Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

Escape Room: Game Zero

Chapter book

Eden has played many escape rooms before and is confident in her ability to solve them. She decodes and follows online clues from a user named Ami to find The Escape – an incredible new game set to change the world, but being kept secret by the tech company that built it. Finding that the location of the host technology park is very close to her home, she ventures out at dusk, encountering a murmuration of starlings that somehow transports her into The Escape.

Having almost immediately met Ted, an online player who claims to be testing the new game, both characters are plunged into danger. A series of challenges follows as the two attempt to solve puzzles and find the keys required to unlock The Escape. However, it later appears that there is far more at stake than either player could have ever foreseen, and whereas Ted should be able to remove his VR headset to stop playing, Eden fears that she is stuck there while her memories of her real life are fading fast.

The theme continues from the first Escape Room book, but you wouldn’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one: the characters are new, and there is no continuation of the plot.

This is typical Christopher Edge with themes of teamwork, resilience and courage, and a strong, unpredictable ending. It reminded me of Jumanji and will appeal to readers who enjoy stories of gaming, adventure and other worlds. The catchphrase says it all: it’s only a game if you can stop playing.

Year 8: 50 Recommended Reads

50 Best Books for Year 8 (Children Aged 12-13)

Updated for 2026

Welcome to the recommended reading list for Year 8. If you’re looking for a list of the best books for Year 8, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of experts has selected a list of the 50 best books for Year 8 to read. We’ve tried to include something for all tastes – so look out for mysteries, fantasies and dystopian reads alongside poetry, relatable fiction and books to make you laugh out loud…

With a mix of classic and contemporary titles, our selection of recommended reads is designed to provide children with a diverse range of literature that will encourage them to become lifelong readers. Our Y8 booklist includes relatable Y8 reads such as Like a Girl, popular funny fiction like Steady For This and timeless classics including The Hound of the Baskervilles. This collection also features Y8 historical fiction, such as War Girls, alongside fantasy adventures like Deeplight. The non-fiction picks cover everything from the inspirational story of Malala Yousafzai to a brand new view of world history in Musical World.

Having quality reading materials to hand can make all the difference as young people continue their reading journeys throughout KS3. Our panel of reading experts, teachers and secondary school librarians helps us to read and review the best titles to recommend to each year group. Along with evaluating the current popularity of books, we carefully assess each title on the merit of its age-appropriateness, quality of writing and illustrations, and ability to stimulate imagination, critical thinking and creativity.

This reading list of recommended books for Year 8 is curated by experts to match the developmental stage of 12 to 13-year-olds and to cater to their interests, providing the right level of challenge for Y8s as they grow through the second year of secondary school. There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.

Browse the Y8 reading list below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Ditching Saskia

John Moore & Neetols

Chapter book

Living with his grandfather and struggling in a new high school, Damian decides to summon his mother’s ghost so he can talk things out – but he blows it and summons Saskia, a scruffy, annoying kid. Trying to settle into his new life, Damian doesn’t need her hanging around trying to ‘help’ him with his crush – but Saskia’s suffering too, and everything they’re both hiding deep down might be just what they both need to get some peace. John Moore and Neetols paint a sweet and hilarious tale of young love amidst grief, where someone’s flaws might be the reason you love them the most.

Seven Million Sunflowers

Malcolm Duffy

Chapter book

Escaping war is only half the battle as the Kovalenko family swap Ukrainian dangers for life with a British family.

15-year-old Kateryno and her family live in Kharkiv. Their lives are shattered when on February 24th 2022 the Russian army invades. Their apartment block is struck by a missile. After weeks living in their basement, Kateryno, her mother, and brother, decide to leave, joining seven million Ukrainian refugees. They come to England and meet their host family, the Hawkins. But their new beginning brings a whole new set of problems.

Tall Story

Candy Gourlay

Chapter book

Tall Story is a humorous and moving novel about Andi, a teen who finally meets her half-brother, Bernardo, from the Philippines.

Andi deeply wishes to play on the school basketball team but despite her passion, her shorter-than-average height is an obstacle to her success. Meanwhile, when half-brother Bernardo arrives from the Philippines, he turns out to be extremely tall – in fact, giant size!

This dual narrative is told from both Andi and Bernardo’s perspectives and the story explores the ups and downs of their sibling relationship and the merging of their cultures.

Tall Story is Candy Gourlay’s debut novel and makes for a memorable read about family in its extraordinary forms. This is a great text for Y8 readers who will appreciate humour alongside deeper themes of identity, belonging and accepting differences.

Rebel Skies

Ann Sei Lin

Chapter book

Ann Sei Lin’s Rebel Skies is a thrilling and imaginative fantasy story with a unique world inspired by Asian mysticism and a fast-paced adventure plot. It is recommended for Y8 readers and above.

Set among flying ships and sky cities, the story follows Kurara, an ordinary servant who discovers she is a Crafter, able to bring paper to life. This newfound ability draws her into a world of powerful paper spirits, imperial intrigue, mysterious creatures and a quest to uncover the truth, making for a fast-paced and engaging fantasy read. Any readers who have enjoyed the creative pursuit of origami will never quite see it in the same way again!

The novel’s original concept, blending fantasy with elements reminiscent of steampunk and Japanese mythology, provides a refreshing and exciting experience. Two further adventures follow in the same series.

Work It, Lara Bloom

Dee Benson

Chapter book

This is part of the popular Lara Bloom series. Told through Lara’s diary, the story offers a relatable glimpse into the life of a teen juggling football dreams, friendships and a school business contest. Readers will connect with Lara’s honest thoughts – which she shares through her intimately honest diary – on friendships, sports, inequality and the challenges of balancing passions with everyday pressures.

Whether football, fashion, entrepreneurship or friendships, readers will be drawn to Lara’s passions and find parallels with the joys and challenges of juggling their own interests and pursuits.

The diary format makes Lara’s observations accessible and engaging, exploring themes of relationships, ambitions and perseverance in a fun way. An appealing reading-for-pleasure choice for Year 8, this series resonates with young teens, making this a lighthearted yet insightful read about pursuing goals and navigating friendships

I Am Malala: Teen Edition

Malala Yousafzai & Patricia McCormick

Non-fiction

What an amazing true-life story told by Malala Yousafzai herself: the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize! This teen edition of Malala’s memoir, I am Malala, is presented in a form suitable for secondary school children and contains extra material, a Q&A and updated discussion notes for teens. These are extremely useful in helping the reader to understand the context of the events within the book.

Malala’s story is one of courage and determination – courage to continue the fight for girls’ rights, in particular, the right to go to school, even when faced with violence and extremism. It begins in the Swat valley of Northern Pakistan, a changing Pakistan, where Malala and her family lived a normal and peaceful life. Her father runs the local school, but life changes for the family when terrorists move into their region and forbid girls to go to school. Malala disagreed with this and so began her courageous battle for the right of education for all children. This fight almost cost her life. On October 9th 2012, on the way home from school, she was shot.

The book follows her story as she wakes up in a hospital in Birmingham and after life-saving surgery, continues her mission to speak out against intolerance and extremism.

It is a story full of hope and encouragement, where the reader cannot help but feel inspired by Malala’s words and unrelenting determination to stand up for what she believes in.

The Island at the End of Everything

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Chapter book

Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s The Island at the End of Everything is a lyrical and moving story that explores themes of love and courage as one girl journeys to overcome injustice and reunite with her mother.

The story immerses readers in the world of Amihan, living on the island of Culion where many of the islanders have leprosy. Ami’s love for her home is disrupted by a harsh official who forces any undiseased islanders to leave. Banished and desperate to return to her mother, Ami finds a fragile hope in a colony of butterflies.

Hargrave’s masterful storytelling, evocative writing and memorable characters bring Ami’s journey to life. The symbolic butterflies underscore the themes of hope and transformation in this beautiful tale of resilience, belonging and the enduring power of family bonds.

Refugee Boy

Benjamin Zephaniah

Chapter book

Benjamin Zephaniah’s Refugee Boy is poignant and memorable. Lower secondary school readers looking for the next step on after Windrush Child or The Boy at the Back of the Class will feel drawn to this moving account of one boy’s refugee experience.

The story follows a boy called Alem. With war raging in his parents’ homelands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Alem’s father takes him to London to seek asylum. Suddenly alone in a strange land, Alem faces the daunting task of building a new life. Zephaniah’s narrative vividly captures Alem’s challenges and the difficult realities faced by child refugees, as well as warmly capturing the grit and courage of the central character’s personality as he adapts to a new culture while seeking safety.

Though it doesn’t shy away from the harsh truths, Refugee Boy is ultimately a story of resilience and human kindness. In places the narrative is witty and wry – in others emotional and raw – and many readers will enjoy this balance.

This powerful book offers a moving insight into the refugee experience, drawing readers’ attention to the courage needed to navigate life’s losses and forge a new future.

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50 Best Books for Year 8 (Children Aged 12-13)