Welcome to our brand new half-termly reading newsletter!
Each half term, we will recommend books from a range of genres and styles. We will also feature a student recommendation from each key stage so please email Mrs C-T or Mrs Bartlett to offer some reading suggestions. We look forward to hearing about your summer holiday books!
Inspired by the true story of how the Grand Mosque of Paris saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II, Hiba Noor Khan weaves a breathtaking tale of suspense, compassion, and courage, starring an extraordinary young heroine readers will never forget. Safiyyah loathes the brutal Nazi occupation of Paris, even though her Muslim identity keeps her safe or, at least, safer than her Jewish neighbours. Violence lurks in the streets, her best friend has fled, and even her place of refuge the library has turned shadowy and confusing, as the invaders fear the power of books. Safiyyah longs to fight back and hates feeling powerless to help her Jewish friends. Worse yet, her father who taught her to always do the right thing is acting strangely and doing nothing to help them either. Or is he? Unravelling the mystery of her father’s odd behaviour draws Safiyyah deep in the heart of the perilous underground resistance to the Nazis, where her bravery is put to the ultimate test…
In Year 11 or the sixth form? Try out these shortlisted books below, now available in the library! Some of the most thought-provoking contemporary novels I’ve read in recent years are from the Women’s Prize for Fiction – titles include ‘Sorrow and Bliss’, ‘Exciting Times’, ‘Trespasses’, ‘Hamnet’, ‘No One is Talking About This’…The list goes on. I also have access to some digital packs to help you with these books and am currently reading ‘The Wren, The Wren’. The winner is revealed on June 13th!
Sixth Form book club, Book Chat: Wednesdays, fortnightly, in the library – 12.50. Mrs Cullen-Taylor
A powerfully real and funny new story from the rising queen of teen, about first kisses, learning to be true to yourself and how one click can last for ever... Amelia Bright wants to be the best at everything. But when it comes to popularity, she is dead last. No matter what she tries, she can't shake her reputation as a maggoty nobody. When she meets cute new boy Evan, Amelia wonders if he can help her lose her loser status. And in a moment of hope, she agrees to something she quickly regrets - something that goes viral at school. Now she's not just called "maggot", she's a "bad influence" - and worse. But Amelia's determined not to let one mistake define her...she's so much more than the image everyone sees online. Bad Influence Friendships
Social media Relationships
Clarry and her older brother Peter live for their summers in Cornwall, staying with their grandparents and running free with their charismatic cousin, Rupert. But normal life resumes each Septemberboarding school for Peter and Rupert, and a boring life for Clarry at home with her absent father, as the shadow of a terrible war looms ever closer. When Rupert goes off to fight at the front, Clarry feels their skylark summers are finally slipping away from them. Can their family survive this fearful war? The Skylarks’ War is a beautiful story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One, from the awardwinning Hilary McKay.
‘A wonderful novel... will stay with me for a long time.’ Elizabeth Laird
More than a hundred years ago, a boy named Samkad thinks he knows everything about the world. He knows the mountains he lives in. He knows his people. He knows his blood enemy, the Mangili. And he wants to become a man, to be given his own shield, spear and axe to fight with. His best friend, Luki, wants all the same things – but she is a girl, and no girl has ever become a warrior.
But everything changes when a new boy arrives in the village. He calls himself Samkad’s brother, yet he knows nothing of the ways of the mountain. And he brings news of a people called ‘Americans’, who are bringing war and destruction right to his home . .
A student who reads is a student who succeeds.
The Skylark’s War Historical Family Relationships
June 2024
Bone Talk Historical War Adventure
We love hearing about books you have read so let us know what book you think everyone should read, and why it is such an important text.
Keep a look out for our new reading ambassador roles in September, which will involve some really exciting opportunities to get involved with book-related events, including promoting reading choices to your peers in this newsletter. Watch this space! Our summaries are taken from the Goodreads website:
https://www.goodreads .com/
Check out the Empathy for Reading Collection 2024 in the library!
Some of the titles are below but there are also graphic novels, verse and non-fiction. Importantly, all align with our belief that books have the power to improve key empathy skills, and offer rich insights into other people’s feelings.
