Happy World Book Day 2023

 

The Kid who came from Space by Ross Welford

 

A story of unusual and out of this world friendships, adventure and doing your best - your actual best. It's amazing just how far your best can take you...

I read Ross Welford's Time Travelling with a Hamster a few years ago and really enjoyed it so when this came up in the audible sale I couldn't resist. I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint. 

The book starts with a new report into the disappearance of teenage Tammy from a village in Northumberland. Tammy's family are struggling with the news - her mum in particular struggles to cope and has some time away getting the support she needs. Tammy's twin brother Ethan takes up an offer to go fishing with local outcast Iggy and this trip turns out to be the biggest trip of his life - of anybody's life in fact. During the fishing trip, the unlikely duo encounter a strange craft and an even stranger creature who turns out to be the key to finding and rescuing Ethan's twin, Tammy. Hellyann - the alien from afar - takes Ethan, Iggy and Iggy's pet chicken, Suzy, back to her home planet where they set out to rescue Tammy. There were numerous points throughout the adventure where I found myself worrying about Suzy and there were a few moments where I feared the worst! 

Ross Welford's journey into another world is funny, engaging and full of compassion - a perfect read for those with an interest in the extra terrestrial world mixed with adventure!

Ross Welford (@rosswelford) / Twitter 

Echo Mountain and Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

 

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

This book is issued to all our new Year 7 children on a Taster Day prior to their start - this book is then used in a variety of ways across a number of subjects in the Autumn Term. So, I read this book in the summer holidays - in about three sittings! Set following the Great Depression, the characters are forced by hardship to move to the mountain, which suits Ellie and her father however Esther and her mother couldn't be further away from home. A terrible accident sets to further drive the family apart and add unwelcome pressure to their new lives. Ellie's determination to fix (what is perceived to be) her mistake creates tension within the family and pushes her mother to the brink. Ellie knows in her heart that the cure to everything can be found on the mountain and sets out to find it. Along the way she discovers a lot about herself, learns the ways of the mountain and even makes a friend or two.

With Ellie's wild nature, the mystery of Larkin, the hag who lives on the other sides and the search for a cure there is plenty to keep you busy on the mountain! 

I think it is the perfect book for Year 7 and it had some great reviews from the students. The students enjoyed it so much that in our book club we have decided to read Wolf Hollow. 

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

I must start by saying that I am only a few chapters in (Chapter 4) to this book however I couldn't not mention it when writing about Echo Mountain. Wolf Hollow has been awoken by the arrival of Betty and I can't wait to see where her arrival takes us. This book promises of lies...'big lies fed by real fears' which is enough of a line to keep me reading!

Twitter

@LaurenWolfBooks - Lauren Wolk's official twitter

@LucysBookClub - my official twitter

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold

This week I have read 'The Last Bear' by Hannah Gold and illustrated by Levi Pinfold after it was recommended by a girl at our school Book Club. This book is perfect for children aged 8+ who love adventure with an environmental theme. 

This is a gorgeous story about a girl who meets a bear - the last bear - on Bear Island. April has a wild nature and an affinity with animals just like her mother. April and her father move to Bear Island after he is offered a job for the Norwegian government. April thinks this 6 month trip to the Arctic Circle will give the pair time together to reconnect however her father's job is much more demanding than he thought which leaves April with a lot of time on her hands. The journey to Bear Island is gruelling one with April suffering with seasickness on a cargo ship, that is until she meet Tör (the captain's son) who shares some welcome advice. He also answers April's questions about Bear Island and shares some warnings about the wilderness and confirms that there are no bears remaining on Bear Island however when she arrives she sees something move on the horizon, something unexpected.

With a lot of time on her hands, April explores the island in hopes of finding what she was convinced she saw on her arrival. It doesn't take April long to find Bear who has been trapped on the island and without help he will become another victim of global warming. April gets to work on a plan to save Bear and starts the biggest adventure of her life.

A truly heart warming adventure with a message that no one is too small to make a difference. 

Heads up: April’s mum has died in a car accident caused by a drink driver. 

You can find Hannah Gold on Twitter @HGold_author and great news in that Hannah has announced (last week) that April and Bear will be returning in her upcoming new release 'Finding Bear' which has already been added to my to read pile. 

KS2 Books

There are a number of books that I used during my time in Year 6 and I thought that they might just be worth sharing with you.

Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll @emmac2603. Utterly brilliant!

I used this during our 'World Wars' topic. The children absolutely loved the novel (and I remember my TA at the time taking a copy home to read as she had enjoyed reading parts of it with a smaller group). The mystery around the disappearance of Olive's sister and the clues given throughout the kept the children engaged from start to end. 

Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick. Another great read.

Used during our 'Our World' topic, linking to global warming. The story of Zoe, who is desperate to find her parents, ends up finding her way to Eels Island. A dangerous island where she needs to survive and find an escape from the dangers all around her. 

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt @LynMullalyHunt. Brilliant for understanding dyslexia.

I started this book with a Year 6 'bubble' during the first lockdown. Due to the lockdowns we never completed the book which was absolutely gutting. In my bubble of 6, there was a child with dyslexia which was one of the reasons I chose the book. The reaction from the child with dyslexia was beautiful. They related to the struggles of Ally and discussed their own experiences of school with the group. This was one of the books which made me push for a reading curriculum that was representative of the children in our school. 

Wink by Rob Harrell

Funny, emotional & real

Story

Ross becomes 'the cancer kid' and is forced to live out his brutal cancer treatment in front of his entire school. kids can be cruel and we see & feel it with ross. finding support in unexpected places, we see ross navigate his way through the unthinkable. Based on the real life experiences of the author, this book gives us an insight into a situation that is Thankfully unimaginable for most of us. Ross is supported on his journey by his family (made up of his dad and step-mum), a close friend at school and a radiotherapy technician who gives ross so much more than support in the treatment room and opens his eyes to a whole new world.

My thoughts

this book carefully explores the world of cancer and The reaction of some of the children in ross' school is hauntingly real. i did have a tear in my eye towards the end - but i won't give too much away. 

A truly great read.

Heads up

SOmething that is not obvious from the title or blurb is that Ross' mum died from breast cancer when he was younger. This is something to be aware of when recommending to children or sharing with a class/book club. 

other titles from the author

Life of Zarf trilogy & Monster on the hill

5 Stars

Children's Book Club for Adults

The Blog and Podcast

This blog will run alongside a podcast where I will discuss children's books. The aim of this blog is to give teachers and parents/carers a quick overview of some of the amazing children's books on offer today. Whether you are looking for books to add to your curriculum, a gift for an avid reader, a book to support children with a specific need or just something to read with your form/class, this blog/podcast will hopefully give you some ideas or at least point you in the direction of some good children's books.

The podcast episodes will be no longer than 15minutes as I appreciate that time is important to us all  

Teaching

I am currently a secondary English Teacher, however prior to this I taught in a primary school for 9 years. Whilst teaching in primary school, I took on the role of English Lead, which ignited my passion for reading. After some lockdown CPD, my eyes were truly opened to the power of books and reading and from this I redesigned the reading curriculum for the schools within our trust. Like I mentioned earlier, I now teach English in a secondary school and help to run a KS3 Book Club one lunch time a fortnight where we choose a book and read it over the fortnight then discuss a book together. 

Me

I haven’t always enjoyed reading and I can’t remember enjoying or reading anything during my teenage years. This changed when I read ‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness. 

I have two children (3 and 1) who absolutely love 'reading' - we have books everywhere in the house and have shared books with them both since they were very young. My partner and I see daily the benefits of reading (both teachers) and were keen to ensure that our children grew up surrounded by books. I’m hoping that my knowledge of children’s books can keep them interested for many, many years to come. And if I can help anyone else along the way then that’s an added bonus!