Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level
Flash Harriet , the famous girl detective, is on the trail of a crime… and it has led her to the shores of Loch Ness. Find out what happens in this comic detective story.


* Topaz/ Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate.


* Text type – A humorous story.


* There are chapters, which give the book an adult feel.


* There is a reader response page, which gives important clues to the ‘Mystery at Swag Hall’. These help young readers review the plot and know the importance of clues in their own adventure writing.


* Curriculum links – Citizenship: Respect for property; DT: Moving monsters.

Poor Ladybird is lost and flies around the garden looking for somewhere she can call home. Her early efforts are rebuffed by the other animals, until finally she finds somewhere she can be happy: a ladybird-patterned T-shirt, where other ladybird friends soon come to join her.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level
Explore the extraordinary world of fossils! Find out how they’re formed, where to find them and how to identify them in this information book. Written by palaeontology expert Dr Andrew Ross, in conjunction with the National Museum of Scotland, this book will help children discover all the fascinating details of different species for themselves.


This is a Band 10/White book in the Collins Big Cat reading programme which has more complex sentences and figurative language. This is an information book and has an illustrated archaeological dig of the fossils mentioned in the book on pages 30 and 31, which helps children to recap what they’ve learnt and provides a wealth of speaking and listening opportunities. This book supports learning about geography near the seaside, as well as sparking discussions about history and what it was like to live in the past. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For another story in this Collins Big Cat book band for guided reading, try Cinderella (9780007336180) written by David Wood and illustrated by Shahab Shamshirsaz.

Collins Big Cat is a guided reading series for ages 4-11 edited by Cliff Moon. Top children’s authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that your children will love to read, banded to help you choose the right book for every child. Practical ideas for guided reading are included at the back of each book.


* Orange/ Band 6 books offer varied text and characters, with action sustained over several pages.


* Text type – An information text.

Collins International Primary English is a six-level, multi-component course for the international market which has been carefully developed to meet the needs of teachers and students. This title is endorsed by Cambridge Assessment International Education.

Collins International Primary English is a self-contained, cohesive course which develops reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at primary level. The course follows a clear structure and progression through the levels, with carefully selected texts covering both fiction and non-fiction genres, including extracts from the highly successful Collins Big Cat series. The Workbooks support the Student’s Books by providing additional material for practice and reinforcement. Exercises and activities are linked to each unit of the corresponding Student’s Book, offering further practice in the key skills.