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The Library

WELCOME TO OUR LIBRARY

Welcome to the library. This is a space for pupils to gather quietly, read, play chess and complete homework.

  • We have a fantastic selection of books, including many critically acclaimed and prize-winning novels.
  • The librarian, Ms McCarthy, is eager to match the right book for each pupil, and is a keen supporter of the right to read for pleasure. 
  • All pupils are members of the library and can borrow books for a period of 10 days. Year 7 pupils will also borrow a book to be read in their English lessons. 

 Our library was opened by Newport-born poet Connor Allen,
former children’s Laureate of Wales. The library has been named the Connor Allen Library in his honour.

Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2025
The Carnegie Medal is awarded every year for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. 

Here is the librarian's favourite book from the recently released shortlist. 

 

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow

A touching verse novel about a boy's transition to Year 6 and the changes he has to accept. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel, which is set in Year 7.

For Younger Readers:

  • King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore
  • The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow
  • The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss

For Older Readers*:

  • Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan
  • Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
  • Play by Luke Palmer
  • All That it Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri
  • Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain

* May contain adult language and themes
World Book Day 2025
Read Your Way : Thursday 6th March

Every pupil will receive a World Book Day voucher from their form tutor. The voucher can be used in bookshops and supermarkets in exchange for a £1 World Book Day book, or to get £1 off the price of any book costing £2.99 or more. 

Take a look inside the 2025 £1/€1.50 books! - World Book Day
Some of the £1 books are now available in the library  

LIBRARY NEWS

 
Reading For Hope
2025 is the Catholic Jubilee. The theme is Pilgrims of Hope.
Here are some wonderful books with a hopeful theme.
  • Hope by Rhian Ivory
  • Saving Celeste by Timothée de Fombelle
  • A Good Day for Climbing Trees by Jaco Jacobs
  • No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton

How to encourage reading...

Reading for 20 minutes a day has many benefits for children and young adults, including reducing stress, improving educational outcomes in Maths and English, and helping develop empathy.

It doesn’t matter if it is comics, novels, non-fiction, menus or instruction manuals … this is ALL reading. Reading from a screen, listening to an audiobook and being read to, all have huge benefits for children. If you read with your children, ask them if they understand what the words mean, teach them how to look up words in a dictionary and put new words into context by putting them into a sentence. All of these little things will help with understanding what is being read.

There are several places you can gain access to books, aside from visiting your own local library.

Local Library LoveReading4Kids Booktrust
  • If you are a member of your local library, BorrowBox is a free service offering e-books and AudioBooks which can be read or listened to on phones, tablets or other devices.
  • If you would like to read the first chapters of a book, sign up to the LoveReading4Kids website where many of the books have downloadable extracts.
  • If you like to read reviews, try the Booktrust website, where you can search for books by age, genre or theme.

Remember:
All pupils are members of the library and can borrow books for a period of 10 days. Please encourage your children to visit the library and borrow a book to read for pleasure.

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