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Age Group: KS2

Non-fiction

The Indus Valley is one of ancient history’s most mysterious and little-known civilisations. This title explores what is known about this area of India and Pakistan discovering how they built grid systems invented modern plumbing and traded with their neighbours in this fascinating title.|The Indus Valley is one of ancient history’s most mysterious and little-known civilisations. This title explores what is known about this area of India and Pakistan discovering how they built grid systems invented modern plumbing and traded with their neighbours in this fascinating title.

Chapter book

One dark night, the music and singing wake a monster from a swamp … Warrior after warrior comes to slay the monster, but no one can outwit Grendel. Only the great hero Beowulf stands a chance – but even he is not prepared for the horror that lies in wait. A stunning prose retelling of a Beowulf tale from an author-illustrator dream-team. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+

Non-fiction

This book explores what life was really like for everyday people in the Indus Valley Civilization. Using primary sources and information from archeological discoveries, it uncovers some fascinating insights and explodes some myths. Supported by timelines, maps and references to important events and people, children will really feel they are on a time-travelling journey when reading this book.

Chapter book

It’s tough being a peasant in Saxon Britain. The taxes are too high, there are bandits everywhere, and rabbit porridge for dinner every night. Even worse, now the local thane, Lord Ethelbert, is plotting to take King Offa’s throne, and the villagers are caught in the crossfire.

Can clever young Marian keep the peace? More importantly, can she keep her head?

Join master storyteller Terry Deary for a trip back in time to Saxon times and an exciting adventure.

Non-fiction

Today, the Indus Valley Civilisation is known mainly through the ruins of its cities and the artefacts its people made. Ancient objects enable us to step back into the world of the people who made them. This book combines facts about the inhabitants of the Indus Valley with photographs of the artefacts they left behind to present a full picture of life at the time.

Chapter book

Whitby, Northern England, 867. Edwin and Luke are young boys training to be monks. It’s a quiet life, until one day the Vikings invade. The boys are terrified of the fearsome Danes, whose gods are even more terrifying warriors than they are. What will happen if the boys are caught?

Terry Deary’s Viking Tales explore the world and mythology of the Vikings through the eyes of children who could have lived at the time. These stories feature real people from history and take place in some of the most recognisable Viking settings. This new edition features notes for the reader to help extend learning and exploration of the historical period.

Chapter book

When failing trainee valkyrie Lotta mistakes an unconscious viking thief, Whetstone, for a fallen hero and takes him triumphantly to Valhalla, things are definitely not turning out to be epic or glorious. Having lost a precious talking cup, Whetstone is also desperate to cover up his mistake and the two embark on a quarrelsome journey to find it and regain their heroic status. But Loki the trickster God is desperate to get his hands on the cup with a plan to unleash chaos across the nine worlds. Can Whetstone prove himself a hero after all when it matters most?

Chapter book

Meet Grant the genie, and his best friend – the puppy, Teeny…

The fourth in a series of magical adventures from the renowned illustrator Steven Lenton, winner of Waterstones Picture Book of the Month and The Times Children’s Book of the Week.

Back home, in the land of Wishaluzia, Grant is enjoying his old life. But when trouble strikes he realises he’ll need a helping hand. Can Teeny lend a paw and save the day? Or will it be the end of Genie Land forever?…

Chapter book

A magical coming-of-age story about a boy spending his first weekend without his parents . . . and the lion who comes to babysit him. Get ready to fall in love with this instant classic.

Oscar is a little terrified to find that a lion is going to be looking after him for the weekend. But when the lion lets him eat as many biscuits as he wants, and reads him his favourite story ten times, Oscar realises he might be on to something good.

Soon, Oscar discovers that the lion can change into different animals and the pair find themselves having all kinds of adventures! But before the lion has to go, might he have one more amazing transformation up his sleeve?

Oscar’s Lion is an astonishing and deeply personal book from one of our greatest storytellers.

Non-fiction

Unearth the mysteries of ancient fossils and discover the life and legacy of Mary Anning in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled book for curious young readers.

Have you ever found something mysterious? Something you had no idea what it was but you had this feeling it was important, that it held a secret?

Mary Anning was a fossil hunter, scouring the cliffs and seashores of Lyme Regis for strange rocks and shells. Monstrous marine reptiles and dinosaurs had once reigned the land and seas here millions of years ago, disappearing only to leave mysterious traces for humans to puzzle over.

Mary’s fossils paved the way for modern palaeontology and helped to piece together a picture of how the dinosaurs lived and evolved. Little did she know that 200 years later we would still be talking about her amazing discoveries and how she influenced our understanding of the history of the earth.

Beautifully illustrated by brand-new talent Kate Winter, with stunning panoramic fold-out pages, this is a book to treasure and to read again and again, perfect for all fans of natural history and curious young explorers.

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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

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