If you are looking for something to engage KS2 on the theme of Ancient China, this gripping action-packed novel is for you. Haoyou feels compelled to save his mother from being forced into a new marriage after the death of his father. Can Haoyou use his powerful kite to find away of reaching his father’s spirit, who dwells with the spirits of the dead among the clouds? But when the Jade Circus arrives, Haoyou faces the question of whether the circus master can offer him the opportunity of a lifetime or whether it is going to lead him into the greatest danger yet.
We can’t get enough of Pumpkin Soup and it is a real story time favourite for Reception and KS1 children.
Cat, Duck and Squirrel are friends who live in an old white cabin, making pumpkin soup together every day. One day, the strength of their relationship is put to the test when duck decides to switch roles and what follows is a compassionate adventure about friendship and belonging.
We adore the warm, vibrant colours of the illustrations, the rich language and captivating storytelling in this autumn-time classic.
The Fox in the Dark is a tried and tested story time favourite for KS1 and EYFS classes. Once the dark nights have drawn in, more and more animals squash into Rabbit’s house in order to hide from the nocturnal fox. When the fox eventually comes knocking at the door, the animals discover that he is not quite as they imagined. The Fox in the Dark is a popular rhyming story with a simple message about friends working together to overcome their fears.
Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise is an exciting new picture book about a cunning owl and his hilariously unsuccessful attempts to camouflage himself in order to catch his prey. This book is full of striking illustrations and we think that the simplicity of its repeated story structure and its loyalty to adjectival phrases make it a very good stimulus for autumn story writing.
Snowflakes is a topical story about what it is like to immigrate to a completely new home. It tells the story of Mia, a girl who travels away to live with Grandma in a peculiar new land of forests and snow. The narrative conveys Mia’s sense of displacement at her unfamiliar surroundings and how different she feels to the other children there. One day, Mia watches the snow falling and realises that she is unique and special just like each individual snowflake. This is a compassionate story with an important theme of diversity and new beginnings.
This is a very exciting collection of wintry short stories written by different celebrated children’s authors. Winter Magic is perfect as a stimulus for a winter-time writing project or for dipping into at story time. Inside the pages you will encounter mythical winter beasts, icy snow queens, dancing Nutcrackers and frozen worlds. We think that Winter Magic is an essential short story collection for every KS2 classroom and school library.
Mr Wolf wants to make pancakes but he is going to need some help. Underconfident in his ability to read the recipe, shop for ingredients, understand measures and mix up the batter, Mr Wolf calls on a host of familiar fairy tale friends for help. When his friends refuse to help, Mr Wolf is left to figure it out all by himself. But will they change their tune when it comes to eating time? Young readers love spotting familiar faces in this humorous pancake-day take on the Little Red Hen story with its own subversive twist at the end.
There seems to be a universal appeal to children’s stories about food with a mind of its own and this one’s a version of a story I fondly remember capturing my own imagination as a child. In a Gingerbread Man style escapade, one pancake escapes from a hungry family’s breakfast time and begins a runaway adventure that draws in a host of animals along the way. This illustrated version has simple text designed for younger readers.
A boldly-illustrated interactive book that brings the fun into reading a sequence of instructions for making pancakes. The book’s interactive elements invite the reader to become involved with every step of the recipe; lift the flap to open ingredients, turn the wheel to mix the batter, pull the tab to ladle the batter into the pan and – of course – flip the pancake to cook the other side! A great book for classrooms – second only to frying up the real thing.
Pancakes are eaten all around the world, with different variations, traditions and names in different countries. This story is set in Kenya and features the spiced pancakes shared at an unplanned community meal (there’s a recipe in the back of the book, too). When Adika hears that Mama is making pancakes, he is so happy that he invites everyone he sees to his house to eat them. He reassures Mama that they will have enough flour, but Mama is worried. A heartening story about the power of community, with plenty of added information about daily life in one Kenyan village.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
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
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
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