Resources
'Fire Keeper's Daughter' Teaching Resources
Download Teaching Resources to use with Year 9+ classes, with lesson plans and activities to use with your class to explore the book and deepen their understanding. About the Book Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new...
The Revelry by Katherine Webber - Discussion Questions
I am a girl of Ember Grove, and these are my woods… Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry – the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited. When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can’t remember anything from the night before. Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about the Revelry, Bitsy chokes on the words. But this is...
'House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons' Reading Guide
Explore the themes of travelling and being at home, music, family and community from House of Music with these prompt questions for your reading group. About the Book Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state...
'The Coffin Club' Reading Guide
Dive deeper into the themes of the The Coffin Club with this discussion guide for your reading group. About the Book Some people would kill for a second chance. Kat is rebuilding her life. After losing her husband in a tragic accident, moving to the countryside is her chance to start again. Encouraged by her new and only friend Ginny, Kat joins New Horizons, dubbed the Coffin Club by its members. And that’s how she meets Nico. Instantly drawn to each other, Nico seems like Kat’s perfect...
Big Book of Boats - digital pack
Big Book of Boats by Luogo comune, translated from Italian by Catherine Bruzzone Get ready to set sail! Embark on a voyage of discovery across the seven seas – and learn all there is to know about boats. In this fascinating non-fiction book, Italian artist Luogo Comune’s charming felt-tip illustrations combine with curious, glint-in-the-eye facts to explore the hidden depths of the world of boats and ships. From vast floating cities to tiny one-person water transporters, this is a book awash...
'Build Your House Around My Body' Reading Guide
Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022, Build Your House Around My Body is an unforgettable debut that hurtles through the ghostly secrets of Vietnamese history. This reading guide from Oneworld Publications includes prompt questions to encourage and guide conversation about the book within your Reading Group.
The Reading Agency's March Booklist: Wonder Women
To mark International Women’s Day (8 March) and celebrate the achievements, triumphs and general brilliance of women and girls around the world, we have created a booklist that represents all these things! From a sweet-toothed recipe book to a history of women’s clothing, to a depiction of Death as a Black working-class woman – with some brilliant translated fiction among them – we hope these books provide something for everyone to discover and enjoy. Tell us what you think of the books on...
'This Girl Can Do Anything' Digital Pack
‘This Girl Can Do Anything’ by Stephanie Stansbie and illustrated by Hazel Quintanella is an empowering picture book that celebrates strong girls the world over. Publisher Little Tiger is offering schools and libraries a digital activity pack to promote the book and celebrate its message with young readers. This book is ideal for children aged 3-6 years. The digital activity pack contains: Author video of Stephanie Stansbie reading from the book x2 This Girl Can do Anything activity sheets...
The Reading Agency's March Booklist for Children & Young People: Wonder Women
To mark International Women’s Day (8 March) and celebrate the achievements, triumphs and general brilliance of women and girls around the world, we have created a booklist for children and young people. From Paralympic swimmers to pioneering footballers, a 19th century classic to thrilling fantasy adventures, we hope there is something for everyone to enjoy. Tell us what you think of the books on this list, or any others you have read, by tagging us on social media: @readingagency
How to Make a Book digital activity pack
Publisher Little Tiger is offering schools and libraries a fantastic digital activity pack for How To Make A Book by Becky Davies and illustrated by Patricia Hu, which looks at all the stages of creating a full-colour children’s book. This book is best suited to children aged 4-8 years. The digital activity pack includes: - An illustrator draw along film from Patricia Hu - x2 How To Make A Book activity sheets (PDF) - x1 printable How to Make a Book Poster A3 Poster - Printable book covers...
'Stage Fright' Teacher Resources, KS2 and LKS3 and book trailer
Stage Fright, short scary tales from the theatre, by Rosie Radford. Mystery and Suspense Writing resource for ages 9 – 12. These short, sharp and spooky tales are perfect for inspiring pupils’ creative writing, particularly in mystery and suspense genre. Stage Fright is a collection of three tales set in the same theatre. The stories range from the 1890s to the present day. They are “perfect to read aloud” (Caroline Fielding, Teen Librarian blog) and make great class readers as each tale can...
'The Dark Lady' Discussion Questions
Discussion questions to accompany Akala’s novel, ‘The Dark Lady’. A natural storyteller with a vision of his own, The Dark Lady, Akala’s debut novel for teens will enthuse and entertain teenagers and young adults, showing that reading is a true super-power. A pickpocket with an exceptional gift. A prisoner of extraordinary value An orphan haunted by dreams of the mysterious Dark Lady Henry is an orphan, an outsider, a thief. He is also a fifteen-year-old invested with magical powers … This...
'What's New, Harper Drew?' Teacher Resources
Reading notes and activities for KS2 (Ages 9+) including visual extracts from the book and reading questions and activities. Welcome to the hilarious WORLD of Harper Drew… there’s a whole lot of DRAMA, but luckily she has tried and tested methods to deal with it! Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries. My name is Harper Drew. I’m using my new journal to take note of all the totally ridiculous things that seem to go on around me with my family and friends. I seem to be the ONLY ONE who sees this all...
Christopher Edge 'Escape Room' Teacher Resources
A mind-blowing new adventure from Christopher Edge, Escape Room is a thrilling adventure that challenges readers to think about what they’ve done to save the world today. When twelve-year-old Ami arrives at The Escape, she thinks it’s just a game – the ultimate escape room with puzzles and challenges to beat before time runs out. Meeting her teammates, Adjoa, Ibrahim, Oscar and Min, Ami learns from the Host that they have been chosen to save the world and they must work together to find the...
John Agard reads When Creature Met Creature
WHEN CREATURE MET CREATURE by John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura Creature-of-No-Words lives a happy life on his own, but one day he gets a feeling like ‘the chill touch of ice’ and nothing can lift his sadness. Just then Creature-of-Words arrives and senses his despair. How can she help him communicate and become happy again? A great tool to get children and adults engaging with life again, after the isolation of lockdown, but more than that it’s a universal exploration of the power of...
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good – digital pack and book trailer
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good – digital pack (9+) Packed with doodles and cartoons, this is the wry, witty and very funny diary of Norse god Loki and the trials of being trapped on Earth as a weedy eleven-year-old boy. After one prank too many, trickster god Loki is banished to live as a “normal” school boy. If he can show moral improvement within one month, then Loki can return to Asgard… and if he can’t? Then it’s eternity in a pit of angry snakes. To keep track of his progress,...
The Unholy Trilogy Reading Group Questions
Dive deeper into the world of Lisa McInerney’s ‘The Unholy Trilogy’ with these reading group questions to help guide your discussion.
Otherlands by Thomas Halliday - digital pack
Discover the past as you’ve never seen it before in Otherlands Otherlands is an epic, exhilarating journey into deep time. Travelling back in time to the dawn of complex life, and across all seven continents, award-winning young palaeobiologist Thomas Halliday gives us a mesmerizing up close encounter with eras that are normally unimaginably distant. There are lots of digital resources that you can use to enter the display competition from Penguin Press. You can download the pack here. To...
The School for Good Mothers Reading Guide
This reading group guide for ‘The School for Good Mothers’ includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion.
The Tower at the End of Time by Amy Sparkes - book trailer
Nine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvellous, magical House, and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: The Wizarding Hopscotch Championships. There’s only one problem: the House is nervous about travelling – and gets the hiccups! Bouncing from world to world with every “HIC!”, they finally land at the championships, only for Flabberghast to have an unfortunate run-in with square number nine, and find himself faced with the terrible Tower at the End of...
Rabbit and Bear - discussion notes and teaching resources
Rabbit and Bear: A Bad King is a Sad Thing by Julian Gough and Jim Field The next book in the bestselling series for newly independent readers with these laugh-out-loud tales of friendship, adventure and a little bit of poo! Icebear has arrived in Rabbit and Bear’s valley, and he wants to be king. He’s big and scary, and the more kind and understanding the animals are, the meaner he becomes. Rabbit is confused: Bear has always been able to fix their problems in the past – but maybe this time...
Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson and David O'Connell - Digital pack
Half a million pounds, one new grandpa and a priceless adventure! From the bestselling queen of heart and humour, JENNY PEARSON, comes a great big soaring adventure about family and finding happiness. When Frank John Davenport inherits piles of money from a grandma he didn’t know he had, things take an unexpected turn… Because the money comes with STRICT instructions…and a NEW grandpa. Frank quickly compiles a list of all the ways he can spend the money and look after his grumpy grandpa....
Circus Maximus by Annelise Gray digital pack
This digital pack contains assets and suggested copy for promoting the first two books in the Circus Maximus series on social media plus a video of the author introducing book one: Race to the Death and an extensive reading guide.
Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Racism - digital resources
Racism is such a hard topic to talk about, but impossible to ignore. Discover the answers to some difficult questions – and become part of the solution – with Usborne’s brilliant Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Racism. From ‘What does racism feel like?’ and ’Don’t ALL lives matter?’ to ‘How can racism affect families?’ and ‘Can we really make a change?’, this book tackles challenging questions in a direct, accessible and thought-provoking way. Published by Usborne Children’s Books...
The Reading Agency's February Booklist - LGBT+ History Month
Discover The Reading Agency’s February booklist celebrating the voices and stories of the LGBT+ community. There is compelling non-fiction, captivating romance and heart-stopping sci-fi among this selection of classic and brand-new titles. Tell us what you think of the books on this list, or any others you have read, by tagging us on social media: @readingagency
The Reading Agency's February Booklist for Children and Young People - LGBT+ History Month
Discover The Reading Agency’s February booklist for children and young people celebrating the voices and stories of the LGBT+ community. With titles for a broad range of ages focusing on families, romance, grief, identity and self-love, transporting readers from an elite private academy to a post-apocalyptic America, this list has something for everyone to read and enjoy. Tell us what you think of the books on this list, or any others you have read, by tagging us on social media: @readingagency
Beasts of a Little Land Reading Guide
Sweeping through decades of Korean history, Juhea Kim’s debut novel charts the intersecting fates of Jade and JungHo, two characters whose lives are brought together against a background of occupation and war. From the perfumed chambers of Miss Sil- ver’s courtesan school to the frozen forests of Manchuria and the glamorous cafés of a modernizing Seoul, Beasts of a Little Land is a richly historical, romantic story of love and resilience. Dive deeper into the world and themes of the book with...
Cyrano reading group activity guide
Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) is a man ahead of his time, dazzling one and all with ferocious wordplay and brilliant swordplay. Except, that is, in matters of the heart, where his “unique physique” inhibits him. He has yet to declare his feelings to the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), but once she locks eyes with handsome King’s Guard recruit Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), it is love at first sight. Cyrano promises her that he will befriend and protect Christian – and soon learns...
Adult January Booklist: Hope
After an exceptionally challenging two years, The Reading Agency had compiled a booklist for adults centred around the theme of ‘hope’. From manifestos on feminism, the environment and LGBTQ+ rights, to memoirs of overcoming monumental hardships, to bitesize short stories to lift your spirits, this list will invigorate and inspire readers as we enter 2022! Tell us what you think of the books on this list, or any you have read, by tagging us on social media: @readingagency
Children and Young People's January Booklist: Hope
After an exceptionally challenging two years, The Reading Agency had compiled a booklist for children and young people centred around the theme of ‘hope’. From a picture book about the joys of being part of a blended family, to thoughtfully curated poems, to YA stories about the strength found in unlikely friendships, this list will uplift and inspire readers as we enter 2022! Tell us what you think of the books on this list, or any you have read, by tagging us on social media: @readingagency
