Celebrating World Book Day

Happy World Book Day! We’ve been busy this week celebrating everything wonderful about books and reading: the younger year groups have enjoyed dressing up for their online lessons as book characters, we’ve heard what our teachers like to read, shared our favourite books in class discussions, enjoyed book-themed quizzes and activities, and listened to a special World Book Day assembly from Head of English, Miss Mitchell. In Pre-Prep, the children have also taken part in a “Masked Reader” challenge where they have had to identify their teachers, who have recorded clips of themselves reading from books behind Animoji disguises!

We hope you enjoyed reading the book recommendations from Year 7 and 8 pupils which we released earlier this week (if you missed this, you can find these here). To celebrate World Book Day, here are more top book picks from members of Upper School.

Olivia (Year 7) recommends Little Women by Louisa May Alcott:

Little Women is a heartfelt, well-written novel. By the end of it you’re almost guaranteed to have cried! This classic by Louisa May Alcott brings up a whirlwind of emotions and it is the perfect relaxing thing to do after a long day. It’s about four sisters and their journey through life with ups and downs. As soon as I started this classic, I just couldn’t put it down without knowing what happens at the end. It can be boring to read the same book over and over again, but not with this novel! I’m now reading it for the fourth time and it’s just as exciting as it was the first time I read it.

Josie (Year 7) recommends The Extinction Trials by S. M. Wilson:

The Extinction Trials is a wonderfully written three book series by S. M. Wilson aimed at older children of about the age of 14 or 13. It is about an overpopulated world shared between humans and dinosaurs. It is an amazing series with amazing characters and an amazing storyline. It may have been the best book series I have ever read, but it is quite gruesome at some parts so I would recommend for it to be read by older children. Here is one of my favourite clips in the book: “The thundering steps were close – too close; he could feel the creatures’ heat against his back, smell their stink all around him. Then, just as they reached the cliff edge, there was a splash of pain down Lincon’s left shoulder. And from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a flash of white teeth in vicious jaws lunging at Lief’s back. One second the pack was there the next it was ripped away.”

Milly (Year 7) recommends The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak:

A book narrated by death: a haunting and interesting concept that works beautifully. The Book Thief contains very abstract storytelling, the sort you rarely come across. Set in Nazi Germany, this one-of-a-kind novel tells the story of young evacuee, Liesel, and the residents of her street when the war reaches its climax. This is an enchanting tale of family, friendship, and the true power of a book.

Xiao Xiao (Year 8) recommends the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins:

My favourite books are the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is an action packed series of books that take a journey with Katniss as she adventures through the Hunger Games, and the lengths she has to go through to stay alive. It is written in a way that every chapter, page and word continues to compel the reader to learn more about this thrilling novel, with twists and turns that will take you by surprise and will have you absorbed into a world of imagination. It is impossible to put this book down – in fact, I managed to read all the books in three days!

Matthew (Year 8) recommends Ghost Flight by Bear Grylls:

Ghost Flight is a really thrilling book based on a Nazi plane, lost deep in the Amazon jungle, found by a group of explorers. It not only includes Amazonian tribes and Nazi supporters, but it’s also a great adventure. Highly recommended for anyone who likes action thrillers.

Find out more about English at Junior King’s and how we nurture a love of reading here. You can also read more about World Book Day here.