Happy New Year! There has been an exciting development here at Edge Grove this new year and I am delighted to welcome Mrs Marianna Volioti to Edge Grove as our School Librarian.
Find out more about our new librarian in the Q&A below:
What excites you about working at Edge Grove?
Edge Grove combines beautiful surroundings with beautiful people. Everyone, both staff and children, are lovely, smiley and helpful. I also love the Prep school library with the beautiful view and the fireplace!
Can you give us a brief overview of your journey into librarianship and what influenced your decision to become a school librarian?
I started as a school library assistant four years ago and I loved it so much that I decided to become a school librarian. I have previously worked in both primary and secondary school libraries. It's a job that I love because it combines two of the things that I hold most dear in life: children and books.
What sorts of books do you most like to read?
My favourite books are detective and mystery books. I love how these books take me on a journey to try and figure out who is the 'bad guy' or who is hidden behind it all. And how ninety-nine out of a hundred times I get it wrong!
What are three of your favourite books for children for ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-13? And Why?
One of my favourite 5-7 year old books is Kes Gray's Oi Frog! I love the rhyming and I find it very funny! The illustrations are excellent too.
One of my favourite 8-11 year old books is R.J. Palacio's Wonder. I love that it's written in the first person, which makes the book very engaging, as well as its powerful message. A wonderful read! (Read it before watching the film, please!)
One of my favourite 12-13 year old books is Michael Rosen's Sad Book. It really is a sad book, dealing with the very difficult subject of loss. Its beautifully simple language, though, sensitively accompanied by Quentin Blake's illustrations, make it a gripping and thought-provoking read that stays with you.
What will be your priorities as you start work at Edge Grove? I need to get to know the library stock across the school and the children and their reading preferences, so that I can match the two.
Here are recommendations of newly published books in January 2022 from The Reader Teacher, Scott Evans. Listening to Scott’s video with your child is an excellent way to find out about new books that are available and give an opportunity to your child to choose their next read. Choice is very important in encouraging children to read for pleasure. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpO0C1tIWLs
In my free time I love to work with books and I spend time at The Book Trade Charity in Kings Langley. New books are donated by publishers to the charity which supports people who have fallen on hard times in the book trade; the books are then sold to the public to support their work. I recommend a visit for all book-loving families!
Dates for your Diary: The Book Trade Charity Book Sale The Foyle Centre, The Retreat, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8LT
Thursday 3 February 2022 – after-school Children’s book sale from 4-7pm Friday 4 February 2022 – full book sale from 12-5pm Saturday 5 February 2022 – full book sale from 10am-2pm Paperbacks and children’s books £2 and hardbacks £4 unless otherwise stated.
The winner of the Christmas competition, ‘Get Caught Reading’ is Ava Colton in Year 1 who has a £10 token to spend at the next Edge Grove Book Sale. Ava was caught reading on the station at the airport. Well Done Ava!