A welcome from the reading team
Mrs Stennett and Mrs Rank welcome you warmly to a new year at Coleham where exciting things are already happening for reading in our school.
Each month, we will bring you a reading newsletter where we will share favourite books from our staff and pupils, book reviews, author events, competitions, ideas and so much more…
We hope you enjoy what we have to share with you today and are inspired to read a new book. Don’t forget, you can always ask to come and borrow a book that you would like to try!
House Poetry Competition
We will be participating in the national Michael Rosen 2026 Poetry Competition
The 2026 Silly School Stuff Poetry Competition
Poet Michael Rosen is challenging you to write your own Silly School Stuff poem. Whether it’s about Silly Lunchtimes, Silly Lessons, Silly Rules or Silly School Trips.
What to do:
1. Create a silly school poem! In fact, the sillier the better!
2. Less than 100 words
3. Complete at home or in Mrs Stennett’s poetry lunchtime club in Squirrel’s classroom (dates to be confirmed)
4. Post in the gold Post Box outside the office
We will select winning entries that will win points for their houses and the top 10 entries for different age groups will be submitted to the National Competition.
(These will be typed up by staff and submitted so you don’t need to add pictures)
Closing Date: Friday 16th October
Expanding box opened – preview Closed on page load
▼ What you can win?
There will be FOUR winners in total.
- Two winners in each age category (see below) will have their poems shared by Michael Rosen himself at the HUGE official Michael Rosen Day livestreamed event on 12 November!
- Each winner will also receive a signed library of Michael Rosen books for themselves and their school and a signed certificate from Michael Rosen
- PLUS 18 runners-up in each age category will receive a signed certificate
Get involved and Good Luck!
Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Mrs Rank recommends..
I love Gorilla by Anthony Browne. It combines beautifully evocative artwork with a charming and heart-warming story about a lonely little girl who embarks on an amazing adventure with a gorilla on the eve of her birthday. The book captures the power of imagination and friendship, making it a truly memorable read for children and adults alike.
Show and Tell by Rob Biddulph
Mrs Stennett’s picture book recommendation:
This book is a favourite for me both at home and in the classroom. Illustrator Rob Biddulph (who you might know from Draw with Rob) has cleverly taken the idea of a classroom Show and Tell and turned it into a funny and chaotic picture book with a brilliant message of how the simple things are often the most special. Come and ask to borrow it if you haven’t already tried it.
EYFS & KS1 Author event- Donna David
Booka Bookshop has arranged a brilliant Author event for EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 taking place on Tuesday 1st October.
Picture book author Donna David will be visiting us with her new book No Way, I’ll Stay!
If you would like your child to have a signed book on the day of Donna’s visit, please purchase one via Booka Bookshops website.
Click HERE
Important! So Booka can compile a list a books to bring to school, when you get to checkout make sure you enter:
- your child’s name and surname in the ‘First Name’ box
- your child’s class and school in the ‘Last Name’ box
- select ‘Collect in Oswestry’ so you don’t get charged for shipping.
- fill in your billing address and email address as normal
This promises to be a brilliant visit.
Kind regards,
Miss Othen
Book Loving Business Manager
Librarians 2026
Meet our new Librarians for 2026
The benefits of Graphic Novels
We know that some of our children LOVE Graphic Novels, so we’ve introduced more Comic Carts in school.
They can be a gateway into reading for children who struggle to stay motivated by text.
Don’t worry if your child ONLY WANTS to read graphic novels or comics. Key research studies have found these benefits:
Visuals can boost comprehension across all subjects
Eye-tracking research shows graphic novel readers read faster with no loss in understanding. Pictures build the story and words fill it in.
Comprehension, vocab and motivation for reading all improve
The visuals can help some children remember the content longer
UK Literacy Association Book Awards for 2027
Looking for some new recommended reads?
The UK Literacy Association has longlisted these books for their 2027 Book Awards, the only national awards judged by teachers and not influenced by sales or expensive marketing campaigns allowing books from smaller publishers to be included.
Longlist Age 3-6
Aya Has Never Seen a Bear. Written by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane, translated by Paul Qiao and Helen Mixter, illustrated by Jiu’er (Greystone Kids)
Bear’s Nap Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots)
Broken. Written and illustrated by X.Fang (Pushkin Press)
Cranky, Crabby Crow ( Saves the World) Written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor(Greenwillow Books)
Ellie Has a Secret. Written and illustrated by Amelia Bothe (Clarion Books)
Five Little Friends. Written by SeanTaylor and illustrated by Fiona Woodcock (Walker Books)
George and Lenny Are Always Together. Written and illustrated by Jon Agee (Scallywag Press)
If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone. Written by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Emily Hughes (Clarion Books)
King School. Written and illustrated by Alexis Deacon (Otter-Barry Books)
Monkeypig. Written and illustrated by Huw Aaron (Puffin)
Mo’s Stick. Written and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers (Little Tiger Press)
Oh Dear, Look What I Got. Written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books)
Once Upon a Time in the Woods. Written and illustrated by Anthony Browne (Puffin)
Raindrops. Written and illustrated by Robin Boyden (Farshore)
The Lost Robot. Written and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Flying Eye Books)
The Sleeper Train. Written by Mick Jackson and illustrated by Baljinder Kaur (Walker Books)
The Tour at School. Written by Katie Clapham and illustrated by Nadia Shireen (Walker Books)
To Activate Space Portal Lift Here. Written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis (Scallywag Press)
Unexpected Guests. Written and illustrated by Mariajo Illustrajo (Frances Lincoln Childrens Books)
When Tad Kicked Vlad Written by Julian Gogh and illustrated by Ross Collins (Faber)
Longlist Age 7-10
Birdlands. Written by Anthony McGowan (Rock the Boat)
Boy Vs Reality. Written by James Fox (Scholastic)
Cabin Head and Tree Head. Written and illustrated by Scott Campbell (DK Flip)
Everything In Between. Written by Shagufta K.Iqbal (Troika Books)
Gloam. Written by Jack Mackay and illustrated by Ben Joel Price (Rock the Boat)
I Am Ray’s Imaginary Friend. Written by Brian Moses and illustrated by Bethan Welby (Scallywag Press)
Korobá The Case of the Missing Kolo. Written and illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájìn (Scallywag Press)
Letters From the Upside. Written by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury)
Minotaur Boy. Written by Shane Hegarty and illustrated by Ruby Fresson (DK Flip)
Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past. Written by Maisie Chan (Piccadilly Press)
Runaways. Written by E.L.Norry (Bloomsbury)
Small Wonder. Written by Ross Montgomery (Walker Books)
The Blitz Sisters. Written by Judith Eagle (Faber)
The Dawn of Adonis. Written by Phil Earle (Andersen Press)
The Experiment. Written by Rebecca Stead (Andersen Press)
The Feathered Book. Written by Charlie Nutbrown (Everything with Words)
The Lions’ Run. Written by Sara Pennypacker (Hodder)
The Monsters at the End of the World. Written by Rebecca Orwin.(Puffin)
The Night I Borrowed Time. Written by Iqbal Hussain (Puffin)
Two is a Crowd. Written by Cath Howe (Nosy Crow)