Little Wandle Code provides effective reading intervention for students in early Key Stage 3. This proven program―featuring ten age-appropriate, leveled, fully decodable anthologies and three workbooks―supports students who are not meeting age-related expectations when they begin secondary school.
The Black Shuck and Other Stories is the second anthology in the Grow the Code pathway. It is designed for students who already have a basic understanding of the alphabetic code.
This fully decodable anthology includes fifteen texts for Units 6–10 in Grow the Code. Each text begins with an introduction page outlining the focus graphemes, tricky words, a short blurb, and a discussion question to engage students before reading.
Across the program, the anthologies give students structured opportunities to practice phonics, broaden vocabulary, strengthen comprehension, improve fluency, and develop confidence as independent readers.
Designed to resemble the books their peers are reading, the anthologies feature:
- A variety of content: fiction and nonfiction, covering a wide range of text types, genres, and well-known authors
- Leveled practice: stories with varied word counts, lengths, and complexity to provide flexibility, choice, and sufficient practice
- Appealing visuals: a mix of illustration and photographic styles that motivate and engage KS3 readers
The anthologies are fully integrated into the Little Wandle Code program and are supported by teacher and text notes available through the Little Wandle Code subscription.
JacquelineHarris lives in London with her husband and two children, all avid readers. She has always read and written for pleasure; at age seven she penned her first “novel,” a story about a snowman that her teacher enjoyed so much she took it with her when she left the school―something Jacqueline has never forgotten or forgiven. A former deputy head teacher, Jacqueline now works as an education consultant, helping teachers support children in learning to read. She has also written a number of nonfiction books and phonically decodable readers.
Emily Hooton graduated with a degree in English in the early ’90s and went on to work in her family’s graphic design business, where she explored graphic design, photo research, illustration, and copyediting for educational books. After years of watching others write, she decided to try it herself and has since authored several children’s fiction and nonfiction readers. Emily lives in a small village in the Cambridgeshire Fens with her husband and their beloved dog, Rory.
Abbie Rushton holds a degree in English Literature with Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. She has worked in publishing for more than ten years as both an editor and an author and has written over forty early reading books. She lives near the Norfolk coast with her son and a very lazy dog named Nia.
Jonny Walker spends his time writing children's books about mythology, trees, and geese. When he isn’t doing that, he’s usually in a school, energetically talking about mythology, trees, and geese. If he isn’t doing that, he’s probably wandering around London with a cup of coffee―or at home eating far too many cookies and singing 1980s songs loud enough to test the patience of his neighbors. His work is known for its humor, imagination, and joyful eccentricity.
Clare Welsh is a former primary school teacher turned children’s writer. She is delighted that her books allow her to continue inspiring children to love language, themselves, and the world around them. Drawing on her experience as a mental health champion, Clare founded Books That Help, a project that gathers picture books addressing a range of emotional and personal challenges―stories that help when the right words are hard to find. When she isn’t fulfilling her dream of writing for children, she supports and mentors aspiring writers.
