READING NEWSLETTER
Issue No. 17 Christmas 2025
Welcome back to the St Cuthbert’s Reading Newsletter. In this festive edition, we are celebrating reading across the school as the year draws to a close. You will find a celebration of Sparx Reader success, our St Cuthbert’s Library Wrapped, and a selection of festive reading recommendations to enjoy over the holidays. As always, we have included contributions from staff and pupils, showcasing the brilliant reading culture at St Cuthbert’s.
Kindling a School-Wide Love of Reading with Sparx! What started as a small spark with Sparx Reader has quickly fanned into a full-on flame, igniting a genuine love of reading across the school. It has been fantastic to see so many boys across Key Stage 3 reading well beyond what has been set by their teachers, with the enthusiasm spreading from one reader to the next. We have seen boys blaze past key milestones, achieving 5,000 SRP (over 8 hours of reading), 10,000 SRP (over 16 hours), 15,000 SRP (25 hours), and an impressive 25,000 SRP (41 hours). These achievements represent real commitment and a growing enjoyment of reading for pleasure. A huge shout-out goes to Umar Mohamed Fouzer in Year 9, who truly set the bar alight with an outstanding 45,000 SRP this term - the equivalent of 75 hours of reading. Absolutely fantastic! All boys received a certificate to mark their achievements. Let us keep adding fuel to the fire and fanning this love of reading across the school.
That’s a wrap! This year, our readers were on repeat. With 6,312 books borrowed, the library was officially the most-visited venue in school. Jeff Kinney topped the charts as our most-borrowed author, proving that ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ is still a popular read. Action and Adventure dominated the genre playlists, while classics like ‘Harry Potter’ mixed seamlessly with graphic novel favourites such as ‘Amulet’. From laugh-out-loud Wimpy moments to magical re-reads, 2025 was a year of page-turners, plot twists, and no skipped chapters. Same time next year?
All Wrapped Up in a Good Book! This Christmas, we are inviting pupils to unwrap a book and unwrap a great story. Pupils can pick up a wrapped book to enjoy over the holidays and all they need to do is read it, write a short review, and return it when we are back at school. Everyone who takes part will receive a reward, with prizes up for grabs for standout reviews. Pupil Book Review
‘Wonder’ by R.J Palacio Reviewed by Zeeshan Ahmed, Year 7 "This book is about a boy called August Pullam who faces struggles, trials and tribulations due to his facial deformity. August is used to be home-schooled by his mum, but when he enters fifth grade at a new middle school, that's when the storyline gets really interesting! I really enjoyed this book, it brought giggles and tears. Now I'm going to watch the film."
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What is your favourite book and why? My favourite books are the Harry Potter series. I read them as a child, so they feel very nostalgic to me. I also enjoy the detail in the books, especially the etymology of some of the spells, such as Lumos, which comes from the Latin word for light. When and where do you most like to read? I most enjoy reading when I’m on holiday, particularly by the pool or on the beach. At home, I like reading in the garden when it’s sunny and peaceful. During this time of year, I like to read on my settee with my Christmas Tree lights on. . Why do you enjoy reading? I enjoy reading because I find it very relaxing. It helps me switch off and provides a welcome distraction from everyday worries and stresses. It also helps me to stop scrolling on my phone for too long.
What are you currently reading? I’m currently reading ‘The Cows’ by Dawn O’Porter. It explores themes of identity, social expectations, and mental health, particularly focusing on the pressures placed on women in modern society. One of the lines is "Sometimes it’s ok not to follow the herd.”
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.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS YEAR 7 The Great Reindeer Rescue by Stephen Mangan
Christmas Tales by Enid Blyton Nobody captures the spirit of Christmas like Enid Blyton, and in these stories, she describes the excitement of anticipating gifts, the pleasures of making special food, of singing carols, and coming together to share good times with friends and families. As ever with Blyton, there is mischief and mayhem but good always prevails in the end. It's the perfect gift for little readers this Christmas! These traditional tales are perfect for younger children being read to and for newly confident readers to read alone. All stories previously appeared in magazines and anthologies from the 40s and 60s. This collection contains the original texts and is unillustrated.
It's Christmas Eve and one of Santa's reindeers, Dave, is FED UP. He's stuck behind boastful Rudolph again and a fart-in-theface is the LAST STRAW. In the commotion, Santa crash lands on the roof of nine-yearold Holly’s home causing an almighty Christmas lights explosion that blasts the reindeers to far-flung corners of the Earth. It’s up to Dave and Holly to fly round the world to rescue all the reindeers. Can Holly and Dave get all the reindeers back to Santa to SAVE CHRISTMAS?
Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens
Father Christmas’s Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett
YEAR 8
It's Christmas, and the snow is falling in Cambridge, where the detective duo Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the festive period. But Hazel's hopes of relaxing amongst the beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms are dashed by the danger lurking in the dark stairwells of Maudlin College. Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident - until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place.
Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different? Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey. How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store or, was even, arrested for burglary!? Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again.
Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course).
YEAR9
A Very Curious Christmas by Maddie Moate
The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
Have you ever wondered why crackers go bang? Or where Christmas trees come from? Or why brussels sprouts make you fart?
Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans. When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.
Maddie Moate is here to answer these questions and many more! From how toys work to where gingerbread comes from. You'll explore the science behind fairy lights, snowflakes, reindeer knees AND holly leaves! And you'll discover how different people around the world celebrate the Christmas period, and the curious history behind festive traditions.
Blood Red Snow White By Marcus Sedgwick Set in the rich and atmospheric landscape of Russia during the revolution that sent shockwaves around the world, this is the partly true story of Arthur Ransome - a writer accused of being a spy. Fictionalising history and blending it with one man's real life, Marcus Sedgwick expertly crafts this innovative and stimulating novel of three parts - a fairy tale full of wise and foolish kings, princesses, wishes and magic; a bleak and threatening spy thriller, and a love story.
HavenFall By Sara Holand Maddie loves spending summers at her uncle's Inn at Havenfall. But the Inn is much more than a Maddie's safe haven, and life in Havenfall isn't without its secrets. Beneath the beautiful, sprawling manor in Colorado lie hidden gateways to other worlds, some long-sealed by ancient magic. When a body is found on the grounds, the volatile peace brokered between these worlds is irrevocably compromised. What's worse is that Maddie's friend Brekken stands accused of the murder. With everything she loves at stake, Maddie must confront shocking truths about the dangers lurking beneath Havenfall - and discover who she really is.
“Reading is the foundation of a successful life - the key to unlocking potential, strengthening social cohesion, enhancing wellbeing and boosting skills.” Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, 2025
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