Willoughby Public School Library

How do I order Book Club?

At WPS we are running Scholastic Book Club twice a term. All book orders must be completed online using Scholastic LOOP (link). Please note; we do not use cash for book club. All orders will be sent 1-2 weeks after the closing date for that issue.

​

​

How do I encourage my children to read more/wider/better?

There are many way to help your child become a lover of reading. "The Reading Mountain" has provided an excellent resource for parents looking to help engage their children in reading (Link)

For those who are time poor and don’t have time to read this article, Mr Thorn has some short tips:

​

 - ALL BOOKS ARE GOOD BOOKS: Yes, even the ones with lots of pictures. Graphic novels, picture books, mixed media texts, these are all valid ways of engaging with storytelling and language. This article makes some excellent points regarding the complexity of graphic novels and how they represent many wonderful opportunities to deepen reader's understanding and engagement.

​

 - READING IS ABOUT CHOICE: Pushing children (or anyone, really) to read things they don't have a genuine interest in is not only extremely difficult, but also counter intuitive. Older students especially, will quickly tire of being told their reading choices aren't of an acceptable quality and will may even come to see reading as 'work' rather than recreation. To put it simply: The best book for your child is the one they want to read.

   

 - SET THE EXAMPLE: For your children to see reading positively, they need to see you reading for fun. If you, as a role model, make excuses not to read, then your children may see a way to follow suit and make the same excuses.

​

  - TALK ABOUT BOOKS: Ask what your kids are reading. Ask if they like those books. Talk about books YOU enjoy, or enjoyed, and why. Send your kids to demand these books from Mr Thorn.

​

  - FIND READING TIME: Everyone is busy, but even the most rushed and exhausted of us can manage a few minutes a day to read. Build it into your bedtime routine, talk about it at dinner, have a stack of books by the toilet (highly recommended), WHATEVER WORKS!

​

​

Do you accept donations?

We are always willing to look through good quality used books, but due to space restrictions, we are unlikely to take large numbers of books from families. Most classroom teachers are willing to consider second-hand books for in-class libraries, so please consider offering your books to staff members as well.

​

​

What does my child need to bring to the library?

Not much. Library bags are required for Kindy students, but are recommended for anyone with an already full schoolbag. Year 3-6 students are expected to borrow/renew their books weekly, but alternatively they're welcome to bring their own books from home.

​

Other than that, just bring some curiosity.