Reading Spine 2024-2025
The aim of this reading spine is to provide an extensive list of books which teachers can apply to their own long-term plans. These are books to use as class reads, link to writing and whole class reading, recommendations for reading corners or for extracts (taken from them to look at in greater detail). The intention is that by the time they reach year 6 and beyond, they have developed a wide, rich vocabulary and broader knowledge of the world and, as a result, are able to access the more complex books expected of them in secondary schools.
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
EYFS | All about me
The little red hen The colour monster goes to school The Colour Monster The Big Book of Families Only one you Jill Murphy’s Large family collection Super Dooper You Blue Chameleon We’re going on a bear hunt Mommy, Mama and me The family book All kinds of people Each Peach Pear Plum The great big book of feelings Elmer This is our house My very own space
Coming to England & My Two Grannies – Fl.Benjamin | Light and dark
Little red riding hood Owl Babies The gruffalo Whatever next Peace at last Alfie's Christmas - A Letter to Father Christmas The same but different too A bit lost Ten little fingers and ten little toes Ten in the bed The way back home Hoot Owl: Master of disguise | Under the sea
Rainbow fish How to catch a star? Snail and the whale Tiddler Octopus Shocktopus Sand between my toes I see the sea Tad Billy’s bucket Don’t worry little crab
NF: Under the sea
| Let it grow (Plants)
Jack and the beanstalk Bloom Errol’s garden Handa’s surprise Jaspers Beanstalk The extraordinary gardener Oliver’s vegetable Pumpkin soup Farmer Duck
| Let’s move it (Transport)
We catch the bus Blue monster wants it all On the way home I like trains The way back home My Gumpy’s outing The train ride | When I grow up... (People who help us)
Goldilocks and the three bears Zog Supertato Not now Noor How it works: Digger Blow a kiss catch a kiss You choose Man on the moon
|
Year 1 | The Three little pigs Goldilocks and the Three bears
Harry and the bucket full of dinosaurs – Ian Whybrow Happy in our skin – Fran Manushkin The Three Billy Goats Gruff The Autumn book – Pat Glisson The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carlson
Pele – Maria Isabel Sanchez Ruby’s Worry By Tom Perciva | The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson The Smartest Giant in town The snail and the Whale George’s Marvellous medicine – Roald Dhal Seasons – Robin Nelson Tree Oh no! Monster tomato – Jim Helmore Peace at last – Jill Murphy
| Lost and found The proudest Blue The tiger who came to tea - Judith Kerr Dogger – Shirley Hughes
| Dadaji’s paintbrush – Rashmi Sirdeshpande Dave and the toothfairy – Verna Wilkins
| Lost in the toy museum – David Lucas Beegu – Alexis Deacon
| Fantastic Mr. Fox – Roald Dhal
|
Year 2 | Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman/Caroline Binch Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
| The Baker’s Boy and the Great Fire of London by Tom and Tony Bradman Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers Katie in London by James Mayhew Winnie the Witch by Korky Paul and Valery Thomas
| Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake Jessica Love Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child The Dinosaur’s Diary by Julia Donaldson
| Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson/Emily Gravett Journey by Aaron Becker
| The Lighthouse Keeper’s Rescue Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes by Eric Litwin and others Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae The Twits
| Somebody Swallowed Stanley by Sarah Roberts Julian is a Mermaid by The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine
|
Year 3 | - The boy who stole the Pharoah's lunch - Karen MkCombie - Nikhil and Jay: off to India - Chitara Soundar
| -Harley Hitch an the fossil mystery - Vashiti Hardey
Llama out loud
| Faruq and the Wiri Wiri - Sophia Payne
My dad’s a birdman | -Into the volcano - Jess Butterworth
The abominable- Eva Abbotson | - Song of the river by Joy Cowley
| The wild robot |
Year 4
| The iron man
Voices in the park
| The last bear
A dangerous game | By ash, oak and thorn
Featherlight | The firwork maker’s daughter
Charlotte’s web | The infinite
Why the whales came | The Children of swallow fell |
Year 5 | Benjamin Zepheniyah Windrush Child
Floella Benjamin Coming to England
SF Said Varjak Paw
Wolf Brother Michelle Paver | Alfred Noyes The Highwayman
Berlie Doherty Street Child
Marcus Sedgwick Floodland
| M G Leonard Beetle Boy
Joan Aiken The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Christopher Edge The Many Worlds of Albie Bright
| Louis Sacher There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom
Phillipa Pearce Tom’s Midnight Garden
| Emma Carroll Letters from the Lighthouse
Roald Danny the Champion of the World
| R J Palcio Wonder
Emma Carroll Letters from the Lighthouse
|
Year 6 | The curse of the Maya – Johnny Pearce
Harry Potter Series – J.K Rowling
| Once – Morris Gleitzman
The Arrival – Shaun Tan
| Boy at the back of the class – Onjali Q Rauf
| Flotsam – David Weisner
| Skellig – David Almond
| Holes - Louis Sachar |
It should be noted that book and text selection in school not only considers narratives and poems but also recognises that a good balance of topic-appropriate non-fiction should also be read to help further develop children’s background knowledge of the subject they are studying.