Recommended Reading
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Books of the Term
Book-Recommendations (ID 1017)
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Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsSpring 1
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Book of the half term:
Spring 1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love. -
Pig Heart Boy by Malorie BlackmanSpring 2
Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman
Spring 2: Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman:
Cameron desperately needs a new heart when he is offered the opportunity to take part in a radical and controversial experiment involving the transplant of a pig's heart. While Cameron soon comes to terms with the idea, he finds the world around him less accepting. A powerful and thought-provoking read.
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Refugee Boy by Benjamin ZephaniahSummer 1
Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Summer 1: Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Alem is on holiday with his father for a few days in London. He has never been out of Ethiopia before and is very excited. They have a great few days together until one morning when Alem wakes up in the bed and breakfast they are staying at to find the unthinkable. His father has left him. It is only when the owner of the bed and breakfast hands him a letter that Alem is given an explanation. Alem's father admits that because of the political problems in Ethiopia both he and Alem's mother felt Alem would be safer in London - even though it is breaking their hearts to do this. Alem is now on his own, in the hands of the social services and the Refugee Council. He lives from letter to letter, waiting to hear from his father, and in particular about his mother, who has now gone missing... A powerful, gripping new novel from the popular Benjamin Zephaniah.
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I, Ada by Julia GraySummer 2
I, Ada by Julia Gray
Summer 2: I, Ida by Julia Gray:
Ada Byron is rich and clever, but she longs to be free. Free to explore all the amazing ideas that come to her imagination, like flying mechanical horses and stories inspired by her travels. Free to find love and passion beyond the watchful gaze of her mother and governesses. And free to learn the full truth about her father, the notorious Lord Byron. Then Ada meets a man whose invention might just change the world – and he needs her visionary brilliance to bring it to life . . .
World Book Day
World Book Day takes place on Thursday, 6th March 2025. World Book Day tokens will be available for students to collect and use to get a free £1 book. See the link below for this year's selection.
https://www.worldbookday.com/books-and-tokens/books/
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World Book Day's £1 books tokens can be used to get any of these £1 books for free, or used for a £1 discount off any book. |
This year, the theme is Read Your Way to empower children and young people to have fun discovering reading on their own terms.
Year 7 and Year 8 Form Reading
Every week, students in Year 7 and Year 8 participate in form time reading during two form time sessions.
Once every half term, form time reading is replaced with Scholars' Week. During Scholars' Week, Y7 and Y8 forms read high quality non-fiction texts which are based on topics such as Holocaust Memorial, International Women's Day, World Red Cross Day and World Day Against Child Labour. Reading and oracy activities accompany these resources.
Each Year 7 and Year 8 form also has a reading for pleasure session in the library on a rota basis (see schedule below).
Library
The library is open every lunchtime for quiet reading and study. It contains a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction books for students in all year groups to enjoy. Revision guides are also available to support students in Years 10 and 11 with their studies. To help students find books that they will enjoy reading, our stock is organised by author and genre. In addition, we have a specific area for older readers containing young adult fiction. There is also a dyslexia-friendly section.
The library houses a book vending machine, which operates as part of the school's rewards system.
A staff and student book club runs on a half-termly basis and is open to all students. Members of the book club select a book of their choice from library stock. They then attend a book club meeting during the final week of each half term where they discuss their chosen book(s). Students participating in book club are encouraged to write a review of their chosen book. Their reviews are displayed in the library for other students to read.
After school, the library acts as a safe space.
Top Borrowers
Top Student borrowers