As you may notice, in my own stories, I like to find the magic in everyday things and, to a greater or lesser extent, each of the books I have chosen to write about here, do that. Having worked with children as a Rainbow Guide Leader, taught children, for a brief spell, abroad, I know children and their intelligence, understanding, and kindness, amongst other things, can often be underestimated. The books I chose, show how children (girls in particular) win the day by using their intelligence, skills, and talents. Celebrating girls and their achievements is increasingly important in improving their rights and access to opportunities in life.
A childhood favourite of mine and still a favourite now – this set of stories turns traditional fairytales on their heads and the person who might traditionally (sometimes still) be viewed as the weaker person and the more vulnerable person, actually wins the day and they win through using their wits.
Always a happy ending and shows how intelligent, not just clever, children and girls, in particular, can be.
CLEVER POLLY AND THE STUPID WOLF by Catherine Storr has delighted generations of young children.
Twelve stories written for the author's daughter, who was scared of the wolf under the bed! Drawing occasionally on well-known fairy tales, and skilfully blending fantasy and reality, these stories are bursting with humour, originality and charm. And Polly, not scared at all, outwits the wolf on each and every occasion! Also in A Puffin Book, the sequel: POLLY AND THE WOLF AGAIN.
Again, a much-loved childhood favourite – two strong female leads and demonstrates leading with empathy for others and kindness, which can sometimes be missing from adult adventure stories.
While there have been a number of television and film adaptations, nothing compares to reading this story and getting lost in the magic of the words that conjur their own power and charm.
Lucy steps into the Professor's wardrobe - but steps out again into a snowy forest. She's stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns... and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her help if the country's creatures are ever going to be free again...
Eleven-year-old Sierra just wants a normal life. After her military mother returns from the war overseas, the two hop from home to homelessness while Sierra tries to help her mom through the throes of PTSD.
How do you survive your school days, but with your own set of ‘magic spells’ and a good friend or two to help you along the way?
The humour in Jill Murphy’s stories is second to none and many children may recognise characters within the story, in people they know.
This book also shows that it is the girl who is honest and has integrity who ‘wins the day’ and ‘saves the day’: While perhaps an unlikely heroine, since she always appears to be getting into trouble (not always through any fault of her own) thinking on your feet, honesty and integrity, would probably be just a few of the heroine’s key character traits/teaching points and never giving up, even if you are considered to be ‘The Worst Witch’ in the school...
'Millions of young readers have fallen under the spell of Jill Murphy's Worst Witch' - Sunday Express
Hold on to your broomstick for magical mayhem with Jill Murphy's much-loved classic The Worst Witch- the original story of life at a magical boarding school.
Mildred Hubble is a trainee at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, but she's making an awful mess of it.
She keeps getting her spells wrong and crashing her broomstick. And when she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet into her worst enemy, chaos ensues...
Read the rest of Mildred's (mis)adventures: The Worst Witch, A Bad Spell for the…
It is about courage and standing up for what is right, even in front of people who are bigger and stronger than you are. It is about being the smallest/ youngest person in the room, and still being able to lead – it is about ostensibly having the least power in the room and still being able to lead and persuade others to follow your lead. It is about using your voice.
Sophie is the creator of her own story, she isn’t passive. Valuable lessons, particularly for girls, to learn, so that their voices can always be heard and so that they always have the courage to challenge wrongs and wrongdoing and so help make the world a better place.
2
authors picked
The BFG
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
7,
8,
9, and
10.
What is this book about?
From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda!
One of TIME MAGAZINE's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all.…
For those who enjoy fantasy adventure, the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series offers a new twist on the traditional faerie tales so loved by young readers.
From devastating curses to death-defying quests, Brigitta and her growing collective of misfit friends face greater and greater challenges when destiny calls…
Perseverance and living in the moment, are probably the lessons to take away from The Wizard of Oz and enjoying the journey, wherever the road may lead and the fact that while having courage, a heart (empathy/ emotional intelligence/ kindness and gentleness) and a brain (intelligence), may be fine by themselves, it is when they work together that the magic happens and good things become real).
HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.
'"Come along, Toto," she said. "We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again."'
Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home.…
The Silver Shoes are bored! They have been shut in Svara's wardrobe, all on their own, and they don't like that, as Svara discovers when she finds herself hanging upside down in the mouth of a large cave. How will she get out of this? Who, or, what is approaching her, with thunderous footsteps that make the ground shake? What has happened to the potion that she and, her brother, Nyay were brewing in science class? And why is the lake in Wellington Country Park turning a slimy shade of green?
Read on to find out, in another magical adventure, caused by those mischievous Silver Shoes.
Eleven-year-old Mira wishes everything could go back to the way it was. Before she changed schools and had to quit gymnastics. Especially before Papa died. Now she spends her days cooking and cleaning for her stepsisters and Val—who she still won’t call mom and still won’t forgive for the terrible…
Artemis Sparke has had it with humans. She heads to the nearby salt marsh to hang out with the birds, plants, and mollusks who don't make a big deal of her stutter. The shoreline sanctuary is predictable, unlike her family and friends, and the data in her science journal proves…
