Flying on and off the shelves! Parents give books generously as youngest pupils prove avid readers in first term

Flying on and off the shelves! Parents give books generously as youngest pupils prove avid readers in first term

The School Librarian has described as “incredible” the parental response to efforts to boost The Queen’s Library’s fiction collection – and has been impressed by the voracious literary appetites of QE’s youngest boys.

“We took stock of our collection and wanted to add some new books, especially for our newest School members,” said Ciara Murray. “We asked parents to contribute by purchasing a book from our Amazon wishlist, and the response has been incredible! Our warmest thanks to all who have kindly donated so far.”

Ms Murray announced the Autumn Term’s top Year 7 borrowers: Dhaivat Gohel with 53 books, Arnav Nigam with 38 and Utkarsh Jana with 37.

“I am always pleased to see that at QE the boys start school with a huge appetite for reading; this will serve them well in all aspects of their education,” said Ms Murray. “Reading a book is a wonderful mode of discovery and escapism. Developing a passion for reading – whatever the material may be – at this early stage will lead to a lifelong enjoyment of learning, and that is what we seek to inculcate in all our boys.”

Throughout the term, all the Year 7 pupils received their inductions, during which they learned to use the catalogue and had a chance to explore the library. Many make use of their daily three-book borrowing allowance and can often be seen reading in the library at lunchtime.

With the aid of her junior librarians, she spent the latter portion of the Autumn Term unpacking the new additions and making them available to borrow before the holidays started.

In the new term, a number of activities and clubs will restart, including: the Excelsior Club for Comics and Graphic Novels; the Kids’ Lit Quiz for Year 7s; Board Gaming, and a new Year 9 book club, Nine for 9, where the boys are challenged to read and discuss nine recent bestselling books for teenagers.

There will also be workshops for Year 9 and 10 boys from bestselling author Caroline Green and from award-winning poet and Old Elizabethan, Anthony Anaxagorou (1994-1999).