It’s my final Friday Library Recommendations of this school year, and once again, it’s been an absolute pleasure to share amazing books from the world of children’s literature with our whole school community. With summer holidays edging ever closer, my final theme is Journeys – real or imagined!

My first choice is a beautiful picture book by Steve McCarthy called The Wilderness, a wild and wondrous story of true bravery and discovering friendship in the most unexpected of places, perfect for adventurers and the more timid alike.

The Vasylenko family are adventurers. They all love the wet and the wild, the thrill of exploring the outside world. All that is … except Oktober. He prefers the warm and safe comfort of the inside world, and for his adventures to take place between the pages of a book. But tomorrow, Oktober has to join his family on a trek into the slimy, grimy and climby wild, where he sees only danger and worry and fears a creature called “The Wilderness”! Failing to keep his wits about him could be dangerous though – it may even get him a bit … lost. But perhaps getting lost is just what Oktober needs to find himself and maybe even make an unexpected friend.

Next, I’ve chosen a funny and fantastical adventure by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz – The Incredible Adventures Of Gaston Le Dog.

Gaston le Dog longs to return to the beautiful beach he remembers from years ago. So he sets off on an adventure – but mystery and danger lurk at every turn, and Gaston will need all the help he can get from the friends he meets along the way. But can they all be trusted? And will Gaston’s odyssey bring him everything he hoped for? This playful new tale from national treasure Michael Rosen sprinkles myth, magic and fairy tale to create a brilliant story, illustrated by award-winning artist Viviane Schwarz, perfect for fans of the Grimwood series.

Finally, I’ve picked a fabulous non-fiction title – It’s The Journey, Not The Destination by Carl Honore, illustrated by Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell. Take time to connect with the world as you embark on 40 slow adventures by foot, bike, boat or train, allowing you to take in the history, absorb the landscape and meet extraordinary people along the way.

Whether you roam the ‘Rose City’ of Petra, feel the magic of the Great Stones Way or sail back in time on the River Nile, these journeys, illustrated step-by-step through each location and accompanied by texts from bestselling author ‘Godfather of the Slow Movement’ Carl Honoré provide young readers with a feast for the senses and food for the soul.

Happy reading and have a wonderful summer full of slow adventures.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge begins tomorrow and the theme us Marvellous Makers. With a fantastic list of suggested titles to choose from, it’s been really tricky just choosing three.

My first choice The Artist by Ed Vere, is a joyful and inspirational celebration of beauty, mistakes and the artist in all of us.

One brave little artist goes on one epic adventure to share her art, and in doing so learns that it doesn’t matter if you colour outside the lines, that art is full of heart… and that maybe you are an artist too!

My next choice is Pablo & Splash by Sheena Dempsey – join time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash on an unexpected adventure to the time of the dinosaurs in this brilliantly funny full-colour graphic novel. 

Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a holiday with her. But far from the luxury beach destination that Splash has in mind, the pair end up in a time-travel machine that takes them back to the age of the dinosaurs! Suddenly their icy homeland doesn’t seem so dull .

You can join in The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge over the summer by visiting your local library’s website or app to browse their online catalogue. Your library may offer a Click and Collect service, so you can pick up your books to enjoy at home. Keep an eye out for eBook and audiobook versions, too. And, head over to The Reading Agency website for more information on this year’s challenge along with games and activities.

Next Thursday, the adults in the country will go to the polls to decide which political party will run our country. Understanding politics, elections and voting can be tricky, so this week, I’m sharing books all about elections.

First, I’ve chosen The Election by Eleanor Levenson and Marek Jagucki, which is the perfect introduction to the concepts of democracy, elections and voting through a fun story with engaging illustrations.

Alex’s family backs the party whose posters have stripes on them. Evie’s family backs the party whose posters have spots on them. But which party will win? Either way, the two will remain friends.

When we vote, it’s really important that we question ourselves and what we’d like our world to look like, which is exactly what the next two books help us to do.

In If I Were Prime Minsiter by Trygve Skaug and Ella Okstad, a young boy gives his perspective on several things the grown-ups running the country could do differently.

How much happier would we be if all the adults went to nursery once a month to remind themselves how to play? How much safer would we be if Christmas lights were left up all year round to light everyone’s way home? This hilarious picture book treats profound topics with sensitivity and care and helps all of our children dare to dream big and for all those adults who want to look on the world with fresh eyes.

And finally, congratulations! In my last book for this week, If I Ran The Country by Rich Knight, you’ve just become the leader of your own country! There are a lot of decisions to be made, and not long to make them.

The good news is you’ve got your hands on this funny, fact-packed book, covering everything you need to know to rule effectively – no matter where in the world you are. But it’s not just about political systems, elections, climate change, justice and all those other things we hear politicians talking about. You also need to learn how to lead. With essential life and leadership skills and tips – from teamwork, confidence and compassion to discovering who you are and what you believe in – If I Ran The Country answers all the questions most often posed by first-time top dogs like you. You’ll be ruling like a pro in no time!

Happy reading!

What a fantastic theme from Year 6 for the final Challenge Miss Cleveland of this school year – books about books.

My first choice, for our youngest readers is Wild Book Day by Karl Newson, illustrated by James Brown – an exhilarating adventure, that will spark a lifelong love for books.

Characters from different stories collide to celebrate our rich tapestry of children’s literature. As pages wildly come to life, this riotous read not only entertains but also shows the magic of storytelling and the importance of keeping the joy of reading alive. With every turn of the page, it’s a celebration of the limitless worlds within books, encouraging young minds to become active participants in their everyday reading adventures.

Next, I’ve picked Books And The People Who Make them by Stephanie Vernet and Camille De Cussac. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked by a child how they become and author or an illustrator, and how a book goes from being an idea in someone’s head to a physical entity ready to entertain. Well, this book has all of the answers and much, much more.

Packed with facts about the publishing journey from conception to print and the journey to a reader’s hands, this is also filled with quirky facts about the wider world of books, including the world’s oldest bookshop, some of the more peculiar libraries our world has on offer, and details relating to the myriad of choices to be made which determine how books look and feel in your hands.

These extra details open young readers minds to the breadth of the literary landscape and the intricate pathways traversed by a whole team of people to make fantasy a reality, and inform and engage readers of all ages. Bright illustrations accompany each fact, drawing the eye from one to the next.

The perfect accompaniment to any bookcase for readers curious as to how the books they have chosen to fill their shelves got there.

My final choice based on this week’s theme is Big Ideas From Literature which introduces children to books through the ages, showing how they can develop both empathy and resilience through exploring the stories they tell.

Books can be so powerful, helping us through tricky times, offering us wisdom we haven’t learnt yet, showing us that there are people like us, or showing us the opposite, that other people live very different lives. Books can be a friend when you need one the most and you can use them to help and inspire others, too. From an early age, we tend to be told that books matter, but very rarely are we properly allowed to examine why – and therefore we can miss out on a genuine engagement with books. Big Ideas from Literature dares to ask the obvious but crucial questions about the whole business of reading: What is reading really for? What are stories trying to do for us? Why should we care?

In a tone that’s engaging and playful, we’re shown how books help us to grow, why we cry about the fate of certain characters and how to read for genuine pleasure rather than to please a teacher or parent.

And finally, this is nothing to do with the theme, but I couldn’t have recommendations for Year 6 without mentioning Moving Up: How To Ace Secondary School by Christian Foley. This is the title for children moving from Primary to Secondary school.

Moving up from primary to secondary school can be scary. Going from being the bosses of the benches, to the youngest in a massive playground is hard. The classrooms are bigger, older students look like adults and don’t even start on the piles of homework, stressful exams and complicated friendships. Whether you’re heading to secondary school next year, or you’ve just started and are still adjusting, Moving Up is here to help you on your journey.

From  your first day all the way up to your final exams and your leaving party or prom, this handy guide book will be the perfect companion for transitioning to secondary, and get you feeling confident, building strong friendships, achieving great things and generally being the greatest that you can be.

Happy reading!