In Saxon Kent the law says thieves should be executed, and soup made from a stolen sheep has been found in the Medway house. Young Edward takes the blame, but does his father know more than he’s letting on? And can he find a way to save his son from hanging?
Join master storyteller Terry Deary for a trip back in time to Saxon times and an exciting adventure.
A funny art heist mystery that will steal your heart!
The country is gripped with Mona Lisa Fever! The Royal Family has announced a huge reward for the return of a missing version of the Mona Lisa, stolen from their palace over 200 years ago. But in the town of Colpepper, Mia has a different art problem: she loves art, but her underfunded school is closing down the art department! But there’s more to her school than meets the eye. Little-known local legend has it that the historic building contains a hidden vault, perhaps containing the Lost Mona Lisa! So Mia has no idea that scheming criminals are hiding among the school staff.
Meanwhile, Mia’s former-best-friend Jake has endless conspiracy theories that always seem to get Mia in trouble. His latest ones are about the headmaster being a lizard person, and that maybe Mia’s parents are The Fish, a renowned art thief who has never been caught. True, Mia’s parents are acting strangely, taking evening courses in acrobatics and dressing in tight, black jumpsuits. And lately there have been a lot of weekend trips to art galleries all over the country… bah! But that’s ridiculous!
Explore the history of crime and punishment in Britain – from gallows and gangsters to jails and juries.
Learn about Scottish witch trials in A Kind of Spark, the Gunpowder Plot in Ally Sherrick’s Black Powder or real-life pirates in Blackbeard’s Treasure. We’ve put together a list of recommended children’s books to support the KS2 topic of how crime and punishment have changed through the ages.
The detective duo everyone is dying to meet!
Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there’s been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time – until the end of the summer holidays anyway.
The first whodunnit in a new mystery series by Sharna Jackson.
A hilarious retelling of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.
You may think you know the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf – but only one person knows the real story. And that person is A. Wolf. His tale starts with a birthday cake for his dear old granny, a bad head cold and a bad reputation. The rest (as they say) is history.
A hilariously inventive retelling of the popular story which Publishers Weekly called the ‘Funniest book of the year’.
Jon Scieszka began to train as a doctor but left to take a course in fiction writing at Columbia University and to become a teacher. He lives in Brooklyn and spends his time writing and talking about books. Lane Smith, an acclaimed author/illustrator, has achieved major success in his collaborations with Jon Scieszka. He also provided the original concept and illustrations for the hit film James and the Giant Peach. He lives in New York.
Nobody wants Tulip in their gang.
She skives off school, cheeks the teachers and makes herself unpopular with her classmates by telling awful lies.
None of this matters to Natalie who finds Tulip exciting.
At first she doesn’t care that other people are upset and unnerved by Tulip’s bizarre games, but as the games become increasingly sinister and dangerous, Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far.
Much too far.
Racing, in fact, to the novel’s shocking ending.
Fascinating historical fiction. Five strangers meet in the crowds to watch Dick Turpin hang. Each has a fascinating story to tell about the famous highwayman…but which are true and which are lies? Follow Terry Deary into the enthralling history of one man and his legend. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
Heart-achingly funny, touching and brilliantly clever, Millions is a fantastic adventure about two boys, one miracle and a million choices.
Brothers Damian and Anthony didn’t mean to get caught up in a botched train robbery. But what would you do if a massive bag of cash dropped from the sky and you had only a few days to spend it before it became worthless? Buy a million pizzas? End world poverty? Not such an easy decision, is it? The boys soon find out that being rich is a mug’s game. Not only is the clock ticking, the bank robbers want their money back . . .
This edition of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s Carnegie Medal-winning Millions features fantastic cover artwork from the brilliant Steven Lenton.
Millions is a major film directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle.
A comic-strip retelling of eleven of the best-loved stories about Robin Hood – the greatest hero of them all!
Told in lively comic-strip style, this book relates eleven colourful action-packed tales about Robin and his merry men. Read how Robin becomes an outlaw, gets a ducking from Little John and encounters a disguised Maid Marian in the forest; enjoy the stories of Much the Miller’s Son, Friar Tuck, Allan-a-Dale, Sir Richard of Leigh and the golden arrow. Meet Robin’s sworn enemy Sir Guy of Gisborne, witness his visit from King Richard and see Robin fire his final arrow.
Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn’t green and doesn’t have a lake) he is not surprised. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it’s character building, but this is a lie. It’s up to Stanley to dig up the truth. Witty, inventive and completely unique, this is a masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing.
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review
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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