The Class Book Review: Christmas special

In the first of our festive book reviews, pupils review a polar bear adventure and an icy read that deals with grief
9th December 2018, 11:02am

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The Class Book Review: Christmas special

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It’s CHRISTTTTMASSSSSSS! Well, almost. It’s just a couple of weeks to go until the end of term and we’ve decided to give you a pre-Christmas treat. For the next three weeks, we will be giving you three book reviews for the price of one. All, of course, with the same theme: Easter! No, just kidding. Obviously, they’re all perfect festive reads.

How to Ride a Polar Bear

Author: Caryl Hart
Illustrator: Ed Eaves
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK
Details: 32pp, £6.99
ISBN: 9781471162916

When this new Caryl Hart book arrived at school, the children immediately recognised Albie and lots could tell me about his other adventure stories including How to Catch a Dragon, so I hoped this book would be as popular.

This new title is immediately engaging with the colourful front cover showing Albie with a new friend riding a polar bear in the snow. The Ladybird and Bumblebee class were also pleased to see pictures of Caryl’s other books on the back of this one, as they like to see what other books an author they like has written. We checked out each title and the children were very keen to share the main points of each adventure, which was a great opportunity for retelling stories.

The story tells of Albie’s experience at a museum, which, at first, he thinks will be “fusty and dusty and full of smelly old things” but which turns out to be anything but that. Instead, it leads him to build an igloo, meet a polar bear, experience a blizzard, eat stew with a new friend and receive help from a man in a red suit, who flies in a sleigh, when wolves attack.

Each page presents a new part of the adventure, which kept the children’s attention throughout, with many offering suggestions and comments about what they thought would happen next. Lots of the children had visited a museum but some had even been to a museum with dinosaur bones, which set everyone off talking about dinosaurs, too. The layout of the book also helps with the children’s interest. One page layout means the book has to be turned to be read, which lots of the children enjoyed pointing out to me each time we read it.

How to ride a polar bear

Josh was interested in the setting of the adventure and explained to everyone what it looks like in the Arctic and how it would feel if you went there.

Oliver knew lots about the ice that would be there and could talk about an imaginary visit in the snow.

Parker explained that he likes the page that ends “suddenly…” as he didn’t know what would be on the next page or what would happen to Albie, so he wanted me to turn over. He also thought that building an igloo would be great fun.

Edie liked the picture of the skeleton and she talked lots about the bones and what they could be from.

Edie and Hadley had a conversation about the part of the story when Albie hears a loud noise. They talked about feeling scared of loud noises but Hadley added that the deafening rumble would make him: “Shocked as I wouldn’t know what was going to happen but I would like to try a sledge race there with my Mum!”

Seb said that he would like to share it with Year 1 as he thought they would like the part of the story with the whale.

Marlow agreed but added: “I think they will like it because Albie makes it home in the end.”

Matt Perrett is the EYFS leader at Morlands Schools and Federation, Bath. The children were from the Ladybird and Bumblebee Class

Winnie and Wilbur: The Santa Surprise

Author: Laura Owen
Illustrator: Korky Paul
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Details: 128pp, £8.99
ISBN: 9780192767455

Who doesn’t love a Winnie and Wilbur story? Who doesn’t love Christmas? Winnie and Wilbur is, in its own right, a classic.

The book follows a simple story that shows Winnie and Wilbur trying to get a present to Santa before Christmas Eve. There are lots of different obstacles for them to overcome with a magical ending to get everyone in the festive mood.

Although I was doubtful about whether to use a chapter book with fewer illustrations with Year 1 in the autumn term, the children were hooked. The illustrations in the book are true to the picture books and have hidden treasures (for both children and adults). It was lovely to have Korky Paul illustrate the book as it meant that the children instantly identified the lengthier book with one of their favourite picture books.

We really enjoyed the way Laura Owen uses fun vocabulary, making it witty and enjoyable for everyone. Winnie had some very interesting names for different objects and they made us laugh lots throughout the story. We enjoyed being able to join in with helping her cast her magical spells. “ABRACADABRA!” This made the book much more engaging to younger listeners.

Overall, we really enjoyed the new book, and, after reading it, children have asked to take it home to read again. Not only has it given us a new adventure to enjoy but it has also given us another Christmas story (which we love).

Isobel Potter is a Year 1 and 2 teacher at Barnham Church of England VC Primary School in Norfolk

Pupil reviews: ‘Lots of funny bits’

I don’t want it to end, I love all the pictures especially.
Josephine, Year 1

The author makes words really funny, when she says ‘please cheesy knees’.
Lucy, Year 1

I liked in the story when they wanted to give Father Christmas a present because no one gets him a present. It would have been better if there were bigger pictures.
Joshua, Year 1

I like the pictures because they’re like the ones in the picture books and I think Winnie is really funny, too.
Holly, Year 1

I really liked the vegetable train, I thought it was really funny and it’s like the pumpkin in Cinderella.
Florence, Year 1

I liked the story but there weren’t as many pictures like in a picture book. It had lots of funny bits in it though.
Jake, Year 1

A storm of ice and stars

Author: Lisa Lueddecke
Publisher: Scholastic
Details: 400pp, £7.99
ISBN: 9781407174044

With the island of Skane, we discover another beautifully imagined fantasy world. Its people are insular and superstitious, the descriptions of the cold and the snow are spectacular (a very useful book if you’re teaching descriptive writing).  And it’s great if you want to talk to a class about empathy; here we have a girl who doesn’t fit in, is ostracised by her people and who - after adventurous escapades and many near misses - becomes a hero. There is also a real feeling of grief and loss in the story, dealt with sensitively.

I haven’t read Lueddecke’s first Skane book - A Shiver of Snow and Sky - so was relieved to find that this is a standalone novel. It brings to mind Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and would also be popular with fans of Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone. And if you want a soundtrack to read by, find some old tracks by Enya!

Gill Ward is the senior librarian at Fortismere School, London

Pupil reviews: ‘It’s brilliant’

A storm of ice and stars

The book A Storm of Ice and Stars is a truly stirring novel set on the mythical island of Skane, where the sky glows different colours warning the villagers what’s ahead. When two girls are cast out from their village, they travel to the mountains where, whilst attempting to save a woman and her baby from the mysterious plague that threatens to engulf the island, they discover their people’s history.

This beautifully written book is rich with old myths and magic mixed with an element of danger. It is set in a fantasy world but at the same time displays humanity’s nature very realistically. It reminds you that you can help someone, you can change what seems a certainty. It shows us the kind of life our ancestors led, their struggle to survive and the superstition which was part of their lives, It is a bone-chilling page-turner of a book. The novel has such an atmosphere that it makes you feel cold.

If you read The Hobbit or Michael Morpurgo, you should enjoy this book.

Alice Turton, aged 13

This book (which is set in a Norse island village) is, for want of a better word, brilliant. It covers everything that makes a book good, from characters, sorrow and passion.

The main characters are well developed and the main of the two, Janna, is almost fully developed within the first chapter. It follows her story; she is accused of being a witch along with her friend Enja after the death of a hunter in the village.

The backdrop is that a proud people were forced off the island by invaders and travelled to an island where once a year the sky turns red and shortly after a plague arises and kills almost all of the humans.

What makes the book good is that it is not all mythology; it is also realistic enough that you keep reading even if you want to read something else. Also, it is not just horror but is heavily leaning on grief and pity.

So go out and read it because it is one of the best books I’ve read for a long time.

Hector Price, aged 12


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If you or your class would like to write a review, please contact kate.parker@tes.com

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