Tag Archive | Rachels Random Resources

Bus Rhymes & Playtime by Sue Wickstead

Sep14

All Aboard

Bus Rhymes And Playtime by Sue Wickstead is another absolutely beautiful offering for the under sevens, from this talented author.

I always know that when I pick up a book by Sue Wickstead, I am going to be enchanted. Each page is packed full of detail, from the rhymes to the illustrations. Each page gives you opportunity for discussion with your children. No quick glances here – delve deeply into the illustrations.

Bus Rhymes And Playtime includes characters from other Sue Wickstead books. If you and your child are familiar with the author’s previous offerings, you will find it a pure delight to meet up with familiar faces.

The rhymes are short and snappy with a bounce-along rhythm. Within no time at all, your child will be able to join in with the words.

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The Bad Penny by Lindsey Hutchinson

Sep14

The Salt Of The Earth

The Bad Penny by Lindsey Hutchinson is a marvellous historical novel that continues on from The Ragged Orphan. I can recommend reading that first for maximum enjoyment. Although this can be read as a stand-alone.

The year is 1894 as the reader returns to the rag and bone yard in Birmingham. We see that hard work does pay off when your boss is fair and kind. There is a camaraderie between the boys in the yard as they look out for each other.

Romance is in the air as new love matches meet up.

And there is tragedy too as death comes calling.

In contrast to the steadfastness of many of the characters, we meet the bad penny – a character who is happy to use people for personal gain, caring little for family and friends. It is a life of lies and greed, never being satisfied. When money motivates, you can be sure of a downward spiral.

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The Last Train From Paris by Juliet Greenwood

Sep13

Cover Reveal

The Last Train from Paris

For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.

Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany.

When Iris confronts her mother, she hits the same wall of pain and resistance as whenever she mentions the war. That is, until her mother tearfully hands her an old tin of letters, tucked neatly beside a delicate piece of ivory wool.

Retreating to the loft, Iris steels herself to at last learn the truth, however painful it might be. But, as she peels back each layer of history before her, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.

The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal… 

A beautifully written and addictively compelling historical novel about the terrible choices ordinary people were forced to make in the horrors of World War Two. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale, you will devour this book.

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If I Were Invisible by Lily Lawson

Sep12

Easily Relatable

If I Were Invisible by Lily Lawson is a charming book for the under fives.

The whole book is simply constructed in rhyme, making it easy for our children to join in. Each page prompts a discussion with our children – would you like to be invisible? Why? Or why not?

We see the importance of family and friends.

The whole book is simply illustrated by Gustyawan. There is so much detail within each page. It is easy to relate to the main character.

This is a really fun book that would enhance any child’s personal library. I think every early years classroom should have a copy too.

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