St Margaret's C of E Primary School

Today's recommendation is from Mrs Danks and the book is A Different Dog by Paul Jennings.

If you enjoy exciting animal stories with a bit of mystery, adventure and unexpected events, then I think you’ll really enjoy A Different Dog by Paul Jennings. 🐶
The story is about a boy who cannot speak and finds himself in a dangerous situation on a mountain. He meets a very strange dog and from that moment his adventure begins!

I really enjoyed this book because it kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There are lots of exciting moments, and Paul Jennings is very good at adding surprises that you might not see coming! 👀

It’s also a great book for thinking about friendship, bravery and communication. You’ll have plenty to talk about and lots of opportunities to make predictions as you read.

So, if you like adventure, animals, mystery and unexpected twists, I think this could be a great book for you. Give it a try — but be warned… you might find it difficult to put down! 📖🐾

🏫✨ We’ve been busy this summer! ✨🏫

Our school has been a hive of activity over the summer holidays, and we’re so excited to share some of the improvements that will be waiting for our children when they return! 💙

This year, we have been fortunate to be able to carry out some fantastic projects, including:

🎨 Internal decorating in KS1 to give areas of the school a fresh new look.

🚪 A brand-new area and cloakroom for our Year 1 children, creating a fantastic space for them to learn, play and grow.

🚻 New KS1 boys’ and girls’ toilets, providing our younger children with bright, fresh and modern facilities.

🌳🏃‍♀️ A spectacular new playground for our Reception children! We can’t wait to see their faces when they see their amazing new outdoor space. 🤩

A huge thank you to everyone who has worked incredibly hard throughout the summer to make these improvements happen. There has been lots of planning, organising, building, decorating and a fair amount of dust along the way! 😅

We are incredibly proud of our school and love being able to continue improving our environment for our children. ❤️

We can’t wait to welcome everyone back on Monday 24th August to show you what we’ve been up to! 👀✨

📚 Today’s book recommendation is from Mrs Attfield 📚

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers 🌎✨

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers is a wonderful book about our planet and the people, animals and places that make it special. It takes us on a journey from land and sky to people and time, helping us learn about the world around us.

I really like how Oliver Jeffers explains some big and complicated ideas in a simple way. The book teaches us that there is a lot to discover about Earth, but we do not have to know everything straight away. We can learn, explore and figure things out for ourselves.

One of the most important messages in the book is to be kind. It reminds us that everyone shares the same planet, so we should look after each other and take care of our world. I also like the idea of leaving “notes for everyone else” because it shows that we can help people who come after us.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5. I hope you enjoy it too!

📚Today’s book recommendation is from Mrs Beasley 📚

The Sword in the Stone, written by T. H. White, is a proper classic and one I absolutely love! ⚔️📖

It’s a brilliant story if you love myths, legends, magic and adventure, as it tells the story of a young King Arthur before he becomes the legendary king we all know about. There are wizards, knights, magic and, of course, the sword in the stone!

And obviously… I have my own little Arthur for a reason! 😂⚔️

I think this is a really lovely book for KS2 readers, especially anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure stories. It’s a bit of a classic, so some of the language might feel a little different to books children are used to reading today, but that’s part of the fun!

It’s also a great one for a family bedtime read. There’s something lovely about sitting down and sharing a proper adventure story together — and it gives you plenty to chat about as you go along!

I’d definitely recommend The Sword in the Stone to KS2 readers who love magic, myths, legends and a good adventure. And if you’ve ever wondered where all those stories about King Arthur, Merlin and Excalibur began… this is a pretty good place to start! 🏰⚔️✨

📚Book recommendations📚

Today’s recommendation is from Mrs Shepherd.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief written by AF Steadman

Most people think of unicorns as pink, fluffy and cute creatures - in this book however, things are very different.

On the mainland all 13 year olds have to sit the Hatchery exam. From the results of this exam a small number of mainlanders get a knock on the door at midnight on the summer solstice. These successful children are in with a chance of being chosen by a unicorn egg which has lay waiting for the perfect partner in the Island’s hatchery for 13 years. They place their hands on each egg to see if they are a match, those chosen by an egg live on the island where they train with their hatched unicorn in the Erie.

Skandar has always dreamed of becoming a Unicorn Rider so works very hard for his exam, things go very wrong when he isn’t even allowed to sit the exam. He is devastated and thinks his hopes and dreams are over. Midnight arrives and there is a knock on the door of the flat he shares with his dad and sister.

Confused he answers and this is where his unusual entrance to the Island begins.

I have loved this and the second book in the series, they are action packed and really keep you hooked. They are perfect if you’re a fan of Harry Potter and enjoy action books with a magical twist, aimed at KS2 and I would agree - as with the Harry Potters the first one is more mellow, I’m half way through the third and they do seem to be getting darker. As soon as I’ve finished they’ll all be available in the library!

📚Book recommendations 📚

Today’s recommendation is from Miss W and Dougal 🐾

When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth.

When the Mountains Roared is an exciting and heartwarming adventure set high in the mountains of Nepal. It follows Ruby who loves the forest and the amazing animals that live there. When her home and the wildlife she cares about are threatened, she must find the courage to stand up for what she believes in. The story is full of adventure, friendship and hope (without giving away any of the surprises)!

This book is perfect for readers aged 9–12 who enjoy adventure stories, nature, animals and brave characters. If you like books that make you think about protecting the environment while keeping you hooked, you'll love this one.

Miss W & Dougal rate this book: ★★★★★ – A beautiful, inspiring story with good characters and an important message about caring for our world.

📚Book recommendations📚

We would like to share with you what the adults in school have been reading over the summer holidays that might inspire the children. This one is from Mrs Newark.

I See a Tree, written by Saskia Gwinn, beautifully illustrated by Daniela Sosa and part of the ‘teeny tiny science’ series, is a wonderful addition to your book shelf.

I really like how this book takes the reader on a journey through the lifecycle of a tree. Beginning with the seed (an acorn in this case) the pages show the different stages the acorn goes through before eventually developing into a magnificent oak tree. 🌱➡️🌳

The book is also a great starting point for children to think about other types of trees and how they develop, making it a lovely way to encourage curiosity about the natural world around us.

There’s even a QR code to scan which links to a free audiobook, making the story accessible in another exciting way. 🎧📖

This is a book that links so well to our local environment, which we are lucky to have right on our doorstep in and around Stoke Golding. Why not take the book outside and see if you can spot some of the stages of a tree’s lifecycle for yourself? 🌳🔎

I would definitely recommend I See a Tree for young children up to Year 2. A lovely book to read, listen to and explore together during the summer holidays, and perhaps one that will inspire children to look a little more closely at the trees around them! 💚

📚Book recommendations📚

We would like to share with you what the adults in school have been reading over the summer holidays that might inspire the children. Here’s our first one from Mr Newark.

Wildsmith by Liz Flanagan is the first book in an exciting fantasy series and I think is a great choice for KS2 readers. The story follows Rowan, who lives in a city with her mum and dad. When war threatens their home, Rowan and her mother leave to stay with her Grandpa in a mysterious, dark forest.

Rowan’s Grandpa is a wildsmith – someone with the magical ability to heal both animals and humans. Grandpa is also the owner of Arto, a magnificent white wolf, who becomes an important part of Rowan’s adventure.

The story is packed with magic, mystery, dragons and adventure. When Rowan discovers a baby dragon, she is drawn into a thrilling new world that she could never have imagined.

The Wildsmith series is an easy and enjoyable read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What are you reading over the summer holidays? 🤩📚