Y6 Transition

Written by head teacher and star of Educating Yorkshire, Mr Matthew Burton, this is the ultimate secondary school survival guide. Secondary school can seem scary. Corridors are wide, older students look terrifying and there’s homework, messy friendships and stressful exams to deal with. But, whether you’re about to land at secondary school or you’re still settling in, Mr Burton is here to guide you through your journey – worry-free. From your first day to your final exams, this handbook will have you achieving, succeeding and being the best you can be!

This is a thought-provoking story about school friendships, bullying and the transition to secondary school.

The story follows the trials and tribulations of Sam in Year 6, who overhears his friends Fin, Cal and Jay saying that they won’t be putting his name on their ‘friends list’ for the Year 7 tutor group in their new secondary school.

When Fin, Cal, Jay and their families go to Barcelona without him during half-term, Sam strikes up a rather one-sided friendship with Zak Monroe – a new boy in the year group who has already been dubbed ‘weird’ by his peers. As Sam increasingly tries to disassociate himself from anything and anyone that his old friends make fun of, he realises that he is trying to change to please them and that there are more important issues at stake.

There are many different threads to this story that children struggling with change and friendships might empathise with. Transition to a new school is a big part, but also self-belief, resilience, anxieties, acceptance of differences and challenging stereotypes.

Splash is an enjoyable story that captures the stage of dawning adolescence and the awakening of self-consciousness that often arrives around that time. Written by Charli Howard, a body positive campaigner and model, this story explores the important theme of body image among young people.
Molly is in Year 6 and the biggest thing on the minds of her classmates is the transition to secondary school and how to fit in well there. Molly’s best friend Chloe, who is strategically thinking about how to protect the popularity status of their friendship group ready for their new school, becomes increasingly unkind and demanding…

The Lottie Brooks books by Katie Kirby are hugely popular with preteen readers. This hilarious illustrated series explores the daily ups and downs of growing up, including facing puberty, navigating friendships, dealing with first crushes and all of the embarrassing moments that come with handling school and family life.

Many readers of the Lottie Brooks series enjoy the laugh-out-humour, the funny doodle-style illustrations and the true-to-life themes covered in the story. Lottie is a relatable character who resonates particularly well with girls in the 9-12 age bracket.

For more similar books, check out our list of books for fans of Lottie Brooks.

Sometimes you meet a character in a book who you not only like a lot, but also think that if you met them in real life you would want to be friends with them. So it is with Effie in ‘Vote for Effie’, a very real twelve year old girl, starting at a new school part of the way through Year 8. Most children have anxieties about starting secondary school or any new school and this book explores this fear in a lively and fast paced story. But Vote for Effie is more than just a story about starting a new school, as it covers injustice and women’s rights as well and is immensely readable.

Effie ends up, almost by accident, running for School Council and the story takes the reader through her campaign, against a seemingly unpleasant adversary. Effie is at first friendless, but then joined by a group of entertaining and interesting individuals as she challenges the status quo. The book is full of humour and delightfully illustrated by Mirelle Ortega.

I particularly liked that the central character is of Greek origin, as, living and working in an area where there are a significant number of Greek Cypriot children, I feel they are underrepresented in books.

I’d never read anything by this author before, but this book was so enjoyable I want to read more. As a reader you find yourself cheering Effie on and living the ups and downs with both Effie and her companions. I would vote for Effie!

An absorbing story about bullying and friendship crafted with the right balance of warmth and tension to engage readers in upper KS2. The narrative alternates between the viewpoints of teenagers Alex and Dan. Daily life is a struggle for Alex, plagued by worries caused by his OCD and living in fear of the awful bullying at school. Dan’s life is not straightforward either. Since his older brother left home, everything in Dan’s world feels different. Dan plays out his frustrations at school, messing around in class and finding easy targets at school to bully with his friends. As time goes by, the boys end up working together on a raft-building project and a new empathy begins to develop as their relationship grows. A highly recommended story for KS2 and lower KS3.

Some books you read a few pages or some chapters and park it for the day. Other books, you get so into the story that you just keep turning the pages and lose track of time. This book is the latter. It’s so well written that both bully and his victim got under my skin.

Ella on the Outside is a superbly honest debut from Cath Howe, with authentic characters and important themes of friendship, loyalty, self-acceptance and parental responsibility – all told with appropriate warmth and humour. 

The narrative voice is hugely relatable and the theme of friendship is addressed with due recognition that sometimes there are no easy answers when it comes to human relationships, but that loyalty, integrity and time investment are important foundations on which good friendships are built. Cath Howe has set this story in an honest reflection of a world in which children and adults alike are flawed and struggle deeply with life’s ups and downs.

As well as the themes of friendship and loyalty, the book also addresses issues of parental responsibility, childhood eczema, mental health and the impact of having an absent parent. This is a gripping and emotive read filled with warmth.

The Year Six class at Lance’s school are heading off for a residential trip that is supposed to create memories that will stay with them forever. Lance is happy to be alongside his friends Chet, Maksym and Katja and remains optimistic that they can ignore the mean taunts nemesis Trent. Excitement bubbles during the journey, but as soon as the coach draws near to Crater Lake, something feels amiss.

It’s never a good sign to run into a blood-stained figure who looks like a zombie just outside the gates of your destination. Nor does it bode well to find the activity centre spookily low on staff or to discover that despite the sweltering heat the only meal on offer is tomato soup, which appears disconcertingly similar to the blood covering the man at the entrance. Matters quickly spiral from bad to worse when a number of classmates and teachers transform into bug-eyed zombies and seem as though they have been hypnotised into working on a secret project out in the woods. Lance and the few remaining classmates must pull together to save the day, but their only chance of success relies on one catch; they must not fall asleep!

The horror-humour balance in the narrative is skilfully manufactured to give the chill factor without leaving anybody traumatised; it has just the right amount of scare to quicken your heartbeat and make you double-check under the bed before you climb in but is not likely to give you nightmares (unless you happen to be reading it while you are on a Year 6 residential).

Crater Lake is a super-fast read that will satisfy fans of Goosebumps or Point Horror as well as being likely to please Killick’s already loyal fanbase who expect easy humour, sharp dialogue, relatable themes and a turbo-paced plot.

This is an extraordinary verse novel about the final year of primary school, told through poetry. The verse captures the character of Year 6 pupil Nate as he navigates issues of school, family illness, emotions, change and friendships. Year 6 is a difficult year for many children, and whilst they are unlikely to have it quite as difficult as Nate, the book still captures some of that flavour, including the run-up to SATs, friendship issues and anxiety during a time when a sense of big changes is in the air.

Through his powerful verses, ex-primary school teacher Matt Goodfellow pays testament to the impact of a great teacher in supporting pupils through this time as well as the power of words and writing to help manage big emotions.

This is a very emotional and immersive story. A mature child will be able to ‘read between the lines’ and understand the text at a deeper level, even in Year 6. A great Y6  transition read!

The First Year by Matt Goodfellow is the highly anticipated sequel to the emotionally powerful The Final Year. The previous book has made a profound impact on readers and significantly boosted the popularity of verse novels for Key Stage 2. The First Year follows into KS3, on as Nate navigates the ups and downs of his first year of secondary.

Matt Goodfellow explores the themes of family bonds, resilience, finding one’s voice, the power of language and the influence of supportive (and unsupportive) adults in school. This sequel is just as emotive – perhaps even more – as Nate is torn away from the familiar comfort and safety of primary school and finds himself thrown into the stark environment of secondary. The story also celebrates the joy of new friendships and the strong sense of belonging Nate shares with his brothers and friends.

This is a verse novel where the story unfolds through poetry. Some of the shortest and most sparse poems are the ones that evoke the greatest depth of emotion, with the white space on the page providing the reader with a moment to reflect and process – but only a moment, as this is really a page-turner that makes you greedy to read on.

A gripping graphic novel. For those who like true-to-life drama in their graphic novels rather than fantasy or whacky humour, this is a superb read that really packs a punch.

The story follows twelve-year-old Jordan as he tries to fit in at a new school. The challenges of blending in at an elite, non-diverse private school become quickly apparent. This insightful story is poignantly told through words and pictures, and explores themes of racism, fitting in, prejudice, moving schools and confidence.

A perfect choice for reflective Year 6 children who like to think about wider social themes and are getting ready to move schools for themselves.