A selection of quality fiction texts from a variety of cultures to support literacy units in KS1 And KS2
Year 1Unit / Title / Author / Synopsis / Publisher / ISBN
UNIT 1
Stories with familiar settings / Billy and Belle / Sarah Garland / New baby in a mixed heritage family / Frances Lincoln
Full, Full, Full of Love / Trish Cooke / A celebration of Sunday together as a family / Walker books / 1844287823
I Love My Hair / Natasha Anastasia Tapley / A book about self acceptance. / Little, Brown and company
My Two Grannies / Floella Benjamin / A story about grannies born into different cultures from different parts of the world / Frances Lincoln / 1847800343
Lucy’s Rabbit
Lucy’s Quarrel / Jennifer Northway / Stories about two friends / Scholastic / 10 0590135465
Something Special / Nicola Moon / Story dealing with the relationship between the new baby and big brother / Orchard
Mei Ling’s Hiccups / David Mills / A book that suggests how different communities have different solutions to this common problem. / Mantra
Lima’s red Hot Chilli / David Mills / This story is particularly successful in the way it introduces children to a variety of different foods. / Mantra
Grandma’s Saturday Soup / Sally Fraser / Delightful description of Jamaica and the wonderful soup, make us all wish that we had a grandma like this! / Mantra
That’s My Mum / Henriette Barkow / Mia tells us of her experience of being a child of mixed heritage. Find out how she and Kai overcome the prejudice of being judged by the colour of their skin. / Mantra
An African Princess / Lyra Edmonds / A mixed race story about self identity
UNIT 2
Stories from a range of cultures/
predictable and patterned language / Handa’s Surprise / Eileen Browne / African setting - a visit to her best friend with her favourite fruit has some surprises along t he way / 0744536340
Handa’s Hen / Eileen Browne / A counting story in an African setting / 074459815X
So Much / Trish Cooke / A birthday celebration in an African Caribbean household.
Beautiful Bananas / Elizabeth Laird / An eventful journey for Beatrice, when a giraffe knocks her present for granddad in the river / OUP / 0192725521
Jamil’s Clever Cat / Fiona French / A folktale from Bengal / Frances Lincoln / 1845075188
The Tiger Child / Joanna Troughton / A folktale from India / Puffin / 0140382380
The Swirling Hijaab / Na’ima bint Robert / A celebration of the Muslim faith; a simple but evocative text in rhyme / Mantra Lingua
Grandfather and I / Helen Buckley / A little boy’s relationship with his grandfather. Patterned language / 780140556988
One Smiling Grandma / Anne Marie Linden / Caribbean counting rhyme
Mary, Juma and Simba the Dog / Actionaid / Set in Kenya. The story of Simba the puppy. Good for ICT – linking to fonts and placement of text / 9781872502649
Jambo Means Hello / Muriel Feelings / Alphabet book introducing Swahili / Penguin / 10 0140546529
Too Much Talk / Angela Shelf Medearis / Re-telling of a West African Folk tale / Candlewick / 10 1564023230
UNIT 3
Traditional Stories and Fairy Tales / The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin / Betsy Bang / Traditional Bangladeshi tale with patterned language / Walker
What Made Tiddalik Laugh? / Joanna Troughton / Aboriginal ‘dreamtime’ story / Puffin
Yeh-Hsien / Dawn Casey / A Chinese Cinderella story / Mantra
Pretty Salma / Niki Daly / A ‘Red Riding Hood’ story set in S Africa / Frances Lincoln
Rainbow Bird / Eric Maddern / Aboriginal folktale
The Fire Children / Eric Maddern / Aboriginal folktale
Aziz the Storyteller / Vi Hughes / Aziz is asked to become the next storyteller, the one who will inherit the enchanted story carpet / Tradewind Books / 10 1566564565
The Clever Boy and the Terrible Dangerous Animal / Idries Shah / A Sufi teaching tale of a boy who visits another village and helps the townspeople deal with their fear of something that they have mistaken for a terrible, dangerous animal. / Hoopoe (USA) / 10 1883536510
Gift of the Sun / Dianne Stewart / A South African Tale / Frances Lincoln
UNIT 4
Stories about Fantasy Worlds / Dave and the Tooth Fairy / Verna Wilkins / Losing teeth is a universal experience and the story combines fact and fantasy in an original way. / Tamarind / 10 1870516133
Tusk, Tusk / David McKee / classic story about prejudice and conflict, using the black and white elephant to tell the tale / Anderson / 101842705792
Year 2
Unit / Title / Author / Synopsis / Publisher / ISBN
UNIT 1
Stories with familiar
settings / Anna Hibiscus / Atinuke / A collection of four linked stories of family life set in modern west Africa / Walker
Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! / Atinuke / Further stories of family life in west Africa – traditional folklore and contemporary urban life / Walker
Hooray for Anna Hibiscus / Atinuke / Further stories of family life in west Africa / Walker
Kasia’s Surprise / Stella Gurney / Set in Poland
Lights for Gita / Rachna Gilmore / Gita gets ready for Diwali / 10 0929005619
Roses for Gita / Rachna Gilmore / Gita befriends their new next door neighbour / 10 0929005856
Masai and I / Virginia Kroll / Puffin / 10 0140548335
Hue Boy / Rita Mitchell / Caribbean setting about a boy who is worried about his height / Puffin / 10 0140563547
Jamela’s Dress / Niki Daly / Jamela’ Dress is a fun and entertaining children’s book that is set in South Africa. / Frances Lincoln / 10 0711214492
What’s Cooking Jamela / Niki Daly / A further adventure with Jamela / Frances Lincoln / 10 071121705X
Where’s Jamela? / Niki Daly / Mama and Gogo are excited about the new house they are moving to, but not Jamela! / Frances Lincoln / 101845071069
Rosa’s Singing Grandfather / Leon Rousselson / Rosa doesn’t have a dad but she does have a grandfather who can be fun. A heart-warming and funny book about the relationship between young and old. A mixed heritage setting / Barn Owl Books
Giant Hiccups / Jacqui Farley
Dave and the Tooth Fairy / Verna Wilkins / Losing teeth is a universal experience and the story combines fact and fantasy in an original way. / Tamarind / 10 1870516133
Cleversticks / Bernard Ashley / A new Chinese boy finds school difficult until ...
UNIT 2
Traditional Stories / No Dinner for Anansi / Trish Cooke / African myth - Anansi likes to play tricks all the time, but when turtle invites him to dinner he’s in for a surprise / Franklin Watts / 0749680067
Chanda and the Mirror of Moonlight / Margaret Hill / Traditional ‘Cinderella style’ story set in India / Zero to Ten / 10 1840893052
The Day the Rains Fell / Anna Faundez / At the beginning of time, a goddess descends to Earth and finds that parts of the land are dry and the plants are wilting. The animals are thirsty. An African creation myth / Tamarind / 9781848530157
Jamil’s Clever Cat / Fiona French / A folktale from Bengal / Frances Lincoln
Muffaro’s Beautiful Daughters / John Steptoe / An African story which links to themes in Cinderella
The Lonely Princess / Saviour Pirotta / An Indian fairytale, rather like Rapunzel / Franklin Watts
The Leopard’s Drum / Jessica Southami / African animal story about
The Warrior and the Moon / Nick Would / five original stories of mystery and enchantment, composed after the author spent time travelling with the Maasai through the Great Rift Valley / Frances Lincoln / 10 0711214875
The Glass Palace / Saviour Pirotta / An Indian fairytale, rather like Sleeping Beauty / Franklin Watts
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella / Robert San Souci / A Caribbean Cinderella story / Aladdin Paperbacks / 10 2914692285
Yeh-Hsien / Dawn Casey / A Chinese Cinderella story / Mantra
The Great Race / Dawn Casey / Chinese zodiac story / Barefoot
UNIT 3
Different stories by the same author / Anna Hibiscus
Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus!
Hooray for Anna Hibiscus / Atinuke / A collection of stories of family life set in modern west Africa / Walker
Akimbo and the Snakes
Akimbo and the Lions
Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
Akimbo and the Elephants / Alexander McCall Smith / Thrilling adventures about a little boy living on a game reserve in Africa / Bloomsbury
Jamela’s Dress
What’s Cooking Jamela?
Where’s Jamela?
Happy Birthday Jamela
Pretty Salma / Niki Daly / Frances Lincoln
UNIT 4
Extended stories/significant authors / Under a Silver Moon / Ann Fine / 2 baby boys born into different backgrounds: one a sultan’s son, the other a gardener’s boy / Walker books / 9781406319231
Jamela’s Dress
What’s Cooking Jamela?
Where’s Jamela?
Happy Birthday Jamela
Pretty Salma / Niki Daly / Frances Lincoln
Amazing Grace
Encore Grace
An Angel Just Like Me
Princess Grace
Grace and Family / Mary Hoffman / Frances Lincoln
Year 3
Unit / Title / Author / Synopsis / Publisher / ISBN
UNIT 1
Stories with familiar settings / The Julian Stories / Ann Cameron / A collection of stories about two brothers in the Caribbean / Random House / 9780552548243
My Grandpa and the Sea / Katherine Orr / When Grandpa, a traditional fisherman, is forced from his livelihood because his island's supply of fish is diminishing, he decides not to give up / 10 087614525X
Home Now / Lesley Beake / An orphan adapts to her new life on a township in S Africa / Frances Lincoln / 10 1845076389
Betsy’s Birthday Surprise / Malorie Blackman / Set in the Caribbean. Betsey's birthday appears to have been forgotten by everyone, despite her constant reminders. / Mammoth / 10 0749726407
An Angel Just Like Me / Mary Hoffman / Frances Lincoln
Samira’s Eid / Nasreen Aktar / Samira prepares for the big celebration / Mantra
UNIT 2
Myths and legends / Brer Rabbit: the great tug-o-war / John Agard
Lugalbanda: the boy who got caught up in a war / Kathy Henderson / A myth from ancient Iraq. The oldest written story in the world, about the extraordinary adventures of a young prince / Walker Books
Sukey and the Mermaid / Robert D San Souci / Retelling of an African American folktale / Aladdin Paperbacks / 10 068980718X
The Spider Weaver / Margaret Musgrove / A legend of Kente cloth / Blue Sky Press / 10 0590987879
Why the Sky is Far Away / Mary-Joan Gerson / The sky was once so close to the Earth that people cut parts of it to eat, but their waste and greed caused the sky to move far away / Little , Brown and Company / 10 0316308749
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears / Verna Ardema / A West African tale about what happens when a mosquito whispers a lie to an iguana which leads to a chain of events / Penguin / 10 0140549056
The Children of Lir / Retold by Dawn Casey / An Irish legend / Mantra
UNIT 3
Adventure and mystery / Akimbo and the Snakes / Alexander McCall Smith / Thrilling adventures about a little boy living on a game reserve in Africa / Bloomsbury
Akimbo and the Lions / Alexander McCall Smith / Bloomsbury
Akimbo and the Elephants / Alexander McCall Smith / Bloomsbury
The Julian Stories / Ann Cameron / A collection of stories about two brothers / Random House / 9780552548243
Amina’s Blanket / Helen Dunmore / A story about Josie who dreams about visiting her friend Amina in her dreams, in a war torn zone / Egmont
Roar, Bull, Roar! / Andrew Fusek Peters / A family from the Czech Republic arrive in Shropshire where they are plunged into a series of mysteries / Frances Lincoln
Wanted: Janosik / Andrew Matthews / A Polish version of a ‘Robin Hood’ character / Barrington Stoke
UNIT 4
Authors and letters
UNIT 5
Dialogue and plays / The Good-Time Boys / Hiawyn Oram / This play is adapted from an African folk tale which includes production notes / A&C Black / 0713646276
Year 4
Unit / Title / Author / Synopsis / Publisher / ISBN
UNIT 1
Stories with historical settings / The Cats in Krasinski Square / Karen Hesse / A picture book, beautifully written. Set in the ghettos of Warsaw in WW II. Helps to show children some of the harsh realities of war and oppression
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt / Deborah Hopkinson / A picture book about a young African slave which provides opportunities to explore Clara's problems and how she solves them / Alfred A. Knopf / 10 0679874720
Stories from the Silk Road / Cherry Gilchrist / Journey along the ancient trade route between East and West in these 7 individual stories / Barefoot Books / 10 1841488011
UNIT 2
Stories with imaginary worlds
UNIT 3
Stories from other cultures / Gregory Cool / Caroline Binch / Set in Tobago, the story relates Gregory’s visit to his grandparents. Looks at differences between cultures and provides opportunities to work on ‘point of view’ / 0711208905
The Jolly Mon / Jimmy Buffett / An original tale where music and enchantment, pirates and trickery, friendship and the loyalty of a very special dolphin, create a timeless story of adventure. Set in the Caribbean / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Walkabout / James V Marshall / Mary and Peter are stranded in the middle of the unforgiving Australian desert after the plane they are travelling in crashes / Penguin / 1405878800
Fly Eagle, Fly / Christopher Gregorowski / An African parable / 0711217300
Grandpa Chatterji / Jamila Gavin / Tells the story of two children named Neetu and Sanjay, and what happens when their incredible Grandpa comes to stay / Mammoth / 1405212853
Rickshaw Girl / Matali Perkins / Naima longs to earn money to help her poor Bangladeshi family, but her talent in painting traditional patterns, or alpanas, is no use. She decides to disguise herself as a boy / Charlesbridge publishing (US) / 9781580893091
The Colour of Home / Mary Hoffman / 0711219915