Jeremy Strong (born 18 November 1949) is an English writer credited with over 100 children's books. He once worked in a bakery, putting jam into doughnuts. He also worked as caretaker, a strawberry-picker and in an office for British Rail.

He attended Wyborne Primary School, southeast London, Haberdashers Aske's Boys' School and the University of York.After university he became a junior school teacher. At the same time he began his writing career, publishing his first book, SMITH'S TAIL, a picture story for young children in 1978. He left teaching in 1991 and has been writing full-time ever since. His humorous writing often makes use of his childhood and primary teaching experiences. His story There's A Viking In My Bed was made into a BBC children's TV series. He was won several awards including the prestigious Children's Book Award 1997 for THE HUNDRED MILE AN HOUR DOG, the Manchester Book Award for his teen novel STUFF and the Sheffield Book Award for BEWARE, KILLER TOMATOES. Jeremy often visits schools and festivals to talk to children and parents as well as speaking at conferences. He also regularly writes stories for dyslexic children, published by the specialist publisher, Barrington Stoke. Jeremy lives near Bath in England, with his wife Gillie, two cats and four hens.

Julia Donaldson

Our current author of the half term is Julia Donaldson. She has written a wide variety of extremely popular children's books. The focus in Year 5 will be enjoying a good story but also talking a lot of inference. Please try to take the time to enjoy some Julia Donaldson books yourself or share them with your family. 

Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parent's yacht, the Peggy Sue, he struggles to survive on his own. But he soon realises there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. Following a close-run battle between life and death after being stung by a poisonous jelly fish, the mysterious someone--Kensuke--allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day of separation becomes inevitable.

Morpurgo here spins a yarn which gently captures the adventurous elements one would expect from a desert-island tale, but the real strength lies in the poignant and subtle observations of friendship, trust and, ultimately, humanity.

Beautifully illustrated by Michael Foreman, Kensuke's Kingdom is a stylish, deceptively simple and magical book that will effortlessly capture the heart and imagination of anyone who reads it, ensuring that Morpurgo continues to stand tall amid the ranks of classic children's authors. (Ages 9 and over)

Roald Dahl - Boy :Tales of Childhood

Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984) is an autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to writing as a career. It ends with his first job, working for Royal Dutch Shell. His autobiography continues in the book Going Solo.