The enchanting story of an arctic fox’s journey back to its mother, inspired by a Sami folk tale.
A little arctic fox is lost in the dark, polar night.
With the help of a friendly bear, and the Northern Lights to guide her, can she find her way back home?
Translated by Michele Hutchison.
A little girl’s love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure.
Liddy is too excited to sleep! Tomorrow she’s going to the Dim Sum palace with her family, so when a tempting smell wafts into her bedroom, she has no choice but to follow it…
Inspired by childhood memories of epic dim sum feasts, X. Fang’s glorious picture book is a delicious adventure with a loving helping of food, family and culture.
It’s supposed to be a treat for Kit, a winter holiday by the coast with her sister Libby and their mum. But when Libby vanishes into thin air, and no one else remembers her, Kit is faced with a new reality – one in which her sister never existed.
Then she meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. Together they embark on a journey beyond their wildest imagination into a world steeped in ancient folklore. Can Kit and Story uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time runs out?
The mystery genre is incredibly popular with Key Stage 2 children, and The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder by Kereen Getten offers an evocative detective adventure.
Fayson is an aspiring detective who dreams of solving grand cases, but finds herself plunged into a real-life case during a holiday with her mysterious cousins. Fayson feels out of place with their wealthy lifestyle, yearning for the simpler, more honest life she shares with her mother.
As Fayson cleverly unravels the mystery on the island, the narrative also sensitively explores themes of social class, wealth, happiness and family values. The story could prompt discussion with KS2 children around challenging societal expectations and the meaning of belonging. A thrilling and thought-provoking mystery!
I was delighted to receive We Are Definitely Human the night before World Book Day – what perfect timing!
Children love feeling that they know more than the hapless storyteller and We Are Definitely Not Human gives plenty of scope for that. Three aliens crash-land in Mr Li’s field and are keen to insist how very ‘human’ they are. The story itself is told through pared-back, simple language, giving just enough information for the children to then look at the pictures and infer what was really going on.
I tried this book out on all our EYFS/KS1 classes on World Book Day and they thoroughly enjoyed it – there was even an honorable mention in assembly from Reception for “best story heard today”. I think that says an enormous amount that a child of five would hear multiple stories throughout the day and still go back to the first one as being their favorite. Several teachers commented on the vibrant color scheme and use of neon pink and blue to pick out the aliens, especially during the night-time scenes.
Whilst the story is about three aliens who crash-land in Mr Li’s field – who does what any kind human would do and helps them to fix their “car” – I fell immediately in love with the dog, who is the best side-eyed, suspicious hound I’ve ever seen! A message about kindness to people who are not like you is clear and warmly given. Readers can also have lots of fun creating voices for the aliens’ not-quite-English speech.
We loved it and I’m sure you will too.
The powerful story of two siblings trying to survive extreme poverty by the multi-award-winning, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-shortlisted author of Boy 87
Lola’s life is about to become unrecognisable. So is Lola.
Everything used to be comfortable. She lived in a big house with her family, where her biggest problems were arguing with her little brother or being told she couldn’t have a new phone. But as one disaster follows another, the threads of her home and family begin to unravel.
Cut off from everything she has known before, Lola must find a new way to survive.
Now, an ordinary girl must become extraordinary.
When Life Gives You Mangoes is set in the Jamaica of Kereen Getten’s childhood; as such the book is evocatively full of sunshine, lush vegetation, and laid back freedom to roam through long summer days.
Clara, the protagonist, is touchingly honest, feisty and wild, but can’t abide being near water. As the story goes on, we realise that something happened last summer that Clara cannot or will not remember. In trying to push everyone away, including her patient and wise father, she runs straight into the arms of her uncle, an exile from the village about whom rumours roam and mistrust hangs.
The book deals with Clara’s amnesia and anxiety with gentleness and kindness, and it’s a great story for exploring mental health and the ways in which we protect ourselves from trauma. In the end it is Clara’s uncle who helps her come to terms with her past, and this beautiful twist leads both to Clara’s healing, and the restoration of her uncle to the village community.
I really enjoyed the themes of redemption and forgiveness, friendship, community and kindness that run through this story, and the taste of another place and culture that it gives the reader. For all these reasons, it’s definitely earns its place on a KS3 library bookshelf!
I knew STRAIGHTAWAY that something was WRONG on Monday morning when Mum didn’t wake me up for school.
With his grandma snoring in the kitchen and his older sister spending hours getting ready for school, it’s up to Jake to discover where his missing mum might be.
Life at home wasn’t perfect, but he can’t understand why she would simply run off like this. And why doesn’t anyone else seem to care?
A heartfelt, funny and unique ode to perfectly imperfect families.
Ten year old Claudia is funny, smart and sophisticated, and when she decides to run away, it is not to the boring old countryside, but to the razzle dazzle of New York City. Here, she and her brother Jamie camp out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, pound the city streets, use the typewriter outside the Olivetti store on Fifth Avenue, eat lunch at the Automat, and visit New York Public Library to solve a mystery surrounding one of the museum’s exhibits. There is something special about New York that has inspired many children’s writers to capture the spirit of the city in their books. I love them all, but because of Claudia, this is the one I love most.
1720. Blue Mountains, windward Jamaica. In the sweltering heat Captain Shettlewood leads a troop of British soldiers through the thick trees towards the river. They are hunting slaves who have escaped from the brutal plantations. Their mission: to find them, and kill them.
But up ahead, hidden among the rocks above the water, a group of men with cutlasses and muskets wait patiently for the instructions of their leader. Queen Nanny is a ‘wise woman’ with a reputation for ancient obeah magic, and a guerilla fighter with a genius for organisation. So the battle for Jamaica begins, the First Maroon War, in which the maroons – escaped slaves – will make a final, do-or-die stand against the slavers and soldiers of Empire.
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Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
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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
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