Anna Rushall

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A passionate advocate for English, having taught all year groups across the primary phase and led English for much of the last twenty years, Anna is now using her lifelong enthusiasm for literature to support schools with their English provision on a consultancy basis. LinkedIn | Twitter/X | Reviews by Anna Rushall

Book reviews by Anna Rushall

Grimwood: Party Animals by Nadia Shireen

Grimwood: Party Animals by Nadia Shireen

Grimwood: Party Animals is is perfect for early independent readers and those pupils who have just mastered beginner reads and are ready to finally enjoy a slightly longer story, but for whom it is critical the steps to reading for pleasure success are still available.
The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Mike Barfield

The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Mike Barfield

The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals is a smashing non-fiction title with endless use in a primary setting this is a book that is sure to be well-thumbed as soon as it is added to collections.
The Moonlit Campout by Ruth Symons

The Moonlit Campout by Ruth Symons

The Moonlit Campout would be a suitable text to support a topic on the dark. It would also be a good way of opening up early conversations around the things that scare us, as one character is afraid of the dark.
I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties by Angie Morgan

I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties by Angie Morgan

I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties is a perfect title for supporting the very young with their first explorations into the world of children’s parties, or indeed any example of attending their first events without an adult.
The Big Day by Rachel Plummer

The Big Day by Rachel Plummer

The Big Day would be a useful addition to classroom collections to promote inclusivity of all relationships. It could also be used as a discussion support text in PSHE.
Solstice: Around the world on the longest, shortest day by Jen Breach

Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day by Jen Breach

Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day is an ideal KS2 non-fiction title for supporting Geography, Maths and PSHE units. Much more than this though, it is an essential leisure non-fiction title for its ability to quench the thirst of all hungry young fact finders!
The Last Dragon by Polly Ho-Yen

The Last Dragon by Polly Ho-Yen

The Last Dragon is an ideal class reader for upper KS2 pupils (Years 5 & 6 in primary school), either as a text for reading lessons or as a stimulus for book talk in PSHE time.
Moving Up by Christian Foley

Moving Up by Christian Foley

Moving Up is a useful addition to the bookshelves of upper KS2 classrooms and Y7 form rooms, either as a text for supporting citizenship time discussions or for pupils to dip into independently.