Book 1 - The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

(Mrs Ellison)

The hilarious homework diary of Tom Gates charts his progress through the trials and tribulations of school and home life, including a disastrous camping trip, his vexed relationship with nosey teacher Mr Fullerman and that perennial domestic trial - parents’ evening. Luckily, Tom’s appetite for humour means he can take such trials in his stride and mine them for comic potential. They also inspire some brilliant cartoons for the reader to enjoy.

Tom scribbles the world from his point of view, each page is an explosion of hand-written rants, funny stories and dynamic cartoons. 'All I want to do is get tickets to see the best band ever, DUDE3, when they come to town. It’s not easy when I’m up against Delia, my weirdo big sister, and all my plans seem to get me into MAJOR TROUBLE…'  

Book 2 - Mark Anchovy Pizza Detective by William Goldsmith

(Mrs Ellison)

Colin Kingsley is a pizza delivery boy with a twist. He's actually an aspiring detective. But in sleepy Rufflington-on-Sea, there are no cases to solve - until the Golden Spatula League come calling. The world's premier agency for 'caterer-detectives', run by children, the G.S.L. have been dazzled by Colin's freakish memory skills. To join their ranks, Colin - codenamed 'Mark Anchovy' - must fly to Rome to track down a valuable stolen painting, titled, 'Girl With A Squirrel'. The chief suspect: Big Alan Fresco, notorious art thief and pizza addict. It's the toughest, most pizza-ry mystery the G.S.L. have ever encountered. This hilarious adventure had me laughing from start to finish. Full to the brim of clever puns and unexpected twists, you will find this book tricky to put down!

Book 3 - Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

(Mrs Ellison)

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!

Book 4 - The Girl who stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook

(Mrs Ward)

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.

Book 5 - How Loud can you burp? by Glenn Murphy

(Mrs Ward)

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!

Book 6 - Leon and the Place Between by Grahame Baker-Smith

(Mrs Ward)

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.

Book 7 - Real-Life Mysteries by Susan Martineau

(Mrs Ellison)

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?

Book 8 - I Don't Like Poetry by Joshua Seigal

(Mrs Ward)

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, you will start to really love poetry.

Book 9 - There's a Werewolf in my Tent! by Pamela Butchart

(Mrs Ellison)

Izzy and her friends are SO EXCITED about their school trip. They're going camping and there'll be marshmallows and no washing and everything. But then WEIRD things start happening! There are howling sounds at night, and some sausages have gone missing, and it's nearly a full moon...But it's when they see their new teacher's hairy legs that they KNOW! There's a werewolf on the school trip and they're all DOOMED!

This book had me laughing all the way through it! A comical story about a school camping trip, where things for a group of friends start to take a very unexpected turn. Is there really a werewolf in their tent?!

Book 10 - A Dangerous Game by Malorie Blackman

(Mrs Ellison)

An exciting school trip goes horribly wrong in this thrilling adventure!

Although Sam has a long-term illness, all he wants is the chance to lead a normal life. So he is thrilled when he finally gets his mum and dad to let him go on the school trip to the Scottish Highlands. Sam's desperate for an adventure and wants to prove to everyone that he's just as strong as his friends. But when some of the boys from his class take a reckless risk in order to win a challenge, the trip turns out to be more dangerous than Sam could have imagined. 

I read this book all in one go – I could not put it down! It is a heart-warming story about a boy with a long-term medical condition; it portrays his day to day struggles and how he overcomes them. This story definitely made me realise how lucky I am to be fit and well.