Have you seen anything new in our library recently? We've had a few new additions and we don't just mean books! Come along and see if you can spot what is different.
Thanks to the generosity of our school community, we received boxes of books for the library at the end of May that we were able to buy with our Scholastic book fair rewards. You can find out about some of the books in this newsletter but lots will also be on the shelves outside the library. Come and find something new and exciting to read!
The wonderful Rosie from Shelf Life Books and Zines in Canton kindly donated all leftover World Book Day £1 book stock to the library. Thank you Rosie! You can pick up a free book while stocks last when you borrow a book from the library after school. Remember we are open after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Mrs. Jones Recommends...
A Different Kind of Freedom: A Romani Story
A gripping football-filled adventure based in the Romani community of 19th-century Sheffield.
This action-packed story is told through the eyes of young Lijah, as he navigates life and discovers football and the legendary Rab Howell.
“Quick history of Rab Howell: born in a wagon on a camp like yours about thirty years ago. He played for United and England, and was one of the best players I ever saw.”
In this heart-stopping adventure, Richard O’Neill shows us an important and intriguing time in Britain that’s sure to fascinate young readers.
Author Spotlight
Tọlá Okogwu
Tọlá Okogwu is an award-winning British-Nigerian children’s author, journalist and hair care educator.
Born in Nigeria, but raised in London, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She has written for several publications, including Refinery29, Huffington Post and Black Ballad. Tọlá’s work as an afro hair care educator has given her a unique insight into the key issues surrounding Black women and their hair and she has empowered and taught women all over the world how to improve the health of their hair.
Tọlá believes it’s important for children to read books that are reflective of their own experiences, as well as other cultures and she seeks to create these opportunities through her books. Her self-published picture book series, DADDY DO MY HAIR is a firm family favourite. The books were inspired by the relationship between her husband and daughters and are designed to celebrate the special bond between father and child, whilst also showcasing the beauty of Afro textured hair.
Tọlá’s debut middle grade series with Simon & Schuster has been picked up by Netflix and is currently in development, with David Oyelowo and Will Smith producing. The best-selling first book in the series, ONYEKA AND THE ACADEMY OF THE SUN was the June 2022 Waterstones Book of the Month and a winner of the 2023 Children’s Africana Book Award for Older Readers. The second instalment, ONYEKA AND THE RISE OF THE REBELS was published in March 2023.
Tọlá also writes as part of the dynamic duo, Lola Morayo with five books in the, AZIZA’S SECRET FAIRY DOOR series already published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Tọlá lives in Kent, England with her husband and two daughters.
Tọlá's books in Lansdowne Library include: Onyeka and The Academy of the Sun, Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels. Aziza's Secret Fairy Door and Daddy Do My Hair: Beth's Twists.
Watch the book trailer for Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun:
Listen to Tọlá read from Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun:
Illustrator Spotlight
Benji Davies
Benji Davies is an illustrator, author and animation director.
In his books he aims to capture how it feels to be a child. By immersing themselves in the stories he writes and illustrates, Benji hopes that children will find a quiet confidence with which to navigate the noise and bustle of the real world.
His first self-penned picture book The Storm Whale - since hailed a modern classic - won the inaugural Oscar’s Book Prize and was Dutch Picture Book Of The Year 2017. His second, Grandad’s Island, garnered similar success, winning the children’s book category of the AOI World Illustration Awards and being crowned Children’s Book of the Year at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards. In 2020 he won Oscar's Book Prize for a second time with Tad, a story about a tadpole making its way in the big, wide pond. All three of these books have since been adapted for the stage.
He is the illustrator of Nosy Crow’s internationally bestselling board book series, Bizzy Bear.
Benji’s books can been read in over thirty-five languages and have sold many millions of copies around the world.
He lives in East London with his wife and daughter.
Benji's books in Lansdowne Library include: The Storm Whale, Grandad's Island and Grandma Bird.
Watch Benji draw Noi from The Storm Whale.
Watch Benji read Grandad's Island.
Son of the Sea
A magical, wondrous novel by the author of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy – about a boy who longs to swim, and a town with a mysterious past ...
HIS FEET WERE THE FIRST CLUE...
Casper dreams of swimming the Channel. Surely, he was born to use his webbed toes... Instead, he's strictly forbidden to go near water.
When his parents have an unlucky accident, Casper is sent to stay with a grandmother he's never met - where he discovers his special tie to the sea...
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider. To be one of the lucky few selected to hatch a unicorn. To bond with it for life; to train together and race for glory; to be a hero.
But just as Skandar’s dream is about to come true, things start to take a more dangerous turn than he could ever have imagined. A dark and twisted enemy has stolen the Island’s most powerful unicorn – and as the threat grows ever closer, Skandar discovers a secret that could blow apart his world forever . . .
Get ready for unlikely HEROES, elemental MAGIC, sky battles, ancient secrets, nail-biting races and FEROCIOUS UNICORNS, in this EPIC ADVENTURE series that will have your heart soaring.
Finn Jones Was Here
A funny, heartbreaking story about life and loss, and making every second count.
Eric's best friend, Finn Jones, was the world's biggest prankster. Now Eric can't believe Finn's not here anymore.... Or is he?
Eric seems to be getting messages from beyond the grave, and as he follows Finn's wild, cryptic instructions, his hope grows that he'll find Finn laughing at the end.
The journey also brings memories - and a truth that seems impossible to accept.
The Ministry of Unladylike Activity
1940. The world is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the Ministry of Unladylike Activity is training up spies.
Enter May Wong: courageous, stubborn, and desperate to help end the war so that she can go home to Hong Kong (and leave her annoying school, Deepdean, behind forever). May knows that she would make the perfect spy. After all, grown-ups always underestimate children like her.
When May and her friend Eric are turned away by the Ministry, they take matters into their own hands. Masquerading as evacuees, they travel to Elysium Hall, home to the wealthy Verey family - including snobby, dramatic Nuala. They suspect that one of the Vereys is passing information to Germany. If they can prove it, the Ministry will have to take them on.
But there are more secrets at Elysium Hall than May or Eric could ever have imagined.
And then, someone is murdered . . .
The Lost Whale
THEIR BOND COULD SET THEM FREE . . .
Rio has been sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, while his mum is in hospital. All Rio wants is for Mum to get better so he can return home. But everything changes when he joins a whale-watching trip and meets White Beak, a gentle giant of the sea. Rio forms an instant bond with the whale, and for the first time in ages he feels a spark of hope. Then White Beak goes missing and Rio may be the only person who can help.
Can Rio draw on their special connection to somehow find and save his whale . . . ?
Amari and the Great Game
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy.
After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.
But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!
But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.
The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope . . . so how can Amari refuse?
The Frog's Kiss
A stunning reimagining of the classic tale, The Frog Prince, that proves anyone can have their happily ever after!
Inspired by a picture he sees in a book, a lonely frog decides to go in search of a kiss.
But will he ever find a princess who will make his heart skip a beat? Or does this frog’s fairy-tale ending involve someone unexpected…?
There's a Beast in the Basement!
Chaos and mayhem reign as Izzy and her friends take on another hilarious (mis)adventure. There's no such thing as an ordinary day at school when they're around...
Izzy and her friends overhear their head teacher talking about "missing treasure" and "running out of time". They know this means there's TREASURE buried in the school somewhere and that Mr Graves wants it all for himself. So Jodi says they've got to find it first, and they should start by searching the staffroom. After seeing things they will never forget, they head to the basement. Gary Petrie's dad is working down there and he's seen something SHINY! So they send Zach's cat down with a camera strapped to her head and study the footage carefully. What they see is SHOCKING and CHANGES EVERYTHING. It's not treasure in the basement, it's a BEAST with SHINING EYES and it's coming to get them! RUN!!!
Space Blasters: Suzie and the Moon Bugs
Save the universe in the awesome and hilarious space-themed adventure series from bestselling authors Katie and Kevin Tsang!
Suzie Wen can’t believe her luck – she’s the newest crew member of the Spaceblasters! She gets to explore the galaxy on a spaceship and meet lots of aliens.
But when Suzie and her friends crash land on a mystery jungle planet, they face an infestation of moon bugs!
It’s up to Suzie and the crew to fix their spaceship, defeat an evil Queen AND save the universe!
A Life Story: Serena Williams
Serena Williams: tennis player, sports icon, champion.
Get your head in the game with one of the greatest athletes of all time, Serena Williams.
A Life Story: This gripping series throws the reader directly into the lives of modern society's most influential figures. With striking black-and-white illustration along with timelines and fun facts.
Queens: 3000 Years of the Most Incredible Women in History
Queens – over 3,000 years of incredible women who ruled the world!
Celebrating strong, brave women across the centuries and around the world, Queens tells their stories of strength and resilience.
Spanning 3,000 years from Cleopatra to the Viking queens, Queen Nanny of Jamaica to HRH Elizabeth II, discover new stories about fierce female monarchs.
The Power of Welcome
A powerful graphic novel exploring the struggle for survival of displaced people.
With true stories from Ukraine, Somalia, Bosnia, Syria and Afghanistan, this moving book collects important tales about the real journeys of people forced from their homes by conflict.
Somalia: 'It was a normal, boring day. I was playing videogames after homework when the first bomb fell.'
Bosnia: 'One day, Mum took me to the local playground. A sniper shot at us. We couldn't stay in Bosnia any more.'
Ukraine: 'On the 24th of February, Mum woke me up by saying: 'The war has begun.'
Freestyle
Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition before they leave year nine. The crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine. And Cory's parents ground him for not taking his marks seriously.
He ends up with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd, until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. As his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew.
How is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?
Speak Up!
Join the brilliantly passionate and instantly loveable Rocket as she organises a peaceful protest to save her local library!
Bookworm Rocket loves to collect new books on her weekly visit to the library, and to read all about inspirational figures like Rosa Parks. She is heartbroken when she discovers the library will be closing down! Can she use what she's learnt from Rosa and speak up to save the day?
This empowering, heartwarming picture book is a love letter to libraries and the power of reading. And it shows the incredible power we ALL have when we find our voice and speak up about the things that matter.
Nottingham Class Love...
Teacher Feature
Miss Copp and some of the books she loves...
The Pirate Mums
Billy's family is not what you'd call ordinary. His mums won't listen to NORMAL music. They love to sing sea shanties and dance jigs in the lounge. Their clothes are highly unusual, they have a rude parrot for a pet, and their taste in house design is, well . . . FISHY. Billy wishes his family could be more like everyone else's. Until a swashbuckling adventure changes everything!
This book is exciting as a family set sail on a pirate ship! I loved how proud Bobby was of his mums for saving the day after the trip took a stormy turn!
That's Not My Name!
An uplifting picture book about loving your name, finding your voice and standing up for yourself.
Mirha is so excited for her first day of school! She can't wait to learn, play and make new friends. But when her classmates keep mispronouncing her name, she goes home wondering if she should find a new one.
When Mama helps Mirha see just how special her name is, she returns to school the next day determined to help her classmates say it correctly.
A very important book that shows us how important it is to say each other's names right! Everyone's name is special and unique- make sure others are saying yours correctly!
Hey You!
Remember to dream your own dreams
Love your beautiful skin
You always have a choice
This book addresses - honestly, yet hopefully - the experiences Black children face growing up with systemic racism, as well as providing hope for the future, delivering a powerful message to a new generation of dreamers. It's a message that is both urgent and timeless - and offers a rich and rewarding reading experience for every child.
I loved reading this book. It was very heart-warming reading about the parents' hopes and dreams for their baby. I love that the parents encourage their baby to grow up to be imaginative, curious and proud.
Glitter Boy
James loves dancing, poetry, and Mariah Carey (not in that order, though, because Mariah would obviously be first!).
His teacher, Mr Hamilton, is getting married to his boyfriend and it seems that James will be part of a surprise choir performance at the wedding.
But James's father seems uncomfortable about the plan, and a lot of other things - like any mention of Mr Hamilton, and James's dancing, and how James talks about his new friend Joel. Meanwhile, a different boy has been harassing James at school and calling him gay, and it's getting worse every day.
James can find relief with his beloved Nan. But she's been having worrying falls, and James can't tell anyone or she might be sent to a faraway care home. The secrets are building up, and James is starting to lose his characteristic spark.
Can he find the strength to let the truth out?
I couldn't put this book down! I was so excited to find out if James would make it to his favourite teacher's wedding to sing with the choir!
