Resources
Happy Hills - digital resources
The brand-new, hilariously funny full colour graphic novel series from award winning author and illustrator of the Pizazz series, Sophy Henn. Jam-packed with hilarious stories, this is perfect for fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dogman and Tom Gates. Meet the friendly and not-so-friendly residents of Happy Hills, a place where anything can happen and always does! When unicorn Ace stumbles across happy hills, he is surrounded by the residents who are keen to share their spooky stories, plays a...
How to Teach Grown-ups About Climate Change activity pack
Perfect for national environment daya such as Earth Day and Environment Day, and for any climate change focuses in your library or school, this activity pack includes: · a poster with 10 suggestions to help the environment which you can print out · a word search with key environmental word definitions · a true or false quiz to test young readers knowledge. All based on How to Teach Grown-ups About Climate Change by Patricia Daniels. This empowering, cutting-edge and entertaining guide puts...
Galápagos Islands Animal Wordsearch
Can you find the 10 animals hidden in this wordsearch? All the animals live on the Galápagos Islands or in the sea around them. Based on Galápagos Islands: The World’s Living Laboratory. Join author and explorer Karen Romano Young on her travels through a world where locals and visiting scientists work among giant tortoises, salt snorting iguanas, diving penguins and erupting volcanoes. Here she discovers what these remarkable islands can teach us about living and thriving in harmony with...
Solstice activity sheet
‘Wonderfully informative.’ The Sun ‘It would be difficult to be sufficiently effusive in [our] praise for this gem of a junior non-fiction title… An essential leisure non-fiction title… to quench the thirst of all hungry young fact-finders!’ School Reading List Download this free activity sheet which encourages children to share what they do on the June solstice. Or imagine what other children might be doing around the world. It includes facts extracted from Solstice: Around the World on the...
Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! - digital resources
The perfect book to surprise dino-loving superfans and delight nature investigators everywhere. There are herbivorous sauropods, carnivorous theropods, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterosaurs. Find out when dinosaurs lived, what they ate and, importantly, what’s not a dinosaur! Download your digital resources today and discover everything you wanted to know about dinosaurs.
Radio 2 Book Club extract of The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
In the wake of environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London’s Royal Ballet, has become a refugee on Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. In Tharsis, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger – a person whose body is not adjusted to Mars’s lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation options are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician...
How To Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair - author video and book club questions
There is an opportunity for book clubs to review the Women’s Prize for Non-fiction shortlisted book, How To Say Babylon. Apply by 23 May LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION You can find out more about the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist. ‘Dazzling. Potent. Vital’ TARA WESTOVER ‘To read it is to believe that words can save’ MARLON JAMES ‘I adored this book … Unforgettable, heartbreaking and heartwarming’ ELIF SHAFAK An extraordinary and inspiring memoir of family,...
Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwold Activity Sheets
The Gods of Olympus and their descendants have lost their memories. They think they are ordinary humans. Only Hannah Messenger and her friends know who they really are. And that means when the God’s objects of power start to go missing, only Hannah and her friends can stop the thief. A MG urban fantasy about learning that real power is in the friendships you make. Download these free activity sheets below.
How to Be a Genius Kid - digital resources
Get super brainy with zero effort thanks to Waldo Pancake – who wrote and illustrated all the mega keel Barry Loser books. ‘Why is misspelling stuff a sign of grate intelly-genz?’ ‘What have the hours in the day got to do with FINGER BONES?’ ‘Why does rain on a pavement smell so delish?’ Zany and laugh out loud bonkers, this graphic novel of large and small facts, is The Best, and that’s official! You’ll want to quote from it, repeat the gags, and reread it again and again. Plus Waldo Pancake...
When the Wild Calls by Nicola Penfold - reading guides
“Penfold’s skilful storytelling offers a powerful and thought-provoking narrative with themes of courage and resilience that will resonate with 9-12-year-olds.” - The School Reading List “A triumph of a sequel. Emotional punch and ecological awareness wrapped up in an exciting adventure. It was a joy to return.” - Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear The journey winds through me, twisted and turned, like a difficult second spine… Having escaped their city, Juniper Green and her brother Bear...
In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - digital resources
‘Destined to be a classic’ Garth Nix ‘A stunning adventure’ Cressida Cowell ‘Pure joy to read’ Jasbinder Bilan Download the resources here. Unlock a magic that could save the world … or destroy it. From bestselling, award-winning author Kiran Millwood Hargrave comes an epic new fantasy: ‘This tale of adventure and magic is as brave as it is exciting’ Independent When her sister vanishes after a mysterious earthquake, Ysolda sets off on a rescue mission. But these are dangerous times, and soon...
Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond - digital resources
‘An electrifying read – full of fast-paced action, endless fun and fearless imagination.’- A.F. Steadman ‘Mythology with a modern makeover – an epic adventure!’- Maz Evans Peregrine Quinn has always loved hearing her godfather Daedalus Bloom’s stories about his life as an immortal, but that’s all they were – stories. That is, until the portals that connect the Terran Realm with the Cosmic Realm mysteriously shut down, Daedalus is kidnapped, and Peregrine is swept into a nail-biting...
Elmer Day 2024 - digital resources
This year’s Elmer Day will be an extra special celebration for Elmer the patchwork elephant’s 35th birthday and Andersen Press are offering free downloadable event packs to help you join in the fun in your school or library! The pack includes activity sheets, craft ideas, games and lots of other resources. Everyone is invited to join in the fun for Elmer Day, and while the official date for this year’s Elmer Day is Saturday 25 May, we invite you to celebrate at a time that works for you,...
Lola Loves Walkies written by Jake Hope & illustrated by James Brown Colouring Sheet
Download this free colouring sheet for the new picture book written by Jake Hope and illustrated by James Brown, Lola Loves Walkies. Ready or not, Lola loves kisses and cuddles, friends and fun, but what she loves most of all is walkies! Join Lola as she plays hide and seek, leaps in and out of the long grasses and watches her poochy pals fetching sticks on an adventure that’s a walk in the park!
Greenwild by Pari Thomson - digital pack
Embark on an unforgettable adventure through the Greenwild, beautifully illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, filled with plants and bursting with magic: the Greenwild.But all is not well in this astonishing land. Before long Daisy finds herself confronting a dangerous presence that threatens green magic on both...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
Ireland, 1846 Nell is working as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Once she loved school and books and dreaming. But there’s not much choice of work when the land grows food that rots in the earth. Now she is scrubbing, peeling, washing, sweeping for Sir Philip Wicken, the man who owns her home, her family’s land, their crops, everything. His dogs are always well fed, even as famine sets in. Upstairs in the Big House, where Nell is forbidden to enter, is Johnny Browning, newly...
Global by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano - digital resources
This is a powerful, hopeful and timely story about the real effects of climate change: two young people on different continents whose lives are catastrophically changed by global warming. A graphic novel with glorious colour artwork throughout for children of all ages – from Eoin Colfer, previously Irish Children’s Laureate, and the team behind Illegal, and his bestselling Artemis Fowl graphic novels.Yuki lives in an increasingly deserted Inuit township in Nova Scotia. One day she sets out...
The Best Eid Ever - digital resources
A gorgeous picture book to introduce children to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr written by acclaimed children’s author Sufiya Ahmed with beautiful, colourful illustrations by Hazem Asif. “The Best Eid Ever is a fantastic resource, and one of very few available in narrative form for children. It is a great way to teach and raise children’s awareness and knowledge of the religious festival of Eid. Through detailed pictures with plenty of colour, and the vocabulary in the text, children can visually...
City of Spies - digital resources
‘Another gripping, revealing historical adventure from Lawrence and well worth sharing.’ – Books for Keeps A thrilling spy adventure set in New York during the American Revolution that will have readers gripped. The perfect high-action adventure for fans of Horrible Histories, Emma Carroll and Hamilton. About the book It’s 1780 and the American Revolution is raging. In New York, twelve-year-old Aiden Blaise is sure that the British will win soon. How can a few rebel colonies hold out against...
The Reading Agency’s April booklist - Nature and Conservation
Earth Day 2024 will take place on 22 April. To support any activity you may want to run, we have collated a booklist with a mix of poetry, fiction and non-fiction books with strong themes of nature and conservation. We would love to hear what books you’d recommend on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency. You can see our past booklists here. Our monthly booklists The monthly themed booklists are co-ordinated in-house by the Reading Partners team. The aim of our booklist...
Andersen Press - a bumper pack of activities for children
Andersen Press have created a free activity pack inspired by their new titles, perfect for keeping kids entertained whatever the weather! It features free drawing activities, colouring sheets and games based on a selection of Andersen Press titles: • Luna Loves Gardening by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Fiona Lumbers • Shine Like The Stars by Anna Wilson, illustrated by Harry Woodgate • Where is the Cat? By Eva Eland • Trains, Boats and Planes by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Jez...
Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self-Destruct by Ben Sanders - digital resources
About the book This book will explode in 5 minutes. NO TIME TO LOSE! Agent Harrier must follow the red wire and defuse the bomb before it’s too late. Will our canine spy extraordinaire save everyone from being blasted to smithereens? And just WHO planted the wretched bomb in the first place?! Be careful not to bark up the wrong tree, Harrier – it looks like something very fishy could be ahem apaw . . . This stylish graphic novel is a funny, punny twist on the traditional spy caper. The first...
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron - digital resources
Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Crime & Thriller Book of the Year 2024 About the book Two years ago, the Monochrome inquiry was set up to investigate the British secret service. Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out misconduct, allowing the civil servants seconded to the inquiry, Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, unfettered access to confidential information in the service archives. But with progress blocked at every turn, Monochrome is circling the drain . . . Until the OTIS file...
Animal All-Stars by Clare Balding - School Resources
A HILARIOUS GUIDE TO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM WHERE YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMALS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD The athletes have arrived. The excitement is building. Grab your popcorn and get ready to witness the most entertaining sports day ever with commentator Clare Balding. Who would win… the Australian tiger beetle or the peregrine falcon? Who is the strongest… the extraordinary ant or the grumpy gorilla? Who has the best superpower… the headless cockroach or the jet-powered squid? From speed, agility and...
Best Friends Forever - Bigg School Teaching Resources
Welcome to BIGG SCHOOL! Lola and Evie have been BFF since they were babies. When Lola discovers that they’re in different classes at their new school, it’s a total disaster! Lola is forced to sit next to Daniel, the most annoying boy on the planet. Worse still, Evie makes a brand new friend – snooty show-off, Cleo – who wants Evie all to herself. Three most definitely IS a crowd, but Lola is not going to lose her BFF without putting up a fight! With illustrations that express the often...
Double Drama Teaching Resources and Book Club Card
Life isn’t easy for Daniel Littleton. His mum always seems to be ill, his dad is always working and his little twin sisters drive him up the wall! At school, Daniel feels like he’s the only kid in his friendship group without the latest trainers or model of X-Box. Worse of all, his mates are starting to notice. So when he gets the main part in the school play, he is thrilled. But it isn’t long before his life is conflicted by home and school life, and he must make some hard decisions if he’s...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of Clear by Carys Davies
1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger’s intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John’s...
Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond by Hartigan Browne - Activity sheet
Can you work out Cluedunnit? For mystery fans, a brand new puzzle book for code-cracking families and skilful young super sleuths. Team up with world famous private investigator Hartigan Browne and crack the curious case of the Dumpleton Diamond by solving 50 fun brain-busting puzzles. A funny and intriguing mystery story sets the scene in the village of Dumpleton where detectives need to discover: - Who pup-napped Dave the dog? - What is important about The Flying Goat? - How the Dumpleton...
On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop (12+) - Reading group guide
Full of heart, drama and beauty, this sweeping fantasy inspired by ancient folklore will draw you into a secret world within Britain’s waterways. Kelda has always protected her little sister Isla from danger on the rivers, and from the suspicions of their community. For Isla cannot breathe underwater – and so her very existence is forbidden by silvermen’s Lore. Now the rivers of England are growing sick: monstrous creatures are awakening and a fierce torrent of blame falls upon Kelda’s...
On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop (12+) - Teaching resource
Full of heart, drama and beauty, this sweeping fantasy inspired by ancient folklore will draw you into a secret world within Britain’s waterways. Kelda has always protected her little sister Isla from danger on the rivers, and from the suspicions of their community. For Isla cannot breathe underwater – and so her very existence is forbidden by silvermen’s Lore. Now the rivers of England are growing sick: monstrous creatures are awakening and a fierce torrent of blame falls upon Kelda’s...
