Tag: KS2

Lollies 2017 Winner! ‘My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord,’ by David Solomons, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson, typography by Rob Biddulph

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****Breaking News!!!**** Congratulations are due to the excellent David Solomons as ‘My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord,’ won the PopJam Readers’ Choice Award at the Lollies 2017 award ceremony tonight! I am absolutely thrilled for everyone involved and can’t wait for another instalment in the future. I am so excited and honoured to be … Continue reading Lollies 2017 Winner! ‘My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord,’ by David Solomons, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson, typography by Rob Biddulph

‘The Princess and the Suffragette,’ by Holly Webb.

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After reading, and loving, Webb's sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'The Secret Garden,' I was delighted to see learn that she had also reimagined Hodgson Burnett's beloved classic 'The Little Princess,' but set against the tempestuous backdrop of the Suffragette movement of the early 20th century. Still set in the prim and proper Miss Minchin's … Continue reading ‘The Princess and the Suffragette,’ by Holly Webb.

The Mindful Kids colouring series from Studio Press

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In today's hectic, tech-driven society, young children can often find it difficult to manage their emotions, resulting in anger, stress and anxiety. This brilliant new series encourages children to take some time out to help process their emotions. Both titles use a combination of mindful activities and recognised cognitive therapy methods and have been written … Continue reading The Mindful Kids colouring series from Studio Press

Holiday Read #5 ‘The Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps,’ by Jarrett Krosoczka.

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Read this book you must. It gets the Stormtrooper Book Club seal of approval! It's Victor Starspeeder's second year at Jedi Academy and things are not going as he planned - he just can't stop over-sleeping and Master Yoda is getting mad! To make matters worse, his tardiness has meant that he's missed out on … Continue reading Holiday Read #5 ‘The Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps,’ by Jarrett Krosoczka.

Holiday Read #3 ‘The Grunts All at Sea,’ by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

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Holiday Read #3 comes courtesy of my son, who has been giggling his way through this one on his sun lounger. In the second book of the series, we are reintroduced to The Grunts, a family who are neither clean nor clever but who manage to have fantastic adventures all the same. When I asked … Continue reading Holiday Read #3 ‘The Grunts All at Sea,’ by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Holiday Read #2 ‘The Bookshop Girl,’ by Sylvia Bishop, illustrated by Ashley King.

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Strictly speaking, this isn't just a holiday read as it was actually started as my son's bedtime story back in England and we've just finished it tonight. But I think I can allow a little flexibility on the 'holiday read' point. It was the title of the book which first attracted me and the premise … Continue reading Holiday Read #2 ‘The Bookshop Girl,’ by Sylvia Bishop, illustrated by Ashley King.

Holiday Read #1: ‘A Place Called Perfect,’ by Helena Duggan, cover by Karl James Mountford.

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Each year, I take a certain delight in spending all the loyalty points I have dutifully built up on my bookshop reward card in the preceding months with my many purchases. Hours can be whiled away as I contemplate how best to spend them. However, my first choice this year was an easy one.  Featured … Continue reading Holiday Read #1: ‘A Place Called Perfect,’ by Helena Duggan, cover by Karl James Mountford.

‘Secrets of Our Earth: a Shine-a-Light Book,’ by Carron Brown and Wesley Robins.

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Children's non-fiction books have become so much more interactive and engaging recently. This title from Ivy Kids Shine-a-Light series is no exception. As children are reading, they can explore the secrets of our world using a torch to reveal hidden images within the illustrations. They'll be able to see beneath the floor of a sandy … Continue reading ‘Secrets of Our Earth: a Shine-a-Light Book,’ by Carron Brown and Wesley Robins.

‘The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst…’ written by Tim Collins, illustrated by Sarah Horne.

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I'd like to share not one, but two diaries about hapless heroes in sorrowful situations. The Long-Lost Diary of the World's Worst Knight Sir Roderick is a squire at Doddington Castle and longs to be a brave knight. The kind of knight who'll be remembered in heroic tales like King Arthur's knights of the round … Continue reading ‘The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst…’ written by Tim Collins, illustrated by Sarah Horne.

‘The Legend of Podkin One-Ear,’ by Kieran Larwood, cover by Fernando Juarez, illustrations by David Wyatt.

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I first came across this book when it was nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2017. When I read the opening, I knew that it was going to be an absolutely fantastic story.  It seems that the Blue Peter judges agreed, as Podkin duly won its category. An epic adventure in a land where … Continue reading ‘The Legend of Podkin One-Ear,’ by Kieran Larwood, cover by Fernando Juarez, illustrations by David Wyatt.

‘The Big Book of Beasts,’ by Yuval Zommer, beast expert – Barbara Taylor.

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You're going to go wild for this book of beastly brilliance! Why do wolves howl at the moon? Do hyenas really laugh? Why do hippos love the mud? You'll find the answer to all these questions, and many more, inside this brilliant book, bristling with facts. Featuring beautifully illustrated double-page spreads about each animal, it's … Continue reading ‘The Big Book of Beasts,’ by Yuval Zommer, beast expert – Barbara Taylor.

‘Defender of the Realm: Dark Age,’ by Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler.

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A traitor revealed. An invasion unleashed. A kingdom in peril. I was very excited to be asked to participate in the blog tour for this second instalment in the Defender of the Realm series. Following the shocking events which occurred at his coronation, the young King Alfred II (or Alfie, as he prefers to be … Continue reading ‘Defender of the Realm: Dark Age,’ by Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler.

The Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Awards Short-listing Day…

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At the end of April, great excitement rippled through our school library when we were invited on a top-secret mission to Scholastic HQ to interview the judges after they'd selected the short list for the Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Awards (aka The Lollies).  These awards were established by Michael Rosen to fill the void left by … Continue reading The Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Awards Short-listing Day…

‘My Evil Twin Is A Supervillain, by David Solomons, cover by Laura Ellen Anderson, inside illustrations by Robin Boyden.

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I was super-excited to be sent a copy of the third instalment of this prize-winning series. It still features Luke, StarBoy and all their superhuman friends, but with the genius addition of an inter-dimensional toilet! After crash-landing Zorbon the Decider's spacecraft in IKEA, Luke (aka Stellar, aka Evil Twin) sets off to find the parallel … Continue reading ‘My Evil Twin Is A Supervillain, by David Solomons, cover by Laura Ellen Anderson, inside illustrations by Robin Boyden.