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Whole School ReadingBookbuzz is an exciting way to engage your students in talking about books andreading. Organising events and activities related to Bookbuzz will increase the impact ofthe programme and send a clear message to the staff, your students and their parents,about how important your school considers reading to be.We’ve come up with someideas and tips to help youpromote reading for pleasureacross the school E ncourage students to extend thenarrative – through alternativeendings, scripts for TV or film,interviews, graphic novels, newspapercolumns etc. O ffer students the opportunity to readother books from the same genre asthe book they selected. A display in thelibrary showing each Bookbuzz bookand similar titles would bring this tolife. You can find examples in the ‘Usingthe Bookbuzz books’ section of thisguide. A sk members of staff to championeach book. O rganise a Bookbuzz day - studentscould come dressed as a characterfrom the book they chose or bring aclue to the identity of their character toschool with them. F ind an engaging way to share thereviews – a library display, a website, ablog, a school assembly etc. O rganise a book battle or debate todecide which books are the best – thiscould be student vs. student, studentsvs. teachers or even teachers vs.teachers. E ncourage the students to interviewanother student (or teacher) on one ofthe Bookbuzz books. H ave a storytelling session wherestudents reflect on a book they haveread and think of different endings,think of other stories involving thecharacters, or try to write a piece in thesame style or genre.8 A sk students to write a review ofthe book they chose. Engage olderstudents by asking them to run bookclubs around themes raised in thebooks, or on the books or authorsthemselves. C reate Reading Trees with follow onsuggestions for each book displayedvisually in the library. W hy not organise an author visit?Many of the Bookbuzz authorsregularly visit schools to run workshopson their books. O rganise an in-house book awardsusing the Bookbuzz books. Studentscan read their book, write a reviewand form a panel to argue which oneshould win. This is a great way tosupport debating and public speakingas well as promoting the library!booktrust.org.ukGood practice case study‘Here at The Peterborough School welove to get our prospective Year 7 pupilsexcited about books and reading asearly as we can and Bookbuzz helps usenormously in this task.Prospective Year 7 pupils attend aFamiliarisation Day in mid-June anda highlight is a visit to the Senior LRC(Learning Resource Centre). As LRCManager I tell them a bit about theSenior LRC in general and then focuson the LRC ‘events’ that I organiseexclusively for Year 7. Autumn term is allabout Bookbuzz and they are alwaysexcited to hear in June that they will begiven a free book, of their own choosing,from a pre-selected collection.In the autumn term, the English teachersbring their classes to the LRC to browsethe Bookbuzz books. During theselessons, the pupils are encouraged tolook at all of the books, read a coupleof pages and discuss with their friendswhich appeal to them. They think abouttheir choice of book and I wait for theorders to come in!fruit and flavoured milkshakes. Duringbreakfast, selected pupils will standup and read a passage from one ofthe books, a poem from the poetrycollection that is always included inthe selection, to whet their classmatesappetites for their chosen book. OurSenior Leadership Team usually attendas well, enjoying a drink with the pupilsand discussing their book choice. Whenall food is gone I give out the books andpupils settle down to read their bookuntil break time.The effects of Bookbuzz continue waypast the Bookbuzz Breakfast, pupilsoften come and borrow the books theydid not choose and sometimes requestthat I order further books in a series orbooks by the same author for the LRC.’Clare Thomson Learning Resource ManagerOnce they have all chosen a book Itell them about Bookbuzz Breakfast!Organised for the first week afterOctober half term I invite Year 7to attend a ‘breakfast’ in the LRC,consisting of croissants, Danish pastries,mini muffins, French bread and butter,booktrust.org.uk9

Using the Bookbuzz booksTo keep the buzz going we’ve come up with some fun activities for some of the Bookbuzz titlesplus some suggestions for further reading. Use in the classroom to get students thinking moreabout reading for pleasure.Petunia Petty and the Curseof the Ugly Pigeonby Pamela Butchart andillustrated by Gemma CorrellGenre: HumourKey themes: Friendship, superstitions,school lifeThe Day I Swapped My Dadfor Two Goldfishby Neil Gaiman and illustrated byDave McKeanGenre: ComedyKey themes: Families, swaps,misunderstandingsPerfect for fans of quirky, unexpectedand humorous stories, this illustratedbook is ideal for sharing and includesa CD with an audio recording of thestory, narrated by Neil Gaiman. Theplot centres on a crazy day when a boyswaps his inattentive dad for goldfish.Through a series of wacky swaps, theboy must try and get his dad back!Tips for using The Day I Swapped MyDad for Two Goldfish T his book features a unique blend ofimages and text. Ask students to listento the audio-CD and create their ownimages to accompany the text. E ncourage students to think aboutwhat they value - what are the mostimportant things they ‘have’ - are theyphysical belongings, people, somethingelse, or a combination? Students coulddraw or list the things they would neverbe prepared to swap. U sing images from magazines, theinternet and pictures they have drawn,ask students to create a visual/sensorystory that forms a sequel showing whatthe boy might swap his sister for.The Lie Treeby Frances HardingeGenre: Historical, Mystery, GothicKey themes: Families, science, religionIdeal for confident readers that love tolose themselves in the past and enjoysolving fiendish mysteries. Following asuspicious accident involving her father,Faith discovers a tree that grows fruitswhen fed lies. With the help of the LieTree, Faith is determined to find outexactly what happened to her father.Tips for using The Lie Tree U sing the journal extracts (p163-176)and what students have learnt aboutFaith’s father, ask them to write a diaryentry in his style which explains how tohelp the Lie Tree grow. Who is the diaryfor? How might this affect the way it iswritten? Are there other forms of diariesin literature that students know and candiscuss, compare and contrast? S tudents could discuss what life is likefor Faith on the island. Based uponwhat they know about Faith as acharacter: what would she like / dislike?Can students make comparisonsbetween other stories aboutcharacters who are taken away fromtheir home to strange new places?What is similar or different aboutthese narratives? Which are the morecompelling to read and why?Further reading: F allen Grace by Mary HooperThis comedy will appeal to readerswho enjoy lighter reads and delight inmayhem and mishaps. Best friends Periand Cammy start to believe there is acurse caused by an ugly pigeon – willthey be able to escape its effects?Tips for using Petunia Petty and theCurse of the Ugly Pigeon S tudents might like to discuss all ofthe things that Cammy, Peri and theirclassmates believe have happenedbecause of the Curse of the UglyPigeon. What superstitions do studentsbelieve in and why? Have they heard ofother stories that involve curses? E ncourage students to write a storythat describes ‘The Spoons’ next gig.What might happen to each memberof the band during this? What doesthis say about the characters in thebook? T he book features notes, lists, textmessages and pictures. Ask studentsto consider how the author useslanguage and presentation to buildcharacters and settings. Can theycreate their own diary based on atypical school day?Further reading: M y Parents are Driving me Crazy byPete Johnson13 Hoursby Narinder DhamiGenre: ThrillerKey themes: Young carers, terrorism,family secretsShort chapters make this book a realpage-turner. Anni juggles looking afterher disabled and agoraphobic mumwith her school-life and work. Their quietlife abruptly ends when their house isinvaded. Just what are the intruders’plans and how will this affect Anni andher mum?Tips for using 13 hours Ethan has carried out a stake-outof the house. What qualities makeAnni’s house so well suited to theintruders? Encourage students to writea report outlining what might appeal.Descriptions of the house like those onp12-16 might be helpful starting points. Time is very important in the bookand is often used in thrillers to helpbuild drama and tension. Studentscould write a timeline of how the plotprogresses through the book for eachof the 13 hours in Anni’s story or, as anextension, create a news report aboutthe events across the day. Can students think of other storieswhere time is used to build a sense ofdrama, tension and pace? Which havegripped them most and why?Further reading: Bang, Bang, You’re Dead! by NarinderDhami Malarkey by Keith Gray The Last Minute by Eleanor Updale T he Meanest Genie by MichaelLawrence A ngus, Thongs and Full-FrontalSnogging by Louise RennisonFurther reading: P iggy Book by Anthony Browne A Pack of Lies by GeraldineMcCaughrean T he Wolves in the Wall by Neil Gaiman R ooftoppers by Katherine Rundell T he Lost Thing by Shaun Tan10booktrust.org.ukbooktrust.org.uk11

My Brother is a Superheroby David SolomonsGenre: SuperheroesKey themes: Comedy, heroes andvillainsHumorous and heroic, this is an idealbook for fun-loving readers who arelooking for an adventure. Whilst Luke isin the bathroom, Zack is turned into asuperhero and is given a quest to savethe universe. The only thing is that Zackis a hapless hero. Will his brother be ableto lend a helping hand to save the day?Tips for using My Brother is a Superhero Z ack is a superhero in the book. Askstudents to think what superpowershis brother Luke would have and why.What type of costume and lair mighthe have? What villain would Luke bemost likely to face and how would itcompare to the villains in the book? L uke’s friend Lara sets up an interviewwith Christopher Talbot, ownerof Crystal Comics, for the schoolnewspaper. Students could designtheir own interview questions to askChristopher. L uke loves reading comics. How doesMy Brother is a Superhero compare toother comic book stories? Ask studentsto discuss similarities/differencesbetween characters, setting andplot and, as an extension, challengestudents to create their own comicbook by creating a storyboard of oneof the battles in the book.Further reading: T he Astounding Broccoli Boy by FrankCottrell Boyce M ax Helsing: Monster Hunter by CurtisJobling D anger is Everywhere by DavidO’Doherty12The Many Worlds of AlbieBrightby Christopher EdgeThe Boy Who Sailed theOcean in an Armchairby Lara WilliamsonGenre: Science fictionKey themes: Alternative reality, science,families, bereavementGenre: Family lifeKey themes: Moving house, separation,loss, humour, imaginationThought-provoking, moving and funny,this book will appeal to readers wholike reflective and absorbing sciencefiction stories. Albie Bright and his dadare struggling to come to terms with thedeath of Albie’s mother. For his dad, thismeans throwing himself into work, butAlbie struggles to return to day-to-daylife at school. When Albie learns aboutQuantum Science he wonders whetherthere might be a parallel world he canvisit where his mother is still alive.Ideal for readers who enjoy real lifestories with a touch of the extraordinary.Becket and Billy are struggling tocome to terms with their mum’s death.When their father suddenly moves thebrothers from their home, the boys havetheir heart set on returning, but thingsare not always as they seem A short book that stimulates readers tothink deeply about characters and theiractions. This is ideal for struggling andless confident readers. A chain of eventsis set in motion when cricket-hatingToby hurls his bat away. This leads tohim being visited by an angry ghost.Can Toby change the past and appeasethe ghost?Tips for using The Boy Who Sailed theOcean in an Armchair B rothers Becket and Billy face a lot ofchange in the book. Students couldmake a list of these changes and thinkabout which of these they would findmost challenging and why.Tips for using You Killed Me! Is it fair that the ghost of Len Grimsbyblames Toby for what has happenedto him? What do you think the maincause was? Students could act outa trial putting forward the differentcases to decide what they think. B ecket describes the room he and Billyshare as ‘stinky and cold’. Using whatthey know about Becket, Billy and theirdad, ask students to think about howthey would decorate the family’s newflat to make it feel more homely andreflective of their characters’ needs. Toby visits the past to see how hisactions affect the future. This happensin Charles Dickens’ famous novella ‘AChristmas Carol’. Can students thinkof other books and stories with timetravel and the consequences involved?Tips for using The Many Worlds of AlbieBright S tudents could write a guide to themany different worlds that Albie visits.What is different in each of these andwhy? Are there any that they would liketo visit – why is this? How would theytell their friends about it? H ow do Albie and his dad react to hismum’s death? Ask students to findexamples of how they behave and why.What advice could be given to each ofthem to help them to understand anddeal with their feelings? C an students think of other bookslike The Many Worlds of Albie Brightthat look at worlds that are similar butdifferent to our own? What is it aboutthe stories that make these fictionalworlds believable?Further reading: N orthern Lights by Philip Pullman A lthough there are some sad momentsin the book, Lara Williamson also useslots of humour. Ask students to discusswhy the author might be keen to dothis and see if they can think of otherbooks that do the same.Further reading: T he House on Hummingbird Island bySam AngusYou Killed Me!by Keith GrayGenre: Ghost storyKey themes: Accidents, time travel, mildhorror Write a police report description of thecriminal Capper, or draw a picture ofCapper, based on his description tocreate a ‘Wanted’ poster to help thepolice catch him.Further reading: Graphic by Cathy Brett Witness by Anne Cassidy Brock by Anthony McGowan T he Boy Who Swam with Piranhas byJohn Boyne A n Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls S tonebird by Mike Revell T ime Travelling with a Hamster by RossWhelfordbooktrust.org.ukbooktrust.org.uk13

Engaging differentreadersA Bookbuzz research project conducted by Sheffield Hallam University in 2013 identifiedfour main types of young reader.How can you use Bookbuzz to engage these different types? We’ve come up with somehandy hints Can read and does readCan read but doesn’t readDylan talked about being a confidentreader who enjoyed reading as a hobbyin his free time; he spoke about readingbooks by the same author and thosethat are part of a series.Scarlett talked about how she hadenjoyed reading when she was youngerbut had not been so keen in recentyears. For Scarlett, having the ‘right’book meant the difference betweenfinding reading a chore and it beingsomething that was fun. She felt thathaving the ‘wrong’ book leads tobecoming more disengaged and findingreading more difficult.‘It [Bookbuzz] lets people realise thatthere are different books out there, thatyou haven’t seen and that you mightlike A book that doesn’t engage you, Idon’t really try it. But if you really look atit, and it’s great, then I would be missingout.’How to engage ‘Dylan’ C onfident readers often needa challenge – ask them to picksomething unusual, or a book whichcontains sophisticated literary devicessuch as flashbacks, plot twists, orcomplex subplots. T ake them out of their comfort zone,perhaps with a genre they haven’ttried before or an author they’ve neverheard of. W hy not suggest they set up a readinggroup where they can share anddiscuss their books with otherstudents.Bookbuzz 2016 suggestions T he Lie Tree R iver of Ink‘Because before [Bookbuzz] I didn’treally like reading I was just going tochoose a book and not read it.’How to engage ‘Scarlett’ R eaders like Scarlett often claim theydon’t read because it is ‘boring’; orthey ‘don’t have time’. Try to suggestbooks that are related to their interestsand hobbies as a way to engage them. T ry to encourage them not to just picka thin book. They will be more likely toenjoy a book which challenges them asthey will have a desire to understandand make sense of it. Encourage them to swap books withfriends, this will generate conversationand lead to them expanding theirreading choices.Bookbuzz 2016 suggestions P etunia Perry and the Curse of theUgly PigeonStruggles to read but doesreadStruggles to read and doesn’treadAbigail talked about how she likesreading but finds difficulties in terms offinding the ‘right’ book for her:Emma finds some books too difficult,particularly those with small writing, andtalked about people in her year who donot enjoy reading at all and ‘think it’s awaste of time’.‘Sometimes I can’t find a suitable book.I enjoy reading the right book I’ve notread very hard books, just easy ones I’ve struggled a bit’.How to engage ‘Abigail’ S truggling readers like Abigail maylack reading stamina and only ‘dipinto’ books. Shorter books, poetryand jokes can give them the readingconfidence to build up to other moredifficult books. T opics and issues with which theycan make personal or emotionalconnections often work as they willcare about what happens to thecharacters and how their problems willbe resolved in the story. It’s important that they feel the book isnot ‘too young’ or patronises them. TheBookbuzz film may be a good tool asit will feature children of their own ageand reading level talking about thebooks.Readers like Emma who experiencedifficulty with reading may have limitedmotivation to read and indifferent ornegative attitudes towards readingperhaps compounded by a fear offailure.How to engage ‘Emma’ E ncourage readers like Emma tochoose low vocabulary books with astraightforward plot development andsimple sentence structures that areeasy to follow. Graphic novels workwell. Emphasise the book ownershipelement – the book is theirs to keep sothey can take their time and not feelpressured to read. Humour can be a huge draw forstruggling readers as it makes readingfeel like a fun activity.Bookbuzz 2016 suggestions Y ou Killed Me!Bookbuzz 2016 suggestions The Day I Swapped My Dad for TwoGoldfish A n Eagle in the Snow Boffin Boy and the Poison Garden T he Many Worlds of Albie Bright14booktrust.org.ukbooktrust.org.uk15

More about BookTrustBookTrust is a UK charity that works to transform lives by getting children andfamilies reading.Our vision is a society where nobody misses out on the life-changing benefitsthat reading can bring.We run a number of different programmes for secondary school children thataim to generate excitement about books and cultivate long-lastingand positive attitudes towards reading.School Library PackChildren’s LaureateThe School Library Pack is a pack ofbooks and resources which is availablefree of charge to secondary schoolsacross England. The aim of the pack isto support school libraries in creating areading culture that reaches out to allstudents, encouraging them to discusswhat they are reading and to join inactivities such as reading groups. Tosign up to receive your free SchoolLibrary Pack go to: rypackThe Children’s Laureate is supportedby BookTrust. The role is awarded onceevery two years to an eminent writeror illustrator of children’s books, tocelebrate outstanding achievementin their field. Previous Children’sLaureates have included Quentin Blake,Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson,Michael Rosen, Anthony Browne, JuliaDonaldson and Malorie Blackman.During their time in role each Children’sLaureate undertakes their own projectsand programmes of events, as well asacting as a spoke

Years 7 and 8 to discover a book that they enjoy. Choice is a key feature of Bookbuzz and research has shown that by choosing their own book young people are more likely to finish and enjoy it. Having students who are enjoying reading for pleasure, visiting the