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International Literacy Day: 12 books for children recommended by a Fife librarian

Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton with some of her top recommended books for children to read. Pic: Steve Brown / DCT Media.
Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton with some of her top recommended books for children to read. Pic: Steve Brown / DCT Media.

It’s International Literacy Day and to mark the occasion we have listed 12 of the best books for children recommended by a Fife librarian.

We asked Pauline Smeaton for her recommendations for picture books for young children and novels for primary school-age children and young teens to mark International Literacy Day.

As Fife Cultural Trust’s libraries service development supervisor for young people, her job is to promote libraries and reading for babies through to teenagers.

Her personal favourite, which is her top recommendation, is a picture book – Pete The Cat And His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwen.

Pauline said: “I’ve had so much fun with so many children reading them the story of Pete The Cat And His Four Groovy Buttons and getting them to join in with it over the years.”

Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton, 57, with her favourite book, Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Pic: Steve Brown/DCT Media.

The Fife librarian knows what stories children enjoy reading and here are her other top book selections:

Picture books

Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson

A Hero Called Wolf by Lucy Rowland

The book A Hero Called Wolf has been recommended by Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton. Pic: Steve Brown / DCT Media

Fiction for mid-primary

Aliens Invaded My Talent Show by Matt Brown

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold

One of the books recommended by Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton – The Last Bear. Pic: Steve Brown/DCT Media.

Daisy and the Trouble with Giants by Kes Gray

Mickey and the Missing Spy by Anne Miller

Fiction for upper primary/young teens

Evernight by Ross Mackenzie

One of the books recommended by Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton: Evernight. Pic: Steve Brown / DCT Media

The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Fiction for teens

Split Second by Sophie McKenzie

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

Fife librarian Pauline Smeaton recommends the book ‘Split Second’ for teenagers. Pic: Steve Brown / DCT Media

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