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choose your top 3

Read through the book descriptions below as a class. Which books sound the most fun or interesting, and which authors would you like to hear from?

As a class, vote on your TOP 3 books.

Your teacher will let us know what you think, and your votes will be combined with other schools in the area to decide the final line-up for Book Tastic!

Wild Apprentice

Sarah Roberts

Learn all about the WILDEST jobs in the WORLD! Are you undeterred by mud, swamps, creepy crawlies and wild animals? Would you like to delve into unexplored caves, traipse through dense jungle or dive deep beneath the ocean’s waves? Then this is the book for you. This epic guide to the many fascinating, adventurous careers that exist in the world will have you frantically searching for your passport and rummaging for your rucksack. From big-wave surfers and marine biologists to palaeontologists, explorers, sailors and wilderness medics, you’ll learn which super skills are required, read words of wisdom from real-life experts, and encounter fascinating facts, astonishing animals, top tips and much more!

What If Pigs Could Fly?

Emma Young

What if snakes were fluffy? Or skunks sprayed perfume? Or there were as many lions as ants? Find out the answers to these questions and many more with science author Emma Young! Emma will explore the incredible, fun, and sometimes gross aspects of science from her books.

Toby and the Pixies

James Turner

King to a colony of pixies living in his garden, Toby’s life is very far from regal as the pixies’ every attempt to help their royal majesty goes horribly wrong . . . A trip to the dentist, going on holiday, wooing a school crush – the pixies are always on hand to assist their leader but end up causing complete and utter chaos in the process! It’s to

Squirrel and Duck

Tom Percival

Squirrel and Duck can’t remember where they first met, but Duck is having some strange flashbacks to a secret underground science lab. Trying to find it again, they meet a friendly ferret, a distinctly UNfriendly scientist and uncover some shocking secrets behind their own existence!

Squid Squad

Aoife Dooley

Join naughty best friends Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin-squirting sea bunny as they cause chaos in the deep sea with the rest of their undersea crew! Ollie and Zing live in a town called Nowhere, deep under the sea – a place that’s home to the wackiest and weirdest creatures of the ocean, like the stinky Blob, crafty Hypno-snail, and the mysterious Snakey Unicorn Thing… Ollie and Zing’s antics with their colourful neighbours always keep things lively – especially when they get the better of dastardly old Thornelius, the thorn-shooting sea slug!

My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary

Jim Smith

From the bestselling creator of Barry Loser comes Jim Smith’s brand new full-colour graphic novel series. My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary is packed full of friendship, fun and toilet jokes galore! vJoin best friends Pedro, Olga and Ozzy – otherwise known as the Poopies – on a series of fun adventure stories, and help them solve mysteries of the most unexpected kind… such as the case of the UNFLUSHED POOS.

Know Your Monsters Draw-along Workshop

Zak Simmonds-Hurn

Join ‘Know Your Monsters’ creator artist Zak Simmonds-Hurn for this interactive draw-along workshop! Zak will guide you through how he creates and draws his favourite characters so you can learn all his tips and tricks! Learn to create awesome fantasy comics with the iconic artist behind The Phoenix comic strips ‘LEGACY’ and ‘Dragon Guard’.

I Tell Myself I’m Awesome

Joshua Seigal

Whether you are in the mood for something hilariously silly or sentimental, this new collection of witty, reflective, and rather ridiculous poems will lift your mood, spark your imagination, and give your mental health a little boost! Joshua Seigal’s verses will have you pondering life’s big (and small) questions as you encounter a waxy pet lemon, spicy jalapeños and a valiant dog who proves that even the smallest of us can be heroes. This book is a must-have for imaginative young readers and aspiring poets.

Happy Here

Patrice Lawrence and Sharna Jackson

“What makes you happy? Seriously happy, I mean. So happy, you smile so hard your big grin stings a bit as it stretches across your face, making your eyes squint and shine? That happy.” Happy Here is a celebratory collection of short stories and poems exploring themes of joy, home and family, with Patrice Lawrence and Sharna Jackson. Learn more about how myths and fairy tales inspire stories.

Good Bits

Kes Gray

‘The dragon swooped low over the village school, scorching the playground with a triple-whammy of flame-throwing nostrils. “THREE NOSTRILS?” gasped Tiffany. “I thought dragons only had TWO NOSTRILS!” From a spaceship flight into a Black Hole, to a town plagued by zombie beavers; from a magical pen that knows all the answers to a test, to a crochet-loving pirate; this is a collection of original short stories by bestselling author Kes Gray that will excite and inspire young readers!

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Kate Pankhurst

Discover incredible true stories of pioneering women who dreamed big and changed the world! Kate Pankhurst makes reading and storytelling so much fun, with props, dressing up, drawing and plenty of inspiration on how to change the world. Find out how your BIG ideas can grow!

Donut Squad

Neill Cameron

Get your creativity flowing as you learn how to make your stories come alive in this event by author of the Mega Robo Bros series, Neill Cameron. Neill will be hosting a draw-along inspired by his latest book Donut Squad Take Over the World where you can recreate some of the hilarious characters or design some of your own.

Can You Get Rainbows in Space?

Dr Sheila Kanani

Why is blood red? Why are carrots orange? Who invented the lightbulb? Why is the world ‘going green’? Is the sky really blue? And what is ultraviolet light? You’ll discover the answers to these questions – and many more – in this incredible collection of scientific facts about colour. We’ll talk about light (the most important thing) and waves (not the kind you see at the beach – though you will learn why the sea looks blue!). You’ll find out how some animals are able to glow in the dark and how others change their colours to hide from predators. Discover why leaves change colour in the autumn, why your veins look blue but your blood is red, and how the language we use shapes the colours we see . . .

Beastie Bros

David O’Connell

Dribble the snail and Dash the firefly are on a tour of the local ant’s nest to see the queen’s crown jewels, when the dastardly dung beetles strike again and swipe the priceless Gumdrop of Destiny! Even worse? In the chaos, Dribble and Dash get trapped in the mysterious underground tunnels – some of which have may even lead to long-hidden kingdoms. And down there, some strange dragonflies have evolved into monster-like beasts! Can the duo beat the ‘dragons’ and unravel the mystery of WHO this stolen treasure truly belongs to, and get it back? A laugh-out-loud tale packed with hilarious characters and teeming with doodles – with a super-fun choose-your-own-adventure chapter!

Anya’s Quest

Jasbinder Bilan

The earth’s lullaby is falling silent. Our world is in danger… When the mighty goddess Ganga hears a forgotten melody in the night, she follows its tune to a palace in the icy Himalaya and to a young girl called Anya. For she has a quest for Anya – she needs her help to heal the fragile planet. Flying on her dragon Makara, Ganga leads Anya and her friend Mahi on an epic journey through time and across India, in search of elusive spirit animals and forgotten lullabies. Together, they must confront their fears and discover friends new and old, as they join their voices in a celebration of the planet.

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