10 Perfect Poetry Books

Poetry is now a major focus within the national curriculum, and we've helped lots of teachers and school librarians who are keen to find inspiring poetry books that will capture children's imaginations. It's a form of writing that can seem like a bit of a hard sell to some young readers, especially when compared to a gripping story or a beautifully presented non-fiction book. But poetry doesn't have to be dry or difficult – here's Continue reading

Shining a Light on the Dark Ages: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings for years 3/4

The period after the Romans left Britain in 410 to the crowning of our first Norman king, William the Conqueror, in 1066 is an important and fascinating part of British history. As part of the history curriculum for key stage 2, more children than ever are now learning about the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ (something to debate with your pupils! How dark were the ‘Dark Ages’ really?). The history of the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings in Britain are

Ships & Shipwrecks!

Q. We are looking at the topic of Shipwrecks this term. We’ve already got a few books on pirates and we’re keen to find some other texts that focus on islands, ship and sunken treasure. Would you be able to recommend some fiction and non-fiction books for pupils in years 5/6? A. Thank you for your question. There’s lots of scope here for brilliant fiction books for UKS2, as well as some great non-fiction titles,

Going to the Seaside?

This week we’ve been looking at a selection of books for Reception, KS1 and lower KS2 pupils working on summer term projects to do with the seaside, coastal geography, and underwater creatures. There is a whole host of books to help children discover all aspects of the seaside, to inspire activities and also classroom discussions. Seaside by French Illustrator and author Alain Gree is a brilliant and innovative introduction to the seaside, its brilliant retro style,