Broadford Library Weekly Newsletter - 19/01/26

      

Welcome to the Broadford Library Weekly Newsletter! 

Each week, I will be bringing you a look back on the previous week in the library, including the fun that our lunchtime library clubs have had, new books, children's book reviews, library displays and much more! 

~ Miss Flower, Librarian & Reading Champion ~

Contact - library@broadford.havering.sch.uk

 

Lunchtime library club 

Last week, our lunchtime Library Club children enjoyed getting creative with some lovely winter colouring sheets.

Book of the Week

The Book of the Week last week was Princess DisGrace: First Term at Tall Towers by Lou Kuenzler. It's Grace's first term and she can't wait to make friends, meet her unicorn and learn how to be the perfect princess. If only Grace wasn't the clumsiest pupil Tall Towers has ever had... Can Grace prove that being a real princess is about more than being perfect?

Chatterbooks sessions

Last week, new library Chatterbooks groups enjoyed their first session of Chatterbox Bear. Everyone loved the funny story and all groups got 10/10 when answering the questions at the end of their session - well done to all!

Spinebreakers

Last Thursday, the Year 4 Spinebreakers enjoyed a great trip to Waterstones bookshop in Romford, where they purchased a lovely selection of new books for the library.  You can read more about it here.

Librarian Awards

Special Librarian Award certificates were given out last week to Nikita and Chloe from Year 5. These were in recognition of the lovely selection of books that they both generously donated to the library. 

Blue Peter Reading Badge

We are delighted to hear that three of the library's super Spinebreakers have received their Blue Peter Reading Badges in the post.

Congratulations to Cornelius in Year 1, Tiya in Year 2 and George in Year 2!

 Earn your Blue Peter Reading Badge! See how you can take part here or pick up an entry form from the library.    

105 Books To Read Before You Leave Broadford

If you have not already seen it, please read the separate Library blog post all about our 105 Books To Read Before You Leave Broadford here.

Urgent request - Returning borrowed library books

We have so many lovely books in our library but, unfortunately, many of them get borrowed by a child and then never returned to the library. Please can you check at home to see if you have any Broadford library books (stamped inside/Broadford logo attached). If you do, please pass them to your child to return to the library asap, where our Book Monster is waiting to eat them! Thank you. 

Did you know that we have a Broadford Library Instagram page? Click here to follow us!

Parent Picks Week - Whole School Reading Event

 

This year is the National Year of Reading and we are about to kick off with our first event!

We’re excited to introduce our Parent Picks Shelf, a small book display featuring stories recommended by parents and carers.

Each book will include a handwritten note from a parent, such as “I loved this when I was 7”, helping children see that reading is something families enjoy and share across generations.

From the week commencing 26th January, parents are invited to send in a favourite childhood book through their child. The book will be displayed in class for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you for helping us build a love of reading together 📖✨

Miss Kenealy

Year 4 Spinebreakers visit Waterstones!

     

 Yesterday morning, our Year 4 Spinebreakers had a lovely trip to Waterstones in Romford. Their mission was to purchase a selection of new books for the school Library!

The children spent lots of time perusing the shelves to find books from favourite authors and series that they knew would be welcome additions to our library. They made some great selections!

Once they had chosen and purchased their books, the Spinebreakers enjoyed some tasty sweet treats while completing some fun wordsearches.

On our return to school, the Year 4 Spinebreakers headed to the library, where their final job to end a fun morning was to mark off a successfully completed task from their Spinebreaker trackers - *Purchased new books for the library.

The lovely range of new books purchased will soon be going on display in the library for everyone to borrow and enjoy!

The Story Scrapbook has been on the move!

   

The Story Scrapbook has been on the move!

Each week, a different class around the school is delivered the scrapbook by two of our Spinebreakers. The class's task is to fill a double-page spread with work based on a book of their choice - this could be their end-of-day story or a class favourite. Classes can fill their pages with drawings, paintings, writing, collages - they just need to be creative and use their imaginations!

Last week, the Story Scrapbook had its first delivery of 2026, to Lime class in Year 6. The class chose Katherine Rundell's book Rooftoppers as their theme and produced some lovely pages!

Elliot and Paige, Lime class's Spinebreakers, then returned the Story Scrapbook to the library for some photos, before delivering it to Apricot class in Year 1 for their turn. We look forward to seeing what they will do!

Reading Assemblies - We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Wed Wabbit

     

For the KS1 Reading Assembly this week, Miss Myers read the classic story, We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear! 

This book features on the Reception 105 book list, which you can see here

For the KS2 Reading Assembly this week, Mrs Fayefunmi shared some of Wed Wabbit. An adventure story about friendship, danger and the terror of never being able to get back home again. And it's funny. It's seriously funny!

This book features on the Year 4 105 book list, which you can see here

Please email Miss Flower, School Librarian, if you are looking for one of the '105 Books to Read', with your child's full name and class.

library@broadford.havering.sch.uk  

105 Books to Read Before You Leave Broadford

Well done to Emir, Thomas, Elijah, Alexandra, Rosie and Nourah who have received their Bronze Certificates for reading 5 books from their trackers.

Well done to James, Jahmai, Jazelle, Patrick, Alfie, Alexandra, Maya, Rosie and Nourah who have received their Silver Certificates for reading 10 books.

Well done to Rayan and Alexandra who have earned their Gold Certificates for reading all 15 books! 

Well done to all!

Story Suitcases

This week, our Story Suitcases were taken home by Eslem, Abshara, Elyssa and Scarlet. We hope you all enjoy a snuggly evening with a great book and a yummy hot chocolate.  

If your child has received a Story Suitcase this week, please ensure it is returned back to the school library on Thursday. Thank you.

 Winter Reading Challenge winners!

Thank you to the following children who enjoyed taking part in the library Winter Reading Challenge over the Christmas break and handed in their completed sheets:

 Aadhav, Aadhvik, Aarav, Abshara, Afrahim, Alice, Andreea, Arabella, Ashar, Ayra, Azlan, Eason, Elyssa, Emir, Farzaan, Freya, George, Jacob, Kevin, Kylie, Luna, Maalik, Medhansh, Mfon, Mishti, Munsha, Nashwan, Noah, Oscar, Sadhana, Sofia, Sophia, Surabhi, Tazkiya, Tiya, Torsten, Vedasri, Zenaya and Zyana
 

 All of the children who took part had their names entered into a competition to win a super prize. The lucky winner randomly chosen in KS1 was Zenaya in Year 2 and the runner-up was Alice in Year 2, while in KS2 the winner was Kevin from Year 3 and the runner-up was Ayra from Year 4. 

Everyone else who took part received a lovely certificate. 

Congratulations to all!

 

 

 Blue Peter Reading Badge

Earn your Blue Peter Reading Badge! See how you can take part here or pick up an entry form from the library.  

Broadford Library Weekly Newsletter - 12/01/26

       

Welcome to the Broadford Library Weekly Newsletter! 

Each week, I will be bringing you a look back on the previous week in the library, including the fun that our lunchtime library clubs have had, new books, children's book reviews, library displays and much more! 

~ Miss Flower, Librarian & Reading Champion ~

Contact - library@broadford.havering.sch.uk

 

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the first Broadford Library newsletter of 2026! 

Last week, Miss Flower had a very busy week refreshing the library and planning lots of fun for the Spring term.

Lunchtime library club 

Last week, our lunchtime Library Club children enjoyed welcoming in the new year with some fab 2026 colouring sheets.

Library displays

Lots of children are enjoying taking part in the library New Year, New Genre challenge - the aim of which is to encourage children to try reading from a book genre that they have not tried before, such as 'history', 'mystery' or 'science fiction'. 

If children cannot decide which new genre to try first, they can pick a colour from a Genre Jar and then choose a book from the genre that it relates to.

To go alongside this challenge, Miss Flower has created a bookmark for children to use so that they can tick off each new genre as they read a book from it.

Book of the Week

The Book of the Week last week was How to Train Your Parents by Pete Johnson. Louis has just started at a posh new school, and his mum and dad are suddenly obsessed with homework and tests and after-school clubs! It is a total nightmare - but his new friend Maddy can help. Her parents used to be the same until she trained them! All parents have to be trained. And she knows how...

Non-fiction deliveries

Paige and Elliot, two of the library's super Spinebreakers, delivered more packs of requested non-fiction books to some classes - these are on the topics that the classes will be studying this half term and will be displayed in their reading corners for children to enjoy.

Book donations

We are always grateful and lucky to receive lots of book donations from generous parents, carers and children. If you have been making space for new books received as Christmas presents at home and have any books in good condition that are no longer wanted, please either hand them into the school office or give them to your child to bring into the library. Thank you.

Blue Peter Reading Badge

 Earn your Blue Peter Reading Badge! See how you can take part here or pick up an entry form from the library.    

105 Books To Read Before You Leave Broadford

If you have not already seen it, please read the separate Library blog post all about our 105 Books To Read Before You Leave Broadford here.

Urgent request - Returning borrowed library books

We have so many lovely books in our library but, unfortunately, many of them get borrowed by a child and then never returned to the library. Please can you check at home to see if you have any Broadford library books (stamped inside/Broadford logo attached). If you do, please pass them to your child to return to the library asap, where our Book Monster is waiting to eat them! Thank you. 

Did you know that we have a Broadford Library Instagram page? Click here to follow us!

Reading Assemblies - Reading Achievements!

      

 

105 Books to Read Before You Leave Broadford

Well done to Teodor and Kinza who have received their Bronze Certificates for reading five books.

Well done to Torsten, Sidrat, Kinza, Dylan and Frankie who have received their Silver Certificates for reading 10 books.

Well done to Zaviyar and Veronika who have earned their Gold Certificates for reading all 15 books! 

Well done to all!

Blue Peter Reading Badge

 

Earn your Blue Peter Reading Badge! See how you can take part here or pick up an entry form from the library.