A Pipkin of Pepper by Helen Cooper
EYFS & KS1This sequel to Pumpkin Soup, on the surface, is a simple one of going to the city to fetch some salt, it deals with early childhood fears such as getting lost and feeling out of place as...
View ArticleI am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz
KS1/2This is a story for everyone - both young and old for it is a story about the importance of individuality and the struggle it can take to find your place in the world. Deacon's words are...
View ArticleHermelin by Mini Grey
Almost anywhere from KS1 to Y5This is a story of Hermelin the detective mouse who finds he can read and is a dab hand at solving mysteries. So much to explore in the book and the depth of Hermelin's...
View ArticleThe Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito and Julia Kuo
KS2Every day Yokisho walks to school, he listens carefully to the sounds that surround him. But within the noisy city of Tokyo how can he find the most beautiful sound of all?...
View ArticleGreenling by Levi Pinfold
UKS2Mr & Mrs Barleycorn live a quiet life in a world which seems set within a distant future in which resources are scarce. When an alien creature is discovered bearing an incredible gift, they...
View ArticleThe Rabbits by John Marsden and Illustrated by Shaun Tan
UKS2/KS3Both Marsden and Tan come together here to write and illustrate a very unsettling allegory of the truth behind colonialism. The parallels between Great Britain and Australia are palpable but it...
View ArticleOn Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah and Illustrated by Benji Davies
FS-LKS2When two friends have, seemingly, been friends forever and a third person suddenly joins in we find a story that explores jealousy, isolation and confusion. A great book to share with your class...
View ArticleSmall Mouse, Big City by Simon Prescott
FS/KS1A retelling of Aesop's fable, Prescott plays with the reading of the book by asking the reader to turn and tip the pages as we read. A lovely picturebook with warm, gentle...
View ArticleThe Building Boy by Ross Montgomery and Illustrated by David Litchfield
KS1/KS2Writing about how children cope with loss will, for now, always be a tricky path to tread in children's stories but both Montgomery and Litchfield handle it beautifully. How do we remember those...
View ArticleOn a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna
FS/KS1/KS2When a child is taken away from their usual home by their mum for a while they immediately fall into an electronic world, playing on a console. Yet when ushered out by their mother, the child...
View ArticleVirginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear & Isabelle Arsenault
KS1/2A beautiful picturebook which extremely strong links to the life of the author herself yet can be read, intentionally, as a story within itself. Viriginia has dark and depressing thoughts which...
View ArticleRain by Sam Usher
FS/KS1/LKS2What does a young child do on a rainy day? Ask to go outside of course! A wonderfully imaginative book with an interesting grandfather. Lots to discuss here at very different levels whilst...
View ArticleThe Pencil by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman
KS1This is a story of a lonely pencil who decides to create its own world, filled with a boy, a dog, a cat, a paintbrush and much more. Yet trouble looms when the pencil creates an eraser who starts to...
View ArticleThe Island by Armin Greder
UKS2/KS3An incredibly powerful fable which contextualises the ancient and yet painfully modern story of acceptance of those who may seem different to another society. A study of irrational prejudice,...
View ArticleJourney by Aaron Becker
A wordless picture book that can be used in any year-group. A tale of a young girl who find a magic crayon that takes her to a new world full of adventure and danger....
View ArticleThe Dark by Lemony Snicket and Illustrated by Jon Klassen
FS-Y6A pairing made in heaven! This tells the story of Laszlo as he tries to combat his fear of the dark. In this clever picturebook, Snicket personifies the dark itself and this adds to the same sense...
View ArticleFranklin's Flying Bookshop by Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett
FS/KS1/LKS2Franklin is not like other readers, he's a dragon and the people of the local town are not to comfortable with that except for one young girl, Luna. Who has aspirations and dreams just like...
View ArticleWhatever Happened to my Sister? by Simona Ciraolo
FS/KS1/KS2A young girl wonders why she and her older sister are growing apart. Her parents don't seem to acknowledge the situation and she remains upset and confused until her older sister sees it. A...
View ArticleCan you catch a Mermaid? by Jane Ray
LKS2A story about a need for friendship so strong that it can smother and constrict. Ideal for LKS2 since balancing friendships can be difficult. Beautifully illustrated. Eliza, alone when her father...
View ArticleUp & Up by Shirley Hughes
KS1 & FSThis is a gorgeous wordless picture book about a little girl whose wish to fly comes true. The story though comes in Hughes' wonderful capture of the adults and children in the story -...
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