STUDENTS at West Lakes Academy in Egremont have been celebrating International Literacy Day with a range of activities aimed at promoting literacy-enhancing activities, such as reading.

During tutor time, students took part in an ‘Academy Top Reads’ poll. This involved voting for their favourite book and explaining why they had chosen it. The votes have now been counted and the academy can reveal the top reads as voted for by the students.

Overall West Lakes Academy top reads:

1st: The Fault in our Stars by John Green

2nd: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

3rd: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

4th: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

5th: Paper Towns by John Green

6th: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

Year 11 student Sophie Armitage voted for The Fault in Our Stars which follows Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient who meets and falls in love with Gus Waters, a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group.

Sophie said: “I read the full book within two days, it was so good. I think that this has been voted the Academy’s favourite book because of the characters – the reader really gets to know Hazel and Gus and you really root for them. I cried at the end of the book, it has a strong effect on the reader.”

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about a boy and his struggles in middle school.

Year 7 student Danny Kirkham said: “The main character tells the story through his own words in his diary. The language is informal so it’s just like how kids talk in real life. The story is really funny and because it is set in a school I can relate to it.”

Year 7’s John Oakes is currently making his way through the Harry Potter series. He said: “I’ve read the first two and I’m half way through the third book. The story is a tale about good versus evil but it’s set in a magical world of wizards and witches, and Harry, an 11-year-old wizard, is the hero. The way that JK Rowling describes this world in such detail really helps me imagine it when I’m reading.”

Year 11 students Aoife Bannon and Lloyd Hunter are fans of The Hunger Games trilogy, a series of three adventure novels set in a dark vision of the near future. They follow the fates of young characters Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark as they are forced to appear in a live TV show called The Hunger Games . There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

Aoife said: “I think it’s the plot that attracts people to these books. It’s really interesting and it’s like nothing else I’ve ever read.”

Lloyd added: “It’s exciting and fast paced and overall it’s a story about family bonds and standing up for what’s right.”

Year 7 student Kiera Malpas has just finished reading Girl Online , the debut novel by English author Zoe Sugg. Released just under a year ago, this romance and drama novel is aimed at a young adult audience and focuses on a 16-year-old anonymous blogger and what happens when her blog goes viral.

Kiera said: “It’s really exciting. The main character is a secret blogger who flies to New York and falls in love. A lot of the story is set in a school in England, so I can relate to some of it. I can’t wait for the second book to come out.”

English teacher Yvonne Ross is responsible for literacy skills at the Academy. She said: “At West Lakes Academy we recognise the link between good literacy skills and educational attainment.

“We always do something for International Literacy Day to raise the pupils’ awareness about this link and to motivate and inspire pupil engagement in literacy-enhancing activities, such as reading.

“In addition, it was also our intention to provide pupils with a world-wide view of literacy, to reflect on the problems caused by poor literacy levels and how we could help. Alongside our ‘Academy Top Reads’ poll, this year we did tutor time activities involving Chinese Whispers to illustrate how the inability to communicate effectively causes problems. We also presented a film clip in assemblies about reading and writing in other countries around the world.”

An introduction to computer skills

GET Online week will offer free computer sessions across a variety of Copeland libraries next week. These are:

Monday, October 12: Age UK Drop-in IT session, Cleator Moor Library 1.30-2.30pm. Includes basic IT, email and internet shopping. Also, Lego Club, with a digital element, for children over five years, Whitehaven Library, 3.30-4.30pm. Booking is essential on 01946 506399.

Tuesday, October 13: how to access computer courses drop-in session, Whitehaven Library, 2-4pm.

Wednesday, October 14: Age UK computer sessions, Whitehaven Library 1-2pm and 3-4pm. Booking is essential contact 506402.

Thursday, October 15: Family History drop-in session includes Ancestry and Find My Past online resources, Whitehaven Library, 10-11am. Also, family history drop-in session includes ancestry and Find My Past online resources, Egremont Library 2-3pm.

Friday, October 16: Go along and learn how to access computer courses, Whitehaven Library 10-noon. Whitehaven Library is now a registered UK Online centre. This means it promises to give help and support in using computers and free or low-cost internet, as well as providing a safe place to learn and develop skills. For more information on Whitehaven Library UK Online Centre call 01946 506402.

Review: Go Set A Watchman

FORGET what you learned at school – Harper Lee’s follow up to To Kill A Mockingbird will make you question what you thought to be true.

It may have taken 55 years but the wait for her second novel Go Set A Watchman was well worth it. The divisive sequel is a must-read for fans of the critically acclaimed and universally loved To Kill A Mockingbird. Go Set A Watchman continues the story of Scout Finch but she’s no longer the innocent child we originally met. Returning to Maycomb, she realises it’s not how she remembered and becomes disillusioned with the place and people she once loved.

Set against the backdrop of racial tensions in America, the book sometimes runs into long political dialogue that can be difficult and contrasts with the free flowing nature of the original, while for some the treatment of Atticus Finch betrays a literary hero, bordering on sacrilegious.

However, it adds an intriguing twist that makes Go Set A Watchman a success in its own right. At times it is noticeable that this is a first draft, with Lee refusing to edit a story she wrote in the 1950s, but it entertains while also tackling important issues. Go Set A Watchman had a tough act to follow and while it is not the classic To Kill a Mockingbird is, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable addition to an already fascinating story. It is a tale of racism in fifties America which still resonates today.

Drew Sandelands