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Age Group: KS1

Picturebook

Santa needs a new reindeer in this third hilarious Christmas must-have picture book, from the duo who brought you Santa’s New Beard and Santa’s New Sleigh!

One week to go ’till Christmas Day,
The final touches underway,
A ribbon here, a flourish there,
And presents piled up everywhere.

Santa smiled. ‘What could go wrong?’
He didn’t have to wait too long . . .
Out of the sky a whirling blur,
Of antlers, legs and soft brown fur,

Came crashing through the workshop roof,
And that’s how Rudolph sprained his hoof . . .

Oh no! Another Christmas disaster! The sleigh can’t fly without Rudolph. Luckily, head engineer Lizzie is on hand to help . . . introducing ROBO-REINDEER! Christmas is saved once more.

Picturebook

The festive fourth instalment in the bestselling Poo in the Zoo series by dream team Steve Smallman and Ada Grey!

It’s Christmas Eve and zookeeper Bob McGrew is rushed off his feet. There’s so much to do, and to make matters worse all the poop has turned to ice in the freezing weather! But when Santa makes a surprise appearance at the zoo with a poorly reindeer in tow, it seems that Christmas really is in peril . . . Can plucky Rhino save the day? And will Hector Gloop ever catch a flying festive poo?

This hilarious rhyming text combines Christmas, Santa and POO in a story that will have children – and adults – laughing out loud. Packed with humour and poop-filled gags, this is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas by Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter and Garry Parsons, Rudey’s Windy Christmas by Helen Baugh and Ben Mantle, and Jingle Smells by Mark Sperring and Sophie Corrigan.

Also available: Poo in the Zoo, Poo in the Zoo: The Great Poo Mystery, Poo in the Zoo: The Island of Dinosaur Poo.

Chapter book

The perfect gift for any child this Christmas. From Alex T. Smith, bestselling author of festive favourites How Winston Delivered Christmas, How Winston Came Home for Christmas and The Grumpus, comes a gorgeous retelling of children’s Christmas classic The Nutcracker – a Christmas Story in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters.

The Mouse King is up to some very sneaky shenanigans.

The night before Christmas, he steals the key to the Kingdom of Sweets and sets out to cause as much festive mayhem as he can!

Clara and Fritz Strudel, and their new friend the Nutcracker, are the only ones who can stop him. But when a magical curse is put on Fritz, it’s a race against time to make it to the Kingdom of Sweets and find the Sugar Plum Fairy – the only one who can break the spell!

Can the adventurers stop the Mouse King’s naughty plan and save Fritz, before it’s too late?

With irresistible colour illustrations, a festively foiled cover and a chapter to enjoy each day in December, this gorgeous hardback is the perfect gift for any child at Christmas.

Chapter book

The Christmasaurus is back and ready to soar into a new festive magical adventure!

Have you ever heard of Ebenezer Scrooge? The most miserly, miserable Christmas-hating miser from that very famous old book? The man who is more BAH HUMBUG than HO HO HO?

Well, what if I told you that he was about to step out of HIS story and into this one? And I’m afraid he’s got some grand plans . . . he wants to CANCEL CHRISTMAS!

But don’t panic – William Trundle and his very best friend, the Christmasaurus, are on the case. They’re determined to track down Scrooge and save Christmas from total Scrooge-ification! And they’re not alone; the whole Trundle family, William’s new friends Eddie and Lucy and, of course, Santa himself are here to help!

Can this Christmas crew stop Scrooge before it’s too late and Christmas is BAH HUMBUGGED for good?

Picturebook

Join Rotten Robin and his gang of feathered friends as they hatch a plan to steal Christmas in this hilariously unconventional festive tale!

A little red robin – who just so happens to be the world’s most wanted thief – has a rather unusual plan this festive season. He hates Christmas, and so he’s going to STEAL it – baubles, mince pies, Santa, and all!

But Rotten Robin hadn’t realised the feathers he’d ruffle by taking away the Yuletide celebrations – and when he’s forced to give back everything he’s stolen, he realises that Christmas might not be that bad after all…

This brand new Christmas story from picture book rising star Rachel Morrisroe and illustrator talent Richard Merritt is a unique take on a festive tale, full of humour and heart – and the perfect Christmas gift.

Recommended children’s books about light and sound

Explore the world of light and sound with this exciting collection of children’s titles which explore how we see and hear the world around us.

Our booklist is designed to help children in KS2 learn about the Science topics of light and sound, and features books packed with colour like Can You Get Rainbows in Space? alongside titles that explore hearing loss, like Can You Feel the Noise and Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion. Investigating light and sound from many perspectives, this booklist will bring the KS2 Light and Sound topic vibrantly to life!

NB: This booklist is aimed at children in Key Stage 2. For books for younger children, try our Light and Dark KS1/EYFS Booklist.

Chapter book

The brilliantly funny third SAM WU book – the bravest scaredy-cat in the world! Perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Pamela Butchart.

Sam Wu is NOT afraid of anything. Except for quite a lot of things. Like ghosts. Sharks too. And also THE DARK! And so when Sam goes camping in the woods with his friends and cousin Stanley, who knows what scary kind of things they’ll face …?

Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of the Dark is the third book in this brilliantly funny and accessible new series – perfect for newly confident readers, fans of Pamela Butchart and Julian Gough’s Rabbit and Bear.

Non-fiction

The astonishing phenomenon of bioluminescence is brought to life in vivid detail by medical illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith.

The natural world is an infinite source of wonder and the phenomenon of bioluminescence is no exception. Glow explores the remarkable way animals and plants light up of their own accord, and what we can learn from their incredible glow-in-the-dark abilities. Written and illustrated in minute detail by medical illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith, Glow takes readers on a magical journey to the deepest ocean trenches, through winding networks of caves and into the darkest corners of the forest to experience the wonder of bioluminescence.

The first in a series of non-fiction children’s books exploring natural phenomena, Glow introduces readers to creatures that glow in the dark including anglerfish, firefly squid, lanternfish, the glowing sucker octopus, Flor de Coco and Honey fungi, as well as hosts of fireflies and glow-worms. It also celebrates the scientists and deep-sea explorers who, at great personal risk, have travelled to the ocean floor to study bioluminescence. Combining natural history with STEM, Glow considers how bioluminescence works and what we can learn from it, including ways to prevent climate change and tackle pollution.

Printed using UV printing techniques, the illustrations appear luminous on the page, making for a truly awe-inspiring reading experience.

Non-fiction

Step up your science knowledge with Step Into Science and discover the science of sound!

Step Into Science: Sound looks at how sound moves; how fast sound travels; and what happens when sound waves reach our ears. With the help of a cast of funny blobby characters, you’ll discover how sounds can be high, low, loud or quiet.

Colourful and quirky illustrations make these core science topics exciting and fresh and encourage interaction with the subject.

Written to support the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2, each title explores key scientific topics through a combination of concise information and fun experiments.

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