The library at Futuraskolan International Rådan got a mini-makeover last week!

The large desk that the librarian used was removed and a small, folding tabletop was installed in the middle of the room. This opened up a lot of space at the end of the room.

The carpet was moved and a comfy chair and lamp was set up near the wonderful windows. The tables, stools and bench were placed in the centre of the room.

A new display shelf was also set up. This shelf adds a splash of blue to the library and lets the students see the books more clearly. The shelf lifts up so that books or other items can be stored behind it. Two more shelves like this will be installed in other bookcases in the library soon.

These simple changes really opened up the whole room, don’t you think?

Albert Ríos has won acclaim as a writer who uses language in lyrical and unexpected ways in both his poems and short stories, which reflect his Chicano heritage and contain elements of magical realism. “Ríos’s poetry is a kind of magical storytelling, and his stories are a kind of magical poetry,” commented Jose David Saldivar in the Dictionary of Literary Biography.

Ríos’ poem “Don’t Go into the Library”, written in 1952, is on Futuraskolan International Rådan’s library door.

Students participating in the I Love Reading to the Moon and Back challenge need recommend one of the books that they read.

Today Simon recommended I Varuhuset, by Ture Sventon. He said that, “You never know what is going to happen next.” Simon said that the ending was perfect for the story.

He also commented that he would remake the cover of the book because the current one doesn’t really do justice to the story. The story is way more exciting than the cover. He said he would add a security guard and a guard dog and remove the flowers.

Well done, Simon! Thank you recommending this book.

Here is summary of Tuve Sventon’s 18th novel:

Vad är det klokaste man kan göra när ens fina varuhus har drabbats av mystiska stölder? Och när en epokgörande vätska försvinner ur ett laboratorium? Naturligtvis att vända sig till privatdetektiv T Sventon, Stockholm.

P3X är den världsberömde professor Nickels senaste uppfinning. En vätska som tar bort all lukt, den värsta odör, likväl som den finaste vällukt. Med en flaska P3X i handen kan vilken bov som helst gå fri från vilka blodhundar som helst! Och det förklarar varför varuhushunden Ludvig inte kan få upp minsta spår efter den mystiske gråklädde man som nattetid hemsöker varuhuset City …

Men Ture Sventon lyckas givetvis med sedvanlig skicklighet att lösa denna även gåta. Den bov finns inte som lyckas överlista Sveriges – ja, kanske hela världens – skickligaste privatdetektiv.

As part of the I love Reading to the Moon and Back challenge, Futuraskolan International Rådan students in grades 4, 5, 6B and 6R have read over 15 000 pages in less than one month!

Yesterday their Swedish teacher added a third book to the ladder to moon.

WOW!

Keep up the amazing work, Rådan students!

A recent article on bookriot.com (<- click for the link) explores why books are a certain shape.

It turns out that it is all down to the golden ratio. The golden ratio is an irrational number represented by the Greek letter phi (φ) that’s used to create geometries with what many people consider the most eye-pleasing proportions.

Futuraskolan International Rådan’s grade 7 students will take a look at the golden ratio during their classes. They will have a chance to explore the golden ratio in out in nature…and in the library.

Last December Futuraskolan International Rådan students held a used book sale that raised 4000:- SEK.

The last few crowns were used to purchase two books from Witra Publishing:

The Haven, by Simon Lelic, is about Ollie Turner and his adventures after a students go missing from a prestigious boarding school.

Plastic Planet, by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw, takes a look at what plastic is, how it’s made and how we have become so dependent on it in our single-use, disposable world. The book explores some real, achievable ways of reducing plastic use and changing mindsets.

One of Futuraskolan International Rådan’s teachers is spending a year teaching in Cascais, Portugal. She stopped by for a visit recently and donated 4 books in Portuguese, which she, of course, bought at Déjà Lu, the second hand book store that donates all proceeds to the Portuguese Down Syndrome Association.

Thank you!

Déjà Lu is on Instagram and Facebook

As part of the I love Reading to the Moon and Back challenge, students are required to read a three-book series.

There are several display shelves in Futuraskolan International Rådan’s library that are used to display new books, books based on a theme or books of the same genre.

Last week, the shelves were used to display series that would appeal to all ages. The books on display are Sebastian Drake, by Philip Caveney,  Extra, by Per Nilsson, Witch, by Elisabetta Gnone, Dead City, by James Ponti, and The Zack Files, by Dan Greenburg. There are two shelves that displayed books for upper grade readers. The series were Sebastian Drake, by Philip Caveney, and Shades of London, by Maureen Johnson.

This week’s display reflects the IMYC theme of Courage. The display contains books about immigration, moving, friendship and adventure.

The International Primary Years Curriculum is based on thematic units of learning , which are designed to appeal to children’s interests and help them to learn more about the world around them.

Similarly, the International Middle Years Curriculum has themes and involves six weeks of learning based around a ‘Big Idea’, which aims to help students in every year group to achieve coherence and connection within their subjects.

Futuraskolan International Rådan’s library now has a bookcase dedicated to displaying books based on the themes that the classes are studying.

This bookcase is a new addition. At the moment the signs on the bookcase are handwritten, but bigger signs are on the way!

Already, two topics are on display: Courage for the upper grades and the human body on for the lower grades.

This will be a great way to expose students to books from a variety of genres and help them make connections across their subjects.

Futuraskolan International Rådan has a unique reading challenge this year and everyone is really excited!

This year, the students in grades 4, 5 and 6 will participate in the I Love Reading to the Moon and Back challenge. The students will count each page they read as one kilometre. Their teachers will keep track of the weekly totals and after 5000 pages/kilometres, the Swedish teacher will add another book to the display. The books will form a stepladder the reaches all the up to the moon.

The students have to read a selection of 11 different genres. A different type of assignment is required for each book. The students can present their projects to any of the language teachers in the school. Students who take mother tongue lessons are encouraged to read a book in their native language and present to their home language teachers.

Students started this challenge on August 26. On September 10, the students earned their first book with a total of 5500 pages read in 16 days! WOW!!

Only six days later, on September 16, the students earned their second book with another 5000 pages. INCREDIBLE!

Well done, Rådan students!