School Reading List

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 6

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-6 

Part 1
Book post

•  Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson 
•  Fighting in a World on Fire by Andreas Malm 
•  Floof by Heidi McKinnon 
•  Questions and Answers About Money by Lara Bryan 
•  Game Over Girl by Naomi Gibson 
•  Influential by Amara Sage 
•  Monster Bogey by Anna Brooke 
•  Xanthe & the Ruby Crown by Jasbinder Bilan 
•  Little Explorers: Maths & Science by Ruth Symons 
•  The Rescue of Ravenwood by Natasha Farrant 
•  This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
•  Wild Oak by C.C. Harrington 

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

• Different Kinds of Freedom: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill
• Look Inside Volcanoes and Earthquakes by Emily Bone
• Around the World Vegan Cookbook by Niki Webster
• Granny and Bean by Karen Hesse
• Lifesize Deadly Animals by Sophy Henn
• Barry Loser: Action Hero! By Jim Smith
• Shine Like the Stars by Anna Wilson
• Frankenstein: A Retelling by Tanya Landman
• Blackbeard's Treasure by Iszi Lawrence
• The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
• All The World's A Stage by Sarah Walden
• There's a Beast in the Basement! by Pamela Butchart
• Game Over Girl by Naomi Gibson
• Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
• The Magic of Endings by Tom Avery
• The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze
• A Ticket to Kalamazoo!: Zippy Poems To Read Out Loud by James Carter
• My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder
• Selfies With Komodos: Poems by Brian Moses & Ed Boxall
• I Am Not Going to Read Any Words Today by Dr Seuss
• Failosophy for Teens Elizabeth Day
• I Am Happy by Michael Rosen
• Monster Bogey by Anna Brooke
• Word Trouble by Vyara Boyadjieva
• Blue by Sarah Christou
• MONSTER! THIRSTY! DRINK! by Sean Taylor
• Swirls and Squiggles
• The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die by Peter Lantos
• Little Explorers: Science
• Wished by Lissa Evans
• 100 Things to Know About Architecture by Louise O'Brien

January 2023 books of the month

• Fiction: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
• Nonfiction: All The World’s A Stage by Sarah Walden
• Picture book: Lifesize Deadly Animals by Sophy Henn

Part 2
Year 1 books - our rundown of great titles for this age group. 

New book pitches: Lao and Chen: Master your Art by Bráulio Pitra; The Silly Adventures of Twighead Larson by John Dredge; The Bumper Book of Double Learning by Helen J Bailey; My Magical Bearded Friend by Chris Husband; The PhilosoCats by Judith Millecker; Cable the Crow by Lorna Chantelle Scott

Part 3
Why we shouldn't ban 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 5

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-5 

Part 1
Book post

• The Burpee Bears: A Christmas Adventure by Joe Wicks
• Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell
• Snail Trail by Ziggy Hanaor
• A Cat Called Waverley by Debi Gliori
• Duck's Backyard by Ulrich Hub
• Dear Grandpa by Kate Simpson
• I Hear you, Ocean by Kallie George
• Eco Girl by Ken Wilson-Max
• Epic Animal Journeys by Ed J Brown
• The Girl Who Became a Tree by Joseph Coelho
• Kind by Jess McGeachin
• When Poems Fall From The Sky by Zaro Weil

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in November 2022

• Journeys in Creative Telling Tales by Rudi Haig
• Luminous by Julia Kuo
• The Red Red Dragon by Lynne Reid Banks
• Paradise Sands by Levi Pinfold
• Explorers at Stardust City by Alex Bell
• The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• Where Björn Belongs by Samuel Langley-Swain
• Terry's Crew by Terry Crew & Cory Thomas
• Once Upon a Hillside by Angela McAllister
• Captain Underpants Double Crunchy Book o'Fun by Dav Pilkey
• I'm (Almost) Never Bored (I'm Not Very) by Anna Milbourne
• Supertato: Presents Jack and the Beanstalk by Sue Hendra
• Snail Trail by Ziggy Hanaor
• One and Everything by Sam Winston
• Balloon to the Moon by Becky Davies
• Tasting Light by A. R. Capetta
• Murder at Snowfall by Fleur Hitchcock
• The Moon by Dr. Sanlyn Buxner
• Night Train to the Stars by Kenji Miyazawa
• Secrets of a Christmas Elf by Ben Miller
• Fury of The Vikings by Dominic Sandbrook
• Epic Animal Journeys by Ed J Brown
• Roar! I’m a Dinosaur by Merrilll Rainey
• If You Were a City by Kyo Maclear
• Official Minecraft Redstone Handbook
• The Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka
• Wearing My Mother's Heart by Sophia Thakur
• You Are a Champion Action Planner by Marcus Rashford
• Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

November 2022 books of the month

• Fiction:   Once Upon a Hillside by Angela McAllister
• Nonfiction:  Nomads: Life on the Move by Kinchoi Lam
• Picture book: GOTCHA! by Clotilde Perrin

Part 2
Great Christmas book presents - our rundown

New book pitches: The Art Family by Sue Truslet; Lao and Chen: Master your Art by Bráulio Pitra; The Silly Adventures of Twighead Larson by John Dredge

Part 3
How to make GCSE set texts accessible. (See: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks4-school-pupils/graphic-novel-versions-of-gcse-english-texts/)

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 4

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-4 

Part one
Book post

• No Home for a Ghost by Jess Rose
• The Perfect Present by Petr Horáček
• The Best Bear Tracker by John Condon
• Together We Can by Ned Hartley
• The Faber Book of Bedtime Stories by Sarah McIntyre
• Meanwhile Back On Earth by Oliver Jeffers
• Big Ideas from History by The School Of Life
• The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage
• The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers by Rachel Poliquin
• We Disagree About This Tree by Ross Collins
• The Terracotta Horse by Scott Lauder and David Ross
• The Ultimate Guide to Growing Dragons by Andy Shepherd and Sara Ogilvie

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in October 2022

• The Lucky Bottle by Chris Wormell
• The Haunted Hills by Berlie Doherty
• Tyger by SF Said
• Aliens by Joalda Morancy
• My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
• The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage
• Wild Animals of the World by Dieter Braun
• The Boy Who Lost His Spark by Maggie O'Farrell
• The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho
• Freestyle by Gale Galligan
• Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel
• Children of the Stone City by Beverley Naidoo
• The Midnight Panther by Poonam Mistry
• The Other Ones by Fran Har
• Activist by Louisa Reid
• Africana by Kim Chakanetsa
• The Three Hares: The Terracotta Horse by Scott Lauder and David Ross
• Creature by Shaun Tan
• Nomads: Life on the Move by Kinchoi Lam
• Big Ideas from History by The School of Life
• Together We Can by Ned Hartley
• Meanwhile Back on Earth Oliver Jeffers
• We Disagree About This Tree by Ross Collins
• India, Incredible India by Jasbinder Bilan
• History's BIGGEST Show-offs by Andy Seed
• Basher Games: Chess by Simon Basher
• The Ever-changing Earth by Grahame Baker-Smith
• The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• S.T.E.A.L.T.H.: Ice Breaker by Jason Rohan
• Escape from Chernobyl by Andy Marino
• Sherlock Bones and the Curse of the Pharaoh’s Mask by Tim Collins

October 2022 books of the month

• Fiction:   The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho
• Nonfiction:  2023 Nature Month-By-Month by Anna Wilson
• Picture book: Goldilocks and the Three Crocodiles by Michael Rosen

Part two
Promoting your new children's and YA book to schools. Our tips. 

New book pitch: The Art Family by Sue Truslet

Part three
Children's favourite books, and how these differ from the teacher-recommended books for KS1 and books for KS2.

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 3

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-3 

Part one.
Book post:

• Human Kindness: True Stories of Compassion and Generosity that Changed the World by John Francis
• Iceberg by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft
• Everything Sustainable Energy by National Geographic Kids
• Whisper on the Wind by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft
• Bad Panda: The Cake Escape by Swapna Haddow
• Gross Factopia by Paige Towler
• Found by Sam Usher
• Secrets of the Dead: Mummies and Other Human Remains From Around the World by Matt Ralphs
• Big Questions about the Universe by Alice James and Alex Frith
• Lionel Poops by Éric Veillé
• Old Oak and Little Acorn by Elena Mannion
• The Last Storyteller by Donna Barba Higuera
• The Cats Who Wanted More by Katie Sahota and Naomi Tipping
• The Spell Tailors by James Nicol
• Granny Pip grows fruit by Deborah Chancellor and Julia Groves

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in September 2022:

• Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief by David Owen
• How To Survive Anywhere by Ben Lerwill
• Big Questions about the Universe by Alice James & Alex Frith
• Iceberg by Claire Saxby
• The Last Storyteller by Donna Barba Higuera
• Stories of Peace and Kindness For a Better World by Elizabeth Laird
• Granny Pip Grows Fruit by Deborah Chancellor and Julia Groves
• Gross FACTopia! By Paige Towler
• Eco Girl by Ken Wilson-Max
• Human Kindness by John Francis
• The Curse of the Tomb Robbers by Andy Seed
• Stone by Finbar Hawkins
• Everything Sustainable Energy by National Geographic Kids
• The Spell Tailors by James Nicol
• Found by Sam Usher
• Unraveller by Frances Hardinge
• The Treekeepers by Kieran Larwood
• No Place for Monsters by Kory Merritt
• Tom Gates 19 Random Acts of Fun by Liz Pichon
• And Everything Will Be Glad to See You by Ella Risbridger
• Everything Human Body by National Geographic Kids
• The Cats Who Wanted More by Katie Sahota
• Secrets of the Dead by Matt Ralphs
• Which Way to Anywhere by Cressida Cowell
• The Elemental Detectives by Patrice Lawrence
• The Baddies by Julia Donaldson
• Joyful, Joyful by Dapo Adeola
• Old Oak and Little Acorn by Elena Mannion.
• Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan
• The Collectors by Philip Pullman

September 2022 books of the month:

• Fiction: Stone by Finbar Hawkins
• Nonfiction: Gross Factopia by Paige Towler
• Picture book: Found by Sam Usher

Part two.
Time travelling to a world of second-hand books. In this episode, we feature children's historical fiction writer, Rosemary Sutcliff.

Part three.
Do you think children's reading declines in KS3 and KS4? With a social media poll.

Credits and licensing.

• All sound effects and background music clips are correctly licensed for use on this podcast. See our licensing audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 2

For transcripts, links to all the books featured, resources, show notes and contact details, click here: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-2 

Part one.
Book post:

• Stone by Finbar Hawkins 
• Who's Hiding by Satoru Onishi 
• The Curse of the Tomb Robbers by Andy Seed 
• Stories of Peace and Kindness For a Better World by Elizabeth Laird 
• The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold illustrated by Levi Pinfold 
• The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll
• My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
• The Tale of Truthwater Lake by Emma Carroll
• No Place For Monsters by Kory Merritt 
• Unraveller by Frances Hardinge 
• The TreeKeepers by Kieran Larwood 
• Shu Lin's Grandpa by Matt Goodfellow and Yu Rong 
• The Island by Armin Greder

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in August 2022:

• It's Tough to be Tiny by Kim Woolcock
• Rapunzella, Or, Don't Touch My Hair by Ella McLeod
• Egyptian Myths by Jean Menzies
• Ella and the Waves by Britta Teckentrup
• All the Pieces of Me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
• World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories by Tom Adams
• Paper Boat, Paper Bird by David Almond
• The Dangerous Life of Ophelia Bottom by Susie Bower
• Ergo by Alexis Deacon
• The Last Whale by Chris Vick
• The Accidental Stowaway by Judith Eagle
• The Girl Who Rowed the Ocean by Alastair Humphreys
• Giant Island by Jane Yolen
• The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold.
• Our Tower by Joseph Coelho
• Which Bum's Mum's? by Jonny Leighton.
• Medicine: A Magnificently Illustrated History by Briony Hudson
• The Blue-Footed Booby by Rob Biddulph
• The Cartoons That Saved The World by Tom Ellen
• Vi Spy: The Girl with the Golden Gran by Maz Evans
• Resist!: One Girl's Fight Back Against the Nazis by Tom Palmer
• To Catch A Cloud by Elena de Roo
• Passionate about Penguins by Owen Davey
• Bad Panda: The Cake Escape by Swapna Haddow
• How Many Ways Can You Cook An Egg? By Lizzie Mabbott Berlin
• Britannica's Word of the Day by Patrick and Rennee Kelly
• Waking the Witch by Rachel Burge.
• Lift-the-flap Strongest, Cleverest, Deadliest… by Darran Stobbart and Lan Cook
• Rosie Raja: Churchill's Spy by Sufiya Ahmed
• Powered by Plants by Clive Gifford
• The Beastly Bunch by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe

August 2022 books of the month:

• Fiction: Resist by Tom Palmer
• Nonfiction: Britannica's Word of the Day by Patrick and Rennee Kelly & Sue Macy
• Picture book: Ella and the Waves by Britta Teckentrup

Part two.
Time travelling to a world of second-hand books. In this episode, we feature children's science fiction writer, Nicholas Fisk.

Part three.
Should school classrooms feature wall displays? (And how this impacts reading for pleasure). With a social media poll.

Credits and licensing.

• All sound effects and background music clips are correctly licensed for use on this podcast. See our licensing audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 1

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

Part one.
Book post:

• Noodle the Doodle Wins the Day by Jonathan Meres
• The Whale Watchers by Dougie Poynter
• A Darkness at the Door by Intisar Khanani
• The Silver Chain by Jion Sheibani
• Queen of the Classroom by Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• Orla and the Wild Hunt by Anna Hoghton
• Carnival of the Hunted by Kieran Larwood
• Birdsong by Katya Balen
• Sunflower Sisters by Monika Singh Gangotra and Michaela Dias-Hayes
• Hetty and the Battle of the Books by Anna James
• Picture Perfect by Serena Patel
• Oxygen Mask by Jason Reynolds

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA book to buy in July 2022:

• Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
• Wild Summer: Life in the Heat by Sean Taylor
• The Friendly Mammoth by Anna Terreros-Martin
• Once Upon a Fever by Angharad Walker
• Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs by David A. Steen
• Carnival of the Hunted by Kieran Larwood
• Birdsong by Katya Balen
• Never Forget You by Jamila Gavin
• The Misunderstandings of Charity Brown by Elizabeth Laird
• The Roar by Eoin McLaughlin
• Orla and the Wild Hunt by Anna Hoghton
• Queen of the Classroom by Derrick Barnes
• Tag, You're Dead by Kathryn Foxfield
• 21% Monster by P.J. Canning
• The Mermaid Call by Alex Cotter
• Small! By Hannah Moffatt
• The World's Wildest Places: And the People Protecting Them by Lily Dyu
• Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
• The Fire Cats of London by Anna Fargher
• The Day No One Woke Up by Polly Ho-Yen
• Billy and the Pirates by Nadia Shireen
• Lifesize Baby Animals by Sophy Henn
• British Museum: So You Think You've Got It Bad?  by Chae Strathie
• A Gangster Stole My Trunks by Tom Vaughan
• Ali Cross: The Secret Detective by James Patterson
• Can You Feel the Noise? By Stewart Foster
• Artists: Inspiring Stories of the World's Most Creative Minds by DK
• Happy Times! By Michael Foreman
• Hetty and the Battle of the Books by Anna James 
• Lands of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain by Donna and Vikesh Amey Bhatt.
• Outside Chance by Anthony Kessel
• It's Tough to be Tiny by Kim Woolcock

July 2022 books of the month:

• Fiction: Oxygen Mask by Jason Reynolds
• Nonfiction: A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis 
• Picture book: Five Bears by Catherine Rayner

Part two.
Time traveling to a world of second hand books. In this episode we feature children's adventure author Willard Price.

Part three.
When is a quote not a quote? A journey through the strange corridors of social media.

Credits and licensing.

• All sound effects and background music clips are correctly licensed for use on this podcast. See our licensing audit: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/podcasts/#podcast-credits

Support the show

A trailer for the School Reading List children's and YA literature podcast, presented by Tom Tolkien.

The School Reading List recommends new and classic children's and YA books to teachers, parents, librarians and schools.

Podcast notes and credits. 

For more details, and book recommendations for 3-18-year-olds, see our website: School Reading List 

Support the show