Welcome to the reading page!

 

World Book Day 2024

The focus of this year's World Book Day event was ‘reading for pleasure’. Did you know that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success? More than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.

World Book Day defines Reading for Pleasure as:

Feeling sense of satisfaction or pleasure by engaging with chosen reading material in their free time.

We were very pleased to see the children sharing their favourite books with their friends and peers, and were excited about the engaging conversations that came out of this. The children loved sharing their favourite parts, and explaining what made their chosen book special.

Another wonderful aspect of this year’s celebration was the visit from the children’s author Ann Bryant. Ann lead a special, interactive assembly for each phase in the school, focussed around one of her music-inspired books, and met the children in an after-school book signing.

 

WBD 2024

 

Hook a book

To continue our drive to promote reading for pleasure, in term 5 we will be introducing ‘hook a book’, a book swap box for everyone to enjoy! At both sites, a collection box will be placed in reception for book donations of good-quality children’s books that have been grown out of or are no longer wanted. These will be available for others to take and keep. We teachers love our staff-room book-swap box, and we hope that you will too!

 

Book Reviews   

Have you heard of Toppsta? Toppsta.com was set up by a mum to help children recommend books to each other. With no photos, no forums and no real names, it provides a space where children can give their opinion. It has over 100,000 reviews from young reviewers, parents and teachers. Parents can set up a free profile and enter book giveaways on behalf of their children. There are usually more than 10 copies of each book to win.

Children's Book Reviews | Toppsta                                         

Still not sure what to read next? Find out which books our staff love. 

Mrs Harris - Ladybirds teacher

        

‘I recently enjoyed Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray. It's a mysterious fantasy adventure that opens with a whale marooned on a city church roof. It's fast-paced and is full of jaw-dropping twists and turns. There are some chilling moments that literally sent shivers down my spine! I would recommend this book for children in years 5 and 6. Read this if you like His Dark Materials or Brightstorm.’

Orphans of the Tide is available to borrow on the free library app 'Libby'.

 

                                       

If you have been in my class, then you will know that I love Science. I am also very fond of cats. So, when I discovered the book Cats React to Science Facts by Izzi Howell, I was thrilled. This book is jam-packed with interesting facts from key Science topics, such as the human body, materials and astronomy. There are also cats... LOTS of cats! On each page, a furry friend measures the facts on a 'react-o-meter' to decide if they are Wow! Or Gross! Or Mind-Blowing! With bright and bold images, hilarious jokes and puns, and cute kitties throughout, this is a great book for any age, but I particularly recommend it for children in Years 1-3. 

 

Mr Wardroper - Year 6 teacher

      

 'As a lover of action and adventure, the Alex Rider books from Anthony Horowitz are the perfect reads for me. There are a number of books in the Alex Rider series, and all of them are fantastic; I started with ‘Stormbreaker’ and worked through the series chronologically. However, you can pick up and read them in any order. In Stormbreaker, main character Alex is a schoolboy who is suddenly thrust into a life of danger, thrills and espionage when he realises that his family aren’t quite as normal as he thought. Horowitz magnificently describes Alex’s emotional journey as he transforms from “every-day-kid” to the next James Bond. I recommend this book for year 5 and 6 readers who enjoy action and adventure.'

The Alex Rider series is available to borrow on the free library app 'Libby'.

 

Mrs Stephen - Year 5 teacher

  

 

'The main character in this book is called Hector who makes unfortunate choices most of the time. He’s got so little understanding of the world that he has no sympathy for a local homeless man called Thomas (who is taking up space in the park, and sleeping on a bench that Hector would like to sit on!).

When a spate of London landmark sculptures are suddenly stolen, including Paddington Bear and the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus, Hector is convinced the crimes have been carried out by homeless people led by Thomas – but not long after he reports Thomas to the police, he realises that he's got it horribly wrong. Hector then has to undertake a race against time to make sure that justice is done.

This book really made me think about the real human beings whose lives are impacted by homelessness - and about the power of kindness, friendship, and empathy. By the end of the book, Hector shows us how everyone has the potential to change for the better. This is a gripping tale with a strong moral at its heart and I found learning about the homeless code absolutely fascinating. Although it started off a bit slowly, once it got going, I didn’t want to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book, which is most suited to children in Years 5 & 6.'

 

        

 

 Click below to see which books The Reader Teacher is excited about this month.

//www.youtube.com/embed/3eueJH8MXnw#t=0.5

 

David Keyte: Teacher & Book Vlogger - YouTube

 

Click here for age appropriate book recommendations.