Author & Illustrators
This short chapter book introduces a delightful series following Muffin and Tiny, two plucky young puffin cadets training on the Island of Egg to become part of the island’s search and rescue team. The story is brought to life with joyful illustrations of wide-eyed, round-beaked puffins that are just oozing with character.
This book works excellently as an early chapter book for emerging readers. It’s a feel-good tale that beautifully explores themes of nature, finding courage and working together.
Ideal for KS1 upwards, it provides a wonderful bridge to independent reading, and even includes a fun fact-file about puffins for young animal or bird enthusiasts.
A captivating and thought-provoking dual narrative from the author of Ella on the Outside.
As Ren and her family drive home one evening, they see orange flames dancing in the sky and bursting like fireworks and flashing fire engines – this excitement soon turns to terror and misery when they realise it is their home on fire. Their lives change instantly when they have to rebuild their lives and home due to the devastating fire.
Ren feels empty and lost with nothing left and soon finds a way to help herself feel better – by taking small items that are meaningful to her old life or other people. Whilst doing this, she feels better but simultaneously she feels wracked with guilt. The narrative is split between Ren and Caspar, whose things at school start to go missing.
The story focuses on complex moral choices and what to do when your friend is in trouble, even though it could cause trouble for yourself. The story would make a great class read for Year 6 with links to PSHE, empathy work or class discussions.
Another brilliantly honest and empathy-boosting book by the author of Ella On the Outside, Not My Fault and How To Be Me. True to form, this new story explores relatable themes of growing up, friendships, feeling alone and dealing with school worries.
Meet Callie. Callie is super lucky. Her mum is a childminder and her house is filled with children, some of whom have become her best friends. Ted lives next door, and because his mum works, he has been going to Callie’s house every day after school. Callie loves to hang out with her ‘nearly-brother’ and is truly upset when the arrangement comes to an end. But money is tight in Ted’s house, and so he offers to stay home alone.
Without the companionship, however, Ted is left alone with his own thoughts. While sitting up in a tree (watching Callie’s garden), he dwells on the fact that not only is he shy and nervous, but he is also small in stature. Billy at school has been bothering him a bit lately too, so you can imagine his dismay when he sees Billy making himself at home in Callie’s garden room. First Billy humiliates him in front of the entire school and now he has stolen his best friend. Ted vows to get revenge.
What Ted doesn’t know is that Billy has a really tough time at home, and is sleeping at the school while his mum is on holiday. He doesn’t feel comfortable at his dad’s and has built a web of deception that Callie gets dragged into. The catastrophic climax will leave readers on the edge of their seats, and when Callie sees it all unfold in front of her eyes she realises that it really is time to tell the adults everything that she knows. Because sometimes keeping things inside is dangerous.
This is a gripping story told from the different perspectives of the three main characters, and will appeal to children who have enjoyed Cath Howe’s books.
Reviewer: Emma Hughes
Ella on the Outside is a superbly honest debut from Cath Howe, with authentic characters and important themes of friendship, loyalty, self-acceptance and parental responsibility – all told with appropriate warmth and humour.
The narrative voice is hugely relatable and the theme of friendship is addressed with due recognition that sometimes there are no easy answers when it comes to human relationships, but that loyalty, integrity and time investment are important foundations on which good friendships are built. Cath Howe has set this story in an honest reflection of a world in which children and adults alike are flawed and struggle deeply with life’s ups and downs.
As well as the themes of friendship and loyalty, the book also addresses issues of parental responsibility, childhood eczema, mental health and the impact of having an absent parent. This is a gripping and emotive read filled with warmth.
Cath Howe is rapidly establishing her trademark as the go-to author for accessible stories of children struggling with contemporary life for one reason or another. After Ella on the Outside (bullying, secrets) and Not My Fault (sibling rivalry, guilt), How to be Me explores a range of issues including the death of a parent and a pet, new stepparents, and being the square peg that does not fit into the round hole your family would like you to.
How to be Me is a deceptively easy read, with short chapters, uncomplicated vocabulary and wide-spaced text. It explores important themes with a lightness of touch that belies its empathetic approach and depth of feeling, and Cath Howe’s deft touch with relatable characters reels you in and the book will, I imagine, be passed from hand to hand by Year 4-6 eagerly…
A story about two siblings (Maya and Rose) who no longer talk to each other after an accident in the playground, told through alternating chapters from the perspective of each sister. One sister’s narrative will resonate with anyone who has felt a build-up of unspoken anger, resentment or a desire for revenge, while the other’s will be relatable to readers who have ever struggled to speak the right words to influence a situation or relationship that feels beyond their control or who have borne the weight of unfounded guilt. Many young readers will easily empathise with both perspectives.
A week-long residential trip with school is exactly what the two girls need to bring their unspoken tensions to a crunch point that will bring change for good. This is a page-turning story with convincing narrative voices and a springboard into discussions about what happens when very big feelings stay bottled up inside.
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
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Curriculum links (if relevant)
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