EXPLORE

Harry Potter’s Legacy

Poetry for Christmas

Quizzes & Puzzles

Theatre reviews

Short Stories

Book reviews

Teacher Interviews

December 2012

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Hello and welcome

Have you had your first mince pie yet? Have you heard Christmas

songs endlessly in the shops? Have you written to Santa? Are the

town’s Christmas lights on yet? If so, it must be nearly Christmas

and it must be time for another edition of Explore magazine. We’re

delighted to bring you lots of articles, stories, reviews, poems and

quizzes from the talented students of Preston Lodge High School.

We hope you enjoy reading and we wish you a very merry

Christmas!

Best wishes,

Sally Davidson and the magazine team

Contents

Christmas Poetry Page 3

How Harry Potter Shaped A Generation Page 4

Teacher Interviews Page 6

Rusty Halo- a short story Page 8

Twenty things you must do in the Christmas holidays Page 10

Top Ten Christmas Songs Page 10

Book Reviews Page 11

Theatre Reviews Page 12

Christmas Puzzles Page 13

PL Gallery Page 16

Front Cover Illustration by Maia Aitken

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Christmas Poetry

Haiku

Christmas is for kids

Santa and all his reindeer

No yellow sun now.

By Cameron Tait S1

Haiku

Excited all night

Looking at the snowy sky

Happiness is here.

By Rebecca Horrocks S1

Unwrapping presents

Too excited for Christmas

Family at home.

Emily Hawthorne S1

P resents being unwrapped

R eading jokes from a Christmas cracker

E ating food

S inging carols

E veryone dancing

N ever stop laughing

T alking to everyone

S parkling Christmas trees

By Amy Galloway S1

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How Harry Potter Shaped a Generation Literature is exceedingly powerful. Literature is an art form, a way in which an author speaks from their

soul by painting words on paper, conveying the hues and shades of their true emotions to us through

words. Literature changes- like everything- evolving and flourishing as tastes and times change. Literature

will always be captivating, will always be a way to escape from every day turmoil, and will always be

influential. Emily Bronte wrote classics like Wuthering Heights, set on the dark, bleak moors, the themes of

death and passion enthralling the reader. Bronte’s book may have been written 150 years ago yet her

classic novel shares many similarities with the novels of J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter is a modern classic.

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling is the bestselling book series in every language ranking in at over

450 million copies. For a female writer from Scotland, that isn’t bad, right? The seven book series struck

the heart of millions around the world, filling their lives with excitement, imagination and magic, giving

adults and children alike time away from their hectic lives to immerse themselves in something truly

spectacular.

Harry Potter teaches children lots of preliminary and basic skills for life, making them better people; from

friendship to compassion, bravery to trust, it gives kids a foundation of how to live their lives in the best

way possible by adopting the traits Harry and his friends show through the novels. I received the first four

books in a box set for my fourth birthday and I can specifically remember telling my uncle as he handed

them to me, “I don’t want these!” Little did I know that these books would become a huge part of my life,

and inform the person I am today. I refused to let my mum read them to me because they were not the

materialistic present that I had asked for, nor would they ever live up to the latest swimming Barbie that

had interchangeable tails and all the other fake vanities that every four year old girl dreams of. My outlook

changed, however, in the November of 2001. Sitting in those huge cinema chairs, big enough to seat

giants, waiting for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to be shown; the theme tune started and I can

remember getting goose bumps, a feeling that still happens now watching those battered and overused

discs which still give me the same amount of magic as the first time I ever watched them. One hundred and

fifty two minutes later, I was changed; I was captivated by the golden trio. Once home I rushed up the

stairs and opened the first book. At the age of five, they became my first “big girl’s book”.

The Harry Potter series contains characters who are good role models for both boys and girls, as they have

morals that set an example to the younger generations. Ron shows bravery, loyalty and dedication.

Hermione shows that intelligence is something to be proud of and that not all girls have to sit around

looking pretty- unlike the Twilight series, whose main character spends all four books chasing after a boy

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and complaining rather than doing something useful- and can actually make a difference. Harry, the

eponymous hero however, sets the most important example. After his parents dying when he was only

one year old, Harry goes on to face his fears, shows courage and compassion and continually shows

strength after suffering so much. For young people in difficult situations, it shows them that you can have

the strength to pull through the hard times and that you can endure, making him an excellent role model.

Harry Potter soon became part of my life, as it did with many others. Whether it was waiting eagerly

outside a bookshop at midnight on the release date of the newest novel still warm from the printers, to

sitting in those chairs fit for giants waiting for the opening credits, a nation of fans were growing rapidly,

uniting over their love for Harry Potter. Suddenly, reading rates began to increase hugely, showing the true

power of the beloved hero. The world was finally paying attention to literature again with this global

phenomenon! Who would have ever thought it would be down to a scrawny boy with glasses and a

lightning shaped scar?

He was making a huge impact on the world. Making us stand up in the face of adversity, fight for what we

believe and teaching us the true meaning friendship, loyalty and bravery. Harry Potter was influencing a

entire generation. Inspiration flows from the books, with the characters always choosing what is right even

if it is not the easiest. Rather than be vengeful, they show mercy to their foes. Rather than giving up, they

sacrifice themselves to fight for the greater good. They persevere. They stand strong. They never stop

fighting.

I will never get the excitement or exhilaration of opening the first page of the brand new novel again, nor

will I experience the thrill of watching the movies for the first time- however I can guarantee that Harry

Potter’s legacy will live on. Thousands of other children will feel the excitement of their first read or movie

and will be immersed in a world, away from everything with role models in the books guiding them every

step of the way, page by page. Harry Potter will keep on inspiring and will live on forever.

Ciara McCumiskey

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Teacher interviews

Dr Voge

What do you want for Christmas?

A small bowl of crystallised fruit

Do you like Christmas?

I can put up with it!

Are you excited about Christmas?

Not until 24th December

What’s been your best present?

Porsche 911

What’s the worst present you’ve ever been given?

A box of nothing from my aunt.

What’s your favourite part of Christmas?

The church part

Do you believe in Santa?

No

What do you have for Christmas dinner? Do you enjoy it?

I like everything! With all the trimmings!

Best Christmas film ever?

Trading Places with Richard Pryor and Dan Ackroyd

Best Christmas song?

The Fairy-tale of New York by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl

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Ms MacClean

Best Christmas?

When I was seven and lived in a hot place

What do you want for Christmas?

Chocolate

Do you like Christmas?

Yes!

How do you celebrate Christmas?

With a big family get together

Are you excited about Christmas?

I will be a week beforehand

What’s been your best present?

My first bike when I was a kid

What’s the worst present you’ve ever been given?

A shawl!

What’s your favourite part of Christmas?

The food, I love everything

Do you believe in Santa?

Of course

What do you have for Christmas dinner?

Turkey

Best Christmas film ever?

A Wonderful Life

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Rusty Halo

A short story inspired by the song by The Script

I walked down the dark, deserted alleyway quickly. My footsteps making massive sounds that ricocheted

off the dull, stone walls with every step I took. I was in a hurry. If I didn’t get there fast I would change my

mind. Then things would get even more complicated than they already were. Rain slowly drizzled down

from the cloudy, night sky. I caught my reflection in a puddle at my feet. My eyes looked red and crazy and

my cheeks were pink from the cold. Looking into that puddle I could see what I’d become, but there was

no time to stop and think. No time for anything but what was planned.

The walk seemed to take an eternity but when I reached my destination I couldn’t believe I’d got there so

quickly. I guess I was stalling. I was scared, but I couldn’t give in to the fear because while I was terrified I

was also angry and motivated. I was ready.

The place where he worked was spotless. The endless rows of books: dust free. I never liked this library,

probably because he worked here. I saw him then. Standing with his back to me. He was just getting ready

to go home. When he turned around and saw me standing there a tiny gasp escaped his lips. He’d let his

fear show through his tough, indestructible profile. He quickly recovered and stared me down. I stared

back not daring to break the silence. He eventually spoke.

“Didn’t expect to find you in a library Jones, weren’t you always the slow type?” he laughed.

“Didn’t expect to find you alone Crabbe, weren’t you always, oh wait, you were always a loser weren’t

you?” I sneered.

He glared at me.

“Is there something you want?” He said rudely.

I just stared at him.

“I think you know,” I said eventually.

His body language showed he was terrified, but his face showed bravery and confidence. I hated that. I

slowly reached into my jacket and he watched me.

“You think you can scare me, Jones?”

“No,” I said pulling out my gun. “I know I can”

He stared me down, he didn’t blink. I raised my arm until I was level with his brain. The victim was

supposed to be crying, pleading for their life, but he didn’t. He laughed. Just laughed. The laugh kind of

unnerved me but I kept my focus. This had to be done.

“Have a nice night,” I barked.

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Then I pulled the trigger. I watched as the light left his eyes and he crumpled to the ground. Broken. Gone.

Dead. I quickly spun on my heels and left the library. Mission accomplished.

Everyone’s running from something but they don’t know when it’s coming. I guess that’s why they call it

the human race. You have to keep running otherwise the world will catch up with you. I know what you’re

thinking. What could he have possibly done to deserve death? Let’s just say he had it coming. Ever since

we were kids. Ever since then. Now I’m looking up the bible trying to find a loophole, something that tells

me that what I’ve done isn’t all bad. But you know he had it coming.

Looking in the mirror of the hotel, seeing my scruffy, un-shaven face; I’m not sure what to think about

myself anymore, am I a monster? Probably. Now because of my actions I have to live in a different hotel

every week, running from the police. I’m searching for the light, searching for something to take this

weight out of my heart but I’m just getting pulled back further and further into the darkness. Guess this is

my punishment; at least I’m not dead. I look dead though. People don’t understand what it’s like to be cut

off from your world, hated by everyone. Well maybe the paedophiles and the rapists do but they are

different from me. I’m a murderer. Someone’s dead. But you know he had it coming.

When I heard the car door slamming I sprinted to the window as if my life depended on it. Maybe it did.

Maybe this was the world catching up to me. When I saw the white car waiting for me I almost collapsed. It

was like the devil was finally coming to drag me to hell. If the life I’ve been living for the past month wasn’t

hell then I don’t know what is. Three men were approaching my hotel. Three policemen. They were coming

to put me behind bars for the rest of my life. What should I do? Run? Hide? It was hide and seek but with

far greater consequences. Suddenly before I knew it I had collapsed onto my knees and tears were

streaming down my face. Everything was a blur. Someone was fastening my hands behind my back.

Someone was dragging me to my feet. Someone was taking me to my doom.

“Josh Jones, you’re under arrest for murder. You have the right to remain silent,”

I was screaming. Louder than I have ever screamed before. Screaming for my life.

No one is indestructible. No one is invincible. The world will always catch up with you. Always. Never forget

that.

Kirsten Provan

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Twenty things you must do in the Christmas holidays

1. Wear a onesie.

2. Go to Winter Wonderland, go on the Ferris wheel, fall over on the ice.

3. Make mince pies, cookies or gingerbread.

4. Gain weight.

5. Decorate the house and tree.

6. Spend time with the family.

7. Fall out with the family.

8. Eat chocolate every day, preferably from an advent calendar.

9. Go sledging and build a snowman (but only if it snows!)

10. Don’t go to school.

11. Download Christmas songs.

12. Ask yourself why all mums like Michael Buble?

13. Watch Elf.

14. Stay up late.

15. Get up later.

16. Believe.

17. Write Christmas cards.

18. Go Christmas shopping.

19. Wrap presents, run out of sellotape.

20. Go to Santa’s grotto. Sit on his knee. Or write him a letter.

Top ten Christmas Songs

1. “Last Christmas” by Wham

2. “Let it Snow” by Dean Martin

3. “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey

4. “Fairy Tale of New York” by The Pogues

5. “I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day” by Wizzard

6. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Elton John

7. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra

8. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen

9. “Stop the Cavalry” by Jonah Lewie

10. “Merry Christmas Everybody” by Slade

Karis, Ellie, Erin, Chloe, Sarah, Emma, Taylor and Kirsten

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Book Reviews

By Emily Barker

Zac and the Dream Pirates by Ross Mackenzie

Bad dreams are scary, but what happens if the worst sort of nightmares take over?

Zac Wonder is about to find out. One the stroke of midnight, he is plunged into an extraordinary world on

the other side of sleep. Is he still dreaming? Has he gone nuts? Or, is he really meant to save us all from

vampires, werewolves and the Dream Pirates who threaten to plunder our fear and turn our dreams

against us forever?

Zac is an eleven year old boy. The only person he has left is his granny. What Zac finds is that his granny is

from a magical place called Nocturne. In Nocturne, they use teeth for money, they dress very weirdly, they

have floating buses in the air- and they don’t dream. Granny then reveals to Zac that the reason the world

is being terrorised by bad dreams is because people called Dream Pirates are getting power from dreams.

Then the adventures begin.

My favourite character was Noelle because she turns out to be very brave and she didn’t give up when she

couldn’t rescue a friend.

My favourite parts were when something bad happens someone from the magical world cries, “What in

the name of Nocturne was that?!” and when a problem is fixed or somebody escapes a danger, they say,

“Thank the stars”.

Ross McKenzie is a great author and he has done very well with this book.

Zac and the Dream Pirates was a great book. It was imaginative, unusual and packed with action and

magic.

I would recommend it to boys and girls aged 10+

Going for Gold by Kay Woodward

Going for Gold is a seriously good book. Frankie lives for ice-skating, and has her heart set on becoming a

star. So it’s a dream come true when she’s talent-spotted at her local ice rink and whisked away to train for

the Olympics. But Frankie learns that Skate School isn’t just world-class, it’s also ultra-tough, and her

competitive classmates are so cool they’re practically sub-zero.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was impossible to put down. My personal favourite part would be

when her rival, Scarlet, was suddenly trying to find proof that Frankie didn’t steal the skating school’s best

pupil’s mascot. That was surprising. The book keeps surprising you all the way through, that is a good

aspect of the book. Kay Woodward is exceptionally good at writing books. I picked up this book because it

sounded fun: a skating school!

I would rate this book 9/10! This is a fab book for girls!

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The Cone Gatherers Kings Theatre

The Cone Gatherers is a novel written by Robin Jenkins. It portrays the lives of two brothers who are the depiction of

all that’s good in the world. They were hired by an upper-class family (the Runcie-Campbell’s) to collect pine cones

for the war effort. But the gamekeeper (John Duror who is the depiction of evil) has different ideas for them…

My classmates and I went to the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh to see a stage production of the novel. The play was

produced by the Aberdeen Performing Arts Company which is touring all over Scotland.

It is inaccurate compared to the novel; anyone who goes to see it will see that they change the ending completely.

The stage production also failed to convey Duror’s hatred towards Calum. It was also part musical, which is a

departure from the novel. Calum also came across as more mentally

rather than physically challenged.

The props looked like they were improvised half an hour before the

play was set to commence (mechanical rabbits, people in morph suits

depicting deer and a ladder representing a tree).

Personally, I think that the book should stay as a book. I would rate

this production two out of five stars.

Review written by Adam Cherry, Christopher Baldie, Cameron

McEwan and Jamie Devlin

Midsummer Night’s Dream The Lyceum Theatre

S2 and 3 went to see one of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies. It was surprising

to see the play set in wintry weather; the director took the idea of discord

between the King and Queen of Fairies causing nature to be turned upside down

as his starting point and it worked well. The weather effects of snow and wind

were very effective. The acting was flawless and beautifully judged. Some of us

didn’t like the fact that Puck was played by a woman but others thought it

ingenious. The costume was effective apart from those of the lovers who looked

a bit like Tellytubbies in their bright colours although it did make it easier to

remember who was who!

Undoubtedly the highlight of the production was the play within a play of

Pyramus and Thisbe. It was clever and hilarious. The acting was very physical and

the actors used movement brilliantly to get the biggest laughs from the audience. Bottom is particular, maximised

the opportunities to exaggerate the ridiculous nature of their play. We left the theatre in tears but they were tears

of laughter!

3c1

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Christmas Songs Puzzle By Emma Simpson

Fill in the missing letters to find the title of well-known Christmas songs!

J i n _ l _ _ e l _ s

W _ _ _ e r _ o n d _ _ l a n _

M _ r _ y C h _ _ _ t _ _ _ E v e r _ o _ e

R o c _ i _ g _ r o _ n d t _ _ C h r _ s t _ _ s T _ _ _

W _ _ _ e C _ _ _ s _ m _ _

A _ _ I W _ _ _ F _ r _ h _ i _ t _ a _ I s Y _ u

W h _ _ S _ _ t _ G _ t _ _ _ c k _ p t h e C_ _ m _ _ y

Christmas Quiz (answers on next page)

1. What is the name of the plant you kiss under at Christmas time?

2. How many ghosts visited Scrooge in Dickens “A Christmas Carol”?

3. How many reindeer does Santa have in the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”?

4. What gifts did the three wise men bring to the baby Jesus?

5. What is the famous Christmas side dish which sounds like farm animals in bed?

Christmas Crackers!

Q What did the English teacher call Santa's helpers?

A Subordinate Clauses

Q Which playwright was terrified of Christmas?

A Noël Coward

Q What did the fish say when it swam into a wall?

A Dam.

Q What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert?

A Lost

2 snowmen in a field, one turns to the other and says, "can you smell carrots?"

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LETTER CODES Figure out what the code says!

A N

B O

C P

D Q

E R

F S

G T

H U

I V

J W

K X

L Y

M Z

= = = = = = =

By Emma Mair

Christmas Quiz Answers:

1. Mistletoe 2. Four 3. Eight 4. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh 5. Pigs in blankets

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Christmas Wordsearch

Y L A U G H T E R S A B

L

P O S N O W M A N C L

I

R H L O M L M M O V E

M

E O P E I T U R K E Y

A

S L A B S O S N O W C

F

E L C I T U F U N H A

E

N Y R D L E P P Y F R

F

T H U R E I N D E E R

G

C H D I T H A P P Y E

L

J K O L O S A N T A T

O

M N L O E N I D S U R

U

P Q P R A N C E R V E

E

R S H T Y Z A W X B E

Words to find…

CHRISTMAS

SANTA

SNOWMAN

MISTLETOE

REINDEER

RUDOLPH

SNOW

TURKEY

FAMILY

LAUGHTER

PRANCER

TREE

PRESENT

FUN

LOVE

HOLLY

HAPPY

By Emma Mair

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Lee Matske

Alana Vance