Spring Recommended Reads 

As the dark nights fade and the days become brighter, it’s time to have a spring clean review of our books and look out for this season’s upcoming page turners!   

At One Education we love discovering new up and coming authors to ignite the reading spark in our children, as well as sharing a range of books from picture books, chapter book to graphic novels.  All children can find solace in a story and we believe it’s our duty to share our knowledge of stories so that every child can find the chance for connection and enter the magical world which stories can provide.  

We begin with the former Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho and his new book Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love. 

In this book, he shows the power of ‘less is more’ with stories of only 10 words. Each story is illustrated by a different artist and covers a range of topics from sibling bonds, pets and beyond!  A great chance for children to be inspired and create their own 10-word stories.  

The newly released, Never Dance with a Dinosaur by Pamela Butchart and illustrations by Marc Boutavant is a charming tale of the importance to ‘dance to your own tune’.  A great companion text to Giraffe’s can’t Dance, this is sure to be an instant picture book favourite.  

For KS1 readers, Little Dinosaurs, Big Questions by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Yiting Lee, is a book that invites excellent discussions in a gentle way, deconstructing some of life’s toughest questions with the help of Jurassic Therapist Dr Diplo.  A useful resource for extending children’s awareness of moral and topical subjects such as Why do bad things happen? What is fairness? How do we remember someone we’ve lost?  

For LKS2 readers, we have the first instalment of Guardians of the New Moon: Ming and Miaow’s Great Race by Eric Huang, illustrated by Phùng Nguyên Quang.  When the Jade Emperor declares a race for all creatures on earth, the quiet cat Miaow finds himself in the company of a nine-tailed, shape shifting extrovert who struggles to contain her powers. Will this unlikely pairing develop into friendship as the race progresses?  

In his first picture book, Craig Barr-Green turns the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood on its head in Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf.  The central character Gina is a confident autistic girl who retells the story but with one significant twist – what if Red Riding Hood was wrong and the whole situation is misunderstood? 

The Baby Dragon Café by A T Qureshi provides a cosy story about Saphira and her café for baby dragons.  There’s only one slight problem… the dragons keep setting fire to her café!  In steps unassuming local gardener Aiden to provide the guidance Saphira needs, though it’s clear the two don’t quite see eye-to-eye at first.  Can they save the café together? 

Teachers across the country will have heard of the social media superstar MC Grammar.  His debut book The Adventures of Rap Kid follows the journey of rapping sensation Z, a boy who only can only speak in rhyme.  A great read aloud book for any teacher looking to excite the class with reading, rap and rhyme.   

For UKS2 readers, Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo by Philippa Leathley will have children gripped as they wonder about the fate of Meticulous Jones who has her fate revealed by a magical tattoo.  The only problem… her tattoo is a skull – the sign of a murderer. In this first instalment follow Metty’s adventures in New London as she discovers a secret organisation that may determine her future.  

For fans of Philip Pullman and Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found by Jordan Lee, this book is a great recommendation.  11 year old Benjamiah doesn’t believe in magic, instead he relies of logic and reason.  However he finds himself in a magical world of dark secrets and dangerous quests as he meets Elizabella who is solving the disappearance of her missing brother.  

This graphic novel combines brilliant illustrations with a journey to a magical realm where three friends are transported to a new world where they escape the bullies though find a bigger adventure awaits them.  Follow the friends in Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces by Carlos Sánchez 

For KS3, coming soon is The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan. Follow three best friends as they have their world shaken on their 12^th birthday.  The British announce independence with lines of partition draw which separates the 3 friends.  One flees, one disappears and one is left wondering – will they be reunited and what will happen to their friendship? 

The Wilderness of Girls story follows the journey of Rhi who discovers four young women living in the wild guarded by wolves. With such a discovery comes great media interest in all of the girls and particularly Rhi who has a crucial decision to make which will change the course of her life. A great read for those in KS4.  

For those fans of the latest Bridget Jones sequel, The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King will certainly delight fans.  Follow the life of Patch Simons as he decides to make this the year he finds a boyfriend. As fate would have it, two boys join his drama club and so the scene is set for love to blossom…or so Patch would hope! A brilliant YA novel by comedian turned author, Harry Trevaldwyn. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading and our recommended reads inspire you to read one of these texts this Winter. One Education customers can receive 30% off books from our partners Peters. Just visit www.peters.co.uk/oneeducation to find out more and to purchase using our money off code.   

Our specialists can support you to review your existing book stock, ensuring the texts your pupils and students have access to are up to date and truly representative of them and the wider world. For more information about how we can support you and your reading offer, please contact our Literacy Team Leader, Laura Buczko at laura.buczko@oneeducation.co.uk.