The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo (9+)
Marie Gibson,
Truly one of this gifted writer’s best works,
The Butterfly Lion is about the friendship that develops between a young boy and an African white lion. It encompasses the themes of friendship, loyalty and bravery and traverses the globe, from a boarding school in Wiltshire to the velds of South Africa and France during the First World War. Best enjoyed by nine to 11-year- old readers, it has been described as heartwarming and bitter-sweet but don’t be fooled. It is more than it seems at first – it’s a story within a story and saves its best twist for the last pages.
Best for academic results
Guildford High Junior School
The Sunday Times ranked Guildford High Junior School (above) as the top independent prep school in its 2020 league tables after its stellar SATs results for reading, grammar and maths. This all-girls’ school prides itself on being a “lively, happy place where girls blossom personally, intellectually and socially”. The junior school is selective but girls progress to the high-achieving senior school next door without having to take an additional exam. Having successfully led the junior school since 2016, current head Mike Gibb leaves at the end of the academic year and will be replaced by Allistair Williamson, deputy head of Surbiton Girls’ and Boys’ Preparatory School. guildfordhigh.co.uk