Library

It’s that time of year already when the vote offs have begun for Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2023. The first books out are:

What’s The Story? The River by Tom Percival

Rowan is so happy exploring and playing and he particularly loves the river and how it can be calm, playful, or even angry, just like him. One year there is a particularly cruel winter, and the now empty dog basket is shown. The river, unseasonably remaining frozen, represents Rowan’s grief and his inability to find any joy in life without his beloved pet. The nature around him eventually breaks through when he notices, rescues, and heals a little bird and Rowan growing, feeling, and changing over time just like the river he remains and goes on.

If you loved this book, try Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate.

Celebrate love in all its forms, as Grandad tells his granddaughter about the adventures he used to have with Gramps. A long time ago, Grandad and Gramps spent many happy days travelling the world together in a camper van. But now Gramps isn’t around any more, Grandad doesn’t feel much like having adventures. As she listens to his wonderful stories, Grandad’s granddaughter has an idea to cheer him up…

Telling Tales: Indigo Wilde And The Creatures Of Jellybean Crescent by Pippa Curnick

Discovered in the Unknown Wilderness when she was just a baby, Indigo Wilde was adopted by World-Famous Explorers, Philomena and Bertram, who are always off adventuring. Home for Indigo and her little brother, Quigley, is 47 Jellybean Crescent, a crazy and colourful house full of magical creatures that her parents have taken in over the years. There’s Fishkins, a purrmaid – half-cat, half-fish, and ALWAYS grumpy; Graham, a llama-corn with a particular taste for tinsel; Olli and Umpf – bright pink and blue yetis who can’t blend into the snow, and that’s to name just a few. Now Indigo’s parents have sent another Monster Mail delivery to Indigo and Quigley. But this time, the box is empty, and the escaped creature is running rampage around the house. The race is on to catch the creature before it’s too late and disaster strikes…

If you loved this book, try Luma And The Pet Dragon by Leah Mohammed.

A collection of two warm and funny stories about Luma and her cheeky pet dragon. When Luma Dewan wakes up on the morning of her seventh birthday, she knows that today will be special. But she has no idea just how wonderful and extraordinary it will be. For today is the day she will meet Timir – a real talking dragon. Or at least when Luma is around that’s what he is. When anyone else is there, he becomes an ordinary grey puppy with a fluffy tail, who loves chasing squirrels and bouncing on trampolines.

It’s a big secret to keep – and Luma’s clever cousin Arjun is soon suspicious of this peculiar puppy, who doesn’t quite behave like any other dog. Luckily Luma’s grandmother – Nani – is there to help, and to Luma’s surprise, Nani might just know a little dragon magic of her own . . .

Hooked On Books: Magicborn by Peter Bunzl

The year is 1726 and the Royal Sorcerer of England is on the hunt for those who are Magicborn.  Two children, Tempest, and Thomas both have lost their parents, and both have one green eye and one blue eye. They are both in great danger, because they are MagicBorn and the Royal Sorcerer, Lord Hawthorn, is determined to track them down.  When Tempest is captured after accidentally unleashing a power she didn’t know she had, she is taken to Kensington Palace alongside a boy like her, Thomas. Trapped, Tempest and Thomas find their magic flickering to life – and with it, long-buried memories. For they are the lost prince and princess of Fairyland, bound by a deadly curse…and now the fairies are coming to get them. A battle is building – one only they can end. But who will survive?

If you loved this book, try The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery.

Step into a world of faerie tricks and hidden danger… When an evil faerie steals Yanni’s baby sister and swaps her for a changeling, Yanni is swept into a dangerous race against time to get her back. For faeries delight in tricks and rescuing her won’t be easy. With the help of his cousin, Amy, and the reluctant changeling, Yanni must travel to goblin palaces and battle-swept oceans, discovering ancient treasures and secrets along the way. Yanni will need every drop of courage and even a few tricks of his own, if he’s to outwit the faerie and save his sister…

Ross Montgomery brings the magical world of British folklore to life in this contemporary fantasy novel. Bursting with Ross’s trademark charm, humour and heart, with echoes of David Bowie’s Labyrinth.

Happy reading, and don’t forget to vote to keep your favourite books in the competition!

We’re nearly at the end of January, and statistics say that 23% of people who made resolutions linked to healthier lifestyles will have given up in the first week, and only 9% make it past January 31st. But, it is really important that we look after our mental health all year round, so this week, I’m sharing books that give us ideas on how we can use the natural world around us to improve our well-being.

Shine Like The Stars by Anna Wilson, illustrated by Harry Woodgate

My Big Book Of Outdoors by Tim Hopgood

Discover the great outdoors with this beautifully illustrated treasury that celebrates the wonder of nature in four glorious seasons. From vibrant springtime flowers to sweet fruits on summer trees, the falling of autumn leaves and snowdrops in winter, this book of four seasons is the perfect introduction to the big outdoors.

Discover why birds fly south in winter, find animal footprints in the snow and learn to make the perfect snowflake; grow a sunflower, find a feather and make a daisy chain. Full of activities, poetry and fun facts to explore, this bumper book is jam-packed with amazing things to see and do outdoors – perfect for every season.

The Lost Spells by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris

Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but fresh in its form, The Lost Spells introduces a beautiful new set of natural spell-poems and artwork by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. Each “spell” conjures an animal, bird, tree or flower — from Barn Owl to Red Fox, Grey Seal to Silver Birch, Jay to Jackdaw — with which we share our lives and landscapes. Moving, joyful and funny, The Lost Spells above all celebrates a sense of wonder, bearing witness to nature’s power to amaze, console and bring joy.

Written to be read aloud, painted in brushstrokes that call to the forest, field, riverbank and also to the heart, The Lost Spells summons back what is often lost from sight and care, teaching the names of everyday species, and inspiring its readers to attention, love and care. This pocket-sized treasure is the perfect gift for fans of nature, language and rich artwork, adult and child alike!

The Night Animals by Sarah Ann Juckes

Nora’s mum has good days and bad days, but the bad days are getting worse.  It’s been just the two of them for always, and they don’t need anyone else.  When the rainbow-shimmering ghost animals Nora used to see when she was small start to reappear, she’s convinced that they hold all the answers.  Along with new friend Kwame, Nora follows a glittering ghostly fox, hare, raven and otter on the adventure of a lifetime, helping her to find the strength she needs to help her family.

In a heartbreaking and hopeful narrative, Sarah Ann Juckes’ stunning novel, illustrated by the award-winning Sharon King-Chai sees a brave young girl face down her ghosts. Each ghost animal mirrors the emotions Nora is hiding from behind the phrase, “I’m fine!” A stunning read for empathy, that allows us to look at life through the eyes of a young carer.

Happy reading!

This Sunday is Lunar New Year, which is celebrated by 20% of the world’s population, and sees the Year Of The Rabbit begin (or the Cat if you are in Vietnam), so I have chosen some of my favourite literary rabbits for this week’s Friday Library Recommendations.

But before we get to the rabbits, let’s find out All About Lunar New Year. Kevin Tsang and Linh Nguyen have teamed up to tell us all about one of the most significant holidays celebrated across Asia. This beautiful book is filled with crafts and recipes, fun activities and facts about the Lunar New Year celebrations observed by over ONE BILLION people.

Read about the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac and learn why they’re so important to the Lunar New Year as well as the other stories behind this festival. Children can also create magical decorations, plan for the wonderful year ahead and make delicious treats!

Now to the Rabbits! First up is John Bond’s Mini Rabbit. Whether Mini Rabbit Not Lost or Mini Rabbit Come Home, these adorable stories are bound to raise a chuckle as our little friend is determined to succeed without help…

Mini Rabbit is making a cake. Cake, cake, cake! But he’s run out of berries. No berries, no cake. No cake? No way!
So off he goes to look for some… He’s not cold, not too small. And, no, no, definitely NOT LOST… or is he?

Mini Rabbit is making a camp in the garden. He can’t wait. It’s going to be the BEST DAY ever! But there are still a few last things he needs to get, and it looks like it might rain. Will Mini Rabbit ever manage to get everything home in time?

Next we have The Royal Rabbits Of London, where adventure begins for brave little Shylo and his Royal Rabbit friends in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, that proves even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero. 

Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible – by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage! Shylo has always been the runt of the litter, the weakest and quietest of all of his family. His siblings spend their days making fun of him for not being like the rest of them. But when Shylo stumbles across a band of ratzis and overhears their evil plan to take a photo of the Queen in her nightie, it’s up to this unlikely hero to travel to London and inform the Royal Rabbits of London about the diabolical plot! The Royal Rabbits have a proud history of protecting the royal family and now the secret society need to leap into action to stop the ratzis… But can a rabbit as feeble and shy as Shylo convince them that Queen is in danger?

The Legend Of Podkin One-Ear by Kieran Larwood has some of the bravest rabbits in literary history in a story that starts an epic adventure across the Five Realms.

Podkin is the son of a warrior chieftain. He knows that one day it will be up to him to lead his warren and guard it in times of danger. But for now, he’s quite happy to laze around annoying his older sister Paz, and playing with his baby brother Pook. Then Podkin’s home is brutally attacked, and the young rabbits are forced to flee. The terrifying Gorm are on the rampage, and no one and nowhere is safe. With danger all around them, Podkin must protect his family, uncover his destiny, and attempt to defeat the most horrifying enemy rabbitkind has ever known.

And finally, but I couldn’t possibly celebrate rabbits without talking about Watership Down by Richard Adams. This was one of my absolute favourite books when I was in primary school. It made me laugh and cry, and taught me a lot about faith and social justice.

In this epic story, a young rabbit called Fiver senses that something terrible is about to happen to the warren – he is sure of it. Fiver’s sixth sense is never wrong according to his brother, Hazel. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver’s vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all…

Wishing all of our families celebrating Lunar New Year a wonderful weekend!

Happy reading, and don’t forget to keep voting for your favourite book in the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2023 – Coventry City Council  if you don’t want it to be voted out!

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Friday Library recommendations of 2023. Today is Friday 13th, which is viewed by some as a superstitious day where bad luck can follow you around, so today’s books all link to luck in some way.

A Duck Called Brian by Al Murphy features a duck in desperate need of a miracle.

When Brian wakes up and realizes he’s out of his favorite breakfast–Duck Nuts and milk–all he wants is to tell his best friend Gregory. But Gregory is nowhere to be found! Brian goes searching for his best friend, and finds many fellow ducks engaged in silly and entertaining activities along the way. Will Brian find Gregory, or will his day be totally fowl? Is he a lucky or unlucky duck?

A Duck Called Brian is a hilarious picture book that’s sure to have readers of all ages laughing out loud! With clever artwork, witty humor, and a fun search-and-find element, this story is a rib-tickling read-together tale.

Tilda Tries Again by Tom Percival shows us that sometimes in life we have to make our own luck through persevering when things don’t go our way.

Tilda’s world is just as she likes it . . . until one day, it turns completely UPSIDE DOWN. All of a sudden, everything is topsy-turvy, and nothing feels right. Things that were once easy now seem incredibly challenging. Can Tilda discover a new way to approach her problems and believe in herself?

Bold, bright and empowering, this is an inspiring story about coping with difficult situations. It’s the ideal book for helping children to build resilience and embrace a ‘can do’ approach to life.

The Unlucky Eleven by Phil Earle, illustrated by Steve May is the tale of a cursed football team where luck is definitely not on their side.

Ridiculous injuries … strange illnesses … cancelled games … Everything’s going wrong for the Saints this season, and Stanley’s team-mates believe they finally know why. Their football kit is cursed! But the team’s attempts to break the curse take things from bad to worse. Soon, they’re ready to call it quits. Stanley’s still got some tricks up his sleeve … but will his curse-cracking ideas save the team in time for the last game of the season?

Teamwork and determination are key to success for the Saints as their striker feels all the pain of the penalty spot.

The Boy Whose Wishes Came True by Helen Rutter is a brilliantly funny exploration of what happens when you are lucky enough to have all of your wishes come true.

Archie Crumb is having a tough time. Picked-on at school, picked last for any team; his home has been sad and quiet since Dad left and his luck feels like its run out. But things start looking up when Archie bumps his head and literally sees stars: his favourite famous football player standing in front of him, granting him nine wishes.

This is INCREDIBLE! Unlimited ice cream, a whole day of eating pizza and playing on the X-Box, revenge on the bullies, becoming the star player in a televised football tournament: finally, all his dreams can come true! Will Archie wish his way to happiness? Or will he realise that magic wishes may be wonderful, but only he has the true power to change his life?

Funny, moving, inventive, uplifting children’s fiction at its finest, perfect for fans of Jenny Pearson and Ben Davis.

And finally, voting is now open for this year’s Coventry Inspiration Book Awards. Follow this link to keep your favourite book in the competition: Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2023 – Coventry City Council

Happy reading!

This week, I’ve chosen four more of my favourite books published this year.

Too Many Pigs And One Big Bad Wolf by Davide Cali and Marianna Balducci is a brilliantly funny, imaginative retelling of this well known tale.

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. Then the wolf ate them. THE END.

In this clever counting book, the big bad wolf doesn’t want to tell a long story. He wants to get to the eating part. But the narrator has other ideas. From a pig soccer team to a pig for every letter of the alphabet to 101 pigs in an animated movie, the stories get more and more fantastical… but they’re always too short and they ALL end the same way. Using an abacus as the basis for her illustrations, Marianna creates beguiling little pigs and a menacing but slightly bored wolf that perfectly complement the inventive story by Davide Cali. Come for the counting, stay for the storytelling. This book has it all.

I love a twisted fairytale, and Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat provides more twists than most. It is a visually stunning choose your own adventure picture book to enjoy over and over again to make endless different stories featuring fairytale favourites Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel, Gretel, Snow White and many more…

Grab your basket and your coat. Put on some walking shoes. Turn the page and begin: Which story will you choose? Award-winning creators Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat transform a crowd of classic tales into an ever-changing, fascinating, laugh-out-loud, choose-your-path picture book, in which you may find a sleeping maiden, waste away in a sticky licorice cage, discover the gold at the end of a wild goose chase, or maybe (just maybe) save yourself and the day!

For an uplifting, joyous read Seed by Caryl Lewis is packed with heart, hope, & following your dreams in the most fantastical way. You’ll be rooting for Marty, Grandad & Gracie, chuckling along & heading straight out to the potting shed to grow some dreams of your own.

Marty doesn’t have much. Unlike his mum, who has billions of things: newspapers, holey shoes, rusty lawnmowers, broken picture frames – she keeps EVERYTHING! It’s hard to leave the house. Marty does his best to look after her and wonders if anything will ever change.

But on Marty’s birthday, Grandad, with a glint in his eye, gifts Marty a very special seed. Grandad hasn’t been this excited since he invented the bum scratcher 2000 or thought he’d brewed wonder fuel from rhubarb leaves! The seed grows bigger and bigger, and launches Grandad, Marty and his best friend Gracie on an impossible, wondrous plan fuelled by love, hopes and dreams.

Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll is a stunning magical fantasy from one of my favourite authors set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Mystery and magic are combined with a main character whose heart is as big as the threat to the human race.  And with the sequel, Like A Curse coming in February, it’s the perfect time to dive into this series.

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.

Happy reading!

There have been so many amazing books published this year that I haven’t been able to share because they didn’t fit with any of the weekly themes, so I’m taking the chance to share a few of them over the next two weeks as the year comes to a close.

First up, Gotcha! by Clotilde Perrin is an exquisite fairy tale lift-the-flaps hide-and-seek book from the international bestselling author of Inside the Villains.

“Quick, hide!” Chased by monsters – a hairball, a stinkwart and a creeper – each hairier and stinkier than the one before, a child needs to find shelter in three famous fairytale houses. The Three Little Pigs’ brick home, Sleeping Beauty’s palace and Hansel and Gretel’s gingerbread mansion. Lift the flaps big and small to discover curious places for the child’s best chance to hide. Knock on the door of the Little Pigs’ bathroom, open up Hansel and Gretel’s oven (if you dare!) or see who’s already inside Sleeping Beauty’s stopped clock. The hero of our story has read their story books and knows how to vanquish villains, causing the monsters to flee. This intricately produced large fold-out book is like no other: a celebration of fairy tales and child empowerment that’s full of humor and detail on every page. Over 40 interactive elements to mesmerize children and adults alike.

The Boy Who Grew A Tree by Polly Ho-Yen, illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy is a charming story filled with black and white illustrations, perfect for younger readers looking to move on to chapter books.

Nature-loving Timi is unsettled by the arrival of a new sibling and turns to tending a tree growing in his local library. But there is something magical about the tree and it is growing FAST… and the library is going to close. Can Timi save the library and his tree, and maybe bring his community closer together along the way?

Highly imaginative yet easily relatable, children will be able to empathise with Timi, while immersing themselves in the magic that love, care and friendship can create.

Witty, warm, and wonderful, Wished by Lissa Evans is a true celebration of imagination, friendship and making the most of every moment while you can. I genuinely couldn’t love it more, and was left with a life-affirming, warm, snuggly feeling that comes from having enjoyed a fabulous adventure with friends.

Ed and his sister Roo are faced with the most boring half-term holiday in history: five days spent in the company of their elderly neighbour, Miss Filey, and her ancient, smelly cat. But when they find a box of birthday candles in a cupboard in Miss Filey’s house, their world is changed completely. Because these are no ordinary candles and every single one of them comes with a wish. There’s only one problem: some of those wishes actually belong to someone else…

First impressions, and how wrong they can be, are explored deftly within the story. I loved seeing their relationship with Miss Filey develop, and their opinion of who she is as a person change from first impressions of a strange old lady down the road to someone to enjoy adventures with.

It is not often that we see adults learning big life lessons from children, but Lissa does it brilliantly, and I am sure any reader will be assured that life is for living if only we are brave enough to make that leap, summed up beautifully towards the end of the story: “Because next month, or next year, everything could change, and all the things you thought were average and ordinary and forever might suddenly be difficult, and all the things you thought were difficult might suddenly be impossible…”

Tyger by S.F. Said, illustrated by Dave McKean is a breathtaking adventure that enthralls and entrances the reader whilst asking questions of us at the same time.

Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A TYGER. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn’t just the tyger’s life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it’s too late?

Taking some of the very worst of our history and combining it into a disturbing dystopian world, this is a story that speaks to the soul, with illustrations that are as important to the storytelling as the words. It’s our world as it could have been had the Empire and the Industrial Revolution continued unchecked – the slavery of foreigners, the dismissal of the poor, and unadulterated greed for power and riches from those in a position to take advantage of their world. I loved the glimpse of our modern reality with the red and white lights speeding by!

This is the book we need in order to show children that dreams of a better future have happened and need to keep happening for everyone to be free from hate purely because of the way they look or what they believe.

It’s our final week celebrating fascinating non-fiction books, and this week I have chosen books that explore each of the STEM topics: science, technology, engineering and maths.

Science is such a broad term and covers a huge range of different fields. Scientist Academy by Steve Martin shows children the essential skills required to start their own scientific journey with this fun and engaging title.

Packed full of great illustrations, fun facts, and absorbing activities, this book guides young readers through different strands of science: Laboratory, Investigative, Space, Earth, and Life. Practical projects, each carefully designed to introduce skills of the sort required by real-life scientists, help kids pick up the basics in a fun, hands-on way. Create a pendulum, investigate a crime scene, uncover some fossils, and study the solar system. The sky’s the limit!

Technology around phones has changed beyond recognition in my lifetime, and the thought of being able to use one to help build a new app is boggling! Become An APP Inventor by Karen Lang and Selim Tezel is perfect for budding coders.

Design, build and share your own apps with the official guide from MIT App Inventor. Follow simple step-by-step instructions for six different projects using MIT’s free App Inventor website, and you can make a maze game, a translation game and even a personalized chat app! Use what you’ve learned to come up with your own ideas, then download your new apps to a phone or table, and share them with friends!

Along the way, you’ll hear stories of young app inventors from all over the world, who are using MIT App Inventor to create amazing apps that solve real-life problems. Learn, invent and change the world!

Engineering has seen massive changes in the way we design, build and operate a whole host of buildings and machines. We can’t fail to notice how HS2 is changing our local area as the UK’s fastest rail network is built.  Locomotion by Alastair Steele and Ryo Takemasa is a stunningly illustrated tribute to all things train,  celebrating the ingenuity and usability of trains past, present and future.

From early steam engines through to the modern high-speed trains of today, Locomotion is a spectacular look at the history of trains throughout the world, and the wonder and escapism they evoke. Packed full of iconic trains including the famous Flying Scotsman and the grand Orient Express as well as encompassing scenic journeys like the majestic Trans-Siberian railway, Locomotion makes a stunning gift or reference book for train lovers of all ages. Beautiful artwork by the award-winning artist Ryo Takemasa, makes this book one that can be enjoyed over and over again.

And finally, Maths is a staple of everyday life as We Use Maths by Kim Hankinson and Jenny Jacoby shows us.

Reveal the hidden maths all around us! People use maths every single day in their jobs, sometimes without realising! From a football coach studying the stats to a chef making sure everyone’s food is ready at the same time, the jobs and occupations at the heart of this super-creative non-fiction read will inspire all children to seek out the everyday maths in the world around us.

Happy reading!

This week, we are looking at amazing books about history, the greatest story we can every tell and share. No book can tell us everything that has happened in history, but these books all pick out some of the major events that have shaped the world we live in today.

The History Atlas by Thiago De Moraes

Prepare to embark on a global tour through time. You might want to take a map…

But this is no ordinary atlas. The maps in History Atlas are rich visual extravaganzas, packed with kings, queens, heroes, villains, inventors, artists and explorers.

Travel from Ancient Egypt and Rome to Ethiopia, Russia and China, and meet movers and shakers of world history from Genghis Khan to Martin Luther King. With quirky facts, astonishing characters, humorous details and compelling stories, this is history at its most entertaining.

Tales Of Ancient Worlds by Stefan Milosavljevich, illustrated by Sam Cadwell

What links shipwrecks, Egyptian treasure, and fossilised Viking poo? They’re all things that have been discovered by archaeologists!

Pick up your shovel and Indiana Jones hat and dive into the world of archaeology in this nonfiction kids’ book by YouTuber Stefan Milosavljevich. Alongside beautiful illustrations by Sam Caldwell you’ll find incredible tales from history, including:

• The ancient Egyptian city found at the bottom of the ocean
• The terracotta army that hid underground for 2,000 years
• The mysterious Ice Age temple made from mammoth bones

Along the way you’ll also find out if you have what it takes to be an archaeologist, unearth (literally) groundbreaking scientific techniques, and meet the pioneering women and men who have brought the past back to life

It’s Her Story Series, featuring Rosa Parkes, Rosalind Franklin , Marie Curie and more

These books are special because they are all artfully illustrated and perfectly bridge the gap between picture books and graphic novels, and are part of an expanding series featuring amazing, inspirational women.

Rosa Parks was the courageous thinker and leader known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Long before the Montgomery Bus Boycott made her famous, she was a social justice activist and organizer. In honor of her work, she received a Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist during the 1940s and 1950s, when few women worked in the sciences. During WWII, she expanded our knowledge of the physics of coal and carbon, and later she studied viruses. Her Photo 51 was central to understanding the double-helix structure of DNA, groundbreaking work she was never given credit for in her lifetime.

Marie Curie was the brilliant, trailblazing scientist who discovered radium and coined the term radioactivity. She is the only woman ever awarded two Nobel Prizes–one in physics and one in chemistry. She helped develop the use of X-rays and radiation therapies that have had a lasting impact on medicine and human health.

Big Ideas From History by The School of Life

The present can loom very large in a child’s mind: all the crises and challenges of the modern world can feel overwhelming and at times dispiriting. This book is a big history of the world, from the beginnings of the universe to now, which places the reader at its centre. It encourages them to think about how and why they experience the world as they do and offers a helpful perspective by placing their thoughts and feelings in the context of our history and evolution.

Big Ideas From History is an immense story of what has happened through time that speaks personally and constructively to a growing mind. What might the dinosaurs or the ancient Egyptians, the Aztec warriors or the Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century tell us that could be interesting and useful to hear now? The insights we need are scattered in time and place, waiting to be discovered.

The book also looks to the future and asks the reader to imagine a world they would like to live in. What might they learn from self-knowledge? How can they grow, develop and create their own place in history? It is a thoughtful and inspiring introduction to the world around us, which encourages the child to engage with themselves and others through history.

Happy reading!

This week, for National Non-Fiction November, I’ve chosen books that celebrate our world and are perfect for curious geographers and explorers.

Where In The World Are You? by Marie G. Rhonde

Where are you in the world? Can you imagine what your home would look like if you saw it from above and zoomed out further, and further, and further…? Join the mischievous pet cat on a journey of discovery that encourages young readers to think about their place in the world. Inspired by the feeling of being trapped inside and imagining the world beyond during the worldwide lockdowns, this enjoyable picture book reminds us that even when we are apart, we are all connected. The world keeps turning, a cat keeps purring and children will find their happy place in the world.

Earth Is Big: A Book Of Comparisons by Steve Tomecek, illustrated by Marcos Farina

Earth is big, compared to a frog. Earth is small, when it’s hiding in a galaxy.

And that’s not all. Earth is wet and dry, hot and cold, round and jagged, fast and slow. You get the idea. It depends how you look at it! Get to know our planet in a whole new way by comparing it to a huge variety of other incredible things – from tiny particles to giant star clusters. Did you know soap bubbles are some of the roundest objects in the universe? Or that we humans are totally outnumbered by chickens? Or that the driest desert on Earth isn’t scorching but freezing? Tour some of the most extreme places on the planet and beyond it, take a look at life forms from bacteria to elephants to redwood trees and explore what makes our planet the perfect home for us.

You’ll never see Earth the same way again!

 Amazing Islands by Sabrina Weiss, illustrated by Kerry Hyndman

Get ready to embark on a breath-taking tour of over 100 islands found all around the world!

Discover over 100 of the planet’s most magical islands their wildlife, history, diversity, people, cultures, treasures and more in this beautifully illustrated book. From islands that have been taken over by animals to disappearing islands, islands made of shells, artificial islands and even islands that were once prison colonies, this book takes you on an exciting tour of some of the smallest land masses in the world.

The book also includes a world map, which plots all the islands found in the book, plus fold out flaps with engaging lists of island facts, including the top 10 biggest and 10 smallest inhabited islands in the world.

Join author Sabrina Weiss and Blue Peter Award-winning illustrator Kerry Hyndman in this fact-filled celebration of some of the most Amazing Islands on Earth!

Explorers: Amazing Tales Of The World’s Greatest Adventurers by Nellie Huang, illustrated by Jessamy Hawke 

Live and see the world through the eyes of 50 of the world’s greatest explorers and their trusty companions!

This book for kids is brimming with first-person accounts of gripping adventures in explorers’ own words. Find exciting tales complemented by rare maps, specially commissioned photographs, and artworks that re-create history’s greatest expeditions. Get ready to take a leap into the unknown…

An adventure book that will surely rival even the most thrilling adventure movies! You’ll meet some of the most famous explorers and adventurers of all time in this exciting non-fiction storybook for children.

Great explorers have one thing in common – a desire to leap into the unknown, no matter the dangers it presents. This book will take you through Ferdinand Magellan’s first circumnavigation of the world 500 years ago to Barbara Hillary’s treks to the North and South poles while in her seventies, and beyond. This knowledge book documents the stories of men and women who rewrote our understanding of the world and inspired us by pushing the boundaries of human capability.

And finally, as it is Remembrance Day, I couldn’t let this week pass without sharing Please Write Soon by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Michael Foreman.  

Inspired by a true family story, Michael Rosen presents an astonishing account of perseverance, love and hope in wartime.  With breathtaking illustrations by beloved illustrator Michael Foreman, this is an unforgettable story of courage and love, perfect for the whole family to share.

Beginning in 1939, young Solly in London exchanges letters with his teenaged cousin, Bernie, in Poland. While Solly is evacuated and tries his best to adjust to life in the English countryside, Bernie’s parents know that as Jews they’re not safe staying in Warsaw, so they send Bernie to the Russian-occupied side of the country in the hope that he’ll be safer there. Soon, though, he is arrested and sent off to a forced labour camp in Russia. As the cousins exchange sporadic letters, they try to keep their spirits up, trading jokes and observations about the world changing all around them. Then Bernie seizes the opportunity to join the “Anders Army” and fight the Axis powers, and tells Solly all about his experiences in Iraq and eventually Italy, where he fights alongside the British at the famous Battle of Monte Cassino. Does Bernie survive and find a safe place to call home?

Happy reading!