At Coram Beanstalk we pay a lot of attention to finding books that will reflect children's own lives, where they can make connections with the world they can see around them.

This month our chosen books all have a city environment theme, familiar to so many children. The adventures and experiences of the characters in the books reflect the ever-changing bustle and noise of the streets and buildings that surround them. 

Finding books that have the power to grab the attention of children who haven't yet fallen in love with the idea of reading is crucial. Some children need to see place and characters in books that they can relate to, whereas for others, they need to be able to escape the every day and disappear to different world. 

So why not try suggesting some of these books to the children you read with regardless of whether they're a city dweller or a child of the countryside!

About the book

Our Tower by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Richard Johnson

This magical story follows three children living in a tower block, as they embark on a fantastical adventure which helps them see their home in a new light.

A deeply personal story written by multi-award winning poet and Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho, drawn from his own experience growing up in a tower block and looking for adventure. This story is a celebration of, and a reclaiming of tower blocks as a place where magic and adventure can happen.

It’s a modern-day fable that shows the children of a tower block travelling to a strange, magical world inside a tree and meeting an old man with supernatural powers, only to realise that the magic they’d been looking for had been in their tower all along.

Beautiful illustrations complement the poetic narrative, creating an enchanting story which children and adults alike will fall in love with.
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This powerful story is about how society separates ‘urban’ spaces from the countryside, but the reality is that nature is everywhere, and everyone should have access to it.

Equally brilliant Beanstalk books set in a city environment

Buy any of these titles from our Bookshop.org site and we'll receive 10% of the sale price as a donation