Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

The 1,000 Year Old Boy – Ross Welford

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This one is a cracker. It tells the story of a 1000 year old man, trapped in the body of an 11 year boy. It’s brilliantly written from his perspective, as well as the perspective of a boy who he meets in modern day England, Aiden.

When tragedy befalls Alfie, he is forced to seek help from his new friends, Aiden and Roxy, while trying to keep his true age a secret and overcome some increasingly dangerous and urgent challenges.

This book is rich in historical references, perfect for the primary classroom. Although, that said, Ross Welford does make it clear that he made most of them up. It also begs the question, would you want to live forever? The answer of the children may change after reading this book.

Tom, age 10, says: “I really enjoyed The 1000 Year Old Boy because, unlike other books, it is told from two different points of view. The first boy, who the book is about, is called Alfie (or Alve) and, thanks to the livperler, he doesn’t age. This means he’s 1000 years old, but looks like an 11 year old. The other perspective is from Aiden, the boy in modern times who makes friends with Alfie. I like the way it changes from one view to other to tell the same story from different angles. It’s quite an exciting story, especially the build up to the climax. I’m not sure if I’d like to live for 1000 years, because for Alife, it was pretty tough. I might want to, to see what happens in the future.”

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Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

How to be Me – Cath Howe

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Lucas is alone. His mum has died and his dad is always very busy and doesn’t really seem to understand his son. It’s the summer holidays and the few friends Lucas does have all have plans that leave him alone and bored. Much to his annoyance, Lucas’s dad signs him up for a drama club that runs through the holiday. He’s knows he’s going to hate it, and true enough, he does. However, for one reason or another, he goes back. Slowly but surely he begins to feel more comfortable there and begins to fit in and find his place.

It took me a while to get into this book. Howe writes from Lucas’s perspective and when he becomes overwhelmed with emotions (usually towards the ends of the chapters) his internal monologue becomes a bit tricky to follow – this may just be a me-thing. As the narrative developed we became more invested in the story and Lucas also gained more control over his emotions.

Overall, I enjoyed the book because of the journey Lucas went on and the people he met. Although many of the adults have their faults, there are no lazy clichés here and all of the characters are well rounded and developed. It’s a pretty heart-warming story and a useful gateway into discussions around mental health with children.

Bella, age 7, says: “I liked the story because it has lots of fun things in it and I think it’s really good. I like the bit where they put all the wishes in the well, I’d like to do that and try and make my wishes come true. It was good in the café when he played the piano to people for the first time and Avalon heard him. It was great at the end that his dad wasn’t mad at him, but he was proud.”

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Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

THE LAST PEBBLE – ALEX HORNE

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A BIT OF CONTEXT

There are two elephants in the room with this particular book that I should address before really getting into it.

Firstly, I know the author. Alex and I work together on Taskmaster Education. This has no doubt (consciously or otherwise) influenced how I feel about the book and I probably won’t be too cutting about it, although he does encourage me to, ‘be Frank’. I look forward to the day that he remembers my actual name.

The other thing is the, “Oh, great another celebrity having a go a writing a children’s book, just what we needed” issue. The market is already pretty saturated with this happening, and it doesn’t always lead to the best storytelling and can certainly reduce opportunities and exposure for children’s authors who don’t already have a sizeable platform but do have well-written, innovative, creative, important stories to tell.

This one is a little different though. For a start, it doesn’t have lazy racial tropes and that’s always a very good thing. Also, Alex Horne can write. This is his fourth book (if you don’t count all of the Taskmaster ones – which you really could) and the first 2 were written long before he enjoyed the profile afforded to him by the success of Taskmaster. This though, is his first foray into children’s fiction. (He has written a non-fiction book with his band which is great for teaching children about music).

THE ACTUAL REVIEW

The Last Pebble is set in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, “one of the only towns with a surname”, and centres around a boy called Trader and his family. His grandmother is in a care home and his grandfather spends much of his time scouring the beach looking for interesting things – particularly precious stones. One day, whilst on the beach with his grandad, Trader spots a stone that catches his eye. He picks it up, instantly knowing that’s it’s a significant find, and then shows his grandad who confirms that he has something special. Just how special the pebble is isn’t initially obvious to the reader, but as the mystery unravels and the secrets of the stone are revealed, so the story takes shape and Trader’s life is changed forever.

The Last Pebble is a heart-warming story with a few mysterious strands that tread together nicely at the end. This meant that it led to much discussion whist reading about where the narrative might be going, what might happen to the characters and what certain clues meant. As well as a plot that twists and turns its way to a pleasing conclusion there is also good bit of geology and themes such as bullying, self-esteem, family and friendship and even a bit of morality.

This book would work as a class read in KS2, especially if they are studying ‘Rocks’ as their science topic. There are plenty of opportunities to get creative with it as well: using it as a writing stimulus (message in a bottle or the journey of the pebble to name but two); or in art lessons, practising shading and sketching the different qualities of the different stones or a spot of reverse graffiti.

We loved that it was set in Bognor because we live nearby, but really it should encourage all of us to look at the treasures all around us with fresh eyes and inspiration. You never know what gifts are hiding in plain sight.

The character of Charlotte is particularly likeable and brilliant. She is also a keen artist and bus enthusiast. Due to this love of buses, I’m sure she would love visiting the Amberley Museum, which is just up the road from Bognor. I was a little disappointed that it never got a mention but maybe that’s one for the sequel. We might have a while to wait though, as the book took 7 years to write.

In his acknowledgements, Alex notes, ‘I’m truly grateful to everyone at Walker for supporting yet another comedian who thinks they’ve got a book in them.’ On this evidence, that support was well placed and that comedian was correct.

Tom, age 12, says: “I’ve enjoyed how the character’s personalities are really different but they fit together well like a jigsaw. I really enjoyed that there was a mystery about the pebble because it’s fun to try and work it out as we read the story. My favourite character is probably Charlotte because she always has a plan. My favourite part of the book is when trader first discovers the pebble because it sets the story up well. I’d recommend this book for 8-12 year olds who like mysterious, adventurous books.”

Bella, age 10, says: “My favourite character was Charlotte because she’s very clever and she likes art. I like the book because it’s funny, like when Trader said ‘I opened my window and stuck my nose out. I couldn’t smell rain. I couldn’t feel rain. I opened my mouth – I couldn’t taste rain. It wasn’t raining!’. I like this sort of silly humour.”

Discover more brilliant books for Key Stage 2 children below…

Stories for KS2 children
Enrichment, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School

Personal Develop through Taskmaster Club

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Taskmaster Club isn’t just about fun and games – it’s a powerful tool to help schools meet their personal development objectives while giving students a safe space to explore, experiment, and grow. By taking part in creative challenges, students learn through doing, often surprising themselves with what they can achieve. Along the way, they build essential life skills that go far beyond the classroom.

Here’s how Taskmaster Club links directly to key areas of personal development in UK secondary schools:

1. Character Education

The unpredictable and often quirky challenges of Taskmaster Club encourage students to step outside their comfort zones. They learn resilience when things don’t go as planned, confidence when their ideas shine, and independence by approaching problems in their own way. For example, a challenge that requires inventing a solution from limited materials demands perseverance and creative risk-taking – valuable skills for life.

2. Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

  • Moral: Many challenges require fair play, honesty, and reflection on the consequences of decisions. A simple rule-bending attempt in a task can spark discussions about ethics and responsibility. Alex might well say that, ‘all the information is on the task’, but where the letter of the law meets the spirit of the law, many a debate can be had.
  • Social: Working in teams helps students collaborate, negotiate, and respect different perspectives. Completing a task together fosters camaraderie and shows the value of collective effort, even when personalities or ideas differ.

3. Citizenship and British Values

Taskmaster Club fosters mutual respect by creating an environment where all contributions are valued, regardless of ability. Students also practise active participation by getting involved, taking turns leading, and supporting their peers – skills that transfer naturally to wider community life and civic engagement.

4. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

Decision-making and problem-solving are at the heart of every challenge. Students must quickly assess a situation, weigh up options, and put ideas into action. Whether it’s building, performing, or strategising, the process sharpens their ability to think critically and creatively under pressure.

5. Leadership and Student Voice

Taskmaster Club offers regular opportunities for leadership, whether through taking charge of a team task, volunteering ideas, or reflecting on outcomes. It also empowers student voice: everyone has space to contribute and advocate for their approach, building agency and confidence in expressing themselves.

In summary: Taskmaster Club combines fun with meaningful skill development, helping schools nurture character, teamwork, respect, decision-making, and leadership.

If you’d like to bring the joy and benefits of Taskmaster Club to your school, get in touch via info@taskmastereducation.com to find out how we can support your students’ personal development journey.

Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School

Build 21st Century Skills with Taskmaster Education

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How Taskmaster Club Could Thrive in America — And How It Builds 21st Century Skills

If you haven’t yet heard of Taskmaster Club, imagine this: a group of students laughing, problem-solving, collaborating, and thinking outside the box – all while completing absurd, creative challenges like “Get this potato as far from the school as possible” or “Create the most impressive domino chain using only items in your backpack.” It’s based on the hit British TV show Taskmaster, and it’s taking educational spaces by storm.

So why might Taskmaster Club work so well in American schools, and how does it align with 21st century learning goals? Let’s dig in.

A Perfect Fit for American Classrooms

1. Humour Meets Learning

Taskmaster Club combines the joy of play with the thrill of problem-solving. Think Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets STEM Day. It’s funny, unpredictable, and totally engaging – everything teachers hope for when looking to hook students into deeper learning.

2. Built for Engagement

American educators are increasingly turning to experiential learning – project-based learning, Genius Hour, and game-based education. Taskmaster Club fits right in. It transforms school into a place where fun meets function, and learning becomes something students genuinely want to do.

3. Flexible, Scalable, and Inclusive

Whether you’re in a classroom, running an after-school program, or coordinating summer enrichment, Taskmaster Club can scale to fit your needs. It can be low-tech or tech-rich, competitive or collaborative, silly or serious. Its flexibility makes it accessible to schools across varied educational models and student demographics.

4. A Natural Ally of SEL (Social-Emotional Learning)

From managing group dynamics to learning how to handle failure with a smile, Taskmaster Club supports many SEL goals. It helps students build empathy, resilience, and interpersonal skills – traits that are essential for thriving both in school and in life.

Where 21st Century Skills Come to Life

In today’s world, content knowledge isn’t enough. Students need to master the “4 Cs” (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication), along with digital literacy, adaptability, and leadership. Taskmaster Club delivers all of these – not through lectures, but through lived experiences.

Creativity:
Every task is an open invitation to think differently. Whether students are designing elaborate contraptions or solving abstract puzzles, they’re constantly innovating.

Collaboration:
Team-based challenges teach students how to work together, resolve conflicts, and play to each other’s strengths.

Critical Thinking:
There’s no obvious right answer in most tasks. Students have to evaluate, strategize, and reflect – a perfect playground for critical thought.

Communication:
From pitching ideas to performing presentations, students practice both verbal and non-verbal communication in meaningful ways.

Adaptability & Resilience:
Things will go wrong. That’s the point. Students learn how to improvise, bounce back, and grow from the experience – key skills for navigating the real world.

Leadership & Initiative:
With rotating roles and dynamic teams, students get chances to lead, step up, and take ownership of their learning.

Digital Literacy (when tech is involved):
In schools that incorporate tech into Taskmaster tasks, students can create videos, collaborate online, or edit presentations – building modern media fluency along the way.

Final Thoughts

Taskmaster Club isn’t just fun – it’s transformative. It meets students where they are: curious, social, and bursting with energy. It nurtures the skills they need to succeed – not just in school, but in the unpredictable world beyond.

So if you’re looking for a high-impact, low-barrier way to breathe life into your teaching, Taskmaster Club might be just the challenge you’re looking for.

Theatre Reviews, Tom's Reviews

Hamilton

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Who? The Hamilton Tour of UK and Ireland is produced by Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh

What? Hamilton

Where? Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

When? 18 March – 26 April 2025

What the show is about? The show is about Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US. It follows his life from his arrival to New York to his death. In the first part of the show you meet the main characters. Hamilton is an orphan from the Caribbean who goes to King’s College and there he meets 3 fellow revolutionaries, John Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette (Lafayette), and Hercules Mulligan. He also meets Aaron Burr, one of the most recent graduates from King’s College.

They join the revolution to fight off the British and once they have succeeded, they set about writing the constitution and leading the newly United States of America.

We also learn about Hamilton’s private life as he meets and marries his wife Eliza. They have 8 children together but in the musical they really only focus on one of them, Phillip.

What was really good about it?  What I think was really good about the show was the amount of songs that there were because I quite like musicals, and at the time I watched it I didn’t know many of the songs but afterwards we got the CD so I learned them off of that. I know them quite well now….it might be slightly driving my mum crazy.

I liked how the stage was set up and the revolve worked really well, and rather than the actors having to walk around the stage, the revolve took them that way instead. The choreography for the performance was really quite clever, especially as there were most likely going to be about 5-30 people on stage at a time, they also used revolving bit on the stage skilfully when actors entered and left the stage. The whole thing was incredibly slick and seamless.

Also at some points at the start of the second act there are rap battles between Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State at the time) and Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of Treasury at the time) during cabinet meetings. The rap battles are really interesting, deciding first where they should put America’s main banks and the capital city and whether they should work together to demolish New York’s debt but Jefferson, from Virginia, doesn’t want his home state to be in debt as well as New York.

The second rap battle (or Cabinet Meeting) between Jefferson and Hamilton is about whether they should help France (who at war with England) or stay out of it. Jefferson wants to help France but Hamilton believes that America are just too fragile to keep fighting, and that they should stay out of it.

What could be better? The thing that could have been better was that, although I had loads of sweets, I didn’t get an ice cream during the interval.

What my Dad thinks? Hamilton is worth the hype. It’s just incredible. The music, the chorography, the lyrics, the storytelling, the acting and the emotion are all done perfectly.

I’d been a little concerned that the 2 hours 45 minutes would be a bit long for the kids (and me) but it flew by. It was worth watching the Broadway version on Disney+ beforehand because it meant the children were able to follow the plot better and were familiar with some of the songs. It also meant they were giddy with excitement whenever King George came onto stage.

Star Rating? 5 Stars

Find more of my theatre reviews and match reports on my blog page.

Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

What’s for Dinner, Mr Gum? – Andy Stanton

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What’s for Dinner Mr Gum? is the 6th in the series by Andy Stanton and it’s full of the usual nonsense, adventure and wordplay. This one includes and random chapter from a different book (funny), a missing chapter that you can go online to find (not so funny) and a bonus story at the end about what Jake the dog had been up to the whole time and why he wasn’t in the story.

As usual the story centres around something awful that Mr Gum and Billy William are up to and how Polly and her friends save the day. This time though, Mr Gum and Billy are at way with each other and Polly’s gang have to find a way to intervene and bring peace back to Lamonic Bibber.

As ever, love saves the day, and love comes in the form of Thora Gruntwinkle. The pin-up butcher from Olde London Town. Although, the path to true love didn’t quite go as the heroes had planned, we still ended up with a positive resolution.

It’s another very funny book from Andy Stanton which included many laugh out loud moments. He’s written loads of funny books and I talk about loads of them in this blog post from a few years ago.

Tom, age 11, says: “I really liked the book and my favourite bit was when Friday said, ‘cropper in the flopper.’ I’m not sure why, but it did make me laugh a lot. The Mr Flamingo chapter that was accidentally printed in the book by mistake was also very funny.”

Bella, age 9, says: “My favourite character was Philip the Horror, CHATTER CHATTER CHEE!”

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Stories for KS2 children
Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo

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Michael Morpurgo is one of this country’s most famous, respected and prolific authors and Kensuke’s Kingdom is one of his most well-known books that regularly features on junior school reading lists.

It’s an epic adventure of a boy (Michael) and his dog (Stella Artois) who wash up on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean following an accident on the boat he was sailing with his parents.

It’s a fantastic premise for a story and this island setting has been seen many times before in some of the greatest novels ever written – Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, even Peter Pan. The reader gets to image how they would survive (and, if indeed, they think they might) in such a place with none of the comforts of modern life and without the support of their family.

If you are doing an Explorers and Survivors topic in KS2, it a great story to contrast with a non-fiction book, such as Ernest Shackleton’s adventures in the Antarctic. It’s also not too long, which is always helpful for a class text.

Tom, age 11, says: “I really like the book because it was a fun, exciting adventure. I think it might be fun to be on a deserted island because I quite like being on my own. Then again, I’m not sure how I’d get food and water. I’d have to go and scavenge around for food and I wouldn’t know where to look. It would probably just hurt my legs a lot and I wouldn’t like that.

I think the saddest part of the story was when Michael left the island. I understand why he had to go and be with his family, but it must have been hard to leave Kensuke.

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Stories for KS2 children
Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

Striking Out

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Striking Out – Ian Wright and Musa Okwonga

Full disclosure, the boy and I are both massive Arsenal fans so we were probably always going to feel favourably about a book co-written by Ian Wright. I idolised Wrighty when he played for Arsenal in the 90s but I tried not to let that inform my opinions of the book too much.

The story centres around Jerome Jackson, a 13-year-old boy with an exceptional talent for football and a dream to make it to the very top. Jerome doesn’t have the easiest life and is struggling to get noticed for the right reasons until a chance encounter with Ian Wright sets him on a path to future stardom. It’s not all plain sailing for Jerome, but his mum, Wrighty and other members of his community are there to support him when he needs it most.

As a kids book about football it’s very good. The action described on the on the pitch is exciting and believable and the coaching advise that Jerome (the main character) is given is insightful and genuinely useful. Despite his faults, the reader really wants Jerome to do well as he progresses along his footballing journey.

However, Striking Out is much more that just a kids book about football. The story also addresses some substantial issues in a child-friendly way that opens the door for important conversations at home or at school. Domestic violence, racism, bereavement and peer pressure are among that issues raised in Striking Out which led some great conversations with my son.

Music also plays a key role in the book. Ian’s frequent cameos in the story often come with a musical recommendation for Jerome and the reader. Personally I’ve recently discover the music of Kirk Franklin and I Smile has become a singing assembly song, thanks to this book.

Tom, age 10, says: “This is different to other books I’ve read because it’s about a boy who has a very different life to me and about how hard it is for him. It’s interesting because it’s about Jerome’s journey to become a footballer and how he’s seen by scouts and seen as having potential. I like the way they describe the football in particular. I liked it when Ian first saw Jerome score a goal at Hackney Marshes and another favourite part was when he got accepted into St Joseph’s.”

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Book Review, Brilliant Books, Reading, Reading for Pleasure

Dead Good Detectives – Jenny McLachlan

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Sid and her best friend, Zen, love to play spooky games in the graveyard of their small, coastal village. One stormy night Sid inadvertently frees a 300 year old pirate ghost from a mysterious Halfway House. The story that unfolds is how Sid and Zen help Captain Bones and his crew find their treasure so they can cross over to the other side.

Parallels to McLachlan’s previous series, The Land of Roar, were clear to me. Both stories are exciting adventures with unpredictable twists and turns along the way. Sid reminds me of Arthur, as both were the unassuming heroes of their stories who displayed bravery they probably didn’t really feel they would have been capable of beforehand. Zen reminded me of Win, the carefree loyal sidekick. But above all, McLachlan writes a great baddie. In both series the villains are revealed slowly over the book and the suggestion of them alone, strikes fear into the band of characters working against them.

Tom, age 10, says: “I like Jenny McLachlan books because they always have a good mystery. This time I liked the theme of mystery and history. My favourite character is Zen because he’s funny and silly and doesn’t really care what people think about him. I really liked Elizabeth too, because she’s funny.

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Stories for KS2 children

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