The Railway Revolution

by Jo Nelson

Published 1 September 2016
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

In 1804 the first steam train set out on a nine mile journey. Within 50 years, there were 6,000 miles of railway across the country. Discover who was behind this revolution and how it transformed Victorian England.

Sapphire/Band 16 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, geography

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


Top Ten Great Britons

by Jo Nelson

Published 22 September 2017

When the British public voted for their top ten Britons, they included a writer, musician, campaigner, engineer and politician in the list. What do they all have in common? Find out what it takes to be a Great Briton.

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

Collins Big Cat is a guided reading series for ages 4-11 edited by Cliff Moon. Top children's authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that your children will love to read, banded to help you choose the right book for every child. Practical ideas for guided reading are included at the back of each book.

  • Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading programme and longer chapter books.
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  • Curriculum links:

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

Follow Rosa’s magical journey across the snow and ice towards a mysterious prince, who she must rescue in order to unlock her own true happiness. This beautiful retelling of an other-worldly traditional tale, wonderfully describes Rosa’s unexpected voyage.

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

Text type: A traditional tale

Curriculum links: English: fairy stories, myths and legends.

This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.