Balfour Primary School, Year 2 Wishlist

Science topics are explored through illustrated scenes showing science in action in everyday life. Explore scenes from everyday life that reveal the science that’s happening all around you, then find out about the science in more detail. In this book, discover a world of materials – their properties and how to make, test and change them.

A class is learning all about animals and their teacher challenges them to decide which is the most important animal of all. Seven children champion a different animal for the top spot.
Is it … BEES as master pollinators; BATS as night-time predators and pollinators; ELEPHANTS who shape their landscapes and spread seeds; BEAVERS who create watery habitats; TIGERS who keep their food web in balance; SHARKS who keep our oceans healthy and increase biodiversity; KRILL as food for many whales and sea creatures. There is lots of information about each animals, as well as other keystone species, plus photographs to see them up close and in their habitats.

Raft down rapids to see raccoons, ski across ice to spot emperor penguins and dive underwater to explore the coral reef and learn why discovering animals is SUPER exciting! From the leafy green canopy of the rainforest, where gibbons communicate by singing, to the scorching hot desert where one of the world’s DEADLIEST scorpions lives, planet Earth is full of AMAZING animals that are just waiting to be discovered. Explore a different habitat on every spread, with fun and vibrant illustrations and fact-filled text for intrepid adventurers who want to know EVERYTHING about the world we live in. Readers will be taken all around the globe to discover a world of animals across rainforests and jungles, rivers and rapids, deserts and ice, and much more.

When Ernest Shackleton was young, he longed for a life of adventure. After a career in the Merchant Navy, he joined a landmark expedition to try to reach the South Pole for the first time in history. Although he had to go home early, he never gave up. His own expeditions set new records for the closest anyone had ever been to the South Pole, and he is remembered now as a courageous and inspirational leader. This exciting book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the intrepid explorer’s life.

The sights, sounds and tastes of vibrant Saint Lucia come to life in this cumulative #OwnVoices tale of a girl’s journey to Carnival. When a series of unexpected delays disrupts her journey to the big parade, Melba must adjust both her expectations and her route to the festivities. Who will she meet and what will she learn along the way?

With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation.

A powerfully moving and beautiful picture book about the voyage of HMT Empire Windrush from national treasure, Benjamin Zephaniah. The hopes, dreams and bravery of the Windrush generation are expressed in this vivid story through the real-life experiences of Trinidadian musician, Mona Baptiste. Written as a brand-new poem by Benjamin Zephaniah, the book is beautifully illustrated by the extraordinary artist, Onyinye Iwu.

Nurses help people stay healthy. Give readers the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a nurse. Readers will learn about different types of nurses, the tools they use, and how people get this exciting, rewarding job.

Here is a dog, a Dalmatian called Dot,Is she quite ordinary? NO, SHE’S NOT!
After their breakfast and a swim in the sea, Dot and her owner Rose jump on the bus to the hospital. Dot loves visiting the children of Wallaby Ward and they’re always pleased to see her too; from a crying baby to a bored teenager – a pat, a stroke and a cuddle with Dot cheers everyone up. But the work of the hospital dog doesn’t stop there and when one of her patients is in trouble, it’s up to Dot to save the day! A fantastic rhyming story by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie.

Lift the flaps to find out what happens inside a hospital – and meet some of the amazing people who work there.
Young children can explore the emergency and maternity units, learn how x-rays and scans work and see inside an operating theatre. With over 50 flaps to lift and links to websites where you can take hospital tours and meet patients.

It's another busy day at the hospital! Meet doctors and nurses, ride in an ambulance, and discover the magic of medicine in this non-fiction story for kids. This book is perfect for any child who is nervous about a trip to the hospital. Dr Christle Nwora takes readers behind the scenes to meet the incredible people who keep you healthy, from surgeons to mental health therapists. Dr Nwora also explains the science behind how things work, from X-rays to operating theatres. Set over the course of one day, you?ll follow different patients through their trip to the hospital.

Some flowers are the subject of nursery rhymes and childhood games while others help us celebrate love, remember our homelands or mark the passing seasons. These mindful haiku poems invite us to explore twenty-four flower species growing close to home, from wildflower meadows to urban window boxes. The nature-themed follow up to My Mindful A to Zen, this gorgeous collection of poems teaches us that treating ourselves and our planet mindfully can also be a treat for the senses.

From pollination and scattering seeds to labelled diagrams of roots, stamens and stems, discover everything there is to know about flowers. Flowers live everywhere, but what are they made of? And how do they grow? Budding backyard scientists can find out with this picture book guide. From the creator of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science, Rachel Ignotofsky, What’s Inside a Flower? is the perfect book for young botanists who want to grow by nurturing their curiosity about the natural world.

It’s a Wonderful World is a captivating storybook set out to encourage children to look after the world around them, one step at a time. Celebrate your child’s curiosity as they navigate through this perfect conservation book to discover all the wonderful ways to protect and preserve the biodiversity of the natural world, whilst learning about the main challenges our planet faces today.

This tree doesn't look like it's doing very much: it just stands there in the sunlight, big and GREEN. But this tree is busy …
Starting with the secret workings of a tree, this book transports readers billions of years into the past; back to the moment when plant life first appeared on our planet. Covering its evolution, the steady emergence of fossil fuels and the extraordinary communities of plants around the world today, Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton combine essential biology with a powerful message, calling on readers to celebrate and cherish the most precious colour on Earth: GREEN.