Leonora Bolt Secret Inventor is an entertaining STEM-themed narrative and a great story choice for Year 3 and above. The book follows a young female scientist named Leonora, who is passionate about creating new and ingenious inventions to solve the problems of those around her.  Gladys Jose’s illustrations enhance the storytelling experience, as does the good dose of humour woven through the narrative.

Leonora’s secret workshop serves as the backdrop for her endeavours, which become critical in her confrontations with her invention-stealing uncle. What follows is an imaginative adventure with quick-thinking Leonora using her STEM skills and natural wit to triumph.  Readers who love science and innovation will find this an engaging and entertaining storytime choice.

Debut author Jo Clarke makes a triumphant entry to the lower middle-grade market with the start of a new detective adventure series about a travelling school, which will be illustrated by Becka Moor. The series promises adventures in different cities around the globe, and this first one is set in Paris.

The dreamy scenes of the Parisian skyline provide a backdrop for a detective adventure in which macarons are never far from the thoughts of the main characters. If you’ve never had the chance to fall in love with the sights, sounds and tastes of Paris, you will be charmed by the city’s delights after reading this story.

Just the right amount of peril for a younger audience combined with a fun boarding school element and enough clues to keep the predictions rolling makes for a perfect stepping stone into the detective fiction genre for the younger end of the middle-grade market.

The author’s expertise as a librarian and book blogger shines through in hitting just the right spot for the intended age of the book’s audience. With themes of friendship and loyalty, a positive tone and a good sprinkling of fun, the story is likely to be a big hit with lower KS2.

An adventure story that fans of Roald Dahl will enjoy. The story revolves around the plight of a girl named Lucy, who has been left distraught after her parents suddenly go missing. Lucy soon finds that all of the children on her street seem to be facing the same fate – with their parents disappearing as well. Consequently, the children embark on a rampage, causing havoc in houses and on the street, throwing toilet paper on trees, and creating a mess everywhere.

Lucy is a natural-born leader as well as an instinctive problem solver. Amid the chaos, Lucy takes it upon herself to investigate and locate the missing parents. In her quest for answers, she discovers a mysterious creature called Woleb from the world of Creakers, hidden under her bed. The strange state of the world she discovers leads her to wonder if the Creakers are responsible for the parents’ disappearance.

Lucy teams up with Norman Quirk, a smart and organized boy with multiple scout badges, to formulate a plan to rescue their parents.  Lucy Dungston is a likeable character whose curiosity and determination drive the story forward. Norman Quirk’s sharp wit and intelligence make him an excellent addition to the team. A thrilling adventure follows as the pair try to uncover the truth behind the strange happenings.

Most children have wondered at some time or other if there is another world under their bed, and this story makes a light-hearted fantasy out of a common fear. A brave adventure story coupled with likeable characters and good clean humour makes this a popular choice with Year 3 at storytime.

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Originally published in November 2020, this month sees the gorgeous new paperback edition of The Puffin Keeper by Michael Morpurgo and Benji Davies.

The Puffin Keeper is a beautiful story of friendship, love, family, hope and new beginnings, which pays homage to memories of family holidays to the Scilly Isles and is set alongside Benji Davies’ colour illustrations that evoke the untamed coastal setting, the character’s passion for painting and the value of passing time in bringing relationships to blossom through life’s differing seasons. The story was also a tribute to Puffin Books on their 80th birthday and is inspired by the founder of Puffin Books, Allen Page. Interestingly, Morpurgo’s wife Claire is one of Allen Page’s daughters and the real-life family connection gives an added element of depth and breath to the story.

The book tells the story of a young boy named Allen and the friendship he forges with solitary Benjamin Postlethwaite, the lighthouse keeper who saves his life. The ship that Allen and 30 others are sailing on becomes washed up on some rocks near the lighthouse, Benjamin saves them all and give them shelter until help can come. Although he doesn’t have much to say, Benjamin and Allen sow the seeds of a friendship that will last a lifetime.

As years go by, Allen grows up and seeks out Benjamin. He returns to Puffin Island and rekindles his friendship with Benjamin, who is feeling unwanted as he no longer has the job of keeping the lighthouse going. Together, they rescue an injured puffin and nurse it back to health. Over time, the puffin returns and brings more puffins to the island. Thus Benjamin becomes known as the puffin keeper.

This story is so beautiful and heart-warming and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It will appeal to readers of all ages, although at just over 100 pages it sits well among Morpurgo’s much-treasured shorter illustrated stories like The Rainbow Bear and Dolphin Boy, which are well loved for capturing hearts in KS1 and lower KS2 classrooms before readers progress onto the author’s lengthier chapter books. There is also an accompanying Resource Pack available to download.

The first in a series, this hugely entertaining adventure about a small boy and his pet dragon would make a super read-aloud for lower KS2. Tomas is busy in the garden with Grandad, planning which fruits to grow that might be turned into delicious jams or tarts. When Tomas stumbles across a strange tree with curious-looking fruit, he never expects that what might emerge from the fruit is a real live dragon! This is an adventure that is humorous at every turn, but also full of heart. Tomas is a great positive role model for showing how young people can apply curiosity and creativity to the process of growing and nurturing plants and see ‘magic’ in the course.

Varjak Paw has become a modern classic and an absolute staple of primary school storytimes. The eponymous feline is far from ordinary. Varjak is a Mesopotamian Blue, an exotic and ancient breed descended from the legendary adventurer and hunter, Jalal. As Varjak listens to his grandfather recount the mesmerizing tales of Jalal, the fabled ancestor begins to visit him in his dreams, inspiring the young kitten with his tales of bravery and daring.

But when a malevolent Gentleman and his two vicious black cats arrive on the scene, Varjak’s comfortable life is abruptly overturned. To save himself, his family, and his newfound friends, Varjak must master the long-forgotten Seven Skills in the Way of Jalal. – a sort of martial arts for cats.

This is a story of loyalty, courage and self-belief that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end and of course, it is a must-read for all cat lovers.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming and thought-provoking storytime read, The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is the perfect choice. This highly original story combines themes of technology and nature and is a sure-fire hit in the classroom.

The story follows a curious robot called Roz, who finds herself stranded in the wild on an island. Roz must learn to survive and earn the trust of the island’s animals. This is a beautiful tale of acceptance, friendship and what it means to care about others. With short chapters and lovely illustrations, The Wild Robot is a delightful read for Year 3 and beyond.

Filled with warmth and humour, Sam’s chatty narrative is really the star of these books and is what makes the stories so relatable. This book will strike a chord with anyone who knows what it feels like to be more frightened then they want to admit (which, let’s face it, is most people). Coupled with Nathan Reed’s appealing cartoon-style illustrations that are perfectly placed to bring a visual element to the book’s humorous tone, this is a brilliantly fun book that would make a wonderful addition to Year 3 & 4 classrooms. I also really like the way in which Sam’s Chinese heritage is represented positively in this series without necessarily being central to the plot.

The perfect book for any football fan! Simon Mugford’s informative text set alongside Dan Green’s fun and realistic illustrations makes for an engaging read that will leave children knowing a lot more about Mo Salah.

The text is formatted in a highly visual and easy-to-read way so that it can engage a range of children, including readers embarking on their first chapter books as well as older reluctant readers. Small chunks of text are interspersed with key stats and tables throughout that will engage football fans.

There is also a free-to-download pack of Teachers’ Notes and Activities to accompany the series. Interspersed throughout the book are a range of jokes that children will enjoy. The text is displayed in a range of interesting ways, including speech bubbles, fact boxes and comic style sequences. The variety on layout keeps readers engaged, while the narrative is simple to follow.

This book is a member of a growing series of ‘Football Superstars’ books, showcasing the best modern-day footballers around. We highly recommended this series to newly independent readers or reluctant readers in KS2.  The books in the series lend themselves well to being collected, swapped and shared like football cards. Many children know snippets about these players but these books provide a detailed insight into every aspect of the footballer’s life.

This colourful, cartoon-style reference book brings history to life with humour and fun. Following on from the enormous success of its award-winning predecessor A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You, this book is packed full of information and facts, presented in an entertaining comic style that is a joy to read. The book is divided into three main sections – Ancient History, The Middle Ages, and The Modern Age. Within each section, relevant ‘day in the life’ comics describe certain aspects of history. We learn about the typical day of a Neanderthal, an Inca Farmer, and a Gladiator, as well as the more unexpected daily routines of a wheel, a Samurai sword, and a stick of chalk…

A hilarious books of animal interviews with underwater creatures, from ocean giants like blue whales and orcas to deep-sea dwellers like anglerfish and conger eels. The interviewer quizzes his oceanic guests on life in the deep blue sea – from what they eat and how they swim, to dangers they face and where their names come from. True to style, Andy Seed packs a lot of humour into the interviews and the creatures’ personalities shine through hilariously. The Q&A format breaks the information into bite-size chunks, making it a brilliant choice of book for readers to dip into at their leisure and to find some interesting facts to take away each time they do. With lively colour illustrations by Nick East, this is a highly enjoyable information book that will be sure to make a splash with readers in lower KS2.

A beautiful fold-out book that showcases the wonders of the earth beneath our feet and one with real wow-factor. We recently used it to introduce Class 3’s ‘Under Our Feet’ topic and there were gasps from the children. Sublimely illustrated, its concertina-style pages fold out into a long cross-section of the Earth: in one side and out the other. It contains a wealth of information about geology and science, and opportunities for further questions from curious young minds. Just stunning.

The first thing that strikes you about this book is the size and weight of it. As an almost A3 sized and hardback book, it is akin to opening up a chest of treasures for a child reading it and it does indeed contain details of treasures from all around the world.

The book is dedicated to exploring around the globe. It is split into a section for each continent and takes the reader on an expedition to see superb sights from around the globe – both natural and man-made – from elephants bathing in Chiang Mai, Carnival time in Brazil or canoe trips down the Zambezi River.

Each double-page spread features a beautiful illustration of the featured adventure accompanied by a section of text explaining its significance and geography. The style of writing is engaging to children and addresses the reader directly. In addition to this, there are smaller chunks of text dotted around the illustration, each of which shares fascinating facts about the place and people associated with it. The language used is accessible but will also expand the children’s vocabulary.

This book is likely to inspire child-led learning as the information and engaging style leave readers in KS2 feeling like well-travelled global citizens and wanting to find out more about the places, animals and people featured. 

A treasure trove of information about Ancient Egypt presented in a seek-and-find format, with a magnifying glass included (because “every Egyptologist needs a magnifying glass”). This fun and interactive book includes 16 scenes depicting daily life for the Ancient Egyptians, each with hundreds of miniature cartoon-style figures going about their daily activities. Readers familiar with the Where’s Wally? books will dive right in without hesitation as they search for different characters, animals, symbols and objects that all build up to create a detailed picture of different aspects of life in Ancient Egypt.