The Secret Egg

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
Finding something strange on the bus leads to a secret egg hatching. What can it be? Told entirely in verse, The Secret Egg is a book-banded reading book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Purple Book Band for guided reading. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this 362-word rhyming story is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

The Secret Egg features a more demanding text with an extended vocabulary. With a wider vocabulary, the characters are more three dimensional, and illustrations are less important. It encourages more independent reading.

The Secret Egg is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

Staying Alive

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
How do animals survive when there is very little water? Find out how scorpions, camels and even kangaroo rats survive in harsh deserts. Staying Alive is a book-banded reading book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Gold Book Band for guided reading. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs, this 520-word non-fiction book is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

Staying Alive features a longer, more demanding text with extended vobulary and sentence structures. It has wider vocabulary and terminology and the story-line is sustained for longer. More than one point of view is expressed and illustrations no longer support the text.

Staying Alive is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

A Lost World

by John Townsend

Published 30 May 2003
What was the world like a long time before humans arrived on Earth? This book offers an account of the dinosaurs - but from a slightly different perspective. A Lost World is a book-banded reading book for more confident readers, carefully levelled at White Book Band for guided reading. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs, this 818-word non-fiction book is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

A Lost World features a more demanding text with extended vocabulary and literary devices. It has more clauses in sentences, the use of metaphor is introduced, and the story plot is more involved.

A Lost World is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

Yawning in Assembly

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
Find out what might happen if you yawn in assembly. Yawning in Assembly is a book-banded reading book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Orange Book Band for guided reading. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this 375-word rhyming book is suitable for ages 6 - 7.

Yawning in Assembly features a longer, less structured text with a more extended vocabulary. More literary language is used with more complex sentence structures. More space is allowed for text than for pictures.

Yawning in Assembly is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

Animal Escapes

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
How do animals escape from different kinds of attack? From octopus ink to possums playing dead, to skunks making a stink, it's all in here. Animal Escapes is a book-banded reading book for more confent readers, carefully levelled at White Book Band for guided reading. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs, this 802-word non-fiction book is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

Animal Escapes features a more demanding text with extended vocabulary and literary devices. It has more clauses in sentences, the use of metaphor is introduced, and the story plot is more involved.

Animal Escapes is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

This is a book about crazy, unbelievable weather, when it rains fish and even live maggots. You won't believe it! You'll Never Believe This! is a book-banded reading book for more confident readers, carefully levelled at Lime Book Band for guided reading. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs, this 948-word non-fiction book is suitable for ages 8 - 9.

You'll ever Believe This! features a more demanding text with extended vocabulary and literary devices. Metaphor and technical language is introduced and illustrations no longer support the text directly.

You'll Never Believe This! is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

A fun and informative read describing how waste from cows, dogs and even humans can be used to power our cities. A celebration of green energy! Plop! The Secrets of Poo Power is a book-banded readig book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Purple Book Band for guided reading. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs, this 578-word non-fiction book is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

The Secrets of Poo Power features a more demanding text with an extended vocabulary. With a wider vocabulary, the characters are more three dimensional, and illustrations are less important. It encourages more independent reading.

The Secrets of Poo Power is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

Feeding the Dragon

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
We're off to feed the dragon in this light and amusing text. We're off to Dragon Mountain! Feeding the Dragon is a book-banded reading book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Gold Book Band for guided reading. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this 742-word fiction story is suitable for ages 7 - 8.

Feeding the Dragon features a longer, more demanding text with extended vocabulary and sentence structures. It has wider vocabulary and terminology and the story-line is sustained for longer. More than one point of view is expressed and illustrations no longer support the text.

Feeding the Dragon is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

The Magic Bicycle

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
Miss Asan had a magic bicycle that could fly. She used it to do good. But when Miss Asan decided to sell the bicycle, Mrs Brown bought it. She wasn't interested in doing good - only in flying on the bicycle. But Mrs Brown couldn't leave it alone. The Magic Bicycle is a book-banded reading book for developing readers, carefully levelled at Turquoise Book Band for guided reading. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this 573-word fiction story is suitable for ages 6 - 7.

The Magic Bicycle features a longer, more demanding text with an extended vocabulary. It uses punctuation and layout to encourage reading with expression. It had more complex words and formal sentences and there are complex events.

The Magic Bicycle is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).

A Light in the Forest

by John Townsend

Published 7 April 2015
Winter has come to the forest, but the forest animals live in fear of the hungry snow-wolf. The snowy owl has a solution, but will the other animals help? A beautiful parable for our times. A Light in the Forest is abook-banded reading book for more confident readers, carefully levelled at Lime Book Band for guided reading. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this 837-word fiction story is suitable for ages 8 - 9.

A Light in the Forest features a more demanding text with extended vocabulary and literary devices. Metaphor and technical language is introduced and illustrations no longer support the text directly.

A Light in the Forest is part of Ransom Reading Stars, a structured programme for children learning to read. The series has fifteen levels: four phonics levels and eleven book band levels (Pink through to Lime).


You'll Never Believe This!

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019

The Secret Egg 6-Pack

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019


A Lost World

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019

The Magic Bicycle 6-Pack

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019

Animal Escapes 6-Pack

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019

Feeding the Dragon 6-Pack

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019

Staying Alive

by John Townsend

Published 1 January 2019