We’ve read, we’ve discussed, and we’ve voted, and now the weekly vote offs have started.

The first books to leave the competition are:

What’s the Story? (Reception to Year 2) – Anansi And The Golden Pot by Taiye Selas

“Allow me to introduce myself.”
But he needed no introduction. “Anansi the spider!” said Anansi the boy. “The tales were true!”
“Traditional tales are always true,” the spider answered, laughing. “Nothing lasts so long as truth, nor travels quite so far.”

Kweku has grown up hearing stories about the mischievous spider Anansi. He is given the nickname Anansi by his father because of his similarly cheeky ways. On a holiday to visit his beloved Grandma in Ghana, Anansi the spider and Anansi the boy meet, and discover a magical pot that can be filled with whatever they want. Anansi fills it again and again with his favourite red-red stew, and eats so much that he feels sick. Will he learn to share this wonderful gift?

This charming retelling of a West African story teaches readers about the dangers of greed, and the importance of being kind. Tinuke Fagborun’s colourful illustrations bring the magic and wonder of the tale to life. When you’ve finished sharing the story, you can also find out more about the origins of Anansi folktales. This beautiful storybook is one that children will treasure forever.

If this was your favourite, look out for other Anansi stories of which there are many to enjoy regardless how old you are.

Telling Tales (Year 3 and 4) – Granny Came Here On The Empire Windrush by Patrice Lawrence

This heart-warming and heartfelt debut picture book from multi-award-winning author, Patrice Lawrence, will help ensure that the struggles and achievements of the Windrush generation are never forgotten.

One day, Ava is asked to dress as an inspirational figure for assembly at school, but who should she choose? Granny suggests famous familiar figures such as Winifred Atwell, Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks, and tells Ava all about their fascinating histories, but Ava’s classmates have got there first – and she must choose someone else. But who?

And then Ava finds a mysterious old suitcase – Granny’s “grip” – and Granny begins to share her own history, and how she came to England on the Empire Windrush many years ago. She tells her story through the precious items that accompanied her on the original voyage, each one evoking a memory of home, and as Ava listens to how Granny built a life for herself in England, determined to stay against the odds and despite overwhelming homesickness, she realises that there is a hero very close to home that she wants to celebrate more than anyone – her very own brave and beloved granny.

If you’d like to find out more about the Windrush Generation, try The Place for Me: Stories About the Windrush Generation, with 12 moving tales of sacrifice and bravery, inspired by first-hand accounts,

Hooked On Books (Year 5 and 6) – Kingdom Over The Sea by Zohra Nabi

My own Yara, if you are reading this, then something terrible has happened, and you are on your own. To return to the city of Zehaira, you must read out the words on the back of this letter . . . Good luck, my brave girl.

When Yara’s mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Yara must travel from the home she has always known to a place that is not on any map – Zehaira, a world of sorcerers, alchemists and simmering magic. But Zehaira is not the land it used to be. The practice of magic has been outlawed, the Sultan’s alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme – and the answers Yara is searching for seem to be out of reach.
Yara must summon all of her courage to discover the truth about her mother’s past and her own identity, and to find her place in this magical new world.

If this was your favourite, look out for the second book in the series, The City Beyond The Stars, which will be published in April.

If you don’t want your favourite book to be evicted next week, make sure you keep voting!

Happy reading!

When it’s an onion…

The Onion’s Great Escape by Sara Fanelli asks young readers to help the onion break free by answering thought-provoking questions and completing the activities within, finally pressing a three-dimensional character right out of the pages.

Asking big questions about themselves and the world around them, The ONion’s great escape helps children understand big ideas and emotions, and in turn, helps them to help others, including the onion to face their fears and live their best lives.

When it’s a quiz…

Name That Thing by Dr Gareth Moore, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke stretches your brain power with 20 fact-packed picture quizzes from expert puzzle master Dr Gareth Moore. Can you name a bird from its feather? How about a meal from its ingredients? What about a scientist from their discovery?

Covering themes, from nature, science and technology to sport, History and Geography, keep everyone guessing with hours of family fun. Part quiz book, part encyclopedia, with gorgeous hand-lettering and traditional artwork, this book is the ultimate gift book that can be enjoyed by the whole family and the large format makes it the perfect quiz book for curious children and their families to gather around.

When it’s a game…

Fighting Fantasy: Crystal Of Storms by Rhiamma Prachett is an astonishingly imaginative, edge-of-your-seat adventure – part story, part game! Grab your dice and a pencil, because you, the hero of this story, are a member of the Sky Watch keeping the floating archipelago of Pangaria safe.

When the Nimbus isle suddenly crashes out of the sky into the Ocean of Tempests below, you must explore the remaining islands, and battle both storms and sea beasts in your mission to raise Nimbus from the deep. You will be hunted by demonic harpies, rabid rats and even a Great White Squark and you’ll need every ounce of courage and quick wits to survive.

When it’s a robot…

Build A Robot by Steve Parker, illustrated by Owen Davey is this super-charged book will give you a unique, interactive guide to the world of robots. Combining a fact-filled book (did you know there are robot explorers and even robot doctors?) with a slide-out box containing three motors and pre-cut card pieces, you will become an expert robot-inventor in no time!

Once you have learned about the different robot that help in our world in a whole host of different ways, you can get stuck into building your own. Can you figure out how they work once you’ve built them all?

Happy reading, quizzing, gaming and building!

This week, I have chosen books on the theme of Big Questions – those seeming simple questions that have big answers that will be every so slightly different for everyone.

I’m starting with Great Minds: 2500 Years Of Thinkers and Philosophy by Joan Haig and Joan Lennon, illustrated by Andre Ducci.

Discover 19 brilliant thinkers and their unique ideas that changed the world over 2,500 years!

Aristotle’s ideas shaped our understanding of the natural world for hundreds of years. Yacob’s Hatäta laid the grounds for equality long before our time. Gandhi’s philosophy inspired non-violent protest movements all over the world, and Langer shook up our understanding of what art is and can be. The brilliant ideas from each of these amazing thinkers have stayed with humans for centuries, teaching us new ways of uncovering our world and understanding each other.

Covering ideas from the last 2500 years, explore the time periods that shaped each thinker’s ideas, unpack the theories in accessible, easy to digest text and discover the impact they had for the years to come. Presented in graphic novel style, this is a book to inspire a new generation of thinkers and philosophers.

Next, for our younger readers, I have picked The Treasure: A Story About Finding Joy In Unexpected Places by Marcella Ferriera and Brian Lambert. 

The Treasure unfolds atop a desolate mountain, where an old chest houses a fabled treasure promising the fulfilment of dreams. Hare embarks on a quest, seeking adventure and excitement, only to encounter Bear and Bird, each with their own heartfelt aspirations: friendship and overcoming shyness.

As they journey together, the trio faces challenges, anticipating the grandeur of the treasure. Yet, when they reach their destination and uncover the long-awaited prize, a profound realization dawns on them. The true treasure is not the elusive object within the chest; instead, it’s the bonds of friendship they’ve forged along the way.

The Treasure beautifully encapsulates the essence of friendship and the inherent value it holds, delivering a touching and timeless message about the true treasures to be found in our world.

Finally, for Year 4 and above, I’ve chosen Stitch by Padraig Kenny.

Stitch’s simple questions dive deep into the essence of what it means to be human, exploring themes of acceptance and self-discovery. Stitch and Henry aren’t just artificial creations; they’re everything it means to be a good person with their unwavering friendship, loyalty, ability to forgive, and offer kindness in the face of cruelty.

He and his friend Henry Oaf were brought to life by the genius Professor Hardacre, and have spent all their days in a castle deep in the woods, far from humankind. But when the Professor dies and his pompous nephew comes to take over the laboratory, they soon find out that his sights are set not on scientific discovery, but personal glory. And Henry is his next experiment. Can Stitch and Henry escape his clutches and make their way in a world they were never built for – and may never be ready for them?

Stitch is a story about identity, friendship, and the pursuit of freedom in a world that struggles to understand or accept differences. Stitch and Henry, far from monstrous, grapple with their unique origins and their place in a society that may never be ready to accept them. Their world is thrown into danger when the Professor passes away, leaving them vulnerable to the desires of his nephew, a man shrouded in ambition and moral ambiguity. Tension, terror, escape, and a quest for a place to call home follow.

Happy reading!

Welcome to the first Friday Library Recommendations for 2024. This week, I have chosen books designed to be dipped into every day of the year.

My first choice is Britannica’s Word Of The Day, which has 366 elevating utterances to stretch your cranium and tickle your humerus, or 366 fantastic words to broaden your vocabulary!

Become a word virtuoso in just one year with 366 crackerjack words aimed to impress. This charmingly illustrated book features boffo words selected by the masterminds at Britannica to highlight the best of the English language.

Follow a menagerie of animals as they teach one new word for each day of the year, including a pronunciation guide, definition, sample sentence, and interesting trivia about the word’s usage or etymology. Each month concludes with an outlandish story that features all the new words learned.

This delightfully challenging and surprising book will turn word aficionados into passionate logophiles!

From words, to carefully chosen phrases, my next pick is A Whale Of A Time, selected by Lou Peacock and illustrated by Matt Hunt – a comically curated collection of 366 hilarious poems to keep you laughing all year round, surrounded by bright, bold mixed media illustrations.

Inspiration is drawn from some of the most mundane things in our world to some of the most spectacular, but every poem will raise a knowing smile, a smirk, or even full blown laughter.

The spectacular range of poems for children includes work by John Agard, Maya Angelou, Hilaire Belloc, Brian Bilston, Lucille Clifton, Wendy Cope, Roald Dahl, Edward Lear, Spike Milligan, Ogden Nash, Grace Nichols, Jack Prelutsky, Michael Rosen, Christina Rossetti, Benjamin Zephaniah and many more.

Finally I’ve chosen One Interesting Fact A Day from Bubbles Books featuring a cornucopia of facts to expand your brain.

What if you found a moment every day to learn something new? Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Of course, it would! And at the same time, we could forget about being bored and put our brains to good use!

One Interesting Fact a Day puts you at the center of a great adventure in which they you can learn all sorts of new things about the planet, the universe, nature, animals, and the human body, while expanding your vocabulary and improving your memory. Remind yourself every day how interesting the world we live in is! 

And finally, we have been exploring the shortlists for this year’s Coventry Inspiration Book Awards in school. Voting is now open with the first eviction taking place at the end of January, so make sure you vote for your favourite to keep it in the competition. You can vote here.

Happy reading!