As recommended by Ms. Julia Nicolas, School Librarian
Junior
Cycle
Rosie Loves
Jack, by Mel Darbon – When her boyfriend is sent away, Rosie
makes the bold decision to leave home to go and look for him. Rosie is not a
typical teenager, but nothing will stop her from finding Jack. An adventure
taking its readers from London to Brighton and on an emotional rollercoaster.
Themes: prejudice, coming-of age story, young love
A Good
Girl's Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson – The crime happened five years
ago, and now Andie is using it as her end-of-year project. Her research takes
her places she didn’t expect where she uncovers secrets no one knew, or wants
to know. The more she discovers the more she wonders if the real culprit was
apprehended, or if they’re still at large somewhere. The more she discovers,
the less safe she becomes.
Themes: crime, secrets
Dear Evan
Hansen, by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
– Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, this story follows the life
and lies of high school student Evan. After the death of one of his fellow
students, Evan is mistaken for his best friend and decides not to tell the
truth. A lie which has positive consequences for everybody involved, until Evan
can no longer keep it up.
Themes: lies, decision-making, bullying
Kick the
Moon, by Muhammad Khan - From the author of I am Thunder, this story follows Ilyas, who’s feeling the pressure
of GCSE’s building up. During detention one day, he meets ‘good girl’ Kelly
Matthews, and their friendship challenges the social rules of high school. When
local bad boy Imran chooses Kelly as the subject of a bet, Ilyas is faced with
a choice: losing the first person who ever understood him or defending Kelly
and putting his family’s life at risk.
Themes: friendship, superhero comic-book
Unstoppable, by Dan
Freedman – Roxy, a rising tennis star, is over-protected by her father while
her twin, Kaine, turns to gang and knife crime to compensate for the lack of
attention given to him. A fast-paced story about a sibling rivalry and how it
can quickly spin out of control and have devastating consequences.
Themes: bereavement, bullying, family
Game
Changer, by Tommy Greenwald – After Tommy suffers a serious brain
injury during an American football training session, the investigation uncovers
secrets and the harsh truth of pre-season training. A novel written in an
innovative fashion which will keep readers hooked.
Themes: initiation rites, sports, social pressure
Stay a
Little Longer, by Rai Bali – After her father’s death, Aman is struggling
to adjust to life without him. Until a lovely man moves in next door and helps
her face various problems, from installing a new kitchen to dealing with
bullies. However, Aman quickly discovers that Gurnam has demons of his own
which are tearing him apart.
Themes: grief, friendship, 20th c. multicultural
Britain
Senior
Cycle
No Big Deal, by
Bethany Rutter – Emily is a funny and intelligent girl starting her last year
in school, who never had any problem with her body image. Then, she meets Joe
at a house party and everything changes. She becomes obsessed with him and
doubts are slowly going to seep through her confident outlook on life.
Themes: body positivity, social pressure
Black
Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, edited by
Ibi Zoboi – a collection of stories exploring the meanings of being black. We
meet: two sisters at a summer camp; a debutante dating a boy her mother would
never approve of; three guys talking about nothing and everything; and many
other endearing characters.
Themes: identity, immigration, social class
Summer of
no Regrets, by Kate Mallinder – Four friends decide to spend their
summer doing exactly what they want to do, regardless of how much it scares
them. One decides to reconnect with her father after six years; one decides to
break out of her shell and go to Science camp; one gets a summer job and one
goes looking for her birth father. Each of these decisions will impact the
characters in ways they hadn’t foreseen, and the four girls will have to rely
on each other to face their fears.
Themes: friendship, growing up
Sea Change, by Sylvia
Hehir – Even though he knows he should look after his grieving mother, Alex
wants nothing more than to leave school and escape. He made poor decisions
during the summer, hanging out with a stranger in the Scottish highlands who
said he was hiding from dangerous people, and who turns up dead next to Alex’s
fishing boat.
Themes: taking risks, loneliness, mystery