Reading Corner

It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Here are five recently published favourites from ‘Book for Topics’.

The Snow Girl: There is so much love and warmth in this story, despite the wintery setting, with elements of folklore and fairytale beautifully woven into the storytelling. Since ‘the incident’ at Claw’s Edge, Tasha has found it hard to trust or let anyone in. She has vowed to stay near home where it is safe and despite a longing to make new friends and much encouragement from her family, her anxiety prevents her from reaching out. That is until she meets Alyana.

Clive Penguin: Written by a real-life polar explorer, this is not the book you were expecting and is full of dead-pan humour. Clive simply doesn’t like the cold and is determined to do something about it. Penguins are usually cuddly and cute, and Clive really isn’t that sort of penguin. The story is told with Clive’s ‘voice’ showing his displeasure at his situation.

The Final Year: This is an extraordinary verse novel about the final year of primary school, told through poetry. The verse captures the character of Year 6 pupil Nate as he navigates issues of school, family illness, emotions, change and friendships. Year 6 is a difficult year for many children and whilst they are unlikely to have it quite as difficult as Nate, the book still captures some of that flavour, including the run-up to SATs, friendship issues and anxiety during a time when a sense of big changes is in the air.

I Try: I Try is an engaging book focusing on developing resilience and perseverance in younger children. Each page introduces a character trying something new or wanting to get better at something – for example being braver, more curious or dealing with strong emotions.

Oscar’s Lion: Oscar wakes up to find his parents have been replaced by a lion. It’s not any old lion either; this one will indulge him with reading his favourite story over and over and letting him eat as many biscuits as he likes. Even stranger, it seems to be able to transform into different animals when it needs to. Best of all, it has a taste for fun. This is a moving book about seizing the day and looking for the wonder in the familiar weather in nature, museums or, most especially, people.

Why not try to find these books in a local Barnet Library or local book shop!