Harry Banks is smiley and cheeky 10 years old who is well know and loved by lots of girls at BGS. Just before Christmas Harry was told he’d had a neuroblastoma relapse, which is incredibly rare. He has fought this type of cancer twice now, and has bravely endued chemotherapy, radiotherapy and even brain surgery.

However, even though the NHS has been amazing, there are no further treatment options available for him in the UK. He urgently needs funding for a groundbreaking clinical treatment abroad. To give Harry this chance we have to raise half a million pounds in the next seven weeks. The English Rugby team have already gotten involved, as well as Alister Cook (ex-english cricket captain) and the high street brand Misguided. Harry is an amazing boy, and deserves any change you can spare to fund his treatment in America. Every little helps, so please please donate and help us to share his story.

For the past two years I have organised a fundraiser at school for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, where students have showcased a variety of musical performances to an audience in order to raise money. Sue Ryder is a charity that supports not just patients with terminal illness in their welcoming hospices, but also their families, including offering bereavement support. It means a lot to me to be able to raise money and awareness for such an important charity, as St John’s looked after my grandad before he died and really helped our family. It’s also a great opportunity to communicate with the people at the hospice during the organisation of the fundraiser, and to have a representative attend and speak at our evening. We have lots of plans to grow our fundraiser and make it more than just a one-evening event, too: there’s always so many options when raising money for charity. So far, we have raised a total of £673.53 from two evenings, with the hopes to raise even more this October, so help us by showing your support and coming along!

What is your favourite book?
My all-time favourite read would have to be Alice in Wonderland.
It appeals to children and as a young girl I loved both the book and the Disney film, but as an adult you can enjoy the complexities of the characters and the clever use of language. For
example did you know that the idea of a “Mad Hatter” was based on a real condition
suffered by hatters? Mercury was used to process the felt hats used in England around
Lewis’ time. Erratic, flamboyant behaviour was one of the most evident alterations caused by mercury. (Others included excessive drooling, mood swings, various debilities.)

What genres and styles do you like particularly?
I have a passion and love for Comics and Graphic Novels. When A Monster Calls was
recently made into a movie I loved the way they paid tribute to the artists work by
incorporating his illustrations throughout the film.

Why do you want to be our librarian?
It’s probably easier to say why I became a Librarian. I studied Art and to support my
education worked at my local Public Library. Here I caught the bug for books and
information research. I love finding an answer. Satisfying a request. It’s a little like being a detective. You never know what you will be asked or where you will find the answer, but when you do there is a real sense of achievement.
Working at BGS involves supporting the girls. Finding their ideal read, supporting them in their studies, sourcing books and periodicals. It also involves supporting teachers in much the same way. Underpinning the processes is the same desire to satisfy a request and find a solution to a problem.

Have you ever read any really boring books?
I don’t think a book can be described as boring. It is true to say that not all books are of
interest to everyone, that’s why it’s so important to try as many authors and styles as
possible. Maybe you prefer non-fiction to fantasy, newspapers to comics or horror to
romance. I don’t believe it when people say “I don’t like reading”, I just think they haven’t found the right book.

As an example of finding fun in a dry book, I recently introduced my daughter to the
Dictionary Story game. Take a standard dictionary and with your eyes closed, completely at random, select four words. Once you have your four words make the funniest, scariest or most imaginative story you can, incorporating those key words.

What type of books do you feel girls at BGS like to read?
Books are as unique as their reader, and the girls at BGS are independent, confident and
intelligent young ladies. As a result they read a broad spectrum of titles and authors. It has pleased me to see how many books the girls borrow and how much they enjoy reading.

Before Christmas, some of the girls in WriteOn! tried flash fiction, that was taught by the sixth formers. Following are two examples of what the girls wrote.

Noor Jameel- 8CCH

I walked towards the building, but the closer I got, the more a strong stench of blood invaded my nose. When I approached the door it didn’t take me long to realise that it was already open! I bolted in and out of every room, which left me with the largest bedroom. I sprinted into the room, and there I saw my dog laying on the bed. I sighed with relief. I thought he was asleep, but he was much more than asleep. I could only see him in my dreams now.

 

Amber Chaudary 8CCH

Today I found myself in the Kitchenette, in the fridge eating food. I was drinking coke. Then I went to the lounge with my coke. Eventually I went to the garage and went to go to eat food because the garage has food storage. I went to my bedroom to my bedroom to the bed and eventually fell asleep. I dreamt of something, something magical… Something, something, something…

 

I was running. It was dark and I was running, to the point where the soles of my feet were aching. It was getting closer. As I ran I noticed a door in front of me, but as I dashed towards it the creature chasing me took a swipe that hit my arm. As I looked down at my bloody mangled arm, I urged myself to carry on. But there was no point. As I reached the door and grasped the handle, pulling myself up, the creature hit me again. Everything went black and then…BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ
‘Ok, ok! I’m up, I’m up!’ I was in my bedroom and James was calling me. I answered the phone ‘Hey James-‘
‘Poppy where are you?’ He babbled to me.
‘Wait, what….ohhh!’ I replied as realization hit me and I quickly stood up. ‘I’m coming!!!’ I continued to say whilst leaping to my wardrobe.
I had just remembered, it was the first day of the holiday and I was meant to be at the skating park with James and Elly.

Tick. Tick. Tick. I could hear the analog clock that was placed on the wall, and the sound of the second hand beat inside me like stones being thrown against a hard brick wall. A quick glance around the room, showed that the rest of the pupils shared my enthusiasm for the class to end.

‘12:13, almost there,’ I thought to myself. Each minute took an eternity, but there was only a little while to go. ‘12:14, one minute and I’m out.’ The frustrating wait gave me the urge to scream aloud, but I held my breath, feet towards the door, like everyone else.

Tick. Tick. ‘Just a few more seconds.’ RING! In a synchronised anarchy, every student flew to their feet, chairs slamming in a deafening cacophony and numerous teenagers bumped into one another, attempting to leave as soon as possible, as if they were late for something important. I could hear the teacher trying to instruct the craze to “walk don’t run” but they couldn’t hear her over the rumble of footsteps on the polished floors of the school.

I, a sensible student, normally waited for the stampede to clear out, as to not be a part of the madness. I was noticeably alone, but I didn’t mind. However, hanging at the back of the classroom, I noticed I had a guest today – someone else who didn’t fancy being crushed by a mob of teenage feet. The petite girl, donning the same uniform every other girl at the school did, dropped her gaze from me, as soon as our eyes met.

There was silence for a moment. Then the teacher cleared her throat and we both looked up, simultaneously. The girl started walking towards the door, quickly. I followed shortly after.

The hallway was empty now. I could faintly hear the chatter from the lunch hall on the other side. My shoes were squeaking, loudly. Funny, it didn’t do that before!

I stopped walking, but the squeaking didn’t stop. I looked down at my shiny schoolboy shoes. It definitely wasn’t me. Then the noise stopped. I looked up and jumped. The girl was standing in front of me. “Sorry,” she muttered and shuffled the rest of her way down the corridor. I just stared at her, strangely. However, my nose sniffed the tasty food steaming from the open door of the cafeteria, so I followed the scent.

The moment I walked through the doors, I immediately wanted to turn back. There was a food fight going on and I really wanted to miss this one out. A pie landed spat on the cream-painted wall behind me and a mustard covered hotdog almost knocked me out!

“Yikes!” I spun around and my classroom companion was fleeing her way back down the corridor. I picked up a tray and dumped a jacket potato with cheese onto my plate – I was really hungry but there was nothing else. Then I slipped out the hall, unnoticed.

I walked around the school, trying to find a spot to eat. I remember my first day here quite vividly. I didn’t know my way around and thought the school was a maze! But now I know it’s not like that. It’s actually pretty neat.

I saw in the distance, a small faint shadow sitting on the grass outside. There was nowhere else to go, so I reluctantly stumbled my way over to the figure. She looked up at me again when hunched up next to her. Her lips parted slightly and I managed to catch a small whisper uttering “Hello.”

I plucked up my courage to ask her: “What’s your name?” I’m not scared to talk to girls.

“Oh… I’m…. Tina…… I’m new,” she stuttered quietly. She looked down at her small, well-kept hands. I smiled at her then my tummy rumbled. I laughed, embarrassed, then started wolfing down my meal. I was like a ravenous beast! I glanced to my side and became aware that Tina wasn’t eating. I realised she didn’t have anything! I felt ashamed of myself.

“I…um” she murmured “forgot lunch money…”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “You have half of mine”

Tina’s eyes lit up like shining stars. She took one look at the buttered potato, then gratefully took half away. She swallowed her food down, and I did the same. Then, Tina looked at me, shyly. “Thank you.” I smiled and thanked her back. Together we walked down the corridor, together.

And we’ve been friends ever since.

 

My heart was pumping. Pumping so hard it hurt. It was dark. I couldn’t see anything. All I could hear was thumping and screaming. And my own whimpering…..

A few minutes before….

There was banging on the door. We stopped for a minute.

“Let me in!” A voice screamed. Annie told me to hide. “What about you?” I asked.

“I’ll be fine. Go now!”

I quickly ran to the cupboard in the lounge and went inside of it. The door burst open and he came inside. I could vaguely see what was happening through the lines of the door.

“Let me go,” screamed Annie. I could see him. It was a man dressed in black. His hair was blonde and his eyes were filled with evil. He threw my sister on the floor and pulled a knife from his pocket. Tears started to form in my eyes; my body began to shake. I had to be quiet otherwise I was going to be the one dead. He slowly came towards her who was laying on the ground. Annie tried to push him away… but she couldn’t. I wanted to kill him myself… but I knew what would happen if I did. I stood there. Completely still. Petfried. Scared. Angered. He stood on her leg and kneeled down. His fist pummelled my sisters face. The man slapped her repeatedly. All I could hear was screaming and the noise of Annie’s hand against the floor. He wouldn’t stop. She lay helpless on the ground. And I stood in absolute terror. More and more tears fall from my red eyes. It was like a river flowing out of me. Before I knew it, she was covered in blood. Her face was blue and tears were streaming down her face. I knew she could see me.

“I love you,” she mouthed. He then got the knife and stabbed her. Again. Again. Again. I couldn’t bear to look at the sight. It made me want to be sick. He started stabbing her again. Until she lay there. Like a dead animal on the road. Completely lifeless. The man stood up and made it to were I was hiding. I closed my eyes and tried not to make a noise. He came. Closer and closer every second. His hands as on the doorknob. Now it was my turn….

 

It was a windy day when Layla decided to go on a road trip. Layla was a 15 year old girl who had green eyes, blonde hair and loved pink. She had an older sister called Jess, now Jess who was 19 and was very different to Layla for starters she has brown eyes, black hair and loved black. So when Layla asked Jess if they could go on a road trip.                                                                                                            “Don’t wear pink or I will drop you off on the side of the road!” Jess snapped Layla relied “Uhh fine I’ll wear blue. And you will wear dark green.” “Fine by me,” Jess said excitedly.

So the next day they went on a road trip in Jess’s black Audi. Layla didn’t like her car but she could put up with it for a day. While driving they got a puncture and had to call AA to come and fix it but it was worse than they thought. They had to have a hire car, which was a dark blue Range Rover. Jess loved this car so did Layla so all was good. They were driving until they arrived outside Jess’s best friend, Kayla’s house. Luckily for Layla, Jess’s friend’s little sister, Riley, was her best friend. So together they went into Riley’s 14 acre garden. They had the most epic game of hide and seek, then they played sardines with Jess and Kayla. But it was getting dark so all went inside and watched a movie then they slept overnight. In the morning Kayla agreed that they all go on the road trip in Jess’s hire car. They drove around most of London and back home to Jess’s house.                                                   “That was so awesome!” screamed Riley “I know right.” Replied Layla “We should be getting going I’ll ask my dad to come and pick me up.” Kayla suggested “Ok see ya later.” Jess waved goodbye

It was three months later when Riley went missing. Kayla rang Jess at 7:00 in the morning saying Riley is not in her bed. So Layla and Jess went to their house to look for her they even called the cops and said that a girl had gone missing!                                                                                                                                       “When my mum hears about this I’ll be dead,” explained Kayla. “Just calm down it’ll be ok,” Jess said reassuringly. Layla shouted “Hey guys what’s this! It looks like a note.”                                                                                  

It says:

“Guys its Riley here there are some weird guys parked outside and there putting up a ladder to my room I heard them say if someone’s in there take to the warehouse. HELP ME.”

That day they looked for warehouses. They saw one it was black. The door was open so they crept inside. They saw three men and Riley tied to a chair, Riley’s eyes were bleeding so was here mouth you could see they had broken her wrist. She was trying to scream but had a towel in her mouth. She was trying to cry but she had no more tears left. They had cut her leg with a knife but they were feeding her. They were trying to make her suffer.

Immediately Layla excited and called the police but she told them to come with their sirens off, so they did. When they arrived they had police all around the building. Chief went in and shouted “Hands up!” they ran all three men ran, only to get caught and handcuffed as they went out the door. There were eight girls they’re all dying with broken bones. All 9 girls were taken to hospital they all survived the men on the other hand had a life sentence in prison.

4 years later all 4 girls lived in the same house, they always made sure that everyone was safe.

    

 

If it is not love, our hearts coincide,

That everlasting pulse of a flutter;

Sweetens as thy smile blossoms red roses,

To the valleys of the nights fallen music,

Tripping notes arise with the spring thy bring,

And fall, yet, at the sharp winters to come.

Thine beauty of Aphrodite’ bestowed,

Commoves the starlet to shine so brightly.

Thine twinkle in both thy eye’ compares not;

To the luminous rubies a man’s heart must wish.

Impending tenderness nourish the hearts of fools,

If this is which a man feels sumptuous,

And it is not love, rather a desire of a fool,

If it is not love, must be men are all?

 

Many years ago, their were two happy, fortunate children, Fred and Lucy. They lived in a big house stuffed with all sorts of lovely things like dark  rocking horses and bright books and dolls and soldiers and board games to play. They sang and danced in pretty manicured garden and had delicious food. There mother and father taught them to read and write and sing and paint and draw and Fred and Lucy were intelligent, articulate, dapper twins who smiled a joyful grin constantly.

One day, Fred and Lucy were told whilst eating a delicious breakfast of boiled soldiers and dilly eggs that their mother and father were having a baby.

“A baby!” cried Lucy, thrilled. “Babies are such pretty things, with their sweet docile eyes and button noses!”

“Is a boy or a girl?” asked Fred, whilst mentally wishing and wishing frantically that it would be a boy for him to climb trees and play battles and marbles with all day instead of house and silly stitching.

“We don’t know whether it will be a boy or a girl, darling,” soothed his mother, looking down to her stomach.”

“Aaaahh, yes, the babies inside you,” breathed Lucy, as though it was the strangest thing that she had ever heard of, with a wide, curious smile.

The twins were very excited about their new sibling. Fred fantasised about having someone to play marbles and climb trees with and to play adventurous pretend games with. He had a whole new forest of stories just waiting to acted out, worlds to explore, all with his new twin. He pictured vast sailing ships, to be sailed along exotic seas to find Islands full of dark caves, birds with glorious plumage, and fiesty pirates. He would have never shared these worlds with Lucy, because Lucy didn’t tinier how to act, or put expression into anything.

Whilst Fred conjured up exciting realms for him and the baby could explore, Lucy thought about being a big sister and practised pushing a pram and changing a diaper. She sang sickening sweet lullabies every night before she went to sleep, which were pretty but did not help Fred sleep. There was a new step in both of their strides, which in Fred’s was a big boisterous step and in Lucy’s a pretty skip.

Their parents were very excited too. But all changed when the baby came and their mother died…

The father suddenly changed with grief. He trim whisker became a dark mass of a beard, whilst his light smile turned in a menacing scowl. His green eyes were dark and tight, his nose long like a hawk’s beak. He did not want to see anybody, he was angry.

“TAKE THE FILTHY BABY AWAY FROM ME THIS INSTANT.”

A bolder nurse stepped forward, clutching the puny, red, bawling baby. “Look at her. sir. Look at her big blue eyes. She’s a perfect sister for Fred and Lucy, “ she simpered thrusting the baby forward.

Looking down at the child with utter disgust he screeched “ARE YOU BLIND? TAKE THE GHASTLY THING AWAY FROM ME THIS INSTANT!” Turning to his secretary, he bellowed, “MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HER TO BE PACKED OFF TO AN ORPHANAGE IN TIMBUKTU!”

Trembling, the secretary stammered, “Yes, sir.”

In a dreadful, high pitched mimic the master cried, “Yes, sir, yes sir, three bags full.”

All the servants were now terrified of him. They were constantly on edge as to what would annoy him, scuttling in his room with food, unsure of how to move, what conversation to make, how to breathe, when he would want things. He began to feel neglected as well as down right miserable. But when they did come, he disliked their presence, wishing to be left alone, finding there placid smile, the sound of their tiptoeing steps immensely irritating.

Fred and Lucy were not attended to. They were left in their big bedroom, with their lavish toys which they didn’t feel like playing with. Peering out of the window, they saw the greying day, and a cab taking away their fathers secretary, who was holding a white parcel…Why would a parcel be white?

When someone did come in they rushed forward, eyes down, bursting through the door. They brought bowls of stodgy, revolting cold porridge that smelt so disgusting and tasted so grotesque that they eventually threw them out of the window, where they were left to rot.

Fred and Lucy were bored silly, though they had so many pretty toys and books. The only thing that really interested them was the way no-one came and suddenly life was very different. They knew their mother had had the baby. They knew their father liked them very much? Had all the servants been killed in a fire? Stabbed ruthlessly by a savage invader? But, no, this was impossible. The house was in one piece. More than one servant came. Food was still being made, even though it was detestable. This was quite the queerest thing ever.

Chapter 2

The twins decided they wanted to go foraging and find out what had happened.

“Yes, “ said Lucy. “It will end our great puzzling and solve the mystery.”

So the children set out, eyes peeled wide with curiosity. What would they find? Huge snakes with a venomous tongue, poisoning all the staff? A huge party with massive banners, barrels of champagne and piles of glorious cake that they could at last devour? Find so, so, so many hordes of identical twins that every single servant in the house had to tend to them and they had to employ so, so, so many more?

The twins discovered that the corridors looked exactly the same except a little more dusty. The twins discovered that the bedrooms looked exactly the same, except a little more dusty. The twins discovered that the staircases looked a little more dusty. The twins walked round the whole mansion until their feet hurt, but they found that their whole house looked exactly the same.

Except…they were the only people there…or were they?…

Fred pondered over phoning a policeman, though he decided that might be a little too brash  and he didn’t have any idea where the nearest police station was.