The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook

Although this is a slightly trickier text for Year 4, I had to make it one of my recommendations!  It’s a true adventure story, with cliff-hangers at the end of almost every chapter and descriptions of true loyalty and friendship.  At the beginning of the book, Chaya is branded a thief and a rebel, but as the story unfolds, we see the true meaning behind her actions and realise that heroes come in all guises.  I hope you enjoy accompanying Chaya on her adventure and that you can identify with her friendships and sense of determination.

(Mrs Ward)

The Monster Spotter's Handbook by Matt Cherry

The monster world is under threat from an evil monster catcher!

Step forward Edwin Spook, courageous hero, fearless Monster Spotter and owner of the magnificent Monster Spotter’s Handbook. Edwin must travel across the globe to save his monster friends from certain doom, stop the dastardly Monster Catcher and discover the secret recipe for Monster Soup.

(Mrs Ellison)

Leon and The Place Between by Grahame Baker-Smith

What a beautiful book!  From the very first page, I was captivated by the beautiful, detailed illustrations and I knew that Leon’s deep belief and interest in magic would take him on an amazing adventure.  This book was actually recommended to me and I’m so pleased that I am able to recommend it too.  It’s a book to get lost in: the magic, the beautiful descriptive language and the illustrations.  I very much hope that it excites and inspires you as much as it has me.

(Mrs Ward)

How Loud Can You Burp? by Glenn Murphy

This is my Science-based Recommended Read: “How Loud can you Burp?”.

I love teaching Science at school because we get to do all kinds of fun experiments and generate lots of interesting (and sometimes quite random) questions!

I chose this book because the title captured my interest – until I read this, I had no idea how loud the loudest burp was!

I have learnt a lot about the world, animals and the human body from this book and I hope you find it as fun and interesting as I did.

Happy reading!

(Mrs Ward)

The 39-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Andy and Terry's amazing treehouse has thirteen new levels! They've added a chocolate waterfall you can swim in, a volcano for toasting marshmallows, a bulldozer-battling level, a baby-dinosaur-petting zoo, a not-very-merry merry-go-round, a boxing elephant called the Trunkinator, an X-ray room, a disco with light-up dance floor, the world's scariest roller coaster and a top-secret thirty-ninth level which hasn't even been finished yet! But what good is all this stuff when Andy and Terry are trying to write their fastest book ever? You'll have to read it to find out!

(Mrs Ellison)

The Chocolate Factory Ghost by David O'Connell

Archie McBudge knows his lucky underpants must really work because when he and his mum are summoned to Honeystone Hall in the remote Scottish village of Dundoodle, they find Archie has inherited not only the enormous hall, but the whole of the world-famous McBudge Confectionery Company from Great-Uncle Archibald. That's a new home, a fortune and a lifetime's supply of treats rolled into one! But all is not well in Dundoodle, and when Archie reads the mysterious letter his great-uncle left him he finds himself on a quest to save his family's company from ruin. With the help of his new friends Fliss and Billy, Archie has to try to figure out the puzzles of Honeystone before his sweet future melts away like an ice lolly in the sun!

I loved this book from start to finish and couldn't put it down - it's full of weird clues, strange creatures, malevolent relatives and lots and lots of SWEETS!

(Mrs Ellison)

Real-life Mysteries by Susan Martineau & Vicky Barker

Have you ever wondered what exactly does go bump in the night? From mysteries like Shackleton’s ghostly companion to the Loch Ness Monster and friends, read the amazing evidence about these mysterious cases and make up your own mind. Things are not always what they seem - until they are, then you might wish you had never asked!

I really enjoyed reading about all the strange things that have been going on around the world. My favourite was the mystery of the missing lighthouse men. What will your favourite be?

(Mrs Ellison)

Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

Four people go to the park, and through their eyes we see four different stories about what took place there. There's the bossy woman, the sad man, the lonely boy and the young girl whose warmth touches them all. As the story moves from one voice to another, their perspectives are reflected in the shifting landscapes and seasons.

I really enjoyed reading the different perspectives in this story, and then trying to connect them all together to find the relationships between the characters!

(Mrs Ellison)

The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd

I’m so excited to introduce my first ever Recommended Read: The Boy Who Grew Dragons!

I chose this book because I loved the relationship between Tomas and the baby dragon – it reminds me of how much I love and care for my dogs and will ring true for anyone who cares for a pet.

It also made me laugh – A LOT!  What’s not funny about exploding poo?  I found Tomas’ comparison of how dragons are different to cucumbers hilarious!

I really hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Happy reading!

(Mrs Ward)

I Don't Like Poetry by Joshua Seigal

Considering I really DO like poetry, this was a strange book for me to choose! I chose this book as I wanted to demonstrate that poetry isn’t boring and difficult to understand.

Even if you’re not a big fan of poetry, or if you haven’t read much of it before, I can guarantee lots of laughs in this collection.

What I particularly like is how the poet, Joshua Seigal, has really tried to remember the thoughts and feelings of being a child at primary school and as well as big laughs, there are tender moments too.

I’m hoping that after reading this, the children will start to really love poetry.

(Mrs Ward)