Resources
Tall Tales
This month, we’re bringing you myths, fairy tales and legends, but not as you know them. These retellings and adaptations of familiar stories will transport you to worlds near and far.
The Language of Kindness Reading Group Guide
Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, The Language of Kindness is an astounding account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness. This is a reading group guide including questions, discussion points and further reading.
International Migrants Day Booklist
International Migrants Day is commemorated on 18 December to highlight the human rights of migrants and make migrants’ voices heard. We’ve selected some books about migrants and migration to observe the day.
Santa's High-Tech Christmas - activity pack
Santa has discovered high-tech gear. With his techno-pad, a soft reclining seat in his sleigh and a rocket pack, he is well prepared to deliver presents for Christmas Day. But as things start to go wrong, Santa needs the help of a young girl to ensure all the presents get delivered on time.
A Christmas Surprise - activity pack
On the first day in December Marigold Mouse receives a surprise gift. She can’t wait to share her excitement with her best friend Marvin. Mark Carthew’s evocative verse expresses the spirit of the festive season and Simon Prescott’s illustrations bring to life the magic of Christmas.
Mr Darcy and the Christmas Pudding - activity pack
Mr Darcy and the Christmas Pudding is the third book in the Mr Darcy series. Each character has been taken from Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this series each lovable character is given the appropriate animal manifestation to reflect their personality. Mr Darcy is a duck, Bingley a horse, Caroline Bingley a cow and Maria Lucas, a mouse. In this book Mr Collins is introduced. He is a cat. Mr Darcy loves making his famous Christmas pudding. But what happens when Mr Collins drops by...
Have a Matt-gical Christmas with Matt Haig and Chris Mould - activity and POS pack
Canongate are here to help you have a Matt-gical Christmas! Discover the wonderful Christmas series by number one bestselling author Matt Haig, featuring enchanting illustrations from Chris Mould. Journey into Elfhelm and you’ll find out the TRUTH about Father Christmas and join Amelia Wishart on a magical mission to save Christmas from the jealous Easter Bunny… Matt’s fantastic festive trilogy is now available in paperback and rather excitingly, has now been joined by a new, sweet rhyming...
Books of the Year 2018
In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s almost Christmas! That means it’s also time for us to pick out our favourite books of 2018. Our staff have chosen a huge variety of titles, from love stories to Brexit satires to a graphic novel. We hope there’s something that will interest you on our list.
Winter Wonderland Chatterbooks Activity Pack
With the nights drawing in there’s no better time to curl up with a good book! In this Winter Wonderland Chatterbooks activity pack you’ll find some great suggestions for books for your group to explore, read and enjoy this winter season. From new festive favourites to fantastical adventures through worlds of ice and snow, you’ll find a range of stories to keep out the winter chill. We hope you enjoy them, together with all the discussion and activity ideas, and further reading suggestions.
The Reading Agency Books of the Year - Young People booklist
Our books of 2018 – Young People Every year, the staff at The Reading Agency enjoy picking and sharing our favourite books for children and young people. We have three different booklists of the books we have loved the most from 2018: picture and illustrated books, books for children at primary school and for young people aged 13+. You can find out more about some of our picks on the Reading Hack blog page. You can share your picks of the year and join in with our conversations online...
The Reading Agency Books of the Year - Middle Grade books booklist
Our books of 2018 – Middle Grade Every year, the staff at The Reading Agency enjoy picking and sharing our favourite books for children and young people. We have three different booklists of the books we have loved the most from 2018: picture and illustrated books, books for children at primary school and for young people aged 13+. You can find out more about some of our picks on the Summer Reading Challenge news page. You can share your picks of the year and join in with our...
Santa Claus vs The Easter Bunny by Fred Blunt - An activity pack and competition
Who will win, Santa or The Easter Bunny? Get a peek behind the scenes and find out how the holidays really happen in Fred Blunt’s brilliant new picture book Santa Claus VS The Easter Bunny! The book follows what happens when the Easter Bunny, resentful that Santa has the easier job, devises a devious plot to get even. To celebrate the release of this wonderfully bonkers new picture book, Andersen Press have creted some great activities for you to enjoy with your child, Chatterbooks group,...
The Reading Agency Books of the Year - Picture and Illustrated books booklist
Our books of 2018 – Picture and Illustrated Books Every year, the staff at The Reading Agency enjoy picking and sharing our favourite books for children and young people. We have three different booklists of the books we have loved the most from 2018: picture and illustrated books, books for children at primary school and for young people aged 13+. You can find out more about some of our picks on the Summer Reading Challenge news page. You can share your picks of the year and join in...
Reading is magic poster
Discover a love of reading with these top tips from Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the popular How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once books.
Cressida Cowell's top tips for parents
Help your child discover the magic of reading with this handy one-page guide from the award-winning children’s author.
ROGO 2018 Best practice guide
The Read On. Get On. (ROGO) coalition has created this best practice guide to help primary schools address the gender gap in children’s reading enjoyment. The guide has been developed in response to the findings of the ROGO Index 2018.
ROGO Index 2018
The ROGO Index 2018 provides a holistic view of how well 11-year-olds in England are reading. Download this document for a comprehensive breakdown of children’s cognitive reading skills, affective processes and reading behaviours
Winnie and Wilbur: The Santa Surprise - Gingerbread biscuit recipe
Winnie and Wilbur As they get ready for Christmas Winnie and Wilbur go an epic quest to make sure Santa gets a present, too. A brand new story in a fabulous gift format with stylish limited palette illustrations, this is the perfect Christmas purchase for Winnie and Wilbur fans who are ready to move on to a longer story. Part of the bestselling series that celebrates the wonderful relationship shared by Winnie and her cat, Wilbur. Since 1987 they have been delighting children and adults all...
Isadora Moon Makes Winter Magic by Harriet Muncaster - activity ideas
Isadora Moon Makes Winter Magic Isadora Moon is special because she’s different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she’s a bit of both. Isadora loves playing in the snow, especially when her creations come to life! But snow magic can’t last forever. Will she be able to save her new friends before they melt away? And that’s not all! This beautiful gift edition is also bursting with magical activities and things to make and do, providing hours of fun with...
Lucy's Search for Little Star by Anne Booth - activity sheet
Lucy’s Search for Little Star Lucy is on holiday with her family when she meets a curious little kitten called Star. He’s a tiny little thing and he follows her everywhere. Christmas is drawing near and the snow begins to fall thick and fast. When Star, and then Lucy, find themselves in serious trouble-lost in a snow storm-Lucy’s magic snow globe is their only hope. Close your eyes and make a wish-miracles can happen. This warm and festive story is an ideal present for a...
Super Frozen Magic Forest by Matty Long - A colouring sheet
Frozen Magic Forest Super Happy Magic Forest is a prize-winning series for budding fantasy fans. In this latest title, winter is coming – and the residents of the forest do not like it one little bit. The snow is too cold, the ice is too slippery, and the frost is destroying their prize winning gardens. Five brave heroes (a unicorn, a mushroom, a faun, a fairy, and a gnome) must travel to the Frozen North to overthrow the Snow Queen and save the forest. But will they be able to outwit...
Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes? by Holly Bourne - downloadable kindness resources
Spread the kindness virus with your own Prime Numbers group inspired by Holly Bourne’s latest release, Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes? “I think about prime numbers. How they don’t bend and shape themselves just so they can divide nicely into the world. They stand strong and unmalleable and refuse to have a pattern to them. They are snowflakes and the rest of the numbers are lemmings.” Do you ever wish your life could be different? Calmer? Happier? That maybe the world could be a...
The Dog Who Found Sorrow by Rūta Briede - activity pack
Finding feelings with the Emma Press This activity pack accompanies The Dog Who Found Sorrow: a reflective, lyrical picture book which takes readers on a journey of emotion. Rūta Briede’s story is a strange little parable about a dog who one day finds his city overcome with mysterious black smoke. These activities get children talking about the complex themes of the book in a simple way. There are discussion prompts which encourage readers to make links between text and image, and...
Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration - video
Helen Oxenbury A fascinating, beautiful and definitive account of the life of esteemed artist Helen Oxenbury. Filled with insights that span Helen Oxenbury’s life, from her early childhood through a unique career in children’s books that began in 1964 and is still going strong today, here is an exquisitely designed and thoroughly entertaining celebration of one of the finest English illustrators of our time. Written by acclaimed author Leonard S. Marcus, Helen Oxenbury: A Life in...
The First Christmas Jumper by Ryan Tubridy - author reading
The First Christmas Jumper Ryan Tubridy loves Christmas jumpers. He loves them so much he wrote this book – the story of the very first Christmas jumper. It’s got sheep, jelly babies, tractors, Santa Claus, Christmas elves and a LOT of sheep puns… Ewe will love it! The story of the very first Christmas jumper and the multi-coloured sheep that started it all! There are two things you need to know about Hillary the sheep. One – Unlike her typical white or brown friends, Hillary’s wool is all...
Giraffe Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith - book trailer
Giraffe Problems Penguins aren’t the only animal out there with problems, oh no… From Jory John and Lane Smith, the winner of the 2017 Kate Greenaway Medal, comes a laugh-out-loud companion to the acclaimed Penguin Problems. Edward the giraffe can’t understand why his neck is as long and bendy and ridiculous as it is. No other animal has a neck this absurd. He’s tried disguising it, dressing it up, strategically hiding it behind bushes… anything he can think of. But just...
Julius Zebra Grapple with the Greeks by Gary Northfield - book trailer
Julius Zebra Grapple with the Greeks The fourth title in Gary Northfield’s exciting, action-packed and hysterically funny series brimming with entertaining Greek facts. In the much-anticipated fourth Julius Zebra book, Grapple with the Greeks!, demi-god Heracles promises Julius and his chums a great reward if they can help him to find the lost Golden Apple. On this madcap new adventure, our unlikely heroes will confront the Minotaur in the labyrinth, trick a one hundred-headed dragon at...
Debuts of 2018
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? If you need a bit of writing inspiration to get your big debut out, take a look at our favourite debuts of 2018: Mostyn Thomas and the Big Rave by Richard Williams Pieces of Me by Natalie Hart The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar Vox by Christina Dalcher Never Greener by Ruth Jones Only Child by Rhiannon Navin Suicide Club by Rachel Heng In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi...
Running a Book Club Quick Guide to Chatterbooks
This handbook tells you what you need to know about setting up and running a successful Chatterbooks club
A Darkness of Dragons - Teacher resource and activity pack
A Darkness of Dragons In a world of dragons, song spells, pipers and battles… Patch Brightwater is a boy in disgrace. Thrown in jail for playing a forbidden spell, he is no one’s idea of a hero. But then he discovers a deadly truth – the evil Piper of Hamelyn is on the loose. With the help of Wren, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and Barver, a fire-breathing dracogriff, Patch must stop the Piper sparking the biggest battle of them all. Three accidental heroes versus one legendary...
