Library update: Year 7 students impress with love of reading

by Ms Nylinder, the Librarian

Year 7 students have been making the most of the Library during their first term at senior school, impressing everyone with their enthusiasm, commitment and genuine love of reading.  

Their reading journey began on induction day with a magical welcome to the school through our annual tradition, Blind Date with a Book. Each book was carefully wrapped like a present, with only a short teaser on the front to spark curiosity (see image above). When they opened their chosen 'book gift', they discovered not only the title but also a welcome letter from their Year 8 buddy, reassuring any nervous newcomers that Putney High School is a brilliantly fun and friendly place to be. It was a wonderful way to blend reading, surprises and new friendships, setting the perfect tone for the rest of their time at Putney! 

Year 7's formal Library induction took place in October with an exciting Book Detective Mystery Trail (see image above). Working in teams, students used the Library catalogue to track down seven books, each hiding clues to a secret code. The heat was on as teams raced around the shelves, following the trail and competing to be the first to crack it. Several groups solved the mystery in under 15 minutes, and every team showed fantastic determination throughout the challenge. It's been wonderful to see them already putting their new skills to use, regularly confidently using the Library catalogue to find their next great read. 

Reading Week was celebrated with a lively round of Book Bingo, featuring a board designed so that completing a Bingo line meant reading books from a variety of genres. Year 7 students rose to the challenge with strategy, determination and infectious enthusiasm. Their efforts resulted in an impressive 81 online book reviews, a clear sign of how much they enjoyed exploring new genres. Library staff loved hearing about their newly discovered favourites and were delighted to help students track down more books from the same authors and series. 

Congratulations and well done to Arabella G, Lizzie L and Sabina R, who achieved a full house by reading nine books over the course of two weeks. A special shout-out to Lizzie, who was the first to call “Bingo!” A big well done also to Amelia P, Elisabeth F-A B and Sanna v O, who were just a book or two away from achieving a full house. All of these brilliant readers are in Year 7. What a fantastic achievement!