BOOK OF THE WEEK
8 July 2025
Hello Bookworms!
We hope you are enjoying the Summer Holidays! We have more books for you to read over the next few weeks!
Do take a look at our Lion Print magazine, under our Further Resources tab. Here are some of the stories our younger pupils have written at the beginning of the magazine and give you inspiration for your own writing. There is also some incredible art work from our pupils.
If you’d like some more ideas of great books to read, do check out our Reading List.
Biggles Learns to Fly by Captain W.E. Johns
He tilted the machine on to its side, holding up his nose with the throttle, and commenced to slip wing-tip first towards the ground. Whether he was over British or German territory he neither knew nor cared; he had to get on to the ground or be burnt alive. This is the story of the very beginning – of the Air Service and of Biggles. It’s the First World War and Biggles is just 17; the planes are primitive; combat tactics are non-existent; and pilots and their gunners communicate by hand signals and have no contact with the ground. This is where Biggles learns to fly.
Girl. Boy. Sea by Chris Vick
Storm, shipwreck, survival. Chris Vick’s novel delves deep into the might and majesty of the unpredictable ocean, the strength of an unlikely friendship between a British boy and a Berber girl and their will to survive against all the odds.
A British boy narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. After days alone at sea in a tiny rowing boat Bill rescues a girl clinging for her life to a barrel. Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe, was escaping to Europe when her migrant ship was destroyed in the same storm. Through endless days and star-spangled nights, they drift – mere specks on the vast, empty ocean – weakened by fear, hunger, and burned by the unforgiving sun. Aya tells Bill about The Arabian Nights, and Shahrazad, who told 1001 stories to save her life. As hope of rescue begins to fade, they find strength in these tales of magic, brave heroes, wily thieves, greedy sultans, and courageous girls.
When they land on a desert island, they’re surprised to be confronted by a stranger who is not what he seems… and back out on the waves once more in the dark deep, a shadow follows…
The Boy Who Biked the World by Alastair Humphreys
Part two of the bestselling trilogy
Tom dreamed of being an adventurer, but people told him he was crazy, so he decided to prove them wrong by cycling round the world.
The first book of adventures followed Tom across Europe and through the mysterious landscapes of Africa.
In Part Two, he pedals north from the tip of South America up through the Americas towards Alaska. He must contend with deserts, jungles and the massive mountains of the Andes. He meets grizzly bears, fascinating locals and even a memorable guinea pig. Tom learns about the world, and himself, as he tackles this epic journey.
Based on the author’s personal experiences and with engaging illustrations, maps and handwritten journal entries throughout, this book provides an immersive experience for any young adventurer.
The Girl Who Speaks Bear
Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, Yanka has always wondered about where she is from. She tries to ignore the strange whispers and looks from the villagers, wishing she was as strong on the inside as she is on the outside. But, when she has to flee her house, looking for answers about who she really is, a journey far beyond one that she ever imagined begins: from icy rivers to smouldering mountains meeting an ever-growing herd of extraordinary friends along the way.
Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka’s journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.
