Tag: Upper KS2

‘The Place for Me: Stories About the Windrush Generation,’ produced in partnership with Black Cultural Archives, cover illustration by Joelle Avelino.

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‘The Place for Me’ contains twelve tales of sacrifice and bravery inspired by first-hand account of the Windrush generation. They have been written by: K.N. Chimbiri, Kevin George, Salena Godden, Judy Hepburn, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Jermain Jackman, Kirsty Latoya, Katy Massey, E.L. Norry, and Quincy the Comedian. It also features a foreword by Dame Floella Benjamin … Continue reading ‘The Place for Me: Stories About the Windrush Generation,’ produced in partnership with Black Cultural Archives, cover illustration by Joelle Avelino.

‘Official Dick, Kerr Ladies: Football’s Forgotten Legends,’ by Gail J. Newsham, illustrated by Thy Bui.

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Author Gail Newsham is an ex-footballer with a career spanning twenty years and including two women’s FA Cup semi-finals. She grew up near the factory in Preston where the team was originally formed and was amazed to discover the existence of the team. Gail has made it her mission to bring the Dick, Kerr Ladies … Continue reading ‘Official Dick, Kerr Ladies: Football’s Forgotten Legends,’ by Gail J. Newsham, illustrated by Thy Bui.

Pop Up: 10 Stories to Make a Difference

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10 Stories to Make a Difference is a collection of original illustrated stories published by children’s literature non-profit development agency Pop Up, which has been bringing books, schools and communities together for 10 years. Pop Up has collaborated with 20 writers and illustrators and a host of editing and design professionals from 12 publishers, and crowdsourced … Continue reading Pop Up: 10 Stories to Make a Difference

Blog tour: ‘Jaz Santos vs. the World,’ by Priscilla Mante, cover by Camilla Sucre.

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I’m always excited to see a brand-new series featuring GIRLS playing football and today I am sharing the very first title in the new ‘The Dream Team’ series. ‘Olá! I'm Jasmina Santos-Campbell (but you can call me Jaz). You've probably heard of me and my football team the Bramrock Stars before. No? Well, you will … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Jaz Santos vs. the World,’ by Priscilla Mante, cover by Camilla Sucre.

Blog post: ‘Sports Legends: 50 Inspiring People to Help You Reach the Top of Your Game,’ by Rick Broadbent, illustrated by James Davies.

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With lots of top level sport to enjoy over the summer, children might be looking for a little extra inspiration to help them reach their peak performance level. Award-winning journalist Rick Broadbent has interviewed some of the biggest names in sport and shares some of their inspiring stories in this brilliant book. Make sure you … Continue reading Blog post: ‘Sports Legends: 50 Inspiring People to Help You Reach the Top of Your Game,’ by Rick Broadbent, illustrated by James Davies.

Blog tour: ‘The Swallow’s Flight,’ by Hilary McKay.

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Hilary McKay is a truly excellent writer for older children. ‘The Swallow’s Flight’ is her Costa award-winning title ‘The Skylark’s War’ - a beautiful story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One. I have the whole of Chapter Five to share with you, so … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Swallow’s Flight,’ by Hilary McKay.

‘Keeper,’ by Alan Gibbons, illustrated by Chris Chalik.

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Today I’m sharing one of Barrington Stoke’s excellent dyslexia-friendly titles which is absolutely packed with facts about famous goalies and the history of goalkeeping. I love that it’s celebrating an oft-neglected member of the team. ‘New boy Shane Logan has a temper, but he’s also a talented goalie. When Peter and his friends invite Shane … Continue reading ‘Keeper,’ by Alan Gibbons, illustrated by Chris Chalik.

Blog tour: ‘The Caravan at the Edge of Doom,’ by Jim Beckett, illustrated by Olia Muza.

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‘The Caravan at the Edge of Doom’ is the hilarious debut novel of comedian, Jim Beckett, and has been dubbed ‘Pratchett for tweens.’ I can see why - its madcap humour, crazy characters, and hilarious take on the afterlife make it a sure-fire winner with fans of funny. I got the chance to ask Jim … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Caravan at the Edge of Doom,’ by Jim Beckett, illustrated by Olia Muza.

‘50 Ways to Score a Goal and other Football Poems,’ by Brian Bilston, cover by Joe Berger.

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I love a good collection of poetry, and what could be wetter than a volume all about the beautiful game? Perfect for sharing in the odd spare minute or to inspire some cheering from the terraces (or performing of poetry!) ‘50 Ways to Score a Goal and Other Football Poems shows Brian Bilston's genuine love … Continue reading ‘50 Ways to Score a Goal and other Football Poems,’ by Brian Bilston, cover by Joe Berger.

Blog tour: ‘Factopia!’ by Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith.

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We are huge fans of little known facts and strange but true connections in this household. My sons delight in trying to catch me out with facts about weird and wonderful creatures or unbelievable cars, so ‘Factopia!’ is just about the most perfect book for them that you could imagine! Welcome to FACTopia! A wonderland … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Factopia!’ by Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith.

Blog tour: ‘Noah’s Gold,’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton.

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You know that when you start a new Frank Cottrell-Boyce that you’re going to be in for a treat. I wasn’t disappointed when I cracked open the cover of ‘Noah’s Gold’ and hopped aboard the minibus with the pupils of St Anthony’s. ‘Eleven-year old Noah sneaks along on his big sister's geography field trip. Everything … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Noah’s Gold,’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton.

Blog tour: ‘By Ash, Oak and Thorn,’ by Melissa Harrison, illustrated by Lauren O’Hara.

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Today I am sharing a wild, enchanting adventure steeped in the ancient magic of nature, written by award-winning novelist Melissa Harrison. Her books have the common purpose of trying to connect readers with the natural world and this is her children’s novel debut for readers aged 9+ ‘Three tiny, ancient beings - Moss, Burnet and … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘By Ash, Oak and Thorn,’ by Melissa Harrison, illustrated by Lauren O’Hara.

Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Green Nation Revolution – Use Your Future to Change the World,’ by Valentina Giannella & Lucia Esther Maruzzelli, illustrated by Manuela Marazzi.

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This week, I’m going to be shining the spotlight on titles with environmental themes. Today’s the turn of ‘Green Nation Revolution.’ ‘Take your place in the Green Nation, a nation without geographical borders that unites the youth of today in their fight for the planet. Following on from the success of We Are All Greta, … Continue reading Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Green Nation Revolution – Use Your Future to Change the World,’ by Valentina Giannella & Lucia Esther Maruzzelli, illustrated by Manuela Marazzi.

Blog tour: ‘Emmy Levels Up,’ by Helen Harvey, cover by Abbey Lossing.

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Today I’m sharing a brilliant debut novel by Helen Harvey: Emmy Levels Up. It’s a fantastic story about gaming, friendship and standing up for yourself. I also have Helen’s top three gaming recommendations for children AND for adults. ‘Emmy is brilliant at the computer game, Illusory Isles. Her avatar is a powerful fire elemental with … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Emmy Levels Up,’ by Helen Harvey, cover by Abbey Lossing.

Blog tour: ‘Just Like Me,’ by Louise Gooding, illustrations by Angel Chang, Caterina delli Carri, cathyhookey, and Melissa Iwai.

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I leapt at the chance to participate in this blog tour because I know how important is that children are able to read books which feature people likes themselves and those around them. It is equally important that children read books about people different to themselves so that they are able to broaden their world … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Just Like Me,’ by Louise Gooding, illustrations by Angel Chang, Caterina delli Carri, cathyhookey, and Melissa Iwai.

Blog tour: ‘The Magician’s Map,’ by Mikki Lish and Kelly Ngai, illustration by Maxine Lee-Mackie.

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Having read the first title in the Hoarder Hill series and loved it, I was delighted to be sent the next instalment to enjoy. The twins are back at Hoarder Hill and they’ve caught wind of Fantastikhana - an underground magical tournament! Make sure you also read authors Mikki and Kelly’s piece about the trials … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Magician’s Map,’ by Mikki Lish and Kelly Ngai, illustration by Maxine Lee-Mackie.

Blog tour: ‘Vampirates,’ by Justin Somper, cover illustration by Crush Creative.

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Justin Somper’s swaggering fantasy adventure series has been reissued with striking new covers and bonus additional content including ‘origins stories’ for its lead characters, interviews, and reading group notes. Today I’m sharing the first of those with you, plus an exclusive piece by Justin about how he researched his characters. ‘The year is 2512. The … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Vampirates,’ by Justin Somper, cover illustration by Crush Creative.