Year 1 & 2
Resources to support teaching texts in Key Stage One
The Diary of a Killer Cat
Written as a series of diary entries, Tuffy the cat tells the story of the chaos he causes his owner Ellie and her family, in this humorous book by Anne Fine.
The Great Kapok Tree
Rainforest animals react to the threat of damage to their special tree in this picture book by Lynne Cherry.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch
When the lighthouse keeper’s lunch is eaten every day by seagulls, his wife must think of a plan to stop them.
Lila and the Secret of Rain
Lila sets off on a quest to save her village in this picture book by David Conway and Jude Daly.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
Plop, a timid young owl who is afraid of the dark, is sent by his mother to speak to various people to find out the different benefits of darkness.
The Secret of Black Rock
Erin, an adventurous young girl, must protect a peaceful but misunderstood living creature from the members of her town.
Year 3 & 4
Resources to support teaching texts in Lower Key Stage Two
Beowulf
Beowulf travels to Denmark to fight the monster Grendel in this epic poem retold by Michael Morpurgo.
The Boy Who Grew Dragons
A boy looks after dragons in this hilarious book by Andy Shepherd.
The Butterfly Lion
A boy befriends a lion cub in this inspirational tale by Michael Morpurgo.
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte the spider sets out to save her pig friend in this story of friendship by E. B. White.
Christophe’s Story
The refugee Christophe tells his story of escape in this novel by Nicki Cornwell.
A Dangerous Game
Sam’s school trip turns out to be more dangerous than he had imagined in this novel by Malorie Blackman.
The Day I Was Erased
Maxwell, a boy who is always in trouble, finds himself erased from his life in this hilarious book by Lisa Thompson.
The Diary of a Killer Cat
Written as a series of diary entries, Tuffy the cat tells the story of the chaos he causes his owner Ellie and her family, in this humorous book by Anne Fine.
The Firework-Maker’s Daughter
Lila, the firework-maker’s daughter, goes on a quest to achieve her dreams in this book by Philip Pullman.
Flat Stanley
In The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery by Jeff Brown, Stanley is posted to Egypt to help find ancient treasure in the pyramids.
The Hodgeheg
Max the hedgehog tries to understand how humans cross the road in this tale by Dick King-Smith.
How to Train Your Dragon
Hiccup the young Viking tries to pass his tribe’s initiation test in the first book of the funny fantasy series by Cressida Cowell.
The Ice Palace
A boy goes to rescue his little brother who has been stolen by the evil Starjik in an exciting adventure book by Robert Swindells.
The Iron Man
A giant man made from metal mysteriously arrives in the English countryside in this science fiction story by Ted Hughes.
Journey
A girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and escapes into a world of wonder, adventure and danger in this beautiful picture book by Aaron Becker.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
A family move in to an old Victorian house and begin to discover its magical secrets in the first of a series of books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.
Stig of the Dump
A boy called Barney falls into a chalk pit and meets Stone Age Stig in this story of friendship by Clive King.
Stone Age Boy
A boy trips and falls and finds himself in the Stone Age in this picture book by Satoshi Kitamura.
The Time-Travelling Cat
A boy called Topher takes in a stray cat with strange powers in this fantasy novel by Julia Jarman.
The Twits
A nasty married couple who play tricks on each other and are cruel to animals get their just deserts in this hilarious book by Roald Dahl.
Varjak Paw
Varjak the cat must learn to fight to save his family in this exciting fantasy adventure novel by S.F. Said.
Year 5 & 6
Resources to support teaching texts in Upper Key Stage Two
The Boy at the Back of the Class
A group of children befriend a new boy and refugee in this novel by Onjali Q. Raúf.
Carrie’s War
Two young Londoners are evacuated to a Welsh mining village during the Second World War in this novel by Nina Bawden.
Children of the Benin Kingdom
In the ancient forest four children uncover a dangerous secret in this historical novel by Dinah Orji.
Cosmic
An unusually tall boy is mistaken as an adult and takes a trip to space in this humorous science fiction novel by Frank Cottrell Boyce.
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
A girl called Chaya leads her friends on an adventure through the Sri Lankan jungle in this novel by Nizrana Farook.
Goodnight Mister Tom
A young boy who is evacuated to the countryside during WWII develops a relationship with an old man in this prize-winning book by Michelle Magorian.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
An orphaned boy joins a boarding school for wizards in this popular book by J. K. Rowling.
Holes
A boy called Stanley is sent to a juvenile detention boot camp in the desert for a crime he did not commit in this novel by Louis Sachar.
The Midnight Fox
Tom, a city-boy, takes a lonely vacation to the countryside and forms an unlikely connection with a fox in this story by Betsy Byars.
The Nowhere Emporium
An orphaned boy runs into a magical shop called the Nowhere Emporium and becomes the owner’s apprentice in this story by Ross MacKenzie.
Oranges in No Man’s Land
A ten-year-old girl risks death to make a life-saving dash through war-torn Beirut in this story by Elizabeth Laird.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
12-year-old Percy discovers that the Greek gods of Olympus are alive and living in modern-day New York in this novel by Rick Riordan.
The Ship of Shadows
Aleja goes on a voyage with a group of female pirates in this fantasy adventure book by Maria Kuzniar.
The Silver Sword
A group of Polish children search for their parents in the chaotic aftermath of World War Two in this historical novel by Ian Serraillier.
Skellig
A boy named Michael finds a mysterious creature in his garage in this award-winning novel by David Almond.
Stormbreaker
After the suspicious death of his uncle, Alex Rider secretly becomes a teenage spy for MI6 in the first of the popular series of books by Anthony Horowitz.
Street Child
Jim, an orphaned boy in Victorian London, must fight for survival in this inspiring tale by Berlie Doherty.