Books in Collins Big Cat series

A quirky insight into how to live like an Ancient Greek – in twenty-five easy stages.• Sapphire/Band 16 books books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically.• Text type: An information book.• Curriculum links: History: Who were the Ancient Greeks; How do we use Ancient Greek ideas today?• This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader

Have you ever wondered how to draw your favourite manga character, or design a character of your own? Manga artist Katie Coope shows you how, step by step. Use this book to create your own manga hero or heroine – their adventures start here!• Diamond/ Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.• A mind map on pages 54 and 55 helps children recap all the different things to think about when drawing their own manga characters.• Text type: An instruction book.• Curriculum links: Art and Design.

From the pyramids in Egypt to the Sydney Opera House, landmarks have been built all over the world. Find out what makes them so special.• Turquoise/ Band 7 books offer literary language and extended descriptions, with longer sentences and a wide range of unfamiliar terms.• Text type—an information book.• A map of the world on pages 22 and 23 shows the location of all the landmarks.• Curriculum links—Geography: "The location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features."

Learn everything you could ever want to know about one of Earth’s most impressive phenomena. Find out all about the different types of volcano, why and how they happen, the risks they pose, as well as what they can provide. Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.

When Rosalind is banished to the forest by her uncle it goes without saying that her cousin Celia will go with her. But their new life gets slightly complicated, when, disguised as boys, they meet real boys, who they’d quite like to live happily ever after with! How to reveal who they really are, without losing the people they love? Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically. Text type: Fiction from our literary heritage Curriculum links: English: fiction from the English literary heritage

This witty information book describes real and imaginary creatures, and answers the question – are they real? Some of the creatures are from myths and legends, while others are genuine. Included are the Loch Ness Monster, about which there is disagreement, the vampire bat, and the yeti.• Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.• Text type - An information book.• A table on pages 30 and 31 summarises the information about each of the creatures in the book providing an ideal opportunity for children to recap.• Curriculum links - Geography: Where in the world is Barnaby Bear? History: Ancient Eygpt.• This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

A young monster is getting everything she needs to take a dip: a boat, a toy shark, armbands, goggles, flippers. Once everything is to hand she is ready… to take a bath! The vividly drawn artwork shows each step of the monster’s careful preparations, offering lots of discussion points: is she going for a swim in a pool? In the sea?• Pink B level (Band 1B) books offer simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions.• Text type - A story with predictable structure and patterned language.• An illustration on pages 14 and 14 shows the monster splashing happily in the bath, with all her toys labelled, to help children recap and discuss.• This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

At the beginning of World War II, a young American woman named Virginia Hall was sent undercover to Nazi-occupied France to spy on the German army. Follow her incredible true story as she bravely aids the French Resistance, organises and leads rebel armies and passes secret coded radio messages to the Allied forces in this fascinating biography.• Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading programme and longer chapter books.• Text type: A biography.• Curriculum links: History: What can we learn about recent history from studying the life of a famous person?

Discover the mystery of Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, from its origins and sightings to the latest scientific research. Orange/Band 6 offers varied text and characters, with action sustained over several pages and reduced support from illustrations. A wider range of texts is included. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.