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

 One day mysterious green clouds arrive in a fairy-tale kingdom and explode into a fine green dust, bringing an outbreak of mayhem and sneezing. All the King's men can do is think of ever more silly ideas, and it is left to two children to save the Kingdom from the Sneezles.

 This e-book is best viewed on Kindle Fire in landscape view to optimise your experience.

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

 A humorous fantasy story.

 Pages 30 and 31 contain six playing cards of the main characters with their pictures and characteristics, an ideal cue for further discussion.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Choices, Taking part.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

The Sneezles - Band 10/White

An exhilarating ride with one of New Zealand's foremost adventure photographers, Andy Belcher as he takes on the New Zealand Targa Rally against a variety of cars - from 1960s Austin Healeys and Ford Cortinas to the latest Ferraris. Wonderful photography supports Andy's recount of the trials and tribulations of this exciting event.

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

 Text type - A non-fiction recount of an event.

 A photography rally map on pages 30 and 31 encourages discussion and provides lots of opportunities for further activities.

 Curriculum links - DT: Vehicles; Geography: Where in the world is Barnaby Bear?

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Rally Challenge - Band 10/White

Do you look forward to the annual cheese-rolling? Or have you taken part in a dragonboat race? Perhaps you have danced in the street as part of a big street carnival. All around the world people take part in traditions that might seem unusual, but are great fun for everyone who joins in! Find out about all these and more in this information book.

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

 Text type - Non-chronological report.

 An index is shown on page 21, and a labelled map of the world on pages 22 and 23 showing where the traditions featured in the book originate, an ideal cue for further discussion.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people; Geography: Where in the world is Barnaby bear?, Passport to the world.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Unusual Traditions - Band 08/Purple

Everything about Mr Big is big. And ordinary pens just won't do; every time he tries to write, Mr Big's ordinary sized pens break. So Mr Big drives to the shop in his big car to buy a big pen. But size is not the only surprising thing about Mr Big's new pen. This eBook is best viewed on Kindle Fire in landscape view to optimise your experience.

 This is a Band 04/Blue book which offers longer, repeated patterns with sequential events as well as integrated literary and natural language. This is a fantasy story, and a storyboard on pages 22 and 23 provides a pictorial summary of the story in eight frames - an ideal cue for further discussion and activity. This book supports numeracy learning with shape, space and measure. This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery and quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For more guided reading books in this Collins Big Cat band, try Crunch and Munch (B06Y5JMJY1) by Nora Sands.

The Magic Pen - Band 05/Green

This non-fiction book explains how sea creatures have spines, stings and teeth and other means to protect themselves from hungry predators. Packed with stunning underwater photographs, there is much to entrance young readers.

 Green/ Band 5 books offer early readers patterned language and varied characters.

 Text type - Non-chronological report.

 A simple table at the end of the book can be used to check understanding and to recap information learnt reading the book.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Animals and us.

 This non-fiction book is paried with a playscript on a similar theme: Worm Looks for Lunch by Julia Donaldson.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Spines, Stings and Teeth - Band 05/Green

There was once a woman who baked the best cakes in the whole world. The fairies loved her cakes. But they didn't want to buy them and the woman was far too clever to let anyone steal them. So the fairies decide to steal the cake-maker instead! What follows is a hilarious account of how the woman manages to escape the greedy fairies' clutches.

 This eBook is best viewed on Kindle Fire in landscape view to optimise your experience.

 This is a Band 09/Gold fiction book which offers developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters. This is a traditional story with a story map on pages 22 and 23 that tracks the comings and goings of the unfortunate fairies to help children retell the story in their own words. This book supports learning around personal and social development and will encourage children to recognise what they like and dislike, what is fair or unfair and what is right or wrong. This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery and quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For another story in this Collins Big Cat book band for guided reading, try Animal Ancestors (B06Y5R42YB) by John Hughes.

The Woman who Fooled the Fairies - Band 09/Gold

This photographic non-fiction book tracks the life of a turtle. Initially meeting the mother, we stay with her eggs and follow a hatched baby turtle along the dangerous sands to the sea. A story of survival, the turtle returns to the beach to lay its own eggs.

 This is a Band 03/Yellow book in the Collins Big Cat reading programme which offers varied sentence structure and natural language. This is a non-fiction recount with a flow-chart on pages 14 and 15 that provides an opportunity to recap and discuss the story. This book supports learning about science, life processes and living things, and humans and other animals. This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery and quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For another story in this Collins Big Cat book band for guided reading, try Around the World (9780007186587) by James Carter.

The Baby Turtle - Band 03/Yellow

Young Hercules is challenged by the King to carry out seven labours - no problem, although the King is less impressed when he brings back the evidence and stinks out the palace.

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

 Text type - A playscript of a traditional tale.

 Pages 30 and 31 feature a 'wanted poster' for a your man answering to Hercules description, providing a great starting point for lots of speaking, listening and writing activities.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Taking part, Living in a diverse world, Animals and us.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Hercules: Superhero - Band 11/Lime

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

 Not your average science book, this in-depth analysis of the smallest living things in our world, gives captivating insight into the wonderful world of microorganisms. Focussing on bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses, it explains some of the biggest diseases of our time as well as the processes of protecting ourselves.

 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.

 Text type:

 Curriculum links:

The Mysterious World of Microorganisms - Band 18/Pearl

Chicken Licken is worried the sky is going to fall on his head, so he sets off with an increasing band of followers to tell the King. But will he get that far.?

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

 Text type - A traditional tale.

 A timeline of events retells this traditional tale for children to discuss and renact.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Choices; Science: Plants and animals in the local environment.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Chicken Licken - Band 08/Purple

The Pet Detective has his work cut out when his favourite football goes missing. With his dog, Rooney, he sets out to follow the clues; an open window; a missing football; a dirty big footprint; a bubblegum wrapper and a rustle in the bushes. It isn't long before the Pet Detective has located the culprit.

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

 Text type - A story by the same author.

 A storyboard on pages 22 and 23 provides an opportunity for children to retell the story in their own words.

 Curriculum links - Citizenship: Animals and us.

 Tortoise Trouble is another Pet Detective story by Jana Hunter in the Collins Big Cat series.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

 This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Pet Detectives: The Ball Burglary - Band 09/Gold

It's a lovely day for walking in the park. Before long the dog is chasing a duck through the mud, and dragging its owner into mud and a pond. The dog is taken home, shakes water all over the car and Dad, and at home gets hosed down in the garden - along with poor Dad!

 This e-book is best viewed on Kindle Fire in landscape view to optimise your experience.

 Pink A/Band 1A books offer emergent readers very simple text supported by illustrations.

 Text type - A story with predictable structure and patterned language.

 Children can follow the dog's journey using the story map on pages 14 and 15.

 This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery

The Very Wet Dog - Band 01A/Pink A

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

 The brightly coloured photographs in this picture book show common minibeasts that most children will be familiar with. Photographs alongside the minibeasts show children grouped and made up to resemble the insect featured.

 This is a Band 01A/Pink A book in the Collins Big Cat reading programme which offers emergent readers very simple text supported by illustrations. This is a simple information book with smaller versions of all the photographs repeated on pages 14 and 15 so children can retell the information in their own words. This non-fiction book is paired with a story on the same theme: The Picnic (9780007185399) written by Monica Hughes and Gustavo Mazili. This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

Minibeasts - Band 01A/Pink A

Mona the goat's brother is good at jumping. Mona's sister is good at leaping. Mona is good at growing sunflowers. But when she meets a big, fierce lion, Mona finds out she's good at something else too! A humorous fantasy story by renowned childrens' author Vivian French.

 Mona the goat's brother is good at jumping. Mona's sister is good at leaping. Mona is good at growing sunflowers. But when she meets a big, fierce lion, Mona finds out she's good at something else too! A humorous fantasy story by renowned childrens' author Vivian French.

 Gold/Band 9 fiction offers developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.

 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.

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