Radio 4 Children's Summer Book Club: Information Books

Date: 12 08 2024

The Today programme’s Children’s Summer Book Club has returned for the holidays!

The Book Club recommends children’s books on different themes and for different age groups every Monday until the end of August. Recommendations include old favourites, classics, new releases, books you can borrow from the library and books to delight the whole family.

The Book Club this week recommends children’s information books.. 

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, SLA Patron, award-winning author and screenwriter and the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, as well as Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the bestselling the How to Train Your Dragon have made some great suggestions. 

At the SLA, we have added ours 

Do check back next week to see what the theme for next week will be. 

 

Theme: Information Books

Frank recommends:
  • A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu, and You by Mike Barfield, Jess Bradley   
  • You Are History by Greg Jenner, Jenny Taylor 
  • Amy Gets Eaten by Adam Kay, Henry Paker 
  • Factopia by Kate Hale and Andrew Smith  
 
Cressida recommends:
  • The Explorer's Guide to Going Wild by Preet Chandi
  • Britannica all New Children’s Encyclopedia by Christopher Lloyd
  • All Are Welcome Here' by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman
  •  The Story of Everything by Neal Layton
 
The SLA can't do any better than recommend our IBA shortlist for this year 
 

KS1 

Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular, Polly Owen, illustrated by Gwen Millward  

Salat in Secret, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Hatem Aly  

That’s Mathematics, Chris Smith (based on lyrics by Tom Lehrer), illustrated by Elīna Brasliņa  

Welcome to Our Table: A Celebration of What Children Eat Everywhere, Laura Mucha & Ed Smith, illustrated by Harriet Lynas 

 
KS2 

Hear Our Voices
, Radhika Natarajan & Chao Tayiana, illustrated by Alexander Mostov  

Human 2.0, Patrick Kane, illustrated by Samuel Rodriguez  

Lessons From Our Ancestors, Raksha Dave, illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong  

Unspoken, Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dare Coulter 
 

KS3 

How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone
, Alex Norris, illustrated by Alex Norris  

Lads, Alan Bissett  

Story of Now, Shelina Janmohamed, illustrated by Laura Greenan  

Welcome to the Arts: Dance, Alistair Spalding, illustrated by Jason Raish 

 

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