Media & Digital Literacy Books

Fish are fishy! Have you ever noticed? This phenomenally tongue-in-cheek picture book starts deadpan and dull, explaining that a mammal is a mammal, a bird a bird – predictable features and characteristics, with staid illustrations. But when it comes to fish, the reader is warned that fish are different. Fish are not to be trusted. And things turn wild.

Sharpson’s deadpan tone makes for a fantastically funny book, allowing the reader to read between the lines. The book lends itself brilliantly to discussions about bias and evaluating what we read by considering the reliability of the source and context, perfect for the modern world in which even young children are confronted with fake news and online prejudice.

Dan Santat complements Sharpson’s text with clever wacky illustrations, from the tube that leads from a domestic fish tank to the sea, to the page that will make younger children think twice before sitting on the toilet, to the nightmarish vision of robot fish towards the end. This is a book that will challenge, while poking enormous fun at the whole endeavour.

A picture book that does not condescend to its audience nor preach any kind of sensible message – other than, obviously, don’t trust fish! Brilliantly funny. To be read again and again.

Troll Stinks makes for an excellent choice of book for today’s children and one with the potential to both entertain and spark meaningful discussions about internet safety with primary children.

Billy the Goat and his friend Cyril are playing with a phone when they decide to send mean messages to the troll living under the bridge. Soon, the two friends discover that their online actions have had a significant impact on the troll’s feelings and that their messages were not such a fun idea after all.

The book is part of a series that spins traditional tales into the modern age and examines the impact of technology on children’s safety. With more primary-aged children than ever having access to online messaging, the book is bound to open impactful classroom discussions. Even for children who have not yet used their devices in this way, the broader themes of bullying, empathy, recognising the impact of words and stopping mean behaviour in its tracks will resonate with even the youngest children.

This important and entertaining story is a modern must-read.

12-year-old Vinnie is frustrated by the picture perfect life that his mum – a viral online life coach – is portraying to her readers in order to fit in with her “brand” when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth – their family seems to be falling apart. But more than that, Vinnie is struggling, and his mum is the one person who he used to be able to talk to about things, but she has become too busy answering the world’s problems to have time to deal with his problems, so he keeps them to himself.

One day, Vinnie stumbles across an old blog that his mum used to write before she became famous, and he notices that there are lots of unanswered questions from people asking for her advice – he decides that these people deserve responses and sets about replying himself. Much to his suprise, the public seem to like his responses and more and more messages come flooding in. Reading about other people’s problems makes Vinnie feel like he is not alone and he begins to realise that sharing your problems is better than holding them all on your own.

Typical of Helen Rutter, this book is an incredibly easy read – perfect for struggling or reluctant readers – which is full of laugh out loud humour but with a strong message at its heart.

Most children will be more familiar than I with the trials and temptations of vlogging: seeking to present perfection; aiming for maximum likes; transitioning from hobby to business while simultaneously upping the fun factor and the revenue; not to mention losing sight of life’s priorities.

Y5 Ethan seems to have a better handle on what really matters in life (families, friends and wellbeing) than Mum, with her million followers, Dad, with his ‘Dad on the Rocks’ channel, or older brother, Mason, who kickstarts his own YouTube ambitions by recording and publishing the meanest possible pranks on his Little Loser Bro. When the perfect influencer family is actually tearing itself apart, when the smiles are forced, and the offline chat fractious and hate-filled, the grown-up plan is ‘fake it’ and keep shtum. No wonder chilling with his good mates, Arlo and Omar, brings Ethan welcome relief; no wonder he goes to Grandad and Colin the Dog for sanctuary and solace. Because confiding in and collaborating with true friends and, eventually, accepting professional counselling and moving towards reconciliation, is surely the better way.

What makes this book a winner is its contemporary and engrossing storyline, for sure. But it is also to be recommended for its humour, the Gen Z/Gen Alpha slang (for those in the know), and even the laying bare of Ethan’s ‘sticky thoughts’, helping real kids to see they’re not alone or ‘weird’. At 373 pages, Boy Vs Reality is a satisfyingly chunky volume: too long probably for a class read, but definitely one to have in the UKS2 library or classroom.

The History of Information by Chris Haughton gives the reader a fascinating insight into the evolution of information right from the start of human existence. Starting with the very first languages, cave paintings and taking us right through to Artificial Intelligence, there is such a lot of information to find and enjoy.

The sections of the book look at each major advancement in communication, from writing, drawing and printing through to the more modern information-sharing changes over the past one hundred years.

Whilst there are lots of fun facts, the book also does not shy away from presenting children with some of the more dangerous aspects of information; there are pages on propaganda as well as a thought-provoking section which looks at ‘Big Tech’ and how information can be used to control society.

Chris Haughton’s unique illustration style works well to give the book an enjoyably modern feel.

Covering important e-safety topics including cyberbullying and social media messaging, this is an essential book to help older children to know how to protect themselves in the digital world. Find out how online interactions can affect friendships, why cyberbullying is so dangerous and how image-sharing can get out of control. Due to the nature of the topics covered, this is most suitable for upper KS2+ or as a book to dip in and out of at your discretion.

Colourfully illustrated, ‘Robots’ begins with a timeline of the history of robots, going back much further than you might think. The book then goes through what a robot is and the difference between robots and AI. It clearly explains how different types of robots work – from robots that can help the environment to those that are designed to move around, as well as those that can help with farming.

This engineering-themed non-fiction book also provides information about the different jobs that robots can do, such as assisting in factories and hospitals. Finally, the book covers the ethics of robots as well as what the future of robotics might be. There is a handy glossary at the back explaining some of the more technical vocabulary associated with robots.

A fabulous read for KS2 children and a great book to have in the classroom as AI becomes more a part of everyday life.

Written with humour and clarity, this non-fiction book breaks down complex ideas associated with the Internet –  like data packets, algorithms, networks, and cybersecurity – into manageable and child-friendly explanations supported by diagrams and real‑world examples.

The book also discusses online risks, including scams, hacking and privacy concerns. These are handled in an age‑appropriate, factual way that would be great for starting discussions around e-safety, cyber security and Safer Internet Day.

As a teacher, I find it a strong choice for developing digital literacy and supporting cross‑curricular learning in computing, science, and PSHE.

This is a timely and essential resource for homes and classrooms. It discusses how news, information, stories and adverts are presented both in paper and online and gives children the skills to be a critical reader. It includes information around fact checking and using reliable sources to corroborate a story; it explores how AI and editing tools can be used to manipulate images and it explains misinformation and disinformation.

What is particularly useful is that it encourages children to ask questions around the motivation of the person sharing the information – who is telling the story and why are they sharing it? – and to be aware of confirmation bias, especially where algorithms are used on social media. It encourages readers to be subjective, especially when presented with emotive or sensationalised content and it touches on respectful online behaviours and bullying too.

There is a strong and supportive message that using critical thinking skills can help avoid news anxiety, but the book also acknowledges that news can stir up a wide range of emotions and this is something to consider when reading it with children, alongside the social media influences they have access to.

Although this seems a lot to pack into a short book, the reader is not bombarded with information and the clear design and infographics really help present useful facts and tips with real clarity.