Recommended Reads for Year 5

Classics

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Follow Alice down… down… down…

the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, a world that grows curiouser and curiouser by the minute… but don’t be late!Lost in a strange world with even stranger characters, Alice meets a Cheshire Cat with a great big grin, a tea sipping and riddle-speaking Hatter, and a very clever Caterpillar. But things take a turn when she meets a short-tempered Queen… Will Alice ever make it home in time?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive.

Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin.

Artemis Fowl

AT JUST TWELVE YEARS OLD, ARTEMIS FOWL IS A CRIMINAL GENIUS. No scheme is too dastardly, no plot too devious.

And he's just discovered that fairies are real. Poor fairies. But these are not the cuddly creatures of bedtime stories. They are armed. They are dangerous. And when Artemis captures Captain Holly Short for her fairy gold, he messes with the wrong elf. Holly isn't armed but she's incredibly dangerous, and pretty annoyed with all the kidnapping. Artemis Fowl is about to find out that fairies fight back…

Let the misadventure begin.

The Graveyard Book

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, raised and educated by ghosts. There, living among the dead, Bod discovers that he possesses remarkable magical powers: he can avoid people's notice, scare them, and even invade their dreams.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it is in the land of the living that the real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives - and he has sinister plans for Bod...

The Borrowers

'Don't move!' said a voice, and the voice, like the eye, was enormous but somehow, hushed - and hoarse like a surge of wind through the grating on a stormy night in March. Arrietty froze.

'So this is it,' she thought, 'the worst and most terrible thing of all: I have been "seen"! The Borrowers live in the secret places of quiet old houses; behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They own nothing, borrow everything, and never forget their most important rule: you must never, ever be 'seen' by the human beans. Arrietty is desperate to be an expert Borrower like her father, Pod.

But it's dangerous work, and girls are forbidden to venture Upstairs. Arrietty is thrilled to be given a chance to prove herself - but disaster strikes on her very first outing: she is seen by The Boy! But to everyone's surprise, a wonderful, unlikely friendship is formed. But soon the Borrowers find themselves in terrible danger, and only The Boy can help.

Fantasy

The House With Chicken Legs

A breathtaking reimagining of the Russian fairy tale of Baba Yaga, The House with Chicken Legs is the award-winning, spellbinding story of one girl's adventure to find her destiny. Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlisted for Children's Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards Shortlisted for the Branford Boase AwardMarinka dreams of a normal life, where her house stays in one place long enough for her to make friends. But her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning.

For Marinka's grandmother is Baba Yaga, who guides spirits between this world and the next. Marinka longs to change her destiny and sets out to break free from her grandmother's footsteps, but her house has other ideas...

Impossible Creatures

Christopher is stunned when he discovers a passage to the Archipelago: a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures of myth still live and breed and thrive in their thousands. There he meets Mal: a girl from the islands, who is in possession of a flying coat and a baby griffin, and who is being pursued by a killer. Together they embark on an urgent quest to discover why the creatures are suddenly perishing, voyaging across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, in a bid to save both the islands and the world beyond them from a rising evil – before it's too late.

The Storm Keeper’s Island

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet ... Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn?s grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down.

Soon, a new Keeper will rise. But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island?s next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

The House at the Edge of Magic

"Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic without even realizing it."Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house.

Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who’s particularly competitive at hopscotch – and a hideous troll housekeeper who’s emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break – and if she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return…

Adventure

Tilly & the Book Wanderers

Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents’ bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born.

Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories. One day Tilly realises that classic children’s characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of ‘book wandering’ – crossing over from the page into real life. With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland.

Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief

HALF BOY - HALF GOD - ALL HERO.

Look, I never asked to be the son of a Greek god. I was just a normal kid… until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Percy Jackson is having a bad week.

His life has gone from totally normal to monsters-from-Greek-mythology-randomly-appearing kind of strange. Worse still, the king of the gods thinks Percy has stolen his all-powerful lightning bolt - and it seems making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to catch the true lightning thief and stop all-out war from erupting on Mount Olympus. What could possibly go wrong?

Brightstorm

Twins Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm receive word in Lontown that their famous explorer father has died in a failed attempt to reach the southernmost point in the world. Not only that, but he has been accused of stealing fuel before he died! The twins don't believe the news, and they answer an ad to join a new attempt to reach South Polaris. It's their only hope of learning the truth ...

and salvaging their family's reputation. As the winged ship Aurora sets sail, the twins must keep their wits about them and prove themselves worthy of the rest of the crew. But will Arthur and Maudie find the answers they seek?

The Rescue of Ravenwood

On the top of the hill, overlooking the sea, that's where you'll find a magical place…

To Bea and Raffy, Ravenwood is home. In its own way, the house rescued them, even if it did have a fallen-down tree taking up most of the kitchen. So the idea that it could be sold. Demolished even. Well, that's unthinkable. Then again, it's not like the children get a choice. But the truth is, we can all make our own choices, especially if we care enough…

Cogheart

Some secrets change the world in a heartbeat. Lily's life is in mortal peril.

Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?With her friends - Robert, the clockmaker's son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox - Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart...

Funny

Shipwrecked

Sebastian Sunrise and his two best friends, Lina and Étienne, are in a bit of trouble. They are stranded on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, after a rowing race went very, very wrong.

The friends have no idea how long they might have to stay on the island, so they make a plan. They will try to survive, look after the island's baby turtles, and have fun, if they can. But Sebastian's life has never gone to plan, and they quickly face jellyfish stings, burnt bums and an out-of-control goat.

But when a boat arrives, bringing pirates who want to hunt the island's baby turtles, the friends face their greatest danger yet...

Harriet Versus the Galaxy

The intergalactic adventure starts at home with Harriet, who discovers that her hearing-aid can do more than she ever bargained for when she finds an alien in her room. Discovering that her family secretly work for an intergalactic agency, Harriet becomes the Earth's first line of defence as the only one who can understand the invaders.

Sure, her hearing aid helps her understand aliens from across the universe, if only she could understand her own feelings.

The Accidental Prime Minister

When Joe tells a local news reporter exactly what he would do if he were leader of the country, the video goes viral and Joe's speech becomes famous all over the world!Before long, people are calling for the current leader to resign and give someone else a go… and that's how an ordinary boy like Joe ended up with the most extraordinary job. Now the fun can really start…

Hats for cats! Pet pigs for all! Banana shaped buses! Swimming pools on trains! A hilarious story of one boy's meteoric rise to power!

My Brother is a Superhero

Packed with heart and soul, these stories are perfect for fans of David Baddiel and David Walliams. Luke is a comic-mad eleven-year old who shares a treehouse with his geeky older brother, Zack. Luke's only mistake is to go for a wee right at the wrong time.

While he's gone, an alien gives his undeserving, never-read-a-comic-in-his-life brother superpowers and then tells him to save the universe. Luke is massively annoyed about this, but when Zack is kidnapped by his arch-nemesis, Luke and his friends have only five days to find him and save the world...

Kid Normal

Murph Cooper has a problem. His new school is top secret, and super weird. His classmates can all fly or control the weather or conjure tiny horses from thin air.

And what's Murph's extraordinary skill? Um, oh yeah ? he hasn't got one. Just as well there are no revolting supervillains lurking nearby, their minds abuzz with evil plans. There are!? Right.

Ok, then... It's time for Kid Normal to become a hero!

Mystery

Murder Most Unladylike

At Deepdean School for Girls, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate.

(Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.)Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery, when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place.

Malamander

Nobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter. Especially not when darkness falls and the wind howls around Maw Rocks and the wreck of the battleship Leviathan, where even now some swear they have seen the unctuous Malamander creep…Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander.

Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

A Place Called Perfect

Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved all the time?But Violet quickly discovers there's something weird going on in the town - she keeps hearing voices, her mam is acting strange and her dad has disappeared.

When she meets Boy she realizes that her dad is not the only person to have vanished... and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret!

Agatha Oddly: The Secret Key

Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series. Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.

With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…

Beetle Boy

Darkus can't believe his eyes when a huge insect drops out of the trouser leg of his horrible new neighbour. It's a giant beetle – and it seems to want to communicate. But how can a boy be friends with a beetle? And what does a beetle have to do with the disappearance of his dad and the arrival of Lucretia Cutter, with her taste for creepy jewellery?

Historical Fiction

I, Spy A Bletchley Park Mystery

Twelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver.

When she's not at school, there's nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages. Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes. Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies.

But first, she must sign the Official Secrets Act and is ordered not to leave the grounds of the park. While Bletchley is buzzing with people recruited for the war effort and all eyes are on the skies, Robyn becomes convinced that there's something sinister going on within Bletchley Park itself. Together with her friends Mary and Ned, Robyn resolves to uncover the enemy in their midst .

Oh Maya Gods!

Meet the children of Elliot and Virgo, beloved heroes of Who Let The Gods Out? Football-loving Vesper ...

And super bright Aster ... Now it's their turn to take on the world's worst-behaved immortals.  Beginning with Maya bad boy, Kizin, and his Lords and Ladies of Death ...

Delta and the Lost City

Follow Delta the wolfdog around Pompeii in 79 AD while the shadow of the great volcano Mount Vesuvius looms, from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Umbrella Mouse, Anna Fargher. Illustrated throughout in black and white by David Dean. It’s the year 79 AD, and the earth around Pompeii is quaking. Young wolfdog Delta finds herself on the run and escaping her family’s villa after bearing witness to a horrible crime.

With the help of her eagle friend, Bellona, Delta navigates the tricky terrain full of threatening creatures and thieves outside the ancient city's walls. But the earth is warning of a much larger threat, and determined to warn her family, Delta must race against time and find them before it’s too late…

The Great Phoenix of London

London, 1666 When fire breaks out, eleven-year-old Gil is separated from his family in the chaos. One of his few remaining possessions is a mysterious ball of rock that fell from the sky.

As he races to beat the inferno spreading across the city, neither he, nor his new friend Jennet, has any idea that the stone in his satchel is an unhatched bird of myth and fire. And that there are some who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a legendary phoenix…

The Line They Drew Through Us

A richly told and immensely moving Partition story that spotlights a moment in history of colonial empire that changed the lives of millions.

Three best friends are born on the same day under miraculous circumstances. But by their twelfth birthday, Jahan, Ravi and Lakshmi’s lives are about to change forever.

The British announce Indian independence and draw lines of Partition that tear apart the country, and the friends. One of them flees, one of them disappears, and the other is left wondering, could a miracle bring them back together?

Our World

SCRAP

he year was Something Something. Humans had spread like peanut butter across the galaxy, looking for new planets to call Somewhere. One of those planets was Somewhere Five One Three.

When the humans arrive on Somewhere 513, they discover that the robots sent to prepare the planet for Humanity's arrival have chosen to keep it for themselves. Only one robot remains loyal - K1-NG, aka King of the Robots. But even with the most powerful robot on their side, the outlawed humans don't stand a chance.

Ten years on, Gnat and her sister Paige are the only humans left and have spent their lives hidden underground. Now they must venture out in search of the one robot that stood by the humans. There's just one problem - the once mighty K1-NG has vowed never to help another human for as long as he lives...

The Ice Children

At the stroke of midnight on the dawn of December, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found frozen on a pedestal of ice. His heart is beating, he is smiling, but no one can wake him. Finn’s big sister, Bianca, suspects that the tall mysterious stranger who first discovered Finn knows more than they will admit? Bianca's quest to discover the truth and rescue her little brother hurls her into a fantastical winter wonderland, full of beauty, danger and irresistible spirit animals, where all is not as it seems.

Asha and the Spirit Bird

Asha lives in the foothills of the Himalayas. Money is tight and she misses her papa who works in the city.

When he suddenly stops sending his wages, a ruthless moneylender ransacks their home and her mother talks of leaving. From her den in the mango tree, Asha makes a pact with her best friend, Jeevan, to find her father and make things right. But the journey is dangerous: they must cross the world's highest mountains and face hunger, tiredness – even snow leopards.

And yet, Asha has the unshakeable sense that the spirit bird of her grandmother – her nanijee – is watching over her…

The Song Walker

There are three questions that I need to find the answers to:Where am I? What am I doing here? And... Who am I?"When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the desert, she has no idea who she is.

She's wearing one shoe, a silky black dress, and she's carrying a strange, heavy case. She meets Tarni, who is on a mysterious quest of her own. Together, the two girls trek across the vast and ever-changing Australian Outback in search of answers.

Except both are also hiding secrets...

The White Giraffe

When tragedy strikes on a winter's night in England, Martine is sent to live with her grandmother on a game reserve in South Africa. Her wild, beautiful new home is riddled with secrets, but lonely Martine finds comfort in the legend of a white giraffe and in mysterious Grace, who believes Martine has a powerful gift.

Defying her grandmother by entering the reserve alone, Martine is plunged into a world of danger, mystery and adventure. Who can she trust? And how far will she go to save the only friend she has ever known?

Spooky

Dread Wood

It's basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse.

But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary. What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute …? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together.

But it’s no coincidence that they're all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge …

Mallory Vayle and the Curse of the Maggoty Skull

Mallory Vayle would list her interests as being normal, books about ponies and very definitely NOT talking to dead people. But when her parents' carriage takes a leap off Gibbett Bridge - an accident for which there appears to be no explanation - she is taken in by a strange aunt the family disowned years ago and brought to her new, and very spooky, home. Aunt Lilith, a charlatan psychic, is quick to monetise Mallory's prodigious skills in talking to dead people and starts to advertise grand seances (ticketed obvs) in her spiritual news sheet.

The ghosts of her parents also take up residence in the house but are cruelly snatched away by the shadow of Hellysh Spatzl, the grimmest, wickedest necromancer in all of history. To get them back, Mallory will have to learn how to use the talents she hates and raise the old hag from the dead. Her teacher? A talking skull called Maggoty, who wants some favours in return for his help - not just a gorgeous blond wig and some sparkly earrings, but for Mallory to break the curse that has left his spirit locked inside his own skull for 500 years.

The Vanishing Trick

Step into a world of secrets, folklore and illusions, where nothing is as it seems and magic is at play…  Madame Augustina Pinchbeck, travels the country conjuring the spirits of dearly departed loved ones... for a price.

Whilst her ability to contact ghosts is a game of smoke and mirrors, there is real magic behind her tricks too - if you know where to look.   Through a magical trade, she persuades children to part with precious objects, promising to use her powers to help them. But Pinchbeck is a deceiver, instead turning their items into enchanted Cabinets that bind the children to her and into which she can vanish and summon them at will.

When Pinchbeck captures orphan Leander, events are set into motion that see him and his new friends Charlotte and Felix, in a race against time to break Pinchbeck’s spell, before one of them vanishes forever…

Deep Dark

The dark was deep; it opened like a cavernous mouth and swallowed the boy whole. Cassia Thorne leads a double life. By day, she sells ballads at Bartholomew Fair. By night she spends her evenings locked up in Fleet Prison.

Cassia has plans of escaping both of these lives. But this year there are rumours of children being snatched off of the streets of London and no one willing to help. So Cassia decides to take matters into her own hands; with the help of a young pickpocket, Teo and her friend Felix, Cassia starts to investigate the disappearances.

She soon discovers a sinister conspiracy at the heart of the city - mysterious men in blue coats and whispers of a beast that lives in the deep dark tunnels below the city. Can Cassia get to the bottom of the mystery and rescue the missing children before it's too late? Join Cassia and her friends on a spine-tingling supernatural adventure through the streets of London!

Spooksmith’s Investigate The Cinderman

Indigo and Rusty might live in a funeral parlour, but they don't believe in ghosts.

That is, until Indigo drops an old urn, accidentally releasing the Cinderman: a terrifying ash monster, who will smother their town in ashes and turn everyone into zombies, unless they can stop him by sunset. Using their newly awakened Spooksmith skills, Indigo and Rusty set out to enlist the help of other ghosts. But can the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles the Phantom Toddler really help them find the Cinderman's true name and put him in his grave for good before Ashmageddon strikes?

Twisted Tales

Saving Neverland

Number 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding… when it's waiting for the right person to discover it.

Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault. But when Martha and Scruff discover a drawer full of mysterious gold dust in the bedroom of their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Pan is back, and in need of their help.

Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook. And only Martha and Scruff can save it…

Rumaysa

For as long as she can remember Rumaysa has been locked away in her tower, forced to spin straw into gold for the evil Witch, unable to leave. Until one day, after dropping a hijab out of her small tower-window, Rumaysa realizes how she might be able to escape .

Join Rumaysa as she adventures through enchanted forests and into dragon's lairs, discovers her own incredible magical powers and teams up with Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara!

The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale

Lana loves stories. Especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he’s too grown-up to play with Lana she finds herself feeling lonely. Until something magical happens…

Hidden in the strange new supermarket in town, Lana discovers a portal to a fairytale world! But these aren’t the happy-ever-after fairytales that Lana knows, they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana’s help to defeat an evil witch. But she can’t do it alone. Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her… before it’s too late? 

Another Twist in the Tale

You have heard, no doubt, the tale of Master Oliver Twist - that rags-to-riches boy; the parish orphan who became heir to the Brownlow fortune. But what few know is that was a second Twist - a girl, brought into this world moments ahead of her brother. This is the story of Twill Twist - and her journey through the gambling dens and workhouses of London, as she attempts to make a life for herself, rescue her friends, and uncover the mystery of her past - while meeting some familiar faces along the way...

Re-discover the Artful Dodger, Fagin, and Oliver Twist himself, along with a host of fantastic new heroes and villains, in this brilliantly-imagined, rip-roaring sequel to Dickens' much-loved classic.

Non Fiction

Fourteen Wolves

In fairy tales, the wolf's cry makes people shudder. They've been hunted, captured.

But the wolf carries a wild magic - a magic that once restored a barren land. When wolves disappeared from Yellowstone Park in the 1930s, the ecosystem started to collapse. Enormous herds of elk swarmed the plains, bears starved, rabbit families shrunk and birds flew away to new homes.

Plants vanished, trees withered and rivers meandered. Until in 1995, wolves returned to the park and everything began to change for the better. This is the story of their homecoming.

How to Spaghettify Your Dog

Have you ever wondered how to slow down time? Or what would happen if you fell into a black hole? Well, wonder no more. This book is bursting with fascinating physics facts that will explain everything you want to know, and more, about the curiosities of our cosmos. Featuring easy-to-follow experiments, eye-catching illustrations and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book will demystify physics and bring science to life.

Kay’s Anatomy

Do you ever think about your body and how it all works? Like really properly think about it? The human body is extraordinary and fascinating and, well… pretty weird. Yours is weird, mine is weird, your maths teacher's is even weirder. This book is going to tell you what's actually going on in there, and answer the really important questions, like:Are bogeys safe to eat? Look, if your nose is going to all that effort of creating a snack, the least we can do is check out its nutritional value.

(Yes, they're safe. Chew away!)And how much of your life will you spend on the toilet? About a year - so bring a good book. (I recommend this one.)So sit back, relax, put on some rubber gloves, and let a doctor take you on a poo (and puke) filled tour of your insides.

Welcome to Kay's Anatomy*. *a fancy word for your body. See, you're learning already.

The Fossil Hunter

Unearth the mysteries of ancient fossils and discover the life and legacy of Mary Anning in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled book for curious young readers. Have you ever found something mysterious? Something where you had no idea what it was but you had this feeling it was important, that it held a secret?Mary Anning was a fossil hunter, scouring the cliffs and seashores of Lyme Regis for strange rocks and shells. Monstrous marine reptiles and dinosaurs had once reigned the land and seas here millions of years ago, disappearing only to leave mysterious traces for humans to puzzle over.

Mary's fossils paved the way for modern palaeontology and helped to piece together a picture of how the dinosaurs lived and evolved. Little did she know that 200 years later we would still be talking about her amazing discoveries and how she influenced our understanding of the history of the earth.

Graphic Novels

When Stars Are Scattered

A heart-wrenching true story about life in a Kenyan refugee camp that will restore your faith in real-life happy endings. Omar and his brother Hassan, two Somali boys, have spent a long time in the Dadaab refugee camp. Separated from their mother, they are looked after by a friendly stranger.

Life in the camp isn't always easy. The hunger is constant… but there's football to look forward to, and now there's a chance Omar will get to go to school…

Roller Girl

Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. So when Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for a summer camp, she's sure Nicole will be right by her side - until Nicole signs up for ballet camp instead, with Astrid's biggest rival. And so begins the hardest summer of Astrid's life, as she struggles to stay on her skates, to learn who she is without Nicole… and to find out what it takes to be a strong, tough, awesome roller girl.

Oliver’s Great Big Universe

Hi, I’m Oliver! I know what you’re thinking: what does an 11-year-old kid know about the universe? Am I a famous scientist? No. Am I a super-genius? Not really.  I’m just trying to figure out the usual stuff: new school, new friends, how to avoid my annoying sister. But there’s one thing that DOES make sense: science! Outer space is totally my thing and I can tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about awesome stuff like:  time-bending black holes  how the Big Bang is like a fart  aliens! (Well, there could be aliens.)

El Deafo

El Deafo is a funny, deeply honest graphic novel memoir for middle graders. It chronicles the author's hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with a powerful and very awkward hearing aid called the Phonic Ear. It gives her the ability to hear--sometimes things she shouldn't--but also isolates her from her classmates.

She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her, Phonic Ear and all. Finally, she is able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become "El Deafo, Listener for All." And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she's longed for.

Poetry

Who Let the Words Out?

In this brand new collection of poems words take on a whole new meaning; enter a world of creative word play with silly, funny and downright hilarious poems! With poems about cuddling tigers, pesky pet fleas and even what to do if your teacher starts acting like a chicken.

A Kid in My Class

They're all here...every kid in the class has their own poem. The pushy one, the shy one. The whizz kid and the daydreamer.

The best-friender and the kid who runs in his wheelchair. The tough kid, the poet. And not forgetting the class hamster.

This collection from an outstanding poet, Rachel Rooney, winner of the CLiPPA Award, is perfectly matched by the amazing witty and inventive illustrations by Chris Riddell, the former UK Children’s Laureate.

Overheard in a Tower Block

Gazing at the stars from five storeys up,smelling the bins from five storeys below. Overheard arguments,overheard laughter. A disappearing father and a Mermaid-Queen mother; statues that sing for flesh and blood; bullies who kick you under the table; perfect red trainers – and the things that lurk in the library….

Award-winning poet Joseph Coelho’s astonishing new collection is a powerful and moving poetic narrative about growing up in the city.

My Heart is a Poem

This is a book of poetry for everyone. This beautiful collection of poetry celebrates the brilliant thing that is feelings. It explores all the different emotions we experience and how different situations bring these emotions to the surface.

From feelings of uncontainable excitement and inexplicable sadness to the electricity which surges from anger and pride, the poems in this anthology perfectly put into words all the different things we feel in our hearts. Vivid and stirring artwork from an array of talented artists brings breathtaking poetry from a range of voices to life.