Charlotte's Cozy Corner | Bigg School: Best Friends For...

Bigg School: Best Friends Forever

Authors: Jess Bradley, Lisa Williamson
Amazon

'Warm, honest and hugely relatable' – Cath Howe

Welcome to BIGG SCHOOL! Lola and Evie have been BFF since they were babies. When Lola discovers that they're in different classes at their new school, it's a total disaster! Lola is forced to sit next to Daniel, the most annoying boy on the planet. Worse still, Evie makes a brand new friend – snooty show-off, Cleo – who wants Evie all to herself. Three most definitely IS a crowd, but Lola is not going to lose her BFF without putting up a fight! With illustrations that express the often hilarious inner lives of the characters, the Bigg School series tells stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary kids navigating friendships, change and all the ups and downs of growing up.

Deep Dive: Primary School Reading List (8-10 years)

Recommendations:

Percy Jackson

In my opinion, Percy Jackson is the ultimate recommendation (for all age groups really, it’s timeless). It’s fun, it’s filled with adventure, it emphasizes not using technology (something a lot of parents are, very validly, attempting to do, due to concerns surrounding the amount of technology kids are exposed to), and it is also a brilliant representation for ADHD and dyslexia.

So many children, myself included, found themselves in the pages of this story. Connecting to the characters, wanting to go on wild adventures and quests, and loving the possibilities that the world of Percy Jackson presents to them.

The incorporation of mythology, explaining away how monsters come and go, how heroes exist and defend us all.

A Kind of Spark

A Kind of Spark is another brilliant book that I would highly recommend be taught and shared with children in schools. Speaking of representation and how important that is for children, especially young girls with autism, it also talks about the witch trials.

Creating a memorial for the women who died in the witch trials in her local town is a passion project for the main character of this book. It opens teachers and educators to a world of possibilities, asking children to research into something they are passionate about as well.

Best Friends Forever

This is a book that I believe is best read and studied just prior to children moving from one school to the next. Following friend dramas and the challenges of moving schools, this book shows how people grow, how cliques are formed, how friends drift apart and new friends are made. The peace of mind and confronting the relating of moving schools is why I think this book should be taught in schools.

Graphic Novels

While I'm still debating which graphic novel to include specifically, they provide an easier form of storytelling to consume. They're accessible and a route into reading that many overlook. Reading is reading, and all reading is good, especially if it can inspire creativity and imagination.

If you have suggestions for which graphic novels you think would be amazing for children to look at in schools, please do comment your recs below! I would love to look into all suggestions!