The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with brilliant books to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2, with book-banded stories by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence, covering a wide range of genres and topics. With charming illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for reading both in the classroom and at home. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com.
My Other Life by Polly Ho-Yen
Illustrated by Patricia Hu
A confident and contemporary chapter book that will ignite imagination and independence in young readers.
Polly Ho-Yen skilfully blurs the line between reality and fantasy whilst simultaneously addressing thought-provoking topics around chronic illness and empathy. For young Mae, her life is full of trips to the hospital for her severe asthma. But when a mysterious tear in the universe appears before her, Mae is quickly drawn into a parallel world where she discovers an alternative life that isn't at all what she expected.
There are very few children's books that highlight chronic illnesses in children so My Other Life is sure to spark some fascinating conversations and questions. Bloomsbury are offering a wealth of free guided reading notes, brilliant activities and discussion material in conjunction with their new readers, so be sure to check here for more information on this.
Perfect for readers 7+.
The Story Thief by Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti
A quirky and captivating reworking of the traditional tale of the clever Anansi, Nyame the sky god and a treasured chest of stories.
Originated from West Africa, Andrew Fusek Peters beautifully captures the importance and magic of storytelling through his poetic yet simple prose. Sara Ugolotti's charming illustrations are weaved throughout the narrative, cleverly breaking up the text into manageable reading chunks.
Perfect for newly confident readers of 7+, The Story Thief comes with a wealth of CLPE reading notes available here.