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Find out moreMalachy Doyle is the acclaimed author of Digger and Lew, Big Pig, Teddybear Blue, Antonio on the Other Side of the World, Getting Smaller and Too Noisy, illustrated by Ed Vere. His first teenage novel, Georgie, won the Tir na n-Og prize and his picture book, Cow, won an English Association Award for non-fiction. He also won the 2002 White Raven Award for Hungry! Hungry! He lives with his family (and his cat, dog, ducks and hens) in County Donegal, Ireland.
Book Band: Purple Ideal for ages 6+ | This new series from Bloomsbury Education is geared at turning children into independent readers. Not only will the books give youngsters a boost into solo reading, they’ll also make it easier and more enjoyable for the adults helping children as they come with useful tips and notes. The books are short and divided into chapters thereby breaking the story into manageable chunks. The adventures are lively and fast-moving though told via short sentences and carefully chosen vocabulary: some words are highlighted in the Tips for Grown Ups section on the inside cover, so that children can learn them and their meanings. Full colour illustrations amplify the action and make the books really attractive to look at too. Written by favourite authors, these are well worth collecting and are just the thing for children ready for reading.
Book Band: Purple Ideal for ages 6+ | This new series from Bloomsbury Education is geared at turning children into independent readers. Not only will the books give youngsters a boost into solo reading, they’ll also make it easier and more enjoyable for the adults helping children as they come with useful tips and notes. The books are short and divided into chapters thereby breaking the story into manageable chunks. The adventures are lively and fast-moving though told via short sentences and carefully chosen vocabulary: some words are highlighted in the Tips for Grown Ups section on the inside cover, so that children can learn them and their meanings. Full colour illustrations amplify the action and make the books really attractive to look at too. Written by favourite authors, these are well worth collecting and are just the thing for children ready for reading.
In a neat bit of role reversal, Cinderella becomes Cinderfella, the ugly sisters are lazy big brothers, and the prince is a junior Karate champion called Kayleigh. Other than that, the action sticks closely to the story we know and love: put-upon Cinderfella finds his invitation to Kayleigh’s party and sneaks there disguised in a pair of his brothers’ cool sunglasses. Kayleigh and he have a great time dancing until he has to dash home when the clock chimes (8), dropping the glasses in the process. Kayleigh finds him of course and they dance happily into the sunset. It’s very entertaining with a real energy and freshness. Children will feel the unfairness of Cinderfella’s situation and want to talk about that, while the illustrations are full of amusing details. ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 Sam’s family all love noise. And they make a lot of it! When Sam has had just too much noise, he sets off to enjoy the deep peace of the forest. But being alone has its problems too…How Sam learns to love his family and the noise it makes is entertainingly captured in Ed Vere’s lively illustrations.
This is an absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming and courageous tale of a young sheepdog puppy who is too young to join her master and her mum out on the hill, particularly when it's snowing. But when they don't return from the hill it's up to Collywobble to rescue them and get the sheep to safety. The author’s touching story is beautifully complemented by Petra Brown’s artwork. Her feel for the Welsh landscape and her affinity with animals makes this a perfect picture book for little ones (and their mums and dads) to treasure.
Red Banana Books are for newly fluent readers so if you have a football mad youngster who you’re struggling to persuade to pick up a book, then this one is perfect. Plenty of humour and with illustrations on every page, some of which include speech bubbles for added fun, the story is guaranteed to build confidence and it’s a story that they’ll then come back to time and time again. Seamus is the protagonist in the story; he’s football mad and when he finds a whole load of ghosts who say they’re bored he decides to help them form a football team. They’re so good they might even win the World Cup!
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+. This is a terrific story by an author who really knows how to grab the reader’s attention and hold it. The story is based on a thrilling myth from the north east of England and is a great way to introduce readers to the world of myths and legends. The story is quite short and the words and throughout the book you’ll find some stunning graphic novel style illustrations – this style of book from the ‘reloaded’ series by Barrington Stoke has been incredibly popular in getting reluctant readers reading. This particular book is aimed at 9+ year olds but whose reading age might be a little less. That said, it can also be equally enjoyed by someone a little older who is looking for a really quick read. Readers might also enjoy The Night of the Kelpies and The Ghost of Shadow Vale.
All pony lovers will fall for this beautiful picture story. Follow this fully illustrated story of how a foal grows into a horse from the exciting moment when it first learns to stand on its spindly legs to when it finds its freedom and learns to gallop around the field. Other titles by this author include Barefoot Book Of Fairy Tales, and The Dancing Tiger.
Magical stories are brought to life in this substantial Barefoot collection of Fairy Tales. There’s plenty of action and drama throughout. It really is a must-have collection for the family bookshelf to bring out and read a story from, from time to time. From Ali Baba and Cinderella, to Rumpelstiltskin and The Girl who became a Fish there is something for everyone here whether you are 5 or 105.
Luminous paintings convey a magical night time atmosphere full of dreams, hopes and possibilities and a sense of ‘forever’, even when things are changing. A little girl dances joyously through the seasons with a ‘quiet and gentle tiger’. They meet when the moon is full and, bathed in its ethereal light, they skip through the bluebells, high-kick the autumn leaves and, as winter comes, they waltz in the dazzling snow. The illustrations create a dreamy background against which the bond between the little girl, her great-grandmother who, as a child herself, had done it all before, and the tiger is powerfully forged. A quiet book, but one to savour. (5+)
Byron, bullied by the dreaded Fug, runs away from home and finds himself stuck on a tiny island of holiday homes when his kayak floats off without him. He has to survive on the things he can scavenge from the empty holiday homes and work out a way to get rescued. As he struggles to attract attention from the shore, he has time to think over how Fug controls the school, and he eventually comes up with an answer ... if only he can get back.
This collection of seven spellbinding Irish folk tales deserves to be read aloud at every hearth. Larger-than-life characters, dramatic plot twists and a healthy dose of magical enchantment will keep readers absorbed for many happy hours. Includes glossary and pronunciation key for Irish terms.
Part of the Bug Club Comprehension programme, this collection contains 12 unique and exciting stories to read with your child.
The sea is a powerful force of nature; once the salt gets into your blood it is hard to return to land. When a selkie is trapped in her maiden form by a lovestruck human, she pines for her seal-skin and the embrace of the waves. Her family may be on land, but her heart is with the sea. But not everyone is destined to live underwater ... Can Sylvie and her brother escape the watery clutches of Merman Rosmer? TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book. Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.
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