8 Great Books With Extraordinary Characters For Key Stage 1 And 2 Readers
From superheroes to the brave and the bold to kids with unique talents, these stories can engage and entertain, and get children to consider what makes them special
- by Teachwire
It’s easy to get swept away with fantastic heroes and amazing lives. How many children in your school have Marvel or DC characters like Iron Man, Captain America and Batman on their bags and stationery? How many dress up as characters from Harry Potter for World Book Day activities?
But while Hollywood blockbusters like The Avengers have little interest in exploring what happens to the regular people caught in the crossfire of collapsing buildings and crumbling cities, children’s fiction has a duty to promote good values and hopefully help kids to develop and grow.
So, much as we all wish we could have super strength, or shoot webs or make sparkly disco lights it’s more important to realise that everyday heroism is just as laudable, and much more achievable.
As such, here are eight books that might help spark these discussions in your classroom.
1. Electrigirl
Jo Cotterill and Cathy Brett (OUP, paperback, £6.99, ages 9+ years)
Original, clever and smartly written, this is a book that will appeal to a broad range of readers, especially as after every few chapters the first person narrative drops out and the story switches to fast-forward with the inclusion of graphic novel frames while Electrigirl does her stuff.
2. Freddie Mole, Lion Tamer
Alexander McCall Smith (Bloomsbury, hardback, £9.99, ages 5-7 years)
There’s plenty of showbiz sparkle and razzmatazz and a dash or two of thrilling danger as the tale unfolds, but what shines most brightly is the message that runs through all of McCall Smith’s books: choose kindness.
Freddie isn’t especially strong, brave or clever – but he is immensely likeable, and it’s his friendly personality and consideration for others that ultimately earns rewards for him and his loved ones.
3. Fox Investigates – A Brush With Danger
Adam Frost (Stripes, paperback, £5.99, 7-9 years)
Generously – and wittily – illustrated by Emily Fox, this is a classy piece of storytelling, with plenty of naughty wordplay (a mysterious Russian villain called Dimitri Gottabottomitch, for example) and slapstick humour.
The plot bounces along at an impressive pace, and there are cunning plans, last-minute escapes and groovy gadgets galore.
Adam Frost writes with both flair and restraint, leaving plenty of room for the imaginations of his audience to add colour and fine detail.
4. The No 1 Car Spotter and the Broken Road
Atinuke (Walker, paperback, £5.99, ages 7-9 years)
As well as being able to identify any vehicle he happens to see, No 1 is also excellent at solving problems; but when the only road that runs through the place where he lives becomes so full of holes that cars can no longer drive on it, his ingenuity is stretched to its limits.
Author Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. She works as a traditional oral storyteller; and her narrative voice comes through as distinctively on the page as it does in person, vibrant with warmth and humour.
It’s still astonishingly rare to find contemporary, lighthearted stories for seven to nine year olds that are set on the continent of Africa, so to have something as engaging, accessible and well-told as this is extremely pleasing.
5. The League of Unexceptional Children: Get Smart-ish
Gitty Daneshvari (lbkids.co.uk, paperback, £5.99, ages 8-11 years)
The idea of being invisible through mediocrity is one that will resonate with plenty of young readers, however, Jonathan and Shelley, despite a complete absence of competence in any of the skills usually deemed obligatory for success in espionage, have a lot going for them: spirit, resilience and likeability.
Ultimately, satisfyingly, they muddle through and save the day – proving that it’s what we do, not who we are, that can make any of us a hero.
6. Hilo – The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
Judd Winick (Penguin, paperback, £7.99, ages 8+ years)
Hilo, on the other hand, is about as far from average as you can get – a boy who falls out of the sky one day wearing only silver underpants, shoots lasers from his hands, and is, it turns out, being chased by a monster set on destroying the planet.
Presented in graphic novel form, this is an exceptional piece of storytelling, with fantastic artwork and superb dialogue. It’s frequently genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, but there are also profoundly touching moments, as DJ struggles to overcome his loneliness, find a sense of self, and reconnect with his lost soulmate.
7. The Ministry of Strange, Unusual and Impossible Things
Paul Gamble (Little Island, paperback, £7.99, ages 9+ years)
The Ministry exists to deal with all those things that, as ‘ordinary’ people, we don’t want to have to think about – and as it turns out, there are plenty of them, from terrifying wild and fantastic creatures (you don’t think that horn on a unicorn’s forehead is for decoration, do you?) to aliens, supervillains and the scariest Tooth Fairy imaginable.
As a celebration of curiosity, a feast of footnotes and an invitation to imagine, this book is an absolute triumph – not to mention rib-achingly funny for all ages throughout.
8. Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy
Laura Williamson (Usborne, paperback, £6.99, ages 9+ years)
Lara Williamson has a real knack for writing original, memorable stories that feature youngsters doing exactly that – and this touching, funny tale is no exception.
Adam Butters was adopted as a baby, and while he is happy with his life, he has always felt that something is missing. When he reads a document revealing his original name – Ace – and details of his birth mother, he decides that the time has come for him to become a superhero.
Browse our character description resources.
