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Read to Succeed Blog
Read to Succeed Blog
What's on your Christmas list?
What's on your Christmas list?
November 2025
November 2025
As we approach the end of a busy term, many students are getting close to their next Read to Succeed milestone. With the Christmas break around the corner, this is a perfect opportunity for some relaxed, rewarding reading—and any books completed over the holiday can qualify for a Read to Succeed award.
If you’re looking for meaningful gift ideas or just something to occupy the long holidays, below are some excellent titles from our Read to Succeed list that students have particularly enjoyed this year. They span a range of genres from historical fiction, fantasy, verse novels, graphic storytelling to contemporary issues and and all offer rich, compelling reading experiences.
Christmas Reading Ideas for Year 8 Students (all available from the LRC)
Christmas Reading Ideas for Year 8 Students (all available from the LRC)
• Bog Child (Siobhan Dowd)
A gripping, atmospheric mystery set on the Irish border during the Troubles. Beautifully written, deeply humane, and brilliant for confident readers.
• The Bone Sparrow (Zana Fraillon)
A powerful, compassionate novel about identity and resilience, told through the eyes of a refugee boy living in a detention centre. Empathy-building and unforgettable.
• Salt to the Sea (Ruta Sepetys)
An extraordinary piece of historical fiction based on real events in World War II. Sepetys’ multi-voiced narrative is fast-paced, accessible, and hugely moving.
• Toffee (Sarah Crossan)
A verse novel exploring memory, friendship, and healing. Crossan’s writing is immediate and emotionally resonant—ideal for students who prefer shorter, impactful chapters.
• Lark (Anthony McGowan)
Part of the Brock trilogy but stands alone too. A short, taut, very engaging novella with real heart. Great for reluctant readers who need a quick win.
• The Summer We Turned Green (William Sutcliffe)
A witty, warm, sharply observed contemporary novel about activism, family life, and finding your voice. Perfect for students who enjoy realistic fiction.
• The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne (Jonathan Stroud)
Action-packed, clever dystopian adventure from a much-loved author. Brilliant world-building and ideal for readers who want a fast-paced fantasy.
• Tsunami Girl (Julian Sedgwick)
A beautifully illustrated story blending contemporary fiction, manga, and magical realism. Deals sensitively with trauma and hope.
• Black and British (David Olusoga, young readers edition)
Essential and accessible non-fiction exploring Black British history with clarity and depth. A perfect choice for readers who enjoy learning about the world.
• Unraveller (Frances Hardinge)
A dark, imaginative fantasy full of curses, secrets and Hardinge’s signature lyrical style. Great for advanced readers looking for something original.
• Splinters of Sunshine (Patrice Lawrence)
A heartfelt road-trip novel exploring friendship, identity and forgiveness. Warm, contemporary and engaging.
• Medusa (Jessie Burton)
A stunning feminist retelling of the Medusa myth, beautifully illustrated. A brilliant choice for students who love myth, art, or lyrical storytelling.
A Note for Parents
A Note for Parents
Encouraging reading over Christmas doesn’t need to feel like schoolwork, just 20 minutes with a good book can make a significant difference to vocabulary, confidence, and wellbeing. If your child finishes any books from the list over the holidays, they can log them in January via the Read to Succeed Google Classroom and move one step closer to achieving their next Read to Succeed award.
You can view the full book list and award information here:
Read to Succeed Awards: https://sites.google.com/bgsapps.co.uk/read-to-succeed/awards
Wishing everyone a restful break and plenty of brilliant stories.
Read to Succeed: Now Open for Year 7 and Year 8!
Read to Succeed: Now Open for Year 7 and Year 8!
October 2025
October 2025
We’re excited to announce that the Read to Succeed Awards are back this year — and bigger than ever!
For the first time, the programme is open to both Year 7 and Year 8 students at Bedford Girls’ School.
The aim is simple: to celebrate reading in all its forms and to challenge you to step outside your comfort zone. With 15 different awards to complete, you’ll explore everything from poetry to biographies, fantasy to historical fiction. Every time you finish an award, you’ll earn a House Point — and the students who complete the most awards will become our official Reading Ambassadors.
Research shows that reading regularly boosts not only your vocabulary and empathy but also your wellbeing and academic success. So why not give it a try?
Transform your imagination this term
Transform your imagination this term
November 2024
November 2024
In English, Year 7 students are exploring 'creative transformations' this term, reading a wide range of descriptive extracts to inspire their own writing. From writers ranging from Roald Dahl to Franz Kafka, students will explore how and why characters change and what makes a transformation description convincing.
To help expand their imaginations further, The Librarian suggests the following titles as part of our 'Creative Transformations' recommended reads. Each is available to borrow from the Learning and Resources Collection and has been selected as age-appropriate.
Harrold, A F – “The Worlds we leave behind”
Hex never meant for the girl to follow him and his friend Tommo into the woods. He never meant for her to fall off the rope swing and break her arm. When the finger of blame is pointed at him, Hex runs deep into the woods and his fierce sense of injustice leads him to a strange clearing in the woods - a clearing that has never been there before - where an old lady in a cottage offers him a deal. She'll rid the world of those who wronged him and Hex can carry on his life with them all forgotten and as if nothing ever happened. But what Hex doesn't know is someone else has been offered the same deal.
Mackenzie, Ross – “The Nowhere Emporium
When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' - and its owner, Mr Silver - draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.
Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms - rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.
But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble.
Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?
Dahl, Roald – “The Witches”
When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' - and its owner, Mr Silver - draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.
Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms - rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.
But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble.
Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?
Riordan, Rick – “Percy Jackson: And the lightening thief” – Book 1 of the Percy Jackson Series
Does six schools in six years count as troubled? Does finding out that the Greek gods are alive and living in America count as troubled? Does the fact that some of them are trying to kill you count as troubled? And does discovering that you're the only half-blood alive who can stop a war of the gods count as troubled? It does.
Because if Olympus does exist, then so must the Underworld. And if Percy (or whoever he really is) doesn't complete his quest by Summer Solstice, never mind trouble - there's going to be Hades to pay...
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
O'Hearn, Kate - “Pegasus and the Flame” – Book 1 of the Pegasus Series
When Pegasus crashes on to her roof, 13-year-old Emily's life becomes that of legend: epic battles, desperate chases, captivating flights astride the beautiful winged-stallion, and one heroic quest to save Olympus before its Flame is extinguished... for ever.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Lewis, C.S– “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” – Book 2 of the Chronicles of Narnia Series
The story begins with the wardrobe, for without it Lucy would never have found her way into Narnia, or even heard of the White Witch, whose reign has been longer than anyone knows.
But work is afoot to dislodge the Witch. It is whispered that Aslan - the is there hope of the White Witch being defeated - and she has captured Edmund.
To save Edmund, Aslan must sacrifice everything. But without him the ancient prophecy cannot be fulfilled, or Narnia made free
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Nimmo, Jenny – “Midnight for Charlie Bone” – Book 1 of the Charlie Bone Series
An academy for magic and special talents. A destiny unfulfilled. A secret legacy.
When Charlie Bone discovers that he can hear the voices of people in photographs, his guardian Grandma Bone sends him to Bloor's Academy, a school for children with special gifts. But the school is a dangerous place, full of dark secrets from the past-and he discovers that even his own family can't be trusted. Can Charlie and his friends use their gifts to solve the mystery of a lost girl?
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Reeve, Philip – “Mortal Engines” – Book 1 of the Mortal Engines Quartet Series
It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out sea bed of the old North Sea...
London is on the move again. The city has been lying low, skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. The great town moves off after its quarry as events within the walls begin to take a sinister turn...
A young assassin is stalking her own prey through the city. Hester Shaw's plot is foiled by a young apprentice who has finally stumbled into a real life adventure. Tom's blundering intervention leaves the pair stranded in the Out-Country, a sea of mud scored by the tracks of cities like the one steaming off over the horizon.
Staring back from the city in horror is Katherine, a sheltered Tier One girl who is about to grow up very fast.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Reid Banks, Lynne – “The Indian in the Cupboard” – Book 1 of the Series
Neither Omri nor the Indian moved for perhaps a minute and a half. They hardly breathed either. They just stared at each other.
At first, Omri is unimpressed with the plastic Indian toy he is given for his birthday. But when he puts it in his old cupboard and locks the door with a very special key, Omri's life suddenly changes. When he meets Little Bull things are never really the same again...
Great for Read to Succeed Award 10 - WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES
Pullman, Philip – “Northern Lights” – Book 1 of His Dark Materials series
When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her daemon, Pantalaimon, set out to find him. Their quest is more dangerous than they can possibly imagine, but they will be helped by the mysterious device that Lyra carries - if she can learn its secrets. They travel to the ice kingdoms of the North, where armoured bears rule, and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies. And where a team of scientists are conducting experiments of unspeakable terror.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Fanning, K – “Irish Fairy Tales, Myths & Legends”
Enjoy the rich mythical history of Ireland from the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann on the island and their great battles with the Fomorians right up to the modern day fairytales of Irish storytelling.
Including the Ulster Cycle, and the Fenian Cycle, the book features heroes such as Cuchulainn and Fionn Mac Cumhaill, and many traditional favourites such as The Children of Lir.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 8 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PAGES
Hussain, A – “ Norse folktales, myths and legends”
Twenty Scandinavian stories re-told for children - including legends from Norse mythology and folktales from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 8 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PAGES
Be Inspired by Great Girls in Literature this term
Be Inspired by Great Girls in Literature this term
September 2024
September 2024
In English, Year 7 students will be studying 'Great Girls in Literature' this term, reading a wide range of extracts featuring fantastic female characters. The English Department has chosen the extracts to represent a range of time periods and writing styles and provide access points for considering different cultures and representations of race and gender.
The Librarian suggests the following titles as part of our 'Great Girls in Literature' recommended reads. Each of these titles is available to borrow from the Learning and Resources Collection and has been selected as age-appropriate.
Millwood Hargrave, Kiran – The Girl of Ink and Stars (Fantasy)
Millwood Hargrave, Kiran – The Girl of Ink and Stars (Fantasy)
The Girl of Ink and Stars is a story of myth, magic and friendship. Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped. When a girl from the village disappears into the island's Forgotten Territories, Isabella and her lifelong friend Pablo go in search of her.
Coelho, Joseph – The Girl Who Became a Tree (Modern Issues)
Coelho, Joseph – The Girl Who Became a Tree (Modern Issues)
Daphne, grief-stricken and adrift after the loss of her father, finds solace in her phone screen and her local library. But the Librarian and the library are not what they seem.. In this gripping, heart-stoppingly imaginative story told in poems, Joseph Coelho mixes real life, myth and fantasy to create a powerful exploration of grief and renewal.
Skloot, Rebecca – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Biography)
Skloot, Rebecca – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Biography)
The biography of Henrietta Lacks (known in the scientific world as HeLa) is such an impactful read. Her "immortal" cells made scientific marvels possible: developing the polio vaccine, understanding the effects of the atomic bomb, advances in IVF and gene mapping.
Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials (Fantasy/Adventure)
Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials (Fantasy/Adventure)
This extraordinary story moves between parallel universes. Beginning in Oxford, Lyra and her animal daemon 'Pantalaimon' go on a dangerous rescue mission to the ice kingdoms of the far North, where she begins to learn about the mysterious particles they call Dust - a substance for which a terrible war between different worlds will be fought.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 7 - PLEASE, SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
Almond, David – Paper Boat, Paper Bird (Adventure)
Almond, David – Paper Boat, Paper Bird (Adventure)
Koto, Japan. Mina feels weirdly at home. She is herself, but it's like another Mina is waiting to be discovered or created here. On a crowded bus, a woman makes a paper boat and a paper bird and gives them to Mina. These gifts carry her into a wondrous world that is both ancient and brand new. Unfold the magic of the every day on a journey with one of the world's best-loved authors.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 8 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PAGES
Getten, Kereen – When life gives you mangoes (Family)
Getten, Kereen – When life gives you mangoes (Family)
Clara lives in the small village of Sycamore, where nothing much ever happens. But something did happen last summer – something to do with Clara, and the sea, but she just can't remember. What she does know is that the newcomer Rudy is weird but nice, as opposed to her best friend Gaynah who always seems to always be mean nowadays. Clara enjoys showing Rudy the island; together, they uncover a secret her family and the village have kept hidden. It's not the only thing she'll uncover though and, as the summer wears on, she'll find that she has to face the truth of what happened the previous year…
Great for Read to Succeed Award 8 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PAGES
L-Engle, Madeline – A Wrinkle in Time (Science Fantasy)
L-Engle, Madeline – A Wrinkle in Time (Science Fantasy)
Meg's father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now, the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?
Callender, Kacen – Hurricane Child (Family/LGBTQ+)
Callender, Kacen – Hurricane Child (Family/LGBTQ+)
Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and twelve-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. But when a new student arrives, Caroline believes her luck is turning around. Kalinda soon becomes Caroline's first friend. Together, the two girls must brave their own feelings – and love – while they seek to discover why Carolin's mother has disappeared, or Caroline risks losing her forever.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 10 - WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES
Carroll, Emma – Escape to the River Sea (Adventure)
Carroll, Emma – Escape to the River Sea (Adventure)
The arrival of a family friend, Yara Fielding, sweeps Rosa on an adventure into the lush Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, giant sloths, and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara's lively family on the banks of the river, where together they must face great danger.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 10 - WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES
Scott, Libby & Rebecca Westcott – Can you see me? (Family)
Scott, Libby & Rebecca Westcott – Can you see me? (Family)
Tally is autistic, but she hides it as much as she can. She knows how uncomfortable people feel around her—they don't understand autism. They don't understand her. With moving diary entries written by 11-year-old Libby Scott, based on her own experience of autism, Can You See Me? is an authentic, powerful, and truly memorable collaboration with esteemed author Rebecca Westcott.
Great for Read to Succeed Award 10 - WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES
Curtis, Christopher Paul – The Mighty Miss Malone (Historical)
Curtis, Christopher Paul – The Mighty Miss Malone (Historical)
Twelve-year-old Deza Malone is the smartest student in her class, and her teachers have told her that she's destined for a special path in life. The pluck with which the enduring, sometimes comical Deza faces the twists and turns of the family's journey during the backdrop of the Great Depression proves that she truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.
Wilkinson, Sheena – Star by Star (Historical)
Wilkinson, Sheena – Star by Star (Historical)
It's 1918, and Stella has lost her suffragette mother to the terrible flu pandemic that is sweeping Europe. The Great War is finally coming to a close, and women will be able to vote for the first time. Stella wants to change the world, but she can't do it all by herself.
HAPPY READING!
Millwood Hargrave, Kiran – The Girl of Ink and Stars (Fantasy)
Millwood Hargrave, Kiran – The Girl of Ink and Stars (Fantasy)
The Girl of Ink and Stars is a story of myth, magic and friendship. Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped. When a girl from the village disappears into the island's Forgotten Territories, Isabella and her lifelong friend Pablo go in search of her.
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