The Great Ice-Cream Heist by Elen Caldecott

The Great Ice-Cream Heist is a fast paced adventure, full of 'edge of your seat' drama, about sticking up for your friends. The story, being action-packed, will appeal to both boys and girls and is ideal for children at Key Stage 2 who need more sustained stories.

The main protagonist, Eva, lives a quiet life with her over-protective Dad. Eva cannot read and as such is quite happy to spend her time at home with her Dad and invent adventures with him. This soon changes though when a new family move in next door. Both Eva and Jamie (the boy from next door) are 'forced' to attend  the local youth centre over the summer holidays.  They quickly become friends. But then everything goes wrong and Jamie is in trouble. Eva knows it's down to her to help him, even if it means upsetting Dad in the process. 

The Great Ice Cream Heist is a lesson about not judging people on appearances. Warm-hearted, moving and never heavy handed, it approaches a range of issues including bereavement, dysfunctional families and children in care with sensitivity and directness. 

The book contains some loveable characters, in particular Eva, and as such provides an ideal text with which to study characterisation. Eva is timid and loyal and readers will witness her grow as a person: watch her get outside of her comfort zone, overcome fears, make new friends and even address her embarrassment about not being able to read. 

Teachers could use a range of drama techniques to help children empathise with Eva, such as conscience alley to consider the options Eva has and the decisions she needs to make, hot-seating to understand Shan's prejudice and how it is completely shaken by the end of the book; thought-tracking to understand and reflect upon the reasons behind Gran's actions. Elen Caldecott's brilliant writing also exemplifies how authors 'show not tell' how their characters are feeling through their dialogue and actions.

The climax of the story, is really fun, edge of your seat stuff. The pace and excitement of the drama is masterfully achieved through the use of a range of authorial devices such as short sentences, simile, dialogue, alliteration and sibilance. Coupled with this is the fact that Shan is supposed to be appearing on local radio. Teachers could use this part of the story as a springboard to a whole range of writing including the pupils writing their own exciting, dramatic chase using the devices identified in the book, a newspaper report of the incident, a television interview or even a playscript.

Poignant yet full of humour and fun, this is a carefully-balanced story with a clear message about the value of friends, family and the local community - and the importance of not judging others.

Published: 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 978-1-4088-2050-6

 

The Egyptian Echo written by Paul Dowsell and designed by Karen Tomlins

The Egyptian Echo provides an excellent and fun introduction to all aspects of Ancient Egyptian life. Readers will learn about the Egyptian gods; the pyramids; hieroglyphics; papyrus; different types of boats, houses and jewelery; fashion; health and medicine; art and Egyptian professions amongst other things.Each of the topics is presented in a lively, newspaper article format which is both engaging and informative. This will appeal to readers of all abilities both boys and girls. The layout, that of a newspaper, provides an accessible text, particularly for those pupils who experience difficulties in reading as each of the items is short and therefore not overwhelming for pupils who perhaps don't normally enjoy reading.

The vocabulary, being subject specific, may at times be at a level beyond which some Key Stage 2 readers can read independently. However, through guided and shared reading and the teaching of specific vocabulary this can be overcome. Presented as a newspaper, this is a good text to introduce to children, in order to develop reading for pleasure.

The book contains all the features you would expect to find in a newspaper: from news stories 'of the day' to job adverts; a problem page; adverts for a whole range of Egyptian things to buy; articles about works of art; competitions and quizzes and sports pages.This in itself provides a model text to study newspapers and journalistic writing. Pupils can compare the range of text types within the book with those in contemporary newspapers, local and national.

The news stories are also model examples. They follow the correct format and structure with an introductory paragraph of approximately 30 words, followed by subsequent paragraphs which in turn provide more detailed information. They are written in the past tense, include 'quotes' from individuals and include a summarizing statement.

Likewise, the adverts are written in the present tense, include emotive vocabulary, rhetorical questions and superlatives.

The photographs throughout the book have been sourced from the Werner Forman Archive; a highly valued resource of images valued by publishers around the world. Werner Forman was an acclaimed photographer, who began his career at the age of 14 and would be an interesting person for pupils to research before writng a biography.

Overall, the book provides a valuable resource for both the history and English curriculum at Key Stage 2.

Publisher: Usborne Books

Date of Publication: 1996

ISBN: 978074602751

Jake's Cave by Lou Kuenzler, illustrated by Nick Maland

"Your imagination made that cave big enough for a dragon," said Uncle Paul. "A dragon as big as a bus!"

Jake is excited when Uncle Paul offers to take him and his little sister out for the day. Jake wants to go to the big dark cave at the beach – they haven't been there for ages, and he can pretend to be a brave knight and save Princess Pip from the terrifying dragon. Pip is excited too: she'll get to wear her princess costume, and she knows that Sir Jake the Brave will save her! But when they arrive, the cave is much smaller than Jake remembers; he's too big even to fit inside it. Jake is so disappointed. Why can't things just stay the same? He soon realizes, however, that it's your imagination that counts. He'll just have to pretend – for Princess Pip!

Jake's Cave is a well written story, perfect for children who have gained independence in reading and need to build their confidence and stamina. It is one of the 'Walker Story' collection, which is advertised as 'the perfect first step into fiction.' The story is told in 3 short chapters, not three short stories, as stated on the back cover of the book. It is one complete story. The first chapter provides the orientation of the story. The second chapter is the build up leading to the problem and the final chapter explores the problem, provides the climax and finally the resolution.

The language used in the book provides a good quality model for children's own writing. Each of the three characters are developed through the use of dialogue which utilises a range of alternatives for 'said'. Teachers in years 2 and 3 could use extracts from the book for discussion and examples of how to punctuate direct speech and vocabulary development.

There are also some lovely examples of descriptive language, such as 'a shimmer of sea, sparkling bright blue in the sun.' Other examples make use of simile: 'as big as a bus and bright red. As shiny as your new Wellies.' Immersing children in quality fiction which models such language features will have a positive impact on the quality of the children's own writing.

Being a short story, organised into 3 chapters, also makes it ideal for use during guided reading in years 2 and 3. Each chapter could be managed in one guided reading session. Comprehension skills of inference and deduction can be developed through discussion of key aspects of characterisation. For example, in chapter 1, why does Jake think that Pip is likely to have a tantrum? Children will have to draw on their prior knowledge of younger siblings and evidence drawn from other known texts to be able to answer that. Likewise, in chapter 2, why does the walk to the cave seem much shorter than Jake remembered?

The black and white illustrations provide support for those children who are making the transition from picture books to longer chapter books. They also help visualise the different settings encountered during the story: Jake and Pip's home, the town in which they live, the journey through the countryside and finally the beach. These would provide a useful resource for comparing and contrasting the different settings. 

All in all, Jake's Cave is a story that will be enjoyed by both girls and boys aged 6-8. By the end of year 2, many children will probably be able to read the book independently. 

Published: 2010 by Walker Books

ISBN: 978-1-4063-2153-1

   

The Scariest Thing of All by Debi Gliori

Debi Gliori's picture book, The Scariest Thing of All, is about a little rabbit called Pip. He is the smallest of his family but he has the biggest imagination.  Pip is scared of just about everything, from tree stumps to unusually shaped clouds and his worries begin to wear him out. When Pip is awoken from an afternoon nap by a strange growling noise, he is so frightened that he runs away. Unfortunately, he runs into the dark and forbidding woods. Finally he stops deep in the woods and sees the scary thing nearby and hears the sound again. This forces him to be brave and figure out what the scary thing is, which in turn helps him confront his fears and realise that things aren’t always quite as scary as first he thinks. 

Children in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 will enjoy the humour and the imaginative writing in this book. Through shared reading of the story, children will enjoy exploring the fearful creatures Pip imagines the everyday objects of the wood to be: rainfall to "...the sound a vast hisster makes as it weaves its web." and a "...gobbler blowing bubbles at the bottom of the lily pond." The journey into the wood and back home again is reminiscent of that the mouse takes in Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo. Pip returns home with a new found confidence.

The language used to describe the journey usefully introduces children in Reception and Year 1 to the prepositions 'into', 'through', 'across'. Teachers could build on this vocabulary with the much loved Pat Hitchins' tale of Rosie's Walk. 

Year 1 and 2 will also enjoy playing with the onomatopoeia in the book as they read of the 'flippity flap' of the insects, the 'aaark, aaark' of the gulls, the 'rustle, rustle' of the caterpillars, the 'hoowit, hoowit' of the owl and of course the 'raaarrrr' of the scariest thing of all. There are other examples of onomatopoeia later on in the book which children could 'collect' for the working wall, before expanding their list of examples from other texts and their own imaginations.

It is also a lovely story to revisit at Key Stage 2 when looking at personification. Pip imagines each of the inanimate objects to be a living creature, making them hiss, blow bubbles, bite, wave, move, slide and agree. Gliori's ink and watercolour illustrations, particularly the one in the wood of the upturned tree, provide the stimulus for a discussion about personification, exploring the human qualities that can be attributed to the tree. 

The tones and colours of this particular two-page spread exemplify the devices authors often use to create suspense: cold, dark, moonlight, silhouettes. This particular composition also captures the emotion of the action via its scale ( pink-eared Pip is surrounded by large shadowy trees in midnight blue). The incredible blue moon rising above Pip gives a really haunted feeling.

It is a beautifully illustrated book, designed to be pored over. There are holes to look inside, tree rooms to investigate and scary creatures to tame. The art of this picture book is really special beginning with the sunny warmth of Pip's family and home to the dark blueness of a the woods at night returning to supper and the golden glow of home. 

 A truly stunning book which can be enjoyed on many levels.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publish Date: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-7475-9969-2

   

Ready, Steady, Jump! by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds

Ready, Steady, Jump! is a lovely picture book which celebrates individuality. Meet Elephant who, desperately wants to be the same as the other baby animals. Why can't he jump like they can? He sets out to prove the others wrong, but alas, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't jump. Then, one day, he discovers there is something he can do which none of the others can!

This is a beautifully told story, ideal for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 as a read aloud story. It illustrates the very important message that everyone has a gift or talent and is good at something. Ready, Steady, Jump! would provide the perfect stimulus for a topic on difference and individuality. Children in Key Stage 1 could explore Elephant's feelings throughout the story. This could readily be done through the use of thought bubbles or hot-seating. 

Adrian Reynolds' bright illustratrations bring each of the characters to life. Children and adults alike will find all the baby animals loveable. The facial expressions are superb. We have the determined concentration of baby Elephant (tongue sticking out as children often do), amusement of the other baby animals, puzzlement, concern, joy and on Monkey's face, bewilderment (which I think is my favourite).

Other stories which could be read alongside Ready, Steady, Jump! are Alexis Deacon's Beegu about an alien creature that doesn't 'belong' and, of course, David McKee's Elmer. Each focuses on a slightly aspect of difference.

publisher: Andersen Press
Publish date: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-78344-172-3

 

Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster by Joanna Nadin

Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster contains three adventures starring Penny Jones, a girl who comes up with plenty of ‘brilliant’ ideas. Each story is a complete story in itself. Penny Dreadful isn't her real name, it's a nickname given to her by her father. Her gran says she is a ‘Magnet for Disaster’ and certainly in these three stories she lives up to both descriptions. This is because Penny's 'brilliant' ideas frequently don’t turn out in the way that she planned and usually have disastrous consequences. With the help of her best friend Cosmo, Penny manages to superglue her cousin Georgia May Morton-Jones to the carpet, steal a dog and amaze the school inspector.

These are fun stories that read aloud well and are supported by lively illustrations by Jess Mikhail. Children in years 2 and 3 will enjoy reading about Penny's disasters. The themes of the stories are similar to those in Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry and David Roberts' Dirty Bertie, but this time the protagonist is female. However, due to the style of writing, children will need to have developed a little more reading confidence to read these books independently than either the Horrid Henry or Dirty Bertie series.

It is very difficult not to love Penny Dreadful as she hurtles from one disaster to the next. The books are narrated in the first person and Penny chats away unstoppably and is so utterly believable. The stories are fast-paced and the style in which they are written enhances the character of Penny. Each of the characters are quirky and loveable in their own way. The storytelling is only broken up by the equally quirky and perfectly matched illustrations provided by Jess Mikhail. There are lots of amusing pictures with highlighted and capitalised text bubbles to enhance the fast pace and humour.

Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster would be an ideal book for use during guided reading for those children who have developed their reading confidence and are ready to discuss how an author's style adds to the meaning of a text. (The old AF 5). There is much to discuss such as the ways in which the text has been broken up with speech bubbles, lists and different sizes of text affect the children's reading and enjoyment of the story. Why Penny's 'brilliant' ideas never seem to work out the way she planned and how do the author and illustrator make the stories so funny? The stories also lend themselves to work on characterisation. Each character has their own distinctive character traits which will make it easy for children in year 3 to identify and therefore, develop their understanding of character traits. Jess Mikhail's illustrations of each of the characters at the front of the book could easily be enlarged for a working wall display identifying the adjectives which describe each of the characters.

In Year 4 the stories would also be a good resource for looking at events from different points of view. Using Anthony Browne's book Voices in the Park as a model children could retell the events from a range of different points of view. So, for example 'Penny Dreadful and the Faithful Sidekick' could be explored from the points of view of Aunt Deedee and Mrs Higgins. What are their stories? Other ideas include writing their own Penny Dreadful story or re-writing one of the stories as a play.

Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize.

• Publisher: Usborne
• Date of Publication: 2011
• ISBN: 978-1-4095-2672-8

 

Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett

Bringing Down the Moon is an enchanting, picture book tale which concerns a young mole, who climbs from his hole one night to be dazzled by a full moon. Thinking he just must have it, he ventures to get it; first by jumping for it, then by poking at it with a stick, then by tossing acorns at it. With each attempt, he manages to wake up another forest creature: a rabbit, a hedgehog, and a squirrel. They all agree with Mole that the moon is beautiful but warn him that “It’s not as close as it looks.”

The tale is beautifully told using patterned language and clear sequencing. The story is enhanced by the richness of Vanessa Cabban's illustrations.

Bringing Down the Moon would be a lovely read aloud book for foundation stage as part of a topic on Nighttime. The children will really enjoy hearing about mole's attempts to capture the moon. The repeated phrase 'You'll never do that,' said.....'It's not as near as it looks.' will encourage the children to participate. Because of its clear and repetitive structure, once familiar with the story 3-5 year olds will readily pick up this book and play read. The rich watercolour illustrations beautifully depict night time. Very young children though will need an adult led discussion to understand the sequential nature of the pages that are split into four frames. 

These, for older readers, depict a sequence of events but many children in foundation stage will 'read' these images as four separate and individual moles.

For children in Key Stage 1, there is plenty to support their language and literacy development. Throughout the story there are numerous examples of onomatopoeia as mole desperately attempts to 'bring down the moon': thump, bump, swish, plink and splash. When mole meets each of the characters there is a simple conversation between the two of them which clearly model the use of direct speech, which could easily be differentiated from those beginning to demarcate speech with the inverted commas to those who are ready to develop their use of internal punctuation. In terms of story structure, it is a 'quest' story where mole makes several endearing attempts at obtaining what is, as all his friends know, the impossible. Being a short picture book story makes it ideal as a text to explore story structure and a model on which to base their own stories. The theme of the story is also suitable for Key Stage one: that of resilience or never giving up.

A beautiful book.

Author: Jonathan Emmett

Illustrator: Vanessa Cabban

Publisher: Walker Books

Date of Publication: 2001

ISBN: 978-0-7445-8950-4