Spring Term Highlights

Start the new year with new books! This astonishingly good Spring Term Highlights pack features two high-quality class reads and a superb non-fiction text for each year group, and an unmissable poetry book each for LKS2 and UKS2. These are the recently published books that we think should be on your radar, your reading list and your bookshelves. Our termly highlights packs are perfect for discovering new class texts and for updating classroom libraries.

Books for Reception:

The Duck With No Luck by Gemma Merino

This entertaining and funny story has a wonderful parable feel and structure to it as an unlucky duck goes in search of the wise owl and meets various animals along the way who each have their own questions for the owl. The duck is a very engaging character and there is so much here for children to talk about, notice and infer, making this an ideal book to share with the whole class.

Storm Dragon by Dianne Hofmeyr

This gorgeous book features rich and stormy seaside illustrations that jump off the page, whip your hair, tug at your clothes and splash your toes. The simple text follows a grandparent and child as they hunt and chase away imaginary storm dragons. It is packed with onomatopoeic words and drama and is a joyful celebration of imaginative play and the drama of outdoors in all weathers.

The Ocean Story by John Seven

The School Library Journal described this book as ‘a perfect blend of poetry, visual art, and science’ and we could not agree more. Each sumptuous page has a few engaging and lyrical phrases; they are a pleasure to look at and listen to, and effectively convey information about the ocean and our relationship with it. Overall, this book is a gentle read that evokes wonder at the ocean, curiosity about ocean life, explains the water cycle and encourages respect for, and stewardship of, the seas.

Books for Year 1:

Ghost Orchid by Fiona Lumbers

This richly illustrated book is saturated with colour, draws you in, and is a joy to read. Ava’s parents are in a rush and so focussed on finding the ghost orchid that they do not have time to answer her questions as they sail across the sea and trek through the forest. In fact Ava’s parents are so busy that without Ava’s curiosity and wonder they would have missed the very thing they are looking for. This book is a charming celebration of taking the time to notice the world around you and being absorbed in the present moment and a lovely resource to support mindful moments, art lessons, literacy and story time.

The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad

This latest book from Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic medallist and author of The Proudest Blue, is a joyful celebration of the power of kindness in the playground. The eye-catching use of colour and the energy of the characters make this a lively and positive book celebrating our differences and similarities and the importance of helping each other.

Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration by Sarah Nelson

This striking and fascinating non-fiction book is an enthralling read-aloud text. The glorious illustrations and rhyming text perfectly capture the sights and sounds, exhilaration, beauty and awe of bird migration, and the text is followed by informative and interesting endnotes to further develop children’s knowledge and deepen their curiosity. This is inspiring natural history that can be enjoyed with the whole class, used to support the scientific study of animals and habitats in KS1, and is non-fiction at its most engaging.

Books for Year 2:

Over the Shop by Jonarno Lawson

This beautifully detailed wordless book contains messages of hope, friendship and compassion led by one open-hearted small girl. It shows the gradual transformation of a run-down shop into a thriving community when the landlord, on the insistence of his grandaughter, rents the flat upstairs to a young couple. Small subtle details, a glimpse of a rainbow belt, a rainbow hat, and finally a rainbow flag over the shop, demonstrate a subtle inclusion of the LBGTQ+ community at the centre of this renewal in this warm and inclusive book. It is a brilliant resource for promoting visual literacy and for talking and listening activities.

The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage

This compelling and enchanting picture book is stunningly illustrated and beautifully written. The Arctic sun shines from the bright pages and the text offers striking new vocabulary and a wonderful world to explore. The humorous character illustrations, beautiful cutaways of the ship at work and the hidden giant arctic jellyfish will delight and entertain readers and the story of determination and persistence inspire them. This is an outstanding book that will stand out on your bookshelves and jump out at prospective readers; it would also be the perfect starting point for a wealth of class projects.

Plant by Annabel Griffin

Sow knowledge, germinate understanding, and harvest facts with this fabulous exploration of all things plant related. There are 64 pages bursting with bite-sized chunks of information and each looking deliciously irresistible. Plant parts, growth and adaptation are succinctly and clearly covered alongside other fascinating aspects of plant life from plant uses to gardening tips, and from poisonous plants to chocolate, in this comprehensive and appealing book.

Books for Year 3:

Too Small Tola Makes it Count by A. Atinuke

This book is our favourite so far from this wonderful series from the incomparable Atinuke. Each book is an enjoyable and warm exploration of life in Nigeria that gently raises awareness of poverty and wealth. In this book the big-hearted Tola has several problems to solve and manages to help other people along the way to satisfying resolutions. Themes include how to help an elderly friend with mobility difficulties, how to enjoy a day out that is not as wonderful as anticipated, and how to deal with being wrongly accused of lying and isolated at school. Respect for others and yourself is the underlying theme in these three connected witty and engaging stories.

Ivy Newt and the Train Thief by Derek Keilty

This rich and rewarding read features brilliant illustrations and lovely language throughout. Ivy Newt and her friend Tom set out to solve the mystery of the house that only appears at Halloween and discover a wicked curse that needs to be broken. This fast-paced adventure is packed with surprises and lovely details and introduces gorgeous descriptive and atmospheric vocabulary to independent readers in Year 3. It is an irresistible read that will delight and entertain the whole class, including the teacher.

Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum

From 350,000,000 mile away listen to the story of Curiosity, the Mars Rover, still making tracks on the surface of the red planet today. Curiosity tells us how they were built, about the nail-biting journey to the surface of Mars, and describes what they are doing there. It is a captivating non-fiction story, compellingly told, from the point of view of the robot, and brought to life by bold illustrations and infographics. This book definitely falls into the category of irresistible non-fiction and will set the curiosity and wonder of readers alight.

Books for Year 4:

The Rage of the Sea Witch by Roland Chambers

This brilliantly written book draws on the history of exploration and features the Greek explorer Pytheas and Inuit history, myth and culture. Billy is left by his parents at a private museum and discovers that he can use the artefacts to connect with people from the past. Through a carved animal necklace he befriends a stone age Inuit girl who must be returned to her time before her shape-shifting grandmother’s rage drowns them all. This adventure shows Billy that the purpose of his magic is to return the artefacts to their owners in history. The writing is exciting, enlightening and evocative in this enjoyable short read and we will definitely be looking out for more in this series.

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

From the highly acclaimed, and beautiful, Wild Robot series comes a stand alone title with a focus on conservation. The robot’s island, and all the connected wildlife, is under threat from a poisoned tide and she must search the sea to find the source. Different points of view are explored but the gentle bravery, selflessness and stoicism of the robot, and her clear understanding of what needs to be done, prevail. This is a beautiful, poignant and enjoyable adventure to uplift readers in Year 4.

Islands: Explore the World’s Most Unique Places by Ben Lerwill

This beautiful book explores a huge variety of islands, from the island at the heart of Paris in the middle of the Seine to the summit of a vast underwater mountain off the coast of Australia. There are frozen wastelands, densely populated communities, places rich in biodiversity or human history, a volcanic island that appeared out of nowhere in the 1960’s, manmade islands, and more. This is a fascinating and wonderful view of so many different aspects of geography through the Lense of islands and will delight the curious and reward readers with each turn of the page. This book is a treasure and will be a very popular pick from your library shelves.

Books for Year 5:

Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini

Roberto Piumini is an award winning and beloved Italian children’s author and Glowrushes, now translated into English, is his masterpiece. Reminiscent of ancient tales that pass wisdom down the generations, Michael Morpurgo described this text as ‘Lyrical, magical, tender and true’. With themes of the preciousness of life and mortality, and sublime writing, this short read also manages to be gentle and mesmerising. We would describe this book as the most memorable text we read in 2023 and reading it feels like stepping into a different time and place.

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate

In this powerful and utterly absorbing book uses fantasy writing to unlock some key ideas in conservation. A town dependent on the tourism brought by the migration of enchanting animals has been eradicating screechers, a smelly and loud animal. Now both species are in decline and an unlikely champion of the screeches uses observation to prove they are a cornerstone species. In this book forest fires represent climate change and the environmental damage done by people, and their power to reverse it, is shrunk down to the size of a single community. If we had to choose one book to recommend it would be this one.

How To Spaghettify Your Dog by Hiba Noor Khan

Exciting to look at, achievable experiments to explore, lots to laugh about, and packed with perfectly pitched explanations for children curious about the cosmos. This book is a triumph of popular science writing for children and described by The Royal Institute as ‘A wonderfully illustrated, jam-packed, must-have science book for all aspiring young physicists!’ Unlock the secrets of the universe with this hilarious science book.

Books for Year 6:

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow

This outstanding quick read in verse set across year 6 is emotionally engaging & powerfully written in dialect. The text references Skellig and this book would make an excellent companion to that novel. Featuring friendship, everyday poverty, absent dads, a fiercely loving but flawed mum, family illness, and a 10-year-old protagonist who is the main carer and uses writing to help him manage his emotions. With an overarching theme of a shared experience of the darkness, and how it can be used creatively, this is a hopeful novel that reflects the challenging experiences of many children in the UK.

Tyger by S.F. Said

Tyger is timely, high-quality literary fiction from SF Said, author of Vajak Paw, and is the British Book Awards Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. Widely described as a masterpiece and a classic in the making, this superbly illustrated book is set in an evocative parallel historic London where the class barriers are physical. It explores themes of fear and aggression towards immigrants, slavery, poverty and Empire and is a powerful story of humanity at its worst while celebrating the immortal spark that burns in each of us. The human world of Tyger is entwined with a battle between good and evil beyond reality and the book has an uplifting and hopeful ending. If offers readers the chance to explore abstract ideas and poetic prose in a captivating story that will grip the whole class.

Deep: Dive Into Hidden Worlds by Jess McGeachin

This award-winning non-fiction book is a glorious exploration of things below the surface. Discover the deep ocean, forest understory, underground, the Earth’s core, tunnels and sewers, archaeology, deep space and more in this fascinating journey through diverse hidden worlds. This is high interest non-fiction at it’s most intriguing and rewarding to read.

Poetry for LKS2:

Poetry Prompts by Joseph Coelho

This unmissable book from Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, introduces a plethora of fun and engaging poetry prompts to get children writing and explores performance ideas to get them reading their work aloud with confidence. This book is a must have for poetry projects, classroom and school libraries and has and, though we have recommended it for LKS2, will prove it’s worth across the key stages.

Poetry for UKS2:

The Big Amazing Poetry Book

Packed with ballads, riddles, tongue-twisters, shape poems, haikus, sonnets and raps, and illustrated, by the incomparable Chris Riddell, this is so much more than an anthology. Individual poets are put in the spotlight with a short biography alongside a collection of their poems to put their poetry into context and to explore different voices and styles. This book is a substantial resource, a lively celebration of poetry and deserves a place in every school.