THE TEACHER'S LIBRARY

I read a lot of books. A lot. Sometimes I toy with the idea of adding up how much I spend on books each year, and then get terrified and realise that I don't really want to know. Having said that, I do try to make good choices about where I buy my books from. For my own personal reading, I read plenty of e-books and listen to audio books, as they're often cheaper than hard copies (which I still have plenty of). But when I'm reading children's novels, I want to be able to shar

'The book is always better than the movie' Is that true? Let's see! Matilda I'll start with a fence sitter. These are both wonderful, despite being quite different. The movie has less fat-shaming, and the book has the resolving ending of Matilda losing her powers once she no longer needed them. Verdict? I recommend both! Buy the book here* Harry Potter When I was 11, and the first movie came out, I cried. I told my mum that I couldn't believe that they'd left so many things o

I'd never heard anything about this book or the author. But that title? Ordered it straight away! Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I was really engaged reading this! I'll definitely check out other books by this author. Age Suggestion: Grade 3-6 Ability Range: It's nearly 300 pages with quite small text. There are pictures throughout, but for 8-9 year olds, they'd need to be very confident readers. Content Notes: There wasn't anything that stuck out to me while reading it. Yes, Johnny w

Too often, this series is marketed as a "So you liked Harry Potter? You'll like this!". While for some children (or anyone really!), that may be true, I think it does a disservice to the world that Riordan has created. And that's coming from one of the biggest Potter fans you'll ever meet! Firstly I'll have to admit, I've listened to all of Riordan's books through Audible. I do probably half of my personal reading this way, it's just so easy when you otherwise don't have time

A famous race-car driver tragically loses his leg in an accident, resulting in him losing his job. His wife leaves him, and in order to keep a roof over his and his son's head, he borrows money from some pretty shifty men. When they realise he can't possible repay them, he is forced to assist them in a bank robbery, landing him in jail. His son breaks him out of jail to try and clear his name. .... Sounds like the plot of an action movie, right? Not so much a book aimed at 8+

Lots of children I've met have really loved these books. There's clearly a formula working for children's authors at the moment - a kid who's not super popular, but also not a total loser, annoying siblings, and some evil teachers. Rating: 3.5 ish of out 5 stars. It was enjoyable, easy to read, but not super memorable - I'm not itching to read more of the Tom Gates books. Age Suggestion: 7+ if they can read it! Ability range: High readers in grades 1 or 2 could enjoy this, as

You simply can't talk about good quality children's literature without mentioning Roald Dahl. So many of us grew up on reading or listening to his words, and the next generation of kids are absolutely doing the same. As someone who has read most of his books though, here's my summary of my top 11 books by Dahl. (This is in no particular order - number 11 is my favourite!) 1. Matilda The book for children who love books! As an adult, the "super girl that defeats the evil adul

I'd heard wonderful things about Brandon Mull as a middle-grade author. Then I had a student who recommended I read the Fablehaven books, and so off I went! Rating: 4.5 out of 5. It was the tiniest bit slow to get into, but once I was engaged - I was there!!! My plans are definitely to continue with the series. Age suggestion: 9+ Ability level: 9+ for competent readers. These books are long and have the occasional tricky word that they may need help with. Content notes: Fairi

I don't have enough words for this book! I'm sure you've heard great things, but until you've read this with a child (or a class of children), or discussed the story line with them, I'm not sure you can truly appreciate it. I've now read this twice aloud as a class novel, and each time, it's like a circle-time/class-meeting every time we've sat down to read. It's relatable, and impacting, and world-changing for a lot of kids and adults alike. Rating: 6 out of 5. I would read