Weekly Round-up 9th July 2026
- Anna Bond
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Hi Everyone,
This is a big season of change. Children and young people you know will be saying goodbye to familiar routines and stepping into something new – the end of an era and the start of fresh adventures. One of my favourite Dr Seuss books, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, captures this perfectly: playful and whimsical, yet surprisingly deep. I was reminded of it recently and bought a copy as a “you’ve got this” graduation gift for a young woman who used to babysit my children.
In that same spirit of moving on, this Round‑up includes a new booklist on transitioning to secondary school, plus a blog you can share with families – 16 No‑Cost and Low‑Cost Book Hacks: Keep Children Reading All Summer. Just forward the links on to Year 6 and other families to explore together.
Happy reading,
Nicola, Founder
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
- Oh, the places you'll go! Dr. Seuss
Handpicked Suggestion
This is one of our favourite books about the planet. My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, and illustrated by Francesca Sanna, is suitable for children of any age, but would need to be read aloud to younger children. It’d be a great assembly read, with stunning illustrations and poetic language.
In this book, a little girl is used as a metaphor for the Earth. We are told about all of the different things that ‘My Friend Earth does’ from guiding the chimpanzee to her night nest to tending to the prairie where sun-dappled horses run, to much more.
This book will become a firm favourite for anyone who loves poetic language and stunning cut-out illustrations.
Notable New Release
The notable release for this week is Pets Tell Tales: Ancient Rome by Rik Worth and Jordan Collver. It’s suitable for children aged 7+.
In this graphic novel, animals from the past will tell readers what really happened in Ancient Rome. A book filled with humour, elephant soldiers, lion gladiators and celebrity horses.
This will be popular with fans of A Diary of A Wimpy Kid. There’s also a Pet Tell Tales book about Ancient Egypt, so if they like this book, there’s another book they might also enjoy.
Suggested Reading Themes
29 June-12 July - Wimbledon Fortnight
11 June-19 July - Football World Cup (see our booklist)
July - Plastic Free Month (see our booklist)
18 July - Nelson Mandela Day
20 July - International Moon Day
29 July - International Tiger Day
30 July - International Day of Friendship
Take a look at the events for the National Year of Reading and The Reading Agency.
Pageticker Booklist - Transitioning to Secondary School
This week's booklist brings together carefully chosen reads to support children in Years 6 and 7 as they prepare for or settle into secondary school. It includes reassuring guides, relatable stories, and graphic novels that explore changes in friendship, growing independence, worries about fitting in, and the excitement of new opportunities.
Teachers and parents can use these titles for shared reading, class discussion, book corners, or home recommendations, helping pupils talk about their feelings, build confidence, and see that they are not alone in finding the move to secondary school a big step.
July Giveaway - Open ⬇️
This month, we have six brilliant books for your school to win in our July book giveaway! These books range in age, genre, and if you hadn’t previously noticed, feature in our handpicked and notable new release sections of our Round-ups!
This giveaway closes on the 31st July 2026 (12 p.m. BST). Full T&Cs here.
Note: We understand that many schools will be closed for the summer holidays. With this in mind, the winner will have until September to respond to us. We will also send the July book giveaway in September.
Pageticker Resources
As the end of term approaches, why not reward your pupils with some lovely Pageticker bookmarks!
Pageticker Spotlight - 16 No‑Cost and Low-Cost Book Hacks
If you’re talking to families about keeping reading going over the summer, you might like to share our latest blog post. It’s full of practical, low‑cost ideas for finding free or nearly‑free books, from local libraries and community book swaps to simple ways parents can share books via WhatsApp and Facebook.
You can forward the link to families or add it to your end‑of‑term newsletter so every child has a better chance of finding something they want to read over the holidays.
“Teachers are able to see at a glance who’s reading, instead of going through 30 different paper diaries to find and check.”
- Vicki Noone, Deputy Head, Grange Farm Primary School
(Read the full case study here)
Book a Demo
If you’re a teacher and you’d like to see Pageticker in action, you can book a short demo. In 20–30 minutes, we’ll walk you through how teachers track reading at home and in class, how families use the free app, and what the data looks like for reading leads and SLT. It’s also a chance for you to ask any questions.
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