Commander British Forces Cyprus, Major General Rob Thomson, visited Episkopi Primary School on February 27 to discuss the importance of reading with the children and to launch a new literacy initiative for all the schools here in the Bases.
Maj Gen Thomson, a passionate reader and father of five, also revealed some of the books that he loves reading with his family. During the school assembly he explained why he feels so strongly about reading and has done so at every stage of life.
After reading a chapter from ‘Akimbo and the Crocodiles’ by Alexander McCall Smith, a book he read to each of his children, he then took questions from his eager audience.
Bases’ schools have advanced levels of literacy when compared to their UK counterparts, with up to 90 percent working to the expected standard for six to seven-year olds — 14 percent higher than the UK average.
That statistic rises even higher for 10 to 11-year olds, with 100 percent of children hitting the target.
After sitting down with four Year 6 students in the school’s library to discuss their favourite books, Maj Gen Thomson explained why he wanted to talk about reading at the school.
He said: “Reading is the foundation of literacy. If you read, you learn to write and you learn to spell and punctuate and understand grammar but reading is also a lot of fun.
“You could see the passion of the children when they talked to me about their favourite books because they take you into your own imagination, they take you into your dreams, they help you understand people. I think it is really important that we continue to invest in reading for all of us, as children and grown-ups.”
He was then quick to pay tribute to the teachers at the schools across BFC, he continued: “We are a big community and we have a lot of people, with six schools, and it was really important for me to invest my time here.
“The teachers are doing incredible work, they are brilliant schools and have great ratings through Ofsted. The reading age is in advance of the average in the UK and I, by coming, wanted to show how valuable their contribution is to our community here on Cyprus.”
In discussing his book list and narrative competition, CBF said: “Often, senior officers have a reading list and I do have one of my own, listing books which have shaped me as an officer and as an individual. So we sat down as a family at Christmas and came up with the idea of creating a reading list where we could share our ideas with families here on the island.”
CBF also announced plans to hold a narrative writing competition for children across all BFC schools.
He said: “For the narrative competition, which will launch on World Book Day, we will ask children to write a story — it is a chance for them to take inspiration from what they read elsewhere and use it to inspire their own stories.”
For the children themselves, getting the chance to share their thoughts and feelings about reading with CBF was clearly an opportunity they relished.
Freya Collinge, a Year 6 student who was reading ‘Murder Most Unladylike’, said: “For me, books take you into a different world, where there is always something new and exciting around the corner.
“I enjoyed talking to CBF about my favourite book and he has suggested some that I might enjoy reading too.”
Hayden Collo from Year 6, is a fan of action books, and he said: “The character in my favourite book is brave both mentally and physically and I talked to CBF about why it is important to have characters like that, because they give you something to look up to.”
CBF’s full reading list can be found below:
7–10 Years Old
Akimbo — Alexander McCall-Smith
A young Kenyan boy, son of a game warden, has amazing adventures in a safari park, always in the company of dangerous animals.
Just William — Richmal Crompton
A hilarious series about William’s escapades that always seem to go wrong.
Laura Ingalls Wilder — Little House on the Prairie (and many others)
Autobiographical account of growing up in the American Wild West amidst danger, hardship and famine.
Roman Mysteries — Caroline Lawrence
A group of young boys and girls take you with them on their thrilling adventures during the Roman period.
War Stories for Boys — Jim Eldridge, Chris Priestly and Bryan Perett
3 stories set during the war including the Battle of Britain, El Alamein and D-Day. These books help you really visualise what WWII was like.
Survivors — Extraordinary Tales from the Wild and Beyond by David Long
These hair-raising tales, mostly unknown, tell you how much courage and determination people have to survive.
Emil and the Detectives — Erich Kastner
Emil chases down a thief in Berlin with a gang of friends.
The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths — Saviour Pirotta and Jan Lewis
Perfect introduction to the fascinating world of Greek myths, with brilliant illustrations too.
Britannia — 100 Great Stories from British History by Geraldine McCaughrean and Richard Brassey
Tales of the British Isles from 1100 BC (Gog and Magog) to Live Aid in 1984 with plenty in between!
Belle and Sébastien — Cécile Aubry
Boy and dog in the French Alps. Magical.
10–14 Years Old
Tiger, Tiger — Lynne Reid Banks
Twin tiger cubs taken from the jungle are sent to Ancient Rome and separated. One becomes a pampered pet; the other is trained for the gladiators’ ring. Will their lives ever intersect again?
Silver Sword — Ian Seraillier
A simply wonderful tale of heroism during WW2 — three siblings escape from Warsaw to Switzerland.
Eloise Undercover — Sarah Baker
A book about a 12-year old girl’s French Resistance ‘membership’.
I am David — Anne Holm
A beautiful story of survival and friendship against the odds in Italy.
Sektion 20 — Paul Dowswell
Escape from East Berlin in the 1970s — we were hooked from page one. In fact, anything by Paul Dowswell is excellent. We loved Wolf’s Children, Bomber, Ausländer and Cabinet of Curiosities. His trilogy about the Royal Navy, ending at Trafalgar is a great start-point (Powder Monkey, Prison Ship and Battlefleet).
Mosi’s War — Cathy McPhail
An absolutely gripping story of murder and crime in Glasgow.
Oranges in No Man’s Land — Elisabeth Laird
Saving Granny in war-torn Beirut.
Elephant in the Garden — Michael Morpurgo
This had our entire family utterly enthralled. Set against the backdrop of the WW2 bombing of Dresden, it is the fictional account of a family escaping with an elephant from the destroyed zoo and heading for safety.
We also loved Shadow and Running Wild.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit- Judith Kerr
A German family with a journalist father have to flee Germany in the 1930s when Nazism is on the rise. Judith Kerr (author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea) tells her own story of being a refugee in Paris and then London.
Red Ribbon — Lucy Adlington
A ‘can’t put down’ story of a girl sent to Auschwitz, and how she survives.
Hero on a Bicycle — Shirley Hughes
Italy at the end of WW2. A mother protects her family while covertly supporting the Partisans.
Escape from France — Ronald Welch (and many other titles by him)
Escaping the guillotine during the French Revolution of the 1790s.
Biggles — WE Johns
Thrilling stories of gripping adventures in the R.A.F.
Railway Children — Edith Nesbit
The well-loved classic story of a family in the early 1900s. When the father is unjustly imprisoned on suspicion of spying, the rest of the family leave London for the country and adapt to very reduced circumstances.
Laura Marlin Mysteries — Lauren St.John
Amazing stories of adventures where you never know what’s coming next.
My Brother’s Secret — Dan Smith
Rebellion in Germany during WW2 tears a family apart.
African Adventure (and many other titles) — Willard Price
Hal and Roger encounter wild animals, natural disasters and dangerous enemies in this gripping series.
The Other Side of Truth — Beverley Naidoo
Seeking political asylum in London after their father is murdered in Nigeria, two young children overcome obstacle after obstacle.
14+
Tamar — Mal Peet
Love, jealousy and tragedy in Holland in 1944, which re-surface decades later in England.
Carve Her Name with Pride — R.J Minney
A true story of the immense bravery of a young SOE agent during WW2. Caught when she runs out of ammunition, and injured, she is tortured but defiantly shares no information.
To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
Set in a small town in Alabama, this is the story of a white lawyer during the1930s who defends a black man in court.
Anything by Agatha Christie
Famous murder mysteries, mostly set in the 1930s. Most ingeniously written, with incredibly unexpected outcomes.
Jane Eyre — Charlotte Bronte
From a miserable childhood with relatives who don’t want her, followed by years at the infamous orphanage, Lowood, the orphan Jane Eyre finds work as a governess with the mysterious Mr Rochester…
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas — John Boyne
Harrowing tale of the friendship between the son of a concentration camp commander and a prisoner.
Escape Alone — David Howarth
Survival tale in a wintry WW2 Norway.
The Hiding Place — Corrie Ten Boom
True story of a Christian family who hide Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland until they are betrayed and sisters Corrie and Betsie are sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. An awe-inspiring account of love, horror, suffering and forgiveness.
Song for Summer — Eva Ibbotson
Set against the looming Nazi menace, this is a story of a young English girl in Austria working as a cook in an eccentric School of Drama, Music and Dance and what happens to her there.
Codename Verity — Elizabeth Wein
Heart-rendingly sad and fiercely uplifting tale of war-time friendship…or is it?
A Bag of Marbles — Joseph Joffo
Captivating memoir in which 2 Jewish brothers in France use ingenuity, spirit and teamwork to avoid capture by the Nazis.
The Letter for the King — Tonke Dragt
A kind of Dutch ‘The Hobbit’.