TSL 72-3 Autumn 2024 - public

TSL
The School Librarian
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Volume 72 Number 3 Autumn 2024
Encouraging Reading for Pleasure:
A Low-Cost, High-Impact Intervention
By Alison David
Behaviour in the School Library
By Sue Cowley
Powerful Partnerships
By Sharon Corbally
www.sla.org.uk

Contents
TSL
The School Librarian
The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association
Volume 72 Number 3 Autumn 2024
Welcome from CEO 2
Editorial 3
SLA News 4
Features
A Celebration of Sheffield Steel
Richard Gerver 5
Encouraging Reading for Pleasure
Alison David 6
Behaviour in the School Library
Sue Cowley 8
Digital Divides and Dividing Lines
Dr Emma Stone, Katherine Hill and Dr Chloe Blackwell 10
Powerful Partnerships
Sharon Corbally 12
Top Priorities for a New Term 14
Celebrating Excellence in Our Schools – Awards Shortlists 16
A View From... 20
Curriculum Links 23
FAQs 24
Research Highlights 25
Digital
Bev’s Helpdesk 26
Using Social Media to Develop a Personal Learning Network
by Jonathan Viner 28
Engage and Inspire: Using Nearpod to Enhance Education
by Kojo Hazel 29
In the Garden Audiobook Collection Review by Lousie Davis 30
Libro.fm Review by Heather Grainger 30
Winston AI Review by Gareth Evans 31
ALCS Copyright Resources Review by Jules Crossley-Nilsen 31
Book Reviews
7 and Under 32
Dates for Your Diary 41
8–12 Fiction 42
8–12 Information 52
13–16 Fiction 58
13–16 Information 64
17–19 66
Professional 70
6
Encouraging Reading for
Pleasure: A Low-Cost,
High-Impact Intervention
That Works!
8
Behaviour in the
School Library
12
Powerful Partnerships
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 1

Welcome from the Chair
Hello and welcome to this latest
edition of The School Librarian.
For those who don’t know me,
my name is Paul Register and I
have recently become the latest
in a long line of experienced
and illustrious school librarians to assume the
mantle of Chair of the SLA. Although it wasn’t
something I particularly chased (was happy to
just be a trustee), circumstances have thrust me
forward and I am now very proud and honoured
to be taking on this role and working more closely
with CEO Alison Tarrant, the brilliant staff at SLA
HQ in Swindon, current trustees, future trustees,
and school librarians all over the kingdom (and
beyond). Basically, you’re all stuck with me for the
next three years. We’ll endeavour to keep the HMS
SLA on a straight course and out of choppy waters!
As I write this intro, I am enjoying the early weeks
of the summer holidays. My own school library was
completely dismantled and moved to another part
of the school last week. Rebuilding it from scratch,
however, is a job for September Paul and not
something July Paul is going to worry about during
his well-earned summer break. I know from my
conversations in the Secondary School Librarians
group on Facebook that I am not the only one of
us having to deal with a big move this year. For
some of you it might well feel like a punishment
or the result of small-minded thinking by school
management teams. I’m hoping that’s not true for
any of us, however, and we can all embrace it as an
opportunity to build something fresh, exciting, and
more effective for our students than what we have
left behind. That’s certainly my intention.
We are also a few weeks into a brand-new
government here in the UK! Those of us with very
long memories of the Blair
and Brown years will recall
that Labour have been no
more conducive to the idea of
making libraries a statutory
requirement of secondary
schools than the Conservatives
were. Hope springs eternal
though! The very concept of
having an education minister
in office for longer than a year
has become quite novel (no
pun intended) in itself, so I’d
like to believe it’s a time to be
more positive than negative.
Doubtless, we in the profession
will be revisiting the debate
of whether school library
inspections should become a
thing during Ofsted visits. My own
personal view is that I would be very
uncomfortable with any official connections to
Ofsted, but I’m only one librarian and I’d welcome
the debate, at whatever level we have it.
That’s all from me for now. I hope you enjoy
this edition of TSL (not The TSL, as I have to
keep reminding myself – it’s not The The School
Librarian!) and that you’ve already enjoyed Steve
Antony’s lovely cover pic of the new Children’s
Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce with Obi-Wan
Kenobi and Gandalf! Have fun!
Paul Register is the Chair of the Board
of the SLA, and has been a school
librarian in a number of schools over
the years. He runs the Excelsior Award
and lives and works in Sheffield.
The front cover shows new
Children's Laureate (and SLA
Patron) Frank Cottrell-Boyce,
Secondary SLYA winner 2022
Derek France and SLA Chair
Paul Register.
Contributions
Articles, books or digital media for review are always
welcome. We are happy to receive enquiries from potential
contributors and will be pleased to supply further
information. Email: tsl@sla.org.uk
Advertising queries and 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, TSL, 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 2024.
Published four times a year by the School Library Association: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Cover illustration by Steve Antony. Copyright © 2024 School Library Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 0036 6595
The views expressed are those of the contributors and reviewers and not necessarily the official views of the School Library Association.
Registered Charity No. 313660
2 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Editorial
W
ith the start of the next
academic year come
new chapters and fresh
opportunities. Not least
because this time, we have
a new Government at the
helm. Now more than ever, this coming school
year is sure to be one of change and progression
– and we’re continuing to ensure that school
libraries are part of it.
While new beginnings often bring feelings of
excitement, they can also be daunting. A useful
feature within this issue sees fellow members
of school library staff share the top three things
they’re prioritising to help combat the sense of
overwhelm that can often accompany a new term.
Whether it be organising inductions and recruiting
new pupil librarians or better utilising your library
management system and conducting reading
surveys, we hope that hearing from others in our
community provides helpful perspective and a
welcome reminder that you’re not alone.
Similar inspiration can be found in our feature
that celebrates excellence in school libraries by
shining a deserving spotlight on the school library
staff and projects shortlisted for our 2024 SLA
Awards. If you’re looking to start the term with a
smile, that’s the page to turn to!
Now more than ever, this coming
school year is sure to be one of
change and progression – and
we’re continuing to ensure that
school libraries are part of it.
SLA President Richard Gerver delivers more
motivational content in his regular column,
recounting the unwavering spirit of school library
staff witnessed at our 2024 Weekend Course in
Sheffield, back in June. Change is not without
uncertainty, but it’s ‘that commitment to standing
together, to collaboration and to the fighting for
each other’ that allows us to successfully rise to
the challenge. Library Manager Sharon Corbally
echoes the benefits of collaboration through her
piece on partnership working and the ways it can
extend resources, create opportunities, enhance
self-esteem, and broaden the horizons of both
staff and students.
This issue also contains lots of the latest insightful
research and strategies to help inform your
practice. Education author and teacher trainer
Sue Cowley shares practical steps you can take
to ensure that your library doesn’t become a
magnet for poor behaviour, while Farshore’s Alison
David reveals how daily storytime at school can
encourage reading for pleasure – a low-cost,
high-impact intervention that actually works! Plus,
discover the Minimum Digital Living Standard
(MDLS). This new research outlines what families
need to be digitally included in today’s society,
reveals that digital skills shouldn’t be assumed, and
emphasises the role of schools and their libraries
in teaching digital safety.
To help with these skills, our Digital section is
certainly worth a read this issue. Examine Gareth
Evans’ findings on ‘the industry's leading artificial
intelligence (AI) detection tool’ and whether it
can help users distinguish between human or
AI generated content; learn how you can use
social media to develop your own Personal
Learning Network (PLN); and discover the ethical
audiobook option that offers free advanced
listener copies of upcoming titles.
As always, we hope the pages of this issue will help
you prepare for the adventures ahead.
Unfortunately, this will be my last Editorial for TSL.
By the time this issue lands, I’ll have moved on
from the SLA after three and a half wonderful years
to a new adventure. It's been a pleasure to be part
of the brilliant work of the SLA, and I look forward
to following its continued success.
Hannah Groves was
the Marketing and
Communications Officer for
the School Library Association.
Hannah joined the SLA from
publishing and then worked
to keep everyone informed
about everything going on
at the SLA.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 3

SLA News
Members, You’re Invited To Our AGM!
The SLA’s Annual General Meeting
(AGM) will be held online at 6 p.m. on
Wednesday 18 September. Legally
required to keep the SLA running, the
AGM is an important opportunity for
our members to have their say. This year,
it’s also a chance for you to vote in the
Trustee election, meet the Board, and
hear from special guest author Frances
Hardinge.
We know that these formalities can feel
unfamiliar, so we’ve answered some FAQs
to help you take part. If there’s anything
else you’re curious about, just let us know
by emailing info@sla.org.uk.
Who can take part?
Weekend Course
2025 Is Coming
To Northampton
The SLA is delighted to be
bringing the Weekend Course
to Northampton in 2025.
Taking place over Friday
6 and Saturday 7 June,
the course will, as always,
deliver high-quality CPD
for all those working in or
interested in school libraries.
Delegates will be able to
attend workshops on new research for school libraries
and literacy, using the work of authors and illustrators
to change young lives, changing perspectives of school
library staff, and much more.
The theme is ‘Breaking Barriers: Freedom to Learn’ and
will address barriers in the form of lack of reading ability
and/or desire, censorship, barriers to networking with
teachers, and barriers to imagination and access to stories.
We’re pleased to have Richard Gerver, SLA President,
confirmed as keynote speaker alongside former Children’s
Laureate and much-loved author, Anne Fine, and multipleaward
winning author, Bali Rai. More speakers will be
announced later this year.
Booking is now open, so you can head to our website to
secure your place. Don’t miss out – 2024 was a sell out!
Visit: bit.ly/SLAWC25
Any SLA member can take part and
vote or propose or second items
during an AGM.
If I can’t make that time, can I still
vote?
You can nominate a proxy to vote on
your behalf during the meeting, but that
person must attend the meeting. They do
not have to be a member. You can find
more information in the Notice of AGM
but, in short, you email the SLA office and
nominate the person you want to vote on
your behalf.
How important is the AGM?
It’s very important. It’s legally required
to keep the SLA running, and it’s an
important opportunity for you to find
out about the priorities, running, and
spending of the organisation.
What if I have a question, but can’t
attend?
Any questions can be sent to the Chair.
If you have something you want to ask,
or are unsure of, please do get in touch.
If you’re thinking it, someone else may
be too!
Remember To Vote
In The 2024 IBA
Children’s Choice
Earlier this year, we announced the shortlist for our 2024
Information Book Award (IBA), which consists of 12 titles that
help children to find their place in the world. Whether it be by
developing an understanding of the histories of society and
culture, or exploring their present-day relationships with others,
these books will have something in their pages to inspire and
excite all young readers.
But we want to hear what
the children think!
Remember that students
have the chance to vote
for their favourite titles
to crown a Children’s
Choice Winner in each of
the three age categories.
Getting involved in the
voting process can be
greatly beneficial because
it helps children engage
with information books
and build essential skills
through teamwork and discussion.
Children’s Choice voting is FREE and open to all. We even have
some free resources to help you organise participation. So get
involved and make sure you cast your vote before 15 October!
Head to our website for more information and to download your
resources: www.sla.org.uk/iba
4 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Feature
A Celebration of Sheffield Steel
Richard Gerver
Richard Gerver shares his experiences of the 2024 SLA Weekend Course
‘Libraries Unleashed’ and why he’s already looking forward to the next one …
The 7th June 2024 marked the
beginning of my favourite weekend
of the year – just don’t tell my family!
We are undeniably living in
continually challenging times, and
education is certainly in a difficult
place. By the time this article is published, we may
well have a new Government, who we hope may
constitute change and opportunity, but the reality
is, it is going to take time and there will definitely
not be any quick fixes.
Despite this, I arrived at the Mercure hotel, in
Sheffield city centre, to be greeted by the smiling
faces and bright T-shirts of our wonderful SLA
team. I dropped off my bag at the desk and headed
down the stairs towards the noise and hubbub. I
hadn’t had an easy week to be honest, but as soon
as I entered the exhibition area, my mood lifted. I
wanted to thank the exhibitors for coming and for
supporting our conference. Without exception, the
response was similar, summed up by one exhibitor
who exclaimed, ‘No problem, we love it here, best
conference we get to attend. There is so much
positivity, comradery, and passion.’
As my 24 hours in Sheffield progressed and I got
to meet more and more of you, I too was uplifted
and inspired.
YOU, yes YOU are AMAZING!
I have always said that our school libraries are at
the heart of our schools and our children’s futures.
At the conference, I called you the ‘curators of
calm’, but you are so much more than that. I also
said that I think you are the ‘furnace of aspiration,’
for so many of our young people and their families.
I have never meant it more.
Despite the darkness of the last few years, you keep
rising to the challenge, to fighting for our children
and their absolute right to access the books that
I think you are the ‘furnace of
aspiration,’ for so many of our
young people and their families.
can shape their worlds. Your skill, knowledge,
and expertise are still too often overlooked or
underestimated and that is a squandering of human
resource that together we must continue to fight.
It is that commitment to standing together, to
collaboration and to the fighting for each other, that
I found most uplifting about our weekend together.
Sheffield’s steel is an alloy of iron, carbon,
manganese, silicon, phosphorus, sulphur, and
oxygen; it is forged in the intense heat of the city’s
furnaces, and it has been used to provide the
support of civilisations around the world.
Despite the darkness of the last few
years, you keep rising to the challenge.
I hope that we can use the combined elements of
our skill, knowledge, passion, and professionalism,
fired in the furnace of the SLA to build bigger,
stronger foundations that will support our children
for generations to come.
Before I finish, I need to pay tribute to our SLA
team … They better not edit this bit out; they don’t
like the spotlight!
Alison and the team put on a world class event
and did so with a limitation of people power and
resources, but the weekend was an incredible
testament to them and their commitment to the
SLA and to all of us.
I also need to thank all of our exhibitors, who are
not only so vital to our conference but also to our
libraries, day in and day out.
Finally, I want to thank all of you for giving
up a much-needed weekend to be part of our
movement, and for doing everything you do to help
to build a brighter, better future.
I am already looking forward to next year, when
we come together in Northampton on 6 and 7 June
2025 – get it in your diaries, see you there! In the
meantime, I’m off to find Northampton’s equivalent
of steel for my post event article!
Richard Gerver is President of
the School Library Association,
and a world-renowned
speaker and author. He was
previously a headteacher.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 5

Feature
Encouraging Reading for Pleasure:
A Low-Cost, High-Impact
Intervention That Works!
Alison David
Recent Farshore research shows the myriad benefits of
encouraging reading for pleasure and addresses some of
the potential barriers. Read on to find out more and gain
some practical tips for implementation.
Alison David is Consumer
Insight Director at Farshore.
Alison has worked with
research as a creator,
analyst and end user.
Her research programme
includes investigating what
it takes to inspire children to
read for pleasure.
The latest PIRLS i data states
that only 29% of 10-year-olds
in England enjoy reading. The
international average is 42%. In
the UK, 29% of 8- to 10-year-olds
choose to read for pleasure daily
or nearly every day (4+ days per
week). In 2012 it was 56%. ii
Why? At Farshore, we’ve been researching the
barriers to reading for pleasure since 2012. A key
problem is many children perceive reading only
as learning and a task, not something to do out
of choice. In the home, reading aloud to children
is highly effective: 59% of 8- to 13-year-olds read
independently for enjoyment daily when they
are read to by their parents daily, but only 19% of
those read to on a weekly basis also read daily to
themselves. iii Few children are read to frequently:
only 21% of 8- to 10-year-olds are read to every
day or nearly every day at home. iv
What if children were read to at school every
day, purely for enjoyment – no worksheets, no
testing? In Farshore’s Storytime Trial, 86 teachers
in 20 primary schools in England agreed to read
to children in Years 3, 4, and 5 (around 3000 7- to
10-year-olds) every day throughout the spring
term of 2023. Each school was gifted 200 books for
participating. Pre- and post-questionnaires for all
teachers and children, and additionally the Salford
Sentence reading test for Year 4 (to measure
progress in reading age and comprehension), were
completed and revealed astonishing results.
Teachers reported multiple benefits for children:
increased reading enjoyment, confidence,
concentration, improved wellbeing, and pupils
choosing to read more and more widely. The
Salford test with Year 4 children found the average
reading age gain was 12 months (36% of children
gained more than 13 months), and all schools
increased their average comprehension scores: on
average 49% were well above average/excellent
at the start, increasing to 60% at the end. Some
had truly astounding results: one with 59% pupil
premium had 4% of children with ‘excellent’
comprehension at the start, rising to 52% at the
end of term.
Many children perceive reading only
as learning and a task, not something
to do out of choice.
Children loved the experience: 77% said they
didn’t want storytime to stop.
‘It has made me like books a lot more and I feel
like if we don’t carry on then I will go back to hate
reading. Also I feel like it has made a lot of people
in my class like reading.’
Why did it work so well?
Listening to a story took the pressure off; children
knew there was no ‘right or wrong’, no learning
expectation, so they were relaxed, happy, and they
engaged. The increased frequency and consistency
of storytime meant children looked forward to it,
excitement and anticipation grew. Children’s view
of reading changed: storytime was a treat. The
200 new books meant they were exposed to new
authors, new genres, and found books they enjoyed.
‘Because we were doing it constantly, they were so
engaged with the story. I would leave it on a cliffhanger.
They were talking about it. No time lapse.
You didn’t break the engagement.’ – Year 4 teacher
6 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Encouraging Reading for Pleasure
Listening to a story took the pressure
off; children knew there was no ‘right or
wrong’, no learning expectation, so they
were relaxed, happy, and they engaged.
‘They cheer when it is story time – and remind me if
I have forgotten to put it on the timetable or if I have
had to move it to a different time for some reason.
We have got in the real habit of having it after lunch.’
– Year 3 teacher
Any hitches?
Daily storytime is a simple solution to the reading
for pleasure crisis: it’s low cost and high impact. But
it’s not straightforward! While ‘reading for pleasure’
is statutory on the curriculum, daily storytime
is not. The demands of the statutory curriculum
meant many teachers found it difficult to allocate
20 minutes daily and so although children were
read to for pure enjoyment more frequently, more
consistently, and for longer than prior to the trial,
it transpired that 55% of teachers read aloud every
day and others read on fewer days during the week.
‘We don’t have enough time to allow 20 minutes of
reading every day.’ – Year 4 teacher
‘Hard to fit everything else into the timetable with
100 minutes of extra reading a week.’ – Year 5
teacher
However, many teachers said participating in
the trial gave them 'permission' to read aloud to
the children and that they enjoyed coming off
the statutory curriculum. At the trial end, 88% of
teachers said they thought daily storytime should
be mandatory. The following comments from
teachers were typical responses:
‘If it were mandatory, people wouldn’t feel guilty for
using this time.’
‘If it were mandatory, it would eliminate the
pressure that the 20 mins is eating into other
lessons/learning.’
‘We would all love 20 minutes a day. Sometimes
it is a choice between foundation subjects and
storytime. But the time was worthwhile – I was
sceptical at first, but I’ve been won over.’
‘I am literacy lead and this is something I would
like to run throughout the whole school but I will
need to sell the idea to members of the Senior
Leaderhip Team. It is a substantial amount of time
At the trial end, 88% of teachers
said they thought daily storytime
should be mandatory.
out of the
curriculum
but I strongly feel
the benefits have shown
through in assessments.’
‘It is developing the children’s oracy skills and
developing their all-round reading skills so will
definitely continue to do this.’
What happened next?
We recontacted the schools in January 2024 for
an update, and 47 teachers from 14 of the schools
responded: one year on, 46 were still delivering
storytime and 85% were reading daily (up from
55% at the end of the trial). Some were reading for
less than 20 minutes to achieve this. Teachers said
investing the time had multiple benefits, including
introducing children to a wider range of books,
increasing their reading enjoyment, improving
reading attainment and confidence, and that
children choose to read independently more often.
This time, 90% of teachers said they thought daily
storytime should be mandatory.
When we consider how few children are read to at
home by their parents, it’s very clear that for some
children, being read to at school might be the only
opportunity they get to enjoy this wonderful and
potentially life-changing experience.
Practical tips
1. Librarians can use their influence, raise
awareness of this trial with the SLT and gain
support for introducing it in school.
Teachers need SLT support to enable them
to allocate the time for a daily story with no
formal learning agenda.
2. The psychology of reading is so important.
Build and grow children’s positive notions
of reading by influencing the SLT to making
extra time a reward throughout school (i.e.
not only in English).
3. Keep up to date with children’s books.
Putting the right book in a child’s hand at
the right time is so important. Being up to
date with all the new books is challenging,
but in the case of HarperCollins, our new
‘Book Squad’ site will keep you abreast of
new publishing as well as plenty of other
free resources: www.booksquad.co.uk
i
Progress in International
Reading Literacy Study
ii
Nielsen BookData’s
‘Understanding the Children’s
Book Consumer’ 2012 and
2023
iii
Nielsen BookData’s
‘Understanding the Children’s
Book Consumer’ 2023
iv
Nielsen BookData’s
‘Understanding the Children’s
Book Consumer’ 2023
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 7

Feature
Behaviour in the School Library
Sue Cowley
Sue Cowley gives us some practical tips about how to
encourage positive behaviour in the school library and what to
do when faced with behaviour that doesn’t meet expectations.
Sue Cowley is a teacher,
presenter and the bestselling
author of over thirty
books on education. Find
out more at her website,
www.suecowley.co.uk,
or get in touch via Twitter
@Sue_Cowley.
Getting your Class to
Behave (sixth edition) is
published by Bloomsbury.
For many children and young people
the school library is a place of
sanctuary – somewhere quiet and
calm where they can spend time
reading, studying and building
their knowledge.
Unfortunately, for some young
people, the library acts like a
magnet for poor behaviour.
Fortunately, though, there are
plenty of strategies that you can
put in place to deal with this!
Be clear about what you want
The first step in successful
behaviour management is clarity
of expectations. We need to be
crystal clear with young people
about the behaviours we do want
to see in our spaces. This starts
with communication – ensure
that you have posters and other visual messaging
up, in and around your library space, that makes
it clear exactly what is expected. Aim to stick
to communicating the behaviours that you do
want, rather than those you don’t, finding clear,
unambiguous ways to phrase them.
Your school behaviour policy will give you a
framework about the kinds of behaviours you can
expect. Teachers/leaders in your school will have
the same consistent expectations of behaviour,
regardless of where young people are in the
school, or which adult they are with. The policy
should offer back-up, and a set of consequences, if
behaviour is not appropriate. Speak to your senior
leadership team about the support they can offer
to help you get your expectations into place.
Narrate the why
Where people understand the why behind the
required behaviour, they are much more likely to
comply with it. Ensure that your visual messaging
includes information about why you need the
behaviours you are asking for. You might try
something like ‘In the library we … because …’
If you have a library induction programme,
introduce a discussion about the ‘whys’ of
appropriate behaviour in a library, getting the
young people to give their ideas. Talk about what
learners are trying to do in a library, and why it
is therefore important to keep the
noise down, allowing them to read
and study.
Focus on the positive
When we are faced with poor
or inappropriate behaviour, it is
tempting to slip into negativity.
However, what works best as a first
approach is to give attention and
praise to the behaviours you do want.
If a group of learners are being noisy
next to another group of learners who
are trying to study, praise the learners
studying quietly to reinforce that this
is the behaviour you want to see.
This can feel a bit ‘fake’ and potentially
patronising, but it really does work. It also acts
as a very handy reminder to yourself that most
children and young people who come into your
library really do want to behave well, learn, and
succeed in their education.
The first step in successful behaviour
management is clarity of expectations.
Give ‘the choice’ then follow through
When there is poor behaviour, this tends to
have a domino effect, with others joining in. To
show that a behaviour is not acceptable, you
need to establish not only the expectation, but
also that you are willing to follow through with a
consequence. You don’t have to sanction everyone
at once to get the message across – if learners are
not behaving as you need, do not feel guilty about
focusing on one poorly behaved individual.
8 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Behaviour in the School Library
Use ‘the choice’ to help you depersonalise the
situation. The conversation might go something
like this: ‘In the library, we work silently/quietly.
You have a choice. You can study quietly, which
would be great. Unfortunately, if you continue being
noisy, I will have to ask you to leave.’ Once you’ve
outlined the choice, step away for a few moments to
give the young person time to think it through.
If the inappropriate behaviour continues, go back
to the young person and apply the consequence.
If you are concerned about learners refusing to
comply with a request to leave, ask someone in your
school leadership team to support you, for instance
via a walkie-talkie. Alternatively, make a note of
the refusal and pass the information on to their
form tutor or head of house/year, letting the young
person know that this will happen. (This may well
prompt them to comply with your original request.)
Use the tactical ignore
Young people often try to draw adults into debates
about their behaviour, to deflect from the fact that
they are embarrassed about it. If a young person
attempts to challenge you and draw you into a titfor-tat
argument when you introduce ‘the choice’,
simply ignore the deflection and restate what you
originally said.
Where people understand the why
behind the required behaviour, they
are much more likely to comply with it.
To show that a behaviour is not
acceptable, you need to establish
not only the expectation, but
also that you are willing to follow
through with a consequence.
In teaching, we
call this ‘selective
hearing’ – only hear
the things that it
is useful for you to
hear. It really is okay
to ignore attempted
deflections and
potential defiance.
Make a statement
about what you need
in your library space
and refuse to be
sidetracked.
Take ownership of the space
I often talk to teachers about how they are like
a cat in their classrooms – moving around the
space, effectively ‘marking’ it, so that the learners
are never quite sure when they might pop up.
There are often ‘nooks and crannies’ in a library,
where young people can potentially get away with
mischief. Aim to move around the space, scanning
the room for the first signs of inappropriate
behaviour. Hopefully you can nip it in the bud
before it escalates.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 9

Feature
Digital Divides and Dividing Lines:
Starting from the Family
Dr Chloe Blackwell, Katherine Hill,
and Dr Emma Stone
It is often easy to assume that all young people have
access to, and the skills to use, digital devices. Recent
research results bust this myth and remind us of some
of the common barriers to digital access.
Dr Chloe Blackwell is
a Research Associate
at the Centre for
Research in Social Policy,
Loughborough University.
Katherine Hill is a Research
Fellow at the Centre for
Research in Social Policy,
Loughborough University.
Dr Emma Stone is Director
of Evidence and Engagement
at Good Things Foundation,
the UK’s leading digital
inclusion charity.
Earlier this year, we published
findings from new research to
develop a national benchmark
for what is ‘enough’ for a family
to feel digitally included today.
We call this the Minimum
Digital Living Standard. It is unique in being:
• bottom up – defined by members of the
public (through discussion groups with
adults and young people) who deliberate
and reach consensus on what is needed,
reflecting today’s societal norms
• holistic – covering goods and services
(e.g. devices, broadband, mobile data)
and functional skills (such as using email;
managing mobile data usage) and skills to
understand and manage risks (like managing
social pressures and time online; or how to
apply parental controls)
• household level – taking into account
things like the number of adults and
children in a household, and the age or
school stage of children.
Using the Minimum Income Standards
methodology, plus a nationally representative inperson
survey of 1,582 households with children,
stakeholder consultation, and interviews with
families, we now have a well-evidenced framework
for what a family may need to meet the following
definition (itself shaped by members of the public):
‘A minimum digital standard of living includes,
but is more than, having accessible internet,
adequate equipment, and the skills, knowledge
and support people need. It is about being able
to communicate, connect and engage with
opportunities safely and with confidence.’
Behind the table of ‘contents’ (right) there is rich
data from parents and young people explaining
why they decided these should be included, and
the consequences that being below the benchmark
can have, especially for families facing challenges.
Strong themes run through the research findings:
• Digital access is now essential for family life,
for school life, and for social life.
• At the same time, digital safety is a big
concern for parents and also for young people.
• In 27% of households, there is no adult
confident in managing digital risks, and
14% of households lack an adult confident
in interacting with their child’s school using
online tools.
• For families below the benchmark, poverty
(and related characteristics) is a key driver.
Digital access is now essential
for family life, for school life,
and for social life.
The survey findings are a stark reminder that not
every child can afford a suitable device; for some,
a smartphone is the only device they have access
to for learning outside school; not every family
can afford sufficient broadband; and not every
family has the skills and knowledge – among
adults or children – for safe internet use. Our
research also recognises that some families will
have extra or different needs related, for example,
to disability or a health condition, a language
barrier, or housing situation.
10 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Digital Divides and Dividing Lines: Starting from the Family
All elements of the MDLS
contents are needed for a
household with children to
feel digitally included
The findings challenge assumptions
about the level of access and skills
which families have.
The findings challenge assumptions about the level
of access and skills which families have. Parents
talked about not being able to keep up with the fast
pace of change. Young people felt it shouldn’t be
assumed that they have digital skills and knowledge
because they have grown up with technology. And
both recognised the tensions faced by families
trying to protect children from digital risks and
navigating the balance between monitoring use and
giving children independence.
‘Our school used Twitter … and I had no idea
how to use it, so I had to get my daughter to
show me. I’d literally no idea how to go onto the
school bit and look at what they’d been doing on
there.’ (Parent)
‘Once your teenager sees it as control, the
conversation is over then, that is finished so you
have got to make sure you don’t do it.’ (Parent)
‘If you find your parent doing something on
your phone you would lose the trust with them.’
(Young Person)
The research raises important questions about
responsibilities, especially around children’s safety,
wellbeing, learning, and development. While there
is a need for broad cross-sector involvement,
parents and young people saw schools as an
important, trustworthy and well-informed source of
learning about digital skills and safety for families.
‘I think children should also learn those sorts
of things at school, because it’s actually about
their personal safety, and that isn’t always
information that the parents know about.’
(Parent)
‘School might have more of an idea on that
because they are getting information from the
police and people who know more, and they
are able to give that information to everyone
else, maybe that be the student, or the parent
themselves.’ (Young Person)
The MDLS research is gaining traction. It is being
used by people in different professions, sectors,
and places to think more deeply about what the
children and families may need, and to reflect on
their own roles (and their roles in collaboration
with others) in reducing the barriers to those
needs. Is this something that your school might
benefit from doing?
Here are three practical steps you might take:
• Review your school library provision through
the lens of this research; what are you
offering to help overcome the barriers? Is there
something else you could do to support
families in your community?
• Share this research with the relevant lead
in your school; could there be a school
conversation around the contents and what
other support is available in the community?
• Follow relevant organisations like Good Things
Foundation, Internet
Matters, ParentZone
and Nominet’s
Digital Youth Index.
We’d love to hear from
you as we continue to
take forward the MDLS
project in the year
ahead.
Research reference:
Yates, S., Hill, K., Blackwell,
C., Davis, A., Padley, M.,
Stone, E., et al (2024),
‘A Minimum Digital
Living Standard for
Households with Children:
Overall findings report’,
University of Liverpool,
Loughborough University,
Good Things Foundation
(et al). Available at: https://
mdls.org.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2024/03/MDLSfinal-report-v1.11-1.pdf
Further MDLS reports are
available at: www.mdls.
org.uk/publications
A recording of the MDLS
online launch event is
available at: https://www.
goodthingsfoundation.org/
insights/the-minimumdigital-living-standard-forhouseholds-with-children/
If you’d like to get in
touch and share your
ideas or examples of
using the MDLS, please
contact: Emma.Stone@
goodthingsfoundation.org
Weblinks for organisations:
https://www.goodthings
foundation.org/
https://www.
internetmatters.org/
https://parentzone.org.uk/
https://digitalyouthindex.uk/
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 11

Feature
Powerful Partnerships
Sharon Corbally
Partnership working extends the activities, resources, and
opportunities that we can offer to our school communities.
Sharon Corbally, from Co-op Academy Stoke-on-Trent,
explains how becoming a National Literacy Trust partner
school led to increased confidence and unforgettable
opportunities for the academy’s students.
Sharon Corbally is a
secondary librarian powered
by lifelong learning, reading,
tea and (nearly) all things
green.
References:
1
Save the Children &
Manchester University
(2013), Developing
Children’s Zones for
England, 2012, available at
https://pure.manchester.
ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/
portal/32802787/FULL_
TEXT.PDF
A
s library staff, we’re used to
partnership working on different
scales – with teachers; across
a Trust; with local colleagues;
with national organisations.
Collaboration can open up
possibilities, save time, and support what can feel
like an isolated role. This year, Co-op Academy
Stoke-on-Trent has become a National Literacy
Trust (NLT) partner school – a process which
could be available to your
school, and which we’d
thoroughly recommend.
The NLT’s 16 Local
Hubs are a long-term
commitment in response
to research 1 which shows
that ‘the characteristics of
the neighbourhoods where
children live […] shape
their educational outcomes
more than […] the overall
deprivation levels of the
area’.
In Stoke-on-Trent, 31 out of
41 wards are identified as
having amongst the highest
literacy vulnerability in the UK.
The Stoke Hub offers tailored, place-based activities,
but has also raised the profile of the NLT’s national
projects and competitions – which are open to
schools across the UK.
Collaboration can open up
possibilities, save time, and support
what can feel like an isolated role.
Students at the theatre waiting for Wicked
Becoming a National Literacy Trust
partner school has encouraged
us to see the potential for
collaboration everywhere
The academy was originally offered training
for some students to become Youth Literacy
Champions. This role is
adaptable to your setting
and some of your students
may already be doing
‘Champions’ work: reading
with a younger child, providing
book recommendations,
promoting reading and writing
competitions, etc.
The training was successful,
and the Champions were
asked to work with a local arts
company to develop, promote,
run, and judge a creative writing
competition with Year 5 & 6
children from across the city.
Over two days at our local
public library, twelve (initially
very nervous) Year 7 & 8
students led workshops with 240 younger students
to develop their writing skills and encourage them
to enter the competition. The boost to their selfconfidence
was undeniable: ‘I didn’t think I knew
much about writing, but those kids listened to me
and I taught them something new!’
This project created a buzz in the academy.
Students volunteered to help on the NLT stall at
Community Evening & Year 6 Intake Day and we
were invited to become an official partner school.
12 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Powerful Partnerships
Through this new familiarity with the charity and
their work, national NLT competitions started
attracting independent entries from our students.
Fantastically, one of the results of all this
engagement was that an anonymous academy
student won the 11–14 age group of this year’s
NLT Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition.
Amongst the prizes were the chance to take
their classmates to London to see Wicked and an
in-school writing workshop with award-winning
author M.G. Leonard. For students who’ve never
been on the train, to the theatre, or met an author,
both experiences were truly unforgettable.
Year 5 & 6 create freeform story characters
18 months on from that original offer of Youth
Literacy Champions training, we could not have
foreseen the amazing opportunities our students
have embraced or the impacts on individual
self-esteem, outlook, and aspiration which have
become evident. Becoming a National Literacy
Trust partner school has encouraged us to see the
potential for collaboration everywhere – and to
recognise that the library has as much to offer as it
stands to gain.
The boost to their self-confidence
was undeniable: ‘I didn’t think I knew
much about writing, but those kids
listened to me and I taught them
something new!’
M.G. Leonard inspiring
a mystery story
Co-op Literacy
Champions generate
creative writing ideas
I’d thoroughly
recommend every
school to enter this
competition in 2025:
https://literacytrust.org.
uk/programmes/youngwriters/wicked-writersbe-the-change/
Find out more about the
NLT’s Local Hubs at
https://literacytrust.org.
uk/communities/
Wicked has a
comprehensive
educational offer,
including lesson
plans & classroom
resources, at https://
wickedactivelearning.
co.uk/
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 13

Top Priorities
for a New Term
We asked our 2024 awards finalists and librarian trustees to give us their top three
priorities for the start of the new academic year. From potting plants to planning
pupil librarian training, these librarians will certainly be busy come September!
Paul Register
Librarian at Parkwood Academy in
Sheffield, and Chair of the SLA Board
of Trustees
1. Buy plants. I've been toying with the
idea of bringing a large array of plant life
into the library for a while now but never
quite got around to it.
2. Make sure I'm as prepared for the
SLA AGM on 18 September as I can be.
It’s an important one. Being an SLA trustee
has been a rewarding experience so far and
being involved with an organisation that is
open and accessible to its members is very
important.
3. Organise library induction lessons
for the new Year 7 students as soon
as possible. It’s always lovely to do these
lessons and meet new students who are
still carrying over that love of reading from
primary school. They’ll get a 20-minute
introduction from me and then they’ll be
allowed to browse ... and borrow hopefully!
Helen Cleaves
Librarian at Ibstock Place School in
London, and SLA Trustee
1. Introduce the new TSBA shortlists,
the fiction book award for secondary school
students. This book award has been a major
influence in shaping and expanding reading
at my school. The winners from throughout
the award’s ten-year back list, chosen by
participating students, are my school’s
best-sellers. I have high hopes for this year’s
shortlists on the theme ‘You Are Here’ –
jeopardous adventure and heart-breaking
revelations await…
2. Recruit a new team of pupil
librarians who will be trained up by
the more experienced older volunteers.
I enjoy seeing which of the new Year 7
intake become the library regulars and
discovering likely helpers. We’ll be holding
our inaugural pupil librarian awards this
autumn to select our nominee for Pupil
Library Assistant of the Year Award (PLAA).
3. Get ready for our third year running
a Writer in Residence programme at
my school. Each year has been remarkable
in different ways: we started with Sarah
Govett who delved into dystopia with our
Year 8 pupils; this past year Matt Dickinson
took Year 7 pupils to new heights with
high altitude disaster fiction. For the year
ahead I’m really excited to be working with
a writer who I know will take pupils on a
thrilling adventure, not necessarily on a
train, as they develop their own detective
stories. I know pupils will be twitching to
get started. Have you guessed who it is?
Alice Leggatt
Librarian at Oaks Park High School
in Surrey, and Honour Listed for the
Secondary School Librarian of the
Year Award
1. Set up a school book award.
I love seeing which books other schools
shortlist for their in-house book awards
and have wanted to set up our own for a
while but just haven’t had the capacity to
do it until now.
2. Embed library lessons into Year 7
transition. Following last year’s success
of reading the whole of The Final Year by
Matt Goodfellow to the whole of Year 7, I
will be doing this again with the new intake.
Barrington Stoke have recently released
some fantastic titles for this age group, and
their shorter length makes them perfect
for whole-class reading, so I’ll probably be
using one of these as I suspect many will
have now read The Final Year in Year 6.
3. Make better use of Accessit. We are
hugely fortunate to have Accessit as our
Library Management System, but we are
not currently making enough of some of its
features. Specifically, I need to properly set
up automated reminders for overdue books
so that my assistant and I can spend less
time on admin and more time on the fun,
reading for pleasure-focused activities we
love so much!
14 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Top Priorities for a New Term
Leia Sands
Librarian at Steyning Primary School,
shortlisted for the Peter Usborne
Primary School Library of the
Year Award
1. Appoint new pupil librarians. At
the end of the summer term, I appointed
three Year 5 Pupil ‘transition’ Librarians,
whose job it is to regularly help in the
library in the first two weeks of September.
My ex-Year 6 pupil librarians’ last job
was to train them up before they left. In
September we will advertise the post to
all Year 6 children, who can apply and be
interviewed for the role.
2. Arrange meetings with key staff. Every
September I meet with our headteacher to
discuss vision and key tasks for the year. We
have a newly appointed English lead and
children’s mentor, so I will also be meeting
with them to plan how we can encourage all
children to read for pleasure and how the
library can support children’s mental health
and wellbeing. In addition, I always meet
with our SENCO to discuss how the library
will support our disadvantaged children
over the school year.
3. Tweak planning for whole school
library lessons. I always review planning
at the beginning of the year to include new
texts and ideas into our curriculum offer.
Elizabeth Vale
Librarian at Thomas Mills High
School in Suffolk, and Honour Listed
for the Secondary School Librarian
of the Year Award
1. Instigate a whole school reading
survey to understand the reading
habits of our students. This will include
questions on favourite authors and genres
to help me tailor my recommendations
to students during library lessons and at
break-times and lunchtimes. I also want to
find out when (and how) they read. I will
use the results to help shape what I do
over the year.
2. Learn student names using our
school management system. This helps
with rapport and adds a personal touch
when recommending books and leading
library lessons. It also helps me ensure
that every student feels seen in the library.
3. Ensure we have engaging resources
for our start of year library/AR classes,
makerspace activities and clubs. We want
to give students all the opportunities
we can to learn something new! These
resources also need to expose students to
vocabulary that will further help them to
access the curriculum.
Heather Grainger
Librarian at Weatherhead High
School, Merseyside and Honour Listed
for the Secondary School Librarian of
the Year Award
1. Welcome our new students. I’ll be
meeting Year 7 students on their second
day, for 10-minute introduction slots in
their teaching groups. I’m planning for a fun
quick ‘welcome’ message, then a chance
for them to view and vote for some of our
newest books.
2. Budget planning. We don’t normally get
our new budgets through until sometime
in September, so although I will have a lot
of plans for the year roughly jotted down,
the real planning begins once I know how
much/little I will have to spend.
3. Get to know new staff. I’m planning to
print welcome postcards for all new staff,
introducing myself and letting them know
how the library works for our students. I will
also include the opportunities they have, as
staff, to work with me and make use of the
library space and/or resources.
Hannah
Richardson
Librarian at Queen
Elizabeth’s Hospital
School in Bristol, and
SLA Trustee
1. Form links with new staff
and re-establish links with
current staff.
2. Implement targeted inductions for Year 12 and
Year 7, our influx years.
3. Make a calendar plan for the year including
awards lists, competitions, and SLA events, as well as
internal calendar events and my targets for the year.
Rebekah Clee
Communication Lead at
Fairfield School, a specialist
school for disabled children
in Yorkshire, shortlisted for the
Peter Usborne Primary School
Library of the Year Award
1. Source new reading materials that build inclusivity for
our high-level learners and older readers.
2. Start planning reading events, such as World Book
Day, to use a total communication approach focused on a
specific book. This will include Makaton, eye gaze, Story
Massage, and much more.
3. Purchase a new reading scheme called Look To Read
which can be used on the eye gaze machines in school,
ensuring reading is accessible for more learners.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 15

Celebrating Excellence
in Our School Libraries
Introducing the 2024 Honour List of the Secondary
School Librarian of the Year; the Shortlist for the
Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year;
and the Shortlist for the Enterprise of the Year.
Read on to find out more about the nominees
and the incredible work they have been doing.
Alice Leggatt,
Oaks Park High School
Alice was nominated for her dedication to
students’ reading, achievements, interests,
and cultural lives by providing a library
that belongs to everyone. After realising
that many students were not finishing
books they had started, Alice arranged
for the whole of Year 7 to read the same
book from start to finish, sparking a
renewed love of reading. Alice has also
pioneered an innovative museum space
which encourages students to expand their
interests whilst boosting their cultural
capital.
Alice said, ‘School librarians all across the
UK are doing incredible work in promoting
reading for pleasure, making their libraries
safe and inclusive spaces and celebrating
the pure joy of books! It is the honour of
my career to have been nominated for this
award, which does so much to highlight
the huge value of professionally staffed and
funded school libraries.’
Elizabeth Vale,
Thomas Mills High School
and Sixth Form
Elizabeth’s passion has fostered a love of
reading that has turned the library into
the cultural hub of Thomas Mills High
School. Elizabeth has ensured the library is
embedded in the school's daily life through
many popular clubs and book events,
including an annual ComiCon. Students
are encouraged to take an active role in
organising events, leading assemblies, and
running book groups, giving them a boost
in confidence. She has gradually fostered
strong connections across the departments
in the school to ensure the library is serving
the whole school body.
Elizabeth said, ‘I’m aware of all of the
amazing librarians out there working
hard, so feel extremely honoured, and
humbled, to have made it onto this year’s
SLYA Honour List. Thank you to everyone
involved and to my school for nominating
me. School libraries have this wonderful
potential to build communities which
benefit the whole school, students and staff
alike. They bring people together and can
have such a positive impact – I feel very
lucky to be part of it all!’
Heather Grainger,
Weatherhead High School
For the past ten years, Heather has
committed herself to bringing the joy
of reading to each and every pupil at
Weatherhead High School. Through
lessons, book recommendations, author
visits and clubs, Heather seeks to engage all
readers, whatever their interests or needs.
Her Student Librarian Leadership Scheme
empowers students with the life skills
they need to excel. Heather is passionate
about creating a safe space and providing a
listening ear for any student that needs one.
Heather said, ‘Being Honour Listed for the
SLYA 2024 is definitely a highlight of my
career. Finding out that a colleague (and
SLT) wanted to nominate me was such
a lovely surprise and has reinforced my
belief that what we do matters, that it does
make a difference. I feel very privileged,
as I know so many school librarians and
library staff do not receive this recognition
from within their own schools, but who
nevertheless do incredible work. I also feel
immensely grateful that the SLA not only
supports school librarians every day, but
also champions and celebrates their hard
work and achievements.’
16 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Celebrating Excellence in Our School Libraries
East Hunsbury Primary School,
Northampton
East Hunsbury Primary
School serves over 400
pupils and encompasses
a specialist provision for
children with profound
and multiple learning
difficulties. The library
space unites all the
children in being in a
shared space they all
love where they can
tap into the power of reading. Pupil reading ambassadors are
constantly promoting reading and the library, and all pupils
enjoy taking part in initiatives such as RED October, and the
school’s 100 Reads challenge.
Headteacher Kathryn Pennington said, ‘I know that books
unlock the impossible and grow imaginations and minds like
nothing else. Books are such a force for learning, equality and
good; therefore, I do not underestimate the responsibility
we have, as educators, to ensure that our children's lives are
enriched and benefited by books. Our library, and its leadership,
has been on such an incredible journey over the past couple of
years, it is an honour to be considered for this award and for the
work we do to be recognised.’
Fairfield School,
West Yorkshire
Fairfield School
educates over 100
pupils with profound
and complex
disabilities, between
the ages of 3 and
19. The staff have
a passion to bring
a love of books
to all the pupils, whatever their age or individual needs. The
library has grown from just a few bookshelves in a corridor to an
inclusive and accessible space tailored to the needs of the pupils.
The creative solutions employed in the library range from hightech
communication aids to audiobook players, to the ingenious
addition of lolly sticks to aid page turning. Pupils are encouraged
to feel ownership of their library through helping with book
stamping and telling stories to other pupils.
Rebekah Clee, Communication Lead said, ‘Being shortlisted
shows how hard we have worked to make the space a success,
showing how the library has made the biggest difference to
school life and for the wonderful pupils who enjoy the inclusive
reading opportunities in it.’
Steyning C of E Primary School,
West Sussex
Steyning Primary
School library’s effect
is far reaching in terms
of space, spreading to
roaming book trolleys
and an outdoor reading
shed, and in learning.
The experienced librarian
teaches all the school’s
pupils skills in reading for
pleasure and information
literacy in dedicated lessons. The library’s impact is further
maximised through highly trained pupil librarians who take
an active role in book lending, choosing stock, and guiding
younger readers.
Steyning’s Librarian, Leia Sands, said, ‘It is a privilege to work
with such a supportive SLT and teaching staff who understand
my role and support me to ensure our library is a crucial part of
day-to-day school life, ensuring it benefits our pupil's reading,
learning and wellbeing. Borrowing has significantly increased,
links across the curriculum have been embedded, and the library
has not only become a reading for pleasure hub, but a safe space
that promotes wellbeing for all pupils.’
Sudbury Primary School,
Middlesex
Established in 2016 and
named ‘Booktropolis’,
the Sudbury Primary
School library is having
a big impact on reading
progress. The Library
Leader, EAL Leader and
Diversity Board ensure
pupils of all backgrounds
can see themselves
reflected in a book,
and also have access to
different cultures and experiences, through the library’s books.
Pupil librarians help to spread a love of reading through a
scheme where they buddy up with younger readers.
Headteacher, Mrs K. Mistry said, ‘I strongly believe that a vibrant
library is the heart of any school, and Booktropolis at Sudbury
Primary School is just this. It is not just a collection of diverse
books, but an opening to endless adventures, a learning space
for great imagination, and an area of focus for lifelong learning. It
is a lovely welcoming space for all learners across the school to
explore, use their imagination, and develop skills and knowledge
across the curriculum. It is my favourite room in the school, where
children and staff can get lost in the endless books on offer.’
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 17

Celebrating Excellence in Our School Libraries
The Cherwell School,
Oxford
Inspired by Finnish libraries’ move away
from plastic book protection, and her own
pupils’ passion for environmentalism,
librarian Caterina Balistreri set out to
eliminate plastic book covers from The
Cherwell School Library.
The plastic book jackets were replaced with
fabric sleeves, hand made by a group of
staff, students, and parents, using recycled
and remnant fabrics donated by local
businesses. The fabric book sleeves have
been a big hit with pupils and the change is
not only benefitting the environment but is
helping to raise the profile of reading across
the whole school.
Caterina said, ‘I hope that this project
can encourage students to believe that
creativity and determination can fuel
initiatives with both an environmental and
social impact. I think that this is at the heart
of what school libraries do: to inform, to
inspire, and to give the next generation of
citizens the tools to make change happen.’
Swiss Gardens Primary
School, West Sussex
The underused and outdated school
library at Swiss Gardens Primary School
was a concern for Headteacher, Lawrence
Coughlin. After approaching the PTA
for help to fund a new library, parents
and staff with skills in interior design,
carpentry, librarianship, and project
management all came forward to help
make the vision a reality.
Whilst the physical library was taking
shape, work behind the scenes ensured it
would become an integral and impactful
part of the school. A librarian was
employed to be an expert guide in reading
for pupils and worked closely together with
the English subject leader to develop the
library to complement the curriculum. The
new library was stocked with an up-to-date
collection of books in partnership with a
local bookshop.
Headteacher Lawrence Coughlin said,
‘We started with a dull, underused space;
however, with the expertise of staff and
parents from designers, artists, carpenters,
and librarians, we have now got a library
which all the children of Swiss Gardens
love and is the hub of the school.’
Upton Priory School,
Cheshire
When Claire Sleath joined Upton Priory
School as Deputy Headteacher in 2022,
there was no school library, and classroom
bookshelves were tired and unloved. She
set herself the challenge of opening a new
school library within one academic year,
which was delivered not only on time, but
within a modest budget.
A team of staff, pupils, parents and members
of the community successfully raised
an equivalent of over twenty thousand
pounds worth of resources through
competitions, grants, and fundraising. The
finished library is a warm and welcoming
space, overseen by a bespoke mural
featuring favourite book characters. Every
care has been taken to curate a new
stock of books containing characters and
authors from diverse backgrounds that
reflect the school community.
Headteacher Mrs Ransom said, ‘I must
commend Claire Sleath, our dedicated
deputy headteacher, whose unwavering
commitment and vision have been pivotal
in bringing this library to life. Her passion
for fostering a love of reading and learning
among our children has truly transformed
this dream into a reality.’
If you feel inspired to celebrate the successes in your own school library we want to
hear from you. Nominations for the 2025 awards are now open – find out how to enter at
www.sla.org.uk/awards. The deadline for nominations is 9am on Monday 2nd December 2024.
18 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

A View From ...
… a Primary School
Recently, I bumped into a parent whose child had left our school
a few years ago. Her child was an ex-pupil librarian of mine and
apparently, she still had her pupil librarian certificate on her
bedroom wall! So last week, I was quite emotional when taking the
end of year photo of our current Year 4 pupil librarians, handing
out their certificates, and saying a huge thank you for their time
and help spent in the library over the last academic year.
Pupil librarians provide an important and vital contribution
to raising the profile of reading in our school. Throughout the
year it is hugely rewarding to see children thrive in the role,
wear their pupil librarian badge with pride, and take delight in
their enjoyment of the role as they make the library their own.
The skills they learn, such as how to prepare and apply for a job
interview, customer service, teamwork, and using their initiative,
are valuable workplace skills that they carry into key stage 2 and
beyond. They are also the best reading ambassadors because
they are at the forefront of making book recommendations to
their friends and younger year groups. The best joy of all, though,
is watching them develop as readers and see their reading
identities form.
For children with SEND and for those where PE, music or high
academic achievement is not their forte, the role provides another
opportunity where children can be included in the school sphere.
They can excel in leadership skills,
gain self-confidence, self-discovery,
and make those social connections
in the library that the playground
and class situations can sometimes
inhibit. It is also true that children
who are new to the school, or those
who have anxiety with regard to
friendships for example, evolve in
the role and find their place in the
school community.
As school librarians it is sometimes
easy to feel that our presence in
the library is not significant or
important. This is particularly
Sally Le Marquand is the
school librarian at Bishop
Gilpin Primary in South
West London.
the case when current trends are talking about the importance
of libraries in their own right but existing without the need for
librarians. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that the
relationships school librarians form with children, and particularly
pupil librarians, are central to creating volitional readers. The new
Labour government talks about removing ‘barriers to opportunity’
in education, so let’s hope we see funded school libraries with
school librarians soon, providing equal access to books and
literacy for all our children.
… a Secondary School
I’m writing this shortly after the SLA conference that I was lucky
enough to attend in my home city of Sheffield. I’ve not been to a
conference for several years, but knowing that accommodation/
travel wouldn’t be an extra cost, I made a case for attending which
was approved by my school. I’ve been feeling pretty jaded lately:
we’ve had a lot of change in the past few years in school, and
combined with issues we’re all facing across the country it can feel
like an uphill struggle.
Friday morning there was an excited buzz in the hotel lobby as
people were signing in and recognising friends and colleagues.
Several people I spoke to were at their first conference, some
were regular attendees. Although the Covid years are hopefully
behind us, there is still an excitement at meeting people in person
and putting faces to names that you see on email groups or SLA
training. I know we already know this, but it’s still worth stating:
librarians really are the best people. It was heartwarming to meet
new people so ready to share their experiences and support.
Highlights included (for me, at least):
Patrick Ness – including a proof copy of his new book, Chronicles
of a Lizard Nobody.
Nicola Morgan – who always inspires me to consider my
presumptions and challenge my thinking.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave – a hugely personal, inspiring talk (even
without food!).
Tween reads/Hot new releases
– how lucky we are to have such
thoughtful authors (Sarah Hagger-
Holt, Lucy Strange, Lisa Williamson,
Candy Gourlay, Danielle Jawando,
Julian Sedgwick) writing books
that while ultimately entertaining,
provide such important insights into
our understanding of each other!
Julian Sedgwick – a last-minute
stand in for the final presentation,
Julian made us all laugh and cry
whilst reminding us that while
this profession can be frustrating
and difficult, it also allows us the
privilege to share stories with
young people.
Helen Smith – "I've been
working in school libraries
for longer than I care to
remember, but still not sure
I'm doing it right. Here's to
learning as we go".
I can only begin to imagine how much work goes into organising
the conference by our small yet mighty SLA team. But I am hugely
grateful to them for giving this jaded librarian moments of hope –
and the space to remember the importance and joy of what we do.
Back in school, I’m getting organised for another September.
Each year, I am determined that I will be ready for the autumn
term and beyond. Who knows? Maybe this will be the year
everything goes smoothly!
20 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

A View From ...
… a Schools Library Service
Organising our annual Book Challenge is one of the most
enjoyable elements of my role at Creative Learning Services. It’s
spread throughout the school calendar year, so there is always
something Book Challenge-related on my to do list.
Available for any school that wishes to take part, either as part
of our subscription package or on a pay as you go basis, the aim
of the Book Challenge is to encourage reading for pleasure and
to champion fantastic books and authors within schools. Each
year, CLS librarians focus on selecting books for a particular year
group. This year is ‘8 for 8’, eight books for Year 8 students. Schools
receive copies of the books, marketing resources, discussion
sheets, invitations to online author talks, and a chance to enter
competitions to win prizes.
The process begins, like all great plans, with a spreadsheet. CLS
librarians enter their ideas into a shared document for a few
months in advance of the selection date in June. Then, finally,
the big day is here! The Book Challenge Selection Meeting is
something we all look forward to. The final list can be very
hotly contested. We all have our favourites, and we are willing
to (verbally) battle it out to ensure they make it onto the final
list. Each year, the final Book Challenge list is something we are
proud of because it contains amazing, engaging, and diverse
reads that we can all get excited about, knowing the positive
impact these books will have on
the students.
After this, the summer admin
begins. Publishers are contacted
for permissions, stock levels at
our supplier are checked, and
authors are informed. We write the
discussion sheets and design and
produce the rest of the resources to
accompany the copies of the books.
Included within the package are
online author talks and a launch
meeting for the organisers, so these
are arranged too.
Claire Purdon is Library
Development Officer for
Creative Learning Services.
The Book Challenge runs all school year, so unlike an awards
process with tight deadlines, staff can choose how to deliver the
Book Challenge in a way that fits in with their school, and students
have plenty of time to read the whole list.
The best part of running the Book Challenge is getting feedback
from school staff. I also receive some amazing work from students,
such creative responses that demonstrate they have really thought
about what they are reading and that the books will have a
profound effect on them.
… a Sixth Form
Previously I mentioned that one of the challenges here is getting
people into the library, and one trick that I’m sure you all already
use is the hook. We pick a popular topic and make a display or run
an event around it in the hope that the interest in the topic will
transfer to an interest in a book on the topic. This term we used
two hooks – Taylor Swift and the Olympics.
We know that there are many Swifties at college, so the
announcement of a new album, in the middle of the Eras Tour,
gave us the idea of holding an album launch party. Activities
included word games with song titles, stickers, bracelet making,
and the ‘Shakespeare or Taylor Swift lyrics’ competition. We
linked novels to song titles so that students could borrow books
based on their ‘Era’, as well as having some of Swift’s favourite
novels to borrow and a collection of magazines on Libby. In
order that we could listen to the album, we held this in the
student union, which meant that we were really visible, being
right by the main entrance.
When The Reading Agency asked for librarians to act as test
readers for their Big Summer Read, I volunteered as our sports
students are amongst those who rarely visit the library. This,
alongside some excellent TikToks of Library Taskmaster, sparked
the idea of us hosting a Library Olympics. Our outreach events are
always literacy based, but I purposefully asked my team to design
activities for this that weren’t. I wanted to host an event that was
fun, with no pressure to read or
write anything. The games were
silly and included:
• Book Bundle: Hold a
pile of encyclopaedias out
from your body for as long
as possible. Longest time
held wins.
• Book Toss: Closest book to
the target, thrown from
behind the cones, wins.
Abby Barker is a librarian
at Barnsley College.
Despite being slightly chaotic at
times, the games were successful,
and the cup winners of the
inaugural Library Cup were Team Snickers. To support this
outdoor event we purchased titles from the list of Big Sporting
Reads as e-books and audiobooks to complement those we
already had in print. We’re hoping that by providing a session of
stress relief and fun to students during busy revision times before
their exams this will encourage them to use the library when they
return in September.
Sometimes to get people into the library, you have to take the
library to them.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 21

A View From ...
… a Specialist School
As we come to the final days of the summer term, we are all
surrounded by change. Whether that is locally, within our
organizations, or nationally; wherever you look there is change.
In education, at this time of year, there are always substantial
changes for all of our students. Either they are moving class,
transitioning from school to college, or leaving us for good,
hopefully to their choice of placement.
It is also a time of change for the library: this term I will say
goodbye to what has been our home for over 24 years; goodbye
to the impressive Kardex library shelves which have been the
focal point for this area and have continued to pique the students’
interest right up to the end. But they have outlived their use for
us and no longer meet our students’ changing needs, so will
hopefully now have a second life within another organization.
Our library will start a new chapter in a new location, and under
a new name.
Change: you can fight it, or embrace it but whatever you do it will
still happen. So how you respond to it is all important. Our new
Interactive Learning Zone will give us opportunities to welcome
more students with many more activities to enrich their learning
and expose them to environments and situations that it might not
be possible for them to experience in their everyday life. Simply
the opportunity to be hoisted from their wheelchair and to sit
in a bean bag and read or listen to a
story is huge for our students. Whilst
adopting innovative technologies
that enhance our students’
experiences and lives, it is also an
opportunity for us to relaunch and
remodel our library services.
However, none of us can truly
adapt or make changes without the
support of the people around us,
whether that is friends, colleagues,
management, or professional bodies
or organizations. With the right
support around us we can navigate
the changing landscape before us.
Louise Harding is LR Manager
in a specialist school and
college, who believes that
every student should have the
opportunity to access books
to discover the power and
magic that they can bring.
So, I would like to say thank you to
all the staff and students who have
supported the library in the past
and we look forward to working with you in the years to come.
To all who supported us over the last month, particularly
Hampshire SLS, again thank you! Without their support and
guidance, I would have been buckling under the enormity of
the challenge ahead, and they have made the entire process of
moving a little less painful.
… an International School
Today the library is expanding beyond its (more than) four walls
into the classrooms as our Grade 6 students participate in a
program called Writing a Book in a Day.
Our students have been placed into teams of four or five and they
will be writing, illustrating, and publishing (digitally) a picture
book by 3 p.m. this afternoon. They are nervous to find out who
they will be teamed up with, and whether they can meet this
challenge that I have set for them.
In preparation for this day, we had author Eva Wong Nava join
us for a library lesson. Eva is a children’s book author (and
parent) and has multiple published works under her belt. As
a British Singaporean author, she incorporates characters of
various backgrounds in her stories and is the perfect addition to
the program, reminding our students that their book should be
solving a big problem.
After introducing the day in a grade assembly, the students are
placed into their teams by the advisor. Each team should have
an author (or two), an illustrator, an editor and a publisher. The
students are asked to create a copy of a planning document,
which I designed, which is then used collaboratively to plan out
their characters, their setting, and their plot. The students have
a choice of which role they should undertake for the day and are
encouraged to work with their skill set, whilst also negotiating
with their team.
22 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024
In fact, this day is more about their
development of IB Approaches
to Learning (ATL skills) than the
actual book they create. They will
need to demonstrate creativity,
communication skills (written and
verbal), problem solving, and an
understanding of Copyright and
academic integrity (research skills).
These are skills that they have been
developing throughout the year
as part of the Core Wednesdays
program at Southbank.
Erin Patel is a Teacher Librarian
from Sydney, Australia. Since
relocating to the UK two years
ago with her family, she has
been the MYP Teacher Librarian
at Southbank International
School, an IB school in London.
The students are incredibly
motivated and as they begin to
plan, plot, and illustrate their
books, I am impressed with their
teamwork and problem-solving skills. Although we have a
couple of incidences of ‘I was blocked from the Google doc’
and ‘they didn’t listen to my ideas’, the students were mostly
able to resolve any conflicts and complete their book (some
with minutes left on the clock).
Ultimately, this day could only have been possible with the
support of the MYP Coordinator and the teachers who happily
led groups throughout the day.

Curriculum Links
Primary – Health
Book: Fitter, Healthier, Happier!: Your
Guide to a Healthy Body and Mind,
Joe Wicks, Steve Cole and Kate Sutton
Harper Collins, 2024, 192pp, £9.99,
9780008501044
An accessible guide to becoming
mentally and physically fitter, healthier
and happier, packed with useful
information aimed at children.
Book: Keep Yourself Clean,
Kate Purdie and Davide Ortu
Hachette, 2024, 32pp, £12.99, 9781445188638
Part of a Healthy Kids series, this is a simple
introduction to why keeping clean is so
important for staying well in body and mind.
Book: Thirty Trillion Cells: How Your
Body Really Works, Isabel Thomas
and Dawn Cooper
Welbeck, 2024, £9.99, 64pp, 9781803380995
An illustrated introduction to the human
cells, packed with information and
science to fascinate children.
Video: ‘Wellbeing for Children’
(YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhpCdqOtuj0
This video follows Maya as she learns
how to create healthy habits involving
her diet, sleep, physical activity, spending
less time on her devices, and the value of
finding a balance.
Video: ‘Talking Mental Health’
(YouTube), Anna Freud Centre for
Children and Families
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCrjevx3-Js
‘Talking Mental Health’ is an animation
to help begin conversations about mental
health in the classroom and beyond,
supported by a free Teacher Toolkit.
Video: ‘Brain Basics: Anxiety (for kids)
Part 1 - All about emotions’ (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=CihCOcUfC8U
Understanding how our brain works
helps us learn ways to calm down big
emotions and express them in more
helpful and positive ways.
Comic: Sleep Well, Being, University
of Reading
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/a533d04f57.
html#page/2
Sleep well comic brought into being by
young people to convey the important
message sleep plays in health.
Website: Childline Worries about
the World
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/
your-feelings/anxiety-stress-panic/worriesabout-the-world
Addressing the worries that the news can
cause in young children with suggestions
for strategies and further help from
professionals.
Website: Happy Confident
https://www.happyconfident.com/
Designed to teach children emotional
intelligence and life skills, with activities
for families and schools.
Secondary – Health & Social Care
Book: Disease, Alex Woolf
Watts, 2024, 32pp, £9.99, 9781445188096
Disease is part of our world, but healthcare
is not equitable. A look at various diseases
and what is being done to tackle them.
Book: Healthy Mind, Happy You:
How to Take Care of Your Mental
Health, Emily MacDonagh, Josefina
Preumayr and Ana Sebastian
Scholastic, 2024, 96pp, £9.99, 9780702323195
A guide with tips, techniques, and useful
information to help maintain good
mental health while growing up.
Book: Values, Ethics and Rights for
Health and Social Care, Phil Musson
Critical Publishing, 2024, 176pp, £22.99,
9781915713636
A comprehensive introduction to
the foundational principles of values,
ethics, and rights for older students and
professionals.
Podcast: Just One Thing, BBC Podcast
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
p09by3yy/episodes/downloads
Small changes which are scientifically
proven to improve your health and
wellbeing when time is in short supply.
Video: ‘Crossing the Line PSHE
Toolkit: Sexting - Just Send It’
(YouTube), Childnet
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=65aNokVDM08
Abi and Josh are becoming closer
when Josh’s friend encourages him to
pressurise Abi into sending a nude selfie
– highlights the subsequent dangers.
Video: ‘Abuse in Relationships: Would
You Stop Yourself?’ (YouTube),
ThisIsAbuse
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=RzDr18UYO18
Being able to recognise abuse and get
help to
extricate
yourself
from toxic
relationships is key to a healthy future.
Website: Study Work Grow
https://studyworkgrow.com/how-to-makethe-most-of-your-school-library/
Part of a larger site offering sources for
career pathways, including using the
valuable resources your school library
holds.
Website: WOW Girls Festival,
The WOW Foundation
https://thewowfoundation.com/festival/wowgirls-festival/wow-activity-packs
Offering creative activities and thoughtprovoking
stimuli to bring the issues
of mental health, safety, relationships,
community and finance to life, aimed
at girls.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 23

Frequently Asked Questions
answered by Dawn Woods
1. My Head has asked me for ideas on
how to create a reading culture
within school. Where do we start?
This is a) not an instant fix, and b) it can’t
be ‘done’ by one lone member of library
staff. This is a gradual build-up of lots of
little constant changes within school.
Start by involving all staff, asking for their
thoughts, but being prepared to bring
along lots of your own for discussion. You
need them on board.
• Teachers are busy and may not have
time to read a lot, so in staff meetings
have time set aside to discuss what
everyone has read. Schedule this either
at the beginning or midway – not at the
end so it doesn’t fall off the agenda.
• Gather these book suggestions together
in a half/termly newsletter to staff/
parents/pupils.
• In reception, while parents and visitors
are waiting, have any screens showing
book trailers or reviews of books by
pupils.
• During register time make time for book
talk. Ask pupils what they have read and
share what you have been reading.
• All staff should read to pupils at the
end of every day/week. The pupils WILL
remind them.
• Plan an author visit. You can do this
virtually to make it cheaper, or partner
with another school.
• Appoint a Governor responsible for
the library.
• Investigate reading dogs or visiting OAP
homes for pupils to read to someone.
• Draft a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ policy
stating all this.
• Agree all this with staff.
2. How cost effective are School
Library Services (SLS)?
There is no one standard offer within SLSs.
Some offer books only, some artefacts, in
some the cost is per box, others band their
services into packages. But all will have
access to new titles so that they are able to
keep up with what is being published and
purchase the best fiction and information
books coming out.
Savings are made because they purchase
once and loan to multiple schools from
term to term.
They benefit from greater discounts as
they tend to buy in larger quantities.
Whereas individual schools buy books
at higher prices and once a title is
purchased, they retain it forever unless it
is damaged or lost and then they lose it.
But with an SLS you are able to replace
with another new title.
As well as loans, most SLSs offer advice,
which is invaluable. Their staff visit
multiple schools, and they see what works
in different situations. They are therefore
exposed to many different ideas.
Many will help with stock edits or
computerising your library stock for a
new system. SLS staff do this often and
have speedy shortcuts, are familiar with
the stock, and this cuts down on work.
So, absolutely, if you have a local SLS, do
investigate the best option for your school
and save yourself some money.
3. I’ve noticed that some children
are unused to choosing books.
How can I help?
When children are first faced with a
school library, even if it is small, it will
be more books than the child has ever
seen together before. Children need
reassurance that they are allowed to
touch the books, look inside, and if they
don’t feel it is for them, they can put it
back and select another. But even this
may be too much.
• Reduce the selection
Start by having a few books spread out
on a table. Show them how to look to see
if they’d be interested in one book. Talk
about the cover, the blurb, the size of print.
How can you tell what the book is about?
Obviously if you have older children,
you hope they can read the title, but in
younger years what are the clues about
the subject matter? From the jacket?
The illustrations?
• What about other interests?
What is a child interested in outside
school? Sport? Film? Hobbies? Would
they like to read about this?
• Recommendations
This is by far the most popular way of
choosing your next read.
Ask the class what they have recently
enjoyed reading and ask them to tell you
all a bit about the book. Then ask if that
has prompted anyone else to want to read
it. Accept their opinions – not everyone
enjoys the same books.
There are more suggestions in the
How to Choose Books resource in the
Resources Library.
Dawn Woods is the Member
Development Librarian at the
School Library Association.
She has spent her career
mainly with a Schools' Library
Service, but also in children's
libraries, and was previously a
manager of an SLS.
Photo: Unsplash
24 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Research Highlights
Becky West summarises two noteworthy new pieces
of research which shed further light on the topics of
vocabulary in children’s books and reading for pleasure.
New Insights into Vocabulary Building
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
has published a paper from a team of psychologists
who have created a new tool which can be used to
study British children’s vocabulary.
The team created a database (available at
osf.io/tnu8k/) of all the words present in 1200
books that are popular with British children aged
7–16. This lexical database, named CYP-LEX, is the
largest of its kind and the only one which is publicly
available. The hope is that this resource will
enable more research into children’s reading and
vocabulary and how it changes as they grow older.
To demonstrate the insights that CYP-LEX can
provide, the researchers present some initial
insights into children’s book language.
Comparing the CYP-LEX database with a database
of subtitles from BBC television channels, they
found that 28% of words in age 7–9 books, and 40%
of words in age 10–12 books are never encountered
on CBeebies or CBBC and 20% of words in age
13+ books are never encountered on any BBC
channel. This suggests that a large proportion of
words children encounter in books are not in their
spoken vocabulary and that this starts right at the
beginning of independent reading.
They also found that most words in children’s books
occur very few times, and children will encounter
a greater proportion of rare words as they get older
(60% of different words in age 7–9 books are rare;
67% at age 10–12 and 73% at age 13+).
As an aside, the finding I found most interesting
was that the pronoun ‘he’ is used much more
frequently than the pronoun ‘she’ in children’s
books, and this gap increases as the book target
age increases. (‘He’ is the 9th, 10th and 7th most
common word in the three respective age bands;
‘she’ is the 14th, 14th and 17th most popular
word). I’ll just leave that there...
In conclusion, the variety of words children
typically encounter when reading presents both a
challenge for comprehension and enjoyment, but
also an opportunity to build a rich vocabulary.
tinyurl.com/CYP-LEX-database
How can I use this knowledge?
1. Reassure readers that finding words they don’t
understand is not only normal but a ubiquitous
part of reading.
2. Create an ‘I didn't know that was a word!’
display in your library or classroom which
students can add to as they find new words.
3. Read aloud to as many students as possible,
especially older ones.
Librarians are Social Justice Warriors
Teresa Cremin and Laura Scholes present a
compelling review of research about reading for
pleasure in 5- to 18-year-olds from 1990 to 2023.
Unexpectedly, the evidence base showing
the benefits of reading for pleasure is
incontrovertible. So, when there is so much
evidence that reading for pleasure is so
important, and we’ve known this for such a long
time, why is reading for pleasure in UK children
at its lowest since 2005? The authors identify
some key areas that need to be addressed if this
trend is to reverse:
• Professional knowledge of texts and of readers
– the average teacher’s repertoire of children’s
literature is narrow and outdated and doesn’t
reflect the interests and diversity of today’s
young people.
• How to reconcile the conflicting agendas of
an assessment-based reading programme and
fostering a love of reading.
• Key messages around reading for pleasure in
a nation’s curriculum determine how educators
create space for, resource, and facilitate the
development of children’s love of reading.
As the authors put so eloquently, remember that
‘eschewing this volitional reading agenda is not an
option, it is a matter of social justice’. So, there you
go – librarians are social justice warriors, but we
knew that already.
tinyurl.com/cremin-scholes
How can I use this knowledge?
1. Find out what texts are being used in classrooms
– if anything is outdated and unrelatable can you
tactfully suggest alternatives?
2. Get the governors on side – invite them to visit
the library and introduce them to the Great
School Libraries Campaign.
3. Believe in yourself. You are the reading expert.
Advocating for reading is advocating for a child’s
future, what you do matters. Write that down!
Becky West joined the SLA
in 2022 as the Association
Services Administrator and
currently looks after the
administration of the SLA's
awards and TSL. She has
a background in science
education.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 25

Digital
Bev’s Helpdesk
Bev Humphrey delves into the fun world of game creation
with Wordwall and shares her experiences of how to make
fun and engaging activities that everyone will enjoy.
Bev Humphrey is a
Literacy and Digital Media
Consultant with specialisms
in the use of digital media,
reading promotion, and
event organisation.
Hello, everyone! I hope you are having a
good term so far. So this time, I (that’s
mythical school librarian me!) want to
create some fun games and activities that I can
either use at the start of library lessons to get
students engaged or, hopefully, that I can embed
on my online LMS page/website/blog. There
are numerous game creator sites out there, of
course, but I want to explore Wordwall
(https://wordwall.net) which I’ve heard has
a good range of free activities – don’t want to
waste my budget on subscriptions if I can help
it! Signing up to the site was very easy using my
email address, and once in and after clicking
‘Create Resource’, I was presented with 18
resource types to choose from. With a free plan
you can only create three resources, but more
about this later …
There are numerous game creator
sites out there, of course, but I
want to explore Wordwall.
I decided on ‘Find the Match’ first as I wanted
to create a game where students have to find
the matching pairs of story characters. I used
well-known ones – Katniss and Peeta, Harry
and Ginny, for example – and I added six pairs.
Clicking on the photo symbol at the end of each
character row gave me some suggested images
I might want to use. When I clicked ‘Done’, I
was taken to a screen with my game draft set
against a background – the background was of an
underwater scene which wasn’t to my liking, but
scrolling down brought up many other options –
do look out for the ‘Magic Library’ background, I
loved it! Background sorted, I could just go with
it as it was, but on the right-hand side, I had the
option to switch the template using my names,
and the ‘Gameshow Quiz’, which I hadn’t noticed
before, seemed too good to miss. I was very
impressed with the way this looked, so decided to
stick with it – now to embed online.
Below my created game there was an ‘Embed’
option or if I looked to the left of the screen there
was an embed symbol there also. Clicking either
of these places gave me the embed code that I
could use to showcase my game anywhere online.
I could also make my game public for others to
use by clicking ‘Share’. I could then set it as an
assignment and either ask my students to put in
their name, allow them to play anonymously, or
share the assignment to Google Classroom; any
of these options would then collect the results for
me. There is also the option to just ‘Share’, which
would give me the link.
This site would offer hours of fun for creators
as well as students. I liked the look of ‘Complete
the Sentence’ and the ‘Wordsearch’ creators.
Although you are limited to three creations,
you can edit these, or alternatively if you take
out a monthly subscription (less than £5), you
can then create as many as you like. You keep
these creations if you subsequently unsubscribe,
but you are not able to create any more until
you resubscribe, but you could make a lot of
resources in one month! Do let me know if you
have a play with this one; I think it’s brilliant.
Do look out for the ‘Magic Library’
background, I loved it!
26 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Digital
Using Social Media to
Develop a Personal
Learning Network
You’re not alone! is the overarching message from Jonathan
Viner, who explains how we can use social media to develop
connections, providing new perspectives and inspiration.
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
28 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024
In today’s digital age, social media has
become an indispensable tool for
professional development. For school
librarians, leveraging these key channels can
open doors to new learning opportunities,
networking possibilities, and insight into the
latest industry trends.
Using social media to develop your own Personal
Learning Network (PLN) is a particularly valuable
strategy for fostering professional growth. A PLN
can provide support and inspiration, helping you
tackle challenges and implement new strategies.
It also broadens your perspectives and enhances
professional competence. So how do you go about
building one?
The best place to start is by exploring prominent
global social network sites. X, formerly Twitter, is
a very powerful tool for developing a PLN. Twitter
chats are scheduled discussions on specific topics
where users tweet responses to questions using
a designated hashtag. Relevant examples include
#edchat and #librarychat. These chats provide a
platform to share ideas, ask questions and learn
from others in real time. It can also be useful to
identify and follow influential accounts in relevant
sectors, whilst using and following relevant
hashtags can help you discover new content and
connect with others in your field.
Take the time to look for groups and forums that
align with your interests and professional needs.
Facebook’s unique functionality has, for example,
encouraged numerous online groups dedicated
to librarians’ professional development to spring
up. Communities such as ‘School Librarians’ and
‘The School Librarian’s Workshop’ offer safe spaces
to ask questions, share experiences and access
resources. Getting involved can lead to valuable
connections and unique learning opportunities
that all help build your PLN.
Take the time to look for groups
and forums that align with your
interests and professional needs.
Networks like Instagram and Pinterest, which
prioritise image sharing and visual storytelling,
can also be useful for connecting with other
members of the international library community.
Using the above tips, you’ll quickly be able
to identify and follow accounts that share
library ideas, book recommendations, reading
programmes, and other relevant content.
As the saying goes, the more you
put in, the more you’ll get out, so
engage actively with content rather
than just passively consuming it.
Whatever channel(s) you choose to prioritise,
it’s important to get involved. As the saying goes,
the more you put in, the more you’ll get out, so
engage actively with content rather than just
passively consuming it. Contribute value by sharing
resources, answering questions, and providing
support to others. This will help build your
reputation in these channels, which can then lead
to new insights and professional opportunities/
relationships. All of which can significantly enhance
your CPD journey and strengthen your PLN.
But don’t forget to take steps to carefully manage
activity on these sites. Lists and filters will help
you focus on the most relevant content and stop
you disappearing down online rabbit holes! Check
and adjust your privacy settings and be careful
about the information you share, particularly
where it relates to specific students. But perhaps
most importantly, have a plan and ensure that
everything you do aligns with your PLN objectives.
One final suggestion: don’t forget to follow and
engage with trusted brands in the library space.
Publishers, EdTech providers and unions all have
a vibrant social media presence and can all be
invaluable additions to your PLN. If you’re reading
this, then I hope that you’ve already bookmarked
the School Library Association’s presence across
social media! If not, do so now!

Digital
Engage and Inspire: Using
Nearpod to Enhance Education
Kojo Hazel explores the features of Nearpod and gives us a rundown
of how best to make use of this innovative platform in the classroom.
In the digital age, educators continually seek
tools to create interactive and engaging
learning environments. Nearpod stands out
as a versatile platform that transforms traditional
lessons into interactive experiences. With pricing
plans that start with a free basic version and extend
to more comprehensive packages, Nearpod offers
solutions for individual teachers and entire schools
or educational organisations.
Features of Nearpod:
Nearpod offers a wealth of features designed
to foster interactive and engaging classroom
experiences. Teachers can create multimedia
presentations that include quizzes, polls, videos,
and collaborative boards. This allows for real-time
student engagement, enabling educators to monitor
participation and understanding instantly. The
platform supports various formative assessments,
including multiple-choice questions, open-ended
responses, and matching pairs. Additionally,
Nearpod provides access to Virtual Reality (VR)
lessons, allowing students to explore virtual field
trips and immersive environments. Its extensive
content library offers pre-made lessons and
resources across different subjects and grade levels,
making lesson planning more efficient and effective.
Uses for Educators:
Nearpod enhances the teaching experience by
enabling interactive and dynamic lesson delivery. For
example, in my Esports class, I have used Nearpod
to present game strategies through interactive slides,
engaging my students with quizzes on gaming
tactics, and gathering instant feedback on students’
understanding. Nearpod also supports differentiated
instruction, allowing teachers to tailor lessons to
meet diverse student needs by embedding various
media types and interactive elements that cater to
different learning styles.
Uses for Students:
Students benefit from Nearpod’s interactive
features, which promote active participation and
engagement. They can collaborate on shared
boards, participate in live polls, and experience
lessons through VR. These interactive elements
make learning more engaging and memorable.
Nearpod fosters critical thinking and creativity, as
students can respond to open-ended questions,
engage in interactive discussions, and create their
own presentations using the platform’s tools.
Training Materials:
Nearpod provides comprehensive training
materials to help educators maximise the
platform’s potential. These include webinars and
workshops, which cover various aspects of using
Nearpod effectively in the classroom. Additionally,
online tutorials offer step-by-step guides and
videos, providing in-depth instructions on creating
and delivering interactive lessons. A robust
support system addresses common questions and
technical issues, ensuring educators can smoothly
integrate Nearpod into their teaching practices.
Compatibility with Microsoft and Google:
Nearpod integrates seamlessly with Microsoft
and Google platforms, enhancing its versatility
and ease of use. Educators can embed Nearpod
lessons directly into Microsoft Teams, enabling a
cohesive workflow within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Similarly, Nearpod is compatible with Google
Classroom, allowing teachers to assign and
manage interactive lessons easily.
Conclusion:
Nearpod is an invaluable tool for modern educators,
offering a range of features that transform traditional
lessons into interactive and engaging experiences.
Its real-time student engagement, formative
assessments, and VR lessons enhance the learning
environment, making education more dynamic and
effective. By integrating Nearpod into their teaching
strategies, educators can create a more interactive,
inclusive, and stimulating classroom experience.
Kojo Hazel is a teacher of
Esports & IT, and Diversity &
Inclusion Fellow for Microsoft
Education UK.
@kojohazel
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 29

Digital
In the Garden Audiobook
Collection Review
Louise Davis
Louise Davis is the Librarian
at Rowan Preparatory School
in Surrey. She manages two
libraries and is passionate
about helping children to
develop a love of reading for
pleasure from an early age.
Published by Darling Buds Audio (an imprint of
The Audio Agency, specifically for under 8s), In
the Garden is a charming collection of four short
nature stories aimed at children aged 3–6. I Saw
a Bee, We Found a Seed, We Planted a Pumpkin,
and I Heard a Bird are delightful audio stories of
between two and five minutes long.
Ramsden writes each story from the perspective of a
child as they explore the outdoors, make discoveries,
and learn through nature. The endearing characters
we meet, and their interplay with the children, shine
a spotlight on universal feelings and themes of
empathy, kindness, frustration, hope, joy, patience,
and perseverance. Ramsden also touches upon
death and sadness, but he does this sensitively, in
the positive context of nature’s life cycle. There are
important lessons to be learned in each story but
also questions to be answered, and discussion is
encouraged. By the end of We Found a Seed, the
children have learned how to grow a seed and
know ‘just what to do’ when they discover more. For
any young listener, this is their cue to retrieve and
recount information from
the story – key skills to boost learning at any age.
What I particularly like about this audio collection
is the attention to detail. The narrators (Joe
Jameson and Sara Novak) are wonderfully
expressive as children, brilliantly conveying an
array of emotions, and their delivery is crisp and
clear. The use of orchestral music and sounds of
the outdoors are enchanting and almost tangible,
adding richness to the storytelling. The pace
is also just right: gentle enough for children to
grasp the storylines and context, but with enough
momentum to capture the imagination of the
young listener and carry them to the end.
This short but captivating collection encourages
children to discover for themselves the magic of both
nature and great storytelling, a winning combination.
This audio collection is widely available via platforms
including Spotify, Audible, YouTube Music and Google
Play. For schools using digital download/streaming
services, it is also available via the Sora app.
Libro.fm Review
Heather Grainger
Heather Grainger has
been the LRC Manager at
Weatherhead High School in
Merseyside for 11 years, after
moving from public libraries.
She is always on the lookout
for new ways to reinvigorate a
love of reading.
30 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024
Libro.fm offers a similar model to Audible, but feels
like a more ethical/independent alternative. To
quote their website:
‘Libro.fm is an employee-owned Social Purpose
Corporation that shares profits from your audiobook
purchases with your chosen bookshop, giving you the
power to keep money within your local economy.’
You can select a bookshop, and shops can curate
playlists for all users to browse. I spoke with our
local bookshop owner (Bear Hunt Books), and
she is incredibly happy with the book-seller side –
free and easy to set up, support given, and money
received from supporters’ subscriptions/purchases.
The setup is fairly standard: you can pay a
monthly subscription (currently £9.95) and
receive a credit, redeemable against an audiobook
of your choice, or you can buy credits separately
(£12.00). Alternatively, you can pay for titles
individually (beneficial when there are excellent
sale prices). Subscriptions can be cancelled/
paused at any time, without losing purchased titles.
The selection is not as wide as Audible but is evergrowing.
One huge positive for those working in
education is the opportunity to access ‘Educator
ALCs’, free advanced listener copies of upcoming
titles. It’s easy to apply, and every month there
is a new selection to choose from. It is currently
USA-heavy, but hopefully this will expand as the
customer base grows. I recently downloaded the
short-story collection The White Guy Dies First,
featuring authors like Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé,
Kalynn Bayron, and Adiba Jaigirdar.
The app is intuitive to use, and you can customise
settings, as well as downloading books to listen to
offline. As with other similar platforms, one minor
downside is that you cannot purchase through the
app and will need to open a browser.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend Libro.fm as an
ethical audiobook option that aims to work closely
with booksellers.

Digital
Winston AI Review
Gareth Evans
Winston AI claims to be the industry’s leading
artificial intelligence (AI) detection tool, designed
to help users determine whether content was
written by a human or generated using AI
generated tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini,
or Microsoft Co-Pilot. In the education sector,
Winston AI is primarily used to detect plagiarism
in student coursework and evaluate the quality
of their referenced resources for plagiarism. It
can also verify if coursework was created by the
student or generated using AI.
During my evaluation using the seven-day free trial
of Winston AI, I focused on testing its AI detection
tool – note that the plagiarism detection feature
isn’t available in the free trial. Winston AI employs
a human percentage score to differentiate between
human-written and AI-generated text. To assess its
accuracy, I conducted an experiment by writing
a one-paragraph summary on the background
history of the Carnegie Medal for Writing and
Andrew Carnegie.
I then used AI tools – ChatGPT version 4, Google
Gemini, and Microsoft Co-Pilot – to generate
responses with references to the same inquiry.
While ChatGPT version 4 and Microsoft Co-
Pilot provided accurate responses and reliable
reference links, Google Gemini offered accurate
content but lacked dependable references. Each
response was subsequently analysed using
Winston AI’s detection tool to determine its
human detection scores.
These were the results:
Text Sample
Own writing example
ChatGPT Version 4
Google Gemini
Microsoft Co-Pilot
Winston AI Human
Detection Score
100% Human Written
0% Human Written
0% Human Written
99% Human Written
Though this experiment was conducted on a small
scale, the results have shown that Winston AI is
not as robust an AI detection tool as it claims to be.
Several other reviews by Morris (2024), AW (2024),
and Hernandez (2024) have conducted more
in-depth testing for their reviews on Winston AI.
While most reviewers agreed that Winston AI was
effective in detecting the majority of AI-generated
content, there were a few cases where the Human
Detection score from Winston AI was incorrect.
Here is a screenshot
of the Winston AI Human
Score and readability score
after assessing a piece of text.
Gareth Evans has been
working as a secondary school
librarian in Wiltshire for 8 years.
In 2023 he was honoured on
the CILIP 125 List, and is also
a committee member for YLG
South West. Gareth has a BSc
(Hons) Degree in ICT from the
University of Gloucestershire.
Aw, B. (2024) Winston AI Review 2024: My Honest Review After 5 Tests Available from
https://brendanaw.com/winston-ai-review [accessed 7 July 2024]
Hernandez, A. (2024) My Honest Review of Winston.ai: Is It the Best AI Detector? Available
from https://ddiy.co/winston-ai-review/ [accessed 7 July 2024]
Morris, C. (2024) Winston AI Review: The Best AI Content Detector Available from https://
www.elegantthemes.com/blog/business/winston-ai [accessed 7 July 2024]
ALCS Copyright Resources Review
Juliet Crossley-Nilsen
Communicating about Copyright, from the
Author’s Licensing and Collecting Society.
This is a series of booklets and one video to provide
information about, and raise awareness of, legal
aspects of copyright – an important area that
generally may not be considered in the busy daily life
of a school. This series includes resources for 7- to
11-year-olds, 12- to 16-year-olds, and even teaching
staff, and includes a graphic version.
The booklets are very easy to read and can be used
as a lesson. The information is very easily explained
and is written at an age-appropriate level. All booklets
start with the writer, whether it is an author of a
book or whether the author is you, the student. It
works through the process of copyright, covering all
aspects, e.g. what can happen to your work to help
you make the right decision for it. It also includes
information from the legal side so that you know how
long copyright is for authors and how their work can
be used. The booklets include several questions at the
end of each page to cement students’ learning and to
give examples to deepen understanding. The guides
cover what we as teachers should be sharing with
our students, how copyright works in relation to the
digital world, the difference between copyright theft
and plagiarism, and many more scenarios.
The booklets are eye-catching, with well set out
information which is easy to read. The copyright
superhero would be a great addition to any display
reminder – with permission, of course!
I thoroughly recommend these booklets for schools,
teachers, or students. It simplifies the journey through
the world of copyright into a fun journey that is
understood by all. I will certainly be including these
in my curriculum for this school year. Many thanks
ALCS – great job!
Juliet Crossley-Nilsen
is the Community Cove
Co-ordinator (Librarian) at
the International School of
Bergen. Her passions in life
are her family, books, rugby
union and travel.
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 31

Books: 7 & Under
Ben-Barak, Idan
Illustrated by
Christopher Nielsen
Your Brain Is a
Lump of Goo
Allen & Unwin Children’s Books,
2024, 32pp, £7.99, 9781761180996
Body. Information. Humour
The pineapple-sized brain narrates this bright
and informative picture book about … the brain!
Illustrated in charming 50s style and using a
pineapple as a prop to demonstrate various brain
adjacent activities, this deceptively simple book
imparts a significant amount of knowledge about
what the brain is, how it has developed, and how
it works. Clever illustrations show how creativity
can develop the brain, and how being different
makes the world interesting. Font and text are clear
and great use is made of colour to pick out certain
words. For keen readers there is a more detailed
description at the back of the book, naming the
various areas of the brain and explaining what each
is responsible for. Non-fiction picture books are so
important for literacy as well as the more obvious
information, and this would be an excellent addition
to anyone’s collection.
Helen Thompson
Birkett, Georgie
Snack Please!
Walker, 2024, 32pp, £12.99,
9781529502749
Food. Parenting. Nature
If you loved Carry Me! then Snack, Please! Is a
certain hit, for it is a follow up story and just as
much of a delight. We meet a new (and completely
adorable) animal family from Cheery Street,
specifically Gertie (who is snack-obsessed) and
her loving (if long suffering) daddy. For Gertie,
snack time is all the time. There are sofa sacks, bath
snacks, bath time snacks … Snacks for everything
to the extent that mealtimes are abandoned and
Daddy is becoming frustrated. He really wants
Gertie to try some new foods and maybe talk about
something other than her next snack. Perhaps
spending the day on Granny’s allotment will be the
magic they all need. And it does seem that it might
be working, Gertie gets mucky, picks some foods,
cooks and, can you believe it, might be too full for
snacks – but is another favourite food waiting to
be discovered? A fabulously funny book for parents
and children to share and find inspiration from.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Boersen, Lisa &
Elbaamrani, Hasna
Illustrated by
Annelies Vandenbosch
Esma Farouk,
Lost in the Souk
Floris Books, 2024, 32pp, £12.99, 9781782508854
Markets. Marakesh. Family
This is the story of Esma, her parents, two brothers
and older sister, who fly to Morocco to see their
grandparents. Esma is excited about visiting the
souk, which as she explains is a market much bigger
and more exciting than a farmers’ market. Even from
this short description we know that Esma and her
family visit their country of birth regularly. This is a
story of love and family traditions. The souk is drawn
and described in a simple way, with warm colours
and attention to detail; we see more in the pictures
than is related in words. Esma’s excitement means
that she inevitably becomes lost and afraid. Fear
not, as all of the performers at the souk – the water
carriers, the snake charmer, the musicians and the
fruit seller, devise an ingenious plan to help Esma
find her mother. At the same time, they perform
their best spectacle ever. This story captures the
warmth and thrill of the Marrakesh souk and typical
summers abroad visiting family far away.
Sarah Seddon
Brown, Alison
Amazing Brother /
Amazing Sister
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9780008529475
Sisters. Brothers. Diversity
These are two new titles from
the author–illustrator who
brought us Amazing Mum
and Amazing Dad, this time
celebrating the joys of having siblings. The
mischievous rhyming text perfectly matches the
quirky colourful illustrations which show how
brothers and sisters can come in all shapes and sizes
with lots of different aspects to their personalities,
some of which may take a bit of getting used to.
But ultimately, the overall message in both books is
that when you think about it, your sibling, however
unlike you, is your loyal friend and will always be
there for you. These are definitely picture books
to be shared and read aloud, as young readers will
enjoy matching the rhymes to the different animal
sibling illustrations and discussing the amusing
scenarios on show throughout both stories. Some
children may find much that resonates with their
own family life reflected within the pages which
adds to the enjoyment of the reading experience.
Sue Polchow
Brown, Ian
Illustrated by
Eoin Clarke
The Surprise
Series: Hugg ‘n’ Bugg
Graffeg, 2024, 36pp, £7.99, 9781802586817
Animals. Emotions. Friendship
Hugg is a wild-haired yeti, who relies on his flea
friend, Bugg, to control his fur and keep him looking
clean and tidy. However, jealousy threatens to get in
the way of their friendship, and Hugg storms off ‘in
a mighty huff’. A surprise birthday party changes his
mind, and Hugg realises that his ‘hairdressing chum’
Bugg can be friends with others, too, without losing
their friendship. The illustrations are colourful and
lively and feature a range of friendly and cheerfullooking
animals, each with its own crazy hairstyle.
The illustrations and storyline both provide plenty
of opportunities for discussion, and the text benefits
from being read aloud: an entertaining picture book
for young children.
Alex Mallin-Jones
Carter, James
Illustrated by
Margaux Carpentier
Once Upon a Big Idea
Caterpillar Books, 2024, 32pp,
£6.99, 9781838913939
Inventions. Rhyme. Technology
A clever poem all about inventions and how
humans have innovated and made use of
everything around us in the world. In the colourful
form of a picture book, this will delight readers of
all ages. Further research could be encouraged
from reading this and discovering more about
metals, history, and the timeline of inventions and
technology. In rhythmic rhyming, this book will roll
off your tongue, as it is ideal for reading aloud.
Erin Hamilton
32 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 7 & Under
School
Editor's Picks
Andre, Peter
Super School Kids and
the Baby Alien Rescue
Scholastic, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9780702323485
Adventure. Aliens. School
It’s an average morning at Nisbet
Primary School when a load of eggs
secretly brought back from Planet
Drizzlebottom start to hatch, and
chaos erupts.
Campbell, Jamel C
Illustrated by Lydia Mba
Olu’s Teacher
Walker, 2024, 32pp, £12.99,
9781529522167
Anxiety. School. Situation Books
Olu is about to start nursery school
but worries what his teacher will
be like. Reassurance for all little
children.
Gearing, Tessa
Illustrated by Chris Jevons
There’s an Alien in
My Lunchbox!
Andersen Press, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9781839131691
Aliens. Humour. School
Noah has brought his favourite book
to school, but now the characters
have escaped and are causing
mayhem.
Rauf, Onjali Q
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
The Girl at the Front
of the Class
Hodder, 2024, 32pp, £12.99,
9781526364654
Friendship. Immigration. Refugees
A new girl arrives in class but seems
reluctant to join in. The importance
of kindness when someone is
feeling sad.
Brooks, Felicity
Illustrated by Marina Aizen
All You Need to Know
About Going to School
Series: All you need to know about ...
Usborne, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9781805077060
Preparation. Schools. Situation Books
A guide to all the skills young
children will need to master before
they start school – ideal for sharing
and talking about.
Cobb, Rebecca
A Wild Walk to School
Macmillan, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9781529051322
Adventure. Imagination. School
It’s time to walk to school and Mum
wants the children to get there on
time, but the walk becomes an
adventure.
Nuurali, Siman
Illustrated by
Christos Skaltsas
Sadiq and the
Newspaper Problem
Series: Sadiq. Raintree, 2024, 64pp,
£6.99, 9781398257238
Curiosity. Kindness. School
Sadiq is eager to join the new school
newspaper. He’s a good writer, and
he likes asking lots of questions.
Thompson, Lisa
Illustrated by Aysha Awwad
Worry Boots
Scholastic, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9780702324536
Emotions. School. Shoes
It’s Connie’s first day at school and
she has some new boots. But there
is something wrong with them.
Carter, James
Illustrated by
James Munro
Watch Them Grow!
Graffeg, 2024, 36pp, £7.99,
9781802586633
Animals. Growth. Life Cycles
Watch Them Grow! Animal Life Cycles, written by
James Carter, with incredibly sweet and cartoonlike
illustrations by James Munro is a must-have
for all library animal topic sections. Most of the
book is written in poetry form, which makes it a
lot of fun to read aloud. This is followed by more
detailed information about particular characteristics
of certain animals in a section called ‘Who Knew?’
I particularly enjoyed the spread which teaches us
about the animals sharing the same name for their
young, for example a pup is a baby dog, but also
baby hamster, dolphin, seal, and mouse. This book
is perfect for our Reception topic of growth. Pupils
and teachers alike will adore the factually funny
rhymes. I can see this delightful book being enjoyed
for reading for pleasure in the library and being on
loan every summer term to our EYFS team as a vital
contributor to their classroom topic.
Jenny Griffiths
Casey, Dawn
Illustrated by
Geneviève Godbout
My Friend Tree
Ivy Kids, 2024, 32pp, £9.99,
9780711269866
Nature. Friendship. Celebration
My Friend Tree is a celebration of the wonder of
trees in our lives. A young girl and boy each share
what their friend tree means to them as they share
and grow in the space under its branches together.
The illustrations have a pastel-coloured, whimsical,
dream-like quality. Often the tree fills a doublepage
spread as the children’s lives unfold under
its branches. As they plant acorns, the perspective
shows both the above and below ground growth.
Gradually, the telling moves from ‘my friend tree’
to ‘our friend tree’ as the two characters grow, find
love together, and nurture their own family under
the tree’s branches. At the end of the story, there
are instructions for planting an acorn so that young
readers can have a change to recreate the warmth
of love provided by our friends, the trees.
Carolyn Boyd
Cawthorne, Catherine
Illustrated by
Sara Ogilvie
Big Bad Wolf
Investigates
Fairy Tales
Bloomsbury Children's Books,
2024, 32pp, £7.99, 9781526616265
STEM. Fairy Tales. Humour
EDITOR'S PICK
The perfect blend of fairy tales and science, this
non-fiction STEM-based picture book is sure to
be a hit in the library and science lab alike. Big Bad
Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales, written by Catherine
Cawthorne and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie,
answers all of the big questions children really
want to be answered. Could you really dance in
a pair of shoes made of glass? What happens to a
gingerbread house in pouring rain? This very funny
and beautifully illustrated book fact checks your
favourite fairy tales using science, led by Wolf (who
is not as bad as you once thought) and a whole host
of other characters. These well-known fairy tales
are expertly analysed, with brilliant facts alongside
the much-loved stories. Alternative explanations
are offered when we discover that the various
statements in these fairy tales do not always stand
up to scrutiny, plus practical experiments are given
for children to enjoy. And finally, we find out what
really happened in the ‘Happily Ever Afters’.
Jenny Griffiths
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 33

Books: 7 & Under
Cowley, Joy
Illustrated by
Hilary Jean Tapper
Good Night,
Good Beach
Gecko Press, 2024, 28pp, £12.99, 9781776575565
Summer. Beach. Families
This is a wonderful example of how illustrations
and text can come together to create a beautiful
picture book that rewards rereading. The book
follows a family at the seaside as they enjoy a
simple day of sunshine, sea, sand and hunting
for beach treasures. The watercolour and ink
illustrations, reminiscent of Shirley Hughes, are
classic and full of detail, and instantly evoke
childhood trips to the beach. The melodic
language also takes you straight to the beach
– ‘waves hush-hushing on the shore’ – and the
rhythm carries the reader along with the children as
they experience the day through all the senses. The
illustrations and text provide many talking points
for adults and young readers to share, making this a
book that would make a great classroom read, or a
peaceful bedtime book. A great contrast to some of
the louder picture books out there!
Alex Mallin-Jones
Cummings, Phil
Illustrated by
Sally Soweol Han
Footprint
Allen & Unwin Children's Books,
2024, 24pp, £12.99,
9781761180323
Nature. Environment. Sustainability
Beautifully illustrated in colourful drawings, this
book focuses on the beauty of the natural world. It
reminds children to not only look for the wonders in
the world, but also to protect them. Take a moment
to stop and breathe it in; remind yourself that not
everything is as it should be in the world, but know
that with every footprint you leave, you can help to
make a difference.
Angela March
Dockrill, Laura
Illustrated by
Lauren Child
Grey
Walker, 2024, 40pp, £14.99,
9781406389562
Sadness. Hope. Emotions
The child in the story is lonely, unsmiling and feels
‘grey’. This book of few words is about sadness
and feeling low but has a hopeful, more colourful
ending full of love and kindness. This is a perfect
read aloud book for ages 3+ and is one which will
help them make sense of their feelings. Simply
told with appropriate, sensitive language, it is so
cleverly illustrated it could be understood even if
you were not to read the words. What makes this
book stand out is the presentation of the pages
with cut-out shapes highlighting the colours
and images. I especially love the reflection of
the child’s face in the puddle. On a more basic
level it could be a discussion about colour and
how different colours make you feel. The book is
beautifully bound, and the colours are soft and
contrast nicely with the grey.
Susan Mullen
34 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 7 & Under
Donnelly, Paddy
The Golden Hare
O’Brien Press, 2024, 32pp,
£13.99, 9781788494939
Diversity. Nature. Adventure
In this magical tale of
adventure, join Meara and her grandad on their
quest to find the ‘Golden Hare’. The author’s use
of language is wonderfully lyrical, taking you on
a marvellous dance in nature. Learn about how
the painted lady butterfly travels the length of the
world on its golden wings over six generations,
or how the immortal jellyfish never dies. Spot the
bright flame of the forest, otherwise known as the
goldfinch. Learn to close your eyes and listen to the
sounds of nature amplified. Beautiful Illustrations
showcase the changing light of the natural world
throughout the day. The story is wonderfully
immersive, capturing migrations of different
creatures along with the life cycles of plants and
animals. The Golden Hare being a metaphor for the
nature journal Grandad gifts Meara at the end of the
tale, this even encourages creativity in nature. This
is brilliant for key stages 1 and 2 and excellent for
nature and life cycles themes in the curriculum.
George Thomas
Ferenchuk, Larissa
Illustrated by
Prue Pittock
Two Rabbits
Exisle Publications, 2024, 32pp,
£10.99, 9781922539656
Friends. Feelings. Reconciliation
A lovely gentle tale of friendships, falling out and
reconciliation. When Little Grey Rabbit and Little
Brown Rabbit argue on ‘a dark rainy night, on a cold
wet field’, harsh words are exchanged as in so many
childish fights, and we see the wind carrying their
words along: ‘I’m not your friend anymore!’, ‘I don’t
like you!’ They go their separate ways, each trying to
deal with their angry feelings. Their stories are told
in parallel on side-by-side spreads. (Their journeys
are also mapped on the delightful endpapers.)
Gradually they work through sadness, loss, and
loneliness, and the wind reminds them of what they
had, and both race back to the field with apologies,
hugs, and gifts. A wonderful way to discuss a very
familiar childhood experience and will help children
to understand their emotions and to be more able
to work towards reconciliation as the rabbits did.
Joy Court
Feunekes, Anna Lena
Tasty Tales
UCLan Publishing, 2024, 64pp,
£8.99, 9781915235923
Cooking. Food. Information
If there is one thing that brings
people together, bonds us, regardless of
background, race, language or any other potential
barrier, it’s food. We all eat, and we love nothing
more than to share food. We cook for one another,
share food we’ve bought, share the ability to grow
food. There are many ways food can be shared,
and it is always a joy, a sign of friendships and
love. It is also through food that people are able
to express themselves. There are facts and fictions
surrounding food and its origins; some go back so
far in time they are now myth and fable, wonderful
to discover and share. Anna Lena Feunekes has
brought some of these myths and fables together
in her book Tasty Tales. She has been inspired
by the history of food and by the folklore that
surrounds it, travelling the world (in her words and
pictures) to discover some of the wonderful stories
behind some of our favourite food.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Fleming, Lucy
Lily the Pond
Mermaid
Walker, 2023, 32pp, £12.99,
9781529504477
Anxiety. Nurturing. Friendship
A simple story about Lily the Pond Mermaid who
looks after the pond inhabitants but who worries
about keeping everyone safe. It’s only when her
worst fears are realised, that she finds she has a
small flicker of courage inside her and, with the help
of her pond friends, they can weather the ferocious
storm together. A gentle reassuring story to help
children understand their worries and anxieties and
learn that ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’.
Bold, bright colourful illustrations add to the joy of
this lovely picture book.
Annie Everall
Graham, Brooke
Illustrated by
Robin Tatlow-Lord
Nova’s Missing
Masterpiece
Exisle Publishing, 2024, 32pp,
£10.99, 9781922539373
Resilience. Art. Coping Strategies
Nova has been working hard to produce a fantastic
portrait of her dad for his birthday, but when it is
time to get ready for the party, she can’t find it
anywhere! An increasingly frustrated and upset
Nova ransacks the house and garden searching for
her masterpiece, but it isn’t anywhere to be found.
Luckily her trusty canine companion Harley is by
her side, and his presence reminds her to take deep
belly breaths to calm down, drink water to clear her
head, and listen to soothing music to centre herself.
Lively illustrations document the chaos as Nova
flings everything around in her search, with hidden
objects for eagle-eyed readers to spot as they
help search for the portrait. An excellent book to
share with children who may sometimes succumb
to frustration, providing strategies to help calm
themselves before total meltdown.
Helen Thompson
Harris, James
Illustrated by
Mariajo Ilustrajo
Help! We Need a Story
Little Tiger, 2024, 32pp, £12.99,
9781801045780
Drawing. Imagination. Jungle
This book is the perfect answer to any child who
says, ‘I’m bored!’ Artie is a macaque whose friends
all bother him with their moaning and groaning
about being bored. Eventually, Artie has had
enough, so he creates a book featuring all his
friends as characters. The friends start to realise that
writing and drawing can create new and exciting
worlds full of adventure and excitement, and soon
enough everyone is busy creating their own stories.
This book is a fantastic way to get reluctant children
into writing and drawing, or to introduce a storymaking
project.
Becky West
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 35

Books: 7 & Under
Harrison, Michelle
Illustrated by
David Tazzyman
There’s a Beach in
My Pants!
Simon & Schuster, 2024, 32pp,
£7.99, 9781398511521
Beach. Fantasy. Humour
Told in the first person, a young girl visits the seaside
with her mother and her dog Pip. The story has
strong rhythmic language and rhyming couplets,
which makes it memorable to read aloud. They put
on sun cream, dig for shells, look out for pirates,
and find their sandwich picnic really become
crunchy SANDwiches on the beach. After a swim
in the sea, they join the looooong queue for ice
cream. But the ice cream doesn’t last long with
Pip around. How does a young child cope with
that unfortunate loss as she heads home covered
in sand? The sand grows and grows in fantastical
proportions, bringing in pirates with peglegs and
parrots, a mermaid – and even the ice cream van!
What a lot of beach she brought home in her pants!
Lively humorous fun supported by comical cartoon
like illustrations that come alive in the tale.
Carolyn Boyd
Hart, Caryl
Illustrated by
Nicola Slater
The Safari Stomp
Orchard Books, 2024, 32pp,
£7.99, 9781408366530
Rhyme. Exercise. Animals
This book is great fun and ideal for a rhyme time or
nursery class. Children will hop, crawl, jump, and
lunge along with the animals on safari, learning how
to move like them. They can lunge with a giraffe,
roar with a lion, and stomp, stomp, stomp with the
elephants. There are five different exercises and a
brilliant rhyming refrain throughout. Accompanied
by bright and fun illustrations by Nicola Slater,
The Safari Stomp will capture the imagination of
teachers and children alike. It will surely become
a firm favourite! ‘As I was going for a walk, I met a
little Bunny, “Come hop with me” the Bunny said,
“Hopping’s super funny!” Join the romp, join the
romp. Let’s hop to the wild safari stomp!’
Sue Bastone
Hegarty, Shane
Illustrated by
Ben Mantle
Dexter Lost His
Boo-Woo
Hodder, 2024, 32pp, £12.99,
9781444966350
Toys. Monsters. Humour
Dexter’s lost his Boo-Woo and it’s turned the whole
town upside down! When Dexter realises his beloved
Boo-Woo is missing, a team of police officers,
firefighters, and more join in the search for this everincreasingly
fearsome sounding monster. Will Dexter
find his Boo-Wee? And if he does turn up, should we
all be terrified?! This is a hilariously madcap rhyming
adventure that is sure to have young children
laughing out loud and joining in during repeat
readings. Mantle’s illustrations heighten the humour
and would make a great springboard to encourage
children to draw their own Boo-Woos or Boo-Wees.
Better known for his work for older children, Shane
Hegarty’s newest foray into picture books is a
welcome one. The rhythm and rhyme scheme flow
beautifully and the cast of characters make for a
fun opportunity to try out the different voices of the
townsfolk as the hysteria over Dexter’s missing toy
grows ever wilder. Hopefully we can look forward to
more delightful additions to this genre in future.
Becca Watts
Henry-Allain, Laura
Illustrated by
Giovana Medeiros
My Family,
Your Family
Dorling K, 2023, 32pp,
£12.99, 9780241610480
Families. Information. Relationships
A colourful and accessible book about families in
all shapes and sizes. The overriding message of
the book is that no two families are the same. The
traditional, nuclear family might be familiar to some
children, but even so they will have encountered
different family set-ups amongst their friendship
groups. Some children have siblings; some do not.
These siblings may or may not be related by blood.
Surrogacy, adoption and fostering are sensitively
explained as well as same-sex relationships. There
are helpful panels of quick questions and answers
throughout the book. The variety of colours used
helps to reinforce that families can be complex and
varied. With a glossary and extra notes for adults
sharing the book with a child, this book would
be particularly welcome in households where a
change in dynamics of who is part of the family has
recently occurred.
Sarah Seddon
Ilustrajo, Mariajo
I Love Books
Frances Lincon Children’s Books,
2024, 40pp, £12.99,
9780711277991
Books. Fantasy. Imagination
The girl (we never know her
name) hates books – they’re boring, and summer
holiday homework is to read a book. But after
a visit to the library she starts to read – through
dinner, bath-time, teeth-brushing, and under the
bedclothes by torchlight, travelling through the
Land of Adventure, helped by a squirrel mouse,
seeking the ingredients for a spell. I Love Books
may not turn book-haters into book-lovers but it’s
great fun, from the first grey-scaled illustrations
of the girl with her eyes glued to her Ipad and
headphones firmly clamped over her ears, through
an explosion of colour as she arrives in the land, to
the final picture of the girl hanging upside down
from a swing, with a friend also reading. Colourful
wisps of magical smoke seep from the pages of very
dull-looking books. Bats, pirates, enchanted frogs,
mischievous witches and a fire-breathing dragon
cavort across the pages, while storybook characters
such as Mary Poppins can be found lurking
somewhere or other. Clearly printed text contrasts
with the girl’s scribbled thoughts.
Peter Andrews
Jeffers, Oliver
What We’ll Build
Harper Collins Children’s, 2024,
44pp, £7.99, 9780008382216
Relationships. Parenting. Love
A beautifully illustrated and
emotive poem about the unbreakable bond
between father and daughter. Following his millioncopy
bestseller, Here We Are, Jeffers wrote What
We’ll Build following the birth of his daughter. It is
a thought-provoking story where enduring love
is the thread that weaves through life’s ups and
inevitable downs. Jeffers flits between the literal
and metaphorical, the real and the imaginary,
and we are drawn into fantastical worlds full of
possibility but also challenge. There are life lessons
to learn – the importance of saying sorry, accepting
that you can’t always win but won’t always lose, that
everyone faces difficult times. Ultimately, father and
daughter need each other, and it is their love that
will enable them to live life to the fullest but also to
weather the storms. The illustrations evoke feelings
of nostalgia and are as a much a part of the narrative
as the words. It is a quiet and captivating book that
will stay with you long after reading.
Louise Davis
36 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 7 & Under
Joof, Emily
Illustrated by
Åsa Gilland
Halima,
Superhero Princess
Floris Books, 2024, 28pp, £7.99,
9781782509066
BLM. Superheroes. Self-Confidence
Halima is excited to be going to a superhero and
princess party with her friends. She feels let down
when they undermine her confidence and suggest
that she does not look like Princess Elsa. The
implication is that this is because of the colour of
her skin. But Halima is a true superhero, as is her
mother, who lifts her up and says that she can be
anything that she chooses to be. This book is full
of beautiful images: the page of hairstyles is truly
inspiring and could even be used for styling ideas.
Halima chooses her costume with pride, first trying
out dressing up as other superhero women of
colour. But she decides to be her true self and go
to the party as Halima, Superhero Princess. This
story ends with a visual glossary of some of the
real-life super women, including Beyonce, Michelle
Obama, and Simone Biles.
Sarah Seddon
Kent, Nicola
Measuring Me!
Little Tiger Press, 2024, 32pp,
£12.99, 9781838915582
STEM. Maths. Measuring
Inspirational! What a
fantastically fun way to introduce young children
to the idea of maths, measuring, science, and the
human body. Measure how tall you are by placing
tin cans in a tower and then compare how many
cans it takes to measure other household items,
or even pets! Compare your weight with a pile
of washing! How many smells can you smell?
Explore how your eyes can see millions of miles
away to the stars. Every idea is illustrated and
presented by a range of different, diverse children
in a colourful and accessible format. As a bonus,
the book comes with its very own height chart
to fill in and colour. I can guarantee children will
want to measure everything!
Susan Mullen
Kim, Manu
Snail
Pushkin Press, 2023, 44pp,
£12.99, 9781782694069
Coping. Feelings. Animals
A little boy wants to go on a bike trip with his big
brother and his friends, but they cycle too fast for
him, and he gets left behind. Things get worse
when he tumbles off his bike. But then he spots a
snail slowly climbing a tree. He climbs the tree too,
discovers the beauty of the sky, and realises that it is
fine to go at his own pace. Snail is a truly delightful
book. The beautiful illustrations start as black-andwhite
line drawings, with only the boy’s bicycle
helmet and the snail in red, then turn to colour
when the boy sees the sunset and realises he can
go at his own pace. The short and simple text and
the fantastic artwork convey strong emotions and
show the influence of the author’s background in
animation. Finally, there is the lovely touch of a tiny
illustration of the red snail on the blue endpapers.
Andrea Rayner
Martineau, Susan
Illustrated by
Vicky Barker
Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs!
b small publishing, 2024,
38pp, £12.99, 9781913918897
Science. Dinosaurs. Fossils
A superb addition to the Nature Investigator series,
this is an attractive introduction to dinosaurs. I
love the cover with its brightly coloured dinosaurs
and three claws! Inside we meet a range of
creatures – herbivorous sauropods, carnivorous
theropods, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs,
and Patagotitan, the most recent member of the
dinosaur family. We learn about when and where
they lived, what they ate, their size, whether or not
they had feathers, what’s not a dinosaur, dinosaur
babies, growing up in dinosaur world, and why they
died out. The text is age-appropriate and accessible,
with plenty of illustrations. My favourite section is
‘Ready for a Fight’ which shows how some planteating
dinosaurs defended themselves. Turned to
stone explains how fossils formed, and what they
can show us. Did you know that the depth of one
footprint can indicate the weight of a dinosaur, and
the distance between footprints can suggest how
fast they could run? Highly recommended as a book
that informs, interests, and inspires.
Brenda Marshall
McGann, Erika
Illustrated by Gerry Daly
Puffling and the Egg
O'Brien Press, 2024, 32pp, £8.99,
9781788493611
Kindness. Caring. Puffins
Puffling and the Egg is a charming and heartwarming
story that will capture the imagination of
young readers. Set on a beautiful island, the story
follows Puffling, a curious and adventurous little
puffin. Puffling discovers an egg and embarks on a
delightful journey filled with wonder and discovery.
The book beautifully illustrates the theme of caring
for others, as Puffling learns about responsibility
and kindness through the gentle guidance of
family and friends. The illustrations are vibrant
and captivating, bringing the story to life and
keeping children engaged. The narrative is simple,
yet enchanting, making it an excellent choice for
bedtime reading or classroom story time. Puffling
and the Egg is a delightful read that parents and
children will enjoy together. It’s a wonderful
addition to any child’s bookshelf, offering a sweet
and uplifting tale that teaches important values in
a gentle and engaging way. Highly recommended
for early readers and a fantastic book for shared
reading experiences.
Helen Robinson
Melville, Elena Arevalo
Illustrated by Tonka Uzu
Elki Is Not My Dog
Scallywag Press, 2024, 32pp,
£12.99, 9781915252364
Pets. Dogs. Friendships
Elena Arevalo Melville turns the negative word ‘not’
into one of the most beautiful positives I have found
in a long time. There is a list of adjectives I could use
to describe this story, but I don’t think they would
truly do it justice. Tonka Uzu, illustrator, captures
its essence in her pictures and, as a result, the story
as a whole will melt even the hardest of hearts.
It demonstrates the importance of friendship,
kindness, empathy and being a good citizen, shows
us how important it continues to be for children
to have the freedom to be children, to play, learn,
discover, and most importantly, it brings us hope.
Elki is not the narrator’s dog, she may not even be
called Elki, but none of the children can speak Dog
that is the name they have given her. Elki is not the
little girl’s dog, she is not the friends’ dog. They are
all Elki’s people. Simple. Stunning.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
38 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 7 & Under
Millett, Peter
Illustrated by
Sam Caldwell
This Is the Ship
That Jack Built
Buster Books, 2024, 32pp,
£7.99, 9781780559346
Treasure. Sea. Animals
A collection of sea creatures all want to get their
hands (and flippers) on Jack’s pirate gold. After a
convoluted journey from creature to creature, the
gold eventually finds its way back to Jack. Peter
Millett has created a delightful tongue twister,
built up over the book in the style of ‘there was an
old lady who swallowed a fly …’. The rhythm and
rhyme make it a pleasure to read aloud. Children
will especially enjoy hearing the reader getting
faster and faster as the tongue twister repeats. Sam
Caldwell’s illustrations are bold, bright and full of
action.
Becky West
Moore, Gareth
Illustrated by
Ryan O'Rourke
Name That Thing!
Magic Cat, 2023, 96pp,
£17.99, 9781915569066
Curriculum. Facts. Puzzles
This book takes non-fiction books to a new level!
It’s a mixture of puzzle book and fact book that
will encourage reading for pleasure through
leisure non-fiction, whilst also being useful for a
range of curriculum topics. Each section is on a
different topic, ranging from dinosaurs to food,
famous scientists to ancient civilisations. Each
topic is covered by two spreads – one with the
puzzle challenge and one with the answers and
further facts. For example, the dinosaur page has
a key and pictures of dinosaurs with a caption like
‘my name is Tyrant Lizard King’ and then you use
the key to work out it’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex. For
the ancient civilisations, one spread features a
collection of artefacts like a Terracotta Army soldier
and a Roman helmet, alongside a series of facts that
you match up to find the answer. It’s fun, it’s fresh
and it’s slightly addictive. A great read for all ages. I
struggled to put it down!
Cassie Hands
Moriarty, Ros
Illustrated by
Samantha Campbell
Beach Song
Allen & Unwin, 2024, 32pp,
£12.99, 9781761180248
Beach. Sea. Holidays
This lyrical tale celebrates the joy of exploring
the beach. Tasmanian author Ros Moriarty shares
her love for the coast and marine life in this
delightful book. A day at the seashore is filled
with lovely surprises and wonder: hop over the
waves like a dolphin, glide through the water like
a fish, and soar along the sand with the seagulls.
What will you discover on your next beach visit?
Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book is a
true celebration of the beach and all it has to offer,
making it perfect for school holidays and beach
adventures.
Helen Robinson
Murray, Alison
Sharky McShark
Hachette, 2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9781408369760
Friendship. Jealousy. Sharing
Sharky McShark and her best
friend Teensy Wee Crab are always together,
sharing their day, food and adventures. But one
day a shrimp arrives on the scene asking to be their
friend. Teensy Wee Crab says yes straight away,
but Sharky is not so sure. She sees a third in the
friendship as an interloper and is determined to
prove herself the better friend. But when a calamity
occurs, Sharky and Shrimp must work together to
save Crab and prove that they can all be friends
together. A common childhood dilemma of
dealing with jealousy within friendships, with bold
colourful illustrations which beautifully depict our
underwater sea life.
Dawn Woods
Peckham, Hannah
Illustrated by
Hanna Tkachenko
The Get Well Spell
Series: The Get Well Spell.
Award Publications, 2024,
32pp, £6.99, 9781782705505
PSHE. Feelings. Self-Care
A very endearing unicorn called Morris is feeling not
quite right after a busy time caring for others and
decides he needs to find a magic Get Well Spell.
As he journeys towards the cave where the book
of spells can be found, he finds himself enjoying
time with friends, enjoying his favourite things, and
simply being in nature, and he soon feels better. All
he needed was a chance to fully rest and switch off.
As Wilf the Elf explains, there is no magic spell, but
in order to be able to help others you have to look
after yourself, too. This rhyming tale ends with a
map of Morris’s journey and the activities that help
him recover, together with suggestions for making
your own Get Well Spell jar filled with activities that
will help you whenever you feel down. There is even
a unicorn breathing exercise to help you relax. An
entertaining story that teaches a valuable life lesson.
Joy Court
Robinson, Ian Hayward
Illustrated by
Matt Shanks
The Most Amazing
Thing
Allen & Unwin Children’s Books,
2024, 32pp, £7.99,
9781761180989
Ourselves. Individuality. Feelings
With nothing to do on a rainy day, a bored Henry is
tasked by his mum to draw her ‘the most amazing
thing’. Unable to think of anything amazing,
Henry seeks inspiration from his busy family who
all suggest things connected with their interests
and hobbies. His sister says that life is the most
amazing thing, his brother reckons it’s the mind,
whilst his dad says it’s the universe. Although these
are all clearly amazing, none of the suggestions
appeal to Henry. Finally, turning to his mum
again, she surprises him with her answer – he is
the most amazing thing of course! The author’s
thoughtful, simple, clear text explains complicated
concepts brilliantly and is superbly matched by
Shanks’s colourful, amusing illustrations which
sympathetically depict Henry’s feelings and provide
plenty of detail for discussion. A great picture book
to get children in key stages 1 and 2 thinking about
the wonder of life, the universe, and our own
uniqueness and individuality.
Lynn Marshall
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 39

Books: 7 & Under
Stowell, Louie
Illustrated by
Isobel Lundie
A Midsummer
Night’s Drama
Series: A ShakesBearean tale.
Little Tiger, 2024, 40pp, £12.99, 9781838915346
Shakespeare. Friendship. Sleep
This is a delightful tale told in three acts and starring
Bill the play writing bear. He is so excited about his
new play on at the forest Glade Theatre, that he
cannot sleep the night after the successful opening
performance. His play, a magical midsummer
night fantasy, has some familiar looking characters
played by himself and his fellow animal actors. Even
the queen bee loved it, giving the royal buzz of
approval. Now lying awake, his busy mind thinking
of more ideas for plays, he gets up and puts quill
to paper until he is firmly told to get back to bed.
Friends offer suggestions to help him nod off
until at last one idea succeeds as it appeals to the
thespian within him. Many clever visual parallels
to the life of Shakespeare feature within the text,
vibrant illustrations, and endpaper map. A story that
would be an ideal stimulus for classroom activities
whilst also appealing to those having trouble
quietening their minds for sleep.
Sue Polchow
Teckentrup, Britta
When I Feel Brave
Prestel Verlag, 2024, 40pp,
£12.99, 9783791375724
Feelings. Bravery. Rhyme
When I Feel Brave is a sensitive,
gorgeous picture book that
explores the feeling of being afraid of something;
in this story, the little girl’s fear is manifested in a
large bear that she at first runs from but eventually
makes friends with. The collaged illustrations
in a muted colour palette are just stunning, as
Britta Teckentrup’s always are, and the words are
profound and yet easily understandable for young
children. Reading the book will encourage children
to confront and indeed make peace with their fears,
and the rhyming text is comforting and makes this
a good book to read aloud, either with one child or
to a group. It would certainly be a good way to open
up conversations about feelings and exploring ways
to overcome negative ones.
Bev Humphrey
Treacy, Carol Ann
Barney Goose
O'Brien Press, 2024, 31pp,
£8.99, 9781788494823
Birds. Journeys. Migration
Such a beautiful story. The
author takes you along with Barney on his
peregrinations. I was absolutely captivated by
the artwork as much as the story. Lower primary,
especially, will enjoy being transported across
Ireland, meeting the different animals, and hoping
Barney doesn’t lose his red hat along the way! This
would work well being read aloud to a group, one
to one, and to use the illustrations to tell the story
to pre-readers. There is so much to talk about with
this story, including if the reader/audience can
work out why Barney feels the need to travel. 5
HONKS out of 5!
Lisa Daisy
Villa, Altea
Illustrated by
Francesca Sudano
Little Stories from
Nature
Series: White Star Kids
White Star Kids , 2024, 80pp,
£12.99, 9788854420472
Nature. Science. Wildlife
This delightful book combines science and the art
of storytelling to create a number of tales based
around woodland settings. Concentrating on the
lives of creatures as well as a snowflake and droplet
of water, each tale starts with a scientific fact. This is
then examined and expanded in a story set around
one particular creature or a happening in the wood.
These range from a squirrel storing its food to a
skunk protecting itself by releasing a very smelly
spray. Illustrated by nature lover Francesca Sudano,
it will prove very useful for starting off further
discussions on life in woodlands and the biodiversity
of the countryside. I am sure it will not only stimulate
children who are already interested in nature but
also encourage those who enjoy stories and creative
writing. The book is very user-friendly, and the
excellent illustrations will certainly foster further
investigations and the possibility of extending the
stories further through creative writing.
Godfrey Hall
Wilson-Max, Ken
Aqua Boy
Otter-Barry Books, 2024,
32pp, £12.99, 9781915659224
Oceans. Octopuses. Fear
I loved the simple, bright
illustrations in this lovely story about a little boy who
loves the sea but is afraid to go underwater. Aaron
and his family live by the ocean and his mum and
dad are ocean guardians, helping to take care of
the beach and the sea near their home. ‘The smell
of the air, the colours of the sea, the sound of the
waves and the feel of sand between their toes’ loved
by Aaron and his sister Angel, are beautifully evoked
by the colourful illustrations which also show life
on a tropical island. An octopus helps Aaron to
conquer his fear and go underwater and the book
has further information about protecting octopuses
and the ocean itself. It has an excellent message
for young children, introducing them to the wider
impact of rubbish whilst telling a good story about
conquering your fears. Highly recommended.
Sue Bastone
Yarlett, Emma
King Lion
Walker, 2023, 32pp,
£12.99, 9781529501599
Friends. Judgement.
Perception
A truly delightful picture book
for Nursery and Reception children which looks
at the desire that we all have, to have a friend.
King Lion is the ruler of his kingdom, but although
everyone is happy, he feels that he is the only
person without a friend. However, when he tries to
make friends, everyone is put off by his loud roar,
his sharp teeth, and his terrible claws. But when a
lonely little girl realises what the problem might be,
she is determined to change life for the lion and
herself. The author has given us a wonderful story
that explores the need for friendship and how we
can often misunderstand what people are trying to
tell us through their behaviour. This can give us so
many lessons about not judging people and looking
for reasons behind some of the way they behave.
It also shows us how to be kind and how we often
have to make the first move. Highly recommended.
Margaret Pemberton
40 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Dates For Your Diary
SEPTEMBER 2024 OCTOBER 2024 NOVEMBER 2024
6th Read a Book Day
8th International Literacy Day
9th–22nd Fairtrade Fortnight
15th International Day of Democracy
21st International Day of Peace
22nd Hobbit Day
22nd–28th Banned Books Week
30th The Week Junior Book Awards
winners
Black History Month UK
3rd National Poetry Day
theme = Counting
4th World Smile Day
4th–10th World Space Week
7th– 13th Dyslexia Awareness Week
10th World Mental Health Day
17th Harry Potter Book Day
18th SLA Information Book Award
voting closes
National Non-Fiction Month
theme = Hobbies and Leisure Activities
10th Remembrance Sunday
11th Remembrance Day or
Armistice Day
11th–15th Anti-bullying week
theme = Choose Respect
12th Michael Rosen Day
13th World Kindness Day
18th–24th Book Week Scotland
18th–24th Parliament Week
28th SLA IBA winner announcement
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 41

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Allen, Tom
The Life of Riley -
Unbreakable
Series: Football Dreams.
Troubadour, 2024, 144pp,
£8.99, 9781805142461
Football. Friendship. Feelings
Combining an exciting football story with the
poignant tale of a young boy facing the prospect
of losing his mum is not easy, but this new
author does so brilliantly by drawing on personal
experience. Living with his mum, 9-year-old Riley
lives, eats, and breathes football, spending much
of his time playing with his ‘band of brothers and
sisters’ for his beloved local team. As the story
follows the highs and lows of the season, Riley and
his friends learn the value of teamwork, mutual
support, and resilience. Riley has plenty of off-pitch
difficulties too, but the ultimate challenge is his
mum’s terminal diagnosis, which sees Riley’s love
of football seriously shaken. A heart-warming
rallying round of all who care about him – family,
friends, and teammates – helps Riley through his
emotional turmoil to face the future with courage
and positivity. With short chapters, a relatable
main character, plenty of action-packed football,
and sensitive handling of a difficult topic, this
thoughtful story should appeal to a range of key
stage 2 readers.
Lynn Marshall
Balen, Katya
Ghostlines
Bloomsbury Children’s Books,
2024, 288pp, £12.99,
9781526663863
Ghosts. Island. Puffins
I had the pleasure of being on a
beach with an island in the distance and kayaks
being paddled across the gentle sea when I began
reading Ghostlines by Katya Balen. I could smell the
salty air and seaweed and hear the waves hitting the
pebbles. Even without being on an actual beach,
Balen’s words evoke all of these sounds, smells, and
images as you read Ghostlines. A strong feeling of
belonging but also a need to understand change,
compromise and empathy soars through this tale
of friendship, heartbreak, adventure, and discovery.
Ayrie is an island where there is only one delivery a
week by boat (of goods and visitors) in the tourist
season. It is famous for its puffins and especially the
traditions and practicalities around Fledgling Night.
Tilda loves the freedom of the island and breathes a
sigh of relief when the season is over. But a new boy
gets off the boat, and with her brother gone, new
adventures begin, ghosts emerge, and mysteries
need to be solved.
Jenny Griffiths
Bilan, Jasbinder
Nush and the
Stolen Emerald
Chicken House, 2024, 288pp,
£7.99, 9781915947024
Adventure. Indian. Historical
This very successful adventure
story was inspired by real events when the Indian
Maharaja of Coorg and his daughter Gowramma
travelled to England in 1852 to meet Queen Victoria.
Jasbinder Bilan is a talented, award-winning writer
who is venturing into historical fiction for the first
time. She successfully creates three-dimensional
characters in the twins Anushka and Arian together
with their family. When Anushka leaves the Indian
kingdom and travels to London with her father,
she forms a close relationship with Princess Vicky,
which is quite credible. The action in the book is
fast paced and exciting, carrying the reader through
thrilling episodes around the capital as Anushka
searches for the priceless emerald which the East
India Company had taken for Queen Victoria. The
author’s use of language is poetic and imaginative,
making the book a joy to read. The tale covers some
serious topics suitable for class discussion: equality,
feminism, colonialism, and relationships between
countries regarding artefacts. I can recommend it!
Janet Syme
Bond, Ash
Peregrine Quinn and
the Cosmic Realm
Piccadilly Press, 2024, 336pp,
£12.99, 9781800786806
Fantasy. Adventure. Quest
A fantastic adventure story
packed full of amazing characters, all with
wonderfully inventive and apt names. Our hero
Peregrine Quinn has adored her godfather Daedalus
Bloom’s stories of being an immortal and now she
finds she has to rescue him from nefarious goings
on in her world, the immortal realms, and in the
UnderUnder Ground! For a debut this is assuredly
written and full of fun, danger, and wonderful
characters. Looking forward to the next one!
Tricia Adams
Chisholm, Alastair
I Am Wolf
Series: I Am Wolf.
Nosy Crow, 2024, 288pp,
£7.99, 9781839945311
Disability. Dystopia. Fantasy
The story is set in a dystopian
world where the ordinary people live under the
protection of huge mechanical animals. The title
of the book refers to the chant that Coll and his
other crew members use in order to cement their
loyalty to their construct, called Wolf. However,
Coll has a prosthetic arm and leg and feels he has
to always justify his place; after a ferocious battle
with another construct, Coll is left behind and
joins a small band of outcasts as they try and find
Wolf. Alastair Chisholm has amassed a large and
loyal following for his books and this new addition
is only going to swell their numbers. This story
really resonates with the dystopian themes of
Philip Reeve and William Nicholson, but in this we
have mechanical constructs that are smaller and
easier to relate to. There are themes of loyalty and
friendship, which also relate to needing to survive.
A great read for key stage 2 readers.
Margaret Pemberton
Cole, Steve
Illustrated by Oriol Vidal
Drowning in
My Bedroom
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 128pp,
£7.99, 9781800902961
Adventure. Global Warming.
Diversity
Told in alternate chapters, we learn about the
lives of Jun-Jun and Gayla. Jun-Jun, a beggar in
the Philippines, scrapes a living together with his
family. Gayla is wheelchair bound because of her
cerebral palsy. She is spending time in a residential
centre having a power wheelchair adjusted to fit
her. She is waiting for her turn to be evacuated,
but the water is rising. When the floods come,
Gayla and Jun-Jun’s lives unexpectedly cross as
they work together to cope with the rising floods.
Warmly and unsentimentally told, the issues the
two young people face are grippingly explored. The
disproportionate impacts of climate change, and
the effects of poverty and disability are intricately
woven into an absorbing tale of two strong
characters learning to help each other in order to
survive. A page-turner with heart.
Carolyn Boyd
42 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 8 – 12
Green Issues
Editor's Picks
Campbell, James
Illustrated by Rob Jones
Don't Panic! We CAN
Save the Planet!
Bloomsbury, 2024, 240pp, £7.99,
9781526658944
Action. Climate. Environment
A simple introduction to the climate
change on Earth, with facts and
how we can help as individuals and
collectively.
Daniels, Patricia
Illustrated by Aaron Blecha
How to Teach Grown-Ups
About Climate Change
Series: How to Teach Grown-Ups
about ... What on Earth Books, 2024,
112pp, £9.99, 9781804660300
Climate. Environment. Science
A look at climate change, why it’s
important to tackle it, and how we
are tackling it – in a fun volume of
facts.
Dicker, Katie
Climate Change
Series: What Can We Do?
Watts, 2024, 32pp, £13.99,
9781445188041
Climate. Environment. Science
A look at climate change and how
we are tackling it, with advice to
reduce your own carbon footprint
which is useful and achievable.
Greathead, Helen
Illustrated by Kyle Beckett
Poo, Plastic and
Other Solids
Series: Where Does It Go? Wayland,
2024, 32pp, £8.99, 9781526322661
Conservation. Environment. Pollution
Understand how the waste we
produce, whether naturally
ourselves or manufactured, is
having an impact on the planet’s
resources and its health.
James, Lauren (Editor)
Future Hopes
Walker, 2024, 255pp, £7.99,
9781529507997
Climate. Environment. Short Stories
A collection of thought-provoking
short stories about climate change
and future worlds, with solutions
based on science and technology.
Laird, Elizabeth &
Rae, Shonagh
Illustrated by Peter Bailey
Song of the Dolphin Boy
Macmillan, 2024, 224pp, £7.99,
9781035034710
Bullying. Environment. Pollution
A young boy loves the dolphins who
swim in the bay of his fishing village,
but they become endangered by
rubbish and plastic in the water.
Scales, Helen, &
Hendry, Kate
Illustrated
by Romolo D'Hipolito
Antarctica
Series: Scientists in the Wild.
Flying Eye Books, 2024, 80pp,
£15.99, 9781838741228
Conservation. Environment. Habitats
Follows a team of scientists
exploring Antarctica and how they
track and measure with the aim of
improving our care of the planet.
Stevens, Georgina
Illustrated by Katie Rewse
Climate Action: The
Future Is in Our Hands
Little Tiger, 2024, 64pp, £14.99,
9781838916183
Activism. Climate. Environment
An overview of the facts about climate
change, causes and effects, and what
we can do to change things.
Dougherty, John
Illustrated by
Tom Morgan-Jones
Zooming the Zoo
Otter-Barry, 2024, 96pp, £8.99,
9781915659217
Animals. Humour. Mental Health
POETRY
This book had me hooked from the first page. A
superb book to be read to/with younger primary.
Also for 7- to 10-year-olds to read themselves and
to others. The poems refer to gender, mental health,
and other very relevant topics. This collection of
poems would be a perfect introduction to different
poem types. However, they are also just as valuable
for their fun, thoughtfulness and intelligence. This
would be a well-used resource for primary by
pupils, teachers, and librarians.
Lisa Daisy
Dylan, Gabriel
It Came from the Woods
Series: Shiver Point.
Bonnier Books, 2023, 224pp,
£7.99, 9781800784772
Horror. Friendship. Mystery
When a meteor streaks across
the sky above Shiver Point and appears to land in
Howlmoor Forest, Alex is determined to find it.
His geography teacher had mentioned that the
space rocks could be worth a lot of money; Alex
would use the proceeds to enable him and his
mum to move back home. But others have had
the same idea, and when he finally tracks down
the landing site, several pupils from his school are
already there, with nothing much to be seen apart
from strange black slime. This is just the start of
mysterious and scary events in Shiver Point, as the
group, despite their differences, work together to
battle the slug-like creatures attempting to take
over the town. This is the first book in a new horror
series from an author employing the tropes of films
from the genre; it is fast paced and chilling. Ideal
for those occasions when young readers ask for
‘something really scary’.
Jayne Gould
Elliott, Joseph
Illustrated by Nici Gregory
Nora and the Map
of Mayhem
Piccadilly Press, 2024, 384pp,
£7.99, 9781800784994
Adventure. Families. Fantasy
Great to share with a class of Year 3/4s or for more
confident readers to read alone, but would still
appeal to upper key stage 2 readers, too. Start of a
new series! If you’re looking for a new laugh-outloud
fantasy adventure romp, then give Nora and
the Map of Mayhem a go! It’s a delightfully silly and
entertaining story that’s perfect for readers aged 9+
who love Pamela Butchart’s silliness, Roald Dahl’s
imagination, and Laura Ellen Andersen’s creativity.
Joseph Elliot is a name familiar already to many of
us either from our screens (Cbeebies and CBBC) or
on our shelves as the author of the historical teen
series The Good Hawk; now he’s back with a series
for younger readers that will no doubt make him
a huge name in primary schools once again. The
story is narrated by Nora, the great-grandmother
of Atticus and Autumn, who have been left with her
for the weekend by their dads. Little do they know
that their ‘GG’ is secretly a retired monster hunter
who went by the name Spit Tooth and who’s being
sent mysterious letters by her former enemy who
appears to be back causing mischief! Great fun!
Cassie Hands
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 43

Books: 8 – 12
Fitzgerald, Cathy
Illustrated by
Chloe Dominique
Pinch Perkins and
the Midsummer Curse
Farshore, 2024, 384pp, £7.99,
9780008603373
Witches. Curses. Magical Fantasy
From the minute I picked up this book, I knew I
was going to like it. I loved the front cover and the
illustrations of all the characters. The title is exciting
and Pinch Perkins is a great name. I read the first
page and loved the style of writing. By the end of
chapter one, the book had me hooked! From the
numerous magical fantasy books out there for
this age group, this one stands above many of the
others due to a fast-moving plot that twists and
turns it way through magical settings and introduces
well-developed and interesting characters. Pinch
Perkins, who lives on Tricky Dragon Lane, is a
young witch who, at the age of 12, is waiting to see
what type of magic power she will develop. She
has turned detective to try to solve the mystery of
who has been putting the ‘Sleeping Beauty Curse’
on magical Londoners, including her own mother!
Her daring adventures are original and inventive,
culminating in an ending that solves the mystery,
reveals what Pinch’s magical power will be, and sets
up a cliffhanger for the next adventure.
Susan Mullen
Gallagher, Brian &
Flynn, Dermot
The Case of the
Vanishing Painting
O’Brien Press, 2024, 220pp,
£8.99, 9781788493918
Mystery. Adventure. Family
An exciting story with lots of suspense and drama
starting from page one. Set in Dublin in 1911, this
tells the story of a valuable painting which leaves
the train station in Galway in a guarded carriage.
No one can believe it when the train arrives in
Dublin and the painting is gone. The train’s guard,
Mr Kavanagh, is immediately under suspicion, but
his two children, Deirdree and Tim, and their friend
are determined to unravel the mystery and find the
real thief. As they get closer to the truth, they find
themselves battling for their lives. The attractive,
mysterious cover will attract readers to this riveting
read and they won’t want to put it down. The
book has a strong message that family loyalty
and friendship always conquer evil and powerful
enemies. Adventure, suspense, and excitement with
a beautiful location – this book has it all.
Becky Taylor
Foxfield, Kathryn
Illustrated by
Robin Boyden
Things That Go Bump
Scholastic, 2024, 320pp, £7.99,
9780702324994
Horror. Humour. Friendship
This first middle-grade novel from an acclaimed YA
horror author is a very successful, age appropriate
and highly enjoyable, comic horror story, with
underlying themes about friendships, falling
out, and reconciliation. There is nothing like a
dose of danger to show you what really matters.
If you can find the strength to battle monsters,
then apologising is not so difficult after all. It is a
wonderfully diverse and convincing group of Year
6 friends who want to solve the mystery of the
foul-smelling boxes from Flatpack – the enormous
IKEA-like store. This provides the most wonderful
setting in which monsters can lurk, with short
cuts and multiple pathways between all the room
settings and the dreaded Warehouse Two. Olive and
her friends surprisingly discover that humans are
far more monstrous than previously undiscovered
species, which they need to protect. Inventive,
scary, and very engaging, this story never lets up on
the tension, and the illustrations by Robin Boyden
bring the characters alive.
Joy Court
Gallagher, Patrick
Transcendent
Series: Transcendent.
Orion, 2024, 384pp, £7.99,
9781510112421
Science Fiction. Environment.
Siblings
This is an action-packed sci-fi adventure set in
a believable near future where humans have
damaged the environment to the extent that cities
exist under permanent smog and green spaces are
rare. It features super intelligent mixed-race twins,
Jacob and Kira, and is set in a vividly described
Uganda where the author spent much of his
childhood. The twins have come to the attention
of giant multinational technology conglomerate,
RanaTech. An offer follows – will they join the
Transcendent mission to save the planet? But first
they have to take part in trials alongside other
teens. There are daunting equations and scientific
puzzles to solve and their own worst fears to face
as they prepare for the mission of a lifetime. But is
there a more sinister agenda? With some thoughtprovoking
issues to discuss, a wonderful sibling
relationship at its heart, and a cliff hanger ending
which will have readers anxiously awaiting book
two, this high-octane thriller will find lots of fans.
Joy Court
Funke, Cornelia
The Colour of Revenge
Series: Inkheart.
Chicken House, 2024, 352pp,
£14.99, 9781913696184
Fantasy. Forgiveness. Friendship
The Colour of Revenge is a
fantasy adventure about the power of words and
stories. Author Cornelia Funke returns to the world
of Inkheart with this stand-alone tale. A synopsis
of previous events at the beginning means that in
theory you don’t need to have read the previous
three books in order to enjoy this one. However, I
did find that I had to refer back to the character list
at the front of the book quite often, as several of
the characters have more than one name that they
are known by. Books and reading have real power
in this world, and it is possible to move from one
world to another by having your story read aloud
from a book. We catch up with characters Meggie,
Mortimer, and Dustfinger five years after the events
of the trilogy. An enemy from Dustfinger’s past is
back and wants revenge. A heart-warming story
about the importance of love, friendship, and
forgiveness. Suitable for ages 10+.
Katrina Reilly
Gardner, Sally
Illustrated by Lydia Corry
The Tindims of Rubbish
Island and the Deep
Sea Treasure
Series: Tindims.
Head of Zeus, 2024, 136pp,
£7.99, 9781804549315
Dyslexia Friendly. Environment. Recycling
This is such a lovely tale – the young Tindims of
Rubbish Island have been given diaries to write
in, but they have nothing interesting to write!
Pinch, the dog-like character, decides to dig a
hole to hide his journal but finds something rather
interesting. The rest of the Tindims find themselves
with a new island crashed into theirs, along with
forgotten friends and a Garbage Gobbler – a lot of
excitement! I really did have a soft spot for Pinch,
especially when they get into a spot of trouble!
There is a theme of recycling in this book and I
think it is done very well; I like how the Tindims’
goal is to recycle everything they can – it is a
great thing to talk about. The dyslexia friendly
format of the book was great, the text was not
overwhelming, and the story was very easy to
follow. Highly recommended for struggling readers
or for use in an environmental display!
Jasmine Brown
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 45

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Gregory, Lorraine
Illustrated by Jo Lindley
Alien Apocalypse
Series: Interdimensional Explorers.
Farshore, 2024, 320pp, £7.99,
9780008508265
Space. Adventure. Friendship
Eleven-year-old Danny has a very important job
as the apprentice caretaker of a super-secret
interdimensional lost property office. It’s a tough
job, but Danny has his cousin Inaaya and his best
friend Modge to help him. This turns out to be very
lucky indeed, because a star has been stolen from
the vaults – and if Danny doesn’t get it back, the
whole universe is in jeopardy. Their quest to recover
the star takes Danny and his friends on a wild dash
across the cosmos to save everything they know
and love from the evil Flurm Worm – buckle up for
a ride like no other! Inventive and full of humour,
Alien Apocalypse is the second story in an actionpacked
adventure series for young readers aged
8+. Jo Lindley’s fabulous illustrations bring this
space-tacular story to life with warmth and energy
and plenty of imagination. Perfect for fans of M.G
Leonard and Jamie Littler.
Alison King
Hopkins, Megan
Starminster
Series: Starminster.
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 288pp, £7.99,
9780008626891
Fantasy. London. School
The rhubarb shed is all Astrid has ever known. That
is, until she is kidnapped – or liberated (it’s hard to
say) – from those four wooden walls, and taken
to London Overhead, an invisible city nestled just
above the London skyline. The inhabitants of this
city are the Librae: humans with wings! Now Astrid
must fight to find her place in the world and secure
her freedom. Starminster is an excellent piece of
world-building. Any reader would be charmed by
the descriptions of the floating city and the people
that live there! The plot is quite slow going until the
final chapters, but the continual discoveries that the
reader makes about London Overhead keep things
interesting even in the earlier chapters. This book
would be perfect for children who love fantasy,
fighting inequality, or have ever wanted to fly!
Matt Cowie
Ho-Yen, Polly
Illustrated by Charis Loke
The Last Dragon
Knights Of Media, 2024, 208pp,
£7.99, 9781913311612
Adventure. Conservation.
Dragons
A lively adventure and page-turner for 8- to 12-yearolds,
with attractive, well-drawn monochrome
illustrations. Under the strain of her beloved sister
George dying in hospital and their parents working
overtime, dependable Yara feels picked on by her
classroom teacher, but in the park the world’s last
elderly dragon lays its last egg at her feet. Readers
learn what is known and believed about the dragon
through Yara’s memories of museum outings and
news, including about human casualties. Yara sees
that under the scales, the animal is made of fire. The
government agency has failed to breed dragons
from captured eggs; instead, popular belief is that
eggs confer healing, and need guardians to hatch.
Unable to hide it forever, even with the help of her
teacher and friends, Yara decides to ‘… trade the egg
for care for George. It’s better to rely on care that
had a proven track record ...’. With a light touch, the
author resolves the ethical dilemma without spelling
it out: this is magical realism.
Dr Henrietta Jane Price
King, Rachel
The Grimmelings
Guppy Books, 2024, 320pp,
£7.99, 9781916558250
Fantasy. Folklore. Magic
Set in the heart of the New
Zealand landscape, against a
backdrop suffused with Scottish mythology, The
Grimmelings is the story of Elle, and her family –
a family that has a reputation for strangeness.
Over the years, Elle has learned to ignore the
gossip that surrounds them. She works hard to
help her mum run her horse trekking business and
dotes on her own horse, Magpie. But recently, a
local boy has been teasing Elle mercilessly, and
when he disappears, she worries that she might
have accidentally cursed him. The appearance
of a black horse with inexplicable power does
nothing to calm her fears. Drawn to its wildness,
Elle can’t fathom the creature’s intentions. The
Grimmelings is a unique tale that fuses ancient
lore with contemporary culture in an engaging
tale of love and legacy and the enduring power
of words. Fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and
Katherine Rundell will be utterly captivated by this
stunning modern fantasy.
Alison King
Lewis, Gill
Illustrated by
Irina Avgustinovich
Pirates and
Sea Monsters
Series: Island Vet.
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 88pp,
£7.99, 9781800902763
Friendship. Vets. Community
Tia is a young girl who cherishes her mum’s
bedtime stories, which are filled with tales about
the animals and people her mum encounters as
a busy city vet. However, Tia’s mum often works
late, a situation neither of them enjoys. Everything
changes when Tia’s mum secures a new job on Gull
Haven Island. On their first night on the island, Tia’s
mum is called away, leaving Tia alone. Fortunately,
their neighbour Peggy and her big dog, Norman,
come to stay. The next day, Tia takes a walk and
discovers what she believes to be a sea monster!
She brings the ‘monster’ back to the vets. A distress
flare goes up, and the lifeboat is launched. But
who is the man they need to rescue, and what
connection does he have with the sea monster?
This delightful book explores themes of friendship
and community. The camaraderie and helpfulness
of the islanders is heart-warming and made it a joy
to read with my 7-year-old daughter.
Helen Robinson
Mac a'Bhaird, Natasha
The Tower Ghost
Series: Sycamore Hill Mystery.
O’Brien Press, 2024, 304pp,
£8.99, 9781788494601
Mystery. Adventure.
Boarding School
Clare, Rose and Molly have just started at Sycamore
Hill Catholic boarding school which is run by nuns
in Ireland in 1963. Everyone has heard of the ghost
in the tower, and Clare has even seen it. When she
recognises the girl in a school photo, they are able
to link it to a fatal accident a generation before.
But was it an accident? The trio turn detective to
solve the overhanging mystery. Everyone could be
a suspect. The map and ‘cast of characters’ at the
beginning help the readers orientate themselves
and keep track of possible suspects. Short chapters
keep the plot fast paced and urge the reader to
turn the page. The characters are warmly drawn,
showing how supportive friends can be. The plot
is absorbing as the girls work together to make
amends for the past.
Carolyn Boyd
46 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 8 – 12 | Fiction and Poetry
Maxwell, Antonia
The Guardians of
the North
Series: Terra Electrica.
Neem Tree Press, 2024, 288pp,
£8.99, 9781915584113
Adventure. Climate Change.
Dystopian
Set in a world where a disease that feeds on
electricity has ravaged her family, community,
and the wider world, we join our heroine, Mani,
alone in a cave with only an ancient mystic mask
for company. After being forced to find food, she
bumps into scientist Leo, who has been tasked
with investigating the disease. After discovering
that Mani somehow has the power to cure others,
the unlikely pair set off on an epic journey across
the ruined arctic landscape to find Mani’s missing
father and to harness the healing powers that she
has. This gripping adventure goes at quite a pace
and is perfect for Years 4-6. I particularly liked the
small eccentric cast of characters, and Mani is
definitely a heroine that the reader roots for. With
links to climate change, science, and mysticism, it
offers something a little bit different for key stage
2 libraries.
Sarah Van De Weg
McKay, Hilary
Illustrated by
Keith Robinson
Rosa by Starlight
Macmillan, 2024, 240pp,
£12.99, 9781529074512
Magic. Cats. Fairy Tales
After losing both parents at a young age, Rosa falls
under the guardianship of her ‘wicked’ aunt and
uncle who are only interested in making money
and who give Rosa the Cinderella treatment. Visited
by a mysterious cat, Rosa begins to question her
situation. A surprise trip to Venice leaves Rosa
immersed in an unfamiliar setting and unable to
speak a word of Italian, but she bravely navigates
her new surroundings. Despite her naivety (which is
rather endearing), Rosa unwittingly unravels a longheld
secret and with a little help from her feline
friends and a sprinkling of magic, confronts her
reality. But will she get her happy ever after? A truly
stunning modern fairy tale with strong Cinderella
vibes. McKay has a magical way with words that
creates a magical yet realistic representation of
life in Venice. Above all, I cherished the author’s
description of the Italian language as ‘spinning
pennies and fireworks’.
Anna Maria Tambaro
Mian, Zanib
Illustrated by Kyan Cheng
The Cookie Culprit
Series: Meet the Maliks.
Hodder, 2023, 224pp, £6.99,
9781444923674
Ramadan. Mystery. Humour
This is the first book in what is sure to be a popular
new series by Zanib Mian. Twins Maysa and Muska
are total opposites but make an unstoppable team
when trying to solve a mystery! Maysa just can’t
seem to be good like her twin Musa. So, when she
isn’t allowed to go on a school trip, Maysa tries
to change her parents’ minds by taking part in a
cookie competition at their mosque. When all the
cookies are destroyed, it’s up to the twins, and
their neighbour, Norman, to solve the mystery and
catch the culprit – and save Maysa’s reputation!
Perfect for fans of Planet Omar and Tom Gates, this
is an enjoyable, laugh-out-loud romp. Set during
Ramadan, Muslim children will enjoy seeing their
own lives reflected in the story, while others can
learn about different customs whilst they read.
Shona Page
Mitchell, Tom
How to Stop the
End of the World
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 304pp, £7.99,
9780008597146
Adventure. Humour. Mystery
Colin is facing a very boring summer with absolutely
nothing to do, so when he notices some strange
markings on the pavement outside his house and
suspicious strangers in next door’s garden, he
decides to investigate. Before long, he is caught
up in an incredible adventure involving an ancient
magical sword and a mysterious curse, and where
he and his new friend, Lucy, are the only hope to
save the world. This is a fast-paced and exciting
story with a plot that’s sure to appeal to readers
and keep them turning the pages, wanting to know
what’s going to happen next. It has a touch of
fantasy, is full of laugh-out-loud moments, and has
some great relatable characters. It’s perfect for 8- to
12-year-olds; Tom Mitchell’s previous books are
very popular and I’m certain this entertaining book
will be no exception.
Barbara Band
Molloy, Serena
The Tree That
Sang to Me
Hodder, 2024, 224pp,
£7.99, 9781444968439
Families. Empathy. Siblings
Kai’s life unravels as he blames
himself for his older sister Jen having left home
in anger. Engulfed by his burden of guilt, Kai has
started to tear out tufts of his own hair and is unable
to talk to his parents or anyone about how he feels.
School is awful, with teachers showing concern
and the pressures of overbearing fellow students.
Painfully, he endures the family visits to see Jen at
the family centre where she is staying where they
all sit in an uneasy silence achieving nothing. He
finds solace in climbing a sycamore tree on local
scrubland; it’s his special place where he leaves his
worries behind for a little while. A girl also starts
climbing the tree who listens and encourages him
to explore his emotions, and a fledgling friendship
begins – as do the first green shoots of hope for
Kai. Absorbing and uplifting, this is a story that stays
with you, told in a dyslexia friendly verse form with
compelling black-and-white illustrations.
Sue Polchow
Montgomery, Ross
I Am Rebel
Walker, 2024, 304pp,
£7.99, 9781529502909
Conflict. Friendships. Dogs
Dogs are faithful, loyal, loving.
They love existing and enjoying
the moment for what it is, they teach us all a lot,
and that is why we have Ross Montgomery’s I
Am Rebel. The story is inspired by the idea that a
human might have dared to change the routine
followed by their dog. Rebel is Tom’s dog; Tom
is Rebel’s boy. Wherever one goes so does the
other, even if that is into the jaws of death. Rebel
has spent every day of his life (so far) on the farm
with Tom, but when Tom runs away and joins the
uprising against the bad king, Rebel has many
questions and lots of worries. There is only one
solution: go out into the big bad world for the
very first time and bring Tom back home where
he belongs. An evocative, beautiful, and heartwarming
story demonstrating the bond between
a boy and his dog. A journey of a lifetime, plenty of
action, and an unbreakable bond. Powerful.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
48 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 8 – 12
Nicolls, Sally
Too Nice
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 80pp,
£7.99, 9781800903265
Dyslexia Friendly. Empathy.
Family Stories
This is a lovely story that talks
about family in a way that is very approachable and
understandable to struggling readers. Abby and
her dad lost her mother when she was young, and
now her dad has a new girlfriend, Jen. Abby feels
that she is smothered by Jen – she is simply being
too nice, and Abby thinks that she is pretending,
and so starts to dislike her for it. The story unfolds
as Abby comes to terms with Jen as a new family
member, and the story provides a lot of growth to
her character. I think this story would be a great
read for understanding empathy – Abby starts to
understand her own feelings and that of others. I
did love the relationship that she builds with Jen by
the end of the book. A must have for the empathy
collection in your library.
Jasmine Brown
Onuzo, Chibundu
Mayowa and the
Sea of Words
Bloomsbury Children’s Books,
2024, 304pp, £12.99,
9781526660992
Adventure. Belonging. Activism
The first in a trilogy, this is a fantastic adventure
story of family and belonging. Mayowa visits her
grandfather’s ancestral home, Edgerley Hall, for the
summer. She finds out her family are logosalters
and have the power to unleash the emotions
stored in books by jumping on them! The author
uses footnotes fabulously throughout the book to
define different cultural references from England
and Nigeria. We journey with Mayowa and her
grandfather to the Houses of Parliament to try to
stop a law diminishing the rights of refugees being
passed. This exciting summer adventure addresses
some current complex issues in our society in a
really honest and accessible way. Mayowa’s English
and Nigerian heritage are interwoven into this
wonderful adventure of tragedy and triumph. The
attention to detail and fearlessness of the storyline
dealing with current politics and policies for refugees
in the UK will beautifully broaden the horizons of a
young reader, empowering and inspiring them to
live passionately within their community.
George Thomas
Palmer, Tom
Illustrated by
Tom Clohosy Cole
Angel of Grasmere
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 208pp,
£7.99, 9781800902169
War. Loss. Community
Tom Palmer has added another title to his Lake
District novels, this time following Tarn, whose
brother was reported as missing in action after
the Allied evacuation of Dunkirk. Tarn is struggling
to comprehend their loss with her family each
reacting in different ways, using different coping
strategies. She worries about a Nazi invasion
and what that may mean for the community.
Meanwhile, rumours abound of an angel carrying
out helpful deeds for the community, rescuing
sheep and humans, yet no one has seen this
guardian angel. When the focus shifts to the
anonymous help, it is obvious to the reader this
soldier is suffering from PTSD at a time when this
was not recognised, and was in fact punished, by
the army. It is also evident who this stranger is,
although Tarn has yet to discover. As always, Palmer
has done his research, making this an enjoyable
read as well as supporting the curriculum.
Dawn Woods
Rai, Bali
Illustrated by
Daniel Duncan
Bobby Bains Plays
a Blinder
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 104pp,
£7.99, 9781800902541
Football. Kindness. Sikhism
EDITOR'S PICK
This is a lovely story, encompassing themes of
football, Sikhism, and loneliness, but most of all
about kindness and the value of helping others.
Bobby is a football-mad boy in Year 6. He is also a
Sikh and the key facts about Sikhism are presented
clearly and simply with the emphasis on the
importance of kindness and community. I really
enjoyed the presentation of Sikhism, and this story
could well tie in with a study of that religion. When
Bobby meets Trevor, an elderly man who seems
very sad and lonely, he is keen to introduce him
to his own grandfather, with whom Trevor shares
a love of reggae and football. This story from
Barrington Stoke has simple language (plus the
usual clear font and yellow paper), but the story is
gripping enough to engage older pupils who need
the simpler vocabulary. It is heart-warming rather
than action-packed, but should appeal to 8- to
12-year-olds.
R. Goodhart
Ros, Manon Steffan
Me and Aaron Ramsey
Firefly, 2024, 144pp, £7.99,
9781915444493
Family. Football. Change
I was hoping this would be a
book I could read with some of
my reluctant readers, struggling readers, or
recommend to some students from a wellbeing
perspective. Fortunately, this story fulfilled all of
my wish list. A considerate and tactful approach
to a household under pressure. With a thoroughly
relatable context and an obsessed boy fan, this
story will reach many students in a way a book
should. With a target age of 9–14 years, this story
could reach many young people. With frustrated
and exhausted parents, Sam looks to football as a
way to hold things together, so when Dad can no
longer join in, further strain and a new dynamic
is forced on to the family. While I was reading, I
was making a mental list of all the students I know
would not only benefit from the considering
empathy demonstrated but enjoy the reading. At
160 pages it will work well as a group read as well
as in a one-to-one class. A relevant and relatable
story that you will undoubtedly recognise as
appealing to some of your students, too.
Lisa Daisy
Rutter, Helen
Reggie Houser
Has the Power
Scholastic, 2024, 360pp, £7.99,
9780702314650
ADHD. Friendship. Magic
This book takes us straight into
the mind of Reggie Houser, struggling to sit still
on the penultimate day of Year 6; this perspective
helps us understand his ADHD and how his brain
works. In the holidays, Reggie becomes obsessed
with hypnotism. He hopes that hypnotism will
help him make friends at secondary school, but we
can tell that it isn’t going to go quite as he hopes.
I felt sorry for this lonely boy, but I think children
reading it would focus more on the funny effects
of his hypnotism. One of the funniest episodes is
when he makes a neighbour’s dog believe it is a
frog! Between the chapters there are suggestions
of magic or mind games that I can imagine readers
trying out on gullible adults. The only illustrations
are portraits of the characters above the chapter
headings. I would have loved to see some of his
classmate Frizz’s eccentric hairdos!
Bridget Turner
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 49

Books: 8 – 12
Somper, Justin
Illustrated by Teo Skaffa
New Kid on Deck
Series: Pirate Academy.
UCLan Publishing, 2024,
240pp, £7.99, 9781915235886
Friendship. Pirates. Adventure
Set in 2507, when the oceans have risen and piracy
is rife, Jacoby and Jasmine are students at the
acclaimed Pirate Academy, learning the ways of
the seas from the best pirate legends in the world.
New student Neo arrives at the same time as
Justine’s parents and their boat have disappeared,
bringing danger and mystery with him. Are the two
connected? Who is he running from? This is the first
book in a new series by the award-winning author
of the popular Vampirates series and is sure to be
a hit. It’s full of twists and turns, packed with action
and adventure, and concludes with a wonderful
battle scene. It’s full of great characters, some
recognisable from Vampirates, as well as plenty
of fun and friendship. Aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds,
this is a superb book for reading aloud. Definitely a
must-have for the school library.
Barbara Band
Song, Mika
Donut Feed
the Squirrels
Series: Norma and Belly.
Pushkin Press, 2023, 128pp,
£8.99, 9781782694526
Humour. Graphic/Comic.
Animals
Squirrel friends Norma and Belly really REALLY want
a donut. They need to come up with a foolproof
plan and recruit some squirrel friends to help them
out. This is cute and funny, and children will love
the silly antics of the mad squirrels as they carry
out their audacious donut robbery. The text is
simple, and the artwork is dynamic and expressive,
making this an ideal graphic novel or comic book
for younger children. I particularly like that there are
several scenes where the story is told without text,
just a sequence of pictures. Perfect for improving
the visual literacy skills of all children. It could also
be used to support verbal communication for
children with SEND or EAL, as it would encourage
two-way discussion and inference about what is
unfolding in the story.
Isobel Powell
Strange, Lucy
The Island at the
Edge of Night
Chicken House, 2024, 304pp,
£7.99, 9781913322380
Mystery. Gothic. Wilding
Faye Fitzgerald is wicked. That’s
why she’s been sent to a boarding school on
a remote island where she can be kept and
rehabilitated with other children who are just as
wicked. But all is definitely not as it seems. What
did Faye do to end up here? And why can’t she
remember that fateful night? Strange is the queen
of middle-grade gothic mysteries and this is another
beautifully crafted addition to the genre. Strange is
adept at developing a creeping, unsettling tension,
as Faye tries to unravel the mysteries and get to the
bottom of why she’s really on the island. Running
parallel to the mysteries of the island is an ethereal
storyline about trees, rewilding, and the beauty of
nature. This supernatural element adds an extra
dimension to this story, one that Strange has shown
skill in weaving into her past books too. If you’ve
fans of Emma Carroll or Frances Hardinge who
haven’t yet discovered Strange, this would be the
perfect introduction, though they’ll be desperate for
her other titles once they’ve raced through this!
Becca Watts
Thornton, Nicki
The Floating Witch
Mystery
Chicken House, 2024, 352pp,
£7.99, 9781915026545
Friendship. Magic. Fantasy
A charming and magical
middle-grade read that showcases friendship and
resilience in a wild, magical setting. The magical
mystery begins when charming stranger Scott visits
Sleeford Island and arouses suspicion in Veena,
who is a reporter for her school paper. Veena
confides in Nightshade, a talking cat, and Hetty, a
witch. Together they uncover an ancient curse that
has been placed upon the island and there is a race
against time to try and save their beloved home.
What follows is a great crime caper with solid
characters and good world building. The magical
elements are just mysterious enough to keep
things interesting and the plot moving forward. A
good addition to the series featuring Nightshade
the cat and perfect for fans of Robin Stevens but
with a magical twist.
Gemma Wright
Thorpe, Ashley
The Boy to Beat
the Gods
Usborne, 2024, 272pp,
£7.99, 9781805075639
Gods. West Africa. Adventure
The Boy to Beat the Gods is
Ashley Thorpe’s debut. With tales of ancient gods,
the magic of the baobab tree, forbidden warnings,
and mischievous goats all on the first page, I was
hooked. It is the tale of a boy called Kayode who
is desperate to save his clan from the merciless
gods who have been terrorising his village, and
those of many other clans, for centuries. Every
village has been forced to compete to provide the
prized fruit of their baobab tree, grown only for
the mighty Orisha gods, and other sacrifices, to
stay alive. Humans are forbidden from eating the
magical fruit, but Kayode will stop at nothing to
beat the gods. This is a non-stop, action-packed
adventure, which fans of Percy Jackson and Louie
Stowell’s Loki, will devour. The story is inspired
by Thorpe’s West African Yoruba and Caribbean
heritage, where storytelling was traditionally shared
orally. At the end of the story there is very helpfully
more information about the Orisha gods and how
Kayode’s adventure was borrowed from them. I
cannot wait to read more about Kayode.
Jenny Griffiths
Find Peace in a Poem
Little Tiger Press, 2024, 48pp,
£12.99, 9781838915643
Poetry. Reflective. Inspiring
POETRY
This beautiful anthology from
Little Tiger is the fourth in a
series called ‘Poetry for Everyone’, the first three
being equally as engaging. The picture booklike
presentation belies the sophistication of the
poems within, and this is an ideal collection of
work to encourage writing in key stages 2 and 3.
‘My Rock’ by Pat Mora (2021) is perfect in inspiring
the use of poetic devices, using onomatopoeia,
personification, simile, metaphor and alliteration.
Michael Rosen’s classic, ‘The Rhythm of Life’ (2010),
demonstrates how regular metre and rhyme can
drive a poem and reflect the lifeblood within us all.
This contrasts with Mandy Coe’s, ‘You are Here’,
written in free verse, which reminds us to savour
the present and live in the moment. Beautiful lyrical
reflections in Coelho’s ‘Listening for Silence’ and
Zaro Weil’s ‘Hide and Seek’ speak of the search for
silence and the discovery of it within ourselves,
whereas Kate Wakeling shares how she finds peace
through doodling in ‘The Ink Cure’. A beautiful,
inspiring book.
Jane Broadis
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 51

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Arbuthnott, Gill
Illustrated by
Christopher Nielsen
From Cells to
Ourselves
Big Picture Press, 2024, 80pp,
£16.99, 9781800781368
Evolution. Science. History
From Cells to Ourselves is a wonderful exploration
of the history of evolution, starting with the very
beginning of life around 3.8 billion years ago. This
book will take you on a journey to learn about
the Earth’s formation and its early inhabitants, the
dinosaurs, right through Darwin’s adventures and
discoveries, and on to life on Earth today. Beautifully
illustrated throughout with full colour edge to edge
hand drawn illustrations, you can’t help but get
absorbed in this book. Although the content of the
book is primarily non-fiction, there is also a brilliant
section which looks at various creation myths from
around the world. This would be a great starting
point from which to explore myths and legends
further and link them to other aspects of the
curriculum such as religious education.
Beth Jenkinson
Balding, Clare
Illustrated by
The Boy Fitz Hammond
Animal All-Stars
Hachette, 2024pp, 192pp,
£10.99, 9781526363459
Animals. Sport. Record Breakers
Combining two subjects beloved by children
is sure to be a winning formula for animal and
sports enthusiast author Clare Balding. The setting
for this guide to the amazing superstars of the
animal kingdom is a sporting contest of eight
events in which many and varied creatures, some
well-known and others more obscure, compete
in tests of strength, speed, agility, super senses
and other skills. Prepare to be surprised by some
of the results! With Balding providing friendly,
light-hearted commentary on the whacky animal
antics, ably assisted by two feline friends providing
entertaining background information, this fun filled
book is packed with fascinating facts, trivia and
statistics. Complete with brainteasing quizzes and
amusing black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations
throughout, this title is ideal for either dipping into
or for more sustained reading and will engage any
animal or sports loving youngster.
Lynn Marshall
Barker, Brooke
How do Meerkats
Order Pizza?
Faber, 2024, 200pp, £10.99,
9780571381654
Animals. Informative. Humour
Funny, informative, and
inspiring, this is a perfectly produced book for
those children in key stage 2 who are interested in
animals. Text and colourful, engaging illustrations
work together in a graphic style to share
information about the work of a diverse group of 18
different scientists – the majority of them women
– investigating species from across the globe. Each
section blends facts and narration from cartoon
animals, often amusingly interjecting in speech
bubbles, to teach about the life and interests of
each scientist, their journey into their field of study,
and facts such as the diet, behaviour, and habitat
of the species they study. Of particular interest
are the experiments and research each scientist
has performed to further human understanding
of animals, such as the work done by Dr Teet into
Antarctic midges which can survive being frozen
for eight months of the year and the implications
this has for the preservation of transplant organs.
Brilliantly fascinating!
Jane Broadis
Breach, Jennifer
Solstice
What on Earth Books, 2024,
64pp, £15.99, 9781913750770
Culture. Global. Traditions
Solstice is just the starting point for this lovely,
inclusive, and fascinating snapshot of 14 imaginary
children’s lives around the globe on the 21st June.
We follow the equator from the South Pole to
Norway, learning about the different culture and
traditions in each community, as well as experiences
that all children will recognise (such as long school
days and itchy uniforms.) Inclusivity and diversity
are presented subtly and naturally, and this is an
excellent resource for discussions around identity
and non-traditional families. Appealing infographics
offer a snapshot of each child’s language and
give geographical and seasonal information on
each place. A comprehensive glossary and index
make this an excellent resource for a geography
or science key stage 2 classroom. What makes this
book truly special however is the use of 14 different
illustrators with a connection to each country.
The illustrations are vibrant and unique, and the
illustrators themselves are given space to explain
their connection and inspiration for each chapter.
Lauren Niland
52 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024
Chakrabarti, Nina
Hello Bugs
Hachette, 2024, 48pp,
£8.99, 9781510230491
Reference. Nature. Insects
Hello Bugs: A Little Guide to
Nature is a short and engaging
reference book about insects. It starts by explaining
what a bug is and what its characteristics are and
then goes on to look at individual insects such
as beetles, ladybirds, butterflies, bees, moths,
and dragonflies. It also looks at a variety of topics
including metamorphosis, life in a beehive and ant
colony, and camouflage and mimicry. As well as
this, there are activities such as building a bug hotel,
going bug hunting, and how to be a friend to bugs.
The guide is quite short – only 48 pages long – but
it contains a lot of information which is presented in
extremely accessible bite-sized chunks. The layout
is clear and well thought-out, and the hand-drawn
illustrations are beautiful and concise. Overall it is a
wonderful introduction to the insect world.
Andrea Rayner
Daniels, Patricia
Illustrated by
Aaron Blecha
How to Teach
Grown-Ups About
Climate Change
What on Earth Books, 2024,
112pp, £9.99, 9781804660300
Science. Geography. Environment
This book encourages kids to educate grown-ups
about climate change. It explains the history, causes,
and the effects climate change has had on people,
animals, and the environment. I like the way it
describes the uneven impact the climate crisis is
having on different parts of the world. There is an
interesting section on ‘Mis-,Dis- and Information’.
Although the climate crisis is serious, the book
contains plenty of humour, with fun information
including sea snot, UFOs knocking down wind
turbines, cow burps, and panda-shaped solar panels.
The illustrations are humorous, and visuals convey
information in an accessible way. The approach
is positive and not ‘doom-y’ with encouraging
examples of progress. There are also practical
suggestions about how we can help with personal
choices and as citizens. I love the quiz where you
can see if your grown-up has been paying attention!
A comprehensive glossary and index and sources for
further research complete this excellent book that
inspires readers to ‘get the planet back on track’.
Brenda Marshall

Books: 8 – 12
Davidson, Rose
Illustrated by
Andy Smith
Science FACTopia!
Series: Factopia.
What on Earth Books, 2024,
208pp, £10.99, 9781804660249
Science. Facts. Information
Did you know that in the 19th century Swedish
botanists created a clock-shaped garden in which
different blooming flowers helped them tell the
time? Discover this and more in another fantastic
addition to a brilliant series. Science FACTopia!
takes readers on a STEM-tastic trail through 400
facts, including topics such as the human body,
space, engineering, plants, maths and everything in
between. The book is literally set out like a trail, with
a dotted line snaking from page to page that readers
can follow through the book, connecting facts
to each other and pointing out diversions if they
want to read more about a particular subject. Every
page is printed in bright full colour, with relevant
and entertaining illustrations and photographs
accompanying the text. If you don’t want to follow
the trail from the start to the end, it’s also a brilliant
book to just pick up and flick through to see what
you can find. This book would be a fabulous
addition to every non-fiction collection.
Beth Jenkinson
de Moraes, Thiago
Discovery Atlas
Alison Green Books, 2023,
96pp, £20.00, 9780702300516
Facts. History. Discovery
Perfect for dipping into,
Discovery Atlas guides readers through thousands
of years of human creativity and discovery. Twelve
chapters explore how we discovered and invented
things that impact our everyday lives, from medicine
and food to buildings and space. Did you know, for
example, that the world’s oldest surviving cookbook
was produced nearly 4,000 years ago? Each chapter
has a brief introduction to the subject, a detailed
double-page illustration (confusingly referred to as
a map) with short facts around it, and then several
story pages containing more facts and information
on the topic. The colourful cartoon illustrations
make this a very attractive book, bringing facts to
life. Their level of detail, particularly on the map
pages, means that there is always something new
to discover. The lack of index makes this more of a
leisure read than one suitable for research, but it’s
sure to go down well with lovers of random facts.
Shona Page
Dodd, Emily
Illustrated by Chorkung
Planet Earth
Series: Tell Me About.
Templar Publishing, 2024,
48pp, £9.99, 9781800783454
Earth. Environment. Geography
This title is part of a series for younger readers
looking at our planet and about what makes it
possible for us to survive on Earth. The book is
aimed at key stage 2, but slightly younger children
will benefit from the bright and clear illustrations,
as well as the very short explanations of the
various topics. There is a simple contents page
that shows the title of each double-page spread.
The subjects cover a huge range of subjects,
including the environment, geology, weather,
the water cycle, climate change, and energy. The
pages are well laid out and the information is
concise and understandable. There is a glossary,
but it is quite basic and an index page would have
helped in targeting the meaning of words. Overall,
this is a good addition to the subject, aimed at the
younger reader.
Margaret Pemberton
Dodd, Emily
Illustrated by Chorkung
Space
Series: Tell Me About.
Templar Publishing, 2024,
48pp, £9.99, 9781800783447
Planets. Space. Universe
With the renewal of interest in mankind exploring
space, there has been a rise not only in science
fiction, but also in information books that provide
a basic introduction to the subject. This title is part
of a series from Templar books, which is aimed
at the key stage 2 reader, and its small format
will make it easy for young people to handle and
read. Each double-page spread covers one aspect
of space, with topics including the moon, the
sun, and the history and types of planets. They
also cover astronomy and space travel as well as
the impact that space has on us, here on Earth.
Overall, this provides a wide range of information
and will make a good addition to a classroom or
school library. With its bite-sized sections and
bright illustrations this makes for a really good
introduction for the younger reader and will
enthuse them to read further.
Margaret Pemberton
Edwards, Nicola
Illustrated by
Lucy Rose Cartwright
When the Stars
Come Out
Little Tiger Press, 2023, 64pp,
£14.99, 9781838915124
Astronomy. Nighttime. Planets
What happens when we go to bed? This wonderful
book will take you around the world at night. It takes
us on a journey starting with how the moon orbits
the earth, then takes us through the Earth at night,
animals at night and ends with humans at night.
Each section is a snapshot of the magical universe
that is the night. We meet the creatures that prefer
the night and how night is different depending
on where you are in the world. It identifies how
the human relationship with sleep has changed
and developed over the centuries. This book is
accompanied by the most stunning illustrations,
matching the theme of the book in a palette of
muted colours that will delight; each page is full
of life and wonder in incredible detail. A wonderful
book for those that are curious about life at night.
Nicola Bowie
Grant, Kesha
The Amazing History
of Fashion
Series: Amazing History of.
Raintree, 2023, 32pp, £13.99,
9781398251472
Fashion. History. Facts
The Amazing History of Fashion gives a simple
but engaging introduction to fashion and clothes.
With six key sections in the book, readers can find
out about ancient fashion, fashion inventions,
foot fashion, stylish rebels, global styles, and
fashion today. Each section has two parts of
examples which are complemented by carefully
selected photos and illustrations. Each section
could easily be an introduction to a research
project for a class, or personal research. For a
short, simple book there is a surprising amount
to learn. I hadn’t realised that indigo was a plant,
and the story about the brothers who set up
Adidas and Puma brands was fascinating. There
are several ‘Did You Know’ boxes scattered
throughout the pages adding extra interest, along
with a glossary and ‘find out more’ section at the
back. An enjoyable book which may bring out the
fashionista in young readers everywhere!
Stephen Leitch
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 53

Books: 8 – 12 | Information
Hoena, Blake A
The Checklist
Challenge Guide
to Summer
Series: Checklist Guide to Life.
Raintree, 2023, 32pp, £13.99,
9781398252110
Checklist. Fun. Tips
This is a perfect guide for kids who say that they
don’t have any idea what to do during the holidays.
Full of ideas, hints, and tips, this checklist offers
something for everyone. Ranging from creating
your own field guide to a day at an amusement
park, there is something to appeal to all children
and budgets. It has ideas that are creative and help
the environment, such as a found art project using
items that you collect first on a litter pick – which
can be done by yourself. There are also fun activities
to do with friends, like a bike ride or games night.
Additionally, there are family activities including a
picnic and a day at an amusement park. A great way
to help kids make the most of the summer break,
ideal for those in key stages 2 and 3.
Nicola Bowie
Horne, Sarah
The Firefly’s Light
Scholastic, 2023, 48pp,
£7.99, 9780702315893
Inventions. Nature. Science
A captivating book for the
curious minded. It celebrates how, inspired by
nature, people have used their creativity to design
new ways, through science, technology and art,
to improve our world and everyday lives. The
author describes how the observation of certain
creatures – cats, fireflies, elephants, termites,
geckos (to mention a few) – has led to fascinating
inventions, all equally ingenious and relevant
to today. Most children are familiar with Velcro,
especially if shoelace tying is difficult. Here they
can discover it began when the inventor de Mestral
found burr seeds in his dog’s hair which gave him
an idea for a material with a system of hoops and
loops that would stick together in a similar way.
Cycling can be dangerous without the protection
of strong helmets. Orfez’s research into scalyfoot
snails prompted the development of light
headgear that would withstand high impact. Each
page is thoughtfully designed with beautiful, often
humorous, colourful illustrations. A perfect book for
inquisitive nature-loving children.
Lee Giddings
Jacobs, Robin
Illustrated by Ben Javens
All About Flags
Cicada Books, 2024, 104pp,
£16.99, 9781800660458
Flags. Information. Facts
Discover all you ever wanted to know about
country flags of the world in this exceptional book.
Sumptuously illustrated with engaging text, All
About Flags tells you the story behind the flags.
The book is broken down into continents, and
each section starts with a map and list of country
flags before giving more in-depth information
on them. Many feature great information about
their history and significance, and some flags are
gathered into interesting groupings such as flags
with coats of arms on them and flags with crescents
on them, adding to the books interest. There are
also fascinating flag fact boxes that pop up on some
pages, too, which I enjoyed. At the start of the book
is a fine introduction to the history and meaning of
flags as well as sections on symbols and colours in
flags. A great glossary concludes the book. All About
Flags is highly visual and a delight to read. This is
definitely one for the classroom, school library, and
for young vexillologists everywhere!
Stephen Leitch
Kennington, Tim
Illustrated by Josy Bloggs
Brilliant Bodies
Inside and Out
Series: Little House of Science.
Michael O’Mara, 2024, 96pp,
£10.99, 9781780558899
Science. Human Body. Animals
A fascinating book which explores the human
body. The first chapter – Body Basics – is about
‘the differences between human bodies and how
they’re made, from the different layers of your skin
to how you move your muscles’. Then we move
to the senses, the nervous system, the skeletal
system, the respiratory and circulatory systems and
the digestive system. The spreads are attractive,
with good use of colour and illustrations. Diagrams
convey information in accessible ways. Many
pages have a ‘Did You Know?’ section which help
encourage interaction. I did not know that the
animal with the most teeth is a snail, or that catfish
have the strongest sense of taste in the animal
kingdom, or that wood frogs in Alaska freeze over
for up to eight months in the winter. The final part
of the book is about amazing animal bodies. We
learn about differences and similarities between
human bodies and those of the animal kingdom.
There is a contents page, an age-appropriate
glossary and an index. It is one of the best books I
have read about the human body.
Brenda Marshall
54 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024
Long, David
Illustrated by
Stafano Tambellini
Ancient Maya
Series: What It Was Like to Be.
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 96pp,
£7.99, 9781800902497
Ancient Maya. Archaeology. Central America
‘The ancient Maya people invented chocolate …’
opens the Blue Peter prize-winner’s 90-page gallop
through Mayan civilisation. How many, where and
when they lived (before Europeans arrived) on
page one is supported by good maps on pages two
and three, followed by how their lost cities were
rediscovered in the jungle. Page seven introduces
‘bloodthirsty traditions such as making human
sacrifices, eating dogs, and their cities were often
at war’. With excellent illustrations throughout,
well-organised chapters in accessible language
describe how Mayans built pyramids, houses,
roads and reservoirs, combined maize, beans and
squash production, more about chocolate, rubber
and chewing gum, their society, dress, religion,
astronomy, maths, calendars, clocks and writing, and
lack of wheeled transport. Factors for their decline
include climate change, soil depletion, European
conquest, and diseases. The last chapter is about the
present-day Maya. Excellent read for ages seven and
older and suitable for reading aloud. A useful history
reference that will also be enjoyed at home.
Dr Henrietta Jane Price
McAlister, Dr Erica
Illustrated by
Stephanie Fizer
Coleman
A Bug’s World
Wren & Rook, 2024, 64pp,
£9.99, 9781444974270
Bugs. Insects. Minibeasts
This book is a treasure trove of information for
any mini-beast-loving child, with weird and
wonderful facts that are cleverly contextualised to
aid understanding. For instance, did you know that
for every person on earth, there are 200 million
bugs? Or that Giant Gippsland worms can grow
to the length of a small car? Importantly, we also
learn about the critical importance of bugs in our
world today and are offered practical ideas of ways
in which we can nurture and protect them. The
book is well structured, with each double-page
spread exploring something new, and the layout
is engaging, with no two pages the same. The
illustrations are vibrant and incredibly detailed, and
the text is broken into small, manageable chunks.
This would be a great class text to dip into if there
was a particular area of interest, but it is also an
essential reference for any school library. A joyful
celebration of bugs that, we discover, are as much
superheroes as they are minibeasts.
Louise Davis

Books: 8 – 12
Novellino,
Massimo Domenica
Illustrated by
Ester Castelnuovo &
Valentina Figus
The Secrets of Trees
Series: White Star Kids.
White Star Kids, 2024, 64ppp, £14.99,
9788854420465
Nature. Trees. Wildlife
This very comprehensive book compares the lives
of trees with our own. Living beings similar to us,
they eat, grow, and communicate. This is much
more complicated that you first think and the book
examines in detail the main facets of a tree, where
they live, the different shapes, and how they need
to live in harmony with the rest of nature. It looks at
the different creatures which live on or around trees
and how individual specimens are able to defend
themselves against predators. Some have very
special ways of securing themselves to the ground
and there are some excellent illustrations of aerial
roots and the trunk which supports the leaves and
branches. This is definitely a book children will want
to return to again and again. It provides information
at various levels and would be ideal for a classroom
or school library. Trees are indispensable and a vital
part of our ecosystem. An impressive book which I
can thoroughly recommend.
Godfrey Hall
Sirdeshpande, Rashmi
Illustrated by
Juliana Eigner
We’ve Got This!
words & pictures, 2023, 128pp,
£9.99, 9780711284920
Empathy. Emotions. Positivity
With empathy a buzz word at the moment,
this timely book produced in partnership with
Empathylab is a delight. While aimed at upper
primary-aged children, this book has so much to
offer readers of all ages, whether read by yourself
or worked through with a class. From its engaging
and stylised layout to the very readable and positive
text, we can all learn something from this book. The
book explores six steps to building your empathy
superpower, from knowing what empathy is, to
how empathy works and to recognising emotions,
and shows how reading can boost your empathy
too. Each step is a self-contained unit, with good
explanations and practical things for readers to try
to develop their empathy skills, such as going on an
empathy walk and playing empathy charades! At the
end of each section is a brief check-in to summarise
the section. I really enjoyed the ‘Know How It Works’
section highlighting how the brain works to build
empathy and the inspirational quotes from authors.
Definitely one for the school and class library.
Stephen Leitch
Ralphs, Matt
Illustrated by
Kaley McKean
Beasts from the Deep
Nosy Crow, 2024, 96pp,
£16.99, 9781839943348
Marine Animals. Habitats. Under the Sea
It’s terrifying, it’s fascinating and it’s a must-have for
your library! Beasts from the Deep looks at a range
of different sea creatures, from Goblin Sharks to
Vampire Squid to mind-bending Siphonophores
that inhabit the deepest, darkest parts of our oceans.
It’s ideal to complement the study of habitats and
sea creatures whilst also being a great non-fiction
leisure read for curious minds and budding marine
biologists. It’s been created in partnership with
the University of Cambridge and Nosy Crow,
and it’s full of facts and detailed illustrations to
bring this lesser-known world to life. The book is
divided into different depth zones ranging from
the creepy Twilight Zone, at 200–1000m deep, to
the unimaginable Hadal Zone at 6000–11000m
deep. This is the kind of book your readers will dare
each other to look at and be eager to share the
unfathomable facts with you when next they see
you. A real non-fiction win for key stages 2 and 3!
Cassie Hands
Soanes, Zeb
Illustrated by
James Mayhew
Peter’s Little Book
of Big Words
Graffeg, 2023, 32pp, £12.99,
9781802580242
Dictionary. Words. Vocabulary
If you are familiar with the Gaspard the Fox series of
books, then you will know that recurring character
Peter the Cat always has the right word for a
particular situation. Apparently much of his superior
vocabulary has been gleaned from listening
to Radio 4, and he is a true logophile. Here he
introduces and explains a number of his favourite
big words, including acclivitous, discombobulated,
and pusillanimous. Each double-page spread
features the word in bold Gaspard red, with a
phonetic guide to pronounciation, the meaning,
and an illustration accompanied by a sentence
using the word in context. An appealing first guide
to the wealth of wonderful words that children
can discover and use in their own writing and
conversation. There is space included at the back
to record any new words that readers may come
across and would like to remember. One to add to
the classroom or library shelves.
Jayne Gould
Rocco, Hayley
Illustrated by
John Rocco
Wild Planet
Rock the Boat, 2024, 46pp,
£7.99, 9780861548972
Ecology. Conservation. Biography
As someone who grew up in Leicester (like Sir
David) I must admit a personal bias for the subject
of this appealing picture book biography, although
I don’t think I am unique in that! This book makes
clear Attenborough’s inspiring and impassioned
influence on how we think about the natural
world, and why it is more important now than ever
to engage with conservation and rewilding. It is
beautifully illustrated, and full of intricate and subtle
details of the natural world that younger readers
will be able to pore over for hours, as well as superb
likenesses of Attenborough throughout. The text
itself is brief, clear, and informative, enhanced by
further notes at the end on Attenborough’s life and
work. There is also a glossary of terms and a section
on rewilding, problems and solutions, and what
impact young people can have on conservation and
climate activism. This offers an important note of
hope and unity at a time when many young people
are suffering from climate anxiety.
Lauren Niland
Stavaric, Michael
Illustrated by
Michele Ganser
Translated by
Oliver Latsch
Amazing Octopus
Pushkin Children's Books, 2023,
140pp, £20.00, 9781782694243
Nature. Ocean. Science
The cover of this book is beautiful and certainly
encourages the reader to want to delve into
the pages. From the quality of the paper to the
images within the book, and the mature way the
authors treat the reader, this is a truly beautiful
read. Presented in black and white with touches
of gold, it is very aesthetically pleasing. Addressing
the reader directly, the book provides authority
on octopuses through text, images, and activity
pages. ‘Bright Minds’ text boxes extend the detail
for the reader, taking them into some higher level
concepts. This book would be a fantastic addition
to any school library and would be valuable for
encouraging those readers who might prefer nonfiction
to fiction texts. It gives the opportunity to
really learn about these fascinating creatures and
their place in the universe.
Michelle Armstrong-Harris
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 55

Books: 8 – 12
Stevens, Georgina
Illustrated by
Katie Rewse
Climate Action
Little Tiger, 2024, 72pp,
£14.99, 9781838916183
Activism. Climate.
Environment
This is an inspiring book about climate action and
a call to action to young readers who pick it up. It
introduces us to young environmentalists, takes us
through the why’s and how’s of our current climate
crisis, and provides valuable details on situations
around the world. With informative text and
beautiful illustrations throughout, this is certainly for
key stage 2 students, as there is a lot of information
to read. It’s such a brilliant resources for future
change makers and encourages change and help
through actions of all sizes.
Erin Hamilton
Todd, Traci N
Illustrated by
Christian Robinson
Nina
Scribe Publications, 2023,
48pp, £8.99, 9781914484261
Biography. Black History.
Nina Simone
A short, illustrated biography of Nina Simone, similar
in style but more detailed than the Little People, Big
Dreams series. There can be a shortcoming in this
type of work that the biographer does not record
the down times in the subject’s life. This is not the
case here and it makes a refreshing change. There
are links made to many civil rights events such as
lunch counter sit-ins, the death of Dr Martin Luther
King Jr. and the Alabama bus bombing. It is a really
skilful and relatively wide-ranging look at Black
history through the life of one singer.
Rebecca Butler
Tree, Isabella
Illustrated by
Angela Harding
Wilding
Macmillan, 2024, 96pp,
£20.00, 9781529092844
Regeneration. Wildlife. Hope
EDITOR'S PICK
Wilding is a book for children who love non-fiction
about the natural world, brimming with life, and
sharing what happened when Isabella Tree stopped
intensive farming on the Knepp Estate, West
Sussex, and let nature take over. Over 20 colourful
sections explore the connections between species
and habitat through a symbiotic blend of text
and image. In Angela Harding’s distinctive style,
beautiful lino prints and watercolours, along with
photographs, support the text which describes how
biodiversity returned to the estate. Wilding is a story
of optimism, much needed in this world where
a million species of plants and animals are at risk
from extinction and where, in this country alone,
we have 73 million fewer birds than we had 50
years ago. Educators could use extracts to support
ecological studies in science or geography, develop
knowledge in forest school, or provide excellent
non-fiction comprehension practice. The text is as
rich as the natural world it describes, teeming with
knowledge, new vocabulary and hope.
Jane Broadis
Illustrated by
Anna Doherty
Big Ideas from
Literature
The School of Life Press, 2024,
176pp, £20.00, 9781915087485
Literature. Culture. Heritage
Big Ideas from Literature is a unique, thoughtprovoking
book that makes literary criticism
accessible and engaging for children. Most avid
readers, whatever their age, will recognise the
importance of books. This beautifully produced
book aims to explain exactly why that is the case,
taking a look back at books through the ages and
comparing and contrasting key tropes and ideas.
Deftly weaving themes together from classics and
contemporary reads, this is a fantastic resource
that will encourage readers to engage with familiar
books and brand-new stories from a whole new
perspective, as well as more thoughtfully and
sensitively. Drawing on books from different
cultures, as well as throughout history, Big Ideas
from Literature will give children and adults alike
plenty of food for thought, highlighting the empathy
and resilience within a hugely varied selection of
texts. It would make a lovely addition to any school
library and a great book for any avid readers who
are open to new takes and recommendations.
Becca Watts
Greta Thunberg
Series: Great Lives in Graphics
Button Books, 2024, 32, £9.99,
9781787081468
Activism. Change. Environment
A new infographic biography
of one of our most famous and youngest
environmental activists. This is a bright, colourful,
and informative book, filled with fascinating
facts about Greta Thunberg. We find out about
her family, her life, and how her passion for
environmental activism started. It also touches
on her diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome and the
role this has played in her activism. We are told
about the history of environmental activism and
are introduced to a basic idea of what the world
governments are trying to commit to, in order
to combat climate change. There is also a quick
guide to what we can do in our everyday lives to
help counteract the effects of climate change. All
of this is presented to us in short sharp snippets in
eye-catching colours and text. This is an ideal book
for children (8–12) and parents to dip in and out of
for study or to just spark a conversation.
Nicola Bowie
Leonardo da Vinci
Series: Great Lives in Graphics.
Button Books, 2024, 32, £9.99,
9781787081123
Leonardo da Vinci. Biography.
Inventions
This attractive book deals with
the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci in around
250 bite-size facts. Apart from the introduction, no
item is longer than a paragraph, and often much
shorter. The double-page spreads are packed with
full-colour illustrations, as well as photos. Most
highlight artworks and inventions: the Mona Lisa,
flying machines, Vitruvian Man, dissections …
and so much more. Leonardo da Vinci had many
unfinished projects, which have often captured the
modern imagination. A pro hang-glider flew a da
Vinci replica; an art collector got an unfinished 80-
ton bronze horse cast and displayed. A section on
Italian city-states gives historical context. However,
the ‘Leo’s World’ timeline’s modern flags and picture
of the Eiffel Tower might confuse younger readers.
I’m not sure what the ‘Vegetarian Man’ pages add,
apart from telling us that da Vinci didn’t eat meat.
Overall, a nicely designed book, appropriate for the
8–12 target audience.
Anna Quick
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 57

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah
& Jaigirdar, Adiba
Four Eids and a Funeral
Usborne, 2024, 384pp, £8.99,
9781805312970
Muslim. Romcom. Relationships
In this charming Muslim
romcom, I found the portrait of Said and Tiwa’s
community more interesting and sparky than
the “will they/won’t they” romance. Once close
childhood friends, Tiwa and Said can’t understand
that when Said left for a prestigious boarding
school, all communication ceased, even when
Tiwa’s younger brother tragically died in a hitand-run.
Reunited for a funeral, their relationship
inevitably grows. I found discovering who was
responsible to be less important to me than their
joint efforts to save their local Islamic Centre,
Said plucking up courage to tell his parents what
he really wants to study after school, and Tiwa
achieving some justice for her brother’s death.
The tensions in their families and community are
touched on but not fully explored. The gentle pace
sags at times, but a valuable book for the school
library, which I will aim at Year 9 and above.
Rachel Nelson
Addison, Amanda
Looking for Lucie
Neem Tree Press, 2024, 272pp,
£8.99, 9781911107682
Ancestry. Coming-of-Age. Family
Lucie is often asked where she
really comes from, as she doesn't
look like her mum or her half-sister, but she has
no idea who her dad is. So one day she secretly
orders a DNA test and is anxiously awaiting her
results when she receives her A-Level grades.
Coincidentally, this is the same day she meets
Nav, another A-Level student, who helps her with
her quest to find her father and discover where
she really comes from. This book did inspire me
to purchase a DNA test for myself, so perhaps the
author should get some kind of commission from
Ancestry.com. The subject of DNA testing and
mixed-race heritage is an interesting one that I think
pupils would like to read about. The voice feels
quite young, despite the protagonist being 18, and
the book is definitely suitable for younger teenagers.
An engaging coming-of-age story about family,
cultural heritage, and identity.
Rebecca Rouillard
Byrne, Tanya
In the Shallows
Hachette, 2024, 352pp, £9.99,
9781444956009
LGBTQ+. Mystery. Romance
Combining sapphic romance
with a bit of mystery In the
Shallows is a captivating story which will appeal to
readers who enjoy LGBTQ+ stories. Nico is not the
best girlfriend; she is aloof and flaky and always
letting Mara down at the last minute, so at first it’s
not unusual that she didn’t show up for their New
Year’s Eve date. But then Nico is pulled from the sea
and can’t remember anything. A chance encounter
reunites the pair, and everything is going so much
better, but what did happen in the first place? The
story is well written, drawing you into the narrative.
The characters are believable and the main and
supporting characters are diverse. The ending
was a little rushed, without completely explaining
everything, and it relies heavily on other people for
Nico’s initial awful behaviour. Overall it would be a
welcome addition to the YA romance collection and
has considerable shelf appeal.
Jess Young
De Goldi, Kate
Eddy Eddy
Old Barn Books, 2024, 288pp,
£8.99, 9781910646922
Friendship. Grief. Christmas
Set loosely on Charles Dicken’s
A Christmas Carol, Eddy Eddy is
a coming-of-age story set in post-earthquake
Christchurch, New Zealand. Eddy is an orphan
raised by his eccentric uncle and, at the point we
meet him, has dropped out of school and is working
as a dog walker. This career choice brings him into
contact with some quirky characters, and it’s these
connections that drive the story forward. It’s a slow
burn of a book, with a unique writing style and
some fabulous vocabulary that had me reaching for
a dictionary once or twice! Utterly heartbreaking in
places and yet also managing to be heart-warming.
This is a book that won’t suit everybody, but is a
must-have for those older readers looking for a
thoughtful, intelligent, and at times challenging
book. The countdown to Christmas would make it a
perfect December read.
Josie Bousfield
Duffy, Malcolm
Seven Million
Sunflowers
Zephyr, 2024, 320pp, £8.99,
9781800241732
Refugees. War. PTSD
In Seven Million Sunflowers
Malcolm Duffy creates a relatable depiction of
unexpectedly becoming a refugee as a teenager.
Based partly on being a host family himself to a
Ukrainian family as part of the Home for Ukraine
scheme, Duffy creates an empathetic look at how
being uprooted from your home life and moved
to another country has an impact on teenage
life. There is great contrast in our 15-year-old
protagonist Kat’s life as she navigates friends,
parties, and boys, whilst also worrying about her
father who’s stayed in Ukraine to fight, and dealing
with her older brother – often with his misplaced
anger as he just wants to return to Ukraine and
join the fight – and her host family, who want to
help but struggle with the commitment as the war
continues. Also covered is PTSD from the trauma
from the events on February 24th. I enjoyed how
it showed how normal a teenager Kat is whilst also
highlighting the effect of the war on many people.
Jess Young
Green, Simon James
Illustrated by
Mallory Heyer
The Big Ask
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 128pp, £7.99,
9781800902428
Prom. Perceptions. Humour
Set over the four days leading up to his prom, Alfie
answers the door in his boxers, only to find himself
caught up in a situation that means he asks the
school heartthrob, Harvey, to go to the prom with
him. Over the next few days, we see him come
to terms with this and the resulting reaction of
Harvey’s dramatic ex-girlfriend and a homophobic
news article. It is written in a very accessible way
with lots of dialogue. There are some chapters that
have real impact as they only contain one word
or phrase. There is some swearing but referred to
by initials e.g. WTF. There is lots of humour as well
as emotion throughout the book with a strong
message about it being okay to be yourself and not
having to live up to the expectations that others
have of you. Although there are no illustrations, it is
a book I would recommend to fans of Heartstopper.
Bridget Turner
58 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 13 – 16
Feminism
Editor's Picks
Bates, Laura
Sisters of Sword
and Shadow
Simon & Schuster, 2024, 386pp,
£8.99, 9781471187599
Fantasy. Feminism. LGBTQ+
In the times of King Arthur, a group
of women secretly train as knights.
Beevor, Lucy
Illustrated by Sarah Green
Amazing Women: 101
Lives to Inspire You
Stripes Publishing, 2024, 96pp,
£12.99, 9781788956819
Achievement. Biographies. History
International selection of female
figures, highlighting those who have
achieved significance in science,
politics, sports, and the arts.
Crosby, Polly
This Tale Is Forbidden
Scholastic, 2024, 330pp, £8.99,
9780702325601
Dystopia. Fantasy. Feminism
A girl raised to be independent
crosses into a society where women
have been tricked into believing
themselves helpless, to track down
her missing grandmother.
Johnson, Glenys
Taylor Swift: The Story
of a Fashion Icon
Series: Icons of style. Welbeck, 2024,
224pp, £14.99, 9781802798364
Art. Costume. Style
Photographs that explore key outfits
from Swift’s style evolution.
Robinson, Jane
Trailblazer
Doubleday, 2024, £25.00, 416pp,
9780857527776
Activist. Biography.
Equal Opportunities
A celebration of the life of Barbara
Leigh Smith Bodichon, the founder
of Britain’s suffrage movement and
a remarkable woman who lived on
her own terms.
Quek, Sam &
Drakakis, Helena
Roar: A Celebration of
Great Sporting Women
Allen & Unwin, 2024, 288pp, £9.99,
9781838959173
Biography. Sport. Women
High profile female athletes and
their path to greatness.
Rustin, Susanna
Sexed: A History of
British Feminism
Polity Press, 2024, £20.00,
286pp, 9781509559114
Feminism. Gender. Politics
A different spin of the story of British
feminism from the 1790s, grouping
the movement into different phases.
Rebel Girls Dads and
Daughters: 25 tales of
teamwork and fun
Series: Rebel Girls. Dorling K, 2024,
64pp, £6.99, 978888961100
Achievement. Biographies. Families
25 father-daughter pairs and how
they have achieved what they have
in their own field.
Hargrave, Kiran Millwood
In the Shadow of
the Wolf Queen
Series: A Geomancer Book.
Orion, 2024, 320pp, £7.99,
9781510107854
Adventure. Fantasy. Magic
This book is such a good entry into the new series!
The way that Ysolda has to try and save her sister,
whilst dealing with what the Wolf Queen has in
store for her, makes for a great adventure. The way
the book reveals details isn’t overwhelming and
has just the right amount of fantasy to it to keep it
interesting. I love that we have animal companions,
too. It does have a few battle scenes and highly
tense moments that kept me reading on to see
who survived. The magical world was enchanting,
too. I liked the idea of whispering to the trees, and
secretly I thought Ysolda had an ability as well.
The stranger she meets has a rather interesting
background, and I cannot wait to see what the next
instalment holds!
Jasmine Brown
Hickson-Lovelace, Ashley
Wild East
Penguin, 2024, 320pp, £8.99,
9780241645444
Knife Crime. County Lines.
Narrative Poetry
EDITOR'S PICK
Written in narrative poetry, this
is a powerful story with some serious themes that
are becoming part of modern life. It is a writing
style that is becoming increasingly popular with
young people and indeed the book references
other successful verse novel titles such as The
Crossing. Ronnie lives in East London, but when
a friend is killed on the streets, Ronnie’s mum
decides it is time to move on. Moving to Norfolk
from East London is quite a shock. Ronnie is now a
Black teenager at a mostly White school and feels
like a complete outsider. His experiences do not
resonate with this new life. Ronnie is adamant that
he will one day be a successful rapper and decides
to keep his head down and keep his goals in sight.
A local poet visits the school and Ronnie discovers
spoken word. He realises it is not much different
to rap and that he is actually quite good at it. A
powerful story that would be a positive addition to
any secondary school library and which sits in the
popular verse novel genre.
Michelle Armstrong-Harris
Horne, Maggie
Noah Frye Gets
Crushed
Firefly, 2024, 304pp, £7.99,
9781915444530
Relationships. Friendship.
LGBTQ+
Twelve-year-old Noah has a wonderful time at
science camp. She makes a new friend, Jessa, who
is moving to her school. But everything changes
when she gets home. Her best friends Luna and
Zoey have a new topic – boys! Both girls have
acquired boyfriends over the summer, and without
really thinking about it, Noah lets her friends think
that she has a crush on a boy too. The trouble is,
Noah has no interest in boys at all, but to admit
this might mean losing her friends, so she decides
to approach the problem scientifically. Noah sets
herself a series of goals to test her feelings, selecting
her fellow volunteer at the Animal Shelter, Archie,
as the subject of her experiments. Archie becomes
a good friend and when he reveals that he is gay,
Noah realises that her feelings for Jessa might be
romantic too. The challenges of relationships are
handled with humour and sensitivity and Noah
realises that not all change is bad.
Sandra Bennett
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 59

Books: 13 – 16
Illis, Mark
Running Away
for Beginners
Scholastic, 2024, 296pp, £8.99,
9780702329937
Families. Friendship. Illness
Jasper is on the roof of his shed
having just been diagnosed with cancer. He is
joined by his two best friends as he outlines his
three options: the treatment working, needing
surgery, and he can’t voice the third. In the
meantime, his parents want him to carry on as
normal, but Jasper knows that’s impossible. His
friends agree, and one casually suggests running
away. They decide to do a trial run and let their
parents know they’ll be away for the weekend.
Jasper has other plans, as he is not planning on
returning. What should have been uneventful
involves complications – each of them is hiding
secrets, most of which are revealed slowly on
their journey, and they all learn more about one
another. However, Jasper stays silent. A novel
about friendship and illness and the different
ways we deal with it.
Dawn Woods
Keats, Sharada
These Stolen Lives
Scholastic, 2024, 400pp,
£8.99, 9780702325120
Dystopia. Romance. Adventure
This dystopian novel is set on
an enslaved land. The invading
Skøls have killed many of the native Crozoni, and
survivors owe a money debt for simply being alive.
Mora, 17, is owned by Skøls – like all Crozoni – and
has a menial job, but she and her friend Kit, 20, are
secretly helping a younger boy escape punishment
for attacking his owner. The plot, told from Mora’s
point of view, plunges straight into the action with
a midnight jailbreak, and continues with many
perils and secondary characters. Mora and Kit, who
remember the pre-invasion days, experience a
growing romantic attraction amidst the humiliations
and restrictions of enslaved life. The world building
is engaging and convincing: the Skøls seem vaguely
Swedish, but also mirror apartheid South Africa
and other colonial regimes. Readers who liked The
Hunger Games would enjoy this book. It ends on
a cliffhanger, so more of Mora’s adventures seem
likely. A special mention for the ingenious cover art
by Jamie Gregory!
Anna Quick
Landy, Derek
A Mind Full of Murder
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 409pp, £16.99,
9780008585822
Fantasy. Horror. Humour
When I start a new Skulduggery
Pleasant book, it always gives me such a feeling
of comfort, meeting loved characters again and
loving the skeleton detective’s dry humour. A Mind
Full of Murder is the first in a new trilogy and it’s as
full of action, fast-paced plotlines and giggles as
Landy’s previous books, but this one does seem a
bit more “grown up” to me – some of the violence
described is fairly graphic, although no worse than
that which most kids encounter in video games.
The plot definitely alludes to events and issues in
real life – for example, colonialism, gender fluidity
and war – and as an adult you can without a doubt
read some of the author’s probable political views
in the story, but this would not be noticed by young
readers. This is very clever and would mean the book
would be read and enjoyed by different age groups.
As a ‘technomage’ myself (I will be wanting to be
addressed as such in future!) I loved the technology
references and the descriptions of cutting-edge tech
included. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book!
Bev Humphrey
Le, Vanessa
The Last Bloodcarver
Rock the Boat, 2024, 384pp,
£8.99, 9780861547968
Fantasy. Culture. Magic
Set in a fantasy world inspired
by Vietnam and its culture, this
book tells the story of Nhika, a bloodcarver with
the power to alter someone’s biology with a single
touch. For some, this power is a curse used to kill,
while others view her as a healer. When she is sold
to a girl who needs her to heal the only witness to
her father’s murder, she is drawn into a mystery
which pulls her deeper into the underworld. The
world building in this book is intricate and provides
representation of other world cultures which
otherwise don’t get much of a look-in. Nhika is a
very strong and well written protagonist, and her
choices and outlook are very believable given
her personal situation. This is the first book in a
projected duology, and it sets the stage perfectly
for the ongoing story while being a well-contained
tale in itself.
Beth Gilchrist
Lessore, Nathanael
King of Nothing
Hot Key Books, 2024, 320pp,
£7.99, 9781471413247
Family. Gangs. Toxic Masculinity
Anton has a ‘rep’ to maintain.
Given kudos, when his dad went
to prison, Anton is now one of the Kings of Y9, and
the gang rules the school with fear and intimidation.
His mother, frustrated with him getting into trouble
at school, signs him up to a group called ‘Happy
Campers’ and Anton attends, if only to get his
internet access back. To his horror he is paired up
with Matthew, the class “loser”, who unexpectedly
saves his life. Anton feels that teaching him ‘some
game’ would be a good way to pay him back, and
slowly an unlikely friendship grows. Over time
Anton begins to question what his gang members
think and say about women and their treatment of
girls in their class. The sudden release of his father
and the death of his grandmother makes him realise
who his friends are and that he does have a future
outside the gang. This book touches on the theme
of toxic masculinity and would be a good addition
to such a collection. The story itself is predictable
and the lack of impact on the lead member of the
gang is unsatisfactory.
Sarah Masters
McGuiness, Jay
Blood Flowers
Scholastic, 2024, 432pp,
£8.99, 9780702328770
Fantasy. Dystopia. Inequality
Calleston is a town that is starkly
divided between the rich
Roofsiders and the poor Cobblesiders. 17-year-old
Cobblesider Bear dreams of the day when he can
escape. His opportunity comes during the town’s
annual Field Day, where those who have recently
come of age test their sinsenn – the crop around
which Calleston’s economy relies – growing
capabilities. Bear’s magical abilities propel him
into the upper echelons of society, where he
discovers that all is not how he expected … Despite
its billing as a romantasy, Blood Flowers features
only a small amount of romance. However, it does
have plenty of pacy action, which will appeal to
younger teenage readers. The book’s themes look
at inequality and corruption in society, as well as
substance/alcohol abuse. This dystopian fantasy
will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games, and,
of course, the band The Wanted. The cliffhanger
ending leaves things open for a sequel.
Shona Page
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 61

Books: 13 – 16 | Fiction and Poetry
Medina, Meg
Merci Suarez
Changes Gears
Walker, 2024, 304pp, £7.99,
9781406389326
Alzheimer’s. Change. Teenagers
A heart-warming and bittersweet
story with humour. This is the story of Medina,
who goes through the unexpected changes and
awkwardness of a teenager. Medina was prepared
for some change, but going up a year throws
up more uncertainty than expected. Medina
becomes the focus of jealousy from bossy Edna at
school, despite Medina feeling she’s the one out
of place, being a scholarship student. At home,
Merci’s grandfather, who has always been close to
Medina, is changing, yet no one will tell her what’s
happening. A welcome addition to any library.
Natalie Gray
Oliver, Ben
The Kill Factor
Chicken House, 2024, 384pp,
£8.99, 9781915947246
Dystopia. Social Media.
Game Show
This story is set in a future where
social media popularity is currency and building
a brand is the only way to survive. Emmerson is
in trouble and finds herself looking at a long jail
sentence until she is offered a place on a game
show – if she loses, she will be imprisoned for life,
but winning would see her set free. What she finds
when she enters the game is far more sinister and
brutal than she was led to believe – readers may
already have guessed what is at stake from the
book’s title – and is to be live streamed across the
world. Shockingly violent in places, it is everything
you would expect and need from a YA dystopia and
is incredibly fast paced. Emmerson is brave and
resilient but flawed, her character development,
as well as the relationship she has with her brother
and the other contestants, lends depth to the
narrative. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games
and The Maze Runner.
Josie Bousfield
Meyer, Marissa
Instant Karma
Faber, 2024, 400pp, £8.99,
9780571386543
With a Little Luck
Faber, 2024, 320pp, £8.99,
9780571386567
Coming of Age. Fate. Romance
These titles are first person
narratives featuring interesting
protagonists: Jude and Prudence,
twins. Jude is a dreamy character,
artistic and creative. Constantly
sketching, he is shy and awkward, particularly
with girls. Prue is super-efficient and, as a result,
judgemental of the less capable. The author uses
– with considerable success – the same narrative
technique in both novels: each of the protagonists
magically acquires a supernatural power. Prue
suddenly finds herself able to cast karma on the
people around her; Jude, equally suddenly, is gifted
with amazing good luck. These powers are initially
productive but soon cause problems. The characters
evolve and mature, producing an enjoyable read into
which serious topics such as the environment and
animal welfare are deftly interwoven. A worthwhile
acquisition for the library, but also a tool for
introducing literary techniques.
Elizabeth Frew Finlayson
Putuma, Koleka
Illustrated by
Adriana Bellet
We Have Everything
We Need to Start Again
Hot Key Books, 2024, 160pp,
£9.99, 9781471413322
Identity. Poetry. Teen Life
POETRY
We Have Everything We Need to Start Again is a
poetry collection by best-selling South African
poet Koleka Putuma. The book is divided into
three parts: ‘We Are Learning New Names’, ‘If Not
Today …’, and ‘…Then Tomorrow’. The poems in
this collection are powerful and raw, personal
and compassionate. Putuma examines themes
such as identify, conformity, censorship, climate
change, love, family, and mental health. By using
text abbreviations and social media references,
these poems speak to young people in a language
that they can relate to. The poem ‘Google’ frames
challenging questions in a search engine format,
with answers that are both simple and profound.
The line illustrations by Adriana Bellet are dynamic
and integrated with the text. The poems are
empowering and affirming, encouraging the reader
to explore and question the world and their own
identify. Suitable for readers from 13 years.
Katrina Reilly
Murphy, Cynthia
Signed, Sealed, Dead
Scholastic, 2024, 346pp,
£8.99, 9780702318528
Murder Mystery. Change.
Relationships
What a journey this book is!
Arriving in the USA from England, adjusting to a
new home, new friends and a murder mystery.
Age 14 years and over will be engrossed from page
one; younger readers might find some scenes
uncomfortable, but I know some Year 7s that would
be excited to get their hand and eyes on this book.
There are intelligently interwoven timelines with
sensitivity to the small-town hysteria that some still
experience. This book is as good as what you now
expect from this author. Your students will want a
pen and paper to keep track of all the clues, codes
and twists to try to work out the mystery, second
guessing as they read. They won’t need or want a
bookmark, though, as this is one suspense-filled
story you can’t put down. This reader, and your
students, will be left begging for a sequel.
Lisa Daisy
Salisbury, Melinda
Echostar Is Always
Listening
Barrington Stoke, 2024, 128pp,
£7.99, 9781800902701
Internet. Technology. Thriller
A salutary tale of the concerns
arising about teens’ unthinking use of the internet.
Ruby and her best friend Deva have gained places
at a prestigious performing arts summer camp,
but it is reliant on their school grades improving.
Deva’s grades suddenly start to improve and Ruby
cannot understand how. Deva is using an app called
EchoStar, but all is not what is seems. EchoStar is
always watching and listening to everything app
users are doing, and behind the App is an unsavoury
character using the power the app provides. This
story provides a way to raise awareness and discuss
some of the concerns around young people’s
internet use. It would be a useful tool in the pastoral
curriculum for key stage 3. A short story, written
with accessibility in mind, it would provide a good
starting point for discussion.
Michelle Armstrong-Harris
62 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 13 – 16
Schu, John
Louder Than Hunger
Walker, 2024, 528pp, £9.99,
9781529514568
Mental Health. Eating Disorder.
Verse Novel
This powerful verse novel tells
the story of Jake, a 13-year-old boy who feels
isolated at school and home. Constantly bullied
and obsessed with his body image, Jake develops
an eating disorder and a controlling voice in his
head. His only connection to happiness is his
special bond with his grandma through musicals.
Due to concerns about his weight, Jake is taken to
Whispering Pines, a medical recovery centre. Under
the care of Dr Parker and the staff, Jake embarks
on an emotional journey to confront his loneliness
and eating disorder. The reader experiences
Jake’s emotions and thoughts through the poetic
language of this book. This thought-provoking book
addresses the mental health issues young teens
face when dealing with an eating disorder. Inspired
by the author’s own experience with an eating
disorder, it is a highly impactful read.
Gareth Evans
Valentine, Jenny
Us in the Before
and After
Simon & Schuster, 2024, 256pp,
£8.99, 9781471196584
Friendship. Grief. Family
This is a sad but beautiful read,
centred around the enduring friendship between
two teenage girls and taking in themes such as
family and first love. We know from the beginning
that something terrible has happened to forever
alter the friendship between Elk and Mab, but it
takes some time for this mystery to be unravelled,
culminating in a reveal which took me completely
by surprise. Elk and Mab are both very believably
written teenagers, and their friendship and its ups
and downs will be recognisable to readers of all
ages. This is suitable for teenage readers; there is no
explicit material, and the writing is very sensitively
done, but the main themes of the book are
emotionally heavy and there are some references
to underage drinking. Be aware that this book may
also be triggering to readers who have experienced
family bereavement.
Beth Gilchrist
Welliver, Melissa
Soulmates and Other
Ways to Die
Chicken House, 2024, 384pp,
£8.99, 9781915947130
Fate. Love. Adventure
Do we have all have a single
soulmate? Is there one person out there who we are
destined to be with? The lives of Zoe and Milo are
bound together by the KinTwin mutation, which has
arrived, pandemic-like, creating chaos and danger
in people’s lives. The KinTwin bond means that each
partner in a designated couple feels the other’s pain
and suffers the same fate; death can occur with no
warning. Zoe is unwilling to submit to fate without
a fight and, together with Milo and friends, tries
to find a way to cure the world of this hazardous
mutation. With accessible language and structure,
this story may well appeal to younger teenagers
who want a light read, and who are familiar with the
language of social media.
Alex Mallin-Jones
Westcott, Rebecca
Like a Girl
Scholastic, 2024, 368pp, £8.99,
9780702318467
Bullying. Family. Sport
We can’t have too many novels
warning teenagers of the horror
of cyber bullying. A teacher herself, Rebecca
Westcott has talked to many young people in
researching this novel. Eden, who narrates, is
a loner not least because of something which
happened in primary school. She is also a talented
runner. Now in Year 9 she is targeted online and
face-to-face by three girls she calls ‘The Glossies’
and what ensues is terrifying because there’s an
online group in which everyone is anonymous and
rumours and malice spread instantly. The novel
ends positively rather than in suicide because
Eden eventually summons previously hidden
strength, but Westcott makes the adult reader,
at least, very aware of how easily this could have
gone a different way. The relationship between
Eden and her hard-pressed (single) very wellmeaning
mother is nicely done too. I wasn’t totally
convinced by the maturity of Eden’s voice – very
few Year 9 girls are as articulate as this. Nonetheless
it’s a novel every early teen should read.
Susan J. Elkin
Williams, Laura Jane
Taylor Blake Is
a Legend
Bloomsbury, 2024, 352pp,
£7.99, 9781526668059
Friendship. Relationships. Family
This book is the first in a projected
series featuring Year 9 student Taylor Blake. Taylor
is desperate for her first kiss and sees the upcoming
French exchange visitors as the perfect way to make
this happen. However, other candidates complicate
her plans, and she has to take care not to neglect
her friendships along the way. It seems that the
author was aiming this book at a teenage audience;
however, this book felt more geared towards years
7 and 8 and would likely be regarded as too young
by older readers. Despite the characters talking
about feminism in a positive light, certain lines did
detract from this overall message, such as the main
character encouraging her teacher to ‘mark [his]
territory’ in regards to a female teacher. However,
the LGBTQ+ representation was positive, with
both same-sex relationships and trans characters
featuring. Taylor’s slightly unconventional family
set-up is also an interesting inclusion; not many YA
books feature this so matter-of-factly.
Beth Gilchrist
Wishart, Sarah
Four Good Liars
Harper Collins, 2023, 512pp,
£8.99, 9780008641955
Crime. Mystery. Thriller
This is a great YA read and a
worthy successor to Holly
Jackson and the Karen McManus books. There
has been a tendency to feel as if you are reading
the same book with different names recently in
YA mystery fiction, but this had me guessing until
the very end. The plot was nicely twisty and every
time I thought I could predict what was coming, a
new twist put me off balance again. This made for
a hugely enjoyable, fast-paced and easy-to-read
thriller with a good mix of character types all playing
(but somehow twisting) stereotypes in true YA
mystery style. The premise is four teenagers – from
the same school but not close friends – are involved
in a horrific bus crash that leaves them holding £1
million in cash. What do they do? What would you
do? How clever do you think your plans would be?
Are they clever enough? What we would do with a
million pounds is a question that is often asked; the
reality is far more terrifying and heart pounding for
these four teenagers. Taglines often ask ‘Who will
get out alive?’; this time, they mean it.
Marianne De Giovanni
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 63

Books: 13 – 16 | Information
Dunleavy, Elisabeth
No Way Home
Indep Pub, 2023, 267pp,
£12.99, 9781739502423
History. WWII. Diary
Diary and letter extracts from
two young girls living in war torn
Germany from 1944 onwards are the basis for this
informative and heart-wrenching book. It tells
the story of how the sisters were separated and
the experiences they had. Christa Maria begins
compulsory service at a work camp in 1944, and
when the Russian army invades and occupies her
home town, she is cut off from her family and
eventually finds herself a refugee looking to reunite
with her loved ones. Her older sister Ursula, living
with her parents in their Russian-occupied home
town, experiences terror, devastation, and all else
that war brings with it. This true story, based on
the letters and diary entries of the girls, illustrates
the real-life trauma for ordinary families during
WWII. This book would be a valuable addition
to history lessons for older teens providing
opportunities to glean information from sources
written at the time of the war.
Michelle Armstrong-Harris
Goodin, Tanya
Illustrated by
Rae Goddard
The Teenage Guide
to Digital Wellbeing
Collins, 2024, 192, £12.99,
9780008659981
Social Media. Screen Time. Wellness
This book, part wellness guide part interactive
workbook, aims ‘to help you work out how to make
sure that all your online activities keep you happy
and healthy’. The twelve sections cover topics such
as self-esteem, spotting fake news, the importance
of sleep, and reconnecting with nature. Space is
provided in each section for checklists and recording
positive happenings in a logbook. Strategies include
replacing FOMO with JOMO (joy of missing out)
and ‘sharing all you’ve learned [from this book]’
with your grandparents. The many acronyms, such
as SIFT (stop, investigate, find, trace), BREATHE
(balance, reflect, engage, appreciate, time, healthy
habits, evaluate), PEACE, THRIVE, etc., reminded
me of a certain type of PowerPoint presentation.
It’s also quite text-heavy, although line drawings
break up the layout. Ironically, this might put off the
target audience, who may instead turn to apps such
as Finch. However, it would be useful for PSHCE
teachers or pastoral tutors to lead secondary-age
students in a digital detox activity.
Anna Quick
Hodge, Susie
Elements of Art
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books,
2024, 192pp, £15.99,
9780711286658
Art. History. Paintings
The author explains ten
elements (colour, scale, content, etc., plus location,
time, and artist) in 50 clear, concisely written
pages with 17 well-printed images. This book
draws readers into the physics of colour and its
perception, the advent of stable, portable paints,
and concepts such as cubism: ‘…the portrayal of
objects and figures from multiple viewpoints at
once, questioning the representation of three
dimensionality on flat surfaces’. In 125 pages,
the rest of the book describes 30 major artworks
(with full-page images) in chronological order, in
terms of these elements. The selection is global.
Readers other than art historians will recognise
some but not all, and will be as intrigued by works
hitherto unknown to them as by finding out more
about their old favourites. Supported by a timeline,
glossary, and index of 160+ artists (listing the works
mentioned). An invaluable reference and history of
art crib for teens and adults, this lovely medium-size
softcover will force readers to go see these works.
Dr Henrietta Jane Price
Jeffs, Amy
Storyland
Wren & Rook, 2023, 192pp,
£14.99, 9781526366177
History. Mythology. Britain
Storyland allows its reader to
step into the mythical realms of
the British Isles. It takes them from foundation
stories, teeming with giants, Trojans and Egyptian
princesses, to 1066 and the victory of William the
Conqueror. Each myth is dealt with separately, so
the book is split into bite-sized chapters, easy to
read in under ten minutes. These chapters all end
with a discussion of the historical context of the
myth, giving an explanation for their importance
to the people who created them. As a result,
Storyland is a perfect book for children in key stage
3 who have an interest in mythology or history.
It might also be useful for classes learning about
propaganda or superstition in history or politics
lessons, or short stories in English lessons.
Matt Cowie
Kurlansky, Mark
Illustrated by Eric Zelz
Big Lies
Tilbury House, 2023, 320pp,
£12.99, 9780884489139
Ethics. Truth. Media
EDITOR'S PICK
Propoganda, misinformation,
half-truths, rumour, fake news – has there ever
been a time when it’s more important to filter it
all from the truth? Big public lies are thrown at
us constantly, from the link between autism and
measles to doctored photographs emanating from
war zones and the outlandish pronouncements
of Donald Trump. Mark Kurlansky’s excellent
accessible but admirably uncompromising book
debunks hundreds of lies while also examining how
lying works. Science and religion, he suggests, seek
answers to the same questions. The difference is
that science uses evidence. Nonetheless, accept
nothing at face value. Who conducted the research,
who funded it and how big was the sample? Posing
a hypothesis is completely different from setting out
to prove an idea in a biased way. Because Kurlansky
is American, so are many of his examples, but that
doesn’t matter. Every teenager should read this
book and be encouraged to think very carefully
about the issues it raises. For that matter, so should
every adult – I learned a huge amount.
Susan J. Elkin
Martynoga, Ben
Illustrated by
Moose Allain
Rewild: Can Nature
Heal Our World?
Series: Explodapedia.
David Fickling Books, 2024,
176pp, £7.99, 9781788452779
Environment. Science. Ecosystems
Rewilding is the restoration of the ecology aimed
at increasing biodiversity and reducing human
influence on ecosystems; it gives nature the space
it needs to flourish, improving the lives of people
and the climate. Rewild: Can Nature Heal Our
World? is the latest book in the Explodapedia series
which aims to take key science concepts and make
them accessible. Written in an amusing style by
neuroscientist and science writer Dr Ben Martynoga,
it is interesting and entertaining, full of facts, and
interspersed with black-and-white illustrations,
diagrams, and speech bubbles that add to the text.
The book is narrative non-fiction that explores the
complexities and rules of ecosystems and food
chains and includes tales of successful rewilding
projects such as the introduction of wolves in
Yellowstone National Park and the positive impact
this has had. There is also an extensive glossary and
index. Perfect for key stage 3 and the school library.
Barbara Band
64 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 17 – 19
Astley, Neil &
Robertson-Pearce,
Pamela
Soul Feast
Bloodaxe Books, 2024, 160pp,
£12.00, 9781780377063
Inspiration. Hope. Affirmation
POETRY
This collection, subtitled ‘nourishing poems of
hope and light’, follows the highly successful Soul
Food and is a collection of over a hundred short
poems grouped into five sections celebrating
positivity, inclusivity and inspiration, providing
antidotes to misery and despair. The range of poetry
is remarkable, taken from all over the world, drawn
from all belief systems and philosophies. Julie
O-Driscoll’s bold ‘God is dead to the world, but he
still keeps up appearances’ is followed by prayers
from Italian and Indian poets, while Danusha
Lameris celebrates her discovery of the term ‘Insha’
Allah’ and Edward Hirsch declares ‘I Was Never Able
to Pray’. All our deepest anxieties – change, death,
ageing, loneliness, the future – are countered
by affirmation, as in Muriel Rukeyser’s glorious
‘Yes’. But this is no anodyne ‘thought for the day’
compilation; it is serious poetry which rewards close
study, while also helping to ‘sustain our search for
meaning in times of spiritual starvation’. Excellent for
discussion in a study group.
Frank Startup
Baptiste, Bethany
The Poisons We Drink
Sourcebooks Fire, 2024, 496pp,
£14.99, 9781728251950
Race. Rebellion. Family Ties
Dedicated ‘to all my haters’,
carrying a ‘Content Warning’
cautioning against a wide range of negatives in
the book – ‘police brutality’, ‘dying and death’,
‘palm slitting’ – this novel will not be of universal
appeal. Its gloomy presentation, featuring dark
and menacing clouds, the sense of evil which is
pervasive, will, however, attract those interested in
witchcraft. The story is set in an imaginary country
whose population is divided between witches and
humans; the heroine, Venus, a Black 18-year-old,
is a witch. Venus earns her living by brewing love
potions to counteract hate and prejudice. When
her mother is shot dead, Venus finds herself
responsible for keeping safe her younger sister,
Janus. A lengthy read, this novel references politics
and rebellion, and brings together an amazing
cast of Black and LGBTQ+ characters. It is the work
of a committed writer who campaigns for Black
sisterhood and for Black people in general who
on a daily basis face the challenge of living in a
country that ‘doesn’t love them’.
Elizabeth Frew Finlayson
Comerford, Helen
The Love Interest
Bloomsbury, 2024, 384pp,
£8.99, 9781526667588
Superheroes. Mental Health.
Media Propaganda
This book turns the usual ideas
of superheroes on their head, addressing similar
themes to The Boys but in a suitably YA way.
There’s not even what you could call swearing
until near the end when the action really hots up.
It’s a story encompassing media hype, controlled
narratives, misogyny, empowerment, mental
health, the environment, and friendship. Jenna Ray
is a talented swimmer whose mother apparently
abandoned her family ten years ago. Jenna finds
herself unwillingly thrust into the public eye when
she’s rescued from a disaster by the new superhero
in town, and her attempts to distance herself from
the fate being forced upon her lead her to some
life- and world-changing discoveries. At the end
we’re promised more Jenna Ray to come ... Mother
Earth, I can't wait!
Julie Baugh
De Lauriers, Eva
I Wish You Would
Hot Key Books, 2024, 352pp,
£8.99, 9781471414541
Friends-to-Lovers.
Summer Romance.
Coming of Age
Natalia and Ethan have been best friends all their
lives. On junior prom night they cross the line into
something more but then regret it and avoid each
other for the rest of the summer. ‘Senior Sunrise’,
an overnight camping trip at the beach, is the first
event of their senior year and they can’t hide from
each other any longer. But when a senior tradition
goes wrong, their secrets are set loose and they
have to finally be honest about their feelings. This
story is written from the POV of both Natalia and
Ethan, and it is lovely to have an insight into both of
their thoughts and feelings and the way they have
misunderstood each other. It is well written and full
of authentic emotion and fleshed-out characters.
I really enjoyed this dreamy, friend-to-lovers YA
romance, and it is perfect for fans of Jenny Han.
(There are discussions about sex and losing your
virginity, but nothing graphic.)
Rebecca Rouillard
Dharker, Imtiaz
Shadow Reader
Bloodaxe Books, 2024, 160pp,
£12.99, 9781780377094
Erasures. Exclusions. Sanctuary
POETRY
This collection opens with a
prediction of death and ends in a
triumphant repudiation of it, with the ‘Shadow
Reader’ stalking the pages in between. Images of
loom and weaver suggest the intricate relationship
between the themes and ideas which permeate the
book as ‘the weaver tells the spell’. We move from
colonial India to the top of Primrose Hill, Smithfield
Market to a drone over Delhi. There is a haunting
sequence of ‘Night Walks’ prefaced by a description
of those who ‘are coming out of the crevices …
hauling their young behind them, because they
heard you say it would be free and fair and they
believed you’. We join the marginalised, those
who suffer the ‘slights, the casual put-downs, the
sideways swipes’, the abuse which happens while
‘the people in the carriage try not to look at each
other’. Cranes and angels fly, violence explodes, all
culminating in the beautifully inclusive ‘You Are’:
‘when you open the book, it opens you’.
Frank Startup
Donovan, Katie
May Swim
Bloodaxe Books, 2024,
96pp, £12.00, 9781780376868
Death. Grief. Illness
POETRY
Katie Donovan is a brilliant poet,
showcasing a range of techniques
in this book. Nature plays a key role in many of the
poems, as does death, illness, and grief. The poems
highlight many truths of humanity and life that we
may not wish to acknowledge, and some pack an
emotional punch. It touches on tragedies both
personal and public. I definitely recommend it for
teen and adult readers.
Natalie McQuillan
66 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 17 – 19
Careers
Editor's Picks
Bartlett, Steven
The Diary of a CEO
Ebury Edge, 2023, 368pp, £20.00,
9781529146509
Business. Entrepreneur. Psychology
A set of principles to live your life
by, based on science and his own
entrepreneurial journey.
Carter, Emily
Career Planning
for Teens
Skillset Symphony Press, 2023,
158pp, £13.99, 9789529480845
Careers. Planning. Work
A guide to making choices which
suit individuals and the support
available to help young people.
Grant, Adam
Hidden Potential
WH Allen, 2023, 304pp, £25.00,
9780753560044
Aspirations. Improvement. Learning
A framework for raising
expectations, stressing the
importance of learning over
working hard.
Lees, John
How to Get a Job
You Love
Pearson, 2023, 264pp, £14.99,
9781292463308
Balance. Careers. Work
Inspiration and practical guidance
to guide readers into practical
action aimed at career satisfaction.
Meadows, Richard
The Essential Career
Planning Handbook
for Teens
Richard Meadows, 2023, £13.99,
252pp, 9781088185711
Careers. Planning. Work
A guide for teens to plan for, pursue,
and thrive in their future professions
by asking themselves what they
really want.
Peterson, Sam
Financial Success
for Teens
Independent, 2023, 168pp, £12.99,
9798388177513
Budgeting. Management. Planning
A comprehensive resource
for young adults that lays the
foundation for early financial
success with practical steps.
Wize, Jordan
Essential Life Skills
for Teens
Independent, 2023, 182pp,
£11.99, 9798865829591
Empowerment. Opportunities. Skills
A guide to empower teens with the
knowledge and strategies they need
to navigate the complexities of
teenage life with confidence.
Careers 2024
Trotman & Co, 2023, £48.00,
640pp, 9781912943975
Careers. Jobs. Reference
A comprehensive guide – with a
very wide range of jobs featured
and their expected salaries and the
qualifications required.
Fenne, David
Overthinking
Ink Road, 2024, 256pp, £8.99,
9781785304743
Superheroes. University. Change
Freya, Steven, and his boyfriend
Troy start university in London,
but quickly the events from the previous book
catch up with them and they are sucked into
covert operations again. I loved the atmosphere
and experience of the first few weeks in university
accommodation, which Fenne captures really well.
Each character experiences the different ways that
flat shares can succeed or fail and the worries of
old and new relationships settling down in the new
situation. For the galloping superpowers plot, think
Marvel: Agents of Shield, X-Men or The Incredibles,
which feels slightly dated but is well handled. The
three voices recounting the different chapters, plus
the extracts from the diary of arch-enemy Dent,
Director Fareborn’s log, and the occasional Agent’s
testimony, create a hugely complex series of
timelines and a breathless pace. I would aim this at
Year 10 and above, but commit to buying the whole
series as it doesn’t stand alone.
Rachel Nelson
Finch, Louise
Iris Green, Unseen
Scholastic, 2024, 400pp,
£8.99, 9780702331084
Betrayal. Friendship. Trust
Iris has little confidence in
herself and thinks she doesn’t
deserve the wonderful boyfriend she has. In
reality, it’s the other way around as she discovers
he is manipulative, cheating on her with one
of her closest friends. She feels invisible, then
literally becomes invisible. Anxiety and self-doubt
experienced by many other young people. Her
friendships fracture and she wonders what is
true and what are lies. Iris is, however, a talented
photographer, and after a lot of false starts is
encouraged enough by a new friend to enter a
competition to showcase her work. Looking at
others through a viewfinder enables Iris to see
people in a different way, but she must first see
herself through a new lens and uncover the selfconfidence
she needs to remain visible. Friendship,
betrayal, and trust are interwoven in a complicated
character analysis.
Dawn Woods
Goldsmith, Amy
Those We Drown
Ink Road, 2024, 406pp,
£8.99, 9781785305917
Mythology. Horror. Cruise
This is a thrilling and fast-paced
book set aboard the Eos, a luxury
cruise liner heading across the Atlantic to New
York. Liv feels like a fish out of water onboard this
luxurious liner, especially amongst the rich crew
mates of the SeaMester group or the beautiful
influencers nicknamed ‘the Sirens’. I enjoyed the
mythology references used throughout the book
which acted as foreshadowing of the plot. When
Liv’s best friend goes missing on the first night,
she becomes suspicious of everyone, and we are
treated to some genuinely unsettling and eerie
scenes as she tries to find the answers. The ending
could perhaps have been a bit more satisfying,
but it is a thrill of a ride to get there, with heartstopping
scenes around every corner of the ship.
With classic Greek mythology references, a creepy
and claustrophobic atmosphere, and a strong
female lead, this is a must-buy for a secondary
school library. Perfect for fans of classic point
horror with a twist.
Gemma Wright
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 67

Books: 17 – 19
Greenlaw, Rachel
Compass and Blade
Harper Collins Children’s Books,
2024, 384pp, £14.99,
9780008664732
Magic. Betrayal. Fantasy
A page-turning fantasy story, with
an 18-year-old female protagonist, Mira, betrayal,
magic, survival, shipwrecks, pillaging, and romance.
Mira knows that she’s different and that she comes
alive in the sea unlike anyone else on the island,
and when her father is captured by the watch, she
goes on a journey to rescue him, learning more
about herself and her mother’s secrets than she ever
expects. There is romance in the story, which leads
to a scene where the characters are intimate, but it
is tastefully written for older teens but does mean
that whilst the main plot may appeal to younger
teen readers, in a school library it belongs in the
YA section. This is the first book in a new fantasy
trilogy from Rachel Greenlaw and it will appeal to
fans of This Poison Heart, The Hunger Games and
The Folk of the Air series.
Jess Young
Guron, Ravena
Catch Your Death
Usborne, 2023, 384pp, £8.99,
9781803705422
Murder Mystery. Locked Room.
Twists
EDITOR'S PICK
Our students are always on the
lookout for their next murder mystery, so I was
very happy to see Ravena Guron had a new book
out. Catch Your Death is a classic locked room
mystery, with the inhabitants of the grand Bramble
Estate cut off by a snowstorm. When wealthy
Emily Vanforte is poisoned during an important
family dinner, it can only be one of her nearest and
dearest who murdered her. But who? As Devi, our
straight-talking heroine, who much to her dismay
has ended up stranded at the Bramble Estate, begins
to investigate, it quickly becomes clear that they
all had a possible motive. Complete with secret
passageways and knives stashed under floorboards
this is great, twisty fun.
Laura Tapsfield
Hussain, A.S.
Desi Girl Speaking
Hot Key Books, 2024, 352pp,
£8.99, 9781471413490
Mental Health. Self-Harm.
Representation
Tweety is a sociable, focused
16-year-old, determined to be principal dancer for
the upcoming Pohela Boishakh festival. However,
something has changed within her recently, and she
is struggling. Desi Girl Speaking follows Tweety as
she gradually sinks into depression, unable to speak
to anyone. Tweety believes that her South Asian/
Desi community does not believe in depression,
and that she is alone. Then she finds a podcast by
a girl who has been through similar experiences,
and an online friendship develops. I love the use of
emails, podcasts and messages, giving us glimpses
into Tweety’s life. It’s an important story for anyone
struggling with their mental health, especially if they
feel they would be judged or dismissed if they spoke
out. It’s also a great read for teenagers to better
understand how others may be feeling, and how
they can support them. Best aimed at 14+, as there
are discussions of self-harm and suicide attempts,
but ultimately the story is both realistic and hopeful.
Heather Grainger
68 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: 17 – 19
Ifueko, Jordan
The Maid and
the Crocodile
Hot Key Books, 2024, 368pp,
£8.99, 9781471413698
Romance. Fantasy. Magic
When Small Sade has to leave
the orphanage, she’s worried she won’t find a
job as a maid due to her unique appearance and
unlucky foot. Yet it would seem that fate has bigger
plans for Sade. She unwittingly bonds herself to the
Crocodile, a god who is supposed to eat girls. Both
hiding secrets, they are drawn together; Crocodile
knows their fates are bound together, yet Sade
fights back and uses her secret, as a curse eater, to
try and improve people’s lives. This is a wonderful
novel, full of engaging characters. It also touches
on topics, that while told in a fantasy world, are very
relevant to society today, in particular domestic
violence and child labour. It’s an allegory for the
world we live in today, inspiring readers to find their
voice like Sade and use it for the good of others as
well as ourselves. Perfect for key stage 4 readers.
Nicola Bowie
Nathan, L.M.
The Virtue Season
Scholastic, 2024, 336pp,
£8.99, 9780702330926
Dystopian. Feminism.
Totalitarianism
In a post-apocalyptic world, all
18-year-olds participate in a ‘virtue season’ where
they are matched up to create genetic diversity and
ensure the survival of future generations. Those
who are ‘flawed’ in some way are excluded and
sterilised to prevent tainting the gene pool. The
story is told from the perspective of two characters:
Manon, who fears being matched with someone
she doesn’t love and becoming bitter and depressed
like her mother, and Agatha who has epilepsy and
will not be allowed to marry the boy she loves.
The press release pitches this book as ‘dystopian
Bridgerton’, which is an enticing hook, and I was
imagining something similar to The Selection, but it
is nothing like that. A more appropriate pitch would
be: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale, but less cheerful’. On the
positive side, this book is beautifully written – the
prose is lyrical and atmospheric. A good book
for discussion, but I’m not sure it will have mass
popular appeal.
Rebecca Rouillard
Iqbal, Anam
The Exes
Penguin, 2024, 336pp,
£8.99, 9780241662847
Relationships. Family. Conflict
This novel contains references
to abortion, bereavement, and
domestic violence. In a narrative voiced by two
characters and interspersed with extracts from an
anonymous gossip blog, a relationship between
two characters from contrasting worlds unfolds.
Seventeen-year-old Zara attends the local state
school and comes from a traditional Muslim family.
Karim’s family is indecently rich, and he is a member
of the Exes, a group of renowned influencers. The
two become an unlikely couple, each offering
the other something absent from their lives; Zara
represents the honesty and normality Karim feels
his life lacks, while her relationship with Karim
allows Zara to experience freedoms she is denied.
However, when news of their relationship goes
viral, Zara’s family disown her. Meanwhile, the
anonymous blogger begins to blackmail Karim and
his fellow influencers, threatening to post secrets
which will undermine their brand. Resolving these
problems becomes the focus of the narrative; Zara
has to find a way to combine her love for her family
with her need for independence, while Karim has to
reevaluate some of his priorities.
Sandra Bennett
Shusterman, Neal
Illustrated by
Andres Vera Martinez
Courage to Dream
Scholastic, 2023, 256pp,
£16.99, 9780545313483
Graphic Novel. Holocaust.
Jewish Folklore
Neal Schusterman says in the introduction to
Courage to Dream, ‘This book is about impossible
and wondrous things that never happened, set
against a backdrop of impossible, unthinkable
things that did’ and I can’t better those words as a
description of this dark yet hopeful graphic novel
set during the Holocaust. There are several stories
included that lean heavily on Jewish folklore, and in
between each story there are context pages of facts
about the events of WWII. I found it an upsetting
read yes, but also an important and interesting
one; the stories carry you with them until their
sometimes sad, sometimes optimistic ends. Andrés
Vera Martinez’s illustrations are very evocative, and
the muted colour palette used suits the setting
really well. Personally, I wouldn’t advise any student
below Year 7 to read this and they would have to be
prepared to see some disturbing images, but I’d give
this graphic novel my highest rating if asked – it is a
brilliant, albeit definitely sobering, read.
Bev Humphrey
Kuper, Peter
Ruins
SelfMadeHero, 2024, 328pp,
£17.99, 9781914224188
Travel. Natural History.
There isn’t much in the way of
age guidance for this one, but I
believe it has been written for adults, hence the
suggestions that it will be enjoyed by older teens.
A marriage in crisis is set against a backdrop of
Mexican culture, impending ecological disaster
and political unrest. Ruins tells the story of newly
unemployed George, who finally agrees to journey
to Mexico on the dream trip his wife Samantha
has been yearning for since before they even met.
The marriage is crumbling from the inside, and as
Samantha gets drawn deeper into her writing and
George distracts himself with his love of insects, the
friction between the couple only intensifies. The
flight of a lone Monarch butterfly ties the entire text
together, with each chapter following its annual
migration from Canada to Mexico. The limited colour
palette of these panels highlights the warmth of the
Monarch against dreary blue-grey backgrounds and
sits in stark contrast to the riotous colours of the
richly vibrant Oaxaca scenes. Utterly compelling and
incredibly clever, Ruins is a nuanced exploration of
decay and rebirth that will delight older teen readers.
Alison King
Stepanova, Maria
Illustrated by
Sasha Dugdale
Holy Winter 20/21
Bloodaxe Books, 2024,
64pp, £12.00, 9781780376950
Exile. Isolation. Inspiration
POETRY
A complex, highly allusive book-length poem
referencing a variety of authors from Greek
mythology to nineteenth-century Russia, Dante
to Baron Munchausen. Written following a period
of return from Cambridge to Russia, where the
suppression of freedoms had already taken its
toll, it records, after ‘months in a state of torpor’,
her re-awakening, written in ‘a frenzy of poetic
inspiration’. The imagery is of ice, exile, isolation,
displacement, but also of new life and rediscovery.
The first section begins with ‘winter towering in
the yards’, ‘time for hibernation’, the second with
‘a stirring … steam on water, self on self’. There
are multiple perspectives throughout: those who
‘instead of coming out of the closet … crowd inside
it and find themselves somewhere else’, a girl who,
hearing what is said about her, declares, ‘I see in
myself almost nothing of what they ascribe to me’.
It is a work that sets the reader’s head spinning but
should be read in sequence to the final summative
calligram. Richly rewarding.
Frank Startup
TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024 69

Books: Professional
Cox, Bob, Crawford, Leah
& Jenkins, Andrea
Opening Doors to
Ambitious Primary
English
Crown House, 2023, 160pp,
£18.99, 9781785836671
Attainment. Education. Reading
This accessible book presents overarching
principles designed to offer strategies to support
a creative English curriculum in primary schools.
There is also much of relevance for secondary
teachers and library staff. It has been written by
experts who have used these tried and tested
methods to develop pupils’ speaking, listening,
reading, writing, and thinking – offering a practical
toolkit for busy staff. Backed up by research, it
demonstrates examples of how developing reading
will improve all areas of the school’s curriculum.
Very inclusive, it covers fiction, poetry, and
information titles using principles to apply to any
book and is an enjoyable read, thus making it easy
to apply to real life.
Dawn Woods
Jennings, Andrew
SATs Like a Ninja
Bloomsbury, 2024, 112pp,
£4.99, 9781801992015
SATS. Learning. Assessments
This book will be a lifeline for any young person
facing their Year 6 SATs but also for an older student
who wants to fill any vital gaps of learning. It is
written by a Year 6 teacher and is reasonably priced,
full of sticky knowledge; a handy size, I can see
it being a handy companion for any student. It
provides and helps with tricky concepts and fail-safe
strategies for English and maths, covering subjects
such as prefixes and suffixes, short division, and
adding fractions. The title and illustrations give the
whole book a motivating and fun style. The learning
is broken down into simple steps and makes
everything feel a lot less daunting. It’s a reference
book which can be returned to time and time again
but also a workbook with lots of examples and
answers. SATs like a Ninja is part of a series, so it may
well be worth looking at the other titles: Reading
Like a Ninja; Write Like a Ninja and Spell Like a Ninja.
Becky Taylor
Lindgren, Simon
Critical Theory of AI
Polity Press, 2024, 224, £15.99,
9781509555772
AI. CPD. Education
This book is not about AI per se;
it is an informative introduction
into the broader background of the origins of AI,
and for that reason alone I would recommend
every library have a copy. AI, by its very nature,
challenges our current society, culture, and power
structures. Simon Lindgren does not disappoint in
his approach to disseminating understanding of AI,
in particular its origins. AI is humans, it is created by
humans, and has limitations and flaws particularly
in relation to being incapable of analysis. A brilliant
guide for anyone wanting to understand AI not
as a technology but as an assemblage involving
humans, computers, scientific practice, big business
and driving forces. Curated insightfully to take
you on a clearly defined discussion of AI from the
overarching perspective of critical theory, with
research-based evidence throughout, Critical
Theory of AI is an essential and highly accessible
text for humanities, social sciences and STEM. For
staff and students age 16+ alike.
George Thomas
70 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024

Books: Review Index
Page numbers in italics indicate a book that features
in the Editor’s Picks highlight box on that page.
A
Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah & Jaigirdar, Adiba – Four Eids and a Funeral 58
Addison, Amanda – Looking for Lucie 58
Allen, Tom – The Life of Riley - Unbreakable 42
Andre, Peter – Super School Kids and the Baby Alien Rescue 33
Arbuthnott, Gill – From Cells to Ourselves 52
Astley, Neil & Robertson-Pearce, Pamela – Soul Feast 66
B
Balding, Clare – Animal All-Stars 52
Balen, Katya – Ghostlines 42
Baptiste, Bethany – The Poisons We Drink 66
Barker, Brooke – How do Meerkats Order Pizza? 52
Bartlett, Steven – The Diary of a CEO 67
Bates, Laura – Sisters of Sword and Shadow 59
Beevor, Lucy – Amazing Women: 101 Lives to Inspire You 59
Ben-Barak, Idan – Your Brain Is a Lump of Goo 32
Big Ideas from Literature 57
Bilan, Jasbinder – Nush and the Stolen Emerald 42
Birkett, Georgie – Snack Please! 32
Boersen, Lisa & Elbaamrani, Hasna – Esma Farouk, Lost in the Souk 32
Bond, Ash – Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm 42
Breach, Jennifer – Solstice 52
Brooks, Felicity – All You Need to Know About Going to School 33
Brown, Alison – Amazing Brother / Amazing Sister 32
Brown, Ian – The Surprise 32
Byrne, Tanya – In the Shallows 58
C
Campbell, Jamel C – Olu’s Teacher 33
Campbell, James – Don't Panic! We CAN Save the Planet! 43
Careers 2024 67
Carter, Emily – Career Planning for Teens 67
Carter, James – Once Upon a Big Idea 32
Carter, James – Watch Them Grow! 33
Casey, Dawn – My Friend Tree 33
Cawthorne, Catherine – Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales 33
Chakrabarti, Nina – Hello Bugs 52
Chisholm, Alastair – I Am Wolf 42
Cobb, Rebecca – A Wild Walk to School 33
Cole, Steve – Drowning in My Bedroom 42
Comerford, Helen – The Love Interest 66
Cox, Bob, Crawford, Leah & Jenkins, Andrea –
Opening Doors to Ambitious Primary English 70
Cowley, Joy – Good Night, Good Beach 34
Crosby, Polly – This Tale Is Forbidden 59
Cummings, Phil – Footprint 34
D
Daniels, Patricia – How to Teach Grown-Ups About Climate Change 43
Daniels, Patricia – How to Teach Grown-Ups About Climate Change 52
Davidson, Rose – Science FACTopia! 53
De Goldi, Kate – Eddy Eddy 58
De Lauriers, Eva – I Wish You Would 66
de Moraes, Thiago – Discovery Atlas 53
Dharker, Imtiaz – Shadow Reader 66
Dicker, Katie – Climate Change 43
Dockrill, Laura – Grey 34
Dodd, Emily – Planet Earth 53
Dodd, Emily – Space 53
Donnelly, Paddy – The Golden Hare 35
Donovan, Katie – May Swim 66
Dougherty, John – Zooming the Zoo 43
Duffy, Malcolm – Seven Million Sunflowers 58
Dunleavy, Elisabeth – No Way Home 64
Dylan, Gabriel – It Came from the Woods 43
E
Edwards, Nicola – When the Stars Come Out 53
Elliott, Joseph – Nora and the Map of Mayhem 43
F
Fenne, David – Overthinking 67
Ferenchuk, Larissa – Two Rabbits 35
Feunekes, Anna Lena – Tasty Tales 35
Finch, Louise – Iris Green, Unseen 67
Find Peace in a Poem 51
Fitzgerald, Cathy – Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse 45
Fleming, Lucy – Lily the Pond Mermaid 35
Foxfield, Kathryn – Things That Go Bump 45
Funke, Cornelia – The Colour of Revenge 45
G
Gallagher, Brian & Flynn, Dermot – The Case of the
Vanishing Painting 45
Gallagher, Patrick – Transcendent 45
Gardner, Sally – The Tindims of Rubbish Island and the
Deep Sea Treasure 45
Gearing, Tessa – There’s an Alien in My Lunchbox! 33
Goldsmith, Amy – Those We Drown 67
Goodin, Tanya – The Teenage Guide to Digital Wellbeing 64
Graham, Brooke – Nova’s Missing Masterpiece 35
Grant, Adam – Hidden Potential 67
Grant, Kesha – The Amazing History of Fashion 53
Greathead, Helen – Poo, Plastic and Other Solids 43
Green, Simon James – The Big Ask 58
Gregory, Lorraine – Alien Apocalypse 46
Greta Thunberg 57
Greenlaw, Rachel – Compass and Blade 68
Guron, Ravena – Catch Your Death 68
H
Hargrave, Kiran Millwood – In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen 59
Harris, James – Help! We Need a Story 35
Harrison, Michelle – There’s a Beach in My Pants! 36
Hart, Caryl – The Safari Stomp 36
Hegarty, Shane – Dexter Lost His Boo-Woo 36
Henry-Allain, Laura – My Family, Your Family 36
Hickson-Lovelace, Ashley – Wild East 59
Hodge, Susie – Elements of Art 64
Hoena, Blake A – The Checklist Challenge Guide to Summer 54
Hopkins, Megan – Starminster 46
Horne, Maggie – Noah Frye Gets Crushed 59
Horne, Sarah – The Firefly’s Light 54
Ho-Yen, Polly – The Last Dragon 46
Hussain, A.S. – Desi Girl Speaking 68
I
Ifueko, Jordan – The Maid and the Crocodile 69
Illis, Mark – Running Away for Beginners 61
Ilustrajo, Mariajo – I Love Books 36
Iqbal, Anam – The Exes 69
J
Jacobs, Robin – All About Flags 54
James, Lauren (Editor) – Future Hopes 43
Jeffers,Oliver – What We’ll Build 36
Jeffs, Amy – Storyland 64
Jennings, Andrew – SATs Like a Ninja 70
Johnson, Glenys – Taylor Swift: The Story of a Fashion Icon 59
Joof, Emily – Halima, Superhero Princess 38
K
Keats, Sharada – These Stolen Lives 61
Kennington, Tim – Brilliant Bodies Inside and Out 54
Kent, Nicola – Measuring Me! 38
Kim, Manu – Snail 38
King, Rachel – The Grimmelings 46
Kuper, Peter – Ruins 69
Kurlansky, Mark – Big Lies 64
L
Laird, Elizabeth & Rae, Shonagh – Song of the Dolphin Boy 43
Landy, Derek – A Mind Full of Murder 61
Le, Vanessa – The Last Bloodcarver 61
Lees, John – How to Get a Job You Love 67
Leonardo da Vinci 57
Lessore, Nathanael – King of Nothing 61
Lewis, Gill – Pirates and Sea Monsters 46
Lindgren, Simon – Critical Theory of AI 70
Long, David – Ancient Maya 54
M
Mac a'Bhaird, Natasha – The Tower Ghost 46
Martineau, Susan – Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! 38
Martynoga, Ben – Rewild: Can Nature Heal Our World? 64
Maxwell, Antonia – The Guardians of the North 48
McAlister, Dr Erica – A Bug’s World 54
McGann, Erika – Puffling and the Egg 38
McGuiness, Jay – Blood Flowers 61
McKay, Hilary – Rosa by Starlight 48
Meadows, Richard – The Essential Career Planning
Handbook for Teens 67
Medina, Meg – Merci Suarez Changes Gears 62
Melville, Elena Arevalo – Elki Is Not My Dog 38
Meyer, Marissa – Instant Karma 62
Mian, Zanib – The Cookie Culprit 48
Millett, Peter – This Is the Ship That Jack Built 39
Mitchell, Tom – How to Stop the End of the World 48
Molloy, Serena – The Tree That Sang to Me 48
Montgomery, Ross – I Am Rebel 48
Moore,Gareth – Name That Thing! 39
Moriarty, Ros – Beach Song 39
Murphy, Cynthia – Signed, Sealed, Dead 62
Murray, Alison – Sharky McShark 39
N
Nathan, L.M. – The Virtue Season 69
Nicolls, Sally – Too Nice 49
Novellino, Massimo Domenica – The Secrets of Trees 55
Nuurali, Siman – Sadiq and the Newspaper Problem 33
O
Oliver, Ben – The Kill Factor 62
Onuzo, Chibundu – Mayowa and the Sea of Words 49
P
Palmer, Tom – Angel of Grasmere 49
Peckham, Hannah – The Get Well Spell 39
Peterson, Sam – Financial Success for Teens 67
Putuma, Koleka – We Have Everything We Need to Start Again 62
Q
Quek, Sam & Drakakis, Helena – Roar: A Celebration
of Great Sporting Women 59
R
Rai, Bali – Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder 49
Ralphs, Matt – Beasts from the Deep 55
Rauf, Onjali Q – The Girl at the Front of the Class 33
Rebel Girls Dads and Daughters 59
Robinson, Ian Hayward – The Most Amazing Thing 39
Robinson, Jane – Trailblazer 59
Rocco, Hayley – Wild Planet 55
Ros, Manon Steffan – Me and Aaron Ramsey 49
Rustin, Susanna – Sexed: A History of British Feminism 59
Rutter, Helen – Reggie Houser Has the Power 49
S
Salisbury, Melinda – Echostar Is Always Listening 62
Scales, Helen, & Hendry, Kate – Antarctica 43
Schu, John – Louder Than Hunger 63
Shusterman, Neal – Courage to Dream 69
Sirdeshpande, Rashmi – We’ve got this! 55
Soanes, Zeb – Peter’s Little Book of Big Words 55
Somper, Justin – New Kid on Deck 51
Song, Mika – Donut Feed the Squirrels 51
Stavaric, Michael – Amazing Octopus 55
Stepanova, Maria – Holy Winter 20/21 69
Stevens, Georgina – Climate Action: The Future Is in Our Hands 57
Stevens, Georgina – Climate Action: The Future Is in Our Hands 43
Stowell, Louie – A Midsummer Night’s Drama 40
Strange, Lucy – The Island at the Edge of Night 51
T
Teckentrup, Britta – When I Feel Brave 40
Thompson, Lisa – Worry Boots 33
Thornton, Nicki – The Floating Witch Mystery 51
Thorpe, Ashley – The Boy to Beat the Gods 51
Todd, Traci N – Nina 57
Treacy, Carol Ann – Barney Goose 40
Tree, Isabella – Wilding 57
V
Valentine, Jenny – Us in the Before and After 63
Villa, Altea – Little Stories from Nature 40
W
Welliver, Melissa – Soulmates and Other Ways to Die 63
Westcott, Rebecca – Like a Girl 63
Williams, Laura Jane – Taylor Blake Is a Legend 63
Wilson-Max, Ken – Aqua Boy 40
Wishart, Sarah – Four Good Liars 63
Wize, Jordan – Essential Life Skills for Teens 67
Y
Yarlett,Emma – King Lion 40
Find out how school libraries can be
Stronger Together in September –
info on the SLA website.
72 TSL VOLUME 72 NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2024