At St Michael's School, reading is at the heart of all that we do. We have mindfully curated a bespoke sequence of texts that span from reception to year six. We believe that it is important for children engage with books that have stories and characters that they can relate to and see themselves in. With that in mind, we have incorporated a range of texts and genres that explore different religions, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. To ensure that our children experience a rich reading diet, each book/text has been selected to fit into one or more of our key categories: empathy, inclusive, culturally diverse, classics, modern classics, poetry, picture and Shakespeare. 

Please see below for more details on the books given to Year 1:

Year 1 Reading Curriculum

Hair Love    

Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy.

Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. A perfect gift for special occasions including Father's Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more!

Here We Are   

The exquisite and thought-provoking new book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers.

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth. Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else... Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Beegu    

Beegu's spacecraft is stranded on Earth. Now she is lost and wandering. Waiting for a rescue signal from her mother, she fails to make friends with the strange creatures she encounters. Rabbits don't seem to understand her; windblown leaves won't stay still to listen. But at last, on a school playground, Beegu discovers a group of fantastic companions who are happy to let her join their games . . . until a grownup creature spoils the fun.

The Gruffalo's Child   

The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood.

But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist . . . does he?

The Gruffalo's Child is the number one bestselling, much-loved sequel to the worldwide picture book phenomenon that is The Gruffalo. Julia Donaldson's trademark rhyming text and Axel Scheffler's brilliant, characterful illustrations combine once more to ensure that the Gruffalo's Child has followed firmly in her father's footsteps and that her story is one that children will ask for again, and again . . . and again!

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Step into the magical world of Child's Play fairy tales… Traditional tales are a well-established part of all cultures. Retold from the originals, these lively stories will captivate readers with their delightful illustrations and fun lift-up flaps which really add to the action. The 'flip-up' flaps encourage prediction and discussion, and well-known stories will give young readers confidence. This flip-up flap book has the three Billy Goats Gruff in control. In this version the scrawny, decidedly under-dressed troll is no great threat. He is a bully under the bridge who is put in his place by each of the Billy Goats Gruff in turn. A lively retelling with uncomplicated illustrations, children will enjoy the flip-up flaps, some of which extend the story.

Apes to Zebras - an A-Z of Shape Poems   

This gorgeous collection of animal poems from Roger Stevens, Liz Brownlee and Sue Hardy-Dawson will entrance and delight in equal measure. Featuring a full alphabet of animals, birds, and insects, with the odd extinct or imaginary creature thrown in, these beautiful shape poems are a perfect way to introduce children to poetry. Some funny, some serious, there is something here for everyone.

Baboushka and the Three Kings

Everyone in the village is talking about the new star in the sky, but Baboushka, as always, is busy keeping her house spotless and bright. She offers hospitality to three strangers who are following the star in search of a new baby king. When they have continued on their way Baboushka follows in their footsteps, carrying with her some toys for the baby. But she has left it too late and, so some say, she continues her quest to this day. A charming folk-tale which blends the Bible story of Christmas with the tradition of giving gifts.

Clean Up!   

Join lovable, passionate Rocket as she sets off on a mission to save a Caribbean island from plastic pollution!

When Rocket goes for a holiday to visit her grandparents, she's shocked by the pollution that is spoiling their island home and putting the local sea life at risk. Can she think of a way to save the day?

This is a heartwarming, timely and empowering picture book, showing how we ALL can make a difference.

Mister Seahorse   

When Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, she does it on Mr. Seahorse's belly! She knows he will take good care of them. While he swims waiting for the eggs to hatch, he meets other underwater fathers caring for their babies. Now Eric Carle's heart-warming New York Times bestseller is finally available in a board book edition, complete with the clear peek-a-boo pages that made the original such a hit. Brimming with bright, colorful sea life, this new board book will be irresistable to young children everywhere.

Into the Forest   

One night a boy is woken by a terrible sound. A storm is breaking, lightning flashing across the sky. In the morning Dad is gone and Mum doesn’t seem to know when he’ll be back. The next day Mum asks her son to take a cake to his sick grandma. "Don’t go into the forest," she warns. "Go the long way round." But, for the first time, the boy chooses to take the path into the forest, where he meets a variety of fairy tale characters.

Growing Frogs   

What happens when you take an empty fish tank, add some pond water, scoop in some frogspawn ... and wait? Curious young minds will love learning about how frogs grow in this picture book which combines story with information.

Hats of Faith    

This book is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the shared custom of head covering. Using accurate terminology and brightly coloured imagery, Hats of Faith helps educate and prepare young children for our culturally diverse modern world. Encouraging an early and open dialogue between parents and children.

THE WORKS   

THE WORKS contains every kind of poem you will ever need for the Literacy Hour but it is also a book packed with brilliant poems that will delight any reader.
It's got chants, action verses, riddles, tongue twisters, shape poems, puns, acrostics, haikus, cinquains, kennings, couplets, thin poems, lists, conversations, monologues, epitaphs, songs, limericks, tankas, nonsense poems, raps, narrative verse and performance poetry that's just for starters.
It features poems from the very best classic and modern poets.

Ruby's Worry   

Ruby loves being Ruby. Until, one day, she finds a worry. At first it's not such a big worry, and that's all right, but then it starts to grow. It gets bigger and bigger every day and it makes Ruby sad. How can Ruby get rid of it and feel like herself again?

A perceptive and poignant story that is a must-have for all children's bookshelves. From Tom Percival's bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, this is the perfect book for discussing childhood worries and anxieties, no matter how big or small they may be.

Rhythm of the Rain  

Issac plays in his favourite pool on the mountainside.
As rain starts to fall, he empties his little jar of water into the pool and races the sparkling streams as they tumble over waterfalls, rush through swollen rivers and burst out into the vast open sea.
Where will my little jar of water go now? Issac wonders.
On the other side of the world, Cassi welcomes the rain to her parched village . . .
From tiniest raindrop to deepest ocean, this breathtaking celebration of the water cycle captures the remarkable movement of water across the earth in all its majesty. A stunning new non-fiction picture book from Greenaway medal-winner, Grahame Baker-Smith.

The Great Green Forest   

One night in the rain-forest a tree-mouse attempts to go to sleep. But every time she drifts off, a different creature starts its night-time song. Finally, the sleepy mouse has had enough: "Stop that noise," she shrieks.

My Granny Went to Market    

Fly away with Granny and count with her from one to ten as she spins around the world on an unforgettable shopping trip. This colourful, rhyming story is followed by a counting page for reinforced learning.

Where the Wild Things Are   

One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper.

That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are.

Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins!

But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.

Surprising Sharks

The last word you want to hear when you're swimming in the warm blue sea is "Shark!" But most real sharks are not what you might expect. Some are no bigger than a chocolate bar, some have built-in fairy lights and most wouldn't go near a human, even if you were wearing a sign saying "dinner"! So if you think all sharks are giant, man-eating killers, you're in for a big surprise.