Monthly Archives: November 2013

Home was excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really loved the relationship between the 2 boys. The first chapter 'Farting' was really funny until the last sentence which made the story serious within a split second, making you feel awful for laughing. I loved the bit with the rug when the policemen call to tell the family about Max's grave and when they call to check Max's things and Danny is lying in his icy bed in front of the fans. Danny's Mum punching his Dad and breaking his nose was another great but sad bit of the story because you understand why his Mum does it but you feel real empathy for Dad as he overwhelmed with the guilt of losing his son and believing he was responsible.
For a short story it is a very satisfying read, different to the Scream Street novels but still with the same style of writing which I love!
Thanks a lot for letting us read it – cool book- 5 stars!
Beth Khalil - LRC Manager

I thought it was a great short story. Even though

Max and Danny are close, even for twins. They spend most of their time together and rarely have a cross word.

So when the brothers suddenly find themselves separated, a traumatic and moving plot unfolds.

Tommy Donbavand is on to a winner in this touching tale of loss that will appeal to both boys and girls. With emotional cliff hangers and a zombie on the loose it has something for everyone's tastes. You will be laughing one minute and crying the next as you ride this rollercoaster of a story with all its twists and turns.

This is so much more than just a zombie horror book!

For most families throughout the UK, mealtimes provide a rare opportunity for the whole family to get together and participate in meaningful conversation. Busy work schedules and school time can often mean that the evening meal is the only chance many of us get to spend quality time with loved ones. But did you know that dinnertime conversations can directly relate to children’s confidence in their attitude to conversation and communication skills in general? A recent study carried out by The National Literacy Trust reveals that the amount of participation children have in mealtime conversations can affect their confidence in day-to-day communication.

A few weeks ago we gave you a sneak peak at Kev Hopgood's rough artwork for Tommy Donbavand's, The Colony, and now we're excited to share a draft full page layout; Kev's eye popping use of colour is really starting to bring the scenes of this graphic novel to life!

During their mission to kill the Queen Ant, the young group of volunteers have become surrounded by genetically modified ants; can they escape and ultimately save the human race from being turned into slaves or, even worse, food? Find out in January!

Author Mark Wright has hit the mark with this mysterious tale of ghosts and time travel. With an interest age of 12-15 years and a reading age of 8-9 years, The Corridor is an excellent choice from our 8 book, Teen Reads collection.

Frances and her younger brother Tom move with their parents into a rambling old house in Yorkshire. They really love the house, but things start to get strange.

Inquisitive siblings Frances and Tom can't ignore the ghostly happenings in their new family home. Dismissed by their parents as silly, the children are determined to find explanations to the creepy goings on and begin an investigation that ends up life changing...

This is the first time that Mark has written for Badger Learning, to find out more about him and why he's chosen to write for reluctant readers check out his author page here.

Terrified, the three conspirators run, but Jack stops, saying they need to go back. Lucas can't believe what he is hearing. Go back and save Alfie? But Jack insists – no one deserves this whoever they are.

When a prank to avenge bully Alfie Kane goes wrong, Lucas, Mia and Jack are faced with a horrifying choice.

Author Cavan Scott cleverly blends the world of fiction with real life challenges and dilemmas in his thrilling novel, Mama Barkfingers. Full of gripping twists and turns, your students will be on the edge of their seats when they finally get their hands on this teen read!

Following the recent announcement of our new Teen Reads series, we are pleased to reveal these eight titles:

Mama Barkfingers - Cavan Scott
The Hunted - Cavan Scott
Fair Game - Alan Durant
Sitting Target - John Townsend
World Without Words - Jonny Zucker
Home - Tommy Donbavand
Kidnap - Tommy Donbavand
The Corridor - Mark Wright

We can't wait to share these stories with you and your class, we couldn't put them down! Some are pretty spooky page turners!

Now we have all of our Young Adult titles, we'll be sharing author interviews and sneak previews of the books in the run up to our January 2014 publication.

Interest age 12-15, reading age 8-9, word count 4,500-6,000

Looking for a set of brand new stories to encourage your class to enjoy fiction? Our next Teen Reads series is just the thing...

Perfect for pupils with a low reading age, but high interest age, our new selection of books will have readers on the edge of their seats. With substantial stories to sink their teeth into, your class will find these books very accessible, with just the right level of challenging vocabulary and plot, and most of all... exciting!

Our eight title strong series is a varied list of thrillers, featuring ghosts, vampires, spies and even a zombie brother! Your class will be able to leap from one world to the next, developing their reading skills at the same time.

We're in the final stages of picking our titles, so check back for the big reveal soon!

We've been teasing you with graphics and plot outlines this past month and we are now chuffed to be able to reveal our final front covers for all 6 Graphic Novel titles!

With a reading age of 7.5-8 years, an interest age of 11-13 years and a word count of 500-750, these books, with their impressive covers, will definitely catch the eye of any reluctant reader and encourage them to turn the pages!

In today’s technology soaked world, parents often feel as if its mission impossible getting a child to pick up a book; especially if the child is a boy. It’s generally accepted that it’s much more difficult getting young boys into reading than girls because old and modern distractions such as television, computer games, friends and the great outdoors seem to have a much greater hold over those born with a Y chromosome.

It’s often said that the greatest thing you can give to a child is the gift of reading, and there’s a lot of truth in that statement. The benefits of reading from an early age are immense. If you can get a boy into reading it will improve his logical thinking, concentration, discipline, communication skills, grasp of language and, importantly, imbue him with the knowledge that reading can be lots of fun. Numerous studies have found that boys who begin reading at an early age perform far better throughout their academic lives than those who don’t. So what can you actually