Page 7 - HGS Suburb News 142 - Spring 2020
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Time spent indoors doesn’t need to be boring! Between        Good books                              Fantasy: Ranger’s Apprentice series, John Flanagan • Septimus
         Netflix shows and social media feeds, it’s the perfect time to                                         Heap, Angie Sage
         read that book you always said you’d get round to. To make   “I do believe something very magical can happen when you   Adventure: The Lost Prince, Frances Hodgson Burnett • The
         things even easier, many books are available online, for free.   read a good book.” – JK Rowling       Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain • The Adventures of
         Additionally, with an Amazon account or a Kindle, you can                                              Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain • Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson.
         access hundreds of free eBooks.                                                                        Classics: A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett • The
            For a different experience https://stories.audible.com/                                             Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame • Great Expectations,
         start-listen has many free audiobooks which have been                                                  Charles Dickens • The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
         made available for as long as schools are closed.                                                      Younger Readers: Read with Biff, Chip and Kipper: Let’s
            Stories stir the imagination; they allow you to escape your                                         Recycle!, Roderick Hunt • The Railway Children, E. Nesbit.
         surroundings into an alternate world. There are books for all                                          THE SECRET GARDEN
         ages, tastes, and in all genres. Just pick one and let yourself be                                     Matching our ‘eco’ theme, The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson
         transported…                                                                                           Burnett) is an enchanting tale exploring the growth of a
            Have a look at some of our top recommendations:                                                     spoiled – but unloved – girl, who flowers into an independent,
         AVAILABLE AS AUDIOBOOKS                                                                                adventurous young woman. At first, Mary is ungrateful, torn
         Littlest Listeners: Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne • Peter Rabbit,                                       from an Indian life of servants and privilege, and thrust into
         Beatrix Potter • Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling.                                                     the unfamiliar English countryside under the care of her
         Elementary: The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett                                                 mysterious uncle. New friendships and adventures blossom,
          • Robin Hood, Howard Pyle • Sovereign, Jeff Hirsch.                                                   after Mary meets her cousin, Colin, a young invalid. Together,
        Tween: The Spies that Bind, Ally Carter • Robinson Crusoe, Daniel  • Listen to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare, in French (La Cité   along with her friend Dickon, they delve deeper into the
         Defoe • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K Rowling.  des ténèbres).                         secrets of her new home, and its hidden garden…
        Teen: Ties that Bind, Lensey Namioka • RAD American Women,  • Have a look at Harry Potter, J.K Rowling, in German or Spanish.  Any of Burnett’s novels are captivating classics – coming
         Kat Schatz • Squint, Chad Morris • Do tigers drink blood?, Arefa Teshin.  BOOKS AND EBOOKS             from a deprived childhood herself, she found solace (as well
         Classics: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley • Pride and Prejudice,   Most of these suggestions can be found free online, and   as much-needed income) from her writing. Her candid
         Jane Austen • Hamlet (Dramatised), William Shakespeare.  all of them have been recommended by us!      emotions are only made more vivid by her experiences.
            Foreign language audiobooks are invaluable tools to   Nonfiction: Nothing to Envy, Barbara Demick • Prisoners of   Other books recommended above, also by her, include A
         improve listening skills or expand vocabulary.      Geography, Tim Marshall • Chicken Soup for the Soul, Amy  Little Princess – an almost autobiographical riches to rags to
          • Try searching for a translation of a book you have read   Newmark, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield • CGP Higher  riches fairytale; and The Lost Prince – a thrilling story of secret
         in English.                                         Education books                                    missions to save the throne of Samavia.
          • Try out some fairy tales in other languages.     Romance: The Real Cinderella, Yesenia Vargas                                               ISABELLE
                 Green Quiz!


        A few fun questions to keep your brain going in isolation:                                   Gardening
        1.  What are three ways you can reduce your own impact   One of the most fun ways in which  you can help the
        on the environment?                                    environment is by gardening. Gardening is beneficial for the
        2.  What colour are Hydrangea plants when the soil is   planet, because trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide,
        acidic? And alkaline?                                  and give off oxygen for you to breathe. Flowers and fruits
        3.  When is the best time to water your plants?        also provide food and shelter for bees and butterflies, which
        4.  Why shouldn’t you suddenly add lots of water to your   is  very  important.  Although  at  the  moment,  gardening
         plant pot if you’ve forgotten to water it?            centres and nurseries are closed, you can still buy plants
         5.  What bush is nicknamed the butterfly bush? Why is it   online,  or  maybe  even  just  care  a  little  bit  for  the  plants

         called that?                                          already in your garden.
         6.  What’s the difference between RSPO palm oil and other   One of the most important things to do in your garden is
         palm oils?                                            weeding. Weeds are little plants that you don’t want growing
         7.  What are air miles’?                              in your garden, because you want there to be enough space
             Green Challenge!                                 pretty though, for example daisies, so you don’t always have
                                                               and sunshine for your plants to grow. Weeds can still be
         A few activities for you to try out…                 to pull them up.
          1.  Want to try out Meat Free Monday? Look up a few   always best to water your garden in the early morning or in
                                                                 Another important thing to do is water your garden. It’s
          vegan recipes!                                                                                            When the soil is acidic, the flowers are blue, as seen in the
          2.  How many of the fruits and vegetables in your kitchen   the evening, as doing it in the heat of the day brings the roots   photo. But when the soil is alkaline, the flowers turn pinky-
          have plastic packaging? Are there any you think might   up to the surface and risks them getting scorched, which   purple. If you have a garden  you could plant  a small

          not need it?                                        makes the plant unhealthy. In terms of a whole garden, a   hydrangea. Plant a hydrangea in the back garden, and you
          3.  Pick five foods from your kitchen. Where are they sourced                                          can work out what kind of soil you have. Hydrangeas are
                                                              hose is usually best, but with pots, use a watering can. If
          from? How far is it from the UK?                    you’ve forgotten to water a pot for a few days, lift it up and   bushes, so they get quite big, and need a lot of water, as well
          4.  What fruits are ‘in season’ during your birthday month?  see how heavy it feels. If it’s very light, you need to water it,  as a lot of space to grow in.
          5.  What are some ways you could exercise at home?  want to flood the pot.                                Gardens are wonderful. You can eat meals outside, play
                                                              but take your time and water it slowly bit by bit, as you don’t
           6.  What’s your favourite song to dance to? Try choreo-                                               games, watch wildlife and have all sorts of fun. Building an
           graphing a dance!                                    There are lots of amazing plants you can grow in your  insect house is lots of fun, and there are kits you can buy that
           7.  Are there any books you’ve always wanted to read? Set   garden, an example of which is a buddleia. Butterflies and   allow you to make little homes for all the creepy crawlies your
           yourself the most challenging one!                 bees love buddleia, and the plant is even often nicknamed   heart desires. Or you can take photos of your garden. The
           8.  Can you pick up a new skill? Try your hand at arts and   the butterfly bush! They produce tall stalks with cones of   photos in this article were taken by me, although admittedly
           crafts, make origami, or sign up to an online course!  gorgeous lilac flowers, but they can occasionally come in   not both in my garden. Whatever you choose to do in your
           9.  How many flowers can you name? What colours are they?  yellow or red flowering varieties. (See the picture on the right   garden, take care of it and help save the planet, just by
           10. What kinds of plants can you grow on a window-sill?   of a butterfly I snapped enjoying some buddleia). You should   looking after your plants and the creatures that make them
           Try growing small pots of herbs or cress by a window?   plant these in the spring, so right around now, and ensure to   their homes.
           (Don’t forget to keep them regularly watered!) ISABELLE  give them lots of water, as they are very thirsty plants, and   Even if you don’t have a garden, you can easily create
                                                             they also like lots of sunlight. Why not plant some in a pot
                                                                                                                 one in your home. Window troughs can bring a little greenery
                                                             near a window and keep an eye out for all the different kinds
                                                                                                                to your home, with very little work at all. You can plant flowers
                                                             of butterfly you can spot!
                                                                                                                such as mini daffodils, which are very pretty, or trailing
                                                         goods travel (often by plane) before getting to us.
                                                                Another really lovely plant you can grow is a hydrangea.  petunias, which trail from a trough like a waterfall from a
                                                         and responsibly farmed palm oil. (7)Air miles refer to the distance our food or other
                                                             This one is especially good for any budding scientists who
                                                                                                                mountain. Another way to bring a garden inside is with
                                                         Buddleia – because butterflies and bees love it. (6) RSPO is guaranteed to be sustainable
                                                             want to carry out an experiment. Hydrangea plants come in
                                                         purple. (3)Early morning or evening – not during the day. (4) It might flood if you do. (5)
                                                                                                                houseplants,  which  brighten  up  any  room,  and  are
                                                         else that counts!). (2) When they are acidic they are blue; when alkaline they are pinky-
                                                             a range of colours, however what decides the colour of the
                                                                                                                scientifically proven to help you relax.
                                                         reduce single-use plastic products, turn off lights if you’re not using them,(and anything
                                                             blooms is down to the soil.
                                                         produce, reduce your amount of plastic packaging, try to use sustainable palm oil,
                                                                                                                                                         JOANNA
                                                         Answers: (1) Any 3 from: eat plant-based foods, eat locally sourced foods, eat seasonal
          Quarantine crafts: Homemade bird feeder
         It’s really important to maintain biodiversity in our gardens.  5) Take your seeds and sprinkle them onto the peanut butter   Maths
         Especially living in a city it can be quite hard for many wild   and make sure it’s all covered. Push the seeds into the peanut
         animals to find food. This easy bird feeder will attract birds to   butter gently to make sure that they stick.  Private coaching in Hampstead Garden Suburb
         your garden, which can be very exciting to watch!  6) Hang outside and watch the birds flock to your garden!
           You  will need: cardboard,  string/wool,  scissors,  hole-  *Note: If you have a nut allergy, then a great alternative to   ✩ Common Entrance and 7+, 11+, 13+ ✩
         punch, peanut butter*, a mixture of edible seeds (I used chia,   peanut butter is cooked rice. Just mix the cooked rice with a   ✩ GCSE, A level and Further Maths ✩
         pumpkin, flax and sunflower).                      few spoons of water to make into a sticky paste.           ✩ STEP and Oxbridge interview preparation ✩
         1)  Take your cardboard and draw some shapes (any shapes                                    MADHU
         you want). If you want your feeder to be longer draw                                                      Recent successes at Westminster and St Paul’s Boys schools,
         more shapes.                                                                                              as well as Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
         2)  Cut out your shapes and hole punch them on the top                                                    Highly experienced former Head of Maths with B.Sc. Maths,
         and bottom.
         3)  Cut your string to the desired length of your bird feeder                                             1st Class hons. degree from top UK university and experience
         and thread it through each hole and tie a loop to                                                         in writing 11+ materials.
         attach your shapes together.                                                                              One-to-one support that will secure those A*s, grade 9s,
         4) Take your peanut butter (or alternative) and                                                           top university, Independent or selective school places.
         spread a thin layer onto each cardboard shape.
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      SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS                                                                             7
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