Resources
Adult September Booklist: The Power of Reading
To celebrate National Literacy Day on 8th September 2021, we have created a list of books perfect for less confident readers, people developing their literacy skills, and those looking for something short and sweet! There is a mix of fantastic fiction, engaging non-fiction, and snappy short stories, plus cookbooks and graphic novels.
Children and Young People's September Booklist: Back to School!
For many children and young people, September marks the start of the new school year, a time that can be both exciting and daunting. We have created a booklist for all children, from nursey school age through to secondary students, related to school. There are novels about lab experiments gone wrong and teenage romance, as well as books about friendship, fitting in and being brave.
National Reading Group Day - library toolkit
This toolkit will help librarians to plan for National Reading Group Day on 14 September. Activity packs for Reading Friends and Chatterbooks groups will be available soon. Contact readinggroups@readingagency.org.uk with any questions.
Summer of Reading from DK Books
Join in the Summer of Reading with DK Books! This file will give you 4 activity packs: 1. Behind the Museum. Explore the world’s most incredible museums in this digital pack. 2. Dragon World. Watch out – dragons about! Become a dragon expert with the help of DK Books and this pack. 3. Move Like a Lion. This activity pack will get you up and moving with author and sports presented Radzi. 4. The Rainforest Book. Want to explore the rainforest? Download this pack to go on an adventure!
Adult August Booklist: For the Love of Books
To celebrate Book Lovers’ Day on 9 August, we have compiled a list of books all about the joy of reading, bookshops and libraries! The list also includes titles which think are perfect for inspiring a love of reading.
August Booklist for Children & Young People: For the Love of Books
It’s safe to say, here at The Reading Agency, we love books. And we know you do too! So, we have created a booklist to celebrate Book Lovers Day on 9th August 2021. This list includes titles for toddlers, children, teens and young adults, all about the wonderfulness of words, brilliant bookshops and our love of libraries. There are also books that we think are just perfect for inspiring a life-long love of reading.
Summer Holiday Fun! Activity Pack from Andersen Press
Andersen Press have created a free activity pack full of fun activities inspired by their new titles, perfect for keeping kids busy over the summer holidays. The Summer Holiday Fun! Activity Pack includes colouring sheets, puzzles and drawing activities inspired by a selection of Andersen Press titles; What Will I Be? by Frances Stickley illustrated by Lucy Fleming The Mouse’s Apples by Frances Stickley, illustrated by Kristyna Litten Grumpy Hat by Nicola Kent Peep! by Meg McLaren Grandad’s...
The Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson - Teachers' Notes and Discussion Questions
What you don’t remember can’t hurt you… Cyan has lived at the Elsewhere Sanctuary for as long as he can remember, freed by Dr Haven from dark memories of his past life. But when Cyan finds a mysterious warning carved into the bones of a whale skeleton, he starts to wonder what he had to forget to be so happy. New resident, Jonquil, begins to resist the sanctuary’s treatment, preferring to hold on to her memories – even the bad ones. So when Dr Haven resorts to harsher measures, Cyan embarks...
Choose Songbirds for your next Reading Group
We are pleased to be able to offer downloadable Reading Group questions for Songbirds, the powerful follow-up to The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. By day she cares for Petra’s daughter; at night she mothers her own little girl by the light of a phone. Nisha’s lover, Yiannis, is a poacher, hunting the tiny songbirds on their way to Africa each winter. His dreams of a new life, and of marrying Nisha, are shattered when she vanishes. No one cares about...
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna - Teacher Resources
Kiki Kallira is more of a worrier than a warrior. But today she’ll have to be a hero … A magical celebration of creativity and its powers, for fans of The Land of Roar and The Strangeworlds Travel Agency. About the resources This teacher resource pack is bursting with classroom ideas and cross-curricular activities for KS2, covering a range of themes including children’s mental health, anxiety, Hindu mythology and creativity. You can find out more and download the teacher resources here.
The Magic Ocean Slide by Emma Beswetherick - Activity Pack
Join best friends Katy, Cassie and Zia on a series of amazing adventures as they work together to save the planet… On the hottest day of the year, the friends imagine a water slide coming out of Katy’s bedroom window. As they plunge into an underwater world, they can’t wait to explore. But when they meet a dolphin in distress, they realise the ocean is in big trouble. It’s so full of plastic that the sea creatures have been forced to flee their homes. Can the friends come up with a plan to...
Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire by Nat Amoore - Teaching Resources
‘Laughs, family, friendships and a thrilling adventure – Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire has it all.’ Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. ‘Fast-paced, clever and completely hilarious with the BEST cast of characters… LOVE IT TO BITS.’ Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of Dosh. 10-year-old Tess is a born entrepreneur. She just needs to come up with the perfect money-making scheme. Then she finds a million quid buried in her back garden. Never mind where the money came from –...
Radio 2 Book Club titles April-June 2021
Here are all the titles recommended by the Radio 2 Book Club on the Steve Wright in the Afternoon Show from April to June 2021. These books were chosen in collaboration with librarians in the UK. You can find out more on our website.
PESTS by Emer Stamp - Digital Pack
Stix is the tiny but heroic mouse that could be living behind YOUR washing machine. You wouldn’t know it though, because Stix knows how to stay hidden and stick by the rules to avoid being caught by humans. But now Stix has stumbled across PESTS – the Peewit Educatorium for Seriously Terrible Scoundrels – in the basement of his building, and along with a whole host of new pesty friends (and enemies), he’s about to rip up the rule book and make a REAL pest of himself… PESTS is the first book...
Granny Trouble (Anisha, Accidental Detective) by Serena Patel and Emma McCann - Activity Pack
Join Anisha, Accidental Detective as she solves her most recent crime: a stolen diamond! Milo and I have been looking forward to this half-term for what feels like FOREVER – we’re finally going to the National Space Centre, to meet a real-life space engineer! My whole family wanted to tag along and visit a festival first, where this super-famous, mega-expensive diamond is on display. But guess what? The diamond has been STOLEN! And the police think MY GRANNY did it so she’s in serious...
Step back to the Stone Age with Sophie Kirtley - Digital Activity Pack
To celebrate the publication of Sophie Kirtley’s second unforgettable time-slip adventure, The Way to Impossible Island, Bloomsbury Children’s Books have a fabulous selection of digital and physical display materials available for libraries nationwide to request. A brave, life-affirming middle-grade time-slip adventure about finding your family and finding yourself, from the author of The Wild Way Home. Born with a serious heart condition, Dara has been waiting for his Big Operation forever,...
National Poetry Day Discussion Notes
Join in the National Poetry Day celebration on 7 October by choosing a book from the list of recommended books for reading groups. There’s no right or wrong way to approach poetry, or to appreciate and discuss it. This guide will provide your group with questions for each of National Poetry Day’s recommended reads. Enjoy!
Maisy Goes to the Library – Baby & Toddler Storytime pack
Host a Storytime event for Maisy Goes to the Library and celebrate 30 years of Maisy! Maisy the mouse, every toddler’s best friend, spends a crazy day at the library! When Maisy goes to the library it seems like the perfect place to read her story in peace. But Maisy finds the library full of noisy surprises! Walker Books are delighted to share downloadable storytelling tips and an activity kit to help keep the littlest ones entertained. Keep us updated with photos on Twitter via...
We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights
To celebrate the publication of WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights, edited by Amelia Abraham, we have a poster available to download. How can we create a better world for LGBTQ+ people? 35 extraordinary voices share their stories and visions for the future. We talk about achieving ‘LGBTQ+ equality’, but around the world, LGBTQ+ people are still suffering discrimination and extreme violence. How do we solve this urgent problem, allowing queer people everywhere...
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara - Reading Guide Booklet
Discover the heart-rending, unforgettable novel longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2020 with Vintage’s Reading Group Booklet. We would love to see how you use the reading guide on social media using #DjinnPatrol and @VintageBooks. ‘A dazzling, wonderful book’ ELIF SHAFAK ‘The arrival of a literary supernova… Warning: if you begin in the morning, don’t expect to get anything done for the rest of the day’ NEW YORK TIMES In a sprawling Indian city, three friends venture into the most dangerous...
Kids Fight Climate Change by Martin Dorey - digital pack
Our planet is in trouble. It needs YOU. Together we can fight climate change by speaking up and changing what we eat, how we travel and the ways we use energy. Find out how you can become a #2minutesuperhero by completing 50 fun missions that reduce your carbon footprint at home, school and in your community. Informative, practical and positive, this guide for children is written by Martin Dorey, anti-plastic campaigner and author of the bestselling No. More. Plastic, and is the founder of...
GIRL (in real life) by Tamsin Winter - Teachers' Notes & Discussion Questions
What’s it like to grow up online and have every tantrum, every spot – even your first period – broadcast to hundreds of thousands of followers? A funny and heartfelt novel for fans of Geek Girl, from the award-winning Tamsin Winter: “Fast becoming a favourite for younger teenagers.” The Guardian. Most parents try to limit their kids’ online exposure. But not Eva’s. Her parents run a hugely successful YouTube channel, and Eva is the star of the show. But Eva is getting sick of being made to...
The Unbelievable Biscuit Factory by James Harris - author video and activity sheets
The biscuit factory in Haddie’s hometown is absolutely 100% NOT a Super-Secret Science Lab. Or a portal to another dimension. With orange fluffy monsters. DEFINITELY NOT. Or… is it? A laugh-out-loud biscuit-bonkers adventure for readers aged 8+ and fans of My Brother is a Superhero and Kid Normal. You can also watch the book trailer here. If schools and libraries would like to request any POS for this book then they can email education@hachettechildrens.co.uk.
Indigo Wilde by Pippa Curnick - book extract and activities
Enter the colourful world of Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent. A wonderfully wild new series with full colour illustrations throughout, ideal for readers of 7+ and fans of Pippi Longstocking and Amelia Fang. More about Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent: Home for Indigo and her little brother, Quigley, is 47 Jellybean Crescent, a crazy and colourful house full of magical creatures that her adopted parents, World-Famous Explorers, have taken in over the...
A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr - Teachers' Notes and digital pack
A Glasshouse of Stars is a powerful story based on Shirley Marr’s childhood experience of migration. This teaching and discussion resource pack aimed at 8+/KS2+ readers explores some of the important themes within the book such as bullying, grief, fears and anxiety, imagination, and communication. To request a physical A Glasshouse of Stars resource pack (includes bookmarks and a display card) for your classroom or library please submit your details here before the end of July 2021. This is...
A bumper pack of great resources and activities from b Small Publishing
Small but mighty, we are an award-winning independent children’s publishing company that creates and publishes children’s books for sale in the UK and around the world. We’re on a mission to empower all readers with critical literacy skills, and our books are creative, educational and encourage children to think for themselves. b small publishing b small have shared their latest catalogue and a bumper pack of resources and activities for children to enjoy. You can check the resources out here.
The Courage to Care Reading Guide
The Courage to Care is a vital and timely book about inspirational nurses, and the bravery of patients and families, from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness. Written by Christie Watson and published by Vintage.
The Courage to Care Downloadable Poster
The Courage to Care is a vital and timely book about inspirational nurses, and the bravery of patients and families, from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness. Written by Christie Watson and published by Vintage.
THE FATHER film discussion guide
In THE FATHER, Hopkins plays the eponymous role of a mischievous and highly independent man who, as he ages, refuses all assistance from his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman). Yet, such help has become essential following Anne’s decision to move to Paris with her partner. As Anne’s father tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality. This discussion guide created by Kova PR can be used to inspire...
Football School Terrific Teams: 50 True Stories of Football's Greatest Sides - Teachers' Notes
Football School Terrific Teams: 50 True Stories of Football’s Greatest Sides Discover the incredible true stories behind the most famous clubs in football. Find out the stories behind the most legendary clubs in football history, such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Liverpool. Explore how these teams have overcome failure and tragedy to win leagues, lift trophies and enter the record books. Also discover fascinating facts about more unknown clubs, including the German team with a skull...
