On Thursday 15th January the author Lucy Strange will talk to Year 7 about her books and career in Period 6 in the Arundel Centre. Lucy is the award-winning author of several books spanning a range of genres, including historical fiction, Gothic thrillers and ghost stories. Her talk will focus on her novel Our Castle by the Sea, discussing the WW2 context of the story and inspiration behind the book, writing and researching historical fiction, magical realism, figurative language, characters and myths and legends. There will also be time at the end for you to ask her your questions. To find out more about Lucy's books, click here.

She's constantly listening to audiobooks. Watch Taylor Swift discuss what she looks for in a book. The woman has taste! 

Join the celebrated author Tamsin Winter on video call with Year 7-8 Book Club where she will discuss her unforgettable novel about friendship, I Dare You.  How far would you go for a friend?

Book Discussion: Wednesday 4th February, 4-4.45, Library 

Video Call: Wednesday 11th February, 4-4.45, Library Seminar Room

Listen to award-winning author Penelope Lively as she shares her inspiring message about the books you read. She argues that children's literature is far more important than just a tool for learning or doing well in school. According to Lively, these stories give you something truly special: a 'license to abandon time and place.'

In her view, the unique magic of books is their ability to instantly transport you, allowing you to experience other worlds and alternative realities. This ability to jump into a new universe is crucial for nurturing your imagination. Lively insists that children's and young adult books are a distinct and vital form of writing that shapes a young person’s understanding of the world, making them powerful tools for growth and discovery.

On Wednesday 1st October, award-winning author Manjeet Mann gave a talk to Year 8 about her new book Roar. Roar is a verse novel about a girl growing up in a privileged suburb of Delhi whose life is ruined when she is falsely accused of witchcraft. She joins a women's activist group to seek justice and reclaim her life. In her talk Manjeet Mann talked about her inspiration for the story - real-life activist Sampat Pal and her Pink Sari Gang. She also explained that she likes to write verse novels because of the concision of the form and the scope to play with the white space on the page. She invited pupils to come up with their own Roar 'pledge' and shared some techniques and prompts for this. All pupils received a copy of Roar through local bookshop Pickled Pepper and were able to have them signed by Manjeet Mann after the talk. 

Year 7-8 Book Club - Wednesdays 4.00-4.45pm in the Library Seminar Room

Year 9-10 Book Club - Thursdays 4.00-4.30pm in the Library Seminar Room

In book club we read and discuss a book once every couple of weeks. We also do crafts, quizzes, zoom calls with authors and other book-related activities.

We read a range of books - everything from Gothic horror to graphic novels to popular series and quirky reads. You can see the programme for Y9-10 Book Club this term here. Pupils can suggest and vote for which books we read. If you'd be interested in joining, talk to one of the librarians or email librarydepartment@channing.co.uk.