DRAKE – The Bookshop Big Box of Brilliant Books
It has been put forward to us that one way of helping schools keep up to date with current titles and alternative authors would be to offer a subscription type service.
For £80 per box we would join you for an assembly with up to 10 books that would either fit in with a current topic (you would need to let us know in advance) or that are new titles that are by children’s existing favourite authors or by people who we think are up-and-coming and worth reading.
The books would be delivered in a wrapped box and showcased to the pupils during an assembly, with the intention that they would then spend the rest of the month in a central space so the pupils get to see them regularly throughout the month before moving in to the library.
Book Groups
We have a Young Bookworms and a High Rise Readers book group. These are hosted on a Saturday afternoon once a month in the shop. If you know of anyone who would be interested please get their parents to get in touch with us. Or, we could give a list of suitable titles and offer some reading group questions and an overview so the teacher organising the group doesn’t ‘feel obliged’ to read the book and still has an idea of what it is the children have read. Alternatively we could arrange for your existing book group to come and visit us to peruse suggestions for the term ahead.
Author Events
We work closely with all of the major publishers as well as the authors themselves and are always trying to bring new and established authors to the north east and take them on school visits. We have done events with David Almond, Kate Pankhurst, Andy Stanton and Nicola Davies to name but a few. We have done multi school events with up to 600 pupils and smaller events with 60 or 70 pupils. If you are interested in finding out more about author events or would like to host one please get in touch and sign up for our newsletter.
Listening and Speaking Workshops
I still enjoy going into schools and working with groups of pupils or the whole class/es. A half day workshop (across 2 or 3 classes) would be £175 with a FREE Big Box of Brilliant Books an assembly (if required). These can be tailored for any year group and topic, or the them could be provided. Just contact us and arrange for Richard to come in and do the workshop. (If you have a topic we can choose the book/s to fit or can pick age appropriate books to bring in).
Dyslexia Friendly Reading
We stock an ever increasing number of dyslexia friendly titles. The publisher Barrington Stoke employs a system whereby you can work out the interest level of a book as well as the reading age and covers of the books are suitable too. This means dyslexic children, or reluctant readers don’t feel patronised when given a book that looks too young for them.
Books Sales
If you need a class set of books or the library needs updating please ask us for a quote. We can usually offer 15% discount on multiple copies of titles or off a large order for the library.
In 2019 we ran a “book doctor clinic” at one secondary school whereby each child who received an end of year award took home a book of their choice with a bookplate commemorating the achievement.
CPD
We have hosted a number of staff meetings in the shop as a way of allowing the staff to be immersed in the love of books. One school came while they were launching their new curriculum based around 2 or 3 titles per class per term. For more details ring 01642 909970. After one such staff meeting which culminated in a library restock Ofsted commented on the books the school had- “unusual titles, wide range and high quality!”
Book Fairs
We understand that lots of you are already linked with Book Fairs from companies such as Usborne, and while we can’t offer the discounts they can, we can offer the very latest in book choices and could come to an arrangement regarding discount. If you would to have a Book Fair run by your local indie bookshop please get in touch. We have also run a small stall alongside parents’ evening, where families can buy books from a reading list or new titles to get excited about.
School Rewards
We work with some schools who bring children over to the shop to buy their reading reward at the end of the term.
We have also liaised with another school in order to allow each end of year award winner to choose their own book as a prize. The book of their choice, complete with a bookplate telling them what they won and when. It’s such a reqrding idea, we love being a part of it. Get in touch for more details.
