Resources
Gecko Press - publisher spotlight
Gecko Press is an independent, small-by-choice, publisher of children’s books translated from books by some of the best writers and illustrators in the world since 2004. We choose books excellent in story, illustration and design, with a strong heart factor, and that can be read hundreds of times. Based in New Zealand, we are by nature an international business, both in what we publish and where we sell our books. Gecko Press has been represented in the UK by Bounce Sales & Marketing for...
Magic Faces, Heroes of the Pirate Ship by Esi Merleh - Activity Pack
Check out this activity pack for HEROES OF THE PIRATE SHIP by ESI MERLEH, an exciting adventure for 5-8 year olds. About the book Austin, Alanna, and sausage dog Ozzy have been transformed into pirates! Their mission is to find a golden treasure chest before their time in this world runs out. When two very suspicious pirates climb aboard the New Leaf ship and start snooping around, Austin and Alanna know they must help their crewmates… can they save the ship and complete their mission on time?
All the Wonderful Ways to Read by Laura Baker and Sandra De La Prada - activity pack and author video
Books take us on journeys that we can all share, And give us the power to go anywhere! So no matter just how, or what book, or your speed, what I wish for NOW… Is that YOU love to read! To celebrate the joy of reading, Little Tiger are offering schools and libraries the chance to download a bundle of All the Wonderful Ways to Read resources – perfect for inspiring little readers on World Book Day and beyond! Each pack includes: - A poster - Reading Journal activity pages - Reading...
I Really Really Love You So by Karl Newson and Duncan Beedie – activity pack and author video
‘Glorious! One of those books that simply makes you happy!’ – Lu Fraser, author of The Littlest Yak The hilarious sequel to the bestselling picture book I Really, Really Need a Wee, by dynamic duo Karl Newson and Duncan Beedie, will not disappoint fans of this cute and curious Bush Baby. Bush Baby is back and has something really, really important to say, but how?! From climbing a mountain, to wrestling with crocodiles, this story is packed with extreme and exciting ways to show a special...
Winchelsea by Alex Preston - digital assets and display competition
AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4 A SPECTATOR BEST OF THE YEAR – AS CHOSEN BY REVIEWERS In eighteenth-century Sussex, a young girl seeks revenge for the death of her father – an intoxicating historical novel that explores Southern England’s smuggling past. The year is 1742. Goody Brown, saved from drowning and adopted when just a babe, has grown up happily in the smuggling town of Winchelsea. But when she turns sixteen, her father is murdered by men he thought were friends. In a town where lawlessness...
Bob Vs the Selfie Zombies Book by Andy Jones - digital assets
Bob is a time traveller. He doesn’t know WHY and he can’t control WHEN. But he does know it always happens at the worst moments. Like when he’s in the bath…Awkward! But when Bob jumps twenty years forward in time and meets his future self trying to survive a world overrun with zombies, he knows he’s got to change the present to save the future. If only he could figure out how… Packed with incredible imagination, humour and lots of brains, Bob vs the Selfie Zombies is the rare kind of story...
Who Ate All the Bugs? by Matty Long - bug hunt activity sheet
Take part in a bug hunt to explore the true and gory story of the food chain…. Snail is on a mission. Bugs are being eaten all around her and Snail is determined to hunt down the culprit. But is it a lost cause? Maybe Snail just can’t fight the food chain. Acclaimed picture book creator, Matty Long, brings his hallmark talents of deadpan comedy, witty commentary, and hilarious illustrations to elucidate the real life realities of invertebrate existence! In this fascinating and slightly...
To The Other Side by Erika Meza - Teaching Notes & Resources
To The Other Side is a powerful and timely picture book about two refugee children who leave their home in search of safety. Perfect for opening up conversations about conflict and war, encouraging empathy and understanding. A young boy and his older sister have left home to play a game. To win, she tells him, they must travel across endless lands together and make it to the finish line. Children they meet along the way imagine what might be waiting for them across the border: A spotted dog?...
What the World Doesn't See Discussion Notes
Discussion notes for the powerful and insightful novel about grief, disability and first love; a story about getting lost and finding yourself.
The Song Walker Teaching Notes
This Teachers’ Pack takes children on a journey of discovery as they step into the enchanting world of The Song Walker, an extraordinary new book by Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller.
A Beginner’s Guide to Ruling the Galaxy - Resources for libraries
A brilliantly funny story of what happens when a galactic princess moves in next door and almost brings about the end of the world. Exciting new fiction from the bestselling, award-winning author of My Brother is a Superhero. Gavin’s got a new neighbour and she’s really annoying. Niki follows him everywhere, bosses him about, and doesn’t care that her parents will obliterate Earth with their galactic warships if she doesn’t stop running away from them. Can Niki and Gavin sort out the alien...
Food Fight Colouring Sheet
Colour in the fruits and vegetables on our Food Fight activity sheet.
How to Make a Story Activity Sheet
When Milo decides he’s going to tell a story, it seems like a great idea. The only problem is that he’s not sure how to start… what to put in the middle… or how to end it. With a little help from his family, some real-life inspiration, and a lot of imagination, Milo’s story is soon off to a flying start. If only his little brother and sister weren’t getting in the way. But then Milo learns the most important lesson of all about stories – that they are made to be shared.
Trying Times for Sebastian Scattergood by Keith Rylands-Bolton - digital pack
Set in a small village in the Lincolnshire Wolds, Trying Times for Sebastian Scattergood is a chronicle of a horrendous year, narrated by an earnest and pompous man who lacks any sense of self-irony. Part disaster diary, part social satire, it is a novel of literary fiction which is both humorous and moving in equal measure. The digital pack includes: • Downloadable/printable letters from Sebastian to the reader • Downloadable selection of photos of the author that are relevant to the book,...
All About Us from Usborne - Teaching Resources
The All About Set is perfect for helping little children learn about and navigate through confusing topics. The wonderfully illustrated books offer a reassuring and friendly take on these complex matters, making this set a must have for every child. This set includes the following titles: All About Feelings All About Families All About Diversity All About Friends Find out more about the series here.
The Tiger Who Sleeps Under My Chair by Hannah Foley - Teachers' Resources
Steeped in the natural history of Mary Anning’s Jurassic Coast, a powerful dual-timeline story about friendship, mental health and hidden stories. Emma Linden dreams of following in the footsteps of the famous fossil-hunter, Mary Anning. But when her brother James becomes obsessed with a tiger at the museum, Emma’s world begins to spiral… After Rosie falls ill, she discovers family secrets buried like layers of rock in the Jurassic Coast. With her new friend Jude, they must sift the past to...
The Bird Singers and The Wildstorm Curse by Eve Wersocki Morris - school resources
A fabled witch. A powerful curse. A monster out for revenge. Kallie dreams of becoming a playwright and is determined that her dyslexia won’t hold her back. But when rehearsals begin at Wildstorm Theatre Summer Camp and strange, scary things start happening to her and her new friends, Kallie will discover that stories are more powerful than she’d ever imagined… A thrilling supernatural mystery about the power of storytelling from the author of The Bird Singers, Eve Wersocki Morris
The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams by Shane Hegarty and Jeff Crowther - activities
One of the funniest books you’ll read this year, perfect for fans of Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. Welcome to the Shop of Impossible Ice Creams! Step inside to discover a delicious world of magical adventure, from bestselling author Shane Hegarty. First in a comic, heart-warming illustrated series, for 7+ readers. Limpet’s mum is opening an ice-cream shop, full of her favourite new flavours: mushroom and tuna ice cream, anyone? Roast parsnip and gravy? Limpet’s not sure about...
Henry Eliot's Book of Bookish Lists - digital asset pack
Who had birds called Death, Wigs and Spinach? How do you spell the noise of a door slamming? Whose working title was The Chronic Argonauts? Henry Eliot – author, editor and insatiable bookworm – has ransacked the libraries and archives of world literature, compiling hundreds of bookish lists. This eclectic gallimaufry showcases his favourites: we witness the tragic ends of the Ancient Greek tragedians, learn the name of George Orwell’s pet cockerel and rummage through Joan Didion’s travelling...
The Marvellers by by Dhonielle Clayton - Extract
‘The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world’ – Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series. Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute for Magical and Uncanny Endeavors. At this magical school in the clouds Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy, but she finds friendship in fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical...
Albi: the Glowing Cow Boy - reading notes and activities
These activities and notes are suitable for kids’ book clubs, home learning or in the classroom. About the book On a quiet farm in a frosty England, under the glowing light of a magical milk moon, a boy calf is born. His name is Albi, and he has no idea how extraordinary he is going to be. Several miles away lives a human boy called Rufus. Rufus is extraordinary in his own way, but he has no friends and no one to love him. Rufus seeks the family he never had, and he’ll go to any lengths to...
All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr Teacher Notes
All Four Quarters of the Moon is a beautiful, heartwarming story about one family’s move from Singapore to Australia. This teaching pack explores some of the important themes within the book using spotlight extracts, discussion questions, cross-curricular activities and ideas aimed at 9+/KS2 readers.
All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr Discussion Notes
All Four Quarters of the Moon is a beautiful, heartwarming story about one family’s move from Singapore to Australia. These discussion notes explore some of the important themes within the book.
'Foster' and 'Small Things Like These' Reading Group Guides
A Reading Guide to ‘Foster’ and ‘Small Things Like These’ (shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022) by Claire Keegan.
The Littlest Yak - digital resources and social media assets
Look for the perfect story time read? We have a sneak peek extract of The Littlest Yak: The New Arrival and a selection of social media assets to download for your library. More about the book ‘The heart-warming and hilarious sequel to Lu Fraser & Kate Hindley’s much-loved The Littlest Yak finds Gertie having a bit of a wobble when she becomes a big sister for the first time.’ Waterstones Gertie the yak is back! And she’s going to be a big sister! Gertie wants the new baby to feel right...
Lift-the-flap Questions and Answers about Money by Lara Bryan and Marie-Eve Tremblay - activity sheets and videos
Understanding money today is so much more than learning about notes and coins. Where does money come from? Why do I have to save? What happens if I click BUY NOW? Find answers to important money questions, and some silly ones too in this friendly and useful book. - The question and answer lift-the-flat format is a perfect reading tool for curious kids - Written in consultation with money management expert Bobby Seagull – TV and radio presenter, teacher and ambassador for the National Numeracy...
Sadé and Her Shadow Beasts by Rachel Faturoti - digital resources, video and social media assets
Explore the themes of grief, family, poetry and creativity with these learning resources for Rachel Faturoti’s glorious debut, Sadé and Her Shadow Beasts. Suitable for Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. More about the book Grief let the monsters in. Finding her voice will banish them. Twelve-year-old Sadé has been escaping to an imaginary world ever since her mum passed away – with its candy-floss lilac sky, she goes on endless adventures atop her purple-winged bird, Nix. But soon she...
A Society of Readers - report 2018
A 2018 report lays out the central role reading must play in helping to address many of the most pressing challenges British society will face over the next decade. Read the full report and share your thoughts on Twitter and Instagram using #PowerOfReading
'Am I Made of Stardust?' Learning Resources
Explore the themes of space travel and curiosity with these learning resources for Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock’s ‘Am I Made of Stardust?’ Suitable for ages 9-11 (Year 4 to Year 6)
'Wolfbane' Teacher Resources
Explore the themes of Michelle Paver’s ‘Wolfbane’ through activities and discussion in this Teachers’ Pack. About the Book The grand finale to the prize-winning adventure series that’s changed the lives of millions of readers. Breathtaking world-building on an epic scale. Pure escapism at its best. It is early spring, a turbulent, perilous time of sudden storms, frozen river fractures and drifting ice. Fleeing from a demon intent on devouring his souls, Wolf is swept out to Sea far from the...
