Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

Rat

Chapter book

Al lives in a council flat with his Mum until she is sent back to prison. Al’s Dad is absent, so his gran enlists the help of his half sister Plum to prevent him from returning into care. Al wants to get his revenge on the neighbour whom he believes sent her there. The only friends he feels he can rely on are Venom and Vulture, his pet rats, but with their help, he thinks he has the perfect plan…

Award winning author, Patrice Lawrence, has once again woven a story that brilliantly brings together characters, that each pull at your heart, while artfully introducing threads to the plot that further enrich those deep complex relationships and mean you can’t put the book down as you will Al to find happiness of his own.

This is a story that feels full of pain and loss, but equally full of love, joy, hope and understanding sometimes from the most unlikely of sources. Space is given in the book for young readers to further independently explore the book with guided questions and additional information about some of the topics and words used.

The Bone Sparrow

Zana Fraillon

Chapter book

‘The Bone Sparrow’ is a poignant and beautifully written book that is hard to put down.

The story follows Subhi, who is a refugee born in an immigration detention centre. As explained in the afterword of the story, Subhi and his family are Rohingya, and there are traditional tales woven into the book. The afterword is very informative and clearly explains different aspects of the characters, history and what is happening in Australia and around the world.

This book is raw – not an easy read for children, but an emotionally rewarding one. Readers will find themselves fully invested in the story and better educated about the lives of others.

Global

Graphic novel

This ambitious graphic novel highlights the devastating effects of climate change through the lives of two children on either side of the globe.

In the Bay of Bengal, Sami has lost his home, both his parents and the family’s lucky knife to a cyclone some years before. Now he and his grandfather are struggling to catch anything on their fishing trips and the cyclones are becoming fiercer and more frequent. Sami is set on recovering the knife, hoping that it will restore their good fortune, but doing so means disobeying his grandfather and taking risks that may threaten them all.

Meanwhil, Yuki lives north of the Arctic Circle where she too undertakes a dangerous mission. Setting off into the icy wilderness with her dog, Locky, she is determined to track a grolar bear – a cross-breed between a grizzly and a polar bear whose territories have collided as the climate has warmed. Soon it’s the grolar bear that is tracking Yuki and Locky. Can their close bond and indomitable spirit save them?

Subtly different colour palettes differentiate the two worlds and the switch from one to the other enables thrilling cliffhangers as each child in turn is flung into jeopardy. The pictures carry much of the emotional weight of the story too, conveying the impact of terrifying natural disasters on humans in marginalised communities. The greater the sense of panic, the more the reader has to look closely to make sense of the deliberately disordered illustrations.

Despite everything, the story never loses its faith in humanity. Sami’s grandfather is a model of how to behave with generosity and empathy no matter how bad things get and the story ends with a hope of connection, as a chance find puts the two children in touch with each other. It’s a gripping and emotional read that doesn’t shy away from its message and yet remains positive and uplifting – definitely a story not to miss!

Deeplight

Frances Hardinge

Chapter book

Hark and his best friend Jelt live on the island of Lady’s Crave where they scavenge, scam and sell their finds.

The land they live in is shadowed in the past where people worshipped the Undersea Gods who thrived on the fear of the people. Hark finds himself indentured to Dr Vyne after being caught as part of one of Jelt’s plans with a local gang. He is given the task of looking after the ancient priests and finding out their secrets to be able to find out the secrets of the past Gods. Dr Vyne is trying to unravel the secrets of the gods, how they disappeared, what they looked like and how to best use god glass (old parts of the gods recovered from the Undersea).

Hark and Jelt quickly find themselves in possession of a most valuable piece of god glass, but it is not as lucky as they first think and they are soon in a very dangerous situation. What does this mean for the best friends, the people of Lady’s Crave and the surrounding islands?

‘Deeplight’ is a story full of imagination, mythological themes and adventures in the sea, which focuses on the importance of friendship and also treachery. The main characters are complex, but as the story unfolds, you feel that you really get to know them. It also includes a deaf character who lost her hearing after a diving incident. She gains her title of being ‘Sea-kissed’ and has to learn to communicate with her gang members by sign. It is refreshing to see a main character who signs.

An intriguing fantasy story recommended for secondary school children.

After

Pádraig Kenny

Chapter book

The Last of Us meets Wall-E in this post-apocalyptic tale of family, hope and survival from a multi-award-winning author

Jen and her father are making their way across a deserted world after a technological collapse brought civilization as people knew it to an end. The Flood took out all all technology, but also many people who were connected to a central information hive. Those who are left behind must find each other and build a new life. But Jen’s father isn’t related to her by blood – he is a human-appearing AI, a glitch in the system, and a secret that must be kept, even from those she wishes she could trust.

Exploring themes of what it means to be human, the value of every individual and where true danger lies – in our technological creations, or the ones who create them – this is a powerful and hopeful dystopian adventure,

Look Both Ways

Jason Reynolds

Short story collection

When the bell rings and school is finished for the day, the walkers are finally set free. For ten blocks they have no-one telling them what to do; they can talk about bogies, skateboard, plan dramatic escapes, make jokes, face bullies, and hear about the school bus that fell from the sky…

In ten stories (one per block), find out what really happens on the walk home from school, when there are no parents or teachers to supervise (or stop the fun!). From hilarious escapades to brave challenges, join the walkers for one journey and many, many detours…

Chris Mould’s War of the Worlds (Graphic Novel)

Chris Mould & H. G. Wells

Graphic novel

Chris Mould’s War of the Worlds, inspired by the classic science-fiction story by H.G. Wells, is a stunning illustrated novel designed to introduce the younger generation to this timeless story of aliens and adventure.

War of the Worlds is set in the late 1800s, where our young hero, Leon, witnesses the arrival of strange extra-terrestrial pods from space. The excitement of the people swiftly turns to horror as giant metallic creatures emerge, wreaking havoc, destruction and death on anyone and anything that gets in their way. Leon records this invasion through jottings and sketches, whilst trying to find a way to stop the monsters and keep his loved ones safe.

The story is ‘inspired by’ Wells’ original tale and has been significantly reduced and simplified for a younger audience, but the essence of the story has been captured. Whilst this is described as a graphic novel, there is quite a lot of text among the graphic panels, and we might argue whether this is actually more of a heavily illustrated novel. Essentially, Mould’s distinctive illustrative style suits the story beautifully and easily captures the imagination of even the most reluctant reader.

Similar to his Iron Man book, Mould has taken a beloved classic and stylistically brought it back to life. I would strongly recommend this to those introducing their pupils to some older classic novels, or reluctant readers who can have a break from reading text to study the incredible and detailed pictures.

Fireborn: Twelve and the Frozen Forest

Aisling Fowler & Sophie Medvedeva

Chapter book

An exciting novel set in the snowy northern forests of a prehistoric world. This fantastic adventure story is an exciting read and could be a great hook into a new series for children who love fantasy and adventure!

Twelve is a fierce hunter, and she has given up her name to train in the art of fighting monsters, and she won’t choose a new one until she has earned it. As her friend is taken, Twelve sets off on a dangerous journey to rescue her. Teaming up with Dog, the stone Guardian of the Hunting Lodge, Twelve ends up on an epic adventure that will change her life, her name – and her entire world.

Coram Boy

Jamila Gavin

Chapter book

The Coram Man travels around the country and collects the newborn babies from desperate mothers who are promised that their children will be delivered safely to a foundling hospital. Unbeknownst to them, Otis kills and deposits the infants along the side of the road.

Otis is the Coram Man and has his son Meshak to help him with his business, as well as collecting and selling unwanted children. They find themselves entwined with a wealthy family, the Ashbrooks, after Meshak decides to save one of the babies, Aaron. Aaron grows up with his guardian angel ‘Mish’ watching over him in the foundling hospital. Aaron finds himself being pulled closer to his real family through his talent in music; however, just as things are starting to look up, the Coram man reappears and is back to his evil ways.

This book is a gothic novel split into two parts. It highlights some of the horrors of life during the 18th century – the hardships, the poverty and the importance of wealthy women being seen as proper at all times. The prologue starts the book’s theme off by sharing a story about a wealthy woman abandoning six of her children and keeping only one by asking her midwife to drown the other six.

The story has historic themes and is suitable for mature readers who can handle sensitive topics. This is a dark story with some difficult parts, but also one that will reward readers with its gripping and thought-stirring narrative.

The Bubble Wrap Boy

Phil Earle

Chapter book

‘The Bubble Wrap Boy’ is a coming-of-age novel which will make you howl with laughter and cry with heartache. Phil Earl tells the story of a teenage boy Charlie, who feels lost and isolated, until he finds his passion: skateboarding. The only issue is his overprotective mother, who will do everything in her power to ruin his fun and consequently, all chances of being popular at school. Interweaved within hilarious plot twists and teenage angst, is a powerful message of friendship, loyalty and resilience.

The story is told with utter brilliance as Earl manages to capture the point of view of a misunderstood young boy, who shows that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it. This novel is undoubtedly a modern classic, which conveys some important messages for young people today.