To encourage reading, Loretto Abbey students and staff participated in the LAT (Loretto Abbey Toronto) LIT CUP, a friendly reading competition that began over the Christmas break. In total, participants read 496 books, totalling 171,462 pages.
Congratulations to Sofia R. (13,881 pages), Lily R. (12,416 pages), and Lina K. (6,836 pages), who were the top student readers. The top class was Mr. Lopes’s Grade 9, Day 1, Period 4 class, which averaged 1,225 pages per student.
When asked why reading is so important to them, many of the top LAT LIT CUP readers shared the following reflections:
- “Reading exposes me to different cultures, experiences, and ways of thinking that broaden my overall understanding of the world. I find it interesting to see how people with different personalities and lives than mine think and see the world.”
- “Before phones, reading was my main method against boredom, and since I was an only child for a long time, I was bored a lot. Now, what makes me come back to reading is always a book that surprises me or helps me dream.”
- “I am an avid reader because reading gives me a sense of accomplishment and allows me to avoid overusing my phone. The things reading brings to my life that I value are the ability to be more critical of media and articles I read, enhancing my writing abilities, broadening my vocabulary, and giving me a hit of dopamine every time I finish a page.”
- “I got into reading thanks to my mom. She read lots of books to me when I was younger, so I naturally started reading a lot when I could read on my own. She also didn’t let me play video games or spend much time on screens, but she would always take me to the library to look around and borrow books. Since I couldn't entertain myself on screens most of the time, I just read a lot to pass the time. The most valuable things that reading brings to my life are happiness, knowledge, and better grades in English.”
- “Reading gives me so much knowledge, helps me learn new things, broadens my understanding of the world, and it has really helped with my critical thinking skills. Reading has also helped me be more empathetic because reading from other people's perspectives allows me to understand other people.”
If you are looking for summer reading recommendations, the LAT LIT CUP champions suggest the following titles:
- “My top summer reading recommendation would be Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. I highly recommend this book because it is very easy to read, has very relatable characters, and I think that, if you are a teenage girl who loves rom-coms, you would love reading this book.”
- “One of my favourite books I’ve ever read is Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. Normally I’m not a fan of sad books, but this one was incredibly good. I love the original Hunger Games trilogy, and I enjoyed seeing all the connections to it while learning more about the history of Panem and the Hunger Games.”
- “I read so many good books this year! Circe, 1984, and The Murderbot Diaries. However, if I had to recommend one book, it would be Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo. Nothing like some rage to warm you up from the inside this summer.”
- “A summer read I would recommend for Abbey students is The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther. It is a sweet coming-of-age romance that takes place during a family wedding on Martha's Vineyard, creating a warm and vibrant summer atmosphere. The combination of romance, humour, and emotional depth keeps the book engaging, while the beachside setting and wedding celebrations make it the perfect read for summer.”
- “My summer reading recommendations for a beginner are probably the classic Hunger Games trilogy. For readers who want to challenge themselves a bit more, I recommend my favourite book series: Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone universe! (All seven books, including the extra content!) As my recommendation for authors in general, I would have to say Brandon Sanderson, Margaret Atwood, and V.E. Schwab. Just note that all of these recommendations are fiction and fall into the fantasy or dystopian genres, so if somebody is looking for nonfiction or a silly, happy romance book, these are terrible recommendations.”
- “One of my favourite series and my top recommendation would go to Lord of Mysteries. It's a Chinese web novel that's already finished, but the English translation just started publishing recently. I’ve read enough of the published volumes and consumed enough spoilers to be able to confidently say that the story is amazing. It has lots of elements I enjoy: interesting characters, funny moments, serious moments, creepy moments, sad moments, and fun action scenes.”
- “My favourite book that I have read is Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh. I love this book because it has a very emotionally driven plot that keeps me on the edge of my seat, making it impossible to put down. This book also has amazing character development throughout the story, which makes you love reading about them and seeing how they change.”