The House with Chicken Legs Sophie Anderson A spellbinding adventure, bound-up with traditional folk and fairy tales, The House with Chicken Legs transports readers to a world of spells and spirits bound by ancient rules and one girl who longs to break free. Marinka dreams of a normal life, she dreams of standing still, but her house has chicken legs and a will […] Fairy tales and folk tales, Fiction, Identity AGES: 10-12 AGES: 12-14 Mistaken for a Bear Jamie Beard & Philip Ardagh In the melting pot of London in 1839, two young dock workers chase a tiger on the loose – a dangerous splash of colour in a world of soot and grime! Written by Philip Ardagh, Mistaken for a Bear is a true story about mistaken identities, brought vividly to life by debut illustrator Jamie […] Adventure, Animals, Fiction, Historical, Identity, Multicultural/international AGES: 10-12 Indigo Takes Flight Chris Riddell & Krista M. Lambert Indigo has a secret – and it’s growing too big to hide! An enchantingly illustrated tale about coming to terms with who you are, and finding acceptance from those you love. Indigo Takes Flight is a deeply moving parable about the inner conflict involved in coming out as LGBTQ+ to family and friends. […] Adventure, Family, Fiction, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Personal/social issues AGES: 7-10 Swallow’s Kiss Jane Ray & Sita Brahmachari When Blessing finds a lost bag of paper birds she follows a trail of hopes and wishes to the community who made them, in this lyrical, free-verse tale about kindness and friendship. Filled with light, love and birdsong, Swallow’s Kiss is a wonderfully uplifting story that explores the common threads that connect our communities, […] Faith/ Culture, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Identity, Migration/ Refugees, Multicultural/international AGES: 7-10 Here Be Monsters Jay Hulme & Sahar Haghgoo A sea-born creature, who never quite belongs, discovers who she really is, in this powerful illustrated song about metamorphosis and finding your true home. Here Be Monsters was edited by Alice Curry at Lantana and art directed by Andrew Biscomb at Scholastic. Here Be Monsters is part of the 10 Stories to Make […] Animals, Fiction, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Poetry AGES: 7-10 A Match for a Mermaid David Roberts & Eleanor Cullen A picky princess rejects a string of eligible suitors in this hilariously illustrated underwater tale about choosing to love who you want. A Match for a Mermaid is a genre-busting fable about same-sex union and defying convention. Edited by Libby Hamilton at Andersen Press and art directed by Jane Buckley at Simon & Schuster. The original illustrated story […] Fiction, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Inspirational, LGBT/ Gender, Love AGES: 7-10 The Little Crayon Amelia Kai & Jamie Beard Little Crayon is neither Blue like its mummy, nor is it yellow like its daddy. One day, it’s asked to make an impossible choice that leaves the poor crayon confused and in doubt of its identity. The Little Crayon is a touching story about family, friendship and self-love, brought to life by vibrant colours and […] Family, Friendship, Identity, Multicultural/international, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Pink Lion Jane Porter A bold and colourful picture book with a heart-warming story about always being yourself. Arnold blends right in with his bright pink flamingo family. Then a growling gang of lions stops by and demands that Arnold should be more lion-like, just like them. Poor Arnold tries but misses his old life. But then his […] Animals, Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Identity, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Jupiter Williams Steve I. Martin London 1800. Jupiter is young, black, living at the African Academy in Clapham with other boys from wealthy Sierra Leonean families. His life is a mixture of privilege and dispossession as he copes with the cruelty of his teachers, the rivalries and tensions among his schoolmates, a sense of duty towards his younger brother Robert […] Adventure, Emotion/ Feelings, Faith/ Culture, Family, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Historical, Historical Fiction, Identity, Inspirational, Multicultural/international, Personal Stories, Politics/human rights, Racism, Violence AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 I’m Actually Really Grown-Up Now Maisie Paradise Shearring The grown-ups are having a party, and Meena would really love to join in but instead she’s sent to bed. Only grown-ups get to stay up late. So the next day she makes a very important announcement to her parents: “I’m actually really grown-up now!” In this very funny story we join Meena as […] Celebration, Family, Funny, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Anna and Otis Maisie Paradise Shearring Anna and Otis the snake are great friends and they love having fun together. But Otis knows people are scared of snakes, so he usually just plays at home or in the garden. He is nervous when Anna suggests a new adventure. At first people are afraid, and Otis feels he isn’t welcome in […] Adventure, Emotion/ Feelings, Fear, Fiction, Friendship, Funny, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Little Bits of Sky S.E Durrant It’s 1987 and Ira and Zac are being uprooted once again, this time to Skilly House, a home for social care children. Their lives over the next few years are beautifully realised amongst the antipathy of the authorities, the drama of the poll tax riots and the moments of peace and hope Ira finds at […] Fiction, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Social Care Homes AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 Wolf Brother Michelle Paver Six thousand years ago. Evil stalks the land. Only twelve-year-old Torak and his wolf-cub companion can defeat it. Their journey together takes them through deep forests, across giant glaciers, and into dangers they never imagined. In this page-turning, original, and spectacularly told adventure story, Torak and Wolf are joined by an incredible cast of characters […] Adventure, Chiltern Open Air Museum, Fantasy/ Supernatural, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Identity, Myths and Legends, Nature/ Outdoors, Survival AGES: 10-12 AGES: 12-14 Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story E. L. Norry From the slums to the circus, a mixed-race Victorian boy seeks a place to belong. Ted lives with his mum and poorly big brother in the city of Bradfield. When a stranger turns up in their kitchen, Ted gets two big surprises. Firstly, the man – Pablo Fanque – is the first black circus owner […] Adventure, Chiltern Open Air Museum, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Identity, Multicultural/international, Performance, Prejudice, Racism, Victorian AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 A Little Bit Different Claire Alexander A Little Bit Different is a light and fun story depicting the journey from ignorance to acceptance and celebration. Meet the ploofers. The ploofers have been practicing something special which they all want to do at the exact same time – but wait! What’s that? One of them does something different! When one little ploofer […] Bullying, Empathy, Fiction, Friendship, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Picture Books, Self-discovery AGES: 3-7 Iced Out C K Smouha & Isabella Bunnell Wilfred Walrus and Neville Narwhal are the only kids in Miss Blubber’s class who are not seals. Life is tough being the odd ones out – lunchtimes and football matches and school photos all present challenges to the two outliers. And they don’t even like each other very much! When Betty Beluga joins the class, […] Bullying, Fiction, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Picture Books, Water AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Girl in the Broken Mirror Savita Kalhan Jay’s creative writing exercise is to write a fairy tale, to end with they lived happily ever after. But the way her life is panning out she s not sure it will ever reach that stage. She and her mother are moving in with distant relatives, and they have super strict rules for girls. Jay […] Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Faith/ Culture, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Grief/Loss, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Justice, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Prejudice, Self-discovery, Values/ Virtues, Violence, Women and feminism AGES: 14+ That Asian Kid Savita Kalhan Published in August 2019. It was Pick of the Week for Love Reading 4 Schools, and Book of the Week at Letterbox Library. Jeevan’s an A star student in every subject apart from English. He suspects his English teacher, Mrs. Greaves, of marking him down on purpose. But no one believes him – even […] Family, Fiction, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Justice, Racism, School/ Learning AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ Illegal Andrew Donkin This is a powerful and timely story about one boy’s epic journey across Africa to Europe, a graphic novel for all children with glorious colour artwork throughout. Ebo: alone. His sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows it can only be to make the hazardous journey to […] Empathy, Fiction, Graphic Novel/ Comic, Grief/Loss, Identity, Migration/ Refugees, Multicultural/international AGES: 10-12 AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ Tad Benji Davies Meet Tad. She’s the smallest tadpole in a big pond, and lives there with all her tadbrothers and tadsisters. Although something else lives there too… BIG BLUB! And when everyone else starts to disappear, Tad starts to wonder if Big Blub will get her too… Or is everyone else going somewhere else; somewhere better? And […] Animals, Fiction, Identity, Natural History Museum, Tring, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 Why Comics Asia Alfasi Why Comics? are the educational arm of Positive Negatives, an innovative organisation producing comics about current events and issues around the world, bringing together talented graphic artists and real-life testimony. Each comic is linked to resources you can use in the classroom, and can be a rich addition to your literacy, humanities or SMSC curriculum. Empathy, Graphic Novel/ Comic, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Migration/ Refugees, Multicultural/international, Non-fiction, Personal Stories AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ More of Me Kathryn Evans Teva’s life seems normal: school, friends, boyfriend. But at home she hides an impossible secret: Eleven other Tevas. Family, Fiction, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Personal/social issues AGES: 10-12 This Book Is Gay Juno Dawson The ultimate guide to identity, sex, friendship and love for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, curious, straight and just plain nosy people. Bullying, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Non-fiction, Personal Stories AGES: 14+ Burn My Heart Beverley Naidoo A powerful and personal story of friendship and betrayal, set against a violent episode in Britain's colonial past. Fiction, Friendship, Historical, Historical Fiction, Identity, Multicultural/international, Prejudice, Racism AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ Hubble Bubble Granny Trouble Tracey Corderoy If your granny was a little bit, well, 'different' from other grannies, would you want to change her… or would you end up thinking you love her just the way she is? Adventure, Family, Funny, Identity, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Looking for JJ Anne Cassidy THREE CHILDREN WALKED AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF TOWN ONE DAY – BUT ONLY TWO OF THEM CAME BACK… Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Identity, Mystery/murder, Personal/social issues AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+
