Stephen Connor
@sconnor7
primary teacher • children’s literature • running • walking • poetry (The Toy & The Dirigible Balloon) • instagram @mr_connor_reads • UKLA • reading ‘Pan’
74. Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob Huw Aaron A deserving winner of the Waterstones prize. Funny, warm and unique!
73. Speak To Me Of Home Jeannie Cummins An inter-generational story weaving between love, independence, and finding yourself.
72. The Sad Ghost Club 5 Lize Meddings I’ve loved this series about anxiety, social nervousness and finding your people. Here, the gang begin to separate with a new sense of confidence. Just lovely.
71. Empire of the Sun J.G. Ballard First time reading the WWII classic. Graphic, harsh and unforgiving.
70. The Noise Inside Boys Pete Oswald A book about feelings, primarily about boys, but of course could be used for and with all children.
69. I, Medusa Ayana Gray Really enjoyed this. A story of how Medusa came to be the myth we know today. Great storytelling and quite moving too.
68. Dear Ugly Sisters Laura Mucha & Tania Rex A great little collection of poems here. Some are fairy-tale based which will be brilliant for school use.
67. Son of Nobody Yann Martel Found this a tough one. Two stories side by side: one, a found epic of the Trojan War; the second, a modern story of family breakdown.
#KidsBooksFriday All delightfully weird and wonderful in very different ways. Humour, dark humour, different languages, and a glimpse into both the past and future. Wouldn’t be without any of them!
#KidsBooksFriday These are all winners in my house (my son has read independently since 6) as well as at school. Rabbit & Bear is a wonderful series.
Love this theme! I love books about food - such celebrations of culture, from popular recipes, to the same food cooked in different ways, to books about how we actually eat and share differently. #KidsBooksFriday
#KidsBooksFriday Community through welcome, through food, through play, and through kindness.
66. Broken X. Fang A little girl breaks her grandma’s cup, but blames the cat. The guilt is overwhelming, shown visually to great effect. A fantastic illustration of guilt, uncertainty and forgiveness.
Saw #OddChallenge and gave it a go. Doing my first ultra in September and it is on my mind…a lot.
#KidsBooksFriday I couldn’t EVER be without The Lost Words. Sunday Fun Day has been a great activity book with my son. Out There in the Wild is a stunning poetry collection. And The Last Wild is brilliant - a great one to read aloud (especially if you like putting on voices).
65. Lord of the Flies William Golding & Aimée de Jongh A graphic novel of the classic that enhances it further. A stunning piece of work using parts of Golding’s original text. Amazing.
64. Make Believe Mac Barnett The current holder of the US equivalent to Children’s Laureate espouses the importance of story for children. Preaching to the choir maybe, but totally agree!
63. The Boy Lost in the Maze Joseph Coelho & Kate Milner Powerful retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur alongside a modern story of Theo in his quest to find his dad. Rich and ambitious - really enjoyable. Not suitable for primary!
62. The Book of Birds Jackie Morris & Robert MacFarlane Wow. Just stunning. Split into seven sections, we learn of UK birds who have recently been on lists of conservation concern. Amazing aero work, lyrical prose. Gorgeous.
61. Tales of a Lizard Boy Jonathan Hill Great graphic novel about a family of lizards who disguise themselves as human. Allegorical tale of relocation and resettlement - an original take.
60. Boy vs Reality James Fox A really interesting and entertaining story of a family whose obsession with influencing is laid bare by the main protagonist, Ethan. At what cost comes fame?
59. John of John Douglas Stuart Absolutely love this man’s writing. Set in the Western Isles of Scotland, a young man (John) returns to his father (John), minded to both prove himself but also not let his dad down. Love, identity and relationships - wonderful writing.
58. Leo and the Gorgon’s Curse Joe Todd-Stanton The Brownstone family vaults open up into Ancient Greece - a worthy addition to the series.
#KidsBooksFriday I love Bethan’s writing for younger children - she subverts the norms, placing strong, decisive girls front and centre. Jen Campbell’s collection is ace and varied; The Skull is one I read to my class each year; and I’m really enjoying Joe Coelho’s Minotaur inspired verse novel.
57. Who Owns the Clouds? Mario Brassard & Gérard Dubois A powerful picture book exploring war, displacement, and the lasting mental effects.
56. Lightfall: A Place Between Tim Probert Part 4 of a really engaging series - one of the most popular graphic novels in my class.
55. Dragonborn: The Twilight Child Struan Murray A searing second book in the series, as Alex’s relationship with others is tested, and Drak Midna’s evil intentions still rule. A wonderful, rich read.