Rise and fall. Great Empires that shaped the World
- Written and illustrated by Peter Allen
- Published by Cicada Books
Part of my performance management at school is to declutter the non fiction section and update it with better quality books. This is going to be one of the first ones that will be going in there.
What makes an empire successful?
What qualities enable a leader to inspire millions, create a
government and rule vast areas of land?
What are some of the features of an empire, and how does one come
about in the first place?
Featuring the empires of the Minoans, the Vikings, the First Persian Empire, the Mongol and Mali empires, the Kingdom of Benin, the Aztecs, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya of Thailand and the Japanese Kamakura Shogunate, this marvellous nonfiction resource showcases each fascinating culture, looking at how each empire rose to power, and what its significance was.
As well as sharing some of history’s most notable empires, author and illustrator Peter Allen analyses some of their common features: bold, charismatic leaders who balance ruthlessness with fairness; postal networks that connect vast territories; structured governments; the embracing of religious and cultural diversity to keep peace between the population. However, we also learn what happens to those empires when power is misused and taken for granted.
Each empire spreads over a number of pages, showing readers its architecture, culture, art, religion and what daily life looked like for people. We discover why each empire declined, and what came after it. This is a bright and appealing illustrated book. There is a glossary in the back of the book which explains some of the terms used.will help curious minds both young and old.
University of Cambridge. Beasts from the deep
- Written by Matt Ralphs
- Published by Nosy Crow
Dive down if you dare and discover the world’s strangest, scariest and most magnificent sea creatures in this breathtaking gift book from the University of Cambridge and Nosy Crow!
“Ralphs’ exciting prose style, combined with great facts and images that really glow, makes for a view of the ocean that you’ll be glad you can’t see from a sun lounger this holiday” – The Guardian.
Did you know there is a place on Earth that’s hardly been explored at all? A place with near-freezing temperatures, crushing water pressure and total darkness?
Discover a magnificent menagerie of monsters that lurk deep down in our oceans – from sharks that can live for 500 years, to fish with teeth so long they can’t close their mouths.
Find out about anglerfish, giant squid, goblin sharks, coffinfish, barreleyes and many, many more amazing creatures in this stunningly illustrated gift book that will delight, surprise and inspire on every page. This is a delightful look at the unusual creatures that live deep underwater.
The illustrations are lovely. A must for all libraries.
There’s No Such Thing As A Silly Question
- Written by Mike Rampton
- Published by Nosy Crow
In this book there are 213 interesting questions, all completely different.
What are dreams for? Why don’t insects bleed when they’re splatted? Why aren’t all months the same length? Why aren’t brown, grey or black in the rainbow?
All the answers are humorous, easy for children to understand and will leave readers feeling enlightened. This is already very popular in my library.
National trust- A Story of the Seasons
- Written by Anna Wilson
- Published by Nosy Crow
Discover the secrets of the changing seasons in this enchanting and fact-filled guide to nature.
Follow wildlife season by season, finding out about the exciting – and sometimes surprising – stories of the animals, plants and places you see around you.
Meet tiny tadpoles growing into frogs in spring and colourful butterflies clustering around the summer wildflowers. Follow hedgehogs as they find safe places to hibernate among the falling autumn leaves, and birds searching for berries to eat during the coldest winter months.
A seasonal nature story for the whole family to treasure.
This lovely non fiction book will delight children of all ages, you go on a step by step journey through all 4 seasons, looking at the environment, animals and their habitats through all the seasons.. We get a look at some animals’ life cycles and also the weather.This book is full of information and goes into deep details.
Every double page spread has stunning illustrations of each habitat in that season, and the text is perfect. Spread across the pages in small paragraphs.
100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Playful Learning
- Written by Blair Minchin
- Published by Bloomsbury
No matter what you teach, there is a 100 Ideas title for you! And this is a true statement. Up and down the country this series of books line the bookcases in staff rooms.
The 100 Ideas series offers teachers practical, easy-to-implement strategies and activities for the classroom.
Each author is an expert in their field and is passionate about sharing best practice with their peers.
Each title includes at least ten additional extra-creative Bonus Ideas that won’t fail to inspire and engage all learners.
I am a firm believer that children learn through play no matter their age and I truly believe that not every child is suited to the childroom environment. So this book is an important tool for these children, and luckily nowadays modern teachers recognize this fact.
This book provides a rich toolbox of inclusive activities for using play to engage pupils in the primary classroom throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. With a section dedicated to each major curriculum area, this book offers a broad range of fun and flexible ideas. Discover activities such as Coding Cones, which teaches the principles of coding without using a computer, mental maths hopscotch, and Magnet Mazes to teach physics. The ideas are easy to try and to adapt, and have all been trialled – and enjoyed! – with pupils.
There is something for everyone in this book, and this book is better used by flicking through it.
This is a must for the staff room.
