Recommended by: Emma Westwood Author: Maureen Johnson Form and genre: Prose/Coming of age romance Length: 320 pages Brief synopsis: Ginny, aged 17, is left 13 little blue envelopes by her free-spirited young Aunt Peg. Little does she know just how much they will change her life… Age recommendation: Y9+ Trigger Warnings: n/a Notable reasons for … 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson Read More » The post 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_ Author: Tia Fisher Form and genre: Poetry/Bildungsroman narrative Length: 410 pages Brief synopsis: A poignant poetry novel about a young boy struggling to navigate life after the death of his father. With his home life in pieces and struggling with secondary life, Eric becomes embroiled with a drugs gang. Before he knows … Crossing The Line by Tia Fisher Read More » The post Crossing The Line by Tia Fisher appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_ Author: Phil Earle Form and genre: Prose/historical fiction Length: 320 pages Brief synopsis: While most children are evacuating FROM war-torn London, Joseph is sent TO London. With his mother gone and his father at war, Joseph’s gran can’t cope with his behaviour and so he sent to live with Mrs F. Mrs F … When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle Read More » The post When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_ Author:  Form and genre: YA/prose/realistic Length: 400 pages Brief synopsis: Two young strangers meet on a bridge, both intending to jump. The book then explores the 4 possibilities:One jumps, the other doesn’t,They both jump.Neither jumps.Beautifully written with excellent character development. Age recommendation: 14+ Trigger Warnings: Mental Illness/struggles/suicide Notable reasons for recommending: Allows … The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg Read More » The post The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_ Author: Christopher Edge Form: ProseGothicFemale protagonistHistorical Fiction Length: 256 pages Brief synopsis: Penelope Tredwell owns and writes The Penny Dreadful under the pseudonym Montgomery Flinch. In order to boost sales she hires an actor to take on the persona of Flinch. When a letter from Bedlam arrives asking for Flinch’s expertise with … Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge Read More » The post Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_ Author: Patrice Lawrence Form: Prose/YA/Bildungsroman narrative Length: 440 pages Brief synopsis: After giving him drugs to take and hold, Marion’s date dies next him on a fairground ride. Marlon then finds himself breaking the promise he made to his mother. He promised never to follow in brother’s footsteps, but after this … Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence Read More » The post Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

I do a lot of curriculum work. For quite a while now I’ve been trying to articulate something for myself with little success. This blog post has been invariably a Twitter post, a very long thread, and then a collection of notes sitting in my drafts folder for aaages. Anyway, I met a lady last … English Curriculum and ‘The Spherical Cow’… Read More » The post English Curriculum and ‘The Spherical Cow’… appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Gemma Molyneux/@GHOEnglish Form and Genre: Picture Book Length: 40 pages Summary: A story about a very neat badger who goes a bit too far when tidying up the forest. Age recommendation and challenging content: EYFS/KS1 Notable reasons for recommending this book: It has a great message about the importance of nature; it has beautiful illustrations; lovely rhyming story. Perfect for teaching young students about why we need to preserve forests and look after wildlife. The post Tidy by Emily Gravett appeared first on Funky Pedagogy ..read more

Recommended by: Gemma Molyneux/@GHOEnglish Form and Genre: Picture Book Length: 32 pages. Summary: Humphrey the whale is on a quest: to find the one perfect object that will make him feel complete but nothing seems to do the trick. Humphrey soon learns that life is not about collecting stuff. Age recommendation and challenging content: EYFS/KS1 – but there are some fantastic metaphors and vocabulary that would appeal to older children. Notable reasons for recommending this book: A wonderful story about the true meaning of life. Humphrey learns an excellent l ..read more

Recommended by: Leah Ponsonby Form and Genre: Fiction novel and Thriller Length: 480 pages Summary: England has been infested with ghosts and the story follows a trio of teenagers who have set up their own agency to help tackle the problem. Very suspenseful with elements of humour thrown in Age recommendation and challenging content: Loss of parents, suitable for year 7 or 8 Notable reasons for recommending this book: Not for study but any group reading for enjoyment.  Further information: It’s a series so you may want to look into the other books     The post Lockwoo ..read more