Our Staff’s Summer Picks
Regardless of the weather, summer is here! Our staff pick their favourite summer reads from the Reading is Magic Festival Line up!
Hazel Plowman, Head of Creative Learning
I think that a perfect book to enjoy over the summer holidays is ‘A Day for Sandcastles’ by JonArno Lawson and Qin Leng. It’s a wordless picture book about a family’s day on the beach. There is so much to look at in the pictures, and lots of different stories to discover amongst the dunes of the beach. A perfect book to share and chat about together. And top of my TBR pile are J.T. Williams’ The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger and the second book in the series Portraits and Poison. It’s a thrilling mystery series set in 18th Century London and inspired by real Black British historical figures. I can’t wait to get stuck in!
Rosie Crocker, Marketing and Brand Coordinator, Bath Festivals
I haven’t actually read this book yet! BUT as we’ve been working on getting Reading is Magic Festival ready for the autumn, I absolutely loved hearing from Catherine and Katherine about their writing process and how much fun they have creating a book together, so now I really want to read Twin Crowns and their latest book Cursed Crowns. It sounds like a really interesting story, and I like how it’s written from two different points of view from two authors who are actually friends in real life. They seem to be having so much fun, it’s infectious!
Liz Scott, PR Coordinator
Quiet Storm is the debut novel by Manchester author Kimberly Whittam. It is the story of Storm starting out in Year 7 at a new school and navigating the challenges of friendship, family and finding confidence in who you are.
Quiet Storm is the perfect summer read in the build up to the new school term, showing young readers that being quiet isn't a weakness, but a strength. As she finds her feet in the athletics team Storm learns that she doesn't have to be the loudest to have a voice, she just needs to be herself.
Josie Alford, Marketing Assistant
I’ve loved making my way through the reading is magic festival reading list for this year. I recommend reading Harry Woodgate’s Grandad’s Pride (and the prequel Grandad’s Camper). These beautiful picture books combine family and queer joy. Each Page is a work of art and I bought a print from Harry’s website to decorate my house!
I also recommend Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby which won the Adrien Prize. This book was incredible! I loved the combination of fairytales and reality as a way to understand the world. I also learnt loads about OCD and what it is like to live with it. The recommended age for this book is 10-12 but as a 30 year old, I enjoyed it and think other adults might too - especially adults who work with children with conditions like OCD.