Nights are drawing in so what better time to cosy up with a book? It's also time to celebrate a whole of host of festivals, events and important occasions coming up, as we step into November.

National Non-Fiction Month

National Non-Fiction November is the annual celebration of all things factual shining a light on the wonder of children’s non-fiction books, run by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. At Puffin you’ll find brilliant non-fiction titles to engage readers covering everything from nature to science to history and more. For starters, try an extract from the amazing new book by Maddie Moat, Stuff with mind-bursting facts and extraordinary stories of the ingenious ways people around the world, and across history, have made, used, and re-used the stuff around them! Checkout our book lists for more inspiration.

Diwali

This year Diwali takes place on the 4^th November and is celebrated predominantly by Hindus. The festival lasts for five days and is also known as the ‘Festival of Lights’ as people place small lamps in their windows to mark the occasion. It’s a great opportunity to talk about religious festivals and cultural celebrations with your class.

Anti-Bullying Week

Taking place on the 15^th-19^th November, the theme for this year is One Kind Word. Coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, schools across the country will be joining in encouraging all in their communities to be kind to each other. For an inspirational story that demonstrates the power of kindness, look no further than Wonder by R J Palacio. Use our kindness-inspired resource pack based on Wonder to start the conversation in your classroom https://www.puffinschools.co.uk/resources/ks2-resource-pack-wonder/

Remembrance

Every year Remembrance Day takes place on 11^th November, with the National Service of Remembrance falling on 14^th November. This commemorative event, led by the Royal British Legion invites everyone to pay tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedoms and the peace we enjoy at home today. War heroes like Captain Sir Tom Moore are remembered, and you can discover more about him with our picture book pack, inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore’s One Hundred Steps and ideal for encouraging children to think about remembrance.

Hannukah

Hannukah is a Jewish festival beginning on 28^th November and lasting for eight days. Jewish people celebrate by lighting candles, exchanging gifts and eating delicious food. It’s another opportunity to introduce your class to religious festivals and events and encourage them to think about cultures that might be different to their own.

Puffin Virtual Visits

The new series of Puffin Virtual Visits continues this month, with three more fantastic authors participating. Yassmin Abdel-Magied, author of Listen Layla; beloved author Jacqueline Wilson and author-illustrator Nick Sharrat will be beaming straight into classrooms. You can sign up for FREE and enjoy these online author visits with supporting resources to help get children excited about reading and stories! Find out more here.

Whatever you are doing to celebrate stories this month, we’d love to hear about it! Please contact [email protected] with 'Inspiring Ideas' in the subject line.