Weekly Round-up 21st May 2026
- Anna Bond
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Hi Everyone,
This week, you can discover new reads like 'Shrapnel Boys' (9-12) and 'Rock and Roll' (3-6), find out which fairytales feature most in reading scheme books, plus your usual resources and key dates - and don’t miss our book recommendations for Dinosaur Day on June 1st, right after half term. We’ll pause round-ups over half term, but be back refreshed!
Happy reading,
Nicola, Founder
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Pageticker Resources
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Handpicked Suggestion
This week’s handpicked suggestion is Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson. We’d recommend this for pupils in Year 6 but there is a reading age of 9-12.
It’s 1939, and when war starts, Ronnie Smith feels two things at once: fear and excitement. As he lies awake at night, bombs whistle through the night sky. In the morning, he’s out and about on the streets, looking through smoke and rubble for shards of shrapnel.
Ronnie’s battles are not just from the war, though; they are settling in dust in all corners of his life, including his home and his classroom.
His little brother is acting strangely, slipping out on mysterious jobs and making dangerous new friends.
Ronnie is determined to find out the truth and protect his brother from harm's way. But what he uncovers is more than a childish scheme; it’s a secret that could not just change his family’s future but the course of the war.
Notable New Release
The notable new release we’re featuring this week is Rock and Roll by Ruby Amy Thompson. It’s suitable for children aged 3+.
Rock and Roll are very different. Rock is rough, whilst roll is soft. Rock hates attention, whereas Roll wants to be in the spotlight. But maybe in some ways they’re not so different.
Rock and Roll appear on different pages but their worlds are entwined. This book is filled with beautiful illustrations that readers will be sure to enjoy. It’s a great choice for reading aloud.
We’d recommend this book for children who have enjoyed The Day the Crayons series by Drew Daywalt.
Pageticker Spotlight - Insights from our data
Fairy tales are timeless - but which ones actually make it onto reading scheme lists? We crunched the numbers. Here's what came up most:
The Three Little Pigs is by far the most frequently occurring book, with 256 occurrences! Whilst Jack and the Beanstalk comes second at 122, and The Magic Porridge Pot comes last at 12.
Pageticker Booklist
With Dinosaur Day on the 1st June, we’ve put together a blog/booklist of our recommended dinosaur reads. Here's our top 3:
Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds
The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils by Jane Kurtz and Alexander Vidal
Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong! by Dr Nick Crumpton and Gavin Scott
May Giveaway is open:
Enter using the button below for your chance to win our May giveaway.
This giveaway closes on the 29th May 2026 (12 p.m. BST). Full T&Cs here.
Upcoming Dates
18-22 - Walk to School Week
23 May - Elmer Day and Outdoor Classroom Day
29 May - National Biscuit Day
June - Pride Month
1 June - Dinosaur Day
1-7 June - Child Safety Week
5 June - World Environment Day
6-14 June - Great Big Green Week
8 June - World Ocean Day
20 June - The King’s Official Birthday
21 June - Father’s Day
21 June - Make Music Day
24 June - World Refill Day
24 June - National Writing Day
24 June - International Fairy Day
29 June-12 July - Wimbledon Fortnight
30 June - Asteroid Day
Take a look at the events for the National Year of Reading
Pageticker is the UK's top-rated digital reading diary designed to help children develop habits that will fuel their curiosity and learning for life. Find out more.
Have a great week,
The Pageticker Team