hand Gang, waging his ever constant battle against the tyranny of adults, only this time it seems the adults really are out to get him!

Horrid Henry was created by author Francesca Simon and is the most successful children's literary character in the UK after Harry Potter, with book sales of more than 16 million.

(Trailer below is courtesy of TrailerSpy.)

Free Books!

Thanks to AGENDA's Books for Schools initiative, the library is now 203 books richer!! The shelves are teeming with information about far-off lands, domestic and exotic animals, awesome inventions, fascinating science and history. Also, tales of adventure, fantasy, horror, suspense and humour. Below is a taste of the stupendous books that are now part of San Anton's library!

The Three Promises

Once there were three beautiful sisters: the youngest, Koseyapea, was the most beautiful and generous creature under the sun. Her elder sisters were jealous of her.

Their jealousy made them unkind and unfair and they never kept their promises .

One day Eleanor, their mother, said that she would give her most treasured jewels to the daughter she was proudest of. The first sister, Gold Eyes, went out to the woods to ask Spring for help.

When she reached the deepest part of the forest she cried:

“Spring, Spring, come help me

And a good friend to you I shall be

If you grant me this wish

Three promises will be yours “

Spring came to see what this young maiden wanted and promised to grant her wish. Gold Eyes wished for a huge piece of land, in which she would organise grand balls and parties .

After Spring gave her the land, she told her:

“ Promise me you shall share with me some food from the land ,

Promise to say I gave you the land if anyone asks were you got it from

And lastly, be grateful that I did so”

Gold Eyes gave her word and went home. The same thing happened with Silver Eyes, the second sister who wished for a jewelery shop. It also happened to Koseyapea, who wished for a farm.

It didn’t take long for the two elder sisters to break their promises. Koseyapea remained faithful to Spring .

Spring made Koseyapea a goddess, and her sisters regretted that they hadn’t kept their promises.

Christina Camilleri

The Baby Monkey

Once upon a time there was a baby monkey. His name was Cheeky. His mum and dad were called Cheechy and Cheeko.

One day two men came to the forest where Cheeky, Cheechy and Cheeko lived. And those two men worked at the zoo. They wanted three monkeys. So they went hunting till they found the three-monkey family. They caught them with a net and then they put them in a box. They put the box in the truck. The monkeys were afraid but luckily Cheeky had very long nails so he could use them to escape through the hole.

When they got out Cheeko and Cheechy gave a slap on the men's faces with their tails. The two men became unconscious so the truck was out of control. So Cheeky decided to drive the truck himself. He quickly jumped into the driver's seat, took hold of the steering wheel and began driving. After a while he stopped the truck leaving the men unconscious locked in a box.

The monkeys got out through the windows and started swinging happily from one tree to another. They were free again.

Three months later Cheeky went to school and made lots of friends. He told them all about what happened. The other monkeys all stared at Cheeky because they had never heard anything like that. When school was over, he didn't want to leave because he had so much fun. But when Cheechy and Cheeko told him that they had bought lots of bananas he wanted to leave. When they got home and Cheeky saw the mouth-watering bananas he wanted one immediately. He took one and started peeling it.

When he finished eating it, he told his mum and dad that he made lots of new friends at school. Cheeko and Cheechy were so proud of Cheeky that they gave him another banana. Then he told them that he made lots of paintings at school. So they gave him another banana. He told them that his best friends were Bingo, Bango and Jango.

Next day when he was at school, he heard a noise coming from outside. He looked out of the window and saw two men in a truck. Cheeky recognised them. They were the two men who had captured him and his parents. So he told his friends to go and help scare the two men away. So they jumped on the truck and frightened the men. The men went away and were never seen again. So he went home and told his parents and they lived happily ever after.

by Ylenia Coleiro

MERLIN LIBRARY have kindly donated a SIGNED (!) copy of Darren Shan's latest book called The Thin Executioner:

Jebel Rum is a thin, scrawny boy. His father is the famed executioner in the city where they live. When Jebel is humiliated in public, he sets off on a quest to gain great strength and invincibility. If successful, he will be able to compete in a gruelling contest to prove himself and replace his father as the wielder of the axe. Failure, on the other hands, means certain death.

To win the favour of a fire god, Jebel must make a human sacrifice. He finds a slave who is willing to pay this grisly price, and the pair set off on a trek through lands deadly and unwelcoming. In the course of their travels they will encounter hatred, bigotry, slavery, death and a whole lot more. It is the nightmarish adventure of a lifetime…

(Source: Darren Shan's site)

Thanks! :)

Clare Azzopardi żżur San Anton

Clare Azzopardi, waħda mill-iktar awturi maħbubin, żaret San Anton fil-1 ta' Diċembru. Iltaqgħet l-ewwel mal-istudenti tal-Grade 10 u kellmithom dwar il-ktieb tagħha li ħareġ is-sena l-oħra, Il-Każ Kważi Kollu tal-Aħwa De Molizz. Il-ktieb jirrakkonta l-ġrajja ta' żewġt aħwa, Saver u Klawdjo De Molizz, li għandhom mibegħda kbira lejn tfal intelliġenti. Tant ma jistgħux għalihom li jiffurmaw aġenzija għat-twaqqigħ tal-iskejjel: kull m'għandhom bżonn huma l-firem ta' diversi studenti u l-iskola ssir frak. Pero' l-affarijiet ma jmorrux kif basru fil-bidu...

Clare qrat xi siltiet mill-ktieb u wara l-istudenti kellhom l-opportunita' li jistaqsuha domandi, dwar l-istorja tal-aħwa De Molizz, dwar il-karriera tagħha bħala kittieba u anki dwar xi xogħol li qed taħdem fuqu bħalissa.

Immedjatament wara ġew il-Grade 6. Clare ippreparat xi affarijiet fuq is-sensiela ta' Jake Cassar, it-tifel li flimkien m'oħtu Melanie, jivvjaġġa ta' sikwit fir-Renju tar-Re Pankrazju IV. Hawnhekk ikollhom diversi avventuri u jiltaqgħu ma' kreaturi bħall-furuni u s-sriek.

Wara li qratilhom xi siltiet mill-kotba u rrispondiet għall-mistoqsijiet li kellhom, Clare għamlitilhom eżerċizzju ċkejken. It-tfal kellhom stampa ta' sħabha li fiha kellhom ipinġu l-affarijiet li l-iktar jieħdu gost jaħsbu dwarhom. Meta lestew, il-librerija mtliet kollha sħab bil-ħolm tal-istudenti.

Fl-aħħarnett, Clare ġentilment iffirmat il-kotba tat-tfal u wegħdithom li la jkun hemm avventuri oħra ta' Jake Cassar, terġa' tiġi żżurhom!

Din iż-żjara ġiet organizzata minn MERLIN LIBRARY.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

The first part of the final Harry Potter film adaptation is finally out! Check the trailer of the film below!

Visit the Official HARRY POTTER site.

First pictures from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is surely one of the most eagerly awaited films. It is going to be in two parts and although everyone has read the book, the film production is being quite secretive about it. However a couple of pictures have been leaked from the set and they look mighty interesting! :)

Photos taken from the Oclumencia site.

World Book Week 2010 - Lauren St John

Lauren St John's visit was originally planned for World Book Week. However, seeing that Eyjafjallajokull (aka the Iceland volcano) decided otherwise, the visit had to be postponed by a couple of weeks.

In the meantime the students had much to keep them occupied. The school participated in a model competition aimed at raising awareness about endangered animals, an initiative coordinated by Lauren and Merlin Library. The Grade 8s took this task to heart and submitted three models: a panda, a tiger and a snow leopard. The models were then exhibited at St James Cavalier which at the time was hosting the first ever Children's Literature Festival. Some of the students, accompanied by the school librarian, attended this event in which they also got to meet, virtually (by means of a webcam), Lauren.

This did not mean that they were denied the opportunity to meet her in person. The children were really looking forward to her visit and, right enough, a fortnight later, Lauren visited the school. The students were in awe: you could hear a pin drop. They were completely absorbed by the tales of Lauren's youth spent in Africa surrounded by many exotic animals. She also told them of her work towards relocating zoo animals back to their natural habitat, and raising awareness about species that risk extinction.

Lauren also spoke about her books, four titles collectively known as the White Giraffe series. These were inspired by tales of her childhood, reworked and reshaped with heavy doses of imagination. They feature the adventures of Martine, who after the demise of her parents, goes to live with her grandmother in Africa. The books are spiced with drama and adventure, making them veritable page-turners.

Lauren St John is a truly inspiring person. Besides being an author, she also finds the time, energy and commitment to promote an extremely worthy cause. It was great getting to know her.

Visit LAUREN ST JOHN's site

World Book Week 2010 - Rita Antoinette Borġ

Local author and story-teller Rita Antoinette Borġ visited the school and had a session with the Grade 4s and 5s. Ms Borġ started off by introducing Pepito, a cheerful and colourful parrot who lives in South America, and who loves to share his knowledge of geography and animals with children.

Next came a story session, during which Ms Borġ read one of her stories, Taqsamx it-Triq Fuxa! The children were engrossed as Ms Borġ narrated the adventures of little Fuxa who discovered that crossing a busy road is far from easy! The students loved the particular format of the flip-over books, where the same story is told in both Maltese and in English.

Ms Borġ also spoke to the students about the importance of reading. Besides it being a great past time, it also helps with getting ideas for stories and learning new words.

Click HERE to visit Ms Borġ's website.

World Book Week 2010 - Marianne Tabone

This year's World Book Week kicked off with a visit by Marianne Tabone, a local author whose books chronicling the adventures of Anġlu Piżellu are quite popular among the students. Ms Tabone started her session by talking about herself, what inspires her and how important it is for writers to keep on reading as much as possible. She also mentioned some characters from her childhood who, with a bit of tweak here and there, found themselves sharing the lively angel's adventures.

After her talk, Ms Tabone allowed a few minutes for questions, an opportunity upon which the students pounced. They asked a myriad of questions but the one which seemed to interest them most regarded the ever elusive issue of ideas: where do these come from? Ms Tabone answered that one can find ideas anywhere, you just have to look around. A quirky gesture or a random comment from a stranger can be enough to spark off an idea for a character or a story.

Ms Tabone concluded her session by reading one of her stories to the students.

Awesome Film based on Awesome Book

The Guardians of Ga'Hoole is an epic fantasy about owls who live during a time when humans have gone extinct. Owls can read, write and do other things that were previously done by humans. It is the tale of Soren who, together with other owls, is captured by the evil Skench and forced to do things against his will. He manages to escape and on his journey he makes new friends. Together they are looking for a mythical tree and once they find it new enemies emerge...

It is an awesome series of books and a must-read for fantasy lovers. It is coming out as a film (based on the first three books) on September 24th 2010...

Review by Ariane

Official Site for the Books

TRAILER:

Percy Jackson Film Preview

Merlin Library were kind enough to supply the school with 15 free tickets for the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief film preview. The lucky winners, whose name was pulled out of a hat (or rather, a box) had a whale of a time. These are some of their comments:

I really enjoyed the film. Percy Jackson was my favourite character. I loved it when he fought against the hydra and then when he went to Las Vegas. The scene of Camp Half-Blood is very cool too. I really enjoyed this film and wouldn't mind watching it again.

Timothy

I liked the movie because there are two worlds and one of them is full of Greek gods. Many people don't know about it. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon and he goes on a quest to bring back his mother and to bring back Zeus' lightning bolt. It was a very exciting story.

Matthew

Percy Jackson is a teenager who goes on a quest with his friends. They have special powers and they need to save Percy's mother from an evil Greek god. But the gods think that Percy is the lightning thief. It turns out he's not.

Max

I think that Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief had amazing graphics! Also I think that if I was in the movie I would have loved to try and throw Poseidon's trident. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was such a good movie that I want to read all the books and watch the next movie!

Paul

The film is adventurous and based on Greek mythology. Zeus' lightning bolt is stolen and Percy Jackson blamed for the theft. In the meantime his mother is kidnapped and Percy has to go to the underworld to save her. He needs to find three objects to get out of the underworld.

Rebecca

I really liked the film because it was adventurous. My favourite part was when Percy Jackson fought against Medusa. It was funny when Medusa's head was cut off but her eyes kept turning people to stone!

Christian

Percy Jackson is a very interesting and adventurous movie. It is one of the best films I have seen so far. Percy Jackson is a boy who is half human and half god as he is the son of Poseidon. This is what I found really interesting.

Emma

Percy Jackson books and film official site.

The Grand Prix Final (Story)

Fifteen years ago, my brother had gone to hospital because he was in a bad car crash!

It was the Grand Prix Final and he was the driver with the best chance to win. But in the last few seconds, someone crashed into his car from behind.

Now, it is my turn to take his place in the Grand Prix Final. I have a chance of winning, just like he had.

I was very careful so the same thing wouldn't happen to me. I kept checking my rear view mirror. There was this driver who was coming closer to me. I recognised that he was the brother of that other driver that crashed into my own brother!

I made sure that I wouldn't fall for the same trick so I swerved to the right and put him off track.

It paid off cause I won the race! I dedicated this victory to my brother.

Paul - 7.1

Hetty Feather

Despite her being a very prolific author, Jacqueline Wilson still manages to elicit a sense of excitement whenever one of her books is due to be released. Hetty Feather proved to be no exception.

This time round, Jacqueline Wilson's story takes us to London during the year 1876. Hetty is still a baby when her mother leaves her on the doorstep of an orphanage. However she must first live with a foster family before she is old enough to go to school. Hetty goes to live in the countryside where she spends a large amount of time with her 'brothers' Gem and Gideon. One day a travelling circus passes by and Hetty is mesmerised by the show.

The time comes when Hetty has to go back to the orphanage and she finds it really difficult to adapt to this kind of new life, involving school and terrible lunches. There is one positive side to this - now she can start looking for her real mum.

Jacqueline Wilson official site

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Author Rick Riordan's series of books featuring Percy Jackson are amongst the most popular titles with children. The thrilling adventures of this young boy as he tests his wits and courage against mythological creatures, have captured the imagination of many.

The story is as follows: Percy Jackson is always up to mischief and trouble, and in fact has been expelled from several schools. One fine day, during an outing, one of his teachers turns into a monster and tries to kill him. However he manages to stay alive thanks to a pen that magically transforms into a sword. Understandably, this disconcerts Percy quite a lot and a string of similarly odd occurrences does nothing to dispel his nervous mood. Going back home offers no solace either as his mother is at the moment living with this despicable man known as 'Smelly Gabe'. Some time later she is kidnapped by a minotaur. Percy does not know what to do but one of his friends, Grover, who turns out to be a satyr, takes him to Camp Half-Blood, which is a training ground for demigods. And the adventure continues.

As you can see, Percy Jackson's stories are breathtaking and leave one craving for what's coming next. Once you start reading a story, you simply MUST keep on at it till the very end. So imagine the reaction of many at the news of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief being turned into a movie! The trailer has been released and it looks awesome. The director, Chris Columbus, is the same one behind the first two Harry Potter installments. So this should be extremely good. :)

Percy Jackson Official Site

Rick Riordan

Author Visit

Ms Faye Cukier visited San Anton School to promote and talk about the book she's written called Fleeing the Swastika, a gripping true tale of her youth spent travelling all over war-torn Europe.

World War Two was a gruesome chapter in the history of the Twentieth Century. There was the rise to power of the Third Reich which eventually led to the beginning of a terrible war that embroiled all the countries of the world. However, as time goes by, events tend to move farther and farther away from memory. Sometimes this is beneficial, at other times it's not. Very few persons who lived through this terrible ordeal are still alive, and therefore it was quite a privilege to have the author of Fleeing the Swastika coming to school.

Ms Cukier is a charming and elegant lady of Jewish origin, whose gentle manners belie a difficult past replete with adventure and hardship. She remembers vividly the hasty moving from one city to another in order not to be discovered by Nazis during World War Two. But things had not always been like this.

Ms Cukier's life started full of promise. Her father was a successful businessman who could afford to raise his family in relative comfort. However, as the Nazi government gained in popularity, the Cukiers found it more and more difficult to get by. This forced Ms Cukier and her mother to leave Germany for Brussels. They made their move just in time as a few months later saw The Night of Broken Glass, in which Jewish homes, shops and synagogues were demolished.

Life in Belgium wasn't easy either. First of all Ms Cukier was told that she had to wear the Jewish yellow star, something she refused to do. However, acting upon the suggestion of a friendly policeman, she dyed her hair blonde so as not to look Jewish. During this time she also got involved in the diamond trade in order to help her family survive. It was an arduous period in which Ms Cukier had to be constantly on the alert.

But with the end of the war, her family was liberated and eventually got her lifelong dream of going to America. Still, some sad moments persisted as Ms Cukier had friends who had perished in the streets and in concentration camps. And this was one of the reasons why she ventured to write this book - as a tribute to all those who suffered during such a terrible war.

World Book Week 2009 - Short Story Poster

The theme for this year is A Picture and a Thousand Words.  Nowadays the world is being literally bombarded by larger than-life-images in the form of billboards, commercials, animations, logos, etc.  The book industry is no exception and it has seen an increase in the use of visual aids to get the message (or story) through.  Illustrators like Quentin Blake and Nick Sharrat, have work that is immediately recognised and associated with a particular author.  Many books are being accompanied by DVDs and, for the older ones, links to interactive sites where the story is developed beyond the pages of the book.  This also explains the increased popularity of comics (or graphic novels).

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Grades 4 - 7 had a related activity going on.  The librarian read a short story to each grade during a library session.  The stories were the following:

Grade 4 - Henry and Margaret by Francesca Simon

Grade 5 - Something Different by Anne Fine

Grade 6 - The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

Grade 7 - Don't Ask Jack by Neil Gaiman

Each class was then divided into groups and each group had to come up with a poster.  These posters are now on display in the library.  :)

World Book Week 2009 - Trevor Zahra & Mikiel

World Book Week kicked off with a very special guest.  Local author Trevor Zahra met the Grade 9 students to talk about his books.  At the moment they have Fuklar Qadim u Bnadar Imcarrta as a class reader and therefore they were very excited at the idea of meeting the author.  In conjunction with the librarian, they also prepared a small Powerpoint presentation about one of the chapters in the book.

Seeing that this year's theme is A Picture and a Thousand Words, Mr Zahra placed special emphasis on the illustration of his books, which he does himself.  He brought with him some samples of work he'd done and explained the various intricacies that such work entails.

At the end of his talk Mr Zahra was kind enough to sign books (and t-shirts sporting a logo in Maltese) for the students.

The younger students of the Junior Sector where on the other hand treated to story-telling sessions courtesy of Rita Antoinette Borg and Mikiel, the lovable mascot of Agenda Kids Club.  The children were enthralled during the whole time and absorbed every single word.  They simply loved looking at the big books and participating in the story as it unfolded.  And after each session, they simply had to go and hug Mikiel and Ms Borg!

Gnomes in the Garden

One morning, Jake wakes up and looks out of the window. He sees that his two gnomes in the garden are trashed. He wonders why but can't get an answer.

In the middle of the night, Jake wakes to the sound of a disturbing noise. He creeps out of bed and goes into the garden with his flashlight. He goes behind a bush, and in front of the bush he sees the two gnomes fighting. Jake is terrified. The gnomes are alive! So that's why they were trashed to bits. Then Jake jumps out and shines his flashlight on the gnomes. At once, they freeze and turn back into statues.

The following night Jake is ready for them. When the sun is down and the moon is up, Jake prepares himself behind the same bush. Then he hears them. The gnomes start fighting, as usual. Jake counts to three and jumpsout of the bush. But this time the gnomes are quick and run into the bushes. But Jake follows them. He crushes through the bushes and catches up with them.

Suddenly, Jake stops. In front of him is a porthole. The gnomes are on the other side, ready to jump in. Jake tries to shine the flashlight on them, but they have already gone through the porthole. Jake closes his eyes and does the same.

He falls to the ground and gets up. He looks around and realises that he is right outside his house in the garden. Then Jake quickly turns around expecting to see the gnomes. But instead he sees two statues. They are his parents. How can this be? Is this another world? He hears noise coming from the house. And then he understands. He has jumped into a porthole that transported him into another world. A place where everything is switched around. His parents are the gnomes frozen outside in the garden, and inside the house are the two gnomes alive.

Jake knew what he has to do. He opens the front door and waves at the gnomes. And they see him. Then Jake runs into the garden and waits. The two gnomes run out and stop, rooted to the spot. They are frozen. They have turned back into statues.

Jake knows this was happening because this world is the other way round and his parents are frozen in dark not sunlight, like the gnomes. So the live gnomes that are in the house will get frozen in the dark. Then Jake starts feeling stiff. He can't move his legs. He is turning to stone! Into a statue!

Julian - Grade 7.3

WINNER of WORLD BOOK WEEK 2008 Short Story Competition

Good Deeds Bounce Back

One bright sunny morning in July, a man named Alan McGregor was walking on the beach. The sun shone in his face as he walked across the golden beach. As he was staring out at a calm, blue sea he spotted two bobs of gold paddling their way across the waves. As they came closer, Alan saw that they were two dogs. He jumped into the sea and rescued them. When he brought them back, he saw that they had name tags. He returned them to their owners and to say thank you, the owners gave Alan one of their puppies. He named the puppy Pink.

Alan went everywhere with Pink and they soon became the greatest of friends. Alan felt secure when Pink was with him. In the afternoons, Alan took Pink to the beach with him and used to meditate. Alan felt even more secure beacuse cars could not drive through to the beach. That afternoon, a car drove through the beach without noticing the signs. Since Alan was meditating he could not see or hear the car coming. Only Pink noticed the car coming their way. Pink barked, but Alan was still lost in his meditating.

Pink put herself directly in the way of the car. Just as Alan became aware of what was going on, the man in the car saw Pink and dodged her. This further strenghtened Alan and Pink's friendship. This just proves that since Alan saved the dogs and brought them back to their home, Pink, the daughter of the dogs saved Alan's life. It proves that every good deed that we do bounces back at us.

Matthew - Grade 7.3

RUNNER-UP WORLD BOOK WEEK Short Story Competition

The Day Everything Disappeared

One day there was a lovely blue bird in an oak tree, there was a flock of sheep running in a meadow. There were pretty pink buterflies flying in the air.

The following day there was a magician at a boys' birthday party. The magician wanted to make a ball disappear but the trick went horribly wrong because he was so so rushed by the children, that he made everything disappear.

The children in the party disappeared, the blue bird disappeared, even the oak tree disappeared, the sheep stopped running and disappeared, the pretty pink butterflies disappeared, every living creature, every country, state, continent and planet disappeared, the whole world disappeared. Everything in the universe disappeared. So there was nothing else to disappear, not even a pretty pink butterfly.

Max - Grade 7.1

RUNNER-UP WORLD BOOK WEEK 2008 Short Story Competition

Me and My Books

I am sometimes teased,
and not very pleased
because I read books
which don't improve my looks.

I just can't help it,
I'll go and sit
take a book,
and give it a good look.

Time flies when I'm reading a book,
so I don't bother to give the clock a look
when we go back to class
I wonder how the time passed so fast.

On Book Day,
some children try to stay away
when books are such fun
especially if you have more than one.

In the end it was their loss,
I showed them who is boss;
with books I am always on top
that's why I will never stop.

Dawn - Grade 6.1

WINNER of WORLD BOOK WEEK 2008 Poetry Competition.

The Wizard's Story

Once, there was a wizard,
who swallowed a lizard
and got caught in a blizzard.

His name was Fay,
he was born in May,
and, they say,
was born in a barnyard of hay.

He lives in a number of flats,
his neighbours have rats
and lots of bats.

He flew to the moon
on his broom
while holding a spoon.

Later, he went to Pluto,
and found a creature called Muto,
which was half hog and half dog.

Then, he coughed the lizard,
so more bad luck for the Wizard!!

If you look at the sky,
you will see someone saying bye,
on a star so far,
on the Milky Way;
if you look closely,
that is Fay.

Bettina - Grade 6.1

RUNNER-UP for WORLD BOOK DAY 2008 Poetry Competition.

My Dream

Last night I had a dream,
of dolphins in the sea.
Strange creatures in their team
all waiting for their tea.
Shining diamonds in the sky
and aliens flying by
all waving me goodbye.
Hope I'll see them again next time.

Andrew - Grade 6.4

RUNNER-UP for WORLD BOOK DAY 2008 Poetry Competition.