KS2 Maths SAT Buster - Shape,Measures & Data by CGP Books

Book Review: There has been a lot of news about SATS and the stress that 11-year-olds feel under when doing them. So is it a good idea to get these books for your child? Well in my opinion with my children I think that these can only help. The more practice they do, the more prepared they should feel, so they should feel under less stress.

I got this for my 8-year-old because she is quite advanced in Maths. Obviously for her she has not been taught everything that is in this book at school yet but having a Maths background I am able to help her, plus the level is pretty simple so most adults can hopefully help. For example she hadn't been taught what probability is yet.

The good thing at the start of this book is that it tries to make it fun. It talks about the student becoming an Shape&Datagator, and that is followed through in the book with the marking system.

The bad thing is that all the maths books are available to buy separately. This one covers Shape, Measures & Data so doesn't fully cover the SATS programme. Other maths SATS books available are "Number" and "Mental Maths". The answers book is only available separately too. So maybe you might want to look at getting the full set if inclined that way.

Overall though my 8-year-old is enjoying doing this in her own time (she said "this is fun") and without any parental pressure.

Publication date: 15 March 2013

Amazon UK link: KS2 Maths SAT Buster - Shape, Measures & Data

KS2 Maths SAT Buster - Mental Maths by CGP Books

Book review: There has been a lot of news about SATS and the stress that 11-year-olds feel under in doing them. So is it a good idea to get these books for your child? Well in my opinion with my children I think that these can only help. The more practice they do, the more prepared they should feel, and the less unknowns they should face so they should feel under less stress.

I got this for my 8-year-old because she is quite advanced in Maths. Obviously for her she has not been taught everything that is in this book at school yet but having a Maths background I am able to help her, plus the level is pretty simple so most adults can hopefully help. For example she hadn't been taught what prime numbers were yet.

The good thing at the start of this book is that it tries to make it fun. It talks about the student becoming an Arithmosauras-rex, and that is followed through in the book with the marking system.

The bad thing is that all the maths books are available to buy separately. This one covers Mental Maths so doesn't fully cover the SATS programme. Other maths SATS books available are "Number" and "Shape, Measures & Data". The answers book is only available separately too. So maybe you might want to look at getting the full set if inclined that way.

Overall though my 8-year-old is enjoying doing this in her own time and without any parental pressure.

Publication date: 16 December 2013

Amazon UK link: KS2 Maths SAT Buster - Mental Maths

David Beckham by David Beckham

Book review: "David Beckham" by David Beckham is an A4-sized, hard-covered, glossy picture book with a few pages of David Beckham's written reflections in between. Across eight chapters (England part one, London, Manchester, England part two, Madrid, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris) Beckham "looks at some of the images from my career and talk about what I was feeling at the time."

Because this is not an autobiography, Beckham has done that already, it doesn't cover his whole life, e.g. the Alex Ferguson moment with the boot is not mentioned, but it does cover the major events of his career: the free-kick against Greece, the sending off versus Argentina, the treble season with United etc., and the pictures and words do cover his whole career, from boyhood teams to retirement at PSG. There are a few modelling pictures along the way too, for Beckham fans who enjoy that sort of thing.

Beckham also demonstrates his wry wit. On his sending off against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup he writes "I texted Victoria and asked her if she had seen what had happened. She replied straight away to say that it didn't seem as if I had done much wrong. That was reassuring to hear, although, to be fair, she was not a football expert."

Through the rest of the book Beckham's love for his family comes through, as well as how important hard work was to getting him to where he got too, and how important it is to reach the heights in any profession.

Altogether then a lavishly illustrated mini-autobiography of a superstar footballer that will satisfy all Beckham fans.

Publication date: 31 October 2013

Amazon UK link (£7.95): DAVID BECKHAM by DAVID BECKHAM

Lucy the Diamond Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Book Review: I read this with my 8-year-old daughter who loves these rainbow fairy books. Anyone who has read any of them before will know why. They are designed perfectly for her age group and younger. Each story features best friends Kirsty and Rachel having to help out a fairy friend from Fairyland in their perpetual battle against Jack Frost and the goblins. This one is no different.

This story is about Lucy the Diamond Fairy (maybe the name was inspired by a Beatles song?). Jack Frost has stolen the diamond from Fairy Queen Titania's tiara. Lucy needs to get the diamond back because the diamond controls flying magic and without it the fairies' "wings grew fainter and fainter, and now they have vanished". It falls upon Kirsty and Rachel to help Lucy sort it out of course.

Along the way there are also a number of clear and simple pictures to bring the text alive, and the story is written in big text too ideal for early readers.

As for my daughter she loved the story, the pictures and also the opening poem. If I was to be critical I would say that if you read a lot of these rainbow fairy books then the plots are rather similar with each seeing the girls having to recover a lost item for the fairy from Jack Frost and the goblins in each book, but my daughter doesn't mind. 

Overall a typical rainbow fairy story that little girls will love.

Publication date: 8 Sep 2005

Amazon link (£4.99): LUCY THE DIAMOND FAIRY