READING NEWSLETTER
Welcome to our latest edition of the St Cuthbert’s Reading Newsletter. In this issue, we continue to reflect and update you on how we have promoted and celebrated reading last half term and hear from book-loving pupils, students, and staff.
World book day
March 7th marked World Book Day and, as has become the custom here at St Cuthbert’s, staff from across the school dressed up to celebrate. From Mowdor to Oz, staff were creative in their costumes, prompting lots of discussion (and laughs) from pupils and students. Books were a real talking point throughout the day.
The Dining Room staff were great sports too. Decorating the dining hall in a Jungle Book theme, they served appropriately titled foods, such as “Jungle Stew” and “Mud Pie Cookies.”
Pupils in Years 7-10 also took part in a five-round book-themed quiz throughout the day. The favourite round was the one where teachers were disguised behind the literary Snapchat filters and pupils guessed who the teacher was from the image.
Issue No. 7 Easter 2024
SPRING INTO A STORY...
Did you know that it only takes ten minutes of reading each day in order to reap the benefits?
We are challenging you to read at least ten minutes every day. Pick up a tracking sheet from the library to track your progress and get your parents or carers to sign this sheet Bring it back and receive an Easter treat!
Book recommendations from Issac Olukanni, Year 10 pupil, and Zayed Miah, Year 9 pupil
Issac Olukanni (Year 10)
‘Ender's Game’ byOrson Scott Card
“The storyline for Ender's Game is veryinteresting and goes a long way to show just how impactful ‘simple’ and ‘small’ actions can be A book for fans of science fiction."
Zayed Miah (Year 9)
‘The Inheritance Games’ byJennifer Lynn Barnes
"This is a book about a girl who inherits billions of dollars from a complete stranger This leads the family of the deceased billionaire in search of answers to find out why and to take back what they think is theirs A storyfilled with intrigue, puzzles, and deception."
An interview withMrs Gundlach, Deputy Head
Whatisyourfavouritebookandwhy?
Myfavouritebookis'LittleWomen'byLouisaMayAlcott.ItisthefirstbookwhereIrememberbeingtransportedtoanother world,butoneIcouldrelateto.Thenovelexplorestimelessthemeslikefamilylove,findingyourpurpose,followingyour dreams,andtheimportanceofinnerstrength.ReadingthiswhenIwasyounger,itreallyspoketome.
Whenandwheredoyoumostliketoread?
.
IlovetoreadanytimebutIparticularlyliketoreadbeforegoingtosleep.Ialsolovetoreadwhenweareonschoolholidays,I thinkbecauseIhaveabitmoretimesocanfinishabookquickly.
Whydoyouenjoyreading?
WhenIwasyounger,Iusedtoreadasaformofescapism,itwasawaytoenteradifferentworld.Ireallydidn'treadnon- fiction.NowIammuchmorelikelytoreadnon-fictionandbooksthatarerelatedtoteaching.I nowrealisehowimportant readingis,it'sawayofbuildingknowledgewithoutevenknowingit.Itsomethingthatyoucandoanywhere,onthebus,ina cafe,onyourlunchbreak..
Whatareyoucurrentlyreading?
I'mcurrentlyreadingtwobooks'Belonging'byOwenEastwood.Owenhasworkedwithsomeoftheworld'stopsportsclubs tobuildteamsandheshareswhyit'simportanttohaveasenseofbelonging.Mysecondbookisacompleteeasyreadcalled'I RememberParis'byLucyDiamond,IpickeditupwhenIwentshoppingattheweekend.It'sreallyeasytoread,soagoodone toreadtoswitchoffattheendoftheday.
How can you support your son's reading at home?
Watch a film version and then read the book
Ask questions about the book your son has taken out of the library
Use the words of the week around the home
Allocate at least 20 minutes each evening to reading (maybe just before bed)
Read aloud with/to your son
Listen to audiobooks with your son
Encourage your son to take out audiobooks from our e-library
BOOKRECOMMENDATIONS
YEAR7
Hercules by Tom Vaughn
If Hercules Braver is going to survive his new secondary school, he has to live up to his name, fast He needs to become strong and tanned and popular, like a Greek hero
Not weak and pale and unpopular, like a Greek yoghurt
But his bid for popularity ends up saddling him with a set of impossible tasks like cleaning out the monster-riddled school pond, facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster's missing cat
Then Herc's charming, impressive birth dad turns up after years living in Greece, and Hercules thinks his problems are solved With God-like strength and awe-inspiring powers, could his dad even be the real Zeus?!And will Hercules learn what it truly means to be a hero?
The Boy Who Fell From The Sky
by Benjamin Dean
Twelve-year-old Zed has always been fascinated by the Demons that fall from the sky His whole life his dad has worked as a Hunter, tasked with eliminating Demons once and for all, and Zed hopes to one day follow in his footsteps But then one night Spark appears and disrupts everything Zed thought he knew Because this Demon is nothing like the myths – he’s a frightened boy, no older than Zed, who wants to go back home
Can Zed stand up for what’s right, even if it means going against his own family?
YEAR9
Crossing the Line
by Tia Fisher
Erik's life has been falling apart ever since his dad died Homework and being good at school stop feeling important when you're the new man of the house When Erik's bad behaviour attracts the wrong crowd, he's sucked into a terrifying new world of drug dealing, trap houses and violence
Making money feels good but Erik soon learns that a small favour can become a huge debt
And when his sisters' lives are threatened Erik will have to cross one more line to save them
Every Exquisite Thing
by Laura Steven
When Penny’s new mentor offers her an opportunity she cannot refuse to have a portrait painted by a mysterious artist who can grant immortal beauty to all his subjects Penny happily agrees But when her trusted mentor is found murdered Penny realises she’s made a terrible mistake – a sinister someone is using the uncanny portraits to kill off the subjects one by one As more perfectly beautiful students start to fall Penny knows her time is running out !
The Clockwork Conspiracy
by Sam Sedgman
Aspiring inventor Isaac Turner lives with his dad, the Chief Horologist in charge of Big Ben But when his father vanishes from the belfry on the night the clocks go back, leaving behind only a smashed pocket watch and a cryptic message, Isaac determines to find him
Hunting a trail of clues through London’s landmarks Isaac uncovers a sinister plot in the gears of government and embarks on a race against time to save his father – and time itself
A locked-room mystery packed with rooftop chases hidden codes and mind-bending science
YEAR8
The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Rediscover the hit sensation novel, The City of Ember reimagined as a graphic novel Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival It worked - but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all - the lights are failing Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness-
But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?
The Door of no Return
by Kwame Alexander
Seven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets He has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta West Africa where he lives He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming But when the unthinkable – a sudden death – occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea and away from everything he loves Yet Kofi’s dreams may be the key to his freedom
KS4
Steady for This
By Nathanael Lessore
Shaun (aka MC Growls) is ready to drop his best bars and smash the competition at Raptology That way he's convinced Tanisha his crush will finally give him a chance
But when a livestream practice goes epically wrong, Growls's dirty laundry is literally exposed He's finally achieved his dreams of going viral - not in the good way
Now Tanisha won't look at him, he's the joke of the school and there's no way he can show his face at the competition Will he ever catch a break?
Then a new girl on the block appears who might be just the friend Growls needs Especially when she points out that Raptology could be the answer to his problems after all
Boys who do not enjoy reading are more likely to say they enjoy listening to audiobooks
Of those who listen to audiobooks, 2 in 5 young people said that listening to an audiobook has got them interested in reading books (National Literacy Trust, 2021)
A modern Dorian Gray Penny Paxton’s supermodel mother has legions of adoring fans around the world and Penny is ready to begin her journey to international adoration starting with joining the elite Dorian Drama School
