During my time as a teacher and English manager (and most recently as an advisory teacher for the Primary Behaviour Service) I have come to realise that good books and a love of reading are cornerstones of raising attainment in literacy across a school. Books are also vital tools in allowing children to broaden their horizons, explore their emotions, find themselves, and develop empathy for others.

Through my blog I aim to introduce children, their families, teachers and book-lovers to books they may not have come across before but would enjoy reading or using in their school curriculums.

Gradually I have a curated a collection of reviews and ideas using a diverse and varied range of new titles. I hope that these will give teachers the confidence to try using some new texts (alongside tried and tested favourites), and help children find new authors to enjoy.

My passion for books has given me the opportunity to work with Scholastic and Michael Rosen on the Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (or the Lollies) , previously as a judge and in subsequent years as a long-lister of titles for the judges to select from. I’ve also been lucky enough to be invited to short-list for the Blue Peter Children’s Book Awards and The Alligator’s Mouth Book Award.

My previous consultancy work with Just Imagine (the award winning creators of the Reading Gladiator programme) on their HaHa Boing Book Club has helped me develop the tools to work closely with primary schools in a consultancy role. I have a range of workshops which have been delivered at national conferences, as well as the capacity to work with schools to deliver more bespoke CPD, to develop reading spines and to audit library stock. Further information about my workshops is available on the ‘Workshops’ page of this website.

I also work as a resource creator for various publishers and companies, creating bespoke lessons sequences and resources for some fantastic titles, alongside video content and virtual workshops on topics such as using graphic novels to develop reading skills or creating threads to run through a school’s reading spine.

If your school is looking to do work with students on developing the tools they need for good lifelong mental health, may I direct you to the website of my joint venture, Mind Superheroes. We have regularly been invited to present workshops at the Tes SEN Show on themes such as helping children manage big emotions or find their inner superpowers and would love to support your setting.

Jo Cummins, 2023.