Happy New Year! I started back to school on Monday, and with the Library being closed for Prelims, I’m spending my time planning what to do in my first full year as the St Margaret Mary’s Secondary and St Oswald’s Secondary Librarian. The first Library tweet of the year asked about your Reading Resolutions for 2023 – have you made any yet? If not, this blog post is here to help you! I’m setting 12 reading challenges, one for every month of the year. Pupils who complete all the challenges will get a certificate and a wee prize in January 2024. The most important thing to remember is that you should enjoy the books you are reading, and if you don’t like a book, don’t force yourself to finish it. Teachers, you are of course welcome to get in on this too!
Before you start, you might want to think about tracking your reading over the year. There are lots of ways to do this. You could keep a notebook in which you write down the books you’ve read and when you read them – you could even put in little reviews. Or you could keep an Excel spreadsheet on your iPad. There are also websites and apps to help you track your reading. The most well known is probably Goodreads, where you can join their 2023 Reading Challenge or just keep your own records of your reading as you go. Come and see me in the Library if you’d like some help with tracking your reading.
January: It’s a new year, so choose to read a book set in the future. I’ll be posting some suggestions in a separate blog post in the next few days.
February: It’s National Read a Fairytale Day on 26th February. Lots of YA stories are retellings of fairy tales – have a look at this list and choose one. Then have a look for it in the school Library!
March: Interested in helping choose the books that win the Yoto Carnegie Medals for Writing and for Illustration this year? Check out the 2022 winners here, and let me know if you’re interested in joining the Library’s Shadowing Group.
April: Ask someone (family member, friend, teacher, librarian) what their favourite book is, and give it a try.
May: Mental Health Awareness Week takes place this year from Monday 15 to Sunday 21 May, and this year’s theme is Anxiety. The school Library has a great collection of fact and fiction books to help you with your mental health, or to help you support others with theirs. Good mental health is extremely important, and even if you’re feeling ok, it’s important to keep looking after yourself. Your challenge this month is to borrow one book from the Shelf Help collection.
June: The summer holidays start on Friday 23 June, so choose a country you would like to visit, and read a book set in that country.
July: Find your local library here, and head over to borrow some books to keep you entertained (especially if it’s a rainy summer!).
August: Never read a comic book? Give it a try! Ask me for recommendations!
September: You’re probably finding that you have less time to sit and read since you’ve got back to school, so why not try an audiobook free of charge with your school Library card? You can listen to them on your phone or your iPad using the Libby app while you’re walking around or doing some homework. Have a look at the audiobook collection here, then come and see me in the Library to get some help on installing the Libby app.
October: National Poetry Day takes place on Thursday 5 October, with the theme of Refuge. There will be lots of poetry books and poems available to borrow from the school Library. Maybe you could think about creating your own poem too?
November: This month you get to go rogue, and choose absolutely any book at all to read! But your challenge is to write a short review of the book to be published on this blog. Don’t panic; there will be lots of information available nearer the time to help you!
December: It’s National Short Story Day on Thursday 21 December, the shortest day of the year! There will be a Library competition to write a short story or create a short comic about your favourite book character(s), set in winter. More information will be available in November, and prizes will be given in January!
