Format: Chapter book

(Un)arranged Marriage

Chapter book

MANNY WANTS TO BE A FOOTBALLER. OR A POP STAR. OR WRITE A BESTSELLER. HE DOESN’T WANT TO GET MARRIED…

‘Harry and Ranjit were waiting for me – waiting to take me to Derby, to a wedding. My wedding. A wedding that I hadn’t asked for, that I didn’t want. To a girl who I didn’t know… If they had bothered to open their eyes, they would have seen me: seventeen, angry, upset but determined – determined to do my own thing, to choose my own path in life…’

Set partly in the UK and partly in the Punjab region of India, this is a fresh, bitingly perceptive and totally up-to-the-minute look at one young man’s fight to free himself from family expectations and to be himself, free to dance to his own tune.

Ellie Pillai is Brown

Christine Pillainayagam

Chapter book

The perfect coming-of-age summer romance by the most spectacularly funny and original debut UKYA voice.

Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible and not very cool – and usually she’s okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it’s the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it’s her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn’t a bad thing after all.

Medusa

Jessie Burton

Chapter book

Jessie Burton’s Medusa is a spellbinding reimagining of the ancient myth, told with tenderness and a new perspective. Rather than focusing on Medusa as the terrifying monster of legend, Burton gives her a voice filled with longing, vulnerability and strength.

The story centres on Medusa as a young woman living in exile, grappling with her identity and the curse that has defined her. When she encounters Perseus, their meeting is charged with tension and the weight of choices that could change everything. Burton’s retelling strips away the layers of fear and villainy that have clung to Medusa for centuries and instead portrays her as a symbol of resilience and female power.

A stunning, must-read for young adults. The story paints Medusa in such a different light from the one in most other stories. Utterly captivating.

Bog Child

Siobhan Dowd

Chapter book

This is a brilliant, powerful read. Bog Child manages to balance two completely different storylines – a modern political conflict and an ancient mystery – without it feeling messy. It’s perfectly paced for teenagers.

The story is set during the Troubles in 1981, so it deals with political violence, the IRA, and the Hunger Strikes (prisoners starving themselves), which is a heavy topic. There is some strong language used, which reflects the intensity of the setting.

You really root for the main character, Fergus, who is just trying to get through his exams while his world falls apart. It’s sad in places but ultimately a really rewarding story. Highly recommended for KS3 and KS4.

Lark

Anthony McGowan

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Inspired to take a walk on the moors by their Dad, who remembered taking such walks with their grandad when he was their age, Nicky and Kenny set off with their Jack Russel terrier on what should have been nothing more than a stroll to take in the views and blow off a bit of energy after being cooped up during the Easter holidays. Even as they step off the bus to begin their walk, Nicky can see the weather changing as a few flakes of snow become more of a blizzard, and what had been a fun adventure leaves them frozen to the core, lost and alone.

Picking up the slim tome, I initially wondered how this diminutive volume could live up to the reviews, especially as I am not familiar with the three prior titles in the series, but I needn’t have worried. Heartbreaking and soul-restoring in equal measure, you’re swept along on their journey with insights into some of their lives and troubles before the time and to the depths of their fear, pain and anguish as their stroll takes a more dangerous turn. Incredibly emotive, more sensitive readers may find some of the text upsetting.

This book doesn’t waste a single word. Unquestionably a rich source for writing and discussion.

My Swordhand is Singing

Marcus Sedgwick

Chapter book

An original interpretation of the timelessly fascinating vampire myth, and a story of father and son, by award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick. Winner of the Booktrust Teenage Prize and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter, Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust. Despite the villagers’ lack of hospitality, they settle there as woodcutters. But there are many things Peter does not understand. Why does Tomas dig a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so they live on an isolated island? Why does Tomas carry a long battered box everywhere they go – and refuse to tell Peter of its contents?

When a band of gypsies comes to the village, Peter’s drab existence is turned upside down. He is infatuated by the beautiful gypsy princess, Sofia, and intoxicated by her community’s love of life. He even becomes drawn into their deadly quest – for these travellers are Vampire Slayers, and Chust is a community to which the dead return to wreak revenge on the living.

Stylishly written and set in the forbidding and remote landscapes of the 17th century, this is a story of a father and his son, of loss, redemption and resolution.

We Are All Made of Molecules

Susin Nielsen

Chapter book

Stewart knows that he thinks differently from a lot of people, incredibly bright but socially inept, he knows that his Mum was relieved for him to get into a school with other children, where he could be himself. After his Mum loses her battle to cancer he is determined not to fall into the future she feared for him, where he struggles to fit into mainstream society so when his Dad gets together with someone new and they decide to move in together, he chooses to move to the same school as his new partner’s daughter, Ashley and even dares to dream that this is the opportunity for him to gain the sibling he so longed for. Ashley tries to be modest but knows that she is the girl others can only aspire to be. Attractive with rich, successful parents, she struggles with her father’s apparent new choice of life and is not at all happy at the prospect of the world’s biggest dweeb invading first her home and now her school. Can her life get any worse?

Beautifully scripted to enable the reader to see life from each of their perspectives, situations, which are at times agonising, are dealt with delicately and with a humour that manages to be both respectful and shine a beacon of joy in the darkest of times. An excellent source of discussion of some potentially difficult topics, so useful for PSHE, can also be used to unpick the language chosen by the author and for independent work, with the addition of questions about the text at the end of the story.

The Survival Game

Nicky Singer

Chapter book

In a world full of checkpoints and controls, can love and hope defy the borders? A searing, timely story, as arresting as it is beautiful.

Imagine a world …

Where there are too many people on a too-hot earth and your only chance of salvation is to journey north.

Where you must prove yourself worthy of existence at every turn, at every checkpoint.

Where your instincts become your most powerful weapon – even more than the gun in your pocket.

Where you find out what it takes to survive.

An extraordinary story about survival and what it costs, about the power of small kindnesses to change everything.

Here Lies Arthur

Ian McQue & Philip Reeve

Chapter book

Philip Reeve’s Carnegie medal-winning ‘Here Lies Arthur’ is a radical reimagining of the legend of King Arthur full of intrigue, subterfuge and gender politics.

From the moment that Gwyna is rescued by Myrddin, she becomes a key player in the carefully constructed legends aimed to persuade Britons of the one true king. Disguised as a young boy, she learns to fight, ride and live within Arthur’s court, travelling the land helping Myrddin spin stories that command awe and wonder and ease strategic alliance. But, as Gwyna grows up, her secret can’t stay hidden forever, and her days with Myrddin are numbered. Placed into service to Gwenhwyfar, wife of Arthur, Gwyna soon finds herself in a dangerous position as she struggles to keep her lady’s romantic secrets hidden from Mryddin and his greater political plans.

‘Here lies Arthur’ is a fast-paced adventure story with a unique twist on the Arthurian legends.

Paradise on Fire

Jewell Parker Rhodes

Chapter book

Jewell Parker Rhodes writes characters you really care about, and Addy is no exception. While the backdrop is a dramatic forest fire, the heart of the story is about her overcoming her past trauma and finding her confidence.

The story is intense but very hopeful. The main character has a traumatic backstory involving a house fire that killed her parents. The book deals heavily with her PTSD, flashbacks, and anxiety related to fire.

I’d recommend it for readers who like survival stories like Hatchet, with emotional depth.

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Format: Chapter book

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