It's all about stories!: What I read ~ September and October 2023

Summer by Ali Smith. Set in Summer, in different years, but partly in 2020, beautifully articulating lockdown. But also about brothers and sisters, in different times and from different places, with the common thread of change and coping with change. Part of the author's Seasonal Quartet, and one of the first novels to tackle Covid and all it brought. Published by Penguin Books. Find out more here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/summer/ali-smith/9780241973370

I've been reading | Make Bosses Pay - Why we need Unions by Eve Livingston. Part of the Outspoken series from Pluto Press, this one tackles the changing world of work and why workers organising themselves to make workplaces safer and fairer (in other words, Unions) is beginning to once again make a difference to the lives of ordinary people. The author explores how young workers are organising, and what an inclusive union movement that represents us all might look like. Published by Pluto Press. Find out more here - https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745341620/make-bosses-pay

Matrix by Lauren Groff. A gripping yarn based on the life of Marie de France, a crusader, sent away from the Royal Court to a run-down old abbey in Angleterre. Her visions lead to the abbey growing from impoverished to wealthy, turning into a 12th century utopia for the nuns. Published by Penguin. Find out more here - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/437936/matrix-by-groff-lauren/9781529157864

Fletcher and the Seasons by Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke. A gorgeous simple board book for the littlest story lovers. Fletcher the fox explores the changing seasons through beautiful illustrations, featuring characters from the Fletcher's Four Seasons picture books. Published by Graffeg Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/collections/books-1/products/fletcher-and-the-seasons-1

I've been reading | Rest to Reset, the busy person's guide to pausing with purpose by Suzy Reading. This book is lovely to look at, but more importantly it is so practical and accessible and useful. Combining facts about rest with self-care prescriptions including 1 minute stretches, meditations and ideas to reset your mind, this book helps is build a toolkit for rest that we can take with us anywhere. Brilliant.

"Doing things that make your heart sing will never be a waste of time"

Published by Octopus Books Find out more here - https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/titles/suzy-reading/rest-to-reset/9781783255276/

The Star Whale by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Petr Horácek. This book is the perfect combination of author and illustrator, forty fantastic poems from Nicola Davies, celebrating the wonders of our beautiful planet, real and imaginary, illustrated by international award-winning picture book artist Petr Horácek, in their third collaboration. This collection happened the wrong way round - Davies inspired by Horácek's animal sketches to write poetry based on the sketches she loved. We meet a lion, a pangolin, the star whale, the moose, the bat and ALL of the moths, the garden insects, dinosaurs, toucans, pigeons and the most beautiful dragonfly you ever saw. As usual, inspirational words from Nicola Davies, and perfect illustrations from Peter Horácek. Published by Otter-Barry Books on 7th September 2023. Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/product-page/the-star-whale

Albert and the Shed by Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke. Further adventures of Albert the tortoise, who finds himself locked in the garden shed while sheltering from a storm. Soon a battalion of ants and all of Albert's garden friends are helping to sort the problem out, while Albert is still stuck in the shed surrounded by all the dangerous garden tools. Spiders swing, snails charge and bees bombard the door, but it's still stuck. You'll have to read it to find out how Albert finally gets rescued from the shed, with the help of a small, slow but steady little caterpillar. Published by Graffeg in September 2023 . Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/albert-and-the-shed?

Albert and his friends by Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke. Meet all of Albert the tortoise's friend in this delightful board book. Albert takes us to meet all of his garden friends and tells us something special about each one. A lovely addition to the Albert the tortoise series. Published by Graffeg. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/albert-and-his-friends

That's how much I love you by Julie A Rudi and illustrated by Tiphanie Beek. A rhyming board book -

"I love you, I love you, I love you a lot. If you were a flower, I'd be your pot."

The sun and the moon, the bowl and the spoon, the boat and the sea, the squirrel and his tree...lots of pairs, but what is the best pair of all. Published by Graffeg on 14th September 2023. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/thats-how-much-i-love-you?

Red is Home by Emma Bettridge and Josephine Birch. Red the dog has two homes, sometimes Chino and Maude look after him and sometimes Sita and Claude look after him. He does different things in his different homes. So when Sita an Claude are moving house Redis nervouse, what will he do here, and how different will it be? Lovely lyrical prose tells the tale of Red's new home, and what he finds there. Published by Graffeg on 5th October 2023. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/red-is-home

Anti-racist practice in the early years, a holistic framework for the wellbeing of all children by Valerie Daniel. Part of Routledge's Little Minds Matter series. Are all children treated equally in our settings? Do we display unconscious bias and what might his look like? This book sets out to help, starting from the premise that we need t have these conversations if we are to shift systemic racism. We are shown how to embed and sustain anti-racist practice in early childhood education and care, beginning with a history of racism, how we got to where we are now, and using the concept of professional love to begin to change our practice and the world. Published by Routedge. Find out more here - https://www.routledge.com/Anti-Racist-Practice-in-the-Early-Years-A-Holistic-Framework-for-the-Wellbeing/Daniel/p/book/9781032162652

Stones and Bones - fossils and the stories they tell by Rob Wilshaw and illustrated by Sophie Williams. We're all inspired by finding a fossil on the beach, and this beautifully illustrated guide takes that inspiration further. We learn about the history of our planet through the stones and bones hidden in the layers. Perfect for a budding paleontologist. Published by Cicada in October 2023. Find out more here -https://www.cicadabooks.co.uk/books/p/stones-and-bones

self-care for tough times - How to heal in times of anxiety, loss and change by Suzy Reading. Another really useful book form the psychologist and yoga teacher. She combines really perceptive comments and advice with accessible practices to help when you need a boost, or to calm, or to energise, or to cope. Beautifully illustrated and laid out too. Published by Octopus Books. Find out more here - https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/titles/suzy-reading/self-care-for-tough-times/9781783253753/