Year 8 Recommended Reading
Non Stop Action
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Andy Briggs
Emily Diamand
Andrew Lane
Steve Voake
Hero.com (Series)
Just as every hero comes to learn, super powers come with big responsibilities and no one knows this better than a gang of friends who stumble who stumble upon an amazing website which gives them all life altering abilities. When a weather altering, world conquering (wannabe) super baddie comes on the scene kidnapping of our heroes mothers, they have to decide who to save… the world or his mum? A fantastic read which is published alongside another series ‘Villain.net’ which side will you take?
Flood Child
Set in an all too believable future, Flood Child opens in the year 2216 in an England almost completely submerged under water. Bloodthirsty pirates litter the shoreline and when the Prime Minister’s daughter is kidnapped, it looks like certain war. But, out of chaos comes a shining hope; Lilly Melkun, a young girl who is not afraid to tackle crime.
Young Sherlock Holmes (Series)
Before the brilliant man, came the brilliant boy and Andrew Lane tackles this back story with exquisite gusto; it’s easy to see why this series has been backed by the Conan Doyle estate! Death Cloud, the first novel in the series, deals with a 14 year old Sherlock being removed from boarding school and sent to live with relatives in rural Surrey. True to form, it is not long before Holmes encounters many firsts: murder, kidnapping and major villainy. A perfect read for those who like to mix action with mystery.
Blood Hunters
Deep in the Mexican Jungle you can find the world’s biggest sink hole; a naturally formed underwater shaft that no one has reached the bottom of. But something is down there, something that will come out to terrorize the inhabitants of a UK village. This is a fast paced, action and danger filled yarn that will grip you tight and not let you go!
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Girl Talk
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Sabine Durrant
Liz Rettig
Louise Rennison
Jean Ure
Ooh la la!
Welcome to the world of Connie Pickles. Told through diary entry, we discover that our young narrator has travelled to the most romantic city in the world, Paris, for an exchange programme and she is determined to find her Mr Right. This is a heart warming and rib-tickling read, you won’t be disappointed.
Jumping to Confusions
This is a fantastic laugh out loud novel following Cat, who’s decided that she is definitely fat and boring compared to her glamorous twin sister Tess. When a good looking boy moves from America, Tess declares him to be hers but strangely he’s acting like he’s not interested in her. The girls decide on the only ‘logical’ answer … he’s just not interested in girls! Join them on lessons of life, love and mistakes.
The Georgia Nicholson Series
One of the most popular books at St Greg’s! Join Georgina, a typically shallow, self-obsessed yet warm and hilarious 14 year old girl in her daily trials and tribulations. Written in diary format we are treated to some of the most cringe-worthy and embarrassing moments in modern literature – a real girly classic!
Frankie Foster: Fizzy Pop!
Ten year old Frankie wants to help…she wants to help everything and everyone, but unfortunately, her ‘helping’ tends to descend into chaos. But not to worry, she tends to get it right in the end. A real page-turner, this book is filled with both twists and laughs – don’t be fooled by the cover, this book is a lot more than you’d expect.
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Fantastical fiction
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Caro King
Christopher Paolini
Philip Pullman
Chris Wooding
Seven Sorcerers
Wednesdays have always been a particularly awful day for Nin, so when disaster comes calling it’s only reasonable that it would fall on a Wednesday right? Disaster’s name is Skeriddge and he’s the best bogeyman in the business. Join Nin on her mission to rescue her brother from the clutches of Skeriddge in another land called ‘the Drift.’ Destined to be a children’s classic, this is one not to be missed!
Eragon: Book one (The Inheritance cycle)
Eragon is written beautifully and will transport you in to a world of magic, elves, monsters and of course, dragons. It is the story of an ordinary boy whose life changes forever when he discovers a shiny rock whilst hunting in a mountainous and dangerous area. The stone is in fact a dragon’s egg and when it hatches in the boy’s company it makes him the first dragon rider in many generations. This is a fantastical trilogy which whilst slightly complex, will delight all ages and abilities.
His Dark Materials (Trilogy)
"Without this child, we shall all die."
Already a classic, this is an outstanding fantasy trilogy that shouldn’t be missed from any recommended reading list. Be swept along with Lyra Belacqua from the dreaming spires of Oxford to the frozen white lands of the Arctic. Witches, parallels worlds and funny daemons, what more could you possibly need from a novel?
Malice
Everyone’s heard of it… but nobody’s read it. MALICE is a secret comic about a strange and awful world overseen by a tyrannical master and if the rumours are true, the children in the comic are real. The mixture of comic and prose prove to be an unusual treat and one that works really well. I highly recommend it!
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Don’t turn off the light!
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Kate Cann
Dean Vincent Carter
E.E Richardson
Marcus Sedgwick
Leaving Poppy
This is one of America’s most popular teen books of recent times. Amber’s done it; she’s finally left home (secretly) and escaped her sister Poppy’s unpredictable mood swings. Unfortunately for Amber though, she soon becomes ill and after a stay in hospital is forced to return home. Once back, Poppy moves to the attic room to give Amber space, but once settled in strange things start to happen…
A genuinely disturbing book!
The Hand of the Devil
Ashley Reeves, an investigative journalist for a magazine, receives an intriguing tip-off from a man called Mather claiming to have found an insect called the Ganges Red, a very rare mosquito living on Aires Island. After arriving and meeting Mather, it soon becomes clear that he is not the only danger Ashley will encounter. This is an uputadownable, grisly read, the giant bug the Ganges Red (a.k.a The Hand of the Devil) will have you itching at imaginary bites for months to come!
The Summoning
One of you has been possessed but you don’t know who it is. Could it be your sister, your best friend, the school geek or even you? E.E Richardson has given us one of the spookiest young adult novels I’ve encountered for a long time.
With the knowledge that his grandfather collects objects from the occult, Justin seizes his opportunity to ‘borrow’ a spell book whilst he is away. Things take a sinister turn after Justin and his friends invoke a malicious spirit with terrifying consequences. This is a very unsettling book but a great one!
My Swordhand is Singing & Kiss of Death
Based on original Transylvanian Vampire folk tales comes a deeply gothic horror that is not for the faint hearted. Peter, a young woodcutter lives with his alcoholic father in a dark wooded village in Eastern Europe. Life seems to be going along at a nice pace until strange deaths start occurring in the village and for some strange reason, the dead seem to reluctant to stay in their graves…
This is NOT twilight, you have been warned!
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Rib Tickling Reads
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Sam Llewellyn
Jamie Rix
Jeremy Strong
Sue Townsend
The Return of Death Eric
Death Eric are THE biggest heavy metal band in the world. Or at least, they were, eons ago. Fast forward a few years and Eric Thrashmettle, the retired lead singer has discovered that he is broke and his kids Lou and Buddy are none too pleased. Determined to continue their life of luxury they hatch a plan to reunite their dad’s band for one last tour. This is a laugh-out-loud fun comedy; I dare you not to sing along to some of the songs.
The Cool Guide
Are you cool? Well of course you are! But this little book might just help you become even cooler (if that’s possible!) This book is guaranteed – it’s scientifically proven – to help you become the king of cool in only 16.5 steps! If you want to flaunt around school, talking cool, being cool and looking cool then read this. Did I mention it makes you cool?
Stuff
Stuff, our hero, is also known as Simon He’s called Stuff because he knows a lot of weird stuff. During his hilarious tale we are introduced to his new step mum – Sherry Trifle, his step sister- the awful Natasha and their feminist rabbit called Pankhurst (who only attacks men!) We experience him trying (and failing) to run away from home, dumping a girl to get a new girl and basically just growing up.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
A modern classic! Adrian is a very average teen from a very average family who suffers with very average daily conundrums (with laugh out loud consequences.) At 13 ¾ years old Adrian decides to become an ‘intellectual’ therefore he starts to write poetry, falls in love with a rich girl called Pandora, gets a paper round and… gets spots. A timeless observational comedy in diary form.
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Thrills, Spills and Mysteries
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Malorie Blackman
Narinder Dhami
Anthony Horowitz
Patrick
Ness
Tell Me No Lies
A classic psychological thriller from best selling children’s author Malorie Blackman. When new-to-school boy Mike meets Gemma for the first time there is a spark of electricity but not of the good variety. Gemma likes to collect newspaper cuttings of people’s mothers, storing them in scrap books. However, Mike’s mum just happens to be one of them…how far will they each go to protect their own dark secrets?
Bang, Bang, You’re Dead
An edge-of-your-seat drama with a brilliant twist! When a gunman takes a class hostage, everyone in Mia’s school is evacuated. But Mia is determined to stay behind, she has suspicions that she knows the mystery gunman and if she’s right, she might be her schoolmates’ only chance.
A superb thriller which touches on some sensitive subjects.
Alex Rider Series
Following the death of his guardian, 14 year old Alex’s life will never be the same again. Forcibly recruited in to MI6, we follow Alex as he is put through grueling SAS training sessions in order to prepare for his first life threatening mission. Stormbreaker is a fantastic debut in the Rider series, it races through at break neck speed for a fantastic finale.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
There are no women in Prentisstown, only men, animals, noise and one boy. You see all thoughts – dark, happy, pictures, shouty, everything can be heard, nothing is secret. Until one day, as the only boy in town (Todd) approaches his birthday he hears nothing: something never encountered before. At this point, his life changes forever and soon he will be forced to run from everyone and everything he has ever known.
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Sci-filicious Sagas & Desperate Dystopian Futures
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Sam Mills
Michael Grant
Pittacus Lore
James Patterson
Blackout
‘I am a murderer’. One of the best opening sentences in young adult literature. Set in a terrifying dystopian future, the Government sees all, knows all and controls all. Welcome to a world where books are rewritten to have happy boring endings, welcome to a school where all students are medicated with ‘good behaviour pills’ and a country where they will publicly hang you for writing ‘the wrong thing.’ Welcome to a UK you’ve never experienced before.
Gone (Series)
In the blink of an eye, life changes as they know it. Babies abandoned, cars still running, dinners still cooking but adults? They’re Gone. So dawns a new era for a small town in America, one where kids fight to kill, animals start speaking and one where kids develop super powers. This is a superbly written series and kept me literally on the edge of my seat, one of the best books I’ve read for a while!
I am Number 4 (Series)
Once there were 9, sent to Earth to keep their race alive. 3 are now dead and John Smith, Number 4, is next. This is a cracking novel told at super speed. John must learn to control his powers before he becomes just another number; he does this with the help of the beautiful Sarah, his guardian Henri and his best friend Sam. Can they work together to defeat the evil alien race, the Mogdorians?
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (Series)
Daniel X is a hero alien hunter bestowed with a ‘hit-list’ upon the death of his father. Working through the list alone we watch as Daniel acquires and hones his new powers – the ability to shift atoms and defy physics as much as he pleases. But are his new-found skills enough to save him from big bad alien Ergent Seth and school? This is a highly enjoyable and easy to read introduction to the world of sci-fi.
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Crikey! That’s a Good Classic
Jbrooks 27/03/2013
Year 8 Recommended Reading
Maya Angelou
Agatha Chrisite
Robert Louis Stevenson
Jules Verne
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
A classic and inspirational autobiography of a young black girl struggling against brutal race discrimination in 1930s America. The first of six books, this volume tells of extreme poverty and cruelty, but we also see hope, joy and life. This is a fantastic introduction for anyone interested in American history or wanting to know more about racism in the not-so-distant past.
Body in the Library
How could I not include this novel! (she types writing from her seat in the library) ‘Mrs Bantry was enjoying her dream a great deal. She usually did enjoy these early-morning dreams that were terminated by the arrival of morning tea’ but when the Bantry household awakes, it’s to a nightmare. A mystery platinum blonde woman is found dead in the library, no one knows who she is and what has happened. Enter super sleuth Miss Marple who tackles the case…