Great news about Robbie White, our website designer, who has won through all the rounds of auditions with thousands of entrants to the final 14 dancers who will compete in BBC1’s new show So You Think You Can Dance, starting Saturday January 2nd at 6pm. I know he would appreciate your support when voting begins with the show on Saturday 9th January.

We were very pleased to receive these comments today from Geoff Dubber, Chair of the School Library Association: ‘Fact File is one of my favourite annual publications! An absolute goldmine for school libraries. It just gets better and better. It's as good for general browsing and interest as it is for seeking specific information.

Key Organisations is just so useful to everyone in school. Comprehensive, trustworthy & easy to use. We all know it’s accurate too! A superb resource, from a superb company.’

Essential Articles & Fact File: ‘Wonderful online resources saving time for teachers, pupils and librarians. Being available 24/7 and offsite provides the level of access that all librarians wish to offer. They are inexpensive for online resources and can be heavily used if promoted at every opportunity’ The School Librarian, Winter 2009

’The Fiction posters are eye-catching and a quick way of brightening up a fiction area in a library and promoting specific areas of stock’
Library Find It Posters: ‘Useful for display but also for library orientation and information skills lessons’
The School Librarian, Winter 2009

‘Successful library displays is an excellent resource - it comprises a book which identifies 58 key events in the year and suggests book titles and websites and activities to help celebrate the event and also a linked website where resources and particularly booklists can be downloaded. Extremely useful’ The School Librarian, Winter 2009

Some people asked if they could buy individual Celebration posters and this is now possible here.

There’s also a discount on individual posters for subscribers to both Essential Articles & Fact File.

We have designed a free 000-099 General & Reference A4 pdf poster - it matches the stylish, modern look of the other 10 Library Find It posters. You can download it from the page about this series. (just above the ‘add to cart’ button)

If you order any title(s), including on approval, you can choose a library Christmas poster (see below and here) and also one of our Celebration posters (see below or here). If you order online just email us to say which 2 posters you’d like.

'One in four girls face attack by boyfriend' was the headline in the Guardian this Monday 23rd November. According to Home Secretary Alan Johnson "Violence against women and girls shatters lives". We have an informative page about this in Fact File 2010 (publication December) which includes key facts as well as links and a helpline number. Subscribers to Fact File can receive this page in advance, just email us

There is also a page about domestic violence in Fact File 2008 p70. The government has just announced that in future students will be taught that domestic violence against women and girls is unacceptable. Using our free QuickSearch you can find relevant articles, personal accounts and statistics about domestic violence.

These are the new posters in our 4 series: Reading & Library posters, World Issues, Posters for English, Celebration posters. (Thanks to Steph Evans of Small Heath School for the idea for the Eid-Ul-Adha poster.)

These are a few of the comments we received this week:

Carel you totally rock! Georgie Lawson, LRC Manager, Sowerby Bridge High School

We are very impressed with the Fiction and Library Find It posters Patricia Aitken, Hyndland Secondary School, Glasgow

Our sixth form college students find your resources excellent for research 'starting points' and background information on many topics, so you're appreciated in FE too! Helen Dunkerley, College Librarian, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, Leeds.

It was great to be invited to the Derbyshire School Librarians ADLIBS meeting last week and to find a group of school librarians full of enthusiasm, and practical ideas. Thanks for the feedback on this:

‘I would like to thank you for your fantastic input into our meeting’ Sue Atkinson, Librarian, Brookfield Community School, Chesterfield

’May I say how much I enjoyed your visit’ Rosemary Gregory, Sinfin Community School

If any other groups would like us to run a free session please email us

We received this interesting email from Louise Emere in Botswana:

‘I can't imagine what it must be like not being able to read. Reading is so important to me. I never go anywhere without a book or magazine. We are lucky here in Botswana as there are so many organisations in the UK and the USA that collect and distribute good quality, second hand books to Africa. What I love most is that the children who donate them all write their names and a little about themselves in the books and it gives you a really special feeling when you realise the link across the seas that is being made. The children here just love the books. Reading is really a way out of so many situations and unpleasant circumstances. When I first arrived in this little town I was devastated because there was nothing to do. And then I discovered the little mine library and it was like finding heaven. JUST LOVELY!’

We have designed a free pdf poster to signpost your Reference section. It’s available at A4 or A3 size.

Please contact us if you’d like a copy emailed to you. (The idea for the poster came from a successful meeting with the Derbyshire school librarians last week).

‘The Reference poster looks brilliant. I subscribe to the Celebration posters and buy the Personalised posters and get lots of complimentary comments about these.’ Brenda Black, Ysgol Bryn Elian

‘Love the poster – great idea.’ Kim Dawson, Conyers School,Yarm

‘Just what I've been looking for!’ Sarah Hunnisett, Pen Y Dre High School

Thanks for all the feedback about our shelf dividers signs and polypropylene stands

‘It is great to have such well designed, professional and co-ordinated display materials at a price school libraries can afford.’ Lesley Martin, Culford School

‘The dividers look fab!’ Karen King, Oakbank School, Keighley

‘I’m so impressed by the non-fiction shelf signs, which will tie-in with the brilliant Find It posters’ Nikki Ross, Queen’s College, Taunton

‘They look really good. We all need professionally produced, modern (students hate old) sleek looking guides’ Noelle Chambers, Evesham High School

‘Really eye-catching’ Helen Norris, Queen Anne’s School, Caversham

‘These look great.’ Hilary Kemp, The Angmering School

If the first batch go well then we'll look at other sizes. In response to your emails we've also introduced discounts for subscribers to Essential Articles & Fact File

We had many requests after we launched our Fiction and Library Find It Posters for signs for the shelves together with shelf divider stands. So we’ve come up with Shelf divider signs & stands which are a great way of making the arrangement of the books immediately clear. The signs are going to the printers now, the stands will be available early January. We hope you like the modern, eye-catching designs:

Here’s an inspiring article about the importance of reading and libraries and the impact they can have.

'Vegetarian diet is better for the planet' says Lord Stern the former government adviser. Fact File 2010 (publication December) has the facts behind this showing just how much dairy and meat farming will affect our planet by 2050 if we don't cut our consumption. Subscribers to Fact File can receive these figures now - just email us. There is also a great article in Food File 'Vegetarianism – eating our way to a better environment' which can help you explore these issues.

Also in the news: British couple taken hostage by pirates in Somalia. Fact File 2010 has the figures about piracy attacks worldwide. We can send Fact File subscribers this pdf page for information now.

Please email us if you would like our free Remembrance Day A4 pdf poster. This is part of our Celebrations posters series which provides great eye-catching pdf posters for events throughout the year. (You can print as many copies of the poster as you need from the pdf we email to you).

This poster is a Times Educational Supplement 'Editor's Choice'. We’ve received many comments about this poster for example: ‘Another fantastic poster! I am so impressed with the quality. We have had tremendous feedback from them!’ Kath Howard, Royal Manor Arts College Community School.

‘Wonderful poster - it will make my book display (created with the help of your Successful Library Displays) more eye catching.’ Claire Punter, Sheldon School

See more in the series

See more in the series

If you take subscriptions to 3 of our pdf posters series, Reading and Library posters, World Issues Posters, Celebration posters then we have introduced a money saving offer. There’s an extra saving for subscribers to both Essential Articles & Fact File who can save a total of £45 on these posters.

If you already subscribe to 1 or 2 of these series you can still benefit from the offer.

We were very pleased to receive this comment: ‘I started subscribing to the Reading and library series and I am so impressed by the quality that I am now interested in the Celebrations Series and World Issues series.’
Lynda Scott-Picton, Downe House School, Thatcham

Please email us if you’d like a free Diwali 2009 pdf poster. This launches our Celebrations posters series which provides great eye-catching pdf posters celebrating key events throughout the year. You can then print as many copies as you like. Email us. (Subscribers can have a hi-res version suitable for blowing up to A3)

‘Thank you so much - it's taking pride of place in a display of books on Indian festivals. These posters are just the ticket!’ Ruth Mackay, Librarian, Goffs School

These are the new posters in our 3 series which provide a monthly pdf poster allowing you to print as many copies as you like!
Reading and Library posters; World Issues Posters: Posters for English
It’s also possible to buy individual posters and you can order personalised Reading and Library posters with your school or College name on for extra impact.

'Thanks very much for the posters - I am always overhearing comments from the children about how much they like them! The staff love them too!' Stephanie Evans, Small Heath School

I thought Monday’s School Librarian of the Year Award at London Zoo was very inspiring, and a tribute to the ideas and energy of all four on the Honour List. I'm sure Lucy Bakewell of Hill West Primary School, Sutton Coldfield, will be a
worthy successor as School Librarian of the Year to Nikki Heath and a great ambassador for school libraries. Well done to the School Library Association for a brilliant event which once again raised the profile of school libraries.

We gave each of the four librarians on the Honour List a set our new A3 size Library Find It Posters.

We have 2 free posters celebrating National Poetry Day 2009 based on Blake's The Tyger. Email us. to receive these pdfs. See our Posters for English series here.

'We love your posters…..as Hull City are known as “The Tigers” this one went down very well ... they chant the poem over the speakers at every home game!' Linda Lawson, Beverley High School

'Great posters' Mrs Arlene Watters, English Dept, The Glasgow Academy

'They look lovely!' Pam Owen, Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

'They're grrrreat!' Barbara Hickford, Our Lady's Abingdon

We were absolutely delighted to receive this email from Louise Emere in Botswana:

“Your posters are always so beautiful. I get so excited when I receive them. Thanks for the Black History Month poster. I love it. As you can imagine, living in Africa, Dr Mandela is our hero. I have also been fortunate enough to have taught 3 of his grandchildren and I even had tea with him one afternoon to discuss one child’s progress. I will remember that day as long as I live. He had just turned 83 and I remember saying to him that I didn’t think I would live that long as I didn’t follow a very healthy lifestyle at that stage. He said “Of course you will, you just need to remember to laugh and you need to learn to laugh at yourself most of all” I think those were great words of wisdom. So thanks for the poster and please keep up the stunning work you do.”

These are the new posters in our 3 series which provide a monthly pdf poster allowing you to print as many copies as you like!
Reading and Library posters; World Issues Posters: Posters for English
(It’s also possible to buy individual posters)

Essential Articles 12: ‘Topical, accessible, informative, colourful and eye catching - an absolutely brilliant buy for any secondary school library. I’m so impressed with the range and accessibility of the articles and the brilliant photos’ Geoff Dubber, Chair, School Library Association, September 2009


‘We find this resource invaluable and suggest it to our students frequently’ Mrs Madeline Secombe, Greenford High School, Ealing

In response to the enthusiastic reception we’ve had to the original A4 versions, and to several requests, we are now pleased to offer these Library Find It Posters in A3 size too. If you liked them at A4 size, you’ll love them at A3. There’s also a discount for subscribers to Essential Articles & Fact File.

This is your chance to personalise your space! We’ll add your library name, your own name or other text!

Print as many copies as you like. A4 size. £4.99 + vat. Click here or £3.99 + vat for subscribers to both Essential Articles & Fact File.

Brilliant news: Essential Articles goes online this week.

Essential Articles 12, as well as being a full colour copiable book, is also online giving you instant access to the articles you need! just type in a topic and our free QuickSearch will bring you a list of what's available in recent volumes of Essential Articles and Fact File. For purchasers of Essential Articles LiveSearch generates a helpful live list of relevant articles which instantly link to the pdfs.

We were delighted to receive these comments this week:
‘Essential Articles is our Bible when it comes to reading material for Communication modules. ’ John Hayes, Dundee College

Reading and Library posters: ‘Really worthwhile’ Penny Burton, Fulneck School

In response to the fantastic reception we’ve had to these posters which make Dewey user-friendly and easily understood, we are going to make the Library Find It posters also available in A3 size.

‘We are thrilled with them. They are great.’ Marilyn Pattenden, Librarian: Senior School, The Wykeham Collegiate, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

We were really pleased to receive this comment:
‘You never cease to astound me that your publications just hit the nail on the head for things we want. Also your website is really clear and user friendly.’ Lin Smith, School Librarian, The Ecclesbourne School, Belper

Two recent news items have highlighted just how useful our Quicksearch facility for Essential Articles and Fact File can be. Assisted suicide is in the news with the deaths in Zurich of Sir Edward Downes and his wife Joan. Typing assisted suicide into Quicksearch produces eight articles on the issue - including both personal accounts and strong arguments for and against. The government is reviewing care of an increasingly elderly population. Using Old Age as your search term produces 10 articles and 8 sets of statistics. These cover everything from Britain's ageing population compared to the EU average through to how to live to be 150 and most points in between.

Published today, Successful library displays is the new resource full of inspiring and effective ideas to make a library attractive, eye-catching and a great shop window to attract readers (and non-readers!)

The TES has given Fact File 2009 a glowing 5 star review headlined: An excellent resource that is visually appealing

The first thing that you will notice about this well put together book is how colourful and bright it is. This alone makes it very user friendly. The large font and pleasing graphics appeal to all ability levels ... it would appeal to a wide variety of teachers – English, maths, geography, science, history, sociology, PE, health and economics ...

The book is accompanied with a CD that contains PDF files of all chapters in the book along with all PDF files from other Fact Files dating back to 2001. This wealth of data would allow students to make easy comparisons between past trends and help students predict future trends.

An excellent resource with ready to use and easy to understand information. Students would enjoy learning with the resource. A definite must have for all schools. TES 2009

In a disturbing report to be published this week by the Audit Commision, it has found that despite considerable increases in school funding, nearly £1bn (of the £31bn annual education budget) is either being spent unwisely without obtaining value for value, or else money is being hoarded in bank accounts. This is particularly disturbing when many school libraries are short of funds to buy books!

David Fickling, accepting the prestiguous Carnegie award on behalf of the late Siobhan Dowd, was forthright in his comments about the state of libraries today: "It is an absolute public disgrace that for the last 30 years the main bulwark and protection for children and their reading in our culture, namely the public and school library services, and particularly the spending on books, has been cut, cut and cut again until our libraries are now a brave but struggling shadow of their former selves."

Thanks to Carolyn Copland (Kirkham Grammar School) for this clever and imaginative use of our Fiction Posters promoting a range of authors.

Carolyn says 'We have already had positive comments from pupils who used them to select their holiday reading and have chosen authors new to them!'

These great graphic guides to big ideas are now available in new pocket size editions.

They're a must for 16-18 year olds and we've a special offer on the top 10 titles for library, school and college use, saving at least £2 a copy (more if you subscribe to Essential Articles and Fact File).

In response to several requests we've introduced a special offer for the Classical Comics graphic novels (bottom of page) with a further discount available to subscribers to both Essential Articles & Fact File. There are free posters available with this offer too.

The Classical Comics graphic novels and Shakespeare got a great reception at the School Library Association conference: ‘It’s wonderful to see boys reading Shakespeare for pleasure. The Classical Comics are far superior to anything similar.’ Kate Garnett, Elizabeth College, Guernsey

This was definitely a great SLA course and it got off to a tremendous start with an inspiring session from Nikki Heath & Sally Westrope who were full of lively ideas to promote reading, the library and literacy.


Thanks for all the enthusiastic comments we received at the conference such as ‘Carel Press provides what you need - it’s the best value for money.’ Carolyn Copland, Kirkham Grammar School.

We have some great free posters (A2 size) promoting the Classical Comics graphic novels

(Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, The Tempest). If you'd like one please see us at the SLA conference this weekend or ask for one (while stocks last!) when you next order from us.

Thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Library Show and give us valuable feedback on our resources. One of the first comments we had was about our new Fiction and Library Find It Posters - a public librarian commented that they'd just spent a large amount of money on signage but were disappointed by its dullness and they wished they'd had our new posters.

Another librarian asked why the publishers were hidden away in the far corner of the hall. Definitely a sign of the times.

Everyone enjoyed the inspiring talk by Tricia Adams, the School Library Association director.

Hope to meet more colleagues at the SLA conference next week.

There's a wonderful comment about the importance of libraries in the autobiography of the South African novelist André Brink:

‘Every week my parents would make a trip to the library and return, hours later, with armloads of books. And this habit - more than habit: an addiction, a passion - was inculcated in us too. My whole childhood was awash with books; and it was amazing to see what unexpected treasures could be teased out of the shelves of libraries…’ André Brink, A fork in the road, 2009

Nelson Mandela told Andre Brink: “When I was in prison, you changed the way I saw the world.”

Great to see Nikki Heath so successfully promoting reading throughout the school on Teacher's TV http://www.teachers.tv/video/33973

This is our Reading and Library poster for June and here's a comment about it from Louise Emere in Botswana:

'Wow this one is really a stunner! I love it. Thank you ... The teachers were gob-smacked. They thought I was really clever until I told them I had not made them myself . They really love the posters. From empty walls to stunning walls….thank you!'

We've just completed the draft versions of our 2 new sets of posters and would welcome any feedback about them:

Library Find it Posters


Fiction Posters

We were pleased to receive this comment about the World Issues Posters: 'These posters are really good and cause lots of discussion!' Bridget March, Librarian, King's School, Bruton.

This is next month's poster:

We appreciate the feedback such as this comment: 'I just wanted to say how invaluable I found the meeting, I now have so many ideas for our LRC.' Kathryn Good, Learning Resource Centre Manager, Fullbrook School

Thanks to Frances Stanbury for organising such a successful session in Surrey yesterday. It was a pleasure to meet so many enthusiastic librarians. If any other SLA branch or School Library Service would like us to organise a session (for primary, secondary, or both) then please email us.

In response to several requests, we've released our popular Macbeth Shorter Shakespeare script as an eBook. It's a great introduction to Shakespeare because it's Real Shakespeare but with modern narrators to help understanding.

Very exciting to visit Nikki Heath's school library at Werneth today which has a real buzz and involves all the students and staff. No wonder that library use has shot up and people can be caught reading everywhere!

There's an excellent cartoon in the Education Guardian this week about school spending and books.

There's also a perceptive article by Marcel Berlins in today's Guardian about the role of books in libraries today, whether piped music has a place and why libraries are more important than ever during a recession.

We got a warm glow from reading this response from Botswana about our free mono pdf posters for primary school libraries:
 
'Thanks, these are really lovely and I have already printed them off and laminated them for use in our library. The teachers who received them were really chuffed as they don’t have access to these kinds of resources and don’t even have computers! You are doing your bit for reading in Africa!!' Louise Emere, Debswana Government Schools Development Programme, Botswana

"Thanks for this facility -I had had trouble finding stuff on size zero models, but your QuickSearch facility pointed up 2 relevant articles. I'm sure it will prove very useful." Alison Adams, Librarian, Williamwood High School, Glasgow

Delighted to read this in the review section of The School Librarian, Spring 2009:

'Carel Press maintains the extraordinary quality in their annual updates and revisions of two of their most useful of their gazette type editions with Fact File 2009 and Key Organisations 2009. Both of these terrific resources are available in hardcopy, online or cd.'

The magazine is available from The School Library Association

I was pleased to be asked to run a session for Surrey School Library Association and we've arranged this for Wednesday 6th May in Leatherhead so if you are in Surrey I hope to see you then!

We're delighted to launch our online instant QuickSearch database for Essential Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 and Fact File 2008 and 2009.

This is fast and so easy to use. It allows you to enter a search term and immediately tells you where you’ll find relevant articles in Essential Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 and statistics in Fact File 2008 and 2009. It saves student time and focuses their research on appropriate relevant material. Check it out today!

We're delighted to receive this comment today: ‘Can I say what excellent resources you produce and so reasonably priced.’ Eileen Wardley, Hereford Sixth Form College Library and LRC. Hereford Sixth Form is one of the top ten Sixth Form Colleges in the country with 1,200 to 1,500 students using the library every day. Eileen retires this Friday and we wish her all the best for her retirement.

It is vital that everyone is aware of what a key role libraries play, especially in these difficult times when library budgets and school library services are under threat. The low profile library is too easy a target for a cut. Talking to librarians, teachers and students it's clear that the effective library is one that reaches out to all students and staff: that is not just well organised but widely used. You can find brilliant promotion ideas in Great Library Ideas and in our forthcoming book 'Quick and easy library displays'

We'd really welcome any comment and feedback and if there is anything we can help you with then please do get in touch.

It's always special when one of our Shorter Shakespeare scripts is produced but it's particularly exciting when it's been chosen by the famous Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University in New Orleans for their Intern Company production. Their All Things Shakespeare! summer training programme for high school age students culminates in a performance. This is the second time they've produced one of the scripts, previously they performed Macbeth.

Here is Heather Heidman as Viola. Photo: Brad Robbert.

The latest poster in our monthly series of Posters for English highlights the global importance of English:

Fact File 2008 p125 has statistics about the use of English on the internet.

We were delighted to receive this comment about our monthly posters: 'I will do anything to try to get our kids reading and this sort of thing is perfect, bringing the LRC to other departments in school.' Lesley Cobb, Selby High School.


The Reading and Library posters are now selling all over the world (we've just had an order from a school in Hong Kong) to librarians who know how important it is to spread the word about reading and the library.

Today's report by the Cambridge Primary Review, highlights how the primary curriculum has been hijacked by too much stress on literacy, numeracy and testing while other worthwhile subjects have been pushed to the sidelines.

The report calls for schools to be cut free from the shackles of Sats and league tables to allow a broader and more flexible approach to teaching and a more balanced and richer curriculum. Let's hope the report does not fall on deaf ears.

Thanks to everyone so far who's sent in photos


- there are some very imaginative and eye-catching displays that will draw people into the library and books. You can see them here and we'll show more as we receive them. Email us.

Michael Rosen has written a fascinating blog arguing that in primary schools 'while "reading" and "literacy" have been made into a top priority, reading books has been sidelined.'

The BBC has challenged him to turn an ordinary school, that was doing all the right things as far as "literacy" was concerned, into a book-loving school in 10 weeks. The results will be shown on BBC4, Sunday 8 February at 9pm. This programme launches BBC4's 'Why reading Matters' season

Last night's programme on BBC2 was a touching and powerful insight into how Discworld author Terry Pratchett has reacted to his diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

There a two page article in Essential Articles 11, p110-111, about how he is coping with and fighting the disease - he's even given it a special name: 'As every wizard knows, once you have the true name of something you have power over it.' His sheer determination is uplifting.

Part 2 of the BBC programme is next Wednesday at 9pm.

On the Royal Shakespeare Company's Stand up for Shakespeare website you'll find a very useful free report on the history of teaching Shakespeare by Tracy Irish who is the RSC's Project Manager for Professional Development in the RSC Education department as well as being the editor of our Shorter Shakespeare series.

The Children's Society report published today finds that children's lives are now 'more difficult than in the past' . The report explores the main stresses and influences to which every child is exposed and in particular the effects of excessive individualism. You can find vital background information in Fact File 2009:
Family First, p56-7, is about how people feel about their families.
Family fusion, p58-59, shows how families are changing.


Teens Talk! p60-61, reveals how teenagers rate their parents and vice versa.

Anyone who saw 'A Short Stay in Switzerland' on BBC 1 on Sunday night might be interested in 'Brave Decision or Tragedy' in Essential Articles 9, p61.

'A Short Stay in Switzerland' looked at the true story of Dr Anne Turner who having been diagnosed with an incurable neurological disease, decided to end her own life via assisted suicide.



Our page uses Dr Turner's own words and the text of her letter. It's part of a whole section on Assisted Suicide in that volume and there's plenty about this issue – the right to die and the right to life – in the Essential Articles series.

We're very excited about the new title we're working on: Successful library displays. The book is going to be arranged according to the calendar, and will highlight key events through the year such as Valentine's Day, Shakespeare's birthday, International Women's Day and even Crufts.

The idea is to create eye-catching displays to promote reading. (We're not thinking of anything as ambitious as the British Library's book sculpture!)



The project is well under way but if anyone has an idea for a good display linked to a particular event (or a good general display idea) then we'd love to hear it!

Displays that change regularly are a great way of bringing in new users and raising the profile of the library. But it's finding the inspiration and practical ideas that's the key to success. If we use someone's idea(s) they'll not only see their name in print but also receive a free copy of the resource.

If you have photos of a display that you'd like to share with other librarians, then we'd be happy to showcase them on the web. Email us.

I was so inspired by Barack Obama's inauguration that we've used his endorsement of the importance of libraries on February's Reading and Library poster. The photo used on the poster was actually taken in a high school library.

I was working in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow this week. It really is a model of how a library should be:



it's lively and inviting whether you're just calling in to browse and use their 'internet cafe' downstairs or researching using their very extensive collection. It's certainly a pleasure to use.

We are delighted to be offering the first 3 titles in this new series. The books are so appealing and each comes with audio cds with the full text, recorded using professional actors (I've put an extract from Henry V on the page.) They are a fantastic resources for ELT and also allow slower learners and reluctant readers access to the classics.

As the violence continues and more innocent people, including many children, are killed, it made me turn to the new edition of the State of the Middle East Atlas (new edition 2008) which looks at the background to the conflict which a 2 minute TV news report can't cover.




By the way, this month's poster in the World Issues Posters series is about world military spending.

In the news: Alan Milburn, who will lead a government drive to boost social mobility, said a working-class child growing up in Britain today has less chance of reaching the Cabinet than he did.

The Blairite former health secretary will chair a commission set up by Gordon Brown to ensure professions such as medicine, the law, civil service, armed forces and media recruit more young people from poor backgrounds.

The son of a single mother, who grew up on a council estate in the Co Durham mining town of Tow Low, Mr Milburn told The Independent: "I was very lucky to be part of the most socially mobile generation this country has ever seen. If we make the right decisions now, we can see as big a wave of upward mobility as we saw in the Fifties and Sixties. For all sorts of reasons, a working-class kid growing up on a council estate today would have to be extremely fortunate to end up in the Cabinet."

If you are looking for background or further information:

Fact File 2009 Different class p20

Fact File 2008 Class distinction p32

Essential Articles Vol 4 whole section on class pp322-326
Essential Articles Vol 7 p74 social mobility, p141 Comprehensive education as an aid to social mobility and achievement.

Fact File 2010
Will contain pages on social mobility and social class and university entry - if you are a subscriber and would like to see advance copies of these pages, please email us. .

Follow-up for interest: Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack, came second in the World Junior Women's Surfing Championship.
http://surf.transworld.net/2009/01/06/pauline-ado-wins-asp-world-junior-title-at-north-narrabeen/

Bethany's story and how she succeeded in surfing with her spirit intact is in Essential Articles 9, p379.

Photo Jerry Thompson

One free poster for every primary school library.


Click here for more info.

These b&w outline maps are for educational and library use only and will make a useful addition to worksheets and other resources - there's a choice of 3 sizes. See the bottom of http://www.carelpress.co.uk/atlases/alternativeworldmaps/index.html