READING NEWSLETTER
Welcome to our Easter edition of the St Cuthbert’s Reading Newsletter. We hosted our very first St C Festival this half term and so we have lots to update you with!
World Book Day? That is so last year. This year, St Cuthbert’s held their first Reading Festival which turned World Book Day into World Book Week. Bustling and energetic, the Reading Festival generated a lot of buzz from the boys who moved between author visits, book bistros, escape rooms, and treasure hunts.
They put their book and library knowledge to the test and Year 10 were our champions, who escaped with a time of 17 minutes and 58 seconds.
Beginning the week with our “opening act”, author Ross Welford gave a magical talk to pupils in Year 7 and Year 8, exploring the Science Fiction Genre. Our “closing act” featured author, H.F. Askwith, who ran a creative writing workshop with pupils from Year 9, which focused on creative writing and the publishing process.
Reading festival!
During the week, a curse befell the library, as it became the setting of our literary escape room, locking pupils and students inside if they failed to find the clues and riddles. A year group team was assembled from Years 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12, and their aim was to escape in the quickest time.
Also, at lunch time across the week, departments volunteered their time to host a ‘Book Bistro’. A reading cafe that pupils and students could pop to, the boys eagerly engaged to learn about books linked to different subject areas and enjoy some tasty snacks in the process! Mr Knowles, Head of Maths, held a very informative book bistro that engaged boys in books linked to Maths. Miss Charlton, Geography, planned a bistro around the text ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, while English turned Upper Volta into ‘Voltarium’, a fictional setting to explore the Fantasy genre. Mrs Carter in Computer Science hosted a very cozy book bistro, and Miss Peacock, in RE, had a wide range of games to explore ethics books. Miss Seymour, in History, had a lot of historical-fiction books borrowed in the History Book Bistro too! A great success all round.
WELCOME TO VOLTARIUM!
On World Book Day, The English Department, led by the creativity of Miss Mann and Miss Cunningham, transformed their corridor, Upper Volta, into Voltarium, a fantasy land to celebrate the fantasy genre. Dressed up as elves, pixies, and witches the staff hosted over 150 boys in activities such as: rune translation; pin the teeth on the dragon; map making; create your own elf ears and origami fairies; and testing magic potions. A truly spellbinding experience!
Pupil Book Reviews
Johann Joshy, Year 9
Run Wild by Gill Lewis
When Izzy's younger brother sees a wolf, Asha wants to call animal control but Izzy sees that the wolf is injured. The group work to help the wolf avoiding the skatepark gang known as the 'skull brothers. I liked this book because it shows how kind some people can be even at dangerous times.
Darryl Mathew, Year 8
Chill by Alex Nye
This is a great story about a ghost and two children who find out the ghost's story. The children try to put it's soul to rest after it put a curse on the Morton family. An entertaining and at times chilling story.
AninterviewwithMrsDuggan,HigherLevelTeachingAssistant
What is your favourite book and why?
‘Little Bird of Auschwitz; How my mother escaped death and found our family’ by Jacques Peretti and Alina Peretti.
When and where do you most like to read?
I prefer to read outside in the garden when the family are sleeping.
Why do you enjoy reading?
I enjoy reading for various reasons, escapism from the toils of daily life and to understand how people survived during and after World War Two.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading ‘Cilka's Journey’ by Heather Morris. The seq to ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’
BOOKRECOMMENDATIONS
YEAR7
Peter Brown
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose isbut she knows she needs to survive
After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home - until, one day, her mysterious past comes back to haunt her
The Explorer
by Katherine Rundell
AFrom his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries If only he could land and look about him
As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small Except, it seems, someone has been there before them
YEAR9
Green Rising
by Lauren James
Balen
After a devastating car crash, Annie is unable to play her flute and retreats from the music she's always loved
She exists in a world of angry silence – furious with her mum and furious she can't seem to play her beloved flute any more Then she meets Noah who shows her the blackbirds' nest hidden in the scrubland near their flats
As their friendship grows, the blackbird's glorious song reignites Annie's passion for music But when tragedy strikes again, will her fragile progress be put at risk?
Mary Lennox, a sickly ten year old girl, adrift in the world after both her mother and father die is sent to Yorkshire to live with an uncle whom she has never met, at his isolated house, Misselthwaite Manor Initially Mary is seen as a rude, aggressive and selfish child But now the scene is set for her transformation and the introduction of the author’s engaging theme of rejuvenation and renewal In exploring the grounds Mary finds the key to the locked garden which is neglected and overrun with weeds She sets her mind to bringing it back to life In doing so, Mary finds a purpose and an excitement in her lonely existence However, apart from the garden, there are other secrets to be revealed at Misselthwaite Manor such as the strange cries in the night and the identity of Colin, a disabled boy, whom she discovers in the hidden bedroom
SIn a climate catastrophe resistance is taking root Gabrielle is a climate-change activist who shoots to fame when she becomes the first teenager to display a supernatural ability to grow plants from her skin Hester is the millionaire daughter of an oil tycoon and the face of the family business Theo comes from a long line of fishermen, but his parents are struggling to make ends meet
On the face of it, the three have very little in common Yet when Hester and Theo join Gabrielle and legions of other teenagers around the world in developing the strange new "Greenfingers" power, it becomes clear that to use their ability for good, they'll need to learn to work together
By Melinda Salisbury
Her Dark Wings is a modern-day take on the Persephone myth, infused with the intense potency of teenage passions The richness of Greek myth is vividly brought to life by the immediacy and originality of a fiery contemporary drama And iconic mythic figures crackle and change as a modern girl fills the Underworld with new life Exploring the thin line between love and hate, obsession and attraction, friendship and betrayal, this is a breathless and bold story, beautifully told by an exceptional writer It's about a girl who realises what she wants and in getting it brings soul to a stagnant world and change to an unyielding god It's about life - and hope - blooming in the unlikeliest of places It's about being brave enough to release your wings
YEAR8
One terrible morning Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong
But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal And looming over all is the infuriating arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan
Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world brimful of magic and romance
By Nicola Yoon
Maddy is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her But then Olly moves in next door And just like that, Maddy realizes there's more to life than just being alive You only get one chance at first love And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads
Children's reading rates have plummeted to lowest since records began (November, 2024). National Literacy Trust
The Wild Robot by
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Her Dark Wings
Everything, Everything
Birdsong by Katya
