What That in Dog Years is a story with many themes and emotions. It’s a story of life, love, friendship, happiness and grief.
Author & Illustrators
Postman Planet is a laugh-out-loud funny book that’s perfect for young readers who enjoy action, humour and a bit of chaos. With short chapters and plenty of illustrations, the book is presented in a way that feels inviting rather than overwhelming, making it an excellent choice for children building confidence with longer stories.
The story follows Postman Planet, whose job is to deliver mail to some very dangerous and unusual places across the galaxy. The twist is that he’s actually a secret nine-year-old boy, doing his best to survive space deliveries while teamed up with Stamp, his annoying (but very funny) assistant, who is part robot and part dog. The fast pace, silly situations and visual humour will keep children engaged and the accessible layout makes it easy to read in short bursts. Despite the comedy, the book also explores positive themes such as friendship, teamwork and problem-solving, showing how working together can help overcome even the most challenging situations.
As the first book in a new series, Postman Planet does a great job of hooking readers and leaving them eager for more adventures. It’s a strong choice for reluctant readers, independent reading or for children who enjoy humorous stories with a sci-fi twist.
You’re bound to know a Pamela Butchart fan – someone who adores school-based hijinks of the silliest kind – and Ben Davies’ series kicks off in the same high-energy, slapstick style. Lenny Lemmon is the wildcard of the class, with a huge imagination and a healthy disrespect for rules. He does try to do the right thing, but more often than not it’s going to land him in trouble – and in this story, it’s going to land him in a rather big patch of gruel. Lenny’s class is doing “Victorian School Day”, and what would be more original and impressive to bring in than a giant, scruffy wild rat?
Obviously Ratty is not going to be a nice, placid, stay-in-the-cage kind of rat, is he? With best friend Sam and the mysterious new girl Jessica Conrad (who claims to be a professional rat-catcher from America), Lenny and Ratty cause absolute, sticky, disgusting pandemonium across the entire school. Including the exceptionally very secret hidden bit…
This is a great book for Y3 upwards; packed with crazy illustrations, gags and facepalm moments. It would be a nice addition to any library and would work well as a read-aloud for a book club or to read to a class, especially at the beginning of term.
To aid his recovery from a life-threatening illness Jordan and his family move out of the city for a healthy new start. Jordan’s getting enough funny looks as the new boy at school as it is, without his Mum giving him homemade soup every day for lunch! But when Jordan meets a homeless man called Harry, and gives him the soup, it is the start of an unlikely friendship. Soon the two of them begin giving soup to the other homeless people around town and when his sister shares their antics on Instagram the #SOUPMOVEMENT begins-they even make it on the news!
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments