Author & Illustrators
‘Sadie Jones and the Ball’ is a dyslexia-friendly retelling of the traditional Cinderella story.
From the perspective of Sadie Jones, a kitchen maid at the palace, this is a funny tale about all the other people who get invited to the ball, rather than just Cinderella and her stepsisters. The story also carries an important message about fairness – why is it just the female servants that are invited to the ball? Can’t the male servants go as well? Prince Charming isn’t happy about the rules being broken though so Sadie has a challenge on her hands to convince him that everyone should be invited.
Perfect for children who are new to chapter books as if they are familiar with the story of Cinderella, it will feel like a familiar setting. Also a great read aloud as it raises plenty of discussion points throughout about friendship and fairness.
A deadly contagion races through England.
Isabel and her family have nowhere to run from a disease that has killed half of Europe. When the world she knows and loves ends for ever, her only weapon is courage.
The Black Death of 1349 was the deadliest plague in human history. All Fall Down is a powerful and inspiring story of survival in the face of real-life horror.
This is a brilliantly inspiring collection of short stories about women’s roles during the First World War by an impressive array of writers, including Adele Geras, Berlie Doherty and Sufiya Ahmed.
From a story about an ambulance driver risking her life to rescue wounded soldiers on the front line, a grieving singer entertaining and giving hope to the troops at the Front to a young nurse caring for injured and dying soldiers in a field hospital, this book covers a wide range of women’s experiences during the war, whether at home or in foreign fields. As can be expected from stories about wartime, they do not always make for easy reading and the stories take the reader through a full spectrum of emotions whilst reading, from grief and despair at the horrors of war through to hope and gratitude for all the people who worked so hard to make other’s lives better.
A great read for any pupils studying the First World War or at the changing roles and expectations of women.
Sam is sick, and Ella is sick of Sam. Life seems to revolve around his hospital appointments, his medication and his need for peace and quiet. No one thinks about what Ella wants or needs, no one cares. They don’t even know what day she was born on. In the end, Ella decides she doesn’t care if Sam gets sicker, but when it happens, she finds she cares an awful lot….
A touching exploration of family love and the challenges of being a younger sibling, from multi-award-winning author Sally Nicholls.
Time slip adventures are the order of the day in A Christmas in Time (Nosy Crow) by Sally Nichols and Rachael Dean. Alex and Ruby fall through a magic mirror and land just before Christmas in 1873.
There’s plenty of fun to be had preparing for a Victorian Christmas, and a host of old traditions are explored. The two children also learn of the misfortune and peril faced by many during this period. Goodwill and festive spirit abound, though, and this makes an enjoyable and fast-paced Christmas-time read for fans of historical fiction or those wanting to learn about a Victorian Christmas.
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