Reading for pleasure, Spring 1 Reading List 2023
Reading is not just something that children should do in school, it needs to be an everyday part of our lives and something we choose to do at all ages. There are plenty of benefits for those who enjoy curling up with a book. A report carried out for The Reading Agency revealed convincing evidence that reading for pleasure can increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing throughout life. Research has also shown that students who read more show greater language and literacy development. The study by academics at the Institute of Education, part of the University of London, found that reading had the strongest effect on vocabulary development but the impact on maths and spelling was also significant.
How can you help?
We would encourage you as parents/carers to help your child to find a book to read at home. To aid you with this each half-term we will be recommending a book that will be available from our school library for your child to borrow. These books have been carefully selected but there are lots of other great books to choose from in the library. See below our recommended books for Spring Term 1:
Year 7
Where the River Runs Gold, by Sita Bramachari
Inspired by current environmental concerns and set in a caste-divided, dystopian world, ‘Where the River Runs Gold’ is an adventure built on the enduring hope of a better, fairer future.
Year 8
Amina’s Song, by Hena Khan
It’s the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of it. The food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family—all of it holds a special place in Amina’s heart. Now that the school year is starting again, she’s sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale.
Year 9
Leah on the OffBeat, by Becky Albertalli
Leah Burke, girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – takes centre stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.
Year 10
Wranglestone, by Darren Charlton
In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.
Year 11
Splinters of Sunshine, by Patrice Lawrence
From the multi-award-winning author of Orangeboy, comes a YA road-trip mystery. After a fun Christmas Eve decorating the tree and singing along with his mum to Queen, fifteen-year-old Spey wakes up on Christmas morning to find the ex-prisoner father he’s never met asleep on the sofa.
