Well I’ve kicked off my morning with a power chord of positivity: #FridaTheRockAndRollMoth by @kimhillyard I loved the message about not changing yourself to fit in and lettering your inner brilliance shine through. “Frida is a musical moth who loves to rock out ­- she puts on her pointy boots and plays her purple guitar really LOUD! But when the Big Bright Light is switched on, more moths appear, ready to rock together, and Frida starts to feel that everyone is much better than her. Perhaps she isn’t so rock-and-roll after all . . . With the help of her biggest fan, Auntie Edna, Frida learn ..read more

There is an ever-increasing selection of delightfully creepy reads for middle grade readers. ‘The Doll Twin’ taps right into my horror weak spot – animated dolls (this is as a result of watching a certain film featuring a certain murderous doll when I was much too young!) Thankfully, this new title is age-appropriate and much less likely to induce nightmares. “Una Wexford is thrilled to be adopted after the great war, but an eerie secret lurks in her new home – a life sized animated copy of herself. Is ‘Ani’ as innocent as she seems or does she want to steal Una’s new family – and her life ..read more

A crumbling mansion, a powerful magic source, and stone gargoyles that come to life? Just some of the ingredients for a fantastic read. Do you think you have what it takes to become a guardian? Read author Tamsin Mori’s special piece about the skills you’ll need… “A crumbling mansion A magical source A living gargoyle Callen’s Dad has always been secretive of his past but when the family have to move into his childhood home, the last thing Callen expects is a boarded-up mansion covered in gargoyles. It’s enormous, the doors are nailed shut, the gardens are overgrown… and long-forgotten magic ..read more

Sometimes books come along that you know you are going to want to read in peace, which is precisely why I saved this book to enjoy as soon as the Easter holidays started. Any new title from Lucy Strange immediately jumps to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. I love her seamless blend of gothic mysteries, nature, and family secrets. “Abandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have been sent there for doing something wicked. But what is it that Faye has done? She might be bold enough to explore the prison-like island but has ..read more

As a teacher, it can be difficult to source high quality texts to use in your reading lessons. Luckily, the titles in this brilliant series have been carefully compiled to include a wide and varied range of extracts to engage readers and encourage deeper comprehension. Today, I’m showcasing the Year 2 Fiction and Poetry collection.   ‘Help pupils to develop reading comprehension skills in Key Stage 1 and ensure a successful transition to Year 3, using these poems and extracts from children’s stories. The book provides a gentle introduction to more formal comprehension while introducing c ..read more

I don’t know about you but when I was younger, I used to love those choose your own adventure books where your fate could change with the turn of a page. I was particularly fond of a Famous Five one which had special dice, a code key, and a magnifying glass! There don’t seem to be as many being published at the moment, but the few which are around are very much sought over and loved by any children I’ve shared them with. That’s why I’m especially excited to share these brand new titles from Weldon Owen Publishing where readers either have to escape from a medieval castle or a mummy’s tomb. ‘E ..read more

The Children’s Book Award is the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. It is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and is highly respected by teachers, parents and librarians. It has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman, Anthony Horowitz and Michael Morpurgo, who has won a record four times. The award has often been the first to recognise the future stars of children’s fiction and has the ability to turn popular authors into bestsellers. This pos ..read more

I am hoping that lots of your reading this post have plans to make a stack of delicious pancakes to celebrate it being Shrove Tuesday. If so, you may also like to celebrate the fact that the picture book classic ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes’ is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special foiled edition! “Mr Wolf fancies some tasty pancakes but he doesn’t know how to make them! Asking his neighbours is of no use – they’re a mean and horrible lot who refuse to help. Poor Mr Wolf! He has to work it out all by himself. But what happens when those nasty neighbours want to help Mr Wolf eat his delicious ..read more

One of a book’s many superpowers is the ability to help its readers develop the skill of empathy. Through books, we can explore the lives of others, gain new perspectives, and develop our understandings of ourselves. This year’s Read for Empathy collection features a wonderful range of titles which are guaranteed to get readers thinking. Empathy Day is on June 6th – there’ll be lots of special resources available to download but the collection is perfect to explore all year round. I’m thrilled to be sharing with you one of the books from the collection aimed at helping children explore their e ..read more

Well there couldn’t be a better choice of read to usher in the advent of the Year of the Dragon! Paper Dragons is an intoxicating new adventure from Siobhan McDermott. Be sure to read Siobhan’s piece about how she developed the magical setting of Wengyuen. “An extraordinary destiny unfolds . . . Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast. Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong. There, she battles in hair-raising boat races, meets ageshifting tutors and competes in thrilling trials. But ..read more