
Blether Board
This is a page to blether (chat) with the Teachers’ Reading Challenge community. We invite you to share reading experiences and great reads to inspire others.
Here you can leave messages, reply and like!
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Just wanted to say today, on the last day of this year’s challenge, what a great idea. Hope it will long continue!

one_to_read
I started Onjali Q. Rauf’s latest offering, The Night Bus Hero, with slight trepidation only because I loved her last two books and didn’t want to be disappointed. I wasn’t! Hooked from the beginning, this was an all-nighter, a read-in-one-go, a page turner. The story manages to tie in two sensitive issues of bullying and the plight of the homeless seamlessly. The characters were lifelike and believable and the author’s note at the end explains why. A tear or two was shed! I will be sharing it with my class very soon.

CHollis
Can You See Me? Libby Scott and Rebecca Westport.
I absolutely loved this story. It was moving, insightful and inspirational. I think this is a must read for everyone – children, friends, parents and teachers. The story of autistic Tally and her everyday life is interlaced with diary entries that are packed with Tally’s Tips to help everyone understand her challenges and how best to interact with her. Although she is clear that every autistic person is different ( so may not respond in the same way) it is a lesson in empathy for all.
Rushed out to buy the sequel Do You Know Me? and loved that too!

CHollis
Review
We invite you to add a book, then leave a rating and a review (you will be instructed to do this once your completed book has been added). This book will then be logged against your reading goal. You will be able to access your reviews through your personal profile at any time. By adding books and reaching your goal, your completers badge and certificate will be activated! You can also copy your review into your downloadable diary if you wish.
If you decide to log a book and leave a review you can also copy your review into the blether/message board. This way you can read each other’s reviews and comment, starting interesting discussions with the Teachers’ Reading Challenge community.
The audience for your review is either:
A) other teachers
B) children (for the relevant age group) so you can share it in school
I have just finished reading the graphic novel El Deafo by Cece Bell – a fantastic read that I highly recommend!
The brilliant storytelling weaved with wonderful illustration provides the reader with a real insight into the life of Cece as a child growing up with hearing loss. We gain great understanding into her perceptions of the world and those around her. Empathy could be greatly enhanced through the use of this book in the classroom – one I will definitely enjoy reading with children in the future.
MegM2710

MegM2710
The TRC team has been so inspired by the sheer volume of reviews being left on the website (1,567 to be precise!) and we know how much you want to see other teachers’ recommendations. So, we’re excited to share our ‘Featured Reviews’ page, where we’ll pick out our top reviews around a different theme, three times a week. Find the page in the tabs banner at the top of the page.
To kick things off, we’ve picked out some of our favourite reviews of mood-boosting books. Do have an explore, but don’t stop sharing your reviews on the ‘Blether’ page here!
Zoe – TRC Team

Zoe Sadler
I have just finished the follow-up to Jenny McLachlan’s Land of Roar – Return to Roar.
Absolutely brilliant, gripping at times and showing the true meaning of friendships and family connections. The ending is truly relevant and significant and clearly demonstrates that bullies can be beaten.
