Book recommendations
Spring term reads
We will be recommending a selection of our favourite books that are either newly published or are appearing in paperback for the first time. The key stage/s indicate the age range for which each title is most appropriate.
Our Previous Books of the Month pages have reviews of our favourite books from the past 12 months.
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Guy Bass
Stitch Head In this Frankenstein-style story, Stitch Head is the mad professor’s first creation, put together from the bits and pieces and spare parts that Professor Erasmus could find. Unfortunately, Stitch Head has been long forgotten and his creator has gone on to make bigger and better things, leaving him to wander the corridors of Castle Grotteskew alone (apart from the odd crazy monster bumbling around). When the travelling circus arrives at the castle to recruit more strange monsters for their freakshow, Stitch Head is tempted by the offer of Fulbert Freakfinder the malevolent ringmaster, to join them. Full of humour with a gothic edge, complemented by wonderfully comedic illustrations by Pete Williamson, this will have readers of 8+ wanting to design their own weird creations. Stripes Publishing 2011 £4.99 ISBN 9781847151834 |
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Nicola Davies
A girl called Dog Dog is a little girl who lives with her horrible uncle in his pet shop. Her job is to look after the pets while he sits eating sausages and reading the newspaper. He makes her sleep in the storeroom and her life is one of loneliness, with only her pet coati Esme for a friend. But the arrival of an exciting parcel containing Carlos the talking parrot, gives Dog a new lease of life. He helps her hatch a plan to escape and all three of them end up on an amazing adventure to return to their home land in the Amazon. A lovely heart-warming story for animal lovers of 8+ Corgi 2011 £5.99 ISBN 9780552563017 |
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Joanna Nadin
Penny Dreadful is a magnet for disaster Penelope Jones, or Penny Dreadful as her Dad affectionately calls her, is always in trouble. Whether it’s at school, at home or at the shops, she always ends up in the middle of an accident. Helping her along the way is her trusty sidekick Cosmo, who inadvertently gets involved in the chaos whether he likes it or not! From trying to prove that the most biscuits you can eat before you are sick is twenty three to taking her pet cat Barry to school in her bag for show-and-tell, Penny really is the queen of disaster. With three brilliantly hilarious stories, this will have readers of 7+ laughing out loud and wishing they were friends with Penny Dreadful. Usborne 2011 £4.99 ISBN 9781409526728 |
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John Boyne
Noah Barleywater runs away Noah is a boy determined to see the world and have adventures, but at eight years old this is more difficult than he thinks. When he discovers a magical toyshop in the woods and sits down to talk with the old man who lives there he is forced to re-evaluate whether he would be better off returning home to his loving parents. This is a quirky story with many bizarre elements (particularly inside the toyshop), but at its heart it is about regrets and dealing with the terminal illness of a loved one. The old man helps Noah to eventually appreciate the futility of his actions – and there’s an odd twist to the tale! 8+ David Fickling 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9781849920407 |
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Rebecca Stead
When you reach me Growing up in New York in the late 1970s, twelve year old Miranda’s life takes a bizarre turn as she finds herself puzzled by a number of bizarre events. Items go missing, her best friend stops talking to her for no apparent reason, and then the notes start appearing. The unknown author of the notes wants Miranda to record everything that is happening to her, but why? Some of this novel’s puzzles are easily explained, but the central mystery involves something beyond Miranda’s wildest dreams. Aside from the unravelling puzzle the greatest strength of this story is the deftly written changes in Miranda’s relationships with her friends and family, and the evocation of the dangers and excitement of growing up in New York. An unusual tale that should appeal to girls aged 10+. Andersen Press 2011 £5.99 ISBN 9781849392129 |
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David Walliams
Gangsta Granny Ben’s got a typical boring granny – she eats nothing but cabbage and Murraymints, plays Scrabble and accidentally blows off all the time! But there is a lot more to her than meets the eye, including a criminal past which has Ben completely hooked. He decides they’ve got to do the biggest heist in history: stealing the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. With Walliams’ typical mix of rude humour and emotional impact this story has an unusual but simple message: don’t underestimate the elderly, and don’t take your granny for granted! 9+ HarperCollins 2011 £12.99 ISBN 9780007371440 |
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Jack Heath
Money Run Ash and Benjamin are best friends, but they’re also the most precocious teenage thieves in the world who are onto their biggest job yet: stealing $200 million from the headquarters of one of the most powerful companies on the planet. But as Ash infiltrates the building she finds herself involved in a situation beyond her control as powerful factions in business and the government battle it out in the building. She will struggle to escape with her life, let alone the money! With a female heroine who is every bit as gutsy and inventive as her male counterparts like Alex Rider and Young Bond this is a very readable start to a series which promises to be loads of fun and should have strong appeal for both girls and boys. 11+ Usborne 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9781409531081 |
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Chris Priestley The dead of winter Orphan Michael is sent to stay over Christmas with his new guardian, Sir Stephen Clarendon. On entering the grounds of the eerie Hawton Mere House, Michael knows his stay will be eventful but he could never have guessed the horrors that were about to unfold. Not only is he haunted by the dead lady of the house, he is plagued by a terrifying noise in the house, which he decides to investigate, leading him to discover the terrible secret that the house has been keeping. Priestley has shown yet again that he is the master of psychological thrillers. Brilliantly chilling! 12+ Bloomsbury 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9781408800041 |
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Tom Clempson
One seriously messed up week in the otherwise mundane & uneventful life of Jack Samsonite When he’s asked to write about his life for a week for a piece of GCSE English coursework, Jack really embraces the challenge. Not only does he want to get a good mark for his coursework but he’s determined to finally ask out the gorgeous Eleanor, girl of his dreams. However, not only does he have obstacles in the form of other boys but he also has to struggle with the absolute rubbish he talks a lot of the time and the stupid things he’s prone to doing. Throw in a psychopathic bully who’s out for his blood and a geeky new best friend and Jack’s week is becoming a little too exciting for his liking. A fantastic boy-focused story in a genre dominated by girls like Georgia Nicolson, this story is peppered with excruciatingly humiliating incidents, lots of swearing and some very likeable characters. A shorter title would have been nice though! 12+ Atom 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9781907410550 |
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Ally Condie Matched In a Society that controls everything – jobs, life, death and even love – Cassia has the amazing luck to be Matched with her best friend Xander. She must now raise a family and spend her life with him. But a technical glitch shows her another possible Match: her friend Ky. As she becomes closer to Ky Cassia finds herself falling for him, but acting on her feelings could spell disaster for them and both their families. A wealth of details help to draw the reader into this fascinating futuristic dystopia from the first chapter, but it is Cassia’s profound character development and the affecting love triangle at the centre of the story which will appeal most to the book’s core audience of teenage girls. All in all this is an impressive debut! 12+ Puffin 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9780141334783 |
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Jenny Downham You against me A story of two families torn apart by an alleged crime, yet ultimately brought together through love. The word is out that Mikey’s 15 year old sister Karyn has been raped by Ellie’s brother Tom. Ellie was there when it happened and knows the truth and her family expect her to defend Tom in court. Mikey is out for revenge and turns up at the assailant’s house ready to unleash his anger on Tom. But when he meets Ellie, an instant, strong attraction develops between them and in an almost Romeo and Juliet scenario, they fall in love. Can their love survive or is family loyalty the priority? The unresolved ending may leave some readers feeling short-changed but the powerful writing and the convincing characters combine to weave a story full of difficult issues and no easy resolutions. 13+ David Fickling 2011 6.99 ISBN 9781849920483 |
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Kenneth Oppel Half brother Canada, 1973: Ben and his family move halfway across the country because of a new arrival in the family. Zan is Ben’s new baby brother and he’s a chimpanzee. Ben’s parents are involved in a groundbreaking experiment to try and teach a chimp sign language and seeing what happens when you raise a chimp within a human family. But there are some who think it is cruel or too radical – how far will Ben have to go to keep his little brother? This touching novel also follows a romantic experiment Ben conducts with the beautiful Jennifer and the fraught relationship with his dad, but the focus never shifts far from Zan and the fascinating animal rights issues, which are made accessible for a wide range of readers without over-simplifying them. An intriguing and often emotional story for readers of 12+. David Fickling 2011 £6.99 ISBN 9781849920001 |
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Dan Tunstall Seconds out Andy’s obsessed with his reputation as the toughest kid in Year Ten, starting fights with anyone he sees as a threat. But it’s going to get him expelled and his girlfriend says she’s tired of going out with a thug. When he’s offered the chance to train at a boxing club he’s sceptical – surely he knows all there is to know about fighting? But in the ring Andy’s a novice. Now he has to decide if his pride will let him go back in and improve his skills. Local author Dan Tunstall has created a great story about how teenage boys can channel their violent tendencies productively, but Andy’s attitudes remain ones that many boys can relate to. A knockout tale for reluctant readers aged 12+. A & C Black £5.99 ISBN 9781408152706 |
Page Last Updated: 17 January 2012
