📚 Bookshelf Best: The Last House on the Row by Lesley Parr – A Heartfelt Tale of Friendship, First Impressions and Finding Courage

If you're searching for a high-quality text for English planning that sparks discussion, empathy and emotional depth, The Last House on the Row by Lesley Parr deserves a proud place on your classroom bookshelf.

This Bookshelf Best is set in a vividly drawn Welsh town in 1979 and follows young Hayley, who is less than thrilled by her cat’s growing fascination with the mysterious garden across the street. That garden belongs to Boo – the solitary old woman living in the only remaining house on a once-bustling row. Boo’s home, stubbornly standing among the rubble, becomes the unlikely heart of a powerful story about compassion, courage, and seeing beyond first impressions.

What begins with suspicion and unease transforms into a warm and beautifully written friendship that will resonate with readers aged 9 and above. Hayley’s emotional journey and her growing connection with Boo gently unpick themes of grief, resilience and kindness – all woven through with accessible, dyslexia-friendly formatting, making this story inclusive for all readers.

Teaching From Text Bookshelf Best: The Last House in the Row

Why This Bookshelf Best Belongs in Your Primary Classroom

Whether you’re looking to create a KS2 English scheme of work or simply a class novel to explore themes of identity, community and understanding, The Last House on the Row fits the bill.

It’s a particularly strong choice for:

• Whole-class reading sessions focused on emotional literacy and inference

• English curriculum support when exploring character development and narrative structure

Time-Saving Teaching Resources Based on High-Quality Texts

At Teaching From Text, we specialise in text-based English planning that brings books like this to life in your classroom. Our Primary English schemes are designed to save teachers time while delivering engaging, curriculum-aligned learning – all built around powerful, thought-provoking literature.

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