I've Just Had a Bright Idea!

by Scoular Anderson

Published 1 September 2010

Have you ever wondered how things are created? Find out all about inventors and their amazing inventions in this non-fiction information book, written and illustrated by Scoular Anderson.

  • Green/Band 5 books offer early readers patterned language and varied characters
  • Text type: An information book.
  • A timeline of all the inventors and their inventions on pages 14 and 15 help children to recap when different things were invented and provides a wealth of speaking and listening opportunities.
  • Additional retrieval devices such as a glossary and index can be evaluated for their usefulness as children develop critical reading skills.
  • Curriculum links: Design and Technology: Winding up

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

So you want to be a Victorian? From dirty streets and factories, to watching Punch and Judy shows and riding the stagecoach – find out the real facts of Victorian living in this humerous non-fiction guide.

  • Diamond/Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.
  • Text type: An information book
  • Curriculum links: History
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How To Be A Knight

by Scoular Anderson

Published 1 September 2007

Here is everything you need to know about being a knight, from from being a young page to being knighted. This humorous non-fiction book explains all the tasks, training, outfits and privileges that came with the job.

  • Gold/Band 9 fiction books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.
  • Text type – An information book.
  • There is a contents page (on page 1), listing the "10 easy stages", plus an illustrated glossary and index on pages 22 and 23.
  • Curriculum links – History: Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

This witty information book describes real and imaginary creatures, and answers the question – are they real? Some of the creatures are from myths and legends, while others are genuine. Included are the Loch Ness Monster, about which there is disagreement, the vampire bat, and the yeti.

  • Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.
  • Text type – An information book.
  • A table on pages 30 and 31 summarises the information about each of the creatures in the book providing an ideal opportunity for children to recap.
  • Curriculum links – Geography: Where in the world is Barnaby Bear? History: Ancient Eygpt.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Where on Earth?

by Scoular Anderson

Published 1 September 2005
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Where on Earth describes the journeys of significant explorers, revealing the lands they travelled to and what they found there. Grid maps and grid references offer children an opportunity to find out for themselves where each explorer sailed.

  • Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.
  • Text type – An information book.
  • A colourful world map on pages 30 and 31 shows the routes the explorers took, providing lots of opportunities for speaking and listening, and work outside the reading session.
  • Curriculum links – Geography: Where in the world is Barnaby Bear? Passport to the World.
  • Fabulous Creatures – Are they Real? is another non-fiction title by Scoular Anderson at this level.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be a Viking

by Scoular Anderson

Published 4 January 2007
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

If you want to be a Viking, this book tells you everything that you need to know from how to milk a cow, to how to choose a sword! This information book is carefully organised into short chapters to help children practise the skills of locating and identifying important information.

  • Copper/Band 12 books provide more complex plots and longer chapters that develop reading stamina.
  • Text type – An information book.
  • The book is organised into short chapters to help children practise the skills of locating and identifying important information.
  • The glossary and index on pages 30 and 31 can be used to develop children's information retrieval skills further.
  • Curriculum links – History: A Viking case study.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be a Tudor

by Scoular Anderson

Published 4 January 2007
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Have you ever wanted to be a Tudor? Here’s how to do it – in just twenty easy stages. Find out all about the Tudor monarchs, homes, food and much more in this funny historical non-fiction book.

  • Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction.
  • Text type – An information book.
  • Reader/Response page with summary pictures to be used as a stimulus for further speaking, listening and writing opportunities.
  • Additional information retrieval devices such as a glossary, index and monarch information summary pages can be evaluated for their usefulness as children develop critical reading skills.
    This title is paired with an adventure story, Stowaway! set in Tudor times about a young boy who travels around the world with Sir Francis Drake.
  • Curriculum links – History: What were the differences between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times?
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be a Roman

by Scoular Anderson

Published 1 September 2009
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

So you want to be a Roman? Here is everything you need to know – in 20 easy stages. From the battle ground to building roads – find out the REAL facts to Roman living in this humorous information book from Scoular Anderson.

  • Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction.
  • Text type: An information book.
  • A gallery of the things the Romans did that changed the way we live on pages 46-47 enables children to recap the main features left over from Roman times.
  • Additional information retrieval devices such as a glossary and index can be evaluated for their usefulness as children develop critical reading skills.
  • Curriculum links: History: Whay have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past – a Roman case study.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Find out how to become an Ancient Egyptian in just a few stages with this fact-filled book from popular author and illustrator Scoular Anderson. From living off the land and cooking Egyptian food, to building inspiring pyramids and making mummies – all is revealed in this fun non-fiction guide.

  • Copper/Band 12 books provide more complex plots and longer chapters that develop reading stamina.
  • An information book
  • Curriculum Links: History: What can we find out about ancient Egypt from what has survived?
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be an Anglo Saxon

by Scoular Anderson

Published 5 January 2011
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

So you want to be an Anglo-Saxon? Find out how to do it in just a few stages. From fighting the Vikings and praying to gods, to making books from animal skin – all is revealed in this fun non-fiction guide by Scoular Anderson.

  • Topaz/Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate.
  • An information book.
  • Curriculum Links; History: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past: An Anglo Saxon Case Study
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be an Ancient Greek

by Scoular Anderson

Published 1 September 2008

A quirky insight into how to live like an Ancient Greek - in twenty-five easy stages.

* Sapphire/Band 16 books books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically.

* Text type: An information book.

* Curriculum links: History: Who were the Ancient Greeks; How do we use Ancient Greek ideas today?

* This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.


Were They Real?

by Scoular Anderson

Published 5 January 2005

An information book about the celebrated historical and fictional characters Cleopatra, Boudica, King Arthur, Robin Hood, the Pied Piper, Pocahontas, Blackbeard, Dracula and Tarzan. The book investigates which of them really existed, and which are based on legend.

  • Purple/ Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.
  • Text type - An information book.
  • An index and a glossary are included on pages 22 and 23 to aid comprehension.
  • Curriculum links - History: Why do we remember great people? How do we know about great events?

Pirate Party

by Scoular Anderson

Published 5 January 2005

It was Pirate Captain Codspawn’s birthday. But what was his birthday surprise? It wasn’t the beetles in the butter. It wasn’t the spiders in the sugar. And it wasn’t the special pirate pie that Cook had baked. But it was the best present a pirate could ever want!

  • Gold/Band 9 fiction books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.
  • Text type – A humorous story.
  • Pages 22 and 23 feature a recipe for pirate pie, with ingredients that would test the stomachs of even the most bloodthirsty pirates. This is a great starting point for further discussion and activities outside the reading session.
  • Curriculum links – Geography: Going to the Seaside, Where in the world is Barnaby Bear?
  • This story is paired with a non-fiction book on the same theme: How to be a Pirate, also by Scoular Anderson.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

How to be a Pirate

by Scoular Anderson

Published 20 September 2004

So you want to be a pirate? This book shows you how in 10 easy stages, from wearing the right clothes right down to what to do with the treasure. And along the way, you'll learn a barrelful of facts about famous pirates and pirate life through the ages.

  • Gold/Band 9 fiction books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.
  • Text type - An information book.
  • A glossary and index on pages 22 and 23 can be used to navigate, and to check understanding.
  • Curriculum links - Geography: Island home, Where in the world is Barnaby bear?; History: Why do we remember famous people?
  • This non-fiction book is paired with a story on the same theme; Pirate Party, also by Scoular Anderson.