BOOK OF THE WEEK
3 September 2024
Hello Bookworms!
I hope you found time to read many exciting and thrilling books over the summer holidays. I have 2 more books for you this week, give them a try and see where your imagination takes you!
If you haven’t looked yet, I have shared a copy of our new Lion Print magazine, under our Further Resources tab. Do take a look as I think you will like 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.
Lampie by Annet Schaap
Every evening Lampie the lighthouse keeper’s daughter must light a lantern to warn ships away from the rocks. But one stormy night disaster strikes. The light goes out, a ship is wrecked, and an adventure begins.
In disgrace Lampie is sent to work as a maid at the Admiral’s Black House, where rumour has it that a monster lurks in the tower. But what she finds there is stranger and more beautiful than any monster.
Lampie is drawn into a fairytale adventure in a world of mermaids and pirates, where she must fight with all her might for friendship, freedom and the right to be different.
Shortlisted for the Clip Carnegie Medal 2020
An Observer Best Book 2019
Lampie stood out… a dark-and-stormy-night of a fairytale that I absolutely loved – Hilary McKay, Observer, Best Books of 2019
Absorbing, old fashioned storytelling, reminiscent of The Secret Garden – Sunday Times, Children’s Book of the Week
I am very glad to recommend this absolute gem – Fiona Noble, The Bookseller, Book of the Month
Mermaids, pirates and fierce fights for freedom combine in a fast-paced fairytale – Guardian
Some writers of children’s books understand the art of creating characters that instantly capture your heart. Annet Schaap has succeeded in doing exactly this – De Standaard
The Boy at the Back of The Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
‘There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help. That’s where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we’ve come up with a plan…’
On a perfectly ordinary school day, something extraordinary happens: a boy with pale skin, lion eyes and a tattered red rucksack walks in. Unable to speak English and seated at the back of the class, Ahmet ‘the refugee kid’ becomes the perfect target for bullies and rumours alike.
But Ahmet has also captured the attention and empathy of a fellow classmate, who will do anything to help him find his family. Even if that involves a plan – or five, and the Queen herself!
Told with heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a child’s perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn’t always make sense.
Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award (UK) 2019
Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book prize (UK) 2019
‘Based in part on the stories she encountered when working in refugee camps, Onjali Q. Raúf’s remarkable debut deserves to be ranked as a modern classic. Told with humour and tenderness, it is an unforgettable story of hope, curiosity and the importance of kindness.’ – Waterstones
‘This is a powerful story about friendship and kindness’. ― Family Traveller
‘Rauf’s touching debut could hardly be more topical. Syrian refugee Ahmet is struggling to adapt to his new life in London, until our nine-year-old narrator and friends come up with a very clever plan to reunite him with his lost family. Utterly delightful, Rauf’s book centres on the importance of friendship and encourages children not to fear those who are different’. – The Mail On Sunday
‘Raul’s book is at once tearjerking and chuckle-inducing and will go a long way to restore faith in human nature’. ― Sunday Post
