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Find out moreThe books in this section cover a range of PSHE topics including bullying, disability, family issues and adoption. There are both fiction and non-fiction titles and cover age ranges from Toddler to Older Teen.
Four fantastic new stories about everyone's favourite twins. There's always double trouble when these two are about, so get ready for more mayhem as they look after the school hamster for half term, have a competition to build the best snowman, raise money with a yard sale, and have a rollercoaster of a time at the local theme park!
This is the story of Maggie Sparks, a feisty little witch who is not thrilled with the arrival of a new baby brother. Her new little brother Arthur seems to be the centre of her parents’ world, and in her eyes she feels unloved. With the help of her pet chameleon Bat, and an understanding grandfather, she tries to deal with the issue in her own way. This is a lovely little story, dealing with the common issue of jealousy when a new baby arrives in a family. There are many picture books dealing with this issue, but it is unusual and refreshing to have a ‘story’ book written with a positive message for all those older siblings! It is written with both humour and understanding. Maggie’s references to her distaste for her mother ‘swapping a big tummy for a baby,’ to how she is far happier when the new baby is in its cage (cot.) Bat the chameleon is a loyal pet and manages to change colour not to match its surroundings but to match her moods. The whole family are witches, with the ability to cast magic spells, but none of them seem very able and various mishaps ensue as a result. Happily, all is resolved and peace reigns. The book moves at a good pace for young children, with short, well-paced sentences and lots of DINGS, POPS and YUMS, combined with expressive illustrations by Esther Hernando to encourage the child to read this book enthusiastically and for general enjoyment.
Grace and Jack have a plan - to find purrfect homes for purrfect pets! Nine-year-old twins Grace and Jack run the Forever Homes rehoming service. Whether it's a cheeky puppy or a shy kitten, they're determined to pair every animal with their perfect person - and have lots of adventures along the way! Tiger is a cute, adventure-seeking kitten. Everyone loves him and wants to take him home! How will the twins decide which home would suit him best? Fans of Zoe's Rescue Zoo and Holly Webb will love Forever Homes! Beautifully illustrated throughout by Sophy Williams, Forever Homes is the ideal series for animal-mad readers aged 5+.
A trip to the zoo is full of amazing experiences and unforgettable sights, but birthday boy Oliver nearly misses them all. His attention if fixed on the beautiful lollipop he asks for at the gate and all he can think about from then on is how delicious it will be. He’s so absorbed with his lollipop that he hardly notices the wonderful animals, though his little brother Louis does, and even turns down a ride on the carousel in case he drops it. When the lollipop is stolen by a cheeky giraffe though, Louis is able to comfort Oliver and, more than that, open his eyes to all he’s been missing, simply by whispering, ‘Look’. Oliver’s tears dry up as he sees instead the toucan, the flamingos and the lions. The book delivers its message about living in the moment elegantly, text and illustrations both equally vibrant. This is a picture book to remember.
Saffy's Angel really deserves the top honours. This heavenly little book tells the story of Cadmium, Saffron, Indigo and Rose, siblings who are each as colourful as their exotic names suggest. Saffy's Angel is written with a simple, understated elegance that allows the reader access to the kind of family we would all, secretly, love to belong to. Each character is drawn with an enviable artistry coupled with, one suspects, a tongue-in the cheek that adds a sharp realistic air to a modern household with a heart of pure, old-fashioned gold. And it is these fabulous characters who lead the unfurling of the story, easing the reader through the pages with an irresistible wit and warmth that smartly avoids cosiness but nonetheless leaves a soothing rosy glow. Hilary’s real strength lies in her understanding of young people and her ability to evoke them very simply.
February 2021 Book of the Month | A Tangle of Spells is book three in Michelle Harrison’s series of stories about the Widdershins sisters and just as magical as the first two, which is really saying something. The three girls have moved to a new village and though it seems idyllic, beneath the surface something dark is lurking. When eldest sister Fliss falls under a strange enchantment, it’s up to Betty and Charlie to save her and in the process to break the spell that’s affecting the whole of Pendlewick too. The story crackles with magic and just the right level of spookiness and jeopardy. The three sisters are some of the liveliest, most individual and most appealing characters you’re likely to meet, and reading about them is like being part of the family. For readers who love fairytale fantasy and adventure, it doesn’t come better than this.
November 2020 Book of the Month | Ayesha Harruna Attah’s The Deep Blue Between, her debut for younger readers, is a rich historical, dual-narrative story of the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. With a steady, captivating style, it’s rich in details of everyday life in late-nineteenth-century West Africa and Brazil, and the broader cultural landscapes of the Gold Coast and South America. It’s a thoughtful - and thought-provoking - novel, threaded with love, hope and determination. “In 1892, when I was ten, I was forced to live on a land where the trees grew so close together, they sucked out my voice.” So Hassana sets the scene at the start of her story. Following a raid on her home, she’s been separated from her twin sister, Husseina, but senses they’ll find one another again. Even more so when she finds the protection of a stranger: “I was learning things from Richard that I was sure would make it easier to find Husseina. Richard had been in what he called “the Gold Coast” to study plants to find out what could be used to treat sicknesses. He was going to put everything he found in a book.” But the sisters’ paths take hugely divergent turns. While Hassana makes it to Accra, Husseina flees to Brazil, way across the deep blue ocean they both dream of. Fans of Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone will relish reading about West African religion and culture in this context, and it’s also highly recommended for readers who love Jamila Gavin’s elegant, character-driven historic fiction. It provides vital insights into the impacts of European imperialism, and the connections between Africans and Brazilians of African descent, through a distinctly moving human story.
September 2020 Book of the Month | Cally and Jimmy are twins but more different people it would be hard to meet. Cally is generally quiet and well-behaved, while Jimmy is anything but (his ADHD doesn’t help). It’s Cally who narrates the four separate stories contained in this very enjoyable new book, and she gives us a really good idea of what it’s like to live with the most-annoying-brother-in-the-whole-wide-world, describing the many times he gets them both into trouble, but she absolutely captures the fun they have together too. There’s a starring role for their wonderful grandma, or Yiayia as they know her (Mum is Greek) and just a lovely sense of this family. Recommended reading and hopefully there’ll be more adventures to come for the twins.
Robert Starling’s little dragon Fergal has lots of fans and no wonder. His adventures are wonderfully accurate representation of everyday family life and will be recognisable to every toddler and parent. In this story, Fergal has become a big brother but the arrival of baby Fern is making him anxious, unsettled and angry. Things come to a head when a trip he’s been looking forward to has to be cancelled. Fortunately, Dad encourages Fergal to talk about how he’s been feeling and after that everything gets better. There’s a very useful message here and as ever Starling delivers it with charm, humour and sensitivity. This is another excellent book to share and absolutely essential if you’ve got a toddler and new baby.
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021 | Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead writes books that are rich with ideas and acknowledge her readers’ intelligence and intuition. Eight-year-old Bea is the central character in her latest novel, and, typically, there’s lots going on in her life. She divides her time between her mother’s and father’s homes following their divorce and visits a therapist who helps with her anxieties. The story culminates in her father’s wedding to his new partner, Jesse. As ever, we move back and forth in time, and discover much about Bea’s inner life as well as her daily routine in New York. Relationships with family and friends propel the story and there are some real shocks and surprises for readers, plus a gradual understanding of the things that will never change for Bea. It’s beautifully written, a thoughtful, sensitive account of growing up and growing resilience and trust. Fans of Rebecca Stead will also enjoy Kate DiCamillo’s books and Susin Nielsen’s.
An amazing story of two siblings and their descent into extreme poverty and the resoucefulness with which they escape it by the multi-award-winning, Waterstones Children's Book Prize-shortlisted author of Boy 87.
March 2020 Book of the Month | The novel of The Crossover is a Newberry Medal Winner, and a Coretta Scott King Award Winner in the US and was Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in the UK. This graphic novel version is the whole story complete with large and small two-coloured illustrations gracing every page. This is a deceptively simple read – a novel in verse about siblings getting through middle school, their lives, their crushes, their family interactions, and basketball. The boys are twins Josh and Jordan Bell, sons of a famous basketball player, and aiming to make a mark in the world of basketball. There are rivalries between the boys, they revel in their differences, but family holds them together whatever the world throws at them. The words and pictures work so well together, you will be on the edge of your seat, rooting for the team as they play and crying with the twins when thigs go awry. To tell such a complex story with so few words, with such emotional depth – Alexander is a master of devastating and uplifting storytelling. Anyabwile’s illustrations enhance a superb story – adding expressions and movement to an already great novel.
