St Chris- Reading Newsletter- Autumn Term 2025 PDF- Share
READING NEWSLETTER READING
Step 1: Ask to Share
Invite your child to tell you about what they’re
Step 2: Talk Together
Use a couple of simple questions to create thought and discussion:
“What’s the most interesting or surprising part so far?”
“How do you feel about that character?”
“What do you think might happen next?”
“What’s one thing the writer wants you to think or feel?”
Step 3: Encourage Reflection
End with a positive comment about ideas even a short chat builds confidence, vocabulary, and deeper understanding
�� Tip: You don’t need to have read the book yourself showing curiosity is what counts!
Recommendations
Right from Wrong: My Story of Guild and Redemption
by Jacob Dunne
A powerful story about hope, humanity, and the possibility of change
In 2011 Jacob Dunne threw a single punch that ended another man ’ s life
Sentenced to prison for manslaughter, he served fourteen months of a custodial sentence On his release, he found himself homeless, unemployed and struggling to find a sense of purpose But with the help of others, and with the encouragement of his victim’s parents, he managed to get his life back on track
bitha Bennett
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa, Alison Watts
Sentaro, a heavy drinker with a criminal past and a forgotten dream of writing, spends his days running a small dorayaki shop
Then Tokue arrives an elderly woman with damaged hands and a troubled history whose sweet bean paste is unmatched Their unlikely friendship flourishes, but when her secret emerges, they must find the strength to face the consequences
The Testaments by Margaret
Atwood
When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death
With The Testaments, the wait is over
Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead
READING NEWSLETTER READING
December 2025
Spotlight on Student Writing CREATIVE WRITING
Matthew from III Group has produced an outstanding fictional narrative for his English project.
�� Project Brief:
Students were challenged to create a Gothic-inspired creative piece drawing on the atmosphere, themes, or symbolism of Lord of the Flies
Their writing explored ideas such as darkness, fear, isolation, savagery, madness, and the supernatural all key elements of both Gothic literature and Golding’s novel
Here is the opening to Matthew’s story a chilling scene that captures the spirit of tense storytelling brilliantly
Shaking, he held the knife before it We watched on in horror, unable to remove our gaze from Jake’s poor attempt at bravery The hunter didn’t smile Didn’t show emotion The afternoon sunlight highlighted the beads of sweat dripping down Jake’s forehead
AUTHOR : CRESSIDA COWELL
“GET BACK!” he screamed, on the verge of tears He scurried backwards The hunter took two steps forward Its gloved hands grabbed the neck of Jake’s shirt, lifting him from the ground Jake’s struggling was useless The hunter’s dagger was poised above him His eyes were like none I had seen before, filled with desperation and fear Fear like no fear in this world
I stared across at the smoke that billowed from the burning forest The previously vibrant and green leaves were nothing but ash The cacophony of wildlife that reverberated around the forest had died out Sam and Jake had done it They promised it wouldn’t happen, but I guess that ‘promise’ was completely void of truth William sat beside me, and I wondered if his thoughts and mine were similar
⚠ Content Note:
Matthew’s story contains intense scenes of fear and violence in keeping with genre and the dark themes of Lord of the Flies It may not be suitable for younger or sensitive readers
If you’d like to read the full story and see how Matthew develops his chilling Gothic world, you can find it here:
READING NEWSLETTER READING NEWSLETTER
We are proud of all of our students and their reading progress.
We wanted to share some highlights from SeptemberDecember which our KS3 students achieved...
