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Joy Court - Editorial Expert
Joy Court is co – founder of All Around Reading, having previously managed the Schools Library Service in Coventry, where she established the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards and the Literally Coventry Book Festival, as well as being the Reviews Editor of The School Librarian and Chair of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. She now just concentrates on books and libraries as a freelance consultant while continuing to be an activist with the Youth Libraries Group and sits on the National Executive of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. She has chaired and spoken on panels at festivals and conferences around the UK as well as delivering keynotes and workshops.
She is a Trustee and member of the National Council of the United Kingdom Literacy Association, where she sits on the selection panel for the UKLA Book Awards, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of The English Association and an Honorary Fellow of CILIP. Author of Read to Succeed: strategies to engage children and young people in reading for pleasure (2011) and Reading by Right: successful strategies to ensure every child can read to succeed (2017) FACET.
From a brand-new publisher, Rocket Bird Books, we have a gorgeous picturebook that will facilitate deep and meaningful conversations at home or in the classroom setting.
A child’s sense of self does not really develop until they are at least two. Prior to that they cannot distinguish their body from their mother’s and they imperiously own them both! Here they can begin to learn the language to be able to talk about what it means to be a self and how we are all unique.
It is never too early to be hearing the message that ... View Full Review
Publishing just before the onset of the Paris Olympics, this motivational guide aimed at 9-11 year olds, will be bound to attract interest since the author, Paralympic champion and "Strictly Come Dancing" star Jonnie Peacock, will be endeavouring to add to his gold medal collection. Whilst it will speak most directly to children learning to live with their own differences or to those with sporting ambitions, it has much to offer us all.
Written in collaboration with child mental health expert Laura Earnshaw, the emphasis is very much on building a positive ‘growth’ mindset and to find ... View Full Review
This fantasy story is a clever and satisfying blend of fairy tale and ecology. A short read with fast paced chapters and brilliantly illustrated throughout, it is a perfect choice for children who are emerging as independent readers.
The first in a series of Wildsmith books, Into the Dark Forest introduces us to Rowan, a lively and adventurous girl, who has her world turned upside down by the threat of an imminent war. It means that she must leave her father behind whilst she, and her mother, will travel into the forest to stay with a grandpa she had never ... View Full Review
In gentle accomplished rhyme by poet John Dougherty, we have the story of Hertle and Bertle who ‘were always a pair, though one was a turtle and one was a hare’. The very best of friends, they were always together until one day the end comes.
Bertle experiences every emotion as he tries to come to terms with the loss of his best friend, but eventually with the support of Gerda the bear, realises that she'll always live on in his heart and his mind. This book thoughtfully creates an age appropriate and beautiful metaphor to depict bereavement.
... View Full Review
Written by debut author, Louise Gooding and vividly illustrated by a team of artists who all identify as physically or neurologically diverse, this inspiring anthology is a testament to lived experience.
Having three daughters who were all physically or neurologically diverse and having realised her own missed diagnosis as a child, Louise states her intention of improving visibility for every child who feels different. She wanted everyone to know about the amazing achievements of the disabled people she found in her research. Each double page features a quote, a beautiful illustration, the life story, and achievements of the individual and ... View Full Review
This book from the bestselling author of the S.T.A.G.S series, is an absolute gift to English teachers and to literature students studying Gothic novels. It takes core elements from the classic set texts and weaves them into a thoroughly modern and enjoyable metatextual analysis of the horror genre across all media.
We have four intriguing young people, telling their own stories in wonderfully crafted unique voices, giving subtly different perspectives on the unfolding horror story. They withhold secrets from each other, but not from the reader, who gets the full impact of the building tension and ... View Full Review
Another wonderful historical tale from Emma Carroll. Set in 1926 and based on the larger-than-life story of Harry Houdini and his mysterious sudden death in 1926. Imbued with the spirit of the Vaudeville age, when audiences on seaside promenades and in theatres sat completely captivated by escape artists, magicians, clairvoyants and musicians, this is a compelling story.
The wonderfully named Gloria Copperfield (Glory) and best friend Dennis, who is Houdini’s greatest fan, grab the opportunity to see him perform in their quiet seaside town of Sidford by the Sea, but soon they are propelled into a greater adventure than they ... View Full Review
Jenny Pearson should be on everyone’s radar as an author who writes funny, heartwarming, fast paced and exciting adventures with relatable and authentic characters we get completely invested in. Shipwrecked is exactly that and more. I think it might well be her best yet!
Sebastian is the narrator of the story which is written as a diary/survival guide. Each chapter begins with a #survival tip, and we appreciate the wisdom of these when we see these are lessons learned the hard way! Life has a tendency to go wrong for the honest and fun- loving Sebastian, ... View Full Review
David Attenborough is universally recognized as a genuine hero of our times and this informative picturebook tells an engaging story of his life and work.
The underlying thread to the story is his passion for the natural world and his concern about the human impact upon it: the loss of habitat and biodiversity, which is as dangerous to humans as to our fellow species.
In the end matter there is an author’s note which gives a little more detail about Sir David’s life and work, a glossary and two very useful pages about rewilding the planet, ... View Full Review
Nobody captures young children’s body language and expressions better than Roald Dahl Funny Prizewinning author, Rebecca Patterson, who is inspired in this latest book by her own lived experience of growing up with a disabled sister.
The delightful Connie is our narrator and uses a wheelchair, which is never mentioned until it is commandeered by bossy playmate Ada as her ‘Throne of Rolling Power’. Ada and Colin, the Beswicks from next door, interrupt the magnificent game of unicorn farmers that Connie and big sister Frankie had been enjoying. The glum expressions of the three children, including ... View Full Review
Although Rosie tells the reader at the beginning that there is no need to read the whole thing at once - just dip in and out to the sections you feel you need - if you do read it in a single sitting as I did, you come away feeling as if you have made a friend.
For anyone facing a big change, such as starting secondary school, this is exactly the sort of friend you need on your side. Rosie has put so much of herself into this book, not just her personality, but recounting situations and experiences she ... View Full Review
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