Age Group: KS3,KS4

Because of You

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Poppy feels like her life is falling to pieces in this coming-of-age novella of blended families and online bullying from acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth.

Poppy’s having a nightmare at home. Her parents have split up and her mum’s new boyfriend is moving in. Dad is the one who’s always been there for Poppy, but now he’s drifting further and further away. It seems like things can’t get any worse until it all goes wrong at school as well and Poppy finds herself being targeted by spiteful bullies. As the vicious online comments keep coming, who can Poppy turn to for help?

Hatchet

Chapter book

Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet is a powerful survival story that has stood the test of time and would resonate with readers in Key Stage 3.

The novel follows 13‑year‑old Brian Robeson, who is travelling alone to visit his father when the pilot of his small plane suffers a heart attack. Brian crash‑lands in the Canadian wilderness, beginning a gripping journey of resilience and self‑discovery. With only a hatchet and his determination, Brian learns to build shelter, find food, make fire, and face the challenges of nature, from curious beavers to unexpected encounters with bears. Alongside the adventure, Brian is also dealing with the emotional impact of his parents’ recent divorce and a secret he carries about his mother.

This is a beautiful story of resilience, growth and being at one with nature.

Echostar is Always Listening

Melinda Salisbury

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Aimed at a teen market, Echostar is a short pacey novel which could appeal to more reluctant readers or be easily digested in one sitting by more prolific ones.

A useful conversation starter regarding internet safety, use of social media and apps, Melinda Salisbury covers themes of cybercrime, assault, bullying and grooming through the use of characters who seem unlikely to be caught up in such difficulties – widening the accessibility of the story.

An absorbing ready, this is highly relevant to the teen generation who often seem keen to identify shortcut to success. Echostar might serve as a timely reminder that if something appears to be too good to be true, it often is.

Elsewhere

Chapter book

‘Elsewhere’ provides its readers with an intriguing, beautiful take on life after death. 15-year-old Elizabeth (Liz) dies as a result of a hit and run accident and finds herself in ‘Elsewhere’ – a place not dissimilar to Earth, yet completely different. Liz finds it hard to adjust and yearns for the life she will no longer get to live. She spends endless hours, days clinging desperately onto her old life refusing to accept that the life she once knew is over – she even makes a desperate forbidden attempt to make contact with Earth rather than accept her fate and start her new life in Elsewhere. But in doing so, Liz is miserable.

As the story unfolds, and with the help of some important characters that she encounters along the way, eventually Liz realises that happiness is a choice and that clinging to her old life is pointless.

This is a heart-warming, comforting story of dealing with the unpredictability of life, second chances, the power of friendship and love, and the importance of living life to its fullest. It is a well-written, absorbing easy read, which will make the reader smile at its charm.

Small Town Hero

Chapter book

Following the tragic death of his father, teenager Gabe’s world is turned upside down. As he grapples with grief and a new life with his estranged uncle, he discovers an extraordinary power: the ability to create alternate realities through a video game.

Gabe’s journey begins as an escape, but soon evolves into an interesting and empathetic exploration of family, loss and the very nature of reality.

This is a thought-provoking and rich read, perfect for older students and those interested in gaming or the notion of alternative realities.

Moonrise

Poetry, Verse novel

‘It’s the hope that’ll kill you.’This haunting story of hope and heartbreak wrenches the emotions as it explores the meaning of life and death, love and forgiveness.

For Joe, his brother Ed is the person who attended his parents’ evenings, who saved up money so he could have proper Christmas presents, and who protected him from the disorder of a life of poverty with an alcoholic mother. But when Joe was seven, his brother – himself damaged by the disorder – left home. Then Ed is wrongly accused and found guilty of the murder of a cop in Texas, where the penalty for the crime is death. Years of appeals have failed, and now there’s a date for his execution. Joe, still only a teenager, travels alone from New York to Texas to visit his brother. There’s one final hope for reprieve.

Flashbacks fill in the details of the brothers’ relationship and show the poignant contrast between public perceptions and private memories of a convicted murderer on Death Row. Written in verse, the language is spare and simple and cuts directly to the emotional centre of Joe’s young life. I liked the way it is carefully nuanced. There is empathy rather than judgment for all the characters – even the warden responsible for the Death Row prisoners and Aunt Karen, who assumes that Ed is guilty and does her best to keep Joe from his wicked older brother. This beautiful book made me think, and cry – and I’m still worrying about Joe.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Chapter book

This sci-fi comedy classic wasn’t initially written for children, but so many young readers still fall in love with this pop-culture series between the ages of 12 and 17.

Perfectly ordinary Arthur Dent is surprised to learn that his best friend Ford Prefect isn’t from Guildford, but actually from Beletegeuse, and that Earth is about to be destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. The pair flee the planet and set off on a wild series of bizarre, hilarious adventures that will appeal to sci-lovers and fans of silly humour.

Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker novels are imaginative and very funny. This edition, which is illustrated by former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, is brought to life with line illustrations that capture the spirit of quirky adventure perfectly.

When Shadows Fall

Sita Brahmachari

Chapter book

A human rights ambassador for Amnesty International, Sita Brachmachari is renowned for placing children’s rights, refugee rights and environmental rights at the forefront of her stories and When Shadows Fall encapsulates those struggles in a story that is at times distressing, but equally uplifting.

Voiced from the perspective of three friends, Brachmachari deftly weaves an account of how quickly someone’s life can unravel following the loss of a loved one, but also how help can come from the strength of a stranger, who has learned to not only survive the atrocities of war but also felt the isolation of rebuilding a life in a country where, as a refugee, they have not always been made to feel welcome.

A mature story that celebrates the joys of the innocence of childhood friendships, how dramatically one person’s life and mental health can deteriorate when that friendship fractures, how seeing those events from the other person’s perspective can help us to heal and rebuild what we might think was lost forever and how we can learn to love a new path in life.

I Dare You

Chapter book

Willow and Alma are best friends, sharing a love of the spotlight. All they want is fame and fortune, and Willow is determined that the best way to get it is to go viral. So they start filming dares. Okay, so getting stuck in a basketball hoop doesn’t get them the sort of attention they were hoping for, but as their challenges get more extreme, their fan base grows. Duct-taping themselves to a wall? No-brainer. Eating super-hot chillis? Of course! Waxing an eyebrow off? Super funny! And if they get in a bit of trouble, it’s worth it.

But if they really want to prove themselves, they have to go all-out. So they come up with the perfect idea. An idea that causes more than just a bit of trouble. An idea that might destroy not just their ambitions but their entire friendship for good.

The Last Paper Crane

Chapter book

Nominated for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie Medal, joint winner of the UKLA 11-14 Book Award 2021 and winner of the Warwickshire Schools Library Award.

A Japanese teenager, Mizuki, is worried about her grandfather who is clearly desperately upset about something. He says that he has never got over something that happened in his past and gently Mizuki persuades him to tell her what it is.

We are taken to 1945, Hiroshima, and Mizuki’s grandfather as a teenage boy chatting at home with his friend Hiro. Moments later the horrific nuclear bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. What follows is a searing account of the blinding flash, the harrowing search for family and the devastation both human and physical. There is also the very moving and human story as the two teenage boys with great bravery search for and find Keiko, Hiro’s five-year-old sister. But then Keiko is lost when Mizuki’s grandfather has no option but to leave her in a safe place while he goes for help… Despite a desperate search in the aftermath of the bomb, where he leaves origami folded paper cranes for Keiko with his address on everywhere a survivor could be, he cannot find her… A powerful novel that, despite its harrowing subject matter, has hope at its heart.