Resources
What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks - activity sheets
Unwrap a brand new adventure from everyone’s favourite crime-fighting ladybird! We’re celebrating What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas, a brand new title in the bestselling What the Ladybird Heard series by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. In a big old house, the ladybird is visiting her friend the spider for the festive season. But those two bad men, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, are up to no good again. They have a devious plan – to steal the children’s Christmas presents from their stockings!...
The Last Storyteller by Donna Barba Higuera - digital pack
An unforgettable journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human. The incredible Newbery Medal-winning novel from Donna Barba Higuera. “Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes – truly a beautiful cuento.”- NEW YORK TIMES Había una vez… There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra’s world is ending. Earth will soon be destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their...
Joseph Coelho - Rhymetime and Storytime digital pack
Blow a kiss, catch a kiss when we are apart. Blow a kiss, catch a kiss put it in your heart. From Eye Caterpillars to The Journey Game, and from Dancing Families to Dreamtime, Blow a Kiss, Catch a Kiss is beautifully illustrated collection of 44 fun and heart-warming poems from award-winning children’s poet Joseph Coelho, designed to be shared together. ‘The idea behind the book was to create a series of modern baby action poems. As much as I’m a fan of ‘ring a ring o roses’ and ‘the wheels...
The Reading Agency’s October booklist for Children and Young People – Poetry
Celebrate National Poetry Day on 6 October and share the magic of poetry. Take inspiration this autumn with some of the best poetry writing and who knows, maybe you’ll become inspired to write your own poem. Tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list by tagging us on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency!
October 2022 Children's and Young People booklist - Brilliant books by Black authors and illustrators
As October is Black History Month, we have created a booklist of 125 brilliant books created by Black authors and illustrators. There is something for everyone with fantastic poetry, graphic novels, fiction and non-fiction titles. You can join in with the conversation online using #BrilliantBooksBooklist and tagging us using @readingagency on Twitter and @SummerReadingChallengeUK on Facebook.
Critical Role: Vox Machina Kith and Kin Reading Guide
Explore the past of Critical Role’s daring half-elf twins, Vex’ahlia and Vax’ildan, in this original prequel novel to their adventures with Vox Machina. This reading group guide will help discussion, activity and further reading, inspired by this book.
Key Player: Room to Dream by Kelly Yang - Teaching Notes
’Mia is the compassionate, action-driven heroine today’s readers deserve’ Publishers Weekly MIA TANG IS PLAYING TO WIN! The Women’s World Cup is coming to California, and everyone has football fever ― especially Mia! But when her PE teacher gives her a C, Mia has to pull up her grade by scoring interviews with the championship teams. It’s not so easy when… 1. The two teams are hunkered down in secret hotels in Pasadena and not taking any media requests. 2. Mr Yao is back at the motel― as a...
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli - reading guide
Stunningly honest and bursting with wit, Someday Maybe is the story of grief and resilience that you won’t be able to stop talking about. Eve is left heartbroken by her husband’s unexpected death, but everyone around her – her friends, her boisterous British-Nigerian family, her toxic mother-in-law – seems to be pushing her to move on. Unable to face the future, Eve begins looking back, delving through the history of her marriage in an attempt to understand where it went wrong. So begins an...
Bring Your Toy to School Day (12 October) - digital pack
Hachette Children’s Group have created an exciting resource pack to help you celebrate Bring Your Toy to School Day on 12 October. The downloadable digital pack includes: - Bring Your Toy to School Day instruction sheet for teachers - Downloadable poster to advertise Bring Your Toy to School Day - Downloadable activity sheets - Downloadable The Christmas Pig bookmarks The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and...
Oh No, George! - special poster for Libraries Week
Our friends at Walker Books want to help you celebrate Libraries Week with a special themed poster featuring illustrations from Oh No, George! It’s hard work being good all the time – and it’s especially hard for a dog like George! Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Oh No, George! is a laugh-out-loud, visual romp from the acclaimed author-illustrator, Chris Haughton. We would love to see you enjoying the pack and celebrating Libraries Week using #LibrariesWeek and tagging WalkerBooksUK and...
Game Changer: A Rocky of the Rovers Novel by Tom Palmer - Activity Pack
Kick-off your reading with Roy of the Rovers, and his sister, Rocky Race! Roy of the Rovers is the action-packed football series that spans both illustrated fiction titles and graphic novels across sixteen exciting books! Roy and his sister Rocky are ordinary teenagers, but with big dreams for playing for their local team, The Melchester Rovers! But making the cut is the first hurdle to the top, as the footballing siblings have to deal with a whole heap of problems both on the pitch and off...
Treacle Walker Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Treacle Walker’ by Alan Garner, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
The Trees Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘The Trees’ by Percival Everett, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Small Things Like These Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Small Things Like These’ by Claire Keegan, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia’ by Shehan Karunatilaka, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Oh William! Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Oh William!’ by Elizabeth Strout, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Glory Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Glory’ by NoViolet Bulawayo, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Ember Shadows and the Fates of Mount Never - author videos and teaching resources
In a land trapped by fate, only courage can re-write the future. In the magical village of Everspring, everyone receives a fate card before their twelfth birthday, sent down from the mysterious Mount Never. It tells them their purpose, their profession and how old they’ll be when they die. Nearly 12-year-old Ember Shadows has always believed she is destined for great things. But when her fate card arrives, it’s blank. What does that mean? Then, worse still, her sister’s card decrees she will...
Children's Yearbook 2022
To celebrate National Reading Group Day 2022, we asked our Chatterbooks group leaders to recommend the books that their participants have enjoyed over the past year, and we loved hearing what made them giggle and be inspired! With nature, dark fairy tales and the baddest panda at the zoo, these books are perfect to get children reading.
Icebreaker questions
You’ve read your book and come together with your group to discuss it, but where do you begin? Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to talk about first, so these handy questions will help to break the ice and get the conversation flowing. Looking to start a reading group? You can also download our How to start a reading group guide, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.
Yearbook 2022 booklist
The results are in! To celebrate National Reading Group Day, we asked you for your recommendations for our 2022 Yearbook – the books that have made your group laugh, cry debate and more over the past year. We loved reading your recommendations and had a hard time selecting which books to put on our list. We hope that you enjoy them!
How to start a reading group
Interested in joining a reading group or starting one of your own? Download our quick guide to getting started. You can also download icebreaker questions to help get your discussion started, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.
'Otters vs Badgers' Activity Sheets
Activity sheets based on ‘Otters vs Badgers’ by Anya Glazer.
'The Breakfast Club Adventures' Activity Pack
This activity pack is for pupils in Years 3 – 6, to help them explore ‘The Breakfast Club Adventures’. It includes an extract of the first chapter. The accompanying Teachers’ Notes can be found here.
'The Breakfast Club Adventures' Teachers' Guide
This resource includes support and guidance for teachers using ‘The Breakfast Club Adventures’ in your classroom. It should be used alongside the children’s activity pack. It’s aimed at Years 4 – 6.
'The Snail and the Whale' Outdoor Activity Pack
This pack contains outdoor activities you can do to explore the themes for Julia Donalson and Axel Sceffler’s ‘The Snail and the Whale’.
'My Granny is a Queen' Teacher Resources
Teaching resources to accompany ‘My Granny is a Queen’ for Early Years, Reception and Year One classes, from Oxford Children’s Books.
The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle - Digital Pack
To celebrate the publication of The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle, Bloomsbury Children’s Books are offering an incredible digital pack filled with engaging and inspiring resources. The pack includes: - A sneak peek extract - Discussion notes and teaching resources - An A3 Praise poster - A selection of social media assets Join in the fun and share photos on social media using #TheLostGirlKing and tagging @KidsBloomsbury, @doyle_cat and @readingagency. It is from your feedback and online...
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame – digital packs
Second in the series as Norse god Loki grumbles, snarks and doodles his way through his enchanted diary, recording the highs and (mostly) lows of living on Earth as an eleven-year-old boy. Loki might not have shown any moral improvement (yet) but Odin has given him another chance to prove himself worthy of Asgard by keeping Earth safe from the threat of Frost Giants. But eleven-year-old Loki has more important things to worry about: Parents Evening. After a series of 1-star reviews from his...
'The Swallow's Flight' Activities for KS2
Explore the themes of Hilary McKay’s ‘The Swallow’s Flight’ with your KS2 students with this activity pack and discussion notes. Curriculum Areas covered are: Literacy, History, Science, Geography, Drama and Art.
