Windows and Mirrors
Our booklist
Windows and Mirrors is a list of suggested books for children aged four to seven that represents the diversity of our world.
Our list gives:
- windows into the lives of all children
- mirrors for children’s own lives.
We include books that help children establish their place in the world, books where all children – especially those from underrepresented groups – get to be the main protagonist in a story.
Windows and Mirrors is updated regularly.
Find a printable list of the Windows and Mirrors booklist here.
Windows and Mirrors is now interactive!
If you have the School Portal, you’ll enjoy discovering the best books using our interactive booklist – now with the power to search, filter and share.
The engagement factor
All books on our booklist engage children, both emotionally and intellectually. They:
- elicit a response – excitement, interest, curiosity, empathy
- have a strong narrative structure and intriguing illustrations
- extend vocabulary
- connect with something that children already know.
Maryanne Wolf says:
“Emotional engagement is the tipping point between leaping into the reading life or remaining in a childhood bog where reading is endured only as a means to other ends.”
Booklist themes
Themes include:
- family and friendship
- exploring feelings
- kindness and community
- our planet
- change and bereavement
- moving home or country
- the power of speaking up.
Our inspiration
Windows and Mirrors is inspired by the work of Professor Rudine Sims Bishop. Her 1990 article “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” shares the importance of all children seeing themselves reflected in what they read.
Farrah Serroukh says:
“To find a fragment of yourself in the pages of a book is a profound and powerful experience; it holds a mirror up to your existence and suggests that you’re not alone. For children in their formative years, this is life-affirming.”
The Family Tree by Kate Ferdinand
Amongst magical forest families, live Ash, Willow and their dad. Dad introduces them to a new person. The children like her but also miss their mum. What will bring this blended family together? As they bake, they get to know one another and their home starts to glow with love and magic.
The Girl at the Front of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf and Pippa Cornice
A new girl at school draws sad drawings and never speaks. She’s new to the country and has left behind her home, parents and friends. Adam has a plan to make her feel welcome. And soon the new girl has a precious gift. What makes her smile again? A best friend.
New!
The Girl Who Planted Trees by Caryl Hart and Anastasia Suvorava
A small girl decides she wants to bring the forest back to her mountain. She plants pips and seeds and gives them water and love. Despite storms and the blazing sun, she never gives up. And soon the whole community is involved. A beautiful tale of hope, resilience and connection.
The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie
Four little girls are best friends and ‘as different as they are the same’. One is an adventurer, one has good ideas, one is practical and one makes everyone laugh. They stay rooted together as they grow, just like the tree they used to play beneath. A book for children in Year 1 and above.
The Great Storm Whale by Benji Davies
Grandma tells Noi a story about a storm that destroyed a little girl’s home. And how, bit by bit, things from her old home began to turn up on the beach. Who has been bringing them to her? A tale of family, history and connection to nature.
The Invisible by Tom Percival
When Isabel’s family don’t have enough money to pay the bills, they move to the other side of the city. In this new part of town, she feels invisible. Isabel begins to build a community. ‘The more people came together… the more they could all be seen’. A book about hope and belonging.
See unit in Talk Through Stories
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
A family’s life changes forever when a war begins. They say goodbye to everyone they know and leave for a new country. When they reach the border, they are told to go back by an angry guard. Finally they take a boat, many trains. What are they looking for? Safety. A home.
The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammed, S.K Ali and Hatem Aly
The children at Faizah’s school spend the day deciding the sort of world they would like. Faizah chooses kindness and spends the day being kind to friends. At the end of the day, her friend Sophie shares something precious with her. Kindness can come back to you.
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld
In this fairytale, the king and queen have two children; a little wooden robot and a log princess. However, every night the princess turns back into a log. One night, she is taken and her brother sets out on an adventure to find her. Will the robot and princess make it safely home to the king and queen?