Tara Binns: Big Idea Engineer

by Lisa Rajan

Published 25 January 2019

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns becomes a crash-test engineer, conducting safety tests to ensure airbags in cars are working safely and experimenting with new ideas. Will her new ideas or lessons in health and safety help to avert a potentially fatal crash?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

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

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: High-Flying Pilot

by Lisa Rajan

Published 25 January 2019

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens ...

Tara Binns finds herself in the pilot's seat of a passenger plane - and she's the pilot! When a big storm appears ahead of them, will Tara be able to think calmly and logically to avert disaster?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Copper/Band 12 books provide more complex plots and longer chapters that develop reading stamina.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens ...

Tara Binns finds herself in a science lab - and she's one of the scientists! The team are working against the clock to complete and submit research for a competition that will, if they win, allow them to remain open. But where has the lead scientist disappeared to, and will they be able to complete the experiment in time without her?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini- series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Dani Binns Fair-play Footballer

by Lisa Rajan

Published 29 September 2020

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens …

Dani Binns finds herself on the substitutes’ bench in a packed football stadium! It is the final game in the mixed teams National League Cup and, when a player gets injured, the Red team need Dani’s help. How will she tackle being a footballer? Will she score the winning goal or let the team down?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

White/Band 10 books have more complex sentences and figurative language.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Dani Binns Talented Train Driver

by Lisa Rajan

Published 29 September 2020

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens ...

Dani Binns finds herself in the front cab of a train ... and she's the train driver! Asha, the other driver, and Tai, the conductor, show Dani how to work the train's controls and off they go ... until they come across something on the track ahead! Dani slams on the brakes and stops just in time to avoid hitting a herd of cows who have escaped from their field. With danger down the line, will Dani be able to get things back on track?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Gold/Band 9 books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns finds herself on the Minerva-7 spacecraft! The astronauts are on a rescue mission to save their colleague Ortez, who has been stranded on the Moon. Can they get Ortez safely back to the Minerva-7 before a meteor storm destroys their luna lander and leaves them all stranded in space?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini series is written by Lisa Rajan.

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

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: Vigilant Vet

by Lisa Rajan

Published 23 January 2020
Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens ...

Tara Binns finds herself in a busy veterinary practice, and she's one of the vets! While helping to treat a dog that has swallowed a padlock, a new emergency develops - a poorly hamster has escaped its cage, leaving its owner distraught! Can Tara help to find the hamster... and work out why that snake is looking so bloated?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Copper/Band 12 books provide more complex plots and longer chapters that develop reading stamina.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: Intrepid Inventor

by Lisa Rajan

Published 23 January 2020
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns is a product designer! She is in the middle of being shown the latest designs for anti-gravity boots when there is a catastrophic electrical failure. Tara and her colleagues are trapped inside a smouldering building with no way out. Can Tara use her inventive skills to save everyone inside?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Topaz/Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns is a climate change scientist! She finds herself on the edge of a snowy mountain, negotiating with a developer who wants to enlarge the local ski resort. She and her team are concerned this would mean cutting down the surrounding forest, removing the habitat of local wildlife as a result and unsettling the snowy surroundings. Can they persuade him to change his plans before disaster strikes on the mountainside?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini- series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: Creative Coder

by Lisa Rajan

Published 28 May 2020
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns finds herself working on coding and design for a computer game! The team have discovered that someone is hacking the game and some gamers have been losing their high scores. Does it have something to do with the rivalry between the coding and design teams? And can Tara help them to realise their individual skills and work together to complete the game development?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini series is written by Lisa Rajan.

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

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens …

Dani Binns is a builder! The team are busy constructing a new development of houses when they hit a brick wall with the building plans. They need Dani’s help, but how will she measure up?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Purple/Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens ...

Dani Binns is a paramedic! She finds herself in an ambulance speeding to the scene of an accident. A girl has fallen off a bike in the street and hurt herself. After an assessment by Dani and the team, she seems OK. But why did she fall off the bike in the first place... and who is this 'Benny' she keeps asking about?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens …

Dani Binns is a firefighter! She finds herself in a fire engine, racing to the scene of a fire in a lighthouse. With no fire hydrant or water supply nearby, Dani and the team have to think fast. Can they keep their cool and save the lighthouse owner’s kittens from the blaze?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

White/Band 10 books have more complex sentences and figurative language.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Dani Binns Clever Chef

by Lisa Rajan

Published 29 May 2020

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens ...

Dani Binns finds herself in the bustling kitchen of a restaurant - and she's one of the chefs! When the sauce chef gets distracted and mixes up her ingredients, it's up to Dani to come up with a plan. Will she get a taste for working in a restaurant?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Gold/Band 9 books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: Daring Diver

by Lisa Rajan

Published 23 January 2020
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens …

Tara Binns is a marine biologist, and she’s in the middle of an important diving expedition! A motorboat has sunk to the ocean bed and the team are worried it will start leaking oil and harming the local sea life. Can they work as a team to find a way of raising the fuel containers safely before they leak? And what are those dark shadows looming towards them from the depths…?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

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

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens...

Tara Binns is a police detective! When the team are called to look into a missing person, can Tara use her eagle eyes and sharp thinking to piece together the clues and solve the mystery?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Diamond/Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Tara Binns: Double-Quick Doctor

by Lisa Rajan

Published 25 January 2019
Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens ...

Tara Binns becomes a doctor in a busy hospital, helping children who have hurt themselves. When one child suddenly struggles to breathe, can she use her deduction skills to work out the problem in time?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Topaz/Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Dani Binns: Promising Police Officer

by Lisa Rajan

Published 29 September 2020

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens …

Dani Binns is a police officer! Several thefts have been reported at the town market – a silver bracelet, a set of keys, some coins, and a badge have all gone missing. But who has taken them? Dani and her fellow police officers, Asha and Tai, have their suspicions, but the clues seem to lead down a different path. Will Dani find the real culprit?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Dani Binns Fix-it Farmer

by Lisa Rajan

Published 29 September 2020

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Dani Binns opens up her toy box something exciting happens …

Dani Binns is a farmer! When she goes to feed the animals on the farm, she discovers that they are mysteriously in the wrong pens. Chickens are in the horse’s field, a horse is in the sheep pen … and one sheep is missing! With everyone in a flap at the farm, can Dani restore order?

This exciting title in the Dani Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Purple/Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


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

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

When Tara Binns opens up her dressing up box something exciting happens…

Tara Binns becomes a palaeontologist on a dig to find dinosaur fossils! The team has very tight deadline to see if their site is of scientific interest before the bulldozers come in and an adventure park is built. The palaeontologists feel sure there is something new waiting to be discovered, but will they be able to prove their hunch before it’s too late?

This exciting title in the Tara Binns mini-series is written by Lisa Rajan.

Diamond/Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.