What is Boss Books?

Boss Books is a video series aimed at encouraging children to have their say about the books they enjoy. It’s designed to be shared in classes or assemblies in order to start conversations about books and reading. The videos feature pupils from Liverpool schools giving book recommendations, talking about their roles as pupil ambassadors and sharing their own poetry or artwork inspired by books. In fact, we asked the children what they wanted to include in the video… so all of the ideas for the content in these videos have come from the pupils themselves.

Boss Books: Spring

The Bookworms group from Ranworth Square Primary School talk about the book When I See Red by Britta Teckentrup. This video is under 4 minutes long and could be used in assembly, as stimulus for book talk or as part of your mental health/emotional literacy conversations.

Boss Books: Autumn

The Autumn episodes of Boss Books focus on representation in children’s literature.

The KS2 video introduces children to Dr Rudine Sims Bishop’s ideas that books can be mirrors that reflect our own experiences or windows which help us learn about the lives of others.

In this video:

  • pupils from Anfield Road Primary School talk about what books have been mirrors and windows for them
  • pupils from Bishop Martin C.E. Primary School tell us about the non-fiction books in their school diversity spine
  • pupils from Croxteth Primary School share some books that they have enjoyed and tell us why they are special.

This video is under 7 minutes long and can be shared as part of assemblies or reading discussions.

Alternatively, you can access a version with automatic captions here: Boss Books Autumn: KS2 with captions – Liverpool Learning Partnership

The KS1 Autumn video is under 2 minutes long and is perfect for sharing in KS1 assemblies or as part of reading discussion lessons. It features children from Croxteth Primary School talking about Love Makes A Family by Sophie Beer and Nen and The Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton and James Mayhew.

Boss Books: Secondary

This video features pupils from different year groups at Holly Lodge Girls College talking about the books they enjoy, the books they’ve read recently in tutor time and a recent author visit.

Boss Books KS1

This video is 4 minutes long. It features book recommendations from pupil from Lister Infant School and examples of artwork created during the online sessions of the Liverpool Children’s Festival of Reading. You can also watch this video here.

Boss Books KS2

This video is 9.5 minutes long. It includes:

  • book recommendations from pupils at Bishop Martin CE Primary School
  • a poem by pupils from Y5 at Blackmoor Park Junior School inspired by the poet Alex Wharton’s poem Monday Morning
  • book recommendations from pupils at All Saints Anfield Catholic Primary School
  • artwork based on Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill created by pupils from Whitefield Primary School
  • pupils from Barlows Primary talking about their most recent class read, Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll
  • the reading ambassadors from Ranworth Square Primary School talking about their newsletter, other aspects of their role and why they think reading is important.

You can also watch this video here

Want to get involved in the next edition?

We’re currently looking to create the next edition of Boss Books. What would your pupils like to see in the video? What ideas do they have? Please get in touch with us!