Our #BeanstalkBrilliantBook of the month is 'The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish' written and illustrated by Chloe Savage. This beautifully illustrated picture book is filled with stunning pages that will delight children of any age - and adults too! Find out more here... Read more
It is equally important that children are exposed to books exploring our shared humanity. Give a child the opportunity to read and talk about books that broaden their understanding of the world and the diverse range of people in it, and you give them the tools to build empathy, tolerance and respect.
Children need a diversity of choice too; the journey to becoming a reader involves exploring their own reading preferences. It's important for children to feel that they have the freedom to choose what to read and that their choices will be respected.
We have handpicked a selection of books we think are brilliant at both helping children fall in love with reading and showcasing a diverse range of characters and situations. Each month we will share our chosen Book of the Month and recommend other equally brilliant titles with a similar theme or style.
With things finally starting to feel a bit more spring-like outside and Earth Day being celebrated on 22nd April, this month we've chosen a #BrilliantBeanstalkBook of the month which we hope will help children understand the importance of protecting our planet and some of the issues faced by climate change. Read more about 'The Last Bear' by Hannah Gold here... Read more
Our #BeanstalkBrilliantBook of the Month for March is 'Peanut Jones and the end of the rainbow' by Rob Biddulph - a wonderful example of a fearless female character, perfect for a month in which we celebrate International Women's Day. Read more about Peanut and discover more Beanstalk Brilliant Books with strong female protagonists here... Read more
February 5 - 11 is Children's Mental Health Week so our Book of the Month is one of the #BeanstalkBrilliantBooks we've selected for our free mental health and wellbeing toolkit for primary school children. Read more about Wonder by R. J. Palacio and the other books we've chosen here... Read more
Brand new books for the brand new year! Our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month for January 2024 is the recently published, instant bestseller and Waterstones Book of 2023, 'Impossible Creatures' by Katherine Rundell. Read more about this book and lots of other new titles here.... Read more
What better choice for our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month for December than the first in this festive series from Mel Taylor-Bessent, 'The Christmas Carrolls'. We've chosen a whole host of winter- and festive-themed favourites this month... Read more
This month our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month is a 60 year old classic - 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak. We're exploring how classic books can have appeal across the generations and deepen a child's connection with the story... Read more
Our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month for October is 'Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer' by Jeffrey Boakye. Read about this book and other recommended titles with a diverse range of characters... Read more
With September comes new schools for some children so our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month is all about friendship and making new friends. 'Little Beauty' by Anthony Browne is a beautiful picturebook all about finding a friend. Read more
Our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month for August is 'All are Welcome' by Alexandra Penfold. This book, and the other equally brilliant books you'll find this month, are perfect for introducing children to the idea of starting school. Read more
At a time when many children are preparing to leave primary school, our #BeanstalkBrilliant book of the month for July is 'Quiet Storm' by Kimberly Whittam - along with our other equally brilliant selection of books, it's the perfect choice for children facing transition to a new and different school. Read more
Our #BeanstalkBrilliant book of the month for June is 'Smile Out Loud: 25 happy poems' by Joseph Coelho and Daniel Gray-Barnett. Check it out here, along with more wonderful poetry collections... Read more