Kay Barnham

'She sells sea shells on the sea shore' - and she really did! This rhyme is thought to have been written about Mary Anning, an amazing fossilist and dinosaur expert, who was almost unknown at the time she lived. This biography explores the life of Mary Anning, from her first fossil finds at the age of ten to her sales of important discoveries to wealthy scientists. Mary's fossil finds made a great contribution to what scientist understood about pre-historic life. Through the story of Mary Anning, readers learn about life and society in the 1800s and Victorian Britain. We learn what it was like to be born into a poor family and about the roles of women in society and in the field of science. Readers will learn to draw conclusions from the evidence provided - a great basis for class discussions.History VIP biographies each look at the life of a famous Briton telling the stories of these Very Important People with clear, lively text. Amazing facts are added with feature panels and lively illustrations give visual information of the time and society the VIP lived in. With these key biographies students learn how individual people's actions have shaped the course of history. Key terms are defined in an easy-to-use glossary encouraging readers to use historical terms in their own work. History VIPs biographies focus on key subjects in the history curriculum for Key Stages 2 and 3, exploring the impact of exceptional figures in history and the society and culture in Britain at the time that they lived. Features include:In other news - these panels give context and help readers to understand the society and events of the wider world in which the subject livedTrue or False - questions lead students to question information and to interact with the facts they are presented with. What they said - quote features bring the subjects to life using their own words!WOW! - Boxes add humorous or amazing information to astound the reader and bring out the hilarious side of history

William Shakespeare wrote some of the most famous plays in history, but there is plenty of misinformation about his life and times. This book dives into those so-called "facts" and discovers what's real and what's fake with entertaining ease. Did Shakespeare really burn down the Globe Theatre? Did he write all of his plays on his own? Brilliant fact boxes help provide historical context to Shakespeare's life and works, while "The Bard's Best Bits" add Shakespeare quotes and phrases we still use in everyday life to this day.

Truth or Busted: Survival Skills takes popular notions and ideas about how to survive in urban and wilderness environments and examines where the ideas came from, how or why they have become well known, and finally whether they are really true or false! This hilarious book looks at statements like: 'You can drink your own wee to survive!' or 'Cows are more deadly than great white sharks!' Each statement is evaluated and then awarded a Truth or Busted stamp at the end of each entry.

Bridges come in all different shapes and sizes. How were bridges made in the past? How do they work? Filled with clear diagrams and stunning photos from around the world, this book explores the variety of uses and designs of these important structures. Gold/Band 9 fiction offers developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.Text type: An information bookPages 22 and 23 explore the different bridge designs from the book and their uses.Curriculum links: Literacy: Information texts.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

School becomes comical in this funny volume. Teachers, principals, and students all get the silly treatment. Age appropriate humor and easy-to-follow sentences will have budding comedians giggling and sharing new information.