https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks Made with panache en-us 2022-03-01 20:59:19 UTC 2025-10-04 19:03:25 UTC hello@padlet.com 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2095732622 Waiting for Wolf is a beautiful, heartfelt story which brings comfort to those who have lost a loved one. Fox and Wolf spend days together talking and laughing for hours, swimming together in the big blue lake, and watching the stars come out, one by one. Until one day, wolf is gone and fox is left alone. I would say this book has a reading age of 4 years + as whole class read as it has a beautiful storyline and can be well understood from a reception class onwards. This story is perfect for approaching the difficult talk of death with young children. This book had beautiful illustrations, making it very engaging for younger children. This book could be used brilliantly across different subjects especially PSHE considering the theme of death.  Activities for this story could include pictures and drawings for a reception class also short sentences to describe how fox may feel now wolf is gone. For higher up the school Year 1/2 students could write a diary entry in English to fox to make him feel better.
Questions to generate book talk: How do you think fox felt when wolf was gone?]]> 2022-03-15 11:15:52 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2095732622 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2096072098 We’re going on a bear hunt is a story of a family embarking on an adventure to find a bear. However on their journey they come across a wide range of terrains including a deep cold river, some thick oozey mud and a swirly windstorm. I love this book as i think it shows adventure and creativity, the children can imagine all the details that Michael Rosen and Helen Oxen create in this book. I think this book would be best for ages 3-8, i think the pictures would be great for the younger age groups, and the ease of the rhyming text would be great for children developing their reading skills, i also think older children to age 8 would still be very engages in this book and enjoy reading it maybe in large groups to one and another acting out eat stage. This book could be used for cross curricular activities brilliantly, for example in PE children could be grouped together and all create they’re own actions and dance to each scene in the book and act it out in front of the class. This book would also make a great group read in a reception class and a great independent read in y1/y2. It could be used for units of work in English for example creating their own scene in the book. Or in art, where children could create a poster of their own ‘bear hunt’ using materials and drawings.  
Questions to generate book talk: What was your favourite scene in the story ?]]> 2022-03-15 14:17:46 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2096072098 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2103637874 Gangsta Granny!!! My favourite book growing up, i think David Walliams is a fantastic author, i have enjoyed many of his books and think the humour in them is perfect for young children. Ben hates having to spend time with his ‘old’ and ‘boring’ grandma whilst his mum and dad are ballroom dancing. But little does Ben know Grandma is not as boring as he thinks. Together they go on an adventure to steal the Crown Jewels. I would say this book is aimed at 9 year olds +, i feel like i would still enjoy this book now! Gangsta Granny is a great book as it has lots of silly humour and a great story line. The moral of the story is that not all Granny’s are old and boring, and have exciting stories to tell. Along with many others of David’s books, I think Gangsta Granny would make a great character description activity in English. The children could do a character description of ‘Granny’ or someone else they feel has something exciting to tell. The children could do a role play in pe , and even make up their own plot twist chapter in the story. In art children could make a ‘book in a box’ featuring all the elements of the story including the sparkling Crown Jewels. I think with the many activities that could be done with this book it would be a great book for a unit of work in English. 
Questions to generate book talk: What was your favourite part of the story ?

]]> 2022-03-20 11:59:33 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2103637874 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2122005213 A wonderful story to introduce the concept of libraries to the little ones and also beautiful illustrations throughout. The Detective dog is a beautiful rhyming story by the great author Julia Donaldson. This adventure captured detective dog Nell who was a detective dog Tuesday till Sunday but visits the school with Peter each Monday and listens to the children reading, she is fascinated by all the books and the children loved reading to Nell. Until one day the books were gone and detective Nell set out to find them… The rhyming text makes it a joy to read aloud. Beginner readers will soon recognise some of the often repeated words and rhymes and be encouraged to try the harder ones. I would say this book is a perfect read for reception/year 1 class a whole class read and great to build activities on throughout the week or even the term, the story is just right to keep 4-6 year olds engaged, amused and informed. The illustrations are detailed enough for lots of, “Can you see.... “ activities” in English. After gaining a greater understanding on the library, the children could visit the library and each pick out a book of their choice to read to a parter. This book could also be used for an activity in English where they create their own story about a clever animal. 
Questions to generate book talk: How did all the children feel when they found that the books were gone?]]> 2022-03-30 17:44:06 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2122005213 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2130363482 Stig of the Dump is a thrilling classic about a young boy called Barney who meets a new friend after he falls down a chalk pit in the field behind his grandparents house. However, he is no ordinary friend. He meets Stig; a cave man who teaches him how to stand up for himself against a nasty group of teenage boys in the village. This story is all about how their friendship blossoms and the exciting adventures they encounter. I recommend this book to children aged 8+ as you do not have to be an advanced reader to enjoy this timeless novel. Clive King promotes resilience and determination teaching children the importance of respecting each other’s unique qualities. This text would be suitable for whole-class reading and units of work for Year 3 and 4. Activities could include freeze-frames representing characters’ feelings throughout the different chapters; story mapping the events; friendship games and an exploration into archaic language. This story has amazing potential for cross curricular learning such as exploring friendship and diversity in PSHE lessons and creating complex sequences in a dance unit in PE.
Questions to generate book talk: How do you think Barney felt when he fell down the chalk pit?]]> 2022-04-05 09:55:56 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2130363482 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2132226800 There was a little girl called Matilda, she was a bright,sweet,funny and caring little girl. Different from all her family who were liars and cheats and never appreciated Matilda for who she was. Misunderstood and ignored by everyone at home, Matilda decided to visit the library to find some books and found a love and pleasure for reading. Matilda used her skills to exercise her mind so much she developed telekinetic powers. She then used these powers to her advantage. I recommend this book for children aged 8+ as a whole class guided read and then an independent read further up the school. Matilda is a brilliant book because it shows children that people can escape through reading , especially after she was misunderstood at home. Matilda is brave and stands up for herself many times in the book, this teaches children great values they need. There are many activities that a class could complete based on this novel, freeze frames capturing how Matilda felt throughout the book would be a great idea, or a character description or analysis on Matilda’s big brave character or other characters in 
the book , this would also be a great opportunity to take the children on a school trip to the Roald Dahl museum.
Questions to generate book talk: Why do we think Matilda decided to start reading books?]]> 2022-04-06 08:27:59 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2132226800 25005448 https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2340196481 A planet full of plastic is a great non fiction book full of facts to inspire young children of the word how to be better. Starting with where plastic comes from and how it is made. The book then goes on to explain how plastic is not biodegradable and how if and when plastic is littered how it will stay the same for years and years and will not biodegrade. Neal Layton then goes on to explain how this is dangerous for animals and humans alike. The book doesn’t stop there, the book then goes on about how to help stop and change this, giving children steps to prevent the plastic on the planet. 

Needs finishing ]]> 2022-10-14 10:42:27 UTC https://padlet.com/25005448/Bookmarks/wish/2340196481