Books about the beautiful game are always extremely popular; fans love reading about the antics of their favourite players, or imagining themselves right there on the pitch. Very rarely do football biographies focus on the brains behind the team - their manager. That’s why I’m so pleased that Ransom Publishing have added the legendary Pep … Continue reading ‘Tales From the Touchline – Guardiola,’ by Harry Coninx, illustrated by Ben Farr.
I went into this book with high expectations (after loving one of Priestley’s other collaborations with Barrington Stoke, ‘Seven Ghosts.’) I was NOT disappointed! Atmospheric, modern, and so very creepy - as I was reading, my mind was already whirring with ways to use this title to inspire some of the children I teach to … Continue reading ‘Freeze,’ by Chris Priestley.
The Oxford University Press have produced a brand new range of highly-readable titles for less confident KS3 readers (aged 11 up.) They’ve created the ‘Super-readable Rollercoasters’ in collaboration with Barrington Stoke who are known for their dyslexia-friendly format and snappy, engaging stories. I was lucky enough to be sent two of these titles to review, … Continue reading ‘Dark Peak,’ by Marcus Sedgwick, cover by Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor.
Today I have a story with football at its heart but also so much more. It has the added bonus of being published by Barrington Stoke who specialise in sharp, snappy reads with a dyslexia-friendly format. ‘Pickles the dog and his owner Elsie love football more than anything. And they’ve just heard the most amazing … Continue reading ‘The Dog that Saved the World (Cup),’ by Phil Earle, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
Today I’m sharing a new instalment in the Tindims series by Costa and Carnegie-winning author, Sally Gardner. It’s worth. I thing that this whole series is printed in a special dyslexia-friendly font, making it particularly accessible. ‘The tiny Tindims are like the Borrowers-on-Sea, who turn our everyday rubbish into treasure. Mother-and-daughter duo, prizewinning Sally Gardner … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Tindims and the Ten Green Bottles,’ by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Lydia Corry.
I’m thrilled that Peter Bunzl has added his talents to the brilliant selection of short, snappy reads published by dyslexia-friendly publisher, Barrington Stoke. As you would expect if you’ve read Peter’s ‘Cogheart’ series, ‘Featherlight’ has family at its heart with a little flash of magic. ‘When the lighthouse no longer shines, what else has the … Continue reading ‘Featherlight,’ by Peter Bunzl, cover by Evan Hollingdale.
As all children look set to returning to school over the coming days, I know that emotional wellbeing will be a key concern for many. With lots of pupils having felt very isolated over the past few months, anxiety about returning to school or even being in large groups of people may be looming large. … Continue reading ‘Swan Song,’ by Gill Lewis.
Today I’m sharing two books with strong environmental themes from the fabulous dyslexia-friendly publisher, Barrington Stoke. ‘The Invasion of Crooked Oak,’ by Dan Smith, illustrated by Chris King. The local community are very unhappy about the fracking site on Carpenter’s Field. The local children used to play there - catching fish and building dens. When … Continue reading Stories with Environmental themes from Barrington Stoke
Stories about war are as relevant and important as ever. They allow us to educate readers about conflicts past and present, encouraging them to empathise and reflect. Barrington Stoke have an excellent range of conflict-themed tales written by some of our most talented children’s authors, for readers of all levels of confidence. ‘Daisy and the … Continue reading Conflict-themed Stories from Barrington Stoke
Each of these three wonderful stories are very different but all feature some very special inter-generational relationships. ‘Special Delivery,’ by Jonathan Meres, illustrated by Hannah Coulson. This first story is part of Barrington Stoke’s Little Gems range which are specially produced for readers aged 5+ and feature fun activities in the jacket flaps. Frank REALLY … Continue reading Inter-generational Stories from Barrington Stoke
Full disclosure - I am a HUGE fan of Vashti’s middle grade adventures (the epic ‘Brightstorm’ series and the Blue Peter Award-Winning, ‘Wildspark.’) I am also a massive fan of Barrington Stoke’s highly-accessible, dyslexia-friendly titles. Imagine if you can, my delight at discovering that these two powerhouses of children’s books were joining forces to create … Continue reading ‘The Griffin Gate,’ by Vashti Hardy, illustrated by Natalie Smillie.
The week beginning the 5th October has been designated National Dyslexia Week. This year, the British Dyslexia Association have decided upon the theme #DyslexiaCreates - celebrating the ideas and organisations it can produce, as well as recognising the difficulties. They’ve produced a packs for schools available to download HERE. As a teacher, I worked with … Continue reading #DyslexiaCreates – Awesome Authors!
I will forever sing the praises of Barrington Stoke. Their books are produced by some of the most fantastic authors and illustrators, with themes ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. Their dyslexia-friendly format has opened to doors to the world of reading for many of my pupils. Today I’m sharing ‘A Bad Day For … Continue reading ‘A Bad Day for Jayden,’ by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Tania Rex.
After my recent round up of doggy titles, it’s time for the cats to take over! From picture books to middle grade titles, there’s something for all fans of fabulous felines. ‘It’s My Sausage,’ by Alex Willmore (Maverick Publishing) There are five cats but only one sausage. And none of them are that keen on … Continue reading What’s New Pussycat?
#BookBoy loves gaming. Luckily, he also loves reading. But titles which allow him combine these two interests are few and far between. I’ve been racking my brain for children’s books which feature computer games as a key component, and here’s what I’ve managed to come up with! ‘Glitch’ by Sarah Graley (Scholastic) has just dropped … Continue reading Game On! Level up with these books about gaming!
In honour of International Dogs Day, here’s a round up of some of the fab books I’ve received featuring some of the most brilliant dogs around! ‘This is a Dog’ by Ross Collins (Nosy Crow) Uh oh! A very loveable but slightly excitable young pup has broken into a First Book of Animals and taken … Continue reading Puppy Love
Environmental activism is high on the agenda at the moment, with young people in particular campaigning to take care of our planet before it’s too late. There’s a rich seam of books being published at the moment which contain useful tips to help you make a difference and plenty of fiction books around environmental themes … Continue reading Planet in Peril
Barrington Stoke produce some of the very best short, accessible stories by some of the very best current children’s authors. Although specially produced to be easy on the eye for dyslexic readers, their brilliant collection is perfect for anyone who enjoys short, pacey reads. Lisa Thompson’s debut for Barrington Stoke fits in perfectly. Owen and his … Continue reading ‘Owen and the Soldier,’ by Lisa Thompson, illustrated by Mike Lowery.
Heroes come in all shapes and disguises! Zac used to be the least popular boy in school. Until the super-weird Ant arrived. His clothes are filthy, he had a cockroach in his hair and he insists on wearing enormous green sunglasses because ‘his eyes are sensitive to the light.’ So what’s really behind those lenses...? … Continue reading ‘Anty Hero,’ by Barry Hutchison, illustrations by Tom Percival.
You know when Nicola Davies releases a new book that it’s going to be something a little bit special. ‘The Dog That Saved Christmas’ looks at Christmas from an entirely different perspective and certainly made me stop and think. For Jake, Christmas is a terrible time of year. The lights are too bright, the decorations … Continue reading ‘The Dog That Saved Christmas,’ by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mike Byrne.
Library Girl and Book Boy 