By Rebecca Purdy, Director of Co-curricular

If I was concerned about finding a new book or ten to put on my Half Term Reading list I’m certainly not now! My only concern is finding the time to read all the wonderful suggestions put forward by Year 9 via their Felsted Diplomas. 

Every student is encouraged to take part in the Reading Challenge and just one book will take you to a Bronze Award - although many students go far beyond, so much so we had to invent a Platinum award a couple of years ago! I won’t post any spoils but I’ve included a few student reviews below to tempt you into picking up a book this half term.
 
I read Arsenic for Tea by Robert Stevens. This book is part of the Murder Mystery series. I found out about this book from friends who were reading the new series. They recommended it to me because the books constantly left them on a cliffhanger which motivated them to read more. Later I was gifted the series as a present. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which is the second one in the series, because the storyline was extremely gripping and the continuous plot twists always had the reader thinking.

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games because it left lots of cliffhangers and I could not wait to read more. It shows what people will do to survive and how kindness in bad times can save your life, for example when Katniss teamed up with Peeta and Rue.

I read Spook's Apprentice over the summer holidays. The reason why I remembered the characters in this book is because the characters show what happened in the time it is set. It will benefit me because it will give me a better understanding of the history of England.
 

I read Noughts and Crosses over the summer. It reveals a world where a white underclass is in conflict with a specific subset of ruling black people. It is a contrast with the real world because it is the opposite way round in reality. It made me feel empathy for people experiencing discrimination.

If writing is more your thing, please take a look at the Beyond Words competition for World Mental Health day. The competition is hosted by Bupa and their website has lots of information, advice and materials to help you get started.