Collected Resources

Tilly's Pet

This is the simple story of a little girl who acquires an unusual pet. She hand-rears a young swift and then has to let it fly away. Her sadness is soothed when she realises that the bird returns to nest above her bedroom each year.

Why not me? 

This story plays with the genre of traditional stories. A woodpecker wants to know why she is not in any tale. This story draws children’s attention to a wide range of tales and then challenges the reader to write a story with a woodpecker in it! 

Chicken and Shark

This is a very simple fantasy story which has the sort of surreal context which often appeals to young children’s humour.  Easily decodable, children can access this text with ease, drawn in by the quirky illustrations. 

The Day Ben went Bump
This is a really simple fantasy story about a child who falls through the floor and meets a variety of creatures in the ground below! Easily accessible for beginning readers, the children can use this to stimulate their own versions.

The Animal's Outing
This gives a simple account of an outing on which all the animals happily set out. They have a lovely day but, unhappily, not all the animals return. Why is Mr Fox looking so fat and happy at the end? Children rapidly engage with the recount and find the text easy to decode.

George and the Dragon
Children will love the swashbuckling tale of St George & the Dragon, as retold by Ruth Merttens! They will be enthralled by the charming illustrations and enjoy the adventurous story that is suitable for those beginning to read independently.