Welcome
Welcome to June’s edition of The Coleham Reading Newsletter!
As another busy and exciting term draws to a close, I am delighted to share this month’s newsletter with you. June has been filled with wonderful reading experiences across our school, with children discovering new authors, sharing favourite books and developing their love of reading every day. In this edition, you’ll find recommended reads for all ages, exciting local reading opportunities and ideas to help keep children reading throughout the summer holidays. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love of reading at home – together, we can help every child become a confident, enthusiastic and lifelong reader. Happy reading!
Miss Harris
Recommended Reads
EYFS
You Can Do It, Bert! is the perfect picture book for anyone embarking on a new adventure. This is Bert’s big day. He is well prepared, mentally and physically.
But he might need some encouragement. You can do it, Bert! From the author/illustrator of Anton Can Do Magic (the USBBY winner and Read Boston Award finalist), this is a simple, funny picture book with an encouraging positive message
KS1
Watch feelings come to life in Big Feelings, Little Feelings – a beautifully illustrated book of emotions that helps kids understand, name, and express what they feel inside.
From happiness and surprise to fear, anger, and sadness, each feeling is brought to life through colourful, funny characters that make learning about emotions fun and relatable.
Kids will discover how to identify, understand, and manage their emotions – and that it’s okay to feel happy, sad, angry, or anything in between.
This fun yet educational feelings book for kids aged 5-9 acts as a gentle introduction to emotional awareness, helping children recognise and talk about their feelings with confidence.
Inside, you’ll find:
- A unique, colour-coded approach that groups emotions and gives children the words to express them
- Funny, expressive characters that show emotions in an engaging, child-friendly way
- Simple language and practical prompts that encourage children to recognise and share how they feel
- Expert input from a qualified psychotherapist, ensuring a sensitive and supportive approach to talking about feelings
- A valuable resource for parents, carers, and educators to nurture emotional intelligence and empathy early
Perfect for children aged 5-9, this book turns big feelings into something to celebrate, explore, and understand. Whether you’re reading together at home or using it in the classroom, Big Feelings, Little Feelings gives young readers the words and confidence to talk about their feelings – and helps adults start those all-important conversations, too.
LKS2
This imaginative collection of engaging short stories is perfect for all kids who love the unexpected.
Good Bits is a highly original collection of short stories for children aged 6-8 that demands to be read. It will excite and inspire young readers not only to read on, but also to write and illustrate their own stories.
Written by award-winning author Kes Gray, this action-packed collection of stories is ideal for kids who need a bit of encouragement to keep them reading. The engaging layout and illustrations make the stories exciting and approachable, and short stories are perfect for a quick adventure somewhere new.
This collection of short stories for kids offers:
Stories by award-winning author Kes Gray, who has written bestselling children’s books like Oi Frog.
An early chapter book with intriguing illustrations and an engaging format that will make children want to read on.
Shorter stories with fun, exciting plots that will encourage caregivers and children to participate in shared storytelling.
From a spaceship flight into a Black Hole, to a town plagued by zombie beavers, a magical pen that knows all the answers to a test, to a crochet-loving pirate, this collection features the best bits of the story – the brilliant characters, actions and settings that spin a story that demands to be read.
UKS2
A hilarious new series by award-winning author Phil Earle which introduces Finn N. O. Hope and his life of epic failure! Perfect for readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Loki and Tom Gates.
Finn just wants to survive Year 7, but his life is destined to be a series of epic fails. It’s only Tuesday and his scheming, unicorn-obsessed little sister has already stuck a horn to his head (with superglue) and his properly evil older brother has wedgied him 278 times. And don’t even ask what happened at swimming, in front of the WHOLE CLASS. At least he has best friends Laszlo (a hopeless romantic) and Google (ask her anything) by his side as he attempts to turn failure into victory in his very own book that is definitely not a diary.
‘A comedy classic and hilarious page-turner from a genuinely brilliant writer.’ Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates series
‘Pure comedy genius – Finn’s Epic Fails will have you howling with laughter and cheering for more! This book belongs on every kid’s bookshelf!’ – Jenny Pearson, author of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates
‘Failure has never been this funny. Finn is my new hero!’ – Rob Biddulph, author of Draw With Rob
WHAT TO EXPECT:
- Illustrations by the brilliant and hilarious AL MUPRHY
- Mortifying moments
- Laughter guaranteed
- Disastrous supply teachers
- A stinky stray dog who may just be the PERFECT best friend
- PRANKS!
- Mates who save the day
- OFF THE SCALE FAILOMETERS!!!
- And much more…!
Shrewsbury Library Summer Events – Story time and movement workshop with Donna David
Pupils in EYFS and KS1 will recall a fantastic reading event led by Author Donna David earlier this year. Want to hear more about her fantastic books? Head to Shrewsbury Library this Summer and join local author, Donna David, for a workshop full of stories, games and movement. She will also be available after the session to purchase signed copies of her children’s books. This session is free to attend but booking is required.
Please contact the library to book your child’s space. Recommended ages 4-8.
Date: 31 July 2026
Start Time: 10:30am
End Time: 11:15am
Location: Shrewsbury Library Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 2AS
Price: FREE
Reading Bingo
Ready for a reading challenge full of reading adventures? Our Summer Reading Bingo Challenge is a fun way to discover new books, explore different types of reading and keep your reading skills sharp over the holidays. From reading under a tree to visiting the library or sharing a story with a family member, there are lots of exciting challenges to complete. How many squares can you tick off? Aim for a line, four corners or even a full house! We can’t wait to hear about your reading adventures when we return in September. Happy reading!
Summer Reading Bingo Challenge
We are reading …
At Coleham, every class enjoys a daily story read aloud by their teacher. This special time is about much more than simply listening to a book – it helps nurture a lifelong love of reading. Research shows that children who read for pleasure are more likely to develop strong vocabulary, comprehension and communication skills, as well as increased confidence and empathy. By sharing high-quality stories together, children are introduced to new authors, ideas and experiences, while also seeing reading modelled as something enjoyable and worthwhile. Most importantly, daily story time allows children to relax, imagine, laugh and become immersed in the magic of books – helping them to see themselves as readers for life.
This week I had the pleasure of talking to representatives from each year group to find out a bot more about the selected texts they are reading. Watch out, there may be some spoilers!
- Year 6 – Holes by Louis Sachar
“I like the drama within the text and how easy it is to follow” – Florence
“Stanley is currently running away with Zero, I’m not sure but this sounds dangerous!” – Emiliia
- Year 5 – Relic Hamilton by Joseph Coelho
“I like that it’s adventurous – it’s like a mystery that you have to figure out with each turn of the page” – Aurora
“The main character turns out to be a lamp guardian. I like that it goes from an ordinary boys life to a completely irregular one” – Finlay
- Year 4 – The Twits by Roald Dahl
“I really like how they play tricks on each other” – Dolly
“My favourite bit is when the boys get stuck in the tree, that kind of made me laugh” – Ollie
- Year 3 – The Ancient Egyptian Sleepover by Stephen Davies
“It’s really good, I was excited to find out what was going to happen next” Elvie
“It’s really entertaining, especially when the Rosetta Stone gets stolen” – Alfie
- Year 2 – George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
“We are on the bit when George starts making the medicine. I’m a bit excited” – Bobby
“Well, we’ve just started and George has started making the medicine, I’m excited to see what the medicine is going to do” – Phoebe
- Year 1 – Rainforests by Lucy
“I like how the book describes the animals and I enjoy learning about what animals look like, and what animals eat” – Rory
“I just love learning about Rainforests” – Kira
- Reception – Clean Up by Nathan Bryon
“I like how they are trying to make the work a better place” – Arbor
“The grandma and the grandpa tidy all the rubbish from the sea so the animals can go back” – CeCe