SPARK March, 2014 | Page 2

Great books to read! News Under the Ground (Usborne See Inside) zz The internet turned 25 on Wednesday 12th March 2014! by Alex Frith and Colin King zz A baby hippopotamus has been born at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, the first of its species to be born at the zoo in 16 years. Go on a journey to the centre of the earth and back with this brand new title in the ground-breaking “See Inside” series. This subject is perfect for the lift-the-flap treatment and the book uses embedded flaps to great effect to explain the world under our feet, from plants and animals to underground trains and pipes, right through to the earth’s core past gold mines, stalagmites and fossils. It contains over 50 flaps to lift! zz Kelly Gallagher has made history by winning Britain's first ever Winter Paralympic gold medal for partially sighted Super-G skiing. zz Lydia, a great white shark could be about to make history! No great white sharks have ever been monitored swimming over the border of the east and west Atlantic, but Lydia, who is fitted with a tracking device, may be about to do so! Potential Plus UK Update We were very lucky to see lots of you in Bedford on the 15th and 16th February at our BIG Family Weekend! We had all sorts of great activities including Paper Pulp Painting, A Visit to France, Marbling Madness, All About Colour and Animals on Tour! We also had a wonderful talent show at the evening meal, where many of you performed – you really are a talented bunch! Featured SPARKLER! My name is Finn. I am 5 years old. I have blue eyes. And I play the cello. I LOVE art! And here is some of mine!… Click images to view full size! How the World Works: A Hands-on Guide to Our Amazing Planet By Christiane Dorion and Beverley Young Answering a multitude of questions about how our world works, this fun, engaging book introduces the earth’s important cycles and offers an exciting way to learn geography and science. Packed with illustrations and paper fold-outs, flaps, pops, and more to boost interactive learning, HOW THE WORLD WORKS encourages children to think about the impact of human actions on our environment, while engendering respect for the natural world and all its harmonies. Earthly Treasure by Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels A fascinating and interactive guide to the Earth’s treasures, with superb illustrations and pop-up wizardry. Children (and adults) are always amazed to discover just how many of the things we use have been taken from the ground beneath our feet, from the building materials of our homes, to the fuels that we burn for energy as well as the chalk, talc and salt that we use every day -- and all this before we even go into the minerals from the soil that appear in our vegetables and keep us healthy. Last but not least are the fabulous gems and precious metals that make beautiful jewellery. Discover how minerals were formed, lift the flaps to find out what all sorts of everyday things are made of and open a treasure chest to reveal a spectacular pop-up of glittering gems! 2 | SPARK 3 | SPARK