Reading for pleasure
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 Autumn Term 2:
Year 7
Windrush Child, by Benjamin Zephaniah
In this heart-stopping adventure, Benjamin Zephaniah shows us what it was like to be a child of the Windrush generation.
Year 8
Things a Bright Girl Can Do, by Sally Nicholls
Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote.
Year 9
Cane Warriors, by Alex Wheatle
Moa is fourteen. The only life he has ever known is toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation for endless hot days, fearing the vicious whips of the overseers. Then one night he learns of an uprising, led by the charismatic Tacky. Moa is to be a cane warrior, and fight for the freedom of all the enslaved people in the nearby plantations.
Year 10
And the Stars were Burning Brightly, by Danielle Jawando
An emotionally rich and current story of suicide, mental health, bullying, grief and growing up around social media.
Year 11
The Dark Lady, by Akala
A natural storyteller with a vision of his own, The Dark Lady, Akala’s debut novel for teens will enthuse and entertain teenagers and young adults, showing that reading is a true super-power.
