The School Librarian 70-3 Autumn 2022

What are the most important
information skills young people
need today?
By Dr Alison Preston and Natalie Mawhinney
The Book is Mightier than the Phoneme
Professors Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Volume 70 Number 3 Autumn 2022
Running a School Library without a Budget
By Alice Leggatt
www.sla.org.uk

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Contents
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Volume 70 Number 3 Autumn 2022
Welcome from the Chair-Elect 2
Editorial 3
SLA News 4
Features
Running a School Library Without a Budget
Alice Leggatt 5
The Book is Mightier than the Phoneme
Professors Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury 6
Graphic Novels: Beyond Reluctant Readers
Paul Register 8
What are the Most Important Information Skills Young People Need Today?
Dr Alison Preston and Natalie Mawhinney 10
Supporting Pupils with Dyslexia
Jan Beechey 12
Increasing Pupil Wellbeing Through Reading
Katie O’Brien 14
Together
Richard Gerver 15
International Perspectives 16
Current Conversations 17
Between the Library and the Classroom 18
Media and Information Literacy Alliance update 19
A View From... 20
Frequently Asked Questions 22
Dates for you Diary 24
Curriculum Links 25
Digital
How To... Use Immersive Reader 26
Seven Stories: New Digital Exhibitions Website 27
Manga Resources from the Japan Society 28
Ed Tech Horizons 29
Social Media Links for Anti-Bullying accounts 30
Three from YouTube – Biology 31
Three Websites - Phonics 32
Book Reviews
7 & Under 34
Highlights - Creativity 39
8 -12 44
Highlights – Ancient Civilizations 49
13-16 60
Highlights – Computer Science 63
17-19 68
Highlights – Poetry 69
Professional reviews 71
Book Review Index 72
8
Graphic Novels: Beyond
Reluctant Reader
12
Supporting Pupils
with Dyslexia
26
How Too...
Use Immersive Reader
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
1

Welcome from the Chair-Elect
Welcome to the autumn edition of TSL and
the beginning of a new school year. As we
start this new school year, I am delighted
to introduce myself as the new SLA Chairelect.
Building on the incredible work Sue
Bastone has done over the last two years
will be a tough job, but the SLA has some exciting times ahead
as we move into the second year of our strategy.
It is also a period of transition for me, as I moved to a new
school in February, so this beginning of term has that sense of
invigoration that comes with fresh challenges. One such challenge
is an exciting new research project that we will be working on in
conjunction with our SLA patron, Julian McDougall, Professor of
Media and Education at Bournemouth University and eNurture,
a UK Research and Innovation funded network that promotes the
mental health of children and young people in the digital world.
This exciting research will explore the benefits of digital literacy
activities in the school library, as a ‘third space’, on students’
wellbeing and resilience in the digital environment. While it may
seem obvious to practitioners in school libraries, this research
aims to evidence the clear benefits the school library offers in
supporting mental health and wellbeing. Such evidence should
fulfill the first point of our mission which is to ‘Raise the profile
and benefits of school library provision and their contribution to
the UK’s educational agenda to regional and national governments
and educational bodies’.
Published four times a year by the School Library Association:
spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Cover illustration by Chris Riddell.
Copyright © 2022 School Library Association. All rights reserved.
ISSN 0036 6595
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 ‘Summer Riddell
Cover’ to info@sla.org.uk.
The Winner of the Summer
artwork is Angela Hall,
Librarian, Gosford Hill
School, Oxford Road,
Kidlington, OX5 2NT
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.
Printed on Carbon Captured paper.
Annually the production of TSL creates
44.76 square meters of native British
woodland and captures 1.792 tonnes of CO 2 .
Designed and printed by
Holywell Press, Oxford.
While on the topic of raising the profile of school libraries,
I have to mention the recent roundtable event at the House of
Commons. Hosted by Justin Tomlinson, MP for Swindon North,
the event formed part of our 85th anniversary celebrations
and addressed the topic ‘How can school libraries significantly
contribute to the national commitment to educate, empower and
level up our communities?’. The introduction by our CEO, Alison
Tarrant, included words that should be etched onto the minds
of every educator; ‘A school library is not a standalone entity’.
The speakers included Professor Teresa Cremin, Professor Julian
McDougall, Jonathan Douglas (CEO of the National Literacy
Trust), and School Librarian of the Year 2019, Ros Harding.
I felt that every speaker highlighted the role of school libraries
in fostering collaboration, independence, autonomy, and the
freedom to choose.
Looking ahead, I am once again
astounded that it is the AGM time
of year. With so much going on, I
encourage everyone to join us to find
out more.
Our website has further information
about our five-year strategy, a report
on the roundtable event, and details
of all forthcoming events, but do get in
touch with the office if you want more
information about any of these things.
Contributions
Alison Kennedy
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
Advertising: 4 Welbeck Avenue, Tunbridge Wells,
Kent, TN4 9BD
Tel: 01892 677742; Fax: 01892 677743;
Email: sharonm@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
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 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

library community?
on new system purchase
5% Discount
Editorial
HELPING PUT
THE LIBRARY
AT THE HEART
OF YOUR
SCHOOL
price for SLA members
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Volume 70 Number 3 Autumn 2022
What are the most important
information skills young people
need today?
By Dr Alison Preston and Natalie Mawhinney
The Book is Mightier than the Phoneme
Professors Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury
Running a School Library without a Budget
By Alice Leggatt
Whether you’re looking for a straightforward library management system to
help you manage your resources and monitor what your students are reading
or a platform to help you promote reading for pleasure and encourage
student engagement, Reading Cloud does all this and much more.
Let’s ask our users, what do you like about being part of the Reading Cloud
More than two years since the
first lockdown in England,
which saw schools host the
majority of lessons online
in an unprecedented move,
the education sector is still
facing a period of significant upheaval. July saw
three education secretaries in just one week, after
James Cleverly replaced Michelle Donelan who
resigned after only 36 hours in the post. By the
time you read this, we could finally have a new
Prime Minster, but the full extent of the changes
a new government will bring for education are
yet to be outlined. Over the summer, staff at the
UK’s biggest exam board AQA went on strike, and
at the time of writing, Autumn could also bring a
National Education Union teacher strike which
threatens to close many schools. Now more than
ever, the benefits of a school’s library as a source
of calm, inclusive, stability will be felt by pupils
and staff.
Now more than ever, the benefits of
a school’s library as a source of calm,
inclusive, stability will be felt by pupils
and staff.
For anyone who is joining their first school library
in such an environment this September, Amanda
Deaville, SLA’s Honorary Secretary and Trustee,
shares her wisdom and insights for getting started
on p.17. As Amanda says: “Above all, remember
why you are there – to make a difference.” Do not
hesitate to reach out to anyone here at the SLA if
there is something we can help you with, or even
just for a chat. We would love to hear from you.
Research published by UCL’s Institute of
Education hit the headlines earlier this year,
describing the way primary school pupils are
taught to read in England as “uninformed and
failing children”, due to the government’s narrow
focus on phonics. Professors Dominic Wyse and
Alice Bradbury from the Helen Hamlyn Centre for
Pedagogy at UCL discuss their findings further,
and suggest what else could be more effective in
teaching reading. They write: “Any teaching or
guidance on learning to read should be driven by
the search for meaning in, and interpretation of,
whole texts. Even before children start to engage
with the alphabetic code, they need multiple
experiences with a rich diversity of high-quality
texts.” Of course, school libraries are perfectly
placed to support this.
Digital literacy skills continue to be on many
school’s agendas this academic year, and Dr
Alison Preston, Head of Research and Evaluation,
and Natalie Mawhinney, Senior Market Research
Manager, from the UK’s communications
regulator Ofcom discuss what skills
young people need to navigate the digital
world today. Their research has found
that more than a quarter (27%) of 12- to
17-year-olds, though confident in their
ability to judge what is real or fake
online, incorrectly thought an example
shown was genuine. “The ability to
make reasoned judgements about the vast array of
content that is presented, and to understand the
commercial, social, and political imperatives that
sit behind such content, will protect our young
people as they navigate an increasingly hybrid
future,” they write.
Reading Cloud’s ‘Data Tidy’ and ‘Quick Replace’ tools help
me edit my library catalogue with ease, thereby improving
the accuracy of my data. And I always learn something
new about the system during the monthly webinars that I
can implement to make life easier in a busy school library.
Althea Briers, Librarian The Long Eaton School
Please get in touch today to find out what Reading Cloud can do for your school!
0161 449 9357 info.rc@educationsoftwaresolutions.co.uk
ess-readingcloud.co.uk
Next month, Dyslexia Awareness Week will
run from 3 rd October to 9 th October with the
theme ‘Breaking Through Barriers’. The week
is an opportunity to raise awareness and
understanding of dyslexia and help bring about
positive change. Jan Beechey, Librarian for
The Dyslexia Guild outlines ways school staff
and librarians can support pupils with dyslexia
and help make them feel more included in the
school environment.
We are also very pleased to welcome Kojo Hazel,
IT teacher and Diversity & Inclusion Fellow for
Microsoft Education UK, who will author our
‘How To Column’ from now on. In this issue he
writes about how to use Immersive Reader, the
free Microsoft tool which assists with reading and
comprehension. Our thanks go to Harmeet Sahota
for his previous articles which have been so
informative. Harmeet is taking on a headship and
we wish him all the best in the future.
Among other highlights in this edition, librarian
Alice Leggatt talks about how to run a school
library without any budget, after having to cope
with serious funding issues at her school. We
also have a review of the new digital exhibitions
website from Seven Stories, the National Centre
for Children’s Books. Both not to be missed!
Don’t forget you can read this edition of TSL
online through our website if you prefer, as well
as past editions stretching back to 2019.
We are continually looking at ways TSL can
continue to grow and develop so watch this space
if you would like to have the opportunity to be
more involved in your magazine.
My thanks go to everyone who contributed their
hard work and time 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 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
3

SLA News
AGM
Our members’ AGM this year will be held in just a few weeks’
time, on 15 September at 4 p.m. We’ll be discussing important
business, reflecting on what has been achieved in the last
financial year, and looking forwards to the future. We’ll cover
some important (legally required) business such as the approval
of the accounts, and members will have a chance to hear from
the board – who set the strategy and vision for the SLA.
We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. For
more information, head to the events section on our website.
Anniversary Gala Dinner
The SLA is very excited to be announcing the Honour
Lists for our new awards later this month.
We will be hosting a special anniversary gala dinner
in Swindon and will celebrate the Community Award,
Enterprise of the Year Award, and School Librarian of the
Year award at the event. The event will see the honour
lists revealed for each of these awards.
Winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony later
this year, and we wish everyone being considered for the
awards the best of luck for then!
More information, including nomination forms for 2023,
can be found on the news page of our website.
SLA champions school libraries at the House of Commons
As part of the celebrations for the SLA’s 85th anniversary,
Swindon North MP Justin Tomlinson hosted a roundtable
covering ways school libraries can be a part of the solution
to the issues we are facing today.
On Monday 11 July, the SLA team headed to London for
the event entitled ‘How can school libraries significantly
contribute to the national commitment to educate,
empower and level up our communities?’. We were joined
by Teresa Cremin, Professor of Literacy Education at the
Open University; Julian McDougall, Professor of Media and
Education at Bournemouth University; Jonathan Douglas,
Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust; Ros Harding,
School Librarian of the Year 2019/2020; our very own CEO,
Alison Tarrant; and invited guests.
Speakers shared their thoughts on the state of school libraries
at the moment, as well as their vision for the kind of provision
all children in the country should have access to. After further
discussion, guests were encouraged to fill out pledge cards
stating how they’d act on what they’d heard over the course
of the day.
Read more about our visit to Parliament here:
tinyurl.com/5ajd5dsc
Photos from left to right: Julian McDougall, Teresa Cremin, Alison Tarrant
4
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Feature
Running a School Library without a Budget -
AKA Operation Beg, Borrow, (Don’t) Steal!
Alice Leggatt
Librarian Alice Leggatt talks about ways she brought her school’s
long-dormant library back to life despite serious funding issues.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that
librarians are always in want of more
money. Chronic underfunding is a huge
issue for the sector as a whole. At the
recent SLA conference, Alison Tarrant
asked what challenges school libraries
face in the future – the most popular answer was,
predictably, budget cuts.
I was of course aware of these issues when I was
tasked with bringing the long-dormant library at
my current school back to life, but was heartened
to be told that there were funds available to support
the work. I began in March 2021 with the help
of an amazing senior leadership team, and we
quickly installed Accessit (thank goodness), bought
three beanbags (long-since regretted – seriously,
polystyrene balls get everywhere!), some framed
literary maps, and 50 new books. We relaunched in
July, and I spent the summer curating purchase lists.
And then … the money disappeared. In September,
staff were told department budgets were frozen for
the foreseeable future. This was not the school’s
fault – steering a school through a pandemic is not
easy and certainly not cheap – but I’ll be honest,
I panicked. I had promised so much to our students
and we suddenly couldn’t afford any of it.
I spent a week flailing around, coming up with
increasingly desperate fundraising ideas – could I do
a sponsored run? (No – I am terrible at all forms of
physical exercise). Could I put in a bid to the PCTA?
(No – other areas were more in need). Could I attract
donations from businesses? (Kind of – I did arrange
to receive pre-used books from a large finance
company’s diversity book club). It was especially
hard to explain my misery to the wider school – as
the library looked so much better than the book
graveyard it had previously been.
After I’d finished sulking, I decided the best way
forward was to make small, consistent steps to
improve things, and so operation ‘Beg, Borrow,
(Don’t) Steal’ was born with the help of some
fantastic pupil librarians. Here is what we did:
Local community – I put a call out to several local
parent groups for book donations, and people
were very generous. Obviously the books weren’t
always what we needed, and so I contacted a second
hand bookshop and arranged regular book swaps
between us. This also led to …
Christmas Book Sale – to sell unwanted donations.
Using ParentPay, students visited us to choose a giftwrapped
book. This funded the purchase of about 70
new books featuring diverse voices, which was what
our dated shelves most needed.
Ziffit – I sold some of our weeded stock to Ziffit
and used the money to buy a Dungeons & Dragons
starter set and other games, allowing me to get clubs
off the ground.
Sweet sale – we run a sweet shop on Mondays, with
the aim of being able to buy one new book per week.
Awards – I took a punt and nominated our Dungeons
& Dragons club leader for a student award with a
£250 cash prize – he won, and I took him shopping
for new books just before World Book Day.
Social Media – I entered every single book giveaway
I could, and had some small successes. Publishers
also occasionally sent unwanted stock.
A year in, our shelves are healthier, and I have some
tried and tested ways of keeping them that way.
Obviously, this is not a solution. I was extremely
privileged in what I was able to achieve – I work
reduced hours, have a car and enough money to
enable me to drive around collecting resources, I
have a great community who wanted to help (my
dad diving into a skip to rescue some book displays
he’d spotted was particularly memorable!) and I am
healthy enough to put in the extra time that this all
required. Libraries need and deserve proper funding
from a central source and should not have to rely on
the goodwill of librarians to keep them prospering.
However, if my experience helps a fellow librarian
feel a little less despondent when faced with a
diminishing budget, then I’ll consider the past year
well spent.
Charlie book shopping
Alice Leggatt is a Librarian
at a state school in SE
London. Previously a
teacher, she moved to
libraries – a long-held
ambition - in 2021, and is
excited to be undertaking
her CILIP chartership
journey next year. She loves
being part of a community
of librarians, many of whom
have saved the day for her
countless times this year!
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
5

Feature
The Book is Mightier
than the Phoneme
Professors Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury
Professors Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury from the Helen
Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy at UCL discuss their recent research
into the effectiveness of using phonics to teach children to read.
Photo credit: Canva
Dominic Wyse FAcSS
FRSA is Professor of
Early Childhood and
Primary Education at
the IOE, UCL’s Faculty of
Education and Society. He
is Founding Director of
the Helen Hamlyn Centre
for Pedagogy (HHCP) and
President of the British
Educational Research
Association (BERA) (2019
– 2022). The main focus
of Dominic’s research is
curriculum and pedagogy,
and Dominic has extensive
experience working at
the interface of research,
policy and practice,
particularly in relation to
national curricula.
As a child do you remember when
those black shapes on the page, the
letters, suddenly became decodable,
allowing you to read meanings in
texts? Every day teachers and
parents notice that their children
have learned to decode words: they have cracked the
‘alphabetic code’. However, how we help children to
learn to read is one of the most contentious topics
in education. ‘The Great Debate’, as Jean Chall in the
USA once dubbed it, now hinges on disagreements
about which of three different approaches to
teaching phonics 1 and reading is most effective:
whole language; contextualised reading teaching or
synthetic phonics.
1. Synthetic phonics: a focus on teaching children
about phonemes and letters. At key moments in
the teaching programme, phonics teaching is
separate from practising reading with whole texts.
In the early stages of the approach in particular,
children use ‘decodable’ books: reading scheme/
basal books with vocabularies controlled to enable
repetition of key words learned during the phonics
programme.
2. Contextualised reading teaching (also called
‘balanced instruction’): a focus on the balance
between teaching based on use of whole texts and
systematic teaching about the alphabetic code and
also other linguistic features. With this approach
the importance of comprehending the meaning
of written language is carefully balanced with the
acquisition of a range of skills and knowledge.
Lessons make explicit links between phonics
teaching and other linguistic aspects with whole
texts, which are often a combination of real
books and reading scheme books with controlled
vocabularies.
3. Whole language: a focus first and foremost on
whole texts, “real” books (trade books created by
authors as part of standard publication practices),
that it is theorised children will enjoy and find
motivating. The whole language approach is driven
by reading for meaning. Phonics teaching, and
other aspects of reading, are taught in a relatively
non-systematic way, and carried out through
examples related to the real books being read.
(Wyse & Bradbury, 2022, p.3)
One of the questions we investigated
as part of our recent research was
whether the approach in England was
informed by the most robust research
evidence.
In England, the Department for Education (DfE)
mandates that one approach to teaching phonics,
that they call systematic synthetic phonics, is the
approach to teaching that must be used in all
primary schools. It was not always like this. Until
Sir Jim Rose published his report in 2006 that
recommended that the teaching of phonics should
be discrete, or separate from the other elements
of reading such as engaging with books and other
texts, the approach to teaching phonics in England
had been in judicious balance with other aspects
of reading. And phonics teaching has always been
part of teachers’ approach to teaching reading
in England, even stretching back more than 100
years in formally organised schooling. From 2010
onwards Nick Gibb, who became Minister of
State for School Standards, and Michael Gove as
Secretary of State for Education, mandated not
only that phonics teaching should continue to
be part of England’s national curriculum but that
there should be much more emphasis on one
approach: synthetic phonics. This one approach
has been enforced in schools through various
strategies, such as the statutory Phonics Screening
Check (PSC), a test that all Year 1 children must sit;
Ofsted inspections prioritising phonics as part of
their inspections; and the DfE vetting resources for
teaching phonics that schools are allowed to use.
6
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

The Book is Mightier than the Phoneme
The politics of all of this can even be seen in the
DfE decision, after many years of use in schools, to
remove from the approved list a popular resource
called Letters and Sounds that was developed
during the last Labour government as a result of
the Rose Report.
One of the questions we investigated as part of
our recent research was whether the approach
in England was informed by the most robust
research evidence. Our research included a survey
of teachers about the PSC, and how they taught
reading. The work also involved a systematic review
of the most robust research carried out in regions of
the world where English is the dominant language
in schools.
If you want to know whether a particular approach
to reading is effective or not, then one of the best
ways to evaluate this is to do what is called a
randomised controlled trial (RCT). This is where
the approach to reading, the intervention, is
compared to a control condition, often known as
‘business as usual’. Not only are there now many
RCTs relevant to our question about what is the
most effective way to teach phonics and reading,
but there are also robust reviews of these research
studies (systematic reviews and meta analyses).
The evidence from research, these multiple
experimental trials summarised in systematic
reviews, clearly shows that the current
government’s approach to synthetic phonics first
and foremost is very unlikely to be the best way to
help children learn to read. Here’s a quote from
one of the systematic reviews:
The above research [that was analysed for the
systematic review] provides little or no evidence
that systematic phonics is better than standard
alternative methods used in schools … the
findings undermine the claim that systematic
phonics is more effective than alternative
methods including unsystematic phonics (such
as whole language) (Bowers, 2020. p. 16)
Our own systematic review, combined with other
published systematic reviews, found that phonics
teaching is likely to be effective if it is:
1. implemented with children aged 5 to 6 (in
England in Year 1);
2. carefully connected with the reading of whole
texts, including a focus on reading for meaning, in
all lessons;
3. undertaken during the course of not more than
one whole school year featuring several lessons
per week between 36 hours and 60 hours in total
teaching time.
The evidence also shows that a range of types of
phonics teaching can be used, not just synthetic
phonics. We also noted that there is a need
for a large-scale experimental trial to test the
applicability of our recommendations in the
context of England’s primary schools.
In our survey of teachers in England in early years
and Year 1, at the end of 2020, we found that
‘synthetic phonics first and foremost’ was the main
approach to the teaching of phonics for 66% of
respondents. This was perhaps not surprising given
the pressure form the DfE on teachers to conform
to synthetic phonics. The impact of the PSC on
classroom practice was also clear in responses from
Year 2 teachers who were conducting the PSC with
their classes (after delays caused by Covid-19).
When asked ‘To what extent does the Phonics
Screening Check affect your practice in relation
to phonics?’, 71% of respondents noted that their
teaching was affected by the PSC (28% responded
‘To a significant extent’ and 43% ‘To some extent’).
For the open comments written by the teachers
in response to the question, ‘If you could change
national curriculum policy on teaching and assessing
reading, including phonics, what kinds of changes
would you recommend?’ there were 72 written
comments. The PSC was mentioned in 52 of these
comments. 49 responses were negative, referring
to removal or reform of the PSC. These kinds of
criticisms have been made repeatedly by some
teachers, researchers and by organisations such as
the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA).
On the basis of our work on the teaching of
reading and literacy more generally we propose
the following things that are most likely to help
children learn to read:
Children need to develop an interest in reading
for pleasure. Libraries have always been a
vital source for lighting the fire of children’s
motivation.
Any teaching or guidance on learning to read
should be driven by the search for meaning in,
and interpretation of, whole texts. Even before
children start to engage with the alphabetic
code, they need multiple experiences with a
rich diversity of high-quality texts.
Helping children understand the ways that
phonemes in speech are represented by
letters in text is vital but it must be carefully
contextualised in real books and texts.
This government, or the next one, should
review and change the national curriculum
and assessments such as the PSC so that the
guidance better represents robust research
evidence.
On this final point about assessment we are
leading an Independent Commission on Primary
Assessment (ICAPE): www.icape.org.uk. Please
do have a look and follow us on social media.
Further Information
• You can access our full research paper here:
tinyurl.com/2p9d6bwm
• The Guardian piece describing our work as
‘a landmark study’: tinyurl.com/56vsma9t
• Author Michael Morpurgo refers to our research
on reading and Dominic’s research on grammar:
tinyurl.com/2p9r5arm
Photo credit: Canva
Photo credit: Canva
Footnotes
1 Teaching children about
phonemes (sounds) and how
letters represent phonemes
in words.
Alice Bradbury FRSA is
Professor of Sociology of
Education at IOE, UCL’s
Faculty of Education and
Society, and co-director of
the Helen Hamlyn Centre
for Pedagogy (0–11 years).
Her research focuses on
the impact of education
policy on classroom
practices and inequalities,
particularly issues of
assessment and impact
of Covid-19.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
7

Feature
Graphic Novels: Beyond
Reluctant Readers
Paul Register
Founder of the Excelsior Award for graphic novels,
Paul Register, outlines ways graphic novels can be used
in the library to do more than encourage reluctant readers.
Photo credit: Unsplash
Paul Register is the school
librarian at Parkwood E-ACT
Academy in Sheffield. He
has been involved in school
libraries for 22 years, has
worked in four different
secondary schools (plus a
sixth form college), been
a freelance educational
speaker (all over the UK and
even into Europe), and has
been running the Excelsior
Award since 2011.
In 2012, I met Stan Lee, the legendary
Marvel Comics writer, editor, publisher
and one of the greatest creative forces in
American superhero comics of all time.
I won’t bore you with all the details, but
the meeting was as a result of my role as
the founder of semi-famous graphic novels book
award, the Excelsior Award 1 and took place in
his hotel suite whilst he was making a rare visit
to London for a comics convention. In the ten
minutes I was allotted with him, I showed him
the eight graphic novels that were on that year’s
shortlist. He was mildly interested but when I got
on to the adaptation of Wuthering Heights we had,
he actually physically reached out to me and said,
‘Are you saying that this award is getting kids to
read Wuthering Heights?!’
‘Yes’, I replied. Stan just smiled broadly and said,
‘That’s great!’
Now, why am I telling you this story? It’s simple
really. It’s to show that whilst Stan Lee might be
famous for co-creating comics characters like
Spider-Man, the Hulk and Iron Man, he was also
a huge believer in the power of comics to inspire
reading at a higher level. He never thought he
was writing down to a lower level or presenting
a dumbed-down form of literature for kids who
needed pictures alongside the words. When he
started writing in the 1960s, he was the first writer
to use what he called ‘college-level vocabulary’
in his superhero stories. He never wanted to shy
away from writing techniques like alliteration
or using an authorial narrator behind the actual
story. He understood that – in his Fantastic Four
comics – Ben Grimm (a Jew from an impoverished
background in Manhattan’s Lower East Side)
would speak in a very different way to Reed
Richards (a scientific genius from California),
despite their deep friendship and having met at
university in their teens. For Lee, comics were
another storytelling medium and an opportunity to
influence and educate a generation of new readers.
After all, the best education often takes place when
people don’t realise they are being educated!
And this is why I could think of no greater source
of inspiration when I started the Excelsior Award
in 2011. For those of you not familiar with the
award it is the biggest dedicated book award for
graphic novels and manga in the UK. The process
has changed over the years but the core principle
of letting students choose the winners has never
changed. And we have never lost sight of the fact
that it’s the reading that is the most important
factor. Your library management system may try
to give you the impression that all your graphic
novels should be shelved at 741.5 in the Dewey
decimal system. After all, they are just about “the
artwork”, aren’t they? Nothing could be further
from the truth. Yes, the artwork is very important
and an integral part of the storytelling process. But
the story and the writing has to be recognised and
appreciated. A graphic novel without a story is just
a book full of illustrations.
Graphic novels can increase motivation
amongst all learners, improve analytical
skills, and feed creativity.
It is certainly a valid approach for librarians and
teachers to use graphic novels to engage students
who are classed as “reluctant readers” and have
felt somehow educationally excluded by more
traditional prose text novels, but there is much
more to the graphic novel medium than simply
targeting one demographic or skill base. As with
all storytelling media, there is always the capacity
for learning about things like empathy and
compassion, plus experiencing things like different
cultures and different mindsets. Graphic novels
(and when I use this catch-all term it includes
comics and manga) are no different. Graphic novels
can increase motivation amongst all learners,
8
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Graphic Novels: Beyond Reluctant Readers
improve analytical skills, and feed creativity. Is this
not what we want for all our library users and the
wider student body in all our schools?
One of my favourite books of all time is V for
Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. It is
both a continuation of themes raised decades
earlier by George Orwell in 1984 and a reflection
of 1980s Britain. As a teenage boy growing up in
Thatcher’s Britain, this was the first book that really
galvanised a political consciousness in me and
helped me recognise many of the touchstones of
authoritarianism.
V for Vendetta is just one example of a more mature
graphic novel though. I am often approached for
recommendations by adults who have never read
one and I would always tell them to try one for
themselves. If you’ve never experienced a graphic
novel, how can you understand what your students
might see in them? Librarians, as a profession,
are certainly not shy at reading material that isn’t
especially aimed at our age group! Do have a look
at the suggestions at the end of this piece. Pick one,
buy/borrow it and read it. Even if you don’t like it
(the story or the format!), you will at least have a
greater understanding of how graphic novels work.
Here are some simple guidelines for future buying:
1. Don’t buy Mister Miracle!
Obviously, you can buy Mister Miracle if you wish
(a graphic novel from 2019 by the wonderful Tom
King and Mitch Gerads). It is as an example of
a graphic novel that is mind-blowingly original,
creatively audacious, superbly written, brilliantly
illustrated and won all the major comics awards
going when it came out. However, I have had it in
two school libraries and even shortlisted it for the
Excelsior Award … and it is massively unpopular
with kids. There’s no doubting its quality but it is
never going to get borrowed very much, if at all. Do
not get seduced when a graphic novel describes
itself as ‘award winning’. Not all book awards are
geared towards customers of school libraries!
2. Avoid what booksellers want you
to buy
As above, I am just offering a gentle warning that
there are some booksellers/retail outlets/library
suppliers who like to offer bundles of graphic
novels to sell to schools and they sometimes aren’t
of a particularly high quality. And the graphic novel
enthusiasts in your school will quickly recognise
a poor graphic novel collection and make the
false assumption that you don’t know what you
are doing. Don’t just buy what you are offered, no
matter how cheap. Do your research first.
3. Marvel and DC
As a school librarian, can you imagine what your
fiction collection would look like if you removed
all the books published by Penguin, Bloomsbury
and Scholastic? A graphic novel collection with
no books published by Marvel and DC would look
very similar! Marvel and DC are the two biggest
publishers of graphic novels in the world! Your
collection should reflect that fact. These two comic
book heavyweights publish titles featuring many
well-known and beloved characters. There is no
good reason to ignore the output of Marvel and DC
if you are serious about lending as many graphic
novels as you possibly can!
4. Excelsior Award shortlists
You don’t need to sign up to the Excelsior Award to
peruse its shortlists, which are available for anyone
to view on the Excelsior Award website 2 and make a
great starting point for creating a new graphic novel
section in the library (or updating an older one).
You can also feel more secure about what age range
particular graphic novels are aimed at, and judge
which books have been popular with students
in previous years (by virtue of them having been
previous winners!).
So, in summary, remember that graphic novels (and
manga!) can appeal to all age groups and all ability
levels. They have many of the same strengths (and
weaknesses) as regular novels. Give them their own
dedicated section. Display some with those fabulous
covers face out. And read one yourself if you never
have (see the list of recommended titles below)!
Recommendations for Grown-Ups (and perhaps
your more mature students):
• V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
(DC)
• Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
(DC)
• Orwell by Sébastien Verdier and Pierre Christin
(SelfMadeHero)
• The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon
(SelfMadeHero)
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (Omnibus)
by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark (Marvel)
• Berlin - The Seven Dwarves by Marvano
(Cinebook)
• Incognegro by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece
(Dark Horse)
• Black Hammer, Volume 1: Secret Origins by
Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston (Dark Horse)
• Skyward, Volume 1 by Joe Henderson and
Lee Garbett (Image)
• Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories by
Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, et al
(IDW Publishing)
• Audubon: On the Wings of the World by Fabein
Grolleau and Jeremie Royer (Nobrow)
Photo credit: Canva
Footnotes
1 www.excelsioraward.co.uk
2 www.excelsioraward.co.uk/
previousshortlists.html
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
9

Feature
What are the most important
information skills young people
need today?
Dr Alison Preston and Natalie Mawhinney
Head of Research and Evaluation, Dr Alison Preston, and
Senior Market Research Manager, Natalie Mawhinney, from
Ofcom’s Making Sense of Media Programme, share insights
into what information skills young people need to navigate
the digital world today.
Dr Alison Preston is Head
of Research and Evaluation
on Ofcom’s Making Sense
of Media Programme and
co-directs Ofcom’s online
research and data strategy.
Alison likes to embed the
realities of everyday, lived
experience into Ofcom’s
policy understanding
and metrics.
In 2022, information skills have never been
more important for young people. The
pandemic has brought about a step-change
in the use of, and reliance upon, digital
media. Events in the past two years have
focused a new spotlight on the issues of
misinformation and disinformation, and upcoming
online safety legislation highlights the importance of
finding ways to mitigate online harms.
At Ofcom, our Making Sense of Media programme
promotes online media literacy across the
UK, among both adults and children. Indeed,
promoting and researching media literacy are part
of Ofcom’s statutory duty and have been since
we were set up in 2003. We define media literacy
in deliberately broad terms as ‘the ability to use,
understand and create media and communications
in a variety of contexts’. In its simplest form, this is
about the ability to be safe and savvy online, but the
distinction between the on- and offline worlds is
becoming ever more nebulous. As the ‘internet of
things’ continues to expand and grow in popularity,
digital literacy is no longer an activity confined to
a PC, smartphone or tablet. Our ‘Day in the Life’
research project is following the daily lives of 20
respondents, from a diverse range of ages and
backgrounds, and exploring the way that media
literacy touchpoints occur across all areas of our
daily life. The findings from this work, available
this autumn, are likely to underline the myriad of
moments in modern daily life that are enabled or
enhanced by digital technology.
To successfully navigate this hybrid world in 2022
and beyond, our young people will need a mix of
skills and knowledge in the areas of media literacy,
digital literacy and information literacy.
Media literacy skills allow people to make
informed choices about their interactions online,
increase their resilience to online harms, and
enable effective participation in the wealth
of opportunities that the online world has to
offer. Central to media literacy is the concept
of critical understanding. This is the ability to
understand, question, and manage the media
environment, and is crucial if people are to get
the benefits that the internet and other media can
offer while minimising potential risks or harms.
For example, critical understanding helps in
identifying possible misinformation, being alert to
fake profiles, and understanding the commercial
drivers for online content and activity.
At Ofcom, we carry out comprehensive research
into media literacy 1 among both adults and
children. We use both surveys and detailed
qualitative methods to understand media use,
attitudes, and skills across the UK.
Online participation rates amongst young people
are high. Almost all 12- to 17-year-olds go online;
98% watch, post or share content on video sharing
platforms and three-quarters play online games.
Social media use increases with age among
teenagers, with 91% of those aged 12–15 using
social media, rising to 97% of 16- to 17-year-olds. 2
With technology all around them, how media
literate are this generation? In our most recent
wave of our Children’s Media Use and Attitudes
tracker survey, we have expanded our approach
to measuring critical understanding, making use
of mocked-up online scenarios which, alongside
our existing confidence and awareness questions,
capture how internet users think and act in these
situations. We asked over 1,200 children aged 12–
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What are the most important information skills young people need today?
Children’s Media Use and Attitudes tracker survey
17 who go online to assess how far they thought
certain online scenarios were genuine or fake.
Confidence levels in their own abilities were high,
with 72% of children in the 12–15 category and
78% of children aged 16–17 agreeing that they were
confident in judging whether what they saw online
was real or fake. But when shown a scenario and
asked to select the features that suggested that
the scenario was fake or genuine, these levels of
confidence were not always justified.
When shown a fake social media profile, over 1 in 5
(22%) of 12- to 17-year-olds thought it was genuine,
with around a quarter of this group nominating
the images in the profile as being why they felt the
profile was genuine, even though stock imagery is
easily acquired.
When we looked at levels of confidence and ability
to spot misleading posts together, we found that
more than a quarter (27%) of 12- to 17-year-olds,
while confident in their ability to judge what is real
or fake online, incorrectly thought that the example
shown was genuine.
This could mean that a young person whose
confidence is not matched by ability in practice may
be more likely to make mistakes about what or who
to trust online, which could lead to potential harm.
(Conversely, the ‘not confident but able’ group may
not trust their own good judgement, and may feel
more unsure or unsafe in an online environment.)
Influencers are an increasingly important force in
the advertising world, particularly amongst younger
people, and we have measured their awareness of
this for several years now in our media literacy work.​
​Last year for the first time we translated this into a
scenario question testing the ability of children aged
12–17 to recognise commercial incentives behind
sponsored social media posts. ​We showed them a
real Instagram post from influencer Charli D’Amelio
advertising Dunkin’ Donuts, marked with the
hashtag #ad. We then asked them which reasons the
influencer might have for saying good things about
the product. We chose a well-known professional
influencer to ensure that the commercial incentive
was as clear cut as possible: Charli D’Amelio is
a social media personality with over 47 million
followers on Instagram and over a billion likes on
TikTok.
Seven in ten of 12–17s recognised that the influencer
was being paid by the company to promote this
product. Older children aged 16–17 were more likely
to recognise this at 76%, compared with 67% of 12- to
15-year-olds. However, just four in ten gave only the
response that the influencer was being paid. When
overlaid with our confidence measure, this resulted
in 64% of 12–17s who are both confident and able
in spotting influencer advertising, compared to 27%
who are confident but not able.
So we can see that when it comes to navigating
the online environment, there are gaps in young
people’s confidence and actual media literacy skills
or behaviours, and this will have an impact on their
experience of being online.
Of course, media and information literacy are not
solely relevant to the online environment. Critical
understanding is a crucial information skill that
cuts across all media, bolstering young people’s
resilience and allowing them to make the most of
opportunities presented to them, whether via print,
broadcasting, telecoms, or online. The ability to
make reasoned judgements about the vast array of
content that is presented, and to understand the
commercial, social, and political imperatives that
sit behind such content, will protect our young
people as they navigate an increasingly hybrid
future. Critical information skills are needed more
than ever, and represent, in our view, a vital set of
information skills that young people need today.
For further information about Ofcom’s media literacy
activities, please see our website or get in touch with
us at makingsenseofmedia@ofcom.org.uk
Photo credit: Canva
Footnotes
1 www.ofcom.org.uk/researchand-data/media-literacyresearch/publications
2 Ofcom Children and parents:
media use and attitudes report
2022
Natalie Mawhinney is the
Senior Market Research
Manager for the Making
Sense of Media Programme
at Ofcom. Natalie has
worked across a range
of sectors, including
education, and is passionate
about taking an evidencebased
approach to strategy
and policy.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
11

Feature
Supporting Pupils with Dyslexia
Jan Beechey
Librarian for The Dyslexia Guild, Jan Beechey MCILIP, looks at
ways school staff and librarians can support those with dyslexia
in school in time for Dyslexia week in October.
Photo credit: Canva
Jan Beechey MCILIP, is the
Librarian for The Dyslexia
Guild. Jan has worked
within academic libraries
for over 30 years, as library
assistant, subject librarian,
site librarian, and for the last
11 years as librarian within
Dyslexia Action. Find out
more at dyslexiaguild.org.uk.
@jamps4
Teaching in a dyslexia friendly,
multisensory way is beneficial for all
students, dyslexic or not, as visual
aids, technology and creativity bring
engagement to learning. Research in
dyslexia suggests that:
• there is a strong familial link
• it affects both males and females
• it can occur at any level of intellectual ability
• it is on a continuum – from mild to severe – and
may require specialist intervention
• productivity can vary according to mood, level
of tiredness, state of health, degree of selfsufficiency
or the level of support available
• the effects of dyslexia can change over time, even
with the right sort of intervention, which is why
dyslexia appears patchy in individuals, as various
factors can affect performance.
The Rose Review definition of Dyslexia was
published in 2009 and was influential in education;
it is still widely used and respected today (Rose,
2009, pp.29). Dyslexia primarily affects the skills
involved in accurate and fluent word reading
and spelling, and characteristics are difficulties
in phonological awareness, verbal memory,
and verbal processing speed. However, there is
acknowledgement that co-occurring difficulties
can exacerbate the challenges experienced: for
example, a deficit in attention can have a strong
influence on the ability to read.
Supporting those with dyslexia
When children start a new school or a new
academic year, the problems of orientation
and following a timetable may be even more
problematic for a child with dyslexia or other cooccurring
difficulties, due to memory weakness,
spatial awareness, and numeracy difficulties. It may
take some time to learn the route to a classroom/
library or to recognise number letter patterns on
doors, especially in a noisy corridor full of other
distractions. Visual markers such as colourful
posters or colour coding might help. Carrying
heavy books and bags or remembering to bring
them to class are all physically and mentally tiring
activities, so you may want to explore ways in which
your school can help alleviate these stressors.
Multisensory learning: the simultaneous holding
and processing of information can be very difficult
for learners with dyslexia. Support through visual,
auditory, kinaesthetic tactile methods provide more
ways to learn and remember new information.
Teaching phonological skills: the dyslexic learner
fails to acquire many phonological skills and may
have weaknesses in attention, and listening, and
words similar in sound may become confused,
so explicit structured teaching, by exploring the
structure of sentences, words and phonemes can
help. Games and activities (perhaps in the library)
can be used to reinforce some of these areas.
Teaching spelling: increase sight vocabulary,
grapheme patterns, and discuss the meaning of
vocabulary. The origin and history of words can
make learning more interesting; perhaps focus on
surnames or a period of history, or use a sandbox
or magnetic letters to spell out words.
Teaching writing: metalinguistic skills, or the
ability to consciously reflect on the nature of
language, enhances good writing, so teach parts
of speech, sentence structure, how clauses and
phrases are constructed; include reflection on
how the written work is structured. Learners
with dyslexia can find it difficult to filter new
information, i.e. know which piece of information
is important, so encourage them to highlight key
words either by colour coding or putting them in
boxes or underlining (Ebbels, 2011). Planning their
writing into organised structures is challenging,
so a template with prompts such as ‘Introduction’,
‘Important points’, ‘Conclusion’, etc. might help.
Similarly, mind maps can be used and made simply
with sticky notes so they can be moved around and
organised into groups.
Nurturing self-esteem: growth mindsets help
students to become resilient, identify and
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Supporting Pupils with Dyslexia
understand negative thinking, and put strategies
in place to help them identify strengths and
weaknesses. Making mistakes needs to be shown to
be a positive, integral part of how you learn. Praise
is important, and teach children to find something
positive in their attempts. Did they listen well? Did
they try hard with their handwriting?
Take a break! Little and often is better. Those with
dyslexia and other co-occurring difficulties have
to work twice as hard as others to achieve similar
results, so 10 minutes with a short break is better
than forcing them to do an hour of work, which will
tire them out.
Useful aids: when producing written materials,
including for the library, consider a font size of
12 point or more and use a sans serif font such
as Calibri, Comic Sans, or Arial. Although there
has been a lot of promotion of dyslexia friendly
fonts, there is little real evidence that they work for
everyone, but the two components of text spacing,
inter-letter and inter-word spacing may have more
significance (Galliussi, J., Perondi, L., Chia, G. et al.
2020). Avoid italics and underlining as it can make
the text run together. Also, too many uppercase/
capital letters may be harder to read. If you can
print on off-white paper, that may help with reading
fluency and eye-strain, but remember, one size
does not fit all and some fonts or colours may be
preferable to one child but not another.
Visual difficulties are best addressed by an
optometrist for a full assessment of eye health and
visual function.
In the library
Is there a study space in the library where young
people with specific learning difficulties (SpLD)
might work without distraction? Do they need
monitoring regularly to ensure they get any
help they need at the appropriate time? Study,
organisational skills, time management, and
memory may be very weak so they may not be
able to just get on with it and this is especially
problematic for homework. You might want to
install mind map software on your computers to
help students organise their ideas, using something
like BulletMap Academy, who were runners up in
the UK EdTech Awards 2021.
You can find good advice and ‘how to’ guides for
assistive technology on the Ability Net website
under ‘My Computer, My Way’.
Some publishers provide high interest, low reading
age books, and Barrington Stoke are particularly
good in publishing these for teenagers. Dyslexia
Action was one of the organisations that helped
to form and launch RNIB Bookshare, which
provides textbooks and materials to support the
UK curriculum for those with a print disability.
Print disabilities may be due to visual impairment,
dyslexia or reading difficulty, learning disability
or physical disability. Bookshare offers a range of
accessible formats that can be read electronically
or adapted to suit the personal reading needs of
learners, with 760,796 titles. Audio books are a great
way to enhance enjoyment and follow a storyline
and can help with reading comprehension when
studying the text later on. Calibre Audio Library
is a national charity, lending free audiobooks to
anyone who is print-disabled. Reader pens can
read text aloud, and there is also a C-Pen Exam
Reader that enables students who have reading
difficulties, such as dyslexia, to independently take
exams knowing that they can read and understand
the questions.
Dyslexia is different for everyone, so one child may
like to read e-books, but another prefers hard copy.
Graphic novels and comics are a great way to help
get children into reading. In fact, Dekko Comics
have been turning educational content into comic
strips since 2015. You can try it out for free and if
you do decide to join, they have online access for
schools, and classroom pack options available.
There is so much more to discover about dyslexia
and this short article can hardly do it justice, but
please see below for additional resources and
further reading.
Useful resources and further reading
Dyslexia Action (dyslexiaaction.org.uk) and Real
Training (realtraining.co.uk) provide a range of
courses and further CPD training.
Ability Net – My Computer My Way:
www.mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk
Barrington Stoke: www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/
dyslexic-reluctant-readers
BulletMap Academy: bulletmapacademy.com
Calibre Audio Library: www.calibreaudio.org.uk
Dekko Comics for Education: dekkocomics.com/
blog/dekko-comics-for-education
Ebbels, S. (2021) ‘Using “Shape Coding” to teach
grammar to children with language impairments’,
Dyslexia Review 22(3), pp.20-21.
Gamble, Nikki. (2019) Exploring Children’s
Literature: Reading for Knowledge, Understanding
and Pleasure. 4 th edn. London: Sage.
Galliussi, J., Perondi, L., Chia, G. et al. Inter-letter
spacing, inter-word spacing, and font with dyslexiafriendly
features: testing text readability in people
with and without dyslexia. Ann. of Dyslexia 70,
141–152 (2020).
www.doi.org/10.1007/s11881-020-00194-x
Hornigold, Judy. (2012) Help! My Child has Dyslexia:
A Practical Guide for Parents. Hyde: LDA
Hoskins, Sherria (Ed). (2020) Growth Mindset for
Teachers: Having a growth mindset can enhance
children’s progress at school. Thousand Oaks: Corwin
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
13

Feature
Increasing Pupil Wellbeing
through Reading
Photo credit: Canva
Katie O’Brien works for
Bounce Together, an online
mental health and wellbeing
survey platform designed for
schools. It gives you access
to the largest repository of
research-based surveys for
pupils, staff and parents and
provides clear, presentationready
reports to give you
clarity and confidence in
making decisions to drive
improvement across all
aspects of school life.
@bouncetogether.
The positive impacts of reading
for pleasure have been generally
accepted by the educational
establishment for some time, and
yet this does not always seem to
match the priorities laid out – either
in terms of time within the curriculum or funding
provided to support it. Education is now facing one
of the biggest challenges in supporting children’s
recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, and
reading and wellbeing are at the top of the list.
As well as being one of the greatest indicators of
academic success, it is generally accepted that
reading for pleasure positively affects mental
health, self-esteem, empathy, mood, and stress.
If we want to motivate young readers,
knowing what they like to read and
enabling them to choose is essential.
Books are powerful wellbeing tools in their own
right! Reading provides children with endless
opportunities to escape from day-to-day worries
and explore new situations and different emotions.
The process of engaging with many different
characters helps children develop their empathy
and learn about cultures and relationships. It is also
no secret that in difficult times these characters can
provide a sense of comfort and help children and
adults feel less alone.
If we want to motivate young readers, knowing
what they like to read and enabling them to choose
is essential. Choice and agency in reading matter.
Using data from 1194 children aged 8–11 years
who took part in the Attitude to Reading survey
– provided by Bounce Together and written by
the School Library Association – Teresa Cremin
and Becky Coles of The Open University have put
together a fantastic new short report.
The findings re-enforce much of what is “known”
about creating a vibrant and impactful reading
culture within a school; but some findings provide
a challenge.
Amongst the most notable findings is that 12% of
respondents indicated they didn’t like any books or
stories. Although this number may seem low, these
are schools which are already engaged with reading
to some extent, and an additional 2% didn’t answer
the question.
The responses to the question ‘When you’ve
finished reading something, how do you choose
what to read next?’ also provide a challenge for
schools. Over half (56%) said their preferred way
to choose the next book was simply to look at the
shelves, and only 14% said they’d ask an adult. This
highlights the importance of reading environments
being easily navigable and browsing strategies
being explicitly taught. Cremin and Coles write:
‘Perhaps the young people do not see adults as
readers, do not often experience adults reading
and have limited access to reading role models.
Or perhaps they perceive that the adult - a teacher,
parent or librarian will prescribe a text, not offer
a choice, and follow this up with some form of
checking or assessment?’
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education at The
Open University, says ‘In order to motivate young
readers, knowing them as readers and enabling
them to choose is essential. Teachers must also
be able to make informed recommendations
to broaden children’s reading repertoires, and
this means widening professional knowledge of
children’s texts too.’
Bob Wilkinson, Bounce Together MD said: ‘We are
delighted to be working with the School Library
Association and The Open University to shed
more light on what children are reading, and want
to, read. Reading for pleasure positively affects
mental health, self-esteem, empathy, mood and
stress. It is also no secret that in difficult times
these characters can provide a sense of comfort
and help children and adults feel less alone, and
we’re pleased to be supporting schools in this
important work.’
Alison Tarrant, CEO of the School Library
Association, added: ‘Working to understand each
individual child’s attitude to reading is vital as part
of the work of making reading something children
want to do intrinsically. Ultimately, it’s about their
passions, interests, abilities and dislikes and only
through understanding these better are school
staff better able to inform and inspire a love of
reading. We’re so pleased that this survey is being
used by schools and the report highlights many
areas of work for schools across the UK, and we
will continue to work to support school staff in this
important area.’
You can download the full report on the Bounce
Together website: tinyurl.com/2jhxezxk
14
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Feature
Together
Richard Gerver
SLA President Richard Gerver talks about the joys of coming
together at our recent annual Weekend Course in Kent.
It’s a long way from Derbyshire to Ashford
and I must confess that being stuck on
the M25 on a hot summer’s morning
made it feel even longer. By the time
I arrived, I was a little clammy and just
a tad stressed but …
There has always been something about people
coming together for a few days, away from their
daily travails to share their passion and challenges
and to be inspired. It is something we have been
deprived of for so long because of that virus.
It’s true that Ashford is not the most scenic of
places, and now that the Eurostar station has been
closed, not the most significant; however, on the
weekend of the 10 June 2022, it became, for me,
one of the most inspirational of settings.
It is nearly two years since I was given the honour
of becoming your president and it was the first
time I got to meet our members in person and to
discover that real people still have feet, often clad
in the most vibrant of footwear. From the moment
I crashed through the conference room door,
late, due to that pesky circular stretch of Hades
surrounding London, in time to catch the end of
Cressida’s inspirational call to arms, until leaving
early on Sunday morning, I was transformed.
Nearly three years of Zoom calls and cries of
‘you’re on mute’ had left me feeling disconnected.
However, those of you who were able to attend that
glorious weekend not only made me remember the
sheer joy of human interaction but gave me real
hope for the future. Very rarely do I find myself in a
room of people so fiercely committed to their work,
or the children and communities they serve. Even
more rarely do I meet people who are so collegiate,
so connected and supportive of each other. The way
you all lifted each other up and gave so much love
to the presenters and authors was, honestly, a thing
of beauty.
There is no denying that we are in the midst of a
huge trial of endurance, resilience, and suffering –
not just as librarians but as human beings. We are
living in dark times, but as I said in my Saturday
Q&A with our wonderful CEO, Alison, I am an
optimist and I believe that we do stand on the cusp
of the next great renaissance, one which will be led
by our children and their children. Every period of
darkness in human history has been followed by
a rebirth, an explosion in the arts, culture, science
and human evolution and I firmly believe that
there is one to come. I know there are sceptics and
at times I even doubt it myself, but, having met
all of you – the dream keepers in our schools, the
people who open the doors of imagination, fantasy,
knowledge, inspiration and aspiration – I am
galvanised by your drive and refusal to give in.
The key is to take the spirit of Ashford with us
over the coming months, to find ways to stay
connected, supported and together. Some years
ago, Google carried out research into what
makes their most successful teams so successful.
They were:
• Places of emotional safety.
• A clear sense of structure and clarity.
• Everyone could rely on each other, a real sense
of trust.
• There was a clear meaning to everyone’s role.
• The impact of the work was regularly celebrated
and recognised.
Those were the same qualities I felt I had been
immersed in as I drove away from our weekend
course, on quieter roads, early on the Sunday.
As I reflect now, a few weeks later, there are a
couple of things I am sure about. Firstly, I cannot
tell you what an incredible privilege it is to be your
current president; I have never been prouder to be
associated with any group of professionals.
And secondly, that times are tough, and I think they
will be for a while to come, but there is a future and
one that we can be at the heart of. We must stick
together, to shout loud for each other and to tell the
stories of success as and when we achieve them or
hear about them.
The way to win people over is never to spend too
long talking about what isn’t working or what’s
wrong, it is to articulate a vision, an aspiration that
people can connect to, to get behind and fight for –
and that is something we can only do together.
Richard Gerver is President
of the School Library
Association, and a worldrenowned
speaker and
author. He was previously
a headteacher.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
15

International Perspectives
School Libraries in Malaysia
Mayasari Abdul Majid
Senior Librarian Mayasari from the Nobel International School
talks about the differences between school libraries’ management
in public and international school libraries in Malaysia.
Footnotes
1 (Educational Resources and
Technology Division, 2017)
2 (The International Federation
of Library Associations and
Institutions, 2021)
Mayasari Abdul Majid is a
Senior Librarian at Nobel
International School,
Malaysia. She is one of the
standing committees of the
International Federation
of Library and Association
(IFLA) under School Libraries
Section, and one of the
council members of the
Librarians Association of
Malaysia. She has experience
working in public school
libraries, international
school libraries, and
academic libraries.
The School Resource Centre (SRC) is
the name used in Malaysian public
schools to refer to school libraries.
The SRC acts as an information centre
that offers a variety of systematic,
non-print, electronic, and digital
materials that are systematically managed to
improve teaching and learning quality 1 . Meanwhile,
private and international schools use the term
‘school library’. Most international school libraries
follow the guidelines and manifesto provided by the
International Federation of Library and Association
(IFLA) to achieve their vision, which is:
“The school library program improves and
enhances teaching and learning for the entire school
community through its qualified school library
professionals, collections, and active collaborations
for literacies, thinking, and global citizenship in
inclusive and equitable education.” 2
The establishment of SRCs in Malaysia began before
independence in 1957. As of January 2019, Malaysia
has 10,208 public schools, 4,939,959 students,
and 419,904 teachers. This means that Malaysia
has 10,208 SRCs, because there must be an SRC
wherever there is a school. The management of and
facilities supplied in these SRCs by the schools, vary
depending on a variety of criteria such as student
enrolment, location, Library Media Teachers’ (LMT)
qualifications, space availability, financial support,
and the school administration’s support for SRCs.
The scenario in most international school libraries is
totally different from public school libraries. School
libraries in international schools are managed by
professional school librarians, while most SRCs
are managed by LMTs who mostly do not have any
school library management background.
School librarians, according to the international
job scope, mainly focus on supporting media
and information literacy by conducting library
lessons, developing collections with the latest titles,
embedding their libraries with the latest technology,
and offering conducive learning spaces.
Most international school libraries in Malaysia act
as hybrid libraries that offer various information
resources in many formats. The librarians
also offer consultation sessions for students
conducting research. Students have the chance
to unleash their creativity in the makerspace,
collaborate with subject teachers and technology
specialists for various programmes, and improve
their library services.
Austin ISD Libraries (2020) asserted that when
school libraries provide a welcoming and
stimulating environment for learning, it positively
impacts literacy, life-long learning, and student
achievement. This result is consistent with findings
by Lance et al. (2005), Dow and McMahon-Lakin
(2012), Yusuf (2014), Lance and Schwarz (2012),
Alexander (2016), and Shamila (2013).
References:
Alexander, D. H. (2016). You better work!
Be the super model of technology in your schools. Library Hi
Tech News, (33)8,17–18.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LHTN.08-2016-0038
Austin ISD Libraries. (2020). Library curriculum. https://sites.
google.com/a/austinisd.org/aisdlibraries/
Curriculum.
Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan. (2017). Buku panduan
pengurusan pusat sumber sekolah abad ke-21:Untuk guru
perpustakaan dan media (GPM) [21st century school resource
centre guideline: For GPM].
Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan.
Dow, M. J., & McMahon-Lakin, J., (2012).
School Librarian staffing levels and student achievement as
represented in 2006–2009 Kansas annual yearly progress data.
School Library Research, 15, 1–15.
International Federation of Library Association (2021). IFLA
school libraries manifesto. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/
uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/
publications/ifla_school_manifesto_2021.pdf
Lance, K. C., Rodney, M. J., & Hamilton-Pennell, C. (2005).
Powerful libraries make powerful learners: The Illinois study.
Illinois School Library Media Association. http://www.islma.
org/pdf/ILStudy2.pdf
Lance, K. C., & Schwarz, B. (2012). How Pennsylvania school
libraries pay off: Investments in student achievement and
academic standards. PA School Library Project. https://files.
eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED543418.pdf
Shamila Mohamed Shuhidan. (2013). Information-seeking
processes among primary school children in Australia and
Malaysia [Doctoral thesis, RMIT University].
Yusuf, N. (2014). Impact of high school library service and
library usage on student performance: The case of Eastren
Hararghe [Master’s thesis, Haramaya University].
16
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Current Conversations
Advice for New Librarians
Amanda Deaville
SLA’s Honorary Secretary and Trustee, Amanda Deaville, shares
her tips for new librarians at the start of the academic year.
Congratulations, you’re a school
librarian – a great vocation. So
where do you start? Here are a few
helpful hints.
Your school: be prepared to
observe, listen, and learn. Ask for
regular meetings with your line manager who
will/should be able to clarify your job description,
expectations, and advise and support you. Take
every CPD/training opportunity offered as all will
be useful. Find out who the key person is in your
school – not necessarily who you may think. In my
school it was the site manager!
Plans: ensure the Library Development Plan
(essential no matter how basic at first) echoes the
School Development Plan in areas of priority. Listen,
ask questions, and encourage the student voice.
Library: needs to be welcoming, enticing,
inclusive, and above all a SAFE space for not only
students but staff too. Where possible, ensure
an open door before and after school as well
as breaks and lunchtimes. Aim for a low-level
focussed buzz about the place with specific
silent study time if needed. The functional layout
should be comfortable, well-lit, alive with colour,
creative displays, with clear signage as well as
clear sightlines – so you can see every corner – if
possible! Flexible library shelving should stock
a well-organised collection which caters for all
abilities and interests, as your budget allows.
Students: involve them wherever possible as
pupil librarians or reading buddies, with library
events, or when considering library layout or book
selection. Ask for their help in setting up clubs and
groups to run different activities for all students.
A simple wellness hack, such as having colouring
sheets and crayons/coloured pencils available at
stressful exam times is little or no work, as is having
low-level calm music playing in the background.
Active engagement with your students will pay
dividends and ensure real ownership of their
library. Whilst adhering to your school discipline
policy, be clear and consistent about expected
behaviours within the library and ask if you need
extra staff support over lunchtimes if student
numbers begin to exceed reasonable capacity.
Staff: ensure they know what the library and you
can do for them. Enlighten them as they may have
adverse memories from their own school days!
Entice them in by offering coffee and croissants/
doughnuts before school starts – fun yet a great
opportunity to network. Start a staff book group
whether on great leisure reads or new young
adult titles, or if need be professional CPD titles,
so they’re modelling good reading habits. Work
collaboratively with those teachers or departments
keen to be involved. Work on a simple project
together with easily achieved outcomes. Once
they’ve seen the benefits, they’ll start talking about
it in the staff room and others will come on board.
Don’t make it too hard for yourself, so start small as
you can’t be all things to all people!
Promote: the library and yourself. Don’t be a
shrinking violet as you are an important part of the
school team. Contribute with a ‘What’s New in the
Library’ or new books on display at staff briefings;
invite your link governor in for a chat and library
events; grab the chance to do an assembly slot and
so much more. Step outside the library, get out
and about school as much as you can, so whether
it’s that snatched conversation with a colleague
in the corridor or getting involved in other school
activities – you are allowed out!
Networks: absolutely vital for additional support,
encouragement, and sharing good practice. School
Library Association www.sla.org.uk – there to help,
support, advise, network, offering many diverse
training opportunities. School Library Services –
check if one is available in your area: www.sla.org.
uk/school-library-services to link up with other
local school librarians. Don’t forget social media to
follow a range of librarians, authors, and illustrators
– you can learn so much from each other.
Reality check:
• Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand
or know.
• Don’t run before you can walk – be realistic with
your goals.
• Learn from mistakes – get back up and try again.
• And above all, remember why you are there –
to make a difference.
Amanda Deaville is the
Honorary Secretary of SLA
and has been a Trustee since
2019. She retired after 13
years as Deputy Manager
of Cumbria SLS, working
with schools at all levels
of education. Previously
Amanda has been an IB
librarian at the International
School of Basel, Switzerland;
undertaken charity work
delivering distance
education in developing
countries; and has been an
information specialist for
management consultants
involved in EU law and
regulations.
@fellsidea
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
17

Between the Library and the Classroom
Becoming Integral to the Educational Process
This series addresses Jesse Shera’s charge that
‘academic librarians have never developed a
theory of the role of the library in the student’s
intellectual experience,’ specifically in response
to the ‘characteristic information needs of inquiry
as a method of instruction and an environment
for formalized learning’. Should we be tempted
to shift responsibility for this to someone else,
namely academic librarians, Blanche Woolls
reminds us that, eventually, the only difference
between an academic librarian and a school
librarian is the time between a student leaving
school and starting university. And, according
to Kachel and Lance, this abiding ‘disconnect’ is
likely a major contributor to the ongoing losses of
school librarians, which are commonly justified on
financial grounds.
Now, as Ruth Davies reminds us, when there is no
‘disconnect’ between the school library programme
and the school’s educational program – when the
school library is integral to the educational process
– then the school library programme becomes
an instructional source and force for excellence.
Again, should we be tempted to shift responsibility
for this to someone else, namely the school, she
points out that ‘perspective in viewing the function
and role of the school library … program begins
logically by building a historical understanding of
education itself’. This brings our situation, and task,
into sharp focus.
To develop a theory of the school library in the
student’s intellectual experience, necessary if
the school library is to be(come) integral to the
educational process, thereby strengthening us
against financially justified cutbacks, we need
to start by building our understanding of the
educational process and then defining our role in
it. This immediately pitches us into battle, because
there are competing views on the educational
process – which I have addressed in this series and
elsewhere – and we must align ourselves, however
the odds seem stacked, for us, or against us.
As it turns out, school librarians have made
considerable progress on countering Shera’s
charge. This work – underway since the 1960s,
culminating in the most robust of the models of
the inquiry-based learning process in the early
2000s, and ongoing – is reflected in the Portrait of
an Engaged and Empowered Inquirer at Twelfth
Grade (2022, see below). This portrait, developed
by Barbara Stripling and Digital Lead Librarians
in New York City, is a profound statement on the
educational process from the perspective of a
school library integral to that process – inquiry
has this as its end and is the systematic and
progressive means to this end. See FOSIL Group
discussion https://bit.ly/3HMj8fA for more detail.
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
18
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Media and Information
Literacy Alliance Update
Extending the Evidence Base
The Media and Information Literacy Alliance
(MILA), of which CILIP and the CILIP Information
Literacy Group (ILG) are major partners, has been
making steady progress. As reported in the summer
issue of TSL, MILA has commissioned a study into
the significance of information literacy. The aims of
the review are to identify core research into:
(i) the role that information literacy plays for
different user groups in society and
(ii) the barriers / enablers to shaping an information
literate population; and to map research
methodologies used in the literature and which
appear to be most effective.
We expect the study will be completed and
published by March 2023.
The alliance is slowly building its network of
organisations. On behalf of both CILIP and MILA,
Nick Poole sits on the new Department for Digital,
Media, Culture and Sport Media Literacy Taskforce
Steering Board 1 , charged with overseeing the
implementation of the UK Government’s Online
Media Literacy Strategy. An emerging focus for the
Taskforce is improving the reach of media literacy
provision to hard-to-reach communities. To help
address this challenge the taskforce will be piloting
innovative interventions, with funding from DCMS 2 .
MILA has also been developing its relationship with
Libraries Connected (LC). The alliance contributed
its views to the production of two new training
modules 3 for public librarians from LC: media and
information literacy; and key digital skills.
MILA continues to refine its framework for living
and thriving in an information society. Its purpose is
to demonstrate what media and information literacy
means for people in everyday life and in various
recognisable settings. A MILA workshop organised
at LILAC, in April, provided an opportunity to
discuss the five lifelong aspirations at the heart of the
framework. Participants were invited to consider the
meaning of each of the aspirations and to expand on
how media and information literacy helps people
to achieve them. This valuable feedback is helping
MILA ensure that the framework illustrates the
reality and relevance of media and information
literacy. The framework was presented at an SLA
webinar in February 2022. There is still time to
contribute to its development; please send any
suggestions to sg@informall.org.uk.
Footnotes
1 DCMS, https://www.gov.uk/
government/groups/medialiteracy-taskforce-steeringboard
2 DCMS, Online Media Literacy
Action Plan, https://www.gov.
uk/government/publications/
year-2-online-media-literacy-
action-plan-202223/year-2-
online-media-literacy-actionplan-202223
3 Libraries Connected, Digital,
Media and Information Skills,
https://lc.learningpool.
com/course/index.
php?categoryid=29
Dr Jane Secker FCLIP,
SFHEA, FRSA is a senior
Lecturer in Educational
Development at City,
University of London and
Chair of CILIP’s Information
Literacy Group.
Stéphane Goldstein is
Executive Director of
InformAll, a research
consultancy which he
founded in 2016, specialised
in information literacy.
He is the Advocacy and
Outreach Officer for the
CILIP Information Literacy
Group and coordinates the
new Media and Information
Literacy Alliance (MILA).
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
19

A View From …
… a primary school
The library as a sanctuary
My primary school library, housed in a red brick Georgian
building with sash windows and (what felt like) floor to ceiling
bookshelves, with a small staircase leading up from the corridor
to get in, really was a fairy tale – but I don’t remember reading
much in there, or even borrowing books! In fact, my strongest
memories of the library are of a traumatic Tudor video in which
some poor peasant had his eyes put out with knotted rope; and
having the ‘puberty and sex ed’ bombshell lesson.
We also had a tiny little courtyard – no bigger than a cupboard –
which myself and some friends were given access to when one of
my friends was fasting over the period of Ramadan, and needed
somewhere quiet, away from food and too much activity. This
courtyard quickly became a sanctuary for those of us who met
there to read, and our headteacher very kindly allowed us to
continue using it.
My point is that a beautiful library and top-notch facilities
can only become a sanctuary when we purposefully, through
our actions and intentions, shape them to be so. As well as for
lessons, the library in which I now work is open to children at
many other times, and I know that they feel confident coming in
and asking questions – they know that if I can help them, I will,
whether that’s simply with ‘How many toes does an ostrich
have?’ or ‘My grandad just died and nobody understands’.
The library is also used as a breakout
space for children who are
overwhelmed in the classroom
environment, or unable to go out
onto the playground at lunch, or who
need a neutral space to resolve or
talk through conflict. Our awareness
of the importance of children’s
wellbeing has been increasing
in recent years, accelerated by
the pandemic, and librarians are
uniquely positioned to enable and
even provide support for children in
any number of emotional situations
– as last quarter’s SLA covered. Being
Rebecca Campling
is a primary school librarian
in Orton Wistow Primary
School, Peterborough
available to children, making sure they feel heard and that, as
far as we are able, we have time for them, is possibly the most
valuable thing that we can do. Whether it’s through a carefully
curated collection – such as liaising with the special educational
needs department or pupil mentors to supply particular books
at particular times – providing a calm, quiet break-out space, or
any number of other opportunities, we can transform our library
spaces into purposeful sanctuaries in which pupils feel safe,
supported, and nurtured.
… a secondary school
Impact vs. investment
As a school librarian, you quickly identify the circularity between
impact and investment. Simply, in order for your library to have
the desired impact, it requires adequate investment, but in order
to gain sufficient investment, you have to be able to demonstrate
impact. Over the last four years, I have developed three key
methods to address this.
1. Document everything
There is fantastic research from organisations such as the SLA,
CILIP, Reading Agency and the National Literacy Trust (NLT), to
demonstrate impact. However, in-house data demonstrates to senior
leaders the impact investing in these activities has in your school
context. For every Reading for Pleasure (RfP) event, I document
attendees, their particular group (PP, SEN, EAL) and any anecdotal
comments. For instance, I have been able to use national data, which
identifies that those pupils who have an author visit are twice as likely
to read above the expected level for their age (NLT) and complete
comparative analysis with our event which showed that pupils who
attended author visits were more likely to improve their reading
age vs. those who didn’t (80% vs. 57%). This allowed me to create
contextual impact reports to support strategic decision making.
2. Reading data
An in-depth knowledge of your whole school reading data
ensures you can demonstrate the impact your library is having.
Every academic year, I produce an executive summary, including
comparative data, which highlights the link between borrowing
data, RfP events, and reading test
progress. Consequently, I can
evidence that investment in the
library directly impacts on students’
attainment and progress.
3. External Funding
Securing external funding
significantly improves both impact
and investment. For larger projects,
such as developing library stock, the
Foyle Foundation and the Siobhan
Dowd Trust gave me phenomenal
Eleanor Booth
Librarian, John Smeaton
Academy
book-buying power, particularly focusing on student voice. For
smaller projects, the Children’s Book Project supplement via
donations. For specific support with RfP activities, such as class
sets or gifting students a book of their own, Give A Book and
BookTrust do some life-changing work. For little pockets, Twitter
competitions and the Federation of Children’s Book Groups
(Harrogate) newsletters continually supplement stock. Securing
external funding allowed me to demonstrate potential impact,
and therefore, ensured future investment from senior leaders.
Whilst the circularity of investment and impact can be daunting
for those just starting out, I have found these three methods not
only further the impact of your library, but also ensure it receives
adequate investment for its future, ultimately guaranteeing the
best opportunities for our young people.
20
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

A View From …
… a sixth form
Reflecting back and looking forward
The weather is warming up and the A-level exams are in full
swing here. It’s a good time to review what we have done in the
last academic year and plan for the next one.
The Extended Project Qualification that I have been involved
with has been marked, moderated and sent off. I am usually
invited to observe the EPQ presentations which take place
around Easter time and this year was no different. It is fascinating
to see what the students have learnt over the course of the year,
both in terms of their chosen subject and about managing an
extended project. I find it particularly interesting when a student
starts off with a particular view of a topic at the beginning of the
process but then changes their mind after they have carried out
research. In their presentations some of the students expressed
their appreciation for the research and referencing skills that they
have learnt as part of the EPQ. This was very gratifying to hear.
There was also some interesting general feedback that students
find the time management element of their EPQ quite difficult,
so I will be putting some materials together on that over the
summer to add to my other study skills sessions.
I have taken part in the Carnegie Shadowing scheme this year
for the first time in a long while. The books cover such a wide
age range that some of the books are suitable for sixth formers.
I had limited uptake from the sixth
form – they have so many demands
on their time – but a few keen
students did read some of the books.
Our shadowing group also included
a handful of teachers and students
from our secondary school, so I felt
it was worth doing and hopefully it
is something that I can keep on the
calendar for future years.
I have been working on using our
library management system more
effectively this year. LMS’s have so
many features it is easy to just use
Sarah Smith
LRC Manager, Landau
Forte Academy Tamworth
Sixth Form
it for the basics. This year, using training videos and webinars,
I have learnt how to make reading lists, promote the library, and
foster diversity through the OPAC, and have brushed up on my
overdue procedures. I am also planning to do a stock check this
summer, I hope it goes well!
… an international school
Time to celebrate
May 2022 is a festive month in our school. It’s when we celebrate
our Founder’s Day. This year we celebrated the 98th anniversary
of the British School, Rio de Janeiro (TBSRJ). It is also when we
usually have our Library Week.
Every year our Library Committee (LC) chooses a theme
for Library Week and works hard towards its success. But
the Library Week existed prior to our LC. The first group of
voluntary students to accept my offer to form a committee was
formed in 2015. They were five student volunteers who shared
a passion for our library. Nowadays, we count on 20 students
from all year groups. Some of them have been part of the LC
since their first year at the Urca Site, and they will graduate this
year still being active members. Even in times when curricular
and extracurricular activities are taking up most of their time,
they still find the energy to be part of this incredible group of
young people.
Our Library Committee is divided into four working groups:
activities team, decorations team, marketing and press team,
and the secretaries. We hold weekly meetings with all of them
and honorary teams meetings. Prior to events like Library Week,
these meetings are needed more regularly.
The Library Week theme chosen by our students this year was
‘Monsters’ and we started with a logo competition with the motto
‘Bring out the Monsters’. This was just the beginning to get the
whole school involved and have more students and staff taking
part in the organisation of the event. For some of our students,
it was their first in-person event,
and we avoided the use of electronic
devices, which was unusual and
exciting at the same time.
The decorations team worked hard to
get the school in the mood of Library
Week by producing and placing
Monsters all around the school. The
activities team planned lunch time
Jaqueline Castro
activities to be played in the library.
Senior Librarian, The British
The marketing and press team
School, Rio de Janeiro
worked on the posters and ads, and
covered the event by taking pictures
and producing videos of everything that was happening.
Quiz, short stories competition, draw your monster were some
of the activities that took place throughout the week. Whilst the
Library Committee took an important part in the organisation and
action for the lunch time activities, librarians worked in the inlessons
activities so that even the ones in the Library Committee
could have fun while learning about monsters in books.
After such an event we always have meetings to celebrate its
success and to discuss what we can improve for next year. Ideas
are already coming in and we’re keen to start the planning
process again next term.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
21

Frequently Asked Questions
answered by Lucy Chambers
We have students from many
ethnically diverse backgrounds
and with many languages. How
can I ensure library stock is
representative of them?
Schools should provide access to books
that represent their demographic. The
figures of diverse and inclusive published
children’s books are improving gradually
but are not in proportion to the numbers
of students from ethnically diverse
backgrounds. I offer some tips to discover
what is available.
1. CLPE monitors the number of black
and minority ethnic main characters
in children’s books in their annual
Reflecting Realities reports:
tinyurl.com/2s37j9pr They also
measure the agency of the characters,
i.e. how far they influence the narrative.
2. For biographies see the Little Peoples,
Big Dreams series, which features
many diverse people:
www.littlepeoplebigdreams.com
3. CILIP’s Pen & inc. magazine lists
relevant large and small publishers of
diverse and inclusive children’s books:
www.cilip.org.uk/page/
PenAndIncMag
4. Letterbox Library is a valuable source
of diversity books for primary schools.
A small subscription earns a discount
on orders. www.letterboxlibrary.com
5. When teachers ask for book advice,
suggest recent books with diverse
characters.
6. Conduct a diversity audit of books in
your school.
7. Check ethnicity figures and languages
spoken in school.
8. Apply for a budget to improve
representation in the library based on
the figures you collect.
9. Buy dual and single language books.
See uk.mantralingua.com
10. Buy the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize
long-list annually. Shadow the award.
See: jhalakprize.com/childrens-ya
I’d like to develop students’
reading of non-fiction for
pleasure. Can you give me
some tips?
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups’
Non-Fiction November is the ideal time to
promote the reading of information books
in your school library. Many children
love researching facts, and children’s
publishers produce a brilliant range of
thoughtfully designed and interesting
books, bound to develop curiosity in
readers. I suggest some ideas to encourage
students to enjoy information books at
any time, not just in November:
1. Shadow information book awards such
as the:
• Royal Society’s Young People’s Book
Prize, which encourages the writing of
accessible STEM books for under-14s
and is judged by teams from schools:
tinyurl.com/58pk7jf3
• SLA Information Book Award for ages
0–16: www.sla.org.uk/informationbook-award
• UKLA Book Award, which includes
an information book award, with
categories that span from ages 3 to 14+:
ukla.org/awards/ukla-book-award
2. Set up a research club. Download
resources from the FCBG Non-Fiction
November website, including 57
Ideas for running a bookgroup activity
resource pack: tinyurl.com/amvc89m8
3. 11 to 16s can take part in the
TeenTech competition organised by
CILIP’s Information Literacy Group
to encourage STEM careers:
www.teentech.com
4. Download the Research Smarter
resource sheets from CILIP’s Infolit
website to develop information
research techniques:
tinyurl.com/bdenrn9m
5. Subscribe to information magazines
for children. Titles include: Okido,
Whizz Pop Bang, Britannica Magazine,
EcoKids, Factology, National
Geographic for Kids, All About Space.
6. When showcasing books, include
information books; highlight
them on the library catalogue as
‘Featured Books’.
I would like to provide different
collections, not just books and
online resources. What do you
suggest?
There are many ways to develop the
library: developing specific book
collections, e.g. about empathy, diversity
and self-help, or different genres such as
graphic novels or poetry. I also suggest
some non-book collections, to provide
added interest in your library:
1. Subscribe to children’s magazines,
comics, and newspapers. There are
titles for curriculum topics and general
interest, suitable for primary and
secondary students. Some provide a
website of further resources too. See
Newsstand: www.newsstand.co.uk/3-
childrens-magazines/subscriptions.aspx
2. Create a collection of DVDs of
children’s novels. Although film
streaming is used extensively, some
students may not have access to a
computer or Wi-Fi at home.
3. Create a collection of audiobooks. File
them with the book so that students
can read along as they listen. There are
audiobooks from picture book level up.
4. Buy children’s games and jigsaws to
use at lunchtimes. Top Trumps-style
games encourage reading, with packs
for many topics of interest to children.
5. Buy literacy posters to display in the
library. Try the Literary Gift Company
www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/
collections/posters or subscribe to
downloadable posters from Carel
Press: carelpress.uk/library_posters
6. Buy artefacts related to the curriculum
and textiles. Museum shops and online
are good sources. For primary schools,
buy story puppets and stuffed toys
and create
story sacks.
See library
suppliers such
as Peter’s:
www.peters.
co.uk/toysand-storyprops.
You
may be able
to borrow
artefacts from
a Schools
Library
Service.
Lucy now concentrates on
writing after 20+ years as
a primary school librarian.
Answers are her personal
opinion based on long
experience.
22
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Reading Road Map
2022-23
A reading for pleasure initiative
aimed at broadening children’s
reading horizons and instilling
a reading for pleasure culture
within the school!
Encouraging children to develop
a love for reading
Raising reading levels across
schools
Engaging reluctant readers
Challenging more able
readers
Signposting teachers &
children to new authors and genres
All books published within the
last 12 months & handpicked by
children’s librarians
There are four maps for years 1/2 (the Adventure Map), years 3/4,
years 5/6, and years 7/8. Each school receives:
• Fold-out copies of the road map for each child
• One complete set of all the titles listed on the year group map
• Certificates and stickers to support the Reading Challenge
For further info and a price list, please contact:
www.ukreadingroadmap.org 0207 527 827 john.calcott@islington.gov.uk

Dates for your Diary
SEPTEMBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 NOVEMBER 2022
1st TSL mailed out
5th – 8th IBBY World Conference
8th International Literacy Day
13th Roald Dahl Day
15th SLA Awards Dinner
SLA Annual General Meeting, 4pm
16th National Teaching Assistants Day
16th–18th YLG Conference
19th International Talk Like a Pirate Day
21st International Day of Peace
18th – 24th Banned Books Week
Black History Month
International School Libraries Month
Fab prize UK - Children’s prize for new
BAME authors and illustrators winner
announced
School Librarian of the Year Award
nominations close
3rd – 9th National Libraries Week – Never
Stop Learning theme
3rd – 9th World Dyslexia Awareness Week
5th World Teachers’ Day
6th National Poetry Day
10th World Mental Health Day
National Non-Fiction Month
National Novel Writing Month
Last chance to register for WBD tokens
7th Hug a Bear Day
11th Remembrance Day or Armistice Day
13th Remembrance Sunday
14th – 20th Parliament Week
14th – 18th Anti-bullying Week
14th – 18th World Nursery Rhyme Week
23rd SLA Information Book Award
ceremony
24th TSL mailed out
25th Stars in Our Schools
A simple and effective way
to master English spelling!
The online English spelling resource
Spellzone unlocks the
mystery of English spelling
and adapts to all abilities.
Students can work on
tailored learning pathways
at their own pace and on
any device.
1000s of pre-loaded word
lists and create your own
to use with activities, games,
and worksheets.
Time-saving reporting tools
allow teachers to monitor
progress and evaluate student
activity with just the click of a button.
Written by a dyslexia specialist.
SPECIAL OFFER!
Scan the QR code for 30 days FREE
plus a 30% first-year discount.
www.spellzone.com
24
spellzone_tsl_130mmx88mm_2022.indd VOLUME 70 NUMBER 1 3 AUTUMN 2022
22/06/2022 13:52:05

Curriculum Links
Primary – Art
Book: Amy Guglielmo
and Ginnie Hsu
Claude Monet: He Saw the
World in Brilliant Light
DK, 12 May 2022, £9.99, 56pp,
9780241544136
See the world through Claude Monet’s
eyes and be inspired to produce your
own masterpieces. One in a series
covering various artists.
Book: Thais Vanderheyden
The National Menagerie of Art:
Masterpieces from Vincent Van
Goat to Lionhardo da Stinki
Prestel Verlag, 12 Apr 2022, 56pp, £8.99,
9783791375090
Reimagines famous artworks by
incorporating animals into them,
including information about the
originals. Intended to provide a
reminder about paintings for children.
Book: Xavier Leopold
Art for the Heart: A Fill-in
Journal for Wellness Through Art
Welbeck, 28 Apr 2022, 112pp, £9.99,
9781783127627
An art journal for kids showing
readers how to use art for selfexpression
and wellbeing. Thoughts
and dreams on paper plus a free
online art club to join.
Website: Draw with Rob
www.robbiddulph.com/draw-with-rob
Over 100 #DrawWithRob videos
for children to draw along with,
accompanied by an activity book
series.
Podcast: Outside the Lines
tinyurl.com/3tjhk3r9
A fun and imaginative podcast for kids
all about art. Free via Kinderling app.
Website: Tate Kids
www.tate.org.uk/kids
Games, quizzes, and exploration of
all things arty for children from the
authoritative Tate Museum.
YouTube : 5-minute craft ideas
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfUTNE44dbQ
5-minute craft ideas using everyday
materials including, of course, the toilet
roll innards.
Website: Artful Parent
tinyurl.com/3mv9nzzh
Easy, effective art ideas to do with
children in a website aimed at parents,
hence advertisements.
Arts & Crafts: Kidcasts
tinyurl.com/5n87tssw
A podcast playlist for librarians to share
with children, families and teachers,
with ideas using art sculpture, origami,
and sewing.
Secondary – Geography
Book: Lev Parikian
Light Rains Sometimes Fall: a
British Year Through Japan’s
Ancient 72 Seasons
Elliott & Thompson, 19 May 2022, 272pp,
£9.99, 9781783966387
In the West we watch the passing of
the year through the four seasons.
The traditional Japanese calendar
recognises changes in the natural world
with 72 microseasons.
Book: Craig Storti
The Hunt for Mount Everest
John Murray, 12 May 2022, £12.99, 320pp,
9781529331554
How the last remaining major prize
in the history of exploration was
identified, named, and found, then
conquered by man.
Book: Sonya Newland
The Truth about Planet Earth
Wayland, 12 May 2022, £9.99, 96pp,
9781526318497
Separate the fakes from the facts about
planet Earth. One in a series packed full
of unbelievable, mind-boggling facts.
Podcast: 80 Days
80dayspodcast.com/about/
Inspired by Phileas Fogg’s whistle-stop
tour of the world, a podcast dedicated
to exploring little-known territories and
cities around the world.
Podcast: What Planet Are We On?
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08tmn3g
Narrated by Liz Bonnin, an in-depth
look at climate change and the impact
humanity is having on the planet, with
figures such as David Attenborough.
Website: GCSE Geography Bitesize
from the BBC
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zkw76sg
Revision topics on physical geography
to suit all exam specifications. Also
available in Welsh.
Website: Geography | KS3 |
Primary and Secondary
Industries | BBC Teach
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQTXwgmKKCA
A film giving an understanding of
primary and secondary industries, their
background, and what each industry
contributes to society and the country.
Game: Geogo! The Award-Winning
Ordnance Survey Map Skills
Board Game
www.oakabooks.co.uk/product/geogo/
An interactive way to engage students,
combining map reading skills with
geography knowledge in a fun,
competitive game.
Website: Geography Quizzes
www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/geography
A bank of quizzes for exam revision
or even just for fun. Can be used by
teachers with their class, or students
testing their own knowledge on a
wealth of geographical topics.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
25

Digital
How To...
Use Immersive Reader
Written by Kojo Hazel.
Teacher of IT and Diversity
& Inclusion Fellow for
Microsoft Education UK.
@kojohazel
As the world becomes more aware of people’s
diverse learning needs, software must
become more accessible to users. Enter
Immersive Reader from Microsoft. Immersive
Reader is an inclusively designed tool that improves
reading comprehension by embedding text reading
and comprehension capabilities into applications.
It is proven to increase comprehension, attention,
and confidence, and was designed with the
learning needs of dyslexic people in mind, and
thus is an extremely beneficial accessibility tool for
a wide range of learning differences. Immersive
Reader is free to educators and students and built
into all Office 365 products.
Reading
Immersive Reader helps readers build confidence
by breaking down content into more manageable
chunks. Words are broken down into syllables
and highlighted as they’re read. What’s more, you
can change the colour of words according to their
grammar.
For people who struggle with concentration,
Immersive Reader can be put into focus mode or
line focus to take away distractions. Background,
text colour, and font spacing can also be changed
to mitigate sensory overload and increase attention
spans and comprehension. There is also text-tospeech
capabilities built into the service. It can
read one word, phrase, or an entire document,
depending on your need.
Translation
It is a great tool for new
language learners as it
has real-time translation
built into the service.
Translation is available in
80 languages, and learners
can translate specific
words, phrases, or an entire
document. There is also a read aloud function to
help learners with the pronunciation of new words.
When to use Immersive Reader
Because of its integration into so many apps and
software, this tool is accessible anytime, anywhere.
I have found it particularly useful for teaching both
in the classroom and online, where it has prevented
my learners form falling behind as it allows them to
set the pace for their own learning.
Increasing accessibility
Immersive Reader increases accessibility for people
with visual impairments or sensory processing
disorders. These visual difficulties can include
problems with light sensitivity, colour-blindness,
difficulty focusing on a line of text, poor vision,
or visual fatigue, which can all make reading on a
screen difficult.
Having the option to adjust colours, text size, and
font spacing, or listen to the text rather than read
it, can make a big difference in user retention and
ease. What’s more, being able to use focus mode
can help prevent people with processing difficulties
from becoming overwhelmed and frustrated.
Where and how to access Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader is integrated into all Office
365 applications and can usually be found in the
toolbar under the view tab. This incredible tool
is now also being embedded into the software of
a whole host of other popular applications such
as Flipgrid and Wakelet and is also available
with anything accessed from a Microsoft Edge
browser. Immersive Reader
is also integrated into mobile
apps, a real winner for the
modern learner. If you see the
logo (right), it means that the
software or app has Immersive
Reader integrated.
Immersive reader with Chromebooks
Immersive Reader can be used on Chromebooks
by installing the free extension. After installing the
extension, users highlight the text they want read
and right click. From the right click, choosing ‘Help
me read this’ launches the Immersive Reader.
26
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Seven Stories New Digital
Exhibitions Website
Digital
www.sevenstories.online
I
first heard about Seven Stories, the National
Centre for Children’s Books, a few years ago
when I was visiting Newcastle for a funeral
and looking for somewhere for my then toddler
to let off steam. The extensive space dedicated to
children’s literature over seven floors provided
her with ample space to play, and the mock-up of
Judith Kerr’s Tiger’s kitchen was a delight for both
children and grown-ups to enjoy.
I was therefore interested to see that a digital
exhibition has been launched by the venue. Billed
to showcase the ‘stories behind the stories’ of
the last hundred years of children’s literature, it
answers questions such as ‘What did the initial
Gruffalo illustrations look like?’, and ‘What does
Phillip Pullman write his books on?’*
To navigate the site, you can click on pictorial tiles
to learn something new, use the filter to choose a
category, or use the search bar in the footer to look
for something specific like ‘illustration’ or ‘scripts’.
There are some real gems of know-how in
there, to thrill students and generations before
them alike. My favourite is that the Wombles
are named after author Elizabeth Beresford’s
daughter mispronouncing Wimbledon Common
as ‘Wombledon Common’. You can also read
alternative endings mooted for the film adaptation
of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse – this is useful in
getting students to consider about how stories are
adapted for different audiences and media. I like
that Michael Rosen described in handwritten notes
that he envisioned that those on his bear hunt were
doing the conga. The Rob Biddulph #DrawWithRob
videos are good to follow for those without an
artistic streak, and Nick Sharratt’s guide to creating
comic strips would appeal to visual learners.
I learnt that the first LGBTQ+ relationship in a
young adult novel was in Dance on my Grave by
Aiden Chambers. Originally published in 1982, I
recall reading this as a teenager that same decade,
and my mother being alarmed at the title of the
book. I had no idea how ground-breaking the
content was for its time.
There was only one item in the Listen section when
I reviewed it: it features Anglo-Guyanese poet
Grace Nichols. Content in the site’s categories will
be added to in the future.
The site was somewhat clunky for me to navigate
using Chrome on Windows 10. Browsing the
highlights, the 360-degree video tour gave me a
‘Page not Found’ error. The absence of breadcrumb
trails and the non-linear layout of content means
that for a lesson starter, students may need
guidance for retrieval.
In summary, it is a useful resource which I hope
will be developed with further content to provide
students with an insight into the world of children’s
literature. It is also useful for World Book Day quiz
multiple choice questions, PTA quiz night trivia,
and for grown-ups to simply reminisce.
*Philip Pullman insists on writing on narrow-lined
paper with a blue margin and two holes.
Roshan Hunt is a Chartered
Librarian with experience
of managing corporate and
school libraries.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
27

Digital
Manga Resources from
the Japan Society
The Japan Society provides many teaching
resources on their website for schools –
wishing to teach students about Japanese
culture – and these include some very useful
teaching aids on the subject of manga. There
are two full lesson plans on the general topic
of manga and also a lesson plan covering the
Japanese Culture and Wellbeing scheme of work.
The lessons have been extremely well thought
out and include downloadable worksheets with
drawing instructions for creating manga faces and
facial expressions, presentations for the teacher/
librarian to use, and videos of manga creators
which are packed full of information about this
very popular style of drawing.
www.tinyurl.com/JapanSoc1
There’s so much to learn here, for example I had
not realised that the word ‘manga’ was first
used to describe an action of ‘drawing whatever
one wishes’; the two characters man and ga
literally meaning ‘drawings of various sorts’ or
‘unbounded pictures’.
In the teachers’ notes there is an excellent
explanation of the different categories that exist
in manga and their suitability for different age
groups, with seinen manga being targeted at adult
male readers and josei manga being for adult
female readers.
These resources, generously provided free of
charge, would be a great asset to use with any
secondary comic club or in an art lesson, or just to
enable yourself to become more informed about
manga in order to use it in the classroom or library
and tap into students’ seemingly never-ending
fascination with comic books.
Bev Humphreys is a
Literacy and Digital Media
Consultant with specialisms
in the use of digital media,
reading promotion, and
event organisation.
www.tinyurl.com/JapanSoc2
Manga for younger audiences
Pokemon – various creators – spin off of the hit
video game series
Yu-Gi-Oh – various creators – tactical card game
meets action packed adventure
Splatoon – Kino Takahashi – a fight for territory in
a city populated by anthropomorphic squid
Younger teen manga
Fullmetal Alchemist – Hiromu Arakawa – science
and magic meet in a quasi-historical adventure
My Hero Academia – Kohei Horikoshi – trials and
tribulations at a school for superheroes
Komi Can’t Communicate – Tomohito Oda – high
school comedy with a painfully shy main character
Older teen manga
Tokyo Ghoul – Isui Ishida – urban decay horror
with cannibalistic monsters
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits –
Waco Ioha – supernatural slice of life drama
One Punch Man – One and Yusuke Murata –
tongue-in-cheek superhero adventures
28
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Digital
EdTech Horizons
Founder of 10Digits Consultancy, Jonathan Viner
discusses digital platforms for recording pupil reading.
Whilst visiting my family recently, I spent
time with my 6-year-old nephew as he
demonstrated his increasingly confident
reading skills. After he had read us the books
assigned for homework, my brother updated and
signed a printed reading record to confirm the
work had been successfully completed.
It’s important for librarians and
teachers to see that home-based
reading work has been done.
Of course, I understand that it’s important
for librarians and teachers to see that homebased
reading work has been done. But as
James Clements comments on Teachwire, this
‘traditional model can bring challenges’, whether
that’s increased teacher workload, or parents
not updating records or losing the books. As I
headed home, I began to wonder whether any
EdTech businesses had spotted this niche as an
opportunity to better support parents and schools.
Unsurprisingly, they have, and GoRead is perhaps
the best known and most successful solution
that operates in the space to date. Winners of the
BETT award for the Best Educational App in 2021,
GoRead provides a complete digital record of
the books read by every child during their time
at school. It can also provide an immediate
whole school view of all current and historic
reading records.
Importantly the solution enables parents, staff, and
students to quickly record completed reading (for
homework or for pleasure) on any device. Parents
can easily share any comments (e.g. tricky words
navigated or common obstacles, etc.) with teachers
through the app, which helps foster all-important
home/school communication.
Teacher reviews on the website EdTech Impact
are highly positive, hailing the product as a ‘game
changer. It has everything we want and could ever
need in a digital reading record’. GoRead, another
teacher commented, is ‘a definite winner all round
for us!’
Other online reading programmes such as Giglets
or Pearson’s Bug Club do provide a digital reading
record as part of their offer. But they can only
record titles that form part of their service. Whereas
GoRead’s ISBN scanner allows users to include and
record any of the books that children have read,
either at school or at home.
As well as recording the books that children have
read, digital platforms are also helping staff and
students to measure and monitor the link between
a pupil’s attitude to reading and their overall
wellbeing. This is of particular importance to
schools, given the recent rapid decline in student
wellbeing that was a result of pandemic-enforced
learning from home.
One such platform is Wellbeing through Reading,
which has been created by a partnership between
the SLA and Bounce Together. It is underpinned by
an online reading survey developed by the SLA and
the National Literacy Trust, which helps schools to
gain a clear understanding of each pupil’s attitude
to reading.
Using the research data, institutions can call upon
the organisations’ literacy experts to suggest ways
in which a whole school reading culture can be
better developed. A variety of free supporting
resources and training courses are also available.
These have been specifically developed to
encourage reading for pleasure, reading across the
curriculum, and to build information literacy skills.
Photo credit: Canva
Jonathan Viner is the
Founder of 10Digits, an
independent consultancy
that provides actionable
insight and hands-on
support to education
entrepreneurs. He also
publishes the fortnightly
Nordic EdTech News
newsletter and is a
regular commentator,
speaker, and writer on
global EdTech trends.
@jonathanviner
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
29

Digital
Anti-Bullying Autumn 2022
Twitter
Anti-Bullying Alliance @ABAonline
Organiser of Anti-Bullying Week and Odd Socks
Day, this account provides free resources aimed
at organisations, individuals, and parents.
Their resources cover a wide range of types
of bullying. Links and information are also
shared from other agencies.
Empathy LabUK @EmpahthyLabUK
Greater empathy can help to prevent
bullying. This account shares research, case
studies, short stories, and book reviews
about the power of empathy and how to
develop this in young people. They also
share information and ideas about the
annual Empathy Day.
PSHE Association @PSHEassociation
This account shares links to lesson plans,
toolkits, research, and other resources
on a wide range of wellbeing topics,
including bullying.
Respectme @_respectme_
Scotland’s anti-bullying service
provides information and advice to
young people, parents, and school
staff. The account retweets a lot of posts from other
accounts and so offers a good overview of national
campaigns, CPD, and good practice.
StopBullying.Gov @StopBullyingGov
An American organisation, this provides links to
a wide range of articles and advice supporting
parents and educational staff to deal with bullying
effectively.
BullyingUK @bullyinguk
Although the majority of posts cover bullying
of children and young people, this account also
includes information about workplace bullying, so
could be useful for school staff. Posts range from
soundbites and quick tips to links to longer articles.
BulliesOut @BulliesOut
Tweets from an award-winning bullying charity.
Some posts are linked to paid services such as CPD
courses, but they also share links to their free blog
and online counselling service.
Kidscape @Kidscape
Shares links to toolkits, webinars, and articles
on practical ways for schools and families to deal
with bullying.
Lauren Thow is a Librarian
and Guidance Teacher at
Stewart’s Melville College.
She is passionate about
school libraries, loves
engaging young people
with literature, and when
she’s not reading, can be
found walking the hills
of Edinburgh.
Instagram
The Cybersmile Foundation
@CybersmileHQ
This non-profit organisation
promotes kindness, equality, and
inclusion with inspirational quotes
that could be shared with students
and staff to boost self-esteem.
Anna Freud National Centre
@afnccf
This charity aims to support the
mental health of children. Resources
of particular note include ideas to
promote self-care over the summer
and their anti-bullying week toolkit.
Anti-Bullying Pro
@antibullyingpro
This is an anti-bullying campaign tied
to the Diana Award. It is specifically
targeted at young people, parents,
and teachers, and provides links to
resources that can be used in school
to improve wellbeing.
Childline
@childline_official
The well-known organisation
shares bite-sized inspiration
and videos promoting positive
wellbeing and their 24-hour
support service.
Young Minds
@youngmindsuk
Thought-provoking
images and videos that
encourage discussion
about wellbeing, selfcare,
and positive
mental health.
Show Racism the Red Card
@showracismtheredcard
Videos and links to
further resources
promoting anti-racist
education.
30
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Three from
YouTube – Biology
Digital
BrainStorm
www.tinyurl.com/3w52tw7f
This is a science-based YouTube site which has
GCSE and key stage 3 educational videos on topics
from the brain to food testing.
The videos are generally under 30 minutes long
and are very simply explained. They use literacy
methods when introducing and explaining new
terminology, and all content is adapted from the
AQA GCSE biology texts.
Information is described in a conversational
style, with simple graphics, which would connect
effectively with classroom learning taught for
assessments throughout the year, or for GCSE
revision. The brain video was extremely easy to
follow and understand. The visual images and
simple breakdown of the descriptions made the
topic engaging and would give a student time to
make notes or go back to recap any details.
FuseSchool Global Education
www.youtube.com/c/fuseschool
tool in each video is the subtitles. Hearing the
pronunciation and seeing the words on screen
at the same time makes the terminology easier
to comprehend and recall. The subtitles are also
helpful for any students with hearing impairments
to follow the content. Terminology is explained as
the videos play. These last from two to five minutes
and can be used for students who need a quick
recap or as a topic instructional video in a lesson.
The intro to cells was interesting to watch and was
explained very well as a topic. Simple diagrams
were used within the animation, highlighting
the different parts of animal cells and were then
broken down further to define each part. It covered
chemical reactions, respiration, cell structures, and
lots more in this short three-minute video.
The Science Break
www.youtube.com/c/TheScienceBreak
This channel is aimed at GCSE/key stage 3 science
with all of the content based on the advanced exam
information from exam boards. Almost all of the
videos are less than 15 minutes long and cover
topics like adaptation, food chains, pollution, and
just about every subject students study for science
from key stage 3 onwards.
The extinction video, as well as illustrations through
animation, explains definitions of vocabulary,
mind-mapping, and Freya model examples of
how extinction happens. The examples are fun to
watch and could also be used in English lessons
as samples of literacy patterns on terminology.
The videos are often broken up into a timeline of
learning from main topics to subtopics.
This channel shows immersive, high-quality videos,
accessible for all learners in key stage 3, GCSE and
A Level. It introduces secondary school science and
maths curriculums by breaking the subjects into
bite size chunks of manageable learning.
Teachers and animators collaborate to produce
videos on topics such as the structure of a leaf,
the immune system, and cells. The videos are
informative, visually practical, and the graphics
make the topic straightforward to decode. A helpful
Beth Khalil is the LRC
Manager/Literacy
Coordinator NET Thorp
Academy. She has been a
librarian for 30 years and
her passion is encouraging
young people to discover a
lifelong love of reading.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
31

Digital
SLA Websites:
Teaching Phonics
The School Run
www.theschoolrun.com/phonics-teachingstep-step
Resources include videos explaining
pronunciation, alphabet sounds and letter names;
strategies and tips for parents; and games to build
on skills. This is a comprehensive site with in-depth
information that is easy to navigate, and would
provide a good solid introduction to phonics for
anyone involved in supporting this programme
in the library. It is illustrated with cartoon-style
drawings and my only observation is that it would
be good if these showed more diversity.
Teaching Phonics:
Information for Schools
www.gov.uk/government/collections/phonics
The School Run is a website aimed at primary
school parents who want to help their children with
education. It provides some useful information
for school librarians, particularly those working
in primary schools where phonics is taught.
The website gives basic and clear information
explaining the phonics system and provides an
overall understanding of the programme. It covers
the various steps in phonic learning, including
phonics in key stage 1 and details of the key stage
1 phonics screening check. Each section has
hyperlinks leading to further sections which give
more detailed information, and users are able
to register for free to gain access to worksheets,
activities, and games written by experienced
primary school teachers. If you register, you are
also able to save resources for easier access.
Teach Phonics
www.teachphonics.co.uk
The Government provide information to help
schools select an effective and statutory phonics
programme. This official website contains
information to help schools select an appropriate
programme; there is material about the phonics
screening check, guidance on learning to read
through phonics, and research on successful
strategies. There are tips on how to help your child,
evidence on the impact of reading for pleasure, and
details regarding what works in reading promotion.
The site also has ideas to use in the classroom
when teaching higher levels of phonics. Although
the site is aimed at teachers rather than librarians
or parents, it is beneficial to understand the
government approach to phonics teaching, and as
the site is up to date, it is useful for the assessment
and validation of approved systematic synthetic
phonics programmes.
Barbara Band is a chartered
librarian with over thirty
years’ experience working
in a wide range of schools;
an international speaker,
writer, and trainer, she offers
consultancy services on
all aspects of librarianship
and reading. When not
campaigning for school
libraries, she can be found
reading, knitting, or painting.
Promoted as the definitive teaching guide to letter
sounds, the aim of this website is to explain how to
support children in learning to read and spell using
phonics. It explains how pre-phonic skills build a
child’s sound knowledge, how phonics is taught,
and how phonics knowledge is used to start reading
individual words. There is extensive information
about the ten stages of phonological awareness,
from birth to 7+ years, as well as alphabet
knowledge.
32
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

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VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
33

Books: 7 & Under
Ace, Lauren
The Boys
Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie
Caterpillar Books
2022, pp32, £6.99
9781838914172
Friendship. Growing Up. Diversity
This is a truly beautiful book; every page is emotive
as the illustrations paired with subtle and poignant
text create a unique picture book with friendship
and diversity at its heart. This book can be enjoyed
by readers of all ages as we follow Tam, Rey, Nattie,
and Bobby on their journey of love and friendship.
As the boys grow up, the beach is their second
home, and their friendship always brings them
together like the waves returning to the shore.
As they grow as individuals, they encounter and
understand their differences, where they each find
happiness and learn that new relationships will be
made along the way; however, what they each bring
through being unique is what makes them work
better as a team.
From the end pages to exquisite double-page
spreads, the illustrations capture so much; the
attention to detail and use of colour brings the story
and characters to life – the kite flying page is my
favourite. There is something very special about The
Boys; it should be part of any library.
Lucy Carlton-Walker
Acheampong, Barbara
123 counting in TWI
Illustrated by Emmanuella Odor
Service Graphics
2022, pp16, £7.99
9781919615400
Language. Ghana. Information
These books are a wonderful introduction to the
Asante Twi language, which originates from Ghana.
It is boldly coloured with joyful illustrations, and
children can work through to learn the days of the
week and numbers one to ten. Every page has a
word as well as their pronunciation; however they
are much more than an instructional book. They
also share some of the culture, explaining how many
people speak the language and where you can hear
it being used.
At the end of each text is the explanation of the Twi
alphabet, and this is a good way to show variances
in writing systems. The reader learns the importance
of names within the Akan community and how
children are named after the day of the week they
are born on. Children can find out what attributes
they may have for their own day of birth through
lovely rhymes. Pupils and teachers will enjoy sharing
and reading this book aloud.
Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves
Agard, John
John Agard’s
Windrush Child
Illustrated by Sophie Bass
Walker Books
2022, pp24, £12.99
9781529501124
Windrush. Caribbean. Journeys
With one last hug, a child says goodbye to his
grandmother and the shores of his Caribbean home,
before stepping into an adventure across the ocean,
to an unknown horizon and a sky full of hope.
John Agard is well known and loved by many of
us for his wide range of children’s literature. This
beautiful tale of a child’s journey to England on
board Empire Windrush is a worthy addition to
the many that tell this very important story. The
thoughtful lyricism is stunningly illustrated by
Sophie Bass in joyful, Caribbean-style bright colours
which complement Agard’s words perfectly. It is a
book that any child will love, reading the pictures
before they can read the words. The detail on every
page will excite and inspire, and Bass’s traditional
yet contemporary images are truly delightful. Every
child should have this on their bookshelf.
Sue Bastone
Anang, Annemarie
I Am Nefertiti
Illustrated by Natelle Quek
Five Quills
2022, pp32, £8.82
9781912923311
Families. Inclusivity. Diversity
Nefertiti is joining the band to play the drums. Her
dad proudly drops her at rehearsal, reminding her
‘You are Nefertiti!’ to soothe her nerves, and she
feels ten feet tall. But Miss Potts, the band leader,
struggles to pronounce Nefertiti and shortens it to
‘Nef’. Little does she realise the catastrophic effect
this will have on Nefertiti’s confidence. The girl
literally shrinks – she can’t play the drums and the
band can’t keep the beat!
Drawing on her inner strength and with the support
of the other children, they help Miss Potts recognise
the importance of honouring Nefertiti’s name and
together they rebuild her confidence.
A beautifully illustrated book that celebrates the
joy of music and the importance of making time to
pronounce names correctly.
This is an uplifting picture book that teaches
children to embrace their name and identity and to
celebrate how unique and special they are.
Ruth Horsman
Armstrong, Zoe
Curious Creatures
Working with Tools
Illustrated by Anja Susanj
Flying Eye Books
2022, pp37, £12.99
9781838740344
Animals. Non-Fiction. Tools
There is so much to discover in this fun and
informative picture book by Zoë Armstrong and Anja
Sušanj! Animals can be so crafty and resourceful.
Did you know that there are bottlenose dolphins
holding sponges to protect their snouts, chimps
wielding rocky hammers, and tailorbirds stitching
leaves with spider silk?
This non-fiction title is cleverly made for young
readers and grown-ups alike: it explains how
humans are not that dissimilar to tool-using animals,
and highlights comparisons and differences such as
how the same ingenious animals do different things
in different places. A fascinating read you will return
to, for sure!
Océane Toffoli
Asika, Uju
A World for Me and You
Illustrated by Jennie Poh
Wren & Rook
2022, pp32, £12.99
9781526364128
Diverse. Inclusive. Kindness
This is a brilliant book about kindness, where every
child will see themselves and know that they are
represented. Imagination is a powerful theme
throughout this stunning picture book, charmingly
illustrated by Jennie Poh. It is heart-warmingly
full of brightness and colour, with the detailed
illustrations pored over by pupils after we read this
together. This was an absolute delight to read aloud,
with the need to leave plenty of time for the many
questions requiring answers and thought-provoking
discussions with my pupils. They loved being
prompted by this truly diverse and inclusive book,
sharing the languages they speak at home; learning
greetings from each other; discussing their favourite
foods made by their families; and being curious to
learn about each other.
Ways that we can create a world for everyone, and
suggestions for doing one kind thing at the end of
the book are a wonderful part of the story, indicating
ways that we can support each other, be resilient, be
considerate, listen to each other, and be respectful. A
perfect addition to your PSHE collection.
Jenny Griffiths
34
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 7 & Under
Baumann, Anne-S
The Ultimate Book
of Water
Illustrated by Vanessa Robidou
Twirl
2022, pp18, £17.99
9791036338793
Water. Interactive. Geography
Water is one of the building blocks of life on
planet Earth and this book manages to explore the
complexities of water in a way that is both accessible
to young children, whilst not oversimplifying some
of the issues that surround the use of this vital
resource. As well as taking sometimes quite static
and conceptual ideas such as the water cycle and
bringing them to life with pop-ups and pull-tabs, this
book also explores less well-documented topics,
such as the origins of water on Earth and how water
is moved through living things, including our own
bodies. The book finishes by looking at how we can
use water in a more sustainable way so that we can
produce renewable energy but also how we can
avoid some of the issues that have been created by
humans through their intensive farming, overfishing,
and rapid urbanisation. This is an engaging and
interactive book that will both delight and educate
children in equal measure.
Georgia Ramsay
Beck, Melinda
We Are Shapes
Phaidon Press Limited
2022, pp34, £8.99
9781838664749
Shape. Teamwork. Resilience
What a fantastic little board book
that teaches early years and foundation stage (EYFS)
children some of our most common shapes and
their properties, and so much more besides. Meet
Square, Rectangle, Triangle, Circle, Lumpy, and
Squiggly as they play together to show what they
can achieve when they work as a team.
Highlighting kind conversations and resilience, the
shapes show how even though they are all different,
with a whole range of talents, when they work
together, they can create something even better.
The bright, bold eye-catching illustrations showcase
celebrations and calamities as the shapes combine
to make a range of different collaborations – some
more successful than others!
Perfect for little hands, this sturdy board book
is ideal for EYFS settings for children to explore
together and see what they can go on to create with
a whole range of different shapes.
Nicki Cleveland
Beer, Adam
Solo
Simon & Schuster Chidren’s
2022, pp32, £6.99
9781471191640
Dogs. Holidays. Islands
Solo is a dog living on an
island he loves with his family. He has his favourite
things – a ball, a stick, a shoe – but also has to
endure some annoying birds and noisy boats. He’s
noticed ‘his’ humans have been very busy lately,
although doesn’t know what they have been doing.
The reader, however, can see from the illustrations
that they have been painting a boat to carry tourists.
Solo is more concerned about how busy he is –
scratching, sniffing, swimming, snoozing, fishing,
and fetching.
But then his attention is taken up by an influx
of people – brought in by the tourist boats and
accompanied by their dogs who are simply out of
control (although it looks quite fun).
The dogs head for Solo’s favourite things until Solo
tells them off and they leave him alone. At this
point Solo realises sharing with new friends will be
more fun.
The illustrations by the author are colourful and full
of movement, just like the excitable dog Solo.
Dawn Woods
Berner, Rotraut Susanne
All Around
Bustletown Nighttime
Prestel
2022, pp14, £9.99
9783791374901
Spoken Language. Storytelling. Observation
This is an intriguing picture book. A continuous
panorama, over a series of expansive double
pages, takes us on a journey through a gentle
storyland town. The atmosphere is fun, relaxed, and
continental. People, animals, and events are packed
into the scenes, everyone busily getting on with life.
It’s a book to look at and discuss cosily. The
youngest children, sharing with an adult, will be
developing vocabulary, playing ‘I spy’, spotting
things with which they are familiar, and learning to
interpret illustrations.
But that’s just the start. For older children it’s a book
to share sociably with friends. There are storylines to
identify and follow, detective work to carry out, ideas
to debate, discussion about characters, and more
sophisticated references to spot. And because there is
no text, it’s accessible to speakers of any language.
This is a book to get to know over time and keep
returning to. Happily it’s made of strong card so will
survive all the handling that it will undoubtedly get.
Annie Pattison
Brown, Melanie
Wildflower
Illustrated by Sara Gillingham
Greystone Kids
2022, pp36, £12.99
9781771649063
Self-Esteem. Ecology. Graphics
The wildflower in question is Daisy. She is dismissed
as being a weed. But what is a weed? What is
a wildflower? Are all flowers important? Ideas
about personal identity, self-acceptance, and the
valuable yet different contributions of individuals
are explored through the flower characters in this
simple story.
Arising from this, the author explains some
gardening terms and argues the case for weeds.
At a time when we are being encouraged to value
diversity and wild planting, this is particularly
opportune and a discussion that could well be
researched and developed.
Specific varieties of plant are illustrated and
described. These illustrations are not botanical
but formal and stylised, using a vivid Day-glo
palette. Flowers are given faces. This is a wonderful
opportunity for children to explore techniques such
as paper cut-outs, spraying, printing, and computer
graphics in order to create flower characters of their
own. And from these, more stories!
Annie Pattison
Brown, Ruth
Eye Spy
Scallywag Press
2022, pp25, £12.99
9781912650903
Poetry. Wildlife. Habitats
This a really lovely book. Ruth Brown captivates
the imagination and curiosity with a superbly
crafted game of ‘I spy’ in rhythmical language, and
illustrated in her unique beautiful style.
The front and back covers neatly frame the
game from sun to moon, (leading the reader
from dawn to bedtime at dusk), whilst covertly
introducing each of the creatures hidden in the
book’s riddles. A delightful book to share in literacy
lessons from early years and up; language and
sentence structure, poetic style, text placement,
and illustrations provide valuable and accessible
starting points for English teachers in primary
school. This could be seen as particularly useful in
key stage1, but would be much enjoyed at any age,
for personal reading, small groups, or whole class.
The subject matter and rich illustrations would
be a super addition to environmental education,
inviting discussion about habitats, diversity, animal
classification, and ecosystem.
Stephanie Barclay
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
35

Books: 7 & Under
Buckthorn, Georgia
The Fairy Garden
Illustrated by Isa Bancewicz
Ivy Kids
2022, pp32, £9.99
9780711271760
Fairies. Gardens. Wildlife
A lovely whimsical, cosy tale, with a solid
environmental message. Buckthorn presents her
highly likeable – and relatable – central character
Mimi, who wants more than anything to see a real
fairy; she learns a lesson that keeping the garden
‘perfect’ it is not suitable for fairies, who need
wildlife-friendly gardens. The narrative describes
Mimi working diligently, waiting for fairies to come;
when she weeps one night, the fairies arrive and
explain, giving Mimi a new perspective on what is
a ‘perfect’ garden. Mazzanti has created gorgeous,
detailed illustrations, inviting the reader into Mimi’s
home and garden, including the loveliest night
scenes. The book ends with a practical section on
how to make a fairy-friendly garden which would
provide a great starting point to consider who are
fairies – butterflies? dragonflies?
The language and sentence structures make this
very useful for whole class or small group literacy, as
well as topic based environmental lessons; it would
be a super addition to the classroom library shelf,
early years, and key stage 1.
Stephanie Barclay
Butchart, Pamela
The Talking Lamb
Illustrated by Becka Moor
Nosy Crow
2022, pp102, £6.99
9781839940750
Schools. Adventure. Animals
A beautifully presented book containing three
short hilarious stories about Year 2 students at
Wigglesbottom Primary School. Each story is selfcontained
and features a different aspect of school
life. They are full of humour, and use clever graphics
to highlight tension, speech, and vocabulary
that may be new to some young readers. The
illustrations are witty, comical and the liberal use
of yellow, grey, black and white brings these fastpaced
stories alive. The welcome page is illustrated
with comical portraits of each class member and are
fun to refer back to when a child is mentioned in one
of the stories. My favourite story is the ‘Wildcat’ as
I loved the idea of Year 6 students bequeathing the
school secret to Year 2 that they must protect and
feed an escaped wildcat that lives behind a big box
in the storeroom. The way the story unfolds and the
twist at the end are brilliant. Full of fun, fast-paced,
and credible adventures, it is perfect for young
readers and their adults.
Judith Palka
Chancellor, Deborah
Shelly Hen Lays Eggs
Illustrated by Julia Groves
Scallywag Press
2022, pp32, £11.99
9781912650897
Nature. Food. Hens
In this book we follow a day in the life of Shelly
Hen and begin to understand what her life is like
as a free-range hen. It explains her diet, her living
arrangements, and how the birds live together.
Importantly it also highlights the egg laying and how
the eggs end up being eaten by humans.
This is one of four very basic non-fiction stories
that help teach the very youngest children about
where their food comes from. The text is short,
concise, and easy to understand, and it is printed in
a clear and large font. The illustrations are simple,
clear, and brightly coloured; they flow in a way that
helps the children follow the visual clues even if
they are not able to read the text. This is very much
a book for foundation stage children, although
reception would also find it useful as a starting
point for discussion.
Margaret Pemberton
Christou, Bethany
I’m More than a Sheep
Templar Publishing
2022, pp40, £6.99
9781800781603
Tales. Animals. Community
This delightful and entertaining story reworks a
traditional tale format in a light-hearted, humorous
romp. Mildred, a sheep with ambition, but who lacks
the necessary skills to stand out from the flock,
unsuccessfully seeks to emulate a succession of
other animals, until she finds herself in the clutches
of Ms Wolf, for her dinner. Unperturbed, Mildred
saves herself by acting as ‘a plain sheep’ and sounds
her loudest baa to summon the flock to her rescue.
Many small and useful moral messages can be
drawn from this: being willing to try something new,
being true to oneself, trusting others, learning from
one’s mistakes, accepting diversity and similarity.
This is a useful book for PHSE starting points for
young children. Christou’s language is direct and
accessible; the text uses a variety of devices that will
be useful to develop grammar and writing skills, and
is imaginatively placed on the page. The illustrations
are joyful with much to discuss – and laugh about –
within them. An excellent addition to early years or
Reception, and would be enjoyed into key stage 1
for independent reading and sharing.
Stephanie Barclay
Churnin, Nancy
Dear Mr. Dickens
Illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe
Albert Whitman & Company
2021, pp32, £12.99
9780807515303
History. Prejudice. Bravery
This picture book tells an admirable true story,
which provides richer context to the famous
writings of Charles Dickens.
Despite being a huge Dickens fan, when Eliza Davies
sees the Jewish character in Oliver Twist portrayed
as nothing more than an ugly, selfish criminal, she
is horrified. As a Jewish woman herself, Eliza is
disappointed to see Dickens enforce the damaging
prejudice against Jewish people that was rife at the
time. So, she decides to speak up and do something
about it.
Complete with warm illustrations, this book shines a
deserving spotlight on the little-known, remarkable
efforts of a woman who made miraculous change.
Telling the story of one woman’s determination to
right the wrong of someone far more celebrated and
powerful than herself is perfect for showing younger
readers the importance of confronting prejudice and
never being afraid to speak up for justice. Because,
regardless of who you are, words have the power to
change hearts, minds, and history.
Hannah Groves
Cooper, Helen
Saving the Butterfly
Illustrated by Gill Smith
Walker Books
2022, pp24, £12.99
9781406397208
Refugees. Sadness. Journeys
This book will almost break your heart … and then
make you smile. It is the story of two refugee
children crossing the dangerous sea to safety.
Two children: one too small to understand what is
happening, the other old before her time with the
responsibility of saving her little sibling. Although
they land safely and are helped to find shelter, the
‘big one’ cannot forget and withdraws into a grey,
private world, hiding in their broken house from the
dark in her mind. It is a butterfly with its beautiful
colours and its promise of the outside world that
gradually brings her back to life.
This is a simple, yet accurate and sympathetic
portrayal of how it feels to be a refugee. The
illustrations cleverly mix grey with colour, gradually
bringing the outside world into the mind of a child,
too young for such responsibility but old enough
to suffer the trauma of her experience. It would be
an excellent book to introduce the topic to children
and should be in every primary school classroom
and library.
Sue Baston
36
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 7 & Under
Daly, Niki
On My
Papa’s Shoulders
Otter-Barry Books
2022, pp40, £12.99
9781913074456
Family. Fathers. South Africa
A wonderfully heart-warming story of love shown
in different ways between a little boy and his family,
with their own unique ways of taking him to school,
and intimate, uplifting parting gestures.
Set in urban South Africa, lyrical storytelling,
alongside the beautifully atmospheric illustrations,
captures the vibrancy of the places they walk
through, whether it’s Mama, Gogo, Tata, or Papa’s
turn to escort him to the school gates. From the
busy road to quiet backstreets, a soggy park to the
top of the world, each illustration not only captures
the bond between the little boy and each family
member, but also the colour and diversity of its
setting. The final image sang to my soul!
Shining a spotlight on the value of, and joy that,
extended family bring into children’s everyday
lives, this is an amazing book to share with children
in early years and foundation stage and key stage
1 to celebrate starting school, family love, and
father’s day.
Nicki Cleveland
Devolle, John
Atoms
Pushkin Children’s Books
2022, pp32, £12.99
9781782693437
Atoms. Physics. Science
Amazingly it only takes John Devolle 32 pages
and just over 300 words to introduce little minds
to some very big ideas – including atomic theory,
the Big Bang, and the fact that you, your dog,
and everyone else you know are made up of
tiny particles called atoms. Devolle’s artwork is
perfectly matched, with colourful, emblematic
illustrations which pop against the boldly coloured
backgrounds. This book will leave young readers
in no doubt that literally every single thing on earth
and in the universe beyond is made of atoms. So
where did these atoms come from? Created in giant
collapsing stars, atoms regrouped to become living
cells and organisms which evolved over millions of
years – some eventually becoming human. The fact
that we are all made of stardust is a mind-blowing
example of the poetry science!
Chris Routh
Durant, Alan
Human Town
Illustrated by Anna Doherty
Tiny Owl Publishing
2022, pp32, £7.99
9781910328835
Families. Expeditions.
Environment
Who has not ever fancied a day out on a trip to
visit an interesting place? Junior Elephant asks his
parents to take the family out to visit Human Town
– it’s always interesting to visit there, even though
his parents warn him and his sister that it could
be rather boring as there are not many humans
left, and besides, humans can be unpredictable
and dangerous. Not deterred at all, the elephant
family set off to visit Human Town. They learn a
thing or two on the way, noticing interesting as
well as puzzling things. Why is their river in such
a bad way? And why are certain places practically
empty? They do, however, notice a brightly
constructed place called a supermarket, where
humans buy food before stopping to have a picnic
on the way home. Told in a simple yet informative
way, this book will certainly encourage discussion
on the part of children, and the growing awareness
of the need to care for our environment is brought
home effectively.
Rudolf Loewenstein
Fehr, Daniel
Ella in the Garden
of Giverny
Illustrated by Monika
Vaicenaviciene
Prestel
2022, pp40, £11.99
9783791374765
Art. History. Biography
This story is of Ella, an imagined child, who,
at the turn of the twentieth century, becomes
friends with the painter Claude Monet, paints
with him, and hears from him about his life. The
text is written simply, and the softly painted
illustrations create a feeling for the past whilst also
contributing accurate historical context. The story
is a charming introduction to both the artist and
to ideas and philosophies about art, painting, and
life. It is followed by a gallery showing examples of
Monet’s work.
More detailed information about Monet is provided
separately from the story, but at a more demanding
reading level. This would be very useful for a
teacher to use themselves, as background and for
introducing further research. In addition there are
details of websites and organisations where places,
pictures, and galleries can be seen. Altogether a very
well rounded and useful resource.
Annie Pattison
Gallion, Sue Lowell
Our Seasons: The World in
Winter, Spring, Summer,
and Autumn
Illustrated by Lisk Feng
Phaidon Press Limited
2022, pp26, £15.56
9781838664329
Seasons. Weather. Geography
Rich illustrations and gentle rhyming verse introduce
our youngest readers to the changing seasons in our
world. As you journey through the changing seasons,
from snowy winter to a tropical summer, before
journeying into space and back again, each spread
encourages conversation about how the changing
weather affects the natural world.
Migration, hibernation, and new life, as well as why
seasons change, are all depicted in the glorious
illustrations that will have children telling their own
stories of what the people and animals depicted are
doing, whether playing on a beach or in the snow.
Alongside the rhyming verse, in much smaller text, is
a host of additional information and questions to get
young children thinking about their own experiences
of the world around them.
The sturdy board book also opens up and magnetically
connects together using its covers to create a freestanding
globe that invites investigation. Perfect for
early years and foundation stage and key stage 1.
Nicki Cleveland
Green, Julia
The Boy Who Sailed
the World
Illustrated by Alex Latimer
David Fickling Books
2022, pp32, £7.25
9781788452335
Adventure. Resilience. Oceans
The Boy who Sailed the World is based on a true
story, with a child-friendly explanation at the very
end about author Julia Green’s son Jesse and his
real adventures. It is beautifully illustrated and is the
tale of a boy who decides to build a boat and sail
the world. This stunning story will become a firm
favourite at my school, especially when I am asked
for a tale of resilience to share with pupils. Despite
huge storms, sailing past enormous boats, and
experiencing a new life on wonderful Caribbeaninspired
illustrated islands, Jesse does not give up
on his pursuit of exploration of the big wide world.
Ultimately Jesse decides to head home to be with
his Mum, until his journeys start again …
This must-have picture book was a delight to read
out loud and sparked brilliant discussions with my
pupils about where they would like to go in the
world, and their future dreams.
Jenny Griffiths
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
37

Books: 7 & Under
Hart, Caryl
The Girl Who
Planted Trees
Illustrated by Anastasia
Suvorova
Nosy Crow
2022, pp33, £7.99
9781788008914
Ecology. Actions. Globalisation
This story was inspired by the real-life actions of a
man called Saiman, who looked at his mountain in
Indonesia and noticed that the trees were nearly
all gone. He decided to do something about this
and started replanting, despite being derided by
his neighbours and family. They were all forced to
change their views 25 years later when they realised
that all this planting had brought the area back to life.
The eponymous little girl in this book has the same
realisation of how barren her surroundings are and
decides to plant pips in the hope that they will grow
into trees. Not everything goes smoothly, and a
storm proves a huge setback, but the girl and her
grandfather eventually garner the support of their
neighbours and the mountain becomes green once
again. This is a picture book that could very easily
be used with older children as well as toddlers to
help them realise that even the actions of just one
person can make a real difference and they too can
‘be the change’.
Bev Humphrey
Hillyard, Kim
Gretel the
Wonder Mammoth
Illustrated by Kim Hillyard
Ladybird Books
2022, pp31, £6.99
9780241488560
Empathy. Friendship. Anxiety
Gretel, the last woolly mammoth, breaks free from
her icy shell. Everyone is so excited to meet her,
their Wonder Mammoth. But although she has lots
of new friends, Gretel feels a bit overwhelmed and
anxious. Her friends sense something is wrong and
show her how important it is to tell them how she is
feeling, especially when things feel scary.
A delightful picture book with a really positive
message for children about being honest about
how they are feeling. Gorgeous illustrations that
work really well with the text. A perfect book for
empathy collections.
Annie Everall
Hoopmann, Kathy
All about Dyspraxia
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
2022, pp63, £10.99
9781787758353
Information. Dyspraxia. Health
Whilst we have become increasingly aware of
dyslexia over the last few decades, the condition
of dyspraxia is less well known and definitely less
understood by the wider population. The subtitle
of this book is ‘Understanding Developmental
Coordination Disorder’, and the book itself starts by
explaining some basic principles.
The book itself is aimed at a very young audience,
and the layout consists of very engaging photos of
a wide variety of animals, each of which has a few
lines of text explaining a characteristic of someone
with dyspraxia. This is one of those books that has
you thinking about all of the times when irritation
may have set in, because you have not been aware
that the person involved requires understanding
and empathy because they are dealing with
aspects of this condition. This is an excellent book
for use in the lower primary environment, not just
to help a person with dyspraxia, but also to help
their fellow pupils understand why they may show
particular characteristics.
Margaret Pemberton
Hope, Olivia
Be Wild, Little One
Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2022, pp32, £6.99
9781408884805
Environments. Exploring.
Imagination
An energetic book encouraging a positive and
active engagement with the world in its diverse
environments, from large scale (deepest oceans) to
small scale (tiny fireflies). Hope writes in a loosely
lyrical poetic style with stimulating vocabulary,
talking to a little child through an expansive journey
of adventure, through exciting and wonderful
places. Thoughtfully placed text enhances the
dramatic illustrations, leading the reader through
imaginary exploration of the wild natural world,
appreciating the intrinsic value, whilst encouraging
seeing oneself as part of it. Egneus captures the
recognisable familiar and transforms it into lively
and inviting illustrations; one really feels part of the
wildness, with the child he draws!
A great addition to early years and key stage 1, this
would make a fabulous text for creative arts projects
– music, dance, drama, art – as well as literacy and
personal quiet time reading.
Stephanie Barclay
Ho-Yen, Polly
The Boy Who Grew a Tree
Illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy
Knights of Media
2022, pp117, £5.99
9781913311308
Nature. Libraries. Nurture
This short story is both gentle and life-affirming,
with monochrome illustrations that beautifully
communicate the characters’ changing emotions.
The latter include ‘a boy called Timi who had always
liked growing things’. He is introduced to us by Babu,
our narrator – the grandfather of a little girl who
loves to be told this tale of his childhood. Others
include Timi’s friends Mo and Abi, along with the
adults – their parents – and the demolition crew
whose job it is to knock down the local library.
In short, Timi discovers a sapling growing through
the floorboards of the abandoned library and begins
to tend it. The tree grows at a miraculous rate,
responding to his careful nurture, and seemingly
to his friends’ attentions too. But how can it stand
against the bulldozers ... unless the children’s D-day
sit-in is successful?
A lovely class read for Year 1 or 2, or as an
independent read into Year 3. One which may
inspire other young people with a passion for
nature, or books, or both.
Jane Rew
Langley-Swain, Samuel
and Panayi, Helen
What Makes a
Lemur Listen?
Owlet Press
2022, pp32, £7.99
9781913339364
Families. Listening. Learning
Maki lives with his lemur brothers and sisters but will
not listen to his mother or pay attention to her rules.
Thinking he knows better, he sets off into the forest,
but by nightfall is hungry, cold, and frightened. Next
day only the reader sees the chameleon hidden
in the leaves, but Maki can hear Sofina’s warning
voice as she helps him learn to listen. When Maki
falls asleep on a huge snake, he needs Sofina’s now
brilliantly glowing skin to save him. She explains
how she survives by listening to her mama and Maki
returns home ready for a few rules.
Newly confident readers will enjoy this book, helped
by the often short passages of text on a page, the
use of different fonts, and passages in heavy type for
emphasis. The illustrations will lead them through
the drama of the story and if read to a younger
audience, the vivid colours of the chameleon
distracting the snake in the darkness can provide a
moment of theatre.
David Mallett
38
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 7 & Under
Creativity
Editor’s pick
Rashmi Sirdeshpande
and Diane Ewen
Never Let a
Diplodocus Draw
Puffin, 2022, 32pp, £6.99,
9780241562512
Dinosaurs. Joy. Paint
Exploring the possibilities of art.
Dinosaurs and mess in this great
picture book story by Rashmi
Sirdeshpande.
Marion Deuchars
The ME Book: an Art
Activity Book
Laurence King, 2022, 64pp, £9.99,
9781510230187
Art. Imagination. Ourselves
Zany reasons to produce art
activities to inspire the imaginations
in young minds.
Loll Kirby and Ruth Burrows
Unstoppable Artists
Owlet, 2022, 32pp, £7.99,
9781913339371
Activism, Famous Artists, Protest
To change the world, we need to
think creatively –and making art as
well is a double winner.
Julia Green and Alex Latimer
The Boy Who Sailed
the World
David Fickling, 2022, 32pp, £6.99,
9781788452335
Adventure. Boats. Imagination
A young boy sailing around the world
needs to think creatively to work out
what to do.
Naomi Jones and Ana Gomez
How to Catch a Rainbow
OUP, 2022, 32pp, £6.99,
9780192779038
Colour. Imagination. Nature
Using her imagination, Freya’s
plans to catch a rainbow change
constantly, but she doesn’t give up,
making one of her own.
Ronda Armitage and
David Armitage
The Lighthouse
Keeper’s Lunch
Scholastic, 2022, 32pp, £7.99,
9780702317644
Food. Humour. Lighthouses
A classic reprint, but still an ingenious
solution to prevent gulls stealing the
lighthouse keeper’s lunch.
Sarah Coyle and
Adam Walker-Parker
A Pirate Alien
Jungle Adventure
Farshore, 2022, 32pp, £7.99,
9781405299046
Adventure. Aliens. Pirates
Choose your own adventures
featuring animals, pirates, and aliens
to create your own story.
Robert Vescio
and Kathy Creamer
A Squiggly Line
Little Pink Dog Books
2022, 40pp, £12.99,
9780648652816
Animals. Drawing. Imagination
Mouse doesn’t know where he’s
going or what he will encounter
along the way, but he soon develops
the confidence to think creatively.
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VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
39

Books: 7 & Under
Lindgren, Barbro
Translated by Julia Marshall
The Tale of the
Tiny Man
Illustrated by Eva Eriksson
Gecko Press
2022, pp32, £11.99
9781776574094
Friendship. Compassion. Empathy
This is a beautiful and gentle work, sure to bring a
smile and a tear to any reader. Exploring themes
of loneliness, sadness, and the effects of being
unkind, as well as themes of how to make friends
and play with more than one person, this is an
essential book for pupils to help support learning
about empathy and understanding of difference in
others. Atmospheric illustrations help add to the
meaning of the text and enable this classic Swedish
story to come to life in an accessible way for weaker
readers or those with limited English; they add
character and charm to the different characters and
are wonderfully absorbing to look at too. This work
would be particularly useful in group reading, with
some of the language used being more advanced
for younger readers.
Meg Barclay
Lucianovic,
Stephanie V. W.
Hello, Star
Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Puffin
2022, pp33, £7.99
9780241488942
Stars. Astronauts. Space
This is more than just a simple picture book of
stars and the universe; it is about one little girl who
dreams of space and the beyond and works her way
to getting there.
Our unnamed protagonist is gazing out of her
window at a particularly bright star when her
mother explains that it is dying. Reassuring the star
that she is still watching and with her, she embarks
on a life filled with reading, learning, and dreaming
of more. Through hard work and perseverance she
goes to see her old friend, Star, as an astronaut.
This is a really beautiful story, very well told, and
which appeals to a large age group. The illustrations
are gorgeous and evocative and really take you with
the young girl as she become a grown woman. I
particularly enjoyed the subtle changes between a
girl’s and a woman’s bedroom at the start and end.
Jodie Brooks
Marley, Cedella and
Marley, Bob
Every Little Thing
Illustrated by Vanessa
Brantley-Newton
Chronicle Books
2022, pp24, £6.99
9781797215723
Music. Bob Marley. Uplifting
This book is a definite must for all Bob Marley fans
but even if you’re not, this is an uplifting picture
book. It tells the story of a little boy who won’t let
anything get him down, especially with the help
and encouragement from his family, friends, and
three little birds. This book is even more special
because it has been written by Cedella Marley, Bob
Marley’s oldest child. She has built on and adapted
the lyrics of the world famous song ‘Every little
thing’. The words ‘Don’t worry about a thing, cause
every little thing is gonna be all right’ feature all
the way through the book. The stunning, colourful
illustrations add significantly to the wonderful text.
This is definitely a feel-good book and will remind
the children that the sun will always come out after
the rain and mistakes are easily forgiven with a hug.
A great book to promote positive mental health
and one that all young children will benefit from
listening to, especially if they do a lot of worrying.
Becky Taylor
Melling, David
Ruffles and the
New Green Thing
Nosy Crow
2022, pp32, £7.99
9781788009928
Dogs. Anxieties. Food
This is a really sweet and compassionate look
at overcoming fear and anxiety with the help
of supportive friends in order to try new things:
initially unsure, Ruffles is helped by his friend Ralph
to try the new food in his dish, despite it appearing
strange and new. A great addition to any classroom
looking to support pupils to describe who they are,
overcome their anxieties, and try new things – in
this case food anxieties – as well as build trust
and friendships with their peers. All readers will
enjoy the wonderfully characterful illustrations
which help bring out the meaning of the text in
an entertaining and cheerful manner, helping
to keep the subject matter light and relatable to
pupils’ reactions. Brilliant use of multiple verbs
helps readers build vocabulary and understand
how language describes action, with pupils also
introduced to a few simple superlative adjectives as
well. This would be a useful support for pupils with
special educational needs, helping to guide pupils
through emotions and process concerns in a safe,
relatable, and gentle manner.
Meg Barclay
Morpurgo, Michael
There Once Is a Queen
Illustrated by Michael Foreman
Harper Collins Children’s Books
2022, pp64, £12.99
9780008541613
History. Royalty. Duty
An absolutely beautiful keepsake for the Queen’s
Platinum Jubilee, this hardback book by Michael
Morpurgo is a delight. He recounts the story of the
life of the queen in a language for younger readers.
Beautiful illustrations, by none other than Michael
Foreman, accompany the text. The story centres
on Queen Elizabeth, from her being a little girl,
through to becoming queen, and beyond until the
present day. It highlights her passion for animals,
and also woven into the story is her need to spend
time alone with nature so that she can reflect and
remember who she is. A wonderful book that will
be treasured.
Linda Nash
Rawlinson, Julia
Fletcher and
the Rockpool
Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg
2022, pp32, £12.99
9781914079320
Coast. Disappointment. Change
Fletcher is an impatient young fox cub who can’t
wait to get to the beach, repeatedly asking his
mum ‘are we nearly there?’ When he arrives at the
coast, Fletcher soon discovers the treasures and
jewels of a rockpool, only for his initial delight
and excitement of finding periwinkles, anemones,
and limpets to soon turn to despair. What Fletcher
doesn’t realise is that the coast is a dynamic and
constantly changing environment and before too
long, Fletcher is battling in vain to try and stop the
rockpool from shrinking, running back and forth to
try and fill it back up with water from the sea. But
disappointment turns back to hope and joy once
more when the tide comes back in and the rockpool
comes back to glittering life again the next day. This
is a lovely story for young children about nature and
how it changes with time, and the illustrations by
Tiphanie Beeke beautifully capture the richness of a
coastline and the treasures that it holds.
Georgia Ramsay
40
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Book
Awar d s
Suitable for pupils in Years 5-9
HELP CHILDREN LOVE READING
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the six shortlisted books and vote for their favourite.
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Best Creative Work, Best Book Trailer and Best
Pupil Reviews.
Find out more
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involved in the 2023 awards.
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VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
41

Books: 7 & Under
Rosen, Michael
Ready for Spaghetti
Illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Walker Books
2022, pp64, £14.99
9781406377644
Poetry. Comedy. Playtime
Get ready for story times full of energy, rhythm,
and giggles with this endearing look at daily
routines in this fun book of poetry from two of
the biggest names in children’s publishing. From
brushing teeth to eating dinner, the 30 poems in
this collection are all about relatable moments in
young children’s lives.
Perfect for reading aloud, the simple wordplay and
concepts make this book ideal for preschool or early
years story times. As expected from Michael Rosen,
these poems lend themselves to performance, and
toddlers and their parents will soon find themselves
knowing these poems by heart. Polly Dunbar’s
illustrations beautifully accompany the poems as
they progress through a child’s day, from getting up
to bedtime and everything in between.
This is a lovely introduction to poetry and
performance and is sure to be revisited many
times over.
Becca Watts
Rowland, Lucy
Daddy’s Rainbow
Illustrated by Becky Cameron
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2022, pp30, £6.99
9781526615787
Bereavement. Grief. Hope
Erin’s daddy is a great lover of colour and enjoys
teaching his young daughter to see and appreciate
all of the myriad hues present in nature. Together
they create a scrapbook full of memories to remind
them of the colours in different seasons. Sadly,
daddy passes away, however, and Erin and her
mummy can only see the world in shades of grey
afterwards – until Erin rediscovers the scrapbook
and they slowly start to find their way out of their
immense grief and back to the colours that bring
joy to our lives. This is such a poignant, utterly
gorgeous picture book, I’m not ashamed to admit
it brought several tears to my eyes and would make
a perfect gift for anyone, child or adult, who has
lost someone close to them. The illustrations are
wonderfully evocative, and the text is gentle and full
of meaning; this story is essentially about recovery
and hope.
Bev Humphrey
EDITOR’S PICK
Salmon, Casper
How to Count
to One
Illustrated by Matt Hunt
Nosy Crow
2022, pp32, £6.99
9781839941931
Counting. Numbers. Humour
This is a counting book with a catch – you can only
count to one ‘and don’t even think about bigger
numbers!’ The trouble is there are actually many
more things to count on each page – so who’s
actually going to follow the rules and resist the
temptation to count everything they can see?!
Eventually, realising his audience is probably more
than capable of counting beyond one, the author
gives up his bossy admonitions and invites them to
count 100 things on the endpaper (quite a big leap,
so no pressure!). This genuinely funny book is ideal
for reading aloud, with glorious, brightly coloured
illustrations to enjoy.
Chris Routh
Semple, David
I’m the
Tractor Driver
Illustrated by David Semple
Oxford University Press
2022, pp24, £6.99
9780192777751
Vehicles. First Concepts. Number
As with many books for this preschool age group,
this is as much about learning opportunities as
about story. But the bright, attractive, and diverse
illustrations, and the opportunity to role play as
a tractor driver having a busy day, will certainly
appeal to young readers. As they help out the
farmers with different jobs, from putting the cow’s
feed into their trough to helping move a hay baler,
they choose actions from the tractor control
panel at the bottom of each page. Every page also
has plenty of interactive counting, colour, and
shape recognition and problem-solving activities
throughout the book. Designed to be shared one
to one with an adult who can ask questions and
guide their discoveries, this will keep little ones
engaged and amused and they will learn lots of
new vocabulary too. There are four books available
in this series, with the opportunity to drive diggers,
fire engines and to be a bus driver too.
Joy Court
Singh, Ranj
A Superpower
Like Mine
Illustrated by Liam Darcy
Hodder Children’s Books,
2022, pp32, £6.99
9781444965063
Celebration. Individuality. Family
A vibrant book that celebrates each and everyone’s
uniqueness. The main thread of the story is that we
all have a superpower that makes us wonderful. We
are introduced to the main character, Femi, and her
father, who makes her feel like a superhero every
day. Femi wishes she had real superpowers, and
her dad helps her to recognise that the people she
knows already have special gifts. Whilst they may
not be the traditional – being able to fly or being
invisible – they are much more valuable. From
being a good listener to the power of patience,
Femi learns that friends and families can help to
bring out the best in us. It’s lovely to read a book
where there is strong male father figure and a rich
cast of characters from different cultural heritages.
Most children will be familiar with Dr Ranj from his
CBeebies show, and his upbeat and enthusiastic
character comes through in the text. Each doublepage
spread is illustrated with colourful and lively
pictures, sure to be inviting for younger readers.
Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves
Solak, Daria
Big Wide Words in
the Neighbourhood
Bright Light Books
2022, pp24, £7.99
9781760509866
Vocabulary. Community. Language
A bright and colourful board book, perfect for readers
of all ages. While ideally suited for the youngest of
readers, this book will benefit older readers as well.
It poses the question, ‘Why say car, when you can
say convertible?’ or ‘Why say shoe, when you can say
brogues?’. Variety, style, and diversity are featured on
every page as readers visit different places in their
neighbourhood, from the fruit stand to the shoe shop
and everywhere in between.
The firm cardboard pages will withstand the
constant page turning and browsing of this book
as children challenge themselves to increase their
vocabulary and ability to describe everyday items
in new ways. One side of the double-page spread is
full of detail and crammed with all the items that are
clearly illustrated and labelled on the opposite page.
This will be a huge hit with young readers as they
hunt for familiar objects and learn new ones.Colourful
and bright, this book is inventive and engaging. I do
hope there will be more of this style book.
Erin Hamilton
42
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 7 & Under
Stansbie, Stephanie
This Girl Can
Do Anything
Illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla
Little Tiger Press
2022, pp26, £11.99
9781801041874
Families. Girls. Empowerment
Ruby knows what she wants and is determined to
get it. She is a confident little girl who lives an active
exciting life and is determined to keep it that way.
Sometimes her opinions and decisions seem odd to
the adults in her life, but Ruby’s confidence usually
means that they end up seeing things her way. She is
not going to let a ‘No Girls Allowed’ notice on a tree
house stop her from climbing a tree. Sometimes her
approach to life perplexes her parents and in these
points in the books, the illustrations offer subtle
details which will make an adult chuckle.
There is so much for girls to enjoy in this book.
Stereotypes are explored, considered, and shattered
as readers empathise with the splendidly anarchic
central character. Ruby shows that life can be very
exciting indeed for girls who have enough faith in
themselves and are not daunted by the occasional
setback. Parents and teachers will enjoy sharing
this book with young children and will find the text
invites conversations about important ideas.
Jaki Brien
Timmers, Leo
Translated by James Brown
Elephant Island
Gecko Press
2022, pp37, £11.99
9781776574346
Adventure. Animals. Friendships
Have you ever seen or heard of a shipwrecked
elephant? No? I thought not, and nor had I until I
picked up this glorious picture book. A glorious
story and illustrations in full vibrant colour
command the pages, and our eyes, with their
wonder and simplicity – all created by the expert
pen of Leo Timmers.
Caught in a storm, Arnold elephant has been
washed up on a tiny island. But what is this? Mouse,
in a dingy, and into it steps Arnold … yes you
guessed it, this is an uh-oh moment. However, all is
not lost, for the pair decide to use the wreckage to
make their island bigger (and maybe better?). As they
are working, along comes Dog with a boat. Maybe
the boat will take Arnold’s weight? Uh-oh, maybe
not. With more materials now for the island, the
animals set about more building work. Before long,
with the various boat leftovers and lots of joint work,
a magnificent island is created which becomes a
home big enough for everyone.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Zepf, Máire
Rita Wants a Dragon
Graffeg
2022, pp38, £7.99
9781914079665
Emotions. Anger. Childhood
As a lover of dragon stories,
pounced on this book as soon as it arrived, and I
wasn’t disappointed.
Meet Rita. She’s a little girl with very big ideas. When
her snowman is accidentally damaged by other
people, Rita gets very cross and imagines she has a
ferocious dragon that will make the world shudder
with anger. She and the dragon can share their
anger and frustration at the world until they can talk
things through and become happy again.
This brilliant picture book is a great way to show
young children how we can work through life’s
problems and emotions; toddlers aren’t the only
people to experience frustration and anger at what
life throws at us. The illustrations are superb, and
I found myself wanting to spend time with Rita’s
dragon. The final illustration shows Rita happily
curled up on her mother’s lap, with the snowman
outside back in one piece and doffing his hat!
Although the colourful illustrations are simple, they
convey so many words.
Carolyn Copland
Lord of the
Forest
Caroline Pitcher
Jackie Morris
Publication 15 September 2022
A new, deluxe, large-format edition,
hardback, 365 x 270mm, 24pp. RRP £20.
ISBN 9781802581645
Everything little Tiger hears is new and exciting.
When he tells his mother of the sounds all around
him she reminds him ‘When you don’t hear them,
my son, be ready. The Lord of the Forest is here!’
But who is the Lord of the Forest, and when will
Tiger find out?
sales@graffeg.com
t. 01554 824 000
www.graffeg.com
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
43

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Adegoke, Yomi and Elizabeth
Uviebinené
The Offline Diaries
HarperCollins Children’s Books
2022, pp320, £12.99
9780008444778
Family. Friendship. Social Media
Ade is not happy at having to move house and start at
a new school, blaming her stepdad. A visit to the hair
salon leads to a meeting with Shanice, and the girls
strike up an immediate friendship, discovering that
they will be in the same Year 8 class when the new
term starts.
Both keep a diary, and the story is told through the
pages of their journals, as Shanice helps Ade to settle
in at school and we learn more about their family
situations. Shanice is coping with the death of her
mother a year ago, whilst Ade barely acknowledges
her stepdad.
At school, the more outgoing Ade finds herself drawn
to different friendship groups, from which Shanice is
excluded. Soon they are only communicating online,
but it takes a mocking post by her new friends for Ade
to realise how hurtful her neglect of Shanice is.
This is an entertaining, heart-warming read exploring
family, friendship, and empathy with humour and
two very likeable lead characters. The dual viewpoint
allows the impact of social media on both sides to be
raised, hopefully giving young readers an insight into
the associated power and problems.
Jayne Gould
Bailey, Lily
When I See Blue
Orion Children’s Books
2022, pp272, £7.99
9781510109803
OCD. Mental Health. Bullying
Ben is 12 years old, has OCD and
an unsettled home life; his mother
is an alcoholic, and his father has decided he can’t
cope anymore so has left. His parents think his
obsessions and compulsions are just quirks, so he
doesn’t get the help and support he needs, and his
older brother ignores him. Starting at a new school,
Ben decides to make himself as invisible as possible
so not to attract comments but then April sits next
to him and befriends him. April, who is feisty and
outspoken, has dyed red hair and is good at drawing
but who also has her demons. This is a story about
living with OCD and the destructiveness of bullying.
It is also, however, full of hope and positivity. At times
it is exhausting to read about the reality of Ben’s
world, his struggles and setbacks, but throughout it
all is the vein of friendship between Ben and April.
The author suffered from OCD herself so writes from
personal experience.
Barbara Band
Anderson, Sophie
The Thief Who
Sang Storms
Usborne Publishing Ltd
2022, pp416, £7.99
9781474979061
Unity. Friendship. Magic
On the floating island of Morovia, two peoples have
lived peaceably side by side. They are the humans,
and the bird-people, called alkonosts, who are
smaller than humans and have feathers instead of
hair. They also have the gift of ‘singing magic’. In
childhood, each alkonost develops a special power
through song. But not Linnet, our storyteller. At
13 she still has no magic, but her story shows that
loyalty, bravery and a warm heart are powerful
magic in themselves. For these are dark times. The
state ship ‘Joy’ has been wrecked in a storm, and
humans blame alkonost magic for the disaster. The
alkonosts are banished to swamplands, and tyranny
is imposed on the island. It falls to Linnet to join a
dangerous mission to rescue her imprisoned father
and bring back unity. She must overcome the power
of irrational fear and cope with a great betrayal
before she succeeds. Starting slowly, the story
steadily gathers pace and tension, and comes to an
ending both civilised and happy. A fast, enjoyable
read.
Peter Hollindale
Burt, Anthony
The Animal Lighthouse
Illustrated by Ciara Flood
Guppy Books
2022, pp243, £6.99
9781913101527
Animals. Tropical. Adventure
Jim lives a tranquil tropical island
life with animals who rescued him as a baby when
he was cast ashore in a barrel. They work together to
tend a special lighthouse whose beams help to keep
the island hidden from the world. Some animals have
learnt human speech, and all are determined to keep
Jim safe.
But their happy existence is under threat as the
lighthouse bulb filaments go missing and a pirate
ship is sighted. Jim follows the trail of the would-be
thief, determined to get the components back.
Time is running out as pirates draw closer,
determined to capture Jim and claim the reward
for returning the boy to his unscrupulous father.
When Jim finds out who he really is, he realises his
real family are the caring and loyal island creatures.
He knows the pirates will not give up and will be
back, and his adventures may only have just begun.
Wonderfully illustrated throughout, this is an exciting
and often very funny swashbuckling adventure.
Sue Polchow
Barnhill, Kelly
The Ogress and
the Orphans
Piccadilly Press
2022, pp400, £6.99
9781800783027
Fantasy. Friendship. Adventure
Stone-in-the-Glen was a lovely town once, before
the library burned down and all the other calamities
that followed. Now it is a miserable place, the
people are unkind, suspicious, angry, and poor. But
they still have faith in the Mayor who is so dazzling
it is hard to think clearly in his presence. But when
one of the orphans goes missing and blame is
unfairly placed on the Ogress, the other orphans
must stop a tragedy from happening. A powerful
fable that draws you in and challenges the reader.
Questions are asked such as what is a neighbour?
What is kindness? It explores the use of propaganda,
‘false news’, and the abuse of power, so relevant to
the world we live in. It explores the power of books
and reading, how the sharing of stories can teach
empathy and that when we lose access to books
(through a library) it damages the whole community.
A fantastic book for challenging able readers and
would be ideal for discussion in a book club as it
gives you so much to think about.
Isobel Powell
Carnavas, Peter
My Brother Ben
Pushkin Books
2022, pp180, £6.99
9781782693505
Families. Birdwatching.
Relationships
This is a moving and heartwarming
story by this up-and-coming Australian
author. Luke and his older brother Ben live with their
mother in a wildlife haven by the rive at Cabbage
Tree Creek. Luke adores his older brother and
is close to his aunt, Gemma, but has an uneasy
relationship with his father, who no longer lives
with the family. Luke loves birds and is very talented
at both spotting them and drawing them. He takes
in an injured magpie and calls it Maggie. The boys
would love to explore the creek further; the only
way to do this is by boat, so they spend the summer
perfecting their entry for a local competition to
win a boat, but there are many other keen entrants
at school. Luke is compiling a book of local birds,
but will his entry wow the judges? Meanwhile, Ben
has moved onto the high school and has made a
new friend, Frankie. Luke is determined to identify
a mystery bird for his competition book. A touching
story about families and maturing relationships.
Sarah Seddon
44
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Carroll, Nancy
Daisy Fitzpatrick
and Her Worries
Ragged Bears
2022, pp77, £7.99
9781857144895
Worries. Feelings. Fears
This is a quirky and charming book about a young
girl who has lots of different worries. It’s told in
rhyme, with each chapter addressing her fears and
showing the science or psychology behind them –
her fear of insects is helped by her gran explaining
the ecosystem, and her worries about bullying
are helped by her own positivity. It’s a different
approach that will appeal to some children, and
be helpful to parents in particular who are looking
for a way to explain common issues that children
encounter. It includes fear of insects, heights,
the dark, the sea, storms, and dying; and worries
surrounding food, road safety, anger, loneliness,
bullying and divorce; and provides a child with a
new perspective on these things in an engaging
rhyme. Nicely produced with a couple of recipes
thrown in for good measure and further information
on the topics, this is worth a copy to support that
anxious child.
Jo Sennitt
Coelho, Joseph
Smile Out Loud:
25 Happy Poems
Illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Wild Eye Editions
2022, pp40, £12.99
9780711271791
Poetry. Confidence. Humour
Joseph Coelho needs no introduction, and this
amazing book of ‘Happy poems’ is a great reminder
of why he is our Children’s Laureate. Smile Out
Loud is so much more than a poetry book. Daniel
Gray-Barnett’s exuberant illustrations are a perfect
match for poems that are meant to be performed.
Each poem is introduced with a suggested style of
reading or performing, although the reader is also
urged to find their own way – there is no wrong.
Designed to gently encourage confidence and put
a smile on the face of both reader and listener, this
book is beyond lovely. It reminds us all that poems
come alive when spoken. They are magical in a way
that nothing else can quite manage, and Mr Coelho
is a magician like no other.
Helen Thompson
Collins, Timothee
Sherlock Bones and the
Case of the Crown Jewels
Illustrated by John Bigwood
Buster Books
2022, pp191, £6.99
9781780557502
Puzzles. Dogs. Humour
This is a variation on the ‘Choose your own
adventure’ format of stories. The book is scattered
with diagrams, mazes and spot the difference
picture puzzles, which all enhance the excitement
of the story.
The story is obviously a spoof of a Sherlock Holmes
mystery with the detectives being a dog and cat
team; the cat is appropriately named Dr Catson.
Children will be familiar with Sherlock Holmes and
the many adaptations so should appreciate the
humour. As well as the dog and cat team, the whole
city is populated by animal characters, including
Toby the Rabbit, who has a worryingly endless
supply of carrots. The Crown Jewels have been
stolen from Kennel Palace and it is up to our team to
solve the mystery.
This is a good romp of a mystery, and all of the
puzzles are explained in a handy glossary at the end
of the book.
Sarah Seddon
Creech, Sharon
One Time
Guppy Books
2022, pp240, £6.99
9781913101664
School. Friendships. Imagination
Gina Filomena has an active
imagination and an artistic spirit which has always
made her feel different from other children in
her class. But her world changes when she meets
her mysterious new neighbour, Antonio, and
when a creative new teacher, Miss Lighthouse,
shows children the power of words and how the
imagination can take those words and open up a
world of possibilities.
This is an extraordinary novel from a Carnegie
and Newbery Medal winning author. As well as a
wonderful read with characters that are real and
reflective of small community America, it also has
many creative writing ideas that could be used in
classrooms. Beautifully written, full of humour
and poignancy, it has the most satisfying ending
and is a story that will stay with me always. It’s a
book that every teacher who sometimes wonders
if they make a difference and every child with an
imagination and a dream should read. It’s a joyous
example of the impact of an inspirational teacher,
the transformative power of an imagination, and the
journey to becoming who you are.
Annie Everall
Dixon, James
The Billow Maiden
Illustrated by Tamsin Rosewell
Guppy Books
2022, pp240, £7.99
9781913101725
Families. Mermaids. Myths
Ailsa’s mum has sometimes suffered from an
unnamed illness, making it difficult for her to look
after Ailsa. So when the food runs out, Ailsa phones
Uncle Nod. He collects them both, taking them
back to his island home. There, Ailsa is able to roam,
accompanied by Moxie the dog, while her aunt and
uncle care for her mum.
One day, exploring a cave, Ailsa discovers a strange
woman who seems to belong in the cave even while
it is affecting her health. Ailsa also befriends Camilla
who loves Norse myths, telling Alisa the stories.
Determined to help the strange woman, the pair
move her to a safer space just before the cliffs
around the cave fall in. But the new accommodation
also starts to deteriorate fast.
Talking more to the strange woman, Camilla realises
who she is, as Hefring is a Norse billow maiden,
or selkie. Only when the girls are able to help her
achieve her wish can Hefring blossom and at the
same time her song works its magic on Ailsa’s
mother’s recovery.
Dawn Woods
Doyle, Catherine
The Lost Girl King
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2022, pp320, £7.99
9781526608000
Adventure. Magic. Family
Doyle has become something
of a staple in the middle-grade adventure romp
genre, and her latest is no exception! A dazzling
adventure, invoking Irish folklore, it’s the story of
two siblings – Amy and Liam, her older brother – as
they unwittingly get lulled into the entrance of
Tír na nÓg. The legendary land of eternal youth,
tyrannically ruled over by sorcerer Tarlock. The
sinister mage needs human children for his new
spell – and the Bell siblings are unwittingly exactly
what he has been looking for … The result is a Narnia
and Lord of the Rings-esque treat of a read that
will be beloved by many. As warm as it is funny, the
high-stakes battles are as wonderfully written as the
more introspective character development. Amy
is bold and brave, unafraid to stand up for herself
and do what she thinks is right. Her brother is more
cautious and reserved, but kind and determined to
do what he can for his sister. Both characters go on
such beautiful journeys that it’s a joy to accompany
them. Spell-binding and enchanting.
Charlotte Harrison
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
45

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Earle, Phil
While the Storm Rages
Andersen Press
2022, pp370, £7.99
9781839132056
WWII. Animals. Loyalty
Noah is part of a close-knit
family, so when his father has him
promise to be the man of the house and to look
out for the dog at the start of the story (and the
war), Noah readily agrees. All would appear to be
well, until the fatal news arrives at their house: pets
are, for the large part, to be put down. Arguments
ensue, and it is not long before Noah and his friend
Clem hatch up a plan to save not just their pets,
but other pets too. They take over Noah’s dad’s
boat to sail to safety, as they believe there is a
place which can give sanctuary to animals. Their
journey, however, is riddled with danger and much
adventure, not to mention the local bully and his pet
python accompanying them. Their adventures and
challenges are entirely credible, but interspersed
with bittersweet happenings which Earle conveys
masterfully. A happy ending completes a really
excellent book!
Parts of the book may be upsetting to more
sensitive readers.
Rudolf Loewenstein
Farook, Nizrana
The Girl Who Lost
a Leopard
Nosy Crow
2022, pp203, £6.10
9781839942266
Adventure. Animals. Poaching
Selvi loves the mountains
around her home on the island of Serendip (Sri
Lanka). She also loves Lokka, a beautiful wild leopard
who seems to have bonded with her. However,
Lokka is in danger. He is being hunted for his
beautiful coat. Selvi, helped by the accident-prone
Amir, is trying to protect Lokka from Jansz and his
friends. However, they are not Selvi’s only problem.
Can she keep both Lokka and herself safe and free?
This is a beautifully written book, full of wonderful
descriptions of the mountains and forests of
Serendip. It creates a very evocative sense of place
which is accompanied by a sense of adventure and a
strong female protagonist. The book is a fast-paced
and engaging read, which brings to life the natural
world and also sends a message, conveying how
endangered Sri Lankan leopards are.
Andrea Rayner
Fleming, Lynn
Catching Butterflies
The Book Guild Publishing
2022, pp200, £6.99
9781914471537
Animals. Adventure. Resilience
This is the story of Perdu, an
abused and abandoned kitten
that finds a new home, but it is not a simple “happily
ever after” for this little creature. His journey is
one of highs and lows and ultimately ends with a
surprise I wasn’t expecting; however it is a positive
ending. You find yourself rooting for this little kitten
the whole way through, willing him on through a
myriad of challenges. Chapter book beginners will
enjoy following Perdu on his adventure and will
experience messages of resilience, confidence, and
empathy. Perfect for animal fans and the ending was
left open for a possible sequel.
Beth Jenkinson
Fox, Matthew
The Sky Over Rebecca
Hodder Children’s Books
2022, pp288, £7.99
9781444964707
Time-Shift. WWII. Friendship
Ten-year-old Kara enjoys
looking through her grandpa’s
telescope and considering the enormity and time
shifts as one gazes across the galaxies. She is also
intrigued by snow angels near her house that have
been made without footprints, and mysterious
footprints that lead nowhere. When she looks across
the icy lake in Stockholm, she becomes aware of an
island, an island in time. Two worlds collide as she
meets Rebecca and her brother Samuel, two Jewish
refugee children caught in WWII. Strong bonds
of friendship develop, despite the years between
them. Will she be able to help them escape to a safer
place?
A mind boggling timeslip requires bravery and helps
Kara overcome her loneliness.
Carolyn Boyd
Gray, Nigel
Phyllis and Grace
Illustrated by Bethan Welby
Scallywag Press
2022, pp32, £12.99
9781912650514
Friendship. Loss. Empathy
This story is a sensitive and touching introduction to
dementia. Grace takes a piece of cake to Phyllis and
is invited into her house. She soon discovers that
Phyllis cannot really look after herself and that she
can no longer remember her husband or that her
children have grown up and left home. Grace does
not mind this or that Phyllis sometimes thinks she is
her daughter or forgets her name. But she discovers
that Phyllis can remember working in a flower shop
and that she rode horses. Eventually Phyllis moves
to an old people’s home and one day Grace brings a
photograph to the home showing her riding the last
of Phyllis’ horses.
Confident readers of 9 or 10 would get a good
understanding of the many ways in which dementia
affects a sufferer but, as related here, not in ways
that would make them anxious about being with
them. Equally an adult could use the book to help
younger children understand what is happening to
someone they know.
David Mallett
Gregory, Marie-Louise
The Mystery of the Oak
Island Treasure
Illustrated by Nicola Brooks
Sophia Slewfoot Solves History’s
Mysteries Series
Muddy Publishing House
2022, pp152, £6.99
9781739865535
Adventure. Mystery. Myth
Betty and Sophia embark on an adventure to solve
a mystery that has not yet been solved. The novel
is generously filled with adventure, which makes it
an incredibly intriguing read. The reader is made to
feel as if they are accompanying the protagonists
as they journey to recover treasure. The language
is really easy to understand yet is so detailed. The
protagonists, Betty and Sophia, are admirable and
likeable characters which also allows the reader
to immerse themselves in the story. I thought the
newspaper article at the end of the novel was a
really nice touch and the perfect conclusion to the
story. This read is capturing and intriguing. I think it’s
also great that there are two girls solving a mystery
and recovering treasure as this genre may feature
male characters as opposed to females. The novel
is the perfect length too, with a clear beginning,
middle and end.
Bisma Mughal
46
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 2 SUMMER 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Hafiza, Radiya
Rumaysa Ever After
Illustrated by Rhaida El Touny
McMillan’s Children’s Books
2022, pp239, £7.99
9781529091311
Magic. Adventure. Fairy Tales
Rumaysa Ever After continues the story of Rumaysa:
a Fairy Tale. Now that she is free from the witch,
Rumaysa is determined to find her parents, a task
made more difficult by the fact she has no idea
what they look like – after all, she was stolen as
baby. However the magic necklace that takes her
to those “most in need” pulls her in unexpected
directions and soon she finds herself in a post-Snow
White nightmare that threatens to keep her from her
parents forever. Will Rumaysa ever find her happily
ever after?
Rhaida El Touny provides lively monochrome
illustrations for this exciting, witty adventure with
lots of heart and a feisty Muslim heroine. Rumaysa
deserves to be better known, and I hope we will
meet her again, once she’s recovered from her
latest adventure.
Helen Thompson
Hanaor, Ziggy
Alte Zachen:
Old Things
Illustrated by Benjamin Phillips
Cicada Books
2022, pp72, £16.99
9781800660229
Families. Holocaust. New York
A beautiful graphic novel describing the relationship
between a young lad living in Brooklyn, New York,
and his grandmother. As the two go to the shops,
her memories unfold of her life before she escaped
from Nazi Germany, and when she was a young
Jewish woman living in a Jewish area of New York.
There is a glossary of Yiddish terms at the end of
the book. Each image contains a host of interesting
details about Brooklyn past and present, and the
illustrations are a delight.
The title in Yiddish is translated on the cover in
very small print. The title and cover might mean
that some readers would not understand what the
book is about – and they would miss a treat and a
worthwhile retelling of the story of Jewish refugees
in the USA.
Alison A. Maxwell-Cox
Hills, Adam
Rock Star Detectives
Illustrated by Luna Valentine
Puffin
2022, pp297, £7.49
9780241505977
Crime. Friendship. Music
Charley is a talented singer with
a growing reputation and a series of international
gigs which she’s been given leave from school to
do. George is her super-bright, aspirant comedian,
wheelchair using friend and quasi manager. A series
of art thefts in the three cities they perform in makes
them suspects and turns them into amateur sleuths.
Both children are engagingly good company and
– Adam Hills is a professional comedian – there
are lots of jokes along with lightly done early-teen
hopes, fears, and anguish. I liked the supporting
cast, too, from the stressed Principal Haverstock
back at school (an eating disorder is the least of
her problems) to Ruby, the red-haired journalist,
Steve their less-than-responsible adult manager,
and George’s delightful father. Of course, it’s totally
implausible, but crime fiction almost always is. It
is, however, good fun and a pacy read with witty
illustrations by Luna Valentine. Adams promises
another Charley and George mystery soon.
Susan Elkin
Horne, Sarah
Panda in the Spotlight
Chicken House
2022, pp192, £6.99
9781913696245
Families. Relationships. Deceit
This is a fun story about a Panda
named Pudding, who can talk! He lives with a family
as their nanny, after escaping from Edinburgh Zoo.
Dad and Pudding have a stage show, Panda-mime,
that is becoming increasingly popular. Then along
comes an ambitious journalist, who has been tipped
off that the Panda is real. Looking for a massive
scoop she sets out to reveal the truth about Pudding
by making false promises to them. Only Callum, the
son of the family, realises what the journalist is up to,
but unfortunately his star-struck family won’t listen
until it’s almost too late.
A fast-paced story where various themes are
explored, including friendship, love, not dismissing
the concerns of those around us, and not getting
carried away with fantasies so that we become blind
to reality.
Linda Nash
Howell, A. M
The Secret of the
Treasure Keepers
Usborne Publishing Ltd
2022, pp322, £7.99
9781474991117
Adventure. Archaeology. Family
This is a very atmospheric tale
set mainly in the Fens in the immediate post Second
World War period. By an accident of being in the
wrong place at the right time, Ruth answers the
phone in an office in the British Museum – which
leads her and her mother (an archaeologist) to visit
the slightly strange and very mysterious Rook Farm.
Everyone seems to have secrets, not least the land
which appears to hold what could be a huge hoard
that Ruth and her mother dig for. It is unusual to find
a children’s book with an archaeological theme, but
this was inspired by actual East Anglian finds, and it
proves compelling reading as the various mysteries
all start to be revealed as the dig progresses in this
soundly researched and atmospherically drawn
thriller. The characters are believably drawn in this
thought-provoking look at life in a historical period
that is rarely looked at in children’s books.
Tricia Adams
Kramer, Jonne
The Riddle of the Sea
Translator Laura Watkinson
Illustrated by Karl J Mountford
Piccadilly Press
2022, pp297, £7.99
9781800780378
Adventure. Friendship. Pirates
Ravian washes pots in the local pub whilst his dad
is away for long periods at sea – but he always visits
on Ravian’s birthday. When his twelfth birthday
comes and goes, Ravian and his best friend Marvin
the seagull starts to worry that he might be lost.
Ravian hears rumours he might be trapped aboard
a cursed pirate ship, the Night Raider. And so, he
sets off on an adventure to find his missing dad. But
instead of finding his dad, he gets trapped aboard
the Night Raider instead. On board are Pirate Bank
and another young boy, Kars. In order to be set
free, Ravian and his new shipmates must solve the
riddle of the sea. A great adventure story about
overcoming fears and developing friendships.
Translated from Dutch, this is a swashbuckling
pirate tale, that is almost like a mix of Pirates of the
Caribbean and Treasure Island. Good fun, but really,
Marvin the seagull makes it for me.
Jenni Prestwood
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
47

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Lawrence, Patrice
The Elemental
Detectives
Scholastic
2022, pp400, £7.99
9780702315626
Fantasy. Adventure. Detectives
London. 1764. The Fumi
elementals have felt the strange heaviness in the
air. The Chad elementals have sensed the weariness
flowing through the waters. The Magogs elementals
could feel an unfamiliarity in the ground, whilst the
dragon fire elementals have noticed something,
too, whilst patrolling the city. The elementals have
observed the sleeping sickness that is spreading
through the city, and this time they know it’s not
down to human error!
Marisee Blackwell lives with her grandma, the Keeper
of Wells, who mysteriously goes missing. Robert
Strong has been brought from the plantations abroad
to serve at the house of Lady Hibbert. Marisee and
Robert are thrown together in this thrilling adventure
and become the elemental detectives. Can they solve
the clues, stop the ruthless Shepherdess, and prevent
an almighty catastrophe?
The first book by Patrice Lawrence aimed at a
younger audience.
Angela Dyson
Lenahan, John
Son of Shadow
Lightining Books
2022, pp320, £9.99
9781785633010
Adventure. Mystery. Mythical
As someone who loves fantasy
books, I was very excited to
read Son of Shadow. The author, John Lenahan,
begins their book with a note which instructs the
reader on the best way to read the text, depending
on what you have previously read from the series.
As a first-time reader, I was advised to read the first
segment before looking back at a summary of the
previous trilogy. This was very effective, as it meant
I was constantly on tenterhooks trying to figure
out who this new character ‘Doe’ was and what
magical memories had been lost. The book includes
remarkable twists and turns, as you and Fergal the
Second search for clues to help win back his lost
memories and the place he calls home. The writing
style is easy to follow and includes a fabulous mix of
adventure, tension, and humour. I would definitely
recommend this book to key stage 2 and above. A
fantastic and whimsical read for all young adults!
Sophie Matter
Lewis, Caryl
Seed
Illustrated by George Ermos
Macmillan Children’s Books
2022, pp256, £7.99
9781529077667
Families. Mental Health. Bullying
Marty’s mum is a hoarder, and
his house is so full of stuff that he feels suffocated.
So Marty spends most of his time on his grandad’s
allotment, where Grandad thinks up wild schemes
and wacky inventions. On Marty’s birthday, his
grandad gives him his only present – a seed. Marty
struggles to hide his disappointment, but Grandad
tells him the seed is magic …
This is a sweet book, tackling tough themes around
bullying, friendship, mental health problems, and
parents who struggle to give their children the
care they need, in a way that is sympathetic and
understandable. The action is fairly low-stakes,
with few setbacks or disasters – this may appeal
to younger or more anxious children who have
difficulty when characters’ plans go seriously awry.
The ending is hopeful without being unrealistically
happy, and the writing is conversational, making the
book accessible and relatable.
Louise Widdowson
Newbery, Lee
The Last Firefox
Puffin
2022, pp296, £7.99
9780241493533
Adventure. Friendship. Inclusion
Set in a little Welsh village
overlooked by a castle, this
middle-grade story is humorous and heartwarming.
Charlie Challinor is a gentle soul who is
often picked on by the school bullies. When Charlie
goes to the castle alone, he comes across Teg, a
boy from another world, who entrusts a firefox to
him telling him that he will be back in two days to
collect the fox. And so begins an adventure featuring
a shapeshifting monster from the fantasy world
of Fargone who is on the hunt for the last firefox.
Charlie names the fox Cadno, the Welsh word for
fox, and they become inseparable. As Cadno wreaks
havoc with his fire, Charlie tries to explain away the
devastation and keep Cadno hidden from his dads.
When Teg does not arrive to collect Cadno, Charlie
needs help from his best friends, Lippy and Roo, to
look after Cadno and keep him safe and hidden. As
danger begins to wrap itself around them, Charlie
begins to find his courage and his inner fire.
Ellen Krajewski
Nguru, Shiko
Mwikali and the
Forbidden Mask
Lantana Publishing
2022, pp158, £7.99
9781915244031
Adventure. Mythology. Friendship
Twelve-year-old Mwikali wants nothing more than
to be invisible at her new school in Nairobi when her
dark secret rears its head. However, with the help of
her new friends she learns about her ancestry, her
culture, and how powerful she truly is – just in time
to battle fearsome monsters from beyond the veil
and the cunning Red Oloibon.
Shiro Nguru has created a fantastic world which
explores and celebrates Kenyan culture, language,
and history through the eyes of the sweet and
loveable Mwikali. The story is fast-paced and full of
exciting twists and turns, grabbing the attention and
curiosity of the reader from the very first page. Identity
and friendship are at the heart of this story, and Nguru
has written an enchanting book in which children can
see themselves, possibly for the first time.
Accompanied by beautiful illustrations, Mwikali’s
adventure and the stories of Kenyan mythology are
truly brought to life.
Tegan Burnett
Otter, Isabel
Earth, Sea and Stars:
Inspiring Tales of the
Natural World
Illustrated by Ana Sender
Caterpillar Books
2022, pp96, £14.99
9781838913953
Traditional Tales. Storytelling. Nature
This collection of nature stories brings together
tales from across the world, exploring the ways that
different cultures care for and show respect for the
planet. They illustrate the characteristics of traditional
tales: making moral points, learning lessons,
frequently having animals as characters, and showing
reverence for natural elements such as the earth,
moon, and stars. There are brief background notes
and thinking points for each story. A world map shows
their country of origin. Through using these notes and
researching the animals and geographic features in
the stories, children can be helped to develop their
geographical understanding and to better understand
the context of each.
The stories are short and could be read to a class and
focused upon as a daily activity. But more importantly
they are stories to be told rather than written down.
Choosing a story and getting to know it well, acting it
out, noting the main points, using props and retelling
it – that will make it live once more.
Annie Pattison
48
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 2 SUMMER 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Ancient Civilisations
Editor’s pick
Minecraft Master Builder:
Ancient wonders
Welbeck, 2021, 80pp, £8.99,
9781839350849
Building. Computer games. Structures
A collection of 13 structures from the
ancient world for recreating in the
Minecraft computer game.
Tim Cooke and Matt Lilly
Did the Celts use hair
gel? And other questions
about the Stone, Bronze
and Iron Ages
Wayland, 2022, 32pp, £8.99,
9781526315410
British History. Celts. History
A look at the history of the Celts
and their culture, in a question-andanswer
format.
Tim Cooke and Matt Lilly
Why did the ancient
Greeks ride elephants
into battle? And other
questions about the
ancient Greeks
Wayland, 2022, 32pp, £8.99,
9781526315359
Ancient Greeks. Ancient History.
History
A look at the ancient Greek
civilisations through history.
David Long
and Allen Fatimaharan
We Are the Romans: Meet
the People Behind the
History
£7.99, Welbeck, 2022, 58pp, £7.99,
9781783127108
History. Romans. Society
A look at life in the time of the
Roman Empire, through the eyes of
different characters.
Terry Deary
and Mike Phillips
The Secret Diary of
Boudica
Scholastic, 2022, 144pp, £6.99,
9780702313882
Biographies. Celts. Royalty
A humorous journey through the
reign of Queen Boudica, through
imagined diary entries.
Louie Stowell
Loki: a Bad God’s Guide to
Taking the Blame
Walker, 2022, 288pp, £7.99,
9781529501223
Gods. Norse Myths. School
Loki is jealous of Thor and swears
vengeance. So, when Thor’s favourite
hammer goes missing, Loki has to
clear his name.
Alex T Smith
Mr Penguin and the Tomb
of Doom
Hodder, 2022, 288pp, £6.99,
9781444944617
Ancient Egypt. History. Mystery
Mr Penguin is on another crazy
adventure to Egypt with his trusty
sidekick Colin. When their good
friend Edith is kidnapped, they’re on
their most important mission yet.
Jean Menzies
and Katie Ponder
Egyptian Myths
DK, 2022, 144pp, £16.99,
9780241538739
Ancient Egyptians. Myths and Legends.
Religion
Profiles of major gods and goddesses
and a reference section to set the
stories in context.
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
49

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Palmer, Tom
Resist: One Girl’s Fight
Back Against the Nazis
Barrington Stoke
2022, pp208, £7.99
9781800901063
War. Historical. Accessible
When it comes to selecting historical fiction for
students which is accessible for every reader
then Tom Palmer is now my go-to author.
The sense of time and place (Nazi-occupied
Netherlands) which he skilfully depicts feels so very
real, and it will appeal to young people irrespective
of the level of knowledge of Second World War
history they have. Evocative and emotional yet
keeping to Barrington Stoke’s remit for those
students reluctant to engage, the story is inspired by
the true life account of Audrey Hepburn’s childhood
and involvement with the resistance.
Extremely well researched, and full of beautiful
moments (such as the brief exchange between
protagonist Edda and a Paratrooper) alongside
tension and the reality of war, this short snapshot
of a very specific context will entice struggling and
confident readers alike.
There are accompanying worksheets and activities
available at tompalmer.co.uk/resist, making this a
great title for a book club or class reader.
Helen Emery
EDITOR’S PICK
Pilgrim, Alake
Zo and the Forest
of Secrets
Knights Of Media
2022, pp314, £7.99
9781913311292
Caribbean. Adventure. Sci-Fi
This is a richly imagined science-fiction adventure
unlike anything I had read before – in a really good
way. Zo has moved to a small island in Trinidad
with her mum, stepdad, and new baby brother (‘the
terror’) and quite frankly, she’s not happy about it
all. Deciding to run away to alert her family to her
unhappiness, Zo enters the forest; initially it’s just
for a day or so, but she soon ends up on a journey
of a lifetime.
Mixing in African mythology and mind-expanding
sci-fi, this book is a feast for the imagination. The
world we enter has truly terrifying moments (the
flesh eater!) and many cleverly crafted twists and
turns. This is a book unlike no other and I love that
about it. It’s refreshing to read a book both dripping
in sunshine but including a hint of malice and
adventure. Highly recommended!
Jodie Brooks
Pounder, Sibéal
Neon’s Secret Universe
Illustrated by Sarah Warburton
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2022, pp288, £6.99
9781408894149
Unicorns. Friendship. Adventure
Readers will understand Neon’s decision to seem
completely normal when her parents move to a
small town in Ireland. Unfortunately, as they are
opening a café called Ratty’s, she realises this is
going to be challenging. To make things worse,
Neon is expected to help in the café while wearing
a furry apron.
Then things get worse for Neon. She accidentally
opens a portal to a tangential universe which makes
her previous life seem mundane. This new world is
inhabited by what appear to be people with a sense
of style featuring a great deal of dayglo and glitter.
However, they are unicorns and explain they have
invented the ‘horses with horns’ image of unicorns
as a way of keeping humans from trying to invade
their world. There is a quest, a splendid supervillain,
and an ending which is satisfying but leaves the
tantalising possibility of a sequel.
This book is going to appeal greatly to children who
are just ready to have their imaginations stretched
and taken to extraordinary places.
Jaki Brien
Rashford, Marcus and
Falase-Koya, Alex
The Breakfast Club
Adventures: The Beast
Beyond the Fence
Illustrated by Marta Kissi
Macmillan Children’s Books
2022, pp251, £6.99
9781529076622
Adventure. Mystery. Friendship
When Marcus manages to kick his prized football
over the school fence, he thinks it’s gone forever.
Anything that goes over the fence is never seen
again! But then Marcus gets recruited to the
Breakfast Club Investigators and a new world of
friendship, mystery, and adventure opens up to him
as the group try to work out what has happened to
their missing things. Yet strange things lurk over the
fence, and there may be more to this mystery than
they first imagined!
This book is full of adventure and mysteries and set
in and around a school breakfast club, something
the author really appreciated at school. There are
great illustrations peppered throughout the book,
and I really enjoyed the inclusion of text with
different fonts and sizes to place emphasis on some
words. A diverse range of characters feature in the
novel, and I feel this would be an ideal book to read
out load to a class – or a breakfast club!
Stephen Leitch
Reeve, Philip
Utterly Dark and the
Face of the Deep
David Fickling Books
2022, pp278, £7.99
9781788452373
Adventure. Magic. Sea
This is a thrilling adventure, tussling between
the wild power of the sea and the solid base of
friendship and family which land offers. Utterly is
told that she was found on the beach as a baby, the
only survivor of a shipwreck off the treacherous
coast of Wildsea. The sea is littered with the many
wrecks sunk over hundreds of years, and no ship
has ever survived the passage between the Autumn
Isles and the mysterious Hidden Lands with their
rumoured treasures. There is a deep-seated fear of
The Gorm, a terrifying life force of the sea which
appears in many forms and rose once to destroy
parts of the Autumn Isles. It was once defeated
by the Dark family, returning to the sea, with the
threat hanging over the Autumn Isles that it would
re-emerge.
I adored the vivid imagery of the sea and the
land and twists and turns in this tale. The cover
is powerful, and illustrations at the start of each
chapter are beautiful. This will make an exhilarating
addition to your collection.
Jenny Griffiths
Rohan, Jason
S.T.E.A.L.T.H.
Access denied
Nosy Crow
2022, pp256, £7.99
9781839943386
Adventure. Action. Technology
When his dad is kidnapped, Arun – alongside his
friends Sam and Donna – becomes embroiled
in an adventure to find out exactly what has
happened. Investigating the shady organisation who
have taken him, the trio discover Arun’s dad has
produced a powerful piece of technology known
as a MANDROID (best described as being similar to
a Transformer), which the organisation is looking
to use for evil. Will they succeed, or will our heroes
prevent them before it’s too late?
This is a pacy adventure, pitting children against
adults, which will appeal to fans of Alex Rider and
Cherub. Set over a period of 14 hours, the blurb
gives away some of what will happen at the end of
the story – we know the protagonists will be agents
of S.T.E.A.L.T.H. by 22.04 – but this adds to the
suspense as each chapter shows time passing and
edging closer to when we know the showdown will
be. The first in a new series, this book sets the scene
for more to come. I can’t wait!
Shona Page
50
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Sagar, Andy
Yesterday Crumb and
the Storm in a Teacup
Orion Children’s Books
2022, pp336, £6.99
9781510109483
Magic. Adventure. Tea
Everyone loves a good cup of tea, or cup of cocoa,
or cup of something hot, and don’t forget the
jam sandwiches too, the perfect antidote to any
situation. Of course, if you are a tea witch then you
can also brew a tea as an antidote to any situation,
too.
Yesterday Crumb is not a tea witch, not yet, but she
is about to become an apprentice. Having been
rescued from a circus cage where she has been kept
as an oddity, Yesterday has no friends, only a book
of faery to keep her company, the only clue to who
her parents are. A talking raven rescues her, but a
thieving crook leaves a spike of ice in her heart. All
is not lost for Miss Dumpling; the travelling café of
Dwimmerly End and its quirky customers and staff
are there to help Yesterday.
Andy Sagar writes with such warmth and humour
that I fell in love with this new world. I read it from
cover to cover in one sitting, I was so very absorbed.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Simpson, Darren
Furthermoor
Usborne Publishing Ltd
2022, pp270, £7.99
9781474976701
Friendship. Grief. Courage
Bren’s world is torn apart when
his sister dies in an accident. Cut off from his parents
by their grief, consumed by his own, and tormented
at school by vicious bully Shaun, the world is
an unfriendly place. But Bren has a secret place:
Furthermoor. Built from bits of Evie’s watch and his
own imagination, Furthermoor is Bren’s retreat, a
place where Evie is still alive, and nothing can ever
hurt him.
When Shaun’s bullying escalates, Bren’s reality gets
darker. At the same time, things take a turn for the
worse in Furthermoor, and the imagined world begins
to bleed into the real one with disastrous results.
Deftly paced and masterfully plotted, Furthermoor
is a beautifully wrought celebration of courage in
all its forms. A hauntingly poignant commentary
on the startling power of grief and the impact it can
have on young lives. Simpson builds an exquisitely
immersive world that is impossible to resist, and the
high concept narrative underscores a wide range
of complex issues such as loss, mental health, and
self-worth.
Alison King
Smart, Jamie
Looshkin: The Maddest
Cat in the World!
Illustrated by Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books
2022, pp202, £8.99
9781788452557
Humour. Cats. Chaos
Looshkin is a cat like no other! From the moment
his new owners take him home, mad and crazy
things keep happening and it’s all down to Looshkin.
Exploding cakes, trains crashing into the house,
mistaken identity, and portals to other dimensions
along with all sorts of other chaotic, zany, and
calamitous events – always at the expense of other
people, especially Teddy. This cat leaves a trail of
destruction wherever he goes!
Looshkin certainly lives up to the title of this comic
book. It’s a collection of short two to four page
comic strip stories broken into seven sections – one
for each day of the week. The illustrations are bold
and there is even a guide on how to draw your own
Looshkin, too, in the book. If kids enjoy Captain
Underpants novels, they’ll love this book and its
occasional toilet humour.
It’s a marmite book – you’ll love it or hate it!
Stephen Leitch
Smith, Eloise
Sister to a Star
Chicken House
2022, pp272, £6.99
9781912626717
Siblings. Acting. Fencing
A fabulous middle-grade adventure
all about the highs and lows of sibling relationships,
the exciting sport of fencing, and the fabulous world
of filmmaking.
Evie’s twin sister Tallulah is the star in their family,
with dreams of making it big on screen. When she
lands a role in a blockbuster movie it all seems to be
going so well – that is until they arrive and realise
that the film being made isn’t quite what Tallulah
expected. The lead needs to be a swashbuckling
heroine, like Evie, not a happy-go-lucky princess,
like Tallulah. This turns into a nightmare for Tallulah,
but a blessing for Evie as she dreams of being like
their grandfather who was one of Hollywood’s first
fencing doubles. The two agree to work together,
one as the star and one as the body double – that is
until Tallulah disappears!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and found it
very compelling and interesting. It’s written by Eloise
Smith, who is a former Olympic fencer.
Cassie Kemp
Smith, Jim
Barry Loser:
Total Winner
Farshore
2022, pp240, £8.99
9780008497217
Comic. School. Adventure
Reminiscent of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Barry
Loser: Total Winner is a comical and adventure
filled graphic novel. The book is very suited to its
intended audience (8+) and the novel being set in
a school makes it relatable to young readers. The
novel is packed with humorous and cringe-worthy
moments, making it a book that young readers may
not want to put down. The graphic novel format is
perfect as there are equal amounts of reading and
admiring the comic drawings, which also makes this
an intriguing book. The drawings are colourful and
appealing. The reader follows Barry throughout the
book and are often left guessing what other strange
and weird things might occur.
Bisma Mughal
Strong, Jeremy
Armadillo and Hare and
the Flamingo Affair
Illustrated by Rebecca Bagley
David Fickling Books
2022, pp151, £6.99
9781788452168
Animals. Inclusion. Friendship
From the wonderful author Jeremy Strong comes
another ‘Small tale from the Big Forest’.
Something unusual is happening in the forest. What
is that strange but beautiful sound drifting through
the air? Where is it coming from? Armadillo and Hare
decide to go and find out! With the help of their
forest friends, they soon discover that a new guest
has arrived – Flamingo! With her flamboyant fashion
and extravagant ways, the animals in the forest are
not sure how to take her at first. But one by one,
they start to become more curious, fighting for her
attention and wanting to become her friend.
On the surface, this story is a fun-filled magical
animal adventure. The important messages it
delivers are those of friendship, inclusion, tolerance,
saying sorry, and forgiveness.
Angela Dyson
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
51

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Thornton, Nicki
The Poisoned
Pie Mystery
Chicken House
2022, pp352, £6.99
9781913322717
Magic. Mystery. Adventure
Oakmoss Hornbeam understands that he is
more than a little clumsy. In fact, he feels like the
unluckiest boy in the world, and when a black cat
crosses his path, it can only spell disaster, right?
Wrong! Because this is no ordinary black cat; this is
Nightshade, a cat of considerable talents, and she
has decided to become Oakmoss’ lucky charm.
A spinoff story from the author of The Last Chance
Hotel, The Poison Pie Mystery features everyone’s
favourite feline, and she knows a great deal more
about the magical world than Oakmoss. Together,
they team up to discover if Oakmoss is really as
unlucky as he seems, or if someone might be trying
to harm him with magic.
Nikki Thornton has a wonderfully original voice
that delivers this must-read mix of supernatural
adventure and classic whodunnit with panache.
Fresh, witty, and totally unique, The Poisoned Pie
Mystery is the ultimate blend of magic, myster,y
and of course, murder. Perfect for fans of Jessica
Townsend, Robin Stevens, and Peter Bunzl.
Alison King
Townsend, Yarrow
The Map of Leaves
Chicken House
2022, pp272, £7.99
9781913696481
Nature. Adventure. Quest
This is a refreshing middle-grade
adventure debut about a world where the plant
life surrounding Orla and her beloved garden are
suffering with an unknown sickness. When the
sickness is discovered, the tyrannical Warden is
determined to destroy all flora in the area to rid the
town of pestilence, causing Orla to set off on a quest
to find a cure. Armed with her mother’s medicine
book and her own knowledge of the world around
her, she travels alongside two feisty characters –
Ariana, a well-to-do young girl out for adventure,
and Idris, a young boy out to find a cure for his older
brother who has fallen ill with the sickness.
The three go on an adventure through the lands,
unlocking the secrets of Orla’s mother’s past and the
Warden’s hidden agendas.
A great pro-nature read for upper primary pupils
that would be great to go alongside environmental
or plant biology topics in school.
Cassie Kemp
Tulloch, Jonathan
Cuckoo Summer
Andersen Press
2022, pp256, £7.99
9781839132094
War. Adventure. Summer
There’s something immensely
charming and old-fashioned about Tulloch’s latest
novel, a hazy nostalgia-tinged historical read.
Set in the summer of 1940 in the Lake District,
World War Two is fully underway, the story opens
mid-action with young Tommy being summoned
by his best friend, evacuee Sally. She has found a
dead German in a tree out in the woods. And so,
in the style of many novels that have gone before
it, this one discovery is the first in a chain of events
that will lead to the changing of everything. There
are clear similarities here to the older-aimed Spies
by Michael Frayn and John Boyne’s The Boy in the
Striped Pyjamas, where our viewpoint is a child-eye
view. Things are recounted and we are more aware
of the consequences than our young protagonist.
A ripping summertime-set wartime romp that
many children will get hooked into from the outset.
There’s an immersive and transportive sense of
time and place here, although the use of dialect and
accent in Sally’s dialogue could be slightly difficult
for some readers.
Charlotte Harrison
Walker, Angharad
Once Upon a Fever
Chicken House
2022, pp323, £7.99
9781912626984
Emotion. Illness. Sisterhood
Sisters Ani and Payton Darke
are different in every way, except for their shared
desire to get their mother back. In their world,
strong emotions lead to illness, and their mother
succumbed to water fever after tragically losing her
baby boy. While level-headed Payton tries to find a
cure by learning in the hospital’s labs, curious and
adventurous Ani sneaks around the hospital looking
for secrets. When Ani discovers an imprisoned boy
that can turn everything he touches gold on one of
her explorations, she realizes that her father may not
be who he seems and runs away in search of answers
and a cure. This is a great first teen novel from Walker,
full of adventure and set in a unique fantasy world
ruled by emotions and doctors. This novel would be
excellent for students in Years 6–8 that are looking
to try fantasy for the first time, because although the
world is complex, the author gradually introduces
elements of this fantasy world, slowly immersing the
reader as new information is revealed.
Emily Kindregan
Wharton, Alex
Daydreams and
Jellybeans
Illustrated by Katy Riddell
Firefly
2021, pp64, £6.99
9781913102432
Poetry. Inspiration. Humour
This is a lovely little book, packed to the brim
with a fantastic selection of poems of all kinds,
accompanied by beautiful black and white
illustrations. Children (and adults!) of all ages will
enjoy flicking through this book and laughing out
loud at some poems, or enjoying a moment of quiet
introspection at others. I will certainly be featuring
some of these on my ‘Poem of the Week’ display.
Beth Jenkinson
Wilkins, Catherine
You’re Not the
Boss of Me
Nosy Crow
2022, pp266, £7.99
9781788007863
Sexism. Friends. Self Esteem
The latest book from the popular stand-up
comedian and author has a young heroine who
wants to be a stand-up comedian in the end of
year show at school but who comes up against
the blatant sexism displayed by Harry and the boys
appointed by a lazy teacher to direct the event. Amy
is the sort of character to immediately engage the
reader. Full of boundless energy and enthusiasm,
which she sometimes thoughtlessly deploys at
home and with her friends, she is determined and
resilient. Amy has lessons to learn about listening
and negotiating friendships as well as about
combating everyday sexism. As funny as you would
expect from this author, it is also thought-provoking
and encourages young people to consider the
ethical issues at the heart of the story. The down to
earth first-person narration makes this a quick and
appealing read, which is perfect for the tween age
group, who like to read about characters older than
themselves, but with content that is entirely suitable
for a middle-grade audience.
Joy Court
52
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

VOLUME 70 70 NUMBER 2 SUMMER 3 AUTUMN 2022 2022 53

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Agnes Richards, Mary
What Can I Do?
Inspiring Activities
for Creative Kids
Agnus & Aubrey
2022, pp72, £9.95
9781916881617
Creativity. Craft. Summer
Mary Richards has created a gorgeous book with
over 30 activities to fight off boredom and occupy
kids for hours on end. From putting on a show,
writing a song, or simply relaxing, there are plenty of
activities for everyone and each idea is designed to be
completed independently or with siblings and friends.
I love the style of this book, with an eye-catching
layout and simple illustrations providing additional
support for the reader. The activities are beautifully
laid out, with a list of things you need, advice to get
started, and hints and tips accompanying stepby-step
instructions, perfect for children to follow
independently. Dotted throughout the book are fun
facts about the activities and interesting snippets of
history, such as the origins of yoga.
What can I do? is perfect for nurturing curiosity and
inspiring young children to be creative.
Tegan Burnett
Akpojaro, Jordan
Questions and Answers
about Racism
Illustrated by Ashley Evans
Usborne Publishing Ltd
2022, pp14, £9.99
9781474995825
Racism. Black History. Diversity
I am very impressed by this book about racism written
for young children in Usborne’s brilliant Lift-the-Flap
series and in partnership with the organisation Show
Racism the Red Card. Akpojaro takes this complex
and emotive issue back to basics, with pages defining
racism, ethnicity, looking at slavery and the concept
of ‘race’. The flap cover consists of a simple question
that a child (or anyone interested) might ask, such as
‘Why doesn’t everyone look like their parents?’, and
under the flap are answers of varying complexity. This
formula works very well, and the explanations are
clear and comprehensible. Ashley Evans’ illustrations
are inclusive, as you would expect. I liked the
questions and answers on the ‘Yes or no?’ pages,
such as ‘Can you be racist without realizing it?’ and
‘Is it my fault that they are bullying me?’ The last
pages give a positive message about what we can
do to combat racism and simple descriptions of a
selection of children from around the world. Every
classroom and school library should buy this book.
Highly recommended.
Lucy Chambers
Alice, Hannah
The Tree Book
Nosy Crow
2022, pp18, £10.99
9781839941191
Trees. Wildlife. Habitat
An excellent introduction to the biology of trees, Alice
has produced a book packed with information and
illustrations that use scientifically correct terminology
in a highly accessible and engaging format; she uses
easy-to-understand diagrams to illustrate processes
(such as growth and photosynthesis) and a seasonal
progression through the book that helps build
knowledge incrementally. Using board-style pages
with acetate windows, information is illustrated to
follow this; visual learners will love this. Despite not a
cm of space being wasted, this book is not cluttered,
but seemingly effortlessly presents the richness of
trees as total habitats for micro to macro flora and
fauna, with detailed text and illustrations. Alice’s style
is always clear, unpatronizing, but easy to understand
for young children; using the life cycle of trees as
the framework, she covers sexual reproduction,
predation, and decomposition ‘along the way’.
An invaluable addition for the library shelf, and an
excellent starting point for topic work, this would also
be a fabulous role model for literacy teaching to learn
about non-fiction books.
Stephanie Barclay
Amey Bhatt, Donna and
Amey Bhatt, Vikesh
Lands of Belonging:
A History of India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Britain
Salini Perera
Nosy Crow
2022, pp64, £14.99
9781839944680
Asia. British Empire. History
This beautiful book, published to mark the
seventy-fifth anniversary of Partition, states that it
aims ‘to piece together how South Asian and British
history are connected’, with the term ‘South Asian’
covering India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The story
is told through large-format double-page spreads,
lusciously illustrated in colour by Salina Perera.
Each double page covers a topic such as the East
India Company.
Aimed at key stage 1 and key stage 2, the text
summarises a very long and complex history in an
age-appropriate way. However, topics such as the
role of slavery in eighteenth-century trade and the
human cost of Partition (when 2 million people lost
their lives) are not avoided. A section on personal
identity asking ‘Where Are You Really From?’ will
provide plenty of material for class discussion. A
valuable addition to any UK primary classroom.
Anna Quick
Balkan, Gabrielle
Book of Dinosaurs:
10 Record-Breaking
Prehistoric Animals
Illustrated by Sam Brewster
Phaidon Press Limited
2022, pp48, £16.95
9781838664251
Dinosaurs. Skeletons. Fossils
A fun, inside-out look at ten record-breaking
dinosaurs.
Entertaining and informative, this title uses skeletons
and playfully presented facts as clues, on a doublepage
spread, inviting readers to guess which dinosaur
had the most horns, the spikiest tail, or the strongest
bite, etc. Turning the page reveals the dinosaur’s
identity, an illustration of it in its natural habitat, and
more details about the creature’s life and habits that
provide context and add flesh to the bones (forgive
the pun!). A textured surface, indicating the skeleton’s
position inside the body, adds a sensory element to
the bold, colourful illustrations.
The text is clear, well laid out and accessible, with
diagrams of skeletons clearly labelled with key facts.
A useful glossary explains more complicated terms,
and a list of further resources is provided for budding
palaeontologists inspired to learn more.
Lynn Marshall
Benoist, Cecile
Do You Know?
Earth and Nature
Illustrated by Robert Barborini and
Adele Combes
Twirl
2022, pp96, £12.99
9782408033576
Earth. Nature. Geography
Cécile Benoist has created an engaging book that
will appeal to young children with an inquisitive
mind about planet Earth, and which might just help
parents and carers to answer some of those awkward
questions that can be asked. This book manages to
cover a vast array of topics that have been skilfully
simplified and broken down with each double page
using accurate and playful images to bring the topic
to life, alongside a key question that is answered. Key
questions include ‘How far is it to the Earth’s centre?’,
‘Who names hurricanes?’, ‘How do clouds get their
shapes?’, and ‘Why do people kill animals?’ Four main
sections are followed by a helpful learning review to
help consolidate the children’s understanding, and
each page has a link to other sections in the book to
help young children understand the interconnected
nature of planet Earth. This is a book that children will
keep coming back to and can be easily dipped into to
find the answers about this wonderful planet that we
call home.
Georgia Ramsay
54
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Churnin , Nancy
A Queen to the Rescue:
The Story of Henrietta
Szold, Founder
of Hadassah
Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg
Creston Books
2021, pp40, £15.57
9781939547958
II World War. Rescue. Holocaust
Born in 1860, the daughter of a rabbi, Henrietta
Szold grew up in a family dedicated to helping
people in need. The biblical story of Esther inspired
her as a child. She wondered if she could be as
brave, if she too could make a difference to people’s
lives. She was, and she did. As a young woman
she taught English to impoverished immigrants to
improve their prospects. In 1912 she travelled to
Palestine. Shaken by the disease and hunger she
witnessed, she founded a Jewish women’s charity
to provide healthcare, food, and education, calling
it Hadassah, the Hebrew name for Esther. When
Hitler came to power, Henrietta battled to bring
Jewish children to safety. In all, she and her friends
in Hadassah rescued 11,000 children.
This is a well-researched, engaging, and accessible
biography. Clearly and sensitively written, Szold’s
courage, determination, and fights for justice are
brought to life by extremely striking illustrations.
Anne Harding
Crumpton, Nick
Everything You
Know About
Minibeasts is Wrong
Nosy Crow
2022, pp63, £12.99
9781839942037
Ecology. Minibeasts. Nature.
We all think bees die when they sting you. And
centipedes of course have 100 legs. Well, this
amazing book will show you that these, and
hundreds of other common assumptions are not
necessarily true. There are more than 200 million
insects for every single human being living on
Earth today, and two thirds of all the species
of animals that scientists have discovered and
described are insects. These and countless other
fascinating facts are contained in this encyclopedic
book of minibeasts.
The book is well presented, with excellent
illustrations and clear text in manageable chunks.
It will delight any budding naturalist, indeed any
child who wants to learn more about the small
creatures in the air and beneath our feet, giving
them a hive of facts to defend minibeasts from the
injustice of misinformation!
Sue Bastone
Danks, Fiona and
Schofield, Jo
Make This Book Wild
Illustrated by Anna Ivanir
Wide Eyed Editions
2022, pp112, £10.99
9780711266971
Nature. Outdoor. Activity
This is a really good fun book. It’s more for personal
ownership and use than for a library, but I imagine a
teacher could photocopy individual pages to use in
a forest school or outdoor environmental lesson.
‘Draw on this page and leave it in the rain until the
colours run’ is not the instruction in many “books”!
The book is to be used in multiple ways: read and
coloured of course, but also shot at, and used to
stick interesting oddities as collected. In fact it is to
become as wild as the title demands. While having
fun, digging in the sand, or collecting leaves, or
finding mini beasts, the child is inevitably learning
about the natural world in a powerful, hands-on
manner. It’s not all serious science for there is plenty
of creativity, making up stories to explain what
has been found, devising magic spells, and using
invisible ink.
What fun!
Nick Hunt
Davies, Becky
How to Make a Book
Illustrated by Patricia Hu
Little Tiger Press
2022, pp25, £12.99
9781801041805
Books. Technology. Professions
Ever wondered what processes are involved in the
creation of a published book and how having a
good idea can eventually lead to a dream fulfilled
when the book itself is published? The author has
clearly identified a gap in the market, particularly
based upon the questions so often asked by
children at author events. Via illustration and text,
a complex process is explained, involving an array
of personnel with different roles and skill sets. The
members of the publishing team are identified
and the roles of key participants such as editor,
designer, and illustrator are clearly explained. The
functions of the production team and the sales
team are also addressed and there is an excellent
sequence detailing the physical production of the
book itself. There is so much information here
and in the process a number of technical words
are used but are perhaps insufficiently defined.
As a consequence, I think a glossary addressing
key words and actions might have been a helpful
addition. But overall this is a brave attempt to place
an author centrally within the process.
John Newman
Garrord, Ben
Extinct Trilobite
Illustrated by Gabriel Ugueto
Zephyr
2021, pp109, £15
9781838935320
Jenny Griffiths
Extinction. Dinosaurs. Environmentalism
This is a captivating book about extinction. It is
one book in a series, with the other books about
various other extinct species such as hallucigenia;
dunkleosteus; trilobites; lisowicia; tyrannosaurus
rex; megalodon; thylacine and the, not yet (we
hope) extinct Hanai gibbon. There is thankfully still a
chance of saving that species from extinction.
It is written in such a way that pupils will be able
to access these huge concepts in an accessible
way, especially those who love dinosaurs! It reads
fluidly and I was especially interested in the negative
impact of goats on the famous native giant tortoises
in the Galápagos Islands. Thankfully with the goats’
removal, the native species is being restored.
The cover leaps out at you, making you want to dive
right in, and the enthralling illustrations continue
throughout this wonderful book. I know that the
whole series would be well thumbed in my library,
and I would recommend it to any colleagues
wishing to buy books about dinosaurs, extinction,
and evolution.
Jenny Griffiths
Gimenez, Regina
Geo-Graphics
Levine Querido
2022, pp96, £14.99
9781646141302
Mathematics. Science. Geography
Gimenez, the author, was always
fascinated as a child by old atlases and maps. A
Spanish artist, she then set out, later on in her life,
to capture these images in a selection of coloured
prints. Pages of vibrant colours, shapes, graphical
symbols are incorporated in this book, which is
packed with facts about our amazing planet and the
universe beyond. Divided into five sections – the
first dealing with the universe, followed by the Earth,
topography, water, and climate – the volume also
comes with a comprehensive glossary and resource
section at the back.
An unusual approach to geographical concepts, this
atlas will provide children with a different viewpoint
of the world which could then lead them into further
discussions on how they might turn other ideas and
images into geometrical forms. This could range
from visual images to more emotional thoughts.
A very different approach to the subject, I can see
this book being a good starting point for further
discussion on how we might look at the world in
different ways.
Godfrey Hall
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
55

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Greenfield, Rob and
Banyard, Antonia
Be the Change
Greystone Kids
2022, pp96, £12.99
9781771645911
Change. Sustainability. Environment
Bob Greenfield is a popular environmentalist and
YouTuber who wants to inspire positive change: ‘You
are never too young to make a difference, no action
is too small to start with.’
The chapters are on stuff, waste, food-waste,
food-system, water, energy, transportation, money,
and connection. Factual information is enhanced
by Bob’s experiences and how individuals can help.
The layout of the book is appealing with varied
fonts, colours, and photos.
We begin with ‘Stuff’. Some people hoard
compulsively, homes have to expand as clutter
accumulates. The earth can’t keep up and
regenerate all the resources used.
Bob worked for money, used to buy stuff. Then he
realised he didn’t need it all. He got rid of little things
first, then his car, boat and eventually, after much
agonising, his phone. A photo shows him in his tiny
living space (a closet ) with his 44 possessions!
Children will be drawn to the issues presented and
intrigued by his personal adventures. A library must!
Lee Giddings
Grey, Mini
The Greatest Show
on Earth
Puffin
2022, pp48, £14.99
9780241480830
Environment. History. Narrative Non-Fiction
Mini Grey, illustrator and author of picture books,
makes her debut in this information book on the
4.6-billion-year story of life on our planet.
Presented as a theatre production with ants as
actors, the book focuses on the main stage which
holds each time period, with the wings full of action
and interesting snippets of information. A timeline
tape measure at the foot of each page measures
time with a scale of 1cm=1 billion years.
The book goes back further than dinosaurs, one
of the earliest periods children usually learn about.
Dinosaurs occur mid-way in the book and are wiped
out just a page later, with humans appearing only
a few pages from the end. We are only halfway
through the Earth’s life span – if we look after it.
A highly illustrated glossary is informative, alongside
all the time periods listed, most of which I’d never
heard of. All facts have been checked by two
authoritative professors and Mini Grey has had full
reign with the illustrations to make this a fascinating
book to pore over.
Dawn Woods
Guillain, Charlotte
The Sea below
My Toes
QED Publishing
2022, pp22, £14.99
9780711271944
Oceans. Environment. Nature
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the sea
below your toes?
This book takes you on an adventure below the
surface of the ocean down to the deepest darkest
trenches and then back up to the sunlight. Scientists
divide the ocean into different zones, depending on
how much light is found there.
Illustrated with watercolour-style art showing of
the weird and wonderful creatures that fill our seas,
this book opens out in a concertina so readers can
follow the ocean down to the murky depths without
turning the page. At the end of the book readers
flip over and work their way up taking in interesting
facts and figures along the way.
Written by the author who created the awardwinning
Street Beneath My Feet, this is a fun,
engaging and informative book that will delight
readers as they sink to the depths and back up again!
Ruth Horsman
Jacoby, Jenny
The Encyclopaedia
of STEM Words
Illustrated by Vicky Barker
b small publishing
2022, pp112, £12.99
9781913918286
Science. Technology. Maths
This fantastic book will excite and intrigue
knowledge-seekers of all ages, particularly those
with an interest in science. The book is organised
and laid out well, in alphabetical order with
engaging illustrations, and the text is presented in
manageable chunks so the information is accessible
and easily digested. Any words in bold feature in the
index alongside a brief explanation, which is useful
for aiding understanding or prompting further
reading and research. Readers can dip in and out
wherever they please, or look up certain terms in
the contents or index. I even thoroughly enjoyed
reading it from start to finish and certainly feel
much more knowledgeable about aspects of STEM I
previously didn’t know much about.
Beth Jenkinson
Johnson, Pete
How to Be a
Comedy Genius
Award Publications
2022, pp144, £6.99
9781782705086
Humour. Jokes. Comedy
Pete Johnson has long been a go-to author for
tickled ribs and split sides, and with this joke book
he does not disappoint. It is generously illustrated
throughout, and younger readers will gravitate to
this book. Those familiar with his ‘Louis the Laugh’
series will immediately reach for this, based as it
is on the eponymous hero. No need to know who
Louis is, however, as this squeaky clean, large
font, themed chapter joke book is accessible and
genuinely funny – memorise a few belters to pull
out when those around you are being a bit gloomy!
Joke books are always popular and this one will go
down a storm!
Helen Thompson
Laboucarie, Sandra
Volcanoes
Pierre Caillou
Twirl
2022, pp14, £12.99
9791027610013
Volcanoes. Geology. Pop-ups
This short book presents
information about volcanoes in five attractively
illustrated double-page spreads. Each spread has
one or more interactive elements: flaps to lift, tabs
to pull, or an entire pop-up volcano. The 3D design
is highly creative, and cleverly shows the dynamic
aspect of volcanoes, such as flowing lava.
The text, presented in small chunks of two
sentences at most, uses a vocabulary that is fairly
sophisticated. The book, while colourful and very
pleasing to the eye, is more suitable for able key
stage 2 students than younger volcano lovers.
Anna Quick
56
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 8 – 12
Prinja, Raman
Wonders of the
Night Sky
Illustrated by Jan Bielecki
Wayland
2022, pp64, £14.99
9781526312181
Space. Science. Astronomy
This is a really beautiful book, inviting all who
wonder about the night sky to look up and explore
the treasures in our galaxy and beyond. It makes
a brilliant introduction to the field of astrology for
children in a fun and exciting way. Comprehensively
covering elements such as how to prepare to look at
the night sky, what kinds of stars and constellations
you will find, the phases of the moon, meteor
showers, Space junk, the Milky Way, and the
Northern and Southern lights, this is sure to inspire
and engage any budging astronomer, star gazer, and
space lover.
Younger readers will be enthralled by the beautiful
and artistic diagrams and images which help
engage and aid understanding of the topics
covered. There are also a number of simple and
clearly explained activities to be done at the back
of the book, alongside a helpful glossary to extend
and reinforce learning and understanding. A musthave
for every classroom!
Meg Barclay
Regas, Dean
How to Teach Grown-
Ups About Pluto
Illustrated by Aaron Blecha
Britannica Books
2022, pp112, £9.99
9781913750503
Astronomy. History. Geography
Pluto was identified as the ninth planet in 1930. It
was demoted in the early 2000s as more discoveries
about “planet-ness” were made. Consequently,
those of us who went to school in the twentieth
century may be astronomically out of date.
Regas, astronomer at Cincinatti Observatory, is a
gifted and witty communicator who enthusiastically
shows the reader how to re-educate the rest of
us. I learned a huge amount from this book which
manages to be unpatronizing and informative
without ever being abstruse or difficult. And Aaron
Blecha’s witty illustrations add more information
as well as jokes at the expense of adults. But the
key message – and it isn’t one which gets spelled
out very often – is that science in general, and
astronomy in particular, is a journey. Conclusions
change continually as more research is done,
technology develops, and new discoveries are
made. Warmly recommended.
Susan Elkin
Roeder, Annette
Olaf Hajek’s
Fantastic Fruits
Prestel
2022, pp40, £14.99
9783791375069
Plant Biology. Stories. Trade
This large format non-fiction book is a feast for the
eyes and will whet any reader’s appetite for a taste
of cherries, mangoes, pineapples, redcurrants or
any of the other delectable fruits described herein.
Olaf’s full-page, full-colour pictures are sumptuous
and have a fable-like quality, reminiscent of Alice in
Wonderland. They are bold and striking and, I have
to admit, have grown on me the more I’ve revisited
them. As for the text, it combines raw facts about
plant biology and terminology with stories gleaned
from all over the world, as well as other juicy titbits
of interest. For example, for the Fig, we are told
(in common with all the other fruits) its origin and
other names; that the trees rely on tiny fig wasps to
pollinate them; that the milky juice soothes insect
bites; and about the Roman legend centred upon
a fig tree. The final two pages give background on
the stories and how we, as consumers, might now
amend our ways. Recommended for any age, for
individual or group reading, for curiosity or study.
Jane Rew
Romano Young, Karen
Antarctica:
The Melting Continent
Illustrated by Angela Hsieh
What On Earth Publishing
2022, pp64, £14.99
9781913750527
Climate. Explorers. Science
Antarctica held a special place in the imagination
of Scott, Amundsen, and the other early explorers,
and it still does for those who choose to visit, work
and live there. Karen Young, the author, has been
and has become captivated by the place, its history,
landscape, and animals. She writes vividly alongside
excellent illustrations and passes on the emotion
which she has clearly developed.
The extreme south is home to an exclusive club
of scientists and Young explains why they need to
carry out their work in such a remote and hostile
environment and what they are achieving through
their research. There is a small residence at the
South Pole, and it is manned all year.
I found the sections on the animal life the most
fascinating; of course the changing climate will
impact them more than animal life elsewhere on the
planet for they cannot relocate to somewhere colder.
This is an excellent school library addition for it will
be enjoyed by many young students.
Nick Hunt
Romero, Soledad
Famous Robberies
Illustrated by Julio Antonio Blasco
Little Gestalten
2022, pp64, £16.95
9783967047288
English. History. Technology
Whilst I would never want to be accused of
supporting any form of crime, there is a tiny part
of me that is always amazed by the audacity of
some thieves and their ingenuity when it comes to
planning a robbery. Translated from the Spanish,
this book examines a number of famous robberies
around the world, from the disappearance of
the Mona Lisa in Paris in broad daylight to the
Great Train Robbery which involved a mail train
heist during the 1960s. In 1994 a young Russian
mathematician hacked into the Citibank in the
USA and with a colleague stole over $10 million.
Eventually apprehended in London, the young
Russian only received three years in jail!
A book I am sure will be very popular with older
primary and lower secondary students, it could
act as an excellent springboard into further
investigations into famous detectives and ways of
detecting crime, from simple fingerprints to DNA
testing and profiling. I found this a fascinating read,
well thought out, and designed to appeal to a variety
of age ranges.
Godfrey Hall
Rudkin, Angharad and
Fitzgerald, Ruth
Split Survival Kit:
10 Steps for Coping
with Your Parents’
Separation
Illustrated by Stef Murphy
Wren & Rook
2022, pp159, £9.99
9781526364029
Divorce. Separation. PSHE
Psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin and children’s
author Ruth Fitzgerald have produced a sensitive,
empathetic guide. The book offers 10 simple steps
with plenty of helpful advice, insight, wisdom, and
practical tips. The text is divided into bite-size sections
which are enhanced by Stef Murphy’s illustrations.
I particularly enjoyed the ‘It Happened to Me’ stories
of real young people who have been through family
splits. They help readers to feel they are not alone.
The glossary and resources sections are excellent.
The book answers some children’s questions and
empowers them to feel calmer, resilient, and more
positive about their situation and their futures.
Highly recommended for children and adults.
Brenda Marshall
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
57

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Russel Williams, Imogen
Great Elizabethans:
HM Queen Elizabeth II
and 25 Amazing Britons
from Her Reign
Illustrated by Sara Mulvanny
Nosy Crow
2022, pp64, £9.99
9781839946394
Britain. Famous People. History
Choosing just 25 people who have made their
impact on the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign
cannot have been an easy task, but this book covers
a great range of scientists, mathematicians, athletes,
politicians, musicians, activists, environmentalists,
and people from the (children’s) book world.
Starting with a background to Elizabeth’s whole
reign, changes are detailed, referencing the
characters in the book. A visual timeline helps place
the events the individuals orchestrated. A glossary
helps explain words while the index will enable
readers to pinpoint the exact page they need.
The achievements of each character chosen are
explained in a double-page spread. Some people do
have notes about unpleasant characteristics, such
as racist views, mentioned as well as their successes
but are included because of their overall influence.
This is a great book to dip into when considering the
second Elizabethan age.
Dawn Woods
Scales, Helen
What a Shell Can Tell
Illustrated by Sonia Pulido
Phaidon Press Limited
2022, pp48, £16.95
9781838664305
Shells. Sealife. Environment
This beautifully illustrated book shows the huge
variety of shells that can be found on the beach.
The text, suitable for key stage 1 or key stage 2, is
chatty and accessible. It approaches shells by asking
what story their shape and colour can tell us about
how the animals inside lived. This leads into topics
such as body structure, habitats, other marine life,
and a message of environmental awareness.
The vibrantly coloured full-page pictures are a real
treat to look at, while being accurate enough for
shell identification. Overall, the book is beautifully
produced and would make a great gift or end-ofterm
prize.
Anna Quick
Seed, Andy
Interview with Cleopatra
& Other Famous Rulers
Illustrated by Gareth Conway
Welbeck
2022, pp128, £7.99,
9781783128310
History. Rulers. Facts
This is an intriguing and informative book which
provides a solid foundation for young readers to
develop their knowledge on key rulers in history.
The question-and-answer format suits the purpose
of the book well. The questions are expressed in
language that would be easy to understand by
young readers. This is well complimented by the
answers which draw inspiration from the discourse
of the era the Ruler is from but are still easy to
understand. The questions that are asked, and the
answers to the question, are informative and reveal
key facts about the various rulers. The tone is lighthearted
and there are some humorous moments
which make the book easily relatable opposed to
being packed with information. In addition, the
illustrations suit the book really well.
Bisma Mughal
Sharma, Anuradha
The Story of Babur:
Prince, Emperor, Sage
Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers
2022, pp176, £12.95
9781785513947
Biography. Islam. History
This adaptation of a classic autobiography in Islamic
literature will introduce children to the adventures
of Babur, a king in Central Asia during the early
sixteenth century and the founder of the Mughal
Empire. Babur was known as a fierce warrior but also
a man who became interested in poetry, music, and
family life as the years passed.
Told as a first-person narrative and accompanied
by the richly coloured and beautiful illustrations
of Jane Ray, this has at times the feel of an ancient
fable yet is based on the writings of the man himself.
We accompany him as he travels across countries on
a journey of discovery and conquest. He engages in
battles and conflicts with other rulers, marries, and
also shares thoughts on the importance of loyalty,
family, and his Muslim faith; he is a fascinating
and complex character. The writing style is
contemporary, and this could be used as a class read
aloud. There are aspects which resonate strongly
today; for example, the setting in the beautiful cities
of Afghanistan has a disturbing poignancy.
Anne Thompson
Vinti, Lucia
The Looking Book
Pavilion Children’s
2022, pp96, £9.99
9781843655008
Art. Creativity. Activity
This book actively encourages
children to get involved, look at the world
differently, and to respond creatively. Designed
to act as a sketchbook, there are plenty of prompt
pages where readers can use tools, colours, and
media to add their own flare and style to the pages.
A range of artists and their works are explained
and described on beautiful double-page spreads
throughout the book, offering glimpses into their
life, work, and styles. Each artist featured has
challenged their world and taken closer looks
from different perspectives. The entire premise of
the book is to challenge your own perspectives:
take a look at your world from a different
perspective and carefully notice what is around
you and then react artistically.
Cleverly designed with just enough prompts and
pages to think differently, and interspersed with
ideas and history, this would make a wonderful gift
for a budding artist.
Erin Hamilton
Winstone, Laura
The Unofficial Guide
to the Ancient
Egyptian Afterlife
Cicada Books
2022, pp34, £12.99
9781800660120
Egypt. Afterlife. Funerals
A fun book about death and the afterlife. Bastet the
cat takes you through the Egyptian beliefs about
the afterlife and all the hurdles the soul had to
pass before it reaches Aaru, roughly the ancient
Egyptian equivalent of heaven. It’s a light-hearted
introduction to Egyptian funeral customs. Great fun,
informative, and recommended.
Charles Harvey
58
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 8 – 12
VERY SHORT
INTRODUCTIONS
FOR CURIOUS YOUNG MINDS
by Oxford University Press
Out
Now!
This new, informative
non-fiction series introduces
young readers to the ideas,
facts and vocabulary behind
an absorbing range of subjects.
For 9-12 year olds.
Out
October
2022
For 9-10yr olds
More titles
coming
in 2023
Available online and from all good bookshops
@oxfordchildrens
www.oxfordchildrens.co.uk
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
59

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Barclay, Alex
My Heart & Other
Breakables
HarperCollins Children’s Books
2022, pp400, £12.99
9780008463670
Grief. Ireland. Parents
Fifteen-year-old Ellery has recently lost her Mum
and doesn’t know who her dad is. She lives in
Ireland with American relatives flying over to
‘parent’ in tag team style while she attends school.
The story begins as she is getting to grips with her
non-judgmental friend, aka her diary. Ellery’s best
friend Megan (Megster) supports her in using this
as a way to work through her grief and comes up
with other crazy schemes along the way.
Both funny and heartbreaking in turn, this year out
of Ellery’s life becomes a quest to find the elusive
father that she’s never known. She knows he is an
author and has narrowed down the field to three,
but none of them live down the road. Cue trips
abroad and all the fun and games that result in this
crazy situation.
Written in diary format, I found myself reading one
more entry … then another … then another. This is a
light-hearted book taking on serious and sad topics.
A top book to recommend in September!
Erica Dean
Barr, Emily
Ghosted
Penguin Books
2022, pp400, £7.99
9780241481875
Death. Mystery. Love
Sliding Doors meets Groundhog
Day in the fifth young adult novel from Emily Barr,
known for previous bestsellers, The One Memory of
Flora Banks and Carnegie-nominated, The Girl Who
Came Out of The Woods. In Ghosted, published
by Penguin, the reader meets 15-year-old Ariel,
who lives with her sister Sasha who is pregnant at
19, much to their violent father’s disgust. The first
chapter sees their father abandon them, and on the
day of his departure, Ariel meets Joe Simpson in a
small cupboard in the local shopping centre, a place
she retreats to when life, after the loss of her mother
to cancer, becomes too challenging.
Joe and Ariel become the best of friends, but Joe is
not all he seems. Joe lives the same day repeatedly,
as do others who disappeared in mysterious
circumstances on March 11 1999. Despite living
20 years apart, somehow Ariel and Joe can see
each other, and so begins Ariel’s quest to discover
what happened to Joe two decades previously.
Part romance, part mystery, this novel is sure to be
permanently out on loan.
Jane Broadis
Chainani, Soman
The Rise of the School
for Good and Evil
HarperCollins Children’s Books
2022, pp464, £7.99
9780008508029
Adventure. Magic. Fantasy
This is a book for any reader who loves fantasy,
fairytales, and magical creatures. Fans of the Harry
Potter series will be excited to read this because it
has a similar feeling to it. The Rise of the School for
Good and Evil narrates the story of twin brothers
who rule over a school that brings out the fighters
for ‘Good and Evil’. Thereby, characters from
fairytales will cross the reader’s path such as Aladdin
and Captain Hook. It contains many twists and turns,
and the end is not foreseeable. Also, the illustrations
are very nice to look at.
The language is suitable for the named age group
and the used vocabulary shows a vast variety. It
does link loosely to the English curriculum, but
would probably be more suitable to be read during
tutor time or in the students’ free time.
Luise Hocke
Close, Helena
Things I Know
Little Island Books
2022, pp288, £8.99
9781915071033
Grief. Suicide. Depression
When Saoirse’s mother dies,
her father moves the family from Limerick to a
smallholding in Cloughmore, and the change in
pace from city life to a small seaside town is abrupt.
It’s a close community, and when Saoirse ends her
relationship with her boyfriend Finn, everyone has
an opinion about it. And when Finn takes his own
life, everyone blames Saoirse.
Trapped by the claustrophobia of small-town
life, Saoirse turns to her best friend Jade for
comfort but feels betrayed when Jade is caught
up in an unsuitable relationship. Saoirse’s list of
certainties – things I know – shrinks as life carries
her inexorably forward to the end of school and,
despite her stellar exam results, on the night of the
school debs Saoirse walks into the river, seeking
oblivion. A period of dissociative fugue follows
until a new counsellor helps Saoirse move forward
and realise that life still has good things in store for
her. The dark themes in the novel are offset by the
warmth with which Saoirse portrays her family and
by her self-deprecating humour. An intense but
rewarding read.
Sandra Bennett
Deacon, Alexis
Curse of the Chosen V1
Flying Eye Books
2022, pp211, £14.99
9781910620830
Fantasy. Adventure. Graphic Novel
Fans of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and
‘Hunger Games’, come on board. The Curse of the
Chosen should not be taken lightly due to its highly
illustrative design. Within its fantasy-steeped pages
is a story filled with trials and tribulations for Io – the
daughter of the Kite Lord – who must face down
dangerous tasks to survive. With a cast of engaging
characters (both villains and heroes alike), fantastical
tasks with dire consequences, and beautifully
coloured pages, the plot is both nerve-wracking
and exciting. Suitable for those who would like to
get lost in the world of fantastical lands and heroic
duty, this story will have you hooked until the very
last page.
Rabia Arif
Dean, Benjamin
The King Is Dead
Simon & Schuster Children’s
2022, pp368, £8.99
9781398512542
Mystery. Families. Grief
A reimagining of the Royal Family
in which a Black, gay 17-year-old sits on the throne
following the tragic death of his father. He must
balance his duty to the public and his grief for his
father in the face of stories in the press, leaking his
family’s secrets and scandals alongside tabloid lies
– but with enemies around every corner, and unable
to trust anyone, how can he stop the stories?
I really enjoyed this book – the twists were
well-executed, foreshadowed without being
at all obvious; and the characters were written
realistically. I could really understand the choices
the main character, James, was making, even
when they seemed unwise. There were parallels
to real events and recent scandals plaguing the
Royal Family, which made the plot realistic, and
discussions could be drawn about the treatment of
the Royals by the press and public, as well as around
equality, race, and the monarchy as an institution.
Aside from these themes, though, this book was a
really great read, full of mysteries and secrets – one
of my favourite books of the year.
Louise Widdowson
60
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 13 – 16
Erlandsson, Karin and
Prime, Annie
The Pearl Whisperer
Song of the Eye Stone
Dedalus Ltd
2022, pp249, £8.39
9781912868735
Adventure. Fantasy. Friendships
The precious eye stone is the most sought-after
pearl in the Queendom, and legend tells that
whoever finds it will gain everything that they
desire. Miranda is an accomplished young pearl
fisher, despite having lost one arm to a rose-shark.
Tradition has it that every generation will seek the
eye stone, and now it is Miranda’s turn. Used to
working alone, Miranda is not keen on taking an
inexperienced talkative little girl with her – but Syrsa
insists by proving that she possesses the ability to
hear pearls sing. However, both girls know that in
order to win they must outwit the formidable Iberis
who intends to retrieve the eye stone by fair means
or foul. Set in stunning scenery, this is a tale of
friendship, loss, and community spirit. The beautiful
prose has a forthright quality, making it both easy
and compelling reading. Translated from the original
Swedish, it is the first book in the ‘Song of the Stone’
series and should appeal to students who enjoy
fantasy, adventure, or just good stories.
Judith Palka
Galvin, Lindsay
My Friend the Octopus
Chicken House
2022, pp256, £7.99
9781913696405
Octopus. Victorian. Detection
A lively detective adventure in
language suitable for 13–16 teens, set in Victorian
England. Attractive, accurate monochrome
illustrations of marine animals, e.g. butterflyfish
and an eel head the chapters. Perfect for reading
aloud and personal reading. Pace, storytelling, and
characterisation render it a good read for adults and
upper primary age-groups.
It includes a wealth of historical, social, and public
health detail, including both industrial and food
poisoning, and insight into a range of working lives.
The novel starts in London and quickly transfers
to the South Coast in a life-changing move, where
the protagonist encounters appealing (and not so
appealing) characters in her new world. The aquarium
giant is revealed as one of the former, whilst
remaining a true octopus. The author deftly instils
affection for marine life, especially wild captives, as
alien but fellow inhabitants of a shared world: their
intrinsic value despite exploitation at our hands.
Through the protagonist’s eyes, we experience her
changing understanding of key people as the story
unfolds, culminating in an exciting ocean voyage.
Henrietta Price
Glasgow, Kathleen and
Lawson, Liz
The Agathas
Rock the Boat
2022, pp249, £8.99
9780861544776
Friendship. Murder. Mystery
Alice Ogilvie has been rejected by her friends
following an escapade the previous summer. Iris
Adams is a bright girl from the poor side of town
who is allocated as Alice’s peer tutor to help her
catch up on missed schoolwork. When Alice’s
former best friend, the heiress Brooke Donovan, is
found dead at the bottom of the cliffs after a party,
an unlikely alliance is formed between Alice and Iris
as they investigate Brooke’s murder to prove the
local police have arrested the wrong person. Alice’s
obsession with Agatha Christie is illustrated by the
quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
Iris’s focus is on the reward money which would
provide an escape from Castle Cove for her and her
mother. As the girls bond and fall out, their fragile
friendship becomes more meaningful to both of
them and grows in strength.
With an eclectic cast of support characters, this is a
fast-paced young adult thriller which also deals with
the very real issues of drug misuse, domestic abuse,
and neglect.
Ellen Krajewski
Hardinge, Francis
Unraveller
MacMillan Children’s Books
2022, pp416, £14.99
9781509836970
Fantasy. Curses. Transformation
Once again Hardinge immerses
her readers in a scarily weird, yet believable,
otherworld as she weaves an enthralling tale set in a
country governed by pacts and blighted by curses.
As the one person with the power to unravel
curses and restore victims to their human forms,
Kellen has many enemies, not least the cursers he
helps incarcerate. However, someone is liberating
dangerous cursers and hiding them away.
Accompanied by Nettle, a girl whose curse he
unravelled, and a sinister marsh horseman with his
terrifying, flesh-eating steed, Kellen sets out on a
perilous quest to find answers. But his path leads
deep into the Wilds, a mysterious, malevolent area of
marsh-woods inhabited by magical creatures, where
nothing is as it seems, and nobody can be trusted.
This is a spellbinding tale of hidden threats,
transformation, restoration, and recovery. It is also a
poignant reflection on our own recent experience of
sudden change, an altered normality, and whether
we can ever return unaffected to our previous lives.
Lynn Marshall
Jawando, Danielle
When Our
Worlds Collided
Simon & Schuster Children’s
2022, pp400, £7.99
9781471178795
Racism. Injustice. BLM
The novel tells the story of three teenagers in
Manchester, whose paths cross one day over
a shared and life-changing experience as they
witness the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in front
of a busy shopping centre. Shocked by the way
other passers-by react – or, mostly, don’t react – to
the incident, Chantelle, Jackson, and Marc don’t
hesitate to step in, and they learn first-hand about,
and start to question, the prejudice and racism even
among the people they normally respect and like.
I found this multi-point-of-view novel gripping,
punchy, and compelling from the start. The core
of the story is flawlessly set against the daily drama
in the lives of three young people who come from
different social backgrounds. The novel highlights
the racial injustices and the realisation that even
post-BLM, the world still refuses to progress into a
place that would feel safe and fair to people of any
colour. It’s a brilliant read for any young readers
– Black or non-Black – who enjoy contemporary,
diverse, and topical novels that don’t shy away from
strong, relatable, and relevant issues.
Marzena Currie
Len, Vanessa
Only a Monster
Hodder & Stoughton
2022, pp361, £16.99
9781529380064
Fantasy. Adventure. Romance
It should have been the perfect
summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s
eccentric family in London, 16-year-old Joan is
determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job
at the historic Holland House, and when her super
cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like
everything is falling into place.
But then she learns that her family aren’t just
eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden
powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a
legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to
bring them down.
As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with
the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a
monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to
embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save
herself, and her family. Because in this story … she is
not the hero.
It is the first book in a planned trilogy – I look
forward to reading them all!
Carolyn Copland
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
61

Stories for growing imaginations from
ANDERSEN PRESS
Dadaji’s Paintbrush
9781839131394 | £12.99
The Pet Potato
9781839130809 | £12.99
Bookworms
9781839131486 | £12.99
Luna Loves Dance
9781839130939 | £7.99
Four Bad Unicorns
9781839131035 | £12.99
The Zoo Inside Me
9781839131448 | £12.99
Adoette
9781839131899 | £12.99
Elmer and the Gift
9781839131592 | £12.99
The Bolds Go Green
9781839132070 | £7.99
Cuckoo Summer
9781839132094 | £7.99
The Colour of Hope
9781839132025 | £7.99
While the Storm Rages
9781839132056 | £7.99
Running With Horses
9781839132087 | £12.99 The Blackthorn Branch
9781839132032 | £7.99
Booked: Graphic Novel
9781839132230 | £9.99
Tremendous Things
9781839130588 | £7.99
62 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 32 AUTUMN SUMMER 2022
Artwork by Levente Szabó, from While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle

Books: 13 – 16
Computer Science
Editor’s pick
Rob Colson
Triumphs of Technology
Wayland, 2022, 32pp, £9.99,
9781526308382
Computer Science. Inventions.
Technology
Take a closer look at the amazing
technology that has shaped the
modern world.
Thomas O’Brien
and Ryan Marsh
Amazing bite-size builds:
over 20 awesome miniprojects
Farshore, 2022, 96pp, £9.99,
9780008495954
Building. Computer Games. Structures
Learn how to design, build, and
customise over 20 new Minecraft
mini-projects in this latest volume in
the Bite-Size Builds series.
Karen Lang and Selim Tezel
Become an App Inventor:
the Official Guide from
MIT App Inventor: Your
Guide to Designing,
Building, and Sharing
Apps
MIT Press (MA), 2022, 224pp, £9.99,
9781529504835
Coding. Computer Programming.
Inventions
Design, build, and share your own
apps with the official guide from MIT
App Inventor.
Michael Wooldridge
Artificial Intelligence
Penguin, 2022, 144pp, £6.99,
9780241542606
Computers. Robots. Technology
Explanation of AI and what it
means for the world. Important AI
developments in the past, present
and future.
The Gadget Show: Big
Book of Cool Stuff
Black Dog Press, 2022, 250pp, £19.99,
9781912165353
Computers. Gadgets. Technology
Crammed with ideas and info,
the book of the TV show with an
insight into the inner workings using
computer science.
Jenny Jacoby and Jem Venn
(Illustrator)
Cool Technology
Pavilion, 2022, 112pp, £9.99,
9781843655152
Gadgets. Inventions. Technology
A wide-ranging look at technology,
full of facts about everything from
Stone Age inventions to virtual reality,
with timelines and experiments.
Clive Gifford
Robot Helpers
How robots can be used to help
people in different locations,
from hospitals and care homes to
factories and restaurants. Part of
Robographics series.
Wayland, 2022, 32pp, £12.99,
9781526316356
Industry. Robots. Technology
William Potter
AI
Wayland, 2021, 32pp, £8.99,
9781526309860
Computers. Robots. Technology
A guide to AI, what it is used for now,
and its potential.
McKenzie, Sophie
Boy, Missing
Simon & Schuster
2022, pp99, £10.00
9781398509696
Adventure. Friendship. Survival
This is a satisfying short story for
World Book Day by a very popular author – sure to
be a hit. Ellen is on a family holiday but her cousin
Harlan, normally her best mate, is being very cold
and hostile towards her. When they fight, he takes
off, but doesn’t return, and Ellen realises he was
headed towards the abandoned quarry. Can she fix
their friendship, and will either of them survive to
tell the tale?
A good tense adventure story with a real sense of
danger, and a realistic dynamic between the two
teenagers, with an LGBTQ+ theme. As a WBD book it
runs to 99 pages, but will doubtless be snapped up
by both keen and more reluctant readers of 12+.
Jo Sennitt
McQuiston, Casey
I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Macmillan
2022, pp368, £14.99
9781529099423
Disappearance. Rivals to Lovers.
LGBTQ+
Since moving from California to small-town
Alabama, Chloe Green has been obsessed with
becoming valedictorian and thus defeating her
rival, the beautiful and popular Shara Wheeler.
However, after Shara kisses Chloe and two other
students out of the blue before unexpectedly
disappearing, Chloe’s obsession turns to finding
Shara, causing her to neglect her friends and
schoolwork. Along with Shara’s disappearance,
the book is about the homophobia experienced
by queer students attending a religious school in
a small southern town. This title is one for readers
that like unlikeable characters, as Chloe and Shara
both act in ways that hurt those around them. This
book would work well in a book club paired with
Paper Towns by John Green because the plots
are remarkably similar, which was presumably on
purpose because Green’s novels are referenced in
this book. Mcquiston’s Red, White and Royal Blue
is extremely popular on BookTok, so this is likely
to be a sought-after addition to your young adult
collections.
Emily Kindregan
Morris, Molly
This Is Not the End
Chicken House
2022, pp400, £7.99
9781913696214
Grief. Depression. Relationships
When 17-year-old Hugh witnesses
Olivia fall off a roof and walk away unscathed, it
challenges everything he believes in, because he is
obsessed with endings, and it seems Olivia can’t die.
Hugh’s fixation with endings is expressed through
his movie review website and is part of his coping
strategy for dealing with the death of his parents in
a car accident. While his peers prepare to leave for
college, Hugh has no plans to leave his home until
Olivia persuades him to drive her to New York to
retrieve a crate of mementos taken from her by her
ex-boyfriend.
Their journey in a stolen ice-cream van becomes a
catalyst for change, allowing Hugh to realise that he
has put his life on hold as a way of avoiding the pain
of loss. Olivia makes him realise that ‘everyone has
an ending, but its what’s in the middle that counts’.
The novel explores challenging themes with a light
touch, and by the end of the novel Hugh realises
that he can move forward and make plans for his
own future once again.
Sandra Bennett
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
63

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Owen, Morgan
The Girl with No Soul
Scholastic
2022, pp407, £7.99
9780702314636
Fantasy. Adventure. Romance
Iris lives in a world that is controlled
by the order, where citizens are watched over by
inspectors who use lanterns to see what is projected
from an individual’s soul. If you have no soul, like
Iris, then nothing is projected, and you are classed
as a hollow. Iris must live her life in the shadows, to
avoid capture by the order, and manages to make a
living by stealing items that contain memories. She’s
hired to steal a ring which holds the memory of a
soul being shattered, where she finds her ‘spark’,
which is one of the five elements of her soul. Iris
finds herself seeking help from a young scholar,
who helps her on her epic journey to find the four
other elements of her soul.
I absolutely loved this book and was drawn in
from the first page, with the author’s descriptions
transporting me to the centre of the action. There
are so many twists and turns in this pacey read, and
it was completely gripping from the start. Suitable
for students from Year 8 upwards.
Charlotte Cole
Rocha, Lucas
Translated by Larissa Helena
Where We Go
from Here
David Fickling Books
2022, pp268, £7.99
9781788451925
Friendship. Prejudice. Love
This is a sensitive and moving story about three
very different young men from Brazil dealing with
experiences of HIV. The book shifts between the
perspectives of Ian, Henrique, and Victor as their
stories intertwine and they come to terms with the
differing impacts of HIV on their lives.
What follows is a frank, honest, and often funny
portrait of self-discovery, acceptance, the nature
of regret, and ultimately, what is really important
in our relationships. A wonderful celebration of
queer culture and the silver linings in life, Where
We Go from Here is a great choice for fans of Becki
Albertalli, Alire Sáenz, and Adam Silvera.
Sammie Boon
Rowe, Kelis
Finding Juniper
Walker Books
2022, pp331, £7.99
9781529500639
Romance. Families. Poetry
A fresh contemporary Black love story
set in Memphis. Ray has no time for romance and has
her eyes set on her own independence. Orion looks
like the jock his father wants him to be, but really
he’s a hopeless romantic. When he spots Ray, it feels
like the stars have aligned, but the course of true
love never did run smooth and, with a twist worthy
of Romeo and Juliet, Orion and Ray’s relationship is
tested to the max.
Using a dual point of view, Rowe has created two
refreshing and original characters in Orion and Ray.
Both embark on a journey of self-discovery and use
creative outlets such as found poetry and music to
process thoughts and feelings. The writing never
drifts into cliché and though we get an eventual
happy ending, it never feels inevitable. Emotional
tensions between the protagonists and their families
are similarly handled with an impressive credibility.
An uplifting and tender debut celebrating first love
and the joy that comes from healing that fans of
Angie Thomas and Jandy Nelson would relish.
Lizzie Ryder
Salten, Felix
Translated by Jack Zipes
The Original Bambi
Illustrated by Alenka Sottler
Princeton University Press
2022, pp192, £20
9780691197746
Bambi. Bloodsport. WWII
A new translation brings us the author’s warm,
fast-paced narrative, saved from sentimentality
by a wealth of natural history – including a
conversation between autumn leaves. Deploying
anthropomorphic characterisation in the
established fashion (from Kingsley to Williamson),
Salten describes predation neutrally, and wrestles
with destructive human interaction with the forest,
navigating problems with domestication, captivity
and blood-sport through events and dialogue that
mirror some of his experience as a Viennese patriot
of Jewish origin before WWII. The dying fox to the
hound: ‘You betray us … and I’m almost your brother
…’ The dog’s reply is interesting.
Attractive, detailed monochrome drawings
complement the text, and its different mood from
Disney’s film.
Accessible, empathic, multifaceted storytelling. The
depiction of violence (including from the victims’
viewpoint) make this unsuitable for young children.
Henrietta Price
So, Cynthia
If You Still
Recognise Me
Stripes Publishing
2022, pp384, £8.99
9781788953443
Family. LGBTQ+. Relationships
This is the perfect book for younger teens, covering
love, relationships, family, sexuality, and the
complexities of friendships during the teenage
years.
Elsie is Chinese-British and Bi but she hasn’t come
out to her family. The story begins as she is finishing
her A Levels and her mum has had to go to Hong
Kong for the funeral of her grandfather.
Elsie is really into a comic – Eden-Recoiling – and
meets Ada through the online fanfiction. She has
a crush on Ada and wants to impress her, so she
sets out to find a long-lost friend of Ada’s grandma.
Around this time, Elsie herself runs into long-lost
friend Joan who she hasn’t seen for ten years, and
then becomes best friends again way too quickly for
her best friend Ritika’s liking. On top of all this, Elsie
is still processing her break-up with her boyfriend.
This is a powerful story which explores the
challenges of young people and their identity and
the complex relationships they have with family and
friends at this age.
Tanya Henning
Weatherby, Alison
The Secrets Act
Chicken House
2022, pp355, £7.99
9781913322991
Friendship. Coding. Secrets
This is a gripping and thrilling
mystery work which follows two brilliantly
portrayed, vibrant young women, Pearl and Ellen,
who work as cribsters at Bletchley Park – the topsecret
codebreaking headquarters in 1940s England.
They find themselves entangled in exposing a spy,
trying to solve the strange mysterious death of
their friend, and preventing themselves from being
imprisoned along the way!
Themes of friendship, autism, difference,
acceptance, and loyalty are woven together around
wartime in an accessible and believable way,
alongside a tragic mystery.
Any reader who is also interested in World War II,
the Secret Service, and with a love of code-breaking
will really enjoy this fast-paced and exciting plot
following two feisty and adventurous female
protagonists and set beautifully in the authentic
atmosphere of Bletchley Park’s heyday.
Note: There is some graphically depicted violence
and murder in the name of fascism which sensitive
readers may find disturbing.
Meg Barclay
64
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

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VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
65

Books: 13 – 16 | Information
Bathie, Holly
Social Media
Survival Guide
Illustrated by Richard Merritt, Kate
Sutton, Fitz Hammond
Usborne Publishing Ltd
2022, pp304, £6.99
9781474999267
Internet. Advice. Social Media
This timely guide from Usborne is a very accessible
and comprehensive guide to the many issues
surrounding social media that can impact on
young people. From setting up an account, online
reputation, avoiding trouble, validation, trolls, body
image, sexual content to managing your mental
health, this book tackles the good and the bad sides
of social media use clearly and honestly and offers
good advice to keep readers safe. There is a useful
glossary at the back of the book and further advice
and resources via the Usborne Quicklinks website.
The book features a variety of graphics and fonts
throughout to help draw attention to key points.
While aimed at young people, I think this would be
a really useful resource for the school library, those
teaching internet safety, guidance teachers, parents,
and anyone looking for a good introduction to the
issues around young people using social media
today. Recommended.
Stephen Leitch
David, Lee and
Brewin, Debbie
10 Minutes to Better
Mental Health
Illustrated by Rebecca Price
Jessica Kingsley Publisher
2022, pp208, £13.99
9781787755567
Wellbeing. Mental Health.Self-Help
This book is an absolute must for any secondary
school or college library, where supporting young
people’s wellbeing is a priority. By using quick and
practical tips and exercises, David and Brewin have
developed a hands-on guide so teens can take
autonomous action and effect real improvement in
their own mental health.
Using videos, advice, and reflective, journal-style
learning, the exercises in this book vary from a
single minute to 10 minutes at most and build
upon the GROW framework to help teens develop
their cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and
mindfulness skills and address a whole range of
emotions and mental health issues, from low mood
and anxiety to a lack of confidence.
This book addresses a range of relatable scenarios
and gives excellent advice to teenagers and young
adults about how to manage their emotions and
deal with situations outside of their comfort zone.
Becca Watts
Ellis, Rowan
Here and Queer: A Queer
Girl’s Guide to Life
Illustrated by Jacky Sheridan
Francis Lincoln Children’s Books
2022, pp159, £9.99
9780711264731
LGBTQ+. Advice. Relationships
A big, warm, celebratory hug of a book, Here and
Queer: A Queer Girl’s Guide to Life by Rowan Ellis
and illustrated by Jacky Sheridan, is an inclusive,
funny guide to navigating life as a queer girl.
Rowan Ellis and a range of LGBTQ+ contributors
tackle topics spanning everything from queer icons,
to coming out, to finding queer spaces online and in
real life, to consent. There are recommendations for
further films, TV shows, and novels to explore, and
the book is structured in such a way that readers can
dip in and out as and when they are ready to explore
the different topics. Jacky Sheridan’s colourful
illustrations accompany each chapter perfectly, and
the glossy pages and digestible chapters will also
appeal to graphic novel fans.
Here and Queer would make a great addition to any
secondary school library, and also provides a strong
foundation for parents, teachers, guardians, and
other allies who are keen to educate themselves and
support the young, queer girls they know.
Sammie Boon
66
Fewster, Helen (Editor)
The Science of Plants
Dorling Kindersley
2022, pp360, £30.00
9780241515501
Plants. Biology. Science
This is a very well-written, well-printed book with
quality photographs, diagrams, and/or fine art on
every page. From the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew,
the book begins with a few sentences defining
what is and what is not a plant, and a tree diagram
of principal groups. Phew! The chapters unfold
from this down to a surprising level of detail – e.g.
pp78–79 thorns, spines and prickles – conveyed
in carefully chosen photographs with the aid of
small clear diagrams and concise text. It includes
the framework for key physiology, biochemistry,
reproduction, and ecology and global exemplars
e.g. the kapok tree, the corpse flower, and includes
some UK natives. Not all principal crops are detailed;
this is the kingdom per se. The book is punctuated
by fine art and botanical illustration. There are
no structural keys, but the formal layout enables
navigation and lookup, and fosters understanding.
Not a botanist, I set myself to read it through, but
didn’t have to. This is a page-turner from start to
finish. An excellent addition to the Penguin DK range
that would be a very useful reference book.
Henrietta Price
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
Fisher, Lucy
Women in the War: The
Last Heroines of Britain’s
Greatest Generation
Harper Elements
2022, pp316, £9.99
9780008456146
Women. Independence. War
This book is a fascinating compilation of oral histories
of 10 diverse women in the Second World War.
The work begins with Baroness Betty Boothroyd’s
foreword explaining her role as patron in erecting
a monument in Whitehall in 2005 dedicated to all
women’s outstanding efforts in the war.
Each biography focusses on a woman at the
crucial stage of her late teens and early twenties
in the war years. The women’s social backgrounds
and roles vary enormously: a nurse, a land girl,
a pilot, a munitions factory worker, a Bletchley
Park employee, and a secretary in the Cabinet War
Rooms, etc. Their accounts are particularly striking
when their personal diaries and letters are included.
This clearly written, timely work illuminates how the
war meant greater independence and opportunities
for women. They were given the chance to show
how much the country needed them in jobs usually
reserved for men. Students will find the personal
stories incredibly adventurous and moving.
Janet Syme
Hall, Jake
The Art of Drag
Illustrated by Sofie Birkin, Helen Li,
Jasjyot Singh Hans
Nobrow
2020, pp136, £20.00
9781910620717
LGBTQ+. Performance. History
This book details the development of drag from the
ancient world to the modern day, including case
studies from America, Europe, and Asia. Attention
is given both to methods of performance, such as
Peking Opera, and specific performers, such as
Marlene Dietrich. Thus this book could be useful for
pupils researching dance and drama, queerness,
or specific performers. It includes a simple
bibliography and an index.
However, the real star of the book is the colourful,
illustrations, which emblazon each page, giving
the reader a visual representation of potentially
unfamiliar costumes, such as from Japanese Kabuki
theatre, and key figures in drag’s history. Some are
more appropriate for older readers.
While this book celebrates drag, it also notes the
discrimination faced by some drag-artists, with
brief mentions of sexual assault and the occasional
inclusion of offensive terms which may upset some
readers. It also does not avoid acknowledging
problematic parts of drag’s history, such as racism
among some dance troupes or misogynistic slang.
Matt Cowie

Books: 13 – 16
Hennesy, Kathryn
(Editor)
Migrations: A History
of Where We All
Came From
Dorling Kindersley
2022, pp287, £25.00
9780241503546
Refugees. Climate Change. Slavery
This book details the history of human migration
over the last 50,000 years, from Homo Erectus
leaving Africa to modern day crises such as the
Syrian Refugees in 2021. The information is written
in a very accessible way, suitable for a secondary
school audience. It is visually stunning, with many
examples of ancient art, clear maps and diagrams,
and full page photographs. It will certainly hold a
reader’s attention.
The ancient stories of the Roman Empire and the
Celts moving across Europe were fascinating, but
I also enjoyed recent history about the Windrush
Generation, freedom of movement across the EU
and climate migration for the island nations across
Polynesia. The individual case studies bring a human
experience to the facts and figures, and I liked that it
did not rely on a ‘Westernised’ viewpoint in this age
of decolonisation.
This is a great reference book to have in your
school library.
Gemma Wright
EDITOR’S PICK
Pang, Camilla
Perfectly Weird,
Perfectly You
Wren & Rook
2022, pp208, £8.99
9781526364326
Self-Help. Growing Up. Biology
This book has a different approach to others in the
self-help field. The author, diagnosed as autistic,
looks at the issues of growing up, being confident
and resilient and being an individual by explaining
the science behind what makes humans human.
She looks at the importance of respecting one’s
own and others’ individuality and how people with
different characteristics, from shyness to boldness,
should work together in the same way that cells
in the body work together to keep us functioning.
Pang provides a ‘scientific survival guide’ to growing
up, encouraging us not to be judgmental and to
avoid a tick-box attitude to our characteristics.
Pang’s writing style is scientific yet chatty,
complemented by Boglio’s jaunty illustrations. This
book will appeal to young people at various stages
of growing up who are looking for confidencebuilding
techniques. It covers essential skills such
as managing emotions and pressure, studying and
debating, and coping with change. I recommend it
for secondary school students and empathy/selfhelp
collections in school libraries.
Lucy Chambers
Walisiewicz, Marek
(Editor)
Timelines of
World History
Dorling Kindersley
2022, pp320, £25.00
9780241515754
History. Timelines. Encyclopedias
This comprehensive encyclopedia of world
history is very impressive and will provide hours
of entertainment for any older child who loves the
timeline format rather than sequential detailed
descriptions and explanations of motives. This is
a book for dipping into for the child who wants a
selective factual snapshot in news-item style of what
was happening around the world in a particular year
and decade. Detailed captions of approximately
10-lines accompany photos of incidents and
historical figures, interjected by quotes from the
participants. For example, I looked up 1963, the year
that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The page
mentions incidents in the USA, China, India, Africa,
Cuba and Vietnam. The book is a solid, fact-filled
tome and the timelines run from 4 MVA to the
6 January 2021. It contains a detailed index and
impressive photography. Recommended for primary
and secondary school libraries.
Lucy Chambers
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VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
67

Books: 17 – 19
Clement, Jo
Outlandish
Dunne, Jacob
Right from Wrong
EDITOR’S PICK
Hoagland, Tony
Turn Up the Ocean
Bloodaxe Books
2022, pp80, £10.99
9781780376141
Travellers. Culture. Identity
In this collection of poetry, Jo
Clement gives voice to the Gypsy Roma Traveller
community. Her lyrical imagery conjures the beauty
of the natural landscapes across which they have
lived and travelled. The reader is given insight into
their culture and traditions, and the skills that are
passed from generation to generation. Verses explore
and describe a culture often hidden and frequently
scorned. The prejudice and discrimination that they
have been subjected to is also documented, perhaps
most powerfully in the poem called, ‘Self Portrait
as 100 Travellers’, which lists the terms and taunts
thrown at members of the Gypsy Roma Traveller
community.
‘Playing Cards’ is perhaps one of the most moving
poems that will appeal to students; a poem
that describes the experiences and effects of
persecution under the Third Reich on ‘Granda Jack’.
This collection would be an ideal collection to
broaden A Level students’ experience of reading
poetry that explores identity and ethnicity, and
the life experiences that help shape, develop, and
define culture.
Jane Broadis
HarperNorth
2022, pp225, £16.99
9780008472115
Rehabilitation. Crime. Justice
The author was a petty criminal,
raised by a single parent on a notorious Nottingham
council estate. In July 2011, he was convicted of the
manslaughter of 28-year-old James Hodgkinson in
a bar, with a single punch, when high on cocaine
and alcohol.
He served 30 months in prison and on release
was told by his probation officer that the victim’s
parents, David and Joan wished to contact him. He
agreed to their request, and this was his introduction
to ‘restorative justice’, a process in which offenders
and victims take part voluntarily, enabling all to
hopefully move on with their lives.
Initially, contact was by letter, until they eventually
met face to face. It proved to be a successful
experience for them all; David and Joan were
comforted to learn James was not killed
intentionally and Dunne recognised his actions had
been a pathetic attempt to impress his friends.
Very readable, this is a valuable addition to the
literature on the rehabilitation of offenders, with
many life lessons for young people along the way.
Martin Baggoley
Bloodaxe Books
2022, pp80, £10.99
9781780376318
Poetry. Illness. Humour
The Bloodaxe website has a video of
Tony Hoagland talking about what gives American
poetry its distinctive voice. It would be instructive
to watch this with poetry groups before reading
the collection, which he began to compile as a
chapbook, but which was finished by Kathleen
Lee after his death in 2018. Approaching death
is described with wry humour, the predominant
response being ‘self-pity and a desire to apologise’,
clad in an ‘armour made of irony’: ‘It’s not that I
need to tell everyone I meet that I have cancer’. He
explains why he must ‘decline to receive’ prayers
offered on his behalf, gives a glorious reply to nurses
who ask him to rate pain ‘on a scale of 1–10’, and
gives instructions on how to behave should he
‘suddenly flop over in the mall one afternoon’. There
are many other concerns, however: the blistering
‘Reason He Brought His Gun to School’ should be
read by everyone. And, of course, there is the voice:
muscular, demotic, direct yet tender, and, as he says,
containing complex dialectic under simple surfaces.
Superb.
Frank Startup
Morrish, Louise
Operation Moonlight
Century
2022, pp448, £14.99
9781529125559
Espionage. Heroism. History
The inspiration for the creation of
Elisabeth, the memorable heroine in this novel,
was the writer’s grandmother. The novel is based
on extensive research into the history of World
War II and in particular into an organisation named
‘Special Operation Executive’ set up to train secret
agents. Recruits, mainly men, included a small
number of French speaking women who were
parachuted into occupied France to work with the
Resistance. Fact and fiction combine to produce
a highly readable novel. Readers will enjoy this
exciting story of espionage and young love. We
follow the fortunes of Betty, a centenarian in 2018
and as a young woman training and serving as a
spy in 1944–45. Movement from one time location
to the other is deftly managed and the momentum
of the narrative is never compromised. A cast of
inspirational characters reflect the author’s interest
in highlighting the lives of impressive women
from the past and in ensuring their stories are not
forgotten.
Elizabeth Finlayson
Rappaport, Helen
In Search of Mary
Seacole: The Making
of a Cultural Icon
Simon & Schuster
2022, pp405, £20
9781398504431
War. Travel. History
A wonderful celebration of Mary Seacole’s life and
a brilliant work which showcases historical process.
Readers are candidly shown the pitfalls of relying
too heavily on any one type of source information
(online, primary, secondary, folklore) and the depth
and breadth of thinking required when researching
the past. Drawing on up-to-date research, expert
source analysis and brimming with historiography,
Rappaport skilfully brings together the disparate
threads of information and disinformation
surrounding Mary Seacole, highlighting inaccuracies
and focusing a consistent reliable narrative to
celebrate her life and work
This would be excellent background reading for
students seeking to understand the nineteenth
century: the abolition of slavery, the Crimean War,
medical advances and the role of the navy, etc. With
occasional references to now outdated and racist
terms due to the nature of the sources, this work
would be more suitable for older pupils supported
by appropriate discussions.
Meg Barclay
Reynolds, Jason
When I Was
the Greatest
Illustrated by Akhran Girmay
Faber & Faber
2022, pp246, £8.20
9780571369645
Friendships. Loyalty. Teenagers
A novel of some considerable substance, this is
the work of an award-winning writer steeped in
Afro-American Literature. Preeminent among this
particular novel’s many fine features is its dialogue,
which replicates the speech patterns and rhythms of
the Black teenage community. Equally impressive is
the artwork by Akhran Girmay. Excellent black and
white drawings present a range of emotions through
body language and facial expressions.
The narrative is presented in the first person by Ali,
the main character. Coming from a very decent,
right-thinking family, he is aware of, but tries to
distance himself from, the undesirable elements in
his community. However, this being a novel which
focuses on peer group friendships and loyalty as
well as on family, he is inevitably drawn into difficult,
often dangerous situations by his friendship with
two brothers, Noodles and Beedles. Thoughtprovoking
and reflective, it is must-have reading
material for teenage students, white as well as Black.
Elizabeth Finlayson
68
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

Books: 17 – 19
Poetry
Editor’s pick
Nikita Gill
These Are the Words
Macmillan, 2022, 208pp, £7.99,
9781529083606
Feminism. Identity. Power
Young adult debut with advice on
life for coming of age, beautifully
illustrated by the poet.
John Agard
and Momoko Abe
Follow that Word
Hodder, 26 May 2022, 164pp, £7.99,
9781444964974
Poetry. People. Place
A celebration of imagination –
demonstrating true diversity of
language, delivering John Agard’s
take on people and places.
Lemn Sissay
The Fire People:
a Collection of
Contemporary Black
British Poets
Canongate, 2022, 160pp, £16.99,
9781838855420
Black Voice. Classic. Famous Poets
A new edition of a collection of
Black British poets which celebrated
the rising stars of the time, now
household names.
Louisa Reid
The Poet
Doubleday, 2022, 320pp, £14.99,
780857528391
Control. Relationships. Survival
Verse novel of a dysfunctional
relationship, exploring coercive
control, class, and privilege. A tale of
female solidarity and survival.
Ted Kooser, Connie Wanek
and Richard Jones
Marshmallow Clouds:
Poems Inspired by Nature
Walker, 2022, 72pp, £14.99,
781529507072
Environment. Nature. Seasons
An illustrated collection of thirty
poems that explores the wonders of
nature, with beautiful illustrations.
Allie Esiri
Shakespeare for Every
Day of the Year
Macmillan, 2022, 576pp, £14.99,
9781529005035
Literature. Poetry. Shakespeare
366 extracts from Shakespeare’s
plays and poems matched to the
date each sits on, also including
synopses of each play and a timeline
covering major historical events and
offering context.
Brenda Birungi
Behind Bars: on
Punishment, Prison
and Release
Brazen, 2022, £11.99, 96pp,
9781914240317
Identity. Punishment. Racism
In 2008, 21-year-old Lady Unchained
got involved in a fight in a club while
trying to protect her sister. Serving a
prison sentence, she began to write.
Rosoff, Meg
Friends Like These
Bloomsbury Young Adult
2022, pp256, £12.99
9781526646118
Friendships. Coming of Age.
Relationships
Set in the early 1980s in a sweltering New York
summer, Friends Like These catapults us into the
frantic world of Beth and her newspaper internship.
She is a small-town girl moving away from home for
the first time, and New York immediately welcomes
Beth with open arms. The cockroach infested
apartment, oppressive heat, and a bout of illness all
work to emphasise the contrast between Beth’s life
and that of her new friend, Edie, who lives in luxury
and splendour. Edie becomes the saviour that we’re
all waiting for and moves her friend into the family
apartment.
Slowly but surely, Edie shows her true colours.
Domineering, chaotic, but also very charismatic,
she controls those around her, taking centre stage
in every situation. The novel concentrates on the
microaggressions that come from living and working
so closely with friends and all the time the shadow of
the Aids epidemic looms large.
This is a wonderful coming-of-age novel, with the
reader leaving Beth far stronger and more confident
than we found her.
Erica Dean
Schmeichel, Peter
One: My Autobiography
Hodder
2022, pp416, £10.99
9781529354126
Football. Autobiography. Families
Peter Schmeichel’s autobiography
is filled with the thrills of his football career and an
insider look at 1990s football that will surely appeal
to fans of the sport. There are plenty of insights into
the management of his club, Manchester United;
anecdotes about large personalities of the time,
including Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona, and David
Beckham; as well as his recollections of playing for
his country in the European Football Championship
in 1992. What is most compelling about this book,
however, are the insights Schmeichel offers about his
personal and family life: from the adversity and illness
he faced in his childhood to his candid exploration
of his tumultuous relationship with his father, who
suffered from alcohol abuse and was himself troubled
by the fate of his mother in a concentration camp.
Schmeichel writes of his family and relationships with
candour: the obvious appreciation for his mother, and
then his own experience as a husband and parent;
predominantly, his tremendous pride of his children,
including his son, Jasper Schmeichel, who has
followed in his footsteps in goalkeeping for Denmark.
Cari Lake
Shaw, Clare
Towards a General
Theory of Love
Bloodaxe Books
2022, pp96, £10.99
9781780376042
Love. Relationships. Identity
An authentic, strong and searingly honest voice
comes through this fourth collection of poems
from Clare Shaw, published by Bloodaxe Books. In
Towards a General Theory of Love, Shaw explores
love from a range of different perspectives, imbued
with melancholy, pain, suffering, and hope.
Within the wider collection, the psychology of love
is explored through a series of poems that involve
the experiences and reflections of ‘Monkey’, who
embodies lessons learned about attachment in
experiments carried out on baby rhesus monkeys
by Harry Harlow in the 1950s and 60s. Clare Shaw
shares her understanding and interest in trauma
and mental health through her work and how our
experience of love – or its absence – can shape our
identity and the way we see the world.
This collection would be inspiring as wider reading
for upper GCSE and A Level students. Shaw’s work
would augment their experience of poetry that
challenges them to reflect on relationships, grief,
identity, and the experiences of love on the shaping
of self.
Jane Broadis
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
69

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Books: Professional
Books: 17 – 19
Calland, Chris and
Hutchinson, Nicky
Tackling Anxiety in
Schools: Lessons for
Children Aged 3–13
Routledge
2021, pp182, £14.99
9780367620974
Anxiety. Children. Lessons
This particularly helpful book ‘provides a schoolbased
early intervention programme to reduce
anxiety levels in children’ (p.3). Its authors have
many years’ teaching experience, are qualified
counsellors and government advisers.
Mental health issues, and specifically anxiety,
are on the increase and affect approximately five
students in each class. Unsurprisingly, this situation
has worsened with the pandemic. The coping
strategies laid out here aim to improve resilience
in young people and help them throughout their
lives. The authors recognise that talking about
anxiety and showing how it can be normal need to
be communicated to youngsters from an early age.
Information for parents/carers is included too.
There are three sections: preschool and early years;
ages 5–7 and ages 7–13. Each lesson in the course
comprises learning outcomes, resources, activities and
extension activities. Producing this book has answered
a great need and the authors offer training too.
Janet Syme
Coles, Alf and
Sinclair, Nathalie
I Can’t Do Maths: Why
children say it and how to
make a difference
Bloomsbury Education
2022, pp144, £14.99
9781472992673
Maths. Teaching. Dogmas
This is an interesting book that helps us to question
some of the ways in which we teach mathematics to
children in schools. The book highlights the origins
of some of the methods of teaching, drawing on the
history of mathematical discovery, then suggests
how this might have led to certain dogmas and
beliefs about maths arising in the society, such as
‘Maths is always right or wrong’. The authors then
continue by offering some potential ways in which
their suggestions could be applied when teaching to
counteract these beliefs.
This book is full of interesting suggestions,
stories, and examples in mathematics and from
research. It is well written, engaging, and thoughtprovoking,
offering potential ways in which we
could change the way we teach mathematics to
encourage children to develop correct beliefs about
mathematics. The authors are very keen to improve
the success and confidence of students, and hope
that some of their approaches will aid with this.
Sarah Taylor
Goodall, Emma, and
Brownlow, Charlotte
Interoception and
Regulation: Teaching
Skills of Body Awareness
and Supporting
Connection with Others
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
2022, pp144, £13.99
9781787757288
Interoception. Autism. Behaviour
Interoception (sometimes referred to as the eighth
sense) is the ability to recognise and interpret
internal bodily cues before they affect external
behaviour. An awareness of these is essential in selfmanagement
and self-regulation of emotions. This
book provides a useful introduction to the concept.
It details what is interoception, its development
in children, which is the result of a complex
relationship between biology and environment,
and explores how some individuals with autism
can have more difficulty with interoception, thus
requiring co-regulation. Although the book is based
on research, the text is accessible and informative to
the non-expert, being broken up with sub-headings,
real life examples, and black and white line drawings
and diagrams. This would make a valuable addition
to the SEND staff library.
Barbara Band
Morrison McGill, Ross
The Teacher Toolkit
Guide to Memory
Routledge
2022, pp128, £19.45
9781472989345
Memory. Teaching. CPD
McGill’s teacher toolkit provides a wealth of
information on the brain, learning models, and types
of memory. It posits that by understanding more
about memory, teachers can shape their lessons to
improve students’ knowledge retention.
Each chapter comprises an explainer – what
you need to know about the topic; a practical
idea, with instructions for how to use it; a clear
worked example for using the practical idea;
and a blank template for planning the classroom
implementation of the idea. The memory tools
of chunking information, dual coding text with
graphics, and using supporting charts and diagrams
are all used effectively throughout.
Information is densely packed into this book, but the
format is engaging and encourages the reader to
choose between linear reading or selecting sections
of text for their purpose. Full of practical advice, this
guide to memory will help school staff strengthen
their own retention, alongside developing their
practice to support students in this area.
Sharon Corbally
Murphy, Kerry
A Guide to SEND
in the Early Years
Featherstone
2022, pp176, £18.99
9781472981011
SEND. Early Years. Inclusion
This guide is an in-depth exploration of how to
apply effective SEND support in the early years.
Each chapter is broken down into key starting
points, with activities, case studies and reflections to
support the improvement of SEND provision. Murphy
provides clear guidance to tackle challenges often
faced, as well as providing appropriate policies or
legislation. She also highlights common pitfalls and
misconceptions that are often detrimental to the
endeavour of support and inclusion of SEND children.
This brilliant guide promotes the celebration of
children with additional needs and provides clear and
well-supported guidance to improve SEND practice.
This includes support within early years settings, as
well as relationships with parents, and the importance
of believing in every child and their potential.
This guide provides an excellent foundation of
knowledge for anyone working in early years and
foundation stage, and whilst aimed at early years, the
concepts and practices of inclusion can be applied
throughout a child’s education.
Tegan Burnett
Wood, Rebecca and
Moyse, Ruth
Learning from Autistic
Teachers: How to Be a
Neurodiversity-Inclusive
School
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
2022, pp208, £22.99
9781839971266
Neurodiversity. Inclusivity. Education
A fantastic resource for those curious about
autistic teachers and inclusive teaching. This
book does an amazing job at spotlighting the
benefits of becoming a school that welcomes
neurodiverse teachers. A mixture of a handbook
and casebook, the book contains everything
from helpful tips, absolute no-nos, and great
explanations on why certain actions need to take
place within a school setting. With great illustrative
drawings to accompany the book, I implore all
educators to have a read. You may not identify as
neurodiverse, but inside are great tips on making
sure you are advocating, welcoming, and positive
about neurodiversity within your own educational
institutes. It is certainly a much-needed perspective
in the growing inclusive profession that is teaching.
Rabia Arif
EDITOR’S PICK
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022
71

Books: Review Index
Page numbers in italics indicate a book that features
in the Editor’s Picks highlight box on that page.
A
Ace, Lauren - The Boys 34
Acheampong, Barbara - 123 counting in TWI 34
Adegoke, Yomi and Elizabeth Uviebinené - The Offline Diaries44
Agard, John - John Agard’s Windrush Child 34
Agard, John and Abe Momoko - Follow that Word 69
Agnes Richards, Mary
- What Can I Do? Inspiring Activities for Creative Kids 54
Akpojaro, Jordan - Questions and Answers about Racism 54
Alice, Hannah - The Tree Book 54
Amey Bhatt, Donna and Amey Bhatt, Vikesh
- Lands of Belonging: A History of India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain 54
Anang, Annemarie - I Am Nefertiti 34
Anderson, Sophie - The Thief Who Sang Storms 44
Armitage, Ronda and Armitage, David
- The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch 39
Armstrong, Zoe - Curious Creatures Working with Tools 34
Asika, Uju - A World for Me and You 34
B
Bailey, Lily - When I See Blue 44
Balkan, Gabrielle - Book of Dinosaurs:
10 Record-Breaking Prehistoric Animals 54
Barclay, Alex - My Heart & Other Breakables 60
Barr, Emily - Ghosted 60
Barnhill, Kelly - The Ogress and the Orphans 44
Bathie, Holly - Social Media Survival Guide 66
Baumann, Anne-S - The Ultimate Book of Water 35
Beck, Melinda - We Are Shapes 35
Beer, Adam - Solo 35
Benoist, Cecile - Do You Know? Earth and Nature 54
Berner, Rotraut Susanne - All Around Bustletown Nighttime 35
Birungi, Brenda
- Behind Bars: on Punishment, Prison and Release 69
Brown, Melanie - Wildflower 35
Brown, Ruth - Eye Spy 35
Buckthorn, Georgia - The Fairy Garden 36
Burt, Anthony - The Animal Lighthouse 44
Butchart, Pamela - The Talking Lamb 36
C
Calland, Chris and Hutchinson, Nicky - Tackling Anxiety in
Schools: Lessons for Children Aged 3–13 71
Carnavas, Peter - My Brother Ben 44
Carroll, Nancy - Daisy Fitzpatrick and Her Worries 45
Chainani, Soman - The Rise of the School for Good and Evil 60
Chancellor, Deborah - Shelly Hen Lays Eggs 36
Christou, Bethany - I’m More than a Sheep 36
Churnin, Nancy - Dear Mr. Dickens 36
Churnin, Nancy - A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta
Szold, Founder of Hadassah 55
Clement, Jo - Outlandish 68
Close, Helena - Things I Know 60
Coelho, Joseph - Smile Out Loud: 25 Happy Poems 45
Coles, Alf and Sinclair, Nathalie - I Can’t Do Maths: Why children
say it and how to make a difference 71
Collins, Timothee -
Sherlock Bones and the Case of the Crown Jewels 45
Colson, Rob - Triumphs of Technology 63
Cooke, Tim and Lilly, Matt - Did the Celts use hair gel? And
other questions about the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages 49
Cooke, Tim and Lilly, Matt - Why did the ancient Greeks
ride elephants into battle? And other questions about
the ancient Greeks 49
Cooper, Helen - Saving the Butterfly 36
Coyle, Sarah and Walker-Parker, Adam -
A Pirate Alien Jungle Adventure 39
Creech, Sharon - One Time 45
Crumpton, Nick -
Everything You Know About Minibeasts is Wrong 55
D
Daly, Niki - On My Papa’s Shoulders 37
Danks, Fiona and Schofield, Jo - Make This Book Wild 55
David, Lee and Brewin, Debbie
- 10 Minutes to Better Mental Health 66
Davies, Becky - How to Make a Book 55
Deacon, Alexis - Curse of the Chosen V1 60
Dean, Benjamin - The King Is Dead 60
Deary, Terry and Phillips, Mike - The Secret Diary of Boudica 49
Deuchars, Marion - The ME Book: an Art Activity Book 39
Devolle, John - Atoms 37
Dixon, James - The Billow Maiden 45
Doyle, Catherine - The Lost Girl King 45
Dunne, Jacob - Right from Wrong 68
Durant, Alan - Human Town 37
E
Earle, Phil - While the Storm Rages 46
Ellis, Rowan - Here and Queer: A Queer Girl’s Guide to Life 66
Erlandsson, Karin and Prime, Annie - The Pearl Whisperer 61
Esiri, Allie - Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year 69
F
Farook, Nizrana - The Girl Who Lost a Leopard 46
Fehr, Daniel - Ella in the Garden of Giverny 37
Fewster, Helen (Editor) - The Science of Plants 66
Fisher, Lucy - Women in the War:
The Last Heroines of Britain’s Greatest Generation 66
Fleming, Lynn - Catching Butterflies 46
Fox, Matthew - The Sky Over Rebecca 46
G
Gallion, Sue Lowell - Our Seasons: The World in Winter,
Spring, Summer, and Autumn 37
Galvin, Lindsay - My Friend the Octopus 61
Garrord, Ben - Extinct Trilobite 55
Gifford, Clive - Robot Helpers 63
Gill, Nikita - These Are the Words 69
Gimenez, Regina - Geo-Graphics 55
Glasgow, Kathleen and Lawson, Liz - The Agathas 61
Goodall, Emma, and Brownlow, Charlotte - Interoception
and Regulation: Teaching Skills of Body Awareness and
Supporting Connection with Others 71
Gray, Nigel - Phyllis and Grace 39
Gregory, Marie-Louise
- The Mystery of the Oak Island Treasure 46
Green, Julia and Latimer, Alex - The Boy Who
Sailed the World 37 & 39
Greenfield, Rob and Banyard, Antonia - Be the Change 56
Grey, Mini - The Greatest Show on Earth 56
Guillain, Charlotte - The Sea below My Toes 56
H
Hafiza, Radiya - Rumaysa Ever After 47
Hall, Jake - The Art of Drag 66
Hanaor, Ziggy - Alte Zachen: Old Things 47
Hardinge, Francis - Unraveller 61
Hart, Caryl - The Girl Who Planted Trees 38
Hennesy, Kathryn (Editor)
- Migrations: A History of Where We All Came From 67
Hills, Adam - Rock Star Detectives 47
Hillyard, Kim - Gretel the Wonder Mammoth 38
Hoagland, Tony - Turn Up the Ocean 68
Hoopmann, Kathy - All about Dyspraxia 38
Hope, Olivia - Be Wild, Little One 38
Ho-Yen, Polly - The Boy Who Grew a Tree 38
Horne, Sarah - Panda in the Spotlight 47
Howell, A. M - The Secret of the Treasure Keepers 47
J
Jacoby, Jenny - The Encyclopaedia of STEM Words 56
Jacoby, Jenny and Venn, Jem (Illustrator) - Cool Technology 63
Jawando, Danielle - When Our Worlds Collided 61
Johnson, Pete - How to Be a Comedy Genius 56
Jones, Naomi and Gomez, Ana - How to Catch a Rainbow 39
K
Kirby, Loll and Burrows, Ruth - Unstoppable Artists 39
Kooser, Ted, Wanek, Connie and Jones, Richard - Marshmallow
Clouds: Poems Inspired by Nature 69
Kramer, Jonne - The Riddle of the Sea 47
L
Laboucarie, Sandra - Volcanoes 56
Lang, Karen and Tezel, Selim - Become an App Inventor:
the Official Guide from MIT App Inventor: Your Guide to
Designing, Building, and Sharing Apps 63
Langley-Swain, Samuel and Panayi, Helen - What Makes a Lemur
Listen?38
Lawrence, Patrice - The Elemental Detectives 48
Len, Vanessa - Only a Monster 61
Lenahan, John - Son of Shadow 48
Lewis, Caryl - Seed 48
Lindgren, Barbro - The Tale of the Tiny Man 40
Long, David and Fatimaharan, Allen
- We Are the Romans: Meet the People Behind the History 49
Lucianovic, Stephanie V. W. - Hello, Star 40
M
Marley, Cedella and Marley, Bob - Every Little Thing 40
McKenzie, Sophie - Boy, Missing 63
McQuiston, Casey - I Kissed Shara Wheeler 63
Melling, David - Ruffles and the New Green Thing 40
Menzies, Jean and Ponder, Katie - Egyptian Myths 49
Minecraft Master Builder: Ancient wonders 49
Morpurgo, Michael - There Once Is a Queen 40
Morris, Molly - This Is Not the End 63
Morrish, Louise - Operation Moonlight 68
Morrison McGill, Ross - The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Memory 71
Murphy, Kerry - A Guide to SEND in the Early Years 71
N
Newbery, Lee - The Last Firefox 48
Nguru, Shiko - Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask 48
O
O’Brien, Thomas and Marsh, Ryan - Amazing bite-size builds:
over 20 awesome mini-projects 63
Otter, Isabel - Earth, Sea and Stars:
Inspiring Tales of the Natural World 48
Owen, Morgan - The Girl with No Soul 64
P
Palmer, Tom - Resist: One Girl’s Fight Back Against the Nazis 50
Pang, Camilla - Perfectly Weird, Perfectly You 67
Pilgrim, Alake - Zo and the Forest of Secrets 50
Potter, William - AI 63
Pounder, Sibéal - Neon’s Secret Universe 50
Prinja, Raman - Wonders of the Night Sky 57
R
Rashford, Marcus and Falase-Koya, Alex - The Breakfast Club
Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence 50
Rappaport, Helen - In Search of Mary Seacole:
The Making of a Cultural Icon 68
Rawlinson, Julia - Fletcher and the Rockpool 40
Reeve, Philip - Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep 50
Regas, Dean - How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto 57
Reid, Louisa - The Poet 69
Reynolds, Jason - When I Was the Greatest 68
Rocha, Lucas - Where We Go from Here 64
Roeder, Annette - Olaf Hajek’s Fantastic Fruits 57
Rohan, Jason - S.T.E.A.L.T.H. Access denied 50
Romano Young, Karen - Antarctica: The Melting Continent 57
Romero, Soledad - Famous Robberies 57
Rosen, Michael - Ready for Spaghetti 42
Rosoff, Meg - Friends Like These 69
Rowe, Kelis - Finding Juniper 64
Rowland, Lucy - Daddy’s Rainbow 42
Rudkin, Angharad and Fitzgerald, Ruth - Split Survival Kit: 10
Steps for Coping with Your Parents’ Separation 57
Russel Williams, Imogen - Great Elizabethans: HM Queen
Elizabeth II and 25 Amazing Britons from Her Reign 58
S
Sagar, Andy - Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup 51
Salmon, Casper - How to Count to One 42
Salten, Felix - The Original Bambi 64
Scales, Helen - What a Shell Can Tell 58
Schmeichel, Peter - One: My Autobiography 69
Seed, Andy - Interview with Cleopatra & Other Famous Rulers 58
Semple, David - I’m the Tractor Driver 42
Sharma, Anuradha - The Story of Babur: Prince, Emperor, Sage58
Shaw, Clare - Towards a General Theory of Love 69
Simpson, Darren - Furthermoor 51
Singh, Ranj - A Superpower Like Mine 42
Sirdeshpande, Rashmi and Ewen, Diane
- Never Let a Diplodocus Draw 39
Sissay Lemn - The Fire People:
a Collection of Contemporary Black British Poets 69
Smart, Jamie - Looshkin: The Maddest Cat in the World! 51
Smith, Alex T - Mr Penguin and the Tomb of Doom 49
Smith, Eloise - Sister to a Star 51
Smith, Jim - Barry Loser: Total Winner 51
So, Cynthia - If You Still Recognise Me 64
Solak, Daria - Big Wide Words in the Neighbourhood 42
Stansbie, Stephanie - This Girl Can Do Anything 43
Stowell, Louie - Loki: a Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame 49
Strong, Jeremy Armadillo and Hare and the Flamingo Affair 51
T
The Gadget Show: Big Book of Cool Stuff 63
Thornton, Nicki - The Poisoned Pie Mystery 52
Timmers, Leo - Elephant Island 43
Townsend, Yarrow - The Map of Leaves 52
Tulloch, Jonathan - Cuckoo Summer 52
V
Vescio, Robert and Creamer, Kathy - A Squiggly Line 39
Vinti, Lucia - The Looking Book 58
W
Walisiewicz, Marek (Editor) - Timelines of World History 67
Walker, Angharad - Once Upon a Fever 52
Weatherby, Alison - The Secrets Act 64
Wharton, Alex - Daydreams and Jellybeans 52
Wilkins, Catherine - You’re Not the Boss of Me 52
Winstone, Laura - The Unofficial Guide to the
Ancient Egyptian Afterlife 58
Wooldridge, Michael - Artificial Intelligence 63
Wood, Rebecca and Moyse, Ruth - Learning from Autistic
Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School 71
Z
Zepf, Máire - Rita Wants a Dragon 43
72
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2022

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