School Reading List

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 26

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-26/

Part 1
Book post

• A Symphony of Stories by James Mayhew
• 2025 Children's Almanac by Collins Kids
• Traitors in Space: A Pick-Your-Own-Path Adventure by Tim Collins
• My Name is a Gift by Zeshan Akhter
• My First Ocean Atlas by Catherine Ard and Paul Daviz
• Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers
• A Beginners Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet by Ali Rutstein
• Jakub's Otter by Coral Rumble
• Phantom Hearts by Rosie Talbot
• How to Know a Crow by Candace Savage
• Hi From Outer Space by Fiona Katauskas
• So Over This by David Fenne

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in January 2025

• Alex Neptune, Dragon Champion by David Owen
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney
• The Restaurant at the Edge of the World by Oliver Gerlach
• Myths, Mummies and Magic in Ancient Egypt by Stephen Davies
• Manifest for Kids: FOUR STEPS TO BEING THE BEST YOU by Roxie Nafousi
• The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die: A Graphic Memoir by Peter Lantos
• Mismatched by Anne Camlin
• The End of the Story by Melissa de la Cruz
• Guardians of the New Moon: Year of the Rat by Eric Huang
• The Party by Natasha Preston
• After Life by Gayle Forman
• Squeak! Squawk! Roar!: Amazing Animal Poems by Kate Williams
• The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
• Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon
• The Vulpine by Polly Crosby
• The Legendary Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
• Dear Black Boy by Martellus Bennett
• One Day by Michael Rosen & Benjamin Phillips
• Let the Light In by Jenny Downham by Louis Hill
• The Zombie Project by Alice Nuttall
• Murder for Two by Niyla Farook
• Sahara by Christina Webb
• The Boy I Love by William Hussey 
• Girl, Ultra-Processed by Amara Sage
• Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias
• Til Death by Busayo Matuluko
• People Like Stars by Patrice Lawrence
• Buzz Club by Xena Knox
• Hunt for the Golden Scarab by M. G. Leonard
• Pinch Perkins and the Nightmare Tree by Cathy FitzGerald
• Ice Apprentices by Jacob North

January 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: Loverboy by Ben Tomlinson
• Nonfiction: One Day by Michael Rosen and Benjamin Phillips
• Picture book: The Really Beautiful Thing by Frances Tosdevin

Part 2
Our recommended books for year 3 classrooms

New book pitches: Smart Fiona by Mike Hollin; Efua's Magic Stew by Angela Ackah-McIntyre; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham

Part 3
Why Discount Book Packs are a Bad Deal for Schools

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 25

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-25/

Part 1
Book post

• The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson
• Can We Live on Mars? by Giles Sparrow
• Family by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
• Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee
• We Can! by Alexandra Strick
• You Only Spy Twice by Ben Sanders
• Super Ocean Weekend by Gaëlle Alméras
• Cobweb by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman
• Presto! Magical Recovery Co. by Rutendo Dione
• We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix
• Damien Ike and the Fallen House of Draven by Dee Benson and David Arlo
• Handle With Care by Louisa Reid
• I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in November 2024

• Beanie the Bansheenie by Eoin Colfer &  Steve McCarthy
• The Circular Square by Simon Philip & Neil Clark
• Shyla's Wood Wide Web by Ewa Jozefkowicz & Gillian Flint
• Amazing Jellyfish by Michael Stavaric
• The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier & Brian Churilla
• For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
• When It's Your Turn For Midnight by Blessing Musariri
• The Muttcracker by Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie
• How to Be a Revolutionary by Lucy Ann Unwin
• The 39-Storey Treehouse: Colour Edition! by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
• The Search for Carmella by Chloe Savage
• Yetis Don't Exist! by Kate Thompson &  Loretta Schauer
• The Murder Hypothesis by Sarah Wishart
• Blue, Barry & Pancakes by Dan Abdo & Jason Patterson
• Mission to Mars: Can You Survive in Space? by DK
• Silver by Olivia Levez
• Girls by Annet Schaap
• Yes, Boys Can! by Jonathan Juravich &  Richard V. Reeves
• Choosing the Perfect Pet by Ali Rutstein & Tommy Doyle
• When the Stammer Came to Stay by Maggie O'Farrell & Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
• The ADHD Teen Survival Guide by Soli Lazarus
• In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limon & Peter Sis
• So Over This by David Fenne
• Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis.
• Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar
• Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri & Matt Rockefeller
• How to Sing a Song by Kwame Alexander & Randy Preston
• Shakespeare's Othello by Steve Barlow & Steve Skidmore
• Rise and Fall by Peter Allen
• Wisdom of the Woods by Rachel Piercey & Freya Hartas

November 2024 books of the month

• Fiction: When It's Your Turn For Midnight by Blessing Musariri
• Nonfiction: Rise and Fall by Peter Allen
• Picture book: The Search for Carmella by Chloe Savage

Part 2
Our recommended books for year 4 classrooms

New book pitches: Smart Fiona by Mike Hollin; There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham

Part 3
What Are We Reading For? A spectrum of reading cultures in schools. 

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 24

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-24/

Part 1
Book post

• The Boy in the Suit by James Fox
• First Big Book of How by Sally Symes
• Serena and Laloolee Fly Away by Rosemary Clunie
• Clive Penguin by Huw Lewis Jones and Ben Sanders
• Ivy Newt and the Vampixies by Derek Keilty and Magda Brol
• Life in the Wild by Lizzie Daly
• Nina Peanut: Mega Mystery Solver by Sarah Bowie
• The Skeleton in the Cupboard by Lilija Berzinska
• Popcorn by Rob Harrell
• Circus Maximus: Return of the Champion by Annelise Gray
• Desert Echoes by Abdi Nazemian
• Within the Heart of Wicked Creatures by Rima Orie
• The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in October 2024

• Ditching Saskia by  John Moore and Neetols
• Family by Patricia Hegarty and Britta Teckentrup
• Bunny's Most Fabulous Holiday Ever! By Brian Fitzgerald
• One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story by Ulrich Hub
• Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee
• Bear's Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers
• Feather by Manon Steffan Ros
• That Day by Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
• The Flickering Fires by Grahame Baker-Smith
• Damien Ike and the Fallen House of Draven by Dee Benson
• Circus of Shadows by Lidia Brankovic
• Nettle by Bex Hogan
• Twenty-Four Seconds From Now: A Regular Love Story by  Jason Reynolds
• Some Like it Cold by Elle McNicoll
• Museum in a Book by Herve Tullet
• The Little Prince: Pop Up Book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• Shadow Creatures by Chris Vick
• Birdie by J.P Rose
• The Arctic Fox by Holly Webb
• We Can!: Make a Difference by Alexandra Strick and Steve Antony
• Skandar and the Skeleton Curse by A.F. Steadman
• The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke
• The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson
• The River Thief by Hannah Peck
• Our Galaxy: A First Adventure in Space by Sue Lowell Gallion
• Gold Rush by Flora Delargy
• Flow with the Snow by Robert Tregoning
• The Lost Dogs by Patrica Forde
• Handle With Care by  Louisa Reid
• A Lot of Silly: A Book of Rhymes and Nonsense by Joy Cowley
• Chris Mould's War of the Worlds: A Graphic Novel by H.G Wells

October 2024 books of the month

• Fiction: The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson
• Nonfiction: Can We Live on Mars? by Giles Sparrow
• Picture book: Family by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

Part 2
Our recommended books for year 5 classrooms

New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham

Part 3
Why DuckDuckGo is better than Google for book searches

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 23

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-23/

Part 1
Book post

• Sisters of the Moon by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
• A Celebration of Evolution by William Spring
• Gina Kaminski Rescues the Giant by Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin
• Countdown to Bedtime Sleepy Dragon by Candy Bee
• One Up by Ben Sanders
• Peng and Spanners: When Pigs Go Bad! by Steve Webb
• Secret FACTopia! by Paige Towler, illustrated by Andy Smith
• Mia and the Secrets of Lunis by Janelle McCurdy, illustrated by Ana Latese
• The Reluctant Vampire Queen Finds Her Fangs by Jo Simmons
• The Dark Within Us by Jess Popplewell
• I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy
• Death At Morning House by Maureen Johnson

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in September 2024

• Ghostlines by Katya Balen
• The Great Phoenix of London by Lindsay Galvin
• Popcorn by Rob Harrell
• The Tantrum by Louie Stowell
• Life in the Wild by Lizzie Daly
• The Land of Lost Things by Andy Griffiths
• Here To Slay by Radhika Sanghani
• The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
• The Incredible Pop-up Bug by Ben Hoare
• The Boy in the Suit by James Fox
• The Salt Thief by Neal Bascomb
• Cobweb by Michael Morpurgo
• Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel by William Golding
• Escape Castle Dracula by Sam Fern
• The Skeleton in the Cupboard by Lilija Berzinska
• Oh What a Knight! by Maz Evans
• Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone
• Blue Heart by Nicola Davies
• The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge
• The Dinosaur Next Door by David Litchfield
• Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Making Enemies by Louie Stowell
• The Seamaiden's Odyssey by Berlie Doherty
• Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness
• Death on the Tracks by Paul Westmoreland
• Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold
• The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle
• A Little Sailing Lesson by Sara Stefanini
• Who Ate the Little Bug? By Hector Dexet
• The Remarkables by Clotilde Perrin
• The Golden Linnet by Alexander Armstrong

September 2024 books of the month

• Fiction: The Boy in the Suit by James Fox
• Nonfiction: First Big Book of How by Sally Symes
• Picture book: Serena and Laloolee Fly Away by Rosemary Clunie

Part 2
Our recommended books for year 6 classrooms

New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham

Part 3
Should mobile phones be banned in schools?

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 22

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-22/

Part 1
Book post

• The Virtue Season by L.M. Nathan
• Move, Mr Mountain! by Francesca Sanna
• Lifesize Ocean Animals by Sophy Henn
• Doggy Dance Off by Steve Smallman
• Becoming Brave by Jennie Cashman Wilson
• Watts & Whiskerton by Meg McLaren
• Grimwood Party Animals by Nadia Shireen
• Sherlock Bones and the Mischief in Manhattan by Tim Collins
• 100 Things to Know About Sport by Jerome Martin, Alice James, Tom Mumbray and Micaela Tapsell
• Delta and the Lost City by Anna Fargher
• Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell
• The Last Thing You'll Hear by Jan Dunning

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in August 2024

• Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books by Barry Timms
• Gina Kaminski Rescues the Giant by Craig Barr-Green
• Sisters of the Moon by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
• The Dark Within Us by Jess Popplewell
• Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
• Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Thiago de Moraes
• Peng and Spanners: When Pigs Go Bad! by Steve Webb
• Rosa By Starlight by Hilary McKay
• Autumn Feast: Nature's Harvest by Sean Taylor & Alex Morss
• One Up by Ben Sanders
• Beautiful: A Celebration of Evolution by William Spring
• Star of the Show by Jacqueline Wilson
• Mia and the Secrets of Lunis by Janelle McCurdy
• Almost Nothing Happened by Meg Rosoff
• Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
• Herd by Stephen Hogtun
• What the Crow Saw Below by Robert Tregoning
• Auntie Medusa and Me by Marie Basting
• The Boy Who Cried Ghost by Ian Eagleton
• Bronte Tempestra and the Ice Warriors by Bex Hogan
• The Life Changing Magic of Drumming by Nandi Bushell
• Snakehead: The Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz
• The Beanstalk Murder by P.G. Bell
• The Girl with Wings by Jaco Jacobs
• Colin’s Castle by Holly Swain
• We Are Hunted by Tomi Oyemakinde
• Geomancer: The Storm and the Sea Hawk by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• Out Of This World: Poems to Make You Laugh, Smile and Think by Michael Rosen
• Spooky Celebrations Around the World by Matt Ralphs
• Our World in Numbers Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life by DK
• Last Seen Online by Lauren James

August 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  Sisters of the Moon by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
• Nonfiction:  Beautiful: A Celebration of Evolution by William Spring
• Picture book:  Gina Kaminski Rescues the Giant by Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin

Part 2
Teens reads for the summer holiday - our rundown

New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham

Part 3
Non-Traditional Reading Forms to Engage Children Over the Summer

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 21

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-21/

Part 1
Book post

• Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood
• Galápagos Islands by Karen Romano Young, illustrated by Amy Grimes
• You Got This! by Rachael Davis
• Natterjack Toad Can't Believe It! by Sean Taylor
• The Big Day by Rachel Plummer and Forrest Burdett
• Bertha and Blink: Rumble in the Jungle by Nicola Colton
• How to be a Genius Kid by Jim Smith
• The Last Dragon by Polly Ho-Yen
• Nora and the Map of Mayhem by Joseph Elliott
• Sar Wylda and the Legendary Goldbreaker by Jake R. Wilson
• Kofi and the Secret Radio Station by Jeffrey Boakye
• We Have Everything We Need to Start Again by Koleka Putuma

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in July 2024

• The Dog Who Danced on the Moon by John Boyne
• Delta and the Lost City by Anna Fargher
• The Whisperling Twins by Hayley Hoskins
• The Love Dare by Abiola Bello
• The Seal on the Beach by Mara Bergman
• Back of the Net by Eve Ainsworth
• Lifesize Ocean Animals by Sophy Henn
• Three Cheers for the River School by Sabine Adeyinka
• The Boy and the Octopus by Caryl Lewis
• Wigglesbottom Primary: The Pirate Cat by Pamela Butchart
• Secret FACTopia! by Paige Towler
• Myths of China by Xiaobing Wang
• The Others by Sarah Merrett
• The Virtue Season by L.M. Nathan
• The Boy Who Painted The World by Tom McLaughlin
• The Darkness Within Us by  Tricia Levenseller
• Break to You by Neal Shusterman
• Hike It by Iron Tazz
• Fallout by Lesley Parr
• The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Mike Barfield
• Warriors Graphic Novel by Erin Hunter
• The Dinosaur that Pooped a Superhero by Tom Fletcher
• Bea's Bad Day by Tom Percival
• Roman Boy by Tony Bradman
• The Fun We Had by Charissa Coulthard
• A Wild Walk to School by Rebecca Cobb
• Chemistry for Beginners by Kristie Pickersgill
• Taylor Blake Is a Legend by Laura Jane Williams
• Little Guides to Nature: Hello Fossils and Shells by Nina Chakrabarti
• It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell
• In Time by Marina Ruiz

July 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  The Virtue Season by L.M. Nathan
• Nonfiction:  Lifesize Ocean Animals by Sophy Henn
• Picture book:  Move, Mr Mountain! by Francesca Sanna

Part 2
Politics and election books for children and teens - our rundown

New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps

Part 3
2024 election and literacy: what are the main parties promising?

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 20

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-20/

Part 1
Book post

• Beti and the Little Round House by Atinuke
• The Teenage Guide to Digital Wellbeing by Tanya Goodin
• Old Oak and the Wild Flowers by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown
• Where’s Mog? by Judith Kerr
• Supersaurus: Total Tricera-Flop! by Angela Woolfe and Mark Chambers
• Holey Moley by Bethan Clarke
• Bad United: Just for Kicks by Louise Forshaw
• Max Magic 3 by Stephen Mulhern and Tom Easton
• The Beast of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron
• Knowing the Score by Ros Roberts
• Your Time Is Up by Sarah Naughton
• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in June 2024

• The Last Dragon by  Polly Ho-Yen
• Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder by  Bali Rai
• The Big Day by Rachel Plummer
• The River Spirit by  Lucy Strange
• The Mercury In Me by Rachael Fernandes
• Kofi and the Secret Radio Station by Jeffrey Boakye
• Apocalypse Cow by O.R. Sorrel
• The Big Ask by  Simon James Green
• Everybody Travels by Kristin Roskifte
• Time Runs Like A River by Emma Carlisle
• The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk by Anne Booth
• Nora and the Map of Mayhem by Joseph Elliott
• Ajay and the Treasure of Thar by Varsha Shah
• A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner
• A Ship in the Dark by Yarrow Townsend
• Welcome to AI by Matthieu Dugal
• Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield
• Cosima Unfortunate Foils a Fraud by Laura Noakes
• The Double Life of Ted Amos by Simon James Green
• We Have Everything We Need To Start Again by Koleka Putuma
• Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
• Transcendent by Patrick Gallagher
• Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo
• Sleep Like Death by  Kalynn Bayron
• Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi
• A Case of High Stakes by  Sophie Cleverly
• Human Body by Isabel Thomas
• The Nine Night Mystery by Sharna Jackson
• The Tall Man by Mary Cathleen Brown
• Make Art or Die Trying by Stuart Semple

June 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood
• Nonfiction:  Galápagos Islands by Karen Romano Young, illustrated by Amy Grimes
• Picture book:  You Got This! by Rachael Davis

Part 2
Crime fiction for teens - our rundown

New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps

Part 3
Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). Ideas and strategies for schools. 

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 19

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-19/

Part 1
Book post

• Serena and the Little Blue Dog by Rosemary Clunie
• Moving Up: How to Ace Secondary School by Christian Foley
• Champ by Payam Ebrahimi and Reza Dalvand
• Pink Trucks by Sam Clarke
• Heavy Metal Badger by Duncan Beedie
• It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop) by Jennifer Gardy
• Podkin and the Singing Spear by Kieran Larwood
• Nature's Fascinating Friendships by Kerry Hyndman and Mike Hills
• Bigg School: Double Drama by Lisa Williamson
• When the Wild Calls by Nicola Penfold
• Robin Hood: Ballots, Blasts & Betrayal by Robert Muchamore
• The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in May 2024

• Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
• Dead Happy by Josh Silver
• The Beast of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron
• Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton
• Knowing the Score by Ros Roberts
• Desi Girl Speaking by A. S. Hussain
• Tom Gates: Book of Everything by Liz Pichon
• Angel of Grasmere by Tom Palmer
• Fly by David Lindo and Sara Boccaccini Meadows
• Adnan by Mark Arrigo, Steven Chatterton and Diala Brisly
• The Truth About Shaming by Beth Ashley
• Good Night, Good Beach by Joy Cowley and Hilary Jean Tapper
• Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller and Tor Freeman
• Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond and Lwillys Tafur. So good, so good, so good
• Old Oak and the Wild Flowers by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown
• Nature Is an Artist by Jennifer Lavallee
• We Are Family by Oliver Sykes
• He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems by Charlie Castelletti
• All the Hidden Monsters by Amie Jordan
• Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
• Grey by Laura Dockrill and Lauren Child
• The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival
• On Poetry Street by Brian Moses and Mark Elvins
• The Grimmelings by Rachael King
• Finding Alfie  by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman
• Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons by Abi Elphinstone
• If My Words Had Wings by Danielle Jawando
• 365 things to make and do by Fiona Watt
• Big Gorilla: A Book of Opposites by Anthony Browne
• North and the Only One by Vashti Hardy
• Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence

May 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  Beti and the Little Round House by Atinuke
• Nonfiction:  The Teenage Guide to Digital Wellbeing by Tanya Goodin
• Picture book:  Old Oak and the Wild Flowers by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown

Part 2
KS2 SATs revision books - our rundown

New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps

Part 3
Advice for adults looking for great children's books

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 18

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-18/

Part 1
Book post

• Gigantosaurus – I Love Giganto by Cyber Group Studios
• I Really, Really Need a Poo by Karl Newson and Duncan Beedie
• Sammy and the Extra-Hot Chilli Powder by Charlie P. Brooks
• Bronte Tempestra and the Lightning Steeds by Bex Hogan
• Frank the Unicorn Alpaca by Gavin Puckett, illustrated by India Joseph
• Blue’s Planet: Australia by Lucy McRobert
• The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
• ASAP by Axie Oh
• A Cure Ever After by Angharad Walker
• Measuring Me by Nicola Kent
• The Crayons Love Our Planet by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
• Credo by Luke Staton

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in March 2024

• The Girl Who Dreamed in Magic by Maria Kuzniar
• The Magician Next Door by Rachel Chivers Khoo
• Bad Panda: Mites, Camera, Action! By Swapna Haddow
• A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders
• Future Hopes by Lauren James
• The Secret Life of Bugs by Moira Butterfield
• The Magnificent Book of Butterflies and Moths by Barbara Taylor
•  The Prisoner of Bhopal by Tim Walker
• Wilding: How to Bring Wildlife Back by Isabella Tree
• The Girl Who Wasn't There by Jacqueline Wilson
• The Secret of the Moonshard by Struan Murray
• Uprising by Jennifer Nielsen
• Big Ideas from Literature by The School of Life
• East Asian Folktales, Myths and Legends by Eva Wong Nava
• I Do Not Eat Children by Marcus Cutler
• Ancient Myths Collection Jean Menzies and Matt Ralphs
• Thank You by Jarvis
• Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
• Ancient Greeks by Clive Gifford
• Aya and the Star Chaser by Radiya Hafiza
• The Untameables by Clare Pollard
• A Poetic A-Z of Awesome Animals! By Emilie Lauren Jones
• How to Teach Grown-Ups About Climate Change by Patricia Daniels
• Extreme Weather for Kids by Matthew Cappucci
• Poetry Comics by Grant Snider
• The Whisperwicks by Jordan Lees
• Smile by Lauren Child
• We Are the Wibbly! By Sarah Tagholm
• The Vanquishers: Secret of the Reaping by Kalynn Bayron
• A Mind Full of Murder by Derek Landy
• Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light by Aisling Fowler

March 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
• Nonfiction:  How to Teach Grown-Ups About Climate Change by Patricia Daniels
• Picture book:  Elki is Not My Dog by Elena Arevalo Melville

Part 2
STEM and science fiction books for children. 

New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps

Part 3
BookTok - a blessing or a curse?

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl .

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 17

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-17/

Part 1
Book post

• Meet the Wildlings by Gwen Millward
• The Best You by Nima Patel
• I Love You to the Moon and Back: All Year Long by Amelia Hepworth
• Nikhil and Jay by Chitra Soundar
• The Shape of Rainbows by Neal Zetter
• Diamond Jack: Your Magic Or Your Life by Anna Rainbow
• The Floating Witch Mystery by Nicki Thornton
• Winner Takes Gold by Eloise Smith
• Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain by Jess French
• How Do Meerkats Order Pizza by Brooke Barker
• Love is in the Little Things by Stella J Jones and Jane Massey
• Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in February 2024

• Bronte Tempestra and the Lightning Steeds by Bex Hogan
• Habitats by Hannah Pang and Isobel Lundie
• Peng and Spanners by Steve Webb
• Red Sky at Night; Poet's Delight by Alex Wharton
• The Time Travellers: Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed
• Feather by M. G. Leonard
• The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts by Alex Bell
• Mo's Best Friend: A Stone-Age Story by Bridget Marzo
• On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop
• It's Time to Hush and Say Good Night by Chitra Soundar
• Paper Dragons by Siobhan McDermott
• Yomi and the Power of the Yumboes by Davina Tijani
• A Cure Ever After by Angharad Walker
• Queerbook by Malcolm MacKenzie
• Blue's Planet: Australia by Lucy McRobert
• Most Haunted Theatres by Yvette Fielding
• Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite
• Soren's Seventh Song by Dave Eggers
• Measuring Me by Nicola Kent
• Dim Sum Palace by X Fang
• The Crayons Love our Planet by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
• The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
• Little Chick by Petr Horacek
• Marnie Midnight and the Moon Mystery by Laura Ellen Anderson
• National Trust: Blossom Origami by Nick Robinson
• Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
• Miss Cat by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet
• Supertato: Eviltato vs Superpea by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
• Finding Hope by Nicola Baker

February 2024 books of the month

• Fiction:  A Cure Ever After by Angharad Walker
• Nonfiction:  Measuring Me by Nicola Kent
• Picture book:  The Crayons Love Our Planet by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

Part 2
LGBT books for children (https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/books-for-topics/lgbtqia-themed-books-for-primary-school-aged-children/)and LGBT books for teens (https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/books-for-topics/lgbtqia-fiction-for-secondary-aged-children-and-teens-aged-11/)

New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Cable Goes Camping by Lorna Chantelle Scott

Part 3
Why school libraries are so important to children's learning. 

Credits and licensing
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