Debden Park Podcast: Recent Episodes
Debden Park Podcasts
Tune in weekly to hear both fiction and non-fiction read by your teachers.
This is a great way to develop your reading skills as different members of staff read some of their favourite books, short stories and news articles.
BElistening
BEinspired
BEreading
Madam Russell reads an extract from Jeffrey Boayke's exploration of the lasting influence of Black music on British culture.
Buy the book: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571366491-musical-truth/
In this episode, Madam Rabu explores the importance of Easter and why it is still relevant to Christians today.
The link to the article is here: https://faithatwork.network/why-is-easter-important/#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20simple.,nothing%20but%20lies%20and%20falsities.
In the final episode of our foreign language series, Madam Bouhdadi reads the French translation of the classic story by the Brothers Grimm, 'The boy who went forth and found what fear was'.
The link to the text is here: https://www.grimmstories.com/fr/grimm_contes/histoire_de_celui_qui_alla_apprendre_la_peur
In the second of our series of three foreign language episodes, Madam Bouhdadi reads the Spanish translation of the Brothers Grimm story 'The boy who went forth to learn what fear was'.
The Spanish / English translation can be read here:
https://www.grimmstories.com/language.php?grimm=004&l=en&r=es
In the first of three foreign language episodes, Madam Boudahdi reads the classic fairy tale 'The Gingerbread Man'.
In this episode, Mr Greengrass explores the ideas around the many challenges facing the planet as our climate gets hotter and hotter, and how our personal actions may have more impact than we think.
Buy the book: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/there-is-no-planet-b-a-handbook-for-the-make-or-break-years-updated-edition-mike-berners-lee/4940863?aid=12&ean=9781108821575
When Finn's stepmother is murdered on their doorstep, Finn learns that it's the same man who killed his mother years earlier. Shocked, he is desperate to discover if this is just a terrible coincidence. He strikes up an uneasy friendship with the daughter of the killer, but they begin to uncover a far deeper conspiracy.
In this episode, Mr Simm reads the opening of the thriller 'Guilty' by Norah McClintock.
The full novel is available here: https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary/search/query-guilty/titles/202256/849169
In this episode, Madam Longman reads an extract from Michael Morpurgo's 'Boy Giant'.
War has forced Omar and his mother to leave their home in Afghanistan and venture across the sea to Europe. When their boat sinks, and Omar finds himself alone, with no hope of rescue, it seems as if his story has come to an end.
But it is only just beginning, because in the end, a little hope makes a big difference…
The full novel and audiobook are available on Sora: https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary/search/query-morpurgo/titles/202256/4837931
In this episode, Madam Layhe reads the opening of Monique Polak's 'What World is Left'. Inspired by the author's mother's own experience of the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to read the rest of the novel, it is available on Sora here: https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary/curated-1372522/titles/202256/8863075
Set in the opulence and extravagance of the 1920s Jazz Age, Madam Avery explores the Valley of the Ashes in Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby', a direct consequence of the exploitation of the wealthy.
The full novel is available on Sora.
First published in 1898, this is one of the original sci-fi novels! Martians are plotting an invasion of Earth as their planet resources dwindle.
If you enjoyed this episode, the full book is available here:https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary/search/query-war%20of%20the%20worlds/titles/202256/785162
In this week's episode, Madam Archer reads Chapter 1 from Malorie Blackman's 'Thief', the story of Lydia Henson who having recently moved to a new school wants to join the 'Cosmics'. In order to test her courage and loyalty to the group, Lydia is sent on a mission to steal the school sports cup.
Buy the book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thief-Malorie-Blackman/dp/0552551651
In this week's episode, Madam Stevens explores how the life of Vincent Van Gogh influenced quintessentially American singer, Don Mclean in his 1972 song 'Vincent'.
Listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk
In this episode, Mr Barham considers the effect of James Bond ageing, exploring the Bond franchise through a feminist lens. It is an extract published in the Journal of Popular Film and Television, published in 2014.
In this episode, Mr Dukes presents a mind-boggling mathematical trick from Kjartan Poskitt's 'Murderous Maths'.
Link to buy the book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murderous-Maths-Kjartan-Poskitt/dp/0439011566
In this episode, Mr Thackray reads the opening of Charles C Mann's article 'Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People', published in March 2018's edition of 'The Atlantic'. This article explores the pressures the Earth and humanity faces with the ever-growing population and poses the question 'how do we ensure that everyone gets food?'.
Read the article: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/charles-mann-can-planet-earth-feed-10-billion-people/550928/
Madam Flint reads the opening of the gripping 'Mystery of the Nightwatchers' by A.M. Howell.
MAY, 1910. As the blazing Halley's comet draws close to the earth, Nancy is uprooted to start a new life in Suffolk with a grandfather she has never met. With every curtain drawn shut, Nancy is forbidden from leaving her grandfather's house: no one must know that her or her mother are there.
Yet, when Nancy discovers the house's secret observatory, she watches her mother and grandfather creep out every night... Where are they going? And why mustn't any of them be seen? As the mysteries pile up, Nancy has to bring dark secrets from the past to light - even if doing so will put her own life at risk.
If you enjoyed this episode, the full book is available here: https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary/search/query-howell/titles/202256/6101463
Mr Powell explores the complex success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this article 'Marvel’s Blockbuster Machine' by Spencer Harrison, Arne Carlsen, and Miha Škerlavaj, published in the Harvard Business Review, 2019.
This would be a particularly interesting episode for students considering Film or Media at GCSE or A Level.
Read the article: https://hbr.org/2019/07/marvels-blockbuster-machine
The French call Ventoux `the killer mountain' and in 1967 it claimed its most famous victim, as former world champion Tom Simpson died near the summit during that year's Tour de France. The terrible ascent of Ventoux's south side encapsulates both the brutality and beauty of this cruel sport, but also highlights cycling's ongoing battle to distance itself from its demons.
In this episode, Mr Davies reminisces about the Dynamos' (and cycling's!) greatest challenge in Jeremy Whittle's 'Ventoux'.
Buy the book:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ventoux-Sacrifice-Suffering-Giant-Provence-ebook/dp/B0098MLC3U
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/ventoux-sacrifice-and-suffering-on-the-giant-of-provence/9781471113017
One for film buffs, in this episode Mr Barham explores the concept of New Hollywood from Pam Cook's 'The Cinema Book'.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-cinema-book/9781844571932
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cinema-Book-Pam-Cook/dp/0851707262
For anyone who's ever asked a silly scientific question, this episode is for you!
Dr Guerrero-Guttierez reads an extract from Randall Munroe's 'What If', exploring what happens if you hit a baseball travelling at 90% of the speed light.
Buy the book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-If-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions/dp/1848549563
This week on Debden Park Podcasts, Madam Page explores the history of women's rights and the work of Amnesty International to campaign for gender equality. Tune in for a fascinating insight into the battle for social equality over the years. (This episode contains mature themes.)
Read the article:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/discrimination/womens-rights/
After the Wall Street Crash crash, Ellie and her family have lost nearly everything - including their home in town. They have started over, carving out a new life in the unforgiving terrain of Echo Mountain. But there is little joy as they all struggle with the sorrow and aftermath of an accident that left her father in a coma. An accident for which Ellie has accepted the unearned weight of blame.
Urgent for a cure to bring her father back, Ellie is determined to try anything. Following her heart, and the lead of a scruffy mutt, Ellie will make her way to the top of the mountain, in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as "the hag."
This is available as an ebook and audiobook on Sora.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/echo-mountain/9780241424179
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echo-Mountain-Lauren-Wolk/dp/0241424178/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Buy the book:
Perfect for students interested in American history and literature, 'The Snow Child' is set in Alaska during the 1920s. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on a fresh start in a remote homestead, but the wilderness is a stark place, and Mabel is haunted by the baby she lost many years before. When a little girl appears mysteriously on their land, each is filled with wonder, but also foreboding: is she what she seems, and can they find room in their hearts for her?
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-snow-child-the-richard-and-judy-bestseller/9780755380534
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snow-Child-Richard-Judy-Bestseller-ebook/dp/B006YIA9NA
In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe—The Secret—and, later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that claimed to transform your life.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-secret-9781847370297/9781847370297
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/1582701709
Aveline is thrilled when she discovers that the holiday cottage her mum has rented for the summer is beside a stone circle. Thousands of years old, the local villagers refer to the ancient structure as the Witch Stones, and Aveline cannot wait to learn more about them. Then Aveline meets Hazel. Impossibly cool, mysterious yet friendly, Aveline soon falls under Hazel's spell. In fact, Hazel is quite unlike anyone Aveline has ever met before, but she can't work out why.
Buy the book:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bewitching-Aveline-Jones/dp/1474972152
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-bewitching-of-aveline-jones/9781474972154
Marinka dreams of a normal life, where her house stays in one place long enough for her to make friends. But her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning.
For Marinka's grandmother is Baba Yaga, who guides spirits between this world and the next. Marinka longs to change her destiny and sets out to break free from her grandmother's footsteps, but her house has other ideas...
Buy the Book:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Chicken-Legs-Sophie-Anderson/dp/1474940668
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-house-with-chicken-legs/9781474940665
Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst - that Clara has died in care - the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed - by her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-foundling-the-gripping-feminist-sunday-times-bestselling-novel-from-the-author-of-the-familiars/9781838771409
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Foundling-author-Familiars-bestseller-Richard/dp/1838771409/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1633097063&sr=8-1
July is a slave girl who lives upon a sugar plantation named Amity and it is her life that is the subject of this tale. She was there when the Baptist War raged in 1831, and she was present when slavery was declared no more. In this episode, Madam Page reads an extract describing July's birth.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-long-song-now-a-major-bbc-drama/9781472268686
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Song-Andrea-Levy-ebook/dp/B0037472ZC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=long+song&qid=1623931819&sr=8-1
In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day. Her actions ended up sparking a global movement for action against the climate crisis, inspiring millions of pupils to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
This book brings you Greta in her own words, for the first time. Collecting her speeches that have made history across Europe, from the UN to mass street protests, No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/no-one-is-too-small-to-make-a-difference/9780141992716
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Too-Small-Make-Difference/dp/0141991747
- Seventeen-year-old Léonie Vernier and her brother abandon Paris for the sanctuary of their aunt's isolated country house near Carcassonne. But Léonie stumbles across a ruined sepulchre - and a timeless mystery whose traces are written in blood.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/sepulchre/9781409159063
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sepulchre-Kate-Mosse/dp/140915906X
This episode contains references to depression, anxiety and suicide
Aged 24, Matt Haig's world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/reasons-to-stay-alive/9781782116820
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reasons-Stay-Alive-Matt-Haig/dp/1782115080
Bestselling PT James Smith aims to challenge everything you think you know about the path to success and happiness, encouraging his readers to take control of their future.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/not-a-life-coach-push-your-boundaries-unlock-your-potential-redefine-your-life/9780008404840?aid=2166
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-Life-Coach-Boundaries-Potential/dp/0008404844
It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual universe where you can be anything you want to be, on any of ten thousand planets. Like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late twentieth century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle.
Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/ready-player-one/9781784754792
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0099560437/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ready+player+one&qid=1621494848&sr=8-3
This thrilling historical novel is the final in a trilogy, following the life of the Roman lawyer, Cicero, as he deals with the turbulent politics of Rome.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/dictator-9781784756161/9781784756161
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dictator-Cicero-Trilogy-Robert-Harris/dp/0099474190/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=dictator&qid=1620909236&sr=8-3
In this essay, Loretta Ramkissoon explores what life is like in a London tower block and the dynamics of communities of neighbours who aren't friends, but who do look out for each other.
'Which Floor?' is one of several essays published in the anthology 'Common People', published by Kit de Waal, showcasing the experiences of working class writers.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/common-people-an-anthology-of-working-class-writers/9781783527458
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Common-People-Anthology-Working-Class-Writers/dp/1783527455/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=common+people&qid=1620908776&sr=8-1
Christmas 1943. A badly damaged American bomber is chased by a German fighter plane across the skies, capable of destroying the plane with a squeeze of the trigger. This Sunday Times bestseller follows both men's harrowing missions and gives a dramatic account of the moment when they would stare across the frozen skies at one another. What happened between them, the American 8th Air Force would later classify as 'top secret'. It was an encounter that haunted both pilots for forty years until, as old men, they would sought each other out and reunited.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-higher-call-the-incredible-true-story-of-heroism-and-chivalry-during-the-second-world-war/9781782392569
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Higher-Call-Incredible-Heroism-Chivalry/dp/1782392564/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+higher+call&qid=1620299483&sr=8-1
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a giant of a man called Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/harry-potter-and-the-philosopher-s-stone-9781408855652/9781408855652
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Philosophers-Stone/dp/1408855658/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7SI3IOCU5D45&dchild=1&keywords=harry+potter+philosophers+stone&qid=1620299849&sprefix=harry+potter+p%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1
This fantasy comedy novel follows the life of a cowardly wizard, who is unwittingly roped into a life of adventure.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-colour-of-magic-discworld-novel-1/9780552166591
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Magic-Discworld-Novel-Novels/dp/0552166596
In Chris Atkins' memoir of his 5 year stint in prison, he explores the numerous issues faced by our prison systems.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-bit-of-a-stretch-the-diaries-of-a-prisoner/9781838950170
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bit-Stretch-Diaries-Prisoner/dp/183895015X
To read more on the challenges of the prison system, have a look at these articles:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/02/jails-britain-chris-atkins-book/606730/
There is a runaway trolley barrelling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing next to a lever which will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options:
- Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track.
- Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.
What is the right thing to do?
In this episode, Madam Sandland-Jones explores what happened when this happened in real life, the court case that follows, and invites you to decide what YOU would do in this situation.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-trolley-problem-or-would-you-throw-the-fat-guy-off-the-bridge/9780761175131
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trolley-Problem-Would-Throw-Bridge/dp/076117513X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cathcart+trolley&qid=1619175025&s=books&sr=1-1
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Award and based on true events, this is the story of a group of boys put ashore a remote rocky stac off the island of St Kilda to collect birds for food. They are meant to be collected at the end of the summer, but no-one comes.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/where-the-world-ends/9781474943437
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-World-Ends-Geraldine-Mccaughrean/dp/1474921140
Following two cousins, Joseph Kavalier and Sammy Clay, this Pulitzer prize winning novel charts their journey through World War II to become major figures in the comic book industry.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-amazing-adventures-of-kavalier-and-clay/9781841154930
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazing-Adventures-Kavalier-Clay/dp/1841154938/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K29R7MI7OCKZ&dchild=1&keywords=the+amazing+adventures+of+kavalier+%26+clay&qid=1618485446&sprefix=amazing+adventures+ka%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1
Madam Fonda reads Tom Lamont's article 'The invisible city: how a homeless man built a life underground', published in the Guardian on 5th March 2020.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/mar/05/invisible-city-how-homeless-man-built-life-underground-bunker-hampstead-heath
To read more about the issue of hidden homelessness in Britain, have a look at the articles below:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42464904
https://www.bigissue.com/latest/hidden-homelessness-cold-hard-facts/
Lyra and her animal daemon, Pan, live in Jordan College, Oxford. When her friend goes missing, along with several other children, Lyra and Pan set out to find him. Their search takes them all the way to the Arctic and has consequences that reach far beyond Lyra's own life.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/northern-lights/9781407186108
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Northern-Lights-His-Dark-Materials/dp/1407186108/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=northern+lights&qid=1616673012&sr=8-1
Mr Greendale reads Katie Whyatt's article in the Athletic (18th March 2021), exploring how one footballer overcame sexism and racism in football to become a well known footballer, pundit and presenter.
Read the article:
https://theathletic.co.uk/2457969/2021/03/19/alex-scott/
If you want to read more about the issue of sexism in football, you might enjoy these articles:
- The financial disparity faced by women's football: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/football-women-men-games-money-sexism-b1760517.html
- Sponsorship in women's football: https://www.goal.com/en/news/football-womens-game-conquer-sexism-sponsors-crises/1uieskuqhg3xf1edb27c1onl0i
- The issue of discrimination faced by women in football: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/08/two-thirds-women-in-football-gender-discrimination-survey
Dr Hogan reads one of the original James Bond stories in which James Bond is preparing for yet another mission.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/octopussy-the-living-daylights/9780099577027?aid=3306
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Daylights-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141195975
Madam Vitalis explores the problematic effects of climate change and what can be done to help resolve them.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-life-on-our-planet-my-witness-statement-and-a-vision-for-the-future/9781529108279
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Our-Planet-Witness-Statement/dp/1529108276/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3N0RZNKPIS1V2&dchild=1&keywords=a+life+on+our+planet+david+attenborough&qid=1616068889&s=books&sprefix=a+life+on+%2Cstripbooks%2C153&sr=1-1
Madam Russell reads an extract from Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
Set in a near future America, 'The Handmaid's Tale' presents a society ruled by a patriarchal religious group. With fewer children being born than even, women are assigned as 'Handmaids' to conceive children for elite families. This classic dystopian novel explores a situation in which women have lost every right gained over the past 200 years.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-handmaid-s-tale-the-number-one-sunday-times-bestseller/9781784873189
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Handmaids-Tale-Contemporary-Classics/dp/0099740915
Mr Powell reads Michael Salter's article, 'The problem with a fight against toxic masculinity', published in The Atlantic on 27th February 2019.
Link to article: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/
If you are interested in this topic, have a read of the following articles:
The NY Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html
The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/08/gender-equal-international-womens-day-men
In our final non-fiction episode of our Book Week specials, Madam Fonda reads Peter Beinart's article 'I No Longer Believe in a Jewish State', published in the New York Times, 8th July 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/opinion/israel-annexation-two-state-solution.html
If you would like to read more by Beinart, published in the Jewish currents:
https://jewishcurrents.org/yavne-a-jewish-case-for-equality-in-israel-palestine/
In the final of our Book Week specials, Madam Longman reads from William Sutcliffe's 'The Wall'. Joshua is a troubled boy who lives with his mother and stepfather in a divided city, where a wall and soldiers separate two communities, and the rubble-strewn residue of their broken world gives hints of the old life before the wall was built. Joshua discovers a manhole, which leads to a tunnel, which leads in pitch darkness under the wall and across to the other side. Forbidden territory, dangerous territory, violent territory, which a boy like him - visibly different - shouldn't stray into.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-wall-9781408838433/9781408838433
If you want to hear more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tune in to our non fiction episode available now.
On today's World Book Day episode, Madam Fonda reads a blog by Chris Vick, author of 'Girl, Boy, Sea'.
If you want to hear more of Chris Vick's work, listen to our fiction episode with Madam Longman reading an extract from 'Girl, Boy, Sea'. British teenager Bill is shipwrecked in the middle of a storm. Separated from his crew on a small lifeboat, he finds Aya, a Berber refugee also caught in the storm.
On today's World Book Day episode, Madam Longman reads an extract from Chris Vick's 'Girl, Boy, Sea'. British teenager Bill is shipwrecked in the middle of a storm. Separated from his crew on a small lifeboat, he finds Aya, a Berber refugee also caught in the storm.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/girl-boy-sea/9781789541380
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Boy-Sea-Chris-Vick/dp/1789541387/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=girl+boy+sea&qid=1614681971&sr=8-1
We are very excited to welcome Chris Vick to our remote writing workshops with some of our year 7s today, and you can hear more about his motivations for writing and writing about the sea in our non-fiction episode for today.
In today's non-fiction episode, Madam Fonda reads Josiah Bates' article "2020 Will End as One of America's Most Violent Years in Decades", published in Time on 30th December 2020.
https://time.com/5922082/2020-gun-violence-homicides-record-year/
You can also listen to our fiction episode for today, with Madam Longman reading about the effects of gun crime on the families of victims.
Welcome to the third episode of our Book Week specials with Madam Longman reading an extract from ‘Long Way Down’, by Jason Reynolds. After losing his brother to gun crime, Will gets in the lift bent on revenge. On the journey to the ground floor, between levels, he is visited by the memories of people who have been affected by gun crime.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/long-way-down-9780571335121/9780571335121
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Way-Down-Jason-Reynolds/dp/0571335128/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=long+way+down&qid=1614681173&sr=8-5
You can also hear more about the issue of gun crime in America in our non-fiction episode, available now.
In our second episode of our Book Week Specials, Madam Longman reads an extract from Ruta Sepetys’ ‘Salt to the Sea’, the story of four different people affected by the Soviet Union in WW2.
Buy the book:
Bookshop:
Amazon:
If you want to hear more about the experiences of people living in the Soviet Union, you can listen to our non-fiction episode for today, with Madam Fonda reading Julia Ioffe's 'This is what it's like to come to the United States as a refugee', published in the Atlantic, January 27th 2017
In today's Book Week Special, Madam Fonda reads Julia Ioffe's article 'This Is What It's Like To Come To The United States As A Refugee', published in the Atlantic on January 29th 2017
Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/this-is-what-its-like-to-come-to-the-united-states-as-a-refugee/514850/
To hear more about different experiences of refugees from the Soviet Union, listen to our fiction episode for today, with Madam Longman reading the opening of Ruta Sepetys' 'Salt to the Sea'.
In the first of our Book Week Specials, Madam Longman reads the opening of Jason Wallace's 'Out of Shadows.
Set in Zimbabwe during the turbulent 1980s, this book tells the story of Robert, as he struggles to come to terms with the troubling racism of his new friends.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/out-of-shadows/9781849390484
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Shadows-Jason-Wallace/dp/1849390487/
You can also hear more about Mugabe, Zimbabwe's notorious leader, in our non-fiction episode.
Welcome to the first of our non-fiction Book Week specials Madam Fonda reads Alan Cowell’s obituary of Robert Mugabe, published in the New York Times on Sept. 6, 2019
'Robert Mugabe, Strongman Who Cried, ‘Zimbabwe Is Mine,’ Dies at 95'
Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/obituaries/robert-mugabe-dead.html?
You can also listen to our fiction episode for today, in which Robert, an English boy, struggles to come to terms with the tensions in Zimbabwean society after his family move countries.
Amsterdam, 1943.
Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-girl-in-the-blue-coat/9781447295013
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Blue-Coat-Monica-Hesse/dp/1447295013
In 2018, Ross Edgley become the first person to swim around the entirety of mainland Britain without touching the shore a single time, in just 157 days.
In this eye-opening book, he explores the mental resilience needed to complete a challenge like this.
Buy the book:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-art-of-resilience-strategies-for-an-unbreakable-mind-and-body/9780008356958
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Resilience-Ross-Edgley/dp/000835698X
Read more about Ross Edgley's preparations: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/ross-edgley-great-british-swim
Dr Hogan reads the opening of A.D. Miller's 'Snowdrops', shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.
When Nick worked as a high-flying British lawyer in Moscow, he was seduced by Masha, who led him through her city: the electric nightclubs, intimate dachas, and state-wide corruption. He knew that she was dangerous, but life in Russia was addictive and it was too easy to bury secrets - and corpses - in the winter snows...
If you want to read more, you can buy the book here:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/snowdrops/9781786495044
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Longer-Talking-White-People-About/dp/140887055X
Madam Mitchell reads an excerpt from the #1 Sunday Times Bestseller and highly influential book 'Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race'.
This episode is full of challenging ideas but ones that are so important to consider. If you want read more, you can buy the book here:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/why-i-m-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race-the-1-sunday-times-bestseller/9781408870587
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Longer-Talking-White-People-About/dp/140887055X
To read more by the same author, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race
Mr Denham reads an extract from Eddie Jones' autobiography 'My Life and Rugby', published in 2019.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can buy the book below:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/my-life-and-rugby-the-autobiography/9781509850730
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Rugby-Autobiography-Eddie-Jones/dp/1509850708
Mr Denham also recommends listening to the BBC Rugby Union podcast, or the Full Contact podcast, both available on Spotify.
Dr Gray reads the opening of Matt Haig's bestselling novel 'How to Stop Time'.
Tom Hazard looks like an ordinary 40 year old man but he's actually centuries old, and desperate for a normal life.
If you enjoyed the episode, you can buy the book here:
Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/how-to-stop-time/9781782118640
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stop-Time-Matt-Haig/dp/1782118616#:~:text=How%20to%20Stop%20Time%20is,Hazard%20has%20a%20dangerous%20secret.
This article was published in the Athletic on January 9th 2021. It was written by Steve Madeley and Gregg Evans. The podcast features additional reporting from Phil Hay, Michael Bailey & Mr Era and an extract from the podcast 'On The Judy'.
If you want to read more about football, try some of the articles here:
www.theguardian.com/football or follow the Guardian Football Weekly Podcast.
Madam Haycock reads the opening of 'Before We Say Goodbye', by Gabriella Ambrosio.
Jerusalem, 2002: the Kiryat HaYovel supermarket is bombed by a young woman.
Eighteen-year-old Dima trudges through the mud to college and reflects on many things, including her forthcoming marriage to Faris.
Seventeen-year-old Myriam skips school to sit on the tree-lined hill overlooking the city and think about her friend Michael, whose death she still mourns.
Following the lives of the bomber and several people caught in the explosion, this book tells the story hour by hour in the day leading up to the event.
Madam Gascoyne reads the opening of 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zuzak.
This novel is narrated by Death.
It is 1939. In Nazi Germany, the country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier - and will become busier still.
Liesel, a nine-year old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of her street when the bombs begin to fall.
Buy the book:
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-book-thief/9781909531611
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0552773891
If you enjoyed this episode, the article is here:
The Guardian, 10th January 2021
'Tyrants gaze with glee at what Trump has done to American democracy', Andrew Rawnsley
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/10/tyrants-gaze-with-glee-at-what-trump-has-done-to-american-democracy
For more ideas and opinions on Trump's presidency and what it means for American politics, have a look at these articles:
The Spectator, January 20th 2021
'America survived the Trump presidency: Trump’s reputation will not', Jacob Heilbrunn
https://spectator.us/topic/america-survived-trump-presidency/
BBC news
‘He leaves defeated, but we haven’t heard last of him’, January 20th 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-55738941