Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Flooded

Picturebook

Flooded is a visually stunning book with a powerful story about learning to face up to problems before they grow too big.

In Flooded, the city faces a problem. It seems like a normal day; the city wakes up to find itself a little bit wet. No one minds at first as it was just a little bit of water, but as the city carries on with its usual rhythm, the smaller animals start to realise that it is all becoming a rather big problem.

Flooded is a fun story illustrating how small problems can grow into bigger problems if we don’t give them enough attention. It is also a story about how problems are easier to solve together and communities that work with a positive common goal can be very powerful.

This book is full of surprises and has a pull-out page at a very significant part of the story, which really creates excitement for younger children as they are reading the book. When sharing this book with my class, it really made them think and predict about how the animal’s problem could be solved. They absolutely loved the artwork featuring gorgeous, blues and blacks as well as yellow shades for a very significant character within the book.

Dog Man Fetch 22

Dav Pilkey

Graphic novel

The eighth book in the Dog Man graphic novel series now available in paperback.

Petey the Cat is out of jail, and he has a brand-new lease on life.

While Petey’s reevaluated what matters most, Li’l Petey is struggling to find the good in the world.

Can Petey and Dog Man stop fighting like cats and dogs long enough to put their paws together and work as a team?

They need each other now more than ever — Li’l Petey (and the world) is counting on them!

Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including: empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of being true to one’s self.

Full colour pages throughout.

You Don’t Have to be Loud: A Quiet Kid’s Guide to Being Heard

Ben Brooks

Non-fiction

There seems to be a wealth of self-help for children books on the market at the moment and looking for a book that really considers the issue in a suitable way can be is quite overwhelming.

However, ‘You Don’t Have to Be Loud’ pitches itself perfectly in its mission through the gloriously simple yet innovative title.
The book cover looks appealing, with a huge mouth covering the page. The edges of the book itself are curved, rather than pointed, which make it rather soothing to hold.

The book is written in the first person and draws on the experience of the author. It is utterly refreshing to listen to the anecdotes; which are charming, funny and absolutely authentic. There is a balance between advice and support for children and young people who identify as shy, quiet or introverted and insights into Ben’s journey, navigating the world through his ‘quiet’ viewpoint.

There are also some amazing quotes from famous people, some of whom you may never have considered as being shy. Ben drops these into the narrative regularly and they are really effective in reminding the reader that a change of mindset can be helpful in reframing feelings of shyness. The illustrations are in a red, grey and white colour scheme and red is used perfectly; it highlights the shy characters on the page brilliantly.

The book would be a super addition to a Key Stage Two bookshelf and could be used as part of a mental health collection or as part of PSHE or citizenship.

Kitty Quest

Phil Corbett

Graphic novel

This is a fast-paced and fun graphic novel series that is the perfect new read for fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man and the Beano.

The story follows two cats, who embark upon a hilarious monster-slaying quest to save their town from an attack of sea creatures. This funny graphic novel has Medieval weapons, bumbling wizards, rampaging monsters and wannabe warrior cats.

Firesong

Vashti Hardy & George Ermos

Non-fiction

The Brightstorm Twins are back for the final time, in another thrilling adventure. Book Three wastes no time before plunging the reader straight into the latest exploration undertaken by the Sky Ship Aurora and her undaunted crew. This time, the ship is travelling north to the volcanic islands and the site of the first adventure for Ernest Brightstorm, the twins’ father.

This time the crew have two new members – Gan a princess who just wants to be an explorer and Hugo, a vulcanologist from the North. Also back is their old adversary, Eudora Vane, her mind completely wiped after the last adventure…. or is it?

In this book we are also introduced to new sapients, some of which, like the terrier, seem to deserve entire books of their own. At the centre of the story is a huge bear and there was definitely a Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe moment in the latter half of the story.

There is something about reading the next novel in a series you have particularly enjoyed – is it going to live up to expectations? This one certainly does, raising the high-octane adventure to a new level, with plenty of cliff hangers and new places to discover. Arthur and Maudie, the twins, also find out more about their own family history and of course there are more maps to pore over. I have a love of maps and the maps by Jamie Gregory satisfy nicely, in lovely fold out panels front and back.

The story raises issues over how we treat the Earth (even an imaginary one) and how we view animals. It also looks at growing up and changing and physically moving away from the people we love, a particularly difficult issue for twins. This may be the end of the books about the Brightstorm twins, but it didn’t feel like an absolutely closing and perhaps Vashti Hardy has left it open to return to one day. I hope so.

Review: Jacqueline Harris

The Billow Maiden

James Dixon & Tamsin Rosewell

Chapter book

The Billow Maiden is a hauntingly beautiful story, set in the wild countryside of a North English coastal village. The main character, Aisla, has briefly moved there to live with her Aunt and Uncle Nod while her mum is sick. When she arrives, she quickly makes friends with the daughter of an infamous family, Camilla. Ailsa also makes a discovery in one of the caves which leads to the pair learning more about the island, its history and themselves.

The book shares the complex backgrounds of the main characters wonderfully well. Ailsa’s struggles with her mum’s ongoing mental health needs contrast with Camilla’s own family challenges. These two girls appear to have lives which are polar opposites but find sanctuary together; with Ailsa’s Aunt and Uncle providing both with much needed stability and comfort. The author also uses Norse legends to add further layers of mystery and intrigue throughout.

There is so much that could be used within the book to inspire learning in the primary classroom; the descriptions of the wild English coastland and caves would be perfect when looking at Geographical features. Camilla’s passion for Norse Gods compliment topics on myths and legends and, of course, there is the ongoing PSHE topic which weaves the characters together. It’s rare that a book tackles parental mental health so honestly; with each character sharing their confusion and compassion in different ways.

It is a thoroughly wonderful book and highly recommended for children in Upper Key Stage Two, due to the mature themes discussed.

Reviewer: Claire C

Ready for Spaghetti

Michael Rosen & Polly Dunbar

Poetry

Michael Rosen is a master of the word. He is a master of rhythm and rhyme and a master of the engagement of young children. This book is full of poems specifically aimed at the youngest children. It recognises that enabling children to hear and feel words in an enjoyable and engaging way, is not just a foundational skill for learning to read and write, but a fundamental entitlement for all children to be able to be introduced to the joy of playing with words.

The poems and rhymes follow the loose structure of a child’s day from the rhyme “Up” at the start to “Goodnight” at the end. In between come rhymes that can accompany all sorts of activities, such as “On the swings” and feelings, like the rhyme “Happy”. The rhymes are simple and easily recalled, but the joy for the child will also be in the illustrations by Polly Dunbar. Pictures of children illustrate each rhyme – my particular favourite is the illustration of the child ‘putting on’ her pyjamas to accompany the rhyme, “Jimmy Jams”.

Children will quickly know their favourites and, in no time, will be reading along with the adult.

Spellstoppers

Cat Gray & David Dean

Chapter book

Spellstoppers is a wonderful tale of magic and adventure. Cat Gray’s imagination is endless, and she includes moments of pure joy on every page. From selkies, ghosts, magic teapots and enchanted music boxes, the story creates magic in a seemingly normal world.

Max, the main character, has spent his life having problems with electricity. For some reason, Max is unable to touch anything electric and when his mum’s new electric car breaks down as Max gets inside, it’s a step too far. Consequently, his mother sends him to go and live with his grandpa (a spellstopper) and his world is transformed to one of magic (which has a tendency to misbehave).

My favourite part is when Max attempts to spellstop a vicious stuffed weasel but is left with bitter disappointment. Living with his quirky uncle, Max discovers a strange history to his family and learns he is not as normal as he once thought. Later in the story, Max, along with his friend Kit, finds himself needing to rescue the village of Yowling from Leandra, an unpredictable evil villain who lives in the castle. The reader is left rooting for the main character throughout and is always asking whether he has the ability to become a spellstopper or not.

Although the story is told with elements of humour, Gray interweaves themes of good vs evil in a captivating voice. There are twists and turns, with exciting scenes of action. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Harry Potter, as it incorporates the same exiting themes of magic, told with a fresh new voice. This is a great book to engage reluctant readers, as there is something wonderous on each page and the language is not too ambitious.

Reviewer: Claire Sleath

Giant Panda (Young Zoologist)

Vanessa Hull & Charlotte Molas

Non-fiction

A ‘First Field Guide’ to the bamboo-loving bear from China.

Panda’s don’t hibernate; 43% of their time is spent napping; they poo up to 40 times a day; they are classed as carnivores but, over time, have evolved to eat mostly bamboo; the males compete to do the tallest handstand; they are now restricted to five mountain ranges in China; and they are generally good neighbours. There’s plenty in these 32 pages to learn and amuse.

I can see this book being very popular across the entire primary school. KS2 children will glean facts and figures on habitat, diet, habits, development, conservation and classification, when researching for writing assignments or exploring curriculum topics (e.g. animal biology, habitats, different ecosystems). It could also be used by teachers as an example of how a non-fiction text is presented, with its inclusion of headings, Contents, Glossary and Index. KS1 children will enjoy the funnier snippets of information, and learn from the bold illustrations, as much as from reading the text.

In summary, this well produced book, with its striking cover andadorable end papers, is a good addition to any primary school library and many a classroom book corner. The small, hardback format may even lend it an advantage over less durable, more unwieldy volumes.

What’s not to love?

Reviewer: Jane Rew

Like a Charm

Elle McNicoll

Chapter book

We’re big fans of Elle McNicoll’s books here at BooksForTopics HQ. We were excited to hear that Elle’s newest book takes a firm step into the magical realism genre. Elle says,”This book is a love letter to readers of A Kind of Spark who wanted to see neurodivergent girls with real magical powers. I loved magical books as a child, and still do now, so to have a neurodivergent heroine in a fantastical world, it meant a lot to me to write. I’m thrilled readers are going to meet Ramya.”

At its heart, this is an exciting magical fantasy with a quest to save an endangered town. Ramya is a feisty heroine whose dyspraxia can make her feel misunderstood and disconnected from the world around her. Ramya can also perceive things that most people can’t – seeing through the Glamour that disguises magical creatures. As the story unfolds, Ramya learns to trust her own instincts more, despite feeling weary from a world that fails to give value to the way she is. Her unique way of seeing things is her superpower and her quest confirms to her that her whole unique self is powerful, wonderful and of greater value to the world than she dared to imagine.

Fantasy lovers will enjoy the imaginative cast of magical characters (beware – the fairies in this book are not at all as you might expect) and the idea that a co-existing magical world is thinly veiled all around us is one that has a timeless appeal in children’s literature. Many young readers will relate to Ramya’s struggle to navigate the emotional connections with different family members. We were pleased to see that this is only the beginning of Ramya’s adventures and that there is more to come from the magical world she inhabits, with a sequel due in Spring 2023.