Language & Literature

The Doncaster Book Awards – By Kids for Kids

Doncaster Book Awards Shortlist 2018

There are lots of children’s book awards, but the Doncaster Book Awards is special. That’s because children decide not only which books they want to win, but even which ones are on the shortlist.
Doncaster is in Yorkshire, in the north of England. Lots of schools in the area, alongside many home-educated kids, register and take part in the awards. First, the children select the shortlist for different categories of books, and these are then voted on by all the schools and the children. Sometimes book publishers ask to get their books on the list, but the answer is always no. This one is by children, for children!

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Science, Nature and Tech

Store Cupboard Science – Experiments at Home

While there are plenty of science kits in the shops, did you know that you can do loads of science with things that you already have in your store cupboard?  Science enthusiast Lisa White has put together a list of things that you need for a variety of basic science experiments.

 

 

store cupboard

 

 

 

You might need extra equipment but these are the basics. Having white vinegar, salt, bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid in stock will be useful too!

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Written By You

The Fall – A Short Story in Three Parts – Part Three

This is the third of a three part story by 10 year old Alice. Read Part One and Part Two first.

 

My view is hazy, but I can work out the blurry shape of a nurse, standing by my bed. My eyelids shut; the light was stinging my eyes.

“Hello?” The voice is soft. I decide to answer.

“Hello,” I answer.

“I’m Josie,” says the nurse, pulling up a chair beside the bed. “What’s your name?”

“Kieran,” I reply, chewing my lip.

“Well, Kieran, you’ve been through a lot,” she says. She feels my forehead. “You had a raging fever you know. How do you feel now?”

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Home, Health & Style

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?

Julianne Robertson investigates the world of snoozes, forty winks, cat naps and snoring. What is SLEEP, why do we need it, and how much sleep do kids need?

 

A couple of nights ago I was feeling really, really tired, so I went to bed early.  I slept soundly, without even dreaming, until about 5am, when I woke up.  It felt like I’d only been sleeping for about 5 minutes!  After that, I fell back to sleep but had lots of vivid dreams and when I woke up a couple of hours later, it felt like I’d been asleep for a long time.  After all that I still felt well-rested and was ready for the day.

All this made me wonder – what IS sleep?  Why is it that some nights we feel like we’ve had a really good nights’ sleep, while other nights we still feel tired when we wake up in the morning?  Here’s what I’ve discovered about sleep…

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