Summer Reading '15: Early Readers 5-8

Super Loud Sam by Jo Simmons: Sam is a nice guy. He just can't keep his voice down. This sometimes comes in handy (saving a small child crossing the road by bringing traffic to a halt with his booming voice, etc.) Unfortunately, he now finds himself under the rule of a teacher who hates noise and who may or may not have kidnapped his old teacher, Mr Clod. Together with his best friend, Nina, Sam will have to get to the bottom of things and save the day, learning along the way how to accept the things that make him different.

Wigglesbottom Primary: The Shark in the Pool by Pamela Butchart: Pamela Butchart's early reading books are always a treat—funny, well-crafted and immediately appealling. This second installment of Wigglesbottom Primary (after The Toilet Ghost) sees the children and their bewildered teacher come up against a new, very fishy problem.

The Bolds by Julian Clary: When two English tourists have an unfortunate encounter with a crocodile, hyenas Spot and Sue steal their identities and embark on a new life in suburban England. Inventively and amusingly written by Julian Clary and brilliantly illustrated by David Roberts, it's also a surprisingly touching celebration of the power of kindness, the value of friendship and the importance of being who you really are. Even (or perhaps especially) if who you really are is a hyena. In a dress.

Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf by Catherine Storr: This is a new edition of a children's classic that has remained in print since 1955. These books excite much fondness in adults who remember them from their childhood, and there's no reason why new generations shouldn't continue to enjoy timeless tales of a clever girl repeatedly outwitting her peckish lupine adversary. Also treat yourselves to Polly and the Wolf Again...

Fox Investigates: A Brush with Danger by Adam Frost: The beginning of what promises to be a stylish, cosmopolitan detective series. Wily Fox and his sidekick Albert the mole are on the trail of a stolen painting, leading them on a madcap adventure that will take them from Paris to Moscow.

Murray the Horse by Gavin Puckett: This lovely little story, told entirely in rhyme, will charm you as soon as you pick it up. On a warm sumer's day at a race track in Surrey, something odd happened to a racehorse called Murray. The events that unfolded were certainly strange, events that by chance caused his whole life to change...