June 21st to 27th is National Insect Week which encourages people of all ages to learn more about insects. We’ve learnt lots of fascinating facts about different kinds of insects through reading non fiction picture books but also by doing our own research after reading stories with insect main characters.…
The Little War Cat is the beautifully illustrated story of a cat whose world is turned upside down when war comes to Aleppo. It’s a story of hope which was inspired by the experiences of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, The Cat Man of Aleppo, who works tirelessly to help animals and people affected by the Syrian conflict.…
Dot is a hospital dog who lives with her owner Rose. Dot and Rose spend lots of time at the hospital where they comfort patients, parents and even staff. The story provides an insight into a support system for young patients that many readers won’t be aware of and includes a diverse cast of characters, both in terms of disability and ethnicity.…
The Twelve Days of Christmas or Grandma is Overly Generous is set in the late Edwardian period and the song is given a new and quirky twist by Alex T. Smith. Eloise Jingle receives Christmas presents from Grandma which start innocuously enough but as the days progress they become quirkier and more original until on the final day a huge box is delivered But what could be inside?…
We are huge Moomin fans and enjoyed reading More Adventures in Moominvalley, a new collection of nine stories about the Moomin family. Inspired by Tove Jansson’s characters the stories are based on episodes of the animated Moomin series and include many of the characters we know and love.…
On World Book Day many children are celebrating books and reading by dressing up as their favourite characters and holding book related events in school. This week many authors and illustrators have been visiting schools or doing Skype visits – it’s a real celebration of books, you can find out more about World Book Day on the website.…
Shadows of Winterspell combines secrets, friendship, magic and reality in a page turning novel that had us gripped until the end. Stella’s family secrets are threatening the safety of the creatures that live in Winterspell Forest and when she makes new friends at school she realises that facing these secrets is the key to driving the shadows away and making the forest safe again.…
Yesterday’s stamp came from a very important letter that a brave little mouse called Winston needed to deliver to Father Christmas. Winston is the main character in How Winston Delivered Christmas – An Advent Story in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters by Alex T Smith.…
Over the years we’ve enjoyed various Booky Advent Calendars to help us count down the days until Christmas, both at home and on Story Snug. We always put our Christmas books away during the year and get them out around the end of November, it’s always such a lovely treat to rediscover old favourites.…