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Topic: Plants & Trees KS2

Chapter book

Sorrel Fallowfield is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help remembering the school rules – and there are LOTS.

Luckily, Sorrel doesn’t have any trouble following them, until the day she discovers a faded packet of Surprising Seeds buried under a tree in her backyard.

Now she’s hearing voices, seeing things, experiencing an almost unstoppable urge to plant the Seeds in some very unusual places and completely failing to win her school’s competition to find The Most Obedient Child of the School.

And all that’s before flowers start growing out of her head…

Plants and Trees Topic Booklist

What makes ‘plants and trees’ such a fascinating science topic at KS2? Perhaps because trees are among the longest-living organisms on Earth and come in so many different shapes and sizes. Or maybe it’s because trees have been found to communicate to each other, or perhaps it’s the way that plants make their own food. Many children are also fascinated by the role plants and trees play in our planet’s ecosystem and are inspired to learn about our ability to step in and protect them. From petals and pollination to bark and branches, there’s plenty to enjoy in our selection of the best children’s books about plants and trees.

NB: This selection of books about plants and trees is aimed at children in KS2 (7-11). For books for younger children, try our Growing Plants KS1 list.

Chapter book

When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad’s garden, he doesn’t think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house – and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker …

Tomas soon finds out that life with Flicker is great fun, but also very … unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbruth and leave your pants hanging from the TV aerial. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker – and quickly. And then something extraordinary happens – more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons …

Non-fiction

Grow BEAUTY. Grow COMPANIONSHIP. Grow FLAVOUR. Grow PLANTS!

Discover 15 plants and fungi with heroic powers, then learn how to grow them.

Meet their surprising relatives (the tasty tomato is a cousin of deadly nightshade!) and unearth their interesting histories (lettuce was the first vegetable to be grown in space!). Then follow step-by-step instructions to grow and care for each one, whether you have a big backyard garden or a sunny windowsill.

Written by horticulturalist Riz Reyes and fully illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows, this is the perfect introduction to growing plants for families everywhere.

Non-fiction

A quirky, colourful guide to the horrible, shocking and disgusting aspects of the science of life cycles and a fantastic way to inspire children in science learning.

Killer Plants investigates all things green and gross, from insect-eating pitcher plants to giant lilies that smell of rotting corpses.

The Disgusting and Dreadful Science takes a look at the weird, revolting and shocking aspects of science for children at KS2. From plants and life cycles to the human body and animal adaptations, the books offer fascinating facts, fun examples and true-life stories to provide ways in to understanding solid scientific principles. Perfect for readers aged 9 and up.

Non-fiction

This is our Green Planet: a hidden world where plants care for other plants and can smell, taste, touch, hear and even . . . ‘talk’.

In the world of plants, time passes more slowly, but if we speed months into minutes we can peer into this hidden world and realise: it’s a battleground. Plants are working to thwart their enemies, and to trick animals into working for them.

Right under your feet, and all around you, is a secret world you’ve probably never noticed. Until now. Let’s explore our Green Planet: a secret world of plants that might change how you see plants forever . . .

Discover all there is to love about our astonishing Green Planet, the stories of its inhabitants, and the challenges it faces.

Non-fiction

Did you know that there are over 60,000 tree species? This stunning book explores the extraordinary diversity of trees and forests – the lungs of our earth.

A glorious celebration of trees by non-fiction specialist Nicola Davies, illustrated by rising star Lorna Scobie, creators of the beautiful The Variety of Life .

There is something to delight on every page with fascinating facts and figures. This exquisite book will encourage children to treasure the world’s biodiversity and help to stop it slipping away.

Short story collection

Olive’s best friend is a four-hundred-year-old oak tree, and it is in danger. As she tumbles into its magic world, she makes it a promise. From deep roots to high branches, a Persian garden to an underwater forest, from tulip trees to wild apple to vengeful box, she listens to the trees telling stories for all time. And she keeps her promise.

With a conservation message and facts about tree science alongside the magic and wonder of seven beautifully imagined original stories, this full-colour gift book enchants and reminds us of the importance of trees in our lives.

Picturebook

Once upon a time a group of friends were seeking a place to call home. The desert was too hot, the valley was too wet and the mountain was too windy.

Then they found the forest. It was perfect. The leaves gave shelter from the sun and rain, and a gentle breeze wound through the branches.

But the friends soon wanted to build shelters. The shelters became houses, then the houses got bigger. All too soon they wanted to control the environment and built a huge wooden wall around the community.

As they cut down the trees, the forest becomes thinner, until there is just one last tree standing.

It is down to the children to find a solution.

Non-fiction

Award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston have teamed up again to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it a guide that is equally at home being read on a parent’s lap as in a classroom reading circle.

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