Like everyone else’s class this year, it seems, mine has discovered graphic novels in a big way. As a result, I have tried to provide a selection of titles to appeal to all of my charges and the first in this series is one which has been extremely popular.
Featuring bold and bright illustrations and large text in an easier-to-read lower case format, Barb the Brave is a book that has been accessible to the whole class and is one that I will be taking with me to my new Year 3 class, who I’m sure will not only love that but will enjoy this sequel too.
After the trials and tribulations of Book 1, where the evil Witch Head captured all the adult Berzerkers – a band of warriors dedicated to protecting the land of Bailiwick from monsters – young Barb and her best friend, yeti Porkchop, are determined to track them down and set them free.
Before this though, the duo must find their way into Maug Horn, accompanied by a wide assortment of farmers and monsters, in order to track down Franny Fire Fingers and ask her assistance in finding the Wise Wizards, whose help will give Barb the power to overcome Witch Head.
While Franny is able to put Barb in contact with the Wise Wizards, her powers are not strong enough to summon them and Barb must set out without them. With Porkchop at her side, will Barb be able to find her way to Witch Head’s secret lair and if so, can she defeat her mortal enemy and free the Berserkers?
Barb is a great heroine, whose bravery and resourcefulness go a long way to showing young readers that there is enormous power in perseverance and kindness to others. Keen to always do the right thing, she finds her ordinariness and inability to succeed at times really frustrating but she is never frightened to ask for help or to pick herself back up and try a new tactic for the good of those she wants to help.
As well as the features I mentioned earlier, the story is broken down into short chapters, making this a perfect read for increasingly confident young readers aged 7 and over and is one that will make a perfect gateway book into titles such as the Amulet series, which seems to be universally popular in upper KS2/3 up and down the country. Barb the Brave: The Ghost Blade is on sale now, and I am hugely grateful to Toppsta and publisher Simon and Schuster for my gifted review copy.
Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library 