Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

(Un)arranged Marriage

Chapter book

MANNY WANTS TO BE A FOOTBALLER. OR A POP STAR. OR WRITE A BESTSELLER. HE DOESN’T WANT TO GET MARRIED…

‘Harry and Ranjit were waiting for me – waiting to take me to Derby, to a wedding. My wedding. A wedding that I hadn’t asked for, that I didn’t want. To a girl who I didn’t know… If they had bothered to open their eyes, they would have seen me: seventeen, angry, upset but determined – determined to do my own thing, to choose my own path in life…’

Set partly in the UK and partly in the Punjab region of India, this is a fresh, bitingly perceptive and totally up-to-the-minute look at one young man’s fight to free himself from family expectations and to be himself, free to dance to his own tune.

Ellie Pillai is Brown

Christine Pillainayagam

Chapter book

The first in a set of three novels written around the character Ellie Pillai, Christine Pillainayagam draws on her own experience as a first generation immigrant to Sri Lankan Tamil parents, as well as her love of music, to craft a unique tale of friendship, love and betrayal.

Ellie feels like an outsider, she doesn’t regard herself as pretty, talented, academic or sporty, unlike her two best friends who excel at both but would not give one another the time of day. Even her Mum appears effortlessly stylish, something which Ellie has not inherited. Being 15 means that GCSEs are fast approaching and her parents are keen to see her excel, but Ellie has a secret, a big fat burning lie that she has been hiding for over a year and she knows will devastate them. If only she can improve her grades before they find out.

As if that wasn’t complicated enough, her mind is constantly filled with the soundtracks of her life as she lives, eats, breathes music. Just one more thing she thinks no one else can ever really understand… Can Ellie reinvent herself? Does she really need to?

Wonderfully warm and witty, each character is crafted with love and care, for any teen to realise that even those who appear to have it all together (the “popular” girls, the fun teacher, the hip parent) all still have their own insecurities and internal battles. The crossover between the different cliques – that are recognisable from any school – are tenderly woven and throughout it all the stories are further enriched by a soundtrack that leaves you completely absorbed.

Medusa

Jessie Burton

Chapter book

Jessie Burton’s Medusa is a spellbinding reimagining of the ancient myth, told with tenderness and a new perspective. Rather than focusing on Medusa as the terrifying monster of legend, Burton gives her a voice filled with longing, vulnerability and strength.

The story centres on Medusa as a young woman living in exile, grappling with her identity and the curse that has defined her. When she encounters Perseus, their meeting is charged with tension and the weight of choices that could change everything. Burton’s retelling strips away the layers of fear and villainy that have clung to Medusa for centuries and instead portrays her as a symbol of resilience and female power.

A stunning, must-read for young adults. The story paints Medusa in such a different light from the one in most other stories. Utterly captivating.

Lark

Anthony McGowan

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Inspired to take a walk on the moors by their Dad, who remembered taking such walks with their grandad when he was their age, Nicky and Kenny set off with their Jack Russel terrier on what should have been nothing more than a stroll to take in the views and blow off a bit of energy after being cooped up during the Easter holidays. Even as they step off the bus to begin their walk, Nicky can see the weather changing as a few flakes of snow become more of a blizzard, and what had been a fun adventure leaves them frozen to the core, lost and alone.

Picking up the slim tome, I initially wondered how this diminutive volume could live up to the reviews, especially as I am not familiar with the three prior titles in the series, but I needn’t have worried. Heartbreaking and soul-restoring in equal measure, you’re swept along on their journey with insights into some of their lives and troubles before the time and to the depths of their fear, pain and anguish as their stroll takes a more dangerous turn. Incredibly emotive, more sensitive readers may find some of the text upsetting.

This book doesn’t waste a single word. Unquestionably a rich source for writing and discussion.

Bog Child

Siobhan Dowd

Chapter book

This is a brilliant, powerful read. Bog Child manages to balance two completely different storylines – a modern political conflict and an ancient mystery – without it feeling messy. It’s perfectly paced for teenagers.

The story is set during the Troubles in 1981, so it deals with political violence, the IRA, and the Hunger Strikes (prisoners starving themselves), which is a heavy topic. There is some strong language used, which reflects the intensity of the setting.

You really root for the main character, Fergus, who is just trying to get through his exams while his world falls apart. It’s sad in places but ultimately a really rewarding story. Highly recommended for KS3 and KS4.

My Swordhand is Singing

Marcus Sedgwick

Chapter book

Marcus Sedgwick is well known for Floodland, an edgy and gripping story of a sole character looking for answers in a tough environment where life is hard, and he does this beautifully again with this gripping novel.

This time, the main character is Peter, a boy who lives ostracised on the outskirts of the village of Chust, within a forest. He lives with his drunken father and their horse Sultan, having moved from village to village, earning their keep as woodcutters, although it is Peter that does the majority of the work. His mother and his past is just a story and only a wooden box accompanies them both, a box that Peter is not allowed to look in, ever.Peter and his father haven’t settled for long when there is a death in the village, but Peter knows it is not accidental. He knows it is a warning.

The encroaching winter will be dark and long and as Peter prepares for a long few months ahead, the priest is stealing their wood in payment for the pauper’s funeral. Without the support of his father, Peter knows that the winter will be a matter of survival. Then the gypsies enter the town with a most beautiful, enchanting girl on a horse but she is not what she seems. At the same time, Peter’s admirer Agnes is suddenly forced to marry another local boy who had disgraced himself in the local inn, and who now finds herself locked up as a part of the marital arrangement.

And so the reader is fully hooked in as Marcus Sedgwick weaves a story that involves mystery, magic, spells, and forces bigger than the forest the characters live in. Peter’s quest is to understand what his purpose in life really is and Sedgwick’s writing leaves the reader no choice but to find out for themselves.

The Boy Lost in the Maze

Joseph Coelho & Kate Milner

Poetry, Verse novel

In this highly acclaimed and prize-winning verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means.

The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.

We Are All Made of Molecules

Susin Nielsen

Chapter book

Stewart knows that he thinks differently from a lot of people, incredibly bright but socially inept, he knows that his Mum was relieved for him to get into a school with other children, where he could be himself. After his Mum loses her battle to cancer he is determined not to fall into the future she feared for him, where he struggles to fit into mainstream society so when his Dad gets together with someone new and they decide to move in together, he chooses to move to the same school as his new partner’s daughter, Ashley and even dares to dream that this is the opportunity for him to gain the sibling he so longed for. Ashley tries to be modest but knows that she is the girl others can only aspire to be. Attractive with rich, successful parents, she struggles with her father’s apparent new choice of life and is not at all happy at the prospect of the world’s biggest dweeb invading first her home and now her school. Can her life get any worse?

Beautifully scripted to enable the reader to see life from each of their perspectives, situations, which are at times agonising, are dealt with delicately and with a humour that manages to be both respectful and shine a beacon of joy in the darkest of times. An excellent source of discussion of some potentially difficult topics, so useful for PSHE, can also be used to unpick the language chosen by the author and for independent work, with the addition of questions about the text at the end of the story.

A Hurricane in my Head

Matt Abbott

Poetry

A Hurricane in My Head by Matt Abbott is a powerful and accessible poetry collection that explores children’s mental health, emotions and inner voices with honesty and compassion. Written in clear, engaging language, the poems reflect the thoughts, worries, and pressures many young people experience, making the collection highly relatable for older primary and secondary pupils.

The poems are well-suited to classroom use, offering short, impactful texts that can be used for shared reading, performance, or discussion. Themes such as anxiety, self-doubt, resilience, friendship and finding your voice are handled sensitively, creating a safe space for pupils to explore emotions and reflect on their own experiences.

This poetry collection is a valuable classroom resource: thoughtful, relatable, and empowering. It would support both literacy development and pupils’ emotional well-being.