Friday Assembly

This week, Year 2 have chosen Sport as the Friday Library Recommendations theme and it was a rea struggle deciding which books to choose as there are so many great ones out there!

Sportopedia by Adam Skinner, illustrated by Mark Long

Everything has its weird side — even sports! Add wacky stats, facts, and stories to your arsenal of spots trivia with this new slam-dunk addition to the very popular Weird but True series! With the Olympics on the way, discover tons more zany fun, focused totally on the subject of sports! So step up to the plate to get 300 ALL-NEW amazing facts plus photos.

Mrs Armitage And The Big Wave by Quentin Blake

Mrs Armitage arrives on the beach with her surfboard and her faithful dog Breakspear, and paddles out to sea to wait for the Big Wave. But, of course, Mrs Armitage can’t be satisfied with just an ordinary surfboard and she is soon adding a hilarious variety of gadgets and contraptions. And when the Big Wave finally arrives, Mrs Armitage certainly surfs with style!

Go, Mo Go, Dinosaur Dash by Mo Farah and Kes Gray

Mo and his friends are jogging in the local park when Mo suggests they run backwards for fun. But what they hadn’t bargained for was running back in time. There are DINOSAURS everywhere, and they are hungry. Luckily Mo and his friends are wearing good trainers. It’s a good job they love to run! Follow Mo on his madcap adventures as his running skills go from strength to strength. The perfect book to share and read aloud.

Diary Of An Accidental Witch: Flying High by Perdita & Honor Cargill

Monday 1st November
There’s only fifty days until the Winter Solstice, the longest and witchiest night of the year. But before that there’s the Grand Tournament – the biggest and sportiest day in the witchy calendar! And I can’t wait!

Bea Black is all settled into her new life in Little Spellshire, a town with a magical secret. She’s made tonnes of friends at witch school, learned how to levitate frogs (just about) and been working hard on polishing up her broom skills. So when the Winter Solstice Grand Tournament rolls round, she’s ready to rise to the next challenge and fly high. But then Ms Sparks decides that this year’s tournament will be a bit … er … different. That is, it won’t be an Extraordinary Grand Tournament at all, but rather a very ordinary sports day with Spellshire Academy! With magic firmly forbidden and rivalry reaching new heights, who will emerge victorious? And more importantly, will Bea’s friendship with her best non-witchy friend Ash survive the competition? A perfect potion of magic and mischief, DIARY OF AN ACCIDENTAL WITCH is THE WORST WITCH meets TOM GATES.

The Race by Roy Peachey

This is what it feels like when I’m running. When I’m running fast, I feel free.

12-year-old Lili is determined to defeat her arch rival in front of the Queen during her school’s anniversary celebrations. Adopted from China as a baby, Lili also has personal challenges to overcome, but when her training is thrown into chaos by events outside her control, she realises that she must choose between family and the race of her life. Meanwhile in 1944, Eric Liddell, hero of the 1924 Olympics, finds himself in a war zone. Separated from his family, he is getting ready to run his final race in a prison camp in China when his lifelong principles are challenged by the imprisoned children he is trying to help…

Not your typical happily ever after, Roy has written a wonderfully relatable and inclusive tale, where all are welcome, and the beauty of sport brings everyone together in the end. There are life lessons to be learned in this inspiring story with friendship at its heart.

Happy reading!

This week Year 1 have chosen Under The Sea for their Friday Library Recommendations theme. Here are five books that take you on a journey beneath the waves.

 

The Tale Of The Whale by Karen Swann, illustrated by Padmacandra

A fantastical, rhyming tale of friendship, which highlights the distress caused to sea creatures by plastic. Come on a magical journey of wonder and discovery, from misty seaside shorelines to cold ice-capped seas. This beautiful tale of friendship between a child and a whale invites us to consider our responsibilities towards the environment and makes a direct plea to end plastic pollution.

Nen And the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton, illustrated by James Mayhew

Far out to sea and deep below the whispering waves lives a merman called Nen. Nen spends his days exploring his underwater kingdom, but something is missing: his heart is empty. So, Nen ventures to the forbidden world above and it is here that he meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman. But can two people from different worlds be together and what will happen when a terrifying storm gathers? A lyrical, beautiful celebration of love, acceptance and faith, with a gentle message about how we treat our oceans, and each other.

Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea retold by Jacqueline Morley, illustrated by Li Sidony

In Jules Verne’s epic tale, Captain Nemo and the crew of the undersea vessel, Nautilus, journey through an at times fictional, yet at times very real, undersea world, from the lost city of Atlantis to the Red Sea. “Graffex” is a series of illustrated literary classics retold for young readers, using a graphic novel format which is particularly popular with reluctant readers. Specially commissioned full-color artwork brings excitement and atmosphere to this stirring tale. Speech bubbles work with the main text to emphasize and enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience. Includes information about the author, the historical background to the period in which the author lived and a time line of world events that places the work in its historical context.

Oceanology: The True Account Of The Voyage Of The Nautlius

What if a sixteen-year-old assistant traveled aboard the storied Nautilus, the narwhal-shaped submarine of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? And what if he were the sole survivor of the ill-fated voyage and went on to relay his adventures to a certain . . . Jules Verne? Find this brave young man’s own account in the lavishly illustrated Oceanology, a tale of an 1866 voyage of discovery that investigates diving bells and shipwrecks; coral reefs and ice canyons; sharks, giant octopi, and luminous sea monsters; underwater volcanoes, and even the legendary island of Atlantis.

My Friend The Octopus by Lindsay Galvin

England, 1893, and aquarium fever is at its height. Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris. The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – discovers what true courage really means. This is a stunning read that hooks you from beginning to end. The fast paced mystery transports you back to 1893 where you are immersed in the seaside setting and the mysteries that unfold. Themes of social justice run through the book, while the spectacular abilities of octopuses amaze and astound. Just brilliant!

 

Happy reading!

This week, I have chosen books that are perfect for the Easter Holidays, but first, thank you to Chris in Year 5 for the blog post title!

Egg by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet is a hilarious picture book about a non-conforming Egg. Perfect for Easter, or any time of the year, children will love telling the story themselves, looking at the pictures and using different voices for the various ‘egg’s. Plus the egg-shaped format adds to the eggy fun!

When an odd egg turns up with a big head and a pointy bottom, the other eggs don’t know what to make of it. Can they make the odd egg conform to Normal Egg Standards? The other eggs try turning it upside down, and even make it wear a hat on its bottom to show which side is ‘up’, but it takes the clever upside-down egg to show them that eggs can be any way up and still be eggs.

Clara Claus Saves Easter by Bonnie Bridgman is filled with fun, friendship and fantasy. With Easter activities at the end of the book, this is a fabulous read for younger children looking for a chapter book to get stuck in to.

Christmas may be over for another year, but when Rowan the forest elf goes missing and the Santa Scouts are in trouble, Clara Claus and her brother Nick must investigate.

Traveling from their home in the North Pole, they enlist the help of Gordon the grumpy gnome to track down the mysterious E.B. But with bunnies and squirrels to train and chocolate to wrap, can Clara and Nick crack the case to deliver the perfect Easter?

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders is packed with magic, adventure and chocolate – a winning combination in any book! All I can say is I wish I lived at 18 Skittle Street…

Oz and Lily’s family have inherited an ancient chocolate shop and they’re moving in upstairs. It’s the perfect home,  apart from the small fact that it’s haunted. And then they discover some solid gold chocolate moulds – with magic powers!

Soon the ghosts are joined by some evil villains determined to get their hands on the priceless secrets of the magical chocolate.

I’ve seen lots of food in school this week – honey sandwiches in Reception, fruit salad in Year 2, smoothies in Year 3, pizza in Year 4, and a goodbye party in Year 5 and 6 for Mr Cotton and Mr Sawbridge – so this week’s books are all about food!

World Of Food By Sandra Lawrence, illustrated by Violeta Noy

Food, glorious food, from across time and the world is celebrated in this mouth watering new title from Templar Publishing.

Whether you’re interested in the food consumed at Romans banquets or modern day festivals and celebrations around the world, or what the different food classes are and how we use them in different countries, this is an absolute feast of a book packed with fascinating culinary facts displayed on colourful, engaging spreads mixing food, history, geography and culture.

From fruit and vegetables, to meat and seafood, to dairy products and grains, we see where these foods began and how they are used across the continents. I was left hungry for my guilty pleasures after the spreads on cheese and chocolate, and thoughtful pondering the tricky questions surrounding food production for the planet.

Chef Academy by Steve Martin, illustrated by Hannah Bone

Want to become a world-class chef? With sections on food skills, being a sous chef or head chef and a chef’s kit to end, Chef Academy is the ultimate guide for any budding master chef, but it’s most definitely not a recipe book. Chef Academy gives you the knowledge you need to set up and run a successful kitchen.

Food skills takes us through nutrition, food groups and how to follow a recipe, while Sous Chef introduces us to kitchen equipment, food hygiene, preparation and storage. Head Chef deals with menu planning and costing, as well as what you’ll need to do to get an elusive Michelin Star. The final section, Chef’s Kit is packed with stickers and games to put everything you’ve learned into practice.

Brilliantly informative, this is a great book to explore with friends and family. You can even cook up a couple of tasty dishes following the recipes inside.

Jolly Good Food by Allegra McEvedy

Have you ever dreamed of having picnics with the Famous Five, midnight feasts with the Malory Towers girls or party teas with the Folk of the Faraway Tree? With this cookbook, inspired by Enid Blyton’s stories, you can!

Packed full of yummy recipes, lively artwork and extracts from Enid Blyton’s stories, this cookbook will inspire children – and the whole family – to get busy in the kitchen. It’s the perfect way to share the pleasure of making and eating food together.

There are 42 exciting new recipes designed by top chef and Junior Bake Off TV judge, Allegra McEvedy, with fabulous illustrations by Mark Beech and glorious food photography too.

The 21st – 27th March 2022 is Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. Neurodiversity describes learning differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia and Tourette’s syndrome. it gives us all the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual. This week’s books have all been written by neurodiverse authors, and have neurodiverse main characters.

You Are Enough is an inclusive and empowering picture book from Sofia Sanchez, a twelve-year-old model and actress with Down syndrome, reminds readers how important it is to embrace what makes you unique, be confident, and be proud of who you are. Imagine all of the wonderful things you can do if you don’t let anyone stop you! You are enough just how you are. Sofia is unique, but her message is universal: We all belong. Each spread features beautiful, full-colour illustrations, and includes a full cast of  characters with all kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. This book also includes a brief bio of Sofia and her journey so far, as well as additional information about Down syndrome and how we can all be more accepting, more inclusive, and more kind.

The Extraordinary Adventures Of Alice Tonks by Emily Kenny isn’t in the shops until May, but I do have a copy already. Alice Tonks is eager to make friends at boarding school, but she’s always found it hard to fit in. Then she discovers she is a switcher and can talk to animals. As she starts to explore her newfound abilities, to her horror she learns that creatures are going missing. Only Alice holds the key to solving the mystery, but she’ll need to harness her full powers first. And to do that she’ll need a bit of help from her new friends – animal and human alike. With plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing, this is a fantastically fun mystery that grips from beginning to end. And, as with any literary boarding school worth it’s salt, this one too has food that will have you craving sweet treats as you read. Stock up on cake and hot chocolate before you dive in.

Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll is one of my favourite reads so far this year. Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them… except Ramya Knox. As she is pulled into her family’s world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth about the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens. Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined. Utterly spellbinding, transportative writing that carries you along on a tide of emotions from beginning to the jaw dropping ending that makes it feel like a very long wait to see what comes next in this fantastically magical series!

Just Like Me by Louise Gooding is an anthology of 40 inspirational figures who are neurologically or physically diverse. The world is full of people who are a little different. Our uniqueness makes us who we are. We are all ‘different; not less’. This is a collection of the true stories of 40 inspirational figures from around the world, all of whom are physically or neurologically diverse. Each story includes struggles and triumphs, a motivational quote and information on each condition. Reflective of our diverse society, this book features Simone Biles, Selena Gomez, Temple Grandin, Warwick Davies, Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Hawking, Greta Thunberg and many more.

 

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And, with it being Mothering Sunday this weekend, I can’t not share My Mum Is A Lioness by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Dapo Adeola, a huge hug of a book filled with humour and heart. The bright, bold illustrations are packed with wry observational details and add laugh out loud moments to the engaging and imaginative story of a mother-son relationship, which also teaches about lion behaviour with it’s vivid vocabulary. In this family, this particular young boy is utterly convinced his mum is a lioness. She has sharp claws, is faster than anything he’s ever seen, and can catch him in a single pounce. When she not with the rest of her pride, mum is constantly showing him off and making sure you can hear her incredibly loud roar. What else could Mum be? But sometimes, especially when this boy is upset or worried a lovely warm protective lioness embrace is just what is needed.

This week, we lose another fabulous book from each category.

What’s The Story? say goodbye to What Happened To You? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George, an inspiring and thought provoking book about disability, addressing how a disabled child might want to be spoken to. What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off?  Every time Joe goes out the questions are the same . . . what happened to his leg? But is this even a question Joe has to answer? A ground-breaking, funny story that helps children understand what it might feel like to be seen as different.

If you loved this book, try Amazing by Steve Antony, a celebration of friendship and being yourself with a positive message about celebrating diversity. The perfect platform to start conversations about the importance of understanding and acceptance.. A little boy and his pet dragon are the very best of friends. They laugh, they sing, they dance, they snooze. They are both amazing – just like everyone else!

Telling Tales lose Genie and Teeny by Steve Lenton this week which is the first in a series of magical adventures. When Grant the Genie is cast out of Genie World, he lands on Earth with a big, fat bump! Without a lamp to call home, he has to settle for an old cracked teapot instead. Grant is very lonely until he meets the puppy, Teeny. Then Genie and Teeny are kidnapped by the evil purple-loving Lavinia Lavender, and find themselves on-course for a rollercoaster of an adventure – when all they really want is a place to call home…

If you loved this book, there are two more fabulous books staring Genie and Teeny to continue the adventures. Or you could try Buck N Bronco Hit The Road by Guy Bass, illustrated by Steve May, which is laugh out loud funny, and packed with jokes and puns. Buck ’n’ Bronco are mascots at the Happy Ranch theme park. It’s their mission to Bring the Happy™ to your day! But when Happy Ranch is demolished to make way for a futuristic new park, Buck ’n’ Bronco find themselves without a home and without a job. They head out on the road, determined to prove they’ve still got what it takes. Can Buck ’n’ Bronco Bring the Happy™ out in the real world, or are they doomed to be yesterday’s mascots?

Hooked On Books say goodbye to The Small Things by Lisa Thompson, Inspired by a true story, a ground-breaking robot helps friendship blossom in this poignant and uplifting short story with a powerful punch. Anna’s anxious when she’s picked to befriend the new girl in her class. For a start, Ellie is ill and can’t come to school herself. So Anna has to communicate with her through a new kind of robot. But Anna is also worried that her life’s too small and boring to be of interest to her new friend. Compared to the other girls, she doesn’t have anything exciting to talk about and so when Ellie asks her a question, a little white lie pops out. Then another and another. When Ellie finds out the truth, can their friendship survive?

If you loved The Small Things, try TrooFriend by Kirsty Applebaum. Imagine having the perfect friend, one who never steals, lies or bullies. Now you can, with the TrooFriend 560, the latest in artificial intelligence! What can go wrong with a robot buddy? Especially one that’s developing human characteristics and feelings, and who has just run away with her human? Intelligent and insightful, TrooFriend is an enthralling tale of family, friendship and what it means to be human, with a sinister undercurrent that sweeps you along.  In a world where humanity is dependent on technology, to the extent of providing a safe replacement to human friends for children, we see the desperate need for human connection, be it from family or friends. With themes of friendship, loneliness, morality, ethics around A.I., and what it means to be human, there are so many different discussions and debates that can arise.

Make sure you keep voting here to keep your favourite in!

We are really lucky to have such beautiful school grounds that are home to lots of wildlife, including squirrels. As today is Squirrel Appreciation Day, I thought I’d share a couple of books starring these crepuscular creatures.

The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright and Jim Field is a brilliant reminder about the importance of teamwork, sharing and kindness that will have you giggling along as the greedy squirrels fight over the last nut of the season.

As the nut bounces crazily though the forest, the squirrels race after it, between the trees, over boulders, down the river and – ARGH! – right to the edge of a waterfall! Working together might be the only way to save themselves now…

Flora And Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell blends traditional storytelling, full page illustrations and graphic novel format seamlessly to produce a gripping story that is endearing, heartfelt and laugh out loud funny with a whole host of eccentric characters!

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You! so she is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry. And Flora will be changed too as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.