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Why The Borrowers are looking forward to Adventures in Wonderland thanks to book donation at Bemrose School in Derby

18/11/2019

BOOKWORMS at a city school are looking forward to getting stuck into 60 new books thanks to a donation from a leading publishing house.

Children at The Bemrose School, in Uttoxeter New Road, have been given the selection of non-fiction and novels by Penguin Random House to encourage the youngsters to develop a love of reading.

The books will be available for children at the all-through school to borrow from the library and are a welcome addition to the range of reading material on offer.


Children at The Bemrose School, in Uttoxeter New Road, Derby have been given the selection of non-fiction and novels by Penguin Random House to encourage the youngsters to develop a love of reading.

Twelve-year-old pupil Enriko Jano said: “I enjoy reading, especially the Harry Potter books and anything by Michael Morpurgo; he’s my favourite author.

“There are lots of really nice books in this donation, I especially like the look of the Evolution hardback book which I will try to borrow in the future.”

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The publishing house began donating books to schools following a survey by the National Literacy Trust of 44,097 children aged between eight and 18 in the UK.

The results showed one in eight disadvantaged children in the UK do not own a single book. And those children who did own a book had higher levels of mental wellbeing than those who did not.

Evidence shows children who can read well do better at school and have access to more career opportunities in later life, while reading for pleasure is also proven to help children develop social skills and empathy.

The Bemrose School has several strategies in place to encourage pupils to read, including boxes of books for children to look at during registration periods, various reading challenges and its Drop Everything And Read scheme – where every Tuesday pupils and staff, from the head teacher to the caretaker, pick up a book and read for 20 minutes.

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The school also runs regular reading challenges, a book club and carries out various schemes to engage students’ curiosity across a wide range of interests.

Librarian Daryl Lowe said: “Like many schools, our budget is pinched and unfortunately library books wear out surprisingly quickly, so we are always looking to replenish the shelves with shiny new books to inspire readers.

“Books have the power to transform lives, yet far too many children are missing out on the chance to reach their full potential simply because they don’t have a book of their own at home.

“Our library is hugely popular with pupils, both as a place for competent readers to devour books and as a place of sanctuary to students who need a quieter environment to access books.

“We are extremely grateful to Penguin and would welcome any similar donations of children’s books to bolster the range of reading material available to students.”

If you would like to donate any children’s books to the library at The Bemrose School they must be in good condition and suitable for pupils aged between four and 18. Please contact librarian Daryl Lowe on 01332 366711.

ENDS

For further information please contact Sarah Newton on 01332 416228 or email sarah@penguinpr.co.uk

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