Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

Sometimes my job isn’t fair. I receive a set fee for writing a review, for which I then allocate a certain amount of time to getting to know the given product before putting fingertips to keyboard. It therefore simply doesn’t make economic sense for me to spend ages immersing myself in the subject of my review. Yet, on this occasion, I spent far too long on the product-testing phase, because I really struggled to put these books down. I found this new series of information books from Collins – part of their highly popular Big Cat scheme – a genuine delight. But, before I start enthusing about the content, let’s get the technical essentials out of the way first. These are carefully levelled readers to meet the needs of most reading abilities across upper KS1 and KS2. They join a programme of over 1,800 non-fiction and fiction books in Big Cat, which are designed to suit readers at all levels from novice to independent. Each book is compellingly written yet precisely pitched. The design is lively and appealing, and the illustrations and photographs are well chosen. In short, teachers can be confident that the content will be spot-on for each child (assuming their reading ability has been accurately established) and there is smooth progression throughout the series, right up to seriously challenging texts for the most advanced Year 6 pupils. But what really appealed to me was the range of ideas covered. Collins has clearly worked hard to include topics that will pique the interest and A wide-ranging series of ability-levelled information books, covering a variety of non-fiction genres AT A GLANCE L I TERACY Carefully levelled non-fiction books covering a broad spectrum of primary reading abilities Appealingly written and illustrated Covers most genres of information text Features an unexpectedly wide range of topics Part of the popular Big Cat series published by Collins Find out more at tinyurl.com/tp-BigCatInfo Enjoyable, well-pitched books Wonderfully informative Refreshingly unexpected Attractively presented A positive addition to any school library or reading programme You want to foster a love of reading by introducing pupils to a wide range of fascinating topics through wonderfully crafted information books. VERD I CT UPGRADE I F . . . REVIEWED BY: MIKE DAVIES NewBig Cat information books fire the imagination of today’s school pupil. No doubt this will enhance the pleasure of reading, not just for the child, but also for the teacher, teaching assistant or parent. And, let’s face it, one of the main objectives of creating a successful reading scheme must be to inspire a love of books. As you might expect, there is a noticeable, though not obtrusive, nod to diversity issues, such as Twentieth Century Trailblazers – although even that included examples of women achievers well beyond the usual suspects. There are also playful appeals to perennial childhood fascinations, from football to slime. But what really caught my eye were the books that provided an age-appropriate introduction to topics that are more typically reserved for adulthood, through their A guide to… titles. Psychology is a subject that is particularly close to my heart, so I was thrilled to see it given a book of its own. Similarly, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a thoughtfully written guide to money. Before long, I was deeply engrossed whilst simultaneously admiring the careful way in which complex and even abstract concepts had been covered. However, as the saying goes, time is money and, despite the enhanced financial literacy granted by this book, I found that the time I was spending getting lost in these titles was becoming seriously economically unsustainable. So, I think I’d better leave it there and let you discover for yourself just how good they are... www.teachwire.net | 97 RE V I EWS