A Summer of Stories: Why Reading is Our Greatest Adventure 

This year, across our Prize Day celebrations I championed what I hope will become a tradition: a summer of adventurous reading. 

There’s an important reason for that. Just a few weeks ago, the National Literacy Trust released a report that made for unsettling reading. It revealed that children’s enjoyment of books has dropped to its lowest level in two decades. Among girls aged 8 to 18, many of the girls in our very own classrooms, just 39.1% said they enjoyed reading in their free time. 

That figure doesn’t just surprise me. It saddens me. And more importantly, it strengthens my resolve. 

Because at Glendower, we are determined to buck this trend. We believe that reading isn’t a chore or a challenge, it is a gateway to the extraordinary. It is a path to intellectual curiosity, empathy, creativity, and even joy. And right now, it is a path we must ensure remains well-trodden. 

Why Reading Matters — Especially for Girls 

Reading is never just about words on a page. It’s about what those words unlock. A good book can make us laugh, cry, dream, or think. It introduces us to heroes and heroines, to new ideas and distant lands, to injustice and bravery and possibility. And for girls in particular, stories can provide something even more profound: role models. 

Books offer mirrors in which girls can see themselves, and windows through which they can imagine becoming more. 

This summer, I found myself re-reading Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, a childhood favourite that, like all great stories, offered something new upon returning. Pippi is everything I hope Glendower girls might aspire to be: fearless, unconventional, kind, curious, and wonderfully independent. She is strong, not just because she can lift a horse with one hand, but because she lives on her own terms, refuses to be boxed in, and sees the world through her own delightfully rebellious lens. 

Reading her again reminded me that books aren’t passive entertainment. They are active experiences. Reading is not just a pastime, it’s a form of becoming. 

A Challenge Worth Taking 

So, this summer, I challenged every Glendower girl, and even every parent and teacher, to read. But not as a tick-box exercise or a school-imposed requirement. 

Read because it’s fun. 
Read to escape. 
Read to discover something you didn’t know about the world, or yourself. 
Read something bold. Read something quiet. Read something strange or funny or poetic. 
Just read. 

Because in a world full of distraction, deep reading gives us focus. In a culture obsessed with speed, reading invites us to slow down and reflect. And in a time when creativity and connection are more important than ever, reading remains one of the greatest tools we have. 

The Library at the Heart of It All 

To honour this belief, I’m thrilled to share that we’ve been refurbishing our school library this summer. We’ll be keeping everything that makes it the heart of the school, its warmth, its charm, its quiet magic, but breathing new life into it. This investment is more than aesthetic. It’s a clear statement of values: we believe in books. 

We believe that reading is not just a subject to be taught, it’s a skill to be lived. A joy to be rediscovered. A tool for freedom, empathy, and ambition. 

So wherever this summer takes you, poolside, countryside, or curled up at home, take a story with you. Share it. Love it. Let it change you. 

Because, as Dr. Seuss once said: 

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” 

And what better adventure could there be than that? 

Article by Ms Claire Boyd, Head