A truly special middle grade fantasy set during WW2. Ages 9+. Once in a while, you read a book that you know is going to be special from...

A truly gorgeous picture book perfect for helping young children to tackle big emotions. We have all experienced a time when a bad mood...

An exquisite picture book which reminds us that we all belong here. Tom Percival's Big Bright Feelings series dealt with tricky emotions...

In this amazing sequel to 'Sheets', Marjorie learns a valuable lesson about being a good friend. Ages 9+. In her graphic novel, 'Sheets',...

A beautiful graphic novel and supernatural exploration of friendship and grief for children aged 9+ 'Sheets' by Brenna Thummler is a...

By Karrie Fransman and Jonathon Plackett Sleeping princes, ferocious female giants, girls in shining armour and breathtaking...

The books that I really loved this year! One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic: no opportunities to go out, more time to read....

Plus, my reading goals for 2021 If you've read my 'Best of 2020' blog post, you'll know that I set a reading goal of 70 books in 2020 and...

The second book in the amazing Widdershins Adventures trilogy by Michelle Harrison. Strong female lead characters, magic, hagstones,...

A stunning Christmas tale about how a little doe got her wish. The picture book market is quite crowded and often books have to be loud...

A Christmas Story in Twenty-Four-And-A-Half Chapters By Alex T. Smith Is there anything more exciting for a child than the anticipation...

Talking With Children About Race I learned a lot reading this book and it is an understatement to say that it is an important and long...

A celebration of the love and hope for the future. In his 2017 book 'Here We Are', picture book super star, Oliver Jeffers, wrote a...

Should bookshops be categorised as 'essential'? The pandemic has hit the retail market hard. At the time of writing, shops deemed...

New book from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of 'A Girl of Ink and Stars'. "In the grounds of a ruined monestary, on the outskirts of...

Plus: Book Selection Tips and Reading Suggestions for Struggling Older Readers Do you know of a child in the upper primary age range (9+...

The effect of identity on text interpretation and why acknowledging identity is key to supporting young readers. Have you ever gone back...

Reading and Identity: Part Two In this series, I attempt to break down some of the eye-opening academic literature that I reviewed on...

How our individual and collective experiences shape and influence our own reading identities and those of the children in our care.

Or 'Why I Started Spread Book Joy'.