ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Recommended Reading Lists 
In classrooms, the teacher will keep a range of books from the Reading List most suitable for their year group. They are 'stickered' with a small round sticker (either on the spine or the front cover). The sticker is the same colour as the band across the top of the reading list e.g. Year 3 have red stickers, Year 4 blue, Year 5 green. However, if your child would like a book from a different reading list, they may ask for it and the teacher will arrange to get them a copy if it is likely to be an appropriate challenge for your child. With increasing reading challenge, books often increase the emotional challenges their characters experience and therefore some books may not be suitable for younger readers.
This list contains books and stories for your child to experience during their first year of school. These are not books and stories for your child to read aloud, (though they may begin to) but to share with a parent. They include a comprehensive list of fairy tales, though we have not specified which edition you should read, as the expectation is only that your child become familiar with these traditional European tales; the published version you read with them is not important.
Many books contain themes linked to socialisation within the classroom: sharing, friendship, recognising and understanding similarities and differences, telling the truth, taking risks and following rules. Many stories use repetition to help your child develop their language and to begin to understand the patterns that many stories follow.
Most of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
This list contains picture books which have been chosen for their language, their illustrations and the themes they cover. Typically, story themes have clear lessons to be learned and focus on developing social skills, empathy for others and understanding feelings and emotions. These books are intended for parents to read aloud to their child; they are not linked to the phonics scheme the children follow in school, and your child may not be able to read these books independently yet. It is intended that parents explore the stories and their meaning with their child. Many of the books have beautiful illustrations which help to tell the story and therefore offer opportunities for parents to discuss details the child can infer from the pictures. These books are most suitable for children aged 5-6 years to listen to and discuss.
Most of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
This list contains a mixture of short, chaptered novels and picture books, as children reading at this level are beginning to become more independent in their reading and developing their reading stamina for longer stories. The picture books we have chosen, though shorter, have beautiful, engaging pictures and stories which explore themes such as friendship, feelings and family relationships. Some of the stories deal with issues which the children are likely to be challenged with in real life and some are set in magical worlds to stimulate the imagination. The chaptered stories usually involve humour and fantasy, often mixed together. These books are suitable for children aged 6-8 years but are most suitable for those in Year 2.
Most of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
Children at this level are reading independently. They are building their reading stamina with longer, chaptered novels. Themes for these stories are friendships, school life, families, animals and fantasy creatures. The books are weighted towards stories set in the real world but usually with added humour and some aspects of magical reality e.g. a family of hyenas living like people (The Bolds) or a boy whose imagination runs away with him (Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of the Dark!). Most books offer illustrations still. Some books may be part of a longer series, offering the child a chance to consolidate their reading skills. These books are suitable for children aged 6-8 years but are most suitable for those in Year 3.
Most of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
Children reading at this level can manage long, chaptered novels independently. The themes of these books are more complex, and while humour is still a main feature (especially for books aimed at boys), there is more depth to the stories set in magical worlds and the characters often experience greater peril and threats. Themes include family, friendships, bullying, independence and they are beginning to handle good versus evil, with villainous characters who present a threat to the protagonists. These books are suitable for children aged 7-9 years but are most suitable for those in Year 4.
All of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
The books are denser and more complex. Their story arcs may be explored across a trilogy of books, requiring a significantly greater reading stamina and concentration. Themes include families, friendship, bullying, independence, loss, good versus evil, survival, hostile environments. Children can read historical novels, where they encounter language and features of everyday life which they are not familiar with. Fantasy novels contain magical worlds which are more completely constructed and follow ‘rules’ to make them similar to real-life experiences. Children may choose to read about the struggles of real-life characters, handling themes such as disability, racism and overcoming odds stacked against them. These books are suitable for children aged 9-11 years but are most suitable for those in Year 5.
All of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
The books may be thicker and the story continue across a sequence of books or a trilogy. They generally cover more challenging themes of friendship and bullying, family relationships, loss and grief, worries, differences, often with semi-magical settings or within magical worlds which are fully complex and layered in detail. Real-life stories are gritty and emotionally challenging with themes such as prejudice, racism, injustice, betrayal and revenge. The characters children encounter may offer more ‘grey areas’ in their attributes, their actions and their motivations. Villains are less easy to discern (as they are in real-life!). These books are most suitable for children aged 10-12 years but are most suitable for those in year 6.
All of these books are available to borrow from the school library.
