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REVIEWS

Must-have models
This is an excellent book packed with a wide range of model texts for children’s writing which the teacher can use to inspire children.

The collection includes teaching notes, sample scripts, success criteria and self/peer assessment sheets for each text type. There are sample playscripts, instructions, formal and informal letters, short stories organised into chapters, and much more.

The CD includes all texts for use on a whiteboard and other useful resources. Recently praised when used during an Ofsted observation! Written for Years 3 and 4 but useful for upper juniors too.

A fantastic, very user-friendly resource!

Helen Ovenden
Model Texts for the Primary Classroom Book 1 by Karen Moncrieffe. Print Publishing. £20.50. ISBN 9781905637683.


The sound of music
Designed for parents, this book delves into the whys and wherefores of encouraging your child
as a young musician.

From introducing music to the young, through choosing an instrument and teacher, right up to higher education choices, it looks at the different emotional, physical and intellectual benefits, and how each step can be successfully tackled.

There are excellent cross-references to the internet and I particularly liked the section comparing running costs and portability of instruments. It’s no good learning the tuba if you’ve only got a Mini Metro!

A must-read for instrumental teachers too.

Denny Davies
Raising An Amazing Musician: You, your child and music. ABRSM publishing. £14.95.
ISBN 9781860963933.


Anxiety and Asperger’s
This is an incisively written presentation for people with Asperger syndrome (AS), their families and professionals, written by someone with AS.

The author explores depression, stress and anxiety and reflects on methods and strategies in coping with emotions.

Employment, romance, friendships and concerns about social skills are considered. Cognitive behavioural therapy is discussed along with schemas and associated therapies.

Len Parkyn
Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety – A guide to successful stress management by Nick Dubin. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 224pp £13.99 p/b. ISBN 9781843108955.


A cracking good read
The clever simplicity of the clear line drawing style evokes a pleasant nostalgia that fits hand in glove with the 1920s setting of book one of Garen Ewing’s Rainbow Orchid.

As for the adventure, it’s a first-rate example of good old-school comic book writing and heralds a welcome return to something that has been missing from the British graphic novel industry for some time.

As I finished the book I was left eagerly awaiting ‘the next gripping instalment’.
Visually superb and a cracking good read – highly recommended for graphic novel readers of all ages.

Dru Townsend
The Rainbow Orchid Vol 1 by Garen Ewing. Egmont. £6.99 p/b. ISBN 9781405248532.


Two for the price of one
Focusing on two themes, food and sign language, this book sets out to help children of all ages to improve communication skills while learning about food and how to prepare it safely. Olli, a cartoon monkey, offers advice.

You are shown how to finger count and spell, and signs for food preparation and vocabulary. The illustrations for the signs are clear and easy to follow.

Olli outlines hygiene rules with the help of his messy brother Iggi, and points out the importance of healthy eating and exercising.

Karen Cunnington
Learn to sign and cook with Olli by Garry Slack. Sausage Dog Publishing. £12.99.
ISBN 9780955493218.


Henry’s best ship
This is a wonderful introduction for children to the history of the Mary Rose, star of Henry VIII’s navy. It tells the tale of this Tudor warship that fought the French for 34 years before sinking off the coast of Portsmouth on 19 July 1545. It lay on the seabed for more than 400 years before being rediscovered.

It is packed with interesting facts about the craftsmen who built her and those who sailed in her,
even down to the ship’s dog, whose skeleton was found trapped in the carpenter’s cabin doorway.

Janey Hulme
Henry VIII and the Mary Rose by Elizabeth Newbery. Newbery & England. £4.99 p/b. ISBN 9780954402969. Available from the Mary Rose Museum or from www.maryrose.org/shopping/mbooks2.htm + £1.50 p&p. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52