When Clare and her family go on holiday, she is not allowed to take her pet spider Harry with her – so when he sneaks away with her Clare is told off. But when her mum’s suitcase goes missing, who can save the day?

  • Purple/Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.
  • Text type: A story with a familiar setting
  • Posters on pages 22 and 23 advertise Harry's services for finding lost items and remind the readers of Harry's talents.
  • Curriculum links: Citizenship: People who help us; Animals and us.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

This humorous story follows Harry the spider to Clare's school, where the class is studying minibeasts. Displeased with his box, Harry escapes in the classroom. The fuming teacher is reconciled to Harry when he finds her lost glasses. She admits that Harry is a very clever spider.

  • In this sequel to Harry The Clever Spider, we find out what happened when Clare took Harry to school.
  • Turquoise/ Band 7 books offer literary language and extended descriptions, with longer sentences and a wide range of unfamiliar terms.
  • Text type – A story with a familiar setting.
  • Posters on pages 22 and 23 advertise Harry's services for finding lost items and remind the readers of Harry's talents.
  • Curriculum links- Science: Living things in the environment.
  • Ideas for Guided Reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Stowaway!

by Julia Jarman

Published 4 January 2007

This adventure story recounts the first round-world voyage of Tudor explorer Sir Francis Drake through the eyes of Dickon, a lame stowaway, who goes on to become Drake's cabin boy and personal hero. Readers learn about the harsh life that sailors in Tudor times experienced as they coped with storms, mutinies and illness on board ship.

* Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction.

* Text type - An adventure story.

* Provides lots of opportunities for drama and writing activities. This title is paired with: How to be a Tudor in 20 easy stages, an information book that can be used to locate factual information about Tudor explorers and the Armada.

* Curriculum links - History: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?

* This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.


Harry the Clever Spider

by Julia Jarman

Published 5 January 2005

When a young girl adopts Harry the spider as her new pet, no one is very impressed - not Mum, not Dad, and certainly not her big brother (could it be that he's afraid of large, hairy spiders?)... But when Mum needs to go to the dentist and no one can find the car keys, Harry saves the day.

  • Turquoise/ Band 7 books offer literay language and extended descriptions, with longer sentences and a wide range of unfamiliar terms.
  • Text type - A story with a familiar setting.
  • The story is followed by a poster on pages 22 and 23 advertising Harry's skills as a helpful spider, which is a great way to recap and discuss the story with children and gives an opportunity to extend into further work outside the reading session.
  • This story is paired with an information book on the same theme: Fly Facts by Janice Marriott.