Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Grandpa And The Kingfisher

Life affirming and lyrical, this beautiful picture book celebrates the awesome power of nature and the circle of life. Over the course of a year, a young child and their dog watch kingfishers by the river with Grandpa. As spring turns to summer and autumn to winter, the kingfishers raise a family, while Grandpa teaches his grandchild about the power of nature and the circle of life.

The Little Green Envelope

Olive’s friend has moved away, and Olive wishes she could visit her. A little green envelope, lost in the bottom of the desk drawer, knows how Olive feels. It, too, wants so much to travel, and imagines zipping up and down conveyer belts and bouncing along in a mail bag, on its way to deliver an important letter. An old postcard reassures that for every occasion, there is an envelope but it seems like it will never be the little green envelope’s turn. When Olive’s grandpa suggests writing her friend a letter, the little green envelope hopes and hopes that it will be chosen to carry the letter to its destination but will it be a perfect fit?

Robot, Unicorn, Queen

Shannon Bramer’s follow-up to her much loved poetry book Climbing Shadows is a collection of poems that explore a range of childhood experiences. Many poems reveal what it feels like to be a child―to pretend and dream and play with abandon, as well as to hurt and regret and feel sorrowful. The poems are varied in form, and while some are simple and direct, others invite children to see the potential for play and discovery in words and language.

Skating Wild On An Inland Sea

Two children wake up to hear the lake singing, then the wind begins wailing or is it a wolf? They bundle up and venture out into the cold, carrying their skates. On the snow covered shore, they spot tracks made by fox, deer, hare, mink, otter and the wolf! In the bay, the ice is thick and smooth. They lace up their skates, step onto the ice, stroking and gliding, and the great lake sings again.

Cantora

The folk rhythm of the bombo drum beats like a heart, with a resonant voice singing the truth of her people. Mercedes Sosa sang about what it means to be human, and her songs of struggle always spoke the truth of the injustice that so many workers and families in Latin America faced. As a teen, she won a local radio contest, and as her confidence grew, so did her fame. From a folk festival to Carnegie Hall and the Sistine Chapel, Mercedes performed the world over, sharing stories through song. But not everyone loved her singing: a military dictatorship ruled over Argentina, and they saw the power of her voice. Even from exile, Mercedes Sosa was a beacon of freedom for her people, and when she returned to her homeland, she persisted in her work: to be the voice of the voiceless.

Granny Came Here On The Empire Windrush

Ava is asked to dress up as an inspirational figure for her school assembly, but who should she choose? Granny suggests famous familiar figures such as Winifred Atwell, Mary Seacole, and Rosa Parks, and tells Ava all about their fascinating histories, but Ava’s classmates have already claimed them and she must choose someone else. But who? When Ava finds a mysterious old suitcase and Granny shares her own history, and how she came to England on the Empire Windrush many years ago. She tells her story through the precious items that accompanied her on the original voyage, each one evoking a memory of home. As Ava listens to how Granny built a life for herself in England, determined to stay against the odds and despite overwhelming homesickness, and she realizes that there is a hero very close to home, her very own brave and beloved granny.