Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Failosophy for Teens

Non-fiction

A game-changing guide to being happier, healthier and succeeding better, from Sunday Times bestselling author Elizabeth Day.

Failosophy For Teens is an inspiring and empowering guide to those moments when life doesn’t go to plan. Using personal experience and stories shared by guests on her award-winning podcast, How to Fail, Elizabeth’s book is full of creative and inspiring advice on how to fail well.

Failing better is the key to learning, growing and ultimately loving yourself as the truly AWESOME human being you are. Failosophy For Teens will challenge your self-perception and change your life!

The Fellowship of the Ring

J.R.R. TOLKIEN

Chapter book

This first book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic Lord of the Rings saga, first published in 1954, introduces hobbit Frodo Baggins, who inherits the all-powerful One Ring forged by the dark lord Sauron. To prevent Sauron from dominating Middle-earth, Frodo must embark on a perilous journey to destroy the Ring.

Joining forces with a wizard and various travelling companions, he begins his quest towards Mordor.

This series is considered a foundational work of epic fantasy, earning its place in the literary canon for both adult and teen readers.

Dracula: A Retelling

Tanya Landman

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Carnegie Medal winner Tanya Landman delivers a terrifyingly enthralling and truly accessible retelling of Bram Stoker’s legendary Gothic horror novel.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a masterpiece of horror fiction in which he creates a nightmarish world of vampires, evil-doing and insanity.

A ship steered by a dead man…

A huge black dog springing from its deck…

A girl, sleepwalking towards disaster…

When rising young solicitor Jonathan Harker helps the mysterious and sinister Count Dracula purchase property in London he unleashes an evil that threatens to destroy the whole of humanity.

Echostar is Always Listening

Melinda Salisbury

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Bestselling YA author Melinda Salisbury exposes the dark underbelly of new technologies and online friendships in this gripping thriller.

Ruby Brookes and her best friend Deva have won free places at the Ash Tree Foundation Performing Arts Camp over the summer, but only if their school grades seriously improve. So when Deva suddenly starts getting high marks in all their subjects, leaving Ruby behind, she is confused and jealous.

Until she finds out Deva’s success is down to EchoStar, a new app that’s helping her get ahead.

Ruby is desperate to start using it too, but there is much more to EchoStar than she has imagined. Because EchoStar is always watching and listening.

The Disconnect

Keren David

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

With a high-interest premise for today’s teens, Keren David’s fast-paced novel explores a challenge offered to a group of students: give up their phones for six weeks to win a prize of one thousand pounds.

The story follows Esther, who struggles with the challenge as she uses her phone to keep in contact with her father and sister in New York. She soon realises that not everyone is playing the challenge fairly.

This relatable story offers a look at the impact of technology and social media on young people in a fair and balanced way – unapologetically touching on both pros and cons of teenage mobile phone use. Written in a dyslexia-friendly format, it is an ideal and accessible short read exploring themes of friendship, peer pressure and the digital world.

Jellybean

Eve Ainsworth & Theo Parish

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Ellie battles feelings of anxiety about school that she can’t explain in this sensitively told tale from acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth.

When Ellie wakes up one day and can’t face going to school, her parents think there must be a reason. Is she being bullied? Or is the schoolwork too hard?

But neither of these things are the problem, and Ellie finds it impossible to explain how she feels.

As the days of absence turn into weeks and then months, Ellie’s parents support her through this difficult time, but can she find a way to go back?

What it was like to be an Ancient Greek

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

Blue Peter Award winning author David Long takes readers on a captivating exploration into the culture and legacy of ancient Greek civilisation.

Around 3,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks created one of the world’s most advanced civilisations. While most worked as farmers and fishermen to feed their families, others studied hard to become brilliant astronomers, navigators, philosophers, artists and athletes. Then, under the rule of Alexander the Great, their language, art and ideas spread through an enormous empire that stretched from Egypt to India.

From the myths and legends of the gods atop Mount Olympus to the origin of marathon races, find out what life was really like in Ancient Greece in this fascinating new exploration from award-winning writer David Long.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Blitzers

Alastair Chisholm & Francesca Ficorilli

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Another enjoyable read from the Barrington Stoke team, this story is a welcome addition to the gaming genre and should interest readers who have an interest in any of the major game platforms.

Blitzers are the latest craze: characters in handheld electronic games that fight against each other when their owners join their screens together. Danny is desperate to have one, so when his brother Jay brings one home, he starts to ‘train’ it to become a champion. However, Danny’s Blitzer, Chew Lip, is a bit different to the others and doesn’t want to fight. He is advised to reset it, but Danny takes a different approach, and Chew Lip surprises him. When all the Blitzers suddenly vanish from their screens and the manufacturers declare technical issues, Danny receives a mysterious message, and the hunt is on to find out what is really going on at the Blitzers Inc. headquarters.

There are themes of friendship, self-esteem and celebrating differences, as well as a message of concern regarding ‘big tech’. The story does play with the emotions too: it is genuinely funny in places as Danny tries in vain to make Chew Lip more combative, but there is a sorrowful side to it when the electronic game appears to have feelings and becomes emotional. This book does make you think!

My Soul, A Shining Tree

Jamila Gavin

Chapter book

My Soul, a Shining Tree is a short, powerful novel that looks at war through the eyes of different characters. By showing multiple perspectives, it helps readers understand the different ‘sides’ of the conflict and the very real impact on people’s lives. I also really enjoyed how the different perspectives interacted with each other. I found Ernst’s story, in particular, incredibly moving: his experiences really brought the experiences of young people who went into battle to the forefront. Because the book is short, teachers could easily use extracts from the different perspectives as writing prompts or as a stimulus to support lessons about World War I.

The shifting narratives also help children think about how perspective can shape a story, while encouraging discussion about courage, loss, and resilience. I also really liked the inclusion of Khudadad, an Indian gunner, highlighting the important role soldiers from across the Commonwealth played in supporting the war. My Soul, a Shining Tree is perfect for helping young readers connect with history and develop empathy.

War Horse

Michael Morpurgo

Chapter book

Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic children’s novel – War Horse. From the nation’s favourite storyteller, Michael Morpurgo.

In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.

War Horse was adapted by Steven Spielberg as a major motion picture with Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The National Theatre production opened in 2007 and has enjoyed successful runs in the West End and on Broadway.

A great way of introducing young readers to the realities of WWI. Look out for Morpurgo’s other war fiction including Friend or Foe, Waiting for Anya, King of the Cloud Forests and An Eagle in the Snow.

War Horse is a story of universal suffering for a universal audience by a writer who ‘has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers’ (The Guardian).

Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.

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