Mystery of the Night Watchers is a gripping historical adventure set in East Anglia. It’s May 1910 and the blazing Halley’s comet is drawing closer to the earth, when Nancy is uprooted to start a new life in Suffolk with a grandfather she has never met. Nancy is forbidden from leaving her grandfather’s house and discovers its secret observatory. As the mysteries begin to pile up Nancy must bring dark secrets from the past to light – even if doing so will put her own life at risk…
Marcus Rashford’s You Are a Champion is an inspiring and positive guide from a well-loved football star. Drawing on the highs and lows of his time both on and off the pitch, Rashford shares his journey of building self-confidence and resilience, encouraging readers to focus on making a positive impact on themselves and others.
This accessible book empowers young people to persevere, reframe negative thoughts and believe in themselves. A compelling read for KS2 or KS3, it is packed with key messages of believing that you can make a positive difference.
It’s tough fitting in when you’re born to stick out!
From the moment Stick Boy and his family move to Little Town, there is way more to worry about than being the new kid. There’s a mysterious plot involving Baron Ben’s new Mega Mall, pop star Jonny Vidwire and the highly suspicious HomeBots that are infiltrating every home in town. Can Stick Boy and his friends uncover the evil plan behind it all before it’s too late?
It’s basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.
What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute . . .? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge . . .
The life-affirming ‘You are Here,’ on the first page is a wonderful introduction and sets the positive and optimistic tone for the poems to come with the final line; ‘You are Here! You are Here!’ The book is jam-packed with original verse; all of them perfectly written for reading aloud – well suited for both pure enjoyment and also as a base for children’s own poetry within their English lesson. Each poem explores different aspects of a child’s life; from rainy days in ‘Puddle Ocean’ to wandering around a house at night in ‘Tiptoe’. ‘Helping Hands’ touches on the complexity and diversity within each and every family; it really is beautiful to read and savour, while ‘Save You’ would be a really powerful poem to use as part of topic work around conservation. There’s a tone of warmth and wonder in the collection’s everyday observations that encourages the reader to find so many things to enjoy in the mundane moments that they share with those around them.
Themes of inclusion, positivity and seeing the world through the eyes of others weave through the collection as well as a sense of humour and playfulness that sees puzzles and riddles mixed in with the poems. Belonging Street would be a great investment for every Key Stage Two classroom reading area.
A stunningly illustrated tribute for train lovers of all ages, Locomotion celebrates the ingenuity of trains past, present and future.
A beautiful adaptation of the classic novel. Renowned graphic novel artist, Edith, has created an enchanting version of the classic Tom’s Midnight Garden. This is a new and special way to read and share one of the best-loved and most enduring children’s stories of all time. A story with a special place in the hearts of grandparents, parents, and children everywhere, this wonderful graphic novel adaptation is faithful, accessible, and stunningly illustrated. A perfect gift for all the family.
Looshkin is the maddest cat in the world!
You may think that your cat is mad, but they’ve got nothing on Looshkin. Leave him for just a moment and you’ll find that your house has flooded, a steam train has smashed into your living room and a portal to another dimension has opened in your loft. And everything is covered in bees. And there are sirens.
Looshkin, what have you done?!
An intriguing picture book for older readers, The Viewer has a sparse amount of words and plenty of fantastically detailed, curious and thought-provoking illustrations. This is a good choice for a picture book to study with Year 6.
The story follows a boy called Tristan who stumbles across a mysterious box filled with strange objects when he is browsing around for interesting things in a scrap yard. Inside the box, Tristan finds a viewing device with lenses and discs, filled with dramatic and sometimes disturbing images past and present – from prehistoric beasts to modern-era war and pollution.
Imagery or circles and spirals reflect the repeated cycles of progress and destruction through history, where the imagery of eyes might cause readers to wonder about the ‘lenses’ through which we come to understand human history. The ambiguous ending invites open-ended discussion. The intricate illustrations by Shaun Tan, the darker themes, the broad historical sweep and the curious repeated motifs make this a perfect picture book for older readers who appreciate a more philosophical book to pore over, and there’s certainly something new to wonder at on every reading.
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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
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Curriculum links (if relevant)
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