WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
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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 The Big Book Bank area 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
- Register your school online by Friday 28th May, and then download the resources from the Teachers’ Area to get the scheme started.
- Waterstone’s will send you The Big Book Bank pack with a display kit (to put up in the school library or classroom), vouchers and book review stickers.
- Ask each child to bring in a book (children who are unable to bring in a book could choose one from the school library).
- Then ask the children to write a review on the stickers provided and to stick it in their book. children then either donate or loan their book to The Big Book Bank for other children to read.
- Hold a Big Book Bank day to celebrate the scheme and give
the free book vouchers to all the children who took part. - Children can then visit Waterstone’s with their
parents to exchange their vouchers for a new
recommended read book before Sunday 1st August 2010.
To find out more, visit 'How to Run The Big Book Bank' in the Teacher's area.
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Please note that the registration to The Big Book Bank is now closed.
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TEACHERS
Contents
- How to Run the Big Book Bank
- Assembly/Classroom Presentation
- Lesson Plans & Activity Sheets
- Competition
- Links / Downloads
How to run The Big Book Bank
The Big Book Bank is a brilliant way to encourage reading and sharing books in your school. It's free, simple to run and makes reading lots of fun!
Kicking off in May 2010, The Big Book Bank encourages children to:
- Bring a book to school that they've read and enjoyed.
- Write a review about it.
- Share it with classmates in exchange for a FREE book voucher.
The scheme could be anything from a small classroom project to a whole school event.
Who Benefits?
The scheme is great for:
- Encouraging children to read and share their opinions about books.
- Supporting literacy lessons. See the lesson plans for ideas and get the children playing learning games in our Fun Stuff section of the website.
- And more importantly- creating enthusiastic readers!
Getting Started
Register your school on the sign up page and receive a Big Book Bank pack.
Getting Children Excited
To get your pupils excited about the scheme, you might like to use the assembly/classroom presentation and suggested tips.
Pupils can also explore the fun stuff area of the website for games and a lot of the 9 recommended reads that they will be able to get with their vouchers.
> Download 'How to Run The Big Book Bank' here
Assembly / Classroom Presentation
>
Assembly Outline
> Big Book Bank Presentation - Colour
> Big Book Bank Presentation - B&W
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
New for 2010
The Big Book Bank Book Review Competition!
Have your pupils written brilliant book reviews for The Big Book Bank? Reward their efforts by entering their book reviews into the review competition!
Each winning entry, judged by Waterstone's, will receive a fantastic selection of new books!
How to Enter
1. Simply complete the entry form and post it along with a
copy of the book review/s you have selected to THE BIG BOOK BANK BOOK REVIEW COMPETITION, PO BOX 5615,
London, W1A 4FB by Friday 30th July 2010. Please note, only
submissions made by the teacher and school will be selected.
2. Waterstone's and an independent supervisor will
judge the reviews, looking for the outstanding book reviews to
submit into the review competition.
3. 5 lucky winners will be chosen. The winning children will
win a box of books from Waterstone's for their school
library and will have their book review published on The
Big Book Bank website.
The winning entries will be announced by Friday 3rd September
2010 for the commencing school year.
A selection of the best book review entries will also be published
on The Big Book Bank website for other children to read and enjoy!
Judging Criteria
You might like to share the following competition criteria with your pupils.
The Winning Book Review will Need To:
- Include the title and author of the book that has been reviewed
- Clearly and concisely summarise what the book is about (but not give away the ending!)
- Describe why you enjoyed the book and who you think would like it.
- Be persuasive - why do you think someone else should read this book?
> Download Terms and Conditions
> Download Entry Form
Links / Downloads
> Parents Letter
> Case Studies
> Recommended Reads
> Downloadable Poster
PARENTS
How Does It Work
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.
1. Children can choose a book from home that they have enjoyed. Your child can choose any kind of book to bring into school, for example, a favourite old picture book, an adventure story, or an information book. However, it needs to be in reasonable condition for others to enjoy.
2. They then take their book into school to review and share it with their classmates.
3. In exchange they receive a voucher for a free book from the waterstone’s list of recommended reads. Their book is then displayed in the big book bank area in school. This can be for a short period or permanently – it’s up to them! Please encourage your child to choose a book that they would be happy to share with someone else. If the book is too special to part with, ask your child to choose another book.
See the Step By Step Guide for more.
Choosing Books for Kids
All children learn at their own pace; your child will enjoy a book much more if it challenges them just enough, without being so difficult that they find it discouraging.
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, and break up the text into more manageable chunks.
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, but still with plenty of pictures.
A good starting point is a theme or subject that reflects your child’s interests or personality.
9-12 Readers (reading age)
when children reach this reading age they are confident, competent readers.
They are now ready for more:
- Complex sentence
- Structures
- Complex plots
- Sophisticated
- Characterisation
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
Sometimes children, who have already learnt to read, 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 a great way to help reluctant readers enjoy the same books as their friends.
Sometimes the reluctance to read may be a result of a more specific problem. if you have any concerns, you may want to talk to your
child’s teacher.
Visit waterstones.com/parents for more information.
FUN STUFF
Contents
- Recommended Reads - The Clumsies Make a Mess by Sorrel Anderson
- Recommended Reads - Spy Dog by Andrew Cole
- Recommended Reads - Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren Child
- Recommended Reads - Stinking Rich and Just Plain Stinky by Philip Ardagh
- Recommended Reads - Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
- Recommended Reads - Dark Summer by Ali Sparkes
- Recommended Reads - 32C That’s Me by Chris Higgins
- Recommended Reads - Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng
- Recommended Reads - The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross
- Links/Downloads
Recommended Reads
What's the book about?
The Clumsies are two very silly, clumsy mice who can talk. They have lots of messy adventures in an office belonging to a friendly man called Howard and his grumpy boss Mr Bullerton.
Who's it for?
For those who like funny stories with lots of pictures and short paragraphs.
What's the book about?
Lara is no ordinary dog: she is a highly trained special agent for the Government. But when she finds out that a wicked drugs baron is after her, Lara goes undercover as an ordinary family pet. But can she keep her real identity a secret?
Who's it for?
If you like animals and thrillers then this is the book for you.
What's the book about?
Clarice Bean never gets to do anything, unlike her hero, ace-girl detective Ruby Retford. But when Clarice and her best friend Betty Moody decide to do their school project on Ruby, suddenly they start to find mysteries everywhere!
Who's it for?
If you like wacky characters and mystery adventures, this is the book for you.
What's the book about?
Grubtown resident Beady Ardagh chronicles the tales of his town; a mysterious, oddball town that doesn’t appear on any maps and where the outsized mayor is knitting himself a new house. But then a gigantic diamond is found and changes everything…
Who's it for?
Fans of Horrid Henry or Mr Gum will love this silly tale.
What's the book about?
Twelve year-old villain Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. He discovers that faeries exist and plots to steal their gold, but gets more than he bargains for when he kidnaps the feisty Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit).
Who's it for?
Funny and exciting - children and adults of all ages will enjoy it.
What's the book about?
Dark Summer tells the story of twelve year-old Eddie, whose life changes when he gets lost in some underground caves and meets the strange, spooky Gwerren. The meeting changes Eddie’s life in more ways than one…
Who's it for?
For those who like mystery adventure with lots of imagination and realistic characters.
What's the book about?
Jess has a great life – best friend, gorgeous boyfriend, nice-if-a-bit-dull family, and the lead role in the school play. But then her mum is diagnosed with cancer and her world is turned upside down.
Who's it for?
Fans of real life drama will love this funny but moving exploration of family, friendship and relationships.
What's the book about?
Orphan Molly Moon’s miserable life changes overnight when she finds a mysterious book on hypnotism and discovers she has the power to make people do anything she wants. Molly flees her orphanage in search of fame and fortune, but her adventures lead her into the clutches of a dangerous enemy.
Who's it for?
For those who like to let their imaginations run wild.
What's the book about?
When Dinah starts her new school she finds all the kids weirdly robotic and well behaved. Dinah and her foster brothers, Lloyd and Harvey, soon find out what’s going on – and in particular what their creepy headmaster is really up to...
Who's it for?
An exciting story with spooky characters and a real sense of threat, kids of all ages will love this.