Guest post by Henry (the librarian)
Congratulations to everybody who participated in the Summer Reading Challenge! This summer, 6,334 children challenged themselves to read six books.
Haven’t collected your prizes yet? There is still time, just pop into your local library.
If you want your child to receive their certificate at school, then log in to their library account and fill in the details.
The Summer Reading Challenge may be ending but, that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. This September we have Heritage Open Days, Lego clubs Book Festivals, and even more book recommendations…
Read on, to find our librarian’s top picks for September reads and catch up on their previous recommendations.
Top fiction chosen by William
I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel
“I stalk a woman on the internet who is sleeping with the same man as I am.”
Sheena Patel writes a series of short prose pieces that resemble online posts and effectively skewers the slurry that is social media. She ridicules the very idea of Influencer, the toxic narcissism of the instant-gratification wellness generation. Her missives are frightening in their honesty, self-hatred, and their rage and fear.
Reserve the pBook of ‘I’m a Fan’
Reserve the eAudio of ‘I’m a Fan’
Top non-fiction chosen by Wilma
How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair
Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where luxury hotels line pristine white sand beaches, Safiya Sinclair grew up guarding herself against an ever-present threat. Preaching fire and brimstone, her father, a volatile reggae musician and strict believer in a militant sect of Rastafari, railed against Babylon, the immoral, corrupting influence of the Western world just beyond their gate.
To protect the purity of the women in their family he forbade almost everything. This meant no trousers, no short sleeves and no short skirts, no opinions, nowhere but home and school, no friends but this family and no future but this path.
In seeking out the past of her family, Safiya Sinclair takes readers inside the world of Rastafari. Little is understood by those outside it and she delivers an astonishing, personal reckoning with family, history and the legacy of empire.
Reserve the pBook of ‘How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir’
Top audio chosen by Billie
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Forster’s social comedy is a witty observation of the English middle classes as they holiday abroad in Florence. One of these tourists is Lucy Honeychurch, a young girl whose heart is awakened by her experiences in Italy.
This is a wistful, romantic deliciously humorous novel, poking fun at its characters without ever being mean.
Reserve the eAudio of ‘A Room with a View’
Reserve the pBook of ‘A Room with a View’
Reserve the eBook of ‘A Room with a View’
Top children’s fiction chosen by Guillermo
Things That Go Bump by Kathryn Foxfield illustrated by Robin Boyden
When Quinn and some of her year 6 friends find themselves locked overnight inside Flatpack – a new IKEA-style superstore – they quickly realise that they are not alone.
A number of things hitched a ride from the forest where Flatpack sources its wood and in every dark nook, they’ve been multiplying.
After several of the group get themselves dragged off to who knows where, Quinn knows she was right all along – monsters are real.
Forced to face her fears and come up with a plan: Quinn rescue her friends, avoids being apprehended by overly efficient store employees, hacks into the store’s delivery system and sends the monsters back where they came from.
Reserve the pBook of ‘Things That Go Bump’
Top children’s non-fiction chosen by Orabelle
An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoare
Soar through the sky with Ben Hoare and discover some of the most exquisite birds on our planet.
From the miniature bee hummingbird that flaps its wings 200 times a second, to the oilbird that navigates pitch-black caves using echolocation. This stunning collection showcases more than 90 of the world’s most extraordinary birds. Detailed photography is paired with storybook descriptions that will captivate young readers, whether it’s finding out about condors and cuckoos or swans and starlings.
Reserve the pBook of ‘An Anthology of Exquisite Birds’
