After this week, there are just five books left in each category. It’s time to find out of your favourite was evicted this week…
Reception and Key Stage 1 bid farewell to The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, illustrated by Hatem Ali. With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong. A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.
Year 3 and 4 say goodbye to Pests: Mouse In Training by Emer Stamp. Meet Stix, the tiny but heroic mouse who might be living behind your washing machine. But is he naughty enough to join the PESTS? Stix is the size of an egg cup, can jump the width of a dog’s bottom, and LOVES cheese. That’s because Stix is a mouse. He probably lives behind your washing machine, but you wouldn’t know it, because his grandma taught him to always stay out of trouble and NEVER let the humans know he’s there. But now Stix has stumbled across PESTS – the Peewit Educatorium for Seriously Terrible Scoundrels – in the basement of his building, and along with a whole host of new pesty friends (and enemies), he’s about to rip up Grandma’s rule book and make a REAL pest of himself…
For Year 5 and 6, it’s the end of the road for The Ice Bear Miracle by Cerrie Burnell. Life with bears is dangerous, as Marv Jackson knows-the large crescent moon shaped scar on his face acts as a constant reminder of the night he survived a bear attack. There he was, all but five-years-old dressed head to toe in an ice hockey kit, drawn to the frozen lake by his love of skating, or so people say. But when Marv thinks back to the moments before the beat attack, he can hear a baby’s cry cutting through the night air. Marv knows deep in his heart that the legendary tale of that night isn’t quite the full story. The truth can be found at a travelling carnival, where a mysterious young girl and her magnificent polar bear skate beneath the northern stars.
Make sure you keep voting to ensure your favourite isn’t evicted next week at: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/140/coventry_inspiration_book_awards
And finally, this week has been Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is nature, so make sure you get outside with your families this weekend and enjoy the wonders of the world around us. But just in case it rains, An Emotional Menagerie: Feelings From A to Z is a wonderful look at a whole range of emotions mixed with creatures from all over our planet.
Emotions are like animals:
No two are quite the same.
Some are quiet; some are fierce;
And all are hard to tame.
Using rich language to describe each of the discussed emotion as an animal, we are encouraged to explore what causes them and how we can manage them successfully, and by building our understanding of emotional vocabulary, we help to manage our mental health now and into the future.
