The quarterly journal of the School Library Association

The quarterly journal of the School Library Association

School LibrarianThe

www.sla.org.uk volume 67 number 2 summer 2019

TheSL 67-2 Summer 2019 65

Contents

Features editorial 66

Ten Minutes With… Agnès Guyon: Q&A 67Barbara Band

Reading Rocks! Using Illustration to Encourage a Love of Reading 69Leia Sands

Sharing Ideas and Inspiration: A Visit from Stockholm 70Emma Suffield

Breaking News! Look What Happens when Teachers Work with the School Librarian 72Elizabeth Hutchinson

Creating a Primary School Reading Culture 75Barbara Band

Enabling Students to Learn by Finding Out for Themselves: Our Journey from FOSIL to the FOSIL Group 77Darryl Toerien

Rural School Librarians’ Workshop in Zimbabwe 79Hosea Tokwe

Websites, apps and digital resources 82

Reviews editorial 88

Under Eight 89

Eight to Twelve 100

Poetry and Plays 115

Twelve to Sixteen 116

Sixteen to Nineteen 126

Professional 127

Index of advertisers 127

Index of books reviewed 128

Features

Reviews

Subscriptions

The current cost of annual membership of the School Library Association is £89.00 to include one copy ofeach quarterly journal, The School Librarian, or £119.00 to include two copies. The rate for retired and full-time student members is £47.50. Details and membership forms may be obtained from the SLA office.Members of the SLA receive this journal and info@SLA free; they may purchase other SLA publications andtraining courses at reduced rates; and may use our telephone advisory service and access members-onlyresources on the website.

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www.sla.org.uk volume 67 number 2 summer 2019

SLAdigital

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Cover: Original artwork byChris Riddell, President of theSchool Library Association.

See the Summer info@slanewsletter for information onhow to win this artwork foryour school library.

66 TheSL 67-2 Summer 2019

Features

EditorialOne of the idiosyncrasies of writing this editorial is that I have to do it several weeksbefore it’s actually published, which means that some of the items I want tomention will have become old news or maybe not even relevant at all!

A good example of this is the Great School Libraries survey. This closed at thebeginning of April (many thanks to all who responded). BMG Research arecurrently analysing the data with a view to producing a report and we are in theprocess of sorting out an official launch date for it. I wish I could say when this willbe, but as it requires coordination with CILIP, the SLA, the School Libraries Groupand the APPG Libraries it’s not quite as easy as arranging an Unconference! Restassured, as soon as there’s news we’ll let everyone know. Meanwhile, have a look atthe website (https://greatschoollibraries.edublogs.org) – there are some new quotesthat you may like to use, as well as regular blogs.

Speaking of Unconferences, the Central and East Berkshire branch held theirsecond one in March. A survey amongst members indicated that many could notget out to meetings during term-time so the committee decided to try a Saturdayevent; it was such a success that it will probably become a regular in the branchcalendar. If you fancy organising one for your local branch then do have a go, it’snot as difficult as it seems and certainly not as involved or time-consuming as amore structured day. Sort out a date and venue, advertise it on social media and viayour members, and arrange tickets via Eventbrite. The C&EB branch committeedecided to have a mix of speakers and ad-hoc sessions but most of theUnconferences I’ve attended have been completely unstructured; it really doesdepend on what you want and is entirely up to you. There are no rules! The dayattracted not only librarians from Berkshire but also from Hampshire, Sussex,Wiltshire and Hertfordshire so there’s definitely a need for more of these.Guidelines for getting started on running an Unconference are available on the SLAwebsite (https://www.sla.org.uk/branches.php).

Another event that’s occurred since the last journal is the 2019 Pupil LibraryAssistant of the Year Award. There were seven fantastic finalists; congratulations toall of them and especially the winner, Rhiannon Salvin from Firth Park Academy inSheffield. Everyone had a wonderful afternoon celebrating at Penguin RandomHouse in London. There will be a full write-up in the Autumn issue, but head overto the website to have a look at the photos: https://libpupilaward.wixsite.com/home.

I hope to see many of you at the joint SLA/CILIP YLG weekend course in June. Thetheme is ‘Building Identity, Building Readers: Well-Being and the Library’ and, asusual, there’s a jam-packed programme. I can never decide which sessions to go to,but what I do know is that one of my favourite parts is the exhibition. Do come andsay hi, but be warned, I may twist your arm about writing a case study or article!

Barbara Band, Features Editor

ContributionsArticles for consideration are always welcome. The Features Editor is happy to receiveenquiries from potential contributors and will be pleased to supply information aboutpresentation. Contributions should be sent to the Features Editor: Barbara Band; Email:[email protected]

Books and material for review should be sent to the Reviews Editor: Joy Court, School Library Association, 1 Pine Court, Kembrey Park, Swindon SN2 8AD;Email: [email protected]

Weblinks, apps and all other digital media for review should be sent to the SLA Digital Editor: Bev Humphrey; Email: [email protected]

Advertising: Space Marketing, 10 Clayfield Mews, Newcomen Road, Tunbridge Wells, KentTN4 9PA Tel: 01892 677740; Fax: 01892 677743; Email: [email protected]

All other communications should be sent to the Production Editor: Richard Leveridge, School Library Association, 1 Pine Court, Kembrey Park, Swindon SN2 8AD Tel: 01793 530166; Email: [email protected]

Martin

Salter

Published four times a year by the School LibraryAssociation: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Printed by Holywell Press, Oxford.

Copyright © 2019 School Library Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 0036 6595.

The views expressed are those of the contributors andreviewers and not necessarily the official views of the School Library Association.

Registered Charity Nos. 313660 and SC039453.


FeaturesTen Minutes With…Agnès Guyon Q&A with one of the SLABoard’s new members

Interviewed by Barbara Band

Agnès was elected to the SLA Board last year and will serveuntil 2021. She is currently senior librarian for Young People’sServices at East Lothian Council, has been past Chair of CILIPYLG and has also served on the Carnegie Kate GreenawayJudging Panel.

Q Have you always wanted to be a librarian? If not how didyou get into librarianship?

A I wanted to work with books when I was younger – Ithought more of the publishing industry or even bookselling – but then I did a degree in English, met myhusband and moved to Scotland, so the obvious thing todo was to become a foreign language teacher [Agnès isFrench–Ed]. I taught French and German in Scotlandand Kenya, and when I got back from Kenya decidedthat teaching was not really what I wanted to do sostudied for an MSc in Librarianship and InformationScience.

Q What does your librarianship pathway look like?

A My librarianship pathway is a bit twisty, but eventually Ithink I found my niche. When I was doing my MSc, Idid my placement at Heriot-Watt University and wasemployed there after graduating. My first post wasalmost as far from school or youth librarian as you canget; I was an Internet Librarian for an online database ofengineering resources for Higher Education students! Itwas a JISC-funded project called EEVL (EdinburghEngineering Virtual Library) and I created an E-JournalSearch Engine. At first I enjoyed the mental stimulation of doingsomething totally different and new but eventually got abit bored and realised that it was not really ‘me’. I saw anadvert for a Children’s Mobile Library driver/librarian inMidlothian, applied and, to my surprise, got the jobdespite my lack of experience in both children’slibrarianship and driving a 5-ton vehicle (I could justabout reach the pedals!). It was a part-time job and Itook a massive drop in salary but I enjoyed it. Soon I alsobecame Midlothian’s first Bookstart coordinator, whichfilled the rest of my week. About ten years ago, I became East Lothian’s SeniorLibrarian for Children and Young People and after aservice review four years ago, the secondary schoollibrarians came under my line-management.

Q What do you think are the differences (and similarities)in the role of librarian in France and the UK?

A To be honest I have only been a librarian in the UK, socan only presume from what I know. I feel that theprofession in France is far more respected than herebecause of the reaction I get in each country when I tellpeople what I do for a living. In French schools there are‘teacher-librarians’, who have the same status asteachers. Teaching is part of their job description andthe training involves two years at a postgraduate teachertraining school. They also only work in secondaryschools – and school libraries are compulsory – so thereis a huge discrepancy between library provision insecondary schools and in primary schools. On a practical level, though there are many similarities,teacher-librarians often work alone in the school library,are responsible for the management of the schoollibrary, buy the resources…

Q How does the school library system vary in Scotlandfrom that in the rest of the UK?

A Again I have only experienced the Scottish system somay not be best placed to comment. The Scottisheducation system is different so this will obviously haverepercussions. I am not sure how uniform the system isin the rest of the UK but in Scotland the landscape isvery diverse, particularly in terms of the management ofschool librarians. In some authorities, like mine, schoollibrarians are managed by the public library service – wealready provided a service to schools, such as topic andfiction boxes as there is no SLS. In other authorities,school librarians are managed by the head teacher. Andin other authorities, such as Aberdeenshire, communitylibraries are staffed by a qualified librarian who is bothpublic and school librarian. SLS are very rare inScotland, in fact I am only aware of Falkirk having aseparate school library service, and their services toschools are free. One significant development is our School LibraryStrategy Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools: A NationalStrategy for School Libraries in Scotland 2018–2023which is supported by the Scottish Government. Thisdoesn’t always stop authorities from shutting downschool libraries – see what is happening in the ScottishBorders – but it helps a lot to stress the importance ofthe school library and when talking to Headteachers andother educationalists.


FeaturesQ Does this have any advantages or disadvantages?

A I often wish that the landscape was more uniform but itallows for some flexibility and doesn’t leave the decisionto fund a school librarian solely up to the Headteacherwho might already have tough choices to make. Having aschool library strategy is obviously a good thing – Iwished it could have gone a step further and becomecompulsory rather than advisory but I understand theconstraints.

Q What frustrates you most about working in the schoollibrary sector?

A Lack of funding of course and the inability to providecover which would enable the school librarian to takepart in CPD, have meetings, etc, without having to shutthe library. But the worst is that lack of awareness (andsometimes, sadly, respect) amongst teaching staff andoften Senior Management of the professional skills of aschool librarian – they often assume they know what wedo but don’t really. In the worst case, I have seenteachers’ attitudes towards me change when they learntthat I am a qualified teacher and they start respectingmy opinion a bit more.

Q If you weren’t a librarian, what would you be?

A Unemployed? Probably a primary school teacher –although in my dream I would be an editor.

Q Hobbies? Any unusual ones?

A Nothing unusual – reading of course, anything in theoutdoors, walking, particularly with my dog, hillwalking,cycling, kayaking when I get the chance (I don’t have akayak). I love travelling but don’t have enough time forthat, and photography, but I am rubbish at it. I also likedoing stained glass.

Q What prompted you to cycle to the south of France?[Three years ago Agnès cycled to the south of Francewith Ferelith Hordon to raise money for Book AidInternational–Ed.]

A It is a journey I do so often, by plane, by car, once bytrain and I often wondered what it would be like to do itunder my own steam. I’d wanted to do it for a long time– I like a challenge – and when I turned 50 I decidedthat it would be a nice challenge to mark it.

Q What’s your signature dish?

A A pear and almond cake which is generally wellreceived.

Q What’s on your Spotify list?

A I listen to classical music when I am in the car. I also likeJazz and some world music (Klezmer, Latin American)as well as some old stuff and French music (Piaf,Gainsbourg), pretty eclectic…

Q The question one always has to ask a librarian – whatare your favourite authors and/or books? What is yourcomfort read and what are you reading now?

A I have too many favourites. I love David Almond; for YAauthors I like Marcus Sedgwick, Sarah Crossan, JasonReynolds and Patrick Ness. In terms of adult books Iread in French too and one of my favourite books is TheOgre by Michel Tournier. For comfort I might read abook by Fred Vargas (in French but they have beentranslated). At the moment I am finishing reading theCarnegie Longlist – just one title to go!

Q We met at IFLA in Lyon when I was CILIP President -how did you get to attend? What did you get out of theconference? Would you recommend it to other schoollibrarians (assuming they can afford to go)?

A I applied for a partial grant for new attendees and wasselected. My family joke that the only freebie I got wasto a conference one hour from where my mother lives(and where I grew up) when I could have gone to SouthAfrica or Singapore if I had applied a different year. Ifound it very valuable; first of all for the buzz that such ahuge conference provides but also I learnt about someconcepts which were not that common at the time, forexample, I still remember a talk on transmedia which ledme to research and find out more about makerspaces. Iwould definitely recommend it to other schoollibrarians.

Q If you were to get a tattoo what would it be?

A I don’t have a tattoo but often considered getting one - Iwent as far as looking up designs with my daughter. Itwould have to be book related – maybe something to dowith The Little Prince although that’s a bit clichéd. Ivisualise something like an open book out of whichcome beautiful things… one day maybe.

■ Agnès Guyon is senior librarian for Young People’s Servicesat East Lothian Council.

New titles on

Digital Resources

Empowerment

Fake News

Historical Fiction

Policies & Planning

Teaching & Learning


Features

I am lucky to be the School Librarian at Steyning C of EPrimary School in West Sussex. As part of my role, I amfrequently tasked with the challenge of engaging ourmost reluctant readers and helping them to develop a love ofbooks.

Over the last year I have noticed that, for many of thesereaders, picture books and illustrations provide a way into thewonderful world of books. It has been fantastic to see so manyof these children ‘light up’ when they find a certain picturebook that they love, and how the quality of their discussionand understanding of a story can be transformed, just by givingthem a different type of text to explore. Equally, when we havegiven children the opportunity to come to the library to takepart in a library ‘hunt’ or trail, the library is always packed,particularly with children that do not regularly frequent thelibrary.

Pebble discovery

A few months ago, I was out walkingwith my own children in our towncentre, when one of my boys exclaimed‘Look Mummy, what’s that?’ On furtherexploration, I realised that they hadfound a painted pebble hidden in ourlocal churchyard. When we got home,we followed the instructions on theback of the pebble and found thatsomebody had started a group on Facebook, which wasencouraging members of the community to decorate a pebbleand hide it in the local community. When found, the idea is totake a photograph of you with the rock and re-hide it in a newlocation. This idea really caught my children’s imagination andvery soon, we were painting our own pebbles. Our walksaround the town got a lot more exciting as they wereconstantly on the lookout for new pebbles!

All of this got me thinking and I wondered if I could harnessthe pebble hunting enthusiasm into an idea to encourage andpromote reading for pleasure with the children in my school,particularly my reluctant readers. We therefore decided tostart a new initiative which we named ‘Reading Rocks’. InitiallyI approached some of our pupil’s favourite illustrators andasked them if they would be willing to decorate a pebble with abook character from one of their books and donate it to thelibrary. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of theseillustrators and was thrilled when the first set of pebblesarrived by post.

Hiding pebbles

Our plan was to then hide these pebbles around the school.When the children found one, they would bring it to the

library and receive a recommendation for a book fromthe illustrator who had donated the pebble. We were fortunateenough to have an author visit from Chris Riddell who, as wellas illustrating a number of pebbles for us, very kindly designeda logo of a ‘Reading Rock’ for us to use to promote the idea.My brother, who is a graphic designer,used the image to make bookmarks forthe children to get stamped when theyfound a pebble. The first week that welaunched ‘Reading Rocks’ the interestand enthusiasm in the pebbles from thechildren was fantastic. The library wasinundated with children and it waswonderful to hear them huddled incorridors, discussing the illustrators and their books with theirpeers. Going forward, we want to further tap into their interestso have decided to involve them more with the creation of thepebbles. As a whole school, we are having a focus onillustration and I am fortunate enough to have a veryenthusiastic group of pupil librarians who were keen to startdecorating their own pebbles. These students have started‘pebble workshops’ that run in the library at lunchtimes.They have selected their own illustrators and researched ‘Howto draw’ tips from them. Each week, they choose an illustratorto focus on and encourage the younger children to come to thelibrary to learn to draw a book character. They then use theirdesigns to decorate their own pebble.We are now hiding these pebblesaround the school and when found thechildren not only get a bookrecommendation and a stamp on theirbookmark, but they also get a chance tosee and hold the ‘real’ pebble fromthe illustrator.

Supporting #picturesmeanbusiness

We are over the moon with the beautiful pebbles we havereceived. Huge thanks to Chris Riddell, Liz Pichon, Elys Dolan,Danny Noble, Emily Gravett, Steve Anthony, Lydia Monks,Nick Sharratt, Jim Smith, Camille Whitcher and Guy Parker-Rees for their support and taking the time to paint and draw usbeautiful pebbles for our Reading Rocks trail. Our work onillustration supports Sarah McIntyre’s#picturesmeanbusiness campaign so weare using the hashtag as much aspossible in social media to promotethis. Sarah’s campaign highlights thebenefits of crediting illustrators fortheir work. She talks about theimportance of raising the profile ofillustrators in school through talking

Reading Rocks! Using Illustration toEncourage a Love of Reading

by Leia Sands


FeaturesSharing Ideas and InspirationA visit from a School Librarian fromStockholm, Sweden

by Emma Suffield

I was very fortunate to recently have a visit from GullaHermannsdottir, a school librarian from the InternationalEnglish School in Stockholm, at the end of February. Gulla isvery proactive in her CPD and has made many visits to otherschool libraries in Sweden; but she felt it was time to visit aschool library in another country in order to get to know moreabout the work and methods of a different school libraryculture. Therefore, Gulla applied and received a travellinggrant from the Swedish Library Association (Svenskbiblioteksförening) https://www.biblioteksforeningen.se tovisit a school library in the UK. I was over the moon that shechose to come to Saint Wilfrid’s Academy. She learned aboutour school through the SLA’s School Librarian of the Yearawards, and wanted to come and see some of the wonderful

things that we do here in the school library to promote readingfor pleasure and literacy.

After numerous email exchanges prior to her visit, Gulla hadan agenda of what she wanted to get out of her visit to helppromote reading for pleasure within her own school library.These are listed below, and I was pleased to be able to assisther with her research.

The library as a place

■ How the library is used (class visits, drop-in duringbreaks, etc)

■ Rules/opening hours ■ Library layout/shelving system/displays

about illustrations and inviting illustrators into school to meetthe children. We have found that through doing this ourchildren are more inspired to draw, create and write stories,and more interested in reading a wider range of differentbooks. This has helped us to further develop a culture ofReading for Pleasure in our school. For more informationabout the #picturesmeanbusiness campaign, please visit thewebsite http://www.picturesmeanbusiness.com/

Whole School Initiative

As a whole school we are continuing to use illustration as apowerful and important way to promote reading for pleasure.The wonderful creator of children’s books, Elys Dolan, hasrecently agreed to become our Patron of Illustration. She isworking with us over a year to promote a love of reading andbooks through illustration. She recently visited us and ranworkshops across the school encouraging the children to enterher first competition to ‘design a book character’. Over theyear, Elys will be setting further illustration challenges to theschool and the hope is that the children will engage in all ofthem. They will then be able to create their own book by theend of the year. We are in discussions with our localindependent book shop about the possibility of them ‘selling’the books for us.

Alongside this we have been paired with Camille Whitcher,author/illustrator of Luna and the Moon Rabbit via Kate’sScott’s @Bookpenpal scheme on Twitter. This is afantastic arrangement, where schools are paired with anauthor/illustrator who recommends books for the children toread. Every month, the Pupil Librarians look forward toreceiving a picture book recommendation from Camille. They

then share the recommended book withthe younger children in the school beforereplying to Camille, sharing theirthoughts about the books and theillustrations within them.

We are also trying to introduce ourpupils to illustrators and new booksthrough our Badges for Books scheme. After discussion withsome of our Pupil Librarians about ways to raise funds formuch needed new book stock, we came up with this idea. ThePupil Librarians have written to some children’s bookillustrators asking them if they would be willing to provide uswith a small image that we could make into pin badges. Wesell these badges in the school library and all profit goestowards books for the library. I am hugely grateful to theillustrators/authors Emily Gravett, Viviane Schwarz, BeckyCameron, Camille Whitcher and Rikin Parekh for providing uswith illustrations to be used to make pin badges with. It hasbeen fantastic to see the children so excited by these andbecome increasingly interested in new books and illustrators.

Please feel free to follow us on Twitter where we will provide‘pebble updates’ and information about all of the excitingdevelopments in our school library. We areSPSLibrary@SPS_lovetoread.

And if there are any other illustrators who would be willing todonate a pebble or badge design to us, we would be incrediblygrateful as we want to keep the children’s interest andenthusiasm sustained for as long as possible by providing themwith the opportunity to discover new illustrators’ books.

■ Leia Sands is School Librarian at Steyning Primary Schoolin Sussex.

8


Features■ Late/lost books and reminders■ Website/social media

■ Budget/resources ■ Selecting books to buy/reading hours (as in when we read

the literature we work with) ■ Other roles the librarian has in school (teaching/admin

for example)

The library as a function

■ Collaboration with teachers/support from management ■ Book talks ■ Reluctant readers ■ Information literacy ■ Special needs students (reading disorders for example) ■ Inclusiveness ■ Events/clubs/activities■ Library council/library helpers ■ Parent outreach ■ Collaboration with local libraries ■ School library culture in our respective countries

Monday

After a weekend of sightseeing in Manchester, Gulla arrived onthe Monday morning. I do not know who felt more excited:her, the student librarians, or me! The student librarians werepanicking slightly at first because they couldn’t speak a word ofSwedish but, after they were reassured, they couldn’t wait tomeet her. Gulla had a lovely first day having a tour of theAcademy and talking to students during lunchtime to see whatthey liked about reading. She took in the vibrant and very busylibrary. We have been reading They Saw Too Much by AlanGibbons in Year 8 and 9 book club and Gulla was having aquick read of this book during the afternoon so she could joinin with the discussion; the book club students were over themoon that she could join us and be able to participate. Afterbook club, Gulla visited the public library in Blackburn centreto see what services public libraries provide in the UK.

Tuesday

During her visit on Tuesday, we talked lots about how myschool library operates. Showing Gulla all the wonderful thingswe do in the school library really helped me to reflect on thelast five years, what has been achieved and, more importantly,

how she could implement some of these activities in herlibrary. Hopefully she will be able to get management on boardwith her new initiatives as she can demonstrate that theseideas can be effective and bring about wide-ranging and highlypositive impact. Gulla also took numerous pictures of thelibrary and displays to use in her report about her visit to SaintWilfrid’s, as well as to take back to her school. I know that I amvery lucky to have a large library (seats 160 and I have 36computers) compared to others, and that the space isadaptable and convenient. Gulla did mention that her librarywas smaller, but she is able to make most of the space by beinginnovative and creative. During the afternoon, Gulla visitedthe Harris library in Preston city centre to see the service theyprovide within the museum and art gallery.

I arranged for two other local librarians – Valerie Dewhurstfrom QEGS Blackburn, and Fiona Fahalin from Smithills HighSchool, Bolton, to join Gulla and me for a meal out after work.It was obviously all school library talk but it was reallybeneficial for us to share ideas and for Gulla to hear how someother school librarians operate; our united goal is the same,but we all get there in a different way. It was a fabulous funevening and we laughed a lot which is always lovely after a dayat work and I know Gulla is also now in contact with bothValerie and Fiona.

Wednesday

Gulla is a big fan of graphic novels and it was lovely that shecould join the Excelsior award club that I run on a Wednesdayafter school. The students were very passionate talking aboutthe shortlist and we completed the JABBICA (Judge A Book ByIts Cover) competition. As Gulla had not seen the shortlistedtitles before, it was lovely to have her input and hear aboutwhich graphic novels she likes, and the students were reallyengaged by her discussion. Gulla also recommended someManga and graphic novels for my library; this was met withenthusiasm by the members of the Excelsior Award club.

Thursday

During Gulla’s visit we were very fortunate to have authorTom Palmer visit the Academy to work with our KS3 studentson the Thursday. Tom has visited numerous schools inSweden as a lot of his books have been translated into Swedish;it was great for Gulla to be at Saint Wilfrid’s during his visitand it was equally great for Tom as he had not had thepleasure of visiting IES Stockholm, but this may be on thecards for his next trip. Tom managed to persuade me to act asgoalkeeper in the library trying to save the penalties from

8


Features

As a librarian who works with schools I constantly have to finddifferent ways to engage teachers. Whether it is letting themknow about a new resource, informing them of a new initiativeor offering support for students’ research skills. I have triedeverything; emails, social media, newsletters, phoning - butnothing seems to engage everyone.

Why is it that teachers will ignore an email about free newresources or not reply to a phone message? I have even triedthe personal touch, catching them in the corridor or talking tothem in the staff room which has had little impact.

Not every teacher ignores me this way but certainly not everyteacher knows what I can do for them. I would really like tofind a way of making sure that all staff know what is on offerfrom their school librarian even if they choose not to workwith them and my biggest concern is that there are teachersout there who really don’t know how to access their librarianeven if they have one.

Some schools will invite Guernsey SLS to present at theirINSET days or in staff meetings. When this happens, teachersare interested and surprised to hear all we can do, and thesesessions lead to the librarian being inundated with requeststhat are almost impossible to fulfil. It seems to be all ornothing, but once the excitement dies down or teacherschange we have to start all over again.

I often write about it being important for schools to embedinformation literacy and the use of the library and librarian atpolicy level but in order to do this our senior leaders need toknow and understand what we offer. Lance & Kachel in WhySchool Librarians Matter: What Years of Research Tell Us (2018)mention several studies which show that schools who employprofessional librarians see improved academic attainment butthese studies don’t seem to make a difference to the schools Iwork with. I began to wonder if I could find examples of schoollibrarians being recognised by their schools and whetherdemonstrating what others were doing might have moreimpact.

I sent a request on twitter and to SLN (School LibraryNetwork), a group of school librarians who share ideas andbest practice, in order to see if I could find some positivefeedback.

I had some very interesting responses, the majority fromsecondary schools. I have only focused on state schoollibrarians as I wanted to show that great libraries are possiblein non-private schools. Even in times of reduced budgets Iknow there are still schools that are making decisions wherethe library is seen as a valuable resource that needs staff andfunding to make a difference to their students. I am delightedto say that I did find some.

Breaking News!Look What Happens whenTeachers Work with the SchoolLibrarian

by Elizabeth Hutchinson

students when they got answers right in his quiz! It wasvery entertaining; I wasn’t as bad as I thought I would beand I was over the moon to see Gulla having a really goodtime.

Before she left on the Thursday afternoon, Gulla hadlunch with Tom Palmer, my line manager, and the studentlibrarians who presented her with a goodie bag of booksand Saint Wilfrid’s souvenirs to take back to her studentsand her school library. It was a wonderful way to end hervisit, we were all sad to see her leave as her presence in thelibrary was just lovely.

Two Way Benefits

Having Gulla visit was really beneficial to both of us as shealso had some strategies that she wanted to share with meand it is very pleasing that I can implement these into myschool library. She suggested that students have badges forclubs in the LRC as she noticed the student librarians havebadges for their blazers, and many students have badgesfor music clubs and sports clubs – why not have badgesfor literacy clubs which I host in the library? This issomething I am already looking into for the next academicyear. Gulla showed me some images and the website of apublic library in Stockholm near her school that only letschildren into the children’s library, no adults are allowed!It looks fabulous and I wish I was young enough to visit! Ireally want to implement visits to our local libraries againfor our students as we have many in the area andBlackburn Central Library is a 10–15 minute walk fromthe Academy – this is something else that I want to lookinto for some of our students – especially those inAdditional Support as a fun activity for them.

I am so grateful to Gulla for travelling all the way fromStockholm to visit Saint Wilfrid’s; I certainly learnt a lotand hope that she did too. Having someone visit yourschool library, love it and be so complimentary is just sorewarding and makes everything worthwhile. Advocatingis so important for school libraries and being able to dothis internationally is remarkable for the profession. Iknow I have a made a friend as well as another schoollibrary colleague in Gulla and who knows, I may get tovisit her school library one day…

■ Emma Suffield is School Librarian of the Year 2018 andLibrarian at Saint Wilfrid’s CofE Academy, Blackburn.@emmasuffield @stwLRC


FeaturesThese school librariansare working hard atcollaborating withteachers, supportingtheir students andachieving great things,and I wanted to knowhow they wereachieving so much.Were they recognisedby their SLT from thestart or did they dosomething to changethe hearts and minds

of the schools they work in?

In order to pull all of this together I have linked responses toquestions and then given some examples of good practiceshared by these librarians.

Are you Head of Department and invited toHoD meetings?

This question raised some interesting answers. Only tworesponded that they were recognised as HoD in the traditionalsense:

“I am very fortunate to be recognised as HoD. Much of this isbecause I had the most amazing predecessor who, with herline manager, built up the role and recognition of the librarianas a professional member of staff”.

“I am considered the Head of the Library”.

The others seemed to have been given the title or tookresponsibilities without the pay:

“I am treated like a department head. I do improvement planand control budget”.

“I don’t attend HoD meetings but if I wanted to raisesomething I could”.

“I am very much HoD when it comes to events like openevening, etc!”

“I am in charge of my budget but not classed as HoD. I havenever been invited to HoD meeting”.

“I have the title of HoD but sadly not the pay. I used to attendHoD meetings but they are always after school which meantusing up at least an hour of my own time. As I was only able tocontribute occasionally, I stopped attending and now get theminutes instead”.

If librarians are not treated as Head of Departments then Iwondered how they were perceived by the Senior Leadershipteams and teachers.

How are you perceived by SLT and teachers?

Many school librarians say that their main problem for notbeing able to collaborate is the lack of understanding from theSenior Leadership Team and teachers. Some of the responsesto this question felt very familiar:

“Some teachers are amazing and it is proper collaboration.With others it’s like pulling teeth and if left to just rememberthey never show”.

“Really the English teachers are great and positive aboutanything I propose. Relationships with other departments are

not as good. Ithink they valueme because I doclassroom work (Iam a coverteacher). I have agood relationshipwith the ITteacher. I have agood relationshipwith seniormanagement. My line manager is the Head and the threedeputies are all great”.

“I am lucky here as both I and the library are valued by SLTand by staff. I am not considered a member of teaching staff,but I still do feel valued by the school. Staff are fully behind mein most of the initiatives, promotions, competitions I do and Ioften collaborate with departments. I always feel encouraged,rather than dismissed, to consider new ideas and ways ofenhancing our students learning and well-being”.

“I do liaise with English very closely but getting otherdepartments on board can be difficult”.

However I was pleased to have some very positive responseswhere the school librarian is creating policies and making areal role for themselves across the school:

“I mostly feel recognised and appreciated by teaching staff, andam quite often the ‘go to’ person for ideas on new books,research topics and lesson plan ideas”.

“I have been the school literacy lead, written the Reading forPleasure policy and now organise DEAR time”.

“Despite the many frustrations of being a lone Librarian, I canhonestly say that I am recognised by staff. I have worked withSLT and the Head of English on many projects over the years. Iwas recently given the role of literacy lead for the wholeschool. Within this role I have written and implemented aWhole School Reading for Pleasure policy”.

“I’ve been treated as part of the teaching staff from day one, inthat I was added to the ‘teaching staff’ email list. A small thingbut it made a big difference in keeping up on things andboosted my confidence from the start. I was introduced on myfirst day in front of the entire school by the Headteacher astheir new librarian. I didn’t realise it at the time but my LineManager was doing her best to ensure I was taken seriouslyand it worked. My current Line Manager is really amazing and[in a recent merger] I was named Head of Readingdevelopment. I need to produce a Library Improvement Planthat spans over two years and reflect back on my previous onesto ensure I have fulfilled those duties. I also have to present tothe Governors every year on what the library has achieved andwhat I want to do in the future”.

Do you get invited to curriculum meetings andINSET days?

I was interested to hear how involved the librarians were in thecurriculum and INSET. I was not surprised to read that someof them were never invited to these meetings and for some theonus was on the librarian to ask if they could attend:

“I have never been invited to a curriculum meeting but when Irevamped my nonfiction area into a revision section I did get

Elizabeth Hutchinson


Featuresteachers involved the best I could as it would have a hugeimpact on the resources available to their students”.

“I am support staff and INSET reflects this. However I havenever been prevented from attending any sessions I want toget involved with but the onus is very much on me rather thanbeing automatically included. I am not involved in curriculumplanning or mapping and I do have to regularly ask to beupdated”.

Others however were very much more involved than I couldever imagine:

“I am involved with INSET days – sometimes even running asession. Curriculum meetings less so but I am also notuninvited”.

“I attend teacher CPD sessions and INSET days so I am awareof whole school priorities and policies”.

“Last week I delivered a Teaching and Learning session to allstaff focused on the importance of vocabulary, talking in detailabout how to teach new words to students, and the MatthewEffect and how we can address it”.

“I am invited to Subject Leader meetings a few times a year. Iuse this as an opportunity to promote the library’s services andto ensure our non-fiction collection is what the subject leaderswant. This is a great way to introduce myself to staff and letthem know the library is an important asset”.

“I deliver INSET training; advise on resources for curriculum,class collections and literacy events such as books weeks orauthor celebrations”.

Are you teaching information literacy acrossthe school? If so can you tell me briefly whatyou are doing?

Many school librarians talk about their role in promotingliteracy but I believe that a school librarian’s role is very muchin teaching research skills so I wanted to know what librarianswere doing in their schools. Some seemed very traditionalworking via the English departments, and I was pleased to hearthat many had timetabled sessions for Years 7 and 8:

“Lessons timetabled via English and linked to research topics.Structured research skills lessons”.

“I lead library lessons and team teach with English teachers”.

“I have a programme of study for year 7 and most of year 8. Thelessons are an hour long and combine reading and informationliteracy. The teachers completely let me do what I want to do,although obviously I circulate the plan beforehand”.

Others however were managing to do substantially more:

“For IL I use Google Classroom and upload my tasks to thisarea. Pupils work through the tasks during library lessons,these are my own teaching timetabled groups (18 groups overa 2 weeks period). I also do research skills for EPQ , againthrough Google Classroom. All teaching staff now use GoogleClassroom so I request the subject code in order to see what’sbeing set”.

“I run sessions for A Level teachers on research and citationlinked closely to their current topic”.

“I assist in research lessons. I am heavily involved with bothHPQ and EPQ, although I don’t lead it. I see Year 7 for theirlibrary induction and again in a Science lesson I cover non-fiction and an extremely basic introduction to research skills”.

“I have taken over the management of library lessons in orderto make sure all were of good standard and covering similarbackground. My predecessor introduced the library lessonsprogress including termly reports. I have further developedthis process with the support of the Head of English and myLine Manager”.

“I teach research and referencing but it took a while to beinvited to do so. I think the turning point was when I got toknow the teacher in charge of EPQ which demands that time isgiven to teaching students these skills. She had a hugeworkload and was glad someone else was willing to participate.I regularly teach referencing to A Level History and Geographystudents and also Year 10 philosophy”.

Do you have any ideas to share to help schoollibrarians ensure that they collaborate withteachers?

I wanted to give these librarians a platform to help others who,reading this, will be saying how did they manage this?

“The way to get recognised/collaborate with teachers is tooffer as much help as possible. To make the library and itsresources indispensable to them and to build personalrelationships. I often send out resources which I think may beuseful and let staff know of new books, websites, etc. It helpsthat I got myself included in the ‘All Teaching Staff’ emailaddress book so I know what is going on and I am the personto speak to about booking ICT rooms and laptops”.

“I think for me the key has been to build strong relationshipswith teaching staff, help them whenever I can, ask them torecommend resources and offer quiet space after schoolwhenever practical”.

“You have to shout about what you are capable of. Createsome guides to research, or a leaflet about referencing, ormake a presentation, or ask to do an INSET day. My advice toa new librarian would be that it can be a long haul in gettingyour expertise acknowledged but you have to keep pluggingaway. If you do a good job, teachers will spread the wordamongst themselves”.

“I have promoted the library services heavily and involve staffwhenever I can. I work hard to make sure the staff know whatservices the library can provide”.

Conclusion

This short sample clearly shows that librarians who arerecognised as Head of Department and part of the teachingteam are able to support teachers and students more. Thosewho are not immediately recognised as Head of theirDepartment or teaching staff have to work extremely hard toensure that their role is acknowledged. When they arerecognised, the amount that can be achieved is notable. Thewinners are the students and the teachers but without theunderstanding of the Senior Leadership Team the role of thelibrarian continues to be a struggle but not impossible. It takesan exceptionally passionate librarian to keep trying when theodds seem to be stacked against you, but the rewards areworth it when you begin to see change and collaboration beginto happen.

■ Elizabeth Hutchinson is Head of Schools’ Library Service,Guernsey. (This article was first published as a bloghttps://www.elizabethahutchinson.com/)


FeaturesCreating a Primary SchoolReading CultureAt Dogmersfield School

by Barbara Band

A study undertaken by the Open University showed that whilstteachers knew their pupils’ reading levels, very few knew aboutthe children’s preferences as readers, or what their favouritegenres or authors were. It also highlighted a lack of knowledgeabout children’s books so that teachers were limited in whatthey were recommending and making some gender-basedassumptions about pupils’ preferences.

As a result, an OU/UKLA project was instigated to establishTeachers as Readers (TaR) groups whereby participants coulddiscover and share contemporary children’s books, enrichingtheir understanding of reading for pleasure (RfP) andexploring how to support this in the classroom. Originally 25schools were involved; this year there are around 80 groupsrunning across the UK and I have been co-leading one suchgroup with Dot Patton, Headteacher at Dogmersfield C. E.(Aided) Primary School in Hampshire.

The school is in a rural location with approximately 120 pupilsin Reception through to Year 6. The TaR meetings are heldevery half-term, with Dot and myself getting together a coupleof weeks beforehand to discuss their structure and activities,and it was obvious, both from evidence around the school andfrom talking to Dot, that there is an active reading culture inthe school so I interviewed her to discover more.

First step – refurbishing the library

Dot has been Headteacher at theschool for almost three years andthe library was very differentwhen she arrived. Unlike in manyprimary schools, it is housed in aseparate room and one of herfirst tasks was to refurbish it asshe wanted a space that wasbright and inviting, where bookscould be displayed so they were

accessible to the children. The shelving is at a suitable height,it is fun and interesting, and there are tables and chairsallowing small groups to work in the library.

All classes have library time each week where they are able tobrowse and borrow books. Older children can self-issue whilstthe younger ones are given help if needed. There is a team often Year 5 pupil librarians who have toapply for the position if they’reinterested. They are interviewed and, ifgiven the role, have one lunchtimeeach week in the library where they areresponsible for tidying the shelves,putting books away and helping otherpupils. Book reviews written by thepupils poke out of pages encouragingothers to investigate further.

Stocking the Library

Maintaining up-to-date and relevant stock is always achallenge. If a library is well-used and popular, books soonbecome worn and tatty, curriculum topics change and booksgo out-of-date. Dot subscribes to the Hampshire SchoolLibrary Service and recognises their value-for-money,regularly changing books with them. Like many teachers andlibrarians, when she has read something herself, she puts itinto the library or loans it to a particular child. The school alsobuy books on a regular basis from a local bookseller, P & GWells in Winchester, and they run a book sale each year givingcommission which they spend on library resources.

Dot’s office has well-stocked shelves. These contain some ofher favourite books as well as a range of books for pastoral useand emotional support. Staff can borrow them at any time.There is also a collection of books that she uses on a regularbasis to read to the children – Friday afternoon atDogmersfield School is ‘Storytime with Mrs Patton’ with KS1and KS 2 alternating each week. The younger children enjoypicture books whilst the older ones are treated to a reading ofsomething a bit different, perhaps a proof copy or newly-published title. It is clear from the way Dot talks about thisactivity that it is one of her favourite times of the week; anyonewho has read to children knows how satisfying it is, especiallywhen they clamour to borrow the book afterwards.

Regular activities

The school organises regular activities throughout the week.Monday lunchtime is KS2 story club which currently hasaround twelve regular pupils attending. On Friday, afterschool, parents are invited in with their children to listen to a


Featuresstory and exchange books; those that come tend to be youngerpupils in KS1. The library is also open for general use atlunchtime and, as Dot says, can get very busy on a cold day!There is a Book Week during which World Book Day iscelebrated, author visits and this year, the school are planningtheir own mini ‘Hay-On-Wye’ style book festival. A largegroup of volunteers help out with reading activities includingparents, grandparents and men from the local Lion’s Club; thelast group are particularly important when it comes to havingmale reading role models.

Engaging Parents

In addition to invitingparents into the school, Dotsends out a half-termly‘Book Corner’ newsletter –this is a six-page documentwhere a wide range of booksare recommended. The lastissue included a revisit tothe classics, an explorationof non-fiction linked toanimal evolution, KS1 andKS2 fiction as well as adultbook recommendations. Thereviews are written by pupilsand staff, and there is also

some sort of book-related activity or competition. Althoughproducing this is quite time-consuming, its effectiveness isshown by the fact that the books featured are alwaysborrowed and have long reservation lists; a clear indicationthat parents and children are keen to find out more aboutwhat’s available. In addition to the ‘Book Corner.’ a weeklynewsletter is emailed to parents with furtherrecommendations. Other ways the school reaches out toparents is via their Twitter feed @DogmersfieldSch, andthrough reading evenings where they discuss the importanceof reading and how parents can help.

Engaging Staff

Like many other primary schools, the school librarian atDogmersfield School has a dual role so is also an officeadministrator. For small schools, budgets do not stretch tofull-time librarians which is where the expertise and services ofprofessional librarians at the SLS come into force and are soimportant. However, it is easy to see that all staff are on-boardwith the school reading ethos. Posters adorn every classroomdoor announcing not only what they are currently reading butalso what they have read this year. There are displays linked tobooks around the school. Friday staff meetings include a timeto talk about and recommend books, and many of the staff

attend the TaR meetings as well. They enthusiastically talkabout and share books, which impacts on the readingbehaviour and attitude of the pupils, generating a ‘readingbuzz’ throughout the whole school.

Why the Library?

It is generally acceptedthat many schools arestruggling financially andhave to make difficultdecisions regarding whatto spend their money on.Many of the activitiescarried out at the schoolrequire time and effortrather than funds, and can easily be replicated. However,refurbishing a library and keeping it well-stocked needs afinancial commitment so I asked Dot why she felt this wasimportant. Her answer? ‘Reading is one of the most importantthings. If you don’t have that then you’re a bit lost really.’

Being involved in the TaR group has been interesting. Acouple of other librarians attend plus staff from the HampshireSchool Library Service but the majority are primary teachers,most tasked with being English-lead or literacy co-ordinator,and to start with it was clear that their knowledge of children’sbooks and authors was limited so it has been great to be able toshare my knowledge as a librarian and recommend some of thefantastic books available. As the TaR groups have developed,they have populated the OU website with examples of projects– a quick look will show you that many of these are activitiesalready being carried out by school librarians. If you do have alocal group and can get involved then my advice would be togive it a go; it’s one way school librarians can promote what wedo via collaboration with teaching colleagues – and whodoesn’t like talking about books?

■ Barbara Band is Features Editor of The School Librarian.

Issue 6 Dogmersfield Primary School

Classics

As a parent you always look for-ward to a time when you can share the books that you enjoyed in your own childhood with your own children. Although, sometimes you can be disappointed by the fact that your children didn’t love the

book as much as you did! Even though there are so many new books out to tempt us, it is always worth re-visiting old books.

My earliest memories of being read to are from my Mum and Dad read-ing me Beatrix Potter, particularly ‘Appley Dapply’ Nursery Rhymes. My Grandma also read me lots of poems from ‘The House at Pooh Corner’. As I learnt to read myself I remember saving my pocket money to buy a new Mr Men book each week (before the days of ‘Little Miss, or I would be buying ‘Little Miss Dotty’!). I loved the brightly coloured illustrations. At school I was read ‘A very Hungry Caterpillar’ and in Year 3 (which was Junior 1 then) I remember being read ‘Stig of the Dump’. At home I

very quickly started to enjoy anything by Enid Blyton and loved all of the ‘Secret Seven’, fol-lowed by the ‘Famous Five’ and then the ‘Malory Towers’ and ‘Twins of St Clare’s’ books.

My favourite book was ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and I remember buying it from our children’s book magazine at school and then being completely inspired by this story of four children discovering another world. My Mum also read me lots of E Nesbit books.

Roald Dahl books were also a part of my experience of children’s fiction and at university I read ‘The BFG’ for the first time,. I have read it many, many times since to different classes of children over the years.

New children’s fiction is constantly brought out and lots of this is extremely high quality. I would still recommend that we dip into the classics with our children and share our own reading journeys with them. Even though they might not agree with our choices, you will get an interesting discussion out of why you like the book so much and why they don’t.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Non-Fiction books with a theme of evolution .................. 2

Key Stage 1 books .................... 3

Key Stage 2 books ................... 4

Adult Book Review .................. 4

More Reviews .......................... 5

Competition ............................ 6

World Book Day: Stories to Share

One of the themes of World Book Day is ‘Stories to Share’ which is all about the power of sharing stories together. On the World Book Day website there are lots of stories to share, linked to each age group. https://www.worldbookday.com/ideas/100-stories-to-share/picture-books/

https://www.worldbookday.com/ideas/100-stories-to-share/age-5-8/

https://www.worldbookday.com/ideas/100-stories-to-share/age-9-12/

All three lists contain recommendations for new books and also some classics.


Features

Figure 1

Like all school librarians, I strive to secure the best possiblefuture for my school’s library. I do this because I believe thatan education in which the library does not feature centrally isimpoverished.

Since joining Oakham School in September 2008 as Head ofLibrary and Information Services, I have weathered a changeof Headmaster, Senior Deputy Head, Director of Studies whothen became Deputy Head (Academic), Director of Teachingand Learning, Head of Upper School (x2), Head of MiddleSchool, Head of Lower School, Bursar (x2), and Chair ofTrustees (x2). This is not uncommon in a school of our size.

Come September 2019, I will need to weather a change inHeadmaster, Senior Deputy Head, and Director of Teachingand Learning at the same time. This is an extraordinarycoincidence.

Now while I have done, perhaps, as much as any otherlibrarian to strengthen my library, it remains at some risk,because unlike any other Head of Department in the School,whether Teaching or Support, every change in SeniorLeadership requires me to explain, again, who we are and whatexactly it is that we do. For as long as this lack ofunderstanding endures, it is arguably only a matter of timebefore we face a perfect storm, and whilst the library wouldalmost certainly survive, it would do so only as a shadow of itstrue self.

This struggle is a shared struggle and this is the story of mystruggle to build a school library that is integral and notperipheral, or worse, unnecessary, to education.

Oakham School offersthe InternationalBaccalaureate DiplomaProgramme, which itintroduced in 2001alongside A levels, andwill soon also offer the

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme leadingto GCSEs. This presents a unique perspective on andexperience of two conflicting educational paradigms, whichSeymour Papert contrasts in figure 1.

It is difficult to imagine anybody seriously disagreeing withPapert on this. And yet the first, and dominant, educationalparadigm is geared toward teaching children all they need toknow for an exam, to the extent that effectively positioningthem where they can find what they need to know when theyneed to know it is practically impossible. The consequence ofthis for the school library is grave because this paradigm,which Papert terms instructionism, is indifferent, if notactually hostile, to the school library. The good news is that theinadequacy of this paradigm in preparing children for theirfuture is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, and thesecond paradigm, which is rooted in constructivism andgaining ground, is dependent on the school library. This isboth an opportunity and a challenge for school librarians, andis reflected in the tension between learning at school andlearning at university (see Figure 2, Secker & Coonan, 2011).

While the International Baccalaureate continuum of educationfor 3–19-year-olds is not the only alternative to the firstparadigm, it is instructive, largely because it has been part ofthe global conversation about the future of education since itsfoundation in 1968.1 Central to the IB’s approach to educationis learning through independent inquiry. Inquiry is moreexpansive than research and so requires expertise beyondresearch methods, which, in turn, requires training in themany ways of creating conditions for inquiry, both within andbeyond the classroom. Fundamental to inquiry are a numberof literacies, one of which is information literacy – see figure 3,which highlights the overlap between the Information LiteracyLandscape (Secker & Coonan, 2011) and Ideal libraries: aguide for schools (IBO, 2018).

Enabling Students to Learn byFinding Out for Themselves Our Journey from FOSIL to the FOSIL Group

by Darryl Toerien

Figure 2

Figure 3


Features

Furthermore, because effective learning through inquiryrequires professional collaboration between teacher andlibrarian, growth in the number of schools offering one ormore IB Programmes2 is both an opportunity for librarians inschools to redefine themselves professionally, and a challengeto do so. Additionally, a continuum of inquiry-based educationthat stretches from age 3–19 will develop students who arebetter equipped for life and learning beyond school thanstudents who are merely the product of instructionism.

Since 2011 we have also been drawing on the work ofcolleagues in the United States, specifically Barbara Stripling(2011) and Carol Kuhlthau (2015), resulting in a FrameworkOf Skills for Inquiry Learning (FOSIL), which is both a modelof the inquiry process as well as an underlying progression ofinquiry skills (see figure 4).

As FOSIL evolves, mainly due to our deepening understandingof inquiry but also the on-going work of transplanting it fromforeign soil, so it becomes an increasingly powerful tool forenabling inquiry, whether controlled, guided or open.Immediately, this made the Library integral to the DiplomaProgramme Extended Essay and also transformed delivery ofand support for the Extended Essay. This, in turn and morebroadly, laid the foundation for the Middle Years Programme,and is bringing about a more inquiry-based approach evenwithin GCSE and A level subjects.

As I have shared our journey, we have been joined along theway by colleagues from 76 schools who are heading in a similardirection (see table 1). These schools are mostly in England,although a number are from further afield (like Japan, NewZealand and Kenya), and are a mix of state (33%), independent(61%) and other (6%), and include librarians and/or Directorsof Studies (or equivalent) and/or other members of SeniorLeadership, including Heads.

Some of these schools have adopted FOSIL, some have adapted FOSIL, and some have used FOSIL tocomplement and/or supplement their own work on inquiry

and/or information literacy. To build and support this growingcommunity, we have recently created a FOSIL Group website,which will develop our collective understanding of learningthrough inquiry, provide resources to support learningthrough inquiry, and facilitate collaboration on designing andsupporting learning through inquiry. Please have a look foryourself and tell us what you think at www.fosil.org.uk

The purpose of the FOSIL Group is to bring about a reality inwhich ‘it is not the library that “supports” the classroom… butthe classroom that leads (or should lead) inevitably andessentially to the library’ (Beswick, 1967), and which is theconsequence of teachers and librarians collaborating toposition students where they can find what they need to knowwhen they need to know it.

Only this reality will secure the best possible future for myschool’s library. What will secure the future of yours?

References

1 In evaluating the case for offering the Middle YearsProgramme we identified the following influential voices inthis global conversation: Association of American Colleges &Universities (1915); Harvard Graduate School of Education |Global Education Innovation Initiative (1920); UnitedNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(1946); Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (1961); International Baccalaureate (1968);World Economic Forum (1971); P21 - Partnership for 21stCentury Learning (2002).

2 The number of IB schools has more than doubled in the lastdecade, and there are currently 4,942 schools around theworld offering the Primary Years Programme, Middle YearsProgramme, Diploma Programme and/or Careers-relatedProgramme, of which 2,275 are private schools and 2,667 arestate schools; of these, there are currently 143 schools in theUK offering one or more the IB programmes, of which 62 arestate and 81 are independent and international schools(Barnes, 2019).

Bibliography

Barnes, J. (Ed.). (2019, January). IB World Schools Yearbook2019. Retrieved from John Catt Bookshop:https://cloud.3dissue.com/2389/3124/6925/IB2019/index.html

Beswick, N. (1967). The ‘Library College’ – the ‘TrueUniversity’? The Library Association Record, 198-202.

IBO. (2018). Ideal libraries: a guide for schools. Cardiff:International Baccalaureate Organisation (UK) Ltd.

Kuhlthau, C. C. (2015). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21stCentury (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Secker, J., & Coonan, E. (2011, November 1). Supportingundergraduates of the future: developing a new curriculum forinformation literacy. Retrieved from NetworkEd2011 :https://www.slideshare.net/seckerj/networked2011-9978692

Small, R., Arnone, M. P., Stripling, B. K., & Berger, P. (2011).Teaching for Inquiry: Engaging the Learner Within. New York:Neal-Schuman.

■ Darryl Toerien is Head of Library and Archives at OakhamSchool, Rutland.

Figure 4

Table 1


Features

Introduction:

Most rural schools in Zimbabwe were built way back in theearly 1940s. Katsande Primary School in rural Mudzi District isno exception; it first started as a grass thatched school. Today,despite having structures of the 1940s, it remains one of themost successful schools with strong buildings and is fullyelectrified. However, in order to strive and produce goodresults, rural schools need to establish and develop theirLibraries so as to support the teaching and learning process.

It was the desire to have adequate books and a well furnishedlibrary, and thus be a shining beacon of Mudzi District, thatmotivated the school authorities at Katsande Primary to agreeto host the School Librarians’ Workshop on 23 November2018. In all, ten schools each represented by two participantscame in full force to take part in this first ever SchoolLibrarians’ Workshop.

Packaging Boxes and the Journey to KatsandeSchool

Preparation for the journey started in earnest on 22 Novemberwith the arrangement of transport logistics. A total of 34 boxespacked with 3,229 books needed to be loaded on the eve of thejourney to Katsande. With three volunteers, Ms Chidembo,young Shingai Tokwe and the driver, we drove toDomboshava, a distance of 30 kilometres from Harare. All theboxes were loaded into a Hiace Toyota Cab and this took usone and half hours.

Early Friday morning around 5.00 a.m. we took off to KatsandePrimary School. The school is located more than 300km fromHarare off the Nyamapanda Highway. Along the way we

passed through Murehwa andMutoko Centre, now growing to be athriving town with many businesses,supermarkets and financialinstitutions. We took a few minutesbreak to buy some food andrefreshments. Zimbabwe is in themiddle of a heat wave but we werefortunate that the heavens hadopened and we enjoyed drizzly wetweather on our way. Passing throughvillages we observed that the fieldswere still barren, although a fewvillagers were beginning to ploughtheir fields. Occasionally villagerswould run alongside us with platefulsof mango fruit, tomatoes and onions urging us to buy theircheap produce.

School Librarians’ Workshop

The School Librarians’ Workshop started with a prayerfollowed by the singing of the National Anthem. In attendancewere ten schools including: Katsande Primary; KatsandeSecondary; Makaha Primary School; Makaha SecondarySchool; Nyarutepo Primary School; Nyakuchena PrimarySchool; Nyakuchena Secondary School; and MavhuraziPrimary School. The Katsande School Head, Mr Nyamupira,gave a Welcome Speech in which he gave details about theSchool enrolment and introduced the SDC Chairperson andTreasurer as well a few members of staff. He expressedgratitude towards the District Schools Inspector for grantingpermission for the Workshop to be held at Katsande PrimarySchool and thanked all the Schools who had made it to theWorkshop. He briefly gave statistics on the School enrolmentand progress made at the School, particularly theestablishment of thelibrary computerlaboratory.

Ms F Chidembo,standing in on behalfof Dr Chidembo,gave a backgroundpresentation on theorigin of ‘AussieBooks for Zim’. She

Towards Rural School LibrariesDevelopmentSchool Librarians’ Workshop and BookPresentation Ceremony at Katsande PrimarySchool in Mudzi District, Zimbabwe

by Hosea Tokwe

Katsande School Children on morning Assemblycheering the arrival of Books

Katsande School Head gives an OpeningSpeech during School Librarians Workshop

Volunteer Shingai Tokweloading books bound forKatsande School


Features

said Dr Chidembo had his first experience of books and aLibrary at Victoria Primary in Masvingo. This ignited his lovefor books and reading, and transformed him into an avidreader resulting in him excelling in his studies up to Universityeducation culminating in him achieving a Doctorate. Thatpassion for reading finally led him to plough back into thecommunity that nurtured him, hence the birth of ‘AussieBooks for Zim’ – a Not-For-Profit Organization which to thisday has collected over 30,000 books from Australia, manymaking their way to Zimbabwe.

Mr Tokwe from Midlands State University Library spokeabout value and importance of School Libraries. He stated thatSchool Libraries are the lifeblood of the School as they providematerial resources and space that have a huge positive effecton teaching and learning. He went on further to say that aSchool Library is a place where young children, often for thefirst time, are exposed to so many books that open their mindsto the world around them and also noted that when pupils andstudents get exposed to books, they ask questions, their mindsracing to make connections; this is because now they have anopportunity to read more books. With a school librarian theyhave someone who can suggest, lead, persuade and inspirethem to expand their minds with books. He emphasised thepoint that the purpose of a School is to support qualityeducation and to create a meaningful learning and teachingenvironment.

Mr Mukucha, the Acting Director of National Free Library,then gave two presentations, speaking in detail why it isimportant to establish and administer a School Library and thework that is involved. He gave examples of how libraries hadbeen established in rural Matebeleland. He said when booksare acquired, the first thing is to acknowledge them byrecording each and every book in the Accessions Register,rather than leaving them to remain in boxes gathering dust.The next presentation he gave was on organization ofinformation and how it is important to enable the Librarian toquickly identify a book. He gave an example of how womenwho sell their produce organise and categorise their wares liketomatoes, onions, carrots and beetroots. Finally he gave outsome hand-outs on Dewey Decimal Classification. His greatestwish was that, had there been time, some practical exerciseswould have been carried out to give the School Librarians theskills on the stages involved in assigning a class number to abook.

After the Workshop all School Heads, the ‘Aussie Books forZim’ Team and the workshop participants were taken on atour of the School Computer Laboratory which will be used asa Library before the construction of a stand-alone Library.

Book Presentation

A total of 3,229 books were presented to Katsande PrimarySchool. The Local Councillor Representative was at hand toreceive the books in the presence of the Chairperson of theSchool Development Committee. Mr Tokwe briefly outlinedhow the books were sorted out and categorised according tosubject, level and grades so that they would be suitable for allthe pupils at Katsande Primary School.

The Book Presentation was followed by group photos of all thecommunity members and school children present.

Workshop Discussion and Evaluation

This programme was undertaken to gather information aboutthe state of School Libraries in the Katsande Cluster.Mavhurazi Primary School, despite being the first recipient ofbooks, is facing challenges as School Heads are constantlytransferring and there is no continuity in improving libraryprovision and development. Nyakuchena School Head saidthere is positive development at his School; the roomdedicated as a Library is fully secure with burglar bars, hencethe School is ready to receive news books. Makaha PrimarySchool Library is now at slab level and they are also more thanready to receive books. Other schools also have expressed aninterest in receiving books and utilising them for the benefit ofschool children. The Nyakuchena School Head encouragedother schools in the Cluster to join the Whatsapp platform sothat they can share ideas and suggestions as well as link upwith Dr Chidembo to update him on their state ofpreparedness to receive book donations. All the WorkshopParticipants completed questionnaires on behalf of theirSchools and were all presented with library manuals, posters,and handouts.

The Workshop ended at 12.45 p.m and all attendees weretreated to a sumptuous lunch.

■ Hosea Tokwe is Chief Library Assistant at Midlands StateUniversity, Zimbabwe.

Katsande School Authorities and Students pose with somecopies of books after the Book Presentation

Workshop Participants filling inEvaluation Forms

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“ “


digital

Read online at www.sla.org.uk/sla-digital

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Carel Library Learner Quiz Pack for Secondary Schoolshttps://carelpress.uk/library_success_quiz_pack

This online resource contains 33 interactive quizzes for secondary schools. The user-friendlyinterface allows pupils to select a quiz from the options available in the pack – there is a goodrange of themes and subjects including Library Skills & the Internet, Books & Authors, British andWorld History; also quizzes on General Knowledge such as Capitals, Space and Animals.

There are different levels of ability in some themes such as general knowledge, so this Quiz Packis suitable for a wide range of secondary pupils, particularly (but certainly not exclusively) KeyStage 3. Our pupils participate in quizzes on the library iPads (they work really well in this format)and this enables pupils to compete against each other to see who can obtain the highest scoresin a quiz. It doesn’t take long to complete each quiz, usually under 5 minutes, so this ensures thatthe activity fits neatly into a lesson.

The format of quizzes can vary, with some being the standard multiple choice options:

There are also ‘drag and drop’ style questions, and the ‘draw a line’ format:

These different question styles help to maintaininterest; there’s no fuss if a pupil answers incorrectly,and the answers are revealed after two attempts. Afinal score is awarded at the end of each quiz, andthe library learner pack comes with tools that allowthe librarian/teacher to see student activity live intheir admin area, and also to look back at students’scores to see the themes where they mightimprove. The librarian/teacher can also printcertificates, these tools are all available in theadmin area.

Carel will add more quizzes in the future – andhopefully it will be possible for librarians tocreate a quiz and to send their questions tothem. They currently offer a week’s free trial ofthis Quiz Pack – it’s worth mentioning that there is also a Primary School version of the Quiz Packwhich was reviewed in the Spring 2019 edition of The School Librarian.

Indeed, the secondary version is broadly similar to the original version but with some smallchanges to language and images. There are also two extra quizzes: one on Climate Change, theother on the European Union; here’s a link to a trial of the former:http://quiz.carelpress.uk/climatechange

Overall, I rate the Library Learner Quiz Pack for Secondary Schools as a quality learning resourcefor the school library at an affordable price, which requires no installation! The thinking behindthe quizzes is to teach library skills in an interactive way that makes learning more like a gameand which also gives immediate feedback to students so that skills are reinforced.

Cathal Coyle, Librarian, St. Patrick’s College Dungannon

■ See TSL 67-1 Spring 2019 p22 for a review of the Quiz Pack for Primary Schools.


digital


Padlet https://en-gb.padlet.com/dashboard

Padlet is a fun and easy educationaltechnology that I use frequently to connectto students in the library and with otherlibrarians and teachers around the world.

Think of Padlet as a virtual wall where youcan share your ideas in a variety of formatsincluding text, images and videos. It’s freeto join and you can add posts from yourdesktop, a tablet or your mobile device.

Creating a Padlet wall is easy and intuitive. Once you’ve created oneyou can choose how people see posts. There are a variety to choosefrom, each allowing users to interact with posts in a different way.

Next, you can choose how people see your Padlet. For instance, youcan make it only accessible via a special url and password. Then youcan choose if those with the password can edit your Padlet or simplyview it. Do this by clicking on ‘Share’ and then ‘People & Privacy.’

There are numerous ways to use Padlet with your students. Forinstance, I created a Padlet with a unique url and password which Igave to our Manga Club students. The purpose of this wall is to simplyhave the students to let me know which Manga they’d like the libraryto have. This means the students can access this wall at their leisureand provide recommendations.

We also use Padlet for book discussion andreflection. A few years ago our book clubmembers read Patrick Ness’ A MonsterCalls as did a book club located in NorthCarolina. Together we wrote our thoughtsas we progressed through each chapter. Wealso used Padlet to introduce ourselves andtalk about our home cities and schools.

I have used Padlet to collect questions that students were hoping toask authors. I’ve also used it as a way to teach students about theirdigital footprint by asking them this question: ‘If someone Googled youten years from now, what would you hope they see?’ I collected theirresponses on a Padlet, it was a really amazing way to track studentawareness of their online presence.

It can also be used for collective research projects, collecting feedbackafter a specific lesson or event, asking open ended questions,brainstorming, noticeboards, news and current events pages and muchmore.

I love Padlet because it is safe and secure and looks sleek. It’s also alot of fun to see student responses appear on the wall in real time andshare them back at the end of the lesson. There really is no limit as tohow you can use this tool in the library or classroom.

Lucas Maxwell, Librarian, Glenthorne High School

Pearson Resources Free English resources for the classroom https://tinyurl.com/y2zg4kz3

See the word ‘free’ and I am instantly attracted. So the free Pearson resourceswere a real hit - with a wide range of topics covered.

As librarians are sogood at sharing – Iimmediatelyforwarded the linkto our EnglishDepartment and tomy surprise theyhadn’t seen theoffer until they sawmy email... so Brownie points for me. The English Department particularlyenjoyed the World Grammar Day resources, saying ‘vocabulary is now a hotsubject with Ofsted, so these help sheets arrived at the right time for us.’

I also sent the link to our Primary Phase who quickly responded with lots ofpositivity. I feel confident that the resources (activities, worksheets and evenlesson plans) will be well-used by my Primary colleagues, with the environmentresource already added to their Year 5/6 planning. Such a lot of work has beentaken away from the teacher – all the resources are designed to take thepressure off! The class teacher of Year 4 commented on the weather andtemperatures resources, saying, ‘to prepare this class work would have taken mehours, even days, so I am extremely grateful.’

It’s always good toreceive feedback...not all resourceshave been used, butquite a lot have, so Iwas very pleased. Iwas also pleased tosee just how quickcolleagues were todiscuss theresources, chatting amongst themselves and emailing me their thanks. ObviouslyI wanted to look over the resources myself to see if anything could be useful tome as the librarian - and to my delight there were lots. My only disappointmentwas that I couldn’t open the resources on my iPhone... but that was easilysolved.

Some of my favourites

Adult resources:

■ Reading Habits

Secondary resources – themed:

■ World Grammar Day (a fantastic aid for the English Dept and Librarian)

■ Poetry Day

■ Valentine’s Day

■ Christmas (complete with an advent calendar!)

■ Family Tree

For me being able to share resources with departments is a must – it helpsdraw us together, creates stronger links and generally keeps us talking aboutwhat we do. So, it only leaves me to say thank you Pearson for sharing thesewith us and I very much hope you’ll continue to offer similar free resources toschools.

Val Dewhurst, Librarian, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School


digital

Makey Makey https://makeymakey.com

Makey Makey is an invention kit with thousands of uses. It allows you to turn everyday objects into computerkeyboards and touchpads.

It does this through connecting alligator clips to almost anything you want. The clips are connected to a board that plugs into your computer through a USBdrive. From there, the sky is really the limit.

You can start off easy by connecting the clips to bananas and opening up a scratch piano game on your PC. The bananas are now the keys needed to play thepiano!

I’ve used Makey Makey to allow students to create their own inventions and run wild with it. We’ve had students make their own version of Pac Man onScratch, they controlled Pac Man through the game by connecting the alligator clips to marshmallows and squeezing them when they wanted him to move.

We’ve played Tetris with Play-Doh, Super Mario with graphite pencils and more. It’s not all video games though. Students can use Makey Makey to learn aboutcircuitry, coding, maths, science and much more. You can also combine with other products like LEGO to make switches, musical devices and much more.

Makey Makey costs £40 for the starter kit and is well worth it to foster a love ofinvention. Knowledge of Scratch is also preferable. I’m fortunate in that thestudents I work with all seem to be quite knowledgeable with Scratch. That said,there are several Makey Makey ideas out there that do not require Scratch.

What is great about the product is that there is a huge range of online materialout there to get started. For me, I use it to allow the students to explore andhave fun. It’s a really great tool to encourage independent thinking and creativityand a good starter product if you are thinking of having a maker space in yourlibrary.

Lucas Maxwell, Librarian, Glenthorne High School

KidscapePreventing Bullyingwww.kidscape.org.uk

Kidscape is a charity working with children, families, carers and professionals to prevent bullying. They offeradvice, deliver training, work directly with children, parents and carers, and raise awareness of bullying andhow to stop it.

The website contains information about bullying, such as what it is and isn’t, together with the effects of bullying and its impact on the child being bullied,bystanders and the school. Sexting and cyberbullying are also covered as well as friendships and ‘frenemies’, self-harm and suicide. There is practical advice forchildren and parents/carers including strategies on being assertive, internet safety and online risk, and where to get help, including advice lines and support byemail.

Kidscape programmes include ZAP, a free one-day workshop for children and young people aged 9–16years who have experienced bullying. These sessions also involve parents and carers and you can applyonline, although not all geographical areas are covered. They also deliver 30 minute assemblies followedby a 2-hour workshop in schools for Years 5 and 6. The aim of these is to empower children and increasetheir self-confidence. Again, only certain areas are covered and you can apply online.

Training is available including basic safeguarding, bullying awareness, peer mentoring (to enable you toset up a peer mentor programme in your school) and online safety training for teachers and other staff.These are all chargeable.

The resources area contains a lot of useful downloadable booklets and leaflets as well as links to related websites with further information and resources, suchas the Anti-Bullying Alliance. These are organised under:

■ Classroom resources: Friendship Friday and Anti-Bullying Week pack for Primary Schools; Being Me – a free anti-bullying resource for Years 5–8 thatcelebrates difference and promotes inclusion; Worksheets with ideas on promoting friendship, and dealing with anger and emotions

■ Guides for parents, carers and grandparents on how to support your bullied child, preventing bullying and a holiday safety guide

■ A series of short videos to use with pre-school children on the theme of ‘Feeling Happy, Feeling Safe’

■ Resources for young people including a booklet aimed at primary age children, cyber-bullying advice and moving up to secondary school

■ Resources for professionals that cover policies and procedures.

The website is clear, with uncluttered pages and a search facility. On first glance it appears to be fairly sparse but it is worth spending some time browsing todiscover the wide range of information and resources available for both primary and secondary pupils, as well as those working with them and their parents.

Barbara Band, School Library Consultant


digitalTime Traveler Exploring the lexiconhttps://tinyurl.com/ycnq8873

Anybody familiar with the Merriam-Webster dictionary site will know howrich with words it is. With vocabulary challenges, word of the day, wordgames, obscure words and pronunciations it is a very interesting site toexplore regularly.

The Time Traveler site by the same company is fascinating for anyvocabulary gatherer as it lets you, first of all, choose a year. When you clickon the chosen year it gives you every word which was added to thedictionary in that year. You can then click on any word which appeals toyou and it gives you several bits of interesting information such asexamples of the word in a sentence, first known use, subject and even howpopular the word is by how many times it has been looked up.

I firstly chose the year of my birth just out of interest and the word whichfirst caught my eye, because I hadn’t heard it before, was blaxploitation.The definition of the word is the exploitation of people of colour by filmproducers and was first used in 1972. There are links from the word to theEncyclopaedia Britannica article on it and social media sharing links.

As well as the time travel words there are also main page links above thesearch box to a thesaurus, a word of the day which today was ‘boycott’and has facts about the word below the definition, pronunciation videoswhich you can watch to hear how unfamiliar words sound and words thatplay with usage and grammar.

The video I watched was the 3.59 minute Word of the Year 2018 whichwas Justice. There are also clips where words are explained visually inconversational videos which for anybody learning the English languagewould be highly useful.

I spent a lot of time on the website because it really fed into my fascinationand obsession with words and language. It would be an excellent learningtool for classes and a fun activity for book groups. Any SEN departmentwould be able to use the site to introduce students to new vocabulary in astimulating and engaging way. Although it is primarily an Americandictionary site, English spellings can also be found and defined.

Beth Khalil, Librarian, Thorp Academy

Puffin Primary Resource Packs (Free)https://tinyurl.com/y2a6p2u6

An increasing number of publishers are busily creating teacher and libraryresources for new titles, adding value and reducing workload – for exampleHachette’s pack on The Boy at the Back of the Classroom(https://tinyurl.com/y2kcm26h). Puffin have taken a slightly differentapproach with their new activity packs. Rather than being based on specifictitles, they are age based, and offer a variety of resources based on Puffintitles – for example, the 0-5 edition features colouring pages on Spot theDog and Peter Rabbit, a set of monster horns inspired by There’s a Monsterin Your Book, some design activities (hairstyles based on The FairytaleHairdresser, and boots based on The Tale of Kitty in Boots as well as otheractivities based on Puffin picture books. While this is less useful from ateaching point of view than a focussed pack, it’s perfect for either printingas a booklet to offer to young siblings on an open day, or printing as sheetsto give to children who have finished activities.

The other two packs are ‘6+’, which is actually 6–8, and include sheetsinspired by Wonder Woman (from Puffin’s DC Super Hero Girls series),Michael Rosen, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Audition, among others.

The last offering is for 9–12 years old: write in copperplate, make a mask ofTracy Beaker, design a new cover for Pollyanna as well as word searches,science activities and more. They’re all interesting offerings with a wideinterest range. Overall, a high-quality set of free resources which hopefullywill become an ongoing series.

Once you’ve exhausted the three packs, the rest of Puffin’s website is wellworth exploring. The ‘Children’s Articles’ page(https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/children.html) offers lots of informationfor librarians and teachers (book extracts,new books, etc.) and parents (more scienceexperiments, video tutorials by Nick Sharattand a rather good podcast featuring JeffKinney – there’s even a really good ‘bedtimestory’ podcast, which might be useful forparents who aren’t confidentabout reading to their children. Awebsite full of imaginative, usefuland up to date information, and arecommended stop on theinformation superhighway!

Adrian Thompson, ICT, Communications& Library, Sandal Primary School


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The Jelly Book Club https://jellybookclub.wordpress.com

The Jelly Book Club site has been created by Jo Cotterill and is based on herbook Jelly. The site is aimed at readers, librarians, teachers and writers and thereis something for everyone to browse. On opening the site, the colours are vibrant,and it is nicely set out. There is a biography page which is all about Jo and hasauthor details together with personal anecdotes from her childhood. She alsoshares some early artwork and stories which she wrote when she was younger.

There is a page all about Angelica (Jelly)who is the main character in the book. Itshows a map of the flat Jelly lives in withher Mum and there are also lots of detailsabout her family which fans of the book willlove. There are also poems from the bookexplained with an analytical plan of thepoem ‘Walrus’. For readers who haven’t yetread Jelly but have loved Jo’s other books,there is the first chapter of Jelly to read aswell as a timeline from idea to publicationwhich was very interesting to read. It givesreaders an understanding of how an ideaeventually becomes reality in book form and what goes into publishing a novel.

As well as the timeline, there are various other pages on Jelly such as the editingprocess of the story, deleted scenes and how the blurb was created. Joencourages her readers to send in their own poems for the site and there is alovely poem called ‘Looks’ written by Breyanna. I enjoyed browsing the book listwhich librarian Barbara Band put together on issues similar to the situations Jellygoes through in the book. There are some fantastic titles on the list which I havevery much enjoyed reading myself.

I was most impressed by the excellent resources and schemes of work around thenovel which can be downloaded in pdf form for teachers or librarians who useJelly as a class text. The book covers lots of themes which can be used in Art,Drama, DT or Geography and students can explore poetry, writing and storytellingin the classroom as well.

I found this site easy to navigate and thought it was brilliant that it was all basedaround a single novel. I think any reader who enjoys Jo’s books will want to trythis book after browsing The Jelly Book Club website.

Beth Khalil, Librarian, Thorp Academy

10 From Instagram Ten interesting Instagram accounts to add to yourfollow list, this issue focussing on illustrators.

@chris_riddell

@jackiemorrisartist

@ramonakaulitzki

@jabberworks

@chrismouldink

@mrjamesmayhew

@gilliangambleartist

@poonammistryart

@quentinblake

@frankmorrison

Bonus! This one’s a hashtag but if you’re a Potterheadlike me it’s definitely worth a look:

#jimkayillustrations

Bev Humphrey, Literacy & Technology Consultant

Twitter Authors to FollowFollowing authors on Twitter is a great way to keep up to date with theirlatest books and they are usually very good at replying to any commentsfrom kids that you tag them into – complimentary ones preferred ofcourse! I found it very hard to choose just ten, let’s just say these are forstarters… check out your favourite author and see if they’re on Twitter!

Malorie Blackman

@malorieblackman

Steve Cole

@SteveColeBooks

Jo Cotterill

@jocotterillbook

Christopher Edge

@edgechristopher

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay

Shirley Hughes

@ShirleyHughes

Chris Riddell

@chrisriddell50

S. F. Said

@whatSFSaid

Piers Torday

@PiersTorday

Joffre White

@JoffreWhite

Barbara Band, School Library Consultant

0121 622 8333 [email protected]

Support your school is a free fundraising platform for schools. We enable schools to raise funds from parents and local business to support children’s literacy.

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ReviewsEditorial

Under 8

8 to 12

8 to 12 fiction

8 to 12 information

Poetry & Plays

12 to 16

12 to 16 fiction

12 to 16 information

16 to 19

Professional

Martin

Salter

Books and material for reviewshould be sent by to:Reviews Editor1 Pine CourtKembrey ParkSwindon SN2 8AD

Of late, one of the highlights of my year has been Egmont Publishing UK’s AnnualConsumer Insight Presentation. Egmont co-funds Nielsen Book Research’s annualUnderstanding the Children’s Book Consumer survey into the reading habits of UKchildren aged 0–17. This year the focus of the presentation was very much onreading aloud with the number of children being read to daily, by an adult forpleasure, being down by 4% since last year and 9% since 2012 and sits at just 32%. Italso revealed that most parents stop reading to children by the age of eight andreading beyond eight is disproportionately reading to girls and not boys. This is trueacross all socio-economic groups and regardless of parent’s education. Alison David,Consumer Insight Director at Egmont said ‘many parents confuse literacy withreading for pleasure’. They think that if a child has mastered the skill of reading theyno longer need to be read to and yet this is the most effective way to encourage themto read independently. Research shows that even when a child seems keen onreading at eight, if they are not read to as well, by the time they reach their teenageyears they are likely to have slowed down or even stopped.

I don’t think I need to repeat again all the evidence of the importance of reading forpleasure and the impact, not just on attainment, but on empathy and wellbeing.Reading aloud was a crucial strand of the Reading for Pleasure pedagogy identified inthe Teachers as Readers research led by Professor Teresa Cremin of the OU.‘Research indicates that reading aloud to young people, without attendant work, is akey pedagogic and professional practice in fostering reading for pleasure’ Even thedraft Ofsted inspection framework (2019) underscores the value of reading aloud tochildren. As Teresa says ‘this is not just crucial in the early years but across primaryschooling and beyond.’

Over the past few years Egmont has been working with schools and retailers on anumber of projects to explore how to increase the numbers of children being read toand reading for themselves and how to reach those children least likely to read forpleasure. The latest is the Stories and Choices project. Egmont partnered with StJoseph’s Catholic Academy, Stoke-on-Trent, in Autumn 2018 to see whether dailyteacher-led storytime sessions would inspire a greater love of reading in children.Over just a five-month period teachers recorded a dramatic improvement inchildren’s reading skills (RA averages up by an average of 10 months – twice asmuch as would normally be expected over the timeframe). Teachers also noted a‘profound’ improvement in wellbeing as well as a significantly greater level ofexcitement around books, magazines (part of the project involved sendingmagazines to the school which children could keep – Egmont is a significantpublisher of magazines too- and free choice of reading material a key concept) andthe reading process. Headteacher Laura Hamilton said ‘ Despite the time pressures,all the children and staff agreed that it was well worth investing in reading aloudeach day.’

I highly recommend reading all the research reports in full(https://www.egmont.co.uk/research/) and I hope that it inspires you to be theperson who creates reading aloud opportunities in your school. I am absolutelytalking about secondary schools too. What could be better for stressed examstudents than flopping on cushions and being read to for twenty minutes. Helpteachers discover the right texts to read (lots to be found in this edition!) Encourageolder students to read aloud to younger ones – a lovely thing to do with feederschools. I have seen schools who record bedtime stories on YouTube for parents andchildren to access. You could do a library podcast with a chapter a day/week. Have alive session, but record it to widen the reach and allow people to catch up. If childrenare not getting read-to at home, we have to fill that gap. If you need more inspirationlisten to Michael Morpurgo’s poem written to support Egmont’s call for action athttps://www.egmont.co.uk/blog/michael-morpurgo-shares-a-special-original-poem-lets-tell-tales/. #GreatSchoolLibraries must be a hothouse to foster reading forpleasure and reading aloud to pupils of all ages is too good a tool to miss!

Joy Court, Reviews Editor

Under 8


Under 8Under 8

Agee, JonThe Wall in the Middle of the BookScallywag Press, 2019, pp36, £12.99978 1 912650 04 0

There is a brick wall down thecentre of every spread in thispicturebook, one whichseparates two very differentworlds. Our hero, a youngknight, lives on the left handside, in what he believes to bethe ‘safe’ side, protected from the dangers that lieon the right beyond the wall: a huge rhinoceros, aferocious tiger, a grumpy looking gorilla and, mostfearsome of all, the ogre who would gobble himup in a trice. What he fails to notice, however, arethe slowly rising waters on his own side, and theperils that lurk within. As he climbs a ladder upthe wall he misses the hungry crocodile, and justas the waters threaten to overwhelm himcompletely and the giant fish gets ever closer, heis plucked to safety by the ogre – who turns outto be friendly, of course, and takes him off to havefun with the wild animals, not so wild after all.The illustrations let us see what the knight doesnot, so that the young reader is quickly able toreassess where safety lies. This is the perfect bookfor exploring the unspecified fears of earlychildhood and, in the final joyful spread,recognising that things are not always as scary asthey seem.

Marianne Bradnock

al Serkal, Maryam and Luciani,RebecaMira’s Curly HairLantana Publishing, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 911373 61 2

Mira’s Curly Hair reminds me of myself! I havecurly hair which is sometimes quite unruly andreading this story made me think of how, as achild, I wished for nothing more than it to bestraight. Long or short it just would not behave soI wondered what I, and other children with curlyhair could learn from Mira.

It seems that Mira is just like I was, and I am surelike many curly-haired children are too – shelongs for straight hair. The brushes, combs andtubes that cover the end papers as well as thepages of the story prove that Mira, just like all ofus, tries everything. Pulling it down won’t work –it just pops up again; standing on her headdoesn’t do the trick, old books won’t help either.What is Mira to do?

Mama has straight hair, this is why Mira wantshers to stop curling – also she can look just likemama, therefore imagine her surprise when awalk in the rain transforms mama, bringing outher curls and making her beautiful and free.

A simple story, repeating words for children toremember and yet progressing at a good pace. Aclever story demonstrating that we need to acceptourselves for who we are. Explaining to childrenhow we are all different, each of us unique andthat it is our very uniqueness which makes uswho we are. A story for all those with curly hairwho ever wished for it to be straight. A storywhose words are reinforced by bright and boldillustration.

Louise Ellis-Barrett

Almond, David and Pinfold, LeviThe DamWalker, 2018, pp28, £12.99978 1 4063 0487 9

This has to be the perfect author/illustratorcollaboration: the lyrical words of David Almondwith the dreamy, haunting pictures of Levi Pinfold.Based on a true story – the creation of anartificial lake in Northumberland in the early1980s – it follows the early morning conversationof a father and daughter as they journey througha soon to be lost landscape. He wakes her andtells her to bring her fiddle. He reminisces aboutthe times he spent in the places they walkthrough. They go into abandoned stone housesand Kathryn plays her violin while her fatherdances. One by one, they fill each of the houseswith music. The illustrations are sepia in tone,underlining the fact that everything we see issoon to be consigned to the past; the two figureshave an ethereal, almost ghostly appearance. Butit’s not, in the end, a sad story, for we are toldthat when the flooding is finally complete, ‘thelake is beautiful’. A full colour spread shows thetwo of them looking out over a wide expanse ofwater, and we learn that the music will stayforever in and around the lake, and inside thehearts of the people who live there now. This is awonderful story about man and his environment,how we remember, and how we adapt to change.

Marianne Bradnock

Antony, Steve Amazing Hodder, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 444 94470 9

This confident, bright picture book is narrated bya young boy who loves his pet. Though it’s not acat or a dog, this is a different type of pet…Zibbo is a dragon. He loves Zibbo and all the funthey have together, including playing games withthe boy’s friends. Although Zibbo is not quite asgreat when it comes to birthday parties, especiallywhen he gets over-excited by the birthdaycandles!

This delightful book is a celebration of friendship,difference and being yourself. Whilst the textconcentrates on Zibbo and all the fun pet-likethings he can do, even though he’s not a typical apet, the illustrations show that the narrator is a

wheelchair user who, encouraged by Zibbo, canalso do all the fun things his able-bodied friendsdo. The celebration of diversity further extends tothe boy’s ethnically diverse group of friends.

A perfect book for starting conversations aboutdifference, understanding and acceptance, butwithout a heavy, didactic feel. With the shortsentences and the fun, uncluttered style weexpect from Steve Antony, Amazing really isamazing.

Amy McKay

Bailey Smith, Ben and Akyüz, SavBear MovesWalker, 2019, pp40, £11.99978 1 40635926 8

Bear Moves is a book that isjust plain fun frombeginning to end. With itshilarious illustrations andrhythmic text, it couldappeal to almost any age ofreader. Not just appeal to them, but also motivatethem into action. On the first page, Bear, lookinga little shy, introduces himself – but it doesn’ttake him long to get moving. Turn the page andwe see him confidently strutting his stuff. Bearcan certainly throw some shapes!

How adults choose to share this book withchildren will depend on the age of the pupils asthere are many ways to respond. There is probablya term’s worth of movement lessons to begarnered from the pictures and great languagework thinking of words to describe each dance.Every page is full of fun. I particularly like the ideaof hula hooping with a multicoloured doughnut.Although Bear Moves is most likely end up beingshared in the infant department, it would be greatto see it being offered in all primary classrooms.Clear a space, get some music going and enjoy!

Prue Goodwin

Baker, Laura and Rozelaar, AngieThe Colour of HappyHodder, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 44493 967 5

A little boy walks along with his dog. He sees abeautiful dandelion seedhead. His eyes light upand the pale blue background of the first doublepage spread changes to yellow on the second.‘Yellow is for happy when I spot a special thing.’Holding it in his hand, he hops and skips. Butthen the wind blows his treasure away. Now thebackground colour is a deep dark blue to matchhis sadness. By the next page it’s red. ‘Red is formy anger when I have to watch it go.’ Byvisualising different states of mind through its useof colour, The Colour of Happy provides a simpleway for young children to recognise differentmoods, their own and other people’s, and to seethat even though situations can feel difficult attimes, they can change for the better. The values

Under 8of friendship and sharing come through strongly.The clear, uncomplicated rhyming and rhythmicaltext, with just a few words on each page, is verywell complemented by the bold and expressiveillustrations. There are some lovely subtle detailsin the pictures. The dog’s emotional responses oneach page echo those of the boy. The seedhead,which is never referred to as anything other than‘the special thing’, is exquisite when the boy firstsees it. On each page more seeds disappear. Bythe time it reaches the boy’s mother it isdilapidated, with just three seeds left, a fact thatis important to neither of them. This is anaffirming and helpful book that will supportwellbeing, empathy and mindfulness, and providea valuable starting point for useful and importantdiscussions, one-to-one or with groups.

Anne Harding

Barrow, DavidThe Big RaceHodder, 2018, pp32, £12.99978 1 444 92928 7

It is the day of The Big Race and signing up witha range of animal athletes who are displaying thetraditional sporting attributes of speed, size andstrength, is an unassuming little Aardvark.

The message of this heartwarming story is thattaking part is just as important as winning, anddon’t listen to people who tell you that you can’tsucceed. Aardvark shows that with determinationand confidence you can, and this little creatureends the race with grace and style.

This is Barrow’s third outing as author andillustrator and his gorgeous illustration style ofdiffused colour hues, ink splatters and painterlytextures is perfect for showing a desert raceacross the African plains.

Emma Carpendale

Bee, WilliamArty! The First Artist in SpacePavilion, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 84365 412 4

This bright, humorous picture book followsWilliam Bee’s earlier title, Arty! The Greatest Artistin the World, with further exploits of Arty the frogartist. Every year space scientists have asked afamous artist to go up into space to paint it andall have said no, until Mr Grimaldi, who sellsArty’s paintings, says yes on his behalf. So, aftersome rigorous space tests, off Arty goes. He isdisappointed that there is nothing interesting topaint on the moon, but then he has a brainwave.Will the scientists be happy that the moon hasbeen turned into a giant green and yellow frog?Maybe not!

This is a very funny picture book with plenty ofchild appeal. The illustrations are bold and brightlycoloured with strong black outlines, colouredcontrasting frames around the pages, clear font,

quirky details to pore over and Arty himself, whostares out of the pages with a slightly bemusedexpression. There are laugh out loud funnymoments, the effect of space training on paintbeing one of them, and the spread of famousartists saying no is clever, amusing and intriguing.This engaging picture book has plenty to sayabout art, imagination and creativity whilst beingcompletely entertaining throughout.

Sue Roe

Bell, Davina and Colpoys, AllisonAll the Ways to Be SmartScribe Publications, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 91161 755 6

This confidence-boosting,jaunty and inclusive picturebook celebrates the value ofindividuality through activitiesyoung children enjoy in schooland at home, from art tomaths to reading. There aremany interpretations of being clever and theydon’t all involve getting the right answer all thetime. All The Ways to Be Smart includes theimportance of developing the imagination,through drawing dinosaurs to building rocketsfrom junk and just daydreaming. The book alsocovers behaviour issues, such as sharing, beingkind to shy children and asking questions. Iappreciated the inclusion of ‘sitting still and quietfor ages’: the child is shown dressed in fairy wingssitting staring into space on a tree branch,dreaming up new stories.

Colpoys’ colourful illustrations, drawn in ink,charcoal and pencil, complement the rhyming textperfectly. I particularly liked the pages showingchildren and friendly monsters enjoying teatogether and the girl riding the dragon across thesea. Highly recommended for reading aloud atprimary schools.

Lucy Chambers

Blackall, SophieHello LighthouseOrchard, 2019, pp48, £12.99978 1 40835 716 3

The lighthouse stands on ‘on the highest rock ofa tiny island at the edge of the world… guidingthe ships on their way.’ One day a new keepercomes who replaces the old for it is essential thatthe light must always be lit. The keeper worksvery hard, but he longs for his wife to join him.And at last she does. Life in the lighthouse isalways busy with storms and ice and sometimesillness too. Their new baby brings great joy. Buttimes begin to change; a letter arrives toannounce that a new light will be installed witha machine which will run it. And so finally thefamily leave for the mainland. A surprise twist asthe story closes leaves a heart-warmingdenouement.

This fabulous book won the 2019 CaldecottAward in the United States. The author/illustratortells a powerful story of the lives of men andwomen in the not so distant past whose courageand fortitude kept ships safe at sea. Theillustrations in Chinese ink and watercolour createan atmosphere which moves quickly from cosy todramatic and back again. A two-page note fromthe author at the end provides some morefascinating details about the history of lighthousesand their keepers.

Rosemary Woodman

Corderoy, Tracey and Massini, SarahThe Boy and the BearNosy Crow, 2018, pp32, £11.99978 1 78800 309 4

From the smooth, mattcover liberally sprinkled withfoil snowflakes, to the verylast page, this is a book totreasure. Sarah Massini usesa seasonal colour palettethroughout the book, withthe boy’s red hat an unmistakable feature of everypage. We meet the boy as he runs down a hill,throwing a paper aeroplane. The depiction ofnature is beautifully done, and you can almostfeel the fresh breeze that stirs the leaves on thenearby tree. Space is used to great effect todemonstrate how lonely he feels. All the bestgames need two. Bear passes by, but he’s too shyto speak to the boy, and anyway, the boydismisses him as being just a bear. Before long atentative form of communication begins in theform of paper boats floated to one another. Theboy is disappointed when he sees it was Bear allalong, but when he sees how dejected Bear is hecalls him back and asks him to play. They try all ofBoy’s games, but Bear is too big, or too heavy, orjust doesn’t understand the game. They realisethat they need to try something else. One Autumnmorning Bear has an idea. Soon they have atreehouse in the glorious autumnal branches ofan oak tree, built together. There they stay untilWinter begins, and Bear leaves. Boy waits,drawing and thinking about his friend. WhenSpring thaws the water, boats reappear withmessages from Bear and soon they are togetheragain.

This tale of unlikely friendship, and of makingspace in your life for someone who may seemvery different, is brought to life by theillustrations. The body language of both bear andboy speak volumes – in one image the boystands with his hand on his hip very clearlythinking ‘What on earth are you doing?!’ as hewatches Bear, bent backwards under the weightof logs, hurrying across the grass clearly intent ona mission. The sense of wide-open spaces and ofnature taking its course make the landscape athird character.

Helen Thompson


Under 8David, Donna and Butcher, DanDear Daddy (RAF)Dear Mummy (Army)Dear Daddy (Navy)Little Troopers, 2019, £10.00 (bundle)https://bit.ly/2Z74qcg

Published in conjunction with military charity LittleTroopers, this set of books tell of the experiencesthat young children have when a parent is awayfrom home on a military exercise and will helpclassmates to empathise. Each book presents aset of letters from a young child to their parent,and each letter explores a different challenge thatthe child might be facing. From missed birthdaysto not being able to wave goodbye, each bookfinishes with a reference to the parent cominghome.

These books perfectly represent the manyemotions that all family members have whenfaced with a lengthy deployment. All the ArmedForces are represented, and as a military wife andmother, I could truly identify with these books,and I am sure this will be true of many servicefamilies.

Hannah Breslin

Deutsch, Georgiana and Trukhan,EkaterinaPerfectly Polite Penguins Little Tiger, 2019, pp32, £10.99978 1 78881 475 1

Penguins know how tobe perfectly polite. Theyalways wait their turnand they love sharingtheir toys. Dialogue inthe illustrations providesexamples of desirablebehaviours, such as‘Please may I play with the kite now?’However, Polly the penguin misbehaves! Eachof Polly’s misdemeanours is shouted in capitalletters.

When Polly’s bad behaviour start to influence theother penguins and mayhem ensues, baby Peterbecomes upset at the noise. Polly sensitivelyrealises and restores peace and calm.

All this is portrayed with humour and lightnessof touch as the playful alliteration leads thereader to expect. The block colouredbackground vividly supports the comical blackand white penguins. The reader is sometimesdirectly addressed, as when Polly is asked to sayhello to us, but instead laughs and pulls a funnyface. The story is a lovely exploration of mannerswhilst remembering that no-one is perfect all ofthe time. It is a very useful illustration anddiscussion point for parents, nursery and earlyKey Stage 1 teachers. Highly recommended.

Carolyn Boyd

Donaldson, Julia and King-Chai,SharonAnimalphabetTwo Hoots, 2018, pp68, £14.99978 1 50980 163 3

This wonderful collaboration between wordsmith,Julia Donaldson and exquisite illustrator, SharonKing-Chai, is a delightful, interactive and fun read.The combination of die-cut pages and intricateflaps and fold-outs with King-Chai’s beautifullydetailed and characterful art make this a stunningbook. The clever format of the story, an alphabetof animals, great and small, each letter leading tothe next with a clue in both the text and theillustration was loved by both my 6-year-old and3-year-old. They delighted in guessing which ‘D’ isfaster than a caterpillar, which ‘J’ is more wobblythan an iguana and which ‘O’ might hug tighterthan a nightingale. This is a useful book for lettersounds and recognition, too. It was not just theending that led my girls to head straight back tothe start of the book, but their own excitement toplay the Animalphabet game again!

Eleanor Rutherford

Donaldson, Julia and RaynerCatherineThe Go-Away BirdMacmillan, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 50984 358 9

This collaboration between two of the mosteminent contributors to the picture book world is apure delight from start to finish. The combination ofJulia Donaldson’s alliteratively amusing andcharismatic tale of the unique ‘Go-Away bird’ withCatherine Rayner’s beautiful, colourful andwonderfully characterful illustrations is an absolutetreat. We first meet the ‘Go-Away bird’ sittingprimly in her nest and sternly surveying hersurroundings. When her isolation is interrupted bythe bright green and yellow ‘Chit-Chat bird’, thenthe flame-coloured ‘Peck-Peck bird’ and the tinyblue ‘Flip-Flap bird’ her response each time to theiroffer of friendship and fun is simply to squawk ‘Goaway! Go away! Go away!’. It is only when theGo-Away bird takes on more than she can handlein the form of the ‘Get-You bird’ with his bigthreatening beak and his angry eyes that sherealises that some support from the other birdswould come in useful. Luckily, the helpful, cheerfulyellow ‘Come-back bird’ implores the other birds toreturn and together in a ‘noisy mob of fluff andfeather’ they chase off the big bully. The Go-Awaybird is humbled by their efforts, realises she does‘want some friends to stay’, smiles brightly and tellsthem ‘you can stay, you can stay, you can stay!’.Not only is this book visually delightful and acaptivating tale, it also contains an importantmessage for modern times: isolation is not asattractive as it may seem, we’re better off together,that’s where the colour, fun and laughter is.

Eleanor Rutherford

Dumbleton, Mike and Cowcher,RobinDiggerAllen & Unwin, 2018, pp32, £12.99978 1 76063 486 5

When James sets sailfrom Australia to servein the trenches inFrance in WWI, hisyounger sister Anniesews the name Diggerto her toy ragkangaroo and gives itto James as a farewell present. Digger is also acolloquial name for an Australian soldier, so it is aDigger for a digger. James tries to keep Diggersafe. After an accident, James is billeted on a farmwith a young French girl, Colette, who helps tomend Digger. Sadly, Digger is returned to Colettewith a last request from James – to return Diggerto his sister Annie.

The watercolour illustrations sensitively recreatethe period. The letters reproduced in the storyprovide a satisfying link between the characters.Rather than focusing on James’s death, the storyfor young readers focuses on the comfort thatcaring people can provide.

This warm tribute commemorates the deep andenduring connection between Australia andVillers-Bretonneux, France, when Australiansoldiers successfully regained the town onAnzac Day, 1918. Although this book will havean immediate appeal to young Australianreaders, it has universal appeal and will helpchildren to understand WW1. It will enablethem to explore loss and kindness in a heart-warming way.

Carolyn Boyd

Eland, EvaWhen Sadness Comes to CallAndersen, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 78344 718 3

Sometimes Sadness arrives unexpectedly. Thisstarts a story, addressed directly to the reader,which provides examples of how the reader mightdeal with this difficult emotion. Readers learn theimportance of recognising sadness, listening to itand spending time together. With this help, onemay be able to move on to new feelings on anew day.

All this is gently told with minimal words. Thebrown coloured text complements the mainlybrown, simple line drawings against a whitebackground. The relationship between the maincharacter and the green-ish sad figure is warmand the two come to terms with the sad feeling.This would be a very supportive addition to anylibrary for young children. Gentle and verymoving.

Carolyn Boyd


Ellis, ElinaThe Truth About Old PeopleTwo Hoots, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 50988 226 7

My daughter’s primaryschool have started awonderful project whereten reception age childrenmake regular visits to tenelderly pensioners in a localcare home, with the aimthat each group will get toknow each other better, benefit from each other’scompany and their different perspectives as the‘book-end’ generations. In much the same way,The Truth About Old People by Elina Ellis (2017winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration)seeks to demonstrate the wonderful relationshipand the similarities that can exist between thesetwo generations.

The book dispels the myth that ‘old people areNOT MUCH FUN’ through joyous illustrations ofgrandparents roller-skating, doing yoga, dancingand jamming with a jazz ensemble, all with theirenthralled, happy grandson in tow. Ellis’sillustrations exude movement and energy and theexpressive faces really bring the characters to life.The book concludes with the grandson revealingto his trusted companion (his dog) that he knows‘the truth about old people,’ which is simply thatthey are ‘AMAZING’.

Eleanor Rutherford

Flory, Isa; Flory, Neil andChaudhary, SomakWhen I’m OlderAllen & Unwin, 2018, pp32, £11.99978 1 760634896

Not a board book, but in asimilar square format with ahard cover, and very muchaimed at the younger child.The simple rhyming texttakes us through all thedifferent things to aspire to when grown up –mostly, you would think initially, rather silly: ‘I canbe a goat, I can be a coat’. There is one simplestatement on each page, accompanied by anillustration in blue of what looks a bit like astuffed toy, but which turns out at the end to be ablob of blue clay in its many transformations.Most children will have guessed this long beforeyou get there. It’s less about growing up thanabout the power of the imagination, and how youcan make anything of yourself – or, for now, justbe happy being what you are. Funny yet alsoheart-warming, I can see this becoming one ofthose books that gets read aloud over and overagain, with children enjoying the humour and theway the clay cleverly transforms himself into somany different unlikely objects.

Marianne Bradnock

Gray, Kes and Reed, NathanThink BigHodder, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 444 94212 5

A bright, bold, colourful hardback picture bookwith positive messages and dollops of humourwhich will engage both adults and children. Thislast point is so important; I can still hear myselfgroan when my daughter had chosen that samebedtime storybook which I had read too manytimes… and she is 31 now! It is so important toinvolve the entire audience and this book, as ashared experience, does just that. Nursery rhymecharacters sit alongside Humpty Dumpty on hishigh brick wall and encourage him to ‘think big’.That is, to think of a career beyond his initialaspiration of becoming a boiled egg. ‘ “A boiledegg!” gasped the three blind mice.’ Thecharacters suggest all sorts of alternatives: ahairdresser suggests Baa Baa Black Sheep, adetective says Little Bo Peep and Jack and Jill, fullof disdain, tell him he should think outside thebox! Just as he is deciding that an astronautmight be the ticket, a friendly pat on the backsends him tumbling to the ground, shattering hisdreams… he decides that maybe an omelettemight be his best option after all! I loved thisbook and can see it working for three to six-year-olds (and their parents) on very many levels.

Janet Sims

Helmer, GraceKahlo’s Koalas: The Great ArtistsCounting BookLOM ART, 2018, pp32, £7.99978 1 910552 88 9

Kahlo’s Koalas is a novel kind of counting book.Each of the numbers one to ten is illustrated withan animal which alliterates with the name of theartist whose work is parodied. Number one is aPicasso Panda, Number two is illustrated by twoKoalas in the style of Frida Kahlo, Number threehas three Llamas in the style of Roy Lichtenstein.Number four has four Monkeys as Matisse mighthave drawn them, and so on up to ten Mice,sitting winsomely on Monet waterlily leaves. Thereis a final double page on which all the animalsappear. My own favourites are the six KandinskyKangaroos, a delightful exercise in minimalistdraughtsmanship. Very warmly recommendedboth for children learning to count and for theirparents, whether they are familiar with the artistswho inspired the drawings or not.

Martin Axford

Hodgkinson, LeighPencil DogSimon & Schuster, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 4711 6940 3

Every once in a while, I like to read a book purelybased on its cover, without reading the blurb...Boy, this one took me by surprise! Don’t be

misled by the colourful cover of this paperbackaimed at very young readers (2 years and up) –Pencil Dog is a subtle, poignant story aboutmemory, remembrance, and how those we lovelive on in us. It took me only a few pages to getattached to Pencil Dog, and I loved the fact thatthe story was told in the first person so I couldimmediately identify with the unnamed little girl.Be ready to embark on an emotional journey!

Leigh Hodgkinson has written and illustratednumerous picture books, including Colin and theSnoozebox, Limelight Larry and Scrummy! Thisnew title is a beautiful piece of work for it is asubject too rarely brought up. I don’t want to saymore, you will have to read the book!

Océane Toffoli

Hofmeyr, Dianne and Hodgson,JesseTiger WalkOtter-Barry Books, 2018, pp32, £11.99978 1 91095 941 1

Henri Rousseau was a 19th century French painterwho became known for painting ‘dream’ visionsof jungle scenes, although he never visited ajungle or had a painting lesson! His paintingsappeal to people of all ages and the paintingwhich inspired this book is called Surprised! (Tigerin a Tropical Storm) and can be seen in London’sNational Gallery

One day Tom draws a tiger, inspired by his visit tothe art gallery... That night, when Tom can’t sleep,the tiger pads out of his drawing and purrs, ‘Let’sgo for a walk!’ It’s the beginning of a magicaland life-changing adventure, as the tiger helpsTom to overcome some of his biggest fears.

The illustrations by Jesse Hodgson areoutstanding. She has captured the ferocity andpowerful nature of this beautiful animal and yethas made the tiger friendly and non-threatening.The text by Dianne Hofmeyr works so well toexplain in a non-threatening way how we can allface up to our fears when we have someone wecan trust. The relationship between Tom and histiger is one of trust and support; children canlearn to love art while also helping them toaddress their fears as the tiger becomes areassuring friend to Tom on a magical night-timeadventure. Great for reading aloud and one of ourfamily’s favourites.

Carolyn Copland

Hood, MoragAalfred and AalbertTwo Hoots, 2019, pp40, £11.99978 1 50984 294 0

This is the charming love story of how aardvarks,Aalfred and Aalbert, were brought together by awannabe cupid in the form of a little bluebird.Aalfred loves broccoli and sleeping all day,whereas Aalbert loves cheese and sleeping all

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night. They live a stone’s throw from one another,but due to their different circadian rhythms, theyseem destined not to meet. The little bluebirdobserves how Aalfred and Aalbert could reallybenefit from a companion, for seesawing ortennis, for example. Bluebird is quietly determinedto bring them together, but becomes increasinglyfrustrated when his inventive schemes fail to getthe lonely aardvarks’ attention. In the end it isbluebird’s sadness that leads to the aardvarks’paths crossing and, Aalfred and Aalbert, alongwith their friend bluebird, live happily ever after,bringing together their shared loves in the form ofbroccoli dipped in cheese! It’s a wonderful taledemonstrating the joy of friendship and love, toldthrough the charming bright and bold illustrationsand text that is suitable for early readers.

Eleanor Rutherford

Javaherbin, Mina and Yankey,LindseyMy Grandma and MeWalker, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 4063 8494 9

The author is probably best known here for herauthorship of the South African township-setFootball. This new story shifts to Iran as a youngwoman recalls fond memories of a childhoodspent with her Grandma and reflects upon whathas stayed with her and shaped her own view ofthe world. The illustrations so perfectly capture thecolours and patterns of household fabrics andthere is such an eye for detail I thought at firstthe illustrator might be an Iranian. The illustrationsalso perfectly complement the simple butbeautifully worded text which describes how as achild she found safety and security spending timewith her grandma and her Christian friend andher granddaughter. It is taken for granted thatvalues of acceptance and tolerance unite the twoolder women through their respective faiths andthe time they spend together enjoying each otherscompany. The author gently and effectively sharesinformation about growing up in a Muslim familyand the key tenets of the religion and how itinforms people’s daily lives be it through prayer orproviding a gift of food to someone lessfortunate. A lovely story about life, love and thepower of memory. Highly recommended.

John Newman

Jones, Pip and Hughes, LauraMummy’s SuitcaseFaber, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 0 571 32753 9

Mummy’s Suitcase is a joy from start to finish. It isgiggleworthy. Big sister Ruby Roo decides to packher Mummy’s suitcase. The word ‘Mummy’ isrepeated heavily throughout this story echoing atypical toddler’s daily language. Mummy is goingaway for a few days. Along with her baby brother,Barney and the family cat, who seems to sneak

into every picture somewhere, she begins to fillthe case with everything that Mummy likes: aframed picture of Daddy goes in, her paintingeasel, logs (because she loves a cosy fire), lots ofgreen vegetables because Mummy says ‘cabbageis the best food ever’… oh, and the lawnmowerbecause she loves that too. On and on, fuller andfuller until the job is done.

You can hear the laughter and see thequestioning faces as this story is read aloud. RubyRoo’s cheeky character beams out from theillustrations through her wide-eyed innocence.Primarily a picture driven book, the text is variedin size and position adding interest and noise! Awelcome addition to TheRuby Roo Collection, there’sa surprise at the end becauseRuby Roo realises that the‘thing’ Mummy loves most ofall has to go too!

Janet Sims

Laird, Elizabeth and Lucander, JennyGrobblechops (Tales by Rumi)Tiny Owl, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 910328 41 5

Bedtime fears are a perennialtopic in children literature, somuch so that the thirteenth-century poet, philosopher andSufi mystic, Rumi, wrote oneof his tales on this topic. Thisbook is part of a series by Tiny Owl, whichreinterprets Rumi’s story for young children. In thisstory, Amir refuses to go to sleep – there might bea ferocious monster waiting for him in the dark.Dad tries to reassure him – he’ll come and rescuehim with a frying pan, but what if the monsteralso has a dad, with a bigger frying pan? Clearly,a new tactic is needed: talking! And while theparents are engaged in discussion, can Amir andthe little monster become friends?

The text by Elizabeth Laird perfectly capturesparent-child interactions and depicts a commonscenario when each of the parent’s argumentsleads to an escalation of the child’s fear. It iscurrent, yet retains the feel of a classic tale. JennyLucander’s illustrations were originally mixed-media collages which were then finished digitally.They are quirky, modern and vividly coloured, withmany details to discover in each picture – can youspot the Moomin house, or notice how Teddy’sexpression changes? The monster, as amulticolour being with big teeth and feathers, isscary enough to be instantly recognisable as amonster but endearing enough that children willnot be afraid and might actually imagine beingfriends with him. This is a charming andhumorous story which may provide reassurance tochildren who are afraid of monsters under thebed.

Agnès Guyon

Lambert, JonnyThe Big Angry RoarLittle Tiger, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 78881 098 2

Little lion cub is feeling cross. How can he let hisfeelings out? Well, there is no shortage of advicefrom the other animals. The gnu and the zebratramp, stamp and stomp. the rhino and the hippoprefer to bash, crash, splatter and splash. None ofthese methods are any good for the cub whoends up with sore paws and soggy fur. When theelephant’s toots mix with the little cub’s roarsthey provoke a stampede and it takes the baboonto teach him the right way to diffuse his anger.

Young children will be able to identify with thegrumpy little cub as he seeks to manage thefeelings of anger bubbling away inside him. Weall benefit from developing our strategies forcoping with difficult emotions and this story willbe a useful addition to the school library orclassroom as it tackles the subject in a very simpleand engaging way, with text and illustrationscomplementing each other perfectly. I am surethat young listeners will also enjoy creating theirown actions to accompany the story. Highlyrecommended for Early Years and Key Stage 1.

Emily Marcuccilli

Lindström, EvaEveryone Walks AwayGecko Press, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 776571 86 4

Anyone familiar with the books published byGecko Press will know to expect the unusual andperhaps slightly unsettling. This is so with EvaLindström’s latest book, in which Frank is leftalone whilst Tilly, Paul and Milan are having fun.It’s the same as always. At home, Frank cries tearsinto a pan, then adds sugar and cooks, stirringthe mixture for hours. When it is ready, he makestea and toast to have with the jam and invites theothers to share it…

With poetic text this is an exploration ofloneliness, the nature of friendship and belonging.The illustrations are surreal and distinctive, with amuted, melancholic palette and unusualperspectives, giving a dreamlike quality to thebook. Though the age given is 3+, I think this isbest suited to sharing and talking about witholder children.

Jayne Gould

MacCarthy, PatriciaDance, Dolphin, DanceOtter-Barry Books, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 91095 924 4

This sequel to Run, Elephant, Run (Otter-BarryBooks, 2017) is equally sumptuous. The richlycolourful graphic feast of the bottom of the seastarts on the front cover, spreading across the endpapers (different illustrations on each) and across

English literature in translation for your libraryModern and classic English literature and picture books

in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian.

www.eurobooks.co.uk email: [email protected] Tel: 01242 245252

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Under 8


all the pages. Incorporated with this study of sealife is a thrilling story about a bottlenose dolphinescaping its predators and returning to its friendsin the kelp forest of the Pacific Ocean in theWestern Gulf of California. Sea creatures ofvarious sizes are portrayed in recognisablefashion, including leatherback sea turtles, mantarays, the east pacific red octopus, whale sharksand cannonball jellyfish. Once the story isfinished, children can then search for all the seacreatures identified. The text is very dramatic, withdifferent-sized letters mimicking the movement ofwaves from gentle swaying to rougher seas. Themovements of the sea creatures make a sort ofdance. I enjoyed the detail of the illustrations andthe way it complemented the atmospheric text.Highly recommended for primary schools, both toread aloud and for children to study.

Lucy Chambers

Macho, AdriánThe Whale, the Sea and the StarsFloris Books, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 78250 559 4

Very small children often have a fascination withvery large creatures, whether dinosaurs, elephantsor whales! This beautifully illustrated book tapsinto this fascination to give the reader a heart-warming story about independence, belongingand finding our true home

When Gerda the blue whale was very small, hermother would sing a beautiful song telling herthat if she were ever lost she should look to thestars and they would guide her. When it’s time forthe little whale to leave home, her adventurestake her from the warm waters of the equator tothe freezing poles. Along the way she meetsclever killer whales, playful penguins, a friendlypolar bear and the ancient narwhale. Then oneday, the little whale realises she wants to findsomewhere to stay forever. How will she knowwhen she’s found the right sea for her? With hermother’s song in her heart, Gerda follows thestars to a place she knows she can call home.

The illustrations are teeming with life and are acelebration of our oceans’ amazing ecology. Thisbook makes a wonderful companion to JuliaDonaldson’s The Snail and the Whale and I wouldread the two books as a starting point fordiscussion about home, friendship, exploration,the diversity of our planet and the inter-connectedness of its wildlife. A wonderful book.

Carolyn Copland

Murray, Lily and Merritt, RichardThe Dinosaur Department StoreBuster Books, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 78055 596 6

‘Eliza Jane was an unusual child, some called herwilful, some called her wild’. Sometimes herparents don’t quite know what to do with her.When one day she insists they buy her a dinosaur,

although they are a little apprehensive, they takeher to the Dinosaur Department Store. The storemanager shows her a wide range of dinosaurs –but which one will she choose and is it a goodidea?

An exuberant picture book written in rhyme. TheIllustrations are bold, busy, full of colour and justburst off each page. The story has a great twistwhich I don’t think children will see coming but isvery in keeping with the feisty female characterthat Eliza Jane is. The final page features funselfies of each of the dinosaurs mentioned in thestory and a pronunciation guide to help childrenlearn their names. Dinosaur and non-dinosaurfans alike will just love this.

Annie Everall

O’Byrne, NicolaThe Rabbit, The Dark and the BiscuitTinNosy Crow, 2018, pp32, £11.99978 1 78800 271 4

The classic situation of a youngchild not wanting to go to bedis given a new twist in thisbrilliantly entertaining andinteractive story of Rabbit, whodecides to trap The Dark in abiscuit tin so he can stay up allnight. But Rabbit soon learns that The Dark is veryimportant. All the night-time animals needdarkness, Rabbit’s carrots need darkness to grow,Rabbit can’t enjoy his delicious breakfast withoutgoing to bed first and, most importantly, therewould be no bedtime story, not even one about astubborn rabbit who won’t go to bed…

This beautifully illustrated picture book workscleverly on different levels. It is very amusing andengaging depicting Rabbit with great humourthroughout and children will enjoy reading abouthis cunning plan. The surprise fold-out spreadwhich releases The Dark from the biscuit tin isdramatic and captivating and the illustrations ofthe night sky are imaginative and eye-catching.The book also works as a comforting story,allaying fears of darkness as The Dark is portrayedas a patient, gentle character who teaches Rabbitto think of others. There are opportunities forchildren to talk about fears, light and dark,nocturnal creatures and the night sky, all whilstenjoying a funny, skilfully illustrated andinteractive story.

Sue Roe

Parkinson, Betsy and Clester, ShaneThe Picky Eater (Little Boost)Raintree, 2018, pp32, £6.99978 1 4747 6245 8

Piper, the picky piglet, will only eat foodbeginning with the letter ‘p’, much to hermother’s eventual annoyance. At the end of hertether and unwilling to humour her piglet any

further, mother lays down the law aboutmealtimes and (surprise) Piper eventually falls intoline and eats whatever is served.

The issue of children and the range of food theywill or will not eat is a problem well known to agood number of parents. This picture book ofclear, concise text and colourful illustrations willallow parents and their own picky eaters todiscuss the subject but at one remove, whichperhaps will make it less confrontational. Asking achild why they think Piper will only eat foodbeginning with the letter ‘p’ is probably easierthan asking the child directly why they won’t eatgreen food or wet food or whatever theirparticular red line is. The final page, where Piperacknowledges that, actually, she could eat foodbeginning with any letter of the alphabet, alsohas her digging in her heels about only wearingpink and purple clothing.

This book is almost a textbook on negotiatingwith small children (pick only important battlesand leave them with a sense of control about anelement of their lives that is important to them).

June Hughes

Percival, TomThe Sea SawSimon & Schuster, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 4711 7243 4

Sofia’s bear is old andtatty, but greatly loved. Itonce belonged to hergrandmother and thenher mother, and it goeseverywhere with her. Butan outing to the seaside ends in disaster when,escaping a sudden storm, Sofia and her father failto see the bear fall out of a bag and land on thesand. The Sea, however, does see, and knowinghow much the bear will be missed sets aboutreturning it to its owner. By the time Sofia getsback to the beach to look for him, her bear hasgone, tossed on the waves out to sea. All she hasto remind her of him is his blue scarf, a remnantof which she keeps in a locket around her neck.We follow the bear on his many sea-borneadventures, searching for the young girl who haslost him. He returns in the end, of course, and isscooped up excitedly by a young girl who seeshim floating in the shallows; however this is nolonger Sofia, but her own granddaughter, manyyears later.

Even after I pointed out the old lady’s similaritiesto Sofia – the same red dress, the locket – thethree-year-olds I read it to didn’t get the endingat all. But a slightly older child will love the wayit turns full circle, with the bear moving on to yetanother generation, and there is much todiscover in the beautiful art work, based onelements from real paintings in Amsterdam’sRijksmuseum.

Marianne Bradnock

Under 8


Ramos, MarioTranslated by Linda BurgessI Am So CleverGecko Press, 2019, pp44, £11.99978 1 776572 48 9

Belgian author-illustrator Mario Ramos followsthe success of I Am So Strong with this clever takeon the tale of Red Riding Hood. A tiny, red-capped figure merrily proceeds through the forest,unperturbed by the appearance of a wolf gleefullyanticipating grandmother as a main course and‘little raspberry’ for dessert. Plans begin to goawry, however, when wolf struggles to get intograndmother’s nightdress and manages to lockhimself out of her cottage. A wolf in dress andmobcap cuts an incongruous figure in the forest,as characters from various fairy tales pass by withcheery calls and not a shred of fear. Even RedRiding Hood bursts out laughing at grandmotherin a wolf mask, until a deflated wolf – toothlessafter a fall – allows Red Riding Hood to ease himout of the offending nightdress. Tables are turnedin this retelling in a satisfying and hilariousmanner, thanks to a witty text and illustrationscontrasting Red Riding Hood’s equanimity withthe wolf’s shifting emotions expressed in face andgesture. This is a beautifully executed tale that willentertain and delight adults and young listenersalike.

Gillian Lathey

Rowe, TherezaStay, Benson!Thames & Hudson, 2019, pp32, £10.95978 0 500651 53 7

The reader is let into a secret with this story, avery big secret and as such its young readers willdelight in being the only ones to know whatBenson gets up to all day.

If your family are dog owners, if you know ofchildren whose families are dog owners, then putthis book in their hands. If you know children wholove to have a secret, a naughty but good secret,put this book in their hands.

Why?

It will make them laugh-out-loud; it will makethem want to read and maybe share over andover again; it will encourage them to read, andshare over and over again.

Why? And why am I being so repetitive?

This is a clever, funny and yet very simple storyabout Benson the dog and his daily antics but it isthe antics that only you, the reader, know about.Flick, his owner has no idea (or does she)? Andwhy the repetition? Because here is anotherbrilliant aspect of this book, the repetition thatencourages children’s familiarity with thevocabulary, encourages them to understand themeanings of words and acts as an important toolto encourage them to turn the pages and engagewith the story.

So what is it that Benson does all day when Flickis at work? Well now that would be telling and ofcourse I cannot do that for it is a secret betweenBenson and his reader!

With bold illustration demonstrating the designbackground of the author Thereza Rowe, thisbook comes to life and truly engages the reader.


Senior, Suzy and Powell, ClaireOctopantsLittle Tiger, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 84869 936 6

Octopus has nothing towear below, and is quiteconcerned at this parlousstate of affairs. So hefinds, by great goodfortune, an underwateremporium – where hediscovers (in rhymes, which will appeal to allyoung readers) just what can be bought forwhat sort of sealife. Does he find his pants,however? Well… sometimes it does help to lookat your problem from a different point of view,and once he does this, it’s a clear case ofproblem solved.

But what does he actually do? You’ll have to readit to find out – and the Reception children at myschool are going to LOVE this cheerful story madeeven more fun by the exuberant illustrations!

Rudolf Loewenstein

Surnaite, MargaritaThe Lost BookAndersen, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 78344 684 1

On the front cover of The Lost Book there is arabbit reading a book. A combination of booksand rabbits is always going to be a big hit withme so I was biased in favour before even lookingthrough it. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.However, the blurb was misleading; young Henrycertainly is a rabbit who, we are told, doesn’t likebooks (and there’s a story there), but that is notwhat this picturebook is about. Henry spots anabandoned book under a hedge, so he sets off tofind its owner. Scrabbling through the hedge, hediscovers an alternative universe (great literarystart); one where people are so concerned withtheir mobile phones that children are ignored. Anallegory? Perhaps – but one which leads to youngHenry becoming a brilliant storyteller.

This is an excellent debut picturebook and Irecommend it. I wonder if the creator of The LostBook originally intended it to be ‘wordless’ interms of printed text. The visual text flowstogether so well that no verbal explanation isnecessary. A lovely story to share and discuss withchildren in early years, KS1 and beyond.

Prue Goodwin

Taylor, Sean and Mantle, BenKiss the CrocodileWalker, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 40636 934 2

This is a lovely story book by Sean Taylor withsome colourful, fun illustrations by Ben Mantle.

Anteater, Tortoise and Monkey are playing lots ofgames together such as Stick Splash, ScaryMonsters and Silly Dancing but are getting boredand need a new game. They feel a little scaredwhen they meet Crocodile but Crocodile has anew game for them to try which is called Kiss theCrocodile. At first Anteater, Tortoise and Monkeyare frightened of Crocodile’s sharp teeth butdecide that they will have a go at playing theCrocodile’s new game. They all have so much funwith Crocodile that they realise he is not scary atall, and all of them want to be his friend. A brightand cheerful book with playful, repetitivelanguage that young children will love, whichexplores the themes of friendship and reachingout to people. Ideal for Foundation and KS1readers.

Jane Pepler

Teckentrup, BrittaMole’s StarOrchard, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 40834 283 1

This picture book story looks at the theme ofsharing and working together. When Mole sees ashooting star, he makes a wish to own all of thestars in the world. Some magical ladders appearand his wish is granted. Mole hastily gathers thestars and brings them into his burrow. However,he has not considered the consequences of hisactions on other animals in the forest. Theillustrations brilliantly contrast light with darkness.While dazzling stars illuminate Mole’s burrow,darkness permeates through the forest which isnow sheltered by a starless sky. A wonderful storywith a great moral. It would be ideal forintroducing a discussion on caring for the naturalworld or a discussion on teamwork/sharing.

Laura Brett

Treleaven, Lou and Neal, TonyNot Yet a YetiMaverick Arts, 2018, pp32, £7.99978 1 84886 340 8

George’s whole family are yetis, but Georgedoesn’t look like a yeti, he doesn’t feel like a yeti,and he certainly doesn’t behave like a yeti. Hissnowy-looking father, with icicle shaped teeth,loves to chase mountain folk till they scream interror. His smug, snowy-looking sister leaves giantfootprints which make people gasp with dread.His snowy-looking mother catches ramblers andputs them in her soup. But George wears a scarfand a bobble hat, and certainly doesn’t like tofrighten anyone. Then his mother asks him a big


Under 8question: What do you want to be? And suddenly,George knows who he really is – a unicorn. Thereis some head scratching in the family, before Dadcomes up with a way they can all work together.The yetis will go on chasing mountaineers, butGeorge will ski along a rainbow track, fly throughthe air and rescue them! This is a cheerful tale offinding one’s identity, and creating a place foreveryone within a group. The lively illustrationstake us into the scary world of yetis, the kind offear children savour. Then, as in all good picturebooks, they bring us out of the fear and into aworld of crazy play.

Sophie Smiley

Whitty, Hannah and Bowles, PaulaSuperkittySimon & Schuster, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 4711 7509 1

Spend a day in Kitty’s life with this fun, energeticpicture book! A telephone call about a stolendinosaur bone turns Kitty’s boring routine into avery special time indeed. . . While the SensationalSuperheroes are distracted one after the other,Kitty may well prove that small can be colossal!Hannah Whitty’s great storyline is beautifullycompleted by Paula Bowles’ exciting, bright andcolourful illustrations. A treat for very youngreaders! Perfect for fans of Shifty McGifty and TenLittle Superheroes.

Océane Toffolli

Wild, Margaret and Ord, MandyChalk BoyAllen & Unwin, 2018, pp32, £11.99978 1 76063 472 8

Chalk Boy is being drawn byBarnaby, a pavement artist.Unusually, the story is narratedin the first person by a chalkdrawing. Best of all for theChalk Boy, he has all thepositive human attributes ofthinking, seeing, hearing, running and, mostimportantly, feeling.

Barnaby draws in a dark, edgy, urban setting.Passers-by fill the edges of the page, engaged inurban pursuits of listening to music onheadphones, using their phones and drinkingcoffee. Some of the characters are reversesilhouettes (white figures on a dark background),adding to the sense of busyness and anonymity ofurban life. Chalk Boy, a bright blue line drawing,contrasts to his jagged busy environment. Gently,Barnaby explains to Chalk Boy that he will washaway when the rain comes. Chalk Boyunderstands this but in the meantime, he warmlyenjoys his life to the full as he is redrawnswimming, somersaulting and playing the guitar.Touchingly, when the rain comes, Barnabyprotects him with a cloth and assures him that heis not alone. The minimal words are profoundly

moving as they explore universal themes of love,caring and existence. A lot of the emotion isconveyed through Ord’s dynamic drawings andthe sensitive lines that make Chalk Boy.Wonderfully quirky and infused with a love of life.

Carolyn Boyd

Willis, Jeanne and Laberis,StephanieFrockodileHodder, 2019, pp32, £6.99978 1 444 90824 4

Cliff is a crocodile with a burly biker dad. One day,playing by the swamp, he finds a pile of clothes.Not any old clothes – these are sparkly and fancyand lots of fun. Before long Cliff is dancingaround in frilly knickers, a sequined dress, sky-high heels and a lovely pearl necklace.

Along come a couple of hyenas to shatter thepeace, mocking Cliff and threatening to tell hisdad if he doesn’t ‘stop dressing girly’. Cliff knowshis dad loves him, but will this make himashamed of his son? Panicking, Cliff insists thathe’s rehearsing for a play but the hyenas call hisbluff and insist upon selling tickets to theperformance – including one to Cliff’s dad! FreddyFrog finds his friend Cliff in tears. Cliff explainsthat he just feels happier in heels and a dress, butthat he isn’t ready to tell his dad. Freddyunderstands and suggests that they actually puton a show! All of his friends help with theplanning and the performance, and after a slightwobble in confidence Cliff performs perfectly. Hisdad is in the audience – what will he say? I’llleave you to find out for yourself, but suffice tosay this charming book ends with much love andhappiness all round. Jeanne Willis is anexceptional writer, with a deft touch thatmanages to address difficult subjects in a light-hearted but reassuring way. Frockodile is noexception. ‘We are the way we are. You’re YOU nomatter what you wear.’ Stephanie Laberis bringsthe tale to life with exuberant colour and livelycharacters, making this a fabulous book to sharewith young readers.

Helen Thompson

Willis, Jeanne and Ross, Tony#GoldilocksAndersen, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 78344 717 6

Goldilocks is desperate to get more ‘likes’ so, inorder to keep her followers entertained, and thusgets more hits, her actions become more andmore daring. Finally, she crosses the line andbreaks into the three bears’ house and documentsher actions online – #bigmistake! Of course,Daddy Bear sees the videos and Goldilocks endsdoing community service, but what is worse isthat the videos remain well after the sentence isspent so Goldilocks’ reputation will be forever

tarred. The moral of the story is clear ‘Think twicebefore you send’.

This modern-day cautionary tale is the third bookin Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross’ series on Internetsafety for children, following Chicken Clicking andTroll Stinks. The story is told with easy rhymes anda lot of humour and is perfectly matched by TonyRoss’ signature illustrations. It was released tomark the launch of the Digital Parenting websitefor parents, carers and teachers, and funded bythe Vodafone Foundation. Highlighting both thepressure of getting more hits and the concept of adigital footprint, it will provide a very usefulstarting point for any discussion on social mediaand the consequences of children’s actions online.

Agnès Guyon

Wood, John and Jones, DanielleAnita the Alligator Feels Angry(Healthy Minds)Booklife Publishing, 2019, pp24, £12.99978 1 78637 369 4

Anita the alligator feels angry because things aregoing to change, she is going to have a new babybrother. It begins with a lovely explanation of whathappens when you feel angry and the things thatyou shouldn’t do when you are angry. It is a greatstarting point for discussion with children abouthow changes might make them feel angry.Children will be able to identify with the feelingsof anger they may have when something changesin their life like a new baby. This will provide thoseworking with children the opportunity to discusswhat they should do if they start to feel angrysuch as controlled breathing and going to a safeplace. It also demonstrates how to make amendsafter doing something in anger. This is a lovelyseries of books that will provide a starting pointfor discussions about feelings.

Kate Keaveny

Zandere, Inese and Petersons, ReinisTranslated by Catherine AnneCullenAll Better!Little Island, 2019, pp32, £7.99978 1 910 41185 8

The older you get, the more you understandabout being ill. But for young children there is stillplenty of puzzlement about the whys andwherefores of illness. Enter All Better! Told in theform of rhyming poems accompanied bycheerfully zany illustrations, different aspects ofbeing unwell are explained simply andsympathetically – and if licence is taken withcertain things, it certainly helps young children toempathise and identify with different aspects ofillness. The book will find a ready place at home,where it can be shared and discussed withchildren – in the classroom, too, it can be chattedover to help a greater understanding of illness.Rudolf Loewenstein


8 to 12 Fiction

Almond, DavidWar is OverIllustrated by David Litchfield

Hodder, 2018, pp128, £10.99978 1 444 94657 4

This short and very simple storyis set in 1918, not long beforethe end of the First World War.David Almond has oftendepicted a sensitive child insome way at odds with his orher own world. Here the outsider is John, aprimary school boy whose father is in the trenchesand whose mother works in the local munitionsfactory. This is a fiercely patriotic and bellicosesociety where the only good German is a deadGerman. John, an imaginative child, is taken withhis class on a visit to the factory, and is horrifiedby visions of the carnage caused by bombs andshells. The town has a conscientious objector,much vilified, and from him John obtains a pictureof a German boy, Jan from Dusseldorf, who isclearly much like himself. John’s innocent protestsagainst the war lead him to write a letter to Janwhich, when duly intercepted, brings trouble forhim from patriotic officialdom. He goes on quietlydreaming of peace, until peace eventually comes,but John still dreams of one day making his ownpeaceful visit to Jan and Germany.

Strikingly illustrated by David Litchfield, the book’seffect depends as much on pictures as on words.It is a sympathetic portrait of one child who livesin a world of violence and propaganda and daresto question it. A deeply felt morality tale forchildren of eight or so.

Peter Hollindale

Applebaum, KirstyThe MiddlerNosy Crow, 2019, pp272, £6.99978 1 78800 345 2

Every now and again a book takes you bysurprise. The Middler is one such book. With just asimple blurb outlining that our narrator, Maggie,was the middle child in a family including herolder brother Jed and younger brother Trig,readers may be led to believe they are to read afamily drama about the challenges of being amiddle child. And they are. But my, oh my, TheMiddler is so much more!

Set in a post-apocalyptic near-future, Maggie andher family live in the small settlement of FennisWick. Early in the text, we learn that to cross thetown boundary is to put yourself and the wholeof Fennis Wick at risk: it must never be done. Addto this the warning that Wanderers – dirty,deceitful, dangerous wanderers – are beyond thesafety of the boundary and as a reader you justknow that Maggie is not only going to cross the

boundary, but that she’s going to meet aWanderer.

But what of being a Middler? Maggie feelsaffronted that as an Eldest, her brother Jedreceives preferential treatment. She wonders howit can be fair that Eldests get all the prizes atschool regardless of the quality of their work, thatthey don’t have to do the chores at home, andthat they’re revered by everyone in thecommunity. Of course she knows – it’s tocompensate for their duty to leave Fennis Wickupon turning 14 to fight the Quiet War. Maggieknows this, but it just seems deeply unfair to her.

The Middler is a captivating novel from a newauthor. It takes the post-apocalyptic anddystopian features so beloved by Young Adultreaders and makes them accessible and suitablefor children in KS2.

It’s also refreshing to read a novel which hasobvious potential for a sequel but that resolvesthe next stages of the narrative through a shortepilogue. This is not to say I wouldn’t read asequel if it were written, but I’m satisfied with theglimpse of Maggie’s future that’s been given.

The Middler is ideal for Y5 and Y6 readers wholike adventures, post-apocalyptic narratives andnovels featuring strong female protagonists. Oneof my favourite reads so far in 2019.

Rachel Clarke

Arshad, Humza and White, HenryLittle Badman and the Invasion ofthe Killer AuntiesIllustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff

Puffin, 2019, pp352, £6.99978 0 241 34060 8

Known as Little Badman, eleven-year-old HumzaKhan is the greatest rapper Eggington has everknown. Or he would be if he could only get hisvideo online and going viral. The sudden illness ofhis music teacher means that he has to delayfinishing the track. However this becomes theleast of his problems when he realises thatsomething very strange is happening. Teachers allover town are falling ill or meeting with strangeaccidents. Luckily, the local aunties are ready tostep in to help although they have ratherunorthodox ideas about teaching, with everylesson centred on food. The children are delightedwith so many sweet treats, even if they do seemto be putting on weight…His suspicions aroused,Humza sets out to investigate and find a way todestroy them before they take over the world.

In this funny and fast moving adventure, HumzaArshad has exaggerated elements of hischildhood experiences, to produce an entertainingromp with a cast of characters including LittleBadman’s best friend Umer and under-estimatedUncle Tariq, known as Grandpa. Planned as thefirst of a series, this will engage readers whoenjoy similar zany adventures.

Jayne Gould

Blackman, MalorieEllie and the CatIllustrated by Matt Robertson

Barrington Stoke, 2019, pp80, £6.99978 1 78112 824 4

As with all Barrington Stoke editions, this funnynovella has short chapters, short sentences and adyslexia-friendly page colour and font, with areading age of around 8 years. The expressiveartwork also puts the market at middle grade. Thecover has a Horrid-Henry-esquenaughty Ellie defiantly staringout of the cover at the reader –it’s great to see a BAME maincharacter on the cover as wellas in the text.

Ellie’s grandma is kind andthoughtful, despite Ellie’s pure grumpiness athaving to stay with her. Blackman gently unpacksthe anger, but doesn’t excuse it. Ellie’s grandma isa saint until the end of chapter two, which ispretty patient in the face of Ellie’s rudeness. Hergrandma has magical powers, so she can do onebetter than sending Ellie to her room – she sendsher into the cat until she can learn some manners(and find her grandma’s lost wedding ring).

With plenty of references to fairytales andtraditional stories, there are also traditionalstorytelling techniques to Blackman’s modernstory – the absent parent, the wise old cronefigure, the magical transformation, the quest, thebodyswap, the abhorrent teenager who turns theirlife around. But it’s clearly modern too. This wouldbe a great story to read aloud, with plenty oflanguages devices like alliteration.

Helen Swinyard

Boyne, JohnMy Brother’s Name is JessicaPuffin, 2019, pp256, £12.99978 0 241 37613 3

Sam is thirteen, the son of an important politicianwith aspirations to be prime minister and herhusband and private secretary, who supports herall the way. Nothing must be allowed to block herpath up the greasy pole. The image they presentto the public is crucial. Government business andambition mean that time and patience are inshort supply. But luckily Sam’s brother Jason hasalways been there for him. Sam is severelydyslexic. He lacks confidence and friends, whereasJason is the popular football star of their school.Jason is Sam’s hero, but he has started spendingmore and more time by himself. Then one eveninghe tells the family that he does not feel himself tobe a boy, but a girl. Sam is confused. Their parentsare horrified. They tell Jason he is deluded andneeds treatment. They demand that no onebreathes a word to anyone about what he hassaid…

This is an ambitious, thought-provoking andsometimes funny novel that explores not just

8 to 12


8 to 12transgender issues, but also prejudice andintolerance more widely, as well as politics andthe importance of family communication. A fewcavils: the device of the naïve young narratormeans there is some lack of nuance; several ofthe protagonists are rather one-dimensional; thehappy tying up of all the knots at the end, notleast the parents’ remarkably rapid transition frombigotry to acceptance, stretches plausibility. Butthe book is a valuable plea for empathy andinclusion, qualities highlighted by the aunt andseveral minor characters, including anunexpectedly broadminded football coach.

How important it is that children and youngpeople who are questioning their own genderidentity, or have friends or family members whoare doing so, have books which reflect theirsituation and offer hope. Vital too that those withno personal experience have opportunities to gaininsight and understanding.

Anne Harding

Burnell, CerrieThe Girl with the Shark’s TeethIllustrated by Sandra Diekmann

Oxford, 2019, pp240, £6.99978 0 19 276754 7

This mesmerising story will hold you tightly in itsgrasp from the opening chapter right to the veryend. It is a wonderful mixture of fantasy andreality, of the secrets of the deep and those to befound on dry land and it stays true to the author’saim (stated in the foreword) to create an inclusiveand ethnically diverse tale that stirs up the oldmermaid and pirate stereotypes.

Meet Mercy, feisty flame-haired pirate completewith diamond-encrusted hook, and her intriguingdaughter Minnow, who has lived all her lifeaboard The Seafarer, is more at home among thewaves than on land and who has several smallsilver teeth where her own should be. WhenMinnow witnesses her mother being taken awayby a group of mysterious men, she is forced tosummon all her courage and undertake aterrifying voyage alongside her dog Miyuki andnew friend Raife.

I loved the lyrical language which reallytransported me to the Wild Deep, in thecompany of a whole host of fantastical creaturesfrom merfins (far more powerful and majesticthan any saccharine mermaid you’ll have metbefore) and flying bird-boys to the High WindsMistral and Xephyr. The story is punctuated byseveral mysterious and beguiling songs andthese add to the sense of otherworldliness. Thisfantasy world contrasts beautifully with thesettings of Brighton, Reykjavik and Barbados,leaving a lasting impression as you close thefinal page. Highly recommended for fans of KiranMillwood Hargrave, Sarah Driver and AbiElphinstone.

Emily Marcucilli

Butterworth, JessSwimming Against the StormOrion, 2019, pp288, £6.99978 1 51010 548 5

Twelve-year-old Eliza and herten-year-old sister Avery live inCoteville, a small community inthe bayous of Louisiana. Theirparents are shrimpers and thefamily’s life is based around thewatery world of the swamps. Theland is sinking and the water is rising and housesare built on stilts. The lifestyle of centuries is underthreat. When Avery discovers some largefootprints in the mud they wonder if they havebeen made by a ‘loup garou’ and she’s sure thatif they could find a living example of thislegendary creature people would make a bigeffort to stop the decline of the area. The girls’little gang, the Canailles, set off one night to tryto find a ‘loup garou’. Avery goes missing in theswamp, filled with dangers like alligators andsnakes, and soon the whole town is out lookingfor her. The Canailles set off on their own searchand are caught up in a hurricane that sweeps infrom the Gulf of Mexico. This exciting andengaging story is played out against a landscapethat Jess Butterworth describes in great detail –the humidity, the mosquitos, the dangers lurkingunder the water, the beauty and the danger. Thebrilliant nature writing and the evocation of theculture of this remarkable landscape are bonusesthat enrich the gripping tale.

Nigel Hinton

Carroll, EmmaWhen We Were WarriorsFaber & Faber, 2019, pp256, £6.99978 0 571 35040 7

This lovely book consists of three short stories –two of which revisit characters that we have metin previous novels, and the third with some newcharacters. All of the stories are linked in that theyare about children during World War Two.

The first story, The Night Visitors, is about Stan,June and Maggie whose house in Bristol isbombed out. They are evacuated to Frost HollowHall, a stately home in Somerset and uncoversome interesting secrets from the past. Thesecond story, Olive’s Army, reunites the readerwith the characters from the book Letters fromthe Lighthouse and returns to a story atBudmouth Point involving Cliff, Olive, Sukie andEphraim. The third story, Operation Greyhound,introduces the reader to some new characters –Velvet and Lynn. The story is set in Plymouth andconcerns what happened to animals during airraids in World War Two.

The stories are a great way to becomereacquainted with Emma Carroll’s fantastichistorical fiction for children or to discover freshnew characters and lead new readers on to read

Carroll’s books. They are a great way for KS2children to be introduced to historical fiction andto find out about what happened to children oftheir age group in World War Two.

Jane Pepler

Eagle, JudithThe Secret StarlingFaber & Faber, 2019, pp272, £6.99978 0 57134 630 1

The time is 1974, in a periodwhich is becoming attractive towriters of adventure stories,before mobile phones and theinternet abolished much of thesuspense, delay and mystery onwhich they rely. Clara Starling,twelve, lives a solitary life with her wicked uncleand a series of governesses in a remote mansionon the moors near Leeds. Her mother is dead, herfather unknown. She lives in dull routine for years.Then suddenly things happen. The wicked uncle,plainly broke, disappears, leaving her alone. Butnot for long, because she is joined by PeterTremble, twelve. Peter is a foundling, with noknown parents, and has been adopted by his‘Granny’ in London, but dispatched to Clara’shome by a seemingly kindly London neighbourwhen Granny falls ill. Left to fend for themselves,the two children take charge of their own lives,make merry in the absence of adults, and set outto resolve the mystery of Clara’s dead mother andmissing father. Gradually they uncover a dastardlyplot, hatched by the wicked uncle and even morewicked London neighbour. Solving it brings abouta romantically happy ending, including the joyousrevelation that Clara and Peter are twins.

It will be clear that this is an old-fashioned bookin more than date. It includes just about everystaple of traditional adventure stories that youcan think of, including an unknowing, verysurprised but delighted father for the twins. (He isa Russian ballet dancer.) The children outwit andoutdo the grown-ups in the best tradition, andget their due reward. Of course it is allpreposterous, but it is also a rollicking story, withenjoyable characters and unceasing surprises.(And the Seventies background is very well done.)A fast, easy and entertaining read, especially forreaders of eight to ten.

Peter Hollindale

Flecker, LaraMidnight at MoonstoneIllustrated by Trisha Krauss

Oxford, 2019, pp272, £6.99978 0 19 276889 6

Kit is very good at making things, but she is notvery good at school unlike her older brother andsister, Albert and Rosalind. Kit’s father, Sir HenryHalliwell, is a famous scientist. He is alwaystravelling, and is about to go away on a trip to

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South America. He wants Kit to stay with herbrother and sister and do some extra studying.However, after receiving a rejection from WilliamSiddis, the school her father is keen for her togo to, Kit decides to go and visit her estrangedgrandfather at Moonstone Costume Museum.Moonstone was once a fantastic museum full ofbeautiful costumes but it has now fallen intodisrepair. Kit’s first meeting with her grandfatherdoes not go well, but she discovers that thecostumes at Moonstone hold a wonderfulsecret, and makes some new and unusualfriends. The museum’s future is under threatbecause an avaricious developer wants to turn itinto flats. Can Kit save the museum, and willshe be able to persuade her secret friends tohelp in time?

Midnight at Moonstone is an enchanting fantasystory that will appeal to young girls interested incostumes, history and magic. A sense of mysterypervades the narrative and encourages the readerto keep reading. It is an extremely imaginativestory that both surprises and delights.

Andrea Rayner

Ford, MartynChester Parsons is NOT a GorillaFaber& Faber, 2019, pp336, £6.99978 0 571332 23 6

Everything starts to go crazy when Chesterdiscovers he can mind jump. Amy, his sister, getshim to help her make her video blog morepopular. Then they get discovered by a TVcompany who wants to film them. Everythinggoes well until they go to a zoo and Chesterjumps into the mind of a gorilla called Tito. Whilsthe is there, someone steals Chester’s body and heis not able to return to it. This is the start of adesperate quest to try and find out who hasstolen Chester’s body and get it back before he isabsorbed by the gorilla’s consciousness. Duringthis rollercoaster adventure, Chester/Tito and Amymeet Detective Pepper, the Silent Cameraman, theStar Swimmers at Whispered Manor and the evilCold Rain. Can Chester defeat his enemy and findhis body when he is not really sure who hisenemy is?

This is a clever and entertaining story that willkeep younger readers engrossed. It is fast-pacedand full of action, as well as having lots of plottwists. It is not only funny and mind-bending, butalso contains some interesting and intriguingconcepts to do with consciousness and being.

Andrea Rayner

Golding, JuliaThe Curious CrimeLion Fiction, 2018, pp256, £6.99978 0 7459 7787 4

Julia Golding has written books for both adultsand children and she has what could, probablyrightly, be called a gift for storytelling and the

ability to weave story with fact so that theunassuming reader might come away with notjust the pleasurable feeling of having read a greatbook but also some new knowledge, in this caseabout the world of science (and maybe museumstoo).

Ree does not think that being curious is a crime.Neither is being a girl. However, in the male-dominated world of science there both could beconsidered crimes and more so because it is a girlwho is the curious one. In spite of this the readeris invited to join Ree on a fantasy island. Herethey will meet Phil the dodo and a range of otherunusual characters. All are roaming the corridors,giant halls and network of underground passageswhich form a museum and science academy. Reecannot be a scientist – she is a girl – but neitheris she allowed to be a stone mason – her otherpassion. The result? A young girl who has to cleanthe halls of the magnificent museum each night.Cue adventure!

Murders start to happen. Mysterious ones as thereader may expect… but there is someone onRee’s side. Henri, a new and determined scholar, ascholar who looks past the fact that Ree is a girl,a scholar who likes a mystery to solve. Betweenthem can they join forces, solve the mysterymurders and prove their innocence? Packed withthought, with wonder, with curiosity and of coursea few murders leading to a crime to solve, thisbook twists, turns, surprises the reader and willhave them gripped.


Green, SophiePotkin and StubbsIllustrated by K. J. Mountford

Piccadilly, 2019, pp384, £6.99978 1 84812 761 6

‘Never judge a book by itscover!’ In the case of this firstbook in a new series, that isprecisely what the readershould do. A fabulous coverreminds this ‘older’ youngreader of Raymond Chandler,Humphrey Bogart and filmssuch as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Thecharacters on both the front and back cover givean indication of the noir mystery thriller waitingwithin.

Lil Potkin lives in bleak Peligan City, run by corruptgovernment officials. Her mum works in City Halland is rarely at home, so aspiring journalist Lil hasall the time she needs to explore the city in herbright yellow raincoat, investigating unsolvedstories. The brilliant descriptions of both the city ofPeligan and the characters make for a wonderfulread. Unexplained fires, suspicious deaths,supernatural elements and plot twists aplenty –what’s not to like?! One rainy evening Lil meets asad-looking boy sitting by himself in the busstation and buys him a hot chocolate. That night

Lil wakes to find him in her bedroom. He doesn’twant to admit to being a ghost, but when hefinally remembers his name (Nedly ... possibly) heexplains that he needs Lil’s help to find out whathappened to him after he disappeared from hisorphanage a year ago.

So Lil and Nedly – aka Potkin and Stubbs – teamup to solve their mystery, and they call in thereluctant help of once-famous detective AbeMandrel. He agrees to help them with the Stubbscase if they help him find the criminal whoescaped justice and cost him his career. Except –Lil realises that she is the only person in thewhole of Peligan City who can see Nedly. Whichcan come in handy when trying to solve crime.

Books like this are great page-turners and thisshould appeal to a broad range of children, withits plot, characters and themes. I cannotrecommend it highly enough and look forward toreading more in the series.

Carolyn Copland

Hearn, JulieI Am NOT AdorableIllustrated by Emma Ritson

Jolly Heron, 2018, pp158, £6.99978 1 790253 09 8

Jimmy, is a guide dog intraining, living with Lottie histrainer. Jimmy does not reallyunderstand the world andthroughout the story gets intosome difficult situations buteach time learns from them. Thestory while told through Jimmy’s eyes tells thestory of Lottie and her year training him, whilehaving her own struggles with her relationshipand wanting to help Jimmy succeed in becominga guide dog.

Told from the perspective of a puppy in training tobe a guide dog, the author conveys the puppy’smisunderstandings and misconceptions in ahumorous way. The empathy that you begin tofeel for Jimmy (the puppy) and all the mistakes hemakes are a testament to author’s skill inimagining how a puppy may be feeling. Afantastic story to begin a discussion about therole of guide dog and how they train in their firstyear.

Kate Keaveny

Hitchcock, FleurThe Boy Who FlewNosy Crow, 2019, pp256, £6.99978 1 78800 438 1

This is the story of Athan, a boy who lives abovehis family’s tailoring shop. The family is an oddone. There is real love and loyalty between thesiblings: older sister Polly is capable and loving,keeping both the business and family running.Vulnerable but insightful younger sister Beatty is

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unable to walk, and Athan and Polly work hard toprotect her, not least from her grotesqueGrandmother. Mother struggles, especially tomanage Athan, and nearly destroys the family byfoolishly accepting the attentions of the strangeColonel.

Athan earns extra income for the family byworking for an inventor, Mr Chen, but at thebeginning of the story Mr Chen is murdered.Athan and his friend Tod rescue Mr Chen’s workon a flying machine and decide to enter acompetition with it but realise that, as Mr Chenpredicted, inventions can be used for good andevil, and Athan finds himself dealing not only withhis troubled family but also with some cunningvillains who want the machine.

The plot is exciting and the historic setting,frequently enhanced by period language in thedialogue, is colourful. The villains are vivid in theirdeceit and violence, and the story is full of drama(to the extent that Tod dies protecting his friends).The city, with its warehouses and close-togetherbuildings, provides an ideal backdrop for Athan’sadventures.

Much of the focus of the book is up high: it openswith a birds-eye view of Athan at work for MrChen, and, Athan is most at home on the rooftopsof the town, where much of the action takesplace. Although the title foretells the ending, thefinal scene is a fittingly dramatic one, as Athanfinally achieves his dream.

Sally Perry

Holderness, Jackie and Marks, AlanThe Princess Who Hid in a TreeBodleian Children’s Books, 2019, pp40, £12.99978 1 85124 518 5

A beautiful re-telling of the legend of SaintFrideswide, the Patron Saint of Oxford. This earlyfeminist Anglo-Saxon princess wanted to do gooddeeds and help people, rather than marry. Shebegan helping her father build a priory on thebanks of the river Thames. However King Alganhad other plans for her, meaning to make hermarry him or attack Oxford and kidnap her if shedidn’t acquiesce. After a period of hiding, shebravely faced up to him and showed him the errorof his ways. The church that she founded inOxford was on the site of what is nowChristchurch College and her medieval shrine canstill be viewed in the cathedral.

An inspiring and enjoyable tale. The narrativeflows well and Frideswide’s story is really broughtto life. The text is supported by imaginative andempathic illustrations by Alan Marks, illustrator ofa Carnegie Medal and Smarties Prize winner.

A thoughtful, historical background is provided atthe end of the book. Bodleian Publishing reallyhas a knack for breathing new life into historyand making it readable, accessible and current fortoday’s children.

Annie Everall

Howard, GregThe WhispersPuffin, 2019, pp256, £6.99978 0 241 36708 7

Young readers who haverecently been bereavedmight find this storyupsetting. I was welling upat the end as the writershamelessly pulls at theheart-strings. Riley’s mumhas disappeared. His familyare grieving and he isdetermined to find her. His quest to make contactwith the supernatural Whispers and offer them atribute in return for his mum, turns out in fact tobe a disastrous camping trip in the woods withhis friends, following glow-worms, until hestumbles upon his mother’s grave and his loyaldog, Tucker, dies at the scene. All is revealed; Rileyhas been creating an alternative narrative. Hismother died of cancer and traumatised by thatand the funeral, he has been less than honestwith the reader.

This is also a sensitive story of a young boybecoming aware that he prefers boys to girls.Riley’s wonderful sense of the ridiculous, the dryhint in his humour and wry self-awareness issuperb. The pathos of his attempts to cope withhis bed-wetting condition, his grieving father andhis bullish older brother while keeping adesperately upbeat commentary is moving andabsorbing. Highly recommended (with theaforesaid caution) for readers of 10 to 13.

Rachel Ayers Nelson

Howard, MartinThe Cosmic Atlas of Alfie FleetIllustrated by Chris Mould

Oxford, 2019, pp336, £6.99978 0 19 276750 9

This book caused me to snort unbecomingly withlaughter on public transport – it definitelyappealed to my sense of humour! Young Alfielives with his mum on the breadline but he isdesperate to get her a super birthday gift so heresponds to an ad asking for help. This is how hemeets Professor Bowell-Mouvement (yes really!)and ends up going on a time travelling adventurein another world.

The style of writing is reminiscent of DouglasAdams’ Hitchhikers Guide and there seem to benods to this classic in Cosmic Atlas – the minigramophone that translates other tonguesreminded me very much of the Babel fish forexample. With quotes like ‘You can try evicting aBowell-Mouvement but you can expect a long,hard struggle’ to provoke laughter, this storywould definitely appeal to lovers of toilet humour,but the fast moving adventure would attract anychild of 8+ I would think. Great fun!

Bev Humphrey

Ho-Yen, PollyTwo Sides (Colour Fiction)Illustrated by Binny Talib

Stripes, 2019, pp96, £7.99978 1 78895 062 6

Two Sides is the story of best friends, Lula (who isboisterous and noisy) and Lenka (who is usuallycalm and quiet). They have been best friends sincebirth as their mothers met in a maternity ward.One day, they have a falling out over – of allthings – a pencil case. I think we’ve all been thereduring childhood; particularly girls (as in thisstory). Best friends one minute, not the next. Thebook is in the Stripes series which is intended forchildren at just the stage when they are becomingindependent in so many ways – making friends,discovering hobbies and, most importantly,becoming independent young readers. Suchresources are needed in primary schools so Iwelcome the intentions of this series. However, Ido have a few misgivings. The publicitydescriptions are misleading and, in the book itself,the text could be tricky for those readers who areonly just decoding well enough to read alone. Forinstance, there are two voices on most pages,which are only distinguished by font design andslight colour difference. On the other hand, ifshared with an adult, there is plenty to supportthe learning of higher order reading skills: e.g.,humour, irony and subtext. Teachers and librarianswill know which of their readers are ready forTwo Sides and who might need support accessingthis well-crafted tale with its lively and amusingillustrations.

Prue Goodwin

Lo, CharlotteWe Won an IslandNosy Crow, 2019, pp208, £6.99978 1 78800 041 3

Since the death of her grandmother, Luna’s dadhas stopped going to work, spending his daysasleep or watching television. With no extra hoursavailable at the supermarket where mum works,the family are struggling for money and facingeviction. Although this sounds like the opening toa rather bleak story, it is anything but. Discoveringa competition to win an island, Luna is convincedthis will be the answer to all their problems. Muchto everyone’s surprise, Mr Harding (aka MrBillionaire) the owner of the island, rings to saythat they have indeed won. The family is soon en-route to the coast of Scotland to take possessionof their island. Some members, particularlyaeroplane obsessed older sister Margot, are morereluctant than others but Luna’s irrepressibleoptimism and enthusiasm, convinces everyonethey can make a success of life there. Madcapadventures, with a hint of The Durrells, involvinggoats, donkeys, a storm and an out of controlsecret festival, make an entertaining and heart-warming read.

Jayne Gould

8 to 12



8 to 12Mantle, CliveThe Treasure at the Top of theWorld (A Freddie Malone Adventure)Award Publications, 2018, pp272, £6.99978 1 78270 321 1

If I had to concoct a recipe for this book, thechief ingredients would go as follows: hiddentreasure, ruthless villains, time travel, mysteriousmap, boys searching and being pursued, bulliesback at home, close and fond family, charactersto fascinate one. But this is just for starters – youneed to read yourself how Freddie receives amysterious map on his thirteenth birthday, andhow it enables him and his best friend to timetravel to Nepal. And there their adventures justbegin.

It is the sort of book that just cannot be putdown and that inspires one to find out moreabout so many things. Great in the classroom,although I’d recommend more than one copy ofit; it also makes a great present, either forreading alone, or sharing at bedtime. It is also thesort of book that will encourage boys to want toread more, although it will require some readingstamina. Well worth buying, especially as sequelsare being planned.

Rudolf Loewenstein

McKenzie, SophieBecoming JoScholastic, 2019, pp336, £6.99978 1 4071 8815 7

This is a modern take on theold classic Little Women. Inthis book we follow the foursisters Meg, Beth, Amy and Joas they struggle to fit into anew environment, new homeand new school, they evenhave to make new friends.

The March family, made up of Mum and the girls,have had to move to a new area, and althoughthey are not poor, they have little money. Dad isbusy serving as a clergy with the Army abroad, sothey only get to Skype him now and again. Thestory starts at Christmas time when we areintroduced to the four girls as they are strugglingto decide what to buy their mum for Christmas,and we learn a lot about how their family worksand how different their characters are. The familygo to help out at a Christmas lunch for refugeefamilies, and whilst there Jo (who is our mainprotagonist) meets a refugee boy called Lateef,they start chatting and Jo decided that he isgoing to be her best friend ever, and better stillthey live across the road from the March family’slittle house. Lateef lives with his adopted familyin a grand house, but this has not made Lateefinto a stuck up person, he is grounded and downto earth and Jo really likes this about him.

We follow the family through a year and we livetheir lives through the story, it is easy to get

sucked into the March family as the charactersare all different but totally believable. I would saythat this is a modern day classic for children oftoday.

Elain Burchell

Milway, AlexHotel FlamingoPiccadilly, 2019, pp96, £6.99978 1 84812775 3

Anna Dupont has inheritedthe dilapidated HotelFlamingo from her great-auntand she determines to restoreit to its former splendour as‘The Sunniest Hotel in Town’.But this is a hotel with adifference, it is situated onAnimal Boulevard and all the guests and staffare animals. Anna, with her positive attitude,rises to all challenges brilliantly and, with thehelp of her trusty team, T. Bear the doorman,Lemmy the lemur receptionist and Squeak themouse bellboy, Hotel Flamingo is soon ready towelcome all guests, including a group ofholidaying cockroaches. Anna’s creativerecruitment skills should be a lesson to allmanagers as she hires Madame Le Pig the chef,Stella the giraffe handywoman and a family ofotter lifeguards.

This is a funny and heart-warming story thatcelebrates positive attitudes, teamwork, problemsolving, friendship and inclusion. Anna is a veryappealing character and all the animals havetheir own quirks and personalities. Alex Milway’slively, humorous illustrations with their flamingo-pink tones and flamingo motifs will entice youngreaders into the book and keep them engagedthroughout. This is the first title in a series aboutHotel Flamingo and it works well as both a readaloud story and as a fun-filled chapter book forchildren to read for themselves; it should leave allreaders with smiles on their faces ready for thenext trip to Hotel Flamingo.

Sue Roe

Mitchell, KitaGrandma Dangerous and the Egg ofGloryIllustrated by Nathan Reed

Orchard, 2019, pp288, £6.99978 1 40835 550 3

Olly is not looking forward to Cousin Thomascoming to stay. Thomas is very much like Olly’smother and her side of the family (safe, risk-averse and allergic to anything that smacks ofadventure), whereas Olly is more like his father,an explorer. Olly has two grandmothers, GrandmaBoring and Grandma Dangerous, and, whenGrandma Dangerous turns up unexpectedly andwhisks Olly, Thomas and Olly’s friend Piper off toRussia by hot air balloon to swop a fake Fabergé

egg for the real one, things get prettyadventurous.

This is a fun read, full of quirky characters andimprobable (if not impossible) situations. Thechapters where Grandma Dangerous, Olly,Thomas and Piper are hired as cooks at a Russianprison in order to spring Elsie, the master forgerand a key element of their plan, are particularlybizarre and full of humour.

The book is immensely readable with likeablecharacters and fast paced action. Chapters arereasonably short and the text is clear and wellspaced. Confident young readers in search oflaughs and adventure will not be disappointedwith this book and will eagerly await the next inthe series.

June Hughes

Moore, Leah and Reppion, JohnConspiracy of RavensIllustrated by Sally Jane Thompson

Dark Horse Books, 2018, pp136, £12.50978 1 50670 883 6

The blue, white and black colour scheme for thisgraphic novel reminded me very much of afavourite from my youth, The Four Marys andindeed with its setting of a girls boarding schoolyou can certainly see echoes in this new text. It’sthe story of five 15-year-old girls who areunaware of the fact that they have specialpowers, brought to life when they wear a pieceof antique jewellery passed down in theirfamilies. Not all of the girls are thrilled at theirnew discovery but they gradually learn howimportant it is to all work together for thecommon good. An enjoyable adventure thatseems to be very much setting the scene for laterbooks.

Bev Humphrey

Nix, Garth and Williams, SeanHave Sword Will TravelPiccadilly, 2018, pp304, £6.99978 1 84812 652 7

Let Sleeping Dragons LiePiccadilly, 2018, pp288, £6.99978 1 84812 687 9

In Have Sword Will Travel,Odo and his friend, Eleanor,find an enchanted sword inthe dried-up riverbed whilsttrying to catch eels. Thesword starts talking andimmediately knights Odo,much to Eleanor’s annoyanceas she is the one who wants to be a knight andis always keen for an adventure. The sword iscalled Biter and he takes them on a quest to findout why the river is drying up. Their adventuretakes them along the river and in the processthey encounter false knights, a bannoch and a


8 to 12dragon. Will they succeed in their quest? Can theyevade the bannoch and return the water to theriver without getting eaten by a dragon?

In Let Sleeping Dragons Lie, Eleanor and Odo arenow both knights. Eleanor is bored and is lookingfor new adventure. This starts unexpectedly whenthey help to defeat a fierce pack of bile wolveswho are attacking their village. Then they join themysterious Egda and Hundred on a quest torescue Prince Kendryk, who has been imprisonedby his grandmother, Odelyn, and return him topower. However, they have to get to Wintersetfirst, avoiding both human and supernatural foes,and not to mention the fact that they mustn’tannoy a very powerful dragon.

These are the first two books in a hilariouschildren’s adventure series. The writing isbrilliantly funny as well as bringing the medievalperiod to life. The stories are exciting andextremely enjoyable, featuring knights, dragonsand magic.

Andrea Rayner

O’Hart, SinéadThe Star-Spun WebStripes, 2019, pp384, £6.99978 1 78895 022 0

The year is 1941. The placeis Dublin. But only in ourworld. In a parallel world(and there are many ofthese) it is still 1941 butDublin is called Hurdleford,and things are very similar,but not quite the same.There are three ‘Dublins’ in this story, and it isscientifically possible to travel between them, butthe only character who appears in all three is Tessde Sousa, aged twelve. The de Sousas are adynasty of scientists spread across all the worlds,and Tess as a baby was moved by her father fromone to another, to save her life. So Tess, a giftedyoung scientist herself, has grown up in anorphanage in Hurdleford, and is safe there untilabducted by two scientific criminals who knowher powers. This is the story of Tess’s clever andspirited battle to overcome them, which she doeswith the aid of twelve-year-old Thomas de Sousa,who is her counterpart in the Dublin we all know,and of her orphanage friends.

The complex plot and background are handledwith admirable clarity in this beautifullyconstructed story. The action gathers pace andurgency to culminate in one night of spectacularcrisis, which sees one of the criminals defeated.But the other escapes, so there will clearly be asequel, with more inter-world voyaging. This is anexciting scientific fantasy with a splendid heroineand a great supporting cast of other children.Warmly recommended.

Peter Hollindale

Paolini, ChristopherThe Fork, The Witch, and the Worm(Tales from Alagaësia)Penguin, 2019, pp320, £12.99978 0 241 39236 2

A short story anthology fromEragon’s world, this is a book todelight fans of Paolini’s dragontales. It can be read as astandalone but would be muchmore pertinent for those thathave already discoveredAlagaesia in the original series. I most enjoyed thetale of brave Ilgra and the way she comes toterms with the fact that there are always things inour life that cannot be overcome, but that wemust learn to live with. Interesting to read theexcerpt from the life of Angela the herbalist,written by Angela Paolini, who was the inspirationfor the character originally. Packed full of magicalcharacters and adventure, this shorter book couldbe a good toe in the water to Paolini’s works fornew readers, hopefully it would encourage themto develop the reading stamina to enjoy Eragonetc.

Bev Humphrey

Parry, RosanneA Wolf Called WanderIllustrated by Mónica Armiño

Andersen, 2019, pp176, £6.99978 1 78344 790 9

This immersive tale chronicles a grey wolf’s searchfor a new home after his pack is attacked in itsmountain home and his family captured,dispersed or killed. From the very beginning thereader is left in no doubt what it must feel like tobe a wolf: the importance of the pack and eachmember’s role in it, the excitement of the hunt,the constant search for food and shelter. Swift, ashis name suggests, is faster than his threesiblings, and it is his speed which enables him toescape the horror of invasion by another pack.But the long and lonely journey that follows hasmany harrowing moments, and some surprisingfriendships; the informative pages at the end ofthe story tell us, amongst many other fascinatingfacts, that the mutual help of ravens and wolvesis not uncommon. Mónica Armiño’s wonderfullyevocative drawings bring the story to life on everypage, with her faithful renditions of the flora andfauna Swift encounters, including the wolf’sgreatest enemy, man. Inspired by the real life andastounding travels of a grey wolf in Oregon, AWolf Called Wander is described by the publishersas ‘White Fang for the 21st century’.

A celebration of courage, perseverance, survivaland family, it will appeal to all adventurers whocare about animals in the wild. And it has asatisfactorily happy ending.

Marianne Bradnock

Pirotta, SaviourThe Golden Horsemen of Baghdad(Flashbacks)Bloomsbury, 2019, pp160, £6.99978 1 4729 5599 9

Jabir travels to Baghdad looking to earn money toprevent his family from being evicted from theirhome. Wrongly accused of stealing bread andthrown into prison, his skill at carving woodenmodels is noticed and he is released into the careof the Grand Caliph who needs his skills to helpmake a gift for the Emperor Charlemagne. Just asthe work is coming to an end, disaster strikes andeverything is destroyed, but it is imperative thatthe Grand Caliph delivers on his promise of thegift. Jabir, remembering the family that taught himthe skill of carving, makes a perilous journey toenlist their help in replacing the carvings in timebut he is dogged at every step by someonedetermined to thwart him.

This book is part of the Flashbacks series thatrecounts major stories from the past in anentertaining and accessible way for confidentyoung readers. Set in the Middle East of AD 900(now an option for study on the NationalCurriculum for history) and focussing oncharacters from Islamic culture, the story isexciting, with its account of Jabir and Yasminaracing across the desert pursued by an evil villain,and includes an insight into the culture andhistory of the time. A glossary of terms, such asCaliph, Imam and Dua, is provided and ahistorical note of only 2 to 3 pages puts theevents of the book into the true context of thetime (a wondrous clock sent to Charlemagne inAD 807 is described in official records).

Readers will engage with the character of Jabir,trying to do his best for his family and displayingcourage and determination in the face ofadversity. They will also unwittingly develop anunderstanding and appreciation of anothercivilisation whilst enjoying this story of adventure.

June Hughes

Powling, ChrisRainbow Boots (High Low)Illustrated by Jim Field

Bloomsbury, 2019, pp64, £6.99978 1 4729 6079 5

This book is part of Bloomsbury’s High Low rangeof books aimed at reluctant readers or those withdyslexia or with English as a second language.Denzil’s school is in the grip of a fashion craze forthe eponymous footwear. Denied a pair by hismother, but not wanting to be left out, he inventsthe story that he is awaiting a speciallycustomised pair. The lies proliferate and then thehead teacher, Miss Hooper, announces that thecaptain of the English football team, StevieGlossop is coming to open the new school hall.Stevie is well known for his sponsorship ofRainbow Boots and Miss Hooper suggests that

Denzil should show his off in front of the wholeschool. In a panic, Denzil lends his best friend,Nazeem, his old trainers for the day and speciallycustomises Nazeem’s boots for himself. Stevie isimpressed by them but then he wants to show offhis footballing skills and asks if he can borrowNazeem’s scuffed trainers to do keepy-uppies. Hethen signs the trainers for Nazeem and from thenon, everyone abandons rainbow boots for scuffedtrainers. It’s a light-hearted, easy read for itsintended audience, although rather expensive,given its brevity.

Nigel Hinton

Reynolds, JasonGhost (Run)Illustrated by Selom Sunu

Knights Of, 2019, pp208, £6.99 978 1 9996425 2 5

Castle Cranshaw, or Ghost as he’s nicknamedhimself, is angry. Angry at the world, angry at thebullies who ridicule him for his poor clothing andaddress, but mostly angry at himself. When hehappens across a track running team, theDefenders, and discovers a skill he never knew hehad; he finds an unexpected outlet for the anger.Until now the only running he’s ever really done isfrom his violent, addict father. As he gets to knowhis team mates and discovers a mentor in theincredible Coach, the anger inside him is graduallyreplaced by a sense of belonging, pride andpurpose.

This short novel is an absolute must read foranybody who enjoys stories of triumph overadversity, friendship and/or running. The gradualdevelopment of Ghost’s battle with his angerissues is expertly handled; going from feeling aconstant blackness inside that occasionalexplodes in flashes of red, to discovering anability to control the red and replace the blackwith an altogether new colour that’s much calmerand happier. The richly diverse cast and sensitivedepictions of children living in poverty anddifficult circumstances, make this an importantbook for many children who still rarely seethemselves reflected on library shelves. Therunning storyline is so excitingly built up that iteven made me contemplate putting on mytrainers (for a few seconds at least!) I’m alreadyeagerly awaiting next in the series. Perfect.

Amy McKay

Schaap, AnnetTranslated by Laura WatkinsonLampie and the Children of the SeaPushkin Press, 2019, pp336, £12.99978 1 782692 188

A salty and exhilarating fairy-tale adventure fromthe Netherlands is one of the latest translationsfrom Pushkin’s Children’s Books. Lampie, theneglected daughter of a drunken lighthouse-

keeper, unwittingly causes a shipwreck and is sentas skivvy to the local admiral’s house to help payoff the resulting debts. There she recognises thetrue waterborne nature of the boy Edward or‘Fish’, who has become a ‘monster’ locked in thetower upstairs: he is the result of the admiral’sliaison with a mermaid. After many reversals offortune for both Fish and Lampie, momentumbuilds to a nerve-wrenching climax as the admiralreturns from a voyage keen to seek vengeance forhis lost ship, and Lampie rows across a stormy seato warn her father.

Schaap’s tale is, however, far more than astraightforward adventure story. Lampie’s gutsyself-sacrifice and gradually improving self-esteemas Fish teaches her to read are mirrored in reverseby his futile attempts to become a real, walkingboy as demanded by the admiral. UltimatelyLampie takes charge and coaxes Fish back intothe world and the sea where he belongs.

This novel is highly recommended as animaginative tale combining narrative suspensewith brooding undercurrents, enhanced by theauthor’s lively and atmospheric line drawings.

Gillian Lathey

Simmons, AntheaLightning MaryAndersen, 2019, pp272, £6.99978 1 78344 829 6

The voice of Mary Anning isfeisty, prickly andsometimes off-putting, butthe reader can’t help beingdrawn in to her story. She isbrave, persistent and theunderdog both in terms ofher poverty and gender. Sheis aware of what she is fighting to do, theobstacles stacked against her, but determined toget what she wants even if it means beingunpopular.

We follow her from outings with her father as ayoung child to when she was about 17 and watchher mature; her investigations becoming morescientific, her musings about God, creation andevolution gaining complexity. We see the benefitsof those who befriend and help her and thosewho take advantage of her work. We sympathisewhen she discovers menstruation, grieve with herover her father’s slow death and cheer her andher mother on as they stand together to surviveruin and starvation.

There are several themes to explore with a class:the Victorian religion/science debate which couldinclude Tennyson and other writers from that era,gender inequality, infant mortality, poverty and itsdrag on individual achievement. Well written andthought-provoking, I would recommend this forreaders from age 10 up to adult!

Rachel Ayers Nelson

Simpson, DarrenScavengersUsborne, 2019, pp336, £6.99978 1 4749 5602 4

Inspired by a trip to a localrecycling centre, this‘junkyard Jungle Book’story is about a boy and aman who live as scavengerson Hinterland, anabandoned rubbish site.Landfill must learn to abideby Babagoo’s many rules that keep them bothsafe. Landfill has many friends in Hinterland,though most of them are wild animals, and life isfairly happy for them both within their routines.They even communicate together through awhole new language that to us, initially, soundsrather strange. But when Landfill begins tobecome curious about the Outside, he unlocks awhole world full of secrets when he decides tounearth a hidden pathway. And when an Outsidermakes their way onto the site, Landfill begins torealise that things aren’t quite as they seem.

Landfill is a brilliant character who many readerswill easily connect to – he is ultimately just anormal young boy; working out boundaries, whois curious about the world and about how he fitsinto it. Landfill begins to realise that he is out-growing Hinterland as well as Babagoo’sfabricated version of the world. Babagoo, wediscover is, mainly out of love, both Landfill’ssaviour and captor. It is clear that Simpson’scomplex characters are part of what makes himan impressive storyteller and despite this being hisfirst book for children, he writes with anestablished hand; painting a world that is bothwild and unfamiliar, but beautiful. I cannotrecommend this amazing book highly enough, asSimpson is certainly one of the most exciting newauthors I’ve come across for some time.

Claire Warren

Skinner, NicolaBloomIllustrated by Flavia Sorrentino

HarperCollins, 2019, pp320, £12.99978 000 8297381

Sorrel Fallowfield lives in a drab grey world wheremass produced Chillz pizza is one of the fewhighlights. She is desperate to make everythingokay for herself and her mum, so is star pupil atGrittysnit School. Headmaster Mr Grittysnit insistson complete adherence to his rules entirelydesigned to crush imagination and initiative: ‘Mayobedience shape you. May conformity mould you.May rules polish you.’ Therefore, Sorrel is notimmediately keen to plant the ‘Surprising Seeds’that burst out of the ground when her drab patiomysteriously cracks open around its sole plant, asad diseased willow tree.


8 to 12


8 to 12Keen to know more about the seeds, Sorrel findsin a mysterious overgrown oasis hidden deep inthe concrete of Little Sterilis. It turns out thatStrangeways garden centre has existed longbefore the town was ‘modernised’ by concreteand renamed for sterility. The seeds are a link tothat past and what they unleash is thrilling andtruly wild.

It is impossible to be anything other thanpassionate about this wonderful novel, which Iam convinced will be a future children’s classic.Exquisitely illustrated by Flavia Sorrentina, NicolaSkinner’s story is surprising, moving, funny, andgives the world a new heroine to love and admirein Sorrel Fallowfield. I would love to read Bloomaloud to my Year 6 class and know that theywould be captivated by every minute.

Ingrid Spencer

Taylor, ThomasMalamander (The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea)Walker, 2019, pp304, £7.99978 1 40638 628 8

It is Eerie-on-Sea, a seasideresort in midwinter, andtwelvish-year-old HerbieLemon, a foundling, runs theLost-and-Found office at theGrand Nautilus Hotel. He isfine with property, but histroubles start when twelve-year-old Violet Parma takes refuge in his office.Violet was abandoned as a baby, and thinksHerbie, in view of his job, is just the right chapto find her lost parents. And also to hide herfrom her pursuer, a man with a boat-hook for ahand. Herbie and Violet face two mysteries. Oneis missing parents, but the other is theMalamander, a monster that Violet’s parentswere seeking when they disappeared. Part man,part fish, this monster visits the coast at Eerie-on-Sea each Winter, to lay an egg with themagical property of granting wishes. BoathookMan and a villain called Sebastian Eels (mostcharacters have nautical names) are also afterthe monster’s magic egg, and frantic adventureson land and water ensue before certain wishesare granted, some justice is done, and Herbieand Violet can start jointly running the Lost-and-Foundery.

But they have still not found Violet’s parents –presumed dead, but possibly alive. So at the endof this comic and eventful seaside fantasy, thereare hints and opportunities for a sequel or two.We must hope so, because this is a highlyreadable, witty, suspenseful, ingenious tale, full ofaction and mischief. There is scope for furtheradventures to involve this pair of foundlings.Warmly recommended for children of nine andover.

Peter Hollindale

Wegelius, Jakob Translated by Peter GravesThe Legend of Sally JonesPushkin Press, 2018, pp112, £12.99978 1 78269 233 1

To any school librarian that has shared the novel,The Murderer’s Ape, with its regular readers thiswonderful graphic text will be an essentialpurchase. Sally Jones herself will already be lovedand admired; her fans will be delighted to meether again in this prequel. For those who haven’tread The Murderer’s Ape, don’t worry – you don’thave to read the novel to enjoy this book. Theoriginal book may have been a little daunting tosome readers but this book is an easilymanageable length with intriguing artwork onevery page. The Legend relates the complexcircumstances which led to Sally, a gorilla,becoming an engineer on a sea going ship. SallyJones is not a talking ape. She cannot physicallyspeak the language; what she has is a keen mindand the facility to learn (hence the job of anengineer). She may not speak the language butshe understands it, and can read. This prequelmatches the novel in its ability to be totallyconvincing, full of fascinating characters andriddled with coincidences. Even if you have notmet Sally Jones before, this is a story to enjoy toldthrough a fascinating written text accompaniedby equally engaging illustrations.

Prue Goodwin

Welford, RossThe Dog Who Saved the WorldHarperCollins, 2019, pp416, £6.99978 00 0 825697 5

I must confess to being a hugefan of Ross Welford, and thisbook has done nothing todisabuse me.

Georgie lives with her dad, herbig brother, and Jessica (herdad’s partner). More than anything she wants adog, but brief ownership of Mr Mash reveals thatJessica is very allergic to dogs so now Mr Mashlives in a nearby dog shelter and Georgievolunteers her time to help care for theinhabitants.

We start the book with Georgie and her friendRamzy preparing to visit a complete stranger whoapparently lives in the dome of Whitley Bay’sSpanish City. Dr Pretorius has created an amazing3D game and she needs someone to test it forher. Georgie and Ramzy are keen to help but itmust remain a secret.

Meanwhile, a deadly disease is spreading throughthe canine population and it seems that it willonly be a matter of time before it spreads tohumans, with deadly consequences. Jessica is oneof the scientists working around the clock to finda cure.

When inhabitants of the dog shelter whereGeorgie works start displaying symptoms, it soonbecomes clear to Georgie that she is responsiblefor the spread. It doesn’t take her long to decidethat the only option is to use Dr Pretorius’sinvention to travel through time and bring backthe cure.

All the best adventures have a certain lack ofparental intervention, but Welford does this reallybelievably. Parents aren’t feckless or disinterested,they are busy and trusting and quite frankly theirchildren are a bit deceitful. As in The 1,000 YearOld Boy, the authorities try their hardest toprotect the children, and in the process endangerhumankind. Lots of chasing, jumping, dodging,and giant scorpions later... well, I shan’t spoil thebook for you.

This is a lovely book full of heart and humour. Thecharacters are flawed but engaging, the plot racesalong and the ending is completely satisfying.

Helen Thompson

Williams, EloiseSeaglassFirefly Press, 2019, pp280, £6.99978 1 91008 080 1

A terrifying opening passage in which a younggirl, being pursued by a pack of bullies baying forblood, stands her ground and issues a curse. Thissets the scene for a ghost story which has thereader enthralled and quivering with fright. Set inthe wilds of the Welsh coast, at a holiday caravanpark, the atmosphere is chilling.

Lark has a tough life – her mother is dying, hersister, Snow, has stopped speaking and she hasfallen out with her best friend, Gwenni. A familyholiday intended to make things a little better andto offer respite and peace to them all turns out tobe anything but! As Lark and Snow begin toexplore the beach and the surrounding woods,the fog envelops them and a mysterious, shadowyfigure of a young girl appears. A sinisterrelationship between the girl in the green dressand Snow begins to develop and Lark, feelingresponsible, determines to rescue her sister fromthe evolving danger. Links with the family’s pastunravel as secrets are revealed and the ghostlycurse lifted.

This is a gripping ghost story which will make thepulse beat faster and should be read under thebedclothes at night!

Jane Loder

Williams, MarciaCloud BoyWalker, 2019, pp208, £6.99978 1 4063 8121 4

Harry Christmas and Angie Moon live next door toeach other. They’ve been friends and ‘almosttwins’ since they were born two days apart. Theyare partners in everything – sweet eating,

treehouse building and cloud spotting as Harry istotally into cloud-spotting. When Harry startsgetting very bad headaches that won’t go awayand a visit to the hospital ultimately indicates aserious and life limiting illness, the bonds offriendship are tested to the limit, because it iswhen things are falling apart that they need theirfriendship the most. Interwoven with what ishappening to Harry, is the second story, that ofAngie’s Grandma Gertie and her late husbandGrandpa Jimmy. They met as children while bothwere in Changi Jail during the second world war.We learn of Gerties experiences there, in helpingto make the Changi Quilt in a series of letters shewrote to her kitten which she reads aloud toHarry and Angie as his illness progresses. The twostories interweave seamlessly and it is throughunderstanding what Grandma Gertie wentthrough that Harry and Angie are helped to dealwith what is happening now. This element of thestory is based on the memories of Olga Morrisand the story of the real Changi Quilt and thebook contains information on this at the back.Harry is also obsessed with cloud spotting and thefascinating wealth of information on this alsoenhances the story.

An absolutely beautiful piece of writing, this is anhonest, painful and sympathetic portrayal ofchildren and families dealing with terminal illness,grief and loss. Written in diary format it draws thereader in from the first page and doesn’t let go.Even though it is dealing with such sadness, itnever becomes mawkish and strength, love, hopeand legacy are its underpinning messages. Anexcellent read and an enjoyable, poignant yetuplifting story which should be widely promoted.Books that try to weave information into a fictionstory often don’t work successfully and it is atestament to Marcia Williams’ skills as a writerthat in this book she has absolutely nailed it! Iloved it.

Annie Everall

8 to 12 Information

Amson-Bradshaw, GeorgiaThe Food We Eat (Eco Steam)Wayland, 2018, pp48, £13.99978 1 5263 0731 6

Any book which encourages children to act moreresponsibly towards the environment is to becongratulated. This book does just that in anattractive, attention grabbing format. There is astrong leaning towards vegetarianism and thearguments against a meat based diet arepersuasive. Negative impacts of animal farming,food distribution worldwide and food waste areall confronted and nutrition is addressed.Overfishing is covered, with the focus on foodchains and ecosystems. Unnecessary packagingand plastic pollution is covered in some detail.

There are ‘Test It!’ sections, including instructionsfor making bean burgers and for making simplebio plastic (perhaps some adult supervision here)and ‘Solve It!’ sections, with suggestions fordesigning a balanced menu and ideas forproducing a poster to show how plastic pollutioncan be avoided. This book attempts to cover awide range of aspects of the food we eat and,although necessarily superficial in some parts,succeeds in focusing on important issues in aforceful and effective way.

Alison Hurst

Brooks, SusieImpressionism (Inside ArtMovements)Wayland, 2018, pp48, £13.99978 1 5263 0495 7

This is an excellent introduction toImpressionism and the artists whointroduced it. The origins of themovement are traced back to theopen air painting of the Barbizonschool, and the Impressionists areplaced in their historical context inbrief notes which do not overburden the readerwith information, but serve to increaseappreciation of the paintings. There is aparticularly vivid example of the book’s techniqueson pp14-15, which juxtaposes a historicalpainting by Delaroche with Millet’s Man with aHoe and then with Manet’s notorious Luncheonon the Grass. The book contains a selection of themost representative paintings of the Impressionistmovement. The colour printing leaves a little to bedesired, as is to be expected from the book’s cost,but even so the reader can easily identify thevarying techniques used by the artists. The placingof the paintings within the book is very carefullyconsidered; thus, Seurat’s Grande Jatte is placedopposite Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and Degas’Mary Cassatt at the Louvre opposite TanakaMasunobu’s Young Man playing a Flute. Readersof any age will find the book informative, helpful,and enjoyable.

Martin Axford

Brundle, HarrietPhotosynthesis (What Living ThingsEat)Booklife Publishing, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 78637 467 7

Whether your breakfast is plants or meat, allliving things have to eat!

Written by Harriet Brundle, this science book fromthe series ‘What Living Things Eat’ is a greatintroduction to photosynthesis for KS1. Youngreaders (KS1) will learn all about food and morespecifically about photosynthesis and plants –what the latter need to stay alive and how crucialthe food chain is to living things, including us: all-consuming omnivores.

The hardback includes a Contents Page, aGlossary and an Index but could have alsobenefited from a Further Reading section.

Océane Toffoli

Claybourne, AnnaThis Drop of WaterIllustrated by Sally Garland

Franklin Watts, 2018, pp48, £13.99978 1 4451 6365 9

If a child has ever wondered where the watergoes when it rains, then this book answers theirquestions in an entertaining and informative way.From a clap of thunder and the raindrops hittingthe dusty ground to their journey to the sea andback into clouds, every stage of the water cycle isexplained in clear, concise and child-friendlylanguage. The text is accompanied by illustrationswhich highlight and enhance the points made. Agreat deal is covered including where watercomes from, how much there is in the world andhow we should look after the supply. The reader isalso invited to consider some unusual facts aboutwater and to try some simple experiments. This ishighly recommended for the primary school libraryand readers of 6+.

Jayne Gould

Deutsch, Libby and Kerttula, ValpuriThe Everyday Journeys of OrdinaryThingsIvy Kids, 2019, pp48, £12.99978 1 78240 635 8

The introduction outlines a recognisable familyweekend scenario: getting up, getting dressed,eating breakfast and switching on the television.The book then proceeds to explain how thesethings come about, for example, where clothesand food come from and the journey of money.These pages cover the history of currencies andelectronic transfer of money too. I have read othersimilar books, but Deutsch’s version is much betterand more up to date, as it includes electroniccommunications, how the Internet works and GPS.Everyday processes range from the postal systemto food, clothes, paper, bottles, water and howbooks get published. Each process is covered intwo pages, with arrows and numbered stepsguiding the reader around. The captions explainingeach stage are detailed but concise.

I have never previously read such a goodexplanation of the publishing process, from idea,through editorial decisions, to marketing topublishing. Similarly, the journey of GPS is verythorough, even explaining why data is slowsometimes (delayed communication betweensatellites and the app.) The clear, colourful andsimple illustrations add process information, as dothe more detailed snippets of information onmost pages. This book is perfect for a schoollibrary and for an inquisitive child.

Lucy Chambers


8 to 12


8 to 12Duhig, HollyExploring The Woodland (Geokids)Booklife Publishing, 2019, pp24, £12.99978 1 78637 439 4

This volume involves an intrepid team of explorersas they search for answers in their urbansurroundings. Using local resources, it showswhat can be done within a short distance fromyour own home or school. Designed for youngerprimaries it includes double page spreads onleaves, lakes, and trees. The book ‘bounces’ alongwith ideas on how to build your own ‘eco-den’and ways of recognising things you might find inthe woods. It is heavily illustrated and featuresnumber of different children. Key words arehighlighted and there is a short glossary at theback. The text is laid over larger photographs.There are plenty of short fact sections which havebeen boxed and lots of tips and suggestions onhow to get the most out of any visit to your localwoodlands. The book would also be ideal as astarting point or springboard for further discoverywork.

A delightful read and a book that has a fresh andlively approach. If the others in the series are asgood as this volume, then it might be veryworthwhile buying the whole set.

Godfrey Hall

Gogerly, LizGo Green!Illustrated by Miguel Sanchez


Combining a narrative prose and information textit all starts out at Anjal’s party looking at thedifferent elements of the event such as theballoons, plastic toys and food waste. The bookthen goes on to discuss how this waste can bedisposed of and the impact of festivals on ourenvironment. As someone who regularly attendsthe Glastonbury Festival a few miles from myhome I am always incredibly impressed with theclean-up operation which takes places afteraround 150,000 plus people leave the site. Alsothe way in which it is returned back to its originalcondition in just a few weeks.

Go Green also looks at ways in with we canreduce our carbon emissions and why recycling isso important. It is very well laid out and is nottext heavy in any way combining short bites ofinformation with an excellent selection ofcomprehensive diagrams and appealing drawings.The children who feature at the start of the bookcontinue throughout the story which visits schooldinners, water concerns and clean ways ofproducing energy. It all ends up with a giant ecofestival at school which provides an excellentfinale. I was very impressed with the welldocumented glossary and section on finding outmore which directs the reader to several suitablewebsites. I am sure that this volume will not only

connect with young readers but also the widercommunity around them. A great read and idealfor the primary range.

Godfrey Hall

Golding, Julia; Briggs, Andrew andWagner, RogerRocky Road to Galileo (The CuriousScience Quest)Lion Publishing, 2018, pp 112, £5.99978 0 7459 7752 2

Did you know that Schrödinger’s cat was calledMilton and that Darwin’s tortoise was calledHarriet? The two pets form an unlikely partnershipto travel across time in their search to unravelsome of the mysteries surrounding our place inthe universe. In the current book we start withMilton searching for Harriet. She is soon found,and so the pets continue their travels, unearthingplenty of science, mathematics, history andknowledge on the way, but in such a fashion thatreaders’ curiosities will be piqued. Cartoonpresentations, charts, fact files and conundrumsall lure the reader in to read and find out more; Ifound the book hard to put down! Both homesand class libraries would be well advised to stockup on this book and the others in the series. Veryhighly recommended.

Rudolf Loewenstein

Holowaty, Lauren Roald Dahl’s Matilda’s How to be aGeniusIllustrated by Quentin Blake

Puffin, 2019, pp96, £7.99978 0 241 37118 3

This manual begins with aproviso, some may call it awarning: the publisher has takenall reasonable measures toensure that the activities are safefor children. There is a clear signwhen they may need some adultassistance or supervision. However, if you knowof a child who would like to be able to baffle,bewilder, bamboozle then this could be the verybook they need. Learn how to make an orangedrop (and discover the power of inertia), wow anaudience with a very special banana slicing trick,make paper newts float, create a perpetualspinner, even learn how to make water bend.

None of the tricks and experiments in this bookare particularly dangerous but they may be bestundertaken in a safe and supervised environmentor adults may wish to make use of them in theclassroom or at a school club. This book willprovide many hours of fun for children and adultsalike, safe, challenging and engaging it mayadditionally encourage skills of patience, closeattention to detail and will result in somefantastic learning.Louise Ellis-Barrett

Hubbard, BenRoman Britain and Londinium (TimeTravel Guides)Franklin Watts, 2018, pp32, £12.99978 1 4451 5730 6

A really engaging and entertaining read, packedwith bite sized information and appealingillustrations. I love the concept – a history book ina travel blog format. Great for KS2 reference;complete with index, glossary, and guidance onfurther reading and websites.

Tracy Hart

Ipcizade, CatherinePhases of the Moon (Cycles ofNature)Raintree, 2019, pp24, £11.99978 1 4747 6069 0

This is a lovely information book explaining thedifferent phases of the moon, pitched at a perfectlevel for lower KS2 children. It explains the mooncycle, with a mix of photos and illustrations,including all the different names for them.Children will really enjoy finding out about alunar eclipse and a solar eclipse. The book alsoincludes some additional books recommendationsand websites for children to find out more. Thiswill be a great addition to a school library anduseful for topics on space.

Kate Keaveny

Kemp, RobThe Good Guys: 50 Heroes WhoChanged the World with KindnessIllustrated by Paul Blow

Wren & Rook, 2018, pp128, £12.99978 1 5263 6144 8

This is a useful and inspiring reference workwhich can also be read straight through as aninstructive and interesting information book. Theauthor states how difficult it was to choose 50men to feature in this book. It is pleasing to notethat several of these cameos (double pagespread, text and illustration) deal with heroeswho have by no means always been ‘good guys’,however, their generosity in other respectsoutweighs their less heroic acts. Some of thesubjects are fairly obvious, including OskarSchindler, Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates.

The inclusion of some others is surprising, buttotally justifiable, including George Michael(wonderful, anonymous kindness and generosity),Usain Bolt and Edmund Hillary. Several good guysare those with whom many might be unfamiliar. Iwas delighted to discover James Harrison(unbelievably generous blood donor who hassaved the lives of over two million babies), FredHollows (pioneering ophthalmologist) and PierreToussaint (American philanthropist). There is asection in the middle featuring children andteenagers who have achieved remarkable things

through acts of kindness and generosity. Theillustrations of these heroes are striking andeffective works of art, complementing the textreally well. This is an uplifting book which shouldprove popular. Can we hope to see a companionvolume featuring kind heroines?

Alison Hurst

Khan, Hiba NoorMalala Yousafzai (ExtraordinaryLives)Illustrated by Rita Petralucci

Puffin, 2019, pp128, £6.99978 0 241 37275 3

The outline story of MalalaYousafzai’s amazing and inspiringlife, at least from her devastatingshooting onwards, is of courserelatively well known, but it’sgood to have all the facts abouther family, her upbringing, her lifein Pakistan, the attack that nearly killed her andits aftermath pulled together and brought up todate in this concise and accessible account. Herinfluence and legacy are also explored. Theinformation is laid out clearly. Key words areprinted in bold and explanations of words thatchildren may not be familiar with, for instanceoppression and extremist, are provided in bubbleson the page, preferable to a glossary, as childrenare more likely to look at them. Particularlysignificant or surprising facts are highlightedthrough the use of large print, different fonts andcomic-style bubbles. Each page is curated carefullyso that readers are not inundated withinformation. Monochrome illustrations help withvisualising and understanding. Historical,geographical and religious and culturalbackground information provides context. Thereare maps and a timeline. A number of pages have‘Did you know?’ sections. One example informsreaders that staff at the hospital in Birminghamwhere she was treated brought her food from KFCto cheer her up! A double-page spread promptsreaders to think about issues Malala’s story raises,such as how they would feel if their right toeducation was taken away and whether there isanyone else they particularly admire. Quotes fromMalala herself as well as others pepper the book.The sources of these are provided at the end,together with an index. The pages are off-white toaid readability, with the text and pictures inshades of salmon pink.

Suitable for KS2 and lower KS3, this will be auseful addition to classrooms and libraries,complementing the books that Malala Yousafzaihas herself written for children. Puffin’s newExtraordinary Lives series also includes booksabout Michelle Obama and Stephen Hawking. Thebook ends with snippets from these. Still to comeare volumes about Katherine Johnson, Rosa Parks,Mary Seacole, Mahatma Gandhi and others.

Anne Harding

Lin, JoyHeroes of Light and Sound(Superpower Science)Illustrated by Alan Brown

Wayland, 2018, pp32, £12.99978 1 5263 0584 8

One of four titles in Wayland’s KS2/3 SuperpowerScience series, the book is presented in comicbook style. Based on the premise of applying thelaws of physics to superpowers, this title looks atinvisibility, x-ray vision, super hearing and a sonicscream. The other titles deal with forces, matterand the body.

The pages are colourful and eye-catching, withwhat the publisher describes as ‘vintage’ comic-style superhero illustrations. There are displaypanels and a mix of type faces, but the pages arenot over-full or difficult to follow, except that mostof the text, in comic book style, is uppercase.

Each section of the book shows the reality of aparticular superpower, often with humour. So forexample, we learn that being invisible would notonly be cold and inconvenient, but would only lastuntil you got wet or dirty.

With clearly labelled chapters and end matterincluding a glossary, further reading and an index,the book could support project work. In eachsection there is a short description of how thescience behind the superpowers has actually beenused to advance medicine and technology. In brief,this is a multi-function book: alongside the sciencethere is material here for those who enjoy lateralthinking in terms of what a superpower reallymeans, and also plenty for those who like comicbooks, or just prefer information books for theirleisure reading.

Sally Perry

MacCarald, ClaraHow Did Robots Land on Mars?(Bright Idea Books)Raintree, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 4747 7525 0

This informative book has an uncomplicated pagedesign with clear, well-spaced larger text and eye-catching illustrations. The landing of robots onMars is described in simple accessible sentences.Beginning with Viking 1 in 1976 and continuingthrough to the 2012 landing of the Curiosity, thebook considers the changing technology oflanding on Mars. It mentions some unsuccessfulmissions, considers the difficulties of landing onMars, and looks to the future challenges involvedin humans travelling to Mars.

It all culminates with an interesting trivia pageand a very ambitious ‘landing an egg’ practicalactivity. There is a useful glossary where terms inbold text throughout the book can be found andmany pages have coloured text boxes containinginteresting fast facts. There are helpful suggestionsof how to find out more, including web addresses

for NASA children’s pages. This book is anenjoyable and thorough, basic introduction totravel to Mars.

Chantal Kelleher

Mason, PaulOn Planet Earth (Cause, Effect andChaos)Wayland, 2018, pp32, £12.99978 1 5263 0576 3

Every day the Earth is subject to a huge number ofnatural occurrences including earthquakes, floods,storms, exploding volcanoes and melting glaciers.All these events have a major impact of thesurface of our planet and combined have a greatdeal of influence on our daily lives.

This is an extremely interesting book that I amsure will appeal to a wide audience. Cause andeffect is the connection of two events when as thebook states ‘the first event leads to the second.’The first double page spread explains in simpleterms how this works and then goes ontoexamine a number of natural cause and effectsituations. These include the Big Bang theory andthe cause and effect of volcanic explosions. Ifound the book very intriguing and a really novelapproach to natural science. There are examples ofwhat might happen if the planet overheats andhow the sea is basically eating the land in avariety of locations such as Canada and alsoaround our coastline.

I am sure that it could stimulate a great deal ofdiscussion with primary students and lead to somevery interesting projects and investigations. Anoriginal volume with a great deal of potential.

Godfrey Hall

Newland, SonyaExtraordinary Skyscrapers (FactFinders: Exceptional Engineering)Raintree, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 4747 7549 6

Extraordinary Skyscrapers provides an introductionto most of the ten tallest buildings in the world. Itbegins with the famous Flatiron Building in NewYork, and moves on via London’s Gherkin and theWorld Financial Centre in Shanghai to Dubai’s BurjKhalifa, the tallest at the time of printing.

The book gives an easy and simple introduction tothe building techniques of skyscrapers, showinghow they are built to cope with winds andearthquakes. It does not hide the fact that there isa rather childish element of macho competition, asthe countries in the old, the new, and the newlydeveloped world play a game of ‘My skyscraper istaller than yours’. It is difficult for most people togain an affection for skyscrapers, but this bookwill at least make the reader look at them in amore informed way.

Martin Axford


8 to 12


Pankhurst, KateFantastically Great Women WhoWorked WondersBloomsbury, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 4088 9926 7

This book, alongsideKate Pankhurst’s otherworks (FantasticallyGreat Women WhoChanged the World andFantastically GreatWomen Who Made History) does away with thenotion that the ability and the opportunity toachieve great things depends on one’s gender.This particular book looks specifically at womenin the world of work and comes up with aneclectic collection of careers to illustrate the pointthat ability, curiosity and determination are notgender-dependent.

The thirteen examples chosen here are eachexplored over a double page spread of text andcolourful illustration explaining the significance ofthe achievements coupled with highly colouredillustrations. The choice of women is interestingand many will be new to both child and adultreaders. Rosalind Franklin and Dr James Barry willprobably be familiar names but Maria SibyllaMerian (a naturalist from Germany of the 1650s),Katia Krafft (a volcanologist who died in 1991),Katherine Johnson (a mathematician who workedon the space missions of the 1960s) and theMatchgirls in the London of the 1880s whofought for workers’ rights, may not be so wellknown.

The potential difficulty with referring to ‘GreatWomen’ in the title is that, while girls may readthe book and be inspired, boys possibly mightthink the book has no relevance for them. Thiswould be a great shame as the fundamentalmessage of the book is for children, of whatevergender, to follow their passions and to perseverein the face of obstacles.

June Hughes

Prasadam-Halls, Smriti andWoodward, JonathanThe World of the WhaleWren & Rook, 2018, pp48, £12.99978 1 5263 6064 9

This exquisite large size clothbound book wouldbe an asset to any school or personal library. Thequality of the information shared is matched withbeautiful painted and collaged illustrations acrossevery double page spread. Although whales arevery well-known animals there is still newinformation here, such as the pages on whalefamilies, the way that whales communicate, andtheir thinking skills.

This book could be used in class as an example ofmodern ways to present non-fiction texts as boththe language and balance between text headingsand images is exemplary. Teachers looking for

texts which compress a lot of information intoelegant paragraphs with a range of complexsentence and grammatical structures in use coulddo no better than to use this exquisite book.

In addition, it would be a great source materialfor art projects thinkingabout the ways to usetexture and colours. Inparticular, the page ‘Abalancing act aboutplankton’ is extraordinaryand could inspire artworkup to A-level.

Ingrid Spencer

Radeva, SabinaCharles Darwin’s On the Origin ofSpeciesPuffin, 2019, pp64, £12.99978 0 14138850 2

The publisher claims that this is the ‘first everpicture book retelling’ of the title. Radeva trainedas a scientist before launching a career ‘blendingscience with art.’ The text contains simplifiedexplanations of the main concepts expanding onselected quotations from Darwin. This is achievedquite effectively using short paragraphsinterspersed with cartoon text boxes and naïve-style illustrations. The book is not an easy read, asbefits the subject matter. An example is thedouble-page about species. The quotation fromDarwin is complex but Radeva’s explanation issimpler and reinforced by very simple pictures.Actually grasping the concept might take thereader a while to process. Some of theillustrations are very detailed, for example, thepage identifying different kinds of pigeons. In theAppendix Radeva outlines further explanationsabout DNA, variations, mutations and otherevolution theory concepts. There is also a pageabout misconceptions, a glossary and a very shortbibliography. A highlight of the book is thebutterfly- and beetle-filled endpapers, which willfascinate anyone interested in the natural world.This book is a useful addition to other children’sbooks about Darwin and the theory of evolution.

Lucy Chambers

Ridley, SarahBirds Have Feathers (In the AnimalKingdom)Wayland, 2018, pp24, £11.99978 1 5263 0928 0

A great book for independent study for KS2readers. This colourful book delivers bite-sizedchunks of information explaining how animals arescientifically categorised before specialising in thebird category. Everything from flight, to feedinghabits, living habitats and migration patterns areexplained. A useful glossary and index helps thereader navigate this book with ease.

Tracy Hart

Sánchez Vegara, IsabelMuhammad Ali (Little People BigDreams)Illustrated by Brosmind

Frances Lincoln, 2019, pp32, £9.99978 1 786 037336

This is proving a very popular series of booksportraying important cultural figures and rolemodels for younger children and coming both inhardback and board back formats. This managesto encapsulate a long and very eventful life andcomplex themes in a way that will make sense toyounger readers particularly if provided withsupport and guidance from an adult co-reader.There is also further helpful additional biographicaltext at the back of the book which shed morelight on the civil rights context, Ali’s conversion toIslam, his opposition to the Vietnam war and hissubsequent boxing ban. There is reference to hisuse of rhyme to both entertain the public and rileand intimidate his opponents. The author refers toaccusations of his ‘trash talk’ and indeed his useof the term ‘rope a dope’ to describe a strategy fordefeating an opponent has not really worn wellbut his status as a role model known throughoutthe world is indisputable. The illustrations are alsoeffective in showing his passage through lifecourse and I particularly liked the image of anolder Ali supported by his cane as he come toterms with Parkinson’s disease particularlymemorable.

John Newman

Sawyer, AvaFossils (Fact Finders: Rocks)Raintree, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 4747 6016 4

Fossils forms one book of four in the Rocks seriesby Raintree. Broken into broad key areas, thisbook outlines all of the facts about fossils youwould expect to find. That is; what they are, howthey are formed and the history behinddiscovering them. There is a good deal ofinformation about dinosaurs too and the bookeven touches on fossil fuels and the environment.One of the real merits of this book, is that there isa great balance of text and images throughoutthe book, which also makes it an engaging read.The images are of differing sizes and formats; wesee photos, maps and illustrations drawn ontoeach page. There are, at times, rather largechunks of writing to digest but the ‘fact boxes’littered infrequently throughout the book help tobreak these down. Keywords are also highlightedwithin the text, which then forms part of thepage footer along with their meanings. This bookis perfect for a good (and not too over-whelming)grounding on this fascinating topic and providessome essential facts that are crucial for research.This book is very intuitively structured and welllaid-out, making it an essential addition for anyschool library.

Claire Warren

8 to 12


8 to 12Spilsbury, Louise It’s My BodyIllustrated by Mirella Mariani


This is an importantand valuable bookon a crucial topic. It’sMy Body providessimple guidelines forchildren about howto keep their bodies healthy, how todistinguish between appropriate andinappropriate touching, and what to doabout touching that feels wrong.

The tone is positive. The opening words forexample are ‘Every body is amazing! Bodiescome in all different shapes, sizes andcolours, but they are all brilliant.’ The nextfew pages cover issues like healthy eating,exercise and sleep. Then the focus turns totouching. Some touching feels good, like agoodnight kiss or holding hands withsomeone you care about when crossing theroad. But sometimes you may not feel likebeing hugged or kissed or tickled. ‘It’s OK tosay no, even to somebody you love. Yourbody belongs to you.’ Pinching, punchingand hurting are never okay. Tell an adult youtrust so they can sort it out.

There is a clear explanation of private parts,with explicit statements that other peopleshould not touch these, except in veryspecific situations, such as at the doctor’s. It’snot okay either for other people to show youtheir private parts or to ask to be touchedthere. Some secrets are good, like a birthdaypresent, but secrets that are upsetting shouldbe shared. Your trusted grown-up will helpyou. ‘You get to choose what happens toyour body and no one else… Your bodybelongs to you and it’s yours for life.’ This isfollowed by a double-page spread abouthow to get help if you don’t feel you can tellan adult you know, with details of how tocontact Childline. There is also guidance forparents, carers and teachers on using thebook with children and helping themunderstand the issues, plus links to furtherinformation.

A very impressive book that explores difficultissues clearly and sensitively and provides vitalpractical information and advice. It neverscare-mongers, instead aiming to empowerchildren. ‘It’s your body and you have thepower to keep it safe and healthy and happy.’The colourful, attractive and inclusiveillustrations throughout complement the textadmirably. Recommended for classrooms andlibraries and homes. This will be an extremelyuseful aid to important discussions.

Anne Harding

Thomas, IsabelFerdinand MagellanIllustrated by Dàlia Adillon

Laurence King, 2019, pp64, £8.99978 1 786274007

A beautiful book in the series Little Guides to GreatLives, introducing children to Ferdinand Magellan’sepic journey around the globe. The book is hardboundA5 with 64 pages of high-quality paper stock. IsabelThomas’ text is easily accessible and supported by acomprehensive glossary and detailed timeline. DàliaAdillon’s lively illustrations both support and lead thetext and it is fair to say that the combination of text,dimensions, materials and illustrations contribute tothis being a book that children will want to read. It istruly a multi-modal text. The aesthetic qualities of thisbook are delightful. Its size means that it fits neatlyinto the hands of a young reader. The colour palette iswell selected, is used throughout the book, and iseye-catchingly different to the vast array of non-fiction texts. The materials selected for the book aredurable and high-quality; again, setting the bookapart from the noisy, glossy texts that are often usedto present information to children. The text is warmand friendly, whilst maintaining an authoritative andinformative tone. This is a book that recognises thatchildren can be discerning readers of high-qualitynon-fiction rather than consumers of gaudilypresented facts. Many children’s books about thegreat explorations of the past either ignore or gloss-over the less distasteful aspects of exploration,imperialism and discovery. Not this book. IsabelThomas refrains from using the language of‘discovery’ and quite explicitly notes the human costof European exploration and the imperialism thatsprang from it. This is very welcome indeed.

Rachel Clarke

Thomas, IsabelThis Book is Not RubbishIllustrated by Alex Paterson

Wren & Rook, 2018, pp208, £6.99978 1 5263 61530

This book is all about saving the planet. It covers fiftyareas, including avoiding eating meat, recycling glass,saving water and even recycling this book (by givingit to someone else, rather than throwing it away). Thebook has no introduction explaining the whys andwherefores of recycling and climate change, but leapsstraight into practical tasks, with just a briefexplanation at the start of each section as to whythese are necessary and how they might help savethe planet. Thomas also includes a visual ‘Planet-O-Meter,’ (with a key to the symbols used,) in eachsection which graphically shows the impact, cost,difficulty and what your effort benefits. Hard statisticsare stated clearly and interspersed with practicalactivities that can have an impact. For example, GoSwishing (pp72–77) states that the equivalent of‘22,727 articulated lorry-loads of cotton, nylon andsequins’ is bought as clothes in the UK annually.Thomas suggests practical and fun activities tocounteract this waste, such as holding a clothes-

swap. The jaunty illustrations add to the positivemessages in this enterprising book. This Book is NotRubbish, in fact it is eye-opening and practical. Highlyrecommended for any child interested in conservationissues.

Lucy Chambers

Twiddy, RobinPlastic Panic! (Polluted Planet)Booklife Publishing, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 78637 524 7

We have recently seen more and more protests byyoung people concerning the state of our planet andin particular the disposal of plastic waste. Part of aseries on the problems of a polluted planet, thisbook, which is designed for primary and possiblysecondary students, looks in detail at the issuesurrounding plastic products. With social media andthe internet in mind it employs a narrative textcombined with fact boxes looking at the danger ofplastics and how we might resolve them. It is writtenwith youngsters in mind in a style which I am surewill appeal to all ages. It includes explanations onhow plastic is made, the dangers of plastic packagingand the problem of nappies which not only take along time to degrade but also let out toxins. But thebook is not all doom and gloom and provides a rangeof alternative solutions with suggestions on how totackle many of these issues that currently face theworld. It ends with a reference to a young man calledBoyar Slat who has come up with a device thatcleans up oceanic plastics by using tidal currents,feeding plastic through special nets. A mostimpressive book, it is easy to read and ideal for anyschool or class library.

Godfrey Hall

Wood, JohnCirculation (Under Your Skin)Booklife Publishing, 2019, pp32, £12.99978 1 78637 462 2

This fascinating book is a comprehensive guide to thecirculation system. Seymour Skinless, the world’ssmallest doctor, shrinks the reader down to take ajourney into the amazing machine that is the humanbody. Heavily illustrated with an excellent page layout,the explanations are delivered in manageable bitesized chunks. User friendly, uncomplicated diagramsare integrated throughout. Amazing facts areinterspersed through the more complex informationand provide an additional layer of interest. The bookcontains clear and straightforward explanations ofcomplex body systems and includes detailedinformation on the heart, lungs, cuts and infectionfighting. Disease is considered in a non-alarming wayand includes a nod to healthy living. Useful phoneticexplanations of how to pronounce some of the moredifficult terms, a clear glossary and a helpful indexcomplete this appealing package. The booksuccessfully conveys the amazing body system that isthe circulation in an impressively accessible way.

Chantal Kelleher


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F ind more Reviews !

Poetry & Plays

Coelho, JosephA Year of Nature PoemsIllustrated by Kelly Louise Judd

Wide Eyed Editions, 2019, pp32, £11.99978 1 78603 582 0

The first thing that struck meon picking up my copy of AYear of Nature Poems wasthe artwork. Kelly LouiseJudd’s folksy, crafty style isevocative of the illustrationsof books from my ownchildhood in the 1970s. It’s an old-fashionedlooking book that will stand out from the crowdin the contemporary library.

It was only after drinking-in Judd’s vibrantillustrations, that I noticed the poems in thiscollection were written by Joseph Coelho. I cameto Coelho via Overheard in a Towerblock and soassociate him with a gritty, hard-edged realismthat talks to young urban readers often alienatedby more traditional poetry. I was intrigued. Howwas Coelho going to treat a collection of naturepoems?

The answer, of course, is as Joseph Coelho. This isnot a collection of whimsical rhymes about thenatural world. The poems are not written with thesing-song rhythms, repeated refrains andpredictable rhyme schemes of other children’spoetry collections. Instead they play with sounds,riddle with words to conjure images through oftenevocative imagery. They speak to the child in usall, and especially to the child who has holidayedin rented caravans, has been scrumping in theinner-city and has hung around on their flatbalcony while the April showers have hammereddown around them. Once again, Coelho hasbrought his world-view to the world of naturepoetry and created a collection of poetry that willchallenge, but reward, older readers in KS2.

Rachel Clarke

Dowling, FinualaPretend You Don’t Know MeBloodaxe, 2018, pp136, £12.00978 1 78037 424 6

This collection is the South African poet’s firstbook-length UK publication and, on this showing,it is long overdue. It draws from four previouscollections dated between 2002 and 2014,including the wonderfully titled ‘Doo-Wop Girls ofthe Universe’, and concludes with a number ofworks under the designation ‘New Poems’. Thecover, a photograph of a zebra wearingsunglasses, is an ideal introduction to poetry that

is witty, punchy and full of surprises. The zebrahimself makes an appearance during a childhoodgame in which children identify themselves asanimals, and, while other girls reference majesticcreatures from the Serengeti, the poet calls out ‘Iam the ZEBRA’, speaking for ‘the muzzled, for allbrowsers, for the small…for the hunted, for theherd’. Her poems reflect what has been called ‘thedomestic sublime’, since the larger themes of love,loss and death are approached through theapparently mundane. The poet is, indeed,sometimes distracted from her main business bytrivia: ‘I was meant to be writing a poem/butbecause I’m human I made a lasagneinstead/while simultaneously composing a poemin my head’.

The first poem in the book introduces usimmediately to her mastery of bathos. She tells usabout her home and the people in it, noting thatthere is no husband, no dog and no cat: ‘Peoplesometimes ask about the cat.’ Her summary of lifebegins ‘You’re born/You go to the dentist/then youdie’ before further exploration leads us to the‘Polonaise heroique’. Poem after poem presents uswith unexpected imagery which, after the initialshock, leads to reflection: ‘I like an insult,/the wayit fits into my palm/like a hand grenade/or myown Marmite jar’. Particularly startling is thesequence of poems under the title ‘Notes from theDementia Ward’, describing experiences with aneighty-five-year-old mother, who turns eighty-sixduring the sequence. Some poems capture thehorror of dementia and of caring for loved oneswho have dementia with affecting poignancy,while others display her characteristic rueful wit:her mother, having been reminded that thehusband she has asked after is dead, replies, ‘Howlucky he is’ / ’You could join him’, I suggest ./’I didn’t like him that much’, she replies’. Many ofher poems begin with a statement which raisesthe eyebrows and then leads to a riff which,against all the odds, makes perfect sense: ‘our lipsmade history; boys we kissed/at seventeen arenow distinguished men’. Mention must also bemade of ‘The differences between Middle andModern English’ in which a pronoun is defined as‘a word that stands in for you when you are notaround’. Students of all ages will relish thiscollection from a truly individual voice.

Frank Startup

Seigal, JoshuaI Bet I Can Make You LaughIllustrated by Tim Wesson

Bloomsbury, 2018, pp96, £5.99978 1 4729 5548 7

Poet and performer Joshua Seigal brings hisexuberant and playful style to this new collectionof comic verse. The collection is organised into sixthemed sections (Words! Words! Words!, School,Home Life, Animals, Food, Leftovers) and featuresoriginal poems by Seigal, in addition to other well-known writers like A.F. Harrold, Andy Seed, Roger

Stevens and Sue Hardy-Dawson. Even nineteenth-century writer Lewis Carroll features in the ‘HomeLife’ section with his classic comic poem ‘You AreOld, Father William’.

The collection is an ideal introduction to poetrywhich employs different structures, and wordplayfeatures heavily. From the inventive use oflanguage and defiance of scansion in Sue Hardy-Dawson’s ‘Dramatic Pause’ to Roger Stevens’‘LOB’, which explores modern use of text speakand acronyms, there is plenty for KS2 teachers todraw upon and share. Many of the poems aremeant to be performed or read aloud; the raprhythm of Sarah Smith’s ‘Nature Trail’ would alsomake a unique basis for a writing frame. A seriousecological message underlies the light, captivatingtone of ‘Panda Versus Penguin’ by Angela Cleland,which is a great lead-in to any scheme of work onglobal warming and climate change.

As Seigal says in his introduction, some of thesepoems are very silly, but some will make pupils(and teachers) think quite deeply.

Alison Brumwell

Stevens, RogerI Am a Jigsaw (High Low)Illustrated by Spike Gerrell

Bloomsbury, 2019, pp112, £5.99978 1 4729 5819 8

Roger Stevens has expanded hiswide range of children’s poetryanthologies with this enjoyablecollection of puzzle poems.Children will relish working outthe answers as they move fromeasy riddles to more difficultconundrums and wordplay challenges through acollection subtitled ‘Puzzling poems to baffle yourbrain’. With acrostics, kennings, rebus poems andhaikus included, this anthology will also work wellas an aide to teachers as they introduce pupils todifferent types of poem.

The introduction gives a short history of riddlesand puzzles, answers are provided throughout,there are explanations of the various poetry formsand Part Two of the volume encourages childrento try writing their own puzzle poems, with clearstep-by-step examples given. This is anentertaining, readable anthology enhanced by thehumorous, cartoon-style illustrations; it willchallenge primary-age children’s puzzle-solvingskills whilst keeping them amused and engaged.

Sue Roe

Poetry & Plays


12 to 1612–16 Fiction

Ahmed, SamiraInternmentAtom, 2019, pp400, £7.99978 0 349 00334 4

So, internment camps for MuslimAmericans in an America of thefuture. Far-fetched or possible?This chilling story will make youthink – could that really happen?Worryingly you have to admit,and history shows us, that it ishorribly believable.

Layla Amin and her parents are suddenly andforcibly taken out of their established,comfortable life in Los Angeles and detained inCamp Mobius in the mountains of California,along with hundreds of others. She is devastatedto leave behind her boyfriend, David and herfreedoms and she refuses to acquiesce to theharsh regime.

Life in Camp Mobius is ruled over by the Directorand his Exclusion Guards and Layla, along withher new friends, sets about challenging theirimprisonment and trying to raise awareness oftheir predicament. They have some success butthe authorities do not like to be challenged andare soon restricting the inmates’ daily life evenmore. Layla finds an ally amongst the guards andmore friends to help her; but as their rebellionbuilds it leads to tragic consequences andextreme danger for Layla and her parents.

This is an enthralling read, we are used toreading stories about life and survival in refugeecamps. It is unsettling to read about a possiblesituation which might arise in the free world.

Brenda Heathcote

Barr, EmilyThe Girl Who Came Out of theWoodsPenguin, 2019, pp400, £7.99978 0 24134522 1

The title tells it all. Artemis, the heroine, is the girlof the title, the girl who came out of the woods. Along and convoluted tale which requires thereader to be vigilant, to be constantly questioninghis or her ideas and perceptions of what is goingon in a storyline which switches in alternatechapters from first to third person narrative.Anyone who likes an ongoing puzzle – ‘Arty andLuna had different parents but they were stillsisters.’ Really? How come? – will love this.

The first chapter appears to be set in a place ofdetention; there is a charged atmosphere of fearand panic. Questions arise in the reader’s mindbut are not answered. Is it a place for thementally ill? Is the character a political prisoner?The environment in the next chapter is totally

different: ‘ a forest in India, sixty miles and anentire universe from Mumbai’. Peace, tranquility,order, a place in which to mature and learn, aplace from which crime, addiction, corruptionare absent. Her parents had come to thisclearing in the forest, her mother from Englandand her father from Delhi, intending to remainthere for a year and instead had stayed for tenyears. Others joined them and over time theplan was to leave this idyllic environment only inthe event of an emergency which they would bepowerless to control without help from theoutside world. The catalyst came, a sickness, afever, an ague – which brought pain and deathto the community. And as a result, Artemis‘came out of the woods.’

This is a lengthy read in which interest is skilfullymaintained over virtually 400 pages and couldwell be a useful introduction to the thriller as agenre.

Elizabeth Finlayson

Black, HollyThe Cruel PrinceHot Key Books, 2018, pp400, £7.99978 1 4714 0727 7

The Wicked KingHot Key Books, 2019, pp336, £12.99978 1 4714 0803 8

When their parents are killedbefore their eyes, twin sistersJude and Taryn and older sisterVivienne are stolen from themortal world by the faeriegeneral who despite having justmurdered their mother andfather brings them up as his own daughterstogether with his infant son. The Cruel Princebegins ten years later as the girls now in theirteens strive to fit in and be accepted in theglittering and hostile faerie realm of Elfhame,which they do with varying degrees of success. Itis a strange home but it is really the only homethey have ever known.

We see this struggle to belong from Jude’sviewpoint, her ambition is to have status and bea knight in the High Court which is unheard offor a mortal. Their elder sister has returned to thehuman world, but the twins still go to school.They now endure daily clashes during lessonswith the disdainful beautiful young fey of theinner court including the malicious and self-centred Prince Cardan who especially enjoystormenting Jude.

There is an obvious dynamic undercurrent of darkattraction between Jude and Cardan whichdevelops throughout the story. Without giving toomuch away Jude strikes a bargain with Cardan toprotect the futures of those she loves. In adramatic turn of events driven by a schemingJude and her allies, Cardan becomes king and shebecomes the power behind the throne for a year

and one day. But it makes for an uneasy alliance,as part of the oath she can command the newking to do her bidding but must consider carefullythe repercussions that may stem from this.

The Wicked King begins five months later. Thelove/hate relationship between Jude and Cardancontinues to simmer whilst to her surprise Cardanmakes a better king than expected. Jude now hasthe momentous task of trying to keep hold of herpower over the king and the kingdom whilstunseen danger lurks everywhere. As events buildand the plot twists and turns unmasking moreintrigues, plots and betrayals there is a sense thatsomething has to give, and it does. By theclimactic ending Jude is left facing an uncertainfuture in exile.

The author has succeeded in building a worldwhich is infused with such descriptive depth thatthe reader is totally immersed in the narrativethat runs through both books in this series. It isnot just a dark romance between a mortal girldrawn to a faerie prince, but also about thenature of power, the importance of family ties,taking opportunities and risks and paying theprice. Jude has many strengths and flaws and sois very endearingly human. It will be interesting tosee what her comeback plans for revenge arewhen the story continues in the final book in theFolk of the Air trilogy: The Queen of Nothing.

Sue Polchow

Curtis, VanessaThe Stolen OnesUsborne, 2019, pp352, £6.99978 1 4749 1503 8

Set in Munich, ten years afterthe end of World War Two, thisis the story of Inge and herjourney to discovering her trueidentity. Inge is 16, lives a goodlife with her parents and has asecret boyfriend, Wilf who isJewish.

Inge discovers that she is not who she thoughtshe was after a strange woman keeps turning upon the doorstep. Inge realises that her parentshave been keeping a secret from her for all of herlife and is determined to discover who she is andwhere she has come from.

This is a fantastic book in the historical fictiongenre, which uncovers the story of theLebensborn programme that happened in NaziGermany during World War Two. The story is toldin a convincing manner and shows the horror andconfusion that Inge feels when she realises thather parents have been keeping a massive part ofher life from her. Inge undergoes a painfulprocess of self-discovery that will forever changeher life, and her view of her parents and whatthey did during the war.

Jane Pepler

‘This book is a joy - a beautifully written novel about discovery.

Discovering yourself, your family, community, nature and friends.’

The School Librarian Magazine

‘There is something appealing and positive about this novel.

It feels like a classic children’s story.’

Robert Dinsdale, author of The Toymakers

“I just couldn’t put it down!” Essex Life

When Camille discovers the secret her grandmother has protected for decades she knows that to tell anyone would be to tell everyone - with terrible consequences. But it could also bring the rest of her family back into her life. This is a story about love and loyalty, truth and lies. Real news, fake news and how far you’d go to protect what you love. It’s a story for now with its roots in ancient folklore.

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Servicing Librariesfor over 35 years

12 to 16


Dawson, Juno (ed.)ProudStripes, 2019, pp352, £7.99978 1 788950 602

Proud is an anthology of stories,poetry and illustrations byLGBTQ+ authors andillustrators. Each of the tenstories and two beautiful poemsat each end of the book is onthe theme of pride and featurecharacters from the wholeLGBTQ+ community. The stories within are asdiverse as the community it represents, but all areof a high standard. I loved the humour in‘Penguins’ by James Green, a story of gaypenguins, beautifully paired with Alice Oseman’sart. ‘On the run’ by Kay Staples filled me withwarmth, and Cynthia So’s ‘The Phoenix Fault’ wasan exotic fantasy about two girls realising thatthey are more than friends. I loved the friendshipin ‘The Other Team’ by Michael Lee Richardson,the excitement in Jess Vallance’s story ‘TheInstructor’ and the depiction of anxiety in ‘AlmostCertain’ by Tanya Bryne. One of my personalfavourites was the poem at the end of the book,‘How to Come Out as Gay’ by Dean Atta, which, Ithink, will speak to many young people.

Juno Dawson sets the tone, with her impassionedforeword reminding us of the political backgroundagainst which many LGBTQ+ people have grownup, and the challenges that we still face to createa compassionate and inclusive society, but it isalso a message of hope and a rallying call.

This book is for everyone. For some, it will reflecttheir experience and allow them to identify withthe protagonists. For others, it will be a way tolearn, to see things from a different perspectiveand empathise with people who identifydifferently from them.

For this reason, and because it is important thatyoung LGBTQ+ young people feel safe, supportedand included, Proud should be on the shelves ofevery secondary school library.

Agnès Guyon

Dixen, Victor Translated by Daniel HahnDistortionHot Key Books, 2018, pp576, £7.99978 1 4714 0706 2

In the ‘the greatest TV game show in all history’,twelve participants are sent into space to coloniseMars while cameras film their every move forterrestrial TV. Viewers back on earth can watchthe six young men and women from variouscountries choose partners, marry, enter ‘lovenests’ and embark on a new era of humanhistory. Yet the show’s producer, the dastardlySerena McBee, is eager to capitalize onadvertising revenue and has kept secret a reportthat the planet is not capable of sustaining life:

lizards, rats and cockroaches sent to Mars allperished after a few months. Once the twelvediscover this fact, they begin a desperate cat andmouse game with Serena. Despite insertedbiographies, it is not easy to retain a sense of thetwelve protagonists as individuals throughout themany plot twists and sudden revelations. Theunmasking of Marcus (the American crewmember) as Serena’s accomplice, for example,seems completely arbitrary. Nevertheless,narration by Leonor, the female French member ofthe team, lends a human touch and inserteddiagrams authenticate statistical and scientificinformation. Translated from French by DanielHahn, this volume is the second in a trilogy byVictor Dixen, twice winner of the most prestigiousFrench fantasy award, the Grand Prix del’Imaginaire, and will appeal to young fans ofscience fiction.

Gillian Lathey

Dobner, RoryThe Ink HouseLaurence King, 2018, pp64, £14.99978 1 78627 076 4

Long ago there was a Gothicmansion which was a magnetfor all those with a gift forwriting or art or music. For inthe basement there was amagical pool of ink whichinspired creativity. Once a yearthe artist who owned the houselocked the gates and went in search of rareobjects to add to his treasures. But as soon as thecoast was clear, ‘Maestro the musical maskedmouse’ crept out from the skirting board andsummoned animals from far and wide to join theAnnual Ink House Extravaganza. And then theparty began!

This picture book for older readers is written andillustrated by debut author Rory Dobner who hasa background in ceramics, prints, and homeaccessories. He has recently transferred his artistictalents and flair into his first picture book. Drawnfrom an original perspective the black and whitedrawings are striking, and immediately capturethe reader’s imagination. Dobner has a particularflair for drawing animals, birds and insects. Withlots of detail and a narrow colour palette this is avery original story which will particularly appeal toolder readers of 11+, especially those who areinterested in art and design.

Rosemary Woodman

Dylan, GabrielWhiteout (Red Eye)Stripes, 2019, pp384, £7.99978 1 78895 072 5

This chilling horror story is set on a school ski trip.Charlie, the central character, is an unhappyoutsider who turns out to be courageous and

resourceful in the face of terrifying events.Characters are well drawn, including Hanna, thehostile local ski guide; Tara, spoilt and selfish;Nico, weedy computer nerd; Ryan, confidentschool sports hero and Charlie himself, whosedevastating background is revealed as thenarrative unwinds.

It all begins with a storm of epic proportions,which triggers avalanches. The ski resort is cut offfrom the outside world. The adults and many ofthe young people mysteriously disappear. Thereare malevolent, evil forces at work. Gory, bloodymurders follow each other rapidly. Charlie feelsthat there is no way out, but, after a harrowingtrail of death and destruction, these diabolicalforces appear to have been overcome. In the finalpages, however, we realise that this horror maynot have been completely vanquished. Thisgripping and disturbing story is definitely for olderreaders.

Alison Hurst

Foxlee, KarenLenny’s Book of EverythingPushkin Press, 2019, pp352, £7.99978 1 78269 238 6

This in many ways is aremarkable book aimed at themid-teen age group. It is a storyof sibling love and loyalty. Thenarrator is Lenny, ‘a thirdgrader’, and hers is a movingaccount of her family’s care ofher younger brother Davey. Thatit is a sad story is signalled in the opening chapterwith her mother having ‘a dark heart feeling’ atthe time of Davey’s birth. ‘Something’s not right.’And this was indeed the case. Davey was bornwith a rare disease which caused him to grow atan abnormal rate, in terms of height and girth.They are a poor family. The father is more oftenabsent than present and the mother works twojobs in order to provide the necessary food andclothing.

The siblings are very close. A great joy in theirlives is the delivery of successive volumes of anencyclopaedia which their mother had won bymeans of writing a letter to the publishers. Eachissue fed their imagination and they shareddreams of absconding and finding their way tothe Great Lakes in Canada. The ongoingcorrespondence between these publishers and themother is another method by which the writeradvances the story.

A cast of colourful minor characters, each in someway damaged or coping with problems, addsinterest and important issues, such as death,bereavement, love, and concern for a close familymember, are sensitively explored.

An enjoyable read, but also thought-provoking.

Elizabeth Finlayson


12 to 16Freestone, P. M.The Darkest Bloom (Shadowscent)Scholastic, 2019, pp448, £7.99978 1 407192 15 4

Poison, perfume and power arethe main ingredients ofAustralian author P. M.Freestone’s captivating fantasydebut. Counting among herinspirations Süskind’s Perfumeand the scent lore of AncientRome, Freestone has lovinglycreated the world of the Aramtesh empirecomplete with its own archaeology, astrology,grammar, history, mythology, philosophy, religionand language where time is measured on the turnof a star. Her academic background inMesoamerican studies, religious history, a PhD inthe sociology of infectious diseases and love oftravel fused with a desire to put global health andinequality under the microscope contributed to hervision.

P. M. Freestone revealed that while researchingher novel she immersed herself in the smells ofhistory and explored the literature of food,perfume, neuroscience, poisons and wine. Thismeticulous research is evident throughout thenovel which offers the reader a truly sensoryexperience. Using an engaging dual first-personnarrative, Freestone skilfully crafts the exhilaratingtale of Ash, a Prince’s bodyguard with a deadlysecret hanging like the sword of Damocles overhis head and Rakel, a tenacious desert girl with aprecious knowledge of scents, as they embark ona perilous quest to seek an antidote for a lethalpoison and to stop the Rot before it spreadsacross the five provinces.

Strong characterisation, deft plot twists, fantasticalcreatures, clever similes and symbolism, evocativeimagery and sudden surprises provide a rewardingjourney for a reader who is left on the edge of acliff hanger as a tale of magic, betrayal, ambition,corruption, manipulation and tentative romanceunfolds. Rakel must undergo a Russian roulettestyle game called ‘Death in Paradise’ while Ashmust face his greatest fear. This is an enrichingand entertaining read for fantasy fans who enjoyexploring imaginative realms.

Tanja Jennings

James, LaurenThe Quiet at the End of the WorldWalker, 2019, pp352, £7.99978 1 4063 7551 0

Following a toxic virus which renders thepopulation infertile, the human race is now closeto extinction. The ones that remain live in a smallcommunity in London who pull together to lookafter one another and also attempt to cure thevirus. The story centres around the only two youngpeople within this diminishing aging population,Lowrie and Shen, best friends who have grown up

together and deal with their situation withstoicism and maturity beyond their years.

Their friendship is what gives the story it’s heart,and it’s what makes the book so difficult to putdown. Lowrie and Shen are instantly loveable, andthey have depth of personality which makes it easyto connect with them as characters. Lowrie ispassionate and practical, Shen is more consideredand analytical. They are both very smart, tech-savvyand resourceful, and when they discover secretsabout their family and true heritage, they draw onthese skills and their friendship to save their family,their community and possibly life itself.

James’ book looks at how fragile our existence is,and how that ultimately we are powerless to haltnature. But rather than setting her book in adystopian world, James brings a more hopeful andpositive view to her story, and shows that evenwhen faced with extinction, love, friendship,compassion and the goodness of people canprevail. It is a book that stays with you long afterreading and provokes questions. It’s a book aboutdiscovery as much as it’s about the end ofhumanity, with Lowrie and Shen uncovering thetruth about the past, their family, themselves andtheir feelings towards each other which willchange their lives forever.

Emma Carpendale

Khan, RehanA Tudor Turk (The Chronicles of WillRyde and Awa Maryam Al-Jameel)Hope Road, 2019, pp304, £8.99978 1 90844 697 8

This book, one of a projected series of three, iswritten with a refreshingly new world-view. Thestory opens with the Battle of Tondibi, a battle ofworld importance that no British pupils (or bookreviewers) are likely to have heard of. It markedthe end of the Songhai Empire, the largest empireAfrica has known, with its world-class university atTimbuktu. The most powerful man in the world isthe Sultan at Istanbul, and Britain is anarchipelago on the edge of nowhere. Venice andIstanbul are ruthless trading centres, committed tocommercial rivalry and religious antagonism, buthappy to trade illegally if they can get away withit. The book’s hero is Awa Maryam Al-Jameel, aSonghai princess who can kill three armedswordsmen before breakfast, having learnt herskills (most implausibly) at a training school forfemale gladiators. The storyline is nominallyconcerned with the Staff of Moses, a relic whichactually exists and functions here as aHitchcockian MacGuffin, but the action tumblesalong at breakneck speed, so fast that it is difficultsometimes to keep up with the plot. The best partof the book is the background, which can act asan eye-opener for western readers and where therealpolitik has uncomfortable parallels with ourown time. Recommended for fast readers aged12+.

Martin Axford

Lee, Harper and Fordham, FredTo Kill A Mockingbird Graphic NovelHeinemann, 2018, pp288, £16.99978 1 785 15155 2

This beautifully observedadaptation of Harper Lee’smemorable semi-autobiographical Pulitzerprize winning novel bringsan empathetic and powerfulstory of racial injustice to lifefor an audience receptive tosequential art.

The inclusion of the graphic novel Sabrina on the2018 Man Booker Prize long list testifies to therising popularity of the medium as a legitimateform of literature. What better way to celebrate itthan to relaunch a modern classic, voted Number1 in Great American Read and World Book Nightpolls. Published in 1960 and set during 1930swhen the Jim Crow Laws were in force, To Kill AMockingbird has garnered sales of over 40 millioncopies and been translated into over 40 differentlanguages.

When Harper Lee’s estate decided the much-loved book should be ‘reborn for a new age’, thehonour fell to Fred Fordham, an artist known forhis moody bandes dessinées style. The projectinvolved him travelling to Monroeville in Alabamameticulously taking photographs and sketchingscenes of Harper’s home town, the basis forMaycomb, that he would later faithfullyreproduce. As the story unfolds Fordham isrespectful of Lee’s vision and desire to ‘be thechronicler of small town middle-class Southernlife – the Jane Austen of Southern Alabama’creating a believable and vivid world populatedwith her iconic characters. His expressiveportraiture style, inspired by Satrapi’s Persepolis,uses emotive and evocative close ups never morepoignant than when Atticus asks Tom to stand upand queries the all-white jury on how the mancould possibly have committed the crime he isaccused of. Fordham expertly communicates thetomboyish Scout’s anger at Maycomb’sintolerance using effective sound effects renderedin bold font. The novel is imbued with a palette ofsoft pastels and strong primary colours for diurnalsettings, dusky shades of blue, grey, orange andblack to denote nightmarish terrors and dun andsepia tones for the dramatic courtroom scenesand flashbacks.

The only minor quibble is that some of the close-ups of Scout make her appear older than she ismeant to be (5–8) and Mayella does not resembleLee’s description of ‘a thick bodied girlaccustomed to strenuous labour.’ That said,Fordham’s lovingly crafted adaptation hastransformed Harper’s 100,000-word novel into avisual treat and would be an asset to any bookshelf.Tanja Jennings


12 to 16Leo; Jamar, Corinne and Simon, FredMermaid ProjectTranslated by Jerome Saincantain

Cinebook, 2018, pp48, £6.99978 1 84918 402 1

The Franco-Belgian publisherCinebook has released a newfuturistic sci fi series with itslaunch of Mermaid Project.This futuristic graphic novelfollows the trials of RomanePennac, a young Caucasiandetective living in Paris whoseself-esteem is being battered by daily racism andsexism.

In a speculative twist BAME peoples haveoverthrown the white populations of theprosperous West who greedily squandered theearth’s natural resources in their quest for powerand supremacy. Emerging countries are now thenew strong nations as traditional energy sourceshave been seriously depleted. Followingprejudicial treatment and starvation those whowere humiliated and subjugated are now lookingfor payback during a time of socio-economic andpolitical upheaval.

When her quick thinking embarrasses her boss,who only hired her to escape allegations ofracism, smart, straight talking, tomboyish yetvulnerable Romane is sent on a mission to NewYork to investigate a strange disappearance linkedto the mysterious corporation where her scientisttwin brother works. The arrogant Special AgentMalik accompanies her as they attempt touncover the truth behind Algapower. But they arebeing watched.

Fred chooses a palette of butter cream, pale tans,steel greys, dusky oranges, vivid blues, verdantgreens and brick reds to depict the interior andexterior scenes set in New York and Paris withblood red splashes denoting violence and the coldclimes of Quebec represented by shades ofaquamarine.

Expressive close ups increase the tension anddrama of the story as emotions ranging fromanger, bewilderment, defiance, fear, frustration,shock, aggression, superciliousness and surprisepass across the characters’ faces. It is a promisingstart to a five-part series which has elementsreminiscent of a James Bond-style escapade. Thereare some mild sexual references.

Tanja Jennings

Linnell, MaxineBreaking the Rules (High Low)Illustrated by Sophia Escabasse

Bloomsbury, 2019, pp80, £6.99978 1 4729 6083 2

Breaking the Rules is a story about loneliness,friendship, and Internet safety. It follows Mo whohas just moved to a new, much smaller town, and

is struggling to make new friends. She develops aset of rules from an online advice site to help hermake new friends, but as much as she tries shestill feels out of place and like a loser. In herturmoil, she begins talking to an older boy whoadds her on Facebook. In her desperation sheagrees to meet this new friend, but he is not whohe claims to be.

This book is part of Bloomsbury’s High Low bookswhich are aimed at struggling and reluctantreaders, including those with dyslexia and thosewhose first language is not English. The storywould appeal to readers that enjoy relatable,realistic stories. This short book is broken up byillustrations so it won’t intimidate strugglingreaders, and is aimed at ages 11+ with a readingage of 9+.

Emily Kindregan

Lupo, KesiaWe are Blood and ThunderBloomsbury, 2019, pp448, £7.99978 1 40889 805 5

Kesia Lupo is a debut author,although her pedigree as aneditor bodes well for accuracyand attention to detail. Herfantasy world certainly leapsfrom the page fully formed,richly imagined and whollybelievable. Lena is a cryptling. Children deemedtoo unsightly or damaged for the world aboveand so abandoned by their families to serve theAncestors in the crypts beneath the city. Her daysare spent preparing the recently dead for theireternal place within the crypts – a process thatsounds very like that used in Ancient Egypt,although stopping short of mummification.

Duke’s Forest is a mountain city state, and whenthe book begins we are in the sixth year of aterrible, magical storm that has brought pestilenceand death. The city has been quarantined, and theking and his advisors hunt and kill any magesthey come across. Lena finds herself accused andbarely escapes with her life, finding her wayacross the surrounding forest before beingrescued by Emris.

Without letting slip any spoilers, I can say that thisis a satisfying fantasy full of magic and intrigue,plot twists and a few surprises. In a market prettysaturated by fantasy series, this (clearly the first ofseveral) stands out enough to be worth buying forthe library, or gifting to a young relative. Althoughit is many (many!) years since I read Ursula leGuin’s Earthsea books, they leapt to mind when Iread of Lena in the crypts, evoking the sameshadowy unease. If you have room on yourshelves for what may turn out to be a multi-volume series, I’d recommend investing in thisdebut.

Helen Thompson

Mainwaring, AnnaTulip TaylorFirefly Press, 2019, pp250, £7.99978 1 9100809 7 9

Many teenagers find their parents unreasonable.Tulip Taylor’s really are. Her father, a flaky hippy, isfloating about overseas; he has changed his namefrom Nigel to Storm and blows in when he feelslike it. Her mother makes a living from filmingTulip and her twin siblings, then posting theirfoibles on social media. Tulip is encouraged to bea vlogger, putting out videos of her make-up tipsand techniques. Her mother is obsessed withmetadata and keeps a spreadsheet of herpopularity. If it all gets too much for her, Tuliptakes refuge in reciting lists of her favouritewords. When the ‘pulchritudinous’ Harvey arrivesat her comprehensive school, comicmisunderstanding, attractions and sparks fly.Harvey, like Tulip, is unhappy with his father, anextreme sports TV star, who harangues his boys tofollow in his footsteps. The two antagonistic, butoddly compatible teens end up on a reality TVshow, survival in the wilderness. Tulip isdetermined to show that she is a creative,resourceful, witty young woman, not the plasticbimbo that she has been painted, but theproducers have set her up to fail. The storycontains an entertaining riff on ideas about socialmedia, and a neat conceit of a parent moreenthralled to screens than her children. It nicelysubverts the ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype as Tulipwittily takes linguistic control of her world. Eachchapter starts with a word she has chosen fromthe dictionary – such as, ‘Pusillanimous: adjective’– and her delight in new words is something torelish. Great fun.

Sophie Smiley

McManus, Karen M.Two Can Keep a SecretPenguin, 2019, pp336, £7.99978 0 141 37565 6

Twins Ellery and her brotherEzra are sixteen and just aboutto enter their last year ofsecondary school in Californiawhen family circumstancesabruptly change. Their motherSadie has been struggling withserious health problems andhas been ordered by the court to spend sixteenweeks in a rehabilitation unit to sort out herproblems with alcohol and drugs. Maternalgrandmother/Nana is the only relative who cantake care of them. She lives in a small leafyVermont town on the other side of the country.But as soon as the twins are collected from theairport, a series of bizarre and terrifying killingsemerge. And this is not the first time that tragedyhas struck…

38 fast-paced chapters with alternating narratorsmake this a gripping and suspenseful novel.


Author Karen McManus is excellent at describingthe background and nuances of life in a smallNew England town near the Canadian border. Thelocal high school has always been a veryimportant centre in the little town of Echo Ridge.The author cleverly incorporates the highlights(and conflicts) in ‘small town America’ –particularly in an area where many parents andgrandparents have graduated from the sameschool. The nearby ‘spooky’ amusement park aptlynamed Murderland Halloween Park where Elleryand Ezra have part-time weekend jobs providesan added dimension to the story. With its shortchapters this book will be a popular choice forreaders of 12+.

Rosemary Woodman

Pollen, SamuelThe Year I Didn’t EatZuntold, 2019, pp304, £7.99978 1 9998633 5 7

‘Dear Ana’: thus starts the chronicles of a year inthe life of 14-year-old Max who suffers fromanorexia. Ana, is of course, Max’s anorexia, andthe only ‘person’ Max feels he can talk to, despitea loving and supportive family, a couple of loyalfriends, and the help of a therapist.

The author struggled with anorexia as a youngperson and this shows in his treatment of thesubject. It offers an honest, knowledgeable,uncompromising, yet sensitive view of what itmight be like to live with anorexia. There are morelayers to this story than are first apparent. DespiteMax’s obsession with his illness, other charactershave their own issues too and this can be verypowerful for young people, particularly as it iscleverly done, with a light touch and withoutblame. The voice feels authentic. Max is a complexand very likeable protagonist, and all thesupporting characters feel real and well fleshedout. The relationships between the protagonistsevolve naturally in the course of the novel, bothwithin the family unit and with friends at school. Ialso liked the fact that some of the characters arenot quite what they seemed at first. The writing iseasy, immersive, and above all, very believable –which of course, comes with a trigger warning.Despite the fact that Max’s weight and BMI arenever mentioned, there are clear descriptions ofcalorie counting and the way anorexia distortsyour thought and affects your self-worth.However, there is humour, warmth and hope, andI believe that this is an important book whichshould be read widely.

Agnès Guyon

Pollock, Tom Heartstream Walker, 2019, pp352, £7.99978 1 4063 7818 4

Cat is a dedicated superfan ofher favourite boyband andcompletely immersed in theirfandom. So when she startsdating the lead singer sheknows it must stay a secret. Herfriends and fellow fans won’tstand for anybody messing with ‘their’ boys.

Amy uses Heartstream – a social media app thatallows users to connect with and experience theemotions of other users. Sharing the pain of hermother’s long illness and grief of her eventuallydeath has gained her fans worldwide. But how farwill her fans go to maintain this rawest ofconnections? When she discovers a strangewoman in the kitchen the morning of hermother’s funeral, Amy begins to find out.

A deceptively intelligent novel with twists andturns that keep the reader hooked. Scary and fullof tension, this is the perfect cautionary tale aboutthe dangers of being constantly connected online.With themes of celebrity culture, obsession,grooming, and the effect social media can have

12 to 16


12 to 16on our mental health, this is a great book forstarting conversations. Yet the messages neveroverwhelm the story, so it remains deeplyreadable throughout. Fans of Black Mirror willlove it.

Amy McKay

Rai, BaliNow or Never (Voices)Scholastic, 2019, pp208, £6.99978 1 407191 36 2

This is an excellent, powerful andimportant book that I highlyrecommend. At the age of 15,Fazal Khan leaves his home inRawalpindi and joins the RoyalIndian Army Service Corps. Aspart of Company 32, he soonfinds himself in France in the Winter of 1939,working as a muleteer helping to supply theBritish Expeditionary Force. He has grown uplistening to his grandfather’s tales of hisexperiences in the Great War and he hopes toemulate him and ‘become a man’. However hesoon comes up against discrimination towardshim and his fellows. Fazal tries to keep faith withthe Imperial Power he has been taught to respectby reminding himself of duty and honour, but hiscynical best friend, Mushtaq, is quick to point outthat they are regarded as little better than themules they look after. Luckily, Company 32 iscommanded by Captain John Ashdown who lovesIndia and speaks Punjabi and Urdu and hasproper respect for his men. As the crisis of theGerman invasion worsens, Captain Ashdownleads the Company towards Dunkirk and whenthe decision is taken to abandon them rather thanget them to England he refuses to obey the order– an action that gets him court-martialled.

Based on true events – Capt. Ashdown was PaddyAshdown’s father – the book rightly seethes withindignation at the treatment meted out to theIndians, although it shows acts of kindnesstowards them, too. This challenging, polemicalmaterial is played out against the tense andgripping story of Dunkirk. Bali Rai’s descriptions ofthe soldiers stranded on the beaches, strafed andbombed by German planes, are exciting, vivid andutterly terrifying. Lucky the young readers whowill now have a wider and more accurate pictureof that defeat that turned into a kind of triumph.A thrilling and truly worthwhile read.

Nigel Hinton

Rawsthorne, PaulaThe New BoyScholastic, 2019, pp384, £7.99978 1 407180 26 7

Can anyone resist the new boy? After all he isperfect… When Zoe starts a new college she is atfirst immune to the too-good-to-be-true Jack andthen as his charm and romantic gestures win her

heart, Zoe discovers the horrifying and unsettlingtruth of who Jack really is.

An interesting concept that makes you considerArtificial Intelligence and what could be possiblein the future or even now, as maybe we don’tknow what does already exist. This read makesyou question how far will society go as we buyinto the reality that social media and technologypresents us with. How far will we go in ourcontinual quest to tweet, post, hashtag our livesand the ultimate to trend?

This is perfect for fans of thrillers, science fiction,romance and you might like it if you enjoyedwatching the programme Humans. As it questionsour understanding of social media and who isreally controlling what we see, buy, say or do. Thelast few pages are unsettling as we witness Zoeface what could one day be an all to realargument with the human race.

Lucy Carlton-Walker

Reynolds, Justin A.Opposite of AlwaysMacmillan, 2019, pp320, £7.99978 1 5098 7004 2

Most of us feel lucky if we get asecond chance at love, but Jackthe narrator of this first novelgets several attempts to travelback in time. The book leansheavily on the theme of endlesslyrecurring events from GroundhogDay and has echoes of The Time Traveller’s Wife. Itfocuses on a chance meeting between Jack andKate and as he falls in love with her Jack slowlycomes to realise that the severe symptoms ofSickle Cell disease will eventually end Kate’s life.Jack sells everything he has of value and throughhis best friend Franny’s estranged father andaided by time travel lays bets designed to raisethe money to fund a possible cure. But will thecure be successful or will Jack be doomed toforever be just a little too late? The book takessome time to get going as the author establishestheir relationship and tells the back story of Jackstwo best friends Jillian and Franny including theirtroubled relationship with their respective parentsand the impact Jacks increasingly bizarrebehaviour has on sustaining the friendship. Aboveall the book works in sharing how Jack himselflearns to live a little differently and perhaps a littlebetter over time.

John Newman

Ryan, ChrisSiege (Special Forces Cadets)Hot Key Books, 2019, pp224, £6.99978 1 4714 0725 3

Action-packed and exciting, this book shouldengage and hold the attention of readers. Itdescribes a training programme for underage,undercover military operators, where each

potential recruit has to have an anonymousbackground. Chris Ryan convinces readers of theviability of this initiative and draws us in to thetwists and turns of this nail biting narrative. MaxJohnson is the main protagonist and we followhis recruitment and training with an interestingcollection of individuals – an incredibly elitegroup. The climax, when a few of these youngpeople are unexpectedly thrust into central rolesin undermining armed terrorists in a school siege,is thrilling. Suspend belief in reality; this book willget young people reading.

Alison Hurst

Segel, Jason and Miller, KirstenOtherworld (Last Reality)Rock the Boat, 2018, pp338, £7.99978 1 78607 423 2

Otherearth (Last Reality)Rock the Boat, 2018, pp320, £7.99978 1 78607 452 2

This YA series about a virtual reality world and amalicious corporation will appeal to readers whoenjoyed Warcross and Ready Player One. Simonhas just purchased a multi-thousand-dollar set ofequipment in order to play a new, revolutionarygame called Otherworld created by anorganisation called The Company. A few dayslater, when he is involved in a building collapsethat leaves several dead and three others,including his best friend Kat, in locked-insyndrome he begins to uncover that The Companymay not be who they seem. The company offer totrial an even more advanced virtual realityequipment on Kat as a new form of therapy, butwhen Simon sees her wake up screaming in painhe knows something is not right. So, he begins adangerous race against time to find out moreabout the new technology in order to save herand others involved in this mysterious technologyexperiment.

The characters and story are not the most unique(good vs evil, massive conspiracy, boy saves girl)but it is a fun and fast paced read and will appealto teens that love video games and fast pacedaction stories.

Emily Kindregan

Sheppard, AlexandraOh My GodsScholastic, 2019, pp352, £6.99978 1 40718 873 7

With one of the most eye-catching covers of theseason, this debut is one of the better offerings inthe current ancient myth trend. In many ways,OMG is traditional, with the main character Helenarriving with her unknown family, starting a newschool, needing to make friends whilst hiding hersecret home life. Yet Sheppard is writing anovertly contemporary story set in North London.Her purpose in writing the story was to representherself in a story, as growing up she didn’t find


12 to 16herself mirrored in what she read. Therefore, thisis a very important book. Yet, it’s not designed tobe serious or make any political points – indeed,its point is that Helen is very ordinary (whilst herfamily are definitely not!) and she has ordinaryteenage drama to deal with. New school, newfriends, parties, a love interest, a super annoyingfamily. Fans of Geek Girl or Princess Diaries willlove it. It’s not necessarily as YA as it is marketedand is safer for younger teenagers too.

Sheppard includes not only a first person narrativebut letters to Helen’s deceased mother – a greatway of changing the perspective at certain points.Some sections towards the end, where the actionmoves from North London, are a little strange,and prolific readers will recognise her potentiallove interest is more than he seems. But it shouldbe a definite addition to school library collectionsfor its colloquial modern language and culturalreferences, multicultural cast and BAMEprotagonist.

Helen Swinyard

Shrimpton, PhyllidaThe Colour of ShadowsHot Key Books, 2019, pp368, £7.99978 1 4714 0761 1

A good YA read addressing the harsh realities ofhomelessness. Having grown up in a comfortable,loving family home, Saffron is devastated to learnthat the mother she has mourned over for 10years of her life did not actually die. Driven byanger, she leaves home as a way of getting backat her father for lying to her. Saffron quickly findslife on the streets is cold, lonely and at times verydangerous. She also discovers the vicious circle ofpitfalls facing homeless people in England.

Tracey Hart

Trelease, GitaEnchantéeMacmillan, 2019, pp480, £7.99978 1 50989 597 7

A well written historical novel canopen a door into the past.Sometimes patience is neededbefore the door starts to openand this is just such a novel,which took a few pages to ‘hookme’ but which then repaid mewith a wonderfully evocative depiction of pre-revolutionary Paris.

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets,filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—andmagicians. Following the death of her parentsfrom smallpox, Camille Durbonne has to resort to‘petty magic’ – la magie ordinaire – topainstakingly transform scraps of metal intomoney to buy the food and medicine they need.The skill has been passed down to her from hermother but Camille finds the process exhaustingand the coins won’t hold their shape.

When their brother steals what little money thesisters have managed to save for the rent, Camillemust resort to using the ‘glamoire’ (a darkermagic forbidden by their mother) to transformherself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’. Sheheads to Versailles and the glittering court ofLouis XVI and Marie Antoinette where aristocratsboth fear and hunger for la magie. There, shegambles at cards, desperate to have enough tokeep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer shestays at court, the more difficult it becomes toreconcile her resentment of the nobles with theenchantments of Versailles. Entwined with thispart of her life is the story of a handsome youngballoonist, who brings her excitement and theprospect of adventure.

The use of ‘glamoire’ exacts a price and Camille isdrawn into a dangerous world, where all is not asit seems. Then revolution erupts, and she mustchoose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy,freedom or magic—before Paris burns.

This debut novel perfectly captures the poverty,inequality, squalor and excesses of France at thistime. The sense of political unrest is well describedand the reader cannot help being caught up inCamille’s desperation to forge a better life forherself and her sister. Highly recommended forolder readers.

Carolyn Copland

Watson, Renée and Hagan, EllenWatch Us RiseBloomsbury, 2019, pp368, £7.99978 1 5266 0086 8

A thought provoking andpowerful portrayal of best friendsJasmine and Chelsea, as theychallenge the stereotypes that weall face or confirm to everydayand reaffirm what it means to bea ‘Womyn’. It challenges you toconfront what we have all experienced that wemight have not even registered or have ‘let go’the slapping, touching, talking down to, beinginvited to the table just to be present and notheard. The urge we might have felt to want to fitinto the ‘Social Norms’ in regards to size, shape,hair and clothes as the mainstream only cater forwhat is seen as ‘normal/average’ and nothingmore. We watch Jasmine and Chelsea rise, beheard and make an impact through SocialActivism as they make a stand. As we live in anever increasing complicated digital and socialmedia world instead of using it as a way to judgeuse it to your advantage and rise.

This compelling novel questions what it means tobe a feminist and the test, understanding andpower of a true friendship. It uses the persuasivepower of poetry and blogs throughout tocaptivate the reader as well as including a guideon who to read and a signposting section foryoung people.

Lucy Carlton-Walker

Wheatle, AlexHome GirlAtom, 2019, pp288, £7.99978 0 3490 0325 2

Subtitled ‘The Miseducation of Naomi Brisset’, thisis one in his series of Crongton novels.

We are first introduced to Naomi when she isrehoused by her ‘social wanker’ into yet anothertemporary foster home. Wheatle conveys vividlythe frustration of Louise, the social worker, andthe brittle vulnerability of Naomi.

Wheatle intersperses past and present, so thatgradually we learn what happened to Naomi’smother, and why she finds, after caring for heralcoholic father, fitting in with the Golding’s familyboundaries difficult. The trust boundaries betweenNaomi and the adults, her growing fondness ofthe children, her mistrust of ‘peeps’ are sensitivelyexplored.

The theme of Naomi’s miseducation is developedthrough insights into her relationship with Kim,and to a lesser extent Natalie. Wanting to helpNaomi to move forward, the Goldings invite Kimand Natalie to their home, involving all the familyin making multi cultural food. Tony and ColleenGolding, a black couple with two children, Pabloand Sharyna, who are a rounded and well-portrayed family. Colleen seems to reallyempathise with Naomi, perhaps because of herown difficult childhood. Naomi is on edge – sheneeds Kim’s approval of her new placement.Colleen maintains her own code of behaviour, forexample reminding Kim of her language in frontof the younger children. Kim decides Colleen is‘on point.’ Colleen clearly has reservations (laterabundantly justified) regarding Kim’s influence onNaomi.

The placement of a white girl with a black fosterfamily is explored: the social worker’s issues,Naomi’s and the Goldings. We meet theHamiltons, a white family with whom Naomi isunsuccessfully placed.

The book has several dark places to explore – notjust racism and peer influence, but feminism,sexuality and family relationships. Aimed at Year10 plus, the author manages to produce anupbeat and life-affirming novel.

Lorraine Ransome

Zentner, JeffRayne & Delilah’s Midnite MatineeAndersen, 2019, pp400, £7.99978 1 78344 799 2

Josie and Delia (high school seniors) areresponsible for a low-budget public access TVprogramme called Midnite Matinee. In thecharacter of vampires Rayne and Delilah theyshow so-bad-they-are-good (to some people)scary movies, with a garnish of absurd skits andinterviews (picture a dog wedding and randommartial arts displays).


12 to 16For Josie the show is a foot in the door of herhoped-for career plus time spent with her bestfriend. For Delia, living with her barely-copingmother, the show is her life – and a way toconnect with her absent father.

Once the reader is familiar with the girls’ homelife and the background to the show, the storybecomes a road trip. The girls (plus Lawson, Josie’sboyfriend and mixed martial arts fighter) go toShivercon, a convention for the horror filmindustry. There they plan to meet a producer whomight champion their show, and Delia intends toseek out her father.

The outcome is not what they hoped for. Delia’sfather is deeply disappointing and the producer isplain horrifying. The three get into some majorscrapes (which provide a mix of tension andabsurd humour) but survive, learn and go home tomake big decisions.

The book portrays a colourful range of charactersand a wonderful friendship between the girls.There are good male characters: boyfriend Lawsonand TV studio manager Arliss are enjoyable withinthe plot, but also present positive characteristics,including thoughtfulness alongside focus (Lawson)and compassion hidden under a humorouslycrusty exterior (Arliss). The book gives anultimately uplifting view of life, which has ups anddowns and surprises and decisions that we don’twant to take, but that we can deal with. It’s funny,engaging, philosophical and hopeful.

Sally Perry

Zoboi, Ibi (ed.)Black Enough: Stories of BeingYoung and Black in AmericaHarperCollins, 2019, pp416, £7.99978 0 00 832655 5

As June Sarpong writes in herexcellently concise and well-reasoned introduction, youdon’t have to be Black andAmerican for these stories toresonate. The mainly first personnarrators come from all kinds ofsocio-economic backgroundsand all have different experiences ofunderstanding their place in the word whileattempting to forge a positive sense of identityand belonging.

I particularly enjoyed ‘Warning: Colour May Fade’about a young Black artist having her art workappropriated by a white student who feels entitledto betray her friend in order to succeed. I alsoloved the banter of the friends talking about theconstruction of the best sandwich as they walkhome from a New York public swimming pool. Inrecommending this varied, entertaining andthought provoking collection I would impressupon the need for it to be in libraries regardless ofthe ethnicity of the pupils. These are stories thatneed to be read and discussed because they touch

on specific ad general themes associated withgrowing up but particularly because we needeveryone to understand what the experience ofgrowing up Black in western society feels like andto be able to discuss, think and act on what wecould all do to make it a better and more equalone.

John Newman

12to 16 Information

Atkins, JillThe Microwave Shakespeare: Julius Caesar 978 1 78591 637 3

The Tempest 978 1 78591 639 7

Twelfth Night 978 1 78591 340 2

Ransom, 2018, pp52, £6.99

As I am not usually a fan ofShakespeare, I approached thesebooks with trepidation, and I waspleasantly surprised. The ninedifferent Shakespearean plays inthe series cover the main onesthat are usually studied inschools. They are set out in an easy to followformat, and the format is the same throughoutthe series. The content gives you a lowdown onWho, When and Where, this information gives youthe bones of the story. You are then treated tofour or five short chapters which tell the story, andif any lines are a direct quote from Shakespeare,they appear in italics in the text, making it veryclear to understand.

The last few pages of the book cover what theplay is about, the main themes and Shakespeare’swords, all of which are in the same clear and easyto understand format as the main body of thebook. In all I would say that these books are easyto read for all of the school years, but they wouldbe particularly handy if you have any studentswho are due to take exams and need a quickbrush up.

Elain Burchell

Cachin, OlivierBlack Music Greats (40 Inspiring Icons)Illustrated by Jérôme Masi

Wide Eyed Editions, 2019, pp96, £9.99978 1 78603 470 0

This is a very aesthetically pleasing book coveringa wide range of black musicians from RobertJohnson to The Weekend. The two pagesdedicated to each of the forty artists give anoverview of what they are best known for,allowing readers to research further if they wouldlike to know more.

The first page for each artist consists of a briefoverview of their main accomplishments, fun facts

about big shows andmoments in their careers,and a timeline of key eventsor a selected discography.The second of each containsa beautiful minimalillustration by Jérôme Masi.Underneath each artist istheir title, for example MilesDavis is given ‘The jazz revolutionary’, andsurrounding the illustration are some facts aboutthe musician’s iconic looks and musical style.

This book is a great introduction to some of themost influential musicians of the last century, andwould appeal to both casual listeners and fanaticmusic lovers. It would have been great to seemore artists from outside the United States, but Ithink this is a fantastic overview of talentedmusicians and will make anyone who reads itwant to pick up their phone and listen to sometunes.

Emily Kindregan

Courage, Cara and Headlam, NicolaGender, Sex and Gossip in Ambridge:Women in the ArchersEmerald Publishing, 2019, pp224, £14.99978 1 787699 48 9

I haven’t listened regularly to The Archers formany years, and now only catch the occasionalepisode if I happen to be driving at theappropriate time. So while I am familiar withmany of the characters and their ‘place’ in thedrama, I can’t describe myself as a fan or even alistener. My first reaction to seeing this book wasto dread reading it, to be honest. However evenfor someone unfamiliar with the series this is agenuinely engaging read. The chapters are laid outlogically, and cover topics such as gossip (informalinformation networks), unplanned pregnancy (oneof the writers wonders if contraception ever worksin Ambridge), and mental health.

A lively and fun read, this book is a greatconversation starter about gender and society, butwould also be useful for anyone studying dramaand scriptwriting. We find out some of thecomplexities involved in keeping stories andcharacters ‘straight’ over many years, and how theplot needs to be driven when the episodes are soshort, but story arcs are so long. The work thatgoes into making sure that the programmereflects general attitudes in society, and trying toreflect current issues in a believable way isimpressive.

Whether you are an Archers fan or someonestudying gender, society, or drama, you will findyourself nodding and smiling as you read thiscollection of papers, and I guarantee it will makeyou think.

Helen Thompson


12 to 16Farrell, Mary CronkStanding Up Against HateAbrams, 2019, pp208, £14.99978 1 4197 3160 0,

The armed forces in the USA are often seen asmodels of successful integration. It comes assomething of a shock to find that during WorldWar II, fought against a racist enemy, the US Armyenforced the strictest segregation. Only pressurefrom Eleanor Roosevelt and others who weredetermined that the armed forces shouldrepresent the whole nation persuaded it to enrolblack women at all, and at first only as auxiliaries.Doubly handicapped by their gender and colour,the recruits had to put up with contempt andwith underemployment. Even the most highlyeducated women were liable to be automaticallyassigned to menial work. In the southern statesthey often met with severe persecution preciselybecause they wore uniform, and those withofficers’ commissions were most at risk.

There is a vivid episode which illustrates thecourage recruits from the southern states needed.When Major Charity Adams, the officer in chargeof the women’s battalion, was on leave, the KuKlux Klan came in robes and hoods and parkedoutside her house all night. The police said theyhad no powers to deal with parking on that road.The book focuses on the work of Major Adams,who led her troops with exemplary skill,conforming tactfully where there was noalternative but standing up courageously when itreally mattered. The book is a pointer towards theimmensity of the tasks Martin Luther King andfeminist leaders were later to take on, though it isgood to know that once in Britain, and then inFrance, the women met with very differenttreatment. Strongly recommended to readers ofboth genders aged 11 onwards.

Martin Axford

Gonstalla, EstherThe Ocean BookGreen Books, 2019, pp128, £16.99978 0 857844774

A very comprehensivevolume which covers a widerange of subjects allconnected withoceanography. Ideal as ateacher resource, it is thekind of book you can dipinto when required. Itprovides an in depth analysis of the problems andissues that we face today. These include climatechange, overfishing, (an area I have looked at indetail) and pollution.

Written by an award winning infographic designercontributors to the book include a number ofeminent professors of oceanography. The bookdoesn’t ‘pull any punches’ and faces head onseveral major issues. The section on climate

change examines the anomalies of ocean heatand rising acidity caused by industrialisation, theburning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

It is very impressive volume and one that wouldprove to be invaluable to staff in the primary orsecondary sector. I can also see it being used byolder secondary students as a resources for majorinvestigations and projects. At a time when ourplanet is at severe risk books like this areinvaluable in providing some of the answers to awide range of provocative and sometimesworrying questions.

Godfrey Hall

Head, HonorTrans GlobalFranklin Watts, 2018, pp64, £13.99978 1 4451 6048 1

Timely title with plenty of high quality picturesand colourful layout. A little busy-looking at times,this is full of stories of people from differentcultures, now and throughout history, who havebeen gender non-conforming. The producers haveincluded the founders of the transgender charityMermaids, so there are authentic voices in there,as well as the ‘Trans Now’ life story inserts whichfeel real, even if this is only by design.

The end section is great: a glossary is notconfined to gender terminology, but to otherterms such as ‘hormones’ and ‘cravat’; timeline ofhistoric moments; further reading websites, booksand helplines. The index is confined to mostlynames of countries or people mentioned – soprobably not so much a book for skimming andscanning as for general information.

The positives of this book are the range of storiesof from across times and countries – so readerswho need to do so, can find a variety of peoplewith whom they can identify. Helpful to showstudents they are by no means alone. A must forall school libraries.

Helen Swinyard

Heuchan, Claire and Shukla, NikeshWhat is Race? Who are Racists? WhyDoes Skin Colour Matter? And OtherBig QuestionsWayland, 2018, pp48, £13.99978 1 5263 0398 1

This is an excellent book. Each question issupported by a personal experience fromsuccessful people of colour, and makesuncomfortable reading at times. The style is chattybut concise and tackles the issue head-on,acknowledging that unease that shapesdiscussions about race: ‘talking about race is notautomatically racist’.

Having acknowledged the weird situation wherepeople ‘can be more offended by… being calledracist than the existence of racism itself’, itunpacks some of the common issues and

misconceptions; power and prejudice, that skincolour does matter, legal failures and StephenLawrence, the mistaken belief that pre-WindrushBritain was a white nation, as well as stereotypesand race.

The second half looks at very current concerns.The lack of representation, the Equality Act 2010and others, Charlottesville, Terrell Decosta Jones-Burton and how it feels to experience racism. Thisis followed by two marvellous chapters ‘How canyou challenge racism?’ and ‘Unlearning racism’.

With such a good text, the ‘Think about’ boxesare almost superfluous; the page suggestingdiscussion topics is much better. It includes aglossary but I felt the Further Information sectionseemed a bit thin. Highly recommended forreaders aged 11 to adult.

Rachel Ayers Nelson

Rothery, BenSensational ButterfliesLadybird, 2019, pp80, £20978 0 241 36104 7

Sensational Butterflies is amagnificent compendiumof butterflies and mothsfrom around the worldwritten and illustrated byBen Rothery. This bigoversize book withseventeen short chaptersis lavishly illustrated with remarkably detailedpatterns and vibrant colours. Rothery examines awide range of topics and species beginning withthe distinctions between a butterfly and a mothand how you can readily identify them. (One hint:butterflies usually fly in bright sunshine; moths arenocturnal.)

Most butterflies and moths have brief lives. Somelive only a few days. Others like the NorthAmerican monarch butterflies migrate thousandsof miles to Mexico to hibernate over the Winter.The female butterflies lay eggs along the routelike a relay race. No butterfly finishes the wholeroute; the next generations will complete thereturn trip.

This book has an urgent and a very topicalmessage. Climate change and the overuse ofpesticides is threatening many species. In the pasttwenty years there has been a 70% drop in urbanbutterflies in the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates. Gardening, including small window boxeswhich attract butterflies and moths andcampaigning can help to make a difference.

This is Rothery’s first book. His passion and thisfascinating story will help to make a change. Thisis a book which will appeal to a wide audience,especially secondary school pupils who areinterested in making a difference toenvironmental conservation.

Rosemary Woodman


16 to 19Williamson, AnnaHow Not to Lose It (Mental HealthSorted)Illustrated by Sophie Beer

Scholastic, 2019, pp176, £9.99978 1 407193 14 4

Another self-help book for teens with an overlychatty style and cultural references that willquickly date. It covers: anxiety, depression, stress,self-esteem, phobias and friendships very well. Italso more briefly covers sex, bereavement, onlinesafety, families and divorce.

It is a good, general run-through for the averageteenager on maintaining personal mental health.It is not a book that goes into adequate detailabout bigger, more specific issues. Leave it lyingaround the Library for the curious to pick up. Theywill be entertained by the irreverent style and maypick up some useful tips. Add a label to directthose with more pressing worries to your ‘Bookson Prescription’ stock. Hopefully those readers willfollow the writer’s advice and talk to a trustedadult.

Rachel Ayers Nelson

Yousafzai, MalalaWe are DisplacedWeidenfeld & Nicolson, 2019, pp224, £16.99978 1 4746 1003 2

In the first part of this book Malala tells her ownstory of becoming displaced, initially internallydisplaced from her beloved Swat Valley, and thenbeing forced to leave Pakistan as a result of beingtargeted for her work advocating education forgirls.

The section simply and effectively conveyspowerful messages that are common to stories ofdisplacement: she loved her home and only leftbecause her family’s situation was so dangerousand difficult that giving it up – heartbreakingthough it was – was the only option. Readerslearn too that you can be displaced inside yourown country, and see the painful paradox ofappreciating your new home, while mourning theloss of your old one. Small details, such as gettingused to different clothes, convey vast realities.

The second part of the book is the testimony ofeight displaced girls from around the world,describing what drove them from their homes, theperilous journeys they undertook and thedifficulties of reconciling safety with alienation.Broadening the perspective, there is also the storyof one older woman who returns to Ugandahaving been forced to leave in the 1970s, and onewoman who mentored a displaced family inCanada. Through the stories the reader learns thecircumstances leading to the displacement incountries from Yemen to Syria, Burma toColumbia. A theme which recurs is the importanceof girls’ education to keeping them safe.

Each of these chapters opens with a graphicrepresenting the speaker’s journey and a short

introduction by Malala. These give a taste of herwork now, which includes giving talks worldwideand listening to the displaced girls she meets.

A book for every school library which will increaseawareness of the realities of life for people inmany places, while showcasing the strength anddetermination of some remarkable young women.

Sally Perry

16 to 19 Fiction

Capetta, Amy Rose and McCarthy,CoriOnce & FutureRock the Boat, 2019, pp336, £8.99978 1 78607 654 0

King Arthur reincarnated as agirl in a world where spacetravel is the norm and with aband of LGBTQIAP+ knightsthat have her back – it’scertainly original! An intriguingstart carries on into a greatadventure, where Merlin isageing backwards and Ari (aka Arthur) marrieschildhood love Gwendolyn in order to defeat anevil all-encompassing corporation and save theworld. Some sexual content and a bit of profanelanguage mean this book is probably more suitedto kids age 15+ and its diverse/gender fluidcharacters are well portrayed. I greatly enjoyedthe links to the original King Arthur stories andloved Ari as a character, strong, loyal and familyminded she is an excellent female protagonist.

Bev Humphrey

Collins, OrlaghAll the Invisible ThingsBloomsbury, 2019, pp368, £7.99978 1 40888 833 9

This second YA novel from Collins is sweet, honestand self-aware. It’s a love story with a difference– the kind of friendship which can stand the testof time – the love between Vetty (Helvetica) andPez. Becoming friends in primary school, Vettymoved away after the death of her mother, andthe book opens with the news she and her familyare returning to their London home, back to theirold lives. Will her old life welcome her back? Willher old friends?

Vetty comes to realise a lot in this situation, abouther family, her friendship with Pez, herself – andher romantic/sexual feelings for both male andfemale characters in the book. Whilst the story isabout her coming to terms with her bisexuality,this is not the single dimension of the book. Thestory is not for the faint-hearted and definitely sitsin the YA category in your library – only a fewpages in and the characters are talking aboutmasturbation and cringey school sex education

classes. Pez is also wrestling with a pornaddiction, which is sensitively handled. Vetty is avery self-aware narrator, Collins allowing her to beadept at analysing situations and feelings ofothers. She knows herself better than she realises,but she feels unable to express herself to thoseclosest to her. Many of the characters evolve asthe story does.

Helen Swinyard

Dawson, Juno Meat MarketQuercus, 2019, pp416, £7.99 978 1 78654 038 6

South Londoner Jana is 16 and about to start herA-Levels, when she’s discovered by a modellingscout on a day out at Thorpe Park. What follows isa rapid ascent to fame and riches as the fashionworld embraces her and the world learns hername. But, hidden behind the glamorous partiesand designer clothes, there’s a dark side to hernew life. Worked to the point of exhaustion, oftenaway from home and lonely, drifting from herchildhood friends and forced to grow up way toosoon, Jana begins to wonder if this is the life shewants. When she’s sent for a casting at a Parisianhotel with a sleazy, predatory photographer,things quickly get darker still for her. Can she takeback control of her body and her life? Can shefind a voice to speak from the photos?

An insightful and gripping exposé on the fashionindustry and its treatment of young models.Contemporary in style, language and subject, thisis a sure fire hit for older teen readers interestedin real life stories and the world around them.

As ever though, Dawson doesn’t shy away fromgritty truths, so instances of strong language, drugtaking and sexual assault make this most suitablefor older teens.

Amy McKay

Hogan, BexViper (Isles of Storm and Sorrow)Orion, 2019, pp400, £7.99978 1 51010 583 6

Marianne is a girl whose destiny weighs heavilyupon her. She is the daughter of the mercilessViper, scourge of the high seas, known as themost dangerous man on the ocean. He is meantto be the defender of the Twelve Isles and toserve the King but has grown corrupt and powerhungry. Now her father’s ship prowls the seaswith a crew of plundering and murderingmercenaries known as the Snakes. MotherlessMarianne has been brought up within this brutalenvironment and it is all she has known. Next inline to take on the mantle of being the Viper sheknows her father doubts her abilities because sheis not evil and not a cold-blooded killer. Nowvirtually friendless in the viper’s nest she muststand alone as even her lost love and childhoodfriend fellow ship mate Bronn appears to have


turned against her. She dreads her imminenteighteenth birthday as soon after will be theinitiation ritual into the official Snake ranks. Herfather compelled by his obsession to conquer andrule betroths her to the crown prince whobecomes her ally. Desperate for her freedom,Marianne escapes and learns of her trueparentage which includes the ability tocommunicate with the terrifying and mighty searaptors through her latent magic. Her journey tounite and save the Twelve Isles begins, which willinvolve inevitably facing her evil father in a seabattle to the death. A violent maritime fantasyadventure on one level, it also explores how ayoung person finds her own path and fightsoppression including physical and mental cruelty.First in the Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy froma debut author.

Sue Polchow

Kaufman, Amie and Kristoff, JayAurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle)Rock the Boat, 2019, pp480, £14.99978 1 78607 533 8

Tyler Jones is a golden boy about to graduatefrom the Aurora Space Academy. He is having asleepless night when he wrangles the opportunityfor a short night-time flight in space. To hisastonishment he discovers a redundant spacecraftwith a sole survivor still on board. Her name isAuri Jie-Lin O’Malley and she has been asleep forover two hundred years. She is the sole survivor.

Science fiction authors Kaufman and Kristoff havecreated a big bold alternative universe set in thefuture. The space academy students are an eliteand very diverse group. Their characters are well-drawn and come from a far-reaching range ofgalaxies and races (many unknown in the 21stcentury) but they ultimately share a lot incommon. Auri’s sorrow at being unable to mendher past disagreements with her father isparticularly poignant. This big book is a page-turner with a pacy plot, romance, sexual yearningsand liaisons, humour and lots of heart-stoppingdrama. Fans of the Illuminae Files by the sameauthors will be keen to discover this new series.The first in a trilogy, the book celebrates diversitythroughout the story and begins with a powerfuldedication ‘If your squad was hard to find oryou’re still looking, then this one is for you.’

Rosemary Woodman

Thomas, AngieOn the Come UpWalker, 2019, pp448, £7.99 978 1 4063 7216 8

Angie Thomas has followed her award-winningnovel The Hate U Give with another powerfulportrayal of the struggles of African-Americanteenagers to make their voices heard and theirfeelings and aspirations understood in a worldstacked against them. The protagonist of On the

Come Up is sixteen-year-old Brianna, whose giftfor words and language and love of hip-hop leadher to follow her murdered father into the worldof rapping. Brianna wants to be a great rapperand has a huge talent, but her words and feelingsare constantly misinterpreted and manipulated byothers to serve their own ends and court mediaattention. Brianna’s desperate need to succeed,caused by her family’s poverty and imminenthomelessness, lead her to play a dangerous game,at risk of being judged as a violent, aggressivethreat rather than as the powerfully gifted youngwoman she is, before she finally finds her truevoice and stands up for her own integrity.

Brianna is a strong, relatable central character,often stubborn, angry and infuriating, but alwayssympathetic, loyal and often very funny in herwords and observations. Her family life with itsmany problems, murdered rapper father, ex-drugtaking mother, drug-dealing gang member aunt, isconvincingly portrayed and her close relationshipwith childhood friends Sonny and Malik keeps heras level and grounded as such a volatile charactercan be. The reader is willing Bri to succeed on herown terms throughout the book, despite all herconfrontations and mistakes, and the conclusionto her story is completely satisfying.

Angie Thomas has succeeded in raising many ofthe important issues at the heart of the BlackLives Matter movement, institutional racism, whiteprivilege, poverty, gang culture, attitudes towardsstrong black women, the consequences of alwaysbeing treated differently, without compromisingher story and characters. The author’s passion forrap and hip-hop shines throughout the novel anddespite all the dark, difficult themes the messageof following your dreams is the overriding one. Themany contemporary references to African-American art and culture will give young blackreaders a positive reinforcement of their ownculture and identity and the powerful challengingof stereotypes combined with compelling plot andstrong central character make this a must-havebook for YA library shelves.

Sue Roe

ProfessionalDyregrov, Atle; Raundalen, Magneand Yule, WilliamWhat is Terrorism? A Book to HelpParents, Teachers and other Grown-ups Talk with Kids about TerrorIllustrated by David O’Connell

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2018, pp80, £8.99978 1 78592 473 6

This superb small volume is a goldmine of help tomake terrorism understandable to young childrenwhile setting fear aside. Constructed in two halvesthe authors give a clear but not childishexplanation of what terrorism is and this could beused in a classroom setting or for a child who has

become particularly worried about this issue. Thissection also includes a script that might occurbetween a child and her grandmother whoremembers the Second World War. I’m not sure ifthis part is quite as useful but it may trigger anidea for a classroom teacher where terrorismcould be discussed without threat.

The latter section is directed at adults andincludes strategies to discuss the subject withoutincreasing fear and worry on the part of the child.Giving examples of age appropriate conversationswith an awareness that the prevalence of all typesof media can impact on a child’s view of whathappens in the world. It includes excellentreferences for further study. The authors are allpractising child psychologists with wide academicand practical experience. This shows through intheir direct approach and helpful suggestions fortackling children’s concerns.

Lin Smith

Wieder, Stefanie Paige and Fatus,SophieCommunity Helpers (Build-a-Story Cards)Barefoot Books, 2019, 36 cards, £8.99978 1 782 857 402

Community Helpers is a set of Build-a-Story Cardsfrom Barefoot Books. The cards are sturdy, largerthan ordinary playing cards, and they come in asturdy box. Red-bordered cards picture charactersthat help keep a community healthy or safe e.g.,firefighter, doctor or cleaner. Yellow-bordered cardspicture community places e.g., a hospital or park.Blue-bordered cards show helpful items such as amedical kit. The encouragement is to build a storyusing the cards. One character, one setting andone object is the simplest level. More variety canemerge by adding other cards or creating newones. Suggested further activities include writingand illustrating the story that has been produced.With luck, it all provides a good way of helpingchildren become story-makers and story-builders.

Mary Medlicott

Index of Advertisers

Accessit 81Andersen Press 93Bloomsbury Education 121Contact an Author 95European Schoolbooks 95Hachette 103Franklin Watts & Wayland 101IS Oxford outside back coverJCS Online Resources 87KPC Book Protection 95National Book Tokens inside back coverNot Really Books 117Softlink inside front coverSpectrum Plastics 117Support Your School 87Usborne Books 107

Professional

Indexof books reviewedA Agee, Jon – The Wall in the Middle of the Book 89Ahmed, Samira – Internment 116al Serkal, Maryam and Luciani, Rebeca – Mira’s Curly

Hair 89Almond, David – War is Over 99Almond, David and Pinfold, Levi – The Dam 89Amson-Bradshaw, Georgia – The Food We Eat 110Antony, Steve – Amazing 89Applebaum, Kirsty – The Middler 99Arshad, Humza and White, Henry – Little Badman and

the Invasion of the Killer Aunties 99Atkins, Jill – The Microwave Shakespeare 124B Bailey Smith, Ben and Akyüz, Sav – Bear Moves 89Baker, Laura and Rozelaar, Angie – The Colour of Happy 89Barr, Emily – The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods 116Barrow, David – The Big Race 90Bee, William – Arty! The First Artist in Space 90Bell, Davina and Colpoys, Allison – All the Ways to

Be Smart 90Black, Holly – The Cruel Prince 116Black, Holly – The Wicked King 116Blackall, Sophie – Hello Lighthouse 90Blackman, Malorie – Ellie and the Cat 99Boyne, John – My Brother’s Name is Jessica 99Brooks, Susie – Impressionism (Inside Art Movements) 110Brundle, Harriet – Photosynthesis 110Burnell, Cerrie – The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth 100Butterworth, Jess – Swimming Against the Storm 100C Cachin, Olivier – Black Music Greats (40 Inspiring Icons) 124Capetta, Amy Rose and McCarthy, Cori – Once & Future 126Carroll, Emma – When We Were Warriors 100Claybourne, Anna – This Drop of Water 110Coelho, Joseph – A Year of Nature Poems 115Collins, Orlagh – All the Invisible Things 126Corderoy, Tracey and Massini, Sarah – The Boy and the

Bear 90Courage, Cara and Headlam, Nicola – Gender, Sex and

Gossip in Ambridge: Women in the Archers 124Curtis, Vanessa – The Stolen Ones 116D David, Donna and Butcher, Dan – Dear Daddy (RAF) 91David, Donna and Butcher, Dan – Dear Mummy (Army) 91David, Donna and Butcher, Dan – Dear Daddy (Navy) 91Dawson, Juno – Meat Market 126Dawson, Juno (ed.) – Proud 118Deutsch, Georgiana and Trukhan, Ekaterina – Perfectly

Polite Penguins 91Deutsch, Libby and Kerttula, Valpuri – The Everyday

Journeys of Ordinary Things 110Dixen, Victor – Distortion 118Dobner, Rory – The Ink House 118Donaldson, Julia and King-Chai, Sharon – Animalphabet 91Donaldson, Julia and Rayner Catherine – The Go-Away

Bird 91Dowling, Finuala – Pretend You Don’t Know Me 115Duhig, Holly – Exploring The Woodland (Geokids) 111Dumbleton, Mike and Cowcher, Robin – Digger 91Dylan, Gabriel – Whiteout (Red Eye) 118Dyregrov, Atle; Raundalen, Magne and Yule, William –

What is Terrorism? A Book to Help Parents, Teachers and other Grown-ups Talk with Kids about Terror 127

E Eagle, Judith – The Secret Starling 100Eland, Eva – When Sadness Comes to Call 91Ellis, Elina – The Truth About Old People 92F Farrell, Mary Cronk – Standing Up Against Hate 125Flecker, Lara – Midnight at Moonstone 100Flory, Isa; Flory, Neil and Chaudhary, Somak – When I’m

Older 92Ford, Martyn – Chester Parsons is NOT a Gorilla 102Foxlee, Karen – Lenny’s Book of Everything 118Freestone, P. M. – The Darkest Bloom (Shadowscent) 119G Gogerly, Liz – Go Green! 111

Golding, Julia – The Curious Crime 102 Golding, Julia; Briggs, Andrew and Wagner, Roger –

Rocky Road to Galileo 111Gonstalla, Esther – The Ocean Book 125Gray, Kes and Reed, Nathan – Think Big 92Green, Sophie – Potkin and Stubbs 102H Head, Honor – Trans Global 125Hearn, Julie – I Am NOT Adorable 102Helmer, Grace – Kahlo’s Koalas: The Great Artists

Counting Book 92Heuchan, Claire and Shukla, Nikesh – What is Race?

Who are Racists? Why Does Skin Colour Matter? And Other Big Questions 125

Hitchcock, Fleur – The Boy Who Flew 102Ho-Yen, Polly – Two Sides (Colour Fiction) 104Hodgkinson, Leigh – Pencil Dog 92Hofmeyr, Dianne and Hodgson, Jesse – Tiger Walk 92Hogan, Bex – Viper (Isles of Storm and Sorrow) 126Holderness, Jackie and Marks, Alan – The Princess Who

Hid in a Tree 104Holowaty, Lauren – Roald Dahl’s Matilda’s How to be a

Genius 111Hood, Morag – Aalfred and Aalbert 92Howard, Greg – The Whispers 104Howard, Martin – The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet 104Hubbard, Ben – Roman Britain and Londinium 111I Ipcizade, Catherine – Phases of the Moon 111J James, Lauren – The Quiet at the End of the World 119Javaherbin, Mina and Yankey, Lindsey – My Grandma

and Me 94Jones, Pip and Hughes, Laura – Mummy’s Suitcase 94K Kaufman, Amie and Kristoff, Jay – Aurora Rising 127Kemp, Rob – The Good Guys: 50 Heroes Who Changed

the World with Kindness 111Khan, Hiba Noor – Malala Yousafzai (Extraordinary

Lives) 112Khan, Rehan – A Tudor Turk (The Chronicles of Will

Ryde and Awa Maryam Al-Jameel) 119L Laird, Elizabeth and Lucander, Jenny – Grobblechops 94Lambert, Jonny – The Big Angry Roar 94Lee, Harper and Fordham, Fred – To Kill A Mockingbird

Graphic Novel 119Leo; Jamar, Corinne and Simon, Fred – Mermaid Project 120Lin, Joy – Heroes of Light and Sound 112Lindström, Eva – Everyone Walks Away 94Linnell, Maxine – Breaking the Rules (High Low) 120Lo, Charlotte – We Won an Island 104Lupo, Kesia – We are Blood and Thunder 120M MacCarald, Clara – How Did Robots Land on Mars? 112MacCarthy, Patricia – Dance, Dolphin, Dance 94Macho, Adrián – The Whale, the Sea and the Stars 96Mainwaring, Anna – Tulip Taylor 120Mantle, Clive – The Treasure at the Top of the World 105Mason, Paul – On Planet Earth 112McKenzie, Sophie – Becoming Jo 105McManus, Karen M. – Two Can Keep a Secret 120Milway, Alex – Hotel Flamingo 105Mitchell, Kita – Grandma Dangerous and the

Egg of Glory 105Moore, Leah and Reppion, John – Conspiracy of Ravens 105Murray, Lily and Merritt, Richard – The Dinosaur

Department Store 96N Newland, Sonya – Extraordinary Skyscrapers 112Nix, Garth and Williams, Sean – Have Sword Will Travel 105Nix, Garth and Williams, Sean – Let Sleeping Dragons

Lie 105O O’Byrne, Nicola – The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit

Tin 96O’Hart, Sinéad – The Star-Spun Web 106

P Pankhurst, Kate – Fantastically Great Women Who Worked

Wonders 113Paolini, Christopher – The Fork, The Witch, and the

Worm (Tales from Alagaësia) 106Parkinson, Betsy and Clester, Shane – The Picky Eater 96Parry, Rosanne – A Wolf Called Wander 106Percival, Tom – The Sea Saw 96Pirotta, Saviour – The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad 106Pollen, Samuel – The Year I Didn’t Eat 121Pollock, Tom – Heartstream 121Powling, Chris – Rainbow Boots (High Low) 106Prasadam-Halls, Smriti and Woodward, Jonathan –

The World of the Whale 113R Radeva, Sabina – Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of

Species 113Rai, Bali – Now or Never (Voices) 122Ramos, Mario – I Am So Clever 97Rawsthorne, Paula – The New Boy 122Reynolds, Jason – Ghost (Run) 108Reynolds, Justin A. – Opposite of Always 122Ridley, Sarah – Birds Have Feathers (In the Animal

Kingdom) 113Rothery, Ben – Sensational Butterflies 125Rowe, Thereza – Stay, Benson! 97Ryan, Chris – Siege (Special Forces Cadets) 122S Sánchez Vegara, Isabel – Muhammad Ali

(Little People Big Dreams) 113Sawyer, Ava – Fossils (Fact Finders: Rocks) 113Schaap, Annet – Lampie and the Children of the Sea 108Segel, Jason and Miller, Kirsten – Otherworld 122Segel, Jason and Miller, Kirsten – Otherearth 122Seigal, Joshua – I Bet I Can Make You Laugh 115Senior, Suzy and Powell, Claire – Octopants 97Sheppard, Alexandra – Oh My Gods 122Shrimpton, Phyllida – The Colour of Shadows 123Simmons, Anthea – Lightning Mary 108Simpson, Darren – Scavengers 108Skinner, Nicola – Bloom 108Spilsbury, Louise – It’s My Body 114Stevens, Roger – I Am a Jigsaw (High Low) 115Surnaite, Margarita – The Lost Book 97T Taylor, Sean and Mantle, Ben – Kiss the Crocodile 97Taylor, Thomas – Malamander 109Teckentrup, Britta – Mole’s Star 97Thomas, Angie – On the Come Up 127Thomas, Isabel – Ferdinand Magellan 114Thomas, Isabel – This Book is Not Rubbish 114Trelease, Gita – Enchantée 123Treleaven, Lou and Neal, Tony – Not Yet a Yeti 97Twiddy, Robin – Plastic Panic! (Polluted Planet) 114W Watson, Renée and Hagan, Ellen – Watch Us Rise 123Wegelius, Jakob – The Legend of Sally Jones 109Welford, Ross – The Dog Who Saved the World 109Wheatle, Alex – Home Girl 123Whitty, Hannah and Bowles, Paula – Superkitty 98Wieder, Stefanie Paige and Fatus, Sophie – Community

Helpers 127Wild, Margaret and Ord, Mandy – Chalk Boy 98Williams, Eloise – Seaglass 109Williams, Marcia – Cloud Boy 109Williamson, Anna – How Not to Lose It 126Willis, Jeanne and Laberis, Stephanie – Frockodile 98Willis, Jeanne and Ross, Tony – #Goldilocks 98Wood, John – Circulation (Under Your Skin) 114Wood, John and Jones, Danielle – Anita the Alligator

Feels Angry (Healthy Minds) 98Y Yousafzai, Malala – We are Displaced 126Z Zandere, Inese and Petersons, Reinis – All Better! 98Zentner, Jeff – Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee 123Zoboi, Ibi (ed.) – Black Enough: Stories of Being Young

and Black in America 124


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