It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, our review panel reads scores of new books and we highlight five of our recently published favourites.
Check out our Review Panel’s top books for you to read in July 2024.
Aqua Boy is about a young boy whose parents are ocean guardians, helping to look after the beach and sea near where they live.
Aaron and Angel, his sister, enjoy spending time by the ocean although Aaron isn’t as confident in the water as Angel. After a big storm, the family help to clear the rubbish that has been brought onto the shore until Aaron notices an octopus stranded on the sand. With help, he saves the octopus and, in the process, he discovers that swimming underwater enables you to see and learn about the different sea creatures that live there as well as show that you can achieve things eventually.
This is a lovely book to share with children who enjoy caring for the beach, ocean and the different creatures that call it home. There are many opportunities for discussion through the bright but simple illustrations and at the back of the book it provides information for protecting octopuses and the ocean, incorporating an enjoyable mix of fiction and non-fiction.
Highly recommended!
Flame Chasers is a magical, mysterious and fantastic story that takes the reader over the seas in search of the mythical flamebirds. These birds are spotted just once a year at Bright Beacon before they make their way back home across the ocean. Their beautiful golden tails have a special power; the ability to grant the finder a wish and so treasure hunters spend their time scouring the globe to track down the flamebirds in their home.
The main character in the story, Ember, wants so much to join her dad and join the chase but her dad, fearful of the consequences of her joining the chase, decides to go without her. Of course, Ember, being a determined and feisty hero, decides to take matters into her own hands and, after meeting a mysterious creature in need of help, sets out to find her father.
The story is captivating from beginning to end. The author has created such vivid descriptions which put the reader at the heart of this far-away yet familiar setting. There are twists and turns throughout, as expected, and an utterly heartwarming ending. Ember’s curiosity and sense of adventure make her a superb character to discuss with a class as part of PSHE topics around personal responsibility or making choices. Her actions are often rash, and she is often led by her heart rather than her head. There are also themes around animal conservation which could also be explored, as well as lots of questions around right and wrong choices.
The text is suitable for upper KS2 and would be perfect as a class novel or as part of a myths and legends topic. There is also much to learn about the sea itself, which would support geography topics too. It is a wonderful story and thoroughly recommended.
A beautiful, tenderhearted story about a blended family spending a holiday at the seaside, with feelings about the new family dynamic being expressed through the metaphor of creating sandcastles.
Reading this to a Year 2 girl made evident how captivating the story is: she acted out building a huge sandcastle. She also liked that the boy’s name matched her brother’s and that he and his new stepsister Lula ended up getting along.
For my part, I liked the book’s design (including the indented lettering on the cover & gloss sheen) and I loved the illustrations which really zing: charming domestic scenes, sunlight sparkling on water, and moody coastal atmospheres. We thus observe the ups and downs of Lula and step-brother Theo’s relationship: rocky at times, but showing promise of becoming quite tender. Perhaps this trip to the seaside as a new family, sharing meals and relaxing together, will be more enduring in a way that sandcastles never are.
A real hit to share at home or in school.
Kira and Jacob are aware that they are different. With pale skin and bright blue eyes, growing up in a small village near Jinja, Uganda, how could they not be? But it isn’t just their physical appearance that sets them apart. Home-schooled by their mother, Eunata, the two children are exceptionally gifted, with a strong moral compass that seems to lead them from one scrape into another.
When their latest skirmish involves a heavy from Ranatech, they realise that they may be making enemies in high places, why else would the biggest technology company in the world be taking an interest in them…
This is a cracking debut novel from Patrick Gallagher, interweaving his love of his maternal homeland, Uganda, with a passion for sci-fi, while ensuring an environmental message is conveyed, without ramming the message home. Set fractionally in the future with two lead characters, the story races along at break-neck speed, diving through one plot twist after another. I turned the last page with a disappointed “No!” as I longed for more and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel as I am sure will any child who reads it!
Gallagher’s background as a Primary teacher also shows through, a rich source of vocabulary and an innate sense of topics that Upper KS2 children will engage with – environment, AI, hackers – make this an appealing book to pick up while the pace and storytelling should keep even the most reluctant reader along for the ride, as a class read if nothing else, although I suspect this will be well fought over at the bookcase too.
Many thanks to our review panel members Jane Rew, Rachael Newark, Claire Coates, Laura Turner and Jane Evans for reviewing this month’s selection.
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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)
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Any other comments
