Previous SATs books

Level 1

This is a peephole book that enables children to guess what is behind a hole in the book. All the characters are animals and a little is said about each one. The pictures are vivid and entertaining. The language is repetitive and therefore a good book for a beginner reader.

Level 1

A super story of a little bear who wants to play with Big bear, but Big bear has too much to do. Little bear helps in all the chores until Big bear falls asleep. Little bear plays on his own until Big bear wakes up and they play together. There is good repetition of key words e.g. play and water. A lovely ending. This book is suitable for children learning English as an additional language and is also available in Braille.

Level 1

A good book for any child who has a cat or kitten that is being introduced to a cat flap for the first time. The ending is heroic, as he frightens a nasty neighbouring cat. Some stretching language for those less able e.g. kitchen, horrible, shooed and scratched. Appealing illustrations by Bogdanowicz. This book is suitable for the visually impaired.

Level 2

A watered down version of 'The Owl who was afraid of the dark' by Jill Tomlinson. Blink is a young owl who is waiting to be old enough to fly and hunt by himself. He stays awake all day and discovers the mysteries of the world and is finally ready to experience the night world. Some challenging language for an able Year 2 child, e.g. dithered, wriggled, hovered and fidgeted.

Level 1

This is a story about a boy and his father going for a walk. Dad tells his son not to put his head through some railings and ends up being caught in them. Lots of people come to help in numbers from one to ten. A good book to reinforce number skills. The book has a good ending. The illustrations are super. This book is particularly suitable for children learning English as an additional language and also for those who are visually impaired.

Level 2

This is part of a series of books. Others being 'Frog and the birdsong', 'Frog and the stranger', 'Frog in love' , 'Frog in Winter' and 'Frog is frightened'. 'Frog is a hero' is a superb book. He is a warm and friendly character who always has other characters interests at heart. The story revolves around Frog enjoying the rain but then having to rescue his friends from too much of it. Hare, Duck and Pig consequently see him as a hero. The difficult language are words such as suggested, desperately, streaming and gathering. A lovely story. Not to be missed. This book is also available for children who have English as an additional language, those who are visually impaired and Braille.

Level 1

This an African folk tale of a farmer of yaks. Everything he comes in contact with talks to him, animals, plants etc. He does not understand why. He approaches the king. The King disbelieves him and threatens jail. When the king is talking to himself the chair answers back. The King is never seen again. I do not like this book I hate the illustrations and it has no message. This book is also available in Braille.

Level 2

Trevor is a terrapin. He is bored. The rest of the family go out for the day and Trevor is left to tidy his toy cupboard. He has a great time discovering his toys, but, leaves the house in chaos. This is a great book for any child who has a bedroom full of toys and parents always nagging that he tidies up! This book is particularly suitable for children learning English as an additional language.

Level 2

Flapjack lives in the North Pole far away from his cousin Waddle. He goes to visit him and encounters many adventures on the way. He helps a whale and the whale in return saves him from other disasters. He finally meets his cousin but knows he can't stay for long. This problem is resolved by making a big boat so they can see each other whenever they want. Excellent and stretching vocabulary and plenty of scope for discussion about problem solving. This book is suitable for children who are visually impaired or who are learning English as an additional language. It is also available in Braille.

Level 2

I love this book. It is an easy to read book about the stars, planets and Solar system. Many children are fascinated with the universe and this book can educate a young reader about the fascinating things about space. Patrick Moore has done a good job in relating science to a young mind. Some stretching vocabulary. Well recommended.

Level 2

An imaginative and creative story about a bear who wants to go to the Moon. Delightful for any young reader who is interested in rockets and space. Demanding vocabulary for this level and punctuation that can be emphasised while reading. Beautiful illustrations that have scope for discussion. Thoroughly recommended.

Level 2

This is a National Curriculum book for Key Stage 1 SATs. The story is based on a little girl growing up amongst adults and feeling small until she has a younger sister who is even smaller than herself. A good story with plenty of discussion points and stretching vocabulary, i.e. 'scolded' and 'annoyed'. Good bold print and interesting illustrations by Penny Dale.

Level 2

This is a story of a farmer and his son losing a sheep during the winter. The sheepdog is thought of as useless by Dad, but, he saves the day at the end because he brings the lost sheep home who is having lambs. There are lots of comparisons to the dog and the boy. Sam, the boy never loses faith, which is the moral of the story. Fairly good vocabulary, but a story that can only be related to if the children understand farming.

Level 1

This is a marvellous book. It deals with situations that any young reader can relate to. The first day at school is done particularly well. Other new experiences such as going to the dentist are portrayed through a child's eyes. It is easy to read and has great illustrations. A definite must because children and adults can share the feelings together. This book is also suitable for children learning English as an additional language.

Level 2

I love this book. This is a carry on from "Hairy McClarey form Donaldson's Dairy" There is great deal of rhythmical quality. The book is a huge poem about a dog and its habits. Lovely words and a great deal of scope for discussion for anyone that has a pet. Well recommended. This book is suitable for the visually impaired and is also available in Braille.

Level 1

This is a great book about children (played by cats) pretending not to be scared. It is very modern and addresses issues of bullying and dealing with the tough kids in the neighbourhood. Frightened Fred turns out not to be not so frightened when he discovers that the tough kids just want to know the way to the river.

Level 1

This a touching book about a small bear in a sailor suit who has no one to play with, so decided to become a sailor. After a few decision making adventures, he falls asleep and is rescued by a small girl. He decides to stay with her. There is lots of repetitive language which is good for a young reader. Lovely illustrations. Well recommended. This book is also available in Braille.

Level 2

This is a very "child-friendly" book on looking at how the body works. Themes are: How we move, Where our food goes, How we breathe, Our blood supply and How we feel. The print is large and easy to read. It is interesting and well laid out. There is some very advanced vocabulary. A must for an avid reader who wants to read non-fiction as well as fiction. Well recommended. This book is particularly suitable for children who are visually impaired or learning English as an additional language. It is also available in Braille.

Level 1

A modern version of 'The Little Red Hen', A duck does everything on the farm and is not helped out by the farmer himself, who is a lazy man. The other animals on the farm get together and run the farmer off the premises because of their respect for the duck. The outcome is that all the animals muck in together and run the farm. They realise that they did not need the farmer and that the duck was the manager of the farm all along.

Level 2

This is a lovely story about a girl, Jamaica, who hates wearing her brother's "hand-me-down" boots. Things become worse when her best friend, Brianna, laughs at her. It's a good story about children growing up and realising that what you wear is not what matters. Friendships are much deeper. It is a great book with great scope for discussion. This book is suitable for the visually impaired and also available in Braille.

Level 1

A non-fiction book introducing the five senses in a child-friendly way, with humorous illustrations. There is some difficult language for a struggling Level 1 child e.g. rough, slimy, smooth, different, but a good challenge for an able 6 year old. This book is suitable for the visually impaired.

Level 1

This is a superb story that any child who loses his baby teeth can relate to. The tooth fairy comes to the rescue, but also has ideas of her own. A fantastic book, with superb illustrations. This is a definite must for any young reader!

Level 1

This is a book in a series of others called "Funnybones". They are all delightful and amusing books. The language is very stretching for Year 1 children, but, none the less they are very good stories. This one is about skeletons dreaming about dinosaurs and how they overcome the terrors of them.

Level 2

This is a delightful book based on a child's first stay away from home. The book is based around a series of letters addressed to members of Rosie's family. The typeface is typical of a young child's. The story takes you through a child's feeling of being away from home, feeling home sick, but, eventually enjoying her stay away. A good book with stretching vocabulary.

Level 2

A lovely book for young readers. Good rhyming vocabulary. The pages have cut-out holes for interactive fun. The book is seen through the eyes of a baby. Good illustrations that give cause for discussion. Repetition of words and sentences to enable good sight vocabulary, but also stretching vocabulary for the more able readers. Sense of humour and it relates to children up with younger brothers or sisters. The ending is a good discussion point to get children to understand the story and predict the outcome.

Level 3

A superb book dealing with the emotions and issues of a three-year-old girl awaiting the arrival of her baby sister. The family are black and are interactive in a multi-cultural setting. This, therefore, gives rise to discussion of acceptance and understanding of racial issues, and how children deal with additions to the family. A good book.

Level 2

A sensitive story about children not wanting to part with loved and comfortable clothes, about visiting shops with Mum and how boring and infuriating shopping can be as a child. It can relate to any child who has been into town, up escalators, been ignored by passers-by and has been picked up to be rescued. An amusing ending, because Alex ends up buying exactly the same clothes but bigger. A good story.

Level 2

This book is one in a series of four focusing upon the weather. The content explains how the wind works and the effect it has on every day life. There is lots of challenging language but the book would keep the attention of an interested child. The photographs to illustrate the text are superb.

Level 4 Sats

Little Lumpty, the youngest in a family of eggs, dreams of climbing Humpty Dumpty's wall. One day he does, and has to be rescued. I love the illustrations. Any child knowing the nursery rhyme can put the story into perspective, but the language used is very difficult for a level 1 child.

Level 2

A touching story of ragged toy dog called Dogger who is loved by a young boy called Dave. Children can relate to the events in the book, as they deal with school, summer fairs and lost precious toys. Dogger is taken to be sold at the summer fare without Dave knowing, but is retrieved by a kind and bartering deal that resolves the situation. Some demanding language but the illustrations could be improved.

Level 2

A popular book with plenty of opportunity for discussion. Moral themes of friendliness and manners are a key issue. A good start to learning time on an analogue clock, including o'clock and half past. A lot of stretching language for the young reader including word like aphid, praying mantis and hyena. The text enlarges to emphasise the building up of the ladybird's anger, which adds to the story's theme. The ladybird realises the error of his ways and becomes humble. An excellent book.

Level 3

The touching story of a bear being rescued from a loft and the various ways in which the other animals in the story try to retrieve him. The attempts make are a good introduction to technological ideas and prediction of outcome. Beautiful illustrations that are engaging to young readers.

Level 2

A great variety of characters all of which have amusing stories to tell. They are very popular with 6 and 7 year old children who have a sense of humour and can use deduction and prediction in their reading. Some of the titles have very stretching vocabulary and others have weak story lines.

Level 2

Frog and Toad are good friends who share a great many adventures. They are funny books that a good Level 2 reader can enjoy on their own or read aloud. There is discussion scope for seasons, weather, being afraid of the dark and many other issues. They are good for a first time independent reader. I personally find the illustrations drab and unexciting, however, the children enjoy the stories.

Level 2c

A great story about a child's imagination whilst being in the bath. Andrew had many problems with bath time and his Mum and Dad, so he decided to bath himself. He has a great time conjuring up all sorts of imaginary animals and adventures to make bath time more pleasant. Superb and delightful for any child who hates being scrubbed in the bath by their parents!

Level 2

A book based on an elephant family. The parents are going out for the evening and Granny is babysitting. A lovely story that most children can relate to if they have ever seen their parents getting ready to go out. A nice ending with humour and scope for discussion.

Level 2

A story about a bear who could not get to sleep and tried various ways to encounter the problem. Not a great story line. The illustrations are lovely but the script is not exciting!

Level 2

I think this is a strange book to be chosen as a SAT's book. However, it is a factual book that some children may find interesting. The language is advanced for a 7 year old and is not a book that is easily understood unless you live near the sea. A book for a child interested in nature and their surroundings.

Level 2

Duncan has a tree house for his birthday and enjoys the pleasures of observing nature through his binoculars. He spends a lot of time in his tree house. When it comes to staying a night in there he is obviously afraid of the dark and has his dog, Buster, to keep him company. He gets over his fears and enjoys the night, eventually. This is a superb book with excellent vocabulary. Well recommended.

Level 1

A lovely book for five-year-olds. The text is clear and the vocabulary easy. The story relates to a lot of noise in a household and the cat being blamed for everything. However, it is the daily routine of the family that is to blame. It is an amusing tale and very imaginative.

Level 2

This is a dual language book. English and Punjabi. It has great discussion points for prejudice. The story is based on a black girl who has a vivid imagination and loves plying characters in books. When there is an opportunity to play Peter Pan in a school play she is told by peers that Peter Pan is a boy and there are underlying ideas that it is also because she is black. She gets the part and does very well. This is a great book for teaching children about a multicultural society.

Level 2

Mrs. Large, an elephant decides to go on a diet and become fit. This has to involve the rest of the family, much to their reluctance. At the end of the story they decide elephants were meant to be big and exercise and dieting is no fun. They enjoy their cake. A super story and a very good read. Large text and the language is easily readable for a 7 year old.

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