One of my favourite classroom discussions is what makes us human. The answers are always diverse. I am constantly surprised by young people's knowledge about the natural world: how it demonstrates the same capacity as humans. Humanimal: Incredible Ways Animals Are Just Like Us! by Christopher Lloyd and Mark Ruffle neatly flips my question and the assumption that we can somehow separate humans from the rest of the natural world. (This year I promise to flip my question.) I am

It is currently February half term week in the UK, kicking off with Valentine’s weekend. Thoughts of love have no doubt been on all our minds. Yet, love does not have to be the gushy romantic type - it can be a feeling of deep contentment and happiness. For me and for the contributors to this blog this extends to the love we have for reading, for books, and for the joy they bring us. I asked a small selection of our team if they would be interested in a challenge: I sent them

New year, new books. There are plenty of exciting new titles being published, many of them ready for review in the next edition of Armadillo magazine. But hold on! There are also some great next books in the series of... I therefore set myself a challenge to read five continuations in as many days. Here they are. Max and the Midknights: Battle of the Bodkins finds Max the hero of the hour after saving Byjovia - but she is still struggling to become a proper knight when Byjovi

FREE Children’s Mental Health resources listed below. This week, the 1-7th February 2021, is Children’s Mental Health Week. We already know that many children struggle with looking after their mental health. What we didn’t predict was that in February 2021 we would be in our third national lockdown, with the end not so much in sight, as a dwindling hope that with vaccines will come family reunions, days out and sights other than the less-than-interesting corner of our living