FURTHER READING

MASTERCLASS
Ms Megaw

WHY IS FURTHER READING

NECESSARY?

There is overwhelming evidence that literacy has a

significant relationship to people's life chances.
Reading books is the only out-of-school activity for 16year-olds demonstrably linked to securing managerial
or professional jobs.
Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that
even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can
expose students to more than a million words of text in
a year.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH

FURTHER READING?
-

Expand your understanding of topics in context e.g. current affairs in

newspapers

Enable critical analysis e.g. articles drawing out useful information

and arguments

Allow creativity in thinking e.g. books discussing alternative

viewpoints to the same argument

Ability to ground opinions with evidence e.g. statistics and examples

used to support arguments

Develop vocabulary and language skills e.g. regular fiction reading to

enable discussions

Further reading is not a nice to have- it is a

necessity!

WHERE WILL I USE

FURTHER READING?

A level essays to support arguments and discussions with

evidence

A level exams to utilise vocabulary to access top grades

A level understanding of topics viewed from a variety of
angles
University interviews to show example of
passion/interest in the subject
Job interviews to show wider understanding in context

Social context to discuss higher level concepts and ideas!

DO NOW!

THINK!
Review the recommended further reading lists
provided for a topic of your choice.
PAIR!
Pair up with another student who studies the same
subject- which materials would you like to read and
why?
SHARE!
Be ready to answer in our discussion: What other
materials could you access for your subject which
would be helpful this year?

CLASS READER!

MS MEGAWS BOOK OF THE

WEEK
Tsukuru Tazaki is a railway station engineer whose relationship with
Sara has hit a wall. She senses a certain distance in his behaviour,
which she puts down to some kind of unresolved emotional issues.
Her intuition is on the mark. Back in high school, Tsukuru had a gang
of close-knit friends who one day turned their backs on him. Think
about it, one of them tells him, and youll figure it out. Could it
have been his departure to Tokyo a form of abandonment, since the
other four had remained in Nagoya? Or perhaps his lack, unique in
the group, of real personality, as reflected in the lack again unique
of a colour in his name? Long after Tsukuru gave up ruminating and
pretended that bygones were bygones, Sara delivers an ultimatum
unburden yourself, or lose me that sends him in search of answers.
Also by Murakami

MR BARIMAS BOOK OF THE

WEEK
Dead Yellow Women by Dashiell Hammett, 1924 The
book explores the mind of Detective Nelson, (the
protagonist) and how on many
occasions he played the part as a villain himself in order
to solve a most disturbing
case. Most of the adventure happens in New York's
Chinatown, where the crime
investigated involved a mysterious dead oriental women
popping up dead in their homes.
It also involved interesting connections between Canada
and China. The Op's absurd dialogue with Chang Li
Ching (the antagonist) ("the King of Finders Out," "It
was only because I feared the Emperor of Hawkshaws
would find the odor of such low blood distasteful to his
elegant nostrils.") shows that Hammett was aware of
these stereotypes and was making fun of them. ("This
old joker was spoofing me with an exaggeration a
burlesque of the well-known Chinese politeness.").
In all, the book is not only captivating in the dialogues
between various characters but gives us a bit of history
and stereotypes viewed at the time.

TUTORS BOOK OF THE

WEEK

USE THE FURTHER READING

SHEET TO IDENTIFY

1) One book from the subject list you would like to read
2) One book that has been recommended by
teachers/friends that you would like to read
3) A book or journal you will bring to next Fridays form
time