New editions of books in the Know the Game series are produced in collaboration with national sports authorities and within their 48 pages they cater for beginners and for more experienced players. Tennis covers rules, tactics, grips, strokes and warm-up activities. Swimming goes from the first splash to competitive events. Rugby Union includes several variations of the game for younger players who don’t have the build of professionals. Bowls describes fiendish skills that belie the game’s leisurely appearance.

The books, published by Aamp;C Black, are pound;4.99 each.

www.acblack.com

Rhymes and reasons

Anyone working with small children will enjoy using the Planning for Learning series from Practical Pre-School. Each book provides six weeks of activities and explorations. With Nursery Rhymes for instance, children can discover what Humpty Dumpty has to teach them about breakages. Growth invites them to think about how babies become bigger or how caterpillars turn into butterflies. Houses and Homes brings together paint and wallpaper and dwellings for characters from fairy tales. Each book (there are 21 in the series) costs pound;6.50 from Practical Pre-School, Step Forward Publishing, 25 Cross Street, Leamington Spa CV32 4PX.

Tel: 01926 420046 Fax: 01926 420042 www.practicalpreschool.com

Numbers up

From abacus to zero, the key stage 2 Maths Dictionary provides a brisk alphabetical survey of concepts that 11-year-olds will need to understand.

Each word is also placed within a broader topic, number, handling data, etc, but cross references and diagrams hint at the interconnectedness of the whole subject. Red Hot Maths Websites 11-14 points older children towards many cyberspaces to play in. They might visit the world of primes and factors, skip between algebra lessons and games, or solve problems of probability. KS2 Maths Dictionary is pound;4 and Red Hot Maths Websites 11-14 pound;2, both published by Letts. www.lettsed.co.uk

Making an entrance

It’s not easy to find a story for juniors about Shakespeare that is both historically accurate and full of life and colour. Robin Babb, Actor’s Apprentice passes both tests with distinction. Young Robin’s training involves him in all the paraphernalia of the playhouse, and all the skills of his profession. At the same time, a vivid plot brings him convincingly into contact with preaching puritans, the life of the streets and, briefly, the Queen herself. But nothing beats working with the team of actors and writers that includes Will Shakespeare at the new Globe. Robin Babb, Actor’s Apprentice by Rosemary Linnell is pound;8.95 from The Book Guild, 25 High Street, Lewes BN7 2LU.

Tel: 01825 723398

Email: info@bookguild.co.uk; www.bookguild.co.uk