If you follow my twitter, you’ll be well aware
that I’ve recently got a job as a primary school class teacher. If you’ve been
reading my blog for a while, you’ll also be well aware that I read a LOT. It’s
probably no surprise to you at all to read that I’ve been reading books for
years and years and I was just as much of a book geek when I was a child as I
am now. To prepare myself for my new job, I’ve taken it upon myself to stock up
on both classic and contemporary Children’s Literature and get some read over
the summer break.
When I was in primary school myself, I remember
reading a whole range of different texts. One of my earliest memories is using The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson as a guided read
text. Jacqueline Wilson was a staple
in my childhood bookcase and even now I find myself drawn towards books that
she’s written. Her books were also a firm favourite in my most recent class, so
I’ll definitely be getting hold of a few of her newer books over the next few
weeks. David Walliams is another
firm favourite amongst children, although I must admit I was a little bit sceptical
at first. However, an early finish one Tuesday afternoon required a class
reading session, and the book chosen was The
World’s Worst Children 2. I am not at all embarrassed to admit that I probably
enjoyed reading the story out more than the children enjoyed listening to it.
Walliams’ writing is funny and SO relatable to children. He uses humorous language
and JUST the right amount of rude words to make kids chuckle with glee.
One of the best books that I read as a child
was one that I picked up in my most recent children’s book haul. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is one of the books
that I still go back to now, so picking up a beautiful new paperback copy of it
was a bit of a no-brainer really. It’s beautifully written and SO SO sad to
read. I’ll definitely be using this within my own teaching. I also picked up a
copy of Tom’s Midnight Garden, a
book that I remember being read by a teacher when I was in year 5, as a class
read. Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce is an absolute classic.
It’s full of intrigue and mystery and brings back wonderful memories of my
childhood.
One of my English tutors from my PGCE year
recommended the book Time Travelling
With a Hamster by Ross Welford during
a lecture so I picked that up, as well as another one of his books, What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible. These
are books I haven’t really heard of before but she sold the former to be with
such enthusiasm that I felt obliged to trust her judgement on the author as a
whole. Discovering new contemporary texts is something that, as a Primary
School teacher, I really love doing so I’m hoping that these two books are
exciting and will have a place within my classroom too.
Are there any other Children’s authors that I
need to be checking out? Let me know in the comments!
