Review: The Windsor Knot, S J Bennett
genre(s): (cosy) crime audience: adult readers read it for: an intricately plotted and satisfying mystery tucked into a delightful and affectionately presented ‘sneak peek’ at the home life of HM The first book in a highly original and delightfully clever crime series in which Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes while carrying out her royal duties. …. Read More
Do you do ‘200 word Challenges’ in English lessons? Here’s what they’re for…
Lots of schools started doing 200-word challenges as a quick way to sharpen up GCSE students’ writing skills. I’ve noticed, in working as a tutor, however, that not all students know why they’re doing them. If that’s you, read on – this is what they can help you achieve. They help remind you to use …. Read More
Reading guilt
I’ve struggled with reading recently. In lockdown, when I should have been able to give my TBR pile a good bashing, I’ve barely read anything, discarding several things after not being able to get started properly. I’m not naming them, because it’s definitely me, not them. Apparently, quite a lot of people have had similar …. Read More
PC Language: a ‘change’ and ‘diversity’ topic
PC (or ‘politically correct’) language is a topic in English Language A Level that rather nicely illustrates how artificial it is to separate ideas into topics like ‘change’ and ‘diversity’. But, of course, we have to draw lines for the purposes of curriculum organisation. What this actually means for you as a student (or a …. Read More
So, you want to write textbooks or resources?
My path to writing textbooks and resources really began with a revision website years ago, so I would strongly recommend sharing resources online in some form to get your name known/ prove your value, if you want to build a career in textbook writing. These days, a lot of people start with a solid Twitter …. Read More
Three ways to sneak Reading for Pleasure into the KS4 classroom
I think (hope?) many of us can agree that GCSE set text lists do not inherently encourage students to become readers. By exposing young teenagers to books deemed ‘classics’ or ‘great’ and requiring detailed analysis, we often in fact risk putting them off reading. This is, unfortunately, especially true for those not from a reading background …. Read More
Young Adult fiction: not just for young adults…
So, I’m not a young adult. I haven’t been for a while now. What I am, though, is a fan of young adult fiction (which, by the way is NOT a genre). Research tells us that many buyers and borrowers of YA do not, in fact, fit within that age bracket themselves. This is not, …. Read More
Recommended Resource (for English Lang A Level): Lexis Podcast
This excellent linguistics podcast started up this year and, at the time of posting, has had 8 episodes. It features four linguistics enthusiasts: Matthew Butler, Lisa Casey, Dan Clayton and Jacky Glancey, discussing language issues in the news and recent research. Most episodes have included an interview with an academic linguist about a specific topic …. Read More
YA Review: Hideous Beauty by William Hussey
genre(s): contemporary representation notes: LGBT (m/m) read it for: a great combination of a well-written gay romance and a thriller/mystery, bundled with realistic and easy-to-relate-to explorations of YA relationships with friends and family Dylan is forced to come out after his secret relationship with Ellis is exposed on social media, but to his surprise, everyone is …. Read More
YA Book Feature: The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas (review plus teaching resources)
Age Range: 12+ (according to publisher’s website; I would happily use this throughout the secondary school – plenty to engage older teens, nothing ‘unsuitable’ for yr7/8, although they will be less interested in the romance aspects) Themes: family, friends, being different, romance Narrative style and genre: Strong first-person narration plants you firmly in Grace’s world and …. Read More
