Readers in Years 3 & 4 come in all shapes, sizes and reading abilities. Some are confident readers, well on their way to lengthy middle grade novels, while others are still getting to grips with phonics and taking their first steps into chapter books. Fortunately for teachers and parents, there are so many wonderful books… Continue reading Growing in Confidence: Brilliant Books for Lower Key Stage Two
Eva and Toby are back in a second imaginative and highly engaging adventure from David Oates. Following on from The Imagination Thief, The Dream Hoarder takes readers back into an amazing world of imaginary friends, fairy knights, wizards, dragons and the incredible Astrodog! A dark shape has been haunting Eva's dreams. It can't be the… Continue reading The Dream Hoarder by David Oates ~ Blog Tour
History and adventure come together beautifully in Ally Sherrick's Vita and the Gladiator. This thoughtful, action-packed story would be a wonderful addition to any Upper Key Stage Two study of the Romans in Britain. If read aloud towards the end of the topic, children would be sure to make valuable connections between the fantastically detailed… Continue reading Vita and the Gladiator by Ally Sherrick ~ Blog Tour
The Storm Swimmer is one of those books that leaves you thinking. Read in just a couple of sittings, I found myself completely wrapped up in Ginika's story. Why do her parents have to send her to stay with her grandparents in Cumbria? What kind of trouble are they in? Will Ginika make any friends… Continue reading The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze
Gothic Literature is a favourite topic in Key Stage Three English. Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allen Poe... there are so many classic texts to discover. For some children, these texts can be quite challenging with unfamiliar language and a style they just aren't used to. Often, reading another version of their class text helps children build… Continue reading Frankenstein: A Retelling by Tanya Landman
March 2023 Dragonracers by Peter Bunzl is a brilliant blend of fantasy and history, all wrapped up in the story of the first London to Manchester Air Race in 1910! Ten-year-old Kitty and Harris Hawk are twins who have grown up around the first planes in Britain. Their father is chief aircraft engineer to Britain's… Continue reading Dragonracers by Peter Bunzl
March 2023 Readers will lose themselves in this atmospheric mystery filled with hints of magic. An ominous undercurrent runs beneath the main plot, giving a sense that something significant is going to happen - something dark, something magical, something even more important than protecting nature from road works and development. Alfred is sent to stay… Continue reading Into the Faerie Hill by H.S. Norup ~ Blog Tour
February 2023 The Ghosts of Mars is a fantastic science-fiction adventure for every young reader who has ever wondered what it would be like to live on Mars. Action-packed with incredibly high stakes, it takes Eva (the first person to be born on Mars) and her band of faithful friends on a quest full of… Continue reading Ghosts of Mars: The Adventures of Eva Knight by Stuart White
February 2023 The Funniest Boy in the World is overflowing with laughs and a whole lot of heart. Ever-charming Billy Plimpton is back! Buoyed by the success of his stand-up comedian act in the school talent show, he’s determined to make it as a comic. He’s learning to embrace his stammer and accept it as… Continue reading The Funniest Boy in the World by Helen Rutter
The Moon of Kyiv by Gianni Rodari & Beatrice Alemagna Picture Book - Walker Books Originally written over 70 years ago, The Moon of Kyiv is a powerful poem about connections. No matter who we are or where we are in the world, we are all under the same moon. This can be a comforting… Continue reading Home? – Books to Help Children Understand the Lives of Refugees
Scope for Imagination 