This week, the Junior Librarians Rafi and Layla share with us one of their favourite reads. Their books of choice form part of the Year 2 Reading Road Map collection. Rafi and Layla are in the throes of this reading adventure and have chosen their favourite books to date from the programme.

The Year 2 Adventure Reading Road Map programme is a reading for pleasure initiative, aimed at broadening children’s horizons. All the titles on each map (apart from the Classics genre) have been published in the last twelve months and no author has more than one title on the map. We believe that the best way to increase literacy levels is through reading for pleasure and having a strong reading culture across the school. Research by the Open University found that the children in schools who participate in the Road Maps read a wider range of books and discuss reading with their peers more than they would before.

This reading for pleasure initiative has been endorsed by the Open University, whose research has shown the important role reading for pleasure plays in a child’s development. In England, reading for pleasure in schools is receiving increasing attention in both policy and practice. Teachers are required by the National Curriculum (DfE, 2014) and the more recent 2023 The Reading Framework, to ensure children read for pleasure, but one cannot oblige children to develop a love of reading, they need to be enticed, tempted, and engaged, and build a legacy of satisfactions that will sustain them. In the current culture of testing and high accountability it is not easy to balance reading instruction and reading for pleasure. However, there is international research evidence that indicates that the will to read influences the skill and vice versa (e.g., OECD, 2002; Schugar and Dreher, 2017). Furthermore, young people who make the time to read in childhood accrue significant benefits, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Reading for pleasure is associated with a wider general knowledge, richer vocabulary and narrative writing, enhanced empathy and imagination as well as raised attainment in both literacy and numeracy in adolescence (e.g., Sullivan and Brown, 2015; McGrane et al., 2017; Senechal et al., 2018).

Firstly, Rafi recommends his current favourite fiction picture book, Holey Moley written by Bethan Clarke and illustrated by Anders Frang.

Rafi explains his choice:“This is a really funny story which I think all Grimsdell children will enjoy!”

Mrs Harvey would also recommend this recently published fiction book. Goat is trying to guess where Mole lives in the hilarious rhyming story, Holey Moley.

Holey Moley is great fun to read. Gus the Goat is trying to guess where Mavis Mole lives. Poor mole does not get a chance to reply as goat makes his many guesses. His suggestions are comical, rhyming and cheeky and poor mole keeps trying to speak. As the story progresses more and more creatures join them in the forest to listen to goat’s mad cap ideas. Bethan Clarke’s text is hilarious with great rhythm and rhyme. They are wonderfully supported by illustrations from Anders Frang. Goat’s various suggestions are illustrated with mole looking more and more exasperated.

Each page is colourful and entertaining. The animals have expressive faces and the goat gets up to some lively antics. On each page there is much to look at and enjoy. The end papers are charming and children can study them to spot the forest creatures. Children will enjoy listening to the text with opportunities to predict rhymes and join in with repetitions. This would be a perfect story to read aloud and children will ask to hear it again and again.

Our second Road Map book has been selected by Layla. She has chosen a much loved classic Peace at Last, written and illustrated by Jill Murphy.

Layla tells us:‘This is my favourite Reading Road Map book. Mr Bear tries to find somewhere quiet and the twist at the end is very funny!’

This classic fiction book also gets Mrs Harvey’s vote. Jill Murphy’s bestselling classic Peace at Last has delighted young children for almost forty years and is equally beloved by tired parents who are all too familiar with the plight of poor Mr Bear!

With a snoring Mrs Bear, an excitable Baby Bear and a house full of tapping and dripping and ticking, peace is hard to come by – will Mr Bear ever get a decent night’s sleep?

The familiar noises, repetition and beautiful illustrations make Jill Murphy’s delightful Peace at Last an all-time favourite bedtime story with children and adults everywhere. This is a beautifully refreshed edition of a much-loved picture book classic. Jill Murphy’s Peace at Last is an absolute classic story book for children in the Early Years and has been adored by young readers for decades.

Mr Bear is trying his best to get to sleep, but a host of annoying noises keep disturbing him. From ticking clocks to snoring and dripping taps, the noises of the house disturb him enough to send him on a quest for a more peaceful place to get some slumber. Children love joining in with the repeated refrain and making the different noises of the house.

Happy Reading!

Mrs Harvey