Monthly Archives: August 2014

England is suffering after being thrown into disrepair since the apocalypse; wasteland and mutant zombies dominate while humanity's resources dwindle.

Omak is a Postie, tasked with navigating the mutant and zombie-infested desert between fortified cities in a small armoured dune buggy. His job is to deliver messages, news, and medicine; anything of importance to the humans still striving for an existence, but many obstacles lie in his path.

Jon Mayhew superbly weaves a dystopian world with modern day characters in this exciting tale of courage and survival of the fittest, where desperation influences decisions that will ultimately affect the fate of the human race.

This is one of our longer Teen Read titles with 7,000 words making it slightly more substantial, but still without becoming too daunting for struggling readers. We are confident the futuristic theme will appeal to both boys and girls and the dramatic storyline will keep them rooted to their seat until

Sally Hagen dresses in black, buys expensive purple candles, and hates that her Mum orders greasy takeaway meals from the Just Bite website night after night.

When Carlos - the geek with a crush on her from school - delivers the latest dial-a-dinner, Sally figures the evening can't get any worse. Boy, is she wrong.

There might be more on the menu than she bargained for...

Tommy Donbavand's trademark earnest characterisation and gruesome wit are – as ever – brimming from his most recent Teen Read. His tale merges complex relationships with a suspenseful plot – perfect for teenage readers. However, we should warn you that some of the bloodcurdling content is certainly not for squeamish!

This time, Tommy has run riot to the tune of 7,000 words – something a bit meatier for our readers to really sink their teeth into, whilst maintaining the story's readability for those that struggle.

Take an old china doll, an age-old curse and an inquisitive teen and you have the perfect recipe for the creepiest of tales filled with generous portions of unease, horror and spine-tingling suspense!

Mia feels drawn to an ancient, dirty china doll when she stumbles across it in her Nan's shed. Her twin sister Jae does not hold the same opinion, declaring the doll hideous, but Mia feels strangely protective of it.

"So that's where it went!" exclaimed Mum. "I thought Nan had got rid of it years ago. It's from her village. She wouldn't let me play with it when I was little, she said it was magic and it brought bad luck."

But magic dolls don't really exist, do they? Gripping twists and turns pulse through this story leading to a consequence that is sure to leave the reader horrified in Beverly Sanford's first Teen Read for Badger Learning.

Of course you are!

Our 12 new YA titles for reluctant readers introduce 4 new authors to the Badger Learning team; Jacqueline Rayner, Beverly Sanford, Jon Mayhew and Ann Evans. Their individual Teen Reads all pack their own petrifying punch and we cannot wait to sink our teeth into them this September!

All titles are subject to change at this early stage but here is your first, exclusive look to really whet those literary appetites...

Just Bite by Tommy Donbavand
Copy Cat by Tommy Donbavand
The Locals by Tim Collins
Joke Shop by Tim Collins
The Changeling by Cavan Scott
Mister Scratch by Tony Lee
Snow White, Black Heart by Jacqueline Rayner
Insectoids by Roger Hurn
The Wishing Doll by Beverly Sanford
Death Road by Jon Mayhew
Nightmare by Ann Evans
Ghost Bell by Mark Wright

This series focuses on adult themes to appeal to teenagers including relationships, dark vampires, zombies, love rivals, attempted

We are thrilled to announce that another set of our hugely popular Teen Reads is in the pipeline!

We were so proud of our first two series that we are bringing you 12 more chilling tales, packed full of gritty issues, supernatural terrors and enough teen angst to reel in all reluctant readers within a five-mile radius! This new series rounds the complete set to 30 books altogether – a masterful collection for any school's shelf!

As before, these books are aimed at those with a reading age of 8-9, with a more mature interest age of 12-15. We've worked conscientiously alongside our talented bunch of authors to ensure that the books are presented accessibly – with short sentences, line spacing and off-white paper – but also that the content packs a punch for the appropriate interest age. Our stories aim to let reluctant readers access the possibility and the joy of reading, to draw them into a different world and leave them satisfied – not patronised or frustrated.

Do

Maintaining interest within a reading class and keeping control of pupils can be troublesome at times, especially when teaching difficult children or those who have no keen interest in reading. However, there are a number of steps you can follow and a number of activities you can introduce to make sure reading classes are fun and a lot more stimulating for young children. See below for our top five tips on how to maintain control of your reading classes