A warm welcome to the second edition of Rendell Review created by the English Team here at Rendell.
The aims of the Rendell Review are: to promote reading for pleasure, to help parents/carers with buying/borrowing books for their children, to share what the teachers are reading, and to recommend new and exciting literature.
In this edition, we have recommendations from the English Co-ordinator, Mrs Rixon-Fox, Year 3's Mrs Lipiak, Foundation Stage's Mrs Holman and some of our Librarians as well as books to read following Children's Mental Health week and some inspired by World Wildlife Day.
One of the buttons found under each photo is labelled 'Read the First Chapter Now!' This will take you to a website called lovereading4kids.co.uk. It is free to sign-up and will allow you to read and download the first chapter of most children's books for free. The children are used to seeing this website as part of their reading lessons in school.
Also included are buttons labelled, 'Waterstones' and 'Amazon' which, when pressed, will take you directly to the website page of the book recommended, just in case you would like to purchase it! Alternatively, you could try and borrow the book from Loughborough Library or indeed our school library.
Rendell Library
As a reminder, all of the books found in the review are available to loan from the Rendell Library or the class bookshelf. We are pleased to have recruited KS2 librarians last term who have begun their roles in keeping the library a calm and tidy space which children can step into and explore the magic of story. The librarians will be getting the opportunity to develop and share their ideas for some exciting wall art as well as future reading events within school.
We do encourage all our children to sign up to the Loughborough Library to expand opportunities for reading at home. The button below takes you to the library website where you will find all relevant information. We have received confirmation this week that the Loughborough Mobile Library will be returning and will be stopping at Rendell which is fantastic news, we look forward to introducing this resource to the children. Children will need a Leicestershire Library card to access the mobile library so we do encourage you to sign up - children will be able to take forms from the mobile library when they get the opportunity to visit.
TRACTION MAN by mini grey
EYFS / KS1 RECOMMENDATION by Mrs Holman
Traction Man is the first in a series of books cleverly written around an everyday superhero who, with the imagination of his young owner, utilises the world around him to conquer villains lurking around the house. Traction Man goes from room to room discovering and resolving all manner of disasters, from searching the lost wreakage of the sieve to defeating the poisonous dish cloth. Nothing is unthought of in this story by the imagination of Mini Grey. This is a fantastic picture book for readers young and old with subtle humour and cleverly thought out scenarios. A must read for adventure loving children and an irrisistable invitation into child's play.
Crater lake by jennifer killick
year 6 RECOMMENDATION by mrs rixon-fox
Crater Lake is an introduction to the thriller genre for Year 6 readers and should be chosen with caution - however it is a gripping read for those who are ready to! From the moment that the bloodied hand hits the coach window, we know that we are in for a thrill. The beauty of this book comes less from what has been put in, but more from what has been left out. The book positively grips with mystery and suspense and the pages will keep turning as we desperately want to know the answers to the many questions that buzz around in our heads! As well as being a great mystery/thriller, this book holds within it many themes; friendship, loyalty, overcoming fears and resilience. Whilst the book's intention is to thrill, amuse and scare, it never goes too far. Alongside the action, there’s witty dialogue and a strong message about staying loyal to your friends and how to stand up for yourself. It is the perfect introduction to the thriller genre for this generation and will have children absolutely gripped.
MR PENGUIN AND THE LOST TREASURE BY ALEX T. SMITH
LKS2 RECOMMENDATION BY MRS LIPIAK
Mr Penguin is a fantastic series by the award winning author of Claude, Alex T. Smith - our current author of the month in the library! Mr Penguin follows a detective adventurer and hero who finds himself on a quest to find the missing treasure from the Museum of Extraordinary Objects. The striking black and orange illustrations capture the energy of the adventure beautifully and hook the children thoroughly. The story develops into a thrilling adventure reminiscent of Indiana Jones with some fabulous cliff-hanger moments that will keep young readers gripped. As with most of Alex T. Smith's stories there is pleanty of humour portrayed elegantly through text and illustration and is a perfect book to share together. If you enjoy this first book there are currently another three in the series!
BEETLE QUEEN BY M.G.LEONARD
KS2 RECOMMENDATION BY MRS RIXON-FOX
The second in the series following the hilarious Beetle Boy, Beetle Queen sees the return of the creepiest villain Lucretia Cutter. The cruel beetle fashionista, is at large with her yellow ladybird spies. When Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt discover further evidence of her evil, they're determined to stop her. However, the three friends are in trouble. Darkus' Dad has forbidden them to investigate any further - and disgusting crooks Humphrey and Pickering are out of prison. Hope therefore rests on Lucretia's daughter and a Hollywood actress, but the beetle diva is always one scuttle ahead. This is a fantastic book for KS2 readers looking for an entertaining adventure. The witty story telling of author M.G. Leonard will leave you on the edge of your seat with excitement before howling with laughter a few pages later!
Meet the librarians
We were overwhelmed with the number of children who applied to become librarians this year. We have 12 wonderful children from across years 4, 5 and 6 who are involved with the daily running of the library as well as contributing to this newsletter and promoting reading across school. See some of their fabulous book recommendations below!
Recommendation by year 6 librarians cezar & yusuf L.
This story starts with three sibilings; Sunny, Klaus and Violet Baudelaire who are destined to meet dangerous charcters and encounter perilous situations so join them on their unlucky and definitely unfortunate adventure. We think you should read this becuase if you're intrigued by mischief and mystery you should give it a go and trust our recommendation, you won't be disappointed! This is the first in a series of 13 books, so you really are in for a treat.
A street dog named pup by gill lewis
Recommendation by year 5 librarian alisha
This book is about a street dog named Pup who gets abandoned (cruelly) and now he joins a pack of street dogs for survival. Can he ever find his owner again? Overall, I think that this is a perfect book for kids of any age. The story is full of action and suspense as you follow Pup's adventure. It is full of enticing scenes and breathtaking illustrations. Gill Lewis' writing allows the reader to visualise so brilliantly that the characters feel like they are walking around with you for days after you've finished reading. I hope that you will read some of Gill Lewis's books, especially this one as it is in my opinion one of the best.
Children's Mental health week
Following Children's Mental Health Week earlier this month, we have found some wonderful books suited to different ages through school that promote good mental health and strategies for dealing with worry. Books are a wonderful way of helping children learn a little more about themselves and the world.
Your mood journal by ferne cotton
Everyone struggles to cope with their emotions, but it’s especially difficult for young children who often lack the vocabulary to express how they are feeling, even to themselves. Fearne Cotton is both a mum and a champion of mental wellbeing and her book cleverly provides children with practical ways to learn about their feelings and understand why they might feel the way they do. It does this through fun and engaging interactive exercises, which allow children to be creative and to play even as they try to understand what’s going on in their heads with a positive boost alongside.
imagine eating lemons: a CHILDREN'S INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS
Written by Jason Rhodes and Richard Dearing
EYFS/KS1 Recommendation
Imagine Eating Lemons tells the story of Chester Chuestnut as he learns how to manage his anxious thoughts and feelings through the practice of mindfulness. It achieves this by presenting an entertaining and relatable story for children to have read to them, as well as to join in with and eventually read themselves. The story is told in a rhythmical rhyme and takes readers on an imaginative adventure, brought to life through wonderful illustrations.
THE WORRIES: SOHAL FINDS A FRIEND BY JOIN SHEIBANI
ks1 / lks2 recommendation
Sohal Finds a Friend is a endearing and funny story that can provide comfort to young worriers as they enjoy an adventure in the company of an charming boy and his furry friends. Sohal dreads bedtime, when “the darkness would grow and grow, until it filled every part of his body”. Everything changes when he draws the monsters that scare him then…THEY COME TO LIFE! With Hurt, Fail, Anger, Big, and Alone for company, Sohal’s attention is diverted to worrying about them - what will everyone at school think? – but it’s not long before they help him understand his own worries. This book is a brilliant way to help children understand their anxieties and express themselves - very reminiscent of Pixar's Inside Out!
UKS2 RECOMMENDATION
Written by one of Britain's most influential and most-loved children's authors, Michael Morpurgo, tells the story of Will and his mother travelling to Indonesia in Running Wild. It is during his ride with Oona the Elephant who undoubtably saves him from the tsunami that his adventure begins and together they face perilous situations which are all too familiar today. The story touches on grief, despair, survival and the poignant topic of human deforestation for the production of unsustainable Palm Oil!
RED ALERT! 15 ENDANGERED ANIMALS FIGHTING TO SURVIVE
ks1 recommendation
This non-fiction text Red Alert! is inspired and endorsed by the 'Red List' database maintained by International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This is an absolutely beautiful and perfectly targeted book for its audience. Pick a place, choose a creature, discover its story and the danger it faces then, and most importantly, find out how to help it survive. This book is interactive, engaging and informative, and will inspire children to save their planet!
WORLD BOOK DAY 2022
World Book Day this year is on Thursday 3rd of March. As with previous years, we will be running a dressing up event where children should come to school dressed as a character from a book. Please see the following link for ideas. We will share more information about the event nearer to the date.
Thank you for reading
We hope you have enjoyed this first edition of the Rendell Review. If your child would like more books recommending, please do talk to your class teachers or come and find myself and I'll be happy to help. Mrs Rixon-Fox
Credits:
Created with an image by moshehar - "book page man"