This months theme – ‘Into the woods’ – stories that explore folklore, adventure, the wilderness and the unknown.

Interview with parent, Laurie Bolger

Laurie Bolger is a London based writer & founder of The Creative Writing Breakfast Club. Her work has featured at Glastonbury, TATE, RA & Sky Arts. Laurie’s was shortlisted for The Bridport & Sylvia Plath Prizes her poem ‘Parkland Walk’ won The Moth Poetry Prize. Laurie’s publications include Box Rooms, Makeover, Spin & her debut collection Lady exploring girlhood & celebrate her working class Irish heritage.

www.lauriebolger.com | Instagram @lauriebolger_ | X @lauriebolger

What is one of your fondest reading memories?

When I was a baby, rumour has it my lovely Dad used to read to me constantly…but not just the bright rhyming picture books on repeat…instead he’d read me the QPR football programme and fishing magazines over the wall of my cot.

When I learnt to speak my first words (and I talked A LOT!) he would read me Goldilocks and the Three Bears and I would finish the sentences….I must have been about two years old and I was obviously really into the power of stories and showing off.
 
I love reading but sometimes my imagination is too quick for the words on the page, so when stories are read aloud and mixed with humour or music or art…that’s when my heart beats louder and my ideas fizz! I think we can read in more ways than simply a huge great novel in our hands. I adore the retreat a book gives us and the fact that books/our stories/poems/lyrics can be a passport to anywhere!ad.

Which fictional character would you most like, or least like, to meet in real life, and why?

I don’t fancy meeting Captain Hook for lunch if I’m honest (I think he needs a cuddle and an ice cream though!) but I’d love to meet Mary Lennox. A fierce introvert with a love of pottering in her own imagination….she’s also a little bit moody when everyone expects her to be polite. She answers back and stands up for herself and what is right! I also love her beret and think she’s extremely kind and curious…I’d like to think you need both of those qualities in order to not only make great writing but encourage others to do the same. She’s a lover of animals and the natural world and looking after our little planet is one of the most important things we can do…basically she’s a legend!

What does the theme of “Into the Woods” mean to you? Do you have any book suggestions for this theme?

I feel the library at Patana is a kind of woods to get lost in, a treasure trove of ideas and stories waiting for you however you may be feeling. I made it my den during my residency and will be forever grateful for that.

Again I think the Secret Garden is a classic for this theme! I think that book taught me a lot as a young scribbler. On the theme of ‘into the woods’ I’d also recommend my own poem (can I do that…) ‘Parkland Walk’ which was one I wrote during a workshop on trees…I joined the online sessions having not completed the ‘homework’ which was making a tree journal, so I ran to the closest ‘woods’ which was a fairly grotty path at the end of my street and I wrote and wrote exactly what I saw.

The poem ended up winning The Moth Poetry Prize judged by Nobel Laureate Louise Glück. I was incredibly proud of her notes on the poem…I think she saw that I wasn’t just writing about a cute moment in the trees but the poem was much bigger than that…one about girls being told not to go into the woods alone and resilience and friendship too. I think poetry can be a best friend, a punch, a song sung together round the fire and I think the woods is a great place for stories to hide and be found.

Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 Recommendations:

Sarah Gaughan, Foundation Stage Nursery Leader

Owl Babies – this story takes place in a dark, mysterious woodland where the young owls are left alone to explore their surroundings. The owls’ journey teaches young readers about bravery, independence and discovering the natural world.

Where the Wild Things Are – join Max on a fun and magical adventure in this beautiful picture book to a land where he meets wild creatures and becomes their king.

The Gruffalo – a classic favourite with rhyming language, repetition and funny characters. Follow the clever little mouse as she journeys through the forest solving problems and being brave along the way.

Key Stage 2 Recommendations:

Milo, 4B

Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

I like Danny the Champion of the World because Danny goes poaching with his dad in the countryside.  He wants to take all the pheasants from the wood.  The book is exciting and full of adventure. 

Cassie, 4B

The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan

I really like this book because it has lots of exciting parts. Also, I really like dragons. It is one of my favourite books – it is like a modern Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, with humour and some great characters.

Key Stage 3 Recommendations:

Jingtong (Angel) Sun, 8C

The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson

This is about a girl who runs away into a mysterious forest filled with magical animals. I recommend this book because the story takes part in a forest where she meets unusual characters.

Travis Ngaw, 7F

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Hazel is a young girl whose life is about to change. She is pulled by a mysterious wolf into a magical forest. In her travels she meets strange creatures and faces challenges that make her question what is real. It’s a story about friendship, bravery and navigating difficult emotions – a coming-of-age story.

Iliyan Oyloe, 8C

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

This non fiction book tells the true story of a 22-year-old man who adopts the name Alexander Supertramp and sets out on a hitchhiking journey across North America in an attempt to escape the pressures and expectations of modern society. Along the way, he meets a variety of people, survives in challenging conditions, and searches for freedom and meaning. The book is based on the real-life travels of Christopher McCandless and draws on the diary and notes he kept during his journey.

Key Stage 4 and 5 Recommendations

Advika Agarwal, 13L

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness is a book that I would personally call an adept representation of corruption caused by power and greed. It is set in Congo, which has not yet been colonised by Belgique forces, but the people have been subjugated and enslaved, forced into hard labour to extract ivory. Throughout the novel, one can see the constant battle between the wilderness and the so-called ‘civilisation’ the European forces talk of bringing to Africa. There is a set destination, which the protagonist, Marlow, is constantly journeying towards. Throughout the journey, we see a build-up of contradicting views surrounding imperialism; the reality of the suffering faced by the Congolese people against the propaganda justifying it. The slow-paced, descriptive novel acts as a horrifying eye opener for the brutality of colonialism, placing Colonel Kurtz as the epitome of what such sickening greed can truly do

Rajul Grover, 13L

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Deep within an enchanted, treacherous forest lies a feared witch, Xan, who rescues abandoned infants left as sacrifices by a terrified town. When Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, the child, Luna, becomes imbued with potent magic. As Luna grows toward her thirteenth birthday, her dormant powers begin to emerge, destabilizing the wilderness around her. Blending dark folklore with rich world-building, Barnhill delivers a haunting exploration of memory, grief, and the unknown power hidden deep within the woods. Perfect for readers seeking an immersive, atmosphere-heavy fantasy that challenges traditional fairy-tale tropes.

Ms Purnima Ghogar, English Teacher

Weyward by Emilia Hart

A riveting story of three women, separated by centuries, whose lives are connected by Weyward Cottage and a mysterious bond with the natural world. As each woman faces the expectations, dangers and injustices of her time, they discover a powerful connection to the women who came before them. One of my favourite fantasy-tinged reads, I loved how Hart draws on the history of witchcraft and the persecution of women accused of being witches, combining folklore, history and the wild English countryside into an atmospheric story of resilience, freedom and female strength. Nature and the supernatural combine to create a narrative that feels both magical and grounded. Perfect for anyone who enjoys mystery, strong female characters and stories that explore our connection with the wild.