Library

Another week of evictions sees yet more amazing books leave the competition.

Reception and Key Stage One have lost the adorable Don’t Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton, a fabulous book about facing your fears. In the rockpool above the sea live two crabs: Little Crab and Big Crab. One day they decide to venture into the sea and Little Crab is excited until he sees how big the sea is and how huge the waves are. Little Crab is scared but with help from Very Big Crab, they slowly edge closer and closer until they are eventually in the sea. But what will happen to them as a humongous wave is heading their way?

Year 3 and 4 say goodbye to The Worst Class In The World by Joanna Nadin, illustrated by Rikin Parekh. According to head teacher Mrs Bottomley-Blunt, 4B is the WORST CLASS IN THE WORLD. She says school is not about footling or fiddle-faddling or fun. It is about learning and it is high time 4B tried harder to excel at it. But Stanley and Manjit didn’t literally mean to make their whole class sick with homemade biscuits. And they definitely didn’t literally mean for Manjit’s dog Killer to eat their teacher’s shoes or for Bruce Bingley’s rat to escape. These things just happened even though they had a foolproof plan. You see, 4B may be the WORST CLASS IN THE WORLD. But you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Year 5 and 6 lose one of my favourite books of 2020; Struan Murphy’s Orphans Of The Tide, an amazing adventure set in a fantasy world where beliefs and superstition underpin law and justice. The City was built on a sharp mountain that jutted improbably from the sea, and the sea kept trying to claim it back. That grey morning, once the tide had retreated, a whale was found on a rooftop. When a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he’s the Enemy – the god who drowned the world – come again to cause untold chaos. Only Ellie, a fearless young inventor living in a workshop crammed with curiosities, believes he’s innocent. But the Enemy can take possession of any human body and the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever. To save the boy, Ellie must prove who he really is – even if that means revealing her own dangerous secret.  For anyone who loved this, Orphans Of The Tide: Shipwreck Island is out now.

Make sure you keep voting to ensure your favourite isn’t evicted next week at:  https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/140/coventry_inspiration_book_awards

And finally, tomorrow is the Eurovision Song Contest, so this week I’m sharing Music: A Fold-Out Graphic History. Follow this unique 2.5m long fold-out timeline through a celebration of the history of music all around the world, while listening along to the accompanying Spotify playlist!

Learn about how different genres started including classical, folk, jazz, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, country, punk, grunge and pop. Explore the histories of music linked to particular cultures or regions including Indigineous American, Asian, and African music; Son Cubano and Caribbean styles; and Australian bush music. Discover the stories of music maestros from around the world including Beethoven, Wei Liangfu, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Maria Callas, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, and Beyoncé. Published in conjunction with the Royal Albert Hall, marvel at the orchestra with a huge illustration set inside the hall, and find out about the ancient instruments discovered all over the globe.

All this and more features in this richly illustrated timeline of music from 60,000 years ago to the present day that will delight children and families alike!

After this week, there are just five books left in each category. It’s time to find out of your favourite was evicted this week…

Reception and Key Stage 1 bid farewell to The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, illustrated by Hatem Ali. With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong. A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.

Year 3 and 4 say goodbye to Pests: Mouse In Training by Emer Stamp. Meet Stix, the tiny but heroic mouse who might be living behind your washing machine. But is he naughty enough to join the PESTS? Stix is the size of an egg cup, can jump the width of a dog’s bottom, and LOVES cheese. That’s because Stix is a mouse. He probably lives behind your washing machine, but you wouldn’t know it, because his grandma taught him to always stay out of trouble and NEVER let the humans know he’s there. But now Stix has stumbled across PESTS – the Peewit Educatorium for Seriously Terrible Scoundrels – in the basement of his building, and along with a whole host of new pesty friends (and enemies), he’s about to rip up Grandma’s rule book and make a REAL pest of himself…

For Year 5 and 6, it’s the end of the road for The Ice Bear Miracle by Cerrie Burnell. Life with bears is dangerous, as Marv Jackson knows-the large crescent moon shaped scar on his face acts as a constant reminder of the night he survived a bear attack. There he was, all but five-years-old dressed head to toe in an ice hockey kit, drawn to the frozen lake by his love of skating, or so people say. But when Marv thinks back to the moments before the beat attack, he can hear a baby’s cry cutting through the night air. Marv knows deep in his heart that the legendary tale of that night isn’t quite the full story. The truth can be found at a travelling carnival, where a mysterious young girl and her magnificent polar bear skate beneath the northern stars.

Make sure you keep voting to ensure your favourite isn’t evicted next week at:  https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/140/coventry_inspiration_book_awards

And finally, this week has been Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is nature, so make sure you get outside with your families this weekend and enjoy the wonders of the world around us. But just in case it rains, An Emotional Menagerie: Feelings From A to Z is a wonderful look at a whole range of emotions mixed with creatures from all over our planet.

Emotions are like animals:
No two are quite the same.
Some are quiet; some are fierce;
And all are hard to tame.

Using rich language to describe each of the discussed emotion as an animal, we are encouraged to explore what causes them and how we can manage them successfully, and by building our understanding of emotional vocabulary, we help to manage our mental health now and into the future.

Thursday 22nd was Earth Day, so this week I have chosen books that celebrate our planet.

For Reception and Key Stage 1, I have picked Dear Earth by Isobel Otter and Clara Anganuzzi.
When Tessa writes a love letter to the Earth, it’s the beginning of a glorious adventure. She blows bubbles with whales, soars with birds and joins in with the noisy rainforest hullabaloo! Tessa wants everyone to know how special our planet is. A stunning look at the wonders of planet Earth from the eyes of a child, who can see that we all need to work as a team to protect them from further harm.

For Year 2 and up, I’ve picked The Tindims Of Rubbish Island by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Lydia Corry. The tiny Tindims are like the Borrowers-on-Sea, who turn our everyday rubbish into treasure, creating a fun new world of characters and adventures in their empowering new series inspiring conservation and inventive ways to recycle. A whimsical and wacky look at the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans all wrapped in in a brilliantly fun story. There’s also plenty of ideas for creativity once you’ve finished reading too, with a fun recycling activity.

For Year 4 and up, I’ve picked The Last Bear by Hannah Gold. There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life…
Beautifully told, this both heart-warming and heart-breaking as we see April connect with one of the fiercest creatures on our planet. To know that his plight rests solely as a result of the damage we have done to the planet.

For those in Upper Key Stage 2 who would like to find our more about the specific issues our planet is facing, the Climate Emergency Atlas: What’s Happening – What Can We Do by DK. Visual maps show where each issue is putting pressure on our planet’s natural resources and where climate change is having a major impact in our world.

Egg by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet is a fabulous near-wordless picture book from the creators of Supertato.

When is an egg not an egg? Everyone knows that eggs have pointy tops and big bottoms – but what happens when an upside down egg turns up? Will this odd egg ever be accepted by the others?

A fabulously funny, thought-provoking, near wordless picturebook celebrating diversity and acceptance.

Egg is the only word used in the book where the pictures tell the story of a different egg trying to fit in. Children are encouraged to spot the differences in the bright, engaging illustrations while willing Egg on to stand up and be accepted for what it is – an Egg – just like all the others, but different!

The Great Chocoplot by Chris Callaghan is the best chocolate you will get your hands on this Easter.

Jelly Wellington loves a Blocka Chocha, but with the impending Chocopocalypse, supplies in Chompton are running low. And just as worrying, she has to make a vlog for her latest science project. Can she prove whether the Chocopocalypse is real? With her last Blocka Chocha sealed safely in a tin, she along with the rest of the world, will have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi Chocolati arrives in Chompton, with his bitter chocolate and a temperament to match. Why would a chocolatier be so delighted by the imminent demise of chocolate?

Chris Callaghan takes the reader on a fabulously imaginative journey; pacey plot and sharp humour, centred around a family where love shines through, and quite possibly the worst neighbour you could wish on anybody, combine to create a laugh out loud adventure that will have you turning the pages while reaching for more chocolate.

Web Wabbit by Lissa Evans is one of the best read aloud chapter books I’ve come across for Year 5 and 6.

Fidge is due to go on the best family holiday, if only she can get Mum and little sister, Minnie, organised in time. But, as ever, their shopping trip doesn’t go to plan. Mum and Minnie seem to be buying anything that isn’t on Fidge’s list, taking so long that the shops close before her things can be bought. When Minnie drops Wed Wabbit, Fidge takes her anger out on the smug looking, stuffed rabbit with devastating consequences.

Stuck with her Aunty, Uncle and exceptionally irritating cousin, Graham, Fidge’s anger resurfaces when given a bag containing Minnie’s toys and listening to Graham’s imagined problems, and once again Web Wabbit is the target for her wrath, along with Graham’s transitional toy.

With a storm closing in, news comes from the hospital that calms Fidge, but it’s too little, too late, and as the lightening strikes, and Fidge finds herself trapped, all alone, in a world she’s read about 48million times. But something is very wrong. There’s a tyrant ruling, who Fidge must defeat if she is ever to find her way home to Minnie, and reunite her with her favourite teddy

Outrageously funny, Wed Wabbit is a feast for the imagination. A brilliant adventure, that will have you laughing out loud, gasping in shock, and desperate to read on, in a wonderfully crafted fantasy world that is reminiscent of any preschool tv show setting, whether it’s Toy Town, Tellytubbies or In The Night Garden. And it has a map!

Fidge and Graham are wonderful characters, each vulnerable in their own way, each as isolated from their family by the protective walls they have built for themselves, and each resilient, brave and supportive as they grow through their adventures. The cast of toys are brought hilariously to life – Ellie is kind, caring and supportive as she aides Fidge, while Dr Carrot is calm and firm as she facilitates Graham’s journey through the Land Of The Wimbly Woos. The Wimblies themselves are just brilliant – each colour with their own unique personalities and talents, that shine through their spoken verse and actions.

Beneath the humour, and amidst the action and adventure, it’s a story of grief and anxiety, and the isolation they can bring. The need to face our fears, with friends and family at our side, rather than shutting them out or hiding from the world.