f. Reading Spine / Core Texts Page

THE ASTON ROWANT READING SPINE 

A coherent, progressive, topic‑themed reading journey from EYFS to Year 6. 

Every child at Aston Rowant experiences a carefully chosen set of high‑quality stories, poems and non‑fiction texts each year. Together, these books: 

• Build vocabulary 
• Deepen background knowledge 
• Develop cultural capital 
• Support HIAS learning journeys (stimulate → capture → create 
• Fuel writing outcomes 
• Nurture a lifelong love of reading 

EYFS (Reception) 

Themes: Belonging, Nature, Feelings, Adventure, Imagination 

Core Stories might include: 

• Owl Babies – Martin Waddell 
• The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson 
• The Three Little Pigs (traditional tale) 
• Jack and the Beanstalk (traditional tale) 
• Lost and Found – Oliver Jeffers 
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen 
• Stanley’s Stick – John Hegley 

Poetry & Rhyme 

• A Great Big Cuddle – Michael Rosen 
• Nursery Rhyme anthology 

Non-Fiction 

• Simple animal fact books 
• Weather & seasons texts 
• “All About Me” human body books 

Why these? 

EYFS texts link beautifully to HIAS principles: immersive hooks + repeated exposure to rich language + opportunities for drama, storytelling & play.  

 

KS1 (Years 1 & 2) 

Themes: Explorers, Animals, Significant People, Materials, Local Geography 

Core Stories might include: 

• The Tiger Who Came to Tea – Judith Kerr 
• Traction Man is Here – Mini Grey 
• The Snail and the Whale – Julia Donaldson 
• Paddington – Michael Bond 
• Beegu – Alexis Deacon 
• The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark – Jill Tomlinson 
• Lila and the Secret of Rain – David Conway (Geography link) 
• The Dark – Lemony Snicket 

Poetry 

• The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems 
• Pattern, rhyme & repetitive structure poems 

Non-Fiction 

• Maps & simple atlas texts (links to “Me on the Map”) 
• “Materials” books (Science) 
• Short biographies: Amelia Earhart, Mary Seacole, David Attenborough 

Why these? 

Books become the “hook” for writing, mirroring HIAS stimulate → capture → create writing journeys.  

LKS2 (Years 3 & 4) 

Themes: Ancient Civilisations, Rainforests, Forces, Europe, Myths & Legends 

Core Stories might include: 

• The Iron Man – Ted Hughes 
• The Tin Forest – Helen Ward 
• Varjak Paw – SF Said 
• The Great Kapok Tree – Lynne Cherry 
• The Firework Maker’s Daughter – Philip Pullman 
• Arthur and the Golden Rope – Joe Todd‑Stanton 
• How to Train Your Dragon – Cressida Cowell 

Poetry 

• Kennings & Norse-inspired poetry 
• The Lost Words – Robert Macfarlane 

Non-Fiction 

• Rainforest reports & planet ecosystems 
• Forces & magnets (Science) 
• European country fact books 
• Archaeology & Ancient Egypt books 
• Survival guides 

Why these? 

LKS2 texts support HIAS “reading as a writer”, allowing children to imitate high‑quality structures before innovating and creating their own written outcomes.  

UKS2 (Years 5 & 6) 

Themes: Space, Refugees, WW2, Identity, Social Justice, Ancient Greece, Environmentalism 

Core Stories might include: 

• Cosmic – Frank Cottrell‑Boyce 
• The Boy at the Back of the Class – Onjali Q. Raúf 
• The Explorer – Katherine Rundell 
• Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian 
• Who Let the Gods Out? – Maz Evans 
• Wolf Brother – Michelle Paver 
• The Windrush Child – Benjamin Zephaniah 
• The Arrival – Shaun Tan (wordless, perfect for HIAS “reading as a reader/writer”)  

Poetry 

• The Highwayman – Alfred Noyes 
• Overheard on a Saltmarsh – Harold Monro 
• Spoken word poetry (Benjamin Zephaniah; Joseph Coelho) 

Non-Fiction 

• Space encyclopedias 
• WW2 information texts 
• Migration & diversity texts 
• Greek myths reference books 
• Climate & environmental journalism 

Why these? 

These texts support upper‑KS writing outcomes that require sophistication, depth and empathy — vital for the HIAS create, refine, evaluate stage. 
 

Cross‑School Poetry Spine 

Because poetry is a HUGE strength at Aston Rowant (World Book Day 2024, 2025, 2026 evidence), here is an optional poetry spine: 

• EYFS: Rosen & nursery rhyme anthologies 
• KS1: Pie Corbett, Grace Nichols 
• LKS2: Macfarlane, Joseph Coelho 
• UKS2: Zephaniah, Noyes, Carol Ann Duffy, Valerie Bloom 

Cross‑School Non‑Fiction Spine 

(Topic-themed & supports background knowledge) 

• Nature, habitats, climate 
• History topic books (Egyptians, Greeks, WW2) 
• Space books 
• Biographies throughout school 
• Maps, atlases, globes 
• Engineering & invention books 
• Social justice / activism books