Format: Chapter book

Cecily Sawyer: How To Be a Spy

Chapter book

A thrilling, mysterious and very, very funny new adventure from the award-winning author of EINSTEIN THE PENGUIN, with brilliant illustrations from bestseller David Tazzyman.

Cecily Sawyer has spent the evening in the attic, training her pet mouse, Mrs Maple Syrup – an unusually intelligent mouse, in Cecily’s opinion – when her parents disappear.

Luckily, Cecily is more than ready to investigate such a thing. She has wanted to be a spy her whole life, and has all the spy handbooks, manuals and code-cracking kits a girl could need.

But soon, Cecily discovers several very strange things in her city. She’s not the only spy out there – far from it, in fact. And Mrs Maple Syrup is not the only unusually intelligent mouse…

The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam

Annelise Gray

Chapter book

A mythical timeslip story about family, love, loss and memory, with an epic sea voyage at its heart, inspired by the legend of Odysseus.

Phoebe dreams of becoming an artist like her grandmother, Cass, a brilliant storyteller who has passed on her love of Greek myths to Phoebe. But Cass is disappearing before Phoebe’s eyes, lost to a cruel illness that is destroying her memory. When Phoebe ruins Cass’s seascape inspired by childhood holidays on the Greek island of Ithaca, she is mysteriously swept away to a fantasy world that resembles her favourite myth of all – The Odyssey.

There Phoebe is caught up in a young boy’s mission to find his long-lost father – a shipbuilder to King Odysseus, last seen going off to fight in the Trojan War – and faces an epic quest of her own. To seek the shape-shifting monster whose ravenous and growing power may hold the key to Phoebe fighting her own demons. Only by defeating the monster and facing her fears, will she have any hope of finding her way home and back to Cass.

How to Get Magically Popular

Radhika Sanghani

Chapter book

A fresh, relatable story with a sprinkling of magic, about a girl who just wants to fit in but her magic powers make her stand out, from award-winning journalist and author Radhika Sanghani. Perfect for fans of Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries.

Sabina Patel just wants to fit in. But in her new school, in a new town where she doesn’t know anyone, Sabina feels more out of place than ever.

Then she accidentally unlocks magic powers and starts to see the future, and she quickly stands out as one
of the most popular girls at school.

But when Sabina starts seeing futures she’d rather not know about, she’s not sure if she’s unlocked a gift or a curse…

A book about learning to be happy in the present, rather than letting the future take over your life.

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.

The Poet X

Elizabeth Acevedo

Chapter book

Raw, honest and extremely powerful. ‘The Poet X’ is a triumph of modern literature. This collection of slam poetry beautifully retells Xiomara’s poignant life story. The way her experiences are told in verse allows the reader to be quickly absorbed into her emotions, exposing some powerful truths about what is is like to grow up in a Harlem neighbourhood and sending the powerful message that we must speak up and refuse to stay silent.

Readers will learn about, and relate to, the struggles she has experienced throughout her childhood, with her race, a religious mother and the misogyny of men while she was growing up. This book, full of energy and powerfully told verse, covers some tough subject matter, but has an important message of survival and staying strong throughout life’s struggles.

A modern classic which pushes boundaries. A must-read for all young adults.

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Format: Chapter book

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