Our teacher book group is continuing to read, discuss and review a range of new books for children and we want to share this as widely as possible. Here we review ‘When the sky falls’ by Phil Earle and ‘The small things’ by Lisa Thompson
Category: Creating a Reading Culture
Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Picture Books
You Can Be Campaign – Book Audit | Zero Tolerance
The You Can Be Book Audit is a chance for ELCs and nurseries to win £100 worth of books by taking part in an audit of their book collections. The idea is to bring greater gender balance and challenge old-fashioned gender stereotypes that can be harmful to children and stop them achieving their full potential.
Check out the link above for more information and book ideas.
We have also put together book recommendations that challenge the gender stereotypes:
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Early Years Picture Book Group
| Inclusive Stories
Our last round of books focused on LGBT+ families and inclusive stories. All children deserve to see their own lives represented in the stories we share and books are a fantastic way to build empathy and understanding of others.
The discussion was very positive and one of the most interesting points raised was that the LGBT+ family books were just accepted by the children as books about families in general and that we, as adults, can put our own preconceptions onto books. The children didn’t see a label, they just saw families and children like them. My Friends and Me by Stephanie Stansbie is wonderful as it shows a whole range of different families: LGBT+, single parents, foster parents, step families and many more.
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#FalkirkReadingTeachers Book Group Reviews
The Learning Resource Service runs two book groups for teachers and early years practitioners in the Falkirk council area. They aim to:
- increase teacher knowledge of quality children’s books
- support teachers in creating a reading culture in their classroom
- provide opportunities to talk about children’s books
- identify books that support different aspects of the curriculum
- ensure that the books we promote to children are diverse and inclusive
- have fun!
If you need some reading inspiration or want to find out about good reads for your pupils then click on the link above.
The RED Book Award is 15 years old!
The RED Book Award celebrates its 15th anniversary and to mark this achievement, the wonderful shortlist focuses on a BAME theme:
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby
Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
My Name’s Not Friday by Jon Walters
The authors will join the young people in each Falkirk Council secondary school at the digital Award Ceremony on Wednesday 19th May 2021. The Award Ceremony will feature creative interpretations of each of the shortlisted books by the young people and a Q & A session with the authors before the winning book is revealed.
The RED Book Award ceremony on the 19th May 2021 was attended by all the shortlisted authors and the S2 RED classes from 6 of our secondary schools. The authors gave us interesting and insightful guidance on writing, there was dancing and prizes were awarded for best alternative ending and front cover designs of the shortlisted books and the Q and A session was really interesting.
Congratulations to all the authors for reaching the RED shortlist.
AND THE W
INNER IS…
Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin.
RED Book Award 14
Falkirk Council’s RED (Read Enjoy Debate) Book Award is now in its 14th year and the excellent shortlist of books is:
The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen
The Closest Thing to Flying by Gill Lewis
The shortlisted authors are invited to Falkirk to lead workshop sessions in the secondary schools and to attend the Book Award ceremony in Falkirk Town Hall. A major highlight of the Book Award process is the award ceremony in May, where pupils from each of the secondary schools in Falkirk Council screen their creative digital interpretations of the shortlisted books, meet the authors and celebrate books and reading.
Unfortunately due to Covid 19 the book award ceremony has been cancelled for this year. It is so disappointing that this decision has had to be taken, feedback from previous participants tell us that the RED Book award is one of the highlights of the school year.
