The Big Book Hunt 

All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were given a Book Hunt Passport. They had to hunt down the correct books from teachers' doors across school and find the quotation from that room. They also 'interrogated' the teachers listed! There was a bounty of £20 for one person from each Year Group.

Year 7 Storytelling Workshop  

Students told tales of mythical creatures and far-off lands in an interactive workshop in which each pupil took on the role of a vibrant character. They harnessed their storytelling skills to produce an unbelievable tale of magic and mystery. 

Furthermore, there was a quiz in the Library for Years 7 and 8, based around the theme 'Diary of….?'

Year 8 Workshop with cartoonist, Tim Quinn 

He ran through the history of comic books, guiding students in the creation of two brand new characters... one Beano character and the other Marvel Comics style dude! Students will be telling story after story after story about these characters after Tim Quinn has left the school. 

Tim Quinn also held this workshop entitled ‘Dude, what’s the problem?’ for students in Year 9. It was a fun and interactive creative writing workshop exploring the links between plot and character and the essential conflict that is at the heart of any compelling narrative.  

Year 9 Crime-Fiction Writing Workshop 

Students were invited to enter the world of Sophie, the protagonist of Marie Basting’s crime story Leave It All Behind. Inspired by Sophie’s experiences, they developed their own character profile and used this to generate the opening to a short creative piece. 

Depending on their interests and progress, they also had an opportunity to explore several plotting tools that will enable them to further develop their creative writing. 

Year 11 Blind Date with a Book  

The Year 11 students were invited to take home one of the books kindly donated by staff at Manchester Academy... the only trick was that students did not know which book they had chosen until they unwrapped them! 

Staff Fancy Dress 

Even staff joined in the celebrations by paying homage to their favourite book characters, including the Queen of Hearts (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), Lady Macbeth, James Bond and Pippi Longstocking, while students held the power to vote for the winning costumed character! 

Kristina George
Reading Coordinator