Latest News
Posted on March 12th 2018
Book Club Gets Ready for Southwark Book Award
Book Club for years 7 and 8 meets in the library after school every Tuesday to discuss their favourite stories. But this term boys have had another great reason to come to the club: to help choose the winner of the Southwark Book Award 2018.
Six books have been shortlisted and the boys are reading them all in preparation for going to the award ceremony on 15 March to help choose the winners. “It’s a really good choice of books,” says Habib, Year 8.
“I like the difference between them – family, real life, crime. I think book club helps you remember books because you talk about them and that helps you remember what happened.” Michael likes Book Club because it “encourages you to read things you might not normally be interested in”.
Lots to contribute
The six shortlisted books include The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, Booked by Kwame Alexander and Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird. Books will be judged by students for their characters, setting and story and at least four of the authors will be at the awards to hear what children say.
Schools across Southwark are taking part. “Book Club gives boys the chance to have longer discussions about books,” says Jo Mead, Learning Resources Manager. “They all have so much to contribute and their ideas bounce off each other. After a few weeks they’re asking me the questions all school librarians love to hear, ‘Miss, what could I read next, what do you recommend for me?’ So you match them up with the next book and then they’re off!”