Book Review: How to Train Your Teacher by Bethany Walker

 
This is the perfect book to share with you the week before most pupils in the UK start the new school year. As a teacher, I love seeing the new picture books that come out over the summer, ready for September. I especially like seeing the new books that focus on children having their first-ever day at school. This book - How to Train Your Teacher by Bethany Walker - is exactly that.

Book Review: Shevolution by Lou Treleaven

I am very proud - and very privileged - to be bringing you this blog post today as part of the Shevolution blog tour!

It has been a while (almost eight months, in fact) since I last shared a blog post or book review here. As a Year 6 teacher, I don't have as much free time to read and blog as I would like. I wrote and scheduled a few back in September, when the new school year started, but I have struggled to sit down and write things like this. I am trying to be better but I also need to be kind to myself. 

Anyway, today I am here to talk about this incredible new non-fiction book - Shevolution - and, as part of the blog tour, I am going to focus on one incredible woman from this book who deserves to be part of women's history.

Book Review: The Secret Ocean by Amy Grimes

I love a bright, colourful picture book, so when this landed through my letterbox - courtesy of Scholastic - I was incredibly excited. I knew from the moment that I opened it and saw the cover, this book was going to be a popular one with children of all ages - even my Year 6 class.

Ever since I took this book into my classroom, it has not been back on the shelf. It has just been passed from child to child. Every time someone goes to put it back, another pupil goes "Ooh, can I have that one now?" It's such a joy to see. 

Book Review: Cat on the Run (Episode 2: Cucumber Madness!) by Aaron Blabey

 

I have fallen in love with graphic novels and the first Cat on the Run book was part of that, so I am very excited to be bringing you the review of the second book in the series: Cat on the Run, Episode 2: Cucumber Madness!

Below, I've popped the trailer for the first book to give you a little insight into this great graphic novel.

 

Book Review: Worry Boots by Lisa Thompson & Aysha Awwad

With the start of the new school year creeping up for us here in the UK, I thought this was the perfect time to review this picture book which focuses on that first-day-at-school feeling.

This book - Worry Boots - is described as a "first-day-at-school picture book like no other" and "a gentle, encouraging book for parents to help their children" with school anxiety.

Book Review: The Little Gardener's Handbook by Michael Holland & Maria Dek

I think it's clear to see by now that I love a children's picture book. Not even because I'm a teacher and love to share them in school with the children - I just think picture books are one of the greatest things on this planet.

Usually, I will reach for a fictional picture book, often with some kind of moral or message, but today I am going to be reviewing a lovely non-fiction picture book all about gardening.

So, let's look at The Little Gardener's Handbook: A Beginner's Guide to Gardening...

Book Review: My Body, My Rules by Nicki Esler Gill & Dasha Riley

I love an empowering, informative message portrayed through picture books for young children. It doesn't need to be heavy or too deep but it's great to see good values and behaviours demonstrated through the joy of reading.

Today, I am reviewing My Body, My Rules - a picture book that aims to introduce younger readers to body boundaries and consent in a lighter manner.

My Middle Grade Summer Reads

Despite being in my thirties, I love a middle-grade book. I try to read a good amount of them for my job because I can then recommend them to the children I work with and be in the loop with new releases and what's of interest, but overall I just love reading them for myself.

This summer, there is a good selection of general books that I want to read - six of which I read while on holiday in Mallorca last week - but many of them are middle-grade books. So, here are ten middle-grade books that I want to try and read this summer (with two of them being ones I read next to the pool!)

Book Review: A Boy Called Book by Vincent Ralph & Aaron Cushley

Yesterday was National Book Lovers Day, so I decided to delve into my TBR pile and find a book to review that felt like a good fit for this lovely day. Step forward, A Boy Called Book - a beautiful picture book with a lovely story and stunning illustrations.

Once there was a boy called Book...

My First Year as a Qualified Teacher

We're at the end of August, about to go into September. It's only now that I have sat back and fully realised that I have completed my first year as a qualified teacher! It was an absolutely incredible year, filled with many highs and a few lower points (but all of the good moments definitely outweigh any of the bad).

Ahead of starting at a new school, in a new year group, I thought I would take the time to share a few of the best moments and things I have loved from this past year, whether this is just for me to feel proud of the job I'm doing or to share with other teachers or aspiring teachers out there.

Here are ten standout moments and learning points for me from the last year:

Celebrating 225 Years of WHSmith: Our Favourite Books

WHSmith are celebrating their 225th anniversary and to kick things off this year they asked people to share their favourite books. Read the WHSmith blog post here.

I got involved and got people talking about their favourites. So, let's get on to the answers I got to the following two questions, as asked by WHSmith:

• What is your favourite fiction book written in the last 225 years?
• What is your favourite children's book written in the last 225 years?

Here are the responses for favourite fiction book: