West Sussex Schools Library Service:

Picture Books to Shout About 2018/19

Calling all participating schools. We hope you are enjoying reading and sharing the books. The deadline for placing your votes for your favourite book is Thursday 7th February 2019. Look out for the announcement of the winner on World Book Day Thursday 7th March 2019.

It is the recommendation of OFSTED that a primary school provide a minimum of 10 lively, interesting and up-to-date books per child.

West Sussex Schools Library Service supports schools to work towards establishing vibrant collections which are regularly refreshed throughout the year. Schools which hold the current 2 year SLA 2017-2019 with the West Sussex Schools Library Service (SLS) have access to the following SLS resources:

• A long loan collection of the equivalent of 3 books per FTE pupil
• The opportunity to exchange between 100 and 200 books from the long loan collection each term (depending on school roll).
• Access to a Project Loan Service to support topic based classroom work. (schools may request 1 project loan per class per term; collections contain up to 14 titles to support the National Curriculum, made to teacher's request).

SLS stock is professionally maintained and updated regularly. The SLS provides access to a Book Purchase Scheme enabling schools to purchase at a discount from our contracted Library Supplier. Using SLS staff book knowledge, schools may select from a far wider range of stock than may be viewed on the high street. Schools may benefit from the professional expertise of SLS staff in navigating the website. In addition the Book Purchase Scheme includes servicing (ie plastic jackets on paperbacks and Dewey spine labels on non-fiction).

Contact the SLS on 01903 704828 or email sls@westsussex.gov.uk to request access to the West Sussex Schools Library Service Book Purchase Scheme.

Dam by David Almond (illustrated by Levi Pinfold)  ISBN: 9781406304879 £12.99

Kathryn and her father take one final walk through the land they call home before it is flooded to make way for a dam. They reminisce about the people they have known and the music that once filled the air. Part wordless picture book, ‘The Dam’ weaves lyrical prose with atmospheric illustrations to create a haunting story of home, loss and hope.

Giraffe Problems by Jory John (illustrated by Lane Smith) ISBN: 9781406383164   £11.99 

Edward the giraffe hates his neck – it’s too long, too narrow, too patterned, too high, too… necky.  But then he meets Cyrus the tortoise who has hardly any neck at all and spends hours gazing longingly at bananas that he cannot reach.  Together, the two come to appreciate themselves and each other in this very funny and quite moving picture book.  Beautifully illustrated in brown, green and blue tones and with Jory John’s trademark wry humour, this is a worthy companion to the pair’s previous book Penguin Problems.

Max the Cat Detective: The Phantom Portrait by Sarah Todd Taylor (illustrated by Nicola Kinnear) ISBN: 981788000529  £6.99

This is the second case for Max, a theatre cat who enjoys the good life and being spoiled by the artistes at the theatre but he is also an ace detective. Set in an old castle in Sussex, Max and his feral friend Oscar need to find lost family jewels and uncover the mystery of a ghost. An easy, pacy book for readers 7-10 years. This series also includes: Max the Cat Detective: The Disappearing Diva and Max the Cat Detective: The Catnap Caper.

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer (illustrated by P.J. Lynch) ISBN: 9781406377576 £10.99

Patrick has longed for a dog forever but his dad, a touring musician, is allergic to animal hair; so he is puzzled but pleased when his mum agrees to take him to a rescue centre during the summer to choose a dog of his own. Oz is a rescue dog who doesn’t trust people. His previous owners treated him cruelly and he has lost his bark. Patrick knows as soon as he sees him that Oz is the dog for him and helps him find his bark again. But when Patrick learns sad news can Oz return the favour and help Patrick find his bark? A warm-hearted story that will be enjoyed by all.

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel ISBN: 9781406380583 £6.99

Ethan has been chosen to do the illustrations for his class comic book project but there is one small problem, he can't draw. This is particularly embarrassing because his father is a famous graphic novelist. Then a spirited ink blot appears mysteriously in Ethan's room and offers the perfect solution. But others also have their eye on Inkling and are plotting to steal him away for their own ends. A highly original page-turning suspense with a moral dilemma and much to talk about. Perfect for upper Key Stage 2.

The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens ISBN: 9780141377032   £6.99 

Robin Stevens’s sequel to Siobhan Dowd’s excellent The London Eye Mystery continues the story of Ted, Kat and Salim.  When Salim's mum is accused of stealing an important painting from the Guggenheim Museum where she works, it’s up to the trio (and especially autistic Ted) to prove to everyone that it wasn’t her.  Well-plotted, full of adventure and with great characterisation, this is a thoroughly entertaining mystery story.   

Don't forget....The Schools Library Service now has its own Twitter Account @WestSussexSLS. Please do follow us and tweet any news you would like to share about your school or class and how they are using the SLS books to support teaching and learning. We particularly love to see photos of class displays and book events. We will be re-tweeting any book offers and competitions to win books from children's writers and illustrators. We are also sharing news from key charities and trusts who support literacy and reading for pleasure, in addition to re-tweeting news from the West Sussex Public Library Service. 

National Literacy Trust Research: School libraries: Why children and young people use them or not, their literacy engagement and mental wellbeing.

Data shows that around 73% of the children and young people who use the school library have higher literacy engagement scores than the average child who doesn’t use the school library. Findings show that children and young people who use the school library have, on average, higher mental wellbeing scores. For more information and to read the report log on to the NLT website.