Book Sorter

The Bare Bum Gang Battles the Dogsnatchers

Anthony McGowan

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

Ludo, Noah, Jamie, Phillip and Jennifer are The Bare Bum Gang! The newest member of the gang is Rude Word, the world's ugliest dog - and he's causing trouble. He's throwing up strange furry body parts, and Mrs Cake's dog Trixie is missing! Ludo and the gang have to turn detective and get to the bottom of this gross mystery.

The Boy in the Jam Jar: A Bloomsbury Reader

Joyce Dunbar, John Shelley

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (13 reviews)

Book Band: Lime, ideal for ages 6+ A powerful and personal story from Joyce Dunbar about what it's like to experience hearing difficulties. 'Joyce Dunbar is one of the best writers for children today.' Guardian Dylan can't hear as well as he used to be able to and he doesn't want to be different from his friends - he wants things to go back to the way they used to be. As his hearing gets worse he becomes more and more isolated from his friends. Luckily his dog Pluto is there to keep him down to earth... This heartwarming story from Joyce Dunbar has beautiful black-and-white illustrations by John Shelley and is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed … Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.' Books for Keeps

The Girl with Two Dads

Mel Elliott

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (12 reviews)

Matilda is a new girl at Pearl's school, but there's something really different and cool about her family she has TWO dads! Pearl is sure that Matilda's family must be very different to her own but, as they become friends, she starts to discover that maybe Matilda's family aren't so different after all … A funny and heart-warming tale featuring a same-sex parent family. This light-hearted story will open up discussion and encourage children to be open minded and inclusive. This charming tale of friendship is all about celebrating what makes us different and similar to one another and is perfect for sharing with children aged 3 years and up. Mel Elliott is a UK based artist and writer. She graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2007. She began designing fun, printed products and has grown her I Love Mel signature into a successful brand which has been featured in several media outlets. She is best known for her contemporary colouring books. Mel lives and works on the south coast of England and her book,The Girl with Two Dads is inspired by her daughter, Pearl.

Stormy Night

Salina Yoon

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (10 reviews)

When thunder shakes his house and rain pounds the windows, Bear is frightened. But comforting his Mama, Papa and Floppy helps make the storm seem not as scary. Before Bear knows it, the storm has passed, because even storms need their sleep ... and so do bears. A hugely heartwarming tale about the fear of thunder and how to overcome it.

Binny Bewitched: Book 3

Hilary McKay

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (14 reviews)

The third book in the heartwarming series about Binny and her family. Binny Cornwallis has lost something. Something that wasn't really hers in the first place. With her best enemy Gareth and her beloved dog Max she turns detective to track it down, but the Cornwallis family are anything but helpful. Little brother James and his friend Dill are having an adventure of their own and big sister Clem is acting very strangely. And on top of all this, Binny suspects their next-door neighbour may be a witch ... 'Hilary McKay's books are so good you want to climb inside the covers and live there.' - The Telegraph

Whiskery Mystery (Pip Street #1)

Jo Simmons

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (14 reviews)

A hilarious new series, perfect for fans of MR GUM.Quirky black-and-white line illustrations throughout as well as fun activity sheets at the back. Bobby Cobbler's family have only just moved to Pip Street when his beloved cat Conkers goes missing. As a mammoth-sized search begins, Bobby makes friends with the tiny and fizzy Imelda who lives next door. The friends soon discover that a lot of cats from Pip Street are missing. In fact so are the ones from Chip Street and Dip Street too! What on earth is going on? Something mysterious that's for sure! Bobby is determined to solve this whiskery mystery and see the safe return of his pet, but little does he realize that the culprit won't rest until Pip Street is completely catless!

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

Chitra Soundar, Jen Khatun

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (13 reviews)

Being a big sister to a new baby brings big responsibilities. Sona Sharma's house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come unannounced, the phone rings frequently and friends drop in all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn't sure – she has always enjoyed being an only child – and straight away she has a word with her best friend, Elephant. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming ceremony, she is determined to find the perfect name for her new brother or sister. Because although she realizes that her life is about to change, and while she's having some difficulty in coming to terms with having to share everything with the new baby – including Amma and Appa, her grandparents and her home – Sona Sharma wants to be the very best big sister she can be.

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Lemony Snicket

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (13 reviews)

Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Wide Window the siblings encounter a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leaches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain and a doll named Pretty Penny. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, A Series of Unfortunate Events has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.

Judy Moody and Stink: The Big Bad Blackout

Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (11 reviews)

Hold on to your umbrella and stock up on marshmallows – Judy Moody and Stink face wicked weather in their third full-colour adventure. In their third full-colour adventure, Judy Moody and Stink face some wicked weather – and a night without any electricity! Hold on to your umbrella and stock up on marshmallows – Hurricane Elmer is coming to town! The Moody family hunker down with baked beans and batteries to wait out the storm. But along with massive rain and strong winds, Hurricane Elmer throws down ghosts, bionic squirrels and aliens. Spooky! Just when things couldn’t possibly get any freakier – flicker, flicker, gulp! – the lights go O-U-T out. The Moodys are smack-dab in the middle of a big bad blackout! Grandma Lou proposes musical board games and some good old-fashioned storytelling. Will Hurricane Elmer go down in Moody family history as bad news, a happy memory or simply an LBS (Long Boring Story)?

The Poet X – WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019

Elizabeth Acevedo

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (13 reviews)

WINNER OF THE THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2019 THE WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD THE WINNER OF THE MICHAEL L.PRINTZ AWARD THE WINNER OF THE PURA BELPRÉ AWARD THE WINNER OF THE BOSTON GLOBE-HORNBOOK AWARD 'I fell in love at slam poetry. This one will stay with you a long time.' – Angie Thomas, bestselling author of The Hate U Give 'This was the type of book where ""I'll just do 50 pages"" turned into finishing it in 2 reads. I felt very emotional, not just because the story and the words themselves were so beautiful but because I knew it was going to make so many teens who felt like no one cares about them or listens to them feel seen.' – Tomi Adeyemi, bestselling author of The Children of Blood and Bone THE POET X – THE WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL. A stunning New York Times bestseller with a powerful and unforgettable YA voice. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi's The Children of Blood and Bone, Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Sarah Crossan's One. Xiomara has always kept her words to herself. When it comes to standing her ground in her Harlem neighbourhood, she lets her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But X has secrets – her feelings for a boy in her bio class, and the notebook full of poems that she keeps under her bed. And a slam poetry club that will pull those secrets into the spotlight. Because in spite of a world that might not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to stay silent. A novel about finding your voice and standing up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it is to say. Brave, bold and beautifully written – dealing with issues of race, feminism and faith. “Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice.… Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation “An incredibly potent debut.… Jason Reynolds, author of the National Book Award Finalist Ghost “Acevedo has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero.… Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street 'A story that will slam the power of poetry and love back into your heart.' – Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains 'Acevedo breathes words instead of air' – Lisa Heathfield, author of award-winning Paper Butterflies ‘Powerful, finely crafted verse … Readers will yearn to finish this verse novel in a single sitting, but its echoes will remain with them much longer’ Guardian ELIZABETH ACEVEDO was born and raised in New York City and her poetry is infused with Dominican bolero and her beloved city’s tough grit. The Poet X is her debut novel and a National Book Award winner. With over twelve years of performance experience, Acevedo has been a featured performer on BET and Mun2, as well as delivered several TED Talks. She has performed internationally and her poetry has been featured in Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post and Teen Vogue. Acevedo is a National Slam Champion, Beltway Grand Slam Champion, and the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam representative for Washington, D.C, where she lives and works.

The Nine Lives of Montezuma

Michael Morpurgo

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (10 reviews)

The charming tales of one mischievous cat from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo. A cat's nine lives are full of adventure and excitement and none more so than Montezuma, the farmyard cat. From a young kitten to a grand old cat, he is cunning and proud while establishing his kingdom, but to Matthew, he's always loving and adorable. A great read that kids aged 9+ will love. Michael Morpurgo, again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller with this collection of stories. Famed for animal stories such as Little Foxes, Shadow, The Butterfly Lion and An Eagle in the Snow, The Nine Lives of Montezuma is every bit as enthralling. Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.

The Roman Beanfeast

Gillian Cross, Ros Asquith

Subjects

Funny Stuff - rib ticklers to make you fall off your chair
Animal Tales - bundles of fur, fluff and fun
Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Sporty Stories - games, goals and gold medals

Average rating

4 out 5 (10 reviews)

Davy's class are working on the Romans and everyone is to do a piece of work based on the visit they made to a Roman fort . However, Davy's next door neighbour keeps stealing his ideas!

Book Sorter

Books sorted! Take a look at these top recommendations, or...

The Bare Bum Gang Battles the Dogsnatchers

Anthony McGowan

The Bare Bum Gang Battles the Dogsnatchers

Subjects

Average rating

The Boy in the Jam Jar: A Bloomsbury Reader

Joyce Dunbar, John Shelley

The Boy in the Jam Jar: A Bloomsbury Reader

Subjects

Average rating

The Girl with Two Dads

Mel Elliott

The Girl with Two Dads

Subjects

Average rating

Stormy Night

Salina Yoon

Stormy Night

Subjects

Average rating

Binny Bewitched: Book 3

Hilary McKay

Binny Bewitched: Book 3

Subjects

Average rating

Whiskery Mystery (Pip Street #1)

Jo Simmons

Whiskery Mystery (Pip Street #1)

Subjects

Average rating

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

Chitra Soundar, Jen Khatun

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

Subjects

Average rating

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Lemony Snicket

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Subjects

Average rating

Judy Moody and Stink: The Big Bad Blackout

Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds

Judy Moody and Stink: The Big Bad Blackout

Subjects

Average rating

The Poet X – WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019

Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X – WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019

Subjects

Average rating

The Nine Lives of Montezuma

Michael Morpurgo

The Nine Lives of Montezuma

Subjects

Average rating

The Roman Beanfeast

Gillian Cross, Ros Asquith

The Roman Beanfeast

Subjects

Average rating

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