This week’s Reading Matters brings you a collection of personal recommendations in time for the Half Term break. I am an avid reader of children’s fiction and I keep abreast of new publications which I can recommend to parents and colleagues. Here are reviews of some of the books and publications I have read recently or that I know are having an impact on the lives of children:
Age 8+
https://britannicamagazine.co.uk/
I highly recommend a newly published magazine for curious young people which can be bought monthly, 6 monthly or 12 monthly. The encyclopaedia that comes free with the 12 month subscription is a beautiful book, arranged thematically and is a treasure trove of information. I met Chris Lloyd, author and editor at a recent conference and he gave me a copy of Britannica Magazine which is beautifully produced.
Year 4-7
I really enjoyed this story which is told as a graphic novel. Graphic novels can be particularly engaging for children who find reading prose daunting. With a graphic novel, children can slide into a story and see what is going on whilst exercising their reading muscles. This story has themes of loss, conservation and family; year 6 have described it as ‘an emotional story with funny parts.’
Year 5-7
The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr has been published for sometime but has recently won the Tír na n-Óg Award established by the Books Council Of Wales in 1976, which is given annually to honour original works of fiction or non-fiction by authors and illustrators of children’s books in Welsh and English published during the previous year.
The winning book, The Valley of Lost Secrets, is a gripping wartime drama set in the valleys of south Wales.
Jimmy, his little brother Ronnie and their class have been evacuated to Llanbryn from London. Their hosts Gwen and Alun Thomas offer a warm Welsh welcome, but it’s a completely alien landscape and Jimmy finds it hard to settle into the community. This book will be enjoyed by pupils who enjoy historical fiction or adventure particular with links to wartime
Find the Answer. Save the World. When twelve-year-old Ami arrives at The Escape, she thinks it's just a game – the ultimate escape room with puzzles and challenges to beat before time runs out. Meeting her teammates, Adjoa, Ibrahim, Oscar and Min, Ami learns from the Host that they have been chosen to save the world and they must work together to find the Answer. But as he locks them inside the first room, they quickly realise this is no ordinary game. I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller which will be a popular read with anyone you need to tear away from screens this coming holiday!
Year 4-6
Recently published, Seed is Caryl Lewis’s first English novel for children. However, in Welsh-language, she has won Wales Book of the Year twice for her literary fiction and the Tir na n-Og Award for best children’s fiction and is also a screen writer. This pedigree is evident in the skilful manner in which the author quickly engages the reader in this hopeful story told with a dry wit and a kindly wisdom.
Marty doesn’t have much; his school uniform consists of items donated by the school bearing other people’s names and his most precious possession is a tiny model of the Eiffel Tower given to him by his Dad who Marty has not seen since he was four. Marty’s mum on the other hand has far too much; she compulsively hoards stuff and their home is packed floor to ceiling with items she cannot bear to part with. Marty’s mum will not leave her house and he constantly makes excuses for her to others in an effort to hide the truth. As Marty’s birthday approaches Marty’s grandad, proud owner of a local allotment, gives Marty a small seed as a present. This seed prompts an adventure both surreal and wonderful. I found the relationships developed in this novel particularly engaging and though the events in the story are highly fantastical, I really enjoyed the warmth and love that radiated from the pages.
Year 6-8
I read FAKE this weekend and could barely put it down.
Ingenious and expertly plotted, this gripping cyber thriller from the author of Boy 87 (which many pupils in year 7 and 8 have enjoyed), recounts a world where big tech companies control society and its citizens struggle to discern truth from fantasy.
In a digital world it's hard to know what's real. Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess's world. But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the 'real' world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is 'perfect' after all. Back home, her sister Chloe's life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down. It's up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake - Chloe's survival depends on it.
Year 8+
Friend and Librarian colleague, Anne Thompson writes: Read Between the Lies is a story of family drama, secrets, lies and finding the courage to deal with life’s more difficult experiences. It also has at its core a valuable message. Malcolm Duffy’s latest novel for teens shines a light on the impact dyslexia can have on young people, providing a voice for those who may struggle to cope with it and ensuring that those who don’t, learn to understand and empathise with them.
Told in alternate chapters in the voices of Tommy and Ryan this has an intensity and immediacy that brings both the boys and their lives vividly to life. The well paced plot is expertly structured and this is an utterly engrossing read and a book I wanted to share with others as soon as I had finished it. Although the impact of dyslexia on young people’s lives was the catalyst for the story and is at the heart of the book, Malcolm Duffy draws on other experiences familiar to many. The effects of divorce on children, no matter their ages, the difficulties of attempting to blend families, the pressures on teens from a variety of sources all of these subjects are brought into the story in a realistic and thoughtful manner. This book is on my To-Be-Read pile for half term. And finally, as the Jubilee approaches here are some recommended books relating to the monarchy for younger readers. Age 3+
Age 5+