It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, we pick five of our recently published favourites.
Check out our Review Panel’s top picks for you to read in February 2018…
The brilliantly funny and first book in the SAM WU series, starring the bravest scaredy-cat in the world. Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except he is). When a trip to the Space Museum goes terrifyingly wrong, Sam begins a mission to prove to the school bully, and all of his friends, that he is a fearless space adventurer.
A truly laugh-out-loud, voice-led and madcap story of ghost hunting, snakes and mischievous pet cats called Butterbutt.
Created in Matt Carr’s signature comic-book style with a palette of bold primary colours, this entertaining story follows Spyder, a secret agent arachnid whose codename is 008. Spyder is sent on a highly important mission to save one boy’s birthday cake from the destructive intentions of an uninvited Bluebottle.
This imaginative debut novel is set in a world in which children are either ‘propers’ – that is, real children – or robotic ‘mechanicals’ and it follows the story of a boy called Christopher who assists the curious mechanical engineer Mr Absalom. When an unfortunate accident occurs under Mr Absalom’s care, Christopher is forced to embark upon an adventure that will lead him to discover his true identity, with the help of a group of trustworthy friends both mechanical and proper. The plot is full of twists and turns and we love how the unusual fantasy world that Pádraig Kenny has created is realised in an exceptional way that is at once convincing and beguiling. The story raises some really thought-provoking questions about artificial intelligence and its ethics, although the very relatable themes of humanity and belonging lie at the heart of it. We can’t recommend this enjoyable and interesting story highly enough for upper KS2.
This is the book I wish I’d written. There is just something about it that grabbed me from the first page. It is the story of Christopher, a real boy, and his friends who are all mechanicals and it explores the nature of friendship and being human. It is a very exciting story with richly drawn characters, set in an alternative 1930s. There are echoes of the Wizard of Oz and I think, if there is justice in the world, that it should be a classic and must read for ages nine and up.
This is an eye-catching anthology that celebrates the inspirational achievements of fifty-two trailblazing black women and men, including artists, sports legends, scientists and activists among many others. In the introduction, the author notes that “all children deserve to see themselves represented positively in stories. That’s why we’re highlighting the talent and contributions of black changemakers from around the world—for readers of all backgrounds to discover.”
Each page contains a short biography of an influential figure, perfectly accessible in language and length to suit primary-aged children. The text on each page is set against a brightly-coloured background containing a dynamic portrait of the featured individual, accentuated by colours and patterns – such as crowns and stars – that add to the celebratory feel of the book.
“You have to make more noise than anyone else,” declared Emmeline Pankhurst, who led the British suffragette movement.
‘Make More Noise!’ is a collection of short stories written by well-known female authors, including Emma Carroll (author of Letters From the Lighthouse), M.G. Leonard (author of the Beetle Boy books) and Kiran Millwood Hargrave (author of The Girl of Ink and Stars), among other celebrated writers. The stories each feature the strong voice of a female character, some fictitious and others based on real people.
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
