Great Reads!
Look out for these books at your local library. Remember it doesn't cost anything to reserve a children's book and we can get them for you from any of the libraries of Bridgend Library and Information Service. |
Local Links:Children's Services |

BOOKS FOR THE UNDER 5's
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Ros Asquith: Babies This is a book about big babies and little babies, babies who like teddies, babies at bath time, bouncy babies and angry babies. A mirror page at the end gives the babies a chance to look at themselves, which they will love. |
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Martine Oborne: One Gorgeous Baby Follow one baby on his journey from breakfast to bedtime. Each of the scenes is full of things to count and noises to make. |
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Fiona Watt: That's not my Bear This touchy-feely book is ideal for inquisitive babies and toddlers. Babies will enjoy hearing the repetitive chant of "that's not my bear" and will be delighted to find the right bear on the final page. |
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Martin Waddell: Snow Bears This beautiful picture book is about three bears having fun in the snow with mother bear. They slide, throw snowballs, play hide and seek until they get cold and go home. |
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Malachy Doyle: Cow Experience a day in the life of a cow in this appealing book with stunning illustrations. |
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Janet Thomas: Can I Play? Casper Cat feels left out when his best friend goes off to play with someone else. This colourful book will help young children understand the difficulties of social interaction. |

BOOKS FOR 5-8 YEAR-OLDS
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Benedict Blathwayt: Green Light for the Little Red Train The Little Red Train follows orders and keeps going "as long as the lights are green". However this means going through the Channel Tunnel and travelling around France, Spain and Italy before being stopped by a red light. Children will be absorbed in the detail of the illustrations for hours. |
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Ian Beck: Lost on the Beach Teddy gets separated from Lily on the beach. The incoming tide traps him. How is he going to get back to the beach? With a little help from a passing seagull and some ingenious ideas of his own he makes it. An enjoyable story accompanied by charming illustrations. |
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Eileen Browne: Handa's Hen Handa has lost her black hen Mondi. With her friend Akeyo she sets out to search for her but discovers instead a cavalcade of exotic African animals, such as lizards, sunbirds, bullfrogs and spoonbills. A colourful and entertaining story about numbers. Ideal for bedtime reading and for storytelling sessions. |
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Carol Ann Duffy: Underwater Farmyard In the underwater farmyard things look slightly different:webbed-feet sheep graze on salty seaweed, herds of seacows float and moo, water pigs snuffle out truffles for tea and fish-eyed goats nuzzle anchors in the sea. Carol Ann Duffy's rhyming text is perfectly complemented by Joel Stewart's wonderfully atmospheric illustrations. |
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Julia Donaldson: The Smartest Giant in Town George is the scruffiest giant in town, so he buys himself a new outfit to smarten himself up. On his way home he meets others who have a greater need of his clothes. He gradually gives away each item of new clothes. When he arrives home the animals he has helped are waiting for him with a thank-you present. The repetitive text in this lovely tale is great for reading aloud. |
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Harry Horse: Little Rabbit Lost On his birthday Little Rabbit is given a red balloon and tickets to Rabbit World Theme Park. Best of all, he now thinks of himself as a "big" rabbit. At the park Little Rabbit can't go on some of the rides because he is too small. He wanders off on his own and gets lost. Alone and confused , Little rabbit realises he is not as big as he thought he was. |

BOOKS FOR 9 - 12 YEAR OLDS
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Sue Purkiss: Spook School This amusing tale is about Spooker Batt, a ghost boy who attends the Anne Boleyn Secondary School. As part of his Practical Haunting exam, Spooker has to haunt an ordinary house in Somerset. Spooker is not good at scaring, but when he meets Ben Roper a boy his own age he discovers a real purpose to his visit. |
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Gwyneth Rees: The Mum Hunt Esmie's Dad has brought up her and her brother Matthew since the death of their mother. When she is eleven Esmie decides that it's time her Dad had a new girl friend. With the help of Juliette the au pair, a lonely hearts advertisement is placed in the local newspaper, with unexpected results. A funny, moving and unusual slant on single parent families. |
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Polly Horvath: Everything on a Waffle Primrose Squarp is 11 years old and lives in a fishing village in British Columbia. She refuses to accept that she is an orphan. Although her parents never returned from a typhoon at sea, Primrose is convinced that one day they will. She is looked after by well meaning but unconventional village inhabitants. She learns to cook and suffers with good humour a number of unfortunate accidents. A funny and touching book. |
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Debi Gliori: Pure Dead Wicked This is the second book about the Strega-Borgia family and their butler, nanny and pets. The family has to move into a local hotel whilst the roof of their ancestral castle is being repaired. Chaos ensues and there is plenty of humour, magic, action and suspense |
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Michael Morpurgo: The Sleeping Sword Ten year old Bun Bendle, blinded in a freak accident, falls into a huge hole in his father's fields. The hole is in fact, an ancient tomb and hidden within it he discovers a well-preserved sword and shield. When Bun takes hold of the sword, an incredible power surges through him and changes his life forever. |
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Cliff McNish: The Wizard's Promise The final book in the Doomspell Trilogy follows Rachel and her brother Eric as they anticipate an attack on the magical children of Earth from the Griddas. The power of Cliff McNish's imagination sweeps the reader along and maintains the tension until the thrilling climax. A highly original fantasy novel. |

Find out more about books and reading by checking out the following websites:
National Literacy Trust - www.literacytrust.org.uk
Booktrust - www.booktrust.org.uk
Books and Beyond - www.booksandbeyond.org.uk
Reading is Fundamental - www.rif.org.uk
Reading Matters - www.readingmatters.co.uk
The Word Pool Book Site - www.wordpool.co.uk
Mrs Mad's Book-a-Rama - www.mrsmad.com
ACHUKA Children's Books UK - www.achuka.co.uk
The Carnegie and Greenaway Medals - www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk

















