The Reading Year 2012 - part two

I've been having another look through my reading diary for this year. This is not a list of newly published books, nor are all of these available in the school library (obviously!), just what I would highlight from the last three months of my own reading. So, we are halfway through the year and these are my favourites from the last three months.


Batpants is a laugh out loud adventure story from Jeremy Strong.  With a father who trains animals for film and TV shows and a mother who is a stuntwoman, life is never dull for these three children.  Just this once, they get to go onto the set for their mother's latest film.  Things are not going well, after a couple of near accidents, it looks like someone is trying to kill Mum!

A Villain's Night Out by Margaret Mahy starts with the notion that since the teachers have spent the library bookfund on coffee (!) it is up to the children to write some new books for the school library. Enter Squidgy Moot, a truly evil character looking for a story - and his little sister, and one of the best game designers in the business.  Very funny story about what happens when characters get away from their authors.

The Voyage of the Arctic Tern by Hugh Montgomery is an unusual novel in verse which I would never have picked up had it not been for the Primary Seven Reading Challenge, and the recommendation by a pupil. Told from several points of view, in three different metrical forms it is an extremely accomplished piece of work. It has everything - pirates, ghosts, mystery, murder, adventure, a tale of revenge and restitution taking place over centuries. Wonderfully atmospheric, spooky tale of the sea. I read the beginning aloud to P6 and they loved it too.

The Mourning Emporium by Michelle Lovric has been on my to-be-read pile for ages, and I have finally got round to it, having first re-read The Undrowned Child. Another atmospheric story based in Venice and at sea, finishing up in the River Thames. English mermaids are nothing like as feisty as their Venetian counterparts, tending towards fainting rather than action in a crisis. Once again it is up to Teodora and Renzo to fulfill the prophecy and save both Venice and London as Queen Victoria lies dying in Osborne House. Thrilling stuff, with a truly evil set of villains attempting to change the course of history.

Oliver Jeffers has been high on our list of favourite picture book authors for a while now. His latest, The Hueys in The New Jumper is a gem. A brilliant read-aloud for all ages, it has been enjoyed by nearly everyone from P1 to P7 this term - pupils and staff! All the Hueys look, think and act the same, until Rupert knits himself a new jumper. What will the other Hueys think?

I regularly turn to Jane Austen when I need a comfort read. This time it has been Mansfield Park to get me through to the end of term.


How has your reading year been so far? I have a large pile of books I have been saving for the summer holidays - bliss.

Summer Reading Challenge 2012

This year the Public Libraries Summer Reading Challenge is called Story Lab. If you register at your local library, you will be able to join the Reading Challenge. Read 6 books over the summer holidays, collect your own record card and add stickers as you read. You can read whatever books you like - some libraries may have special displays of titles to choose from. 

Your local public library will be running events to fit in with this years theme. There is more information on the website here http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/ The website also has book lists and ideas for crafty things to do on the Story Lab theme. Everyone who completes the challenge will recieve a certificate, and other goodies depending on the library authority.

For the competitive people among you, completed Summer Reading Challenge certificates could well be worth a Bonus Point in a school library near you! Have fun and enjoy your summer reading.

End of Year Book Returns - Update

Well done to everyone who managed to get their books back to the library on time. Thank you all very much - it will make things much easier at the beginning of next term.

We still have 123 books out on loan to pupils. If you find anything when clearing out over the summer, please remember to bring the books back in August.

Congratulations to P1D and P5M, the only classes who have a perfect returns record - well done!

Primary Seven Olympic Reading Challenge 2012 - The Final!

Congratulations to everyone who has finished the Primary Seven Olympic Reading Challenge! The challenge was to read 11 books from 11 different genres within a set time period. All the titles read had to be new to the readers - no re-reads were allowed. An amazing 54 Primary 7 pupils have completed the challenge this year - a brilliant result. Very well done to everyone, we are so proud of you!


I have been reading along with all the Primary Seven children, managing to complete the last bit of genre reading at the beginning of May. To give readers of our blog an idea of what the P7 pupils have been reading, here is my list of titles and genres as an example. This year, I decided not to read a sports fiction title.

Diamonds Are For Evil by Andrew Fusek Peters, Adventure Stories
The Deadly Fire by Cora Harrison, Historical Stories
Jane Austen: a life by Claire Tomalin, Biography
Skellig by David Almond, Classic Stories
The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong, Animal Stories
Switchers by Kate Thompson, Fantasy Stories
Secret of the Shadows by Cathy MacPhail, Horror Stories
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, Picture Book
The Voyage of the Arctic Tern by Hugh Montgomery, Poetry
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, Myths and Legends
Far Rockaway by Charlie Fletcher, My own choice of genre

The certificates look like this one.

End of Year Book Returns

It's that time of year again!

We are trying to tidy up the library and track down all the books that have been borrowed over the course of the year. 

Please could everyone bring back their books to the school library as soon as possible.  Each teacher has a list of people who still have books out on loan.  Everyone with a book out has been given a printed slip to take home with the book title on it. Have a good look at home and bring back everything you find that belongs to school.  If you cannot find a book, please come to the library and tell us, and we will check here again to see if it has been returned.

When we started, there were 313 books out to pupils in P1 to P7.  On Friday 15th June, there were 236 books still out on loan.

Let's try and get everything back by the end of term!

Authors Live - Oliver Jeffers

The next Scottish Book Trust Authors Live webcast is at 11.00am on Thursday 14 June 2012 and features Oliver Jeffers, one of our favourite picture book authors!  Oliver is the author of a number of well-loved books for children including The Incredible Book-Eating Boy, Lost and Found and Up and Down.

The webcast is aimed at P1-P3 children but will be enjoyed by everyone.  Oliver Jeffers was the featured author in the picture book category for this year's Primary Seven Reading Challenge.  In the library, most classes have read Stuck or The Hueys in The New Jumper.

To watch the live webcast, or watch later on-line go to www.bbc.co.uk/authorslive 



The Scottish Book Trust has more information here www.scottishbooktrust.com  

Oliver's own website can be found at www.oliverjeffers.com/picture-books 

More Things to Look Out For

Some more authors we know and love have been busy this year!


Lari Don's new novel Maze Running and other Magical Missions is due to be published really soon - on June 7th.  Everyone who enjoyed the last one, Storm Singing and other Tangled Tasks, will be looking forward to this one too.

Lauren St John has the third Laura Marlin Mystery being published in August, called  Kentucky Thriller. The second in the series, Kidnap in the Caribbean is due out in paperback in July.

Fans of Hugless Douglas will know his latest adventure Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleep will be out in paperback in October. Here is a very early warning of the next Douglas story We Love You, Hugless Douglas, which will be available in January 2013. David Melling has been very busy indeed!

Joan Lennon has the third Slightly Jones Mystery called The Case of the Cambridge Mummy being published in July.  Slightly Jones has solved mysteries in London and Glasgow, now she has to investigate in the city of Cambridge, where a priceless mummy has gone missing.

The Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan's third Heroes of Olympus novel, is out in October. As the quest moves forward, who will be the seventh hero to join Percy, Jason and the other demi-gods?  There are lots of Percy Jackson fans who will be eagerly awaiting this book.


Lots of new books to look forward to, I shall definitely have to save up some book money!