July Reading List: Sporty Stories

We’ve all spent more than enough time indoors in recent months, so as summer gets into full swing, here’s a selection of sporty stories to get children moving. From adrenalin-fuelled extreme sports to football-playing zombies, there’s lots of inspiration for staying active over the summer months. 

There are plenty of eBooks in this month’s list to ensure that your class can enjoy the stories, whether they’re back in the classroom or learning at home. To access the eBooks for free at home, parents simply need to register on Oxford Owl for Home. You can find even more eBooks in our earlier blog posts: eBook Escapes and Boredom-busting eBooks.

Rabbit on the Run

Rabbit on the Run
Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales
Oxford Level 2 (Reception/P1)

In this beautifully-illustrated retelling of the traditional tale, The Tortoise and the Hare, a clever tortoise proves he can win the race by going at a steady pace. A brilliant story for starting a conversation about good sportsmanship and the importance of being a gracious winner with smaller children.

Take a look at the whole Level 2 Traditional Tales pack or buy Rabbit on the Run on Amazon.

Zoom Food

Zoom Food
Hero Academy
Oxford Level 3 (Reception/P1)

Jin can zoom into the sky, but he’s not as fast as Ben. Can some zoom food give him the burst of speed he needs? We might not all have access to zoom food, but you could use this fully decodable story to help your class start to think about the impact that what we eat might have on us, and to talk about healthy eating together. 

Read the eBook or take a look at whole Level 3 Hero Academy pack

The Swimming Contest

The Swimming Contest
Word Sparks
Oxford Level 4 (Year 1/P2)

Can Pip the mouse and Kit the cat help Malik find his grandad’s lost swimming goggles so that he can swim in the contest at the lake? The race is on in this book from the brand-new Word Sparks series, featuring fully-decodable books that tackle the word gap too. Using the world’s largest known database of writing for and by children, experts have defined 300 ambitious words to help children succeed and used these to create inspiring and engaging books like this one.

Take a look at the whole Level 4 Word Sparks pack

The get fit club

The Get Fit Club
Read Write Inc. Phonics
Read Write Inc. Green Level (Reception–Year 1/P1-2)

What do your class do to keep fit? The people in The Get Fit Club have fun hopping, running and even doing hand stands! Use this decodable storybook to help children practise Set 1 Speed Sounds, with plenty of opportunities to get up and join in (but we wouldn’t recommend trying out the back flips!)

Read the eBook or take a look at the whole Read Write Inc. Phonics Green Set 1A Storybooks Pack.

Spike Says

Spike Says and Other Stories 
Julia Donaldson’s Songbirds
Oxford Level 4 (Year 1-2/P2-3)

Spike says that he’s very active, trying out everything from diving to driving, but is he really? This collection of seven fun stories by Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo, is ideal for children who are growing in reading confidence. 

Watch Julia Donaldson acting out some of her Songbirds stories in the latest Julia Donaldson & Friends video!

Take a look at the whole Level 4 Songbirds Phonics pack or buy Spike Says and Other Stories on Amazon.

Sport is Fun

Sport is Fun!
TreeTops
Oxford Level 10 (Year 2-4/P3-5)

Have you ever stopped to think about why we take part in so many different sporting activities? This fact-filled non-fiction book looks at the origins of many of the sports and games that we play today. Full of inspiration to try out new activities, and including a fun quiz at the end, it’s a great way to show children just how fun sport can be!

Read the eBook or buy Sport is Fun! on Amazon.

Translyvania United

Transylvania United
TreeTops Chucklers
Oxford Level 13 (Year 2-4/P3-5)

Abi has lost her job as a football manager, but a call from Transylvania United offers her the opportunity to lead a team of petrifying players to victory in the Cup Final. Meet her frightening but funny football team in this comic book from the laugh-out-loud Chucklers series, guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of your junior readers.

Take a look at the whole Level 12-13 TreeTops Chucklers pack or buy Transylvania United on Amazon.

Adrenalin Rush

Adrenalin Rush
Project X Origins
Oxford Level 17 (Year 5-7/P6-S1)

Uncover facts about some of the world’s most dangerous sports and why people enjoy them. From freediving to ice climbing, it’s not for the faint-hearted! Each book contains inside cover notes that highlight challenge words, prompt questions and a range of follow-up activities– handy for parents to help support their children’s reading at home.

Read the eBook or take a look at the whole Level 17 Project X Origins pack.


Those titles have certainly got us digging out our P.E. kits and dusting off our trainers! Join us again next month for even more reading recommendations. Never miss another post when you subscribe to the blog

Did you know? You can search the free Oxford Owl eBook library by age, level, book type and series, so that you can easily find the right book recommendations for your class. Browse the full library here.