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Synopsis
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End.

But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey 'there and back again'. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

Age/Grouping
I would recommend this book for ages 8 and above due to the  vocabulary and some of the violence.
I would also use this book as a class read as it could be incorporated into various lessons.

Activities
-Design a new character / creature that might appear in an additional chapter for the book. How might they fit into the story?

-Research the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and write a biography about him.
-Write a diary entry from Bilbo based on one of the key events in the book. Use descriptive language and try to imagine how Bilbo and the people around him felt.
-When Thorin and others are kidnapped by goblins, they sing a song that includes examples of onomatopoeia. Make their own onomatopoeic song?

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Synopsis
One thing Cosmo does not like more than being forced into costumes , is his boy, Max being sad .Cosmos families dynamics has been changing , he sometimes hears raised voices , the word "divorce" is in the air and there is no more family dance nights.

But the question, is can dance bring the family together again? When Uncle Reggio, a canine specialist, returns from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, he takes Cosmo and Max to a special dance club for dogs. There, Cosmo discovers a love for his new movements as he and Max train for a competition. Although it becomes clear that dancing will not fix Max’s parents’ marriage, by the time Halloween rolls around again, both boy and dog have come to accept that even when families change, love remains.

Age/Grouping
I would recommend this book to ages eight and above as there is more challenging  vocabulary present.
I would use this as whole book read, since Cosmo supports Max when his parents separate and it would be a good prompt to get the students thinking about  how they could help a friend experiencing a similar situation.

Activities

Write your own story from the point of view of a pet.

Using information from the text, draw a picture of Max.

Cosmo supports Max when his parents separate. How could you help a friend experiencing a similar situation?

How have animals helped people at different times throughout history?

The beach is Cosmo’s favourite place. Where is your favourite place? Write a review of it for a travel site.

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The journey home- Frann Preston- Gannon-KS1

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The journey home- Frann Preston- Gannon-KS1

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Synopsis
This book is about a polar bear who realises his world is changing , his ice is disappearing and he is struggling to find food. He sets off in a small boat and on his adventure he finds three more animal's,  all with big problem.  A panda and an Orangutan whose hones are also disappearing and a scared elephant , who is hiding from the hunters who wants his tusks. They travel in the small boat together until they come to a small island where a dodo lives and altogether wait to see what tomorrow shall bring.

Age/ Grouping
I would suggest this book to ages 3-7 as it dealing with quite  a heavy subject but is conveyed in a way that younger children would be able to understand  the very  important issue that is occurring.
I would  use this book as a whole class read, as teaching the new generation to respect their nature and wildlife will help build an eco-friendlier world. It is a big issue that needs tackling since once gone, they're gone forever, and there's no going back.

Activities
- Before reading the book , talk about the cover illustrations; talk about the animals and what the story may be about.
-Ask during reading the story, what the animals in the boat maybe thinking and feeling.
-Ask if anything confused them about the story.
-Get them to draw what  they think "tomorrow" should look like
- Research the animals and make posters about them being  endangered . - Save the animal posters.

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This Zoo is NOT for you- Ross Collins-KS1

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This Zoo is NOT for you- Ross Collins-KS1

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Synopsis
This book is about a platypus visiting a zoo and the animals assuming he is wanting to join them. He is put through a rigorous interview process. They are all quite mean to the platypus which they soon come to regret. As he did not want to join the zoo but invite them to his platybus party.

Age/ Grouping
I would recommend this book to the ages 3-7 as it is deals with a sensitive topic in a way that younger children would find more adaptable to understand.
I would use this book as a lesson prompt in PSHE as it expresses different emotions as well as giving the students a chance to express how they would feel if they were rejected and if they were being left out.

Activities
- Ask the students what the platypus might be feeling getting rejected and how  they'd feel if they got rejected.
- Discuss the importance of friendship and being kind and that bullying is wrong (Link to PHSE)

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This is our house- Michael Rosen & Bob Graham-KS1

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This is our house- Michael Rosen & Bob Graham-KS1

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Synopsis
George builds a cardboard house but wants to keep it all to himself, he does not want to share it and makes up lots of rules to why no one else can join him. A resolution if found when George realises his house is for everyone and that everyone is different and that, that makes life much more fun.

Age/ Grouping
I would suggest this book to ages 3-7 as it is a simple story which is about sharing and friendship.
I would use this book with individuals as well as a whole class as it is a short story which can be read and you can get a lot out of it by asking the students questions.

Activities
- Ask how they'd feel if they were excluded
- Build cardboard house

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Synopsis
Set during World War II, a stray German Shepherd puppy, has not had the best start to his life and experienced a lot of turmoil. He only has one friend, Molly, a spaniel whose home was bombed. Together they need to fight to survive in a dangerous and inhospitable world filled with bombing attacks, aggressive packs of dogs and the death penalty faced by all unregistered animals. Things take a turn for the worst, when Molly is wounded in a bomb explosion but not all is lost as they are helped by Nathan an 18-year-old boy. Nathan and Grey soon form a close bond  and the two friends quickly become inseparable. Nathan acknowledges Greys intelligence, and his complete devotion and Grey is soon trained as a para-dog at the War Dog School, with Nathan as his handler. They are sent on a secret mission to France but during the parachute jump they become separated from each other and a hazardous adventure behind enemy lines begins.

Age
9+

Activities
-Choose two breeds to do more extensive research on. They are going to make cards for each breed and compare the features  ( e.g. Description: Height: Weight: Strength: Speed: Cuddliness)
- Collect data from the class about what pets they have- first in a tally chart  then transfer it too a bar chart.
- Investigate which materials are best for a parachute - make mini-parachutes -using different materials - completing a series of fair tests
- Look into WW2 - animals