A Letter To My Class About Reading

Dear Deer Class,

As you’re leaving Moorlands soon, to move on to the next exciting stage of your life, there’s something really important that I need to tell you. Do you realise that you’re all readers now, every single one of you? I don’t mean that you all can read, because you’ve been able to do that for a long time. I mean that you’re all readers; real, genuine, passionate readers. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it over the past few days and I’m pretty sure that I’m right.

How do I know? Because the evidence is everywhere.

Because you start getting ready for story time and moving the cushions to the floor before I've even noticed. Because you make wonderful recommendations to each other and talk about books all the time. Because you remind me about Poem of the Day whenever I forget it (which is pretty often) and keep it going when I'm not there. Because you have the confidence to read books by a wide range of authors.

Because you loiter around the desk whenever you see a new brown parcel arrive, just in case it's a new book (and, let's be honest, it usually is). Because you come into class early to tell me about the books you've read over the weekend or during the holidays. Because you give up your lunchtimes to help keep the school library and Reading Shed running. Because you’re all so keen to have your turn organising the Pupil Recommendations shelf.

Because you understand that reading is far more than books, and that magazines, newspapers, riddles and jokes all count. Because I can hear you talking about books and making recommendations on the way to assembly, even though I pretend I can't. Because you’re all so helpful when we’re visited by children from classes further down the school who want a book recommendation. Because the first conversation I have with most of you each morning is about what you’ve read the previous evening. Because whenever I walk past the library on the way to the staffroom, I see you reading stories and poems with younger pupils.

In fact, now that I’ve started, let me be even more specific…

Amelie, you’re a reader because you’ve read every single book in the classroom that mentions horse and ponies…and you’ve loved them all. I always enjoy watching your reaction when we get to an emotional part in our class book.

Max, you’re a reader because everyone respects your views about books. You’re always so keen to share your recommendations. They way you think so carefully about which books you’re going to read to the younger children continually impresses me.

Sorayah, you’re a reader because you know everything there is to know about our class collection of graphic novels. You’ve enjoyed so many over the year. Just as impressively, you always seem to know who else is reading them, how far they’ve got and what their opinions are. Thank you for keeping my book bill down!

Izabella, you’re a reader because your recommendations are outstanding. You have such great empathy and match books to readers so well. You’ve encouraged so many other children to read books by Tamsin Winter and Rebecca Westcott. Thank you.

Tianna, know you're a reader because you have an opinion on virtually every book that's in the classroom and you make me work really hard whenever you want a book recommended to you that you haven't already read. You've also pointed me in the direction of some fantastic books over the year.

Riley, you’re a reader because you read the books that you enjoy and you don’t mind what other people think about them. You read the Mr Wolf’s Class graphic novel series and you loved them. And then you read them again. And then you read them again. And that’s absolutely fine.

Charlie, you’re a reader because you can remember exactly what happened on page 264 of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (and on any page of any other Percy Jackson book). It’s so clear how much you love the series. You’re always keen to help out in the library whenever someone is absent, which is enormously appreciated.

Jude, you’re a reader because you were really keen to continue with the Once series after we’d read the first ones. The fact that you were so honest about how much you enjoyed them and how emotional they made you really impressed me. I’m glad the ones you read lived up to your expectations.

Isla, you’re a reader because you’re incredibly passionate about poetry. I love how you’re always keen to fill the gap whenever there’s a blank day. You’ve also started to widen the range of books you read lately by listening to recommendations from your friends.

 

Billy, I know you're a reader because you just didn't give up. It took a while, but you found the type of books you love in the end. Keep with it! Your contributions to our class discussions about books are always worth listening to.

Hannah, you’re a reader because you’ve single-handedly kept the Reading Shed going this year. You’re always happy to open it, tidy it up and organise the books in there because you know other people enjoy using it. You love reading and you want others to as well.

Scarlett, you’re a reader because you’re our resident Manga expert. So many other children have started reading Manga because of your passion and expertise. It’s wonderful that you’re always keen to share the latest series you’ve discovered. You’re definitely an influencer!

Jacob, you’re a reader because the excitement in your face when you found out there was going to be a third Aveline Jones book will always stay with me. You’ve never once forgotten when it’s time to go and read to the younger children.

Megan, you’re a reader because you seek me out every break and lunchtime to tell me all about your latest book. You read widely and with such enthusiasm! You always have a reading plan…this is what I’m reading next and then this is what I’m reading after that.

Lily, you’re a reader because you think very carefully about which picture book you’re going to share with the children in Reception at story time. You’ve done so much to help promote reading around the school over the year and that’s amazing.

Flynn, you’re a reader because you have such a strong individual reading identity. You were one of the first to read the Heartstopper series and, because of that, lots of other people read them too. You’re a brave reader and I love how you want to try new books.

Isaac, you’re a reader because you got so emotionally involved when we read A Street Dog Named Pup together. The way you listened so intensely was amazing. The enthusiasm you have for Poem of the Day has spread to everyone around the class.

Olive, you’re a reader because you live and breathe books. You’ve been a wonderful Reading Champion this year, you’ve given up your Thursdays to open the library and you seem to have read every book in school. Just as importantly, you’ve recommended as many books to me as I have to you over the past few years.

I could go on for a lot longer Deer Class, but I won't as I've made my point. Also, the summer holidays are almost upon us and we've all got a lot of reading to be getting on with. Have a wonderful break and enjoy your time at secondary school. Find the library, make friends with the librarian, keep reading books and make the most of every single minute. I’ll miss you all.

Mr Biddle

The Lovely Dark - blog tour

I was thrilled to be invited to take part in the blog tour for The Lovely Dark by Matthew Fox. His debut middle grade novel, The Sky Over Rebecca, is fantastic and I was excited to see how he would follow it up. My excitement was justified! The Lovely Dark is a superb story, the first book set in a post-pandemic world that I've read, and has definitely staked a strong claim to being one of my favourite reads of the year. I can't recommend it highly enough for Years Five and Six.

Matthew was also generous enough to write a piece for this blog about how he actually came to write The Lovely Dark. I hope you enjoy reading it.

A Pandemic Fiction by Matthew Fox

The Lovely Dark had a long gestation period. It’s out in paperback in the UK this week, but I’ve been thinking about it – and trying to forget about it – for more than a decade.

This was the starting point:

A girl, Ellie, dies in London; Charon picks her up in a flooded underground station and ferries her across the Styx to Hades; there, she meets a boy called Justin, who will be her guide to the Underworld…

And for a long time, that’s as far as I got. I worked through numerous permutations and combinations, but nothing felt right. I couldn’t figure out the why of the story: why did I want to tell this story and what did I want to say?

Then along came a pandemic…

Now a story I had tried to forget about seemed to have some relevance. It could be a way to look at the pandemic, I saw, a way to think about the impact of lockdowns on young people. I wrote the first draft of a new middle-grade novel set partly in post-pandemic London and partly in Hades. Ellie’s grandmother has died in the first wave of the virus: her grief is part of a bigger societal event; her love for her grandmother helps to structure the story from start to finish.

I didn’t have a title for the book yet, but I found myself thinking about lockdown, and about how people reacted differently to it. Introverts and readers seemed better able to work through the weeks of solitude. I thought perhaps some people – myself included – might find it a little too comfortable. And one winter’s night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, I began to think how lovely it was to be safe and warm, in a dark room on a dark night: it felt womb-like; it felt like hibernation.

I’m here in the lovely dark.

So I had a title, and with it came a better feel for the Ellie’s character. She’s someone whose world has been turned inside out by the pandemic: her grandmother has died; her friendships have been disrupted; she has retreated into her books. Her bedroom is a safe, warm space where her overactive imagination rules. ‘It’s what happened to me in the pandemic,’ she tells us. ‘The world outside shrank. The world inside grew to fill the space that remained.’

Lockdown for most people was a kind of half-life. Even introverts eventually found themselves longing for an in-person author talk at their local independent bookshop; we all have to get back to the business and business of living sometime. As Ellie’s grandmother says towards the end of the book, ‘I have been in Erebus – a place of darkness between Earth and Hades. I have lingered there . . . Sometimes I think we’ve all been in Erebus these past few years and are only now returning to the light . . .’

It’s my hope that The Lovely Dark can help younger readers talk about and reflect upon their experiences during the years of lockdown – and perhaps help us begin to say good-bye to the pandemic.

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend - blog tour

I've been an enthusiastic supporter of Knights Of since they burst onto the children's publishing scene a few years ago because they consistently release fantastic books by a diverse range of authors and illustrators. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones (illustrated by Harry Woodgate), I accepted immediately.

'The problem with growing up listening to bedtime stories about monsters, magic and myth is that you don't really question it when a lake summons you...'

Just before Vivi Conway leaves Wales for a new life in London with the Mums, she meets Dara and a dog called Gelert after they rescue her from a terrifying encounter with a mythical monster in a lake. A few days later, she runs into Dara again at her new school in London, where it quickly becomes apparent that she's one of a small group of magical children who've been called on to protect the world from the villainous plans of King Arawn.

In short, I absolutely loved this story. The plot is complex in places but it all hangs together wonderfully, with the author skilfully weaving together ancient mythology from across the country. However, what I enjoyed most about the book was the relationship between the main characters. Seeing the friendship between Vivi, Dara, Chia and Stevie evolve as their situation becomes ever more perilous was an absolute delight. They gradually learn to trust each other, first out of necessity and then out of loyalty, but still squabble and bicker in a manner that everyone will recognise from their own childhood. Vivi's experiences at her previous school, while never explicitly explained, are alluded to, and her anxiety and nervousness around new children is completely understandable. Lizzie has done a wonderful job with their portrayal of representation throughout the book, creating a cast of characters that many children will be able to empathise with and relate to.

For readers who enjoy fantasy, this is the beginning of a potentially wonderful series, and I'm already looking forward to reading about what Vivi and her friends get up to next. Viv Conway and the Sword of Legend was published on Thursday 1st June and can be purchased from my Bookshop.org page here or from any independent children's bookshop.  A huge thank you to Courtney Jefferies for inviting me to be part of this tour.

Rory's Room of Rectangles - blog tour

I'm always delighted to take part in blog tours for books by author Ian Eagleton as he's one of the emotionally engaging children's authors that I know. Everything he writes comes from deep within his heart and Rory's Room of Rectangles (illustrated by Jessica Knight) is no exception. I loved everything about it. It's a book I've already shared with my class and it led to lots of fascinating conversations about different types of families. Phoebe, one of my Year 5 students, was extremely keen to write a review, which can be found below, along with a short interview with Ian.

Phoebe's Review

I really enjoying writing book reviews as I love reading. Rory's Room of Rectangles is all about a boy who misses his dad. His parents have split up and divorced, and his mum has a new partner. When his teacher tells them they're going to be making Father's Day cards, he really looks like he doesn't want to be there. He makes one and then tears it up in a bad mood. When he gets home, he feels left out and starts to worry if his dad is lonely. He goes to an art gallery with his step-dad. All of the different patterns and pictures in the gallery make Rory feel all different mixed emotions: confusion, joy, fear and happiness, as well as many others. But Rory has a surprise to come that makes him think that Father's Day might not be so bad.

Most people would enjoy this book but especially people who have gone through what Rory has. They can relate to it and understand how he feels at different times. I thought the way the pictures are set out and how colourful they are matches really well with the writing. When he draws his Father's Day card when he's really upset, it shows how much anger and emotion he's feeling in the pictures too. In the art gallery, there are lots of different emotions in the different paintings. I thought that was really clever.

I can empathise with how Rory feels because it has been a while since I've seen my dad and I don't see him very much anymore. Although the story sort of has a happy ending, I would say to Rory that he should always stay positive because better things are always coming his way. I really did enjoy it. It shows that even though people don't always have the family they thought they would, everyone is different and they should enjoy the family they have because that's their family. It really doesn't matter who the people in the family are as long as they love each other.

I would give this book 10/10 and when I am a school librarian next year, I will definitely read it to younger children.

Interview with Ian Eagleton

Hi, Ian. I hope you're well. Can you tell us a bit about your new book, Rory's Room of Rectangles?

Rory’s Room of Rectangles is a real celebration of blended families. It’s Father’s Day and Rory is feeling all kinds of BIG feelings. Who should he give his Father’s Day card to? He loves his Dad but Mum also has a new boyfriend called Tony, who’s really special to Rory. Who should he spend the day with? Will Dad be lonely and sad if Rory spends the day with Tony? A trip to a beautiful art gallery helps Rory understand his confusing and conflicting emotions.

Where did you get the inspiration from for this story?

Making cards for Father’s Day was always something I had to navigate carefully and gently as a teacher. There are so many families now that look different to the ‘mum and dad’ set up and it’s something children can become really aware of when they’re making any kind of card in the classroom for their family. I wanted to explore those difficult feelings.

My husband and I had also just adopted our little baby boy and agreed to meet our son’s birth father. It was a really lovely, positive meeting which was also very emotional and difficult. It got me thinking about different families and the different people who might be involved in our son’s life.

I also had a life-changing trip to an art gallery as a teenager – my parents took me – and I remember feeling overwhelmed, excited, and empowered.

Sam at Owlet Press was also another important driving factor in shaping the story. We had originally begun to explore adoption and same-sex family structures in the story but both felt that including a step-dad and step-family would be really important to lots of children.

Having written and published a middle grade novel earlier this year, how did it feel to come back to a picture book text?

Writing Glitter Boy was a fantastic experience. However, it was also physically and emotionally draining and took up the best part of two years. It’s a story about homophobic bullying, which is very close to my heart, and I was EXHAUSTED by the end of the process. In a way, it was lovely to return to writing a picture book – this is where I’m most confident and comfortable. However, picture books provide their own challenges. You have to write in a very concise way and make sure you leave room for the artwork and room for interpretation. You have to get your page-turns right to create a sense of rhythm and readability. However, I always particularly enjoy working on picture books with the team at Owlet Press, so in a way it was like coming home again!

The use of imagery, shape and colour to convey emotions is a really powerful tool. How did you feel when you first saw the illustrations for the book? Did you and Jessica Knight (the illustrator) have similar ideas on what the illustrations would look like?

I never actually spoke to Jessica about her artwork during the process! I learned very early on in my career that I am not an expert when it comes to illustration and it’s best for me to get out of the way and let these amazing professionals work their magic! Sam at Owlet Press and myself did have lots of conversations about what I was imagining in my head when I was writing though and I know Sam fed back all of our ideas to Jessica.

I was pretty blown away to be honest when I saw Jessica’s illustrations. They really are stunning – so warm and full of life! Both Jessica and I are both passionate about seeing different types of bodies in picture books and it was lovely to see so many different characters with different body shapes in the book.

Do you have any favourite artists? Do you like visiting art galleries?

I’m going to answer this with my ‘teacher hat’ on! I’ve done some amazing art projects with children based on the Brazilian artists Romero Britto. His work is full of colour and fun. With one Year 4 class, we once made a huge replica of Tiger in a Tropical Storm by Henri Rousseau, using mixed media. We took over a whole corridor with this jungle-themed display and it was beautiful. As a child, I LOVED all the artwork in the Ladybird books. There were a series of fairy tales and traditional tales and the illustrations were so ornate and atmospheric. I also loved the illustrations by Vilhelm Pedersen in the original version of The Little Mermaid.

I’m also going to include some children’s illustrators I love, because let’s not forget that they are artists too! I love Dapo Adeola’s sleek and modern style, Harry Woodgate’s warm and gentle pictures, Garry Parsons’ humour, Clara Anganuzzi’s use of colour, and Clara Vulliamy’s wit and verve.

In terms of art galleries, when we go away we always try and visit an art gallery. We had a honeymoon in Canada and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the art galleries there. when I was studying art at GCSE and A-Level, my parents took me to the Tate Modern which was an amazing experience, too.

Tell us five surprising / fun things about yourself.

I’m actually a qualified personal trainer, spin instructor, and yoga teacher too!

I LOVE Mariah Carey – my book Glitter Boy is about a young lad who loves her too. I think everyone knows this about me though!

I used to want to be a merman.

I have a dog called Oscar who is full of life and very mischievous.

My comfort show on TV is Poirot and Marple!

Rory’s Room of Rectangles by Ian Eagleton, illustrated by Jessica Knight, is out now, published by Owlet Press. www.owletpress.com

The Rage of the Sea Witch by Roland Chambers - blog tour

Abandoned for the summer holidays in the Charles Darwin Museum, Billy must restore a stolen walrus ivory necklace to its rightful owner. But how, when it was taken over two thousand years ago? Who or what is Sedna, the terrible sea witch of Inuit legend? And what is a shaman anyway? Billy is about to find out!

It's always exciting to be invited to contribute to a blog tour and I'm thrilled to be the first stop on the tour for The Adventures of Billy Shaman: The Rage of the Sea Witch by Roland Chambers.

When Billy is abandoned by his parents for the summer (yet again), he finds it hard to feel anything stronger than disappointment and annoyance. After all, he's used to it. He finds himself left in a strange house with only Mr and Mrs Cript for company. Well, apart from a 200-year-old talking tortoise brought back from the Galapagos Islands by the scientist and author, Charles Darwin. Billy soon realises that there's a huge amount for him to learn about his new home, which turns out to be full of fascinating historical and scientific exhibits, and finds himself caught up in a fantastic adventure involving time travel, an Inuit sea witch and Pytheas, an ancient Greek explorer.

The myriad of ideas in the story initially bounce around in several seemingly unrelated directions but it all hangs together superbly, building towards a gripping resolution. Billy is an extremely relatable character and one that lots of children will empathise with. His determination to make things right and look for the best in every situation are virtues that everyone can aspire to. Although it's a relatively short book, I love the ambitiously wide scope of the narrative. Billy travels in time and to various locations around the world in ways that somehow make perfect sense, making it easy to suspend disbelief and get swept along in his exciting adventure.

As well as being an entertaining read, The Rage of the Sea Witch raises some important questions about who actually owns different museum exhibits around the world. Do they belong to the museum that they're being displayed in? Or do they belong where they were originally found? It would be a fascinating discussion to have with a class of children as there are so many real-world examples to use.

After finishing the story, I was delighted to read that Billy will return in a follow-up adventure, The War of the Heavenly Horses, when he travels back over 2,000 years to the beginning of Imperial China. If it's anywhere near as engaging as the first story, Billy Shaman will very quickly become a must-read character. Highly recommended for children with an interest in travel and exploration, and an ideal book for lower Key Stage Two.

The Adventures of Billy Shaman: The Rage of the Sea Witch by Roland Chambers is out 13^th April published by Zephyr in paperback, priced £7.99.

Twitter: @RolyChambers | @_ZephyrBooks | @ed_pr

That's Mathematics by Chris Smith and Elina Braslina - blog tour

It's always exciting to find an engaging and interactive children's book about maths, and That's Mathematics, published by Mama Makes Books, is one of the best I've seen for a long time. It's based on the lyrics to That's Mathematics, a song by American musician Tom Lehrer, which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZbWJIndlQ.

Counting sheep...when you're trying to sleep,

Being fair...when there's something to share,

Being neat...when you're folding a sheet,

That's mathematics!

 

Each page of the book is linked to a line from the song and is made up of three sections: a short piece of mathematical information about the relevant song lyric, an Explore This challenge and a Try This game or task. Having attempted a couple of the tasks with the pupils in my class, it's clear that they're designed to generate lots of mathematical discussion. Author Chris Smith has pitched the text perfectly for Key Stage Two children, although the book could also be enjoyed by younger children with parental support. Elina Braslina, the illustrator, has contributed some fantastic artwork which really supports the text and helps explain many of the concepts being introduced.

At the back of the book are the answers to the various challenges. There's also a useful section for parents, which provides suggestions about how to get the most from the book, and a glossary explaining the mathematical terms used.

It's the kind of book that children will love reading and talking about with a partner. It could also be used with a whole class, perhaps when introducing new mathematical concepts or looking for a new way to explain an idea. It's fun, it's accessible and it makes children think, the perfect combination for non-fiction texts. Highly recommended.

Frankie's World book review by Phoebe

Being one of the judges involved in selecting the books for the Empathy Lab book list is always a highlight of my year. This year's primary collection is absolutely outstanding and contains some wonderful graphic novels. Choosing one to focus on was extremely hard but, in the end, I went for Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley, simply because so many children in my class have read it and can relate to the characters. I asked one of my pupils, who is an enormous fan of the book and of graphic novels in general, to share her thoughts about it.

Hi, my name is Phoebe. I am in Year 5 in Mr Biddle's Class, and I read Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley. This book is about a girl who is called Frankie. She doesn't process the world the same as most other people and this is because she is autistic. She lives with her sister Abbey, who is six, her Mam and step-dad, Jerry. Also, she has her very best friend, Sam. They don't really have many friends but one thing they do have is each other! Frankie has special routines and habits, she hates her food touching and she doesn't do very well in social situations. Her Mam signed her up for karate (thinking it would be a good idea). It actually turned out it wasn't that bad. Frankie doesn't live with her real dad, she barely even knows him! Frankie was on a mission to find her dad throughout the book. Towards the end of the book she finds her dad and finds out that he's also autistic and also that she has a lot in common with him! One downfall she had was that her dad was the boyfriend of her bully's mum. (Frankie wasn't very happy about this.)                                                     

There were lots of things I loved about this book. One was that the only colours it actually uses are blue, orange, white and black. In the back of the book, it has all different ways to learn about autism and how to support people with autism. There are many ways to be empathetic and how to be a good friend. You can learn a lot about empathy by reading books. If autistic people are going through a tough time and you have some time to spare, let them talk to you and let them tell you how they are feeling. It costs absolutely nothing to be a real friend. A real friend would support you and cheer you on, not someone who would do the opposite. Just like what you would want other people to do for you. I love graphic novels and this is definitely one of my favourites. Not only that but lots of people in my class have read it and they all love it too. I think it is a book that is fun to read but also a book that has an important message about supporting other people.

Personally, I would rate this book a 10/10!! Also, I am looking forward to reading more books by this author and illustrator, Aoife Dooley. She has a lot of talent and that's a fact.

Buy the book here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/readingforpleasure