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Book CLUB We review five new titles that your class will love 68 | www.teachwire.net Higher Ground ByTull Suwannakit (£19.99 HB, New Frontier) Squid Squad byAoifeDooley (£9.99, Scholastic) KS1/2 EYFS/ Y1 Ten Whizzy Racers: Chaos at Crackling Creek! byTimothyKnapman, ill. RichardMerritt (£7.99, Ladybird) Have you ever googled ‘vampire squid’ on a Tuesday afternoon?Well, thanks to Aoife Dooley’s latest humorous title, I have. Meet Ollie the vampire squid (spoiler alert: yes, they are real), who, along with his sea-creature pals, has formed the Squid Squad, celebrating all the ‘superpowers’ the sea creatures possess, such as Zing the sea bunny’s ability to release toxins (again, a real thing), and Ollie’s own ability to turn inside out and glow. A fun (though possibly confusing to some readers) mix of fact and fiction, this book teaches us all about Ollie’s group of friends and their marine home. The graphic novel format means the information doesn’t feel overwhelming, broken up as it is into easily digestible panels, and furnished with cartoon-like illustrations. Definitely one to keep on hand for fans of comics. Delicate pencil-and-watercolour illustrations, alongside simple but penetrating text, make this book a real treasure to behold. We join our narrator (whose name and age we do not know, but who looks like a child of around nine or 10) as a violent storm hits their home, causing a devastating flood. The narrator flees the danger with their grandmother and younger sister, and they all end up fighting for survival in an old shed. After their hope of getting rescued dwindles to nothing, Grandma’s skills in gardening, fishing, and telling stories keeps the narrator’s family safe and allows them to thrive in their new environment. Delivering a beautiful message about resilience wrapped up in a story that will captivate young readers, Suwannakit’s latest offering is sure to be a future classic. Who’s got the mettle to win? Will Drift, Bounce, Bolt, Speedy or Tricks take the big prize? A delightful, candy-coloured mix of Wacky Races and ‘10 Green Bottles’, this whizzy counting adventure has lots to offer for your littlest readers. The rhyming text means it’s perfect to read aloud, while bright and busy illustrations allow even those who aren’t ready to read the text themselves to easily follow along with the story. The addition of ‘player cards’ illustrations (reminiscent of Mario Kart) and a map of the Fairytale Forest is a nice touch, too, encouraging children to be truly invested in the race, and stay till the end to find out who will win the great Beanstalk Cup. On your marks, get set... KS1/2