As an author, I am hugely privileged to have amazing authors, librarians and teachers among my friends – and the incredible Barbara Band has put together a list of books you might like to consider alongside/after Jelly. Thank you SO much, Barbara!

Barbara says…

Below is a selection of books that explore the issues raised in “Jelly”. These are all aimed at “middle grade” readers (approximately Key Stage 2, ages 8 – 12 years). However, as children vary in their emotional maturity as well as their reading levels and capacity for inference, there are recommended ages given for each title. Those aimed at older readers will obviously cover more mature themes.

Additionally, in the same way that “Jelly” touches on several issues within the story, so do these books. For example, “Wonder” is listed under Empathy but it is also a story about bullying and friendship. It is hard to categorise a book into a single genre. However, that’s a good thing because usually a child will be attracted to a particular book because something in the blurb connects with them and yet, by reading it, they will be exposed to a whole range of experiences and emotions that will take them further into their reading journey.

If you are unsure about any book the best thing you can do is to read it yourself; that way you can decide for yourself whether your child will enjoy it and you can also discuss the story with them. Sharing books together is one of the pleasures of reading!

Barbara Band
School Library, Reading and Literacy Consultant

Body Image

• Karma Khullar’s Mustache
  Kristi Wientge
  Simon & Schuster, 2018
  ISBN: 978-1481477710
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• The Girl Guide
  Marawa Ibrahim
  Illustrated by Sinem Erkas
  Lincoln Children’s Books
  ISBN: 978-1847809483
  Recommended: 10 – 13 years
• Smile
  Raina Telgemeier
  Scholastic, 2010
  ISBN: 978-0545132060
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years
• Body Image And The Media
  Grace Jones
  Crabtree Publishing Company, 2018
  ISBN: 978-0778752004
  Recommended: 10 – 13 years

 

Bullying

• 7 Days
  Eve Ainsworth
  Scholastic, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1407185903
  Recommended: 10 – 13 years
• Thief!
  Malorie Blackman
  Corgi Children’s Books, 2004
  ISBN: 978-0552551656
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Freak The Mighty
  Rodman Philbrick
  Usborne Publishing, 2017
  ISBN: 978-0746087251
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• The Song From Somewhere Else
  A F Harrold
  Illustrated by Levi Pinfold
  Bloomsbury Children’s Books
  ISBN: 978-1408884751
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years

 

Empathy

• Out Of My Mind
  Sharon M Draper
  Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2016
  ISBN: 978-1416971719
  Recommended: 10 – 12 years
• The Hundred Dresses
  Eleanor Estes
  Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
  Houghton Mifflin, 2004
  ISBN: 978-0152052607
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• The Boy At The Back Of The Class
  Onjali Q Rauf
  Orion Children’s Books, 2018
  ISBN: 978-1510105010
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Wonder
  R J Palacio
  Corgi Children’s, 2014
  ISBN: 978-0552565974
  Recommended: 10 – 12 years

Family

• Counting By 7s
  Holly Goldberg Sloan
  Piccadilly Press, 2014
  ISBN: 978-1848123823
  Recommended: 10 – 13 years
• Boy Underwater
  Adam Baron
  HarperCollins, 2018
  ISBN: 978-0008267018
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Boy In The Tower
  Polly Ho-Yen
  Corgi Children’s, 2015
  ISBN: 978-0552569163
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years
• The Exact Location Of Home
  Kate Messner
  Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018
  ISBN: 978-1681198989
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• The Light Jar
  Lisa Thompson
  Scholastic, 2018
  ISBN: 978-1407171289
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years

Friendship

• The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club
  Alex Bell
  Illustrated by Tomic Tomislav
  Faber & Faber, 2018
  ISBN: 978-0571332540
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Ruby Redfort, Look Into My Eyes
  Lauren Child
  Harper Collins, 2015
  ISBN: 9780007334070
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Do You Speak Chocolate?
  Cas Lester
  Piccadilly Press, 2017
  ISBN: 9781471405037
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• Liar And Spy
  Rebecca Stead
  Andersen Press, 2013
  ISBN: 978-1849395427
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years

 

Self Confidence/Self-Esteem

• Reaching The Stars
  Liz Brownlee, Jan Dean and Michaela Morgan
  Macmillan Children’s Books, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1509814282
  Recommended: 9 – 12 years
• Sticks And Stones
  Abby Cooper
  Square Fish, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1250115263
  Recommended: 10 – 12 years
• The Confidence Code for Girls: Taking Risks, Messing Up And Becoming Your Amazingly Imperfect, Totally Powerful Self
  Katty Kay et al
  HarperCollins, 2018
  ISBN: 978-0062796981
  Recommended: 8 – 12 years
• You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence And Dare To Be Brilliant At (Almost) Anything
  Matthew Syed
  Wren & Rook, 2018
  ISBN: 978-1526361158
  Recommended: 9 – 13 years

 

Creative Writing

• How To Write Your Best Story Ever!
  Christopher Edge
  OUP Oxford, 2015
  ISBN: 978-0192743527
• Story Writer’s Ideas Journal
  Lara Bryan and Sarah Hull
  Usborne Publishing, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1474922487
• How To Write Poems
  Joseph Coelho
  Illustrated by Matt Robertson
  Bloomsbury Activity Books, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1408889497
• Creative Writer’s Handbook
  Katie Daynes and Megan Cullis
  Usborne Publishing, 2017
  ISBN: 978-1474922494
• The Creative Writing Book
  Louie Stowell
  Usborne Publishing, 2016
  ISBN: 978-1409598787