Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

Raise the Bar

Graphic novel

Raise the Bar is a graphic novel by Chilean animation director and comic artist Fernanda Frick H. This full-colour graphic novel is suited to readers aged 10-14, and will be especially enjoyed by fans of Raina Telgemeier.

The story follows Sam, a (literally) strong female lead who enters the unfamiliar, high-stakes world of competitive weightlifting as she sets her sights on going for Olympic gold. It is a fantastic, fast-paced summer read that offers a really interesting glimpse into an elite sporting arena that most readers won’t know much about. The story highlights what it takes for girls to overcome stereotypes and participation barriers in competitive sport.

While ambition and following dreams is the theme that drives the story, success isn’t built on serendipity in Raise the Bar; instead, the narrative focuses on the determination, personal sacrifices and real grit required for Sam to succeed. The story doesn’t shy away from the realities of intense training, parental opposition, prejudice, self-doubt and burnout, but it remains a thoroughly empowering and immersive page-turner. At its heart, the story is about determination and ambition as we follow Sam’s journey in navigating every hurdle to achieve her goals in the sport she loves.

This inclusive book is a great choice for its readability and the portrayal of a diverse cast of characters forming deep friendships despite being contenders on the platform. The backstory is just as inspiring: dropped by Netflix after two years of development as a sports anime, Frick channelled Sam’s grit to turn it into a young teen graphic novel, complete with bonus content.

Raise the Bar is a highly recommended page-turner about perseverance and the perfect graphic novel to offer something new and interesting to a summer of sport.

The Haunting of Old Splinter

Jack Mackay

Chapter book

Be careful what you wish for…

Peter and his half-brother Adrian live in the shadow of Old Splinter â the ruined mansion on the hill, where legends of ancient relics and dark magic swirl. And the cracks are starting to show in their once-happy family. Faced with the daunting task of renovating the place, Peterâs stepdad is at his witsâ end and the boys feel powerless to help.

Then Peter unearths a horrifying secret in the walls of the mansion and the brothers realise thereâs some truth to the terrifying tales. If the Wishing Claw is real, it can grant their deepest desires â and it might just bring their family back together.

But wishes are tricky things and Peter unleashes much more than he bargained for. When a monstrous hunger comes knocking at his door, he must find a way to undo his wish before itâs too late.

Diary of a Number One Superfan

Gemma Correll & Pamela Butchart

Chapter book

Swifties you will LOVE this! The first book in a brand new series about the lives of pop stars through the eyes of a superfan, by bestselling and award-winning children’s book author, Pamela Butchart, with artwork by Gemma Correll.

The perfect book for anyone with a Taylor Swift passion Gemma loves anything Swiftie and so she journals the build-up to her first Taylor Swift concert. Alongside her friends and her dad, Gemma’s mission is to live, breathe, everything Taylor Swift related and she too is trying to become a songwriter herself.

The book also addresses interesting questions about what it means to be a super fan and whether it could become obsessive. Alongside record-breaking facts and stats about Taylor, her music and of course her cats, this is a warm and funny tween diary about owning who you are and following your dreams. If you are into Taylor Swift, this book IS for you! If you’re not – gift it to someone who is!

And Now We Run

Nicola Penfold

Chapter book

Nicola Penfold usually writes dystopian stories set in the future. This one has similar themes, but is set in the present. Her books are often about humans destroying the planet and this is no exception. It is a very fast paced, exciting adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I loved the characters of Jelly and Lincoln, each with their own issues, having to work together to save themselves. Narrated by each in turn they became really fleshed out characters and I enjoyed following them on their sometimes quite terrifying adventure. The cover by Manuel Sumberac completely captures the panic of the flood, as do the little chapter heading illustrations. Running throughout the story is the message that this catastrophe may well be man-made. A different type of extreme weather this summer has also brought that message home and this is portrayed in a very non-preachy way but is very hard hitting.

Suitable for upper KS2, this will provide much discussion, not only on climate change but also the nature of friendships and how they can be broken and forged.

Star Breakers: Zeke Zero Vs The Galaxy

Chris Hazeldine & Ed Caruana

Graphic novel

Star Breakers is a graphic space adventure novel packed with excitement, twists and turns and humour. The story follows Zeke Zero and a crew of fellow heroes who embark on a galaxy-spanning quest. Zeke finds a valuable star map and is forced to join the Star Breakers. The story follows them dashing across the universe in search of a mysterious ancient artefact whilst staying far away from the villainous Princess Grizelda and a host of other dangerous creatures.

The fast- paced plot and vibrant illustrations make this page-turner very difficult to put down. The text is perfect for those who love graphic novels or have an interest in sci-fi or fantasy and adventure texts.

The Secrets of Wild Hill: A Pony’s Promise

Olivia Tuffin

Chapter book

Old rivalries, new friends and a fresh start. Can Lottie rebuild her connection with Patch enough to get them to the championships and one step closer to her dream?

In this second gripping adventure, Lottie works hard to heal her bond with Patch, desperate to learn how to hear him. But ever since the Rhinefields Show when he galloped off, Patch has been detached and afraid…

Meanwhile, Lottie’s friendship with Felix is over and she feels betrayed. But when he texts her out of the blue, she realises how much she’s missed him. Could she trust him again? And why does he need her help? As more secrets emerge, Lottie and Felix try to make sense of the photograph he found and the old connection between their two families.

With Wild Hill up for sale, there’s still so much to overcome. Lottie knows that without Wild Hill, there will be no more time with Patch. And without Patch, there is no dream.

Skipshock

Caroline O’Donoghue

Chapter book

MARGO AND MOON WERE ON TWO DIFFERENT TRAINS, IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.
THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE MET – BUT THEY DID.
AND NOW THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

A dazzlingly inventive sci-fi fantasy romance from the bestselling Irish author of The Rachel Incident and host of Sentimental Garbage, now available in paperback.

WINNER of the Children’s Books Ireland Judges’ Special Award
Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards
Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards

—

Margo is on a train when she slips into another dimension, passing from the height of Irish summer into the chill of an alien winter, from a 24-hour day to one that begins and ends in just six hours. From a stranger on the train – a travelling salesman by the name of Moon – she learns that New Davia is part of a world scarred by uprisings, travel bans and world sealings. Power is determined by time – who has it, who doesn’t, and who has the freedom to travel between time zones.

Can Margo find a way to get back home – or will she choose to stay in a world where her youth is slipping away faster than ever before, but where she may have found the only person with whom she would choose to spend eternity?

Traumaland

Josh Silver

Chapter book

The deliciously dark new thriller from award-winning YA author Josh Silver, perfect for fans of Black Mirror and Holly Jackson.

Welcome to TraumaLand. You are now Jack.

Your story will start in 3… 2… 1…

Eli has been in a near-fatal accident, which has left him with no memory and no emotions. According to his therapist, he suffers from an Overwhelming Emptiness.

Desperate to feel something again, Eli winds up at TraumaLand, an underground club where crowds of emotionally numb party-goers seek a new thrill. Through hyper-real virtual reality simulations, they can experience nightmarish events happening to other people.

But when Eli immerses himself in Jack’s story, he starts to suspect there may be a darker – more dangerous – truth to the club.

A Beautiful Evil

Bea Fitzgerald

Chapter book

The eagerly anticipated new YA Greek myth re-imagining from Bea Fitzgerald, TikTok superstar and Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen.

Pandora is the first human woman – made by the gods on Olympus for one simple purpose: to love and be loved by her new husband, the titan Epimatheos.

The only problem? He wants nothing to do with her.

Hurt and confused, Pandora struggles to find meaning in her new life. What’s the point of being given all these gifts by the gods, if she can’t get this infuriating, awful, frankly very rude man (with an admittedly quite nice face) to love her? Maybe she’s failing at her life’s purpose. Or maybe she’s destined for an entirely different one . . . ?

As Pandora and Matheos work to uncover why she was created, that fated connection between them feels increasingly difficult to ignore. And with that comes terrible risk. Because Matheos’s traitorous brother, Prometheus, is a seer – and before the gods captured him he issued a final warning: that Pandora and Matheos’s love will be humanity’s doom.

So . . . what do you do when faced with an all-powerful love . . . that just happens to threaten the end of the world?

Pandora’s about to find out.

A glorious sunshine/grumpy romantic re-imagining of the Pandora myth, from the bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen and The End Crowns All

Mondays Are Murder

Ravena Guron

Chapter book

From the bestselling author of This Book Kills comes a deadly new YA thriller of murder, mystery and mind-blowing twists. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus.

Seventeen-year-old Kay left her sleepy hometown after the devastating death of her friend, Ivy. But when Kay is forced to come back, she receives an anonymous letter that turns her life upside down.

The letter tells her that there will be a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday – and her murder on Monday.

And if Kay can’t figure out who is behind the threats, the worst day of the week is about to get deadly…