Bookworm Caitlin’s timely reading feat

Caitlin Gray, 11, took part in the national competition, Read For My School.

She completed 152 books between Monday, January 21 and Friday, March 22, winning her the award for Most Books Read in the East of England.

Caitlin read not just more books than the other pupils in her own school, Robert Bloomfield Academy in Shefford, but also more than Year 5 and 6 pupils in 176 other schools in the region.

Mandy Tapley, assistant head of English, arranged for the school to take part. She said: “It was an incentive to encourage reading. The children had the opportunity to read lots of books online as well as hard copies.

“All our pupils in Year 6 took part and Caitlin took it to heart and couldn’t stop! She’s a really avid reader.”

Pupils had to write online reviews of the books after completing them. Other pupils managed to work their way through 40 to 60 books but Caitlin’s reading was on a different scale altogether.

Mrs Tapley added: “Caitlin read a real range of books. The initiative was to try and get the children to read different genres. She read adventure stories, humorous books, non-fiction, science fiction and so on.”

The competition period covered February half term so pupils had extra time to read. They read a little in school but the majority of their reading time was at home.

The whole of Year 6 took part and some Year 5 pupils.

Across the region the average number of books read per school was 233 and of these 44 per cent were read from the free online library and 56 per cent were read offline.

The most interesting written response category was won by Eleanor Connery-Needham of Welwyn.

The achievements were recognised at an award ceremony in Waterstones in Cambridge yesterday (Thursday, May 23). Prizes were presented by MP Keith Simpson and children’s author Anthony McGowan.

Keith Simpson, who is also the books editor of Total Politics, said: “My passion for books and reading began when I was very young at home, encouraged by my parents. Then my teachers gently nudged me into widening my interests. I am impressed by what Caitlin and Eleanor have achieved.”

The competition was run by The Pearson Foundation and Booktrust with support from the Department for Education.