Tragedy at Sea: The Sinking of the Titanic (Incredible True Stories)

By David Long & illustrated by Stefano Tambellini This was a quick non-fiction book choice inspired by a recent novel I read called The Ship of Doom. This is a short book (approximately 80 pages) split into 8 chapters. It covers the time before the voyage, the tragic wreck and the events afterwards. The RMS

Charles Darwin’s ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES: Words that changed the world

Written by Anna Brett Illustrated by Nick Hayes In science lessons at school this year, one of the topics we studied was evolution and inheritance. I found it quite interesting to learn how plants and animals have adapted to suit the environments they live in. If you are interested in science or animals then I

Around the World in Eighty Days

Ladybird Children’s Classics Author: Jules Verne (adapted by Joyce Faraday) / Illustrator: Kathie Layfield Ladybird Classics are versions of popular classic stories which have been specially adapted for a younger audience. This book is based on the original story ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ by Jules Verne which was first published in 1873. The

The Journey

By Francesca Sanna This beautifully illustrated book is based on the stories of real people who had to leave their homes to find safety in other countries. The story is told by a young child. Their country has been affected by war. After their father is killed, the family are frightened. They have to make

The Titanic – The Ocean’s Greatest Disaster

Lost Words Series: No. 3 By Senan Maloney The book gives a simple description of the Titanic: how she was built and launched, her passengers and voyage up to the terrible disaster caused by a collision with an iceberg. It is a useful, brief introduction to the history of the ship for people who do

The Arrival

By Shaun Tan This is a prize-winning wordless graphic novel by a multi-award winning artist and author. It is divided into six chapters of hundreds of amazingly detailed illustrations. It tells the story of a man who leaves his wife and child to travel to a new country and make a better life for them

The Polar Express

By Chris Van Allsburg The book tells the story of Christmas Eve and a boy’s journey on a very special train, the Polar Express. He travels all the way to the North Pole to visit Santa and receive a special gift. He could choose anything in the world, but instead of a huge expensive toy

Twist of Gold

Author: Michael Morpurgo The book tells the story of Sean and Annie, two children living in Ireland at the time of the potato famine. *** BEWARE! I’ve tried not to ruin the story by telling you the ending but there are SOME PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD! *** What was the Potato Famine? A disease called late

Marco Polo

By Demi This is a really beautifully illustrated biography for children by Demi. Marco Polo lived from September 15, 1254 to January 8, 1324. He was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His adventures are recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo (Il Milione) written around 1300. This was the first

Coming to England: An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation

Author: Baroness Floella Benjamin Illustrator: Diane Ewen Coming to England is based on the true story of Baroness Floella Benjamin. As a 10-year old child, Floella and her family moved from Trinidad in the Caribbean to London, England as part of the Windrush generation. The story explains how she had to travel by ship for two