Staff Recommended Reads - New Edition

We are pleased to share with you our current list of Recommended Reads, for children of all ages.  All of these books are currently available in the display outside Mr Drew's office, for any child to borrow.  Have fun, enjoy your reading.

Recommended by Mr Drew “Out, Out, Away From Here” by Rachel Woodworth and Sang Miao This story is all about how you feel at different times: mad, sad or even “happy smiling-ear-to ear glad”.  The main character feels the full range   of emotions in her life and the story looks at her response to bad days, when she retreats into her fantasy imagination to explore a world of possibilities.  It is a bit like “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.  The illustrations are wonderfully detailed and worth “reading” slowly, as they are full of subtle references and inferences to states of mind.  This is a gorgeous book that takes time to reflect on how we all feel from time to time.

Recommended by Mrs Narwall “Silly Billy” by Anthony Brown This is a story about a boy, who unfortunately, has many worries. He opens up to his family about his concerns and as a result is given some good advice. It is a fiction book which is easy to read and can enable a child who does worry to speak out and know that sharing their problems can make them feel so much lighter. The story ends on a high and the little boy also finds a way to help his friends with their worries.

Recommended by Mrs Neville “We Don’t Eat Our Classmates” By Ryan T Higgins As silly as the title is, the story is more about making friends and treating people the way you want to be treated. Penelope the dinosaur starts her first day of school. However, she keeps eating her classmates and then spitting them out. Then she wondered why she cannot make any new friends. Once the classroom pet snapped at her finger, she figured out that eating her classmates is probably not nice and tried harder to be a better friend. I love the illustrations in this novel as they are perfect for this book. The facial expressions are priceless. This would make a great book to read aloud or read together. With gentle humour, Higgins's story makes it clear to kids that in order to connect with others, you have to control certain behaviours. Suitable age group 6-8 Years

Recommended by Mr Alam “Stormwalker” by Mike Revell This is a story about Owen, who lost his mother a year ago, and is being brought up by his emotionally unstable father. Owen is like any other kid; he goes to school, plays football and spends time with his friends. His father is an artist and writer who, since his wife’s death, has not taken it very well. While cooking he spaces out, sits and cries for long periods and even argues with Owen, his son. One day, Owen and his father have a terrible argument about the death of his mother. Owen decides to go to bed. However, what he wasn’t expecting was to wake up in a story being written by his dad. I remember picking this book up from the Redbridge library when taking my class there for their library session. I’ve always told my class to judge a book by its cover as you may be surprised as to what you find. I applied this same concept and found this gem of a book. I found that this book is very well written and extremely easy to read. Mike Revell has a subtle way of expanding his story without it becoming too wrought with detail. Each chapter moves at a swift pace and leaves you wanting to read “just one more chapter”. The world that Owen visits in his father’s story is something that children will very much enjoy as it is full of interesting characters, scenarios and plot twists. My favourite parts of the story are when Owen returns back to the real world and tries to figure out how long he has been away for and how that has affected his relationship with his father, friends and teachers.

Recommended by Mr Hession “The 1,000 year old boy” by Ross Welford Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live forever? I have, and I certainly don’t fancy it now! This gripping story follows the life of Alfie Monk, a boy who has remained in the body of an 11 year-old for the past thousand years. He is a Neverdead, who has lived through a millenium of British history and wants nothing more than to grow up, live a normal life and eventually die. The characters in the story are presented so well that you connect to them instantly and throughout, and the plot is so absorbing that you find yourself wanting to read more and more. I am pleased to recommend this book to children in Years 5 & 6; I hope that you enjoy this story as much as I have! Will he be able to break the curse (or gift) of living forever? You’ll have to read it to find out!

Recommended by Mrs Suleiman “The Cook and the King” by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts There once was a very hungry king Who needed a cook like anything … The Cook and the King is a funny rhyming story of the hungry king's hunt for a new cook. He dismisses many cooks before meeting Wobbly Bob. Wobbly Bob is eager to please in his new chef's whites, but afraid of absolutely everything; digging, chopping and frying. Will he be able to satisfy the king's hunger and convince the hungry king to give him the job? What the king doesn't realise is all his years of privilege are being undone when the new cook shows him how to become independent and cook for himself!

Recommended by Miss Kang “Cinderella of the Nile” by Beverley Naidoo, illustrated by Marjan Vafaeian ‘There are many ‘Cinderella’ tales around the world but this is one of the earliest. This ‘Egyptian Cinderella,’ legend was first written more than 2000 years ago by the Greek historian Strabo and, before him, Herodotus. They say a girl called Rhodopis was captured in Greece and taken as a slave to Egypt. Herodotus tells us of her friendship with the great storyteller Aesop,’ Beverley Naidoo. Beverley Naidoo's new book ‘Cinderella of the Nile’ retells the earliest version of the Cinderella story. A rosy-cheeked girl called Rhodopis is captured in the mountains of Greece. She is sold in Samos, where wise storyteller Aesop befriends her. Sold again in Egypt, she is given a pair of rose-red slippers. But when Horus the Falcon sweeps in to steal a slipper, Rhodopis has little idea that this act will lead her to the King of Egypt. This is a very different version of Cinderella, where the main character Rhodopis is a strong independent woman who wins the day without a fairy godmother or a gorgeous frock. The story tackles slavery, facing adversity and loss of loved ones. These are issues relevant to us in modern times too. The tale is beautifully retold by Beverley Naidoo and stunningly illustrated by Marjan Vafaeian, an artist working in Iran.  A lot of her pictures resemble Egyptian tomb and Greek vase paintings. ‘Cinderella of the Nile’ is a simple but heart-warming tale that delivers its heroine the long promised happy ending. It is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages.

Recommended by Mrs Zubair “The Pirates of Scurvy Sands” by Jonny Duddle This is a story about a girl called Matilda who lives in a modern day seaside town. She has a pen friend who she writes too and they send letters to each other using bottles with notes in them. Jim lad her pirate friend invites Matilda on a Pirate adventure with the rest of the Jolly Roger family. She is asked to go on a pirate trip to the scurvy sands, a holiday resort only for pirates. When Matilda gets there she faces a lot of problems trying to fit in. Matilda goes on a treasure hunt and finds the hidden treasure that no one could find. The pirates finally accept Matilda and change themselves to be more like her. This story was a fantastic read with beautiful illustrations. The text of the story structure is in rhyming couplets that engage the reader in to Matilda’s story arc. The book is lovely for a read out loud book for Early Years and ks1 children. The picture book was a year in making and you can see why when you read the story as the illustrations are wonderful.

Recommended by Mrs Barker ‘The World’s Worst Children 3’ by David Williams This book has ten different short stories, which you can guess from the title are about the world’s worst children.  David Williams’ comedian side reflects in every story but at a child’s level, this makes each story enjoyable to read and at times you would want to laugh out loud.  David Williams has brilliantly picked out the funny different habits that most young children can relate to and turned them into great humorous stories which all children would love to read.  Whether you’re a child who likes to have tantrums, make funny faces, hog the bathroom or boast about yourself, each of these short stories end with a moral giving the message to children that they do not want to end up being the world’s worst children.

Recommended by Mrs Seal “Zog and the Flying Doctors” by Julia Donaldson A lovely rhyming picture book about a Princess, Knight and Dragon who are known as ‘The Flying Doctors’. The story starts with the flying doctors crashing in to help people who are ill. The Princess then spots her uncle’s palace and decides to stop and say hello but things don’t go as she planned and instead he captures her and locks her up because Princesses cannot be doctors. Will the Princess escape? Will she ever be allowed to be a doctor again? Why not read the book to find out what happens next and if Princesses can actually be doctors.

Recommended by Miss Patel “Katinka’s Tail” by Judith Kerr This is a story of a perfectly normal white cat, named Katinka. However, she has a very different tail...it is stripy. This tail is not left unnoticed by others; everyone notices it and asks about it all the time, which starts to annoy the owner. She thinks it is a normal tail, even if it is a little different and gets tired of denying that there is nothing unusual about her cat, it is just a stripy tail! But…is she right about that? Things start to change when one night her owner discovers Katinka is missing. This leads into an ordinary night becoming a magical adventure, where everything changes. This a fun, magical story which would be suitable for children aged up to 5 years old. It indirectly presents an important message about how everyone can be different; this can be implemented into many discussions e.g. looks, likes, dislikes, backgrounds, etc. It is really important for children to understand this from a young age, as they would then be able to acknowledge and appreciate different views and opinions.  The book also contains amazing illustrations which provides children the opportunity to talk about what is happening, which can then lead on to them being creative; what can their pets do…are they hiding a secret too? What would they like their favourite animal to do?

Recommended by Mrs Ciobanu “Le Petit Prince” by Antoine du Saint Exupery The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the impulses of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures. There are many themes in the book: (e.g., People tend to become less creative and imaginative as they grow into adulthood. Most adults are preoccupied with things of little real value.)  For me, one of the most important themes is that we give purpose and meaning to our lives through the relationships (especially of love and friendship) we form. The Little Prince's rose is unique and more important to him than all the other roses because he cares for it and takes responsibility for it. After he tames (a metaphor for forming a relationship) the fox, likewise, becomes different to him from all the other foxes, and he feels responsible for it. A brilliant child friendly book that will enhance children’s French skills, with plenty of room for inferencing reinforced by a variety of images. I highly recommend it to year 5 and 6 children, so they can get a taste of how it feels when you’re a grown up.

Recommended by Mrs Cotton “The History Keepers: the storm begins” by Damian Dibben The History Keepers - The Storm begins is about a 14 year old boy who is kidnapped whilst walking to school. He's soon informed from the secret society, who took him, that his parents have mysteriously vanished. Jake then discovers that these people can travel through time and that they keep history on it's true course. However, there is one who would do anything to change it for his own gain, Prince Zeldt. Jake is driven by the adventure (which contrasts to his own life) and to save his much loved family. I think children will really enjoy this gripping tale because it draws you in from the beginning, it conbines historical facts in a highly engaging story. It's filled with action, suspense and mystery, and was very hard to put down once started. I highly recommend this for anyone who are fans of fast pace adventure stories.

Recommended by Miss Yates “Drawn together” by Minh Le and Dan Santat A young boy is off to visit his grandfather, who lives a long, long way from him, however, his Granddad doesn’t speak the same language as him. The boy feels really sad about having to spend time with his Granddad as they can’t speak to each other and he gets bored very quickly. His Granddad tries lots of different ways to make the boy happy until one day he notices the boy drawing. They begin to draw together and through their pictures, they start a beautiful relationship without the need for words. A beautifully illustrated story that shows the importance of reaching out and breaking down barriers to create amazing relationships.

Recommended by Mr Nobeebaccus “Secrets of a Sun King” by Emma Carroll The book that I read over the summer is called ‘Secrets of a Sun King’. As someone who is fascinated and obsessed with Ancient Egypt, this book looked ideal for me to read. The story is set in November 1922, when Howard Carter is just about to discover the very famous Tutankhamun in Egypt. The book centres around Lillian Kaye.  Things start to take a turn for the worse when a famous Egyptologist suddenly disappears and all that remains of him is his feet! Then Lillian’s Grandfather falls ill, who is friends with the famous Egyptologist. A strange package turns up for the dead Egyptologist and Lilian believes that this is all due to the Pharaohs curse! Really enjoyable book and filled with fascinating facts, well worth a read!

Recommended by Mr Cross “The Ugly Five” by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler I have been looking forward to reading this book for months, as it is the latest in the Julia Donaldson series which I read to my daughter. I have always enjoyed her books as they are good, fun stories, with interesting characters. I also like her style of writing and the rhyming patterns she uses. I didn’t know anything about the book, which made it interesting to learn as we read through it. Again the characters were brilliant, and the artwork really shows in good detail the specifics of each animal. This book is a great introduction into the wider variety of animals from Africa that some children may not have heard of before. It is a great way to highlight the existence of creatures that are not always used in children’s books, as they are not as cute or attractive. It also has a great message of humanity in that it is more about the goodness within and the value of your actions that is more important and relevant than your exterior appearance. I don’t think this is the best book Julia Donaldson has written, but is still a great read. Lots of good and interesting characters and information, and some added teaching points about the animals you might find in Africa.

Recommended by Mrs Sharma “Town Is by the Sea” by Joanne Schwartz Recommended age: 5-9 years It is easy to see why ‘Town by the Sea’ by Joanne Schwartz was the winner of the CLIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018. Written in the first person, a boy narrates and depicts a typical day in a mining town. While he enjoys a summer's day scampering up the hills and playing with his friend, his thoughts constantly return to his father, who is toiling away digging for coal deep under the sea. Sensitively portrayed, there are stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, where the sparkling seaside day strikes a contrast with the darkness of the underground where the miners dig. This wonderful story will bring mining history to life, captivating children and moving adults, sensitively helping readers to empathetically understand that choosing a career, for many, is a luxury. A keeper for all book shelves and classrooms!

Recommended by Miss Lee “Norman the slug with the silly shell” by Sue Hendra This book is about finding a way to be who you really want to be. The story is about Norman the slug, who is in awe when he sees a group of snails. He wants to be like them and have a beautiful shell. Unfortunately, the snails weren’t open to having a slug with them, so they sent Norman away and would only accept him once he found a shell like theirs. So Norman went in search for a shell and came across many that weren’t right for him. Finally he found a tasty shell, a donut and all the snails were impressed. The snails weren’t the only one who thought Norman’s shell. A bird also wanted the shell and dragged the shell and Norman. Norman doesn’t forget his true identity and uses his “slug powers” to escape from the bird and the silly shell. After falling down, Norman discovered that he loved flying and used undies to help him fly. This is a lovely and humours story by Sue Hendra. It shares an important message of learning who we realty are and following are desires.

Recommended by Miss Ahmed “A Boy Called Bat” by Elana K Arnold and Charles Santoso Bat (Bixby Alexander Tam) struggles with seeing the world in the same way other people do. He is fascinated with animals and his mum is a vet. One day, she saves a baby skunk and Bat learns to care for it and falls in love with it. What follows is an endearing story that meshes Bat dealing with his social and emotional challenges while also learning to put someone else’s needs first. This book covers many pressing issue, including that of friendship, isolation and perseverance.

Recommended by Mrs Naeem “The Phone goes dead” by Anthony Horowitz This is part of a collection of short stories by this author aimed for older children. It is about a boy who gets given a phone by his father and he begins to receive phone calls from people who have died. They are trying to communicate with their loved ones through him. I enjoyed reading this story because it contains a lot of suspense and is quite eerie in places. It is a good story to read with year 6 children because they will understand the hidden meanings behind parts of it. The best part of the book is the ending. There is a very clever twist at the end which may need explaining to some children but would be interesting to see if some children understand what has happened. It evokes emotions and makes you really think, even after the story has finished.

Recommended by Mrs Ahmed “Mummy Fairy and Me” by Sophie Kinsella This book is good for an independent read by beginning chapter book readers. The book is narrated by Ella. She comes from a family that has a long line of female fairies. Her mum looks like a regular mum most of the time, but with her magic word, "Marchmallow" she becomes a fairy. Problem is, she is not very good at magic. Each chapter is about one of her spells and what happens when she tries them. I would recommend this book to anyone age 7 and up. I love the back of the book where there are questions for children or teachers and their classes as well as activities that go with the story. There are messages about being patient, dealing with bullies or mean children and playing fair are all in the story and are valuable for classroom discussion time.

Recommended by Miss Fan “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio This book is fantastic! It is all about a boy called August Pullman. When you start to read the book, he seems to be an average 10 year. He has many hobbies and he has a loving family. However, there is something different about August. He was born looking different. His face does not look like others. He was born with a facial disfigurement. People always stare at him and so he has spent most of his time at home or with people that understand him. As he is now 10 years old, his family agree that it is time for him to go to a public school and meet new people. The story takes you on a journey with August and allows you to experience what it is like for him to navigate school life. Read the book now. It will inspire you to accept everyone for who they are!

Recommended by Miss Begum “Tidy” by Emily Gravett Short Synopsis: Pete the badger likes everything to be neat and tidy at all times, but what starts as the collecting of one fallen leaf escalates quickly and ends with the complete destruction of the forest! I recommend this children’s book ‘Tidy’ by Emily Gravett because it is a very beautifully illustrated and humorous book about the dangers of wanting everything to be too ‘neat’ or ‘perfect’. I had a boy in my class who was obsessed with tidying all the time; he would deliberately miss his playtime (more than once!) only to be found skulking in the corridors instead to neaten the coat pegs and tidy the corridor. I chose him to read this book out loud to the class and he found it very humorous! I think it also encouraged him to reflect on his obsessive tidiness and relax a little. I think other children will also find this book enjoyable. Emily Gravett is a fantastic author and I often use her books to stimulate discussions for my Reciprocal Reading sessions.

Recommended by Miss Kahlon “Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World”  By Kate Pankhurst This is a terrific read for boys and girls alike. There are short passages about real women, such as Marie Clare and Coco Chanel, told in an easy, story like form with lots of illustrations. The book details their achievements and their impacts on society. It's a great book to link to many other subjects, with the book having a huge range of women from art to astronomy. The book is written by Kate Pankhurst, descendant of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst- making this a awesome read for all the young feminists out there!

Recommended by Miss Ross “The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires I recommend this children’s book because ultimately it will encourage and inspire children to be brave with their learning and not worry about being ‘perfect’ all the time.  After watching a TED talk by the founder of ‘Girls Who Code’ Reshma Saujani, I set out to find a book that would deliver this message. Through this simple, yet beautifully illustrated book, we read the story of a regular girl, who with the help of her best friend (her dog) she sets out to make The Most Magnificent Thing.  In her head it will be ‘easy-peasy’ to make as she makes things all the time however, it turns out to be harder than she thinks. Ashley Spires takes the reader on the emotional journey of someone who starts out feeling so sure of themselves, then feeling like a failure and finally addresses how to move on from this to achieve The Most Magnificent Thing. This book teaches children persistence and perseverance and that no matter how big their ideas: there will always be a way.

Recommended by Mrs O’Driscoll “Kid normal” by Greg James and Chris Smith This is a funny adventure story about Murph who once again starts a new school and feels like a complete outsider.  It's not because he's worried about where to sit, making friends, or fitting in.   It's because his mum has accidentally enrolled him at a school for superheroes.  His fellow students can control the weather, fly or conjure tiny horses from thin air but Murph has no special abilities whatsoever.  Murph shows you don’t need special powers to be a hero!

Recommended by Miss Yerosimou “Grandads's Island” by Benji Davies  At the bottom of Syd’s garden, through the gate and past the tree, is Grandad’s house. Syd can let himself in any time he likes. But, one day when Syd comes to call, Grandad isn’t in any of the usual places. He is in the attic, where he ushers Syd through a door.  The two of them journey to a wild, beautiful island awash in colour where Grandad decides he will remain. So, Syd hugs Grandad one last time and sets sail for home. Syd visits Grandad’s house at the bottom of the garden again, he finds it just the same as it’s always been, except that Grandad isn’t there anymore... This book has stunning illustrations, and can really capture the imagination of a young child, just by telling the story through the pictures.  It is also a wonderful book for a slightly older child who may be dealing with a loss of a loved one, or someone close to them who lives far away. The book is a really good for getting children to infer what may be happening, Since death isn’t directly specified.

Recommended by Mrs Dias “Book Case” by  Dave Shelton If you like a book that is full of quirky and unusual characters, combined with a mystery then this is the book for you. From the outset the book keeps you hooked as you are not quite sure where it is leading, so it makes for an entertaining, often exciting and sometimes funny read. The book is set in a boarding school in the 1950s but don’t let that put you off – that’s all part of the charm.  Daphne, the main character, having been asked to leave her previous boarding school due to an unfortunate incident, finds herself on her way to a new school which she knows nothing about. From the outset, it is clear that where she is heading for is no ordinary school! Choose this book and uncover the mystery!

Recommended by Mrs Waters “DNA Detectives: To catch a thief “by Dr Mandy Hartley Annabelle and Harry’s lovable pet dog Milly vanished without a trace. Or did she?   Annabelle and Harry’s Mum is a scientist who uses DNA, this gets the children thinking about the possibilities of science and how they could use what they already know to help them. When nobody else wants to listen the two ‘DNA Detectives’ set about secretly collecting clues and samples to help them find Milly. Without giving too much away, the journey to find the thief is eventful, not straight forward and lands them in trouble many times. The characters are very relatable and their personalities really shine through, both cheeky and sensible. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, which keeps you second guessing the identity of the thief, until the very end. The children use DNA to help them eliminate some possible suspects and subsequently find the thief. The book uses science to support the main storyline, with just the right amount of scientific vocabulary and concepts to encourage and intrigue young readers. I love the way that it provides a great way to capture children’s imagination, brings science to life and would enable children to visualise the concept of DNA.