Wednesday 13 January 2016

Positive and Inspiring Reading Books for 6-9 Year Olds - And A Giveaway!

Ruby loves to read, she absolutely loves it.  She was delighted to receive book tokens and story books for Christmas.  I'm very happy to indulge this passion with trips to the library, regular bedtime stories and the occasional treat of a new book.

A little while ago we were sent a set of books by Clever Tykes for her to try out. Designed to provide positive role-models, encourage enterprising behaviour and show how to overcome challenges, these stories were sure to not only provide entertainment, but leave young readers feeling empowered.



Ruby chose to read Walk-It Willow first. Given our new puppy's arrival in the home she was drawn to a story where the main character (a girl, which was also a bonus) sets up her own dog-walking business.

She was thoroughly engrossed in the book on our train journey and had read it cover-to-cover by the time we reached our destination.  She loved the illustrations which brought the characters to life, but did feel the story was a little short - she's used to reading longer chapter books now.  Although she's only 7 she is a fairly advanced reader, but of course, all children read at different levels and she certainly found these much more engaging than the books she's used to in her school reading program.


She was able to pick up the key messages about how to be enterprising - good organisation and planning, networking with your contacts, having a positive attitude and utilising your natural talents and interests, as well as key life skills such as admitting your mistakes and learning from them and being honest.

Clever Tykes is a series of storybooks for children ages 6-9, which introduce important life skills and characteristics through positive entrepreneurial role models.  The stories follow three separate protagonists as they each realise that there is something they are especially good at or passionate about, and they set about making this into their own venture. The stories are fantastic reading books in their own right and incorporate the target literacy and numeracy skills for the specific age range. The entrepreneurial messages are subtle whilst important characteristics such as innovation, independence, goal-setting, hard work and resourcefulness are promoted.

There are two other books in the series as well, each with their own stories of entrepreneurialism and problem-solving. Code-it Cody follows a young boy who together with is computer club friends, each have to come up with a new video game.  Will hard work and perseverance win the day? Change-it Cho features sporty Cho who leads a healthy lifestyle and sets about encouraging her school friends to make positive food choices but comes up against lots of opposition from those with a vested interest in children buying sugary treats.

I've been really impressed with this series and how the messages are subtly woven through stories, yet are simple enough for children to understand.

Clever Tykes have been working with schools developing resources for PSHE lessons covering topics such as e-safety, equal opportunities and healthy lifestyle as well as offering the tools to develop enterprise clubs as extra-curricular activities. They have some great resources for teachers and parents on their site and their blog is worth checking out too, I really enjoyed their post 38 ways to make your child more enterprising - full of genuinely useful advice.  My daughter is already showing sparks of entrepreneurialism and is very interested in the fundraising work I do for the PTA, she's always looking for things she can make and sell or innovative ways to raise money for charity, so I think I'm going to be spending a lot of time following Clever Tykes!

The books are available to purchase at £7.99 each, or £19.99 for the set of three.

They have been kind enough to offer the set of three books as a giveaway prize to one lucky reader here.  To be in with a chance, simply tell me below which of the three books you think your child will choose to read first and why, and complete the rafflecopter form.

Disclosure: I was sent a set of books for review and a set will be provided for the winner.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

80 comments:

  1. 'Walk-it Willow' simply because we have a little pup!

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  2. Walk it Willow because she loves to walk the dog with me !

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  3. Walk it Willow as my grandson has a puupy.

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  4. My son would like Code-it Cody as very interesting to him

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  5. My duaghter would love Walk-It Willow as she is desperate for a dog

    AShleigh

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  6. Walk It Willow, because she wants a dog!

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  7. Code it Cody because his dad works in IT and is his role model

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  8. walk it willow.my Granddaughter loves our Jack russell

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  9. Code it Cody because my daughter loves technical things like this

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  10. Code it Cody because my daughter loves technical things like this

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  11. Walk it Willow as they love dogs!

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  12. Walk it Willow as he loves animal stories

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  13. Code it Cody because my daughter loves computers.

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  14. Code it Cody because my daughter loves computers.

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  15. Code it Cody because my boy loves technology

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  16. Cody l it Cody. My son is into gaming. He will love it.

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  17. I'd probably take 'Change it Cho' to read to the kids at school because we are trying to make a drive on healthy eating!!!x

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  18. Code it Cody, he loves technology

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  19. Walk it willow as we just got,a new dog :)

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  20. Walk it willow because she loves our dog and animals

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  21. Walk it Willow as that's the name of my Brother's dog!

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  22. Change it Cho because he likes to do the right thing and to help others to do the same.

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  23. Change it Cho

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  24. Code it Cody. He is technically minded

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  25. Code it cody because she is into computers

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  26. Walk It Willow as we have a house full of Basset Hounds

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  27. walk it willow. they are dog crazy

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  28. Code it Cody because she's just starting to do simple coding at school herself and think it's absolute magic when she realises how simple it can be to control how things move on the computer screen.

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  29. walk it willow.my daughter loves our Jack russell

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  30. Walk it willow my daughter says she looks fun xx

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  31. Lynsey Buchanan15 January, 2016 04:12

    Code it Cody - my daughter loves computers

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  32. Code it Cody - My little boy has been doing some coding at school and he loves it!

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  33. Walk it willow. Daughter desperate for a dog!

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  34. I have no idea probably the red one, Change it Cho, just because of the colour!

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  35. code it cody as the little boy seems to be playing on a computer and my little one enjoys his computer

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  36. Walk it wilson as my daughter loves dogs

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  37. code it cody because he loves computers.

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  38. code it cody because he loves computers.

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  39. walk it willow we have just brought a puppy x

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  40. Code it cody, my little one loves anything electronic

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  41. I think Code it Cody would appeal to my grandson

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  42. walk it willow, she loves puppies and dogs

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  43. Walk it willow because my little girl loves dogs

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  44. Probably Change It - Cho because we have recently been talking about not accepting some of the unhealthy 'givens' in some circumstances.

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  45. Walk it Willow, because my daughter loves walks :)

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  46. Walk it Willow.....He loves walking!!!

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  47. Probably Walk it willow as we have a labrador that she loves :) These books are a great idea!!

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  48. Walk it willow because we have big dogs. However I am collecting for the Salvation Army so ese would make a child very happy xx

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  49. I think my daughter would read Walk-It Willow first as she just adores dogs, although we don't own one as of yet

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  50. My granddaughter would choose to read Walk It Willow first I'm sure as she loves animals and this book features a dog. I've just been reading some reviews on Amazon in conjunction with your blog and these books sound fabulous, instilling the importance and value of hard work.

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  51. Definitely Code It Cody because Alfie is a big fan of coding and gaming even though he is only 7

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  52. My son would love Walk-It Willow as he is desperate for a dog.

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  53. Walk it Willow - my son is obsessed with dogs, in fact I think he may be part dog! Lol

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  54. change it, mainly because theres a girl on the front of the book

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  55. Code it Cody, so he can be like his dad

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  56. Code it Cody as he's really enjoying computer time at school.

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  57. Code it Cody - boy, computers, gaming......what wouldn't appeal?

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  58. Code It Cody, it sounds like just the sort of thing he would enjoy.

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  59. Code it Cody because it has computers in it

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  60. Code it Cody as that is what my daughter is learning at school at the moment.

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  61. Code it Cody my oldest loves gaming so would love this.

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  62. Walk It Willow (as its my little boys nans dogs name!)

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  63. My daughter would read Walk it Willow as she loves animals, I would like her to read change it Cho as i'm desperately trying to teach her the importance of healthy eating

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  64. Code it Cody because he's been wanting to get into code at school, but there aren't enough places in the club.

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  65. Walk it Willow as that is my daughters name :-)

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  66. My grandson would probably choose Walk It Willow first as he loves dogs. He is unable to have his own but likes to make friends with dogs when he goes to the park.

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  67. Code It Cody think my grandson Corey would love this one

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  68. Code it Cody, as my son enjoys computers :-)

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  69. I think walk it willow as she loves dogs .

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  70. Walk it Willow as my little girl is OBSESSED with dogs!

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  71. walk it willow

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  72. Probably Walk it Willow as my Daughter loves walking the dogs with Grandad x

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