Animals
Learning to Read – Maverick Early Readers Band 1
Maverick Books have adapted five of their existing picture books into Early Readers to support a young child on their early reading journey. Learning to read is a huge milestone in a child’s life and some children find it more difficult than others. There are various methods of learning to read but, however a child learns, it is important that…
Storysack: Itchy Bear by Neil Griffiths & Judith Blake
I am a huge fan of storysacks and the potential that they provide for learning. We often make our own storysacks but you can also buy ready made storysacks which are a wonderful resource to have either at home or in a school classroom or library.
Tree by Patricia Hegarty & Britta Teckentrup
Tree is a beautifully illustrated, peek-through, rhyming story that shows the changes that take place during each different season. It’s a great book to read throughout the year but particularly good for autumn when children are often more aware of leaves changing colour and falling off the trees.
Roald Dahl Day – Esio Trot by Roald Dahl & Quentin Blake
September 13th is Roald Dahl Day! We’ve just started reading Roald Dahl’s books, some of which I read as a child. We loved George’s Marvellous Medicine and have just enjoyed reading Esio Trot. I didn’t know this story although I knew that Esio Trot is tortoise spelled backwards.
Dogs don’t do Ballet by Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie
Biff is a small, plump pug with big dreams, he wants to be a ballerina but is met with the constant refrain ‘Dogs Don’t Do Ballet’.
Are you going on a farm holiday? Pack a story set on a farm!
Holidays on a farm are a lot of fun and if you are lucky enough to stay on a working farm your child can meet different kinds of animals and gain many new experiences. We were amazed how many farmyard stories we have on our bookcase, these are some of our favourites.
Poo in the Zoo by Steve Smallman & Ada Grey
The highlight of this year’s school trip to the zoo was seeing a monkey do a poo and my daughter explained the situation in great detail (with actions!). She then asked to read Poo in the Zoo which is an amusing and original rhyming story about how one little zookeeper has to deal with the animal poo that…
A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming & Kimberley Scott
It’s the time of year for school sports days and although some schools now have non competitive sports days, others don’t. A Gold Star for George is a great book for showing children that winning isn’t everything and that other qualities are also important.
Paddington by Michael Bond and R. W. Alley
Paddington is a childhood favourite of mine and I was delighted to hear that author Michael Bond has just received a CBE for his services to English Literature. I met Michael Bond as a child and one of my prized possessions is a signed copy of Paddington Goes to THE SALES.
Fictional Best Friends
What would we do without a best friend? June 8th is National Best Friends Day in the USA and we had great fun looking through our book collection to find some of our favourite fictional best friends.
