Welcome to the Eagle Primary Reading Newsletter for March 2021.
Welcome back to the Reading Newsletter. It would seem that I have once again managed to miss a month out - that is just how fast February has gone by! We are around a week away from returning to school together and reading is going to be one of the most important things that we can do.
There have been some great children's literature released in the last month or so, and I am going to make those books the content of this month's newsletter. Sneakily I am going to double up - so two books in each category - just because I can!
For 2021, I have changed the categories as I was wondering if Class/Key Stages was a little restricting - anyway each book now has a recommended age - so you CAN be in Y5 and read the EYFS book - I know I do!!
So, into this month's recommendations... I hope you find something to enjoy!
Thank you for reading.
Mr Watson
Age 4+ Book of the Month
We Are Here:
The exquisite and thought-provoking new book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers.
Well, hello. And welcome to this Planet. We call it Earth.
Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.
Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We’re glad you found it.
“An optimistic snapshot of contemporary life, this heartfelt hug of a book ought to become a classic” The Guardian
MR WATSON SAYS: Such a beautifully illustrated book, with such a beautifully written message within it. All children (and adults) should have a copy of this. It creates such an awe and wonder about our world, touching on both the natural and man made features within it. Most significantly, it teaches about respect and tolerance, when all too often these important skills are overlooked.
I AM ENOUGH
A #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.
This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.
We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.
MR WATSON SAYS: The first line of the book gave me goose bumps! "Like the sun, I am meant to shine." This is a lovely book with an overall theme about determination, inclusion, and self-worth. The illustrations show diverse ethnicities, races, and abilities that most books don't include. It's also a wonderful way to teach metaphors, as so many children take things they hear and read literally.
Age 7+ Book of the Month
In a world built for Perfect Pets, Barnabus is a Failed Project, half mouse, half elephant, kept out of sight until his dreams of freedom lead him and his misfit friends on a perilous adventure. A stunning picture book from international bestsellers The Fan Brothers, joined by their brother Devin Fan.
Deep underground beneath Perfect Pets, where children can buy genetically engineered perfect creatures, there is a secret lab. Barnabus and his friends live in this lab, but none of them is perfect. They are all Failed Projects. Barnabus has never been outside his tiny bell jar, yet he dreams of one day seeing the world above ground that his pal Pip the cockroach has told him about: a world with green hills and trees, and buildings that reach all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars. But Barnabus may have to reach the outside world sooner than he thought, because the Green Rubber Suits are about to recycle all Failed Projects . . . and Barnabus doesn't want to be made into a fluffier pet with bigger eyes. He just wants to be himself. So he decides it's time for he and the others to escape. With his little trunk and a lot of cooperation and courage, Barnabus sets out to find freedom -- and a place where he and his friends can finally be accepted for who they are.
This suspenseful, poignant and magical story about following your dreams and finding where you truly belong will draw readers into a surreal, lushly detailed world in which perfection really means being true to yourself and your friends.
MR WATSON SAYS: Books by The Fan Brothers are always beautifully illustrated with a lovely story and The Barnabus Project is no exception. I adore the illustrations which are just entrancing and the meaning of the story about being yourself is put across in the perfect way. Barnabus is such an adorable character, and I love that although he's a "failed project" he's happy with being himself and wouldn't want to change. I also think that the message about not judging others comes across really well in this story. I'd highly recommend this for fans of stunning artwork and for people looking for a picture book with a really heartfelt message that's very important.
The first in a super (like, actually, with powers and stuff) NEW series for 7+ readers from the amazingly talented illustrator and author Sophy Henn! Brimming with Sophy's hilarious signature illustrations, this is the perfect read for fans of Dork Diaries, Tom Gates, Amelia Fang, Wimpy Kid and Dog Man.
Being a superhero is the best thing ever, right? WRONG!
HELLO! My name is Pizazz and I’m a superhero…
You probably think that's really AWESOME and while it can be, it's also REEEEAAALLLLY annoying.
Don’t believe me? Well, I have to wear the same outfit ALL THE TIME?! I'm always dashing off to save the world right in the middle of fun stuff. Plus I have to be the good guy even when I might not want to be. And sometimes I just want to be, well, normal.
You see, it’s not easy being SUPER... PS DON’T even ask me about my super “POWER”
“Blocky comic-style panels, a fire-farting granddad and a conservationist message make for accessible, quirky reading” – The Guardian, Children’s Book of the Month
“Sophy Henn’s lively, energetic story should be a hit with anyone who finds it hard to fit in” – The Financial Times
“Full-page illustrations, comic-strip sequences, quirky typography and dramatic chapter openers ensure this book will appeal to more reluctant readers” – The i
MR WATSON SAYS: I bought Pizazz by Sophy Henn because I was attracted to the cover art. It was a great choice! I giggled, a lot! I really think it was the sort of superhero escapism that was needed this summer. My 9 yo daughter read it too and though it was brilliant. The comic book style drawings and characters are absolutely superb and the story is so funny! Really pleased this was the first in the series because I have already read the 2nd one too!
Age 9+ Book of the Month
Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…
When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.
But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.
"Montgomery's latest is an enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feel of a Christmas classic." Guardian
"Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.” Daily Mail
"A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.” i Newspaper
"This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior
MR WATSON SAYS: I really loved this in pretty much every way. It is a WWII story, but entirely NOT what you are expecting. Brilliant characters (especially the tiger, I wish that had been my imaginary friend). A great villain and sense of peril throughout, a real page-turner. Perfect wintry, blitz, English countryside setting and just bags of heart and wit. Montgomery ties it all together, with beautiful themes. How?! I don't know. But he does and it's great!
Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series.
Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.
With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…
MR WATSON SAYS:
**Disclaimer: There are a couple of mild swears in this book**
Agatha is a rather over enthusiastic 13 yo Detective. In this she gets herself mixed up in a sinister plot in London’s underground water network. Armed only with her wits and notepad, she endeavours to solve the mystery with her associate Liam and an unlikely ally! Really good listen this one - the plot is actually quite complex, just as Agatha’s hero Poirot would appreciate. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked this up, but I am actually quite tempted to try out some of the other Oddly stories at some point.
Author of the Month
pamela butchart
As a child, Pamela was lucky enough to grow up in a house full of pets and go to a primary school where lots of spooky and weird things happened (well, in her imagination at least). As a student, Pamela’s student jobs included: fishwife, teaching basketball in America, phlebotomist and Artist Liaison for a (really bad) Abba tribute band.
Her top selling stories include The Spy Who Loved School Dinners which won the Blue Peter Best Story Award and My Head Teacher is a Vampire Rat which won The Children’s Book Award. Two of her books, Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon and There’s a Werewolf in My Tent, were shortlisted for the Lollies – the Laugh Out Loud Awards.
Pamela lives in Dundee with her baby boy and their two awesome cats, Bear & Carlos. If she wasn’t working as a writer and a teacher she’d like to open a luxury hotel for stray cats.
MR WATSON SAYS: Pamela Butchart is an author who I confess has slipped by me in the past (Sorry!) - until I read 'There's a Yeti in the Playground', he fact that i chuckled my way though proves that her style is really onto something!
The book(s) would be ideal for all reluctant/struggling readers. They are the perfect books for reads and rereads and read alouds.
Butchart captures the behaviour of 8 year olds brilliantly. As well as being very funny, the books have an element of suspense which is great. I think it also gives readers a feeling of being together with the characters, which would have helped with Lockdown loneliness over the past year. I am sorry Pamela, you haven't been on my shelf, but I am pretty sure that is likely to change!
Your Recommendations...
Of course this Newsletter shouldn't be just about my choices.
I would love to hear recommendations from you too.
If you have read and enjoyed a book and think that someone else might enjoy it too, then share the name of the book and author with me, along with a brief summary of the plot and why you think someone else would enjoy the book.
Share the love of books.
You can E-mail your ideas, recommendations and reviews to: mike.watson@eagle.lincs.sch.uk
I think at the moment, finding quiet time to read is essential - now we are together in school sharing stories and texts, I think it might become a lost activity if it isn't delivered at home. Please remember that Reading is Reading - doesn't matter what you read, as long as you do some daily.
Remember as always, reading is a beautifully subjective thing... if you don't like a book, think about why before giving up.
Might it be worth another chapter?
Do you understand what is happening?
Use these thoughts to shape your future choices.
Mr Watson
Credits:
Created with an image by Jonas Jacobsson - "untitled image" Book synopsis and author biography from Amazon.co.uk Other links - credited.