I absolutely love reading.  A comfy chair, hot chocolate and a good book is my idea of heaven.  Entering teaching and having children returned me to children’s literature, it was like the return of a long forgotten friend.  I got a tremendous amount of pleasure sharing my favourite books and finding new books.  

I’ve decided to share my top 10 books for the age ranges that my book, First Day of the New School Year, is aimed at.  This task has taken me much longer than I thought it would!  I think its going to get worse!

The books I’ve finally chosen are my personal choices and in no particular order.  I hope you enjoy them and remember it only a start to an amazing adventure through children’s literature.

(*book descriptions from the relevant publishers)

First Day of the New School Year by Amy Redfern

I’m sorry got to get it out there! This book tells the story of Louise’s first day of the new school year.  It explores her feelings and ends with an unexpected twist.  There are questions in one of my blogs about questions you can use with this book and they can be adapted to all the books you choose to read with your child.

Isadora Moon goes to School by Harriet Muncaster

Half vampire, half fairy, totally unique! Isadora Moon is special because she is different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and Isadora is a bit of both. She loves the night, bats, and the colour black, but she also loves the outdoors, using her magic wand, and the colour pink. When it's time for Isadora to start school she's not sure where she belongs - vampire school or fairy school?

The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait

Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!  Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. The battle lines have been drawn. What is Duncan to do?

The adventures of Captain Underpants by Day Pilkey

When naughty George and Harold hypnotise their headteacher, they accidentally create the greatest superhero in the history of their school - Captain Underpants!  His true identity is so secret that even HE doesn't know who he is... but he's fighting for truth, justice, and all things pre-shrunk and cottony!!

Just a bit of wind by Jeremy Strong

It's the first day at PIRATE SCHOOL for Ziggy, Smudge, Carkella and Flo and they have lots of new things to contend with. Their headteacher is the scary Patagonia Clasterbotton and they have to take lessons include walking the plank and hand-to-hand fighting. When out on the pirate ship a storm blows up, resulting in the children having to rescue Patagonia when she's swept overboard, and they learn that really Patagonia is not so scary after all!

Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Williams 

Gobbolino, the witch's cat with one white paw and bright blue eyes, would rather be a quiet cat who sits by the kitchen fireside all day. So he sets out on a journey to find a new home, but when people discover he is a witch's cat he is blamed for mysterious happenings, such as the farmer's milk turning sour and the orphanage children's gruel turning into chocolate.  Will Gobbolino ever find the loving, trusting home of his dreams?

Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs

Life under ground in Bogeydom is full of snot, smells, slime, scum and other unspeakable things. The Bogeymen that live there revel in every kind of nastiness imaginable - especially their day-job of scaring human beings. But there's one Bogeyman who isn't so sure he wants to be part of Bogeydom after all . . .

I was a rat!: Or, the Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman

I was a Rat! Roger insists, and insists . . . In fact, when Bob the cobbler and his washerwoman wife, Joan, find the young boy abandoned on their doorstep, these are the only words he says. And he does have ratty behaviour, it's true. Staying with Bob and Joan, however, Roger learns quickly to behave more like a human child. They try to find his parents, but the orphanage, police and hospital all have nothing on their records about a lost boy in the city. What is the truth? As more and more people find out about Roger the mysterious rat-boy he faces more and more danger. But sometimes help comes from the most unexpected of places . . .

The Lost Homework by Richard O”Neill

Sonny devotes his weekend to helping his neighbours and fellow Travellers with a variety of tasks. He uses many skills, from calculating the amount of fuel needed for a journey, to restoring a caravan. In fact, the only thing he doesn’t do over the weekend is his homework – his workbook is missing! What will his teacher say?

Mr Majeika by Humphrey Carpenter

Mr Majeika is the most magical teacher around! As a rule, magic carpets don't turn up in schools, but this is exactly what happens when Class Three's new teacher flies in through the classroom window and lands on the floor with a bump. Mr Majeika can behave just like any ordinary teacher if he wants to, but something has to be done about Hamish Bigmore, the class nuisance, and so he uses a little magic to turn him into a frog. And to everyone's delight it looks as if Hamish will have to remain a frog because Mr Majeika can't remember the spell to turn him back again! With Mr Majeika in charge, suddenly life at school become much more exciting - there's even a magic-carpet ride to Buckingham Palace!