General News
Reading Recommendations
Now this beautiful weather looks like it’s here to stay, let’s starting thinking about
some Summer time reading! Here are a selection of old favourites and exciting new
literature to engaging you over the months to come.
Reception:
‘Find Your Happy’ by Emma Coxhead – A joyful and imaginative book of feelings
from the creator of The Happy News.
Feeling happy is a wonderful thing! But do you ever feel sad or angry, frightened or
shy? Everyone does sometimes, but with a little help from Sloth and the people you
love, there is always a way to FIND YOUR HAPPY!
‘The Perfect Rock’ by Sarah Noble – Ollie, Bea and Ula do everything together. They
play in the waves, eat shellfish feasts and snuggle up together to sleep. But there
comes a day in every otter’s life when they must find a perfect rock. One shiny and
strong enough to crack open shells for themselves. When they find the best rock of
all, who will get to keep it?
Years 1 and 2:
‘How to be cooler than cool’ by Sean Taylor – Jump aboard Grandude’s magical
green submarine and join the quest to find Nandude, following her musical trail
around the world and deep beneath the sea. From the legendary Paul McCartney’s
unique imagination comes this action-packed, rip-roaring adventure. Packed full of
strange surprises, playful Beatles references, and heart-warming family fun.
‘The Sea Between my Toes’ by Charlotte Guillian. From the Look Closer series, this
richly illustrated concertina book takes you on a journey through the deep dark
waters, all the way down to the seabed, before floating back up to the surface.
Through the waves and into the deep, you’ll spot all kinds of weird and wonderful
marine creatures, explore the seabed and discover the impact humans have had on
the underwater world.
Years 3 and 4:
‘A Sea Pup Named Pearl’ by Helen Peters – The thirteenth in a fantastic series of
animal stories for younger readers by Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-shortlisted
author Helen Peters, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ellie Snowdon.
Jasmine’s dad is a farmer, and her mum is a large-animal vet, so Jasmine spends a
lot of time caring for animals and keeping them out of trouble. Unfortunately, this
often means she gets into hot water herself…
‘Young Zoologist: Humpback Whale’ by Dr Asha de Vos – Head to the depths of the
ocean to study humpback whales in this beautiful non-fiction field guide for kids. You
may know that humpback whales use whale song to communicate with each other,
but there’s so much more to discover about these giants of the sea! In this book,
acclaimed marine biologist Dr Asha de Vos explains how humpback use special
bubble nets to catch fish, and the important role their poo plays in the ocean
ecosystem.
Years 5 and 6:
‘The Lost Whale’ by Hannah Gold – What if you could communicate with a whale?
Rio has been sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, while his
mum is in hospital back home. Alone and adrift, the only thing that makes him smile
is joining his new friend Marina on her dad’s whale watching trips. That is until an
incredible encounter with White Beak, a gentle giant of the sea changes everything.
But when White Beak goes missing, Rio must set out on a desperate quest to find
his whale and somehow save his mum.
‘I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast’ by Michael Holland. Get ready to learn everything you
never knew about plants and then some! Now in paperback, this illustrated
compendium celebrates the plants you didn’t even know you used, from your
toothpaste to your car tires to the name of your great-great-aunt. This
comprehensive overview also contains great plant projects you and your friends can
try at home!
