In association with
TEACH READING & WRITING
69
A need to succeed
Whether it’s the boys, girls or both, there
are very fewclasseswithout a competitive
contingent. Foster this ‘need to succeed’ by
getting themhooked on a box set. You only
need to read thefirst instalment, point them
in the direction of the rest of the serialisation
and theywill soon begin competing to seewho
can complete the set first.
Collector’s item
Children also like building collections.
Publishers know this, which iswhy they
produce series such as
Beast Quest
and
The
RainbowFairies
. If you can hook your children
into a great reading box-set, they’ll soon be
saving their pocketmoney to add to their
collection. So, if you run a school bookshop
make sure it’s stockedwith books in series at
pocket-money prices.
Comic relief
We’re all different as readers: some of us
struggle tofind the time for reading and
seek quick, easy-access texts. Bearing this
inmind, not all childrenwant towork their
way through a reading box set, which is
where comics can play a role. Not so long ago
my then 11-year-old daughter toldme that
Fridaywas her favourite day because it was
when her Phoenix story comic arrived. She’d
never been a reader of great stamina but she
SOMEBOOKS
INSERIES
Many children struggle to choose books
because they don’t knowwhat they’ll like.
This is another advantage of hooking
themon a series, because once they’re
in there, they’ll stay for awhile. If you’re
looking for ways tomake your class
serial offenders, here are some ofmy
recommendations:
Anne of Green Gables
by LMMontgomery
Written in 1908, this is children’s
storytelling at its best. As older literature
it provides sufficient linguistic challenge
for themost able readerswithout
straying into content that is unsuitable
for Y5 andY6 eyes. The girlswill love
these. Great for childrenwho like history,
strong female characters and romance.
Redwall
by Brian Jacques
Another set of stories aimed at the able
readers in upper Key Stage 2. These are
epic fantasy novelswith talking animals,
battles andmonsters. Perfect for those
who are desperate to read popular
grown-up fantasy and it’s suitable for
boys and girls alike. It’s also a natural
progression fromBeast Quest and a
great stepping stone towardsMiddle
Earth andDiscworld.
A Series of Unfortunate
Events
by Lemony Snicket
Always popular with confident readers
in KS2. These intelligent books appeal to
childrenwho enjoy a good story.
The Julian Stories
by Ann Cameron
Short storieswith great characters
that are ideal for newly independent
readers in lower KS2. I’ve used these
many times for writing stories based
in familiar settings.
Precious Ramotswe stories
by Alexander McCall Smith
A set of tales about his famous detective
when shewas a girl. These are fabulous for
using asmodels for writingmystery stories
and great reads for newly independent
readers in lower KS2. Agood alternative to
EnidBlyton for lovers of crimefiction and a
strong female rolemodel.
Little Nose
by John Grant
These stories are experiencing a resurgence
in popularity since the introduction of the
newnational curriculum. Not only are they
great for writing stories set in the StoneAge
but they are short, enjoyable and suitable
for children gaining reading independence in
lower Key Stage 2.
Percy the Park Keeper
by Nick Butterworth
Gorgeous stories full of familiar characters
which lend themselveswell towriting in KS1.
Bob stories
by Simon Bartram
Popular with children and teachers alike,
these are particularly good stories for boys
and for topics about space. Perfect in KS1.
Paddington
by Michael Bond
The adventures of this bear fromPeru have
always been popular and have enjoyed
a resurgence since the release of the
Paddingtonmovie. A really useful addition to
the class library in KS1 andwhenever you’re
learning about London.
Ottoline stories
by Chris Riddell
The children’s laureate has created a hugely
entertaining and unconventional series
featuringOttoline. These books are a visual
and linguistic treat giving themwide appeal
to all types of reader in KS2. Particularly
appealing to those childrenwho love
comics and graphic novels, Ottoline offers
an alternative female role-model to those
portrayed in the RainbowMagic series.
was fully committed to her weekly comic
instalments. Shewent on to achieve a Level 5
in her reading SAT, showing just howvaluable
comic-book stories can be to childrenwho
don’t choose to read longer texts.
Character study
While thinking about themerits of books in
series, it is alsoworth thinking about stories
featuringwell-loved characters such as
Kipper the dog, Percy the Park Keeper and
HorridHenry. These don’t need to be read in
order, but just like their sequential cousins
they reward readerswith familiar characters,
settings and stories.
Read andwrite
The best writing comes fromexperience.
So immersing children in several stories
about the same characters supports their
own narrativewriting. Once children know
the characterswell, they can easily plan
andwrite newadventures by changing the
setting and events.
