Welcome to our library!
The library is staffed by a qualified librarian, Caroline, 4 days a week. We have about 8,000 books, 2/3 of which are fiction, all of which are available to borrow. Most students have an opportunity to choose a book once a week when visiting with their class, but they can also pop in any time Caroline is there. If you would like your child to bring more reading books home, or something on a particular theme, just get in touch!
There are no late fees but please do return the books when your child has finished with them.
Library News
Autumn 25
Anti-bullying Week
For Anti-Bullying Week we have a superheroes focus, so obviously I am reading our favourite Hero – Supertato! Then on Thursday it is Michael Rosen Day, the perfect excuse to read his new book with Helen Oxenbury: ‘Oh Dear, Look What I Got!’. A recent publication of Rosen’s, ‘Please Write Soon’ is also very apt for this week.
National Poetry Day
The theme for National Poetry Day this year is Play and we downloaded some great resources from the website (National Poetry Day – Forward Arts Foundation). ‘Throw a Ball’ is one of the poems that classes will enjoy playing with and we also have a display in the library of some favourite poetry books and rhyming stories for students to choose from.
Summer 25
Creative Arts Week
Alice in Wonderland books we’re sharing in the library for Creative Arts Week.
Spring 25
International Woman’s Day
For International Womens Day, I have some displays of inspirational women and girls in the library.
LGBTQ+ History Month
Displays of gorgeous LGBTQ+ positive titles in the library for February’s LGBTQ+ History Month.
Numbers Day
Some excellent books to share on Numbers Day (Friday 7th feb).
Children’s Mental Health Week
Lots of gorgeous books about self awareness and emotions on display in the library for Children’s Mental Health Week.
Lunar New Year 2025
Happy Lunar New Year! Year of the Snake, so we mostly read about the animals of the zodiac and a story of a lovely snake called Otis.
RSPB Great British Bird Watch
To continue the interest in birds after the RSPB Great British Bird Watch this weekend, we’ve been reading some favourite bird stories in the library.
Winter Display
The recent Wintery weather across the country has inspired my first display of term 3!
Autumn 24
Young People’s Book Prize 2024
We’re excited to be judging the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize 2024! The books have arrived and our librarian is having a sneek peek before sharing them with the book club #YoungSciBooks
Books to Leaf Through
Walking into school through the leaves from the bus stop yesterday and this morning made my decision for what to read with lots of classes this week – Pete the Badger isn’t a fan of leaves in the book Tidy, by Emily Gravett! – and we have a new display of autumnal titles.
Black History Month
Diverse Book Awards 2024
Last term our librarian Caroline helped choose the longlists for the 2024 Diverse Book Awards in the children’s category, and the longlists were announced just before the summer. The first library display of the year is of titles from the picture book, children’s, and YA categories, and we’ll wait with baited breath for the shortlists to be announced on the 12th September!
Summer 24
Sunshine Day
Happiness displays in the library for Sunshine Day this week, as well as the two books I’m reading with classes: The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura, and I Am Happy by Michael Rosen.
Young Enterprize
For money week, lots of classes will be reading these Ed and Bunny books in the library, from the Money Heroes initiative created by @youngenterprise with HSBC and published by @scholasticuk.
Pride Month
A selection of our favourite stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters for Pride month.
Autism Awareness Week
The aim of this week is to raise awareness on autism and neurodiversity. It also aims to allow students to develop better understanding of themselves to accept their differences, strengths and difficulties.
Pleasingly, a lot of the library’s titles by and about autistic and neurodiverse people are on loan at the moment, but there are enough left to keep the display topped up!
Spring 24
Ramadan 2024
As Ramadan begins today, I’ve pulled out some of my favourite books about Islam, Ramadan, and Eid to display.
World Book Day
We will be celebrating World Book Day on Friday 8 March at Charlton Park Academy. We are encourage our students to wear their favourite pajamas or dress up as a character from one of their favourite books.
We will have a special guest storyteller coming in on the Friday and she will be seeing classes in the library from 11.00am to 1.30pm.
There will be free book stalls on Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 March run by the book club and work experience students so make sure you come along and choose a new great book to read.
There will be some great activities for classes to do during the week as well.
We look forward to seeing lots of colourful pjs and some of your favourite book characters around the school!
#WorldBookDay
LGBT+ History Month
These were published in the last 2 years, all since I wrote a blog post for CENMAC with some recommendations for the month so have a look for some more ideas (and I’ve loads more in the library):
Numbers Day
A few of the counting books that we have in the library, but our very favourite is ‘How to Count to One’ by Caspar Salmon and Matt Hunt, which has been making lots of classes giggle!
National Storytelling Week 23
It is National Storytelling Week this week, a perfect theme for our very first Book Group meeting. We talked about how to decide what to read and what the best way to tell a story is, looked at some of our librarians favourites to read aloud, and then finished with some demonstrations from members. It was great fun!
Autumn 23
Christmas Books 23
The Christmas books have burst out of their box and onto my displays, they couldn’t wait until the 11th!
Hanukkah Books 23
Some books we have been looking at for this year’s Hanukkah.
Anti-Bullying Week, 13/11/23 – 17/11/23
This week we have been looking at books to do with anti-bullying.
Anti-Bullying Week 2023 is coordinated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Anti-Bullying Alliance. This year it has the theme ‘Make A Noise About Bullying’ and will take place from Monday 13th to Friday 17th November. The week will be kicked off with Odd Socks Day on Monday 13th November, where adults and children wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.
Diwali 2023
This Diwali we have been looking at these two great books about the “festival of lights”.
Remembrance Day 2023
The library has been acknowledging 2023’s Remembrance Day by looking at these books. Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a Memorial Day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War in 1919 to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.
Zones of Regulation Booklist 22-23
Black History Month
Black History Month 2023 is a momentous occasion to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British society. Here at CPA we have been taking the opportunity to look at some books that celebrate Black culture. Here are a few of them.
Summer 23
Windrush 75
In 1948 the ship HMT Empire Windrush landed at Tilbury docks with more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean.
The 22nd June 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of this historic landing. Windrush Day has become a key symbolic moment in the story of the Black British contribution to modern Britain.
We’ve got a great selection of books about Windrush in the library so come and take a look.
To learn more about Windrush download History Topic of the Month from Pearson.
Download the Windrush poster for the classroom wall.
Pride Month
Here are some of the books we have been looking at for this year’s Pride Month.
Can you please say huge thanks to Paul from Andersen Press for giving me permission to use some pages from Harry woodgate’s ‘Grandad’s Pride’ on the display. ‘ABC Pride’ is by Dr Elly Barnes and Louie Stowell, illustrated by Amy Phelps. ‘Jamie’ is by L.D. Lapinski with a cover illustration by Harry Woodgate, and published by Hachette Kids.
African Tales
We’ve got a great selection of the African tales and information books that are being shared around the school for arts week. CPA Librarian Caroline will be reading African tales all week.
Celebrating Earth Day 2023
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.
Here are some books that we have been looking at in the library.
Spring 2023
Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Neurodiversity Celebration Week takes place from 13 March to 19 March and is a worldwide initiative which began in 2018. It was founded by Siena Castellon, an autistic teenager with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Siena had a desire to change the way that learning differences are thought about.
To help celebrate there is a new display in the library so come and take a look! Some of the books on display include:
The Ice-Cream Sundae Guide to Autism: An Interactive Kids’ Book for Understanding Autism by Debby Elley
The Infinite by Patience Agbabi
Ways to Be Me: The third powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness by Libby Scott and Rebecca WestCott
Ellie Jelly and the Massive Mum Meltdown by Sarah Naish
Charlie Star by Terry Milne
A Different Sort of Normal by Elle McNicoll
Frankie’s World: A Graphic Novel by Aoife Dooley
There are many other interesting books to look out for including:
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Leo and the Octopus by Isable Marinov
Pablo at the Zoo by Pablo
The Spectrum Girls Survival Guide by Sienna Castellon
Amazing Me, Amazing You by Christine McGuinness
There are lots of great activities to get involved with. You can find out more about Neurodiversity Celebration Week here.
Sleep Reading List
