Author: slsadmin

  • Primary School Pupil Library Assistant of the Year Award

    Primary School Pupil Library Assistant of the Year Award

    The next pupil library assistant awards will be in 2024. Contact the Schools Library Services to register your interest.

    About the Award

    The award will be presented to a pupil library assistant in a Tower Hamlets primary school who has been helping in their school library for at least one term and has shown responsibility and initiative in exercising their duties as well as gained knowledge of books and library routines and the skills of reading and library promotion.

    Nominate your library assistants

    Download and complete a nomination form if your school is taking part

    Aims of the Award

    • To enable children to be aspirational and develop specialist job skills
    • To enable children to develop a sense of responsibility, achievement and self-esteem
    • To give children a chance to be part of the everyday running of the library
    • To promote librarianship as a future career
    • To promote citizenship in pupils
    • To promote the development of communications skills

    Prizes!

    The Award ( book tokens, trophy and certificate, plus free books for the school library) will be presented at an awards ceremony

    Take part

    The next pupil library assistant awards will be in 2024. Contact the Schools Library Services to register your interest.

    Criteria

    Nominees should be primary school pupils who have been helping in the school library for at least one term.

    The Nomination Process

    The proposer (school librarian or teacher) is asked to describe the nominee in the following categories:

    • Personal qualities
    • Examples of particular contribution (e.g. helping other pupils, helping with library web pages, helping with displays, helping with new books etc.)
    • Being a role model for other pupils and supporting the goals and vision of the school library
    • Reading and library habits
    • Promotion of the library and of books to peers
    • Knowledge of library routines and tasks and ability to work with initiative and responsibility in the library

    The nominated pupil is asked to write a short piece (250 words maximum) on their contribution to the school library, and the headteacher asked to endorse the nomination

  • Class sets

    Class sets

    Class sets comprise of 15 copies of the book

    NEW SETS ADDED

    Our class sets have been chosen as being complementary to subjects and topics being taught in the classroom, as well as representing a range of new books and authors to broaden the reading experiences of the class.

    Choose from the following titles (subject to availability).

    Please request your set at least four weeks prior to you needing it to ensure it’s with you on time.

    You may request a class set that we don’t currently have in stock but we reserve the right not to purchase it if it doesn’t meet the criteria of our stock policy.

    Adeyinka, SabineJummy at the river schoolNigeria
    Agard, JohnThe rainmaker danced 
    Almond, DavidMouse, Bird, Snake, WolfCreation Story, Cautionary Tale
    Almond, DavidSkelligFantasy, angels, caring, illness, disability
    Almond, DavidThe SavageBullying
    Ardagh, PhilipNorman : the Norman from NormandyHistorical fiction
    AtinukeToo small TolaNigeria
    AtinukeAnna Hibiscus (chapter book)Nigeria
    Baines, SamanthaHarriet versus the galaxy 
    Balit, ChristinaEscape from Pompeii 
    Barrie, J. M.Peter Pan 
    Bartram, SimonMan on the moon (a day in the life of Bob) 
    Barzelay, AlixJemmy Button 
    Bawden, NinaCarrie’s war 
    Becker, AaronJourney 
    Bell, JenniferWonderscape 
    Bell, P. G.The Train to Impossible PlacesFantasy, magic, journeys
    Benjamin, FloellaComing to EnglandWidrush
    Bilan, JasbinderTamarind & the star of Ishta 
    Blackman, MaloriePig Heart BoyFamilies, Illness, Medical Ethics, BAME
    Blackman, MalorieCloud busting 
    Blackman, MalorieEllie & the cat 
    Blackman, MalorieOperation gadgetman! 
    Bond, MichaelA bear called Paddington 
    Boyne, JohnThe Boy in the Striped PyjamasWorld War Two, holocaust
    Boyne, JohnThe terrible thing that happened to Barnaby Brocket 
    Bradman, TonyAnglo-Saxon BoyAnglo-Saxons, historical fiction
    Bradman, TonyDilly and the goody-goody 
    Bradman, TonyDilly the dinosaur 
    Bradman, TonyQueen of darkness 
    Bradman, TonyViking boy 
    Brahmachari, SitaWhen secrets set sail 
    Bramachari, SitaKite SpiritBereavement
    Briggs, RaymondJim and the Beanstalk 
    Briggs, RaymondUg: boy genius of the stone age and his search for soft trousers
    Briggs, RaymondFungus the Bogeyman 
    Brown, PeterWild RobotEnvironment, nature, cooperation, robots, P4C
    Browne, AnthonyVoices in the ParkClass, prejudice, viewpoints
    Browne, AnthonyAnthony Browne’s King Kong 
    Browne, AnthonyInto the forest 
    Browne, AnthonySilly Billy 
    Browne, AnthonyThe tunnel 
    Browne, AnthonyWilly’s stories 
    Burningham, JohnOi! get off our train 
    Cherry, LynneThe Great Kapok TreeRainforests
    Climo, ShirleyThe Egyptian CinderellaAncient Egypt, fairy tales
    Climo, ShirleyThe Egyptian Cinderella 
    Coelho, JosephZombierella 
    Cole, LoDoris 
    Cotterill, JoA Library Of LemonsMental Health
    Cottrell Boyce, FrankThe Unforgotten CoatRefugees, Mongolia
    Cottrell Boyce, FrankCosmic 
    Cowell, CressidaHow to train your dragonDragons, Vikings, fantasy
    Dahl, RoaldCharlie and the chocolate factory 
    Darnton, TracyMy brother is an avocado 
    Davies, BenjiThe storm whale 
    Davis, BenThe soup movement 
    Daywalt, DrewThe day the crayons quit 
    Deary, TerryThe captive Celt 
    DiCamillo, KateThe Miraculous Journey Of Edward TulaneAdventure, journeys, loss and recovery, toys
    Dickens, CharlesA Christmas Carol 
    Doherty, BerlieStreet ChildVictorian Britain, poverty
    Doherty, BerlieThe Company Of GhostsScotland, Ghost Stories
    Dowd, SiobhanLondon Eye MysteryAdventure, Mystery, London
    Dr SeussThe LoraxEnvironment, sustainability, anti-capitalism
    Durrant, S. E.Running on empty 
    Durrant, S.E.Running on EmptyYoung carers, sports, learning disabilities, ambition
    Edmonds, DavidUndercover robot : my first year as a human 
    Edwards, GarethThe Disgusting Sandwich 
    Edwards, GarethThe disgusting sandwich 
    Evans, MazWho let the Gods out? 
    Fisher, CatherineThe clockwork crow 
    Gaiman, NeilFortunately The MilkHumour, fantasy
    Gaiman, NeilGraveyard BookFantasy, Ghosts, Humour
    Gallico, PaulThe Snow GooseWorld War Two
    Garfield, LeonThe wedding ghost 
    Garner, AlanThe owl service 
    Gayton, SamThe Snow MerchantFantasy
    Gleitzman, MorrisOnceWorld War Two, holocaust
    Gleitzman, MorrisTwo Weeks with the QueenTerminal Illness, LGBT
    Gleitzman, MorrisThen 
    Gravett, EmilyMeerkat MailLetter writing
    Gravett, EmilyMeerkat mail 
    Grey, MiniTraction Man is HereToys
    Grey, MiniTraction man is here 
    Grifalconi, AnnThe Village that vanishedAfrica, slavery
    Grifalconi, AnnThe village that vanished 
    Grill, WilliamShackleton’s journeyExplorers, polar regions
    Hargrave, Kiran MillwoodThe Girl of Ink and StarsFantasy
    Hathorn, ElizabethWay home 
    Haughton, ChrisOh no, George! 
    Heide, FlorenceThe Day of Ahmed’s SecretEgypt, writing
    Howe, JamesTotally JoeLGBT
    Hughes, TedThe Iron ManClassic, the environment
    Ibbotson, EvaJourney to the river sea 
    Innocenti, RobertoRose BlancheWorld War 2, the Holocaust
    Islam, BurhanaMayhem Mission 
    Jackson, SharnaHigh-rise mystery 
    Johnson, CatherineFreedonHistorical, slavery, emancipation
    Johnson, CatherineFreedom 
    Jones, Rob LloydBeowulfAnglo-Saxons, traditional tales
    Jones, Rob LloydWild BoyVictorian Britain
    Jones, RosieThe amazing Edie Eckhart 
    Jones, TerryThe saga of Erik the Viking 
    Judge, ChrisThe lonely beast 
    Khan, Hiba NoorSafiyyah’s War 
    Khan, M. T.Nura and the immortal palace 
    King, CliveStig of the Dump 
    Kipling, RudyardJust so stories 
    Kipling, RudyardThe jungle book 
    Kitamura, SatoshiStone Age BoyPrehistory
    Kitamura, SatoshiStone age boy 
    Laird, ElizabethA Little Piece of GroundPalestine, confict, football
    Laird, ElizabethOranges In No Man’s LandWar, Lebanon
    Laird, ElizabethThe Fastest Boy in the WorldEthiopia, Sport
    Laird, ElizabethWelcome To NowhereRefugees, Syria
    Landman, TanyaLightning strike 
    Lawrence, PatriceDiver’s daughter 
    Leonard, M GBeetle BoyFantasy, Adventure, Insects
    Lewis, GillMoon BearConservation, Bears, China
    Lin, Ann SeiRebel skies 
    Lobel, ArnoldFrog and toad are friends 
    Lucas, DavidGrendel: a cautionary tale about chocolate 
    Lucas, DavidLost in the toy museum: an adventure 
    Lupton, HughThe Adventures of OdysseusAncient Greece
    Magorian, MichelleGoodnight Mister Tom 
    Marsden, JohnThe RabbitsAustralia, colonialism, British Empire
    McCaughrean, GeraldineThe Middle of NowhereAustralia, Historical Fiction, Racism
    Mian, ZanibPlanet Omar 
    Mitchelhill, BarbaraSecret SuffragetteHistorical Fiction, women’s rights
    Morayo, LolaAziza’s secret fairy door 
    Morpurgo, MichaelBeowulfClassic, myths and legends, monsters
    Morpurgo, MichaelKensuke’s KingdomSurvival, nature, WW2, islands, shipwrecks, Japan
    Morpurgo, MichaelFriend or foe 
    Morpurgo, MichaelThe butterfly lion 
    Morpurgo, MichaelThe wreck of the Zanzibar 
    Mould, ChrisPirates ‘N’ Pistols; Ten Swashbuckling Pirate TalesPirates
    Nadin, JoannaJoe All AloneLondon, parents
    Naidoo, BeverlyJourney To Jo’burgSouth Africa, apartheid
    Naidoo, BeverlyCinderella of the Nile 
    Nicholls, SallyAn Island of Our OwnAdventure, Orphans
    Noyes, AlfredThe highwayman 
    Palacio, R JWonderDisability, bullying
    Parry Heide, FlorenceThe Day of Ahmed’s SecretModern Egypt, Arabic
    Patel, SerenaAnisha, Accidental Detective 
    Patel, SerenaAnisha, Accidental Detective: school’s cancelled! 
    Pirotta, SaviourThe golden horsemen of Baghdad 
    Pirotta, SaviourThe stolen spear 
    Pullman, PhilipClockwork: or All Wound UpFantasy, Classic
    Pullman, PhilipAlladin 
    Rai, BaliNow or NeverDunkirk, WW2, historical, Indian soldiers
    Rauf, OnjaliThe Boy at the Back of the ClassRefugees, Syria, bullying, politics
    Reeve, PhilipRail HeadScience fiction
    Riddell, ChrisGoth Girl And The Ghost Of A MouseHumour
    Riddell, ChrisOttoline and the yellow cat 
    Ridley, PhilipKrindlekraxMonsters, bullying, bravery
    Ringgold, FaithTar beach 
    Riordan, RickPercy Jackson and the lightning thief 
    Robinson, MichelleHow to wash a woolly mammoth 
    Rowling, J. K.Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone 
    Roy, NilanjanaThe WildingsIndia, cats
    Rundell, KatherineThe Wolf WilderAdventure, Russia, Historical fiction (Russian Revolution) Wolves
    Sachar, LouisHolesJustice
    Sendak, MauriceWhere the wild things are 
    Seo, Emily SatokoThe perfect sushi 
    Shakespeare, WilliamMacbeth Prose edition by Tony Ross
    Sheibani, JionThe worries : Sohal finds a friend 
    Shepherd, AndyThe boy who grew dragons 
    Silverstein, Shelthe giving tree 
    Slater, KimSmartMystery, Disability, Domestic Abuse, Aspergers/ autism
    Smith, DanMy Friend The EnemyWorld War Two, the Blitz
    Solomons, DavidMy Brother Is A SuperheroHumour, superheroes, sibling rivalry
    Soundar, ChitraJar Of PicklesIndia, Short Stories
    Stanev, MartinThe planet in a pickle jar 
    Swindells, RobertIce Palace 
    Tan, ShaunThe lost thing 
    Todd-Stanton, JoeThe Secret of Black RockIslands, graphic novels
    Todd-Stanton, JoeArthur and the golden rope 
    Tolstoy, AlekseiThe Gigantic Turnip 
    Torday, PiersThe last wild 
    Uman, JenniferJemmy ButtonColonialism, Charles Darwin, British Empire
    Villa, Alvaro F.Flood 
    Ward, HelenVarmints 
    White, E BCharlotte’s WebFarms
    Williams, MarciaAncient Egypt : tales of gods and pharaohs 
    Zephaniah, BenjaminWindrush Child 
  • Shahnameh Box

    Shahnameh Box

    If you would like borrow one of these boxes for a term please fill in a request form or contact the library directly.

    The Shahnameh Box will be available from April 2019.

    The Phoenix of Persia by Sally Pomme Clayton, illustrated by Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif is an epic legend from Shahnameh, a collection of myths by the 10th century Iranian poet Ferdowsi. With echoes of Snow White and firebird folklore, a young prince is banished to the forest and is brought up by the benevolent phoenix Simorgh.

    Storytellers in Iran would often tell the stories of Shahnameh to the accompaniment of music.
    Tiny Owl’s new book The Phoenix of Persia introduces original music by Iranian musicians Nilufar Habibian, Saeid Kord Mafi, Arash Moradi and Amir Eslami, led by composer Soosan Lolavar and Dr Laudan Nooshin, set to a narration by Sally Pomme Clayton — available free to download.

    To celebrate the publication of The Phoenix of Persia, our free resource The Shahnameh Box explores one of the greatest epics of world literature and its history to promote cultural understanding and a more positive image of Iran and the surrounding region for young children.

    It supports creative and critical learning, the study of history and citizenship from social justice to human rights, diversity and the other key concepts of development education.

    The Shahnameh Box is a free resource for schools and includes:

    • Book: The Phoenix of Persia
    • Book: Bijan and Manije
    • Book: I is for Iran
    • Ney (Iranian flute)
    • Frame drum
    • Iranian Material
    • Mosaic tiles
    • Iranian coins in a red velvet pouch
    • Dried rose petals
    • Examples of modern miniatures by Farschian and poems in Farsi by Hafez.
    • The Chain Game (laminated sheets)
    • Meet the Poet (laminated sheets)
    • Printed copies of the teacher resources (20 page booklet)

    If you would like borrow one of these boxes for a term please fill in a request form or contact the library directly.

    The Shahnameh Box will be available from April 2019.

  • Michael Rosen on World Book Day 2019

    Michael Rosen on World Book Day 2019

    We are delighted to announce that we have secured Michael Rosen for our World Book Day event on Thursday 7th March 2019.

    He will be making two appearances at the Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, on that day at 10.30am and at 1.30pm, each for one hour.  His talk is suitable for all ages in KS2 and KS3.

    There will be a book stall provided by Brick Lane bookshop .

    Meeting Michael Rosen and pre-ordering books

    In order to ensure that representatives from every school get a chance to meet Michael, we ask that you choose up to FIVE children from your class who can join the queue at the end to get books signed.

    We will have pre-signed book plates for other children who want to buy books but can’t get to meet him.

    Here is an order form for the list of books suggested by Michael Rosen that will be available for sale at the Brick Lane Bookshop book stall, who are offering £1 discount on all titles.  Pre-orders are invited, and you are welcome to request other titles which are in print.  Please send  this form to Gillian.Harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk by Friday 15th February

    Nearer the time, we will invite you to send in questions your pupils might like to ask Michael, and we will choose a range to ensure we get a variety of topics!

    For more information about this event, please contact Gillian.harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2018

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2018

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    Contents

    1. Send your feedback
    2. The Books
    3. About the Book Award
    4. Why Join in?
    5. Timeline and guidelines
    6. Register
    7. Competition
    8. Grand Finale

    Congratulations, Neill Cameron!

    Votes were cast today for the 2018 Tower Hamlets Book Award, and Neill Cameron was the clear winner for ‘Mega Robo Rumble!’ Neill was present at the grand finale at East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf, along with ‘Illegal’ co-author Andrew Donkin, to receive the award in front of hundreds of children from Tower Hamlets and Newham schools.

    Competition winners

    Virginia Primary School won the Presentation competition with their interpretation of Nevermoor, with excellent performances from all the schools who took part.

    Our creative competition inspired lots of drawings, poems and models. The following winners were awarded prizes on the day:

      • Zahra Mostafa from William Davis School for her model box inspired by Welcome to Nowhere
      • Oisis Campbell-Wright from William Davis School for his model of a scene from Nevermoor

     

    • Lemonie Choudhury from St Saviours School for her Nevermoor poster and Welcome to Nowhere poem
    • Farihah Amin from Central Foundation Girls School for her Welcome to Nowhere Poem
    • Sehzik Rahman, Alesha Zaman and Talha Bhuiyan from Vicarage Primary School for their collaborative comic strip inspired by Illegal

    The Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services would like to thank Canary Wharf group and all of the staff at East Wintergarden for all of their work in supporting the Tower Hamlets Book Award this year.

    Teacher Feedback

    If you’ve been shadowing the award, please complete this short feedback survey . If you’re attending the grand finale, please complete this form after Wednesday!

    Click here for the survey
    Create your own user feedback survey

    The Shortlist!

    Image result for canary wharf group logo

    Canary Wharf Group have kindly continued to sponsor the book Award by buying a set of books for each school and providing use of the East Wintergarden building as the venue for the grand finale event.

    A free set of the shortlist will be sent to subscribing schools in the Autumn term, courtesy of Canary Wharf Group. Additional sets are available to buy at the discounted price of £39. Email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    Subscribing schools will also recieve:

    • Book Award posters
    • Book award bookmarks for year 5 and 6 pupils

    Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird : Twelve year old Omar is from the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar wants to become a successful businessman but soon bombs are falling and Omar and his family have to flee their home and homeland. But where do you go when you can’t go home?

    Caleb’s Cab  by Sally and Sylvain Chomet : Escaping from a surreal world where money means more than happiness, Caleb needs to find his father before the evil Money Mongers get to him first. His only hopes – a fake moustache and his dad’s taxi cab.

    Mega Robo Rumble : Mega Robo Bros 2 by Neill Cameron : Alex and Freddy are brothers. They’re also robot (not so) secret agents defending East London from rampaging villains!

    Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk : Crow has always lived on the island, ever since, as a tiny baby, she was found washed up on the shore by gentle Osh. But as she grows older, questions start to arise about who she really is…

    Nevermoor : The trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend : Morrigan is due to die on her twelfth birthday, and is less than happy when it turns out that her death is coming a year early. Unless, that is, a different fate is planned for her, involving the Wundrous Society, a giant cat and the phenomenally ginger Jupiter North.

    Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin : Ebo is one of thousands of refugees from West Africa, desperately attempting to make the crossing to the refugee camps in Italy. Following his sister and his brother he crosses the Sahara to Tripoli and finally to the merciless crossing over the sea.

    The shortlist was be selected from the 2018 Must Read list and the 2018 Teen Booklist

    About the Book Award

    “Children need to be enthused to read and if they are, this will become a springboard for their achievements throughout the curriculum.”

    (Report of the Inquiry into Overcoming the Barriers to Literacy, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education, 2011)

    The annual Tower Hamlets Book Award is just one of the exciting events made possible by subscriptions to the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services, and is a free event for subscribing schools.

    The Book Award is for pupils aged 10 to 13. The aim is to encourage children to read, to bring children together to enable debate and discussion about books and to encourage children to share the pleasure of reading.

    Why join in?

    Because the award bridges primary and secondary schools, it encourages pupils from different phases to share in reading events and work together.

    Schools who have taken part in the award have found it to be highly beneficial in encouraging children to broaden their reading range and develop their literacy – not just in reading but also in speaking and listening, as a core part of any book award is discussion and debate.

    The award, and the primary and secondary book lists, encourage pupils to make their own choices about what they read, and to discover new and exciting authors and stories.

    Schools have the opportunity to attend the grand finale, meet authors and generally have a great time.

    Timeline and guidelines

    book award guidelines 2018

    • July : THBA Shortlist announced
    • July : Make sure you’re on our Book Award mailing list so that you’re kept up-to-date about this event. Email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk
    • August : Pupils can read the shortlist as part of their Summer Reading Challenge (see Idea Stores and public libraries)
    • September : Launch your book award reading groups
    • October : Registration for the THBA Grand Finale opens
      • If you’re taking part in the presentation competition, start planning your performances
    • November : Join us at the grand finale

     

  • Deliveries and Collections

    Deliveries and Collections

    Order for September

    Enjoy the holiday and let us sort out your books for you!

    www.towerhamlets-sls.org.uk/request

    COLLECTIONS

    Enf of term collection dates

    Requesting collections

    During Term time

    Either call, email or request a collection in your new request form. Please remember:

    • Allow up to 5 working days for our driver to be able to schedule a visit. At times of peak demand we get a lot of requests for collections and deliveries.
    • Please ensure that your crates are ready! If we arrive and we can’t find anything it may take time to fit in a repeat visit – also it’s very expensive for us to send a driver!
    • Let us know the number of crates that our driver should expect.
    • If you know that other staff also need crates collecting, try to arrange for all crates to be ready at the same time – repeat visits can cause delays.

    At half term

    • Resources do not need to be returned at half term

    Our summer holiday collections:

    If you missed your date

    • Drop any items off at the Schools Library Services (check our opening hours)
    • contact us and let us know how many boxes are ready for us and we will visit as soon as we are able to in the new term. Please be aware that we will be prioritising deliveries during this time.
    • Your next request may be delayed if you have too many overdue items.
    • We will let the school know which day our driver will be calling
    • Make sure that your resources are ready the evening before the collection day as we cannot guarantee a second visit if you miss the collection slot
    • Please ensure that resources are correctly and tidily packed
      • Please don’t place heavy books on top of fragile items
      • Please return artefacts sets complete and in the original boxes
      • Artefacts and costumes are expensive and in high demand. Returning them on time and complete means that all teachers can benefit from these resources
    • Resources must be left in the designated collection point in your school. Our driver will not have time to visit classrooms

    Schools’ own resources

    Teachers often return their school’s own resources to us in error. We will do our best to return these to you in crates labelled as ‘School’s Own’.

    DELIVERIES

    Keep an eye out for your delivery!

    • If your delivery has not been received within 7 working days of the request being sent OR the first day of term (if you sent your request during or before the holiday), contact us so that we can resolve any problems
    • Our driver will drop off all resources to the school reception or other area designated by your school. If a delivery cannot be found, please check with your school office/ site management. All deliveries will be signed for by a member of staff at your school
    • Big books, posters, costumes and some artefacts will be delivered in bags and boxes. Please look out for poster rolls, boxes and bags as well as crates. All delivered items will be labelled with the teacher’s name
    • Your delivery may be delayed if you have outstanding items on your ticket. If this is the case then we will attempt to contact you first by the email address provided and then by calling the school.

    We’ve had several incidents when new crates have been delivered and not taken from the school reception by teachers. These have then been sent back by the school to the library service and the resources put back into stock!

  • Teen Booklist 2018

    Teen Booklist 2018

    TheList2018banner41 of the best new fiction titles for your secondary school Library

    The Teenage Book list is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools, and is a list of recommended fiction to buy for your school library.

    The teen list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last 12 months, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Tower Hamlets Book Award short list in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate in this event!

    Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing secondary schools.

    Please contact the library for more information on the Teen List or to request additional posters or bookmarks (subscribing schools only).

    View the full list

    9781909991408 A Berlin Love Song Sarah Matthias Max is 17, a German schoolboy, when he meets Lili, a trapeze artist from a travelling circus that performs every year in Berlin. Lili is from a Romani gypsy family whose life and customs are very different from those of Max and his family. Their friendship turns into love – but love between a member of the Hitler youth and a gypsy is forbidden. As events tear them apart can their love survive?
    9781910411582 A dangerous Crossing Lane Mitchell Ghalib doesn’t want to leave his home in Syria. But the city has become too dangerous, and his family has no choice but to flee. Together they make their way through Syria to the Turkish border, where Ghalib gets separated from his family. Stricken with grief and fear, fighting cold, pain and hunger, he manages to make it . Ghalib is safe for now, but life in a refugee camp is wretched and hopeless, and this boy’s journey in search of safety is far from over.
    9781406372601 A Friend in the Dark Pascal Ruter Victor is a failure at everything – school, girls, making his dad feel better about his mother having left them. When Marie-Jose, the smartest girl in the class and musical prodigy, starts helping him with his maths homework, there must be something she wants in return.
    9781471145421 All the things that could go wrong Stewart Foster Dan the bully and Alex the bullied are thrown together by their mums for the summer – what could go wrong?  Of course, there are always two sides to every story.
    9780552574303 Beyond the bright sea Lauren Wolk Crow has always lived on the island, ever since, as a tiny baby, she was found washed up on the shore by gentle Osh.  But as she grows older, questions start to arise about who she really is…
    9781911107026 Code Name: Butterfly Ahlam Bsharat Butterfly has lots of questions about the world around her as she grows up in Palestine – why do children seem to grow up so fast?  Why does she sometimes get annoyed with her friends? And more searching questions – why does Baba have to work for the Israeli farmers and not able to have a farm of his own?  Why do the Israelis shoot at Palestinians?  A dramatic portrayal of life in occupied Palestine
    9781407172095 Dream Magic Joshua Khan Things are dire for the inhabitants of Castle Gloom and the surrounding villages. The undead are leaving their graves in droves, a troll army is on the march from the north, and people are mysteriously disappearing from their homes. The people of Gehenna are blaming their misfortunes on Lilith Shadow, their young queen.
    9781406375657 Flying Tips for Flightless Birds Kelly McCaughrain Twins Finch and Birdie Franconi are stars of the flying trapeze. But when Birdie suffers a terrifying accident, Finch must team up with the geeky new kid, Hector Hazzard, to form an all-boys double act and save the family circus school.
    9781509874057 I am thunder Muhammad Khan Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem is used to being invisible. So no one is more surprised than her when Arif Malik, the hottest boy in school, takes a sudden interest.  But Arif is hiding a terrible secret and, as they begin to follow a dark path, Muzna faces an impossible choice: keep quiet and betray her beliefs, or speak out and betray her heart.
    9781444934472 I am traitor Sif Sigmarsdottir London has been targeted by extra-terrestrial life and victims are transported to a terrifying other world. Amy Sullivan is an unwilling hero. She runs until she can’t run any more. Then, she is taken.To have a chance of saving herself, and her planet, Amy will have to put faith in those she fears the most. But what if it means becoming a traitor to everyone she has ever loved?
    9781405286152 I have no secrets Penny Joelson Fourteen-year-old Jemma has severe cerebral palsy. Unable to communicate or move, she relies on her family and carer for everything. She has a sharp brain and inquisitive nature, and knows all sorts of things about everyone. But when she is confronted with this terrible secret, she is utterly powerless to do anything. Though that might be about to change…
    9781444934007 Illegal Eoin Colfer/ Andrew Donkin Ebo is one of thousands of refugees from West Africa, desperately attempting to make the crossing to the refugee camps in Italy. Following his sister and his brother he crosses the Sahara to Tripoli and finally to the merciless crossing over the sea.
    9781444927184 Indigo Donut Patrice Lawrence Indigo has had a tough start in life, having grown up in the care system after her dad killed her mum. Bailey lives with his parents in Hackney and spends all his time playing guitar or tending to his luscious ginger afro. When Indigo and Bailey meet at sixth form, serious sparks fly. But when Bailey becomes the target of a homeless man who seems to know more about Indigo than is normal, he is forced to make a choice he should never have to make.
    9781406379006 Landscape with Invisible Hand M.T. Anderson The alien Vuvv land on earth and begin making humans obsolete with their superior new technology.  The trouble with this is that soon, families have no money for food or clean water.  Adam and his girlfriend Chloe pull out all the stops to survive.
    9781405930994 Lion Saroo Brierley Five year old Saroo went missing from his village in India  – and finally found his way back after twenty-five years -an epic story of survival
    9781444014815 List of Real Things Sarah Moore Fitzgerald Grace knows the difference between what’s real and the strange ideas that float around in her little sister’s mind. Their parents died – that’s real. A secret hotel on the cliff-top where their parents are waiting – definitely NOT real. So when grief strikes again, Grace is determined not to let her sister’s outlandish imagination spiral out of control. But the line between truth and fantasy is more complicated than it seems…
    9780192749956 Night Speakers : Sleepless Ali Sparkes Night after night Elena, Matt, and Tima wake at exactly the same time, with no idea why. It’s messing them up and fracturing their lives . . . until they venture out into the dark and find each other. And then the sleepless trio realize their astounding power – they can speak any language; they can even communicate with animals. But something is happening over on the industrial estate – something which is emitting sounds that only they can hear, and killing any winged thing that crosses its path.
    9781781127230 Rook Anthony McGowan When Kenny and Nicky rescue a rook left for dead, Kenny is determined to keep it alive. Nicky doubts the scruffy bird will make it, but then Nicky has plenty else to worry about – a school bully, his first love, and the fact that everything is about to go very, very wrong.
    9781784646981 S/He Catherine Bruton Raven is “gender-fluid” – not a boy, not a girl – so some days decides to join the boys’ activities, and sometimes with the girls.   Kat finds herself enormously attracted to Raven, but what does that say about her?  Whilst trying to work this out, some others in the class want to find out what gender Raven is once and for all – what can Kat do to stop them?
    9781444011258 Saint Death Marcus Sedgwick Anapra is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Mexican city of Juarez. Twenty metres beyond is America – the dangerous goal of many a migrant. Faustino is one of them, trying desperately to escape from the gang he’s been working for. He’s dipped into a pile of dollars he was supposed to be hiding, and now he’s on the run. Watching over them all the while is Saint Death. Santissima Muerte.
    9781406379242 Scythe Neil Shusterman A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life – and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
    9781509801138 Seven Letter Word Kim Slater Finlay’s mother vanished two years ago. And ever since then his stutter has become almost unbearable. Bullied at school and ignored by his father, the only way to get out the words which are bouncing around in his head is by writing long letters to his ma which he knows she will never read, and by playing Scrabble online. But when Finlay is befriended by an online Scrabble player called Alex, everything changes.
    9781471146077 Sky Song Abi Elphinstone Eska  and Flint live in the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald, where whales glide between icebergs, wolves hunt on the tundra and polar bears roam the glaciers. But the people of this land aren’t so easy to find – because Erkenwald is ruled by an evil Ice Queen and the tribes must stay hidden or risk becoming her prisoners at Winterfang Palace.  Join Flint and Eska in their search for the power to force the Ice Queen back.
    9781471147159 The Diabolic S.J. Kincaid Nemisis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The girl who is as much as sister as a master. There’s nothing Nemesis wouldn’t do to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect her… she must become her; hiding her true abilities and pretending to be human.
    9781408332511 The Erth Dragons : Dark Wyng Chris D’Lacey Ren is the first of his kind – a boy with the powers of a dragon – but the dragons are wary of his skills.  Meanwhile a dark stranger arrives among the humans, far more threatening for the dragons than Ren….
    9781408342923 The Ethan I was Before Ali Standish A childhood dare changes Ethan’s life for ever when he loses his best friend Kacey.  Moving from Boston to Georgia, he meets Coralee, who might just be able to help him come to terms with what happened, but Coralee has secrets of her own…
    9781471160622 The Girl In Between Sarah Carroll In an old, abandoned mill in the heart of Dublin, homeless Sam and her ma take find refuge. Sam feels safe in her “Castle” but as her ma spins out of control and the Authorities move ever closer, Sam finds herself trapped – stuck in the crumbling mill with only the ghosts of the past for company
    9781406372151 The Hate U Give Angie Thomas Sixteen-year-old Starr manages to juggle her two worlds – the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. But this uneasy balance is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.
    9781781126806 The Liars Handbook Keren David River is instantly suspicious of  Mum’s new boyfriend, Jason  – he seems fake, too good to be true. At school, River s routine fibs are escalating into something more serious, and his teacher gives him a notebook in the hope he can channel his fantasies into creative writing instead. And so, River begins The Liar s Handbook, and an investigation into Jason. But what he uncovers is a terrible deception involving his biological father, the police force and his mum s environmental campaign group… but will anyone take his findings seriously?
    9781406375473 The Loneliest Girl in the Universe Lauren James Romy is lonely, the only survivor on a spaceship, so how wonderful to discover a second spaceship also with a single passenger  – a boy called J.  Romy is falling in love, but what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
    9781510101586 The Ones that Disappeared Zana Fraillon Esra and his siblings are imprisoned in a basement by Orlando and their job is to tend the underground crops of drugs that Orlando grows.  They manage to escape, but are separated – how can Esra get his family back together again
    9781509832569 The Road to Ever After Moira Young Davy makes his angel pictures in the dirt in the early dawn while people are asleep.  An orphan and living on the streets, he is used to surviving alone, so when George the dog leads him to Miss Flint, he is wary about getting involved.  But Miss Flint, with not long to live needs him for her last great adventure
    9781406373554 The Secret Horses of Briar Hill Megan Shepherd Britain is at war. Emmaline has been evacuated away from the bombs to Briar Hill Hospital in Shropshire. When she gets there she discovers a secret. It’s not to be shared, not to be told to anyone, even her friend Anna.
    9781406379907 The Wonderling Mira Bartok Number 13, a one-eared foxlike boy lives trapped in The Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, run by the evil Miss Carbunkle. When he recieves two gifts – a name and a best friend – he finds the courage to escape into the world on a path to his true destiny.
    9781783446735 Things a bright girl can do Sally Nicholls Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote. But the fight for freedom will challenge Evelyn, May and Nell more than they ever could believe. As war looms, just how much are they willing to sacrifice?
    9781406366938 Truth or Dare Non Pratt Sef is desperate to raise money to somehow reverse the brain damage done to his big brother, Kam, when he fell into a river. Claire is a willing accomplice on his mission to create a you-tube channel “truth or dare” – after all, Claire would do anything for Sef.  But they are not making enough money, so Sef comes up with the biggest dare yet – one story through two people’s eyes.
    9781408878880 We come apart Sarah Crossan Jess would never have looked twice at Nicu if her friends hadn’t left her in the lurch. Even when they’re picking up litter in the park for community service. He’s so not her type. Appearances matter to Jess. She’s got a lot to hide.Nicu thinks Jess is beautiful. His dad brought Nicu and his mum here for a better life, but now all they talk about is going back home to find Nicu a wife. The last thing Nicu wants is to get married.  But his dad’s fists are the most powerful force in Nicu’s life.
    9781926890142 When morning comes Arushi Raina It s 1976 in South Africa, and four young people are living in Johannesburg and its black township, Soweto: Zanele, a black female student organizer; Meena, a South Asian girl working at her father’s shop; Jack, an Oxford-bound white student; and Thabo, a teen-gang member, or tsotsi. From each of their points of view, this book explores the roots of the Soweto Uprising and the edifice of apartheid in a South Africa about to explode.
    9781474921145 Where the World Ends Geraldine McCaughrean Be taken to the end of the world, a lonely rock stack in the midst of rough seas, to hunt for its only inhabitants, the seabirds whose meat, oil and feathers help to keep your community alive.  When no one keeps back to take you home, how would you keep up your spirits amongst the desparate and despairing group?  A lyrical, harsh and enthralling story of survival and resilience.
    9781781126950 Worry Angels Sita Brahmachari Amy May knows about webs of worries – so many people she meets are caught in them, from her own artist dad to newly arrived refugee Rima and her family. By being brave enough to open up her own worry box, can Amy May help those around her to find a way forward?
    9781509812509 Tender Earth Sita Brahmachari Laila Levenson has always been the baby of the family, but now with her older siblings, Mira and Krish, leaving home just as she starts secondary school, everything feels like it’s changing… can the reappearance of Nana Josie’s Protest Book and the spirit it releases in Laila, her friends and her local community, help her find her own voice and discover what she truly believes in?

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  • Takeoff! 2018

    Takeoff! 2018

    Takeoffbanner2018

    22 of the best new books for your collection for years 3 and 4.

    The books on the Takeoff! list are selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary schools, and is a list of recommended fiction to buy for your school library.

    For fiction for upper KS2, take a look at our latest Must Read booklist.

    The list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

    Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing primary schools.

    Please contact the library for more information on the Takeoff! list or to request additional posters or bookmarks

     

    Read the full list

    9780571329731 Ballerina Dreams Michaela DePrince At the orphanage in Sierra Leone, Michaela dreamed of being a ballerina, so imagine her delight when her new American adoptive parents send her to ballet school! A true story of international ballet star.
    9781783445202 The Bolds on Holiday by Julian Clary Hyena family, the Bolds, are off to the seaside, but trouble arrives when Bobby is mistaken for a pup and snatched by a wicked dognapper. Can the family track her down and rescue all the stolen dogs without giving away their disguise?
    9781444934014 Dinosaur Dash By Mo Farah, Kes Gray, Marta Kissi Mo and his friends discover that running backwards takes you back in time as well! But they find themselves in the time of the dinosaurs – who are not all that friendly!
    9781781125885 Dread Cat Michael Rosen Dread cat has promised he will turn over a new leaf and stop eating them – but can the mice trust him?
    9781847157874 Escape from Planet Bogey Gareth P. Jones The Pet Defenders need to find out why animals are disappearing from Nothington-on-Sea and discover aliens are holding the Planet Bogey Games. Can secret agents Biskit and Mitzy win the contest and find their missing partner, Champ. And what’s more, can they get back home afterwards?
    9781444931600 Princess Smartypants and the Fairy Geek Mothers By Babette Cole In Fairy Land, the Fairy Geek Mothers have set up a website, offering wishes – ignoring the rule that fairies can only offer three wishes at a time. When the wishes start to go wrong, it is up to Princess Smartypants and her friends but everything back to rights
    9781782956099/ 9781782953043 Daisy and the Trouble with Chocolate/ Jack Beechwhistle : Rise of the Hairy Horrors Kes Gray As well as getting to look after the school hamsters for the whole Easter holidays, Daisy is lucky enough to get two free tickets to Chocolate Land – what could be better?!

    Why does the hairdresser, Valentino, collect the hair he cuts from everyone’s head?  Jack Beechwhistle, undercover agent extraordinaire, makes it his business to find out.

    9781786960160 The River Challenge Bear Grylls The worst thing that could happen to Jack is falling in a river – given his secret fear of water, but he is pulled out by Bear Grylls and Jack learns how to survive – building a shelter for overnight, catching fish, building a raft and navigating back to safety!
    9781407135090 The Cat and the King Nick Sharratt When a fire-breathing dragon burns down the castle, the king and his best friend the cat have to move house -and find 37 Castle Close where they set about getting to know their neighbours -but watch out for the return of the fire-breathing dragon!
    9781406373349 They Don’t Teach This in Worm School! Simone Lia Marcus likes being a worm likes brown, mud and digging holes, but when he meets Laurence a pigeon who thinks he’s a flamingo, he has to do a deal to stop himself getting eaten – and that is navigating the way to Kenya so that Laurence can find his family. The trouble is, Marcus doesn’t know how to navigate…
    9780008248413 The Birthday Surprise Clara Vulliamy Both Dotty and her teacher Mr D are hugely excited about their upcoming birthdays. Dotty’s Mum is planning a special party for her and the class have made a surprise present for Mr D. But when the gift mysteriously disappears, who could have taken it?
    9781781126837 Good Dog McTavish Meg Rosoff McTavish could see that the Peachey family needed help, now that Ma Peachey had resigned and there was no one to do the cooking or the laundry. When Plan A does not work, he sets about implementing Plan B…
    9781474744195/ 9781474744201 The Girl in the Graveyard and other Scary Tales/ The Library Claw and other Scary Tales Michael Dahl Spooky rooms in the local library noises in the basement, a short cut through the graveyard, an imp in the bathroom – no end of scary stories in these two collections!
    9780857639158 The Invincibles : The Beast of Bramble Woods Caryl Hart Nell and Freddie sneak out to join the older children camping in the woods. It’s great fun…until the Beast of Bramble Wood wants to join in!
    9780993553738 Al’s Awesome Science: No.1: Egg-Speriments! Jane Clarke Al loves experimenting – one of these days he is going to discover something amazing. Right now, he’s testing for the best thing to make a time machine with – which he will need to get away from the trouble he’s in for making so much mess!
    9780192763877 Bee Boy : Clash of the Killer Queens Tony De Saulles Half BEE. Half BOY. Melvin Meadly is . . . BEE BOY. As a bee, Mel is ready to defend his hive against all enemies taking on killer wasps, terrifying hawkmoths, and battling queen bees. But as a boy, has he got what it takes to protect his bees (and himself) against the greatest menace of all Nasty Norman Crudwell?
    9781406366051 Animals Behaving Badly By Nicola Davies True stories about some very weird and strange animals, from deadly wolverines to thieving birds and farting fish!
    9781509808847 Swashbuckle Lil and the Jewel Thief Elli Woollard No-one in school knows that Lil is a swashbuckling pirate who’s scared of nothing – but she has to come to the rescue when Old Stinkbeard tries to steal the King’s ruby whilst the class are on a trip to the museum
    9781848126336 Flying Fergus 7: The Wreck-It Race by Sir Chris Hoy The new coach, Charlie Campbell, has different ideas on how to win a cycling championship and the team are not sure it is going to work – why do yoga? And wheelbarrow races? And why enter the Wreck-it Run, where you have to build you own bike and compete in pairs? How will this help the team get faster?
    9781911370062 My Name is Not Refugee Kate Milner We have to leave this town, it’s not safe, says mother. We have to say goodbye to old friends and travel a long way. We will see new and interesting things and learn new words: a beautiful way to learn about what it means to be a refugee.

     

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  • Must Read Booklist 2018

    Must Read Booklist 2018

    MustRead2018banner41 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.
    The Must Read Book list is one of our annual selections of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools, and is a suggested list to buy for your school library.

    For fiction for years 3 and 4, take a look at our Takeoff! booklist.

    The book list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

    Titles from the 2018 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Tower Hamlets Book Award short list in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

    A set of posters and bookmarks for the book list will be sent to all subscribing primary schools.

    Please contact the library for any further information about the book list.

    To request additional posters/ bookmarks email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk (subject to availability)

    Read the full list

    9781848126169 A Storm of Strawberries Jo Cottrill An engaging story from the point of view of a young girl with Down’s Syndrome.  A storm is raging on their strawberry fruit farm but that’s not the only storm brewing.  Her sixteen year old sister is embarking on a blossoming relationship with her girlfriend and not everyone approves.
    9781474927291 The Amber Pendant Imogen White Rescued from a miserable life in the workhouse, Rose Muddle finds that her new mistress has a plan for her, involving a magical amber pendant and evil, mysterious enemies.
    9781406342284 Caleb’s Cab Sally and Sylvain Chomet Trapped in a surreal, parallel world where money means more than happiness, Caleb needs to find his father before the evil Money Mongers get to him first. His only hopes – a fake moustache and his dad’s taxi cab.
    9781782117049 Dragon’s Green Scarlet Thomas After the Worldquake, Effie learnt about magic – time in her grandfather’s library made sure of that. But there’s still much she has to learn. About the Otherworld and about the Diberi, a secret organisation with plans to destroy the entire universe.
    9780552576239 Fly Me Home Polly Ho-Yen London is cold and grey and the neighbours are noisy and there’s concrete everywhere. Feeling lost and alone in a strange new city, Leelu wishes she could fly away back home – her real home where her dad is, thousands of miles away. But Leelu is not alone; someone is leaving her gifts outside her house – wonders which give her curious magical powers. Powers which might help her find her way home . . .
    9781848125643 Giant Kate Scott Eleven year old Anzo, is short, very short. Which makes it difficult to be noticed in a noisy family who are unusually tall. If only he could grow a bit taller. With the help of his best friend, Elise, he harnesses the power of positive force.  Anzo eventually gets up the courage to follow his dream and find his place in the world.
    9781783443826 His Royal Whiskers Sam Gayton Something bad has happened to Prince Alexander, the only heir to the mighty Petrossian Empire. Somehow, the Prince has been miraculously transformed into a fluffy-wuffy kitten. Why has this terrible catastrophe happened? Who are the  boy and girl and how will they avoid getting their heads chopped off by Alexandra’s father, the Fearsome Czar?
    9781474921305 Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy Lara Williamson Adam Butters has decided he’s going to be a Superhero.  He’s going to solve problems and make people happy and that’s good because his adoptive Mum needs cheering up. This is a story about the power in us all to be extraordinary.
    9780571327584 Letters from the Lighthouse Emma Carroll Enthralling story of evacuees Olive and Cliff who have plenty of mysteries to solve: secret codes, their sister’s disappearance in an air raid, and why is the lighthouse so important to the enemy and to the allies?
    9781444929096 Miraculous Miranda Siobhan Parkinson Miranda Maguire is the creator of a land where stories never end. As she writes down her fantasy world, small miracles start to happen in real life.  Can miranda write a miracle for her poorly sister?
    9781510103825 Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow Jessica Townsend Morrigan is due to die on her twelfth birthday, and is less than happy when it turns out that her death is coming a year early. Unless, that is, a different fate is planned for her, involving the Wundrous Society, a giant cat and the phenomenally ginger Jupiter North.
    9781910959589 Overheard in a Tower Block Joseph Coelho An astonishing new collection of powerful and moving poems about growing up in the city. A disappearing father and a Mermaid Queen mother; bullies that kick you under the table and the things that lurk in the library….
    9781510102088 Running on the Roof of the World Jess Butterworth Tash has to follow many rules to survive in Tibet, a country occupied by Chinese soldiers. But when a man sets himself on fire in protest and soldiers seize Tash’s parents, she and her best friend Sam are determined to escape Tibet – and seek the help of the Dalai Lama himself in India.
    9781444013931 Scaredy Cat, Scaredy Cat Phil Earle Kay Catt has a nickname Scaredy Catt because you’ve never met a more anxious girl in your life! Then she meets a mysterious old man on Storey Street and begins to come out of her shell. Wilf Wilkinson isn’t your average old man but has a cloak, a strange pointy hat and some extraordinary cats.
    9780192749826 Stunt Double Tamsin Cooke Free-running champion and karate black belt, Finn’s ideal job is as a stunt double in the movies.  But director Agatha Novak wants the stunts to become more and more daring and dangerous – what secrets is she hiding?
    9781910989951/ 9781910989814 Tamsin and the Dark / Robo Rumble Neill Cameron Alex and Freddy are brothers. They’re also robot (not so) secret agents defending East London from rampaging villains! Schoolgirl Tamsin Thomas has a part-time job as the last Pellar: magical protector of Cornwall’s human population from creatures ancient and uncanny…
    9781407159690 The Bookshop Girl Sylvia Bishop Property Jones lives in a bookshop, and her secret is that she can’t read. When her family win the incredible Montgomery Book Emporium in a raffle, things seem too good to be true, until the mysterious Eliot Pink turns up…
    9781910655757 The Elephant Thief Jane Kerr Offered a job by a zoo keeper, pickpocket Danny’s task is to ride an elephant, Maharajah, from Edinburgh to Manchester. But Danny’s past, and a ruthless criminal, can’t be left behind so easily.
    9781407138558 The Everything Machine Ally Kennen Olly, Stevie and Bird have just had a very special delivery. It’s a machine that has a name, can speak and is able to print anything they want. But getting everything you’ve wished for isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!
    9781408882191 The Explorer Katherine Rundell When their plane crashes four children are stranded in the Amazon jungle. Now they have to survive alone, but was someone there before them?
    9781848126473 The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill The people of the protectorate don’t realise that instead of eating them, Xan rescues all the babies they leave as a sacrifice to her.  Luna, one such child, accidently drank moonlight instead of starlight and so became extraordinarily magical.  When the people from Protectorate decide to kill the witch instead of offering more sacrifices, can Luna’s magic save her?
    9780141377025 The Guggenheim Mystery Robin Stevens Three months ago Ted Spark solved the mystery of how his cousin disappeared from a pod on the London Eye. Now his Aunt has been accused of stealing a painting from the Guggenheim Museum and it’s up to him to find the real culprit.
    Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/books/304196/the-guggenheim-mystery/#TlbqekTmpIxoZlIC.99
    9781911490043 The Ice Garden Guy Jones Jess is allergic to the sun. She lives indoors in a world of shadows, peeking at other children from her house. One night she sneaks out and discovers an impossibility – a magical garden made of ice.
    9781510201255 The Incredible Billy Wild Joanna Nadin When Billy Wild’s teacher asks the class to write a letter to their god, Billy’s request is simple:

    Please send me a dog.

    So when he discovers a greyhound hiding in the shed, he decides someone must really be listening. With the help of his brothers, Billy sets out to hide her from Dad.
    Billy must make a big, brave, wild decision – but it’s one that might save Dog and hundreds like her.

    9781910002766 The Island at the End of Everything Kiran Millwood Hargrave There are some places you would not want to go . Even if there are  oceons filled with sea turtles and dolphins. Even if there are forests lush with parrots and the air is warm and fragrant. Nobody comes to the island because they want to. The island of no return
    9780857638403 The Jamie Drake Equation Christopher Edge It’s really cool to have a Dad who’s an astronaut, but actually Jamie misses having him around.  When Jamie picks up a strange signal on his phone, he realises aliens are getting closer and his Dad is in danger.  Can he save the day?
    9780571340200 The Legend of Podkin One-Ear Kieran Larwood Podkin is the son of a warrior chieftain, so when the warren is attacked, Podkin has to rise to the challenge of protecting the rabbits and defeating Gorm, the most horrifying enemy rabbitkind has ever known.
    9781407171289 The Light Jar Lisa Thompson In the dead of night, Nate and his Mum run away to a tumbledown cottage in the middle of a forest. When Mum heads off for food and dosen’t return, Nate is left alone and afraid with shadows all around him.  But comfort comes from an unexpected place and the reappearance of someone from his past.
    9781509810727 The Never-Ending Birthday Katie Dale When Max and Anni have the worst birthday ever, as they blow out the candles on their cake they make one wish – to be able to do that day again. And again. Until they get things right.
    9781911370048 The Pavee and the Buffer Girl Siobhan Dowd Jim is a teenage traveller, whose family have stopped at the town of Dundray in Ireland.  Jim is made to go to school but it proves a hostile place for traveller children except for one girl, Kit, who tries to help him find some peace. A moving story based on many true accounts of travellers’ lives . Illustrated with stunning ink-and -wash artwork  bringing the story vividly to life.
    9780571332540 The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club Alex Bell When Stella joins the Polar Bear Explorers on an expedition to the Icelands, her eyes are opened to a world of danger , adventure and snow pirates! There are giant yetis, magical golden geese and important friendships to be made.
    9781471146244 The Pudding Problem Joe Berger Sam Little declares he is NOT a liar but that might not be completely true!  Maybe he tells the odd porky pie or stretches the truth now and again.  An hilarious graphic novel where Sam’s experiments with the truth get him into all sorts of trouble.
    9780440871170 The Silver Boy Kristina Ohlsson The curious silver boy outside Aladdin’s parent’s restaurant leaves no footprints when he runs away and always seems to disappear.  Aladdin and his friends are drawn into a web of secrets, treasure and crime when they set out to investigate
    9781681197883 The Song from Somewhere Else A. F. Harrold Frank doesn’t know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He’s big, he’s weird and he smells – or so everyone thinks. And yet, there’s something nice about Nick’s house. There’s strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever.
    9781444936728 The Wizards of Once Cressida Cowell Xar is a wizard. Trouble is, he has no magic at all and will do anything to get it. Wish is a warrior. She has too much magic for her own good and will do anything to hide it. Sooner rather than later, their worlds are going to collide.
    9781784292744 There May Be a Castle Piers Torday On Christmas Eve, Mouse and his family set off in the snow and freezing temperatures to his grandparents. They never arrive. Thrown from the car, Mouse finds himself, along with a sheep and a bossy horse in a strange, magic land. Together they set off on a journey, somewhere, to find something very important…
    9781910989449 Wed Wabbit Lissa Evans Fidge and her awful cousin Graham (and his ‘transitonary toy’ plastic carrot), have somehow ended up in the garish land of the Wimbly Woos that is straight out of her little sister’s picture book. Battling against brightly coloured political correctness and an evil, giant, phonetically challenged rabbit, they need to find their way home before they wind up dead or completely insane.
    9781509840472 Welcome to Nowhere Elizabeth Laird Twelve year old Omar is from the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar wants to become a successful businessman but soon bombs are falling and Omar and his family have to flee their home and homeland. But where do you go when you can’t go home?
    9781406371703 William Wenton and the Luridium Thief Bobbie Peers William is in hiding with his family after the mysterious disappearance of his Grandfather. His talent for cracking codes gets him kidnapped and taken to the secretive Institute for Post Human Reasearch. What secrets are  the Institute hiding? Impossible puzzles, cybernetic creatures and bloodthirsty robots all try to stop him finding out the truth.
    9781406373189 Raymie Nightingale Kate DiCamillo Raymie has a plan – a plan that will surely bring her desperately-missed father back into her life.  After all, what father will not sit up and take notice when his daughter wins the State baton-twirling contest?  But life does not always go according to plan…

     

     

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