Age 8
Zog by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
We love Zog! He’s a dragon who wants to do well at school but has problems when he tries to learn new skills. However, his story is great for showing that with perseverance you can become successful and good at something. The story also shows the development of his friendship with Princess Pearl, she’s not the kind of princess who wants to sit around the palace in…
Where’s Will? Find Shakespeare Hidden In His Plays by Anna Claybourne & Tilly
April 23rd 2016 is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death and a variety of events will mark the occasion. If you are unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s work Where’s Will? is a great introduction to ten of his plays which have been summarised then portrayed in a pictorial comic strip style which is appealing to children from a fairly young age.
A Book Cake For A New Baby
A friend of mine made me a beautiful diaper cake when I was pregnant. A diaper cake is mostly made up of nappies but various other baby accessories are included – dummies, bibs, washing and babycare accessories etc. We were also given two jigsaws and a Rainbow Fish CD.
An English Year / A Scottish Year by Tania McCartney & Tina Snerling
These beautifully illustrated, hardback books introduce us to a year in the life of children living in England or Scotland. The bold, bright illustrations and the easy to read text contain a wealth of information about children’s day to day activities, the food they eat and the traditions and holidays that they observe.
Arabel’s Raven by Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake
We have thoroughly enjoyed doing The Classics Challenge and have read some fabulous stories. Arabel’s Raven is the final classic story that we have read this year and it was full of so much humour and intrigue that I’ve bought all the other Arabel and Mortimer stories!
How To Be A Cowboy by Alice. V. Lickens
It is National Non Fiction November in the UK so we have been reading more non fiction this month. We had never really thought about the details of a cowboy’s life but How To Be A Cowboy has given us a fascinating insight into the world of cowboys and their work.
Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore & Mark Marshall
It is tradition in our house to read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas‘ on Christmas Eve. Some of the wording is old fashioned and difficult for young children to understand but the illustrations in this version make Clement C. Moore’s traditional Christmas poem accessible to a younger generation of readers. The narrator in this version has been changed, instead of…
Gobbolino The Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray Williams & Catherine Rayner
We’re nearly there! Gobblino is is the eleventh book that we have read for the 2015 Classics Challenge which has been a lot of fun. All the books that we have read have been new to my daughter but some have been new to me as well. I don’t remember reading Gobbolino as a child although the story did seem…
Old Bear’s Bedtime Stories by Jane Hissey
It’s so lovely to have old friends on our 300th blogpost! It is no secret that we are huge Old Bear fans and we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jane Hissey’s newest book, Old Bear’s Bedtime stories.
Storybook Witches
Halloween is just over a week away and many of you will be reading Halloween themed stories. We have thought of as many fictional witches as we can but we’re sure that we have missed lots! Do you have a favourite fictional witch to add to our list? Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul – Winnie is…
