Reading is one of those activities that, the more you do, the better you get, and with the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to read that book you’ve always wanted to, finish a book you’ve started or try something new. It is important to keep reading over the holidays, so that we don’t step backward in our reading journey.
As the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found, reading for pleasure is a habit that can prove essential to performing well in the classroom. Literacy skills have always been a precursor to success. Today more than ever, strong literacy skills are a critical survival asset in a fast-paced, technological world. Learning to love reading will enable a child to adapt more quickly to this ever-changing world.
A love of reading is not innate; it is taught. Positive reading experiences encourage more reading. Boys in particular need to enjoy their reading. They tend to choose books that are too easy for them and fail to move on to more challenging material. Parents of boys should spend some time with their boys, talk to them about their reading choices, and encourage them to read more challenging books.
Make holiday reading a regular, family event
Building a culture of reading is an important step in encouraging our children to read. If possible, make a tradition of choosing a book to read over the holidays, individually or as a family and talking about it as you go. For instance, if you are travelling, why not put on an audiobook to pass the time on the road. You will be helping to nurture the idea that reading is important and something we can do in our downtime.
Don’t burn out on reading
Remember that reading, especially during the holidays, is supposed to be a fun and relaxing activity; choose something that you will enjoy, and don’t overdo it, the holidays are a break. It is better to choose one book that you will like than try and cram a dozen.
Books for Junior School boys
Boys are impatient with stories that take too long to get off the ground. They like their books to be fast paced. The boys in the Toowoomba Grammar Junior School love historical novels. Historical fiction tells the stories of ordinary people living in extraordinary times. The boys love reading about real things in our world (particularly books set during WWI and WWII). Favourite books in this genre: Once series (Morris Gleitzman), Katrina Nannestad’s WWII books – Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief and We Are Wolves. John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a favoured book for more mature readers in this genre. Fantasy is always a favourite genre with boys. Boys also love a good series. They can get attached to characters and like to keep reading about them. Boys love the Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and Ranger’s Apprentice series and Neal Shusterman’s Scythe series.
Sports
For the sports obsessed there are a great many choices, both true and fictitious, whether you want the stats and figures, a biography or just a good sporting tale, try one of these.
JT: The making of a total legend
Read about the life of Jonathan Thurston, from his time as a kid who was too skinny and small to play rugby to his time as one the game’s greats.
Specky Magee
Author, Felice Arena, collaborates with AFL legend Gary Lyons to tell the tale of young hotshot, Specky Magee, as he pursues his love of AFL in a family that hates the game.
David Gower’s 50 Greatest Cricketers of All Time
Who makes the list, who doesn’t and do you agree?
Greats of Origin (Maroons or Blues)
Flip to the appropriate side of the book and read about the best Maroon / Blues (delete as appropriate) players in Origin history.
Games
With the popularity of games and gaming, it is not surprising that a number of books have been turned into games, and a number of games have spawned book series.
Halo: The Fall of Reach (Halo series)
Discover the origins of the Master Chief in the novel that sets up the story for Halo: Combat evolved and Halo: Reach.
Minecraft: The Island (Minecraft series)
What if you woke up on a Minecraft island? Why is everything made of blocks, how do you survive the Zombies? Find out in the first book of the series.
Assassins Creed: The Secret Crusade (Assassin’s Creed series)
From the Crusades to the French Revolution and beyond, The Assassins and Templars vie for supremacy across time in this historical fiction series.
The Legend of Zelda (Manga)
The hero of time, Link, protects the land of Hyrule in these adaptions of the Legend of Zelda series of games from Nintendo.
Epic Tales
If you want to enter some of the epic worlds of imagination, long series with deep histories to unpack, try deep diving into:
The Wheel of Time (Series)
The Wheel of time rolls ever onward and those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.
Dune (Series)
Plans within plans, within plans. “He who controls the spice, controls the galaxy.”
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Trilogy)
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all who wander are lost.” An unlikely hero, takes on a darkness set to consume his world.
Action Thrillers
If you want a little action and excitement this holiday period, give one of these a whirl.
Jack Reacher series
Jack Reacher is an ex-military policeman drifting through life before being arrested for murder. All he knows is that he didn’t kill anybody, at least not here…..
The Recruit, first in the Cherub series
A boy with a troubled past has a chance to turn his life around; but he’ll have to work hard and survive many dangers for the secretive Cherub organisation to do it.
Casino Royale, introduction to superspy James Bond
His name is Bond, James Bond; read the book that started the legend.
Hopefully there’s something there that piques your interest, but if not; good news, there are literally billions of things to read!
Many parents tend to wonder if a book is appropriate for their child. A good bookseller will be able to point you in the right direction and librarians (school and town) are always a valuable source of information. If you go to the Children’s Book Council of Australia website (CBCA) and head to the Book of the Year lists for 2022, you will find books to appeal to all ages.
Keep on reading.
Mr Dan Crook
TGS Head of Library and Information Services
Ms Michelle Worthington
Junior School Librarian
Latest Blog
Erik Sheppard - making TGS Army Cadet Unit history
The 2024 Dining in Night was made even more special with the appointment of the first Toowoomba Grammar School Army Cadet Unit (TGS ACU) Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Erik Sheppard who was awarded his rank and pace stick by the 16th Battalion Commanding officer MAJ (AAC) Gary MacLachlan. WO1 Sheppard enlisted in the TGS ACU just before the COVID shutdown in 2020. Although this was not the ideal way to begin a cadet career, he was able to adapt and overcome the virtual…
The Big Six Reading Tips
Unlocking Literacy - The Big Six Elements for Your Child’s Reading Success Literacy skills are a core component of each day for our students, and parents often ask how they can support this from home. I am delighted to share with our parent community the essential components that underpin successful reading development. These elements, known as the Big Six, provide a solid foundation for your son’s literacy journey. These critical building blocks include: Oral Language: Communication skills are…
Boarding - Building Men of Good Character
Over the past five years, we have found one of the most valuable lessons that boarding can teach teenage boys is the ability to self-navigate and overcome challenges. Entering a boarding house is the first time many boarders have stepped away from the comfort and security of their parents and guardians. Although this can be a daunting experience, one of the things that this unfamiliarity creates is the ability to organise yourself. With a larger workload than previous years, a greater number…
The Learning Pit
Learning is at our core and covers all subject disciplines, co-curricular pursuits, personal development and interest areas. Helping our Toowoomba Grammar School boys view learning as a disposition that goes well beyond the classroom context is incredibly important. Learning has a life-long value in all we do. We also acknowledge that learning can be challenging at times, and it can be uncomfortable, but also wonderfully inspiring and fulfilling. Appreciating the full range of feelings and…
Leap Before You Look
The boarding journey offers students a plethora of opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone and take advantage of new environments, relationships, and opportunities during their time at Toowoomba Grammar School. We often talk about “character education” – a theory that originated in the US and has been increasingly embraced by leading schools globally. It is encouraging all students to develop new approaches to their learning, including aspects of morals and ethics, thinking,…
Literacy at TGS: A research-informed approach
A recent Grattan Institute report has shared that one-third of Australian students are failing to learn to read proficiently, referring to the situation as a ‘preventable tragedy’. In addition, the report identifies evidence-based approaches utilising structured literacy programs with phonics and explicit instruction as the most effective methods of teaching literacy. At Toowoomba Grammar School, we implement a structured synthetic phonics approach to teaching spelling and reading that…
Past Mothers, Present Supporters
Any Old Boy will tell you the Blue and Gold is part of their blood. They love the history, the traditions, the memories, and the lifelong friends they made during their time at Toowoomba Grammar School. Well, it seems the same can be said for many TGS mums. The Past Mothers’ Group was formed in 1979 by Mrs Mary Campbell who contacted as many past mothers as she could and invited them to meet at her home where the Past Mothers’ Group was officially formed with the intention of retaining links…
The TGS Interact Club - the Reward for Work Well Done
The Interact Club successfully raised over $10,000 last year for charities and services on a local, statewide and international scale through the hard work and commitment of its members. With these funds, the Interact Club has donated Backpack Blankets to Toowoomba's homeless, helped AEIOU's efforts in supporting children with autism, contributed to the "Are You Bogged Mate?" campaign for rural mental health and raised funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. As well as many other individual…
A Question of Character
In an age bursting with technological innovations and an overwhelming abundance of information, the present era appears to be characterised by a swift and unrelenting pace of change. Our society, young and old alike, finds itself constantly bombarded with provocative and sensationalist narratives. The media floods our consciousness with constant streams of global dilemmas, highlighting the flaws of our leaders, uncovering corporate or political scandals, and bringing conflicts and tragedies…
