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The Tamarind 10: Must-have titles for any library

Posted 25 May at 11:19 am in African American, EMAS, ESL, Malorie Blackman, Obama, The Silence Seeker, libraries, recommended reads

We love all our books, but if you need recommendations, here they are: 10 books every library and school must have! Click on the titles to find out more.

10
Dave and the Tooth Fairy

A classic! Former National Curriculum text celebrating over 15 years in print. Currently on Oxford Reading Tree.

Themes: jobs, losing teeth, Down’s Syndrome, wheelchair use, fairies

9
Choices, Choices…

A hilarious rhyming romp through careers for boys.

Themes: jobs, poetry, humour

8
Amina and the Shell

A tropical Thumbelina tale, highlighted in children’s book week 2009.

Themes: climate change, giants, agriculture

7
The Day the Rains Fell

Stunningly illustrated tale about saving the environment highlighted in children’s book week 2010.

Themes: environment, water, creation, animals, African jewellery and pottery

6
The Silence Seeker

An asylum seeker’s search for peace and quiet in the noisy city – a great book for discussion.

Themes: immigration, making friends, noises and silence, urban life, ESL, SEN

5
Miss Bubble’s Troubles

A clever class saves their beloved teacher in this rhyming story.

Themes: humour, poetry, school, hospital, pets

4
Ferris Fleet the Wheelchair Wizard

Space, magic and wizards! Great junior fiction for boys.

Themes: space, humour, wheelchair use, single-parent family, working mums, moving house

3
Accessible biographies of well-loved icons

Including Benjamin Zephaniah, Malorie Blackman and the Obamas. Click here to view all.

Themes: Black History Month, non-fiction, biography, careers

2
Spike and Ali Enson

A tale of alien adoption.

Themes: humour, aliens, sibling rivalry, adoption

1
The Young Chieftain

Pacey 11+ fiction where L.A. skater boy Jamie MacDoran faces up to an ancient Scottish legacy.

Themes: dual heritage, bereavement, family history, responsibility

And a little something for bed time…
The Night the Lights Went Out

A soothing, lyrical story for anyone who’s afraid of the dark.

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Buy a Book by a Black Author and Give it to a White Person month

Posted 2 December at 4:48 pm in Africa, African American, black authors, news

It’s a mouthful, but December is BBBAGIWP month. It’s an event inspired by black author Carleen Brice, to welcome people from a non-black background into the sometimes segregated shelves of books by black authors.

Click for fiction suggestions from Carleen.

“Fiction at its best isn’t just enjoyable. It measurably enhances our abilities to empathize with other people and connect with something larger than ourselves.” – Keith Oatley, novelist and psychologist