We know so many teachers that are huge bookworms. Of course, there's never enough time to read all the books you want to, but here at TPTC we're all about encouraging teachers to give themselves little bits of joy and positivity when they can, which includes giving yourself permission to sit back and enjoy a good book.
Another great opportunity to read some good books is...with your class! There are so many fantastic children's books out there, so pick some brilliant books that will be enjoyed by both your students AND by you, and use your class reading as a chance for you to enjoy some reading too. Way to model a love of reading! So we've put together a few book recommendations, some for your Key Stage 2 class, and some just for you. And if you want to track the books you've read, there's a page for that in our Teacher Planner!
Books for your KS2 Class
Cherry Moon by Zaro Weil
Cherry Moon is a beautiful poetry book which is bound to get your students inspired to write their own poetry! It has a lovely theme of nature, mindfulness, and enjoying the world around us. The book has a wide range of different styles of poem, incluing haiku and some more freeform styles. It's a poetry book that's just filled with joy!
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty
This a really fun and whimsical adventure that's perfect for bookworms - it's a little long, at just over 450 pages, so might initially appeal to the more confident readers, but try reading the story aloud and everyone will be sucked into the story and the whimsical world! Bronte Mettlestone, having been raised by an aunt while her parents left to have big adventures, has just found out that her parents...have been killed by pirates. And they've left specific instructions for Bronte to deliver a gift to each of her 10 eccentric aunts, which will take her on an adventure across all the kingdoms of the land. This is a great quirky, interesting story with a few little mysteries that will have your students very invested in what is actually going on...
The Journey - Francesca Sanna
The Journey is a beautiful book that is a great way to start some really important dicussions, and to help children start to make sense of the world. Especially in KS2 as children get older and start to become more aware of the world around them and some of the difficult things that are going on around the world, books are a great entry point for children to start exploring these ideas. The Journey shows some real stories and lets children imagine the real people behind the term 'refugees' with some real emotive storytelling and art.
Books for KS2 Teachers
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is a much loved author of historical fiction and The Women is her newest novel, following the female nurses that served in Vietnam in the 60s. Frankie has had a fairly privileged and sheltered life, and is preparing to say goodbye to her brother as he leaves to serve in Vietnam when she inpulsively decides to go too, as a nurse. Hannah dedicates the book to all of the female nurses who have been forgotten about devotes the story to female friendship.
The Traitors by CA Lynch
A thrilling new locked-room mystery in a crumbling mansion: 6 people have been invited to spend 24 hours in Beechwood Castle to win a huge cash prize - but the castle is home to one of the most horrific murders in recent history. And one of these people is an imposter...
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
Since the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist was recently released we've added our pick from the list. Nightbloom follows two friends who grew up together in a small Ghanaian town, but who drifted apart in their teens. Years later, when one is a successful restaurateur while the other has moved to the US, a crisis pulls the two old friends back together and forces them to confront the traumas of their childhood.
We'd love to hear about your favourite books!
