If you are a candidate for the Foundation’s scholarship programme or dream of applying to our selection process, we have prepared a list of reading tips that can inspire you! This list was created with the help of the assistant director of learning and teaching and the scholarship program, Mrs Alison Ashman, and the volunteer teacher on our preparatory course and librarian at St Paul’s, Natalia Leoni.
Mrs Ashman has a degree in Geography and her love of teaching has seen her work in a variety of roles including leading ITE courses, developing academic skills programs and supporting gifted students. The works she recommends focus on linguistic and literary development:
FACTFULNESS by HANS ROSLING: This book is based on facts and statistics that reveal humanity’s progress and achievements in areas such as health, education, poverty and the environment. It’s a work highly praised by influential personalities, such as Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Steven Pinker.
MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND by HELEN SIMONSEN: This romantic comedy explores the story of a retired widower who falls in love with a Pakistani shopkeeper in a small English village. The book addresses important themes such as prejudice, tradition, family and happiness.
REDWALL SERIES by BRYAN JAQUES: This series of fantasy books covers the adventures of several anthropomorphic animals that live in a medieval world called Redwall. The series has 22 published books, the first being released in 1986 and the last in 2011.
Natalia Leoni has a degree in Library Science, History and Archival Science and leads the Learning Resource Center and the Senior library at St. Paul’s School. With a passion for arts, history, gender issues and society, she is also a volunteer teacher on our preparatory course. The works she chose focus on adventure stories that make us enjoy reading:
WOLF BROTHER by MICHELLE PAVER: Thousands of years ago, a powerful force conjured a demon so evil it could only be contained in the body of a ferocious bear. And only a boy can stop him. Brother Wolf, the first volume in the “Chronicles of Ancient Darkness” series, is a journey back to the Stone Age with themes of loyalty, friendship and courage.
NANCY DREW DIARIES: SECRET AT MYSTIC LAKE by CAROLYN KEENE: The “Nancy Drew” book series follows Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, all with impressive powers of deduction and reasoning to solve cases in creative ways. In this sixth volume, to celebrate his birthday, George takes Nancy and Bess on a three-day bike ride around Mystic Lake. However, strange things start to happen.
SPY X FAMILY by TATSUYA ENDO: Spy x Family is a manga series about master spy Twilight, unrivaled when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions. Until he is given the final and most difficult mission of his career – to get married and have a child.
We hope that the tips, in addition to serving as good company for our afternoons, will be useful for those who would like to improve their knowledge of understanding English.