Amy Sparkes (author of The House at the Edge of Magic) picks out five recommended children’s books featuring magical houses.
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Amy Sparkes (author of The House at the Edge of Magic) picks out five recommended children’s books featuring magical houses.
Joanne O’Connell, author of Beauty and the Bin, has picked out her top five recommended children’s books about potions.
Joanne says “I’ve always been fascinated by potions and lotions. And children’s books are full of them, from the bottle of ‘Drink Me’ in Alice in Wonderland to the swirling chocolate river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. So, when I was writing my debut novel, Beauty and the Bin, I had lots of fun with Laurie – the main character – as she and her sister concoct everything from fruity face packs to minty lip balms and bubbly chocolate bath crumble. Here are my favourite children’s books which involve fabulous potions … “
Helen Harvey, author of Emmy Levels Up, has picked her top five recommended children’s books that explore the theme of bullying.
Ahoy there! Justin Somper, author of the Vampirates series, has picked top five recommended children’s books about pirates.
Justin says, “The idea for “VAMPIRATES” came to me very simply – and thrillingly – when the word “VAMPIRATES” just landed in my head one day. Cue tingles down the spine, excitement, nerves, impostor syndrome etc… As things settled down, I realised I’d been “given” an amazing idea… to combine two beloved story worlds in one. Neither of which I knew very much about! So I embarked on a phase of research – looking into pirate history and vampire myth, on the hunt for intriguing factoids and maybe even nascent connections between the two. I made a conscious decision NOT to read pirate fiction or vampire fiction at that point. And, indeed, that remained the rule while I was immersed in writing each book in order to keep my vision unclouded. Since bringing the six-book sequence to a conclusion, I have relaxed that rule a little, to dip my toe in the waters and see how other writers are creatively embracing the swashbuckling world of piracy. Here are a few of my favourites…”
Swapna Haddow, whose new picture book with Dapo Adeola – My Dad is a Grizzly Bear – is out this week, has picked her top five recommended books for children all about bears.
Swanpa says, ‘I have always loved bears. I love cuddly ones, fluffy ones, sleepy ones, grumpy ones, funny ones and especially ones with marmalade sandwiches under their hats. So to celebrate the publication of My Dad is a Grizzly Bear, my debut picture book illustrated by the roarsome Dapo Adeola, I’ve chosen five of my favourite funny bear books to share with you…”
The Incredible Record Smashers is the second hilarious and heart-warming adventure from Jenny Pearson, author and primary school teacher. Her debut The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates was a Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month, was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and is a 2021 Read for Empathy title.
Here Jenny chooses 5 funny books with kids who overcome huge personal challenges.
Jenny says, ‘I’ve been a teacher for almost sixteen years and in that time I have seen many children who have had to go through some terribly hard times. These kids, who I have been privileged to teach, have inspired and continue to inspire the characters I write. The five funny books I have chosen are ones I truly love, for so many reasons, but mainly for how the authors show, with such authenticity, how incredible kids can be.’
Barbara Henderson is the author of The Chessmen Thief, an atmospheric Viking adventure set on the Isle of Lewis, and of Wilderness Wars, a modern eco-thriller set on a fictional Island off the Isle of Harris. Her energetic school visits have taken her across Scotland and beyond and as a drama teacher, she loves to get young people on their feet!
Here Barbara chooses 5 favourite children’s books set on Scottish islands…
Our ‘Give Me 5’ lists feature authors and special guests selecting their top 5 children’s books on a given theme.
Introduce your Year 5 and 6 children to a range of poets with our selection of poetry books for Upper KS2. From classic poems and nature verses to laugh-out-loud rhymes and award-winning collections, we’ve picked out a range of our favourite books that encourage a love of poetry for children aged 9-11.
We recommend introducing youngsters to a range of different types of poems, both for pleasure and for study. Upbeat collections like Matt Goodfellow’s Bright Bursts of Colour of Mandy Coe’s Belonging Street are always a hit for dipping into in the classroom. For more real-life and thought-provoking verses, try Joseph Coelho’s Overheard in a Tower Block or Sharon Creech’s much-loved verse novel Love That Dog. If you want something that’s always popular in the classroom for hooking KS2 children on poetry, try Karl Nova’s award-winning Rhythm and Poetry, which draws on the poet’s Hip Hop roots, or Benjamin Zephaniah’s collection Funky Chickens. For classic poetry, Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year is a handy addition to any teacher’s desk for a burst of verse in those spare few minutes at the end of a lesson.
If you are looking for other Year 5 and Year 6 recommendations, be sure to check out our Reading for Pleasure booklists, and for more poetry ideas try our whole school poetry booklist.
Looking for some good children’s books to get stuck into during the summer holidays? We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite new children’s books out this summer, listed by age group. Our summer selection includes stories of adventurous getaways, creatures of the deep, treasure quests, seashore escapades and plenty of exploration of the great outdoors. For more recommendations by age, check out our Reading for Pleasure hub or our Year Group booklists.
If you are looking for our Summer Reading Bingo activity, you can find it here.
Download Printable Summer Reads Poster (PDF)
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