Writes Amanda South, Senior Librarian
The results of our new reader development challenge were finally revealed in Third Form assembly on Monday. Since November, the pupils have been choosing books from different genres, talking to the librarians about what they have read, and progressing along genres lines on their personal Reading Journey map, clocking up reading miles as they travelled. Double mile ‘upgrades’ were available for selecting graphic and verse novels, Classic and Historical Fiction, and genre crossover titles along each line. Between them, the pupils collected 5245 miles, and the librarians very much enjoyed hearing what they thought of the 750 books read and why they chose them. Stations on the Adventure and Thriller line were the most popular choices, and encouragingly family and peer recommendations were in evidence too. Non-fiction reading was not overlooked, with some budding historians and avid cricket and Formula 1 fans, and the Scholars shadowing the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize shortlist.
Certificates and small prizes were awarded for each genre line completed, as well as to those who travelled the furthest in each Form or clocked up 100 miles or more. Special edition book tokens were presented to the four top travelling pupils, with our winner Kyle K. (175 miles) and runner-up Deshan H. (150 miles) visiting every station on their Reading Journey map.
Competition was keen between the English classes with eyes on the Form Prize for highest total miles accumulated. Mrs Shockley’s 7HMP and Mr Wilson’s 7DMS continually swapped the lead throughout the challenge, but it was Mr Hilton-Dennis’s 7MSTH who pipped them both with a late post-half term surge.
Thank you to all the teachers for keeping their classes reading and well done to all the Third Form pupils for taking part and enriching their reading experience. We hope that this will just be the start of their literary journey at Taylors’.
