The Library
WELCOME TO OUR LIBRARY
Welcome to the library. This is a space for pupils to gather quietly, read, play chess and complete homework.
- We have a fantastic selection of books, including many critically acclaimed and prize-winning novels.
- The librarian, Ms McCarthy, is eager to match the right book for each pupil, and is a keen supporter of the right to read for pleasure.
- All pupils are members of the library and can borrow books for a period of 10 days.
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Our library was opened by Newport-born poet Connor Allen, former children’s Laureate of Wales. The library has been named the Connor Allen Library in his honour. |
| 2026: THE NATIONAL YEAR OF READING | |
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Did you know that 2026 is the National Year of Reading?The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide campaign designed to help more people rediscover the joy of reading.Reading expands minds, builds confidence and imagination, and fuels creativity and is also a wonderful way to increase empathy and compassion. Yet with more distractions and less time, reading for pleasure is in decline across many groups. At St. Joseph's we are lucky to have a wonderful library filled with books on many subjects and telling stories from all corners of the globe. It’s not about guilt or obligation; it’s about helping all our pupils see that stories, ideas and imagination belong everywhere. Please encourage your children to visit the St. Joseph's school library, where they can borrow books for free. Find out more about the National Year of Reading Here |
| Introducing St Joseph's Book Bingo: pick up a card from the library | |
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library news
LIBRARY BOOK GROUPS
The Library Book Groups aim to foster a love of books, reading and writing.
Tuesday: Tranquil Tuesday: come along and enjoy crafts, chess, mindful colouring and friendship
Wednesday: Year 7 & 8 Book Group: This term we will be reading Gloam by Jack MacKay
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Here are some of the activities planned for the library in 2026We Wonder: Protect Our Nature reading challenge Holocaust Memorial Day Children's Mental Health Week World Book Day
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How to encourage reading...
Reading for 20 minutes a day has many benefits for children and young adults, including reducing stress, improving educational outcomes in Maths and English, and helping develop empathy.
It doesn’t matter if it is comics, novels, non-fiction, menus or instruction manuals … this is ALL reading. Reading from a screen, listening to an audiobook and being read to, all have huge benefits for children. If you read with your children, ask them if they understand what the words mean, teach them how to look up words in a dictionary and put new words into context by putting them into a sentence. All of these little things will help with understand what is being read.
There are several places you can gain access to books, aside from visiting your own local library.
- If you are a member of your local library, BorrowBox is a free service offering e-books and AudioBooks which can be read or listened to on phones, tablets or other devices.
- If you would like to read the first chapters of a book, sign up to the LoveReading4Kids website where many of the books have downloadable extracts.
- If you like to read reviews, try the Booktrust website, where you can search for books by age, genre or theme.