Episode 30 - Why Investing in Your School Library Can Boost Your School Inspection Grade

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 30

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-30/

Part 1
Book post

• Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean
• Our Tree by Jessica Meserve
• We are All Animals by Ben Hoare and Christopher Lloyd, illustrated by Mark Ruffle
• Real-life Mysteries: Tales of Scary Beasts by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker
• How Not to Share a Pizza by Tracy Curren, illustrated by Lauren Beard
• I Am Strong Just Being Me by Laura Dockrill and Kip Alizadeh
• Hank Goes Honk by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie
• Blue, Barry and Pancakes 2 by Dan Abdo & Jason Patterson
• Jack-Jack and the Return of the Chickens by Ben Garrod
• The Boy with Big Decisions by Helen Rutter
• The First Year by Matt Goodfellow
• Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed by Eve Wersocki Morris
• Dreamslinger by Graci Kim
• Not That Kind Of Hero by Alexia Casale
• Solo by Grainne O'Brien
• Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in May 2025

• Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit
• A Flash of Neon by Sophie Cameron
• I'm Going to Make a Friend by Darren Chetty & Sandhya Prabhat
• So Devin Wore a Skirt by Shireen Lalji & Lucy Fleming
• Traumaland by Josh Silver
• Valley of the Vikings by Liz Kessler
• Evie and Maryam's Family Tree by Janeen Hayat
• Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson
• Piet Cools Off by Peter & Carina Wohlleben
• The Boy in the Tree by Lisa Thompson
• The Thrashers by Julie Soto
• Breakthrough by Omar Sharif
• Epic Cities by Sam Sedgman & Daniel Long
• The Other Girl by Emily Barr
• Get Dressed! By Katy Canales
• Epic FACTopia! By Rose Davidson
• The Glass Heart by Sally Gardner
• Letters to a Dog by Piers Torday
• SuperQuesters Mission: River Crest Rescue by Paul Ian Cross
• Out There in the Wild by James Carter, Dom Conlon & Nicola Davies
• A Killing at the Box Office by Paul Westmoreland
• The World of Maxime by Lucile de Pesloan
• Stitch Head: The Pirate's Eye by Guy Bass & Pete Williamson
• The Squid Squad by Aoife Dooley
• Little Lim and the Golden Treasure by Frann Preston-Gannon
• The Blockbusters! By Frank Cottrell-Boyce
• The Battle of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron
• The Man Who Loved Libraries by Andrew Larsen & Katty Maure
• I Dare You by Tamsin Winter
• Aliya and the Shop of Second Chances by Laila Rifaat
• All the Lost Souls by Amie Jordan

May 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: A Flash of Neon by Sophie Cameron
• Nonfiction: Volcano by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft
• Picture book: I'm going to make a friend by Darren Chetty & Sandhya Prabhat

Part 2
Our recommended books for preschool

New book pitches: The Fighting Spirit by Rob Keeley, Zee Zee The Humble Bee by Michael Obiora. Molly the Moo by Paul Simpson

Part 3
Investing in Your School Library Can Boost Your School Inspection Grade!

Credits and licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl