4JB class books

Here is a list of all the class books we have read since September, in the order that we read them.

Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman

Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres

You Wait Until I’m Older Than You by Michael Rosen

Diary Of A Killer Cat by Anne Fine

Cloudbusting by Malorie Blackman

The Busker by Paul Jennings

Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers by John Dougherty

Next we are reading Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Harald Hardnut by Tony Bradman

Harald Hardnut by Tony Bradman

I reviewed this book because we are learning about the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in our topic. Harald Hardnut was a Viking king who came over to invade England about a thousand years ago. He was really tough and enjoyed fighting. He had two friends called Ulf and Haldor who both tried to calm him down. Did you know that Harald was killed in a battle against King Harold, who was then killed by William the Conqueror? There were a lot of battles in those days.

This is a really fun book to read. I learned a lot of history and a lot about how much fighting kings used to like doing. It's quite short so it's great if you are in a bit of a hurry to go out. I think the author must have enjoyed finding out about Harald and then turning it into a great story. This book gets 9.3 out of 10.

 

Review by Tyler.

Year 4 reviews

John Townsend is one of our favourite authors at WEJS (especially the Barney books), and we always like it when he has a new book out. Dylan, from Year Four, has reviewed two of his latest ones. Jack has reviewed The Busker by Paul Jennings.

Terror of the Swamp by John Townsend

Beware! Enormous reptiles included. There are lots of words that ran through my head when I was trying to describe this book. They were: petrifying, thrilling, mysterious and chilling. I really loved this book about a boy and his dad in the jungle. They had to face a lot of dangers and work as a team to survive. It has short chapters and doesn't take long to read. You will really enjoy this book if you like reading scary books, snakes or mysteries. I enjoyed this so much that I asked Mr Biddle if John Townsend can be our focus author next term.

(Mr Biddle's review: I liked this too! Straight into the action halfway down page one, and it doesn't let up until the end. Highly recommended for less enthusiastic readers in Year 4/5.)

Flashback by John Townsend

I read this the night after I read Terror of the Swamp. I enjoyed it but there wasn't as much action as in the other book. It's about a boy called Bernard. When he was younger, he did something really bad. Probably you couldn't do anything worse. But he did it for a good reason. He spends his whole life feeling guilty about what he has done until the right at the end. I can't really say anymore without spoiling it. But I will say if you like books about the war, and you like books that you can read quickly, then try this. You might be pleased that you did.

The Busker by Paul Jennings

This is one of the stories in Weirdest Stories by Paul Jennings. I'm enjoying it but I think the dog is going to die. Paul Jennings has written hundreds of stories, all with a twist, and they are enjoyed all over the world. I recommend this book to people who like books that makes them have lots of emotions, including happy and sad.

We're Going On A Bear Hunt read by Anna (age 3)

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Ten word book reviews

Writing a book review in ten words is not as easy as you think!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Funny, sad. Poor boy. Golden Ticket. Brilliant book! Oompa Loompas.

The Busker by Paul Jennings
Emotional, inspiring. Animal cruelty. Traumatising. Touching. Sad. Awesome. Happy ending.

Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres
Funny. Amazing. Rescue missing sister. Laughing lots! Hilarious. Dude, Bro.

Spy Dog by Andrew Cope
Awesome. Evil criminals. Funny! Amazing animals. Bike riding.

Elmer and the Hippos by David McKee
Book was fun. Good words. Great pictures. Imaginative. Very enjoyable.

Stitch Head by Guy Bass
Rising from the dead. Horror. Laboratory. Imagination. Little boy. Urrghh!

Beast Quest by Adam Blade
Boy knight. Fights a dragon. Scary ending and shocking. Wow!

Horrid Henry's Royal Riot by Alexia
Rude. Moody Margaret. Annoying little brother. Funny and naughty. Unfair.

The Complete Adventures of Charlie and Mr Willy Wonka by Roald Dahl
Chocolatey. Mouth-watering. Description. Imaginative writer. Factory. Tickets. Wonderful story. Elevator.

Poetry is not Pants by Craig Bradley
Cool. Lots of emotions. Wonderful poetry. Some funny, some sad.

Survival Squad: Out of Bounds by Jonathan Rock
Inspiring. Interesting survival facts. Amazing ending. Traumatic. Encouraging and supporting.

Dirty Bertie: Smash by David Roberts and Alan Macdonald
Dirty Bertie wins a prize. His friend wins a prize.

The Bewilderbats by Tom Blofeld
Really scary, funny, spooky. Lots of bats! Silly. Adventurous. Wonderful.

4JB audio book reviews by Bailey, Jack, Maddie, Reuben and Oliver

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Books Reviewed

Horrid Henry's Nightmare by Francesca Simon

Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman

Harald Hardnut by Tony Bradman

The Abominators by JL Smith

Survival Squad: Out Of Bounds by Jonathan Rock

The Monster Snowman by Gillian Cross

Jack, Ryan and Sam have built the biggest, scariest snowman in the world. Jack thinks it will be funny to give the snowman a phone. Later that night, they receive a strange text which says 'Come out and play with me'. Surely it can't be from the snowman? Or can it?

This book is a lovely book to give to people who like scary books. It terrified me at the end but I can't tell you why. Do you like being scared? If you do, then you must read this book. I have asked the school library to get some more books by Gillian Cross as she writes very scary (but not too scary) books for children.

by Rose

Creative Writing by Gervase Phinn

This is a wonderful poem by Gervase Phinn. You can find out more about him and his books at http://www.gervase-phinn.com.

My story on Monday began:
  Mountainous seas crashed on the cliffs,
  And the desolate land grew wetter ...
The teacher wrote a little note: Remember the capital letter!

My poem on Tuesday began:
  Red tongues of fire,
  Licked higher and higher
  From smoking Etna's top ...
The teacher wrote a little note: Where is your full stop?

My story on Wednesday began:
  Through the lonely, pine-scented wood
  There twists a hidden path ...
The teacher wrote a little note: Start a paragraph!

My poem on Thursday began:
  The trembling child,
  Eyes dark and wild,
  Frozen midst the fighting ...
The teacher wrote a little note: Take care - untidy writing!

My story on Friday began:
  The boxer bruised and bloody lay,
  His eye half closed and swollen ...
The teacher wrote a little note: Use a semi-colon!

Next Monday my story will begin:
  Once upon a time...

Leah reads The Solar System Tour

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2015 Annuals

We have been looking at some 2015 annuals. Here are our reviews. More are coming soon!

Jacqueline Wilson annual

This annual is fabulous. It's creative as well. She writes wonderful, funny books. She sits by herself to write her stories, which is a bit like me, but I don't get mine published. She si a very kind lady. Jacquelines Wilson loves finding memories of her family and friends and putting them into her stories. You should definitely buy this annual if you like any of her books.

Maddie


Match annual

I think that the Match annual is good because it tells you lots of facts. One of the facts is that Man United and Wales legend Ryan Giggs was Gareth Bale's hero when he was growing up. The book is good because it has pictures of footballers with some information about them. I was mainly interested in page 14 and 15 because it tells you all about the injuries that Gareth Bale has had in his career. Gareth Bale is a terrific player, and there is a picture of him and his wife. In the book, Cristiano Ronaldo is in a cartoon and he is playing bowling. It tells you what the score will be in the next game.

Bailey


Star Wars annual

This books is for people who like puzzles and mazes. It also tells you useful information about all of the movies and about the new on which is out next year.

Lennon

Maddie reads This Is The Classroom by Craig Bradley

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Sumaya reads Boomerang by Craig Bradley

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Year 4 Author Quiz

Do you know the name of the author who wrote each of these books? List your answers below. You can use the local library or the internet to help you! There will be a fantastic prize for the winning entry.

1. Zeus On The Loose

2. The Longest Whale Song

3. Kensuke's Kingdom

4. You're A Bad Man, Mr Gum!

5. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

6. The Iron Man

7. Young Werewolf

8. Bill's New Frock

9. Danny, The Champion Of The World

10. Angela Sprocket's Pockets

11. Demon Dentist

12. My Uncle Is A Hunkle, Says Clarice Bean

13. Koala Calamity

14. Fortunately The Milk

15. Five On A Treasure Island

Tie-break question: What country is our Patron of Reading, John Dougherty from?

Emily and Josh read The Hairy Toe

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Belle reads The Universe Is A Pancake by Craig Bradley

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What I'm reading and why

John Dougherty video and The Sad Book by Michael Rosen

Today we watched a video especially made for us by our Patron of Reading, John Dougherty. He asked us if we had ever felt like we were a character in a book, or if we had ever really related to a character in a book.

Later we read The Sad Book by Michael Rosen, and spent some time talking about books, or events in books, that made us feel sad.

4JB Class Blog

We've now started an exciting new class blog where you can find out all about what we learn in school. You can go to it by clicking: http://wejs4jb.wordpress.com

Rose reads Great Day by Michael Rosen

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Reuben reads Mrs Vickers Knickers by Craig Bradley

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Who is your favourite animal character in a book?

My favourite book of all time

The Witch Dog by Margaret Mahy

Every witch has to bring a cloak, a hat and a cat to the Witch Dance. But not Mrs Rose. Cats make her sneeze. Can she take a dog instead? That's what this book is about really. It's funny, wonderful, awesome and cool.

Maddie

This was a really good book, although some parts were a bit boring. There was a really funny page which was when the dog played his violin. I thought it was funny. I think that Mrs Rose is a good name for a witch. The front of the book is good, especially the front cover. It's a long story but mostly a good one. When all of the witches fell on each other it made me laugh.

Belle

4JB shelfies

We've taken some great photos of our bookshelves at home. Which one looks the most like yours?

Mrs Withers's shelfie

Dylan's shelfie

Rose's shelfies

Hollie's shelfie

Mr Biddle's shelfie

Deadly 2015 Annual by Steve Backshall

This book is full of the most interesting and deadly facts. There are some very cool animals like polar bears, killer whales, ostriches, camels and scorpions. Also there are facts about tropical rainforests, the North Pole and deserts. Inside the book, there are wordsearches, quizzes and guides on how to draw animals. My favourite is the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Snakes do not chew, they swallow things in one whole mouthful. They first poison their prey, which causes it to die, and then just swallow it up.

Reuben

This book is amazing. I like the part where we learn how to draw animals.

Sumaya

I like this book because it tells me about lots of animals. I read a lot of the Deadly 60 books as a hobby. In this book it says that Antarctica is even colder than the Arctic. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -93 degrees in 2010. Did you know that deserts cover 20% of our planet? A desert is a place where less than 25cm of rain falls in a year.

Jack

Favourite author poll

Why we love reading in 4JB

Our first class book of the year

In 4JB, the first book that we're reading as our class story is Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman. It's brilliant. So far it has included spaceships, aliens, pirates, dinosaurs and a carton of milk. We can't wait to hear about the vampires!

After we finish it, we are then going to read Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face by John Dougherty. What are you reading in your class? We'd love to know.

Punctuation by User Design

Normally I read stories and poems but my teacher said because I was a really good writer, would I read a book all about punctuation? I did and I enjoyed reading it. Did you know that there are 21 punctuation signs? Most of them I knew (full stops, question marks, apostrophes and lots more) but there were some I didn't know. The one that I didn't know but I liked the best was called the pilcrow. You could use it when you start a new paragraph. It looks like a backwards P.

This is called a pilcrow

I also learned about curly brackets, square brackets and a few more. There is also a difference between a dash and a hyphen. This book is the book to read if you want to know about how to get better at using punctuation. It is not too tricky to understand (although some bits are) and the pictures are quite weird but funny to look at. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it might be.

Thank you for reading my review. If you have any questions about this book you can ask me on the book blog. You can also find out more about the book at www.userdesign.co.uk.

Megan

Mr Biddle's holiday reading

I don't think I've ever read as many books in a month before (apart from, perhaps, when I was seven and discovered The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton for the first time). My pile of books to read became a shelf of books to read, and was seriously in danger of becoming a room of books to read, so some serious hours needed to be put in to try and clear the backlog. There won't be detailed reviews of each book, but here's what I've read recently:

The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick
This is the first book I've read by Marcus Sedgwick. He was such an engaging speaker at the Norfolk Children's Book Festival that I thought I had better try out a couple of his books. Delighted to find out that he writes equally engagingly. Set in the First World War, about a girl who sees deaths before they happen. With her brothers heading off to the front line, this can only lead to trouble!

Shiverton Hall by Emerald Funnell
If you are in Year 5 or 6 and love a good ghost story, then this is definitely the book for you! I believe the second book in the series is out soon.

Auslander by Paul Dowswell
A great historical story, set in World War Two. A young Polish orphan is sent to live with a powerful German family. Just a pleasure to read, from start to finish (although quite harrowing in places). Because I enjoyed this so much, I've ordered the Powder Monkey series by the same author, which tells of the adventures of a boy on a 19th century ship.

Another Me by Cathy MacPhail
This is a genuinely creepy book! A girl is being haunted...by herself. All of Cathy MacPhail's books are enjoyable and this is no exception. A film version is being released, but currently only in Spanish.

The Fallen by Charlie Higson
The fifth book in this brilliant series about zombies. Not my favourite of the series, but still a great read.

Noughts & Crosses and Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman
I really do think every child should read this series by the Children's Laureate before they leave school. Every book is just wonderful and carries such a powerful message. I'm now reading them for the third time (there are four books altogether in the series, plus a few short stories).

 
Young Samurai by Chris Bradford
I would have loved to have discovered these books a few years ago as I know I have taught several pupils who would have adored them. So far, I've only read the first in the series but will be keeping an eye out for the others.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
A bit like The Hunger Games. But only a bit. A group of children trapped in an enormous maze have to try and escape (there's obviously far more too it than that!). Quite violent and disturbing in places.

 
Last Stand Of Dead Men by Derek Landy
Book 8 out of 9. I will genuinely be quite sad when this series ends, as I have enjoyed the Skulduggery Pleasant books more than almost anything else over the last couple of years. Delighted to see Tanith Low back too! About time.

I've also been catching up with a few books for adults recently:

The Memoirs Of An Invisible Man by HF Saint
When I was at school, everyone was reading this book (teachers included). I read it again recently, for the first time in about twenty years, and it was just as good as I remember. The author, Harry Saint, made so much money from this that he never wrote another book and gradually disappeared from public life. I guess he became invisible...Never watch the film by the way, it's awful! Truly.

 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Bleak. Depressing. Heart-breaking. And unputdownable.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
It's by Neil Gaiman. It's therefore brilliant. Although not as brilliant as some of his other stuff.

Next on the pile is the A Dance With Dragons, the fifth book in the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin (who apparently stole his middle initials from the author of The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien). I've also got Itch Rocks by Simon Mayo to read and then after that, who knows...

Actually I know, because I've got a big order with Amazon ready to be delivered!

Our summer reading by West Earlham Junior School

Lots of children in the school are planning to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. We are going to be reading thousands of wonderful books over the holiday, so here are a few that we are particularly looking forward to (including some of the staff picks).

Tamzin- The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

Jaya- Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell

Mr Hodder- Demon Dentist by David Walliams

Mr Arden- Young Bond series by Charlie Higson

Michael- Journey To A Different Dimension by Demian Schatt and Stan Schatt

Miss Delaney- On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Oliver- World Of Norm: May Need Rebooting by Jonathan Meres

Megan- Another Me by Cathy MacPhail & Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Over The Moon by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Mrs Peel- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Kayley- Tom Gates: Genius Ideas by Liz Pichon & Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Connor- Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Mrs Holmes- A book about cross-stitching

Gemma- Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres

Miss Etheridge- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert & Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Jersie- Girls FC series by Helena Pielichaty

Mr Biddle- The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks & Auslander by Paul Dowswell

Casey- The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

Young Werewolf by Cornelia Funke

You should really read Young Werewolf, it is such a good book. Me and Jersie absolutely love it, we think it is the best.

Here is the blurb... When Matt and his best friend Lisa encounter a strange beast in a dark alley, Matt's life changes forever. As the moon rises, Matt looks in the mirror and sees flashing yellow eyes and a lot of hair. His voice is now a growl and his breath stinks. Even Lisa doesn't have an answer for this crisis. And as full as the moon approaches, the wolf inside grows wilder and wilder.

Reviewed by Honey.

The Blood-Curdling Hand by Kaitlyn, Year 5

When we went to the Norfolk Children's Book Festival, the author Cathy MacPhail asked us to write a story based on a first line that she had given us. Here is the part of the winning entry from Kaitlyn in Year 5.

Chapter One

"There was a knocking sound on the door and I knew they had come for me," I began in my spookiest voice. Melissa and Taylor were staying round mine for a sleepover. We were sitting around the camp-fire we had made, telling each other ghost stories. It was finally my turn. "Tap, tap, tap," I carried on. 

"I asked who was there but there was no answer, just the echo of my shivering voice. I waited and waited. The door slowly creaked open and I gasped. Coming through the door were Melissa and Taylor. They had gone pale, like all their life had been drained away. They told me that I had to go with them immediately and we raced down to the ditch in the middle of my garden. A terrifying and ancient looking hand was starting to push its way through the damp soil. We screamed. Just at that moment the moon came out and I caught sight of the time on the church clock. It was 3:33am. I immediately knew who the hand belonged too."

I stopped and looked round. By now Taylor and Melissa were looking terrified. It was getting late and almost time for bed, so thought I had better carry on with my story. Before I could speak, there was a sound from further down the garden. It sounded as if a small animal, such as a rat or a mole, was digging...

How spooky! If you want to read the rest of the story, you'll have to ask Kaitlyn.

Summer Reading Challenge 2014

Make sure that you take part in this year's Summer Reading Challenge! The theme this year is Mythical Maze and, as ever, it sounds very exciting.

You can learn more about it by visiting the website: 
http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

Elena from the Norfolk library service will be in next week to do a special assembly to tell us more about it, including how you can get involved.

Our favourite class book of the year, by 4JB

My favourite class book of the year was Koala Calamity by Joanthan Meres. It was really funny.
Gemma

My favourite class book of the year was Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face by John Dougherty. I loved the sneaky badgers.
Jaya

My favourite class book was Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres. It was brilliant.
Connor

My favourite class book of the year was Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman. It was just epic!
Tyler

My favourite class book of the year was Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? by Helena Pielichaty. I love stories about football and have never read a story about a girls' team before. I am a goalkeeper too, so I liked it even more.
Oliver

My favourite class book of the year was definitely Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. I thought it was one of the funniest books ever.
Megan

My favourite class book of the year was One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson. It was wonderful and some parts of it made me cry!
Honey

My favourite class book of the year was was Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman, because it was really funny and it made me laugh out loud.
Thomas

My favourite class book of the year was One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson. I like the bit when he finds out he isn't able to keep the dog, it was so sad.
William

My favourite class book of the year was Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face by John Dougherty. It was really funny and adventurous, and I love the song.
Michael

My favourite class book of the year was Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. It was witty and made some very good points about being rich.
Mr Arden

My favourite class book of the year was Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres. I thought it was really funny and I just enjoyed listening to it.
Lauren

My favourite class book of the year was The Firework Maker's Daughter by Philip Pulman because I love the bit when she had to try and climb the volcano. I also enjoyed it when she met the pirates., they were really hopeless pirates.
Emily

My favourite class book of the year was Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres. The three koala bears were really lazy and just wanted to sleep.
Kristopher

My favourite class book of the year was Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres. I love koalas and I liked Mr Biddle having to try and read it in an Australian accent.
Madison

My favourite class book of the year was Stars of Mine by Kevin Crossley-Holland because it was short but really good. I also knew what was going to happen because I have heard Rapunzel.
Toby

My favourite class book of the year was Koala Calamity by Jonathan Meres. I thought it was really good, but I like the second one even more with their little sister Squeak.
Tamzin

My favourite class book of the year was The Firework Maker's Daughter by Philip Pulman. It is just full of amazing adventures.
Jodie

My favourite class book of the year was Foul Play: Brazil by Tom Palmer. It's just brilliant how he wrote a bit of it every night during the World Cup. We still don't know how it will end.
Andrew

My favourite class book of the year was The Busker by Paul Jennings. Every year when I read it to my class, it always makes them cry. And I like making my class cry...(not really!)
Mr Biddle

Norfolk Children's Book Festival 2014

Last week, ten children from Year Four and Five went to the Norfolk Children's Book Festival, which was held in a big marquee at Norwich School. There were over 500 children there to listen to four amazing authors talk about their books and writing.

The first author to speak was the Radio 2 DJ, Simon Mayo, who has written Itch and Itch Rocks. His books are about a boy called Itchingham who is an Element Hunter. This means his hobby is to try and collect all the different elements that are in the Periodic Table.

His talk was really funny and entertaining, sharing where he got his ideas from and how long it takes to write a book. I got chosen to go to the front and help him with an experiment using a computer, which was really exciting (I had to say "Oooh, wow!" in front of everyone). I haven't read any of his books yet as I'm a bit young, but I definitely will soon. There is a new book about Itch which is out soon called Itchcraft.

After Simon Mayo, the next author was Cathy MacPhail. She was my favourite author of the day. She told us how to use our imaginations and how to think about spooky things which could happen in the marquee, like all the balloons popping one by one or strange voices coming over the speakers. She had stayed the night in the Maid's Head hotel in Norwich which is well known for having lots of ghosts. She has written loads of books, including Run Zan Run, which was her first book. Her new book is called Another Me, which is about a girl who is being haunted by herself.

I bought this book and got it signed. I am reading it now and am already on chapter seven. We also watched the trailer of the film which has been made of her book, but unfortunately it was in Spanish. I think Cathy MacPhail might be one of my new favourite authors.

We then had lunch. My lunch was nice but the teachers' lunches looked delicious. The next author to speak was called Paul Dowswell. He has written lots of books about children growing up in countries where the government have not treated people well. His most famous book is called Auslander which is about a boy in Nazi Germany. He also wrote a book called Red Shadow which is set in Russia.

He was really interesting to listen to, especially when he was talking about one of his books called Powder Monkey, which is about what life used to be like as a boy working on a ship. I thought he was really good at answering questions from people and he knew lots about history. Mr Biddle bought some of his books to read at home.

The final author to speak was Marcus Sedgwick who had spent the weekend in Las Vegas (but he hadn't been doing gambling, he had been talking to some librarians). He said he was a bit tired though. He talked about the room where he worked and did his writing, and we could choose things from the room to ask him about. There were so many things to talk about that we didn't get through them all. He told us a great story about when he broke into an empty psychiatric hospital in America, but he didn't break the law. He heard footsteps above him and so ran out again really quickly. His books sound really thrilling. He also talked to us about the number 354, which he says is following him everywhere in his life.

All of the writers who spoke to us were great and I had a really good day. I learned about lots of new authors and bought some new books which I am really enjoying. I hope I get to go next year as there are lots more authors that I would like to meet. We also got a bag which had things in like a bottle of water, a notebook, a pencil and a book voucher. There was also a raffle ticket but I didn't win anything, although I nearly did. I had the right numbers but they were in the wrong order.

Thank you for inviting me.

by Megan, 4JB.

Free World War One Resources

This year, Britain is commemorating the centenary of the start of World War One. That’s 100 years since the start of the First World War.

Starting in 2014 and lasting until 2018, the First World War Centenary is the birthday of WW1. From exhibitions and concerts to a movie and football match, a whole range of events will take place to celebrate the anniversary.

World War One is remembered, primarily because it was the first war fought on a continent wide scale, from 1914 to 1918, and resulted in the League of Nations.

If you’re looking to teach students about the significance of the First World War, why not do so with an educational pack?

To explain further, the UK’s largest private archive of old newspapers, Historic Newspapers, stock more than seven million genuine original newspapers in their ever-growing collection.

Looking after the world’s biggest private archive of original newspapers means Historic Newspapers are exceptionally passionate about history. It’s for this reason they decided to select interesting and important coverage from significant historical dates – all in the name of learning – with a view to teach others about the past, as it was reported at the time.

Best of all, they’re offering these teaching packs completely free of charge – all of which are available to schools, universities, libraries and accredited education establishments – to help students discover the cause and consequence of historical events.

A newspaper book is a wonderful way to teach children about World War One, as each newspaper is filled with stories from eyewitnesses who were present at the time, making it a pleasurable way to aid learning and engage a pupil’s interest and imagination. The World War One newspaper book can be used to discuss the changing nature of conflict, the cooperation between countries, the shift of alliances and the lasting impact of the war on national, ethnic, cultural and religious issues.

A newspaper offers teachers the chance to encourage chronological understanding, evoke a sense of period and provides a framework to discuss today’s events in a historical context.

The World War I Pack contains a book of compiled newspaper coverage, including Battle of Loos, Gallipoli Withdrawal, London Air Raid and War is Over. The other two education packs available contain complete newspaper reprints on World War II and Major Events.