The School Librarian 69-3 Autumn 2021

Negotiating controversies in
school libraries
Karen Coats
Now you see them, now you don’t
Rob Dawson
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Using the Information Book Award to inspire
curiosity in primary schools
Charlotte Taylor-Smith
www.sla.org.uk

Safe and sound
through troubled times
We have been busy on behalf of our users during
this pandemic. Last April we moved quickly and
released a ‘Quarantine’ patch to manage how items
are reintegrated to the collection. We then followed that
with a ‘Click and Collect’ facility, to help users manage
the challenges of proximity and access.
We also developed a program of webinar training sessions
for users during lockdown, which proved so popular we
extended the range and continue to produce them. None
of us knows what the future holds, but we will always put our
users first and adapt to challenges as they come along.
Join our school community and enjoy better support and value
for money with the Heritage Cirqa library
management system. www.isoxford.com

Contents
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Welcome from the CEO 2
Editorial 3
SLA News 4
Features
Using the Information Book Award to Inspire Curiosity in Primary Schools
Charlotte Taylor-Smith 5
Reflecting Backwards to Look Forwards: Celebrating World Book Day in a Pandemic
Elly Roberts 6
Now You See Them, Now You Don’t Robert Dawson 8
A ‘Right Time’ Approach to Negotiating Controversies in School Libraries
Karen Coats 10
Beyond the Shelves: Library Projects Equipping Students for the Future
Stephanie O’Neill & Ioannis Panayiotakis 12
Coffee and Stupid Questions Richard Gerver 15
Between the Library and the Classroom 16
Research Highlights 16
Helpful Hints 18
The Big Debate What’s the purpose of education? 19
A View From … 20
Frequently Asked Questions 23
Curriculum Links Primary – Biology Secondary – RSE 24
International Perspectives Karen Van Drie 25
Dates for your Diary 25
Digital
Adding to Learning Using Google Earth 26
IOE Online Writing Centre 27
Stopping the Spread of Misinformation 28
Plickers 28
Good News Websites 30
Three from YouTube – Chemistry 31
Audiobook Corner 32
World Kid Lit 32
History Themed Social Media Accounts 34
Book Reviews
7 & Under 36
Highlights – Best New Books on Change 39
8 – 12 48
Highlights – Best Books for Gifted and Talented Readers 51
13 – 16 62
Highlights – Best Books – Humour 65
17 – 19 69
Professional Texts 70
Review Index 72
6
Reflecting Backwards
to Look Forwards:
Celebrating World Book
Day in a Pandemic
12
Beyond the Shelves:
Library Projects
Equipping Students for
the Future
26
Adding to Learning
Using Google Earth
30
Good News Websites
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
1

Welcome from the CEO
Welcome to the Autumn issue of TSL, and a
new school year. I hope the summer has
given you the break you so deserved, and
you’ve come back refreshed. The external
circumstances can make this challenging,
but a new year equals a clean slate for
so many of our pupils, and I hope that can be the case for your
mental loads as well.
Since the last issue we’ve held our weekend course, and the
ceremony for the School Librarian of the Year – never has there
been a more important time to celebrate and raise the profile of
all that school library staff achieve. During my welcome to the
event I said: “As the SLA President, Richard Gerver, and our Chair,
Sue Bastone, said this morning, this past 18 months have been
unlike any other. They have been challenging, scary, emotionally
overwhelming. They have changed school library roles almost
beyond description; removed many of the moments that remind
you why you do this job and eroded many of those relationships
that provide those special moments, whether that’s with library
helpers, regular borrowers or regular library users (the two aren’t
always the same, after all).
And yet, this sector has combatted, engaged and continued to
deliver, to the best of their ability, the services which they know
have an impact – whether that’s reading, delivering EPQ sessions,
running book clubs and supporting the school as a whole. Your
efforts and challenges have not gone unappreciated or unnoticed.”
As we start the new year its important to note that the difficulties
of the past year or so have been noticed, and appreciated.
Hopefully the summer break has diminished frustrations, and the
new year can bring new perspectives and beginnings. However
you’re starting this year the SLA will be working to ensure you
feel supported and raise awareness of the achievements of school
library staff at every opportunity.
Part of our advocacy work is supporting the Great School
Libraries campaign. Work has been continuing, and there will be
some important announcements in Libraries Week so do keep an
eye out for those through the GSL social media channels.
We’ve also opened submissions for our Awards, including two
new Awards, which will provide more opportunities to celebrate
each other’s work and to highlight the work of school library
staff to those unaware. As always, if there’s anything we can do
to support, please let us know, and all
the best for the term ahead.
To watch the rest of the speech
please visit: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=PUCEn-O3Pog.
Alison Tarrant
Cover: Original artwork by Chris Riddell, Patron of
the School Library Association. You can be in with a
chance of winning this artwork by emailing ‘Spring
Riddell Cover’ to info@sla.org.uk.
The winner of the Summer artwork was
Nina Oldroyd-Elliott, Librarian, St Martin’s School,
Northwood.
Contributions
Articles, books or digital media for review are always welcome. We are
happy to receive enquiries from potential contributors and will be pleased
to supply further information. Email: tsl@sla.org.uk
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Tel: 01892 677742; Fax: 01892 677743; Email: sales@spacemarketing.co.uk
All other communications should be sent to info@sla.org.uk.
Phone number: 01793 530166
We are always keen for feedback.
Subscriptions
Published four times a year by the School Library Association:
spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Cover illustration by Chris Riddell.
Designed and printed by Holywell Press, Oxford.
Copyright © 2021 School Library Association. All rights reserved.
ISSN 0036 6595
The views expressed are those of the contributors and reviewers and
not necessarily the official views of the School Library Association.
Registered Charity Nos. 313660 and SC039453.
The current cost of annual membership of the School Library Association
is £95.00 to include one copy of each quarterly journal, The School
Librarian, or £131.00 to include two copies. The rate for retired and
fulltime student members is £50.00. Details and membership forms may
be obtained from the SLA website.
Members of the SLA receive this journal free; they may purchase other
SLA publications and training courses at reduced rates; and may use our
telephone advisory service and access members-only resources on the
website. Worldwide institutional subscriptions to the journal only are
available at £122.00 for the calendar year 2021.
2
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

make a real difference.
What’s your reading
personality?
Available for
all schools,
whichever library
management
system you’re
using!
Editorial
LITERACY
360
Discover your students’ unique reading
personalities for better informed learning
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Negotiating controversies in
school libraries
Karen Coats
Now you see them, now you don’t
Rob Dawson
Using the Information Book Award to inspire
curiosity in primary schools
Charlotte Taylor-Smith
strategies
Changes in school and home life have impacted young people in
many different ways over the past year. With Literacy 360 you can
make sure all your students are on the right track when it comes
to reading.
Created in collaboration with Adam Lancaster, experienced Senior
Librarian and Head of Literacy, Literacy 360 incorporates his tried
and tested Impact Through Reading methodology and his Attitude
to Reading survey providing you with everything you need for
evidence-based learning strategies and reading initiatives that will
We’re very excited to
be starting the new
academic year after such a
turbulent time for schools.
The uncertainty over the
future due to the Covid-19
pandemic is still here, but a new year brings a
new opportunity for a fresh look at our education
system and what we need it to do. Richard Gerver
writes that now is the time to go back to first
principles. “We need to stop trying to plug gaps, we
need to stop the relentless pursuit of efficiency and
control, and we need to develop a tangible culture
of trust, in ourselves and most importantly in our
children,” he writes.
The purpose of education is something our society
will need to consider as we all learn to live with the
scars and developments the pandemic has brought.
In our Big Debate Tom Sherrington and David
Harkin discuss their priorities for how education
should prepare our students for the new adult world
they will face. Harkin writes: “I believe the shifts in
education that had to occur in 2020–2021 will end up
having major positive accelerated ripples of change
for the years ahead within education. Why? Because
the whole of society was reminded of the purpose
of education once again.” Defining this purpose will
involve the whole education sector, and you can join
our conversation on Twitter using #TSLBigDebate
on September 16 th at 5pm.
“While looking forwards, it is important
to look back and celebrate the
wonderful things schools have
achieved despite the pandemic.
While looking forwards, it is important to look back
and celebrate the wonderful things schools have
achieved despite the pandemic. This year’s World
Book Day saw record numbers of participants,
regardless of schools being still officially lockeddown.
We have dedicated a feature to some of the
truly creative ways staff helped to inspire an interest
in books among pupils, both in the classroom and
while learning at home.
The Scottish Library & Information Council also
announced the recipients of grants from its School
Library Improvement Fund in the first quarter of
this year. 13 outstanding projects from 11 Scottish
authorities will receive money for initiatives which,
among other things, support digital literacy and
mental health and wellbeing. Staff behind two
projects spoke to us about ways they are supporting
students cope with the challenges of the future.
Equally there has been a lot to reflect on over the
summer months. While many people will have
enjoyed the historic UEFA Euro 2020 final in June,
it revealed some very ugly aspects of the
society we all now live in. Central to a
school library should be an atmosphere
of inclusivity and safety for all pupils.
Robert Dawson highlights the plight
of one minority group which is often
overlooked and, even today, still has very
low literacy levels. School libraries are
well placed to help support the Gypsy and
Traveller communities which can feel out of place
in our schools. Dawson highlights the importance
of creating an environment where these minorities
feel their rich culture is accepted and valued, if we
are to encourage members of these communities to
remain in education.
Literacy 360 is an online tool with a version for primary schools
and a version for secondary schools (including independent prep
and senior schools):
• Literacy 360 for primary schools: £395 (annual subscription fee)
• Literacy 360 for secondary schools: £595 (annual subscription fee)
0161 449 9357
www.ess-readingcloud.co.uk/contact-us
www.ess-readingcloud.co.uk
Get a full 360° view of literacy
in your school today!
View demo & find out more at:
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“Real education involves developing
the critical skills to encounter difficult,
negative and sometime harmful or
dangerous concepts or issues.
Hand in hand with this issue goes the question
of what to do with those controversial books that
now sit uncomfortably on our library shelves.
Professor Karen Coats discusses how librarians
can approach those texts which are likely to offend
modern audiences. Banned Books Week falls at the
end of this month, providing the space for issues
like censorship and freedom of expression to be
considered. Real education involves developing
the critical skills to encounter difficult, negative
and sometime harmful or dangerous concepts
or issues. It is important not to shy away from the
unacceptable parts of our history; in order to learn
from the past, we must first be able to learn about
it in full.
Research by the OECD Programme for
International Student Assessment found only 9%
of students can differentiate between a fact and an
opinion (2018). November is National Non-Fiction
Month and will see the winner of the Information
Book Award announced. Charlotte Taylor-Smith
gives her tips for using information books to inspire
curiosity among primary-aged pupils and develop
these vital critical skills.
To help everyone stay on top of dates for the next
few months we’ve introduced a Diary section. The
idea came from feedback in our Members Survey,
and our thanks go to everyone who completed
this and suggested some great ideas. We also have
reviews of some of the most helpful digital tools
for classroom use, a round-up of positive news
websites for the start of term and much more!
Thank you to everyone who contributed their hard
work to this issue. To suggest further ideas for
content please email elizabeth.roberts@sla.org.uk.
www.sla.org.uk
Elly Roberts is the
Publications and Awards
Officer for The School
Library Association
@Elly_Roberts1
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
3

SLA News
New Staff Member
We are delighted to welcome Helen Emery as our
new Membership Officer. Helen started in August,
having joined us after 18 years as the librarian at
King Edward VI school in Lichfield. She will be
looking after the needs of all our members, both
old and new, to ensure they continue to receive a
high-quality service.
Helen said: “I have always loved the School Library
Association. Ever since my first post in a School Library
over 20 years ago I have been an active member. The idea of
working full time for the organisation has always really appealed.
“Leaving King Edward VI Lichfield, the students,
the staff and library I built up from a very sorry
state, has been really hard.
“I am excited about taking on a new challenge
and being part of moving the SLA forward.
“I really hope to meet as many of you as I can
(even if it is virtually, via email or phone) so we
can work together to show the amazing impact
school libraries have.”
New Trustees
We are also excited to announce three new trustees
joining our board.
Victoria Dilly is our new Grants Trustee. As the
Future Funding Project Manager at Libraries
Connected she joins us with a wealth of experience
running grant-funded activities to encourage
children’s reading for pleasure. Victoria has
also created and led funded national education
programmes including Love our Libraries at the
National Literacy Trust, supporting primary school
libraries across the UK. She said: “I welcome
the opportunity to support the SLA Board in
this, sharing my knowledge and experience, my
understanding of the education and charity sectors, and strategic
insight into grants, fundraising and exploring ways to develop
new forms of income.”
Ellen Firth joins us as our Educational Management Trustee.
An assistant headteacher, she has 14 years of experience working
in primary education and is leader of reading, having taught
across all key stages from the early years foundation stage to
Year 6. She said: “I am a passionate supporter of libraries and
believe we must keep them running as successfully in our
communities and ideally our schools.”
Ruth Horsman will also be a very valuable addition to our board,
bringing her experience in public relations and communications.
Having worked in this sector for over 20 years, including running
her own PR and marketing agency, she is the education comms
lead at Lewisham Council in London. “This has given me lots of
experience in corporate communications, and tying in national
campaigns with local, grassroots level work. I work closely with
primary and secondary schools and understand the best ways to
communicate with them,” Ruth said.
We are equally pleased Agnès Guyon will continue with us,
having been elected for a second term as a trustee. She is a
Senior Librarian for Schools, Children and Young People’s
Services, in East Lothian, Scotland, and a trustee of CILIP
Scotland. She said: “I am a firm believer of the importance
of school libraries and their impact on social justice and
Agnès Guyon
Ellen Firth
attainment. I am bringing to the board a wide knowledge of
the work of a school librarian, a Scottish perspective, creativity,
flexibility, and a very strong work ethic.”
Our thanks go to Margaret Pemberton for her time as an SLA
Trustee, and Amelia Joicey for standing for election.
Weekend Course 2022
Despite this year’s Weekend Course having recently
happened, planning for next year’s event is well underway!
Falling alongside the eighty-fifth anniversary of the
SLA being founded, it promises to be a particularly
special event. Lifelong Learners: Journeys of Curiosity,
Collaboration & Imagination will be held 10–12 June 2022.
As part of the celebrations for this special anniversary we
are keen to hear from our members and are encouraging
everyone to send in their favourite memories of being part
of the SLA to info@sla.co.uk.
We hope everyone will join us to mark this wonderful and
important milestone for our charity.
Further planning for celebrations is in progress!
Victoria Dilly
4
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Feature
Using the Information Book
Award to Inspire Curiosity in
Primary Schools
Charlotte Taylor-Smith
The Information Book Award shortlist was announced in June
and Senior Librarian Charlotte Taylor-Smith outlines how
she uses information books in the classroom with primaryaged
pupils.
Like many others over this last
academic year, our junior and senior
libraries have been shut to students
so we have needed to find ways of
getting books into classrooms. The
Information Book Award shortlist
presented an opportunity for the Lower School to
explore the titles. I emailed all Year 3–6 teachers
and scheduled two separate Year 5 lessons in the
penultimate week of term, and one session with
both Year 4 classes on the grass outside. This had
a lovely feel to it even if we suffered the occasional
distraction of an ant crawling up someone’s leg!
I began each session with some
questions about what differentiates
information books from fiction.
I began each session with some questions about
what differentiates information books from fiction.
We discussed the structural elements (contents
and glossary), which allowed me to gauge the
students’ knowledge. For Year 5, I then distributed
information books from our Library. After 5
minutes reading we discussed what elements they
liked and didn’t, which prompted discussions
about how books were changing from older stock to
those more recently published, which led smoothly
into the shortlisted titles.
In Year 4, we looked at What does a Scientist do
all day? to highlight how age ranges work. This
was shortlisted in the 0-7 age category and we
discussed how the large font, clear layout, and
simple phrasing didn’t detract from enjoying the
book, and highlighted how much more complex
the sentences, paragraphs, layouts and font sizes
were in the 8–12 shortlist.
I used Microsoft Lens to take pictures of the
8–12 shortlisted titles’ front and back covers, the
contents page, the introduction, and a few central
pages to show the inside of the book. I created a
PowerPoint presentation and held the physical
books up to the class to put the pages in context
and show the size and dimensions. This was
important because some pupils said they were
more likely to pick up and read a paperback than
a hardback in the library. I also walked around (at
the required distance) showing other pages to give
a more complete feel of each text. We discussed
each book and students voted for their favourite,
which I submitted for the Children’s Choice IBA –
one vote for each class. As the award ceremony is
in November, I will ask the Year 4 teachers in the
Autumn term if I can run the session with their new
classes and submit their votes too.
The variety of comments and opinions for each
session was fascinating and incredibly perceptive.
One pupil said they ‘love how the people are
coming up out of the book on the front cover’
for YouthQuake, which hadn’t been suggested
before. Another pupil commented that How Many
Mice Make An Elephant ‘looks more like a story
book than the others’ which consequently would
entice them to read it. This was such an obvious
observation, but not something that had crossed
my mind and I’ve been reading and re-reading it
since February as part of the judging process!
It was such a pleasure to hear from the students, and
many are keen to join our lunchtime ‘Information
Book Reading Club’ in September. This will let us
read the books and complete more of the SLA’s
activities. We will keep the momentum going
shadowing other information book prizes, (Royal
Society Prize and Blue Peter ‘The Best Book With
Facts’) until the IBA Longlist rolls around next Spring!
Charlotte Taylor-Smith is
Senior Librarian at Colston’s
School, a co-educational
all-through school in Bristol.
A school librarian since
2004, she is currently an SLA
mentor and West of England
Branch Secretary as well as
IBA Judge, and member of
the Bristol Central OU/UKLA
TRG. @CTSlovesbooks
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
5

Feature
Reflecting Backwards to Look
Forwards: Celebrating World Book
Day in a Pandemic
Elly Roberts
This year’s World Book Day fell just before schools reopened
to all pupils on 8 March after the third lockdown. That didn’t
stop celebrations, however, with record numbers of students
estimated to have taken part compared to previous years.
Elly Roberts is the
Publications and Awards
Officer for The School
Library Association
@Elly_Roberts1
After all the disruption to education
during the previous year, World
Book Day became a focal point for
inspiring learning among young
people again, and produced many
creative initiatives to include
those students not in the classroom.
‘As a school, we were very excited to make this
World Book Day as special as possible to engage
the children and get some excitement back
into reading,’ said Imogen Greaves, English
Lead at Norbridge Academy in in Worksop,
Nottinghamshire.
The school held short story and book design
competitions, encouraging students to dress up,
as well as hosting a ‘masked reader’ competition
on social media. A new video was posted each
day during the second week of March, featuring
a member of staff reading a passage from a book
while obscured by a cartoon. Pupils were invited to
listen to the story and guess who was reading.
‘This year has been such a challenge for everyone
and the children have coped and adapted so well to
all the changes,’ added Imogen.
‘We celebrate World Book Day every year and we
were determined that this year wouldn’t be any
different.
‘As a school we use Twitter and other online
platforms, such as blogging, which enabled us to
run competitions online that meant all children
could access them, whether learning at home or
in school.
‘The fundamentals were still the same,’ she said.
‘And I feel this bit of continuity and tradition was so
important for our children in such a strange year
of schooling.’
The primary academy has 470 children from
foundation stage up to Year 6.
Children logged onto their Teams calls that
morning to find their teachers were also dressed
as characters.
‘With the return to school imminent,’ added
Imogen, ‘I think it allowed the children at home
to feel more at ease on their return. Many of the
children have had weeks and weeks away from
school but I feel the celebrations we held allowed
them to see we are still the same here; we still want
them to learn and have fun and we are dedicated
to that process. I think it was a piece of normality
in a time of uncertainty and that was vital to our
children’s return to school.’
At Baskerville School in Harborne, Birmingham,
English Faculty Leader Joy Baker went for a ‘twopronged
attack’ to ensure both students at home
and in school could get involved.
‘I saved loads of resources to our staff shared area
so the teachers had a bank of resources to use and
adapt to their own subject,’ said Joy.
‘They then sent out World Book Day themed
activities relating to their subject via our remote
learning system to students at home, and also used
them in the classroom.’
The secondary school for students with a diagnosis
of autism has 149 secondary-aged pupils.
‘Lots of our students find reading quite a relaxing,
self-regulating activity,’ said Joy.
‘We know that reading really opens the doors to the
entire curriculum and other opportunities, and for
our students to live a full and purposeful life.
‘They need those reading skills, and celebrating
it and raising the profile is a really important way
6
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

We should not restrict access to
information or books, but rather
we must improve and integrate the
teaching of critical thinking skills.
Reflecting Backwards to Look Forwards
of demonstrating to the children that we know
it’s important,’ Joy added.
Activities included Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory chocolate bar making and pupils were
encouraged to dress up as fictional characters.
‘We had all sorts of activities going on,’ said Joy.
‘Even our PE teacher found texts online about
different sports, and then created activities around
those e-books.’
Some students who had previously struggled to
engage with academic work during the lockdowns
were enthusiastic participants of the day.
‘I think for those children who had found it difficult to
access the traditional academic work that had been
sent home, it was a bit of light relief, enjoyable and
fun, and also a nice step back into learning,’ said Joy.
Emma Wallace, Senior Librarian at St Benedict’s
School in Ealing, London took a different approach
to the day.
‘This year’s event fell on Thursday 4 March, missing
the national return to school by a couple of days,
and consequently requiring a complete rethink
and shift to the virtual world of Microsoft Teams
and St Benedict’s School intranet, Firefly, where
teaching and learning had been carried out since
the beginning of January,’ she said.
Emma decided to hold a lunchtime Teams talk
on ‘Dangerous Books’ alongside a debate on the
question ‘Are Books Dangerous?’ in the school’s
‘Thinking Forum’, which aims to pose a thoughtprovoking
question to encourage pupils to consider
their own views and formulate and express
opinions on an issue.
‘The topic of “dangerous books” is so important
because it touches on many critical issues that we
are grappling with in society today,’ said Emma,
whose school teaches children aged 3 to 18.
‘From the debate around freedom of information
and speech, what should or shouldn’t be
considered offensive or dangerous, to the
presiding issue of how we deal with the rise of
misinformation and disinformation.’
She added: ‘Books have been considered
dangerous for thousands of years, prohibited from
being published, sold or held in collections by a
wide range of institutions from, schools, libraries,
organisations, religious groups and governments.
‘The reasons given have also changed as social,
cultural and religious changes have occurred over
the centuries.’
Emma’s talk began with a brief history of why books
have been considered dangerous and looked at
ways these books have been dealt with historically
and contemporarily, highlighting well-known titles
that have been affected.
‘Seemingly innocent books such as the ‘Harry
Potter’ series have been banned repeatedly by
many different countries, including more recently,
US, Poland and the UAE,’ said Emma.
‘This series has been part of numerous book
burnings, with reasons cited from its representation
and promotion of witchcraft and magic to the
author JK Rowling’s views on Donald Trump.’
Students were encouraged to contribute to the
companion debate.
‘A number of students mentioned the danger of
violent messages and instructions being found
in books, the risk of books containing false or
misleading information, and the dangers of a book
affecting someone’s mental healt,’ said Emma.
‘A number of students reflected that even with
these possible dangers, it is even more dangerous
to censor books, because of the consequential loss
of knowledge and freedom of choice,’ she added.
Emma said she hoped the activities encouraged
students to borrow titles from the library that have
been challenged and banned over the years, to
decide for themselves.
‘I hope students gained a greater insight into why
certain books have been perceived as dangerous
over the centuries and how societies have dealt
with this issue in different ways.
‘We should not restrict access to information or
books, but rather we must improve and integrate
the teaching of critical thinking skills into schools
to ensure that students have the skills to be able
to decipher for themselves whether a book and
its contents are dangerous or not, fake or not,’
Emma said.
Banned books display,
St Benedict’s School, Ealing.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
7

Feature
Now You See Them, Now You Don’t
Robert Dawson
Writer Robert Dawson discusses how school librarians can help
support Gypsies and other Traditional Traveller children with
their education.
Robert Dawson became
interested in Romanies
and Nawken at the age
of 11. He qualified as a
journalist reporting on
police and crime, retrained
as a teacher, and retired as a
primary head in 1996.
Look at the young people in your school
and chances are there’ll be a few who
are desperate to hide their ethnicity
from everyone.
I think that’s shocking but it’s despite all the work
done understanding different cultures and trying
to make all minorities feel welcome in our schools.
Yet it could be said this minority is among the most
prejudiced against in the country – add to that they
have generally low literacy and your school has
a problem. School librarians could be crucial to
reducing the problem.
I’m referring to Gypsies and other Traditional
Travellers such as Romanies, Scottish Traveller
Nawken and Irish Traveller Pavee, and the
Roma, all of whom are officially classed as
ethnic minorities.
In the 1970s, community literacy stood at an
appalling 10%. The birth of the Traveller Education
Service proved a force to improve things radically
and when the service was cut to such an extent that
it died, literacy had risen to 40%. One community
leader now believes that the issue has arisen
again and it currently stands at 27%, based on
the communities to which she is attached. Most
primary-aged children get limited education
now, but older than that, far fewer. Theoretically
the Traveller Education Service still exists but it
is mostly subsumed into other services and deals
mainly with the Roma who have come to the UK in
recent years.
One of the tasks of the service was to advise schools
on how to encourage Travellers to come to school
and remain. They also advised on and pressed
for books which were culture specific, both for
the Travellers themselves and for non-Travellers
wanting to find out about these people.
Many of the books in circulation are
well meaning and with quite beautiful
stories but underline stereotypes.
Many of the books in circulation are well meaning
and with quite beautiful stories but underline
stereotypes like living in wagons, hawking door-todoor,
non-Traveller children running from home
to find new ‘free’ lives with Travellers, etc. One
writer presumed the well-known custom (now not
carried out much) of burning the belongings of the
deceased included the dead person, which lead to
teasing about ‘cooking Granny’.
Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group found funding
to produce the Moving On series, a collection of
more helpful educational books which are available
through their website www.dglg.org/moving-onseries.
My booklet Gypsies and Travellers: Prejudice and
Stereotypes in Children’s Literature shows how, over
the years, the community was tarred and feathered
and such errors repeated over and over until they
became stuck in popular mythology. Big Fat Gypsy
Wedding TV series caused enormous problems
for youngsters – ironically, Romani Gypsies hardly
ever appeared in the programme which was
predominantly about Irish Pavee Travellers.
So, why do Travellers try to hide their identity?
Because if other students realise who they are,
they may be subjected to constant abuse, teasing,
and accusation. The belief can be that Travellers
are career criminals and leave perpetual mess
and smell and are lice ridden, so that many non-
Traveller parents resent if their child has to sit
next to one. Even the myth that young children
are regularly kidnapped comes up from time
to time. Faced with such a daily barrage, many
young Travellers will react negatively in a school
environment.
Better, therefore, to hide their identity and never
reveal it in school. Even better, avoid school
altogether. Some adults still say they always
managed without education so the kids don’t need
it, whilst others – in traditional Traveller style – want
boys to start work at 11. Many worry about girls in
secondary schools because they fear they will be
sexually corrupted. It is not uncommon for children
who attended primary to simply ‘disappear’.
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Now You See Them, Now You Don’t
Better, therefore, to hide their
identity and never reveal it in school.
Even better, avoid school altogether.
Why should they stay hidden or avoid education?
They have an immense culture. Scotland’s Nawken
Travellers were found to be the depository of 800
traditional folk songs, most of which had long
disappeared from the rest of Scotland’s community.
Some of our pantomimes were Romani stories
heard from them by Messrs Grimm et al. Romanies
and Pavee have produced many famous actors,
musicians, and sports people but (as with
children in school) most hide who they are for the
same reasons.
Some resources to help increase an understanding
of their way of life include the film Pavee
Lackeen (2005) (meaning (Irish) Traveller Girl),
a documentary-style film telling the story of a
Traveller girl’s experiences. Latcho Drom (1993)
follows the migration of Romanies from their
historic home in India to Western Europe. The UK’s
native Romanies are portrayed in A Gypsy’s Story
(2009) and a production from the Derbyshire group
Pastures New (2015). Ryalla Duffy made Born on the
Straw (2012). The booklet An Improved Path to a
Better Road by Siobhan Spencer is an outstanding
explanation of Romani culture and outlook, which,
though aimed at the health service, is still helpful
for all professionals.
Suggestions for school librarians to help support
Traveller children in education include:
• Have the right books on the shelves – ask
the opinions of Gypsy and Traveller groups
(especially those who are members of the
Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups) and the few
Traveller specialists in the Education Service.
• Check your Holocaust books include that
the Romani extermination was permitted
by the same Nuremberg law as the Jewish
extermination.
• Invite Travellers to speak. Plan in advance
what you want them to do – whether to explain
aspects of Traveller life, bring objet d’art, answer
questions, run competitions, demonstrate
crafts etc.
• Create positive displays illustrating the
communities, history, and culture so a positive
image is presented, for example of the different
caravans Travellers live in. Going to school can
be a huge step for children who are older and
have never been before, so it helps them feel
more ‘at home’.
• Celebrate Gypsy Traveller History month in June.
• Be aware of Gypsy Holocaust Day. This is 2
August when the remnant at Auschwitz were
gassed having previously beaten off the SS to get
a few more days of life.
• Discuss derogatory things that appear in the
media so students get a balanced picture.
Consider why illegal camping takes place
and what the students would do in the same
circumstances. They do not choose to be one or
other type of Traveller, they are born one.
• Finally, what to do if a child ‘comes out’? Listen,
agree, express pleasure. Ask them to come and
tell you more in the future. Make them feel
wanted and valued for the people that they are.
Further resources include:
Primary
1. The Lost Homework by
Richard O’Neil. Illustrated
by Kirsti Beautyman.
Child’s Play, 2019, pp32,
£6.99, 9781786283450.
2. Polonius the Pit Pony
by Richard O’Neil.
Illustrated by Feronia
Oarket Thomas. Child’s
Play, 2018, pp31, £6.99,
9781786281852.
3. Yokki and the Parno Gry
by Richard O’Neil and
Katherine Quarmby,
illustrated by Marieke
Nelissen. Child’s Play,
2016, pp32, £10.27,
9781846439261.
4. Ossiri and the Bala
Mengro by Richard
O’Neil and Katherine
Quarmby. Illustrated by
Hannah Tolson. Child’s
Play, 2016, pp24, £6.99,
9781846439247.
Secondary
5. Why the Moon Travels
by Oein DeBhairduin.
Illustrated by Leanne
McDonagh. Skein Press,
2020, pp156, £12.99,
9781916493506.
6. The Stopping Places: A
Journey Through Gypsy
Britain by Damian Le Bas.
Vinatge, 2019, pp310,
£8.99, 9781784704131.
7. Romaphobia: The Last
Acceptable Form of
Racism by Aidan McGarry.
Zed Books, 2017, pp304,
£14.99, 9781783603992.
8. A Berlin Love Song by
Sarah Matthias. Troika
Books, 2017, pp400,
£7.99, 9781909991408.
Photo credit: Canva Stock Image.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
9

Feature
A ‘Right Time’ Approach to
Negotiating Controversies in
School Libraries
Karen Coats
Professor Karen Coats discusses how to deal with books
that have become problematic to modern audiences.
Karen Coats is Professor of
Education and Director of
the Centre for Research in
Children’s Literature at the
University of Cambridge.
She is the author of The
Bloomsbury Introduction to
Children’s and Young Adult
Literature and co-editor,
with Shelby A. Wolf, Patricia
Enciso, and Christine
Jenkins, of Handbook of
Research on Children’s and
Young Adult Literature.
@camedfac
Anyone attentive to mainstream
media is likely aware that in
March 2021 Dr. Seuss Enterprises
announced that it would cease
publication and licensing of six
Seuss titles that ‘portray people
in ways that are hurtful and wrong’. 1 The hailstorm
of public opinion for and against this decision
surfaces questions that are especially pertinent to
the daily decisions of the school librarian. With
limited budgets and physical space that are in no
way adequate to the school library’s mission to
provide resources that will stimulate and support
the intellectual and emotional growth of their
students, how do librarians make decisions about
what to include in their collections? How do they
balance the need to provide inclusive spaces for
all pupils with the obligation to encourage and
sharpen critical thinking skills through engagement
with difficult or uncomfortable material? Librarians
may bristle at the cliché that they are ‘gatekeepers’
as they curate their collections, but gatekeepers
know they will be held responsible for what they
let in as well as what they keep out. Historically,
librarians have acted more in the service of
keeping the gates of free enquiry and access to
information open, so how might they respond to
calls to exclude material that might cause harm to
vulnerable readers?
Certainly, librarians have an obligation to stay
abreast of shifting cultural values as well as
more local community needs and standards.
The passionate opinions expressed by pundits,
bloggers, and activists are by no means trivial;
they have led publishers to invest in more books
by and about people of various identities and
remove books that contain portrayals that people
find offensive. Unfortunately, opinions delivered
in soundbites are not often based on research
that weighs theory against evidence. As a literary
critic myself, I have to admit that assertions of how
children’s literature influences social attitudes
The first thing we need to
acknowledge is that our decisions
to include and exclude materials are
basically acts of faith.
are largely based on theories that can’t be proven
because they can’t be disproven. So the first thing
we need to acknowledge is that our decisions to
include and exclude materials are basically acts
of faith. Our histories, experiences, identities, and
individual sensitivities inform our ways of reading
such that what one reader overlooks or sees as
benign might be controversial or offensive to
someone else.
That said, school librarians and children’s literature
scholars can take some direction from the final
phrase in the librarian’s creed of ‘the right book for
the right person at the right time’. Developmental
psychologists have performed research that
can guide decision-making on how to structure
collections for pupils of different ages. For instance,
we know from experiments undertaken at Yale’s
Infant Cognition Center that babies exhibit ingroup
and out-group bias before their first birthday.
At first, these biases are not based on shared visual
characteristics such as skin colour, but rather on
affinities of taste. Evidence from the Baby Lab
seems to also indicate a nascent ability to track
simple multimodal stories, as infants reliably prefer
puppets who assist those in their ‘in-groups’ in
achieving goals such as getting a toy out of a box. 2
As children’s brains develop in the first years of life,
they develop category distinctions that are salient
in their environments. Other findings indicate that
children develop relatively rigid schemas for race
and gender between the ages of three and seven,
and that talk around these schemas must be very
explicit and concrete, as children learn as much
from what adults don’t say as from what they do. 3
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A ‘Right Time’ Approach to Negotiating Controversies in School Libraries
In order to expand the parameters of their ‘ingroups’
beyond their own experiences from the
very start, then, this evidence argues for richly
diverse visual images set in simple stories wherein
people of various genders, skin tones, and body
shapes help each other in their daily activities. Such
variety also helps young children recognise and
learn to value the things people have in common
across differences in style, dress, and culture.
A book like Matt de la Peña’s multiple-awardwinning
picture book Last Stop on Market Street,
illustrated by Christian Robinson, seems to tick
these boxes for very young children through its
visual images and overt messaging. A young black
boy named CJ travels with his Nana on a city
bus after church to work in a homeless shelter.
Robinson fills the city bus with a diverse array of
friendly characters drawn from real life; his figures
represent types but not caricatured stereotypes.
The dialogue between CJ and his Nana focuses on
the advantages of living in a diverse, working-class,
urban environment as CJ asks plaintive questions
to which Nana responds with corrective rebukes.
It is arguable whether this book will appeal to
children of school age, however, because as they get
older, they want to test the limits of their autonomy
as well as to develop a sense of privacy within
themselves. For this they need books like And to
Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, which celebrates
a child’s private, anarchic imagination set against
his father’s strict insistence that he give a literally
accurate account of what he sees on his way home
from school. Whereas Market Street offers an
adult-centric perspective that positions children as
in need of correction from elders, Mulberry Street
gives a child’s autonomy and independent ability
to imagine the world otherwise center stage. While
it is undeniable that Mulberry Street contains a
problematic image of a person from China, older
children whose schematic imaginations have been
furnished from the start with positive depictions of
diverse individuals will be more able to recognise a
racist, sexist, or ableist image for the false distortion
it is as they seek to develop their own sense of
what will make the world a more interesting and
inclusive place.
An evidence-based ‘right time’ approach might
thus suggest alternatives to the exclusion of certain
Older children whose schematic
imaginations have been furnished from
the start with positive depictions of
diverse individuals will be more able
to recognise a racist, sexist, or ableist
image for the false distortion.
books due to their outdated values and images.
Obviously, greater inclusion of books featuring
diverse casts of characters in helpful interactions
are needed, especially for the youngest pupils.
Discussion around these books should be concrete,
emphasising how occupations and roles are
available to people of all genders, skin tones, and
abilities, and how people help each other. For
older students, a ‘critical reading’ shelf can be
set aside for books that have been challenged on
social media, with resources for discussion that set
the images and values in their historical context
and suggest ways that their legacy is still with us.
Librarians can recommend that these books be
carefully considered before sharing them with
children under the age of eight, which is when
children begin to develop a critical consciousness,
but they can also offer opportunities for teens
to reflect on the schemas they carry with them
into their more advanced reading. As we strive to
open our gates ever wider, a ‘right time’ approach
offers myriad possibilities to confront the systemic
injustices we seek to redress.
Notes
1 https://www.seussville.com/statement-from-dr-seussenterprises/
2 https://campuspress.yale.edu/infantlab/our-studies/
3 Bronson, Po and Merriman, Ashley. ‘Why White
Parents Don’t Talk about Race’, NurtureShock: Why
Everything We Thought about Raising our Children is
Wrong, Ebury Press, 2009, pp 45-70.
Photo Credit: Canva Stock Image
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
11

Feature
Beyond the Shelves:
Library Projects Equipping
Students for the Future
Stephanie O’Neill & Ioannis Panayiotakis
School libraries in Scotland providing innovative support to
pupils in response to the COVID-19 lockdown have been given
a boost through the School Library Improvement Fund.
Mrs O’Neill works at
St.Stephen’s and St.Kevin’s
Primary school in Glasgow
as nurture teacher. She has a
passion for teaching literacy
and harnesses this within
her nurture role to promote
wellbeing and reading for
enjoyment.
@StSandStKGCC
@steph0_n
The annual fund administered by the
Scottish Advisory & Information Council,
has awarded £100,000 to 13 projects from
11 Scottish authorities.
This year successful bids came from schemes
encouraging young people’s development in digital
literacy and improving access to mental health and
wellbeing resources.
Among the successful projects are Our Inclusive
Wellbeing Library at Sighthill Community
Campus in Glasgow run by Stephanie O’Neill,
Nurture Teacher and Project Manager, and
‘Maddie is Online’, run by Ioannis Panayiotakis,
School Librarian at Woodfarm High School in East
Renfrewshire. Here they write about the great work
this funding has supported.
Our Inclusive Wellbeing Library
The current global pandemic has brought to the
fore the importance of taking into account learners’
experiences: their story. Whilst children and young
people are living through a pandemic, we are
met with questions that are vital in the recovery,
resilience, and reconnection of our learners.
What is their story? What part will education play in
supporting the negative impact of the pandemic on
mental and emotional wellbeing? With this in mind
we knew in August 2020 that post lockdown, we
would need to provide the space, time, and nurture
for our learners to continue their development
while prioritising their mental and emotional
wellbeing. Most importantly, taking into account
their story.
The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the mental
and emotional needs of our learners, and will
have an impact, both negative and positive, on
their mental and emotional health. We were very
aware when learners came back through the doors
in August of the number of pupils who may be
experiencing new trauma, more consistent trauma,
a change in their norm, a loss of a loved one, a loss
of trust in the key adults in their life suddenly out
of reach.
Sighthill Community Campus includes St.Stephen’s
and St.Kevin’s Primaries as well as a nursery
and community base. The building opened
in November 2019 with beautiful murals and
inspiring quotes on the walls throughout. The
most imaginative and inspiring of those designs
were those in the school library. A magnificent tree
design from floor to ceiling, nooks and crannies, as
well as retro seating booths certainly inspired many
creative ideas from our learners for how best to
transform the space into their own. It was a natural
We wanted all learners, across stages
and abilities, to access resources
which would develop resilience, foster
positive relationships, and increase
positive attitudes towards learning
and achievement.
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VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Beyond the Shelves: Library Projects Equipping Students for the Future
choice to forge ahead with ‘Our Inclusive Wellbeing
Library’ project application for SLIF.
The aims of the project are to engage and motivate
learners to use literacy skills and
resources in a meaningful way
and with purpose, to broaden all
learners’ knowledge of mental and
emotional wellbeing and through
nurturing approaches to develop
a confidence in learners to engage
with the School Library Service
whilst providing opportunities
for successful experiences and
raising attainment. We wanted all
learners, across stages and abilities,
to access resources which would
develop resilience, foster positive
relationships, and increase positive attitudes
towards learning and achievement. By providing
equitable access to opportunities which promote
wellbeing through literacy, we would allow all
learners access to their right to information.
With an appropriate range of resources, every
child would be able to experience the space, with
barriers to learning removed.
All staff were consulted on what resources would
allow their pupils access to the Inclusive Wellbeing
Library. Glasgow School Library Outreach
partnered with us and were hugely important
in guiding choices and selecting appropriate
resources. Their wealth of knowledge allowed us
the confidence when making key decisions during
our library development. They put us in touch with
Scotia books who sourced books with themes of
hope, triumph, and resilience. We chose from an
extensive list of sensory books, audiobooks, and
non-fiction wellbeing books. Rosemount Lifelong
Learning gave us valuable EAL resource advice. Our
Makaton books and listening stations provide the
access our visual and audio learners require.
Our Inclusive Wellbeing Library was officially
made available to our pupils on their return post
second lockdown. It is a safe and nurturing place
for children to learn vital skills and strategies to
develop their emotional and mental wellbeing.
A range of books, across pre early – second level,
based on emotional and mental wellbeing are now
available. There are a variety of sensory materials
such as weighted lap buddies, worry stones,
mirrors, illuminated writing boards, mindful
timers, recordable talking panels, play trays
among many more. Our large variety of picture
books for early to second level is a wonderful
and engaging addition to the space along with
our new sensory books, touch and feel, sound
and board books. Every resource has the theme
of either hope, triumph, resilience, recovery, and
reconnection. The Glasgow Digital Programme
‘roll out’ of iPads has allowed our school library
to be increasingly accessible. We have many QR
codes linked up to a host of virtual libraries and
e-books which promote diversity and wellbeing.
Our learners taking ownership of
their library space was a key stage
in our project’s development and
we hope therefore it will provide
sustainable outcomes for our
learners.
Going forward, with learners now
having experienced a second
lockdown, we continue on the
journey, to prioritise their stories,
their experiences, their wellbeing.
The award from the Scottish
Library Improvement fund will be
vital in ensuring our school library
has a central role in our learners’ experiences.
We will continue to provide the space for them
to access a text which they can fully immerse
themselves in, from which they can take the themes
of hope, triumph, recovery, reconnection, and
resilience, and know that within this space they
can gain the skills they need to continue their story
whilst being supported, included, and nurtured.
Maddie is Online
The project aims to explore issues surrounding
young people’s development of digital literacy
and resilience as the online citizens of tomorrow
and to develop a set of resources, activities, and
lesson plans that school librarians and teachers
can use to support young people with the
challenges they encounter when navigating their
online environments.
Created in collaboration with Dr Konstantina
Martzoukou of Robert Gordon University, the
project is based on an educational cartoon series
for children, ‘Maddie is Online’ maddiesonline.
blogspot.com/, created by Dr Martzoukou.
Using cartoon storylines is an authentic
pedagogical tool, suitable for diverse educational
purposes and as a method for attracting the
attention of young people, it aims to stimulate
critical thinking and discussion.
As a relatively recently appointed school librarian
with a lot of questions, I was looking for new
material for my digital literacy lessons. I have to
be honest and say that I was feeling confused
with the lack of clarity and consistency regarding
lesson plans and felt like every school librarian
was doing their own thing. There was a lack
of direction regarding specific peer-reviewed
high-quality content which could give school
librarians confidence, consistency, and robustness
in their deliveries. That’s when I came across
Dr Konstantina Martzoukou’s email plea for
schools to try the ‘Maddie is Online’ resource she
created. So I emailed her and explained that I
Ioannis Panayiotakis is
the School Librarian at
Woodfarm High School in
East Renfrewshire and has
also been a volleyball coach
for the junior men’s national
Scotland team of Scotland.
@MaddiesOnline
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
13

Beyond the Shelves: Library Projects Equipping Students for the Future
The project provides detailed lesson plans for
librarians to use in the delivery of digital literacy/
resilience sessions aimed at young people across
a number of selected schools in East Renfrewshire
Council. Lesson plans will be collected and
added to an online resource of freely available
material for dealing with children’s development
of digital literacy with the help of a student from
Robert Gordon University. It will increase our
understanding of how young people perceive their
digital literacy and how they develop digital skills in
their daily lives.
wanted to participate and that I would be delighted
to have her expertise in helping transform new
school librarians into digital leaders for the school.
We managed to run a successful trial at Woodfarm
High School before the lockdown started in March
2020. As the lockdown progressed, we both agreed
that this project deserved a bigger audience and a
lot more data on how young people behave online
and what the priorities should be for educators and
so the project was developed. We simply don’t have
enough science behind online experiences and the
problems students are facing.
While the internet provides many positive channels
for communication and learning, young people
also experience bullying through social media and
online platforms. I feel that school librarians have
a role to play in doing something about this. I know
that there isn’t one single practice that will work
in every situation, however the ‘Maddie is Online’
project is in my opinion a good starting point. It
aims to illustrate the dangers of online bullying and
to teach children online information evaluation
through animation that is fun and engaging. I also
believe that it would benefit school librarians to
stand on the shoulders of giants in digital literacy
and address our own requirements for digital
literacy teaching.
We are hoping the project will help have an
impact on the digital literacy agenda for school
librarians. First of all, we want to discern the digital
experiences/perspectives of children and young
people in the specific schools in order to help
them build resilience and confidence in their use
of digital media and online resources. Secondly,
we want to engage teachers to critically consider
the importance of supporting young people’s
digital resilience and digital literacy skills and their
relevance to learning.
We believe that school librarians
should be champions of digital literacy
development in young people and that
‘Maddie is Online’ can be a useful tool
to facilitate this.
We believe that school librarians should be
champions of digital literacy development in young
people and that ‘Maddie is Online’ can be a useful
tool to facilitate this. Currently digital resilience
and digital literacy are not a core offering in most
schools. The pandemic has meant young people
are spending more time online and so it is hoped
the project will equip staff with the resources and
tools to develop their digital resilience and digital
literacy. I hope this project can be a relief to all
those colleagues who are actively searching for fun
ways to teach digital literacy!
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VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Feature
Coffee and Stupid Questions
Richard Gerver
SLA President Richard Gerver reflects on how it is now the
time to go back to first principles in education...
When the global financial
crisis (GFC) hit, people said
it was a once in a lifetime
event; the chaos, confusion,
anger, loss and hurt. People
said we had to find a new
normal, the crisis had changed everything, and it
certainly did. It led to the rise in populism, fuelled
by the anger of a generation who felt they had been
lied to. A generation who was raised, educated, and
managed to seek out certainty; to focus on routines
and systems that once mastered, would offer the
reward of stable lives: food on the table, a roof over
their heads, maybe even a holiday and potentially
a pension so they could live in safety and security.
The fallout of the ‘GFC’ has dominated the last
decade. Our response, however, has been woeful.
We continue to seek out greater efficiencies,
especially in education. The systemic and policy
response always seems to come back to, “if we can
only do the same but better, we’ll all be ok.”
People got angrier and the amplified rise of
populism and discord swept further afield. Then
Mother Nature hit back with COVID-19.
Educators have been some of the most heroic and
extraordinary professionals over the pandemic;
their pragmatism and passion has shone through.
They have changed practice overnight to keep their
students connected and learning. BUT…
Now is the time for real change, based on reflection
of the events of the last 15 years. We cannot brush
ourselves off, wait for normality to return and go
back to plan ‘A’.
The GFC and the pandemic have highlighted the
increasing amounts of uncertainty and change in
the world. Our children are inheriting quite a legacy
from us: major, planet-threatening challenges
including the environment, the economy, socioethnic
cohesion, and health.
BUT… I believe the future is bright. Throughout
history, every period of sustained darkness has
been followed by a period of growth and optimism:
a renaissance powered by innovation, creativity,
and collaboration. These moments have led to an
explosion of scientific discovery, cultural and artistic
richness, and hope. We are on the edge of the next
great moment. How it plays out depends a great deal
on what happens in our schools and colleges.
The relentless pursuit of efficiency in recent
times has led to an exhausting level of the wrong
kind of change in education. Our educators and
administrators were already burnt out, silver bullet
after silver bullet has been fired into our classrooms
– new ideas, systems, and structures. Some of
these have been great, but most have just made the
majority feel inadequate and confused.
Now is not an age of complexity. It is a time for
human reconnection, of the pursuit of the simple.
Let yourselves go back to first principles
When I was a school leader, I used to ask my
colleagues the same questions: How well do you
know your students? What do they need? How will
you meet that need? How do you know it’s working?
We know our students need to be more agile, more
collaborative, more capable of self-leadership. They
need to be creative problem solvers. Barry Barish,
the 2017 Nobel Prize winning physicist, recently
told me people only made it on to his research
team if they had the ability to ask stupid questions.
Steve Wozniak, the cofounder of Apple explained
they only employed people capable of managing
themselves. And Baroness Minouche Shafik, former
Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, has said
routine cognition is no longer what will fuel the
future – it is soft skills.
Human beings are amazing. We are capable of so
much. Just think what we learn to do before we are
even five years old. Where does that natural talent
and ability go? What needs to change?
We need to stop trying to plug gaps, we need to
stop the relentless pursuit of efficiency and control,
and we need to develop a tangible culture of trust,
in ourselves and most importantly in our children.
Fundamentally, we must remember what it means
to be human – oh and drink real coffee and ask
plenty of stupid questions.
Richard Gerver is the
President of the School
Library Association and
is a world renowned
speaker and author. He was
previously a headteacher.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
15

Between the Library and the Classroom
Becoming Integral to the Educational Process
In preparing for my presentation with Barbara
Stripling at #SLALeaders 2021, I uncovered Norman
Beswick’s extraordinary article for Library Review
titled, ‘The Past as Prologue: Two Decades of
Missed Chances’. He writes:
It is heartbreaking to recall that in 1970 it
was possible to be very hopeful that a great
new age of British school librarianship
was about to dawn. It did not happen:
and this despite the best activities of some
school librarians and some local education
authorities; and despite some positive
statements by professional associations,
and some research projects and official
reports. It could be important to ask what
went wrong. Although the circumstances
may not recur, asking the right questions
might give us helpful answers for when the
campaign for school libraries starts again,
tomorrow morning.
I wondered whether, writing today, the article
might need to be titled, ‘The Past as Prologue:
Five Decades of Missed Chances’. While it remains
important, and increasingly urgent, to investigate
in detail what went wrong, now is not the time to do
so. However, it is opportune to frame our inquiry.
Harold Howe, United States commissioner of
education during the Johnson administration and
senior lecturer emeritus at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education, incisively observed that ‘what
a school thinks of its library is a measure of how it
feels about education’.
Howe’s observation demands a response. Given
the generally poor condition that we find ourselves
in, it is understandable why our response might
be to demand that the school thinks more highly
of its library, and to redouble our efforts to focus
attention on the library. This, however, misses
Howe’s profound point, which is that what a school
thinks of its library is a consequence of what it feels
about education. Therefore, to change what the
school thinks of its library, we, if necessary, must
change how it feels about education. This, in turn,
requires a preoccupation with being integral to the
educational process, or, where necessary, agitating
for an educational process that the library is
integral to, which, as we have argued, is an inquiry
learning process.
Given that we are dealing with the reality of five
decades of missed chances, most beyond our direct
control, we have our work cut out for us. To keep
us focused, as Dallas Willard reminds us, the true
measure of success is how well we deal with reality.
The revolution will not be televised.
The FOSIL Group is an
international community
of educators who frame
learning through inquiry,
which is a process
and stance aimed at
building knowledge and
understanding of the
world and ourselves in it
as the basis for responsible
participation in society.
Darryl Toerien
Research Highlights
Department for Education Reading framework (For Early Years
and Primary):
www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-readingframework-teaching-the-foundations-of-literacy
The benefits of school librarians
mentoring new teachers:
www.ala.org/aasl/sites/
ala.org.aasl/files/content/
pubs/slr/vol24/SLR_
EnablingCollaboration_V24.pdf
Department for
Digital, Culture,
Media & Sport
ONLINE
MEDIA
LITERACY
STRATEGY
DCMS Report on Online Media
Literacy:
www.gov.uk/government/
publications/online-medialiteracy-strategy
Lit in Colour:
JULY 2021
litincolour.penguin.co.uk/
Related resources:
www.penguin.co.uk/campaigns/lit-in-colour/teachingresources.html
Report on careers and schools from the Skills Commission:
www.policyconnect.org.uk/news/englands-fragmentedcareers-system-needs-long-term-strategy-and-advisory-board
Children and Young People’s Writing in 2021:
literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/
children-and-young-peoples-writing-in-2021/
Older but worth being aware of,
Reading for Pleasure Pedagogy:
ourfp.org/reading-for-pleasurepedagogy/
Year 5 children’s perspectives of
reading:
impact.chartered.college/article/
childrens-perspectives-readingfor-pleasure-learn-adapt-practiceaccordingly/
Youth Social Action – what are the
benefits for careers education?
impact.chartered.college/article/
youth-social-action-benefits-careers-education/
16
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

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From

Helpful Hints
The shortlist for the Information Book Award (IBA) 2021 has
now been published, with accompanying resources for teachers
available through our website.
In advance of the winner being announced in November, the
SLA spoke to the judging panel for their helpful hints for using
information books in the classroom and generating pupils’
interest in voting for the Children’s Choice Award.
host a lunchtime reading club or use part of form time if you
can’t take up academic lesson time.
Regularly read outstanding information books aloud. Allowing
children and young people to listen to and be immersed in
the language of non-fiction will influence their own ability to
use information texts. Books could be chosen to introduce or
complement a topic being studied at the time, or to simply
promote a text of general interest. A well-chosen book is likely to
stimulate questions and promote discussion.
Adapt the Reading Game (Carel Press) to cover subjects (rather
than literary genres). Get students to move around each subject
station (perhaps in twos or threes) and choose the best of three
or four books on the same topic using your own adapted criteria
(cover or visual impact, blurb or introduction, subject coverage,
for example). You could also use this as an opportunity to discuss
the common features of information books and general criteria
for selection; and the activity is an excellent way to promote
interest in different books to borrow.
Run a browsing and book reviewing session to explore unusual
or innovative information books. Look out for What on Earth’s
Timeline Wallbooks; list books such as Britannica Books’
Listified! or Macmillan’s Lists for Curious Kids series; books
which use infographics ranging from b small’s Geographics series
to Lonely Planet’s Infographic Guide to the Globe; flap books
for all ages including Usborne’s wide selection; verse texts; and
graphic non-fiction.
Create a quiz based on the books you share with your class.
Ask them to attempt the quiz before introducing the books (and
voting if relevant) and then to share and self-mark their answers
at the end of the session. This works well with secondary students
who may be looking at all three age categories of the Information
Book Award.
Create a mini display for the staffroom to promote the books
to the teachers, with the SLA pre-prepared lesson plans printed
out, and a poster explaining what you and the IBA can offer.
This could be a whole-class lesson exploring these shortlisted
books, or a small group extension task. Photocopy front covers
and inside pages if books need to stay in the library. Send an
email explaining the display to let staff know what is available
and encourage them to speak to you about it. Follow up a week
later. Try to not get disheartened if they say they don’t have time
right now; instead, attempt to book them in for another time –
even if it is this time in the term next year!
Speak to your curriculum plan leaders about when they
cover navigating information texts during the school year, then
ask to be a part of this scheme of work. Use the IBA books and
resources, even if the lessons are not running when the children
can vote, as this will build engagement with you and the award.
Then when the new long and short lists are announced, you can
go back to the teachers and students who want to take part, and
Explore National Non-Fiction November, organised by the
Federation of Children’s Book Groups fcbg.org.uk. There is a
different theme each year and a programme of blogs, book lists,
related resources, giveaways, and competitions.
18
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

The Big Debate
What is the purpose of education?
This is one of those questions that is important to explore
whilst, at the same time, being difficult to answer
neatly. There are lots of purposes of education, and
schools have to try their best to deliver on many fronts.
If you think about students leaving school or college at 18, what
would we want for them? We’d want them to be confident young
people, ready for life, excited for their future, with a wide range
of possibilities open to them. We’d want them to have a deep
understanding of the world they live in and the tools needed
to find out more, as well as a sense of how they can thrive as
individuals and as members of society. These things are mutually
reinforcing – confidence, knowledge, responsibility, personal
agency. Do we want them ready for work? Yes – but only in the
sense that a broad curriculum is the preparation they need; they
can learn industry-specific skills later.
There’s a debate to be had about what the content of the
curriculum should be – this is a proxy for the discussion of
purposes. Clearly children don’t know what they don’t know
– so there needs to be a curriculum designed and
shaped by educated professionals and the wider
democratic community any school serves.
We’d surely want young people to know
about our origins as a species on a lonely
blue planet, our responsibility for the
environment we share, locally and
globally, and the role each of us plays
in creating the society we live in. We’d
want them to understand how multiple
histories are woven together to form our sense of who we are,
embracing different perspectives to our own. As part of a broad,
knowledge-rich curriculum, we’d want them to have studied
arts, sciences, languages and humanities, with opportunities for
challenging physical endeavours, world-expanding trips and
visits to explore their own ideas and creativity.
As children grow up, there is always tension between the value
of breadth and depth – exploring a wide range of knowledge
domains but also having to make choices because there’s only
so much time! There is a risk of asking teenagers to make choices
too soon; I’d certainly advocate much greater breadth all the way
to 18, and I feel our current system forces premature narrowing
in the curriculum. I reject the idea that students should make
more choices in the curriculum content within subjects – there’s
just too much scope for students who are already disadvantaged
to make sub-optimal choices, closing doors and narrowing their
opportunities for the sake of short-term preferences.
So, whilst the purposes of education are many, if we
hold on to the idea of a broad, knowledge-rich
curriculum, packed with opportunities for
personal development, we’re on the right
path.
Tom Sherrington is a former Headteacher
who runs a teacher consultancy firm
teacherhead consulting.
In decades to come, I believe the
shifts in education that had to occur
in 2020–2021 will end up having
major positive accelerated ripples of
change for the years ahead within education.
Why? Because the whole of society was reminded
of the purpose of education once again.
Within the pandemic, we’ve been reminded that the purpose
of a school is to give a child a sense of security, a community to
belong to, and to build lifelong skills and knowledge to help them
achieve their dreams. When children couldn’t physically get into
a school, these were the things which children were missing out
on the most and these are the things which should be top of list
of priorities going forward.
It’s easy to forget how many children not only benefit but
really do need that ‘community’ feeling a school provides. A
community provides a child with security, friendship, discipline,
but importantly that sense of belonging which you can’t always
assume happens in the home. I would like to see schools judged
more on this than exams: how much does a child believe
themselves to be part of the school rather than just what they can
do in a test.
Fundamentally though, the purpose of education and indeed a
school is to prepare a child for their future. I think this is fairly
undeniable. However, what I’m constantly staggered by is not the
conversations in the press about whether or not children have
the right skills when they come out of
education but something people never
talk about – and that’s how many people
are dissatisfied with what they do when they
enter the working world. The statistic, according
to the Deloitte Index Report, is as high as 80%.
How can this possibly be that so many people are going
through education to get ready for their futures and so many end
up being dissatisfied with what they do?
I believe it’s because children leave schools utterly unclear on
what they’re passionate about. With the huge focus on subjects
and exams, it’s easy to forget that it’s actually ‘passions’ which
drive us and fuel our interests, and consequently I would like
to see more of a passion-lead education system with less focus
on exams and more on creating experiences for students to find
their passions.
In years ahead, I don’t expect children to specifically know
exactly what they want to do when they leave school, but I
certainly expect them to know what drives them and what their
passions are. To me, if this is achieved, then education has
fulfilled its purpose.
David Harkin is the CEO and founder of education company
8billionideas.
You can join the conversation on Twitter #TSLBigDebate on
September 16th at 5pm.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
19

A View From …
… a primary school
Reading Books in the Classroom
At the start of a new school year there is always a buzz of
excitement; this year is no different.
Reflecting on the last school year my aim was to make sure
library books were still being read around the school even though
people couldn’t physically come to the library to choose one.
Once we were all back in school last September, I sorted out topic
book boxes, as I usually did, for different year groups. Instead of
classes coming to the library for a story, to discuss books, and to
choose a new library book, I provided four library book boxes for
each year group (one for each class). The boxes were bespoke,
tailored to each year group, with a wide variety of reading levels
and different topics in each box. Every few weeks each class
would swap a box with a different class in their year group and
return the boxes to the library when they wanted a new set of
boxes. It worked remarkably well, and we used this system for the
whole year. Pupils kept stopping me in the corridor and thanking
me for the books I had chosen for their class.
“Reflecting on the last school year my aim was
to make sure library books were still being read
around the school even though people couldn’t
physically come to the library.
Staff were able to request books as
usual; they just needed to keep in
mind that the book/s may need to be
quarantined before use. I designated
an area on the side of the library as a
quarantine area.
I also wanted to make sure the
display boards in the library were
kept up to date, as I would normally
have done. At Uplands Manor our
library is uniquely situated in a large
open space with the downstairs
corridor running through it. This
Jo Bavington, Uplands
Manor Primary School,
Birmingham
has always been a positive for our school, making the library
a prominent part of the school environment. Even if it wasn’t
your class’s turn to come to the library, you would walk through
the library at least once a day. I continued to update the display
board about current religious festivals or events happening
around the world and displayed books so that everyone
continued to know what was happening in our country or around
the world.
Even though the library was physically shut to people, I had
successfully provided the whole school with books as though it
was a normal school year. I feel confident we will find solutions
to keep providing books whatever this school year throws at us.
… a state secondary school
Reopening the Library
Happy New Year! Or Happy New School Year, anyway. As the
new academic year gets underway over the next few days, you
may well be planning to reopen your library service more fully
and welcome the Year 7 cohort of 2021/2022. In order to look
forward, however, I’m taking a look backwards and reflecting on
the same cohort of the previous year.
As the end of the last school year drew to a close, it became
apparent how topsy-turvy the year had been. As the sunny
Whitsun break ended, instead of preparing for the final home run
of the summer term, we reopened our library for the first time in
15 months.
So, summer 2021 marked not only my five year anniversary as
librarian at my school, but it was the first time I properly met
the Year 7 cohort of 2020/21. The first thing that struck me, as I
gave them their library induction nine months later than usual,
was how grown-up they were. No longer primary-school aged in
stature, they were pre-teen in confidence.
That fateful announcement that shut schools on 20 March 2020
due to the global pandemic has meant that in order to keep each
other safe, many students have not had full access to a Library.
With around one third of our students eligible for Pupil Premium,
access to books is incredibly important. Children’s Laureate
Cressida Cowell wrote recently that there now seems to be an
“With around one third of our students eligible
for Pupil Premium, access to books is incredibly
important.
expectation that is up to parents to buy books. But we need to
ensure that our young people have access to more than the single
shelf of celebrity authored books in the supermarket. A publisher
can throw money at the marketing of any book and make it
a success. But the donations we receive are often from those
household names, so I don’t think those books are “keepers”.
And we should all have keepers in our
life, right?
So, as well as welcoming this new
cohort to the next exciting phase of
their educational life, we also have
to work to make sure that the Year 7s
of 2020/2021 do not become a “lost
year” to libraries. Enjoy welcoming
them all to the realm of reading,
where books can take you places,
despite Covid-related restrictions on
our travel plans.
Roshan Hunt is Head of
Library at Fearnhill School in
Hertfordshire.
20
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

A View From …
… an independent school
New Term, New Opportunities
As we embark on a new term, I find myself reflecting on my
twenty years as a school librarian. The word has changed
immeasurably over the last 20 years (particularly in the last 18
months) and so have school libraries. The number of children’s
and young adult books available has increased dramatically,
reference sections are obsolete, as are CD-ROM’s and
print encyclopaedias.
Students are now connected to the online world for large swathes
of their day, consuming media increasingly in video format and
in shorter and shorter segments, and books are available in
digital and audio format, often via individuals’ smart devices.
What does all this mean for the role of the school library and the
school librarian? And more importantly, should we view these
changes as threats or opportunities?
I firmly believe these changes are opportunities for school
librarians. The increase in titles available in children’s and young
adult publishing allows us to create physical book collections
that are wide ranging, exciting, and allow us to find the right
book, for the right young person, at the right time. By working
with publishers to increase representation of BAME and LGBTQ+
communities we can also create collections that reflect more
accurately the young people who use our libraries.
We must also embrace the opportunities created by the students
use (dependence?) on mobile technology. Let us give students
access to our library catalogue remotely, allowing them access
to the library when it works for them.
Let us provide eBook and eAudio
services in our library to engage with
readers who prefer these formats.
Fake news, deep fakes, and
misinformation are very real
problems for young people. Let
us push home that message to
colleagues and senior leaders of
the need to embed digital and
information literacy skills within the
curriculum, with ourselves leading
the development of these skills.
Duncan Wright, St George’s
School for Girls, Edinburgh
“Fake news, deep fakes, and misinformation are
very real problems for young people.
As school librarians I believe one of our many skills is
adaptability – the ability and willingness to confront problems
presented to us. As we each start a new term, go out and embrace
the opportunities presented to us. If we continue to adapt and
evolve, we will remain as relevant as ever to our young people
and our colleagues.
… an international school
New Year, New Challenges
Two years ago, I attended a library conference in Taiwan with our
head of English. We were both in awe of the keynote speaker at
the conference, Pernille Ripp, educator and author of Passionate
Readers and Passionate Learners. I would recommend both of
these books, which I found accessible and full of great ideas.
Inspired by Ripp, I intend to implement reading surveys that
encourage students to consider their ‘reading journey’ (survey
examples in Passionate Readers). By surveying students at the
beginning of the year I can see their feelings about reading, their
opinions on what their own strengths and weaknesses are, and
what they would like to work on throughout the year. I also want
to instil the idea that reading for pleasure is a continuous process
for everyone by modelling my answers to the survey and sharing
my own reading journey.
“I want to instil the idea that reading for pleasure
is a continuous process for everyone.
I am also planning an exercise with students using the
first pages of a range of books. I have made a list of books
representing different genres and styles for each year group
in key stage 3. I have taken the first page from each book and
laminated it as an A4 sheet, numbering them, but not giving
any details of the title or author of the book. During the lesson,
I will ask students to read a page and give it a rating out of five,
depending on how much they want to carry on reading that
book. Once they have rated the page, they will then swap with
someone else, until (hopefully!) every student has read all the
pages. For an extension task I will ask students to predict the
genre of the book.
At the end of the activity, I will reveal the identity of the books,
creating a personalised reading list for each student. The idea
behind this, also from Pernille Ripp, is to expose students to
books they otherwise might not pick up, but also to get them
thinking about what book to read next. So often students have
no idea what they want to read, and
end up wandering aimlessly around
the library, or have a very specific
idea, and then don’t know what to do
if that one book is currently checked
out to another student.
Hopefully these exercises will
spark enthusiasm for reading in
the students and kickstart the new
academic year of reading lessons with
good reading habits.
Joanna Whitehouse,
Lanna International School
Thailand
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
21

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Frequently Asked Questions
answered by Lucy Chambers
How can I make my tiny annual
budget go further?
Library budgets vary from £000 to £0 yet
librarians must provide sufficient current
cross-curricula diverse resources for all
users. Impossible? I offer some tips:
1. Argue your case: BookTrust
recommends schools provide 13
books per student with 10% extra for
loss/damage per year. The average
price of a book is £10.
2. Link your budget request with
projects for a purpose. Evaluate your
success with costed plans for the
future. Work towards your aim over a
few years, budgeting accordingly.
3. What OFSTED and school-identified
literacy needs are there? How can
library resources help the school
improve?
4. Plan projects and resource-buying
with subject departments paid for
by their budget. Plan projects which
access Pupil Premium money.
5. Your library management system and
online resources subscriptions could
be paid for from the IT budget as they
are cross-school assets.
6. Apply for grants.
See www.grants4schools.info
7. Organise library fundraisers
within the school and in the wider
community.
8. Free books from publishers and
donations in good condition are
useful but your library cannot provide
enough stock from them, nor can you
control their content. Find offers on
social media and in school library
newsletters.
9. Look for special deals with library
suppliers. Booklife offers match
funding (primary schools). See
www.booklife.co.uk Book fairs offer
organisers a percentage of sales
in free books. Buy booksets from
Books4People: www.books4people.
co.uk/
Please send any additional suggestions
about themes or specific ideas you have to
elly.roberts@sla.org.uk.
How can I promote poetry in my
school and improve the library’s
poetry resources?
Poetry is an essential part of the
curriculum, and children enjoy playing
with language and learning poems by
heart to recite aloud. I suggest some
sources of information about poetry books
and some activities to celebrate poetry
across your school
1. Shadow the CLiPPA children’s
published poetry award (for 4–11s.)
Find teaching resources and shortlists
on tinyurl.com/4ydu2ezs
2. Celebrate National Poetry Day in
October. Download a toolkit including
posters and teaching resources from
nationalpoetryday.co.uk/. There’s also
a list of 40 recommended poetry books
by age group.
3. Visit the Poetry Society website ‘Young
Poets’ and ‘Education’ pages for teacher
resources, poems, competitions, and
recommendations.
4. Create a display around the school of
staff members’ favourite children’s
poems; engage reluctant readers by
letting them create nonsense poems
with random words from a magnetic
poetry kit, never mind the meaning,
just savouring the sound of the word.
5. The British Haiku Society offers
workshops and downloadable
resources on haiku, tanka and
haibun. See britishhaikusociety.
org.uk/teaching-haiku/free-schooldownload/
6. Verse novels are brilliant at tackling
emotional subjects. See Alison King’s
Talking Books blog The Value of Verse
for recommended titles for middle
grade and teens. slgtalkingbooks.
com/2021/04/20/the-value-of-versealison-king/
7. Invite a poet into school for a visit and
workshops. See poetrysociety.org.uk/
education/poets-in-schools/
8. Hold a poetry slam. The Poetry Society’s
SLAMbassadors run workshops in
schools. See poetrysociety.org.uk/
competitions/slambassadors-uk/
How can I encourage students to
help me in the school library?
Training students to help in the school
library is a brilliant way of empowering
them and giving them a sense of purpose,
as well as helping you out. Pupil Library
Assistants (PLAs) should not run the
library, that is the role of the librarian,
but they can introduce new ideas and
enable more library engagement not
just from them but from their peers. You
can work with PLAs in both primary and
secondary schools.
1. Use a formal application process with
an application form, a job description,
aptitudes list and an interview. You
want your PLAs to take the process
seriously and be reliable.
2. Consider a training programme. As
well as the basic roles, such as scanning
books and shelving, teach your PLAs
how to handle different situations with
library users.
3. Enter the Pupil Library Assistant
of the Year Award competition
libpupilaward.wixsite.com/home
(Secondary schools only).
4. Encourage your PLAs to become
Reading Ambassadors and promote
library resources and events to their
peers. They can have a powerful voice
in the school.
5. Give your PLAs tasks beyond shelving
books, such as creating displays and
reading lists and running assemblies
about new books; they could set up a
reading café or book buddying with
reluctant readers.
6. Listen to and try out their ideas for
improving the library experience for
their peers.
Lucy now concentrates on
writing after 20+ years as a
primary school librarian.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
23

Curriculum Links
Primary – Biology
Tweet of the day
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tvgc
2 minute sounds of different birds,
introduced by famous names for whom
each bird means something special.
How are Germs Made and What
are they Made Of?
tinyurl.com/afk9zk9j
Germs are everywhere. Some are good
for us, but some can cause problems.
Finding out what germs are made of and
how they work in our bodies. 12 minutes.
It’s Alive
tinyurl.com/vcftpdcx
5 minute gallop through rules that
determine what is living and what isn’t.
Jessi and Squeaks learn how scientists
decide if something is living or nonliving.
Spider Sense
tinyurl.com/wuxeh2as
Designed to stop the fear of spiders, this
27 minute podcast will explain webs
and how spider venom is being used in
medicine.
What is Evolution
tinyurl.com/yusuw25s
What is evolution? Covering adaptation,
inheritance and evolution with a short
film, a mini quiz and a glossary.
Biology for Kids
www.ducksters.com/science/biology/
Biology studies life and living
organisms, covering humans, animals
and plants. Dip into this for more facts
on each aspect.
I Used to be a
Fish: The Story of
Evolution
Tom Sullivan 9781444946550
The story of our journey from fish, to
monkey, to cavemen, to Us. A timeline
at the end helps with explanations.
Why is Blood Red?
Emily Dodd 9780241461419
Each page asks a new question about
the human body, before answering it,
with a fun quiz to recap facts.
Plants: Get Hands on with
Science
Jane Lacey 9781445177212
A close up look at plants, exploring
the scientific topics of germination,
photosynthesis and pollination, plus
how we can care for the plants on Earth.
Secondary – RSE
Relationships Education,
Relationships and Sex Education
(RSE) and Health Education
tinyurl.com/3vtmt3zf
Statutory guidance for governing
bodies, proprietors, head teachers,
principals, senior leadership teams,
teachers
Why Your Parents are Driving
You Up the Wall and What To Do
About It
Dean Burnett 9780241403143
A teenage guide to cope with parents,
this book discovers the science behind
brain development changes to avoid
confrontation (well - minimise it).
Be Resilient: How to Build a
Strong Teenage Mind for Tough
Times
Nicola Morgan 9781406399257
The power to cope is ours and Nicola
Morgan offers positive, practical advice
and tips on developing the skill of
mental resilience backed by science.
The Places I’ve Cried in Public
Holly Bourne 9781474949521
Harrowing story of Amelie who spirals
into a toxic relationship with Reese
which started out so well, yet took time
to realise what it was doing to her.
Young, Hot and Bothered
tinyurl.com/a7ywkh3j
This does happen to girls in secondary
school, and few doctors would pick
up immediately. For those who do
experience this, others have navigated
their way through.
Cyberbullying
tinyurl.com/2ufbwarb
Cyberbullying can happen via multiple
media and is difficult to escape.
Confidential help and advice and what
the police can do.
A Teen Just Trying to Figure it Out
tinyurl.com/44m6xmzu
Tavi Gevinson is 15 years old and talks
not so much as feminism – more being
an individual. Funny, yet serious points.
The Danger of Silence
tinyurl.com/2ckma4zt
4 minute TED talk on the importance
of not staying silent when you see
injustice, and the courage it takes to
stand up for what is right.
Coming Out: A Handbook for
LGBTQ Young People
tinyurl.com/38nny4d2
Some points to consider when deciding
if and when to tell anyone about
yourself with no judgements or right or
wrong answers.
Health for Teens
www.healthforteens.co.uk/
The law on sex and consent, drugs, selfharm,
STIs, mental health, further help
and more.
24
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

International Perspectives
Ask yourself, how much global literature from around the world
do I have in my school library? Do I have books representative
of my nation’s largest trading partners? Do I have books
representative of my nation’s closest neighbors? Do I have books
representative of my nation’s largest immigrant populations?
Do I have books representative of my nation’s closest allies, or for
that matter, constant thorns?
I’m not talking about immigrant literature, which is people
from other countries adjusting to us and our ways, but literature
from people who never left. I find that because our nations are
very snug publishing markets, it is often difficult for librarians
to look past our own national market for titles that come from
somewhere else. To be honest, our publishing ecosystems
haven’t been that proactive at bringing in titles from somewhere
else either. So who will change that, the demand side (us), or the
supply side (publishers)? Let’s lead!
“Wouldn’t our students benefit from being
familiar with literature and culture from around
the world?
Wouldn’t our students benefit from being familiar with literature
and culture from around the world? At the very least, wouldn’t
our students fear cultures less? That fear builds an inability
to engage, a withdrawal from the global public arena, and an
inability to connect with people in other places.
Humanity’s biggest problems are global. Let’s help our students
be familiar with the varying peoples of the world and their
cultures (not in a zoo exhibit sort-of-way where we point and say
‘look at them!’, but in an appreciative way). Discovering what the
world’s cultures can bring to us, whether it be food, stories, or
innovation, will position our students for global citizenship, and
most importantly, global leadership. It would be hard to build
a habit of global engagement as an
adult if one doesn’t start as a child,
wouldn’t it? It would be hard to lead
people one doesn’t know anything
about, wouldn’t it?
Ask yourself, if I don’t create a global
collection, where will my student
look for global context? There’s
always the internet, completely
global, but frequently overwhelming.
You can show value to funders by
creating guided inquiry into the
world via your collection. Netflix is
global. Do we want Netflix to offer
more of a window to the world than
our school libraries? To compete,
school libraries must show their
value by contributing to building
open-minded citizens who recognize
innovation anywhere, engage with it,
and bring it home.
Karen Van Drie is a school
librarian in Istanbul, Turkey,
and Executive Director of
Global Literature in Libraries
Initiative. Her personal blog is
called Empty Nest Expat. You
can follow Global Literature
in Libraries on Facebook at
@GlobalLitinLibs and/or on
Twitter at @GlobalLitin.
Dates for your Diary
SEPTEMBER 2021 OCTOBER 2021 NOVEMBER 2021
2nd TSL mailed out
8th International Literacy Day
Read Hour UK
10th–12th IBBY World Conference –
ibbycongress2020.org/en
13th Roald Dahl Day – tinyurl.com/
wakzzpbp
16th National Teaching Assistants’ Day –
tinyurl.com/2xvnfy79
16th Join in the #TSLBigDebate at 5pm
17th–19th YLG Conference –
tinyurl.com/2yedd2jh
19th International Talk Like a Pirate Day –
talklikeapirate.com/wordpress
21st International Day of Peace –
tinyurl.com/y38rh5de
26th Sept–2nd Oct Banned Books Week –
bannedbooksweek.org
Black History Month –
www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk
International School Libraries Month –
iasl-online.org/ISLM
Fab prize UK - Children’s prize for new
BAME authors and illustrators winner
announced – www.fabprize.org
School Librarian of the Year Award
nominations close – www.sla.org.uk/
school-librarian-of-the-year-award
4th–10th National Libraries Week –
Communities theme –
librariesweek.org.uk
4th–10th World Dyslexia Awareness Week –
tinyurl.com/mx87b8bc
5th World Teachers’ Day
7th National Poetry Day –
nationalpoetryday.co.uk
10th World Mental Health Day
National non-fiction Month –
tinyurl.com/es9ee779
National Novel Writing Month –
nanowrimo.org
Last chance to register for WBD tokens.
SLA Information Book Award ceremony
– date tbc – www.sla.org.uk/
information-book-award
1st–7th UK Parliament Week –
www.ukparliamentweek.org/en
7th Hug a Bear day.
11th Remembrance Day or Armistice Day.
14th Remembrance Sunday.
15th–19th Anti-bullying Week –
tinyurl.com/f3bddwt8
15th–19th World Nursery Rhyme Week –
www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com
25th TSL mailed out
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
25

Digital
Adding to Learning
Using Google Earth
Dawn Woods is the Member
Development Librarian
for the School Library
Association
Google Earth has been around for over 20
years and is sometimes forgotten, but there
are add-ons which can be useful in school.
The Poetry around the world is one such.
When poetry is taught, children may be told that
haikus are from Japan or Sagas associated with
Iceland, but being able to see the world and spiral
down into the country helps consolidate the
learning in the mind.
Different poetic forms are explored in the different
continents. In North America, the site looks at the
symbol of the turtle with the shapes and patterns
on the shell representing Native American tribes
in one poem. I’m not sure why the poem chosen
for the UK was a nonsense limerick, and although
‘Mother Goose’ rhymes at first appeared an odd
choice for France, with Charles Perrault being a
popular writer worldwide, there is some sense
there. There are, however, no representations from
South America or Australasia, which is a shame.
The information in each poetry section is brief,
so useful for primaries, perhaps when studying a
country and offering this as
part of cross-curricular links.
This is a useful dip into one
aspect of Google Earth, but
you probably wouldn’t spend
a lot of time on this part of
the site.
Another aspect added
to Google Earth, but still
at the moment lacking
substance, is the time lapse.
You are able to see how the
planet has changed since
1984. You can search using
stories, such as changing
forests or fragile beauty, or by featured locations
like glaciers or deforestation. However, there are
only a limited number of search options at the
moment. Searching for forests, you can easily spot
the disappearance of green areas when taken to
Bolivia and looking at the soybean farming and
takeover of the land, cutting back the forest since
1984. The forest story takes you through to palm
oil production – sometimes difficult to make
sense of what is flashing quite quickly in front of
your eyes. However, the map of fires which were
used to clear the land in Indonesia, resulting in
a toxic fog of smoke, is very clear and densely
covered with the fires so you can see the extent.
Searching population, only 3 locations were
offered. This is an aspect which is interesting but
very serendipitous and to search for something
specific seemed quite difficult. I can see both
primary and secondary students having an
explore and it taking up a chunk of their time, but
incorporating into a lesson in a meaningful way
may be more difficult.
26
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

IOE Online Writing Centre
www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe-writing-centre
Digital
University College London’s Institute of
Education (IOE) Academic Writing Centre
is designed to offer self-support to students
when writing academic papers. It is vital university
students write in this way, and extremely useful to
prepare secondary students in the same manner.
School staff could refer their pupils directly to
this site, but equally school staff can use the site
to summarise what is presented to ensure their
students are prepared before they start to write
their essays even before GCSE level.
This is a site promoting the centre which provides
support for UCL Institute of Education (IOE)
students in the form of workshops, webinars,
one-to-one tutorials, writing retreats, and online
resources. The latter is also freely available to
everyone.
The site is broken down into the steps students
need to take when presented with an assignment:
• Plan Efficiently
• Read Confidently
• Read and Write Critically
• Reference Effectively & Avoid Plagiarism
• Organise, Structure and Edit
• Develop your Academic Voice
• Respond to Feedback
• Build Vocabulary and Grammar
Each of these steps is broken down further. So,
‘Planning’ offers help before the writing starts.
This includes checking the assessment criteria and
addressing the question. A phrase which every
teacher will have said to students on multiple
occasions – read the question carefully and make
sure you answer it.
This is research as it should be done – gathering
information from relevant textbooks, journal articles,
or published research reports or government
policies, looking at the recommended books on the
reading list, and identifying which will be relevant
to the question. It stresses the need to make notes
and record page numbers for references later. The
section on referencing offers help on referencing
correctly and avoiding plagiarism.
The site is not intended to help with the actual
research, just to present the findings once the
content has been found. It offers help on what
should be included in the introduction, a logical
structure for the main body, and what goes in
the conclusion.
The ‘Read Confidently’ section includes
information on using the library and what help is
available there – so not necessarily relevant to nonusers
of UCL, but a timely reminder of the help
libraries can offer.
There are some example paragraphs. This would
be useful for university students to see the level
they are aiming for, but may be too academic for
younger students and appear unattainable at a pre-
GCSE age.
Responding to feedback means improving for next
time. This section is very short, but to the point.
Telling students they should be able to cut up their
essays into paragraphs and someone should be
able to piece it together to make sense is a great
way to show them they need to have a logical
flow and not an outpouring of all they know on
the subject (this may sound a familiar criticism to
many students).
This is a useful site for more than just UCL students
and worth remembering for secondary students
from Y9 to Y13. It would also be very valuable for
ourselves when we are called upon to produce such
a piece of writing.
“This is a useful site for more than just
UCL students and worth remembering
for secondary students from Y9 to Y13
Dawn Woods is the Member
Development Librarian
for the School Library
Association
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
27

Digital
Stopping the Spread of
Misinformation
hwb.gov.wales/zones/keeping-safe-online/stop-thespread-of-misinformation
Part of Keeping Safe Online
With many using social media to access
news and other information, the need
for people to be aware of inaccurate
and misinformation has been recognised by the
governments of all four nations; Stop the Spread
of Misinformation is part of the Education Wales
Keeping Safe Online website, linked to the Learning
and Teaching Wales Curriculum.
The front page is clear, concise, and uncluttered
in a linear format, and the site is easy to navigate
with bold, unambiguous headings. At the top is a
short video featuring a grandmother and grandson
(less than 60 seconds) about checking information
before you share it, and this is followed by simple
definitions about different types of misinformation:
misinformation; disinformation; fake news;
clickbait; and deepfakes, with each heading
opening up to a short item written in easy-tounderstand
language.
links to an Ofcom discussion paper and an expert
view from Common Sense Education for those who
want to know more or read the research.
The resources section is more extensive, with tools
for teaching, families, and practitioners. There
is also a range of digital stories from the winners
of the Safer Internet Day 2021 which would be
ideal to show classes. Teaching resources cover
both primary and secondary levels and include
articles, presentations, videos, stand-alone lessons,
and worksheets.
This website gives an excellent overview of
misinformation, and the shorter resources would
be perfect for introducing the topic in lessons.
Barbara Band is an awardwinning
experienced and
qualified librarian offering
school library consultancy,
advice, and training services.
There’s a poster with top tips to spot misinformation
followed by links to fact checking websites including:
Full Fact; Snopes; BBC Reality check; and Channel
4 Fact check – familiar names to many. The website
covers why stopping the spread of misinformation
is important with a list of bullet points, and there are
Plickers
plickers.com
Kristabelle Williams is the
Learning and Resource
Centre Manager/Librarian at
Addey and Stanhope School.
She was recently named
School Librarian of the Year
for 2021.
Plickers is a free (paid option available)
formative assessment tool which can be
used for quizzes, polls, and surveys, but
unlike other similar platforms it does not require
students to have access to a device to participate.
You can create a quiz, poll, or survey on your
account with up to five questions in a set, and
each question is limited to up to four answers.
When you add your class of students, each name
is assigned a card number. The Plickers cards are
free to download and print and look like large
QR codes; along each side of the shape is A, B, C,
or D. Run the quiz on a screen, and ask students
to hold their card up with the corresponding letter
they have chosen to answer with on top. Using the
Plickers app on your device, scan the camera across
the room; it then registers the students’ answers.
Results of each question and how individual
students answered can be hidden or displayed on
the screen, and reports and scoresheets generated.
In a school library context, Plickers will be
particularly useful for those without class sets of
devices or who don’t want device disruption. It
could be used for finding out who wants to read
particular books after booktalks; induction quizzes
about using the library; rating books in reading
groups; identifying students who need more help
or information; debates and discussions; and exit
tickets and activity evaluation. It would work with
extra-curricular and intervention groups as well
as classes.
28
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Digital
Good News Websites
Over the course of the last 18 months, many
people, myself included, have become
somewhat jaded with the daily news as
there has undoubtedly been quite a lot of bad and
distressing news which hasn’t been equalled by
more positive articles. These three websites redress
the balance somewhat, focussing on purely good
news to lift one’s spirits:
Positive News
tinyurl.com/492ymu5r
This is the website for quarterly subscription
magazine Positive.News, you can sign up for
physical copies, virtual copies, or a combination
of the two. Its strapline is ‘Positive News is the
magazine for good journalism about good things’
and you do not need to subscribe to use the
website. New articles are published every day, and
I particularly enjoyed the Friday weekly roundup.
There’s a good mix of subjects including nature,
sign up to a $5 a month subscription. You can exit
this notification and carry on reading but it is a little
irritating. A great site to use for PSHE, however.
Only Good News Daily
tinyurl.com/3ya8fck3
‘Only Good News Daily is designed to lighten
your day, refresh your enthusiasm for life, make
you smile, and enhance your general wellbeing’
and it gives the impression of being a more fun
site than the other two, with articles posted much
more frequently. YouTube content is included,
I particularly loved a video of a huge 3D cat
appearing in Tokyo on a billboard – appealed to my
geeky, cat loving heart!
Bev Humphrey is a Literacy
& Digital Media Consultant
with specialisms in the use
of digital media, reading
promotion, and event
organisation.
conservation, lifestyle, and both UK and world
news. The only ads on the site are naturally for the
magazine but these are not intrusive and are easily
scrolled over.
The Optimist Daily
tinyurl.com/rc4dek54
The Optimist’s vision statement is somewhat
wordy: ‘To create an optimistic, mobilized, &
solutions focused global society making the
world a healthier place for all sentient beings
while regenerating the biosphere’ but its ideals
are certainly sound. The site is provided free, but
you can sign up to be an ‘emissary’ and support
financially. Articles on topics as wide ranging as
how to treat sunburn and use of a robotic fish
for conservation of marine ecosystems keep you
reading but after having read 2 articles you will be
prompted unsubtly to become an emissary and
All three sites give you the option to sign up to
a free daily email of positive news and this is
certainly worth doing; reading them is a fab way
of starting the day in a happy mood. It is a little
difficult to just read a couple of articles, however;
before I knew it, research for this article had taken
me several hours as I became engrossed in the
news that I had hitherto not heard about on major
news outlets.
30
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Three from YouTube –
Chemistry
Digital
The Organic Chemistry Tutor
tinyurl.com/2j8cz29d
This channel is clearly laid out and begins with
a basic introduction with several playlists to
browse, from introductions to chemistry and
thermodynamics to physics with calculus.
A video which took my interest was ‘How to
Memorize the Periodic Table Through Practice’. A
step-by-step guide through the various elements
in the scientific table. Each element is explained in
detail so they can be studied and remembered. This
video would be useful for revision for students from
any year group.
There are also instructional videos on mathematical
subjects such as trigonometry, precalculus, and
geometry, all carefully detailed with visual and
guided explanations. The videos are broken
down into subtopics which for understanding
scientific concepts would be useful for revision or
introducing a new topic to students as a guide to
the subject.
you will get from them. The created playlists
include subjects such as stoichiometry and
quantities in chemical reactions. Dr Kent solves
puzzles and equations so that the understanding
of the topic is concise with the videos ranging
from 7 minutes to more in-depth tutorials of
20 minutes.
Some of the instructions are very complex and
some background knowledge of chemistry would
help to understand them further. A Level students
would find this channel endlessly useful when
studying these concepts, especially visual learners
as they could revise at their own pace using his
instructional methods to understand the theories
in more detail.
Tyler DeWitt
tinyurl.com/4hrur6wz
Tyler DeWitt works at the intersection of
science, education, and technology. He uses
new technologies to create teaching and
learning experiences, making education more
accessible, and his YouTube channel helps him to
accomplish this.
GetChemistryHelp
tinyurl.com/4uwdxtnx
Dr Kent McCorkle is a college professor with a
website GetChemistryHelp.com and a YouTube
channel of the same name. His video lessons
present topics succinctly and in an easy-tounderstand
format.
The channel starts with a video where Dr Kent
explains what his tutorials are for and the benefits
His created playlists cover most areas of chemical
topics from electrochemistry to atomic mass. Each
topic is broken down into instructional sub videos
such as ‘Significant Figures’ (1.2) (1.3) (1.4) etc. so
it really is a step-by-step guide to a single topic. The
first video titled ‘Scientific Notation’ introduces
the concept, and each video after that expands the
subject so the understanding is precise and you can
easily return to parts of the theory you may need
to watch again without the need to scroll through a
longer video. This would really help students who
learn better with modest amounts of information.
Tyler’s tutorials are simple to understand. He
is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about
the subject.
Beth Khalil, Librarian, Thorp
Academy. Beth’s passion
for books and getting her
students reading is always
apparent and she leads on
her school’s whole school
literacy projects as well as
being the school librarian.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
31

Digital
Audiobook Corner
Shadow and Bone,
Leigh Bardugo
Audible Studios, Audible
Louise G A Ellis-Barrett,
BA Hons, MSc, MA, MCLIP,
is a librarian at the British
Museum and PhD candidate.
@LouiseEgypt
On taking up running I needed to have
something to listen to – what better than
an audiobook? I decided. When I came
across Leigh Bardurgo’s Shadow and Bone, I had
vague memories of having read the book on its
first publication, but I was intrigued to know how
it would convert into an audiobook. I can tell you I
am impressed. In fact, I think I love the story now
more than ever and I don’t want to have to get
home or wait until the next day for a new chapter!
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, this is 9 hours and
21 minutes of fantastic storytelling masterfully
brought to life.
Alina, Mal, The Darkling – the book’s main
protagonists have a story so closely woven, living in
a world where nothing is quite as it seems, where
the old folk tales may hold more truths than any
are prepared to admit and where a battle, a true
battle between dark and light, is unfolding, that this
story, in its audiobook form, sneaks its way into
your mind and stays there, urging you to listen and
completely lose track of real time.
Suitable for ages 13 to 16.
World Kid Lit
worldkidlit.wordpress.com
Elly Roberts is the
Publications and Awards
Officer for the School
Library Association
@Elly_Roberts1
Project World Kid Lit aims to make it easier
to find books for children and young
adults from around the world, especially
in translation from other languages into English.
It works to give a fairer representation of the
multicultural and multilingual world we live in.
Everything is freely available on the website, which
features books in over 80 languages. The layout is
clear and easy to use despite the volume and range
of resources on offer. Staff and pupils will find it
simple to search the site for books by country,
region, language, and age group.
Alongside reading lists for different regions, time
periods, non-fiction and graphic novel suggestions
are links to blog content and other websites around
the world. Titles in the reading lists range from
those appropriate for age six and above, to young
adult and teen fiction.
September is also World Kid Lit Month, which
specifically celebrates and promotes world
literature for children and teens, especially fiction,
nonfiction and poetry translated into English from
other languages. The organization has created
different social media hashtags that can be used,
such as #ReadtheWorld and #DiverseBooks where
participants can pick a destination and “fly there”
with a book or find and share inclusive books
that reflect the diversity of the world. This offers
an imaginative way for young people to find out
more about texts from other parts of the world,
and would make a lovely class activity, homework
piece, or alternatively something a school library
could get involved in. The pre-prepared reading
lists will be a great help to anyone unsure of where
to start when getting involved.
The sheer range of resources available make this
a fantastic tool for anyone teaching literature
from other cultures, or to help staff find resources
when teaching languages (perhaps for translation
practice), or to give a wider insight into a particular
culture or country. Getting hold of the texts will be
the next step for anyone using the platform, but
this website provides a wonderful place to start
when introducing young people to literature from
other cultures.
32
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Cambridge Information – the go to single
Cambridge source of online Information resources the for go to school single
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The Economist New Scientist Cambridge University
The Economist New Scientist Cambridge Press University
The Economist New Scientist Cambridge Press University
The Economist New Scientist Cambridge Press University
Press
NewsBank Oxford University World Book
NewsBank Oxford Press University World Book
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VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
33

Digital
History Themed
Social Media Accounts
By Elly Roberts
Twitter
1. History Teacher Book Club @historybookgrp
Created by history teachers, this recommends
a classroom resources and books covering all
history periods and key stages.
2. History Today @HistoryToday
Linked to the magazine, this highlights
important historical events from around the
world for each date.
3. Stonehenge @EH_Stonehenge
Information about the prehistoric world
heritage site in Wiltshire and its archaeological
history. Links to the Skyscape resource for
virtual tours and to explore the movements of
the sun, moon, and planets above the stones to
see the solar alignment at Stonehenge.
4. Migration Museum @MigrationUK
Exploring how migration has shaped the UK, as
individuals and a nation.
5. The National Archives @UKNatArchives
Official archive of the UK government. Links
to their online collections, research guides,
and educational resources from 1,000 years of
history.
6. Historic England @HistoricEngland
The public body that helps look after England’s
historic buildings, battlefields, monuments,
parks, gardens, and shipwrecks. Links to
their website resources including tracing the
architectural history of your house.
7. Learning Team at Historic Royal Palaces
@HRP_learning
Helping teachers and students discover the
history of Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of
London, Kensington Palace, the Banqueting
House, Kew Palace, and Hillsborough Castle
and gardens.
8. Time and Tide @timetidemuseum
Covering the maritime heritage and story of
Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, from the Ice Age
to the present day. Featuring their collections,
art gallery, behind the scenes content, and
information about their digital resources.
9. Titanic Belfast @TitanicBelfast
Telling the story of RMS Titanic from the historic
Slipways where it was built, focusing on the
stories of individuals on board.
10. Hackney Museum @HackneyMuseum
Tweets by the museum’s team sharing the
rich and inspiring histories from the borough.
Highlights include the award winning Windrush
Generations Festival.
Elly Roberts is the
Publications and Awards
Officer for the School
Library Association
@Elly_Roberts1
Instagram
1. @Workingclasshistory
Telling the stories of individuals from the
working classes who have significantly
impacted or been affected by the course of
history. With a global focus and linked to
a podcast.
2. @foundlingmuseum
Telling the stories associated with the history
of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first
children’s charity and first public art gallery.
3. @histassoc
Linked to the national charity, Historical
Association, which supports the study and
teaching of history at all levels.
4. @bronteparsonagemuseum
Former home of the Brontë family and telling
the remarkable stories of these siblings.
5. @historyhit
Linked to a podcast, website, and online
TV channel, History Hit shares stories that
shaped the world, from ancient history to
twentieth century history.
6. @historywithwomen
Featuring women around the world who
achieved great things and made an incredible
impact on the world.
7. @historycolored
Sharing recoloured photos from around the
world, taken over the last 180 years.
8. @medievalenglishhistory
Covering over 800 years of English history
from 600s to the late 1400s. Featuring the
stories and depictions of individuals from the
houses of Wessex to the Plantagenets.
9. @ancient.scientist
Focusing on ancient archaeological sites from
across the world.
10. @surgeonshall
The Museum, library, and archive collections
from The Royal College of Surgeons of
Edinburgh. Sharing artifacts, stories, and
insights into historical and modern medicine.
34
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Great
3-7 Years Picture books
books
MY BEAUTIFUL VOICE
9780711248304
AUG 21 • HB
IF I WERE KING
9780711264021
SEP 21 • HB
RACE CARS
9780711265837
SEP 21 • PB
for
all ages
THE BARNABUS PROJECT
9780711249455
OCT 21 • PB
DELIGHTFULLY DIFFERENT DILLY
9780711259607
JUL 21 • PB
Little People, biG DreaMs
TWITTER @QUARTOKIDS
INSTAGRAM @QUARTOKIDS
WWW.QUARTOKIDS.COM
KAMALA HARRIS
9780711265813
SEP 21 • HB
ALBERT EINSTEIN
9780711257566
OCT 21 • HB
CHARLES DICKENS
9780711258945
OCT 21 • HB
from
QuartoKids!
7+ NoN-FictioN 9+ NoN-FictioN
WHEN PLANTS TOOK
OVER THE PLANET
9780711261266
SEP 21
RESCUING TITANIC
9780711262768
SEP 21 • HB
OWN YOUR PERIOD
9780711256637
SEP 21 • PB
A QUICK HISTORY OF MONEY
9780711259836
JUL 21 • PB
A QUICK HISTORY OF POLITICS
9780711260320
JUL 21 • PB

Books: 7 & Under
Abe, Momoko
When the Sun
Goes Home
Orchard Books
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781408358320
Friendship. Loneliness. Day and
night
Sun smiled down on people to make them
happy, but no one smiled back at him and he
was lonely. He envied the Moon with Stars for
company. So one day he left the sky early, but
tried to make up for it the next day by shining
even brighter and hotter. He tried so hard he
made everyone hot and bothered and himself
so tired he fainted out of the sky, landing on
some soft grey clouds. They encouraged him to
sleep while they rained down. He appreciated
their care and could go back into the sky,
rejuvenated, shining brightly and causing a
rainbow to appear which everyone loves. As we
need both sun and rain, Sun became friends
with the rainclouds and was far less lonely. The
illustrations are simple and colourful, with the
jigsaw pictures of cats an amusing point to pick
up on. This is a great book on working together
and friendship.
Dawn Woods
Balit, Christina
The Corinthian Girl
Otter-Barry Books
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781913074722
Sport. Strength. Olympics
With the Olympics this year this book will have
great appeal for budding athletes. It is a story of
hope, determination, and athletic achievement
against all the odds. Abandoned as a baby, the
Corinthian girl has no name. Brought up as
a slave, she has a difficult life but her athletic
ability shines through everything she does and
is spotted by her master, a famous Olympic
champion. The story provides the reader
with a wonderful role model who trains from
dawn to dusk. A year later she wins the race of
her life and a place in a family which she has
always wanted. When she is spotted by her
natural father, he realises that he abandoned an
Olympic champion. The bright, cheerful images
accompany the detailed and thoughtful text.
Based on the real life ancient Heraean Games
for women and girls, this book provides many
educational opportunities particularly with its
informative page at the back.
Rebecca Taylor
Bao, Phi
Hello Mandarin Duck!
Raintree
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781398207134
Language. Inclusiveness. Help.
This picture book is a concentrated plea for
inclusiveness. On their way to a May Day
parade (based on a real annual event in
Minneapolis) Hoa and Hue come across a
mandarin duck which seems lost. They greet
it, and decide to help it to find a pond. On the
way, they seek help and are joined by other
friends from the multiracial local community.
As more and more people join the mercy
mission, each speaks a word of welcome to the
duck in his or her own language. In the end
they find themselves drawn into the parade
itself, so that the whole community is involved.
By the time they reach the pond, the duck has
been welcomed in eighteen different languages.
Inclusion isn’t confined to racial matters.
Banners are being carried in the parade such as
‘Say no to Homophobia’ and ‘Save our Planet’,
and a boy in a wheelchair is in the parade.
The duck is in luck. Bright, simple, geometric
illustrations support the text. This is an effective
story with a simple message.
Peter Hollindale
Bentley, Peter
The King’s
Birthday Suit
Illustrated by Claire Powell
Bloomsbury Children’s
Books
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781408860144
Picture book. Fable. Fairytale
If you know who Hans Christian Andersen
was, you will know that he wrote a lot of fairy
tales and that over the intervening years they
have been subject to many retellings for they
are stories that provide a message. One such
message can be found in the story of ‘The
Emperor’s New Clothes’. It is this story that
Peter Bently and Claire Powell have taken and
put their mark on, made their own in The Kings’
Birthday Suit.
Meet King Albert-Horatio-Otto (the third). The
king has so, so many clothes that it is simply
absurd. So many clothes that he can change hats
to eat cheese, he can change to go to the loo BUT
he doesn’t have the perfect birthday outfit and
he simply MUST have the most stunning outfit
possible. Luckily for the king there are two tailors
on hand promising to make him the very best
outfit EVER! Lively, vibrant, bursting with colour
and humour, this picture book will delight readers
and introduce them to an important fable giving
them plenty to talk and think about too.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Beswetherick, Emma
The Magic Ocean Slide
Illustrated by Anna Woodbine
Rock The Boat
2021, pp112, £5.99
9781786078988
Adventure. Fantasy. Pollution
Three friends, Katy, Casey and Zia, and
Thunder, Katy’s one eyed cat, use their magical
powers to go on an adventure. On a hot day
they conjure up an immense water slide
which takes them into the deep ocean where
Thunder can talk, and they can breathe. But
the story is not about having fun but about the
plastic pollution and harm it does. Guided by
Lana, a friendly dolphin, they save an octopus
entangled in plastic rope. When they see how
much plastic waste is floating in the sea, they
turn the water slide into a vast suction device
that forces it into a river flowing high in the sky.
The story is told with pace and commitment
and the characters and personalities will swiftly
capture the attention of newly independent
readers. But the dangers from discarded plastic
for the birds and fish for whom the ocean is
home is not hidden and the final pages have
information about the oceans, pollution and
how to reduce it.
David Mallett
Bone, Emily
Look Inside
Wild Weather
Illustrated by Bao Luu
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp16, £9.99
9781474968874
Weather. Global warming. Climate
This board book is an excellent introduction
to wild weather. There are atmospheric
illustrations and over 50 flaps to lift that
encourage interactive learning. The section
about a storm at sea with crashing waves is
impressive. Flaps lift and reveal more facts. One
diagram explains how storm winds are formed.
The next spread covers stormy skies with
dramatic lightning. The text includes questions
like: ‘What makes heavy rain?’ that help engage
the reader. Information is age appropriate.
The tornado spread fills two pages lengthwise,
with a waterspout that sucks up things in its
way, including fish and frogs, then dumps
everything when it hits land. Hurricanes and
blizzards are the next spreads. Then an effective
pull out reveals a wildfire and firefighters who
try to get it under control. The book ends with a
picture of the earth, facts about global warming,
and suggestions of things we can do to help
the planet and stop even wilder weather in
future. Highly recommended as an information
book that conveys an important message. The
Usborne Quicklinks are fascinating.
Brenda Marshall
36
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 7 & Under
Bright, Rachel
The Whale Who
Wanted More
Illustrated by Jim Field
Orchard Books
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781408349236
Moral. Consumerism. Tale
As in Bright and Field’s previous books, the
rhyming narrative is easy to follow and lends
itself to being read aloud using different voices
for the characters. It is also a story with a moral
and can spark a lot of questions and discussions.
The beautiful illustrations are colourful and
detailed. Children will enjoy looking at them and
finding something new each time.
The story starts deep in the ocean where a
lonely whale, Humphrey, is a compulsive
collector of pretty objects and treasures from
the waters around him. But he never feels
satisfied with what he has; he always craves
more. The more he gets, the lonelier he feels!
Humphrey is shamed into re-evaluating his life
by Crystal, a feisty but wise crab. She tells him
that happiness does not come from acquiring
more and more possessions but from being
caring and kind and giving something back to
the world instead of always taking.
Humphrey does have a gift he can give to
those around him, and he learns where ‘true
contentment’ comes from.
L Giddings
Brown, Ruth
Ten Little Dogs
Scallywag Press
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781912650538
Counting. Numbers. First books
I love this delightful counting picture book; it
is a thing of beauty with gorgeous glossy pages
and an attractive cover illustration that wraps
around the book. We start off with 10 adorable
puppies and they are gradually whittled down
whilst being distracted into getting into all sorts
of mischief, before coming back together noisily
at the end. The illustrations are just gorgeous,
making me want to reach into the book and
scruff each little doggie head, they are just so
darn cute! Ruth Brown manages to get such a
lot of expression into the eyes; you can almost
see the pups contemplating how they can
misbehave next.
Ten Little Dogs would make a wonderful gift
for any young child just starting to learn their
numbers and it’s a fun read aloud for younger
babies too. This one is staying on my own
shelves ready to enjoy with my granddaughter
next time she comes to visit. I hope she will love
it as much as I do (but even if she doesn’t, it’s
going nowhere!).
Bev Humphrey
Brown, Pete
Fred Gets Dressed
Templar Publishing
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781787419506
Individuality. Families. Acceptance
From the front cover where we
meet naked toddler Fred skipping exuberantly
through the house to the final page where
he departs ‘mostly dressed’, this is a joyful
celebration of acceptance and individuality.
Fred is a happy soul and both the text and the
illustrations convey this. He ‘romps’ ‘wild and
free’, cartwheeling and bouncing through his
home. His modesty is protected through careful
positioning within the illustrations. In his
parents’ room he tries on first Dad’s shirt and
tie with limited success and then, more easily,
mum’s blouse worn as a dress, plus jewellery.
Happily, he moves on to her make-up, copying
what he has seen her do. However, Fred gets
into a bit of a mess and then his parents discover
him. There is an expectant moment portrayed as
a wordless double-page spread when the reader
awaits their reaction. They smile and Mum
shows Fred how to do it properly and then all
three join in the fun together.
This is a delightful portrayal of a loving family
showing support and understanding. The
overall message is a positive one and this
picture book allows space for both individual
interpretation and paired or group discussion.
Anne Thompson
Cabrera, Jane
Love Our Earth
Pan Macmillan
2021, pp32, £7.99
9781529035544
Earth. Climate. Planet
Love our Earth is a joy to behold. Beautiful
illustrations over multiple double-spread pages
are a feast for the eyes for both young and old.
We are taken on a whistle-stop tour of the Earth
after the Earth asks their best friend, the Sun,
what they can see. The desert, the jungle, and
the ocean are just some of the stops we get to
look at. On each page there are multiple little
animals to try and spot as the book doubles
up as a counting story. It’s really a very special
book to share.
Jodie Brooks
Castrillon, Melissa
Can You Keep
A Secret?
Scholastic
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781407194493
Adventure. Dragons. Family
Winnie lives with her parents in a house with
a very old and magnificent tapestry. The wall
hanging tells the story of the beasts that roamed
there long ago. Winnie sometimes wonders if
they will ever come back, but her parents say that
dragons have been gone since a huge battle was
fought by their grandparents many years ago.
But one night, Winnie is swept into a windstorm
and is tossed onto the back of a dragon. What
will happen next? And can she keep a secret?
She soon discovers that one dragon does still
exist, as well as his friends – a gryphon, a winged
lion and a tree-man. Winnie herself is a mixedrace
child. This is never highlighted but blends
seamlessly into the story. Magnificent colours of
green, yellow, and pink bring a striking palette
to the full-page spreads. A twist at the end of
the story will bring smiles to both reader and
audience. This is a marvelous book to read
aloud or for children to share with one another
at home or in a classroom. Both the illustrations
and text are certainly ones which will remain in
the readers’ imaginations and will be read over
and over again.
Rosemary Woodman
Chancellor, Deborah
Milly Cow Gives Milk
Illustrated by Julia Groves
Scallywag Press
2021, pp32, £10.99
9781912650521
Food. Journeys. Cows
This is a lovely introduction to how milk is
produced. The illustrations are very simplistic
and reminiscent of a collage. We discover
everything from the food that Milly eats at
various times of year through to how she is
milked. The book highlights good practice
in dairy farming and how important it is to
have a caring farmer. For the main part, the
language is simple and age appropriate; there
are some more challenging words scattered
throughout. This is the first in a new series of
books called Follow my Food, which discusses
where our food comes from and gives children
a greater knowledge of food production.
The series would be a wonderful addition
to discussions on sustainability. At the end
of the story is a ‘follow the trail’ section with
pictures connected to a description. This is a
lovely way to reinforce pertinent information.
The final two pages discuss ‘funny cows’ and
‘marvellous milk’, some fun facts to round off an
entertaining and informative read.
Erica Dean
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
37

Books: 7 & Under
Clarke, Maxine, Beneba
When We Say Black
Lives Matter
Wren & Rook
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781526363985
Discrimination. Protest. Diversity
Award winning Australian writer and illustrator
Maxine Beneba Clarke presents an explanation
of the Black Lives Matter movement for children
through both lyrical text and dramatic art in
this powerful and timely picture book. Without
in any way diminishing the importance and
gravity of the history that sparked the movement,
this book manages to provide a message of
hope. It is told in the form of a poem by parents
explaining both the meaning of the protest and
the importance of using your voice for good and
for positive change and a better life for all.
The depiction is a global one without emphasis
on a particular country, and the faces of the
people in the illustrations are blank, ensuring
they feel universal. The text concentrates on
the coming together of people as a community
united in a common cause and it is the bold,
dramatic illustrations that provide the context.
It is likely that even younger children have seen
photos or items in the news about Black Lives
Matter and this is a book that provides the space,
opportunity, and starting point for thoughtful
discussion and answers to difficult questions.
Anne Thompson
Cobb, Rebecca
Aunt Amelia’s House
Macmillan Children’s Books
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781447250531
Independence. Humour.
Adventure
How lovely to review a picture book designed
for new readers to read themselves, away from
the set series with their carefully guided phonics
and grades. Aunt Amelia’s House offers new
readers aged 4–6 a chance to enjoy and savour a
satisfying book either alone or with guidance.
The children in the story, who are nameless, tell
the story. They visit Aunt Amelia (a rather stout
crocodile as it happens) and indulge in a variety
of magical activities while helping her with
chores before returning home to Mum and Dad.
Watering the garden from a hot air balloon,
taking a picnic with all her pets, the reader is
whisked away into a magical fantasy by way
of fabulous scribbly detailed drawings that
children will devour for hours – I suggest.
There is humour on every page; subtle and
understated. There are questions to be asked
as the story unfolds. Mum and Dad, vaguely
hippyish in their demeanour, take a backseat
role in this story as the children take off!
The language is simple but pleasing to read and
adds to the strength of this book as a story to
read alone as well as to share.
Janet Sims
Colby, Rebecca
Beatrix and Her
Bunnies, The Story
of Beatrix Potter
EDITOR’S PICK
Illustrated by
Caroline Bonne-Muller
Nosy Crow, 2021, pp32, £6.99, 9781839941078
Biography. Writers. Animals
A super book for key stage 1, and a valuable
addition for School Libraries. The creators
portray Beatrix’s journey as writer, illustrator,
and visionary environmentalist, culminating in
her legacy: gifted land to the National Trust.
Engagingly narrated, the content draws
listener/reader into her life story. Very wellcrafted
grammatically varied prose is a gift for
key stage 1 literacy lessons, covering a wide
range of sentence structure with exciting and
meaningful vocabulary choices. Read aloud this
is valuable for any size group to hear, building
experience of transforming written text into
dramatic storytelling. Confident readers can
explore and practise these skills, visually
engaged by the written cues in the format.
Colby writes with great warmth, well
complemented by beautiful original
illustrations – wisely not emulating Beatrix’s
style. Challenging emotions around loneliness,
loss, and disappointment are gently portrayed
by Bonne-Muller; children will discover that
Beatrix learned determination, perseverance,
and generosity despite setbacks.
Stephanie Barclay
Deutsch, Georgina
Wide Awake Wolf Will
He Ever Find Sleep?
Illustrated by Megan Tadden
Little Tiger Press Group
2021, pp32, £11.99
9781788818674
Animals. Insomnia. Collaboration
This lovely book has a simple story theme: a
small wolf cannot sleep and sets off to find it,
encountering other creatures until the final
meeting with Owl who resolves the problem and
provides a solution. Deutsch uses well planned
subtle language making this an excellent text for
key stage 1 literacy; assonance, rhyme, rhythm,
extended vocabulary choice, capitalization,
and punctuation all build an interesting and
highly enjoyable text, with different voices and
characterisation. The text is accessible and well
balanced across the pages. This would make a
lovely read-aloud book, and would lend itself to
dramatic readings and play script writing.
Tadden has created delightful illustrations
where clear facial expressions help readers to
understand predicament, shock, contentment,
uncertainty, empathy, and kindness.
This book would be a useful addition to an
early years and KS1 Library shelf; it has great
potential for use in PHSE, covering a wide
range of issues from diversity to emotional
support, perseverance, and curiosity.
Stephanie Barclay
Doyle, Malachy
Molly and the
Lockdown
Illustrated by Andrew
Whitson
Graffeg
2021, pp36, £7.99, 9781914079399
Lockdown. Islands. Family
This is a very apt book for the times we have
recently been through. Molly and the Lockdown
tells the story of Molly and her Mum who
are locked down on their island during the
pandemic; her dad is on the mainland and
cannot get back to them, so stays with Uncle Ed.
Molly only gets to speak to him on the telephone.
As the pandemic progresses, we see the effects
through Molly’s eyes as she helps her Mum with
household chores and making facemasks. Her
anxiety increases when the infection arrives on
the island and people fall ill. But things do get
better. The colourful and bold illustrations by
Andrew Whitson also lead us through the story
of the pandemic – the page about handwashing
is very effective.
This book is ideal for sharing with young
children and would open up the opportunity to
think and talk about their own experiences. It
deals with the topic in a sensitive way but does
explain some of the reality. A nice touch by
Malachy Doyle is the dedication to health and
care workers everywhere.
Brenda Heathcote
Dunbar, Joyce
Mouse and Mole:
The Secret of
Happiness
Illustrated by James Mayhew
Graffeg
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781913134839
Friendship. Conflict. Resilience
This is lovely, gentle read, perhaps oldfashioned
in style but that’s no bad thing.
Mouse and Mole are best friends but
don’t always get along. Irritating habits,
misunderstandings, and forgotten dreams
cause some gentle conflict in their woodland
den but they always remain firm friends. The
level of humour is just perfect, the illustrations
are warm and engaging, and this will work
wonders at calming excitable children and
making them laugh. A real treat, and one of a
series.
Jo Sennitt
38
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 7 & Under
Best New Books on Change
Editor’s pick
Sabrina Moyle and Eunice Moyle
(Illustrator)
School is Cool!
Abrams Appleseed, 2021, pp32, £11.99,
9781419751103
Rhyme. School. Situation
Preparation for a major step
to alleviate worries about not
knowing the rules, how to make
friends, or how to fit in.
Simon Philip and Ged Adamson
(Illustrator)
I Have to Start at School Today
Simon & Schuster, 2020, pp32, £6.99,
9781471164651
Rhyme. School. Situation
A rhyming tale about a little girl
frightened about all things that
could go wrong. But Grandma
points out that it could as easily
go right.
Elina Ellis
The Truth About Babies
Two Hoots, 2021, pp28, £12.99,
9781529050516
Families. Siblings. Situation
A warm and very funny picture
book story where a little boy
reveals that although babies are
not always adorable, he still loves
his little brother.
Jilly Hunt
Coping with Separation
and Divorce
Raintree, 2020, pp32, £8.99,
9781474773096
Families. PHSE. Relationships
A guide to help children cope with
parental separation and changes
within the family with Charlie the
dog showing he understands how
you might feel.
Nancy Dickmann
Weather and Seasons:
Questions & Answers
Watts, 2020, 32pp, £8.99,
9781445156132
Nature. Seasons. Weather
Illustrated Q&A on seasons and
weather and how our planet
changes throughout the year.
Climate Change
Dorling Kindersley, 2020, 64pp, £5.99,
9780241413852
Climate. Environment. Science
Explaining how new technologies
have harmed the environment
and how we can help prevent
further, damaging changes, both
in our everyday lives and as
potential activists.
Honor Head
Coping with Change
Watts, 2021, pp32, £8.99,
9781445172118
PHSE. Resilience
Change affecting our lives is scary.
Exploring some common areas of
anxiety and conflict in the hope of
offering ways to cope.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande and
Annabel Tempest (Illustrator)
How to Change the World
Puffin, 2021, pp32, £6.99,
9780241410349
Citizenship. Politics
Fifteen true stories from around
the world and through history, of
people working together to create
change for the better.
Wild Wanderers
From the leap of a hare and the gentlest breeze
to a blazing star and exploring the seas,
Wild Wanderers is a series of poetic exploration
which will inspire children across the world.
‘The Happy Hedgerow will encourage children
to engage with the rich variety of life on their doorsteps’
Andrew Motion
Elena Mannion’s charming tale celebrates the delights of our
humble hedgerows, and all the wildlife they support.
www.graffeg.com
Tel 01554 824000
sales@graffeg.com
Publication 02/09/2021 - 32 pages - £10.99 - ISBN: 978-1-9996398-9-1
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www.pikkupublishing.com
School Librarian_Wild Wanderers series advert 121 x 86mm_P1.indd 1 30/07/2021 13:02
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
39

Books: 7 & Under
Faruqi, Saadia
Yasmin the Football Star
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Raintree
2020, pp32, £5.99
9781474793674
Football. School. Feelings
Book 13 in the ‘Yasmin’ series which follows
Yasmin and her multi-generational Pakistani
family dealing with a variety of real-life
situations (earlier books in the series have seen
Yasmin the Chef, Yasmin the Zookeeper and
Yasmin the Builder to name but a few).
Everyone in Yasmin’s class is excited to play
football … except for Yasmin. She’s seen the
pros play and it looks scary! She asks if can she
be a supporter instead, or maybe the water girl
or even the referee? So, when Miss Garcia puts
her in goal, will she step up or back out?
Though your avid fans may find this a little
light on football content, this is nevertheless a
charming story about overcoming a situation
in which you may not feel confident. Yasmin
triumphs by finding the courage to try
something new. The large print and full colour
illustrations, as well as the ‘Learn Urdu with
Yasmin’ and ‘Pakistan Fun Facts’ at the back,
make this perfect for emerging readers.
Lizzie Ryder
Fellereau, Raoul
A Smile
Illustrated by Hoda Hadadi
Pikku Publishing
2021, pp32, £10.99
9781999639877
Empathy. Friendship. Community
This book does just what the title suggests:
it brings a smile to the reader’s face. It is a
wonderful evocation of the ways that a smile
can make both the giver and receiver feel. It
shows a wide range of people and the effect
that a smile can have; whether the person is
rich or poor, happy or sad, young or old, they
can all benefit from a gentle smile from a friend
or stranger.
This book was written as a poem by the French
writer Raoul Follereau, who died in 1977, but
it shows that great writing and thought never
go out of fashion. It has been turned into this
lovely book by the illustrator Hoda Hadadi.
The artist has created a visual interpretation of
the smile by using a range of very bright and
cheerful colours, and the smile on the faces of
most of the characters makes the reader want
to express this sense of joy. This is definitely
a wonderful book to read to a very young
audience, whether as individuals, or in a class
environment for those in foundation or key
stage 1.
Margaret Pemberton
Foreman, Michael
Noa and the
Little Elephant
HarperCollins
2021, pp32, £6.99
9780008413286
Animals. Africa. Conservation
Noa loves to watch the elephants play in the
water near his village. One day tragedy strikes
when the mother elephant is killed by poachers,
leaving a lonely orphan who Noa and his village
adopt. The little elephant helps out around the
village and becomes Noa’s best friend. Then one
stormy night Noa gets swept into the flooding
river and is in terrible danger, but little elephant
comes to his rescue and they both make it
safely to the riverbank. Beautifully written and
illustrated by Michael Foreman, this is a heartwarming
story about a friendship between a
boy and an elephant. But it also introduces the
topic of conservation and poaching to children
and doesn’t shy away from that. There is a
very interesting foreword by Julius Obwana, a
Ugandan Wildlife Ranger, explaining why he
has dedicated his life to protecting wildlife,
and the book is produced in conjunction with
Tusk – a charity which protects African wildlife.
Forman’s lovely watercolour illustrations and
monochrome vignettes work really well to
convey the African landscape and wildlife, and
it could be used to in schools to support work on
Africa as well as wildlife conservation.
Isobel Powell
Garland, Sally Anne
Stuck Inside
Sunbird Books
2021, pp40, £12.99
9781503758667
Play. Imagination. Lockdown
This isn’t specifically about lockdown, but
could certainly be used to talk about feelings
around isolation with younger children. A little
girl is stuck inside because of bad weather and
her pet dog has hurt his paw. What fun can they
have, stuck inside? As it turns out, there’s lots of
fun to be had! A very joyful book with engaging
illustrations and a lovely message to boot.
Jo Sennitt
Goodfellow, Matt
Shu Lin’s Grandpa
Illustrated by Yu Rong
Otter-Barry Books
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781913074029
Families. Culture. Empathy
Shy Lin’s Grandpa is full of beautiful Chinese
paintings and illustrations and the story follows
Shu Lin as she starts a new school. She is lonely,
especially at break and lunchtimes when she eats
her lovely vibrant foods all by herself. The other
children are intrigued by her but when Shu Lin’s
Grandpa comes into the school to talk to all the
children, and he shows them some wonderful
Chinese paintings, everything changes.
This is an uplifting story which transforms
the power of art and imagination for young
people to further develop understanding about
other cultures around the world and develop
empathy. It is so important for young children
to learn about cultures especially with schools
becoming more diverse and multi-cultural.
Learning about these cultures can teach
children about prejudice and how we need to
look after and welcome everyone who wants to
join our country in order to unite us all.
This book will be an excellent addition to all
primary libraries and classrooms to develop
fabulous conversations about countries around
the world.
Emma Suffield
Goodhart, Pippa
Best Test
Tiny Owl
2021, pp32, £7.99
9781910328743
Friendship. Rivalry. Pictures
A delightful picture book incorporating the best
of what an excellent book for small children
should be. Best Test addresses the issue of peer
rivalry between five friends; they all want to
eat a juicy strawberry but can’t decide who
deserves it most and so devise a test. Of course,
they all end up good at something and the last
laugh is on the sixth member of the cast, the
snail, who trumps them all! When poor little
shrew is upset that they’ve lost, the snail dishes
out the wisdom needed to give us a happy
ending: everyone is a winner because they have
all become best friends.
The illustrations are gentle, colourful, and
sensitively depict each character’s qualities.
Word choices make a jaunty read; assonance,
rhyme, rhythm and alliteration abound and the
text tiptoes through the book in short blocks,
mirroring the pictures in perfect harmony.
Pastel pages and attractive font complete the
visual feast.
This storybook has been carefully written and
designed and is a beautiful creation for small
children to look at and share with carers. A
perfect bedtime story.
Janet Sims
40
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 7 & Under
Goodwin, Jane
Arno and His Horse
Illustrated by Felicita Sala
Scribble
2021, pp32, £11.99
9781912854899
Toys. Loss. Memory
An Australian picture book about the loss of a
much-loved toy as well as missing a beloved
Grandpa. The Australian influence is apparent
as the landscapes and way of life is that of
wide, open plains and children roaming and
exploring the great outdoors. This is reflected
in the russet and muted green tones of the
illustrations. Arno’s family appears as a diverse
mix of happy faces when shown in their flat-bed
truck. Everyone cheerfully rallies round to help
find the lost carved horse, but it’s only when
dreaming of Grandpa in his strong youth that
the dream tells Arno where to find the horse,
who in turn does his best to find his way back to
his best friend.
Reassuring and rhyming, this book gently
connects us to those we love even if we are
physically apart.
Dawn Woods
Grimshaw, Kath
The Cookie
Self Published
2021, pp38, £10.99
9781838423605
Coping. Friendship. Education
The Cookie is the story of two young boys,
Lewis and Laurie, who are friends. One day,
at school, Lewis shares his cookie with Laurie.
Unfortunately, Laurie has an anaphylactic
reaction. The story then shows what actions are
necessary to keep Laurie safe, and then what
impact this has on his friendships.
As the mother of a child who had an
anaphylactic reaction to peanuts at school, I
cannot overstate the importance of a book like
this. Anaphylaxis is life-threatening and it is
important not only to educate the child who
suffers from it but also all around them.
Andrea Rayner
Hart, Caryl
Meet the Oceans
Illustrated by Bethan Woollvin
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781526603630
Oceans. Habitats. Rhyme
From the same author/ illustrator partnership
that brought us Meet the Planets, we have
another lively and engaging rhyming text
which, in this case, will introduce younger
readers to the world’s oceans. Gently
informative about issues of conservation as
well as introducing children to the wonders
of the myriad of creatures to be found in
these habitats, there is a surprising amount
of enjoyable learning to be had. The lively
illustrations with Bethan Woolvin’s trademark
pops of neon colour will be irresistible and
the very useful personified map at the end is a
brilliant aid to discussing the geography of the
oceans and how they are connected. A delight
to read aloud, this will prove just as popular as
their first book.
Joy Court
Jones, Pip
Madam Squeaker
Illustrated by Paula Bowles
Barrington Stoke
2021, pp96, £6.99
9781781129517
Animals. Self-esteem. Equal
opportunities
This is a beautifully presented animal story
about the importance of sharing. Paula Bowles’
jaunty and amusing illustrations accompany a
tale about developing confidence and standing
up for oneself.
‘We are only as small as we let others make us
feel,’ as the owl Sage says, persuading Minetta
the fearful mouse to speak assertively for the
collective good. I enjoyed the term ‘Two Legs’
for humans and the various interactions of the
animals. Pip Jones creates endearing characters
that young children will identify with and the
illustrations complement the text perfectly. I
loved the visual and verbal description of the
two mice climbing the stairs up to the loft,
and the images of the garden at night, also the
description of equality using the concept of a
parliament of owls and the scientific concept
of using a cup as a megaphone. Young children
will enjoy the story and also the simple games
on the inside covers. It was a nice touch echoing
the cup/megaphone design in the endpapers. I
recommend Madam Squeaker for reading aloud
and for young children to read independently.
Lucy Chambers
Kellock, Helen
Out to Sea
Thames and Hudson
2021, pp32, £12.95
9780500652367
Grief. Anxiety. Families
A beautiful and heart-warming visual
exploration of grief and coping with anxiety.
Kellock is a Scottish based illustrator and
storyteller who has won or been commended
for many illustration awards in recent years.
Here, Lara’s tears at the death of her Nana
sweep her out to sea, where she experiences
being totally alone and lost as she drifts
endlessly. But then she realises she is not alone,
and rows back to shore where she remembers
all the lovely things that remind her of her
Nana. The story acknowledges this may not
be the last time she feels alone and stricken
but now she knows she will always find her
way home.
The illustration is glorious – full of dark hues
which gradually become lighter and brighter.
Her illustration style is painterly, free and
flowing, creating a beautiful book that will be
read again and again.
Tricia Adams
Klassen, Jon
The Rock from the Sky
Walker
2021, pp96, £12.99
9781406395570
Adventure. Friendships. Hope
The Rock from the Sky is one of
the most beautiful books I have seen in a long
time. The stunning illustrations, also by Jon
Klassen, really bring this book to life. Split into
five different sections, this charming story will
fill you with hope for the tortoise to make the
right decision.
Tortoise has his favourite spot and he doesn’t
want to move anywhere else. When a friend
comes to join him, he has a bad feeling about
the spot so decides to move away. But, he wants
Tortoise to join him and as they are too far away
to hear each other Tortoise decides to go over
so they can talk properly. But he doesn’t like
the spot and returns to his own. Then another
friend appears, snake, and tortoise decides
once and for all to join them. A rock falls just
where he had been standing in his favourite
spot and their new friendship begins.
This is a marvellous book about taking risks,
finding new friendships, trusting your new
friendships, and how adventures can still
happen when the unexpected occurs. I
absolutely loved this book as it is a valuable
conversation starter about feelings for children.
Emma Suffield
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
41

Books: 7 & Under
Lawston, Rachel
Finn’s Garden
Friends
Pikku Publishing
2021, pp30, £8.99
9781999639884
Nature. Friends. Family
When Finn and his mother move to the town to
live in his grandfather’s flat, Finn really misses
the countryside. However, his grandfather
opens his eyes to the wonder of nature in the
city when he takes Finn to see his allotment.
Soon, Finn is studying plant and insects and
then discovers hedgehogs and urban foxes that
share the city space. Importantly, while Finn
is discovering this wonderful world, he is also
building a strong and very close relationship
with his grandfather
This is a delightful story about family, learning
to live with change, and understanding the
world that we live in. We see the way that
nature finds balance and begin to understand
that mankind needs to take account of the
creatures that share the environment we live
in. It is not “our” environment only, so we have
to create ways to enable animals to survive.
The illustrations are delightfully executed and
extend our understanding of the story. I love
the information section at the end, especially
the page full of creatures and plants from the
allotment, which will hopefully get children to
explore the space around them.
Margaret Pemberton
Lenton, Steven
Genie and Teeny:
Make a Wish
HarperCollins Children’s Books
2021, pp160, £6.99
9780008408206
Ghost. Humour. Adventure
A proper book with chapters for newly fluent
readers.
Genie and Teeny captures both the funny and
the exciting and involves the reader in the story,
making it personal too. The preface is headed
‘Hello, reader!’ and ends by encouraging ‘the
reader’ to rub the picture of a magic lamp just in
case there is a genie inside. The chapters make
it a proper read whereas the super illustrative
material makes it light and accessible.
Grant is a genie who gets stuck on earth
because he keeps making mistakes with his
wishes. He is a likeable chap with an unusual
magic word: alaka-blam-a bumwhistle. This
perhaps gives the tone of the tale. A surfeit of
alliteration adds to the silliness but will make
children laugh and may encourage reluctant
readers to keep page turning.
I can imagine there may be more adventures
for Grant in the future and he may become a
favourite for 6–8-year-olds. The cover and the
story are suitably gender neutral and I think
this book will encourage reading and develop
vocabulary for those who are ready.
Janet Sims
MacCuish, Al
The Bee Who Spoke
Illustrated by Rebbecca Gibbon
Thames and Hudson
2021, pp21, £6.99
9780500652497
Nature. Adventure. Magic
Belle loves her life in Paris, understanding and
feeling that the city loves her too. Every summer
she goes to stay with her grandparents who live
in the countryside. This is always the time for
adventures and the year when her grandfather
gives her a bicycle, her summer becomes very
special indeed. After a close encounter with
an oak tree, Belle is befriended by a talking
bee who shows her the harmony of the natural
world which has ‘a place and a purpose for
everything.’ When Belle returns to Paris, she
becomes aware of nature in the city too. It is
appropriate that the book ends with Belle
dreamily recollecting what she has learnt as her
summer has been a waking dream.
The message of The Bee who Spoke is that we
need our eyes to be opened to the complex
beauty of the environment where all creatures
and plants work together. Many teachers will
find this a valuable book to help their classes
to explore ecological concepts. The very
unobtrusive narrative allows these ideas to
predominate. The tone is of this book is unique,
being a gently poetic idyll about the summer
countryside.
Jaki Brien
Marlow, Layn
Noah’s Seal
Oxford University Press
2021, pp32, £11.99
9780192775115
Imagination. Adventure. Nature
Noah and his nana go to
the beach every day to fix their boat so that
one day they can go out to sea and see the
seals. While he waits for Nana to finish fixing
the boat, Noah plays in the sand. Digging a
hole, he realises that the sand he has dug out
is forming a mound that looks very like a seal.
He pats and strokes it into place, finds shells
and seaweed to finish the job, and soon has
his very own smiling seal to lie beside while
he dreams of sailing out to sea. Suddenly a
storm blows in, and Noah and Nana must take
shelter in the boat. When they emerge, the seal
is gone – has he slipped into the waves? Noah
is sad that he didn’t get to say goodbye, but as
they make their way home, he spots something
in the waves. Whatever could it be? Layn’s
illustrations perfectly capture the movement
of the waves, the ponderous weight of seals on
land, and their light playfulness in water. Noah
is delightfully realised in all his moods, from
wistful gazing out to sea to excited wonder at
meeting his seal. Just lovely.
Helen Thompson
Mckee, David
Elmer and the
Lost Treasure
Anderson Press
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781783449491
Elephants. Treasure. Explorers
Elmer the patchwork elephant and his cousin
Wilbur are going for an exploring walk in
the jungle with three other elephants. Elmer
disappears down a steep slope and finds
himself outside an overgrown palace. While
Elmer and Wilbur marvel at the mosaics,
fountains, and sculptures which they find, the
other elephants search for the ‘Lost Treasure’ of
the jungle. After a drenching in a trick fountain,
the elephants decide to go home. Some are
disappointed that they did not find any treasure
but Elmer and Wilbur see things differently.
Elmer and the Lost Treasure is a richly satisfying
picture book. As ever, McKee develops his
story through the unity of text and pictures.
The language is direct but with a verve and
variety which will make children listen eagerly
and later explore in their own reading. (The
description of the elephants tumbling down
a steep slope is splendid.) The pictures are
equally important as they do much more than
illustrate the text. They move the story forward,
offer detail, and convey the elephants’ feelings
and reactions in an accessible way. This will be
a joy for all young readers.
Jaki Brien
Morpurgo, Michael
A Song of Gladness
Illustrated by Emily Gravett
Two Hoots
2021, pp36, £12.99
9781529063318
Music. Animals. Emotions.
Morpurgo takes the reader on an emotional
and yet hopeful journey celebrating the world,
carried through the story by immersive lyrical
language which builds suspense to a climax,
gently implying practical activities for the
reader. Themes of diversity, unity, mindfulness,
and dealing with emotions are explored,
enabling the reader to become emotionally
grounded in an accessible way which is not
too intense for the young mind. The value of
all creatures in the world, including humans,
and the importance of preserving it are also
clear themes which would enable further
conversations around sustainability, as well
as encouraging pupils to be actively in nature
and draw inspiration from it. Beautiful and
characterful illustrations support us on this
immersive journey in a relatable way, enabling
the less confident reader to access the text
too. Dealing with the sadness caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic, this book brings together
in a tender way the emotions we have all gone
through and enables us to see hope in the world
around us.
Meg Barclay
42
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 7 & Under
Morpurgo, Michael
The Birthday Duck
Illustrated by Sam Usher
HarperCollins Children’s
Books
2021, pp48, £12.99
9780008335083
Farming. Animal-welfare. Responsibility
This is a fictional account of a boy’s visit to
Nethercott Farm, in the Farms For City Children
educational charity, founded by Michael
and Clare Morpurgo in 1976. Morpurgo takes
the reader into the life of city boy Sam. His
reluctance, fears, uncertainties, and ultimate
conversion to loving farm life, are woven
into a text written at a cracking pace. Usher’s
lively illustrations contrast places, highlight
emotions, and provide good discussion starting
points for the story themes.
From mild peril (Sam rescues Duck from
the dinner table), the reader is led through
concealment, reunion, confession, and
disappointment to the “safe ending”. The
language is accessible, lending itself to reading
aloud and quiet reading to oneself; varied
sentence structure, vocabulary choices, figures
of speech, and punctuation make this valuable
for key stage 1 literacy.
Serious issues are raised, such as animal
welfare, honesty and taletelling, making this
also a useful text for PHSE at KS1.
Stephanie Barclay
Newson, Karl
How to Mend
a Friend
Illustrated by
Clara Anganuzzi
Studio Press
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781787417717
Empathy. Sadness. Friendship
Friendship is something that we all need, but
it can be different things to different people.
Children gradually begin to understand these
variations as they get older, and this magical
picture book explains the many ways that
friendship can be shown. Whether it is sharing
a hug, giving space to be alone, or writing a
caring note, this book shows the myriad of ways
that we can tell others that we care.
Karl Newson has written a wonderful evocation
of friendship, and has drawn on the support he
received whilst undergoing cancer treatment;
this ranged from the healthcare professionals to
friends and family, as well as many others who
were admirers of his work. The text is concise,
using rhyming lines that provide a wonderful
rhythm to the book. The illustrations are delightful
and so sympathetic to the text. This book should
be in everyone’s empathy collection and should
be in all foundation and reception classes,
although it deserves to be read throughout
primary school. It is a total joy of a book.
Margaret Pemberton
O’Neil, Richard
The Lost Homework
Illustrated by
Kirsti Beautyman
Child’s Play
2019, pp32, £6.99
9781786283450
Travellers. Families. School
A beautiful paperback for preschoolers and the
first school library. Sonny lives on a Traveller
site and the story tells about his weekend.
Many features of Traveller life are portrayed
and several words are given in Romany
language – some of which are used in everyday
English, like ‘kushti’. Although Sonny loses his
homework, he is able to practise all his school
subjects over the weekend at home – very
appropriate for anyone still homeschooling!
Alison A. Maxwell-Cox
Penfold, Alexandra
Big Feelings
Illustrated by
Suzanne Kaufman
Bloomsbury Children’s
Books
2021, pp40, £6.99
9781526639776
Emotions. Feelings. Playing
Big Feelings is a story of a diverse group of
children who meet up on a piece of waste
ground to play and explore. They have big ideas
to transform their play area, but sometimes big
emotions get in the way – how can they deal with
how they are feeling? The repeated refrain and
the colourful illustrations, showing how they
overcome both the physical challenges and their
various feelings, take you on the journey as they
create their own special playground.
This is an ideal book to read with young
children. It would promote discussion as they
encounter the problems and emotions. What
would they do? How would they solve that
issue? Throughout, the emphasis is on talking
about their ideas and feelings and learning to
work together.
The inclusion of many different faces, the detail
in the pictures, and the surprise fold-out page
which gives a sense of scale all make this a
delightful book.
Brenda Heathcote
Pham, LeUyen
Outside, Inside
Anderson Press
2021, pp48, £7.99
9781839131172
Covid-19. Isolation. Resilience
A charming picture book
reflecting the social isolation events of the
pandemic – from the normal routine of a
busy street to the same street devoid of all
people except one small child peering out of a
window. It shows how everyone in the world
was affected. One double-page spread has
multiple images of a hospital, from routine
appointments in masks, to the iPad shared
with patients, to the exhausted staff collapsed
on a chair. It includes what people did in
their homes (including schoolwork!) to the
emptiness of the outside world. But nonetheless
everything continues to grow! It doesn’t
specifically mention Covid-19 but stresses ‘it
was the right thing to do’. Throughout, a black
cat wanders between inside and outside and is
our hopeful guide to the final brightly-coloured
pages of when everyone went outside again.
The words are sparse, but the pictures are many
and allow the reader to find their own meaning
and experiences within it. Extremely useful
as a discussion starter, and although aimed at
younger children I would use this across all age
groups – and with adults too. The illustrations
feature many and various diverse characters.
Janet Dowling
Quayle, Ruth
Magnificent Mabel and
the Magic Caterpillar
Nosy Crow
2021, pp128, £5.99
9781788005968
Family. Naughtiness. Truth
Mabel, in her own opinion, is magnificent.
In the opinion of her sister Meg, and Meg’s
friend Max Roberts, she is a handful. Meg and
Max, unlike Mabel, are old enough to have
homework, and do it together. Mabel dislikes
Max. When her imaginary friend Marcella
cuts off a chunk of Max’s hair, and marks
his homework, his opinion of her is clearly
vindicated. No wonder her mother keeps
closing her eyes and sighing. But Mabel is pretty
magnificent, too. She is full of imagination and
enterprise, and these three stories prove it.
Whether at war with Max, or given custody of
the class caterpillar, or convinced of her poor
eyesight because she wants a glasses case that
goes clickety-click, her exploits are hilarious
and wonderfully true to life.
These stories are ideal for reading aloud to
classes at key stage 1, and will inspire lively
discussion about the gap between what Mabel
thinks and what is true. Fine for children
growing in reading confidence. The bold and
witty illustrations give plenty of clues about ‘the
whole truth’ as Mabel sees it, and as others do.
Peter Hollindale
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
43

Books: 7 & Under
Rawlinson, Julia
Fletcher and the
Caterpillar
Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781913733933
Nature. Animals. Discovery
A useful tool to introduce younger pupils to
nature and wildlife, this story is a simple but
sweet take on discovering the natural world
around you through the world of a fox and the
life cycle of a caterpillar. Lovely descriptive
language and varied adjectives help the reader
to visualise what’s going on as well as introduce
them to new vocabulary and sentence
structures. A beautiful book to look at, the
wonderfully characterful and highly detailed
illustrations are a real highlight, adding to the
sense of magic and wonder through creating an
immersive and captivating visual environment
which readers of all ages will want to linger over
and certainly return to. The book also explores
themes of friendship, patience, and discovery
in a gentle yet effective manner.
Meg Barclay
Rentta, Sharon
Animal Explorers:
Toby The Deep-Sea
Diver
Alison Green Books
2021, pp32, £6.99
9780702301926
Oceans. Animals. Exploration
Toby the Deep-Sea Diver is part of a new picture
books series, ‘Animal Explorers’ that is aiming to
inspire budding explorers to follow their dreams
and go on adventures across the world. In this
instalment we join Toby the tiger, who loves to
dive in the ocean and dreams of going down into
the deep. Toby is able to realise his dream with
the help of a bison who can make anything from
rubbish including a magnificent submersible.
We go on an adventure with Toby and discover
the colourful creatures that live on a coral reef.
When Toby then discovers a Turtle who is
trapped in a fishing net, he quickly saves the day
and sets her free. There are a number of layers
to this book through the use of fiction and nonfiction
to deal with challenging topics from the
environment to the issue of sexism and racism
that two real-life explorers had to overcome. This
is a beautifully illustrated book which engages
the reader throughout with a range of page
layouts, the use of light and dark when we enter
the deepest part of the ocean, and text spread
across the pages to discover and explore.
Lucy Carlton-Walker
Roberts, Jon
See What I Can Do!
Illustrated by Hannah
Rounding
Graffeg
2021, pp36, £7.99
9781913733896
Disability. Difference. Diversity
See What I Can Do! is an introduction to
diversity and difference in children. Each
double-page spread describes children with
disabilities, explaining the disability but also
focusing on their abilities and talents. It looks
at a variety of differences including dyspraxia,
ADHD, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, and
Down’s syndrome, and is based on the reallife
stories of children from around the world
who live with disability. The book aims to
answer questions children might have about
disabilities in a straightforward way and to raise
awareness about it both at home and at school.
Andrea Rayner
Sediva, Tereza
Mole in a Black
and White Hole
Thames & Hudson
2021, pp32, £11.99
9780500652053
Bravery. Nature. Beauty
All Mole can see in his underground home
is a black and white world. He digs and digs,
trying to find something colourful but he is
disappointed every day.
One day Mole finds a radish poking through the
top of his tunnel like a chandelier. Mole hears
from Chandelier stories of a life full of colour
above ground and is inspired to crawl out of his
tunnel to explore the beautiful world above. The
neon illustrations in this book are lovely and
the book is in a landscape format to emphasize
the divide of underground and overground.
It is printed in vivid pantones and has a die
cut hole in the cover where you can see mole
peeping out.
The moral of the story is about staying in your
comfort zone and being brave enough to come
out of it. A great book for very young children.
Jane Pepler
Shamma-Sourgen, Nadim
Take Off Your Brave
Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
Walker Books
2021, pp40, £12.99
9781406399707
Poetry. Feelings. Reading
Take off your Brave is completely charming, in
no small part due to Yasmeen Ismail’s joyous
illustrations. The result of an experiment by
a poetry teacher (Kate Clanchy) and a parent
(Ismail) in the teaching of poetry to pre-school
children, this book is packed with the thoughts
and feelings of very young children with very
little intervention by the adults. It is a complete
eye opener into how poetry can work with young
children. Having said that, there are certainly
lines that will make you stop and think, poems
that will make you smile, and many that you will
come back to and want to share. I might even go
as far as to call some of these poems profound –
‘Scared-Sugar’ and ‘Take Off Your Brave’ are
especially insightful and worth exploring with
young readers. The production values are
superb. A matt cover, sturdy pages, beautiful
design, and of course amazing illustrations
bolster the fascinating poetry. I can see this book
being used as inspiration for poetry creation,
with the introduction by Clanchy providing
guidance to any adults keen to start exploring
poetry with preschool children.
Helen Thompson
Sheehan, Lisa
Just being Ted
Buster Books
2021, pp32, £6.99
9781780557021
Friendship. Difference.
Acceptance
A sweet and sensitive look at difference,
acceptance, and friendship, this book is both
a lovely story in its own right as well as being
a useful tool for any pupils and classes who
might be dealing with these issues. Sheehan
uses accessible language alongside playful
and characterful illustrations to take us on a
relatable and understandable journey exploring
the difficulties of both being different and
also accepting difference in others. The book
will be useful for one to one support for any
pupil struggling socially and provides a good
example of resilience and perseverance for the
individual. It can also be used to support class
and group work, enabling discussion around
the importance of kindness, understanding, and
compassion in peer acceptance of difference –
which are delicately handled without judgement
or condemnation. It would also make a useful
tool to support pupils transitioning to different
classes or schools. Accessible illustrations keep
the atmosphere light and fun as well as visually
engaging for any weaker readers.
Meg Barclay
44
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 7 & Under
Sims, Sean
All Aboard the
Words Train
Oxford University Press
2021, pp32, £6.99
9780192777522
Seaside. Reading. Words
This series introduces children to concepts such
as numbers, shapes, colours, sounds, etc. As
with all Oxford publications, it is well illustrated
and uses a clear font, making it great to share
with very young children.
This volume explores the words encountered
on a trip to the seaside. Explore a world of
words as you splash around on the beach,
explore a coral reef, and visit a tropical island!
Each page focuses on nouns, adjectives, or
verbs, as a gentle introduction to word classes.
This beautifully illustrated and engaging story
introduces key early learning concepts.
With lots to learn, spot, count and talk about
on every page, this brilliant train ride is worth
taking again and again!
Carolyn Copland
Smith, Adam
The Plesiosaur’s
Neck
Uclan Publishing
2021, pp32, £7.99
9781912979424
Sea. Fossils. Discoveries
The Plesiosaur’s Neck is bound to be a popular
choice in school libraries. Readers meet Poppy
the Plesiosaur and then consider why some
species of plesiosaur had very long necks. Each
possible reason is explained in simple rhyming
text and then much more detail is given in
a block of accessible, traditional exposition
which will enable the adult sharing the book
with children to explore the theory more fully.
There is also a supporting cast of prehistoric sea
creatures given to introducing readers to some
gloriously appalling puns and jokes.
Multi-genre books can be quite confusing for
inexperienced readers, but this is not so here
because the different genres are very carefully
signalled with text boxes, speech bubbles, and
font changes. The rhyme and rhythm of the main
text is composed in ways which will provide
additional information for independent reading.
The tone is jaunty and never condescending,
readers are told that scientists do not have all the
answers yet and there is still much for the next
generation of palaeontologists to discover.
Jaki Brien
Smith, Alex T
Claude at the Palace
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp95, £5.99
9781444932010
Adventure. Royalty. Fun
This was my first adventure
with Claude, and what a delight he is! The very
dapper Claude, a dog, is bored staying at home
during a very rainy day and wants to go out and
explore. Along with his reticent best friend, Sir
Bobblysock, he hits the streets in search of fun.
Suddenly they hear cries for help and following
their intuition they end up at the palace where
they are mistaken for royal nannies. High jinxes
ensue in which lots of jam tarts are splodged
and paint splurted by royal children and in
which Claude tries to save the day. This is a very
fun book with excellent illustrations throughout
– sure to be very popular with all readers, this
is a great addition to what seems to be a large
collection. I’m looking forward to reading
them all.
Jodie Brooks
September Special - MFL for Children
We have created specially-selected collections for children in French, Spanish, German,
Italian, Portuguese and Russian, to support your language classes and library users.
Visit our All our websites page for our single-language websites and
our Our showroom page to book a visit to our showroom.
www.europeanbookshop.com email: bookshop@esb.co.uk Tel: 020 7734 5259
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
45

Books: 7 & Under
Sparkes, Amy
The Magic Crayon
Illustrated by Ali Pye
Puffin
2021, pp32, £6.99
9780141378985
Magic. Adventure. Family
Chloe suffers from her mischievous older
brother, Jack, who loves to play tricks on her.
The discovery of a magic silver crayon gives
Chloe the ideal opportunity to gain her revenge
by drawing a witch who comes to life and, as
she has always wanted a pet, changes Jack into
a frog. Chloe immediately regrets her drawing
and sets off to rescue Jack, entering a dark wood
filled with ill-intentioned fairy-tale characters
who she thwarts with her magic crayon. At last
Jack is recued, the witch is happy with her newly
drawn pet (a small, winged elephant), and family
harmony is restored with Jack’s apology – until
he has another good idea for teasing his sister.
The Magic Crayon is a very skilful bringing
together of the traditional themes of a fairy
story with some innovative magic twists which
make the story feel contemporary and original.
The rhyming text is smooth and is presented in
ways which enable the reader to predict what
will be on the next page. The supported text is
matched with pictures which carry an equal
responsibility for developing the richness and
depth of the story.
Jaki Brien
Stubbs, Rachel
My Red Hat
Walker Books
2021, pp32, £7.99
9781406394368
Family. Emotions. Adventure
My Red Hat depicts a grandfather and his
granddaughter as they share a heartfelt and
lovely moment as he passes on his red hat to
her and the love and meaning behind it. They
talk about emotions such as being scared,
of not standing out, and of being happy. He
explains the adventures they can go on together
– over jungle terrain and climbing mountains
… as the hat he gave her will give her the
comfort and support she needs to do it. It’s full
of emotion and was similar to having a great
big hug! The illustrations are beautiful and very
memorable. The way the hat transforms in each
page to being something different was very
clever. Highly recommended.
Jodie Brooks
Swann, Karen
The Tale of the Whale
Illustrated by Padmacandra
Scallywag Press
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781912650491
Ocean. Pollution.
Responsibility
A beautiful rhyming tale of friendship, which
reminds us all that we have a responsibility not
to fill our oceans with rubbish! This book needs
to be in every library across the country so that
all our children realise that we all have a part to
play to stop causing distress to sea creatures by
disposing of single use plastic. The breathtaking
illustrations and thought-provoking text makes
it a very magical book with a message that must
be listened to. The direct appeal at the end
will hopefully inspire the reader to take part in
beach cleans and become a responsible citizen
by disposing of their rubbish in a safe way. The
pictures tell their own powerful messages with
the sea gull with a can holder around its neck
and a seagull swooping towards a plastic bag.
As well as being a beautiful story book, it has
endless educational opportunities, making it a
popular choice with teachers.
Rebecca Taylor
Trinder, Theresa
There is a Rainbow
Illustrated by Grant Snider
Chronicle Books
2021, pp52, £11.99
9781797211664
Hope. Community. Separation
Inspired by the rainbows seen so frequently in
windows throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,
Theresa Trinder has created a reassuring and
positive picture book full of hope. The lyrical
text acknowledges the difficult moments
of separation from friends and loved ones,
the adjustment to online schooling, and the
constraints placed upon us, but at the same
time highlights the connections still possible
despite the situation. There is a kind, uplifting
tone to the message and the spare text, almost a
poem, encourages the reader to linger over the
illustrations and read more slowly.
Grant Snider’s crayon illustrations depict
scenes children will recognise from the last
eighteen months; the rainbows and Zoom
boxes on the computer screen which are now
so familiar. However, this could equally apply
to any situation when we feel distanced from
others or have suffered loss. Sometimes it is not
only circumstances that cause children to feel
separate from others, it may be emotions that
overwhelm them. This gentle book encourages
children to look to the future with optimism. An
uplifting message of community and resilience.
Anne Thompson
Webb, Holly
The Beach Puppy
Illustrated by Ellie Snowdon
Barrington Stoke
2021, pp88, £6.99
9781781129500
Pets. Holidays. Adventure
Ruby’s dad has arrived home with a wonderful
surprise – Coco the sausage dog puppy! When
the family go on holiday to the seaside, of
course Coco will be coming too. The beach
is a thrilling place for a dog – so many sights,
smells, and holes to dig! Ruby and Coco can’t
wait to spend the day splashing in the waves
and playing in the sand. All is well until disaster
strikes when Coco disappears; suddenly she’s
lost and all alone on the huge, busy beach. Will
she ever find her way back to Ruby?
Holly Webb has forged a well-deserved
reputation for writing entertaining books,
many of them about animals. I have yet to meet
a child who doesn’t enjoy her stories – good
plots, well written, and with great illustrations.
Barrington Stoke have led the way in publishing
books on high quality paper with a dyslexiafriendly
font, which makes reading more fun.
Carolyn Copland
Woodgate, Harry
Grandad’s Camper
Anderson Press
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781783449835
Grief. LGBTQ+. Families
This is a tender tale of
love and loss, with warm illustrations to
complement the story. A small girl enjoys
holidays at Grandad’s house, who tells her all
about his campervan adventures with Gramps
– and she decides to make more memories for
Grandad by inspiring him to fix up the old van
and go on another adventure with her. A lovely
depiction of a diverse family and a positive
reinforcement that families can be different.
Children will respond very positively to this,
and the story is very poignant and relatable.
Jo Sennitt
46
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Stories for growing imaginations from
ANDERSEN PRESS
A touching celebration of love in all its
forms from rising star Harry Woodgate.
9781783449835
Another joyful book from the creators of
Luna Loves Library Day and Luna Loves Art.
9781839130564
Ravi learns how to swap his grumpy hat
for happy socks in this uplifting story.
978183913036
Inspiring new fiction series about
environmental activism for 8+ readers.
9781839130526
A laugh-out-loud story from the
winner of the Diverse Book Award.
9781839130496
An extraordinary WW2 novel
inspired by a true story.
9781783449651
Making a new family brings questions,
surprises, and joy in this modern classic.
9781839130458
Hilarious and heartwarming new novel from the
author of We Are All Made of Molecules.
9781839130571
One of Buzzfeed’s 2021 YA Books
to Look Forward To.
9781783449781
www.andersenpress.co.uk

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Ainsworth, Eve
The Perfect Shot
Uclan Publishing
2021, pp304, £7.99
9781912979530
Football. Grief. Feminism
It is 1918 and narrator
Freddie is back home in Lancashire after the
war. Formerly a keen, competent football
player, he now has an injured and painful
leg which means he won’t play again. He is
also shell-shocked and haunted by guilt. His
younger sister, though, a factory worker, is an
enthusiastic player in the Dick, Kerr Ladies
football team, which is beginning to do well,
and they need an official photographer.
The characterisation, especially of the feisty
footballers, factory boss Mr Frankland, and
Freddie’s troubled dad, is strong. I also liked
the account of Freddie’s gradual evolution as
a sports journalist and the depiction of a local
newspaper office a century ago. I’m no football
fan but I found this novel – with its feminist
and inclusivity themes – pretty gripping, and
I learned a lot. To my ignorant surprise it’s all
based on the real-life Dick, Kerr Ladies team,
whose history is well documented. This novel
is a sequel to Kicking Off! and the series is set
to continue, but I read it as a standalone and it
works perfectly well as such.
Susan Elkin
Bower, Susie
The Three Impossibles
Ruskin Children’s Books
2021, pp320, £7.99
9781782692928
Fantasy. Adventure. Alchemy
Mim is constantly nagged to
behave like a princess, but she’d much rather
run freely, read books, or wonder about the
forbidden Outside. She has an ‘Enquiring Mind’
but no one answers her questions. When a new
governess arrives, along with her henchmen
and a curious ‘leetle pet’, Mim realises that it’s
up to her to save the day and to finally find out
what exactly happened on the day a horrible
curse changed everything.
This is a page-turning fantasy adventure with
an endearing protagonist and clever twists
and turns. The premise has a fairy tale-like
flavour, but this princess is certainly no damsel
in distress – someone who gets things done,
regardless of the obstacles. Readers will
enjoy meeting all sorts of unusual characters,
including creatures of the sea and of the air,
who make the story even more imaginative and
enchanting. A delightful read.
Marzena Currie
Boyden, Robin
Georgia and the Edge
of the World
David Fickling Books
2021, pp208, £8.99
9781788451796
Graphic novel. Adventure. Stories
When a strange bottle washes up on the shore
of the small town of Angleston it can only mean
one thing – an adventure of course, and Georgia
is more than ready for an adventure. Follow her
and all the exploits that unfold as the adventure
does through this full-colour graphic novel
absolutely packed with images, actions, and
far more besides. If you have not found graphic
novels before then this one will be a great
introduction to them for you.
Georgia, as we have established, is looking for
an adventure; she finds one, one that will take
her to the very edge of the world. Georgia has
grown up loving stories, and more than that,
loving stories about adventures. Before now she
has never been allowed to have one, in fact she
has not even been allowed to leave Angleston.
Luckily, her pet donkey and a good dose of
imagination have been all she has needed, until
now … Brilliantly crafted by Robin Boyden, this
graphic novel is a great progression from the
Phoenix Comics published by David Fickling
Books into a full length story book.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Brownlee, Liz, and
Goodfellow, Matt and
Mucha, Laura
Being Me: Poems About
Thoughts, Worries and
Feelings
Otter-Barry Books
2021, pp96, £7.99, 9781913074654
Grief. Emotions. Hope
Admittedly, when I picked this up to read, I
had a sinking feeling – oh no, another book of
poems about feelings. I’ve seen some books
whose purpose has been to make sure you
knew what these feelings were. But I was
relieved to find this book was different – they
are about behaviours, and you find your own
sense of emotion within it. The poems on the
page are different shapes and sizes, although
none spread over more than two pages. I could
read them as a poem, sing them as a song, or
just rap them. Furthermore, there is a section
written by a clinical psychologist, Dr Karen
Goodall, which gives an overview of the value
of talking about emotions, and the more we
talk about them the more we create a story for
ourselves that makes sense. She advocates the
use of the poems as a way of engaging young
people in talking about their mental health
and offers a useful question format for group
discussions. Probably for 8+ through to adult. I
shall certainly be using it in my own practice.
Janet Dowling
Carney, Jen
The Accidental Diary
of B.U.G.
Puffin
2021, pp272, £6.99
780241455449
Families. Humour. LGBTQ+
This is the accidental diary of Billie Upton
Green (BUG) because it is supposed to be a
spelling practice book! But who wants to do
boring spellings when there are so much more
interesting things to write about, such as the
mysterious thief stealing things from school,
or the new girl Janey and her showing off.
Billie is suspicious that not only is Janey the
school thief but that she is also trying to steal
her best friend, Layla. Even more annoyingly,
Janey doesn’t seem to know much about the
world and Billie has to tell her that yes, two
women can get married (after all, Billie’s mums’
up-coming wedding is the event of the year).
This is a lovely fun story with an irrepressible
character in Billie who many children will relate
to, especially her mixed feelings about new girl
Janey. The format with the cartoon illustrations,
charts, and visual puns really add to the appeal,
and the discussion of Billie’s adoption by her
mothers is handled well in a light-hearted way
which would help other children understand
more about it. Perfect for increasing diversity in
junior fiction collections.
Isobel Powell
Carroll, Lewis
Through the Looking
Glass and What Alice
Found There
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Macmillan Children’s Books
2021, pp320, £25.00
9781529007503
Classic. Fantasy. Curiosity
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through
the Looking Glass, were originally published
over 150 years ago and need no introduction.
However, Chris Riddell’s beautifully illustrated
new edition brings the story back to life and will
delight a new generation of children.
Riddell reinterprets the old story, making
it seem perfectly contemporary for today’s
child. His characters are alive and jump off the
page, looking at the reader and demanding
a relationship. The full page and large
illustrations, together with the enticing page
layouts, will allow younger children to be
immersed in the story if it is read to them.
Alice’s curiosity and resourcefulness will
resonate with today’s readers. Riddell has drawn
Alice like the dark-haired child Alice Liddell, for
whom it was written. The well-known cast of
characters, including the Red and White Queens
and Humpty Dumpty, are brilliantly captured in
his inimitable and approachable style. A must for
every child’s bookshelf.
Sue Bastone
48
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Chan, Maisie
Danny Chung Does Not
Do Maths
Illustrated by Anh Cao
Piccadilly Press
2021, pp288, £6.99
9781800780019
Families. Humour. Multi-cultural
Danny is 11 years old and loves drawing above
everything else. His Dad thinks he should be
good at maths! He has his own room above the
family’s takeaway, where he loves having his
own space and being able to let his imagination
and his drawings take over. When his dad
announces a big surprise – and new bunk
beds arrive in Danny’s room – the last thing he
expects is his Nai Nai (Grandmother) arriving
from China to share his room!
As Nai Nai speaks no English and Danny
doesn’t speak any of the dialect she uses, he is
tasked with looking after his Nai Nai for the long
summer holidays as she settles to a new way of
life – not what he had planned for the summer.
It doesn’t take long for Danny and his grandma
to settle into a slightly odd relationship – which
grows, exhibits warmth and empathy, and
gradually the two of them realise they have
much more in common than they thought. A
delightfully funny, family story that is filled with
humanity.
Tricia Adams
Dean, Benjamin
Me, My Dad and the End
of the Rainbow
Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
Simon and Schuster
2021, pp332, £7.99
978147119738
LGBTQ+. Adventure. Families
Archie (12) tells the story of his unhappiness
when his parents split up and his father moved
out, and his desperation to ‘get back to normal’
when they were a happy, united family. The
break-up was triggered by two words from his
father: ‘I’m gay.’ Archie is confused; he feels his
parents are not explaining the situation. Finding
a flyer for the London Pride March in his father’s
car, he decides to go to London: he would find
the answers to all his questions there.
He and his two friends set off for the capital and
thus begins an adventure, by turns scary, sad,
and hilarious. A few deft brush strokes sketch
in the serious, clever and slightly timid Seb and
the energetic, resourceful Bell, the girl who
completes the threesome. And … the ‘buzz’, the
‘thrill’, the magic of London!
No young person could fail to enjoy this story;
there is a happy ending, and much wisdom
emerges in the telling: the fact that we are all
different and that we can learn so much from
each other; that people –be they straight or
gay – can be kind and generous in sharing their
wisdom, the fruits of their experiences.
Elizabeth Finlayson
Foxe, Steve and Calle, Juan
What’s in the Woods?
Illustrated by Alan Brown
Raintree
2021, pp40, £5.99
9781398205680
Horror. Graphics. Bullying
What’s in the Woods is part of the Scary
Graphics series of ‘comic book frights for
younger readers’ published by Raintree. Andy
is dropped off at his first summer camp by his
mum who reminds him it’s only for three weeks
and he can ring home if he feels homesick.
Unfortunately, this is witnessed by some of the
older boys who start to bully Andy and try to
scare him with tales of vicious faerie creatures
who make strange circles in the woods. Andy
is determined to prove he’s not scared so goes
into the woods where he finds a circle made of
stones, sticks, and bones. He is convinced the
older boys made it so destroys it and brings
some of the items back to show the others. But
he has broken the circle and those who made
it want their tokens back. The format is perfect
for enticing reluctant readers and great for
young horror fans, with lights going out, scary
red eyes, and weird noises – this book does not
have a happy ending!
Barbara Band
Gibbons, Alan
Keeper
Illustrated by Chris Chalik
Barrington Stoke
2021, pp80, £6.99
9781781129630
Football. Friendship. Families
New boy Shane Logan bursts
into class, loud and confident, and immediately
joins the football match at break time and
starts ordering everyone around! To avoid
upset, Peter suggests he tries goalkeeper and
to everyone’s amazement he turns out to be
a natural. So, Peter invites him to join their
Sunday League team and he comes along
with Mick. But Shane seems scared of Mick
who is yelling orders and insults from the side
lines. Can the boys find out what’s wrong and
help Shane? As well as the obvious football
angle this Hi/Lo story from Barrington Stoke
successfully covers wider themes of bullying,
anger, and domestic violence. It also has
between each chapter a couple of pages of facts
about goalkeeping, from its history to short bios
of the most famous keepers in the world. It is
an engaging story that deftly weaves Shane’s
problems at home with exciting on the pitch
action and it definitely makes a change to have
a football book not about the star striker. This
will have lots of appeal for any football mad
reluctant readers, especially this year!
Isobel Powell
Howell, A.M.
Mystery of the Night
Watchers
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp352, £7.99
9781474991063
Mystery. History. Comet
This book is a gripping adventure packed full of
mysteries, secrets, and lies and is full of twists
and turns throughout.
Set in Edwardian England, this historical mystery
will fill you with joy and is exciting from the very
first line right through to the very end. Nancy
and her sister Violet are told to accompany her
mother to stay with their grandfather in Suffolk,
the grandfather they didn’t even know existed…
They are told to stay in the house, and not to
open the curtains as no one must know that
they are there. Wandering the house, Nancy
discovers an observatory at the top of the house
and watches her mother and her grandfather
creeping about the town every night. What are
they doing? Nancy investigates and stumbles
across mysteries which may put her and her
whole family in danger…
A fast-paced read with short chapters that is
accessible to all and is perfect for fans of any
middle-grade mystery novels. This books just
has it all and I cannot wait to see what A.M.
Howell publishes next.
Emma Suffield
Ivison, Lucy
Sequins and Secrets:
The House of Serendipity
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp228, £6.99
9781474982092
Modern fairy tale. Resourcefulness.
Friendship
Sylvia is a Duke’s daughter with a sketchbook
full of designs for dazzling gowns and who
doesn’t want to be a debutante. Myrtle has a
sewing machine and magical skills, learnt from
her dead father, who wants to make fabulous
clothes and enough money to bring her sick
mother home from Ireland. So, two resourceful
and talented people form an unexpected
partnership to rescue Sylvia’s sister Delphine
by recreating her sea monster of a ball gown so
she finds herself the belle of her coming out ball
and marries the man of her dreams. Together
they design and make a scandalous trouser suit
for Agapantha to wear at her ball and help her
escape to join an expedition to the Amazon.
This a rich and engaging story about talent,
hard-won skills, and total dedication. It is
about kindness, friendship, and respect across
the rigid class boundaries of 1920s England.
But Myrtle can never forget that she only
has herself and her skills to rely on and that
stepping out of line risks her job and people can
be quick to accuse.
David Mallett
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
49

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Jones, Rosie
The Amazing Edie
Eckhart
Illustrated by Natalie Smillie
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp272, £6.99
9781444958348
Disability. Friendship. Drama
Edie, who narrates this upbeat tale of positive
achievement, has cerebral palsy (as does its
author, comedian, Rosie Jones). Her wobbly
legs don’t stop her doing much: she takes falling
over on regular basis in her stride, and she is
cast in the lead role of the school’s production of
A Christmas Carol – a female, disabled Scrooge?
Why not? And incidentally she doesn’t mind
the word ‘disabled’. That’s what she is. It’s a fact.
It doesn’t help her if you pretend you haven’t
noticed. Crucially, as Edie starts secondary
school this is a novel about friendships,
relationships, and “difference”. Her lifelong black
friend Oscar looks after her, as he vowed he
always would when they first met in Reception,
but, fond as she is of him, perhaps she should
now be more independent? Then he gets
distracted by a girlfriend, so perhaps Edie needs
a boyfriend. Gradually – and the reader sees it
coming long before she does – Edie realises that
actually her relationship with Flora is the one
which really excites her. This enjoyable novela
tackles lots of issues but it’s lightly done. Edie’s
voice is strong and she’s entertaining company.
Susan Elkin
Jones, Sharon Marie
Grace-Ella: Pixie
Pandemonium
Illustrated by Adriana J Puglisi
Firefly Press
2021, pp142, £5.99
9781913102623
Friendship. Honesty. Protecting trees
Grace-Ella is a young witch who is still learning
her spells and trying hard to keep to the ‘Nine
Golden Rules’. When she returns from witch
camp, she finds a stowaway forest pixie, Buddy
Whiffleflip, in her rucksack. Against the advice
of Mr Whiskins, her talking cat, she allows
Buddy to stay for a holiday. Buddy hides in
her school bag and over the next few days the
use of pixie dust alters the course of ordinary
events and creates pandemonium at the school
fundraiser.
Grace-Ella is a sweet character keen to do
the right thing. She uses her magic within
the rules to expose the cheating of the school
bully, Amelia, and she does her best to keep
Buddy from causing too much mischief. This
is a fun story for younger readers focusing on
friendship and honesty.
Ellen Krajewski
Jozefkowicz, Ewa
The Cooking Club
Detectives
Zephyr
2021, pp192, £7.99
9781789543605
Detectives. Cookery. Social issues
This gentle story describes how members of
a cooking club turn detective to try and halt
the sale of the building housing a children’s
community club. There are sensitive
descriptions of family life and social issues,
such as dealing with bullies, online trolling,
single parent families, poverty and job losses,
and many positive issues too, such as the value
of friendship, families, communities, empathy,
and self-esteem. All this is interspersed with
delicious simple recipes that everyone can
try as the narrator encourages her friends to
cook. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns as the
children conduct online searches and incognito
interviews. The story encourages people to help
each other, whether it is by sharing blogging
skills, turning detective, kindness, or through
cooking and eating together.
I recommend this book as a middle grade read
aloud.
Lucy Chambers
Lewis, Gill
A Street Dog Named Pup
David Fickling Books
2021, pp304, £10.99
9781788452182
Animals. Empathy. Friendship
Pup and his boy are inseparable,
but one dark night Pup is taken and dumped
in an alley. All he wants is find his way home to
the boy who loves him but he’s no idea of where
he is. Pup is found by a pack of street dogs that
help him survive, but still hopes he will be
reunited with his boy one day. This adventure
story grips the reader from the beginning,
and they accompany Pup on his journey as he
finds himself in one situation after another;
finding a home then being rejected, fighting for
his life, and finally in the kennels where he is
convinced he will be taken through the ‘Door of
No Return’.
Told from Pup’s perspective, this is a tale
of abandonment, friendship, and the bond
between human and dog. There are episodes of
animal cruelty and descriptions of illegal dog
fighting that some readers could find upsetting
but there are also lighter, funnier, and more
heart-warming parts. Reminiscent of Watership
Down and illustrated with evocative black and
white drawings, this book is gripping, gritty,
and haunting but also full of love and hope.
Barbara Band
Mangan, Steven
Escape the Rooms
Illustrated by Anita Mangan
Scholatsic
2021, pp256, £6.99
9781407193625
Grief. Comedy. Adventure
Join Jack and Cally in a very wild adventure in
this debut children’s novel by Stephen Mangan
with illustrations by his talented sister Anita
which bring the book to life throughout. This is
a unique and wonderful story that manages to
address childhood loss and grief while being
funny and bizarre, which is not easy to achieve.
This really is one of those books where you have
no idea what is going to happen next, from a
pack of miniature ravenous lions to the very
dangerous kiken nut, to the Creatures of Ham
and the slightly terrifying slow children. Jack
and Cally have to work together to ‘Escape the
Rooms’ by trusting each other, being true to
themselves and ultimately coming to terms with
the tragedies they are both having to face. The
use of description matched with the original
illustrations brings the story and characters to
life, including Wanda who is marrying a duck
in a cape and Gary who really needs to learn a
new way to eat biscuits. This really is an eccentric
book that leaves you guessing till the end, which
at its heart is a story of friendship and learning to
be kinder to yourself.
Lucy Carlton-Walker
Marr, Shirley
A Glasshouse of Stars
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp272, £7.99
9781474991087
Grief. Friendship. Nature
This is the unique and magical
story of Meixing Lim, her family, and the New
Life they begin together in the New Land. This
New Land is unfamiliar, and Meixing finds it
difficult to understand the other children at
school. Her parents are different here, she is
embarrassed by her second-hand clothes, and
things are not as she had imagined they would
be. Her new home seems to grow and shrink
at will, conjuring extra rooms out of thin air
one minute and squeezing staircases out of
existence the next.
Confused and lonely, Meixing encounters
a tuxedoed cat who leads her to a magical
glasshouse where the impossible unfolds before
her very eyes. Suddenly, Meixing has a place
to think and dream, and just be herself. When
tragedy tears her family apart, Meixing finds
friendship in unexpected places and learns that
being brave together is much easier than alone.
Brimming with empathy and compassion, this
is a captivating tale of love, loss, and learning
to grow. Meixing is joined by a whole host
of compelling characters who demonstrate
remarkable bravery and resilience in the face of
the unknown.
Alison King
50
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Best New Books for Gifted and Talented Readers
Editor’s pick
Eve Ainsworth
Know my Place
Barrington Stoke, 2021, pp128, £7.99,
9781781129807
Families. Fostering. Trust
Amy’s long-term foster placement
breaks down so is sent to live
with a new family. Just when she
is settled she overhears half a
conversation which worries her.
Sophie Anderson
The Castle of Tangled Magic
Saara Katariina Soderlund - illstr
Usborne Publishing, 2020, pp41, £7.99,
9781474978491
Fantasy. Magic. Russia
Olia is destined to save a magical
land from an evil wizard, so has
to draw on her own strength to
save everything and everyone
she loves.
M G Leonard and
Paddy Donnelly (Illustrator)
Twitch
Walker, 2021, pp304, £7.99,
9781406389371
Birds. Bullying. Crime
Twitch arrives at his secret
birdwatching hide to find police
everywhere and a convicted
robber hiding nearby. Can Twitch
discover the dangerous prisoner
and find the missing loot?
Mitch Johnson
Pop!
Orion, 2021, pp352, £7.99,
9781510107618
Adventure. Environment. Humour
Queenie goes on the run and
notices the waste left on the
planet. If she can escape she can
make a difference.
Emma Sheva
Anthea Simmons
M Evan Wolkenstein
Benjamin Zephaniah
How to Save the World with a
Chicken and an Egg
Kirsti Beautyman illstr
Chicken House, 2021, pp320, £6.99,
9781910655474
Animals. Conservation. Environment
Ivy and Nathaniel come together
with the arrival of a giant
leatherback turtle who attracts the
world’s media. So the pair set out
to protect her.
Burning Sunlight
Andersen Press, 2021, pp320, £7.99,
9781839130441
Environment. Friendship. School
Zaynab from Somaliland and
Lucas from rural Devon discover
a common cause. They fight
for their right to protest and
make a real impact on the local
community.
Turtle Boy
Usborne Publishing, 2020, pp400,
£7.99, 9781474981385
Adventure. Disabilities. Friendship
Two boys unite over common
interests to conclude that life is
too short to live in a shell.
Windrush Child!
Scholastic, 2020, 2pp08, £6.99,
9780702302725
Britain. Historical. Racism
A young Jamaican boy arriving
in Britain in the late 1940’s as
part of the Windrush generation
encounters unexpected racism.
Journey to the Edge of the World …
New from award-winning children’s author
Erika McGann
In bookshops September 2021
www.obrien.ie
The O’Brien Press is represented in the UK by JB Booksales Ltd:
www.jbbooksales.co.uk / office@jbbooksales.co.uk
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
School Librarian.indd 1 03/08/2021 12:14:09
51

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
McGann, Erika
Tabitha Plimtock and
the Edge of The World
Illustrated by Philip Cullen
O’Brien Press
2021, pp288, £7.99
9781788492492
Adventure. Climate change. Environment
Plimtock lives with her family at the top of a cliff
on the very edge of the world. Like all the best
heroines, Tabitha is mistreated by her family and
spends her days completing chores and running
errands up and down the cliff face, encountering
a host of interesting characters along the way.
But there’s a problem! Monsters in the shape of
atrociteri are climbing the cliff in search of food,
having been driven from their dingy home at its
base by a change in its ecosystem. Can Tabitha
and her scientist friend Dr Sherbrook solve
what’s going on before it’s too late?
This is a romping adventure with an important
message about climate change and how
interlinked species are. The strong female STEM
characters are a delight. Despite the serious
subject matter, the novel is a humorous read,
ranging from clever word play to fart jokes.
In several places, the narrator addresses the
reader directly, leading to the story feeling like a
conversation. Although currently a standalone
title, I’d be more than happy to spend time with
Tabitha on another adventure.
Shona Page
Nicholls, Sally
An Escape in Time
Illustrated by Rachael Saunders
Nosy Crow
2021, pp272, £6.99
9781788001243
Historical. Magical. Family
The reader is brought into a continuing story
of a magical mirror that acts as a time portal
for travel; the Pilgrim children, having been
brought back to 1912 and 1872 previously,
are now pulled back into 1795 to meet past
ancestors in a tale of adventure, romance,
magic, French revolutionaries, and ultimately a
tantalising ending.
This is a delightful read, and sits comfortably
as a stand-alone story. Nicholls writes at a pace
to engage nimble young minds, without heavy
explanations and descriptions. The children
are likeable, unafraid, and open hearted.
The story raises historical issues that ask for
light debate: witchcraft and beliefs to explain
phenomena, the French revolution, emigration
and its place in colonisation, but these are not
heavy or imposing themes. Characters from
the past are made “real” through their quaint
language styles; whether or not “authentic”,
these voices help separate the different periods
very effectively.
A good tale and addition to the fiction section
for young fluent readers.
Stephanie Barclay
O’Doherty, David
The Summer I Robbed a
Bank
Illustrated by Chris Judge
Puffin
2021, pp304, £6.99
9780241362235
Comedy. Families. Friends
Fun, laugh-out-loud middle grade story with
great themes of making friends and valuing
family, with a surprisingly touching ending that
you may need tissues for. Rex doesn’t make
friends easily and due to his parents’ break
up and an accident he is sent to spend his
summer with his eccentric uncle on a remote
Irish island. Sounds boring – but after making
friends with the girl next door and her dad he
gets involved in a wacky plot to rob the mobile
bank (for a good cause!) and gets involved
in lots of slapstick fun as a result. Themes of
friendship, family, and grief run through the
story but are addressed with a light touch and
consequently have more impact when they
crop up in the middle of the comedy of the text.
The Summer I Robbed A Bank would make a
good class read for Year 4/5, and would provoke
much discussion around family breakups,
morality, and bereavement.
Bev Humphrey
O’Grady, Roderick
Bigfoot Mountain
Firefly Press
2021, pp272, £6.99
9781913102418
Bigfoot. Adventure. Family
This is a delightful book that
combines mountain adventure with family
themes. Minnie and her friend Billy live in a
village of holiday lodges. Minnie is mourning
her mother, who died and left her in the care of
her stepfather Dan. Dan has no real warmth for
Minnie, but had promised his dying partner he
would care for her till she was 18.
Minnie, Billy, and their dog Musto find some
enormous footprints and realise that a Bigfoot
family (Sasquatches) have entered their territory.
Dan never moves without his hunting rifle, but
Minnie strikes up a friendly relationship with
the Bigfoot family, especially with the youngster
Kaayi. These enormous Sasquatches live a
kind of Neanderthal life, sleeping in shelters,
eating bark and sometimes small game. They
are particularly fond of fish and seafood.
Minnie discovers that her cabin is right in the
pathway that takes the Sasquatch family to the
sea, and insists that Dan move the cabin. The
Sasquatches repay him with fish, and we find
that Dan is as much in mourning as Minnie,
and a real warmth develops between them. Her
resented guardian ‘Dan’ has become ‘Dad’.
Martin Axford
Pryor, Shawn
Trail Trouble
Illustrated by Alan Brown
Raintree
2020, pp72, £5.99
9781474794657
Adventure. Camping. Survival
On a summer vacation with his family, Marlon
Keys is about to hike the Appalachian Trail. He
isn’t exactly thrilled about the trip, and he’d
rather play on his smartphone, connecting
with his friends back home. But when Marlon
accidentally gets separated from the group on
the hike, his “boring” vacation becomes an
exercise in survival. Can Marlon find his way
back to his family and camp safely, or will he
remain lost on the trail?
With detail about camping and survival skills,
this book would appeal to fans of adventure
stories: both the font and the illustrations make
this book attractive to young readers. There are
suggestions for discussion points, together with
further information about the Appalachian
Trail, and it would work well in a class situation
for geography and environmental topics.
Carolyn Copland
Scott-Elliot, Robin
Hide and Seek
Everything with Words
2021, pp304, £7.99
9781911427247
World War 2. The Resistance.
Adventure
As a fan of historical novels, I pounced on
this book. A good, well-researched novel can
bring a specific period to life in a way that is
not possible with a factual history book. Robin
Scott-Elliot has managed to evoke the sights,
sounds and atmosphere of wartime Paris under
hostile occupation.
Paris, 1942. When Amelie Dreyfus hides in
her mother’s wardrobe it’s a game; when
she comes out it’s a matter of life or death.
Her family have been taken during the daily
round-up of Jewish people and at just 13 years
of age, Amelie must fend for herself in Nazioccupied
France. A chance meeting with a
member of the Resistance brings her a purpose
although she soon learns that their lives hang
by a thread and she is forced to flee to Britain
when their network is betrayed. Events bring
her to the attention of the SOE and she is
given a chance to return to Paris for one final,
desperate mission.
The historical detail is excellent and the author
provides suggestions for further reading.
Carolyn Copland
52
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Soundar, Chitra
A Sliver of Moon and a
Shard of Truth
Illustrated by Uma
Krishnaswamy
Walker Books
2021, pp112, £6.99
9781406398137
Friendship. Folktales. Problems
Here are four stories drawn from Indian folklore
in which two friends, Prince Veela and Suku, a
farmer’s son, use their wits and their cleverness
to solve the many challenges they are faced
with. So, they win a competition by imitating a
peacock to make a peahen sing, they defeat a
champion wrestler by tricking him into pouring
sand into his eyes. They solve an argument over
the ownership of a fig tree by giving it to the
protagonist – who would rather give it up than
see it cut down.
Short, simply constructed sentences give pace
and clarity to the narrative, making this an ideal
text for a newly independent reader. The boys
are engaging – who wouldn’t want to be their
friend? – but the reader never forgets that an
absolute ruler can punish on a whim.
Uma Krishnaswamy’s vignettes on many of the
pages draw on tradition and set the stories in
place and time.
David Mallett
Thompson, Sam
Wolfstongue
Little Island Books
2021, pp224, £6.99
9781912417759
Nature. Adventure. Language
Silas is taunted at school for not
being able to speak. Then one day he helps a
wolf called Isengrim with a pin stuck in its paw,
which brings him to the attention of Reynard the
fox. Reynard and his fellow foxes can not only
talk but are skilful, persuasive speakers. They try
to get Silas to help them track down Isengrim.
However, Silas won’t cooperate, and after he is
maimed by one of the foxes, Isengrim returns
and carries him on his back to get help. This is
the start of a fast-paced adventure in which Silas
helps the wolves to resist the foxes’ attempts
to enslave them. For the wolves don’t have the
same way with words as the foxes, even though
physically stronger than them, and Reynard is
able to use this against them. It is only when Silas
finds the strength to speak up for the wolves that
they regain some of their self-confidence.
This short book is beautifully written and
illustrated and offers some thought-provoking
reflections on the power of language and man’s
relationship with animals. There are some
entertaining cameos from a sly cat named
Tybalt and a flighty crow named Corax.
Isobel Ramsden
Ward, Nick
Will Jakeman’s
Marvellous Mechanimals
Guppy Books
2021, pp141, £8.99
9781913101503
Inventions. Battles. Adventures
Will Jakeman is an incredible inventor and
has invented literally everything you could
think of. But how is this possible, you may ask?
Well, he was born on a far distant planet, and
in order to escape evil pirates he was shipped
off to ‘Urf’! And there, being adopted by two
kindly inventors, he sets out in the inventing
field. Soon he has created inventions to deal
with the school bullies and other pests – but
there are further challenges to come his way ...
such as a power-hungry inventor who will stop
at nothing, and other beasts – not to mention
other humans in need of help. Filled with
details of inventions and illustrated with the
loving care that anyone who loves inventions
would appreciate, this book is a must for
anyone who likes creating machines and
playing with their imagination. The book would
especially appeal to children in key stage two –
and the addition of various almost blank pages
invites children to try their hands at further
inventing. Great fun.
Rudolf Loewenstein
THE SOUND OF EVERYTHING
‘A sensitive,
mesmerising
coming-of-age
novel, a must-read
for any YA devotee’
- Independent best YA
books 2021, Best New
Talent
‘Outstanding’ -
Patrice Lawrence
‘A rare precocious
talent’ - Alex Wheatle
THE BEAR WHO SAILED THE
OCEAN ON AN ICEBERG
From a Carnegie
nominated author, a
brilliantly funny and
touching story about a
lonely boy who finds
a polar bear in his
parents’ freezer. How
did Monty get there?
And who is Monty?
Official name, Wilbur
Ambrose Cedric
Reginald Montague,
the Third. Monty to his
friends. Age 7 plus.
www.everythingwithwords.com
info@everythingwithwords.com
SHADOW TOWN HIDE AND SEEK RITA WONG AND THE JADE
MASK
From the author of The
Wolf Road, picked by
The Times & Sunday
Times, FT, Guardian
as one of the Best
Children’s Books of
2020, a compelling
thriller about a boy
caught up in a land of
shadows ruled by a
mysterious queen.
Age 9 plus.
When Ameìlie Dreyfus
hides in her mother’s
wardrobe it’s a game;
when she comes out
it’s a matter of life or
death.
‘A powerful
wartime adventure
from the author of
The Tzar’s Curious
Runaways.’
- The Bookseller
Age 9 plus.
A fast detective story
set in a landscape
studded with danger,
the unexpected
and lots of humour.
Rita and Lester are
detectives for hire.
Their first case
involves two vampires,
a jade mask and a
baron mysteriously
drowned in vat of
lemonade.
Age 9 plus.
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
53

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Armstrong, Neil
The Book of Bok:
One Moon Rock’s
Journey Through
Time and Space
Illustrated by Graham Baker
Smith
Wren & Rook
2021, pp40, £14.99, 9781526362278
Space. History. Moon
In 2006, Neil Armstrong was named Ambassador
of Exploration, and NASA give him a small
fragment of basalt rock that he had brought back
from the moon. During his acceptance speech,
he named the rock Bok and imagined all the
amazing things it must have seen throughout
the solar system’s history. This picture book
unfolds that history through Bok’s eyes as the
reader is introduced to lots of interesting facts
about the formation of the moon. Billions
of years of history unfold until the time Neil
Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon,
picks Bok up and brings it back to Earth for
research. Young readers will be delighted by
the detail. The relatively recent existence of
Homo sapiens, compared to the history of the
Earth, is seen through Bok’s eyes. Six famous
people across history are foregrounded and may
encourage further investigation. The book ends
with interesting information about the moon,
the earth, and Neil Armstrong. A fascinating
introduction for young readers.
Carolyn Boyd
Barr, Catherine
Fourteen Wolves
Illustrated by Jenni Desmond
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2021, pp48, £12.99
9781526607492
Animals. Wolves. USA
EDITOR’S PICK
This beautifully presented book recounts the
story of how wolves were reintroduced to the
USA’s Yellowstone Park after an absence of
70 years, during which time the ecosystem had
become disrupted. Catherine Barr describes
in evocative detail the wolves’ journey and
ultimate release, how they adapted to their
new surroundings. Through tracking devices,
scientists have gained an insight into the wolves’
lives, from how they hunt in packs to cub rearing.
Jenni Desmond’s detailed illustrations are superb
and perfectly complement the text. I loved the
picture of the wolf in the cage, its whiskers and
pelt drawn in detail, and another of their journey
by sled, and of the female placing her cubs in
the stream. Text in different sizes means that the
book can be read at different levels of complexity.
Each wolf is described individually at the end
of the book and there is also an interesting
explanation of the ecosystem and details of
worldwide conservation programmes involving
rewilding. This is a stunningly beautiful and
informative book and will appeal to anyone aged
8 and above who wants to learn about animals,
nature, and conservation.
Lucy Chambers
Barr, Catherine
A Turtle’s View of the
Ocean Blue
Illustrated by Brendan Kearney
Laurence King Publishing
2021, pp64, £14.99
9781786279095
Nature. Ocean life. Sea
This splendid book is a joy to read. Packed
with bite sized pieces of information, it is
written in a lively, accessible style from the
viewpoint of our narrator, the turtle. The text
is balanced with sympathetic and delightful
illustrations. A pretty comprehensive overview
of virtually every aspect of ocean life is covered.
The straightforward divisions of sections
and subsections, as in the second part ‘How
oceans work’ which includes ‘Watery waves’,
‘Turning tides, ‘Choppy currents’, ‘Choose your
zone’ and ‘Intertidal zones’, helps the book to
be easy to read and understand. A detailed
index facilitates quick reference. There is also
a decent glossary. I discovered many unknown
(to me) and fascinating facts within these
pages. Highly recommended as instructive,
enlightening, and entertaining.
Alison Hurst
Borstlap, Christian
Is There Life on
Your Nose?:
Meet the Microbes
Prestel
2021, pp56, £12.99
9783791374970
Microbes. Biology. Microbiology
Exploring the amazing world of microbes
through quirky, bright illustrations and clear,
concise, informative text, this is a book that
should be in every primary and secondary
school library. The text is cleverly presented in
two halves; the first half contains double-page
spreads of colourful graphics that illustrate
clear, concise information about microbes
and the essential roles they play in supporting
human beings and our planet. The second half
provides in-depth well-balanced explanations
to support each double-page spread, allowing
the book to be read on two different levels:
dipped into or used for research. The graphics
are infused with humour and many are
characterful, but they all highlight the subject
brilliantly. The graphical explanation of the
microbes that cause viruses is very pertinent,
especially as it presents a balanced view,
mentioning that while viruses cause illness
others have been found to do good. I found it so
absorbing that I started to look at the website of
Microcopia, the museum that is recommended
for further research in the small print.
Judith Palka
Burke, Lauren
It’s Her Story:
Rosa Parks
Illustrated by Shane Clester
Sunbird Books
2020, pp48, £6.45
9781503752948
Black history. Civil rights.
American segregation
Rosa Parks is synonymous with the Civil Rights
Movement and is already a well-known name
in schools. That being said, I felt that this little
graphic novel was a perfect introduction to
her and the era of which she was born and
lived in. The illustrations are fantastic, and the
historical content well explained in a fresh and
engaging manner. The comic format means that
it will have wide appeal and is suitable for both
primary and reluctant readers in secondary. A
worthy addition to stocks for project work or
just general interest.
Jodie Brooks
Butler, George
Drawn Across
Borders:
True Stories of
Migration
Walker Books
2021, pp56, £15.99
9781406392166
Migration. Illustration. Borders
As an award-winning reportage illustrator,
George Butler has met and drawn awardwinning
illustrations of people and places
around the world. This book compiles his
illustrations of migrant people, including
Tajik and Kenyan people migrating to cities
for work and refugees fleeing wars in Syria
and Iraq. Accompanying the illustrations are
stories about Butler’s experiences as he was
drawing the illustrations as well as direct quotes
from the people he drew. Those personal,
emotional stories paired with heart-breaking
illustrations make evident the harmful effects
of war and conflict on civilians, but also honour
humanity’s resilience and hope. Butler only
briefly explores each migration experience, so it
would be a great introduction to the topic, and
a starting point for further reading. This book
is absolutely beautiful, so it would be perfect
as part of a display, perhaps for Refugee Week,
and fantastic to share with students aged 11 and
up in library lessons.
Emily Kindregan
54
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

KPC Autum Library Advert 88 x 130.indd 1 25/07/2016 11:59
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VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
55

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Butterfield, Moira
The Secret Life of Bees
Illustrated by Vivian Mineker
Words & Pictures
2021, pp48, £12.99
9780711260498
Bees. Nature. Saving the planet
A colourful, fun, and very informative reference
book about what makes bees so very special. The
book is filled with interesting facts about bees
(even I learnt a thing or two), but, interestingly,
it also contains a number of tales and legends
from all over the world which have to do with
bees. I tested this book on my 7-year-old and
he responded very well to this enthralling
combination of the genres; in a way it made his
reading experience richer and, interestingly,
more effective, as he knew that the factual
information would be followed by a story, which
clearly made it more exciting for him.
With beautiful, vibrant illustrations, this is a
very cleverly designed information book, which
I think will be an asset to any school library, to
be used for a variety of activities, from science
to English and art. The book also has some
suggestions on what children could do to help
look after the bees and eventually help save
the planet. Extra brownie points for the lovely,
bright, very eye-catching cover; the colours
yellow, orange, and gold immediately draw
your attention, while the black of the bees’
stripes makes for a very nice contrast.
Marzena Currie
Coombes, Sharie
Sleep Tight!
Mindful Kids
Illustrated by Katie Abey
Studio Press
2021, pp96, £9.99
9781787417861
Sleep. Mindfulness. Anxiety
Many children are suffering with mental
health issues, and this fun, accessible book
will help them to relax and sleep well. The
presentation is attractive, with cartoon style
doodles and a friendly font. Buddy Bear
and Bob help readers learn more about the
importance of sleep and resting, and how to
combat negative feelings. There is a wide range
of creative activities including colouring in,
drawing, playing games, physical exercises,
making things, and having conversations. The
aim is to help children explore their emotions,
behaviour, and experiences and ‘understand
and express what makes bedtime tricky and
stops you from sleeping soundly’. The tone is
positive and encouraging. Children can work
through the whole book or dip in and out.
There are references to Childline, YoungMinds,
ADHD, autism, and anxiety. The book closes
with ‘The Bit For Grown Ups’ which mentions
organisations that can help.
An important publication for anyone ‘who
wants to help young people develop healthy
sleep patterns’.
Brenda Marshall
Dockray, Tracey
Bright Dreams:
The Brilliant Ideas of
Nikola Tesla
Raintree
2021, pp32, £7.99
9781398203884
Inventions. Electricity. Science
Quirkily illustrated throughout, this book
offers a good grounding in the life and works
of Nikola Tesla. From the inception of his ideas
and passions as a child through to the struggles
and successes he faced in making these dreams
a reality, the book plots his bumpy road to
success, his clashes with Thomas Edison and
other notable figures in the field, but does not
shy away from the problems and hardship he
faced.
It was interesting to read about how if Tesla has
been alive now, he may have been diagnosed
with autism spectrum disorder, thus providing
a positive ASD role model for young readers.
This title is part of the Bright Dreams series and
is great to support the study of inventions and
electricity at key stage 2.
Cassie Kemp
Drinkell, Peter
The Young Cyclist’s
Companion
Illustrated by Thomas Slater
Cicada Books
2021, pp72, £12.99
9781908714961
Cycling. Bicycles. Road safety
With the heightened interest in cycling as a
result of the pandemic, this excellent book
could not be more timely. Written by a selfconfessed
enthusiast, this is aimed at young
people who are just entering into the world of
cycling. It very clearly explains all the basics,
with useful diagrams and concise text. It
explains how to choose the right type of bike
and – even more importantly – how to get
one that fits, really useful basic maintenance,
instruction on cycling techniques and
then information about the next level of
competitions and training. But interspersed
with all this information are enjoyable quotes,
facts, and cycling trivia and history. These,
together with the attractiveness of the overall
design and the use of stylish typography,
photographs and illustrations, make this an
enjoyable as well as extremely useful guide.
Joy Court
Enz, Tammy
Discovering Motion
Raintree
2021, pp24, £11.99
9781398202276
Motion. Physics. Science
Sir Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion
are explained clearly and concisely using
terminology that young children will be able
to follow and understand. It is an excellent
introduction to the topic. The colourful,
informative photographic illustrations add
meaning to the text. I liked the idea of including
a ‘motion flick test’ enabling children to test
their new knowledge. There is an excellent
glossary and recommendations of websites and
books which will allow readers to explore this
topic further.
Judith Palka
Evans, Frances
The Green Rebel
Activity Book
Buster Books, 2021, pp96, £7.99
9781780557113
Climate Cchange. Recycling.
Eco-friendly
A clever and visually slick activity book
designed to entertain and inspire greenminded
readers. Carefully chosen activities
consolidate existing knowledge and reinforce
positive messages and role-modelling – from
simple challenges such as ‘Love Your Leftovers’
(how many meal ideas can you come up with
using a limited list of left-overs?) to more
open-ended activities like the ‘10 changes you
would make to help the planet’, these engaging
and accessible projects show young readers
the simple changes they can make at home or
at school to make a difference and help protect
the planet. It is impressively inventive: there’s
recycling sudoku, spot the jelly fish hiding
among the plastic bags, complete the maths
sums to discover orangutan facts (apparently
5 × 4 + 28.5 × 2 = the percentage of DNA that
humans share with orangutans) as well as lots
of opportunities for writing and designing your
own content too. Everyone loves an activity
book, but this moves beyond the simple
wordsearch to impart quality content and
inspiration – it could be just the thing to spark a
green revolution in your school!
Lizzie Ryder
56
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Gooding, Louise
Just Like Me
Illustrated by
Angel Chang et al
Studio Press
2021, pp96, £12.99
9781787418486
Differences. Disability. Bullying
This handsome book is all about ‘differences’. We
are all unique, the author argues, so we are all
‘different’. People who are in some conspicuous
way ‘different’, because of disability, illness or
accident, are nonetheless just like the rest of us,
and as capable of high achievement. She takes
forty examples of ‘different’ high-achieving, wellknown
people. Each of them has a two-page
spread, with an artist’s portrait, a biographical
sketch, and a summary of accomplishments,
followed by a medical note on their particular
challenge. The first (alphabetically) is Beethoven
(deafness), but most are present-day, from a
wide range of countries and backgrounds. A few
achieved much in a very short life, like Nkosi
Johnson (HIV/AIDS) and Mattie Stepanek
(muscular dystrophy), but most are alive and
well and busy. They include Ellie Simmonds and
Warwick Davis (forms of dwarfism), Usain Bolt
(scoliosis) and Greta Thunberg (Asperger’s). Just
how much such a book is needed is shown by
the frequency of reported bullying and isolation
they experienced at school. A useful resource
book about very impressive people.
Peter Hollindale
Guillain, Charotte
The Deep Blue
Illustrated by
Lou Baker Smith
QED Publishing
2021, pp64, £12.99
9780711250055
Oceans. Environment. Science
Large format and exquisitely illustrated, this
is a highly informative and quite detailed key
stage 2 non-fiction book about oceans. It ranges
across geography, ecology, botany, zoology,
and what we now call “environmentalism”. The
writing style – several substantial paragraphs
on each page – is an impressively neat blend
of accessibly scientific and elegantly literary
(‘tough tangled trees’ and ‘clouds of green’). I
learned a lot from this book especially about the
twilight (200 metres down) and midnight (even
deeper) zones where there is no sunlight. And
I knew nothing of deep-water chimneys which
form vents from the underwater hot springs
below the floor of the Pacific ocean releasing
natural chemicals which feed essential bacteria.
The book also includes sections on coral, the
melting of polar ice, the horrors of dumped
plastic, how tides work, and a great deal more.
There’s a good index and a list of organisations
and books to help young (or not so young)
readers find more information. The rich, plain
cobalt blue endpapers are a lovely touch.
Susan Elkin
Haworth-Booth, Alice
Protest: How People
Have Come Together
to Change the World
Illustrated by
Emily Haworth- Booth
Pavillion Children’s
2021, pp168, £14.99
9781843654582
Freedom. Community. Activism
‘Protest is a creative art constantly reinventing
itself. But at its heart is the idea of people
coming together to speak the truth and change
the world’. So says the introduction to this
timely history of protest which illustrates
how very ordinary people can achieve quite
extraordinary things.
From the first workers’ strike in Ancient Egypt
to Greta Thunberg’s school strike for climate,
this book takes the reader through centuries
of non-violent protest in all four corners of the
world, taking in the French Revolution, fighting
slavery, suffragettes, Women’s Lib, Greenham
Common, Tianaman Square and much, much
more, all in bite size chunks and presented in a
very accessible graphic novel format.
Beautifully illustrated, this is a book to inspire
our young people to stand up for what they
believe.
Ellen Krajewski
Hoare, Ben
Activists Assemble –
Save Your Planet
Illustrated by Jade Orlando
Pan Macmillan
2021, pp64, £8.99
9780753446201
Eco. Activism. Environment
This is a great information book aimed at
primary school children.
It has information on habitat and hunting,
climate change, food, pollution, at home, and
cities and travel. There are some lovely sections
on David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg,
but also lesser-known voices such as Wangari
Maathai, Melati, and Isabel Wijsen.
There is a useful glossary of terms at the back
of the book and sections such as ‘Discussion
Time’ which features questions such as ‘How
would you design a Green City?’ with space to
write and draw. There is also a quiz, a ‘Find Out’
section and a ‘Get Active’ section.
All in all, a great book for our budding
environmental activists to provide them with an
understanding of green issues and to motivate
them to become champions of our precious
planet.
Jane Pepler
Hoare, Ben
Wild City: Meet the
Animals Who Share
Our City Spaces
Illustrated by Lucy Rose
Macmillan Children’s Books
2020, pp64, £12.99
9780753446102
Geography. City. Animals
This is a wonderful and detailed encyclopaedicstyle
book, taking different global cities and
looking at the various animals found in them.
Perfect for the budding naturalist, it is packed
with interesting facts and useful nuggets of
information interspersed with lovely immersive
illustrations of these environments – making
it accessible for the weaker reader too. Each
double page takes readers to a different city
introducing key geographical vocabulary and
inspiring readers with the wonders of the world;
beautifully celebrating diversity and difference.
It includes pages which highlight broader
geographical themes such as ‘Cities at Night’,
supporting readers to think laterally about these
environments too. A sense of wonder is created
and the book finishes with practical actions
readers can take to help support and protect
wildlife – encouraging a sense of ownership and
responsibility for nature. An essential tool for
demonstrating biodiversity and the ecology of
areas where man and wildlife meet.
Meg Barclay
Ip, Betina
Usborne Book of the
Brain and How it
Works
Illustrated by Mia Nilsson
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781474950589
Science. Human body. Brain
This book is an inviting science book designed
to take children on a journey round their brain,
discovering how the different parts work. The
different functions are explained in simple
language and prompted by questions from a
small girl throughout the book. Starting with
what the brain looks like and moving on to cells,
then to how our memory works, emotions,
and decision making, this is a comprehensive
scientific exploration but presented in a childfriendly
style.
This lovely book is hugely appealing but packed
full of information. It also invites further
questions and discussions with plenty to
talk about and share. The bright illustrations
include facts in speech bubbles and text boxes
and encourage browsing with lots of detail and
a touch of humour. There is also a section on
‘Looking After Your Brain’ which takes a look at
mental health in an accessible and appropriate
manner. An index and links to websites to
investigate complete the package.
Anne Thompson
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
57

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Klepeis, Alicia Z.
Space Survival:
Keeping People Alive
in Space
Raintree
2021, pp32, £12.99
9781474788373
Astronaut. Space. Humans
Space Survival gives the reader lots of
information about humans in space. It includes
historical facts about what has happened
in space travel so far and explains about
developments to make space travel safer.
This is a good starter book for independent
research about space. Clearly set out with
contents, glossary, and index. Each page
has a clear purpose, with photographs and
space facts to engage the reader. It does not
overwhelm but gives enough to guide and
arouse curiosity.
Part of a series of books on different aspects
of space, this would be a useful addition to a
class library.
Brenda Heathcote
Lerwill, Ben
Climate Rebels
Puffin
2020, pp96, £12.99
9780241440421
Pollution. Environment.
Conservation
Twenty-five individuals and movements
are represented here, plus a further 16 mini
biographies of important pioneers of the
Green movement, presented with their specific
causes. Described as ‘Rebels’ in the title
because they often challenged current thinking
and the status quo. The earliest example is from
1838 and other examples go up to current day
heroes like Greta Thunberg of whom children
will have heard. The reach is worldwide
including all genders and it covers animal and
plant conservation, the climate, land, waste,
and recycling disposal. The focus is on what
originally prompted the interest of the pioneers,
their subsequent achievements, and their
legacy rather than detailed biographical facts,
but if interested, children then have the basics
to investigate further.
The illustrations are included to add interest,
not to recognise a figure walking down the
street, with various illustrators contributing.
This shows how one person’s interest and
small changes can grow bigger to worldwide
movements – so we too can do the same.
Dawn Woods
Kramer, Jacob
Looking Up:
An Illustrated Guide
to Telescopes
Illustrated by Stephanie Scholz
Flying Eye Books
2021, pp54, £14.99
9781912497249
Science. Factual. Astronomy
Looking Up: An Illustrated Guide to Telescopes
is a beautifully illustrated book that presents
detailed and complex information about
astronomy in a clear, concise, and accessible
way. The double-page spreads look at
telescopes and how they work, as well as
containing information about space and
astronomy. It describes a variety of telescopes,
including Alma, Giant Dishes, the Hubble and
the James Webb Space Telescope. The stylised
illustrations aid the reader’s understanding of
the facts. At the beginning of the book there
is an introduction and at the end of the book
there is a simple index.
Andrea Rayner
Macfarlane, Tamara
Dragon World
Illustrated by Alessandra Fusi
Dorling Kindersley
2021, pp80, £9.99
9780241467510
Dragons. Mythology. Folklore
Despite reading all of the ‘Harry Potter’ series,
I must confess that the world of dragons has
largely passed me by. Dragon World is just
the book to change that. The information is
divided into four broad sections: Asian dragons,
European dragons, other world dragons, and
dragon discoveries. Information is given on
each individual dragon, including details
of their appearance, their powers traits and
where you are most likely to find them. This is
accompanied by a stunning illustration.
Interwoven through the information are a series
of tales from mythology, bringing the dragons
to life. The book also finishes with a step-bystep
guide to drawing a dragon and tips on
how to design your own dragon, encouraging
readers to create their own adventures.
This is a book that works equally well as one
you can dip in to, or one that can be devoured
from cover to cover. It’s great as an introductory
guide to dragons for those who know nothing,
but at the same time, die-hard dragon fans
will also enjoy it. It would work well in either a
primary or secondary school library.
Shona Page
Laverdunt, Damien
Fossils from Lost
Worlds
Illustrated by Helen Rajcak
Translated by Daniel Hahn
Gecko Press
2021, pp72, £14.99
9781776573158
Paleontology. Geology. Geography
This book examines some amazing
palaeontological discoveries and asks major
questions about how the world began.
It features some of the fossils which have been
discovered around the world including in
Germany and at Como Bluff, USA. The book also
examines major species of dinosaur including
the Oviraptor which was initially accused of
being an egg stealer until further evidence was
found to prove that it was in fact protecting its
own eggs rather than stealing them.
One of the areas covered the book is the
Badlands in South Dakota. Awash with
fossils, there are in this area some amazing
finds including a site which contained a
large number of extremely well-preserved
mammoths which basically fell down a hole
and became trapped.
Starting with some of the smallest creatures
and going on to some of the largest, it provides
an excellent overview of some of the rarer
dinosaurs and their ancestors.
Godfrey Hall
Ming & Wah
Escape: One Day We
Had to Run
Illustrated by Carmen Vela
Lantana
2021, pp40, £12.99, 978-1911373810
Refugees. War. Human rights
At the start, we’re given a definition of escape
– to avoid a threatening evil. This sets the
scene for what follows: twelve short accounts
of people escaping various forms of threat,
sometimes alone, sometimes along routes
used by many others. The threats include
war, oppressive regimes, poverty, religious
persecution, and even rising sea levels due
to climate change. Some escapes are well
documented elsewhere, but most of the
accounts feature ordinary people going to
extraordinary lengths to secure their freedom;
relying on their own courage and ingenuity.
This is a fascinating book, strikingly illustrated
by Carmen Vela, whose dedication comes at
the end, after Article 13 & 14 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights: a necessary
reminder that none of these stories should
ever have happened or have a sequel. It could
be used in key stage 2 classroom discussions
around acceptance/British values/racism/
prejudice. It could also be linked to further
study of the people featured or used as the
inspiration for themed displays.
Jane Rew
58
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Ortega, Rena
The Secret Life
of Whales
Thames & Hudson
2021, pp48, £12.99
9780500652671
Whales. Oceans. Science
A beautiful and holistic celebration of whales,
packed with interesting information alongside
artistic and scientific illustrations, this is a
perfect book to introduce and inspire older
pupils about whales and marine life. It is both
beautiful to touch and to look at! Each double
page covers different topics such as evolution,
species, fins, sleep, size, migration, breathing,
to name a few, with nuggets of information set
alongside beautiful yet clear illustrations and
diagrams; giving a well thought through yet
immersive sense of these beautiful animals
within an ocean context. Despite its larger
size, the general use of scientific vocabulary,
terminology and concepts – not always
explained – along with pages dedicated to
information around breaching, injury from
pollution, whaling and what can be made from
whales renders this book more suitable for
confident, less sensitive readers with greater
scientific understanding.
Meg Barclay
Rashford, Marcus and
Anka, Carl
You Are a Champion:
How to Be the Best You
Can Be
Macmillan Children’s Books
2021, pp224, £9.99
9781529068177
Self-esteem. Confidence building. Life skills
Marcus Rushford has become a very popular
role model for many children and so I can see
this book becoming a “must have”. Due to his
many inspiring causes and campaigns and
working together with Carl Anka, a Londonborn
journalist and broadcaster, he has
produced an inspiring piece of work which
will provide young people with a set of goals,
that, in my opinion are totally achievable.
Using his own experiences as examples, he
has put together a plethora of ideas. Famous
for his contribution to Manchester United
Football Club and the England squad, during
the Covid-19 pandemic he has helped to raise
over £20 million together with FareShare – an
achievement that has earned him the respect of
the British public and also an MBE.
I am sure that this book will be extremely
popular with youngsters, providing them with
the inspiration to really be champions.
Godfrey Hall
Sandri, Barbara and
Giubbilini, Francesco
Chickenology:
The Ultimate
Encyclopedia
Illustrated by Camilla
Pintonato
Princeton Architectural Press
2021, pp76, £14.99
9781616899080
Chickens. Animals. Farming
I did a double take when I first saw this
book but I found the contents enchanting.
It introduces us to the wonderful world of
chickens, a barnyard bird full of surprises. Did
you know some chickens are so small they can
perch in the palm of your hand, and others
have feathers that look like a beard? Chickens
can learn to count up to four and have excellent
hearing – many even like to listen to music!
Chickenology takes readers, young and old, on
a fascinating and informative tour of chickens.
Discover the incredible variety of chickens with
different origins, breeds, and feather patterns,
delve into chicken anatomy and evolution, and
even learn the basics of chicken care.
The illustrations are delightful, and I love how
folklore, history, cultures and food, evolution,
and animal physiology are all combined into a
book which can be enjoyed on so many levels.
Carolyn Copland
Shaha, Alom
Mr Shaha’s Marvellous
Machines: Adventures
in Making Round the
Kitchen Table
Illustrated by Emily Robertson
Scribe Publications
2021, pp64, £12.99, 9781913348120
Creativity. Machines. Problem-solving
This big colourful book is a wonderful
opportunity to explore ‘the joy of making’.
This story is designed to explore the variety
of projects which can be made at home. The
book introduces guidelines to build ‘working
machines’ that young people can make
themselves. The contents page highlights four
types: elastic, paper, liquid, and fantastic. Some
machines are very simple, whilst others are
more complex and will require adult assistance.
Author Alom hopes that children will learn
how to play with the machines but will also
enjoy improving them. The book explores a
variety of ways that this can be done. Bright,
bold colours and fascinating machines will
capture the imaginations of girls and boys
alike. The directions are clearly written. The
book celebrates diversity and there is a boy in
a wheelchair who is actively involved. And for
those of us who can never find a ruler when we
need it, there is a cleverly placed blue ruler on
the front and the back of the end covers.
Rosemary Woodman
Sirdeshpande, Rashmi
How to Change
the World
Illustrated by Annabel
Tempest
Puffin, 2021, pp32, £6.99
9780241410349
True stories. Teamwork. Achievement
The people and causes in this book have been
carefully chosen. Individuals have got together
because of something they believed, and
through united efforts they changed people’s
views and made the world a better place.
The author takes a historical perspective and
cites what people have achieved with teamwork
and combined talents, such as the beginnings of
Greek democracy and the building of the Great
Pyramid at Giza. Women’s struggles to be treated
fairly are highlighted by the matchwomen’s
strike and the suffragette movement. Stories
about Rosa Parks, slavery, and the 1965 freedom
ride speak out against racial discrimination,
and environmental issues are highlighted by the
sections on the ozone layer and saving whales.
All fifteen topics have interesting stories with
fascinating fun facts which arouse curiosity,
stimulate questions and promote discussions.
The beautiful illustrations add to the appeal.
Useful for dipping into, the book is ideal for
class libraries and the home. With high interest
levels and important messages, it both educates
and inspires – a real gem!
L Giddings
Strong, Damara
The Big Green
Activity Book
Buster Books
2020, pp128, £9.99
9781780556093
Environment. Planet Earth.
Conservation
Made from eco-friendly paper, The Big
Green Activity book is idea for dipping into.
Packed with over 70 puzzles and quizzes, it
covers a wide range of subject matter, from
climate change to greenhouse gases. Ideal
as a springboard for further work on the
environment, it will also provide an excellent
support for relevant ongoing topics. Full of
fascinating facts, the philosophy behind the
book is to the encourage the child to look at
the many ways in which we can look after our
planet and then goes on to investigate solar
power, recycling, and pollution.
There is an excellent double-page spread on
bees, a species which are currently under
attack from disease, pesticides, and changing
environments. There are also sections on
butterflies and one of my favourite creatures,
the penguin. The games and quizzes have
been well thought out and there are plenty of
opportunities for social interaction with others.
An ideal addition for any classroom, this is the
kind of book which I am sure will become a wellthumbed
firm favourite with children of all ages.
Godfrey Hall
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
59

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Sung-hwa, Kim and
Soo-jin, Kwon
The Good Germ Hotel
Illustrated by Kim Ryung-eon
What on Earth Books
2021, pp48, £12.99
9781913750152
Biology. Food. Germs
Children are fascinated by germs and how the
body works, so this book should prove a useful
addition to the primary or lower secondary
classroom.
Written in a comic book style, it tells the story
of a good bacteria and its life. The book stresses
the importance of good germs and how they
work with our bodies, also addressing the issue
of antibiotics and how bacteria can become
resistant to certain types of medicine. The book
has an excellent index and comprehensive
glossary as well as a list of alternative resources.
I once was asked to write a booklet on bacteria
for a major company which likewise was filled
with amazing facts, such as the human gut
can be as long as a single-decker bus and that
there are more bacteria in your insides than
there are people in the world! Bacteria is a
fascinating topic and one that does not always
get the coverage it deserves. I am therefore sure
that this book will be very appealing and an
excellent starting point for further investigation
into how the human body works.
Godfrey Hall
The School of Life
Nature and Me
The School of Life Press
2021, pp96, £15.00
9781912891313
Nature. Personal development.
Environment
A very interesting, instructive guide to how
nature can provide various examples of its
processes, specific qualities, and behaviours
that we can learn from to improve our own
understanding of the world – and of life – as
well as its practical representations.
One of my favourite entries in this book is about
puppies (obviously); their infallible devotion
gives us an instant confidence boost, they
make us feel loved but also important, which in
this book translates into a life lesson on being
amazing without having to prove ourselves or
scrutinise our daily achievements. Similarly,
the entry about the giant anteater (‘it’s ok to feel
sad’) was also very moving, and there were so
many others.
The book is based on a very clever concept,
and I can certainly see it being useful in any
classroom. The way the entries are presented
is very accessible and gripping, which is
impressive as some of the subjects are not
just scientific but also quite philosophical
and psychological. Published with beautiful,
colourful illustrations.
Marzena Currie
Turner, Tracey
How Many Mice Make
an Elephant?
Illustrated by Aaron Cushley
Kingfisher
2021, pp48, £7.99
9780753445402
Mathematics. Science. Planet Earth
An unusual title for an unusual book which
includes a look at numbers and measurements.
Interesting topics include working out the
weight of goldfish and seeing how many
astronauts will fit into the International Space
Station.
In my opinion, this book is deal for children
who may be slightly averse to science or
mathematics, it is full of fun facts and solid
scientific information which I personally found
incredibly interesting, including a section
on blue whale’s ear wax and a double-page
spread on how many microraptors make up a
titanosaur. The ‘Jetpack Journeys’ spread which
lists distances throughout the world and outer
space was a particular favourite.
Packed with STEM facts, it includes an excellent
index and would be a great addition to any
primary or class library.
Godfrey Hall
Turner, Tracey
This is Our World:
From Alaska to the
Amazon
Illustrated by Asa Gilland
Macmillan Children’s Books
2020, pp48, £12.99
9780753445792
People. Geography. Diversity
This is a beautifully and artistically illustrated
non-fiction book about the lives of 20 children
around the world, full of interesting details and
facts, written in the first person; diversity is
sensitively addressed.
Lively, inviting illustrations carpet the pages,
with short texts scattered through. Texts are
highly varied in detail and content, clearly
describing diversity of place and lifestyle.
This book might ideally be shared, with adult
mediation to access some difficult content
and vocabulary, for example in environmental
phenomena. Enticing statements about
places and natural features could lead to
further information seeking (there are no
photographs). It would sit well alongside
“conventional” geography texts/maps to
provide a grounded context for the content.
This is a joyful exploration that can be dipped
into but also provides something for everyone.
The underlying message is unmissable: the
world is full of difference to be celebrated.
Stephanie Barclay
Wheatley, Abigail
The Amazing
Discoveries of
100 Brilliant Scientists
Illustrated by Leonard Dupond
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp128, £9.99
9781474950800
Science. Scientists. Discoveries
As the title says, this is a book of short
summaries of the discoveries of 100 leading
scientists from the ancient world to the
present day. The summaries are clear yet
brief, masterpieces of compression, aided by
fine illustrations by Leonard Dupond. It is
a book I would thoroughly recommend to
school libraries.
The pages on the different discoveries, though
brilliantly written and illustrated, are in no
particular order, but there is a timeline and
a good index at the end. It is a great book to
dip into.
Charles Harvey
Wines, J. A and
Gifford, Clive
You Can Save the Planet
Buster Books
2019, pp144, £6.99
9781780556604
Environment. Ecology. Geography
With the growing awareness of the need for
people to care about our planet, there has been
a rise in the number of books written to give
younger readers a guide to being more ecofriendly
in their lives. This book is sub-titled
‘101 ways you can make a difference’ and it
does just that. Each section gives an example of
something that needs to change and then there
is a section called ‘over to you’, which suggests
ways that the reader can make a difference.
This is aimed at the key stage 2 reader and its
small format (the same as a paperback novel)
make it easy to carry around. There are plenty
of pen and ink sketches, as well as text boxes
and varying fonts, so that the book does not get
boring and keeps the reader enthused. The book
is divided into seven chapters, so that you can
dip into a specific area of interest. The addition
of an index and list of websites make this a really
useful book for the classroom and library.
Margaret Pemberton
60
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

61

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Akala
The Dark Lady
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp306, £12.99
9781444943696
Diversity. Adventure. History
Life in Elizabethan London is
very hard if you are poor – and even harder if
you are not white. Henry’s mother was from
Benin, and this marks him out as different. He
is an orphan, an outsider, and a thief, but he is
also a boy with an incredible gift – he can easily
translate foreign languages. Henry and his
friends, Mary and Matthew, pick pockets and
rob houses. Then one day, Matthew suggests
they rob Lord Wilmslow’s house. This is their
most daring robbery, but things start to go
wrong, and Mary and Henry are caught. Henry
becomes a prisoner in a gilded cage, forced to
translate books for the duke. He soon realises
that he must not only escape the duke but also
find the mother who has always inhabited
his dreams.
The Dark Lady is an exciting story aimed at
early teenagers. It brings to life the underbelly
of Elizabethan London, using great description.
A strong sense of adventure runs through the
narrative, making the reader want to keep
reading although Henry makes many mistakes
and bad choices. It engages the reader not only
with the story but also with the act of storytelling.
Andrea Rayner
Almond, David
Bone Music
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp208, £12.99
9781444952919
Teenage. Fantasy. Prehistory
EDITOR’S PICK
This story immediately captures
the reader in a tale where mystery and gentle
romance intertwine around prehistory and
the self-discovery of a young girl growing up –
Sylvia, whose name is no coincidence. This
is beautifully written; the crafted, sometimes
faltering, pace reflects the experience of Sylvia
as she navigates through mysterious experience,
to self-examination and towards emancipation
and self-knowledge. Simultaneously, this tale is
down to earth: a modern teenager removed from
her city into the ‘wilds’ of Northumberland –
but it is Kielder Forest, which is man-made;
she cannot maintain regular contact with her
best friend, but she finds phone signal in the
forest. There are more than hints that this may
be seen as ‘fairy tale’ in its finest form: Sylvia
cuts her finger on a prehistoric blade, her father
is away from the family engaged in perilous
work, her mother involved with ‘other’ children.
Throughout, the pull of the past, the inescapable
draw of music – reflecting the essential creativity
of human beings – bring enlightenment. ‘Beware
the adult who tries to regiment the child’,
perhaps points towards the fundamental: we
must find ourselves to become adult. A super
addition to teenage libraries.
Stephanie Barclay
Barr, Emily
Things to Do Before the
End of the World
Penguin
2021, pp368, £7.99
9780241345276
Thriller. Climate change. Deception
One newsflash changes everything: the thawing
of the permafrost has unleashed deadly gas
and there is only enough breathable air to last
one more year. What would you do if you knew
you only had one year left before the end of
everything? For Olivia, a committed introvert,
it’s no easy question. There’s lots she’d like
to do – including telling the girl she loves her
true feelings – but lack of confidence stops her.
Until she meets her long-lost cousin Natasha,
who exudes charm and sass and pushes
Olivia to challenge herself. But Natasha isn’t
all she appears to be – and with time running
out, will Olivia break free in time? This is a
tense thriller with an intriguing backdrop.
The characterisation is sharp as a pin and
the plot wonderfully twisty, guaranteeing
surprises. Another fantastic novel by Emily Barr,
thought-provoking and original, and definitely
recommended for readers of Year 9 and above.
Jo Sennitt
Callender, Kacen
Felix Ever After
Faber
2021, pp368, £7.99
9780571368013
Identity. Self-love. Friendship
This novel follows a transgender
teen wrestling with their identity – all whilst
falling in love for the first time. Set in NYC,
17-year-old Felix – a Black, queer, transgender
boy who worries that he’s one marginalisation
too many away from ever finding happiness –
is a budding artist hoping to prove his worth
with a university scholarship, working on his
portfolio. What transpires is a summer of love,
pain, revenge, and self-discovery.
This novel provides a thoughtful, and valuable
exploration of important topics, including gender
identity, sexuality, discrimination, race, sexism,
and bullying. Felix shows us the frustration,
resentment and insecurity that accompany
trying to find your place in the world, whilst
also highlighting the impact that family and, in
particular, strong friendships can have on us
all. The cast of refreshingly diverse characters
brings rich representation, and the support
Felix ultimately gains from these relationships
is heart-warming. Callender’s honest and open
discussion of the issues many young people are
experiencing, coupled with the overriding focus
on self-love, make this a welcome celebration of
those who dare to be different.
Hannah Groves
Garrett, Camryn
Off The Record
Penguin
2021, pp320, £7.99
9780241367162
Ethnicity. LGBT. Feminism
Written by an American millennial, this is
not autobiography, but the author, who has
described herself as ‘black’ and ‘queer’, has
written something of herself into the heroine.
Josie is an aspiring writer who lacks confidence
because of her ethnicity and her appearance
– she is short and fat. We follow Josie from the
moment she wins a talent competition, the
prize being the chance to write the cover story
for a national magazine, and to take part in a
press tour for a new film, which will involve
visiting five major U.S. cities. On offer is a fastmoving
plot presented in a racy, contemporary
prose style; there is also a love interest, a focus
on family tensions and on teenage anxieties. As
such it will appeal to girls in their mid-teens.
But, pre-eminently, it is highly recommendable
for its treatment of such contemporary
issues as #metoo, BLM and feminism; and its
exploration of moral dilemmas, reminiscent
of cases like that of Harvey Weinstein. Garrett
is an important voice speaking for those
who until very recently had no voice, whose
experiences, problems, and injustices were
never recognised, never exposed to scrutiny. Its
dedication to ‘Survivors’ sums up its message.
Elizabeth Finlayson
Gonzales, Sophie
Perfect on Paper
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp288, £7.99
9771444959277
Romance. Friendship. Problems
Darcy Phillips is a sixteen-yearold
American girl. She has an illicit business
at school. She anonymously dispenses
relationship advice for $10 per letter. No
one must find out that Darcy is the adviser.
Alexander Brougham wants to use her service
and will pay her for private consultancy. He is
the only person who knows who she is. Darcy is
forced to oblige. Will their relationship develop?
Rebecca Butler
62
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Holland, Sara
Phoenix Flame
Bloomsbury
2021, pp320, £7.99
9781526621559
Magic. Fantasy. Family
When Maddie helped save
the Inn at Havenfall, she hoped that life
would settle down and she could enjoy her
summer. However, she discovers a new danger
and finds herself, together with her friend
Brekken, travelling into Fiordenkill and its
icy wastes. Their mission is to discover what
happened to her brother and also why someone
is still trying to destroy the Inn, the only portal
that links a variety of other worlds with our
own. Soon, Maddie is uncovering secrets, but
she also finds that she needs to be wary of
whom she trusts.
This is a complex story of parallel realms,
but where strangers are unable to visit and
survive. The Inn acts as the focus and meeting
place, where races talk about their political
relationships – something like the United
Nations. Maddie has to learn about trust
and making choices, even with her close
friends. Added to the mix, we have a growing
relationship with her friend Brekken, so that life
becomes even more complicated. This is a great
modern fantasy for the 14+ age group; it can be
read as a stand-alone, but reading the first book
helps understand the context.
Margaret Pemberton
Jaigirdar, Adina
The Henna Wars
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp400, £7.99
9781444962208
Diversity. Homophobia.
Relationships
Nishat’s feelings about her Bengali heritage
are complex. While she loves her family
and traditions, she feels suffocated by their
expectations. When Nishat comes out to her
parents, their response is stunned silence,
which Nishat understandably experiences as
a rejection. A school competition provides her
with an opportunity to celebrate her culture
when she decides to set up a henna design
business – but the beautiful Flavià has the same
idea. The competition between the two girls
intensifies as their unacknowledged attraction
towards each other grows. The low point of the
narrative occurs when Nishat is outed as gay at
school and her henna stall is wrecked. But then
Nishat is surprised by her parents, who have
made a moving effort to educate themselves
about the diversity of sexual identities and who
revel in cooking an elaborate dinner for Flavià
when she is introduced as her girlfriend.
The novel explores challenging issues with a
light touch. Nishat is an engaging character
whose often humorous outlook offsets the
difficulties she faces and ultimately transcends.
Sandra Bennett
Jones, Nina
Breathe Free
SRL Publishing Ltd
2021, pp238, £8.99
9781916337374
Adventure. Friendship. Refugees
A fusion of fact and fiction
might be something of an overstatement as a
description of this novel, but there is at least
some element of truth in it. While propelling
the reader through a gripping adventure
story, it focuses on a very real, very distressing
phenomenon of the contemporary world:
refugee camps and the whole question of
the refugee crisis. So much can be said in its
praise, not least its focussing on the nature of
freedom: beyond price but so easy to be taken
for granted. ‘Breathe Free’ indeed.
The first sentence – ‘I was running away
from my first kiss.’ – is quite brilliant not only
because for a teenage audience it is attention
grabbing, but the entire novel is basically
about running away. The heroine/narrator is
14-year-old Emma and having drawn us in with
that first sentence she ensures that our interest
never flags. Through friendship with Anya, an
inmate in a local refugee camp, Emma gains an
insight into the dreadful conditions within the
camp. The camp is demolished by fire, and not
knowing what has become of Anya, Emma sets
out to find her, and thus begins the narrative.
Elizabeth Finlayson
Khan, Sabina
Zara Hossain is Here
Scholastic
2021, pp336, £7.99
9780702308369
Immigration. Identity. Family
Seventeen-year-old Zara Hossain
was born in Pakistan and moved to Texas with
her mother and paediatrician father, aged
three years. They are supportive Muslims
who accept Zara’s bisexuality as they love
her unconditionally and only care about her
happiness. At her exclusive school she faces
regular Islamophobic abuse. It is not until her
tormentor Tyler, star football player, leaves
threatening graffiti on her locker that matters
escalate. Tyler is suspended which leads to
further vandalism at Zara’s home which in turn
leads to a tragic event that threatens Zara and
her family’s lives. The long-awaited Green Card
is put in danger. The trials and uncertainties
of immigrants in USA are explored at a family
level, some of the details drawn from the
author’s own experience. Throughout this, a
warm, loving family is portrayed, often through
the medium of delicious home-cooked food.
The Hossain’s have a strong circle of close
friends but the racist overtones in the wider
community have a profound impact on their
life. Told in the first person, Zara believes it is
important to stand up, speak out and stay true
as she explores the complicated relationship
between identity, culture, family, and love.
Carolyn Boyd
Landy, Derek
Skulduggery Pleasant:
Dead or Alive
HarperCollins
2021, pp608, £14.99
9780008386290
Fantasy. Horror. Monsters
From the opening line, the thrills just don’t
stop! This book sees the return of Skulduggery,
Valkyrie, and Omen, who are pitted against the
clock in an effort to save life as they know it.
Against this startling backdrop of impending
riots and revolution, Valkyrie must decide who
she is – the hero who risks it all or the killer who
sacrifices her soul.
Full of action and packed with breath-taking
twists and turns, Dead or Alive is the perfect
blend of darkness and humour, showcasing
Landy’s trademark wit and the sparkling
dialogue that fans know and love. He sets a
furious pace, interweaving multiple plot strands
and character arcs in an incredible feat of
storytelling. Violence is a feature here, as it has
been throughout the series, but it is entirely
in keeping with the other books and returning
readers will not be put off.
A must read for ardent fans of the series but for
those who are new to Skulduggery, this one is
best enjoyed in sequence.
Alison King
Lauder, Scott and
Ross, David
The Three Hares:
The Jade Dragonball
Neem Tree Press
2021, pp245, £10.99
9781911107170
Fantasy. Adventure. Legends
Refreshingly compelling, blending the ancient
world with the modern world, this is a fantasy
quest novel that is both thought-provoking
and enjoyable. The multifaceted plot is full of
twists and turns, with a surprising ending that
suggests a seamless lead into the sequel. Sara
is a feisty teenage protagonist who finds herself
having to rely on level-headed logic and her
Chinese grandmother’s tales to survive the
bewildering environment she time slipped
into on the school trip to the Beijing Palace
Museum. Sara also finds that she has been
chosen to follow a dangerous quest and even
feels repercussions of this at the top of Ben
Nevis on her summer holiday. There are dark
elements, touches of humour, and teenage
angst. The settings are both exotic and familiar
and wrap seamlessly round the action. I found
myself researching the legends, the Silk Road,
and the environmental issues that engross
Sara’s friends. This is a book that crosses genres
and will broaden its readers minds.
Judith Palka
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
63

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Meaney, Flynn
Bad Habits
Penguin
2021, pp352, £7.99
9780241407196
Feminism. Friendship. Rebellion
Alex Heck attends St Mary’s
Catholic School in Minnesota – a boarding
school with strict curfews, uncomfortable
uniform, and ‘anal-retentive’ rules on just about
everything. Also grating is the favouritism shown
to hockey jocks over everyone else on campus.
At the start of a new school year, Alex has had
enough but her father won’t let her leave.
So she resolves to do something so that the
principal will be forced to expel her. Inspiration
strikes after Alex’s best friend Mary Kate is too
embarrassed to buy tampons in the school
shop. Alex decides that a St Mary’s production
of The Vagina Monologues is just what’s needed
to correct the prudish taboos surrounding
sex, periods, and anything to do with the word
vagina. And it might even get her expelled…
Alex’s indignation with St Mary’s mellows
towards the end of the book as she realises
she might have misjudged some of her fellow
students. And it is Mary Kate who ultimately
shows the most courage in standing up for
herself in front of a very large audience of
hockey enthusiasts. The book raises awareness
of sexism and censorship in schools with
humour and warmth.
Isobel Ramsden
Moldavsky, Goldy
The Last Girl
Electric Monkey
2021, pp430, £7.99
9780755501526
Horror. Pranks. Secret society
One year after experiencing a
traumatic break-in whilst home alone, Rachel
Chavez now turns to horror films for comfort,
much preferring to stay in with a bowl of
popcorn than make friends at her new school
in New York City. After she attends her first
party and is blamed for a prank she had no
involvement in, she uses her investigation skills
to discover the secret student organisation
behind her school’s horror-inspired pranks.
When she is invited to join the club, Rachel
thinks she has finally found her people, but
when someone from her past starts appearing
at the pranks, things take a terrifying turn.
This book will particularly appeal to fans of
horror because there are numerous references
throughout to horror films, but it is still
understandable if you don’t understand all of
the references. The members of the club are
cruel and vindictive, making this perfect for
readers that like unlikeable, morally ambiguous
characters. This fast-paced young adult thriller,
full of twists and turns, will appeal to fans of
Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson.
Emily Kindregan
Nielsen, Susin
Tremendous Things
Andersen Press
2021, pp288, £12.99
9781839130618
Bullying. Friendship. Love
Having read and enjoyed three of
Susin Nielsen’s previous novels, I was excited to
review Tremendous Things. It did not disappoint!
The main character likes to be called Wilbur
(after the pig in his favourite book Charlotte’s
Web). He has been home-schooled by his two
mums, known collectively as ‘The Mumps’. We
join Wilbur on his first day at Junior School. He is
a sensitive boy who writes poetry, cries a lot, and
finds it difficult to make friends. His best friend is
Sal, an 85-year-old man. An unfortunate incident
at school leaves Wilbur mortified. He is given the
nickname ‘Wank’ and is subjected to constant
bullying. His self-esteem is rock bottom and he
sees himself as the biggest loser.
Life changes when the French exchange
student unexpectedly turns out to be a beautiful
girl Charlie. Wilbur falls for her and we follow
his bungled attempts to win her heart.
This is a fabulous book, very readable, told
with warmth, wisdom and humour mixed with
elements of sadness and reality. I’m sure young
adult readers will love it, empathising with
Wilbur as he overcomes problems, growing as a
person, finding his own way in life.
L Giddings
Pearce, Bryony
Raising Hell
Uclan Publishing
2021, pp240, £7.99
9781912979547
Fantasy. Horror. Supernatural
An entertaining and fast-paced
fantasy adventure that will appeal very much
to fans of Lockwood and Co and Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. Set in Birmingham – which
makes a refreshing change – the book opens
with 19-year-old Ivy working as a security guard
in the school she attended not long before as a
pupil. We soon find out why guards are needed
and why Ivy is involved. The UK is in the grip of
dark magic with teenagers the only ones that
can wield the spells, but who increasingly end
up being killed, along with their friends, by
the demons they unwittingly release. Ivy and
two friends were responsible for the ground
Zero event which started this all, and now
Ivy fights to protect young lives. Meanwhile,
unscrupulous political forces want to put the
magic to use, take over the government, and
use the power against the rest of the world. The
dynamic of how this all works is very credible
and Ivy is a great character. There are flashes
of humour (particularly from the talking cat
inhabited by the spirit of Ivy’s gran, and always
dishing out advice) and with added elements
of romance, you have a very successful mix that
will have broad appeal.
Joy Court
Powrie, Lucy
The Paper and
Hearts Society:
Bookishly Ever After
Hodder Children’s Books
2021, pp352, £7.99
9781444949278
Inclusivity. Friendship. Books
In the third book of this popular series the focus
is on Ed, who is probably the nicest teenage boy
who ever appeared in a young adult book. The
group of friends who form ‘The Paper and Hearts
Society’ have supported him through his parents’
break up and his estrangement from his father.
A holiday job at a local bookshop brings Ed
into contact with a prickly young colleague,
Hannah. Ed finds some of her responses
bewildering, but reading her blog, The Autistic
Bookseller, helps Ed to appreciate her ways of
relating to world. Though Ed gets things wrong
with Hannah at first, eventually the relationship
brings real happiness to them both.
It is the focus on young people who don’t fit into
teenage stereotypes which makes the book so
intriguing and rewarding. Consistently openminded
and good-hearted in tone, it addresses
important contemporary issues in a subtle and
endearing way. The text style matches the youth
and enthusiasm of the main characters, and
inclusion of text conversations and blogs brings
richness.
Jaki Brien
Smyth, Ciara
Not My Problem
Andersen
2021, pp368, £7.99
978189130854
LGBTQ+. Relationships. Family
Aideen has given up trying at
school. Her best friend Holly makes fun of her,
and anyway has transferred her allegiance to
another friend, leaving Aideen very much alone
to worry about her Mum’s drinking. Her PE and
form teacher is very willing to help, but Aideen
doesn’t want to tell her, fearing social workers.
Instead she masks her life by being funny. Then
Aideen ends up helping the class swot Maebh
which leads to another student asking for help,
then another and another.
The scrapes Aideen gets herself into are
amusing and Aideen is self-depreciating. But
the reader can see what Aideen herself cannot.
All the time she is widening her social network
and making real friends who will help. She
slowly comes to see what is important – to
admit to herself as well as others.
There is a gentle LGBTQ+ element which is
present and not made an issue of which is
natural. The Irish setting and school year is
explained to readers from other areas easily
within the story. This is a great feel-good book
with the most important sentence in the book
as the last line – ‘I need help’.
Dawn Woods
64
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Best New Books – Humour
Editor’s pick
Tamsin Winter
Alex Wheatle
William Sutcliffe
Tom Mitchell
GIRL (In Real Life)
Usborne Publishing, 2021, pp352,
£7.99, 9781474978484
Consent. Families. Social media
Eva’s life has been lived online
since before her birth. But now
she is fighting back control.
The Humiliations of
Welton Blake
Barrington Stoke, 2021, pp138, £7.99,
9781781129494
Bullying. Families. Relationships
Welton Blake has achieved his
dream of asking out the bestlooking
girl in school. But then
disaster strikes kick-starting
a series of unfortunate and
humiliating events.
The Summer We Turned Green
Bloomsbury, 2021, pp352, £7.99,
9781526632852
Humour. Environment. Global warming
A family finds themselves
involved with protesters when a
runway extension is planned on
their street.
Escape from Camp Boring
Harper Collins, 2021, pp320, £6.99,
9780008403508
Camping. Humour. Technology
Will is sent to a ‘rewilding’ camp
in the middle of the woods for
youngsters addicted to tech. But
Will needs to get somewhere
quickly.
Douglas Adams and
Chris Riddell (Illustrator)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to
the Galaxy
Macmillan, 2021, pp320, £12.99,
9781529046137
Classic. Humour. Science fiction
Anniversary gift edition of
Douglas Adams’s pop-culture
classic. Everyone needs to read.
Charlie Higson and Warwick
Johnson-Cadwell (Illustrator)
Worst. Holiday. Ever
Puffin, 2021, pp352, £6.99,
9780241414781
Anxiety. Family. Holidays
A shy twelve-year-old boy goes
on holiday with a friend and his
family, where things just keep
going wrong until he finds his
courage at last.
James Patterson,
Chris Grabenstein and
Charles Santoso (Illustrator)
Best Nerds Forever
Arrow, 2021, pp256, £6.99,
9781529120066
Death. Ghosts. Humour
Two young ghosts discover that
they need to find what’s keeping
them from the Afterlife to avoid
being ghosts for ever.
David O’Doherty and
Chris Judge (Illustrator)
The Summer I Robbed a Bank
Puffin, 2021, pp304, £6.99,
9780241362235
Families. Humour. Values
Rex has to spend the summer with
his eccentric uncle, who has a
plan and needs Rex’s help.
Stamper, Phil
As Far As You’ll Take Me
Bloomsbury
2021, pp352, £7.99
9781526630728
LGBTQ+. Music. Travel
A heartfelt coming-of-age story
about finding your real “home”. Seventeenyear-old
Marty, a self-described ‘gay kid
with sometimes shitty parents’, arrives
in London with only his oboe and some
meagre savings having lied about passing an
audition for a place at a prestigious music
school. Excited to escape the prejudices of
his American hometown, he gives himself
three months to put his plans for a new life in
motion, discovering new friends, new loves
(both musical and human), and tackling new
challenges along the way.
The point of view of an American abroad
makes for a refreshing perspective as does the
unabashed paean to the life-enriching powers
of music; however, the novel’s main focus is
Marty’s journey towards balancing
his new experiences with self-care. Phil
Stamper writes sensitively but candidly
about anxiety, toxic relationships, religious
bigotry, homophobia, male body-image, and
eating disorders in a way sure to resonate with
teen readers.
Lizzie Ryder
Wilson, S.M
The Infinity Files
Usborne Publishing
2021 pp416, £7.99
9781474972208
Space. War. Action
This action-packed novel sees
our heroine, Ash Yang, ultimately try to end
an ages-old war which destroyed her family.
When she spectacularly fails her pilot test, Ash
is transported from everything she knows into
a new and very important role as Guardian of
the Infinity Files. Guided by a hologram named
Orius, her top-secret missions as Guardian
put her in thrilling and dangerous places,
delivering or stealing artefacts as the Library at
the End of the Universe dictates, in an effort to
maintain peace in the universe. When one of
her missions puts her in a surprising near-death
situation, it forces Ash to question everything
she’s been told, and she takes matters into her
own hands to save her home planet.
Perfect for readers who love action, space
battle scenes, and gadgets, without any oversentimentality
or emotional drag to slow the
pace. It’s a rare book that would appeal to good
key stage 2 readers right up through key stage
3, with nothing untoward to make it unsuitable
for anyone. Looks set to be a series.
Bridget Hamlet
Winter, Tasmin
Girl (In Real Life)
Usborne Publishing
2021, pp352, £7.99
9781474978484
Families. Media. Privacy
What would you do if your whole
life was a reality show? Eva has been part of her
parents’ internet channel since they put up a
scan of her before she was even born. Now at
secondary school she is subject to teasing from
some of the other pupils because of some of
the things that appear online. The rather large
‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ is when her
mother tells the world about Eva’s first period,
even though she had promised not to. This
makes Eva determined to close down the
channel, or at least all the information about
her, but she doesn’t realize the consequences of
her actions and the effect it has on others.
This is a heart-breaking look at the effect that
social media can have on the lives of many
people. It is frightening to read how lacking
the parents are in their understanding of their
actions and the impact on Eva. The story was
created after the author read about real-life
situations where similar events have taken
place. In a world where we are more aware of
safeguarding and online safety, it is vital that
these issues are heard and learnt from.
Margaret Pemberton
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
65

Books: 13 – 16 | Information
Acho, Emmanuel
Uncomfortable
Conversations With a
Black Boy
Macmillan Children’s Books
2021, pp311, £7.99
9781529067736
Race. Activism. Racism
Emmanuel Acho is a former American
football player, who set up a YouTube series
Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man
in 2020 following the BLM protests. The series –
and this book which has been adapted for
young people – aims to educate white and other
non-black people about the experiences of black
people, with the greater aim of ending racism.
Each chapter starts with a question or
statement, which it then goes on to discuss
and answer. Topics covered range from which
terminology is appropriate when talking
about black people and why, white privilege,
and cultural appropriation to the much larger
issues around systemic racism. It also includes
tips on how to be an ally and how to campaign
for change. It is written as a conversation and
contains no illustrations. Further reading
suggestions are provided at the end of the book.
The book was originally written for a US
audience and as such discusses the experiences
of black people exclusively within that country.
However, it’s a timely book with a lot to teach
the reader.
Shona Page
Jackson, Tom
Fake News
QED Publishing
2020, pp96, £9.99
9780711250321
Misinformation. Media. News
Most would feel that this is
a timely read, with fake news being regularly
reported in the media, but this book explains
that fake news has been around a lot longer
than we think. The book looks at all of the
different ways that we receive news and how it
has changed over the years, starting with how
speech has evolved, how writing was invented,
and how these things have affected how
we receive news. Each chapter is split into oneor
two-page double spreads, with eye-catching
graphics on every page. The information is split
into bite-sized chunks, making it accessible
to all including reluctant readers. There are
questions at the end of each section, giving
students the chance to make an informed
choice on the information which they have
been given. This book would be suitable for
upper key stage 2 and key stage 3.
Charlotte Cole
Christopher, Bethan
Rebel Beauty for Teens
Trigger Publishing
2021, pp176, £14.99
9781789562255
Body positivity. Beauty. Journal
This book is fantastic! The introduction talks
about ideal beauty and what we perceive
perfection and beauty to be – from the forced
ideas that we are constantly fed through
the media and advertising – and how
beauty has become idealised over time. The
idea of ‘Rebel Beauty’ helps the reader to
understand that their beauty is not about
how they can conform to ideal beauty, but
how it is about them. The book is split into
seven sections: rebel eyes, rebel body, rebel
voice, rebel passion, rebel power, rebel
purpose, and rebel practice. Each section is full
of activities to enable the reader to understand
the concepts and to find beauty within. The
relaxed writing style makes it very readable
and easy to understand and the journal layout
will be very popular with students. This book
would be suitable for both key stage 3 and key
stage 4 and whilst students would not be able to
complete the activities in a library copy, for the
positive messages this book delivers, it would
be an excellent addition to school libraries.
Charlotte Cole
Jennings, Paul
Untwisted:
The Stories of My Life
Old Barn Books
2021, pp336, £12.99
9781910646748
Memoir. Writing. Teaching
Untwisted offers a unique glimpse into the life
and career of Australian writer, Paul Jennings.
From childhood struggles with dyslexia and his
teen years as a high school dropout through
to his extraordinary success as a teacher and
then an author, Jennings artfully draws on a
collection of moments within his own journey
to create this honest reflection on creativity,
growth, and human fragility.
Maintaining a careful balance of fragments,
memories, anecdotes, and a selection of black
and white photographs, thematic headings
provide the scaffolding for this quirky narrative
of success against the odds. From deep flashes
of self-scrutiny to considered insights on writing,
this book will be of interest to anyone who
has ever thought about wielding a pen – not
to mention Jennings’s legions of devoted fans.
Written with refreshing honesty, full of heart,
and infused with warmth, the reader walks
away feeling like they know the man behind the
magic a little better than before. In turning the
pen to the telling of his own tale, Jennings has
created an intriguing self-portrait that is gentle,
humorous, and incredibly moving.
Alison King
Harris, Kamala
The Truths We Hold
Penguin
2021, pp304, £7.99
9781847927019
Empowering. Memoir. Politics
This is a young reader version
of Vice President Kamala Harris’s memoir, in
which she describes the journey which led her
to her political career, with strong references to
how her childhood and family influenced her
life and inspired her to fight for success.
This is a gripping, inspiring, passionate
account, with lots of references to the author’s
early years, her family and other people who
had an impact on her life, and the choices
she made. The book, which is aimed at older
teenagers, doesn’t shy away from difficult topics
and is bound to become a brilliant platform for
interesting discussions in the classroom. I think
especially – but not exclusively – those readers
who may be lacking in self-confidence and who
worry that their social background, gender, or
race may stop them from achieving ambitious
goals, will find this hugely empowering. I wish
the book had an additional chapter focusing
on the latest developments in Kamala Harris’s
political career when she became the first
female, first Black and first Asian-American US
Vice President, but I’m sure that sooner rather
than later there’ll be a new edition covering that
incredible achievement too.
Marzena Currie
Klein, Naomi and
Rebecca Stefoff
How To Change
Everything
Penguin
2021, pp320, £12.99
9780241492918
Climate. Inspiration. Information
For any young person interested in climate
change, this beautifully produced book will be
invaluable. Presented as ‘The Young Human’s
Guide’, it is in all aspects geared for a young
audience: the content, the typescript, the
visuals which include diagrams, posters and a
huge number of photographs, all contribute to
stimulating and maintaining interest, as well as
conveying information cogently and succinctly.
Parts 1–3 detail ‘Where We Are’ / ‘How We Got
Here’ / ‘What Happens Next’. There follows a
‘Conclusion’ which brings us right up to date
with thoughts and ideas on the Coronavirus.
Final sections provide a compendium of
resources which will be extremely useful.
Equally, if not more importantly, produced
by writers who are passionately committed to
their subject, this is a truly inspirational work.
Messages like ‘Kids Take Action’ and ‘There is
no Planet B’ convey the urgency of a situation
which is not only confronting but threatening
the contemporary world. A book which seeks
both to inform and to energise the young is
worth its cover price.
Elizabeth Finlayson
66
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 13 – 16 | Information
Lawrence, Stuart
Silence is Not an Option
Scholastic
2021, pp160, £14.99
9780702310560
Self-help. Empowerment. Change
Stuart Lawrence is a motivational
speaker especially for young people. His
name is known partly because of the racially
motivated brutal murder of his elder brother
Stephen in 1993. The whole family have since
campaigned for justice – not revenge, as they
recognise it could so easily happen again.
Stuart could have become bitter and angry,
but instead wanted to become a better person,
imagining that his brother would be proud. He
had to deal with the publicity after the murder
as well as the emotional strain and learned
more about what he could cope with, so wanted
to pass on these lessons to others.
Taking the reader through important points of
purpose, control, ambition, and learning he
makes simple statements designed to make the
reader think. The book is very accessible to a
wide age range. It does not have to be read in
one sitting as you can ponder each of the short
chapters before moving on. It is not a book
designed to make you feel sorry for Stuart, but a
book to empower.
Dawn Woods
Lilly, Nikki
Nikki Lilly’s Come on Life
Walker Books
2020, pp176, £12.99
9781406392821
Lifestyle. Life-guide. Self-help
Nikki Lilly is a 16-year-old vlogger
who experienced a rare illness at 6 years old
which resulted in a facial disfigurement. After
filming the reasons for her appearance and
posting online, Nikki gained many supporters
which has left her with more confidence to do
other things. She entered Junior Bake Off, from
which she was offered her own TV show. In this
book she offers tips to navigate the teen years
based on what worked for her. At the end of each
chapter, she then challenges the reader to do
something out of their comfort zone which she
hopes will help make them a stronger person.
This is interspersed with photos of Nikki’s life.
Nikki offers her take on dealing with social
media – happiness not followers – and many
issues of teenage life – spots, shaving, periods.
She talks about being kind, allowing yourself a
bad day, saying sorry, the importance of family,
and general common sense which many young
people will accept from another of their own,
but not their parents!
A book to dip into from a social media
personality who appeals to teens and who has
obviously had to deal with more than most of us.
Dawn Woods
Morgan, Nicola
Be Resilient: How to
Build a Strong Teenage
Mind for Tough Times
Walker Books
2021, pp192, £7.99,
9781406399257
Teenage. Self-help. Resilience
Aimed at adolescents/teenagers this is also
relevant for adults to encourage young people
to start thinking how to build mental resilience
for everyday life, through a tripartite approach:
i) build a strong support network, ii) build skill,
iii) learn coping strategies.
Morgan likens life to an ocean through which
individuals, as small boats, aim to cross safely;
but not just to survive, to thrive, accepting
that change happens. Validating a teen’s
experiences, and personal situation, lies at
the heart of Morgan’s thinking to create a
holistic approach through wellbeing, selfexamination,
and reflection. Scenarios are used
to exemplify potential issues and encourage
forward preparation so the future is ‘ours to
own’. Perhaps real-life examples sit better in a
real teenage experience, but Morgan revisits
her scenarios at the end to answer her own
questions; she is unafraid to say that we don’t
need to accept negative people in our lives, and
not take things on face value. This is an easy
book to access some complex ideas, and would
usefully enhance school PHSE programmes.
Stephanie Barclay
Singh, Dr Ranj and
O’Connell, David
How to Grow Up and
Feel Amazing
Wren & Rook
2021, pp160, £9.99
9781526362957
Minds. Bodies. Relationships
Dr Ranj Singh, a paediatrician, clearly and
unflinchingly describes and explains the
physical changes that puberty brings for
boys, and girls, and how to deal with them.
It also explores issues of friendship, mental
health, family relations, and very much more
including current concerns such as ‘consent’,
privacy, and the online world. It is written in
a direct and conversational style that allows
the young reader to relax with the author in
the contemplation of what might be for some
new and perhaps uncomfortable issues.
Importantly, it explores rather than prescribes
while offering thoughts on how to deal with
those new challenges that come with growing
beyond childhood.
The text is delivered with plenty of variety
– headlines to open up a topic, numbered
lists, bullet points, step by step guides. The
‘Resources’ appendix has a list of websites,
there is a thorough glossary and an index. The
illustrator has caught the spirit and intentions
of the work with informative diagrams,
vignettes, and people interacting.
David Mallett
Willis, Charlotte
Vegan Do It
Wayland
2020, pp64, £12.99
9781526312204
Veganism. Diet. Ethical
Vegan Do It is an introduction to adopting
a vegan lifestyle, aimed at young people.
Beautifully designed (Lisa Peacock) and with
bold, cheerful illustrations (Ana Seixas) this
practical book gives an overview of what
veganism is, a very brief history of veganism,
and lots of sensible advice around becoming
a vegan. Author Charlotte Willis manages to
avoid accusatory and emotive language most
of the time (although lipstick is ‘smeared’,
some ingredients ‘lurk’, and ‘slaughtered’
is rather overused!) and presents her case
in a chatty, positive way. Much emphasis is
placed on health, with lots of clear advice on
how to maintain intake of essential vitamins
and minerals, and when a supplement is
recommended this is always accompanied by
the advice to consult your GP before taking
anything. This slim hardback packs a lot in, not
just covering food but also ethical fashion and
beauty. Lovely recipes, lists of ingredients you
might want to stock up on to start your journey,
useful websites for advice and recipes, and a
little bio of the author and each contributor
make this a lovely book for young people
considering a change in lifestyle as well as being
rather nice for lessons around evaluating texts.
Helen Thompson
Witkin, Arnie
It’s Not a Big Thing in Life
Angel Glow Press
2021, pp184, £10.84
9798734649183
Self-help. Growing Up. Adolescence
The author of this self-published
memoir is a retired South African businessman,
now in his seventies, and the title reflects his
belief that there are few challenges in life that
are insurmountable.
He focuses on no single topic, but looks at various
issues, including relationships, financial matters,
and coping with illness. He has no formal
qualifications in psychology or counselling and
relies largely on his own experiences of ill-health,
work, and raising a family. For instance, he recalls
being an obese child and the steps he took in his
teens to slim so that he could play his beloved
cricket at a high level.
He describes how he would identify a problem
and give the matter careful consideration
before finding an appropriate strategy to
advance his career or resolve a family matter.
The book appears to be targeted at no specific
audience, so for example, Witkin deals only
briefly with the decisions those in their teens
must make, including whether to seek work
or continue with their education. However, it
is well written and jargon free and is a useful
addition to the self-help genre.
Martin Baggoley
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021
67

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WS Education
68
VOLUME 69 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2021

Books: 17 – 19
Anderson, Cory
What Beauty There Is
Penguin
2021, pp368, £12.99
9780241441718
Crime. Abuse. Love
A very dark and intricately plotted
thriller that is both harrowing and emotionally
gripping. Seventeen-year-old Jack Dahl already
had a pretty tough life – a father in prison and
a mother suffering from drug-induced mental
health conditions leaving him as virtual sole
career for his brother Matty. Indeed, the book
opens with Jack discovering her suicide, and his
decision to hide the body in order to prevent
the authorities taking his brother into care is
what sets off the inexorable trail of disaster,
especially when he decides to track down the
drug money behind his father’s imprisonment
to help them survive. Ava Bardem is the other
protagonist, kept isolated and in fear by a
father she believes murdered her mother and
who is now on the trail of the same money.
Ava meets the brothers, and the beauty of the
title is found in their growing love and trust.
She risks everything to help them. The spare
poetic prose, evocative setting, and superb
characterisation make this unputdownable, but
it is for mature readers only because of the dark
themes and inevitable violence.
Joy Court
Burgess, Melvin
Three Bullets
Andersen
2021, pp240, £12.99
9781839130502
Punchy. Dystopian. Unlikely heroes
Set in a doomed, dystopian
Britain dominated by the right, white, Christian
supremist ‘Bloods’, the novel tells the story of
young Marti, who’s everything the Bloods hate:
mixed race and trans. After Marti’s tech-genius
father goes missing, Marti, her little brother,
and a frenemy who’s constantly pushing her to
stop being self-absorbed and do some good,
travel into the enemy territory in order to
deliver Marti’s father’s invaluable software into
the right hands.
This is, unsurprisingly, as punchy and bold as
you’d imagine a Melvin Burgess novel to be.
It’s definitely not a light, entertaining read but
a cautionary tale; the author gives his readers
a bleak future and a selfish, mostly unlikeable
protagonist, which makes this a demanding
read that at times can feel uncomfortable and
hard-hitting, but also thought-provoking and
memorable. There’s no beating around the bush
when issues of racism, homophobia, sexism,
and all sorts of other despicable prejudices
emerge and pull the protagonists deeper into
the hopelessness of their mission and the world
they found themselves fighting not just for, but
mostly against.
Marzena Currie
Choi, Mary H. K.
Yolk
Little, Brown Book Group
2021, pp400, £7.99
9780349003696
Sisterhood. Family. Eating disorders
Jayne, a fashion university
student in New York City, lives in a mouldy,
cockroach infested apartment with her
freeloading ex-fling. She is selfish yet also
desperate for validation from everyone around
her and struggles with bulimia, binge eating
disorder, body dysmorphia, and depression.
Jayne’s life changes dramatically when her
high-achieving sister June, who she hasn’t seen
for two years, unexpectedly appears with a
cancer diagnosis.
This is a heavy read, with unlikeable characters
and fraught family relationships, but it does
have an uplifting ending. This book has many
trigger warnings that students will need to be
warned about before borrowing, including
depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, eating
disorders, cancer, and parental abandonment.
Although Yolk is published by a young adult
imprint it is more adult than most YA, perhaps
fitting better into the ‘new adult’ category,
and would be a good choice for emotionally
resilient Sixth Form readers making the
transition from YA to adult fiction.
Emily Kindregan
Perry, Rebecca
Stone Fruit
Bloodaxe Books
2021, pp72, £10.99
9781780375687
Connection. Memory. Grief
Stone Fruit is a poetry collection
formed of three distinct parts, with themes
of memory, grief, and the vulnerability of the
physical form permeating the whole.
The text occupies itself with the intense tumult
of emotion that might accompany the honest
contemplation of our lives and experiences
and provides a considered exploration of our
connection to the world and our understanding
of the space we occupy within it.
The first section is a sequence of poems which
examine the beach as an analogy for human
relationships and the human bodies that
engage in them. The middle section is made
up of four hybrid essay-poems which lead
the reader seamlessly into a final rumination
on the poet’s experiences as a competitive
trampolinist, keenly observing the limitations
of a body that is capable but not exceptional.
An unusual book, Stone Fruit is lyrical,
profoundly moving, and incredibly poignant.
The poems work together as a testament to
the power of reflection, the delicate balance of
poetry and essay lending a playful yet surreal
quality to the collection.
Alison King
Ríordan, Seán Ó
Apathy Is Out: Selected
Poems/Ni Ceadmhach
Neamhshuim: Rogha
Danta
Bloodaxe Books
2021, pp176, £12.99
9781780375366
Irish. Poetry. Translations
This is an unusual book to be reviewed in
TSL. It a parallel textbook of poems in Irish
on the left hand page and their translations
into English on the right. Sean O Riordain
(1916-1977) was a poet from Co. Cork with
an Irish-speaking father and an Englishspeaking
mother. His early schooling was in
Irish, and this was the language all his poems
were written in, though he was well aware of
contemporary English and European poetry.
He is regarded as one of the leading poets
writing in Irish of his time and was also popular
as a columnist in the Irish Times.
The poems cover a variety of subjects: isolation,
death, animals, language (and particularly the
Irish language), and national identity. There’s
an adage, based on a quote by Robert Frost,
that poetry is what gets lost in translation. This
is a specialist book that would be well placed
for students studying authors like Seamus
Heaney in Sixth Form.
Charles Harvey
Tafdrup, Pia
The Taste of Steel,
The Smell of Snow
Translated by David McDuff
Bloodaxe Books
2021, pp192, £12.99
9781780375045
Poetry. Senses. Nature
EDITOR’S PICK
This book compiles two poetry collections
written by Danish poet Pia Tafdrup and
translated into English by David McDuff. The
poems are linked by the senses, with most
referencing one, or often more of the senses,
from the taste of language and tears to the smell
of rain and cleaning products. The stunning
descriptions of the natural world throughout
both collections stood out to me, from the
chirping of birds in the morning to a squirrel
cracking nuts in a tree, to the cold autumn
wind. The senses are explored in the context
of the ups and downs of human relationships
in many of the poems, including relationships
between couples, children and parents, and
people and their pets. This is not a collection