Phiipp Winterberg & Nadja Wichmann - Am I small? Je suis petite, moi?

Am I small? Je suis petite, moi? This is a charming book for introducing early stage French. The illustrations are bright and otherworldly, and employ some nice mixed media at points.

I like that the book is in dual language as not only does it make it less threatening to new language learners, but it lends itself well to paired work where one child could read the French, the other the English, then switch over.

The book introduces set phrases which can be easily absorbed into students' vocabulary whilst simultaneously expanding their knowledge of vocabulary relating to size.

I would recommend this book for independent reading for new language learners, but it could be presented to the class first to model pronunciation.

Silverfin - Charlie Higson and Kev Walker

Silverfin is part of the Young Bond series, charting the escapades of Bond before he realised his true path. The format (being a graphic novel) works extremely well with the story, as the more filmic elements can be easily portrayed and it lends itself to some of the more gruesome elements in the tale. It also helps mirror the films in that the dialogue typically isn't the central focus, giving way to effects and setting which works equally well in this medium.

While these are it's merits, I found some of it a little laboured; too much exposition on the Eton setting and relationships, when more punch could have been put into the plot development later on. It was definitely seeming like a slow burner with the main events playing out very fast in comparison.

It would be suitable for KS2 pupils, and could be a good route in for those that are more reluctant readers given that it is not so text-rich. It could also be used to explore different mediums and their merits, inviting comparison between stories or even film.

Louis Sachar - Holes

Stanley Yelnats has, like his ancestors, found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether or not this is the result of his great great grandfather's legendary actions is besides the point, the fact is he has a choice to make. Prison or camp. Coming from a low-income family and subsequently never having had the chance to go to camp before, it's an easy choice.

Needless to say, Camp Green Lake isn't your regular summer camp. A juvenile correctional facility, Stanley is soon to find his time taken up with holes. one hole for each day. As you start to learn more about the Yelnats' history, the purpose of these holes also becomes clearer..

Holes weaves together two histories, one of modern day Stanley Yelnats, and the other from 100 years previous. Exactly how these two link up is cleverly and slowly weaved together until the histories resolve each other. The book is very clearly and unfussily written, making it very easy to read. The story is uncomplicated, with the monotony of Stanley's life being broken up through intrigue and the interspersing of the second story. A solid story with good characterisation, I would recommend this for upper KS2 children. The only thing I was a bit put-off by was the annex of the Survival Guide, which seemed a little unnecessary at the end of the book.

Mary Hoffman - Grace & Family

Grace and Family confronts the issues of split or non-conventional family set ups and the impact they can have on young children. Grace is a young girl who lives with her ma, nana and cat, with her father living back in Africa. She develops anxieties surrounding her family as it does not conform to the standard family unit of a mum, dad, brother and sister as set out in the books she reads, leaving her feeling that her family is not quite right. 

The book helps confront hard issues such as split parenting and estrangement as well as new cultures not to mention the difficult acceptance of step-families. The writing is clear and simple, helping to portray typical sentiments surrounding these problems and how the non-standard family unit has its own value. Grace and Family reassures children that there are alternatives out there and that although their families are different, they are by no means less than anyone else's.

This book is a refreshing read giving a voice to children who are looking for relateable material when dealing with difficult situations which they might not otherwise voice. A good read for ks1 to discuss what are families and also to investigate different cultures.

Lydia Monks - Aaaarrgghh, Spider!

Aaaarrgghh, Spider! Is the story of a household spider trying to find her place and be accepted into her chosen family. The spider's efforts are somewhat in vain as each attempt to impress them leaves them horrified and squealing "aaaarrgghh, spider! Out you go!". The spider finally does win their respect through dazzling them with its wonderful webs.

Lydia Monks' illustrations are vibrant and bold, perfect for capturing the heats and attention of ks1 pupils. The glittery spider webs probably go some way to help too. The text is very simple and the repetition of phrase patterns helps to build sentence structures for children whilst introducing new vocabulary. The chorus of "out you go!" Is also great for giving the kids something to latch on to and participate in the storytelling.

Overall a gleeful book full of punch and colour, and of course children and going to love it when they can squeal at little beasties! Who knows, maybe it will make them think a little before stamping on them...

Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending

Tony Webster and his gang start out as sex-mad teens not quite experiencing what the swinging sixties was all about. Frustration and adoration, the former reserved for his not quite yielding girlfriend Veronica Ford, the latter for newcomer Adrian Finn. Absorbed into their friendship group, but keeping himself at arms length through his seriousness and nonconformity the rest of the group look up to his vast intelligence. Or this is how they remember it.

Barnes has Tony Webster hurtling through his actions and emotions in the first part of the book, dedicated to his early youth, love and friendships. Sure of his actions and injustices, it is only in the second part of the book that Tony begins to question his reliability as a witness to these events having now reached the later stages of his life. As he begins to question and unpick events from his youth, prompted by an unexpected lawyer's letter, Tony realises that maybe his own history is made up of the 'self-delusions of the defeated'. His own impact on time and events begins to get scrutinised and necessitates corroboration to prove whether the happenings in his otherwise average life happened as he imagined, or whether he was an untrustworthy witness to his own events.

The Sense of an Ending is an interesting investigation of the fallibility of memory and how we bear witness to our lives. A brilliant insight into a portion of someone's world and their changing reflections and accounts of their history it is nothing short of a great and thought-provoking read.

Michelle Magorian - Goodnight Mister Tom

This book was the first of what I'm guessing will be many for my PGCE course. Easily slotting into reading aimed at giving a greater context to war-torn Britain for KS2, this book offers a lot more than you might initially perceive. 

Goodnight Mister Tom is less about the impact of World War II on children in the forties than about the personal developmental journey of the young William Beech. Arriving in the sleepy countryside village of Little Weirwold alongside the latest cohort of evacuees, he soon finds himself handed over to the gruff Mr Tom. The William we first meet is a silent, cowering and fearful boy, notable only by his silence and skinny frame. Michelle Magorian does brilliant justice to his character by exploring his thoughts and rationale behind his behaviour. As he begins to feel at home in his new environment with Tom and Sammy, (Tom's enthusiastic canine companion), his character starts to become more natural and at ease, as does that of Tom. When Will befriends fellow evacuee Zach, he has met his polar opposite. An exuberant child full of confidence (and who is at times rather precocious), Zach helps to pull Will out of his silence and into childhood. 

As I've said, this story although set against the backdrop of wartime Britain is so much more. It is a careful, yet at times painful exploration of the complexities of child abuse and neglect. Goodnight Mister Tom helps track the progress of Will as he escapes from abuse, showing both the impact on development and character as well as starkly illustrating the difference between good and bad environments. A very careful and skilled handling of difficult CP issues.