Books are great, interesting, and entertaining. Reading books helps improve imagination, generates ideas and can help you to be articulate if you read them aloud. But certain books can help improve knowledge so here are a few recommendations.
Recommendations
Year 7 (Curriculum)
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Year 7 (Non-curriculum)
- Books by David Walliams, Elen Caldecott and J.K. Rowling
Year 8–9 (Curriculum)
- Animal Farm, Blood Brothers and Lord of the Flies
Year 8–9 (Non-curriculum)
- Books by Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley
Why reading is important
Books are extremely important for education. They help improve reading skills, writing ability, and overall knowledge. Research supports this idea.
A study by the UCL Institute of Education found that teenagers who read in their spare time know 26% more words, showing how reading improves vocabulary and understanding.
Similarly, research from the University of Cambridge shows that reading can improve cognition, mental health, and even brain development, proving that reading benefits both learning and wellbeing.
Reading books about subjects such as maths and science can also help build knowledge, as key facts and concepts are often learned through reading and revisiting information.
Interesting facts
A twelve-year study conducted by Yale University shows that people who read books live on average two more years than those who don’t. This shows that reading is not only educational but can also support a healthier lifestyle.
In addition, research by The Reading Agency found that 44% of regular readers said reading improved their mental health and wellbeing.
