I know that many schools have subscriptions to the online resource provider Twinkl, but did you know that they have also started publishing original stories linked to curriculum topics? I have been sent a few of these books to review, they are all printed in an accessible font, have quizzes or interactive sections at the end and links to further online resources.
The Chocolate Choice (ISBN: 978-1837575671, published in paperback 2026) Written by Jenny Clerc, illustrated by Shannon Girvan.

Ten-year-old Orla spots a writing competition organised by her favourite blogger, River Moore, with the prize being the chance to write a guest post on the ‘River’s Daily Rocket’ blog. All she has to do is think of an important story that needs to be told, investigate it, write it and email it into the blog and she’ll be on the road to her ambition to become a reporter. Inspired by a headline about cocoa beans on a discarded newspaper in her mum’s tearoom, Orla starts to investigate the difficulties faced by cocoa farmers and the way that the chocolate production industry works. She is shocked to realise that she has never before considered whether her favourite chocolate is produced ethically and writes to the owner of the local chocolate factory to find out more. Furthermore, she realises that changing people’s attitudes and behaviours is not a straightforward task, and nudging them to change will be assisted if she can find a way of helping her local community to understand their connections with the cocoa farmers.
I think that many children will enjoy this book and relate to the idea of undertaking research for a school project, and probably find some helpful guidance in the way that Orla goes about organising her project. I think that the format of the book, with extracts from Orla’s notebook, copies of emails, newspaper extracts, blog and website pages, will also appeal to young readers. For teachers, this book provides a useful overview of fair trade, sustainability and the effects of climate change on farming and food production and contains great examples of different writing styles that fit with the primary school curriculum. Further resources related to the book can be found on the Twinkl website.
How to Skin a Bear (ISBN; 978-1837575558, published in paperback 2025) Written by Victoria Williamson.

Bee is the youngest member of her Stone Age tribe and the daughter of one of the tribe elders. Her lowly place in the tribe consigns her to plucking the feathers from the ducks that the hunters bring back to their camp each day. Bee would rather be a hunter, she wishes that she had a fierce name like other members of the tribe, and she wishes that they did not spend all summer moving their camp from place to place while they collect food in preparation for winter.
When a red sun is seen by the tribe, this is interpreted as a bad omen. Despite the elders performing a ritual dance to keep the Sky Spirits happy, a huge storm blows up and flattens the communal tent where the tribe sleeps. Instead of following her tribe to a nearby cave, Bee chases after Dog who is her best friend. Finding herself alone apart from her loyal canine companion, Bee now has the opportunity to put into practice the skiils that she has observed the rest of her tribe demonstrating…but how will she cope when confronted by a wild bear?
How to Skin a Bear is an entertaining story, 100 pages in length, aimed at children aged 7+, of courage and rising to unexpected challenges. Within the story, young readers will earn a multitude of facts about the Stone Age era. There is a quiz at the end of the book and a QR code to further resources on the Twinkl website.
Wildcat Summer (ISBN: 978-1837575718, published in paperback 2026) Written by Victoria Williamson.

Wildcat Summer is an eco-fiction title aimed at children aged 9-11 and is filled with facts about rewilding, genetic diversity and protection of wildlife. Eleven-year-old Molly is unhappy about being sent to stay with her aunt for the summer holidays because her parents cannot afford to take time off from their jobs. She does not want to leave her friends and bustling city life in Newcastle, for the quiet of Aunt Isla’s caravan and camp site in the Highlands of Scotland. What’s more her stay does not get off to a great start when Aunt Isla forgets to face her when she’s talking, which is important to Molly because she needs to lip read as well as relying on her hearing aids, to allow her to participate in conversations. However, once Aunt Isla realises her mistake and begins to communicate carefully, Molly soon settles in to helping her aunt with chores around the holiday park. She makes friends with two local children, Skye and Lewis, as well as old Mr McFarlane who has moved into a caravan after retiring from his job at the Highland Wildlife Park.
Molly is intrigued when she hears a local legend about the ghost cat, which is rumoured to appear to warn of danger. Convinced that she has seen a huge cat in the tree-line at the edge of the holiday park, Molly is determined to find out more about the legend. She has an ally in Mr McFarlane, who claims to have seen the ghost cat many years earlier, which led him to a wildcat caught in a gin-trap. Has Molly actually witnessed the ghost cat? And if so, what danger is it foretelling? This is aa exciting and entertaining story for children at the top of primary school, which combines ecological and inclusivity themes. The portrayal of a main character with hearing loss and the behaviours required from those around her to ensure that she can participate in conversations is sensitively written by Victoria Williamson.









