World Book Day is an annual celebration of books and reading. It is a national event with schools and libraries from across the UK running events. 2011 is the first your Stromness Academy Library has run an event as well as putting on a display. An informal book reading session was held during lunchtime which around 15 pupils attended to listen to extracts of books being read.

Mrs Sinclair kicked off the session by reading from The White Mountains by John Chrisptopher. This is a book she first read at secondary school and it is one of the first books she remembers borrowing from the school library.

Three pupils also contributed by reading short extracts from books that they particularly enjoyed. They each gave a short overview of what the book was about, then read their chosen extract.

• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Shooting Star by Martin Waddell
• The Chronicles of Avantia: First Hero by Adam Blade

Mrs Sinclair closed the session with a short reading from The Magic Engineer by L.E. Modesitt Jr. which is part of the Recluce saga, a sweeping series of books where Order magic and Chaos magic are set against each other.

The pupils enjoyed the event which was very relaxed.

Very sociable and fun

Very good, Beuy! Brill!

Good just to relax!

Staff also contributed by answering a short survey asking about current reading, favourite book(s) and most memorable children’s book.

Posters were put together and these were displayed in the library as well as individual posters being displayed on classroom doors. THinking about reading generated discussion in the classroom and much interest. To supplement library stock, books were borrowed from the Orkney Library & Archive so that staff selections were available for people to browse / borrow if interested.