School Reading List

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 16

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-16/.

Part 1
Book post

• Glassborn by Peter Bunzl
• Amazing Octopus by Michael Stavaric and Michele Ganser
• Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith
• Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell
• Rise Up and Sing! by Andrea Warner and Louise Reimer
• The Undying of Obedience Wellrest by Nicholas Bowling
• The Girl Who Became a Fish by Polly Ho-Yen
• Growing Up Powerful Journal by Nona Willis Aronowitz
• My Nature Trail! by Rachel Lawston and Paul Lawston
• Evolution by Sarah Darwin & Eva Maria Sadowski
• Not So Little Red Riding Hood by Michael Rosen
• Sala, Mountain Warrior by Wakanyi Hoffman and Onyinye Iwu

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

• Winner Takes Gold by Eloise Smith
• Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy
• Meet the Wildlings by Gwen Millward
• Rainbowsaurus by Steve Antony
• Stitch by Padraig Kenny
• My Brother Plato by George Myerson
• That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams
• Find Peace in a Poem by Little Tiger
• Roman Soldiers by Tegen Evans
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang & LeUyen Pham
• The Shape of Rainbows by Neal Zetter and Will Hughes
• Time Travelling with a Tortoise by Ross Welford
• Northern Soul by Phil Earle
• Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
• The Code of Life by Flying Eye Books
• A Cruel Twist of Fate by H. F. Askwith
• The War of the Heavenly Horses by Roland Chambers
• The Troublemakers by Tamzin Merchant
• The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel and Sammy Savos
• The Floating Witch Mystery by Nicki Thornton
• Diamond Jack: Your Magic or Your Life by Anna Rainbow
• Dictionary of Dinosaurs by Dieter Braun
• Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer
• How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? By Brooke Barker
• The Minute Minders by Mary Murphy
• The Best You by Nima Patel & Cally Johnson-Isaacs
• The O.D.D. Squad by Stuart Heritage & Vincent Batignole
• A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
• Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain by Jess French
• The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
• Love Is by Sarah Maycock

January 2024 books of the month

• Fiction: Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain by Jess French
• Nonfiction: How Do Meerkats Order Pizza by Brooke Barker
• Picture book: Love is in the Little Things by Stella J Jones and Jane Massey

Part 2
Children's books and books for children - a growing disconnect. 

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
Great gift books - https://bit.ly/4aCoc46 .

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 15

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-15 

Part 1
Book post

•  Britannica's Encyclopedia Infographica
• I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold
• The Star Whale by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček
• Ancient Love Stories by Emily Hauser, illustrated by Sander Berg
• Storm Dragon by Dianne Hofmeyr and Carol Thompson
• Scarygirl: The Origin Story by Nathan Jurevicius
• Bigg School: Best Friends Forever by Lisa Williamson, illustrated by Jess Bradley
• The Memory Thieves by Dhonielle Clayton
• The Taming of the Cat by Helen Cooper
• Imagine a Garden: Stories of Courage Changing the World by Rina Singh and Hoda Hadadi
• The Wolf Twins by Ewa Jozefkowicz
• The Most Famous Rhinoceros by Dianne Hofmeyr and Simona Mulazzani

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in October 2023

• The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson
• Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan.
• Legendary Creatures by Adam Auerbach
• Welcome to the Mysteryverse by Clive Gifford
• How to Chat Chicken by Dr Nick Crumpton
• The Wild by Yuval Zommer
• The Dress in the Window by Robert Tregoning
• A Happy Place by Britta Teckentrup
• Green by Alex Gino
• I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold
• Where Magic Grows by Onjali Q. Rauf
• The Earthshot Prize by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes
• SCRAP by Guy Bass
• Man-Man and the Tree of Memories by Yaba Badoe
• The Ogre Who Wasn't by Michael Morpurgo
• Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers
• The Nutcracker: And the Mouse King's Christmas Shenanigans by Alex T. Smith
• Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld
• The Great Storm Whale by Benji Davies
• Red is Home by Emma Bettridge
• Bigg School: Best Friends Forever by Lisa Williamson
• Super Space Weekend by Gaelle Almeras
• The Big Dreaming by Michael Rosen
• Bad Hair Day by John Phillips
• Up and Down by Tracey Turner and Jane Burnard
• If You'll Have Me by Eunnie
• Juniper's Christmas by Eoin Colfer
• Brave Little Bear by Steve Small
• Oscar's Lion by Adam Baron
• Rise Up and Sing! by Andrea Warner
• The Panda's Child Jackie Morris and Cathy Fisher

October 2023 books of the month

• Fiction:  | I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold
• Nonfiction:  | Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica
• Picture book:  | The Star Whale by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček

Part 2
How to use Lego to encourage reading skills

New book pitches: Phone Me When You're Home! by Wendy Garvey; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks, illustrated by Hannah Worsley; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps

Part 3
Christmas-themed books - our Christmas topic book list

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 14

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-14

Part 1
Book post

•  The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton
• All Bodies Are Wonderful by Beth Cox, illustrated by Samantha Meredith
• Butterfly Wings: A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety by Samuel Larochelle and Eve Patenaude
• A Bird Day by Eva Lindstroem
• Bing: Sparkle Magic
• The Odd One Out by Britta Teckentrup
• Mrs Owl's Forest School by Seb Braun
• Fodo Dodo Goes Fishing by Edouard Manceau
• River Rescue: A Peanut, Butter & Crackers Story by Paige Braddock
• Monster Stink by Anna Brooke, illustrated by Owen Lindsay
• Her Majesty's League of Remarkable Young Ladies by Alison D. Stegert
• Prey Zone: The Serpent's Lair by Wilbur Smith and Keith Chapman

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in September 2023

• More Peas Please! By Tom McLaughlin
• All Bodies Are Wonderful by Beth Cox
• Finding Wonder by Lauren St John
• The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow
• By the Sea: Life Along the Coast by Judith Homoki
• The Shade Tree by Suzy Lee
• Nikhil and Jay: Off to India by Chitra Soundar
• Ivy Newt and the Time Thief by Derek Keilty and Magda Brol
• I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
• Where Can We Go?: A Tale of Four Bears by Dai Yun
• Channel Fear by Lisa Richardson
• The 169-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
• Prey Zone: The Serpent's Lair by Wilbur Smith
• Five Little Ghosts by Lily Murray
• Ben Rothery's Weird and Wonderful Animals by Ben Rothery
• Who Let the Words Out? by Joshua Seigal
• The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde
• Nightshade Revenge by Anthony Horowitz
• Evolution by Sarah Darwin
• An Atlas of Afterlives by Emily Hawkins
• Bompa's Insect Expedition by David Suzuki
• You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne
• Butterfly Wings by Samuel Larochelle
• Michael Morpurgo's Tales from Shakespeare by Michael Morpurgo
• Oh Maya Gods! By Maz Evans
• Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
• Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix
• Imagine a Garden by Rina Singh
• Foxlight by Katya Balen
• Skrimsli by Nicola Davies

September 2023 books of the month

• Fiction:  | The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton
• Nonfiction:  | All Bodies Are Wonderful by Beth Cox, illustrated by Samantha Meredith
• Picture book:  | Butterfly Wings: A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety by Samuel Larochelle and Eve Patenaude

Part 2
How to organise an effective quiet reading time

New book pitches: Phone Me When You're Home! by Wendy Garvey, On My Back Paws by Anna Skoyles, Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans, Why, Oh Why, Am I a Crocodile? by Alex Brooks

Part 3
Halloween - our Halloween book list for children and teens

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 13

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-13 

Part 1
Book post

•  The Last Tiger by Petr Horáček
• Against the Odds: The Incredible Struggles of 20 Great Adventurers by Alastair Humphreys, illustrated by Pola Mai
• Nowhere Island by Tania Unsworth
• Superquesters: The Case of the Great Energy Robbery by Lisa Moss and Dr Thomas Bernard
• Bob vs the Trousers of Doom by Andy Jones
• Undercover Alien by N.S. Blackman
• Mia and the Traitor of Nubis by Janelle McCurdy
• The Reluctant Vampire Queen Bites Back by Jo Simmons
• The Stolen Songbird by Judith Eagle
• Carnival of the Spider by Kieran Larwood
• There are Reptiles Everywhere by Camilla De la Bedoyere and  Britta Teckentrup
• Secret Sister by Sophie McKenzie

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in August 2023

• British Museum: The Plot Against the Emperor by Andy Seed
• Shine by Sarah Asuquo
• Finding Phoebe by Gavin Extence
• The Escape by Ximo Abadia
• The Parade: A Counting Story from 1 to 100! By Joanna McInerney
• Nowhere Island by Tania Unsworth
• The Stolen Songbird by Judith Eagle
• The After School Crime Club by Hayley Webster
• Worrybot by Simon Packham
• A Dinosaur's Day by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia
• Ghost Orchid by Fiona Lumbers
• Monster Stink by Anna Brooke
• Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight by Maria Motunrayo Adebisi
• Calvin and the Sugar-Apples by Ines F. Oliveira
• Ten-Word Tiny Tales by Joseph Coelho
• The Spectacular Science of Space by Rob Colson
• Rock-a-Bye Rumpus by Julia Donaldson
• How To Say No by Michelle Elman
• Mysteries at Sea: Peril on the Atlantic by A.M. Howell
• The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate
• Why Don't Things Fall Up? by Alom Shaha
• Curious Words for Clever Kids by Sarah Craiggs
• Leif the Unlucky Viking: Saga of the Shooting Star by Gary Northfield
• Mia and the Traitor of Nubis by Janelle McCurdy
• The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron
• Norah's Ark by Victoria Williamson
• The Book of Time by Clive Gifford
• Geomancer by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• Be You! By Karl Newson
• Read, Scream, Repeat by Jennifer Killick
• What's the Big Idea? By Tracey Turner

August 2023 books of the month

• Fiction:  | Nowhere Island by Tania Unsworth
• Nonfiction:  | Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys, illustrated by Pola Mai
• Picture book:  | The Last Tiger by Petr Horáček
  
  

Part 2
Our thoughts on the DfE's reading framework updates

New book pitches: Katy on Broadway by Ella English, Phone Me When You're Home! by Wendy Garvey, On My Back Paws by Anna Skoyles

Part 3
Transitioning to KS2 - our year 3 book choices. 

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 12

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-12 

Part 1
Book post

•  Our Rights edited by Jake Hope
• Afterward, Everything was Different by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng
• What Are You Feeling? by The School of Life
• Stuckie Duckie Balloon by HarperCollins Children's Books
• What's That, Jack? by Cédric Ramadier, illustrated by Vincent Bourgeau
• How the Weather Works by Christiane Dorion and Beverley Young
• Dave Pigeon (Kittens!) by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
• A Head Full of Magic by Sarah Morrell
• Sing If You Can't Dance by Alexia Casale
• Overemotional by David Fenne
• The Girl Who Grew Wings by Anna Waterworth
• What Will I Discover? By Tanya Lloyd Ky, illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in July 2023

• The Teen Witches' Guide to Tarot
• Calling the Whales by Jasbinder Bilan
• I Am Wriggly by Michael Rosen
• Busy Little Fingers: Art by Eva Wong Nava
• The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• Crow by Nicola Skinner
• Dave Pigeon (Kittens!) by Swapna Haddow
• Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston
• One Chance Dance by Efua Traore
• Henri and the Machine by Isabelle Marinov
• Sweet Skies by Robin Scott-Elliot
• Animal Homes: Rainforest by Natasha Durley
• Robin Hood 7: Prisons, Parties & Powerboats by Robert Muchamore
• The Housetrap by Emma Read
• Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys
• The Wonder Brothers by Frank Cottrell Boyce
• The Exiled by Sarah Daniels
• Animal Homes: Ocean by Natasha Durley
• The Bedtime Boat by Sital Gorasia Chapman
• Lil' Muffin Drops the Mic by Romesh Ranganathan
• Up in the Canopy by James Aldred
• All That's Left to Say by Emery Lord
• Balam and Lluvia's House by Julio Serrano Echeverria
• The Bomb by Didier Alcante
• Bath Time! By Sandra Boynton
• The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen
• One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus
• League of Thieves by Sarah Crofton
• Alex Neptune, Monster Avenger: Book 3
• A Little Book of the Orchestra by Mary Auld
• Bum or Face by Kari Lavelle

July 2023 books of the month

• Fiction:  | Our Rights! edited by Jake Hope
• Nonfiction:  | What Are You Feeling? by The School of Life
• Picture book:  | Afterward, Everything was Different by Jairo Buitrago & Rafael Yockteng

Part 2
How children's book series can kickstart reading for pleasure.
See our review of How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.

New book pitches: Katy on Broadway by Ella English, Movie Night with the Wizziwigs by Saxon North-Cornell, On My Back Paws by Anna Skoyles

Part 3
A dive into our list of book series for children and teens

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 11

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-11 

Part 1
Book post

•  The Wall Between Us by Dan Smith 
•  Rivers by Simon Chapman
•  I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon 
•  The Bear who had Nothing to Wear by Jeanne Willis and Brian Fitzgerald 
•  Sharks! Sharks! Sharks! by Susan Martineau 
•  The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Ritva Voutila 
•  Max Magic by Stephen Mulhern & Tom Easton 
•  Indiana Bones and the Invisible City by Harry Heape
•  Last Girl In by Cheryl Diane Parkinson 
•  Call of the Titanic by Lindsay Galvin 
•  Chews Your Own Tasty Adventure by Sai Pathmanathan
•  Veggies! by Ayako Watanabe

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in June 2023

• The Teen Witches' Guide to Tarot
• Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc by Joe Todd-Stanton
• Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Ruling the World by Louie Stowell
• Nightjar by Katya Balen
• Star Cat: A Turnip in Time! By James Turner
• Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle
• Bad Influence by Tamsin Winter
• Just Like Everyone Else by Sarah Hagger-Holt
• Art Makes People Powerful by Bob and Roberta Smith
• Rosie Raja: Mission to Cairo by Sufiya Ahmed
• Grounded by Aisha Saeed
• How to Survive The Future by Larry Hayes
• Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape by Martin Stewart
• Julia Donaldson's Book of Names by Julia Donaldson
• Bite Risk by S.J. Wills
• Stone Age Beasts by Ben Lerwill
• Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffrey Boakye
• Call of the Titanic by Lindsay Galvin
• Everybody's Equal by Patricia Hegarty
• You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
• SH!T BAG by Xena Knox
• The Day the Hiccups Took Over by Jo Simmons
• Pizza Pete and the Perilous Potions by Carrie Sellon
• The Greatest Treasure Hunt by James Patterson
• My Family and Other Romans by Marie Basting
• Timelines of Nature by DK
• Indiana Bones and the Invisible City by Harry Heape
• The Dream Book by Bia Melo
• Gender Identity for Kids by Andy Passchier

June 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: The Wall Between Us by Dan Smith
• Nonfiction: Rivers by Simon Chapman
• Picture book: I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

Part 2
The transition from picture books to short chapter books in Year 2. https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks1-school-pupils/suggested-reading-list-year-2-pupils-ks1-age-6-7/

New book pitches: Katy on Broadway by Ella English, Movie Night with the Wizziwigs by Saxon North-Cornell, The 4th Dimension by Dr. Joseph J. Pamelia

Part 3
A look at our new list of adventure books for children and teens. 

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 10

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-10 

Part 1
Book post

• Away With Words by Sophie Cameron
• Are We There Yet? by Sven Völker
• Glow by Noelia González
• Rubbish? by Linda Newbery & Katie Rewse
• Postman Pig and His Busy Neighbours by Richard Scarry
• Let's Go! Hospital by Catherine Ard and Ben Whitehouse
• Forwards Always by Matthew Hodson
• Growing Up Powerful by Nona Willis Aronowitz  and Caribay Marquina
• Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
• How Far We've Come by Joyce Efia Harmer
• Broken Hearts & Zombie Parts by William Hussey
• Chews Your Own Tasty Adventure by Sai Pathmanathan 

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in May 2023

• Nooo! Not the Dentist! By Stephanie Blake
• Aaron Slater and the Sneaky Snake by Andrea Beaty
• Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan
• How to Build a Racing Car by Fran Scott
• You Are a Story by Laura Dockrill
• Wild by Ele Fountain
• Jodie by Hilary McKay
• Away With Words by Sophie Cameron
• An Anthology Of Aesop's Animal Fables by Helen Ward
• Glow by Noelia Gonzalez
• Philosophy for Everyone by Clive Gifford
• No Place for Monsters: School of Phantoms by Kory Merritt
• Holey Moley by Bethan Clarke
• Weird Sea by Sophie Burrows
• Surprisingly Sarah by Terri Libenson
• Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard
• Willodeen by Katherine Applegate
• The Invitation by Stacey May Fowles
• The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman
• The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
• Time to Shine at the River School by Sabine Adeyinka
• The Thief of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron
• More Peas Please! By Tom McLaughlin
• Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star by Laura Noakes
• Manolo & the Unicorn by Jackie Azua Kramer & Jonah Kramer
• In Your Orbit by Lise Villadsen
• Rivers by Simon Chapman
• Rory's Room of Rectangles by Ian Eagleton
• Broken Hearts & Zombie Parts by William Hussey
• Marvellous Maps by Simon Kuestenmacher
• There's a Hippo in my Toilet! By Sam Taplin

May 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: Away With Words by Sophie Cameron
• Nonfiction: Glow by Noelia González
• Picture book: Are We There Yet? by Sven Völker

Part 2
How to halt the summer slide by encouraging students to read. See summer reading can energise your students

New book pitches: Katy on Broadway by Ella English, Movie Night with the Wizziwigs by Saxon North-Cornell, The 4th Dimension by Dr. Joseph J. Pamelia

Part 3
Picks for Pride Month including titles from our books for year 11 and books for year 10 lists

Credits and licensing

• All 3rd party sounds are licensed. See our audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 9

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-9 

Part 1
Book post

• Ivy Newt and the Storm Witch by Derek Keilty and Magda Broll
• I Heard a Bird by Rob Ramsden
• Small Stanley's Big List of Scary Stuff by Angie Morgan
• A Child Like You by Na'ima B. Robert
• Ajay and the Jaipur Moon by Varsha Shah
• Day and Night by Lela Nargi
• Be Happy! by Emma Dodd & Maddy Bard
• Squishy McFluff's Camping Adventure! by Pip Jones
• The Not-So Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula
• Circus Maximus: Rider of the Storm by Annelise Gray
• Finding Floss by Cara Matheson
• Noodle the Doodle Wins the Day by Jonathan Meres

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in April 2023

• Hilda: Night of the Trolls by Luke Pearson
• This Is Not My Home by Eugenia Yoh & Vivienne Chang
• Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas
• Twenty Questions by Mac Barnett
• Love, the Earth by Frances Stickley
• The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker
• Yellowstone by Catherine Ard
• Na Willa and the House in the Alley by Reda Gaudiamo
• The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie by Yvonne Banham
• The Crown by Emily Kapff
• Day and Night by Lela Nargi
• The Treasure Hunters by Lisa Thompson
• The Smidgens United by David O'Connell
• Let's Play Murder by Kesia Lupo
• Skandar and the Phantom Rider by A.F. Steadman
• What is War? By Sheddad Kaid-Salah Ferron
• Big Tree by Brian Selznick
• Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
• Animal FACTopia! by Julie Beer
• The Children of Croke Park by Michael Foley
• School Trip by Jerry Craft
• Automotive by Matt Ralphs
• Louise Bourgeois Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry by Fausto Gilberti
• The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer
• How Far We've Come by Joyce Efia Harmer
• The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula
• Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
• Bridges by Marc Majewski
• How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander
• Global by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin

April 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
• Nonfiction: The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer
• Picture book: The Crown by Emily Kapff

Part 2
Chat GPT and AI: a blessing or a curse for teachers and schools? We examine whether Chat GPT will be useful for the teaching of English and reading in schools. 

New book pitches: My Magical Bearded Friend by Chris Husband; Dumb Orphans by Allan Low

Part 3
Summer 2023 new children's books. 

Credits and licensing

• All 3rd party sounds are licensed. See our audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 8

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-8 

Part 1
Book post

• Art and Joy Best Friends Forever by Danielle Krysa
• The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon
• Engineers Making a Difference
• Kind Crocodile by Leo Timmers by Dr. Shini Somara
• I say Oh, You say No by John Kane
• The Fixer of Broken Things by Julia Patton
• The Bear and the Wildcat by Kazumi Yumoto and Komako Sakai
• Prehistoric Beasts by Dean Lomax and Mike Love
• Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere by Ruth Lauren
• Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell
• Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher
• Ellie Pillai is (Almost) in Love by Christine Pillainayagam

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in March 2023

• Boy Like Me by Simon James Green
• Ravencave by Marcus Sedgwick
• What the World Doesn't See by Mel Darbon
• Circus Maximus: Rider of the Storm by Annelise Gray
• Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere by Ruth Lauren
• Big Nate: Nailed It! by Lincoln Peirce
• Prehistoric Beasts by Dean Lomax
• Sheets by Brenna Thummler
• The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon
• Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai
• Dragonracers by Peter Bunzl
• Maggie Blue and the White Crow by Anna Goodall
• Being you: Poems of Positivity by Daniel Thompson
• The Truth Detective by Tim Harford
• The Other Edie Trimmer by Jacqueline Wilson
• The Handbook of Forgotten Skills by Natalie Crowley & Elaine Baptiste
• Stanley's Secret by John Sullivan
• The Nowhere Thief by Alice M. Ross
• The Knowing by Ani DiFranco
• Dick the Delightful Duck by Kaye Umansky
• The Autistic Guide to Adventure by Allie Mason
• Habitats of the World by DK
• Wild Song by Candy Gourlay
• Faruq and the Wiri Wiri by Sophia Payne
• Engineers Making a Difference by Dr. Shini Somara
• Ellie Pillai is (Almost) in Love by Christine Pillainayagam
• Dog Man 11 by Dav Pilkey
• Courage Out Loud: 25 Poems of Power by Joseph Coelho
• Hell Breaks Loose by Derek Landy
• Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher
• Football Rules the World by Simon Mugford

March 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon
• Nonfiction: Engineers Making a Difference: by Dr. Shini Somara
• Picture book: Kind Crocodile by Leo Timmers

Part 2
How the cost of living crisis is impacting children's reading and book sales

New book pitches: The Bumper Book of Double Learning by Helen J Bailey; My Magical Bearded Friend by Chris Husband; Dumb Orphans by Allan Low; & a monologue by Rebecca Smith for the Cheltenham Festivals

Part 3
Poetry for 7-11-year-olds

Credits and licensing

• All 3rd party sounds are licensed. See our audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 7

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-7 

Part 1
Book post

• Our Planet by Matt Whyman and Richard Jones
• Faruq and the Wiri Wiri by Sophie Payne
• Vita and the Gladiator by Ally Sherrick
• Tell Me About series by Emily Dodd
• Blanksy the Street Cat by Gavin Puckett
• BOB vs The Selfie Zombies by Andy Jones
• You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud
• Don't be Silly by Padmacandra
• Corey's Rock by Sita Brahmachari
• The Emerald Forest by Catherine Ward
• Paper World: Human Body by Gail Armstrong
• Two Terrible Vikings: Feast with the King by Francesca Simon

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in February 2023

• Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
• Unspoken by Kwame Alexander & Dare Coulter
• Out of the Blue by Robert Tregoning & Stef Murphy
• Teddy's Midnight Adventure by Yoko Mori
• Don't Be Silly by Padmacandra
• Two Terrible Vikings Feast with the King by Francesca Simon
• Xanthe & the Ruby Crown by Jasbinder Bilan
• Lizzy and the Cloud by Eric Fan & Terry Fan
• Lost by Mariajo Ilustrajo
• Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton
• You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud
• Cherry Moon by Zaro Weil
• Vita & the Gladiator by Ally Sherrick
• The Monkey Who Fell From The Future by Ross Welford
• The Emerald Forest by Catherine Ward & Karin Littlewood
• Corey's Rock by Sita Brahmachari
• Fighting in a World on Fire by Andreas Malm
• The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell
• Tell Me About: The Human Body by Emily Dodd
• Blanksy the Street Cat by Gavin Puckett
• Paper World: Human Body by Gail Armstrong
• A Passing On of Shells: 50 Fifty-Word Poems by Simon Lamb & Chris Riddell
• Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
• The Versatile Reptile by Nicola Davies & Abbie Cameron
• Rugby Rookie by Gerard Siggins
• Now Let Me Fly by Ronald Wimberly & Brahm Revel
• SuperQuesters: The Case of the Missing Memory

February 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud
• Nonfiction: Paper World: Human Body by Gail Armstrong
• Picture book: The Emerald Forest by Catherine Ward

Part 2
Why it's not a good idea to use reading records

New book pitches: The Bumper Book of Double Learning by Helen J Bailey; My Magical Bearded Friend by Chris Husband; Dumb Orphans by Allan Low; The PhilosoCats by Judith Millecker.

Part 3
6th form books - our rundown of great titles for this age group. 

Credits and licensing

• All 3rd party sounds are licensed. See our audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

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