Christmas Reads


Looking to curl up with your hot chocolate and a good book? Why not try one of these Christmas themed titles:

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

Boy meets Book

Want to be a Reading Champion? Then tuck into one of these:

Princess Bride by William Goldsmith
- I know this sounds girly but it isn't. It is hilarious full of one-liners, swordfights, giants, torture chambers and rodents of unusual size (ROUS).

Catcher in the Rye - J.D.Sallinger
- This is a classic, banned at various times in the USA because it promotes un-American values. It covers a few important days in the life of Holden Caufield a 16 year old prep school drop out.

Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
A cult classic it's been a radio and tv series and a movie. Earth is demolished one Thursday morning to make way for a Hyperspace by-pass. Arthur Dent is planetless and in real need of a cup of tea.

Don't fancy fiction?

The Darwin Awards - Wendy Northcutt
- It's a collection of true stories about how dumb people met their maker.

Are You Dave Gorman? - Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace
- As a drunken bet Dave heads off round the world to meet fellow Dave Gormans. Part travel log, part people watching but all hillarious!

Boy and Going Solo - Roald Dahl
- The autobiographies of Dahl are facinating, funny and every bit as exiciting as his fiction.

Ration of Reading

Experince life on the homefront - read some of the big sellers of the WWII:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin

The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler

I Read Dead People

Some of the best books are written by those no longer with us. Fancy communicating with the land beyond? Try one of these:
S1-3
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Famous Five by Enid Blyton
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
S4-5
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming
1984 by George Orwell

Want to try some more? Check out:
Issac Asimov, Jane Austen, any of the Bronte sisters, Arthur Conan Doyle, Shakespeare (plays), Shelly (poetry), Joseph Conrad, D.H.Lawrence, Alexander Dumas, Yeats (poetry).

Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman

This review is on Northern lights written by Phillip Pullman in his Dark Materials Series.

The story is mainly about a girl called Lyra and the fate of her world revolves around her. In Lyra's world they have like another half of them in a thing called a daemon which when you are a child the daemon can shape shift into any animal but when you are an adult it stays one animal and if your daemon dies you die.

Lyra lives in oxford at a place called Jordan College she has a daemon called Pantalaimon nicknames Pan she is soon plunged into a world of adventure when her friend Roger is kidnapped by child catchers and when Mrs Coulter comes to visit the college and takesLyra away is when it all starts.

Lyra's uncle Lord Asrieal had been kidnapped by the bears of the north on his mission to find dust. Lyra has been given the last alethiometre and a mysterious Mrs Coulter actually is using Lyra to try to take control and rule the world.

by Zaki

The Mediator by Meg Cabot

The mediator is about a girl called Suze who moves to California to live with her new family. A few years earlier her father died and she has been living in New York. She has an incredible gift. A few days after her father died she saw him and talked to him. She told her mum and she sent Suze to therapy. She had no friends except for Gina who stood by her when she was in trouble. Her mother met a new man called Andy. He had three sons and they lived in California. Suze’s mum then decided to move to California.

When Suze went to her new house she had a visitor that no one else could see. He was a ghost from the 17th century. His name was Jesse and she fell in love with him. Now at her new school she has a lot of problems with other ghosts.

If you want a scary book with romance and humour you should read this. The mediator is a series but the 1st book is definitely the best.

By ANGEL, JINX AND LUCKYSTAR

The Amityville Horror - A True Story by Jay Anson


On November 13, 1974, 112 Ocean Avenue was the scene of a mass murder! Ronald DeFeo killed his parents, 2 brothers and his 2 sisters. When George and Kathy are offered an amazing price for 112 Ocean Avenue they accept it and move in but they don’t realise the tragedy that happened there in the past and the tragedy that will be brought to them in the near future!

By Bubba

Space Cowboy by Justin Stanchfield

On the remote planet of Aletha Three, a genetically engineered creature with the unstoppable killing instinct of earth's most ancient predators has begun stalking the struggling population. Armed only with his dad's old rifle, cowboy Travis must find out where the predator came from and how he can stop it - before it gets a taste for people, instead of cattle. Filled with danger and excitement, cowboys, spaceships and nightmare creatures, "Space Cowboy" is everything a boy could want in a book.

I like westerns and I like sci-fi stories so when I read the title of this book I expected to enjoy it. However I did not. The moment I got stuck into the book the more I felt it was a chore to read it. It was like the author was not interested in the moments when tension was being built.

Personally I would not recommend this book for entertainment purposes. But I give credit to the writer for how well it was written. I did not like the plot but the words seemed to slip off the page into my head with ease.

Reviewed by JM

What’s cooking Alex by Yvonne Coppard

This book is about a girl called Alex who has a dream of being a professional celebrity chef. But she also has troubles with her life as she has bad hair days and horrible recipes!

One day a celebrity chef comes to her school and teaches how to cook on a live TV show. As Alex prepares her food she has to put up with her cooking rival amber!

Take:
One ten-year-old girl with big plans
One opportunity to appear on TV
Leave to marinate

Stir in:
One oversized dog
One gorgeous celebrity chef
One arch enemy
Bake at high temperature

BY PINKY


Pink Chameleon by Fiona Dunbar

This book is about two girls called Elsie and Rorie who live with their mum, dad, and their pink chameleon. The parents are both weird inventors who set off one normal morning to a meeting to sell their latest invention, but mysteriously they never arrive at their destination. The two girls are left with their horrible aunt and uncle who own a boarding school. When Elsie and Rorie decide they have had enough of their aunt and uncle they run away in search of their parents, only to discover their search has only just begun …!!

I liked the book because it was interesting and you always wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

By Julie

Koyasan by Darren Shan

Koyasan is scared of the graveyard where she lives, she has heard stories of how the spirits come out at night but even in the day when all the other children go in she cannot go over the bridge. Until her sisters soul is stolen and she must get it back. Facing her fears will be difficult but if she doesn’t the spirits will get her too.

By Mary Poppins

Good Girls by Laura Ruby

Good Girls is definitely a teen book as a girl called Audrey decides to go to a Halloween party at her friend’s house. She meets up with Luke De Salvo this guy who she had been ‘hooking up’ with before and decides to have a more adult relationship with him. Then when they go to school something has happened which could possibly ruin Audrey’s life.

I definitely recommend Good Girls because you never know what is going to happen next. Also things that happen in the book sometimes happens in our world today. Go out and get it you will really enjoy it.

By Timmy

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore


This book is the must read of the century. It is about a boy named James Adams who gets recruited for a secret society of British Intelligence for kids. He has to undertake the worst 100 days of his life - BASIC TRAINING.

The best book I have ever read. This book is so good you will wish it was true. I t keeps you in suspense in every chapter. A MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!

By: Jambo-t’ill-I-die

The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson


The Lottie Project is about a girl called Charlie. She lives with her sister, Jo.

Charlie has to do a history project on the Victorians. She decides to make it a diary of a house maid called Lottie she then realises how similar they both are when Robin (the little boy that Jo looks after) runs away.

By Cookie

Abomination by Robert Swindells


Abomination is about a girl called Martha aged 12 with a terrible secret. Her parents are members of a strict religious group. Her mum won’t let her have the money to buy nice clothes and she gets bullied at school. Then she meets Scott. And her life soon starts to turn around. Martha and Scott do everything together and Martha soon starts thinking that she is in love with Scott. Will she ever tell him her terrible secret.

By Cruella Devil

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay


This book review is on a book called No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay.

“The house was silent. No sound of her parents getting ready for work, or her brother late for school. Were they punishing her for last night? She’d been out on a date when she should have been studying, and had a huge fight with her father. So where was everyone now? Why had her family disappeared?

Twenty-five years later the mystery is no nearer to being solved and Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? Abducted? If so, why was she spared? And if they’re alive, why did they abandon her?

Then a letter arrives, a letter which makes no sense. Soon Cynthia begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made…”

I think that No Time for Goodbye is a fantastic book. Once you start reading it you won’t want to stop. The characters are totally believable and the book has surprises on every page.

By Anonymous


Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

After reading the first few chapters of the book Skulduggery Pleasant I was captivated by its riddles and surprising twists. The author of the book is Derek Landy. The book is about a horror fiction writer who dies and leaves his mansion to his young niece, Stephanie, who soon discovers that her uncles’ books were all horror, but not all fiction! The book was fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone who likes imaginative, funny and action packed books.

By AzzaMonkeyMan

IT by Stephen King

This book is split into two different parts. In the first part, the book tells you about Bill, and his little brother George and all the strange things that go on in there childhood. The book is set in Derry in 1958 where a spine chilling clown lurks in the sewers. Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon, Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom, and Stan Uris are all part of the so called “ Losers’ Club”.

In the second part, the book explains how Derry is now almost 30 years later, and who remains there. Mike Hanlon is the only remaining “loser” in Derry and is still convinced that “IT” is still lurking under the towns sewers.

I really like this book because it’s very creepy and very chilling. Every time you reed a page you just have to reed on to find out what is going to happen next. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in chilling horror or even who just likes a good book.
By Kirsty.
Very Good Book, Very Good Movie!

Georgie’s big brother, Bill made Georgie a paper boat. Georgie looked so cute with his yellow raincoat and matching hat!
Running down the path with his wee paper boat running down the roadside he was quite content!
Until suddenly his boat fell into the drain, Georgie tried to find it but there was no sign!
He, sadly, got up and started to walk away until …
“Hi, Georgie!” said a voice from under the drain!
Down from the drain a clown popped up!
“I Have Something You Want!” The clown said and brought up his boat!
“My boat, My Boat!!” Said Georgie very happily, He put his hand down the drain to reach for the boat, when the clown, It, Brought out a pair of hideous teeth…

by Jam Tart.

Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce


I am going to do a book review on Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Millions is about two boys called Anthony and Damian that find a big bag full of sterling money but there are only a few days to spend it as the money is changing to Euros.

I liked the book a lot because there is good story line to it. I just wanted to keep reading on. I would recommend someone to buy this book as it is a very good read.

By Jooster

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper


I thought this book was really good. It was well written and had really good detail included. The book is set in 1665, and is all about the plague. It is about a young girl who used to live in the country and is now going into London for the first time to help her sister in her sweetmeats shop, ‘The Sugared Plum’. When Hannah gets there her sister is not the most welcoming, because she was horrified that Hannah did not receive the message to stay away and not come, because the Plague was going to attack London.

The book has excellent detail, about every street and door, describes all the smells and atmosphere in London during the plague. I would definitely recommend this book.
By: SL.

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler


About Frozen Fire
Frozen fire is about a girl called Dusty & her brother is missing. She gets a phone call from a strange boy saying he is dying, but in a weird way it is all linked to her missing brother, & she tries to find him. But Dusty is not the only one trying to look for the boy and she will be in loads of danger!

Did I Like It?
I really enjoyed this book. It was really creepy and secretive. It kind of sounded real because some people do get weird phone calls but it was at the part when you found out he was not real that made it a bit unreal .My favourite character was Dusty because she was the brave one who did not let anything get in her way to find out what happened to her brother. I would recommend this book to teenagers .I would like it if they made a movie of it.

By Hunnie Bunnie x-

The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

This story is about a girl called Tracy Beaker. She is in a care home she calls it the “dumping ground”. She wants to get fostered by someone called Cam. Cam is a writer and writes a story about Tracy and the dumping ground. But Tracy wants her mum’s permission to get fostered but she gets to meet her mum.

It was a good book. I would read it agine. I would recommend it to other people.

By Becccci

See what someone else thought of it here

Dark waters by Catherine MacPhail

This story is quite good. It is about a boy who is brought up in a rough place. He has to cover for his brother because he has robbed a bank and he has to say to police that he has been with him all night. Danny find thing out about his father and changes his opinion about his brother. I really like the book because it taught me that we don’t always get what we want and people are not as lucky as us.

By broxy.

Discover Buried Treasure!

Top 5 Fiction Pirate Reads:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Vampirates by Justin Somper

Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie

Pirates! by Celia Rees

Plundering Paradise by Geraldine McCaughrean

Want more information on real pirates? Then pick up The Handbook of Pirates by Terry Deary

Red any good books recently?

The Eejits by Roald Dahl
(The Twits rewritten into Scots)

Pure Dead Wicked by Debi Gilori
(Magic and mayhem in a Scottish Castle)

Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll
(Shanghai, 1920 and a cult set up to protect the world)

Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
(Teen genius Artemis has his world rocked by Demons)

Double or Die by Charlie Higson
(Teenage James Bond sets out to solve a kidnapping)

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
(Adventure and mystery flourish as a mysterious old storyteller brings his stories to life)

Make new friends but keep the old

Enjoyed 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox' by Roald Dahl? Why not try 'Skin and other stories' or 'The Wonderful World on Henry Sugar' of Roald Dahl's book of short stories for teenagers.

Loved 'Charlotte's Web' by E.B.White? Give 'Babe' by Dick King-Smith a go or 'Woof' by Alan Ahlberg.

Mad for Krazy Kow Saves the World - Well, Almost by Jeremy Strong then read 'Only you can Save Mankind' by Terry Pratchett or 'Unreal' by Paul Jennings.

Passionate about 'Bad Girls' - Jacquline Wilson then pick up 'Scarlett' by Cathy Cassidy or 'Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging' by Louise Rennison.

Found 'Captain Underpants' by Dave Pilkey hillarious? Try 'The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents' by Terry Pratchett or pick up 'Killer Underpants' by Micahel Lawrence.

Could put down 'The French Conection' by Anthony Horowitz then try his Alex Rider series starting with 'Stormbreaker' or if you fancy some crime try Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.

English Recommends... Modern Fiction

Monica Ali - Brick Lane
Alice Greenway - White Ghost Girls
Linzi Glass - The Year the Gypsies Came
Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night time
Nick Hornby - About a Boy
Andrea Levy- Small Island
David Mitchell - Black Swan Green
Audrey Niffenegger - The Time Traveller’s Wife
Meg Rosoff - How I Live Now
Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones
Anita Shreve - Light on Snow
Lionel Shriver - We need to talk about Kevin
Ali Smith - Hotel World
Louise Welsh - The Cutting Room

English Recommends... Historical/ War

J.G. Ballard - Empire of the Sun
Michael Blake - Dances With Wolves
Sebastian Barry - A long, long way

English Recommends... Growing Up

Melvin Burgess - Junk
Roddy Doyle - Paddy Clarke Ha, Ha, Ha
Barry Hines - Kestrel for a Knave
J.D. Salinger - Catcher in the RyeRobert Swindells Stone Cold

The Woods by Harlen Coben


The woods is about four teenagers who go missing from a summer camp. Two bodies have been found in the camp woods, the bodies turn out to be two of the missing teenagers.
Two people, or bodies, are yet to be found, are they alive? Or are the dead? That’s what Paul Copeland wants to know.
Paul is the brother of Camille Copeland, one of the missing teenagers that are still to be found. Camille won’t be a teenager anymore, because it’s 20 years later since the disappearances and murders.
Clues are beginning to spill, when a body is found, that turns out to be one of the missing teenagers. Paul begins to think about what really happened that night, did his sister survive, or was she part of it all?
Paul is desperate to find out the truth, and what really happened that night. He partly blames himself for what happened, as he was on night guard duty, but instead went in the woods with his girlfriend Lucy.
Lucy is a teacher at a high school, but when they have to send in reports about something that’s happened to them, a journal has been sent in about the woods and what happened that night, but when Lucy reads it, it sounds pretty much like what she and Paul did that night.
So who sent the journal? And what happened that night? That’s what Paul, Lucy and their families really want to know.
The woods is a great book, it keeps you on edge and makes you want to read more. When I read the first couple of chapters I couldn’t put the book down. It took me two days to read the book because I just kept reading chapter after chapter. It was very easy to get into and very enjoyable.

By Grandpa Jim

The Witches by Roald Dahl

The witches is about a young boy named Luke whose mum and dad unfortunately die. His Gran now looks after him. Lukes gran used to study witches and tells him a lot about them. One day Luke was building a tree house when he came across a witch with a snake in her hand she was trying to taunt him down. Luke remembered what his gran had told him and stayed up in the tree. Luke and his gran go to a hotel on a brake away from home but they come across a the grand high witch ceremony which is when all the witches from the country come over and try to make up a plan to kill all the children.

One day Luke is playing with his mice when suddenly all the witches come in and lock the door up with chains. They all take off their wigs, their shoes and their gloves. Luke hid there behind the curtain and listened to all their plans. After a while they all started to leave when suddenly a witch smelt dogs’ droppings (which are clean children). Then they all started looking for Luke.

by Anon

Hot Days, Cool Reads

Looking for some good books for the summer break? Whay not try:

Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging – Louise Rennison
(The first Georgina Nicholson book has made it to the big screen, full of laughter and fun - it's written as a diary)

Prince Caspian - C.S.Lewis
(The forth book in the Narnia Series is a major movie this summer. Darker and more action packed than earlier books it also features the bravest mouse in all literature!)

Stoneheart - Charlie Fletcher
(Missing Harry Potter? Then this is for you the first in a trilogy it's set in London but a London where statues come to life).

Exodus - Julia Bretanga
(Want something more meaningful? This futuristic tale is the moving story of a girl who's home land is flooded and they must flee - the city flooded is Glasgow so keep an eye for familiar streets!)

English Recommends... Crime and Thrillers

Raymond Chandler - The Big Sleep
John le Carre - The Night Manager
James Dickey - Deliverance
John Grisham - The Client
Robert Harris - Fatherland; Enigma
William McIlvanney - Laidlaw
Brian Moore - Lies of Silence

English Recommends... Relationships

Louis de Bernieres - Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Nicholas Evans - The Horse Whisperer
Susan Hill - I’m the King of the Castle
Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca
Amy Tan - The Joy Luck Club

English Recommended Fiction Classics

19th Century Classics:
Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice; Emma; Sense and Sensibility
Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights
Charles Dickens - Great Expectations; Oliver Twist
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Bram Stoker - Dracula

20th Century Classics
Anthony Burgess - Clockwork Orange
William Golding - Lord of the Flies
Graham Greene - Brighton Rock
George Orwell - Animal Farm
Alexander Solzhenitsyn - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men; The Grapes of Wrath
Robert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde

English Recommendations for Drama

Sue Glover - Bondagers
Willis Hall - The Long and the Short and the Tall
Arthur Miller - All My Sons
Tony Roper - The Steamie
Willy Russell - Educating Rita; Shirley Valentine
William Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing; Othello
Alan Spence - Sailmaker
Oscar Wilde - The Importance of Being Earnest
Tennessee Williams - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

English Reading Lists S3/4

Recommended titles

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The War Orphan - R Anderson
Any science fiction by Isaac Azimov
The L Shaped Room - L R Banks
Darling Buds of May - H E Bates
Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
Anapurna - Chris Bonnington
The Dambusters - Paul Brickhill
The Road of the Dead - Kevin Brooks
Junk - Melvin Burgess
Sharpe’s Fury - Bernard Cornwell
Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
Tales of the Unexpected - Roald Dahl
The Divine Wind - Garry Disher
A pure swift cry - Siobhan Dowd
The Eyes of Karen Connors - Lois Duncan
The Drowning Pond - Catherine Forde
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
Green Jasper - K.M.Grant
Warehouse - Keith Gray
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Mark Haddon
Any of the vet books - James Herriot
Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier
No Limits - Pete Johnson
Kiss the Dust - Elizabeth Laird
Children of the Dust - Louise Lawrence
Tug of War - Joan Lingard
Roxy’s Baby - Catherine MacPhail
Falling Leaves - Adeline Yen Mah
Walkabout - James Vance Marshall
Thud! - Terry Pratchett
Just in case - Meg Roscoff
The Panic Wall - Alick Rowe
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Brother in the Land - Robert Swindells
The Homecoming - Cynthia Voigt
The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin

Like a more challenging read?

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Empire of the Sun - JG Ballard
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Restless - William Boyd
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
A Passage to India - EM Forster
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Fever Pitch - Nick Hornby
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Grace Notes - Bernard MacLaverty
1984 - George Orwell
Cry the Beloved Country - Alan Paton
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
Unless - Carol Shields
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - RL Stevenson

Recommended websites:

Have trouble choosing a book? http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/bookchooser.php
Want to read something Scottish? http://www.braw.org.uk/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx
Want to know what people your age think of books? http://www.cool-reads.co.uk/
Want to read reviews and extracts of good teenage books? http://www.teenreads.com/

English Reading List S1-2

Recommended titles

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Road of Bones by Anne Fine

My Family and Other Natural Disasters by Josephine Feeney

Skarrs by Catherine Forde

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Silverfin by Charlie Higson

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Beast by Ally Kennan

Boy meets Boy by David Levithan

The Sign of the Black Dagger by Joan Lingard

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman

Witch Child by Celia Rees

Just in Case by Meg Roscoff

My swordhand is singing by Marcus Sedgwick

Cirque de Freak by Darren Shan

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker

Treasure Island by Robert L Stevenson

Bad Alice by Jean Ure

The Dare Game by Jacqueline Wilson

Other recommended authors:

Malorie Blackman; Meg Cabot; Zizou Corder; Chris D’Lacey; Morris Gleitzman; Keith Gray; Robin Jarvis; Louise Lawrence; Anthony Masters; Catherine Macphail; Karen McCombie: Michael Morpurgo; Gary Paulson; Garth Nix; Christopher Paolini; Phillip Reeve; Louise Rennison; Malcolm Rose; JK Rowling; Chris Ryan; Louis Sachar; Simon Scarrow; Robert Swindells; Robert Westall.

Recommended websites:

Have trouble choosing a book? http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/bookchooser.php
Want to read something Scottish? http://www.braw.org.uk/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx
Want to know what people your age think of books? http://www.cool-reads.co.uk/
Want to read reviews and extracts of good teenage books? http://www.teenreads.com/

English Recommends... Modern Scottish

Iain Banks - The Crow Road; The Wasp Factory
William Boyd - Restless
Andrew Greig - In Another Light
Des Dillon - Duck; Itchy Coo Blue; Me and My Gal
Luke Sutherland - Jelly Roll
Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting

English Recommends... Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Isaac Asimov - Nemesis
Douglas Adams - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Iain M. Banks - Feersum Endjinn
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World
John Wyndharn - The Day of the Triffids

English Recommends... Prejudice

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Robin Jerkins - The Cone‑Gatherers
Bernard MacLaverty - Cal
Alan Paton - Cry the Beloved Country
Alice Walker - The Color Purple

Holocaust Remembrance

Want to know more about the holocaust? Then pick up some of the moving fiction about it:

Once by Morris Gleitzman
Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Want to know more? Then read Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl - it's the real diary of a Jewish girl who tried to hide from the Nazis.

For more information then try the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Encyclopedia

English Recommends... Non-Fiction

Mayou Angelou - I know why the caged bird sings
Andrea Ashworth - Once in a house on fire
Bill Bryson - A Walk in the Woods
Jung Chang - Wild Swans
Frank McCourt - Angela’s Ashes
Alexander Masters - Stuart: a life backwards
Blake Morrison - And when did you last see your father?
Dave Pelzer - A Child called It (Int 1)
Alice Sebold - Lucky (Int 2)
Joe Simpson - Touching the Void

Murder in the Library

If trying to crack the case gets you going why not try some of these books:

S1 - 3
Half-Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer
Traces: Framed! - Malcolm Rose
The Body in the Library - Agatha Christie
Stormbreaker - Anthony Horowitz
Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle

S4 - 6
The Crow Road - Iain Banks
Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs
Knots and Crosses - Ian Rankin
Dead Famous - Ben Elton
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime - Mark Haddon

The Lottie Project By Jacqueline Wilson


The Lottie Project is about a teenager called Charlotte BUT no one calls her Charlotte except her teacher Miss Beckworth everyone ells calls her Charlie. Charlie is writing a project about the Victorians. She is writing it like a dairy about a Victorian girl Lottie. Lottie has to levee her home to find work as a servant.

By DD

Clean Break by Jacqueline Wilson


When Em’s mum and dad break up, Em does her best to cheer up her little brother and sister, even though she’s miserable too. She tells them exciting tales because she knows a good story can make life seem better. Meeting the author of her very own favourite books would be a dream come true. But could her other greatest wish be granted?

By Dopey =D

Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori


“Pure Dead Magic” is mysterious book about the Stega-Borgia family. Somehow or another they keep running into trouble and Mr Signor Stega-Borgia has been kidnapped by his evil half brother and his two children, Pandora and Titus, have shrunk their baby sister!

This book tells the story of how this family has to work together to spare their lives. It is the first in the series and is so gripping I couldn’t put it down. I am definitely going to finish the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a magical story with a hint of laughter.

By Miss Banana

The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill


The book of the great escape was written by Paul Brick hill. It is about six hundred soldiers who went to a German camp in Holland. Or you could call it a P.O.W. camp. To get out of the camp they had to build three tunnels. The tunnels were nicknamed Tom, Dick and Harry. Some of the men escaped. But some of them got caught and were executed by the Gestapo. Fifty men were killed and the book and the film was dedicated to them.

by Jojo

Kylie: Story of a Survivor by Virginia Blackburn


This Kylie book is a book that you or a parent will like to read. It is a book about the life story of Kylie Minogue, it takes you right back until she was born, and when her sister (Danii) was born. If you like auto-biography then you will like this one.

By Hughes

The last godfather (The life and times of Arthur Thompson) by Reg McKay


Glasgow was already no mean city – then Arthur Thompson was born, the underworld got worse, first he started out as a bouncer then a minder and a moneylender, he instantly developed his own technique for dealing with stubborn punters – he nailed them to the floor.


In the LAST GODFATHER, Reg McKay reveals the truth about Thompson’s life and crimes, exposing his involvement in unsolved murders, drug dealing, gun running, corruption, contracts and hit men, politics and unholy alliances. With new and previously unpublished material, it’s the astonishing story of one man’s relentless and ruthless rise to the top of the criminal underworld.

by I con i

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K.Rowling


This book is about a young boy who goes to Hogwarts to do magic it is Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts.
Harry is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys’
in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the headmaster was in a fierce head-to-head duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can’t quit believe that professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys’ of all places. Why is the professor coming to visit now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks’ time?

So go and read Harry Potter and the half blood prince.

By Tara.

A Boy from Bolton: My Story by Amir Khan


I’m writing about the story of Amir Khan.
Amir Khan is a hard working, twenty-first-century hero: a standard bearer for his Pakistani heritage, his Lancashire upbringing and the future of British boxing.
At just seventeen he won the silver at the 2004 Olympics
In the Athens and when he turned professional in 2005 he won his first fight in 109 seconds. Tickets to his first fights sell out in hours and he is watched by millions on prime time television. But his feet are still firmly on the ground- he lives at home with his parents in Bolton, fasts in the holy month of Ramadan and can sometimes be spotted helping out his uncle and aunties curry house.
By A1 boxer

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee


To Kill a Mocking Bird is the story of three children called Jem, Scout and Dill. The whole story is told from Jem’s point of view. In the book the three children torment a local horror legend Boo Radley who is told to be a man that will kill people and watch them as they sleep. The children must also deal with racism because the book is set in depression era America and is worse when there Dad Atticus Finch takes the case of a black man falsely accused of raping a white girl.

I thought this book was very interesting read. It deals with how young people deal with issue such as racism and also acceptance in the case of Boo Radley who actually is a very nice man. This book was very interesting read and I would highly recommend it.

By John Cofee

Marley & Me by John Grogan

John & Jenny were young & deeply in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy.Life would never be the same.
A compelling, addicting true story of love hope and eternal friendship, this book is so damn fantastic. I could never put it down. It even made me cry at the end. It made me laugh so much that I pulled a muscle in my solar plexus. Just get it.
By Barry Soap
Jenny and John were just young and were in love, they had a house of there own and they never had a care in the whole world. Then they bought a cute little puppy and took him home, they called him Marley J.
His fur is a golden colour and he looks like a fur ball. When Jenny and John got Marley their life changed.
He loved to chew things like the picture below.
When I read this book I was laughing because it was so funny. J
By Marley (the puppy) J

Slawter by Darren Shan



This book is about a boy called Grubbs Grady, his brother Bill-E and his uncle Dervish. A movie director called David-A offers them a job at her new movie named Slawter. But when Grubbs notices that the demons in the movie are real all hell breaks loose. First know one believes that the demons are real but after people go missing and Grubbs starts to use magic everyone try’s to get out of slawter.

This is an amazing book and I would definitely recommend it.

By bob mcjim

Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy


“Scarlett” is a great book for girls 9-13 who like mysteries, real life, trouble making, romance and annoying step sisters. I really enjoyed this book. It is all about a girl called Scarlett; her mum is fed up with all her trouble so she sends her away to live with her dad and his girlfriend and her daughter. She meets a boy named Kian and his horse Midnight who
Always disappears every time she goes to the wishing tree with someone. Who is Kian? My favourite character has to be Scarlett because I like her attitude and style. I would definitely recommended it to all my friends and will read more of her books.

Chocobiscuit

Just Stupid by Andy Griffiths


‘JUST STUPID’ is a very funny book with lots different stories, some are better than others, my favorite is chubby bubbies. Andy and his friend Danny go to a birthday party and Andy really fancy’s this girl called Lisa. Andy is challenged to see who can fit more marshmallows in their mouths by Danny. They both have over 15 in there mouth when Lisa comes over to thank Andy for his present he gave her and Andy needs to sneeze then he sneezes all over her and she puts a marshmallow in her mouth and says ONE CHUBBY BUBBIE!( she wants to challenge Andy now)

Overall: I though this book is funny and exciting.

By Jim Mcaver

James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl


This book is about a boy whose parents have died after died being eaten by a big rhino. Since James’s parents are dead his mum’s evil sister’s have to look after James. When James is doing one of his aunt’s chores he happens to come across a man who has magical things in a bag. The man tells him to look after them then he just disappears. James runs back to the house but falls by a big peach tree. His aunt’s find him and tell him to but before they could speak they see a peach growing on the tree. It grows gigantic. His aunt’s then sell tickets for people to see the peach and of course make James clean up at the end of the day. When James is cleaning he happens to find a big hole in the peach so he decides to crawl into it then he comes across the big stone in the middle but he meets things inside the peach. I would recommend this book to people over the age of eight.

By Jimbob Squarepants

Bec by Darren Shan


This book is book is about a priestess called Bec and she needs to save her town from the demons because the demons are trying to take over the world and bec and her small army are trying to stop them.

I read this book because one of my friends said Darren shans books are really good and gory. I would recommend this book to other people.
By,
Gunner Bob

Girls Under Pressure by Jacquline Wilson


I just recently read Girls Under Pressure it is about three young girls who have a lot of problems one of the girls is wanting to loose a bit of weight but she is loosing to much weight and she’s going to end up anorexic her two best friends are trying there best to help but its hard as both of them have there own problems one of them is having boy trouble and the other one is depressed after failing to win a modelling competition.
It is a great book and I would recommend it to any one who enjoy stories about best friends. J

By Isabella Jones

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz


Alex returns in this thriller of adventure. A few months Point Blanc after MI6 asks him to go on holiday for them, Alex is suspicious. Alex has to hook up with 2 C.I.A. agents posing as his parents so that he can go on holiday they also give him a Game boy advanced with a little surprise. Beautiful landscapes, nuclear bombs and danger. Another great Alex rider book.

I enjoyed reading this book because Alex is only 14 and is still a teenager so it is a great book for all the people that have spy fantasies out their.

By The Magic Man

JYHS @ the Movies

This year's World Book Day theme at JYHS was 'Books to Movies' pupils and staff were asked for their recommendations.

Pupils voted for:
Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling
Holes – Louis Sachar
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Staff voted for:
Their favorite author was Stephen King
Their favorite book was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
But there were loads suggested:

Mr Paxton - 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Mr Gray - A time to kill by John Grisham
Mrs Mack - A Woman of Substance by Barbra Taylor Bradford
Mr Horne - About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Mr Williamson - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Mrs Benson, Mrs Trail and Mrs Laidlaw - Atonement byIan McEwan
Ms Smith - Born Free by Joy Adamson
Mr Sammons - The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Mrs MacNeill - The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Miss Laidlaw and Mrs Sim - Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Mrs Esplin and Ms Povey - Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernières
Mr Sexton - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Mrs Jessiman - Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
Mrs Gallacher and Mrs Hobbs - Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Mrs Kendall and Mrs Petermeier - The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Mr Hynd - Dr.Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Mrs Kerr - Enigma - Robert Harris
Mr Caddick - Goldfinger - Iain Fleming
Mrs McCann - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Mr Munro - Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
Mrs Topping and Mrs Wells - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Mrs Malcolm - Hallem Foe by Peter Jinks
Mr Perston, Mr Jones, Mr O'Neil, Mrs Richardson and Miss Davies - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Mr Brady - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Mrs Bathgate - Hiroshima Mon Amour' by Marguerite Duras
Mr Cunningham - Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Mr Rooney - Holes by Louis Sachar
Mrs McAdam, Mrs Rutherford - Horse Whisperer by Nicolas Evans
Mrs Robertson - Into the wild by Jon Krakaver
Mrs McGeehan - Le Gone du Chaaba - Azouz Begag
Mrs Devine - The lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis
Mr Owen, Mr Walker, MrMcMillan and Mrs Molife - Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Mr Crookston, Mrs. Fraser (Bus Ed), Mr McGuigan and MrBlackwell - Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien
Mrs White and Ms Philips - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Mrs Martin - Misery by Stephen King
Mr Mullen - No hiding place by Corie Tenbom
Mrs Colthart and Mrs Watkins – Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Miss McCormacak - 10 Commandments (Exodus in the Old Testament)
Mr Holt - One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Miss McFadyen, Miss McTiernan, Mrs Bowie, Mrs Hope, Mrs Kirkwood (H.E.) and Miss Wilson (office) - P.S. I Love You by Celia Ahern
Mrs. McKenzie - Passage to India by E.M. Foster
Mrs Lawton - Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie
Mrs Ball, Mrs Batty, Mrs Fraser (Computing), Mrs Hunter, Mrs Ingram and Mrs Stevenson - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mrs Campbell (Maths) – Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Mr Wilkinson - Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
Mr Witherspoon - Sea Biscuit byLaura Hillenbrand
Miss Jannetta, Mr Lyons and Mrs McKellar - Silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris
Mrs Kontou – Something of Value by Robert Ruark
Mrs Spence - The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Mrs Reid - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique Bauby
Mr Ward - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Mrs Kerr - The Firm by John Grisham
Mr Mannah and Mr.Whiteford - The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Mrs Milligan - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
MrsMcLure and Ms Stewart (Chemistry) - The Green Mile by Stephen King
Mr Dobson and Mrs Wright - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Miss Robertson (music) – The Hand That Rocks The Cradle by Robert Tine
Mr Hucker - The Last Canadian by W.C. Heine
Miss Dewar - The Last king of Scotland by Giles Foden
Mrs Wilson - The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Mr. Quinn - The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
Mr Reid - The Trial by Franz Kafka
Fiona Bunton and Miss Stewart (English)– Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
Mrs Kirkham - Watership Down by Richard Adams
Dr. McGregor and Mrs Tomasik - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Mr McGregor – X-Men by Stan Lee
Mrs Jack - Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

The Fever by Diane Hoh


This book is about a young girl who is in a hospital bed with a fever unknown to the hospital she is staying in. One night she hears screaming and strange noises. Everyone thinks that she is hallucinating and that the fever made her hear the noises but she thinks differently. She has to find out who or what made this noise before her fever spreads and kills her. Will time run out or will she find the truth about the mysterious noises.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it wasn’t slow and it got straight to the point. I really like point horror books and this was one of my favourites because it was exciting and scary!


By 19!ALGERIAN MONKEY!95

Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson

This book is about two best friends called Alice and Gemma, They have been friends since they were born. Then Alice’s mum and dad decided to leave and move to Scotland. So Alice is very sad and they think that they could just run away from home but they eventually discover that they would not be able to because the would need food and drink because they would thirsty and the would be hungry. Alice’s mum and dad have a leaving party and Alice is throwing thing out that Alice and Gemma used to play with when they were little and that made Gemma upset. Eventually Alice left home and they moved to Scotland but Gemma goes and visits her and it ends up disaster!!!

By Hangman!!!
Best friends are a book about these two best friends called Alison and Gemma! Alison is moving from England to Scotland Alison and Gemma don’t want Alison to move to Scotland but Alison ends up move Alison meets a new best friend and when Gemma comes to stay over for Alison’s birthday party new best friend comes over to her party. Alison’s new best friend and Gemma don’t get on and Gemma shoves Alison’s new best friend into the cake!!!!!!!

By Ruby!!
Best Friends is about two girls called Gemma and Alice, they have been best friends since they were babies and nothing could keep them apart, well that’s what they thought.
Alice has a huge secret that she isn’t willing to tell Gemma but soon has to spill the news before it’s too late. It turns out that Alice is moving to Scotland because her dad got promoted. Gemma is heartbroken and tries to find a way to stop Alice from moving, the only option is to run way.
Alice and Gemma attempt to run away to London by taking the train. Just as they arrive at the train station Alice’s mum and dad and Gemma’s mum and dad arrive, catching them in time. Alice’s blame Gemma, so they are no longer allowed to keep contact with each other. This causes more trouble because they wanted to keep contact with each other when Alice moved to Scotland. All hope is lost.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Even though they were both completely different people they still loved being together, even if it meant running away form home or being miles away from each other. It shows you that friendship is a big part of your life and you should cherish the moments you have with the ones you love.

By Grandpa Jim

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