The Big Book Bank's
back for 2009!
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What is the Big Book Bank?
- Choose a book from home that you've read and enjoyed.
- Take the book into school and put it in The Big Book Bank.
- Tell others what you liked about your choice by writing a review on a Big Book Bank sticker.
- Your books go into your school library for others to enjoy.
- In return you'll get a Waterstone's voucher for a new FREE book! Check out our 'Big Book Bank recommended reads' to see what's on offer. Once you've read your books you can bring them into The Big Book Bank!
Step By Step Guide
Teachers
- Register your school at thebigbookbank.co.uk by 31st May 2009.
- Download lesson plans, activity sheets and assembly/classroom presentation to promote the scheme in your school.
- Download the adaptable parents letter and send it out.
- Waterstone's will send you The Big Book Bank pack with display kit, vouchers & review stickers.
- Put the display kit up in school, either in the library, a classroom, or any other suitable area.
- Ask each child to bring in a book (children who are unable to bring in a book could choose one from the library).
- In a literacy lesson, ask the children to write a review of their books on the review stickers provided and stick it in the book.
- Now the children can borrow The Big Book Bank books and read them.
- Children can either donate their book or just loan it for the duration of the scheme.
- Run a Big Book Bank Day and give the vouchers for a free book to the pupils who have taken part.
Parents
- Parents read the letter and agree for their child to take part.
- Parents help their child choose a book suitable for The Big Book Bank.
- Children bring their books to school where they are displayed in The Big Book Bank area.
- In a lesson, children write reviews on the stickers and stick them in their books.
- All children can now borrow The Big Book Bank books and read them.
- Children and teachers celebrate The Big Book Bank Day.
- Children receive their Waterstone's Recommended Reads vouchers.
- Children and parents go to Waterstone's to exchange their vouchers for a new book between 1st and 31st July 2009.
Sign-Up
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Staff Room
Contents
- What is the Big Book Bank?
- Who benefits?
- How to run the scheme
- Classroom focus
- The school library
- Timescales
- Big Book Bank Day
- Books for everyone
- Which books are best for The Big Book Bank?
- Lesson Plans & Activity Sheets
- Assembly / Classroom Presentation
- Links / Downloads
What is the Big Book Bank?
The Big Book Bank is a great way to encourage
reading and sharing books in your school.
This free scheme is simple to run and will provide an enjoyable focus for promoting reading.
Kicking off on 1st June 2009, The Big Book Bank encourages children to:
I. Bring in a
book they've enjoyed
from home
II. Write a review of it
III. Share it
with their classmates in exchange for a free book voucher
The vouchers can be redeemed at any Waterstone's store during the month of July 2009 for one of our 12 Recommended Reads - a carefully selected list of books that contain something for every young reader in years 4, 5 and 6.
To promote the scheme in your school, you might want to use The Big Book Bank Presentation.
Who benefits?
• encouraging and motivating children to share and
read books
• supporting literacy lessons. Download the Lesson
Plans and activity sheets and challenge the children to play
The Big Book Bank Games
• creating lots of enthusiastic readers eager to
read the
reviews from their friends!
Download the Step-by-Step Guide for information on how to get involved.
How to run the scheme
The Big Book Bank can be anything from a small project
run by a few children to an event which captures the imagination
of the whole school.
Classroom focus
Include The Big Book Bank in your literacy sessions. The
Lesson Plans will help you with this. Stage the display in your classroom
and encourage the children to write book reviews and increase their
reading choice.
The school library
You may prefer to use the school library as a venue for
The Big Book Bank display. Time could be set aside for children to exchange
their books. Older children could help run the scheme.
Timescales
We suggest that you consider running the scheme for two
weeks. This gives enough time to involve everyone and for the children
to not only bring in books, but to read new ones too.
Big Book Bank Day
Organise a Big Book Bank Day when everyone can celebrate
their favourite stories and authors. Declare the grand total of books
exchanged, compile a top ten list of favourites and make a special display
of books and their reviews. This leaves parents and children with enough
time afterwards to redeem the vouchers in Waterstone's stores by 31st
July 2009.
Books for everyone
We want everyone to have the chance to take part in The Big Book Bank. Children
who are unable to bring in a book from home could choose one from the school
library to review.
Some children may prefer to loan their book to the school library for the duration of the scheme rather than making it a permanent donation.
Which books are best for The Big Book Bank?
The children can choose any kind of book to bring into school but the book should
be in a reasonable condition.
The children also need to feel OK about sharing their book, and there may be some books which they consider to be just too special to part with. Please encourage them to choose a book which they have enjoyed and would like to share with someone else.
What did other schools do? Waterstone's has trialed The Big Book Bank with a number of schools. Read the Case Studies to find out how it worked for them.
Lesson Plans & Activity Sheets
Lesson 1
>
Lesson Plan 1 - My First Book Review
> Read & Review
- Activity Sheet
Lesson 2
> Lesson
Plan 2 - Book Detectives
> Design
a Book Jacket - Activity Sheet
Assembly / Classroom Presentation
>
Assembly Outline
> Big Book Bank Presentation
Links / Downloads
> Recommended Reads
> Case
Studies
> Download
Parents Letter
> Downloadable
Poster
For Parents
Contents
- What is The Big Book Bank scheme?
- How does The Big Book Bank work?
- Which books are best for The Big Book Bank?
- Choosing books for kids - Developing readers
- Choosing books for kids - Confident readers
- Choosing books for kids - 9-12 readers
- Choosing books for kids - Reluctant readers
- Choosing books for kids - Dyslexia
What is The Big Book Bank scheme?
The Big Book Bank encourages children to read and share their opinions about books with others, and then rewards them with a new one for free.
Children can:
I. Choose a book from home which they have enjoyed
II. Write
a short review on a Big Book Bank sticker to encourage
others to read it
III. Take the book into school and exchange
it for a Recommended Reads
voucher
IV. Choose a free book from Waterstone's from the
list of books
Meanwhile, their book is displayed in The Big Book Bank area in school. Children can take the reviewed books out and read them.
How does The Big Book Bank work?
Read the Step-by-Step Guide to find out how to get involved.
Waterstone's is supporting the scheme by providing schools with a Big Book Bank pack once they have registered online.
Which books are best for The Big Book Bank?
Your child can choose any kind of book to bring into school - a favourite old picture book, an adventure story, or an information book for example
The book should be in reasonable condition so that someone else can enjoy it too
Please encourage your child to choose a book which they genuinely enjoyed and which they would like to share with someone else. If the book is too special to part with, leave it at home.
Resources to enjoy on the website
Find out more about the books on offer in the Recommended Reads section
Explore the Big Book Bank games
Choosing books for kids
Developing readers
This is the stage at which children begin to read by themselves - gradually building up their reading skills.
We recommend books with:
• large print, short chapters and limited vocabulary
• lively illustrations; these help children interpret the meaning of the words Look out for the Waterstone's Guide to Kids' Books, available in store and online at Waterstones.com. Also visit Waterstones.com/parents.
Confident readers
This refers to children who have mastered the basics of reading and are now ready to discover books for themselves. We recommend books with: • longer sentences
• more developed vocabulary, yet still plenty of pictures
A good starting point is a theme or subject that reflects your child's interests or personality.
9-12 fiction
When children reach this reading age they are confident, competent readers. They are now ready for more:
• complex sentence structures
• complex plots
• sophisticated characterisations
This is the perfect stage for them to try out lots of different genres and authors to discover which ones they like the most. Themes, subjects and familiarity are important here.
Reluctant readers
Some children, once they have learnt to read, subsequently lose interest in reading for fun. They are often referred to as 'reluctant readers'.
To help encourage reading, you could look for books with:
• lots of humour
• a large typeface and short chapters, as they are less daunting
• illustrations, like graphic novels
Audio books are also an excellent way to help reluctant readers enjoy the same books as their friends
Sometimes the reluctance to read may be symptomatic of a more specific problem. If you have concerns, you may want to talk to your child's teacher.
Dyslexia
At Waterstone's, we believe the joy of reading to be one of life's fundamental pleasures. Waterstone's has supported Dyslexia Action since 2003 as our chosen charity because we believe reading to be both a vital and life-enhancing skill.
Dyslexia causes difficulties in learning to read, write and spell. Short-term memory, mathematical ability, concentration, personal organisation and sequencing may also be affected. Biological in origin but environmental factors also contribute. Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability. It is not a disease and it cannot be cured. However, it is possible to help a dyslexic child learn to cope with, and manage their difficulties and reach their potential at school and beyond. For information on dyslexia, and our partnership with Dyslexia Action visit: Waterstones.com/DA or www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
Kids' Stuff
Contents
- Recommended Reads - The Tail of Emily Windsnap
- Recommended Reads - Esio Trot
- Recommended Reads - The Fire Within
- Recommended Reads - Kick Off
- Recommended Reads - The Mum Shop
- Recommended Reads - Pippi Longstocking
- Recommended Reads - Saffy's Angel
- Recommended Reads - Monster Mission
- Recommended Reads - Lady Grace: Betrayal
- Recommended Reads - Jack Stalwart: Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur
- Recommended Reads - The Magician's Nephew
- Recommended Reads - Shapeshifters: Finding the Fox
- Links/Downloads
Recommended Reads
What's the book about?
Emily's mother has always been nervous about letting her
go in the water, but in her first school swimming lesson
she discovers she's such a natural she grows a tail - and no wonder,
as she's half
mermaid! An enchanting and absorbing modern day fairy
story that's a very well-written start to the series.
Who's it for?
A perfect 'next read' for fans of Rainbow Magic and Gwyneth
Rees, or anyone that loves underwater worlds.
What's the book about?
Roald Dahl is the one of the world's master storytellers and
Esio Trot is a lovely story, full of surreal fun, about Mr Hoppy and
his efforts to win his neighbour's heart by helping her tortoise grow
quicker. Although as ever with Mr Dahl, all is not as it seems!
Celebrate Roald Dahl Day on 13th September - click here for more information.
Who's it for?
For boys and girls that love the surreal, the preposterous
- and really great stories.
What's the book about?
David applies for lodgings having read a slightly odd advert:
'suit clean, tidy, quiet student. PS: must like dragons'. New landlady
Liz and her daughter Lucy have dragon pottery models everywhere but
soon David begins to wonder... Fantastically gripping, and the film is
due to hit the big screen soon.
Who's it for?
For fans of the magical side of Harry Potter.
What's the book about?
What's the book about?
Jamie Johnson is football mad, and dreams of being the
school's top player. Trouble is, his mum and his teachers
have other ideas - even his friends don't think he can make it. The inspirational
first
in a series of brilliant football-related books featuring
the very real hero Jamie.
Who's it for?
This is for you if you love football, or are fed up with
people stopping you dream.
What's the book about?
Meet Oli and Skipjack, two ordinary boys that have not-so-ordinary
adventures! In the Mum Shop, Oli tries to swap his for mother for one
that will let him eat pepperoni pizza and watch horror movies all night.
But at least his real mother isn't involved in an evil anti-kid plot...
Who's it for?
Next step for fans of Horrid Henry and Mr Gum.
What's the book about?
Pippi seems to have the perfect life - she's 9 years old,
lives all by herself with a horse and a monkey, and does exactly what
she wants, including staying up late! Follow her adventures in this,
the first of Astrid Lindgren's Pippi books.
Who's it for?
For naughty little sisters everywhere!
What's the book about?
This is the first in a series of books about the Casson
family and is Saffy's tale: when she finds out that she is adopted,
Saffy tries to unlock the mystery of her past. Amusing, witty, touching,
this is a real feel-good tale which will leave you wanting to read all
the rest in the series - they're all just as good!
Who's it for?
Fans of Jacqueline Wilson will love this.
What's the book about?
Three eccentric aunts kidnap some kind children for help with their special
mission - running a secret island that's a sanctuary for magical creatures.
Unfortunately, they also accidentally take a wrong 'un who threatens the
whole mission. Eva Ibbotson has written loads of books for teens as well
as younger kids and this hilarious book is a great introduction.
Who's it for?
For boys and girls that like fast, funny stories.
What's the book about?
In the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Maid of Honour Lady Grace is the Queen's
very own Lady Pursuivant, who investigates intrigues at court. When her fellow
Maid of Honour Lady Sarah disappears after a trip to meet the Queen's fleet
in the docks, Grace goes after the truth. These books are exciting, well-researched
and a pleasure to read.
Who's it for?
If you like murder mysteries, historical fiction or a fast-paced story.
What's the book about?
Secret Agent Jack Stalwart is a 9 year-old boy who travels the world fighting
crime - what a brilliant job! In this adventure Jack has to stop a flesh-eating
dinosaur from destroying New York City. Full of interesting facts and information.
Who's it for?
Fans of gadgets and spies that like a bit of adventure - even if you don't
normally read much you'll love this.
What's the book about?
Unhappy schoolboy Dax unwittingly discovers he has a superpower, the ability
to shapeshift into a fox! A government agent soon offers him a place at a
secret school for kids with special powers, on condition he reveals the truth
to nobody. Before long, Dax is wondering who he can trust...
Who's it for?
A brilliantly engrossing series for older kids that love school stories and
magical books.