Here at The Derby High School reading is an integral part of our day to day practice. We provide many opportunities to encourage reading for pleasure and to support our students in becoming expert readers in all of their subjects. On this page you will find a range of support to help with reading, and an outline of some of our whole school initiatives.
Short Stories Read by Staff
Please find below a selection of short stories which have been read aloud by members of staff in school. Click the audio file first, then click the corresponding extract and read along with your teachers!
Listen to audio below
Click to open a text extract to read along to the recorded audio
Supporting Your Child with Reading
Curriculum Wider Reading
In this section you will find a range of recommended texts to compliment your studies in school. These will support the curriculum you follow in each subject and many of them can be found in the school library.
- French
- Music
- IT & Computing
- Maths
- RE
- Art
- Science
- Food Studies
- English
- PE
- Dance
- Drama
- Geography
- History
- Design & Technology
le Petit Prince by De Saint-Exupery
Asterix and Obelix comics
Poetry by Jacques Prevert
The AB Guide to Music Theory Vol 1
Oxford Dictionary of Musical Terms (Oxford Quick Reference)
The Oxford Dictionary of Music 6/e
Music Genre Demystified: An easy guide to understanding genre types
Music Practice: The Musician’s Guide to Practicing and Mastering your Instrument like a Professional
Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules For success
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography By Walter Isaacson
Freakonomics by Stephen Levitt
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas
Life of Pi by Yan Martel
The book thief by Marcus Zusak
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Out of Egypt by Anne Rice
Kingfisher Young Knowledge of Birds by Nicola Davies
Color Theory – An essential guide to color by Patti Molllica
Drawing Projects by Mick Maslen and Jack Southern
Splat! The most exciting artists of all time by Mary Richards
Is there anybody out there? – Dara Obriain
The Body: a guide for occupants – Bill Bryson
Horrible Science series – Nick Arnold
Limitless – Tim Peak
Astrophysics for young people in a hurry – Neil Degrasse Tyson
Food: the science of cooking by Stuart Fammond
Toast by Nigel Slater
Cooked a natural history of transformation by Michael pollan
Nose dive: A field guide to the world’s smells by Harold Mcgee
Home cookery year: Four seasons by Claire Thomson
Sugar changed the world by Aronson
The cooking gene by Michael Twitty
Salt, fat, acid, heat: Mastering the elements of good cooking by William Visser
Shakespeare on Toast by David Crystal
Mother Tonge by Bill Bryson
The Poet’s Craft by Sandy Brownjohn
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1984 George Orwell
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson – Fictional book aimed at KS3 girls
Sneaker Wars by Barbara Smit
You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
Teen Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity by McGraw Hill
Sportopedia: Explore more than 50 sports from around the world’ by Adam Skinner
The Nutcracker the Four Realms
The Maddie Diaries: My Story, Maddie Ziegler
Peril en Pointe, Helen Lipscombe
Ballet, DK
Darwood Manor
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Little Shop of Horrors by Robert Egan
Blood Brothers by Willy Russell
A life on our planet – David Attenborough
Bear Grylls adventures – Bear Grylls
Call of the Wild by Jack London
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Story of a Secret State by Jan Karski
Autobiography of Martin Luther King
Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
The Genius behind Apples greatest products by Jony Ive
Isambard Kingdom Brunel: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History
Against all Odds: An Autobiogrphy by James Dyson
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Vivienne Westwood by Vivienne Westwood, Ian Kelly