Resources
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Postcard competition
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer – tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk – but Stella really, really didn’t want that to happen, just the same. A gorgeously imaginative and snowy middle grade fantasy adventure combining the magic of Peter Pan, the chaos of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the thrilling icy adventure of Northern Lights. To celebrate this book’s publication, Faber and Faber have...
Wonder - library activity pack including 'Ways to be 'WONDERful' checklist competition
Wonder ‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’ R. J. Palacio’s Wonder is the unforgettable story of August Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. It is a funny and frank novel that has inspired kindness and acceptance in countless readers. This autumn, Puffin are celebrating #ChooseKind with libraries across the UK, exploring the theme of kindness with children aged 8 and up, introducing them to the book ahead of the...
We're All Wonders - library activity pack and colouring competition
We’re all Wonders “I know I can’t change the way I look. But maybe, just maybe, people can change the way they see . . .” Wonder is the unforgettable story of August Pullman and has become a modern classic that has inspired kindness and acceptance in countless readers. In We’re All Wonders, younger children are introduced to the importance of choosing kind, in a gorgeous picture book, starring Auggie and his dog Daisy on an original adventure, written and illustrated by R.J. Palacio. Puffin...
Father Christmas and Me - Christmas bauble competition
Get into the festive spirit by winning a £30 National Book Tokens card and one of FOUR signed books! Father Christmas and Me is the third book in bestselling Matt Haig’s Christmassy series, with enchanting illustrations by Chris Mould. Following on from A Boy Called Christmas and The Girl Who Saved Christmas, in Father Christmas and Me, Amelia has now been adopted by Father Christmas and his new wife, Mary Christmas. But it isn’t always easy for Amelia – growing up as a human in Elfhelm. For...
Linwood Barclay’s Secret Mission digital resources
Linwood Barclay’s Secret Mission – CHASE Hachette Children’s Group and Orion Books are celebrating the publication of Linwood Barclay’s first novel for children, CHASE, and his new paperback, Parting Shot, by providing these great digital resources for libraries. Hachette Children’s Group and Orion Books would love for libraries to use the materials so that families can complete a secret mission where they follow or ‘chase’ the materials around the library. This pack includes: CHASE sticker...
Winnie and Wilbur 30th birthday activity pack
Winnie and Wilbur Friday 13 October is the 30th birthday of the brilliant Winnie and Wilbur series created by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul. To celebrate this, Oxford University Press Children’s books have sent us a pack with many activity sheets and ideas. This pack can be used to inspire children with Winnie and Wilbur this autumn. #WinnieAndWilbur30
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Host a Polar Bear Explorers' Book Club
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club is a gorgeously imaginative and snowy middle grade fantasy adventure combining the magic of Peter Pan, the chaos of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the thrilling icy adventure of Northern Lights. Faber have created this great guide so that you can hold an inspiring Book Club based around this new book from Alex Bell.
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht - A book trailer and craft activity
Pick a Pine Tree Pick a pine tree from the lot – slim and tall, or short and squat! Long straight limbs or branches bent – Mmm! Just smell that piney scent! From Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth creator, Jarvis, and author Patty Toht, comes a beautiful, irresistible Christmas gift book that all begins with … picking a pine tree! Brimming over with the excitement of being with family at the festive season, a gorgeously rhythmical narrative accompanied by warm, joyful art celebrates all the familiar...
The Dollmaker of Krakow by R. M. Romero - Teachers' guide
The Dollmaker of Krakow A timeless fantasy set in the Second World War that weaves together magic, folklore and history, perfect for fans of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mister Tom. One night a little doll named Karolina comes to life in a toyshop in Krakow, Poland, in 1939 and changes the life of the gruff, broken-hearted Dollmaker. And when the darkness of the Nazi occupation sweeps over the city, Karolina and the Dollmaker must bravely use their magic to...
Follow the Track All the Way Back by Timothy Knapman - A book trailer
Follow the Track All the Way Back Today is a BIG day for little Train … he’s going out on the track, all by himself, for the very first time! From Ben Mantle and Timothy Knapman, the author of Soon and Time Now to Dream, comes the story of a Little Train who is going out on the track, all by himself, for the very first time! But before he goes, his Mummy and Daddy remind him: “When it’s time to come home, no matter how far you are, just follow the track all the way back, where we’ll be...
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Colour in the scene activity
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club A gorgeously imaginative and snowy middle grade fantasy adventure combining the magic of Peter Pan, the chaos of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the thrilling icy adventure of Northern Lights. You can read a review from a Summer Reading Challenge child here. Download this activity sheet where your children can enjoy creating their own icy scene.
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Drawing activity
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club All of a sudden, the sled rose up over the crest of a hill – and they came face to face with a white, sparkling, magnificent castle. Countless spires and turrets rose up high into the sky, the frozen windows reflected back the sunlight, and the frost icing the turret roofs sparkled at them like hundreds of tiny diamonds. Download the drawing activity where children draw their version of the castle described within The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club.
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Design your very own crest
Stella joins the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club, Ethan is in the Ocean Squid club. Download this activity sheet and invent your own Explorers’ Club and design a crest below.
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club - Make an igloo craft activity
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer – tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk – but Stella really, really didn’t want that to happen, just the same. Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages… When Stella and three other junior...
Witches and Wizards Chatterbooks Activity Pack
Get in the mood for Halloween with this month’s Witches & Wizards Chatterbooks Activity Pack. There are activities, discussion questions and further reading, inspired by our favourite magical characters.
Amazing Animals Chatterbooks pack
As it is #WorldAnimalDay we are highlighting a brilliant Amazing Animals Chatterbooks pack that we have. Here are some great stories and picture books about all kinds of animals, plus ideas for activities in your Chatterbooks reading group. Download the pack and enjoy the many activities with your group. Please send through any photos or feedback from your group to [email protected].
Witch for a Week - a brilliant book trailer
Witch for a Week Here is a trailer for a new magical adventure from Kaye Umansky, the bestselling author of the much loved children’s classic Pongwiffy. The book is all about Elsie Pickles and is brought to life with charming illustrations from Ashley King. To celebrate the start of this spellbinding new series, Simon & Schuster have an exciting competition this autumn. To celebrate the start of this spellbinding new series, Simon & Schuster have an exciting competition this...
Luna Loves Library Day - reviews activity
Award-winning performance poet Joseph Coehlo has written his first picture book Luna Loves Library Day, illustrated by Fiona Lumbers, publishing this October. This lovely book is based around Luna loving her special time in the library. What better way to engage children with reading then asking them to review their favourite books and then share these in the library?
Luna Loves Library Day - wordearch activity sheet
National Libraries Week (9-14 October) is a chance to discover the range of things you can do at your library, from play and learning for children, to managing your health, to accessing wifi and games, to finding a job, a hobby or starting a business. To help children celebrate this week, Andersen Press have created special activity sheets based upon Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coehlo. Download this wordsearch and enjoy with your readers.
Luna Loves Library Day - maze activity sheet
Award-winning performance poet Joseph Coehlo has written his first picture book Luna Loves Library Day, illustrated by Fiona Lumbers, publishing this October. Every week Luna looks forward to one special day. The day when she discovers magic among the library shelves. The day she gets to spend with her dad. To celebrate the release of this very special picture book, Andersen Press have created activity sheets for libraries to use during National Libraries Week (9-14 October).
Luna Loves Library Day - creating covers activity sheet
“Libraries are more than the buildings or the people or books within them, they are gateways into reading, into writing, into discovering a world beyond that in which we find ourselves. Luna Loves Library Day was inspired by this magic, this vital ability to inspire children, shore up families and heal communities” – Joseph Coehlo National Libraries Week (9-14 October) is rapidly approaching. Andersen Press have created some great activity sheets to help you celebrate in your libraries.
Travel Booklist
The book loving team at The Reading Agency has put together a list of their favourite travel books.
Banned Books Week 2017
Every day, across the globe, writers are being censored in a hundred different ways. Some face persecution, others are imprisoned, some have their work banned and some are subject to more insidious means of censorship. We’re sharing a list of frequently banned books put together by the Free Word Centre and partners this Banned Books Week (Sep 24 – Sep 30). Download the list now and make sure you take a look at the other events and activity they have planned around Banned Books Week. We’ll be...
Lincoln in the Bardo - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as Lincoln in the Bardo. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
Elmet - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. Elmet by Fiona Mozley is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as Elmet. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
Exit West - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as Exit West. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
History of Wolves - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as History of Wolves. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
Autumn - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. Autumn by Ali Smith is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as Autumn. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
4 3 2 1 - what to read next
The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over four decades. 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster is one of the six shortlisted titles for 2017. All of the suggested books follow similar themes, styles or settings as 4 3 2 1. You can download the supporting booklist by clicking below.
Owl Babies activity packs
Walker Books have a brilliant pack filled with activities. Owl Babies A gentle tale of three baby owls reassures young children that Mummy will always come home. A gentle tale of three baby owls reassures young children that Mummy will always come home. Three baby owls, Sarah, Percy and Bill, wake up one night in their hole in a tree to find that their mother has gone. So they sit on a branch and wait… Darkness gathers and the owls grow anxious, wondering when their mother will return. But,...
