A selection of exciting reads for Christmas as
recommended by Ms. Nicolas, Villiers School Librarian
Kid Got Shot, by Simon Mason
During the dreaded revision week, Garvie finds the perfect excuse to turn away from his school duties: a mysterious murder. The school boy turns detective and looks for the clues that only he can discover.
11-year-old Sevie has a best friend, Andrew. Some people say they’ll end up married. But there’s someone else Sevie prefers, a girl in her class, and Sevie will have to try and understand these feelings no one talks about.
A swarm of lethal drones is let loose in London and the only person who can stop them is their creator’s son. He and his sister embark on a quest to save London… and the rest of the world.
In this world, some people can turn their dreams into reality while others will do anything to destroy them. When people with different powers collide, destruction ensues.
Book 5 in the Noughts and Crosses series. The world has changed since the end of the last book but, just as in the real world, nothing is ever easy. Tobey and his oldest friend Collie-Rose can testify to that when they are kidnapped and everything they hold dear is in danger.
Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell
The sequel to Carry On and the answer to the question, ‘What happens to the Chosen One after he saved the day?’ We follow Simon and his friends through the American West where adventure awaits them.
D.O.G.S., by M.A. Bennett
The sequel to S.T.A.G.S. Greer Macdonald stresses about her drama exam when she stumbles upon an old manuscript, The Isle of Dogs, a play once considered so dangerous that all copies were burned. As the play starts taking shape, strange and dark events happen around the school and will take Greer back to familiar territories.
When Emmy, who perceives the world through music, starts in a new school, she doesn’t expect to find comfort in the IT club. Yet, the language of coding soon speaks to her and allows to express herself and open up to new friends. A book about friendship that reads like a song.
Seniors
Unstoppable, by Dan Freedman
Kaine and
Roxy and twins who used to be inseparable but now can’t stand each other. The
only thing they have in common is their obsession for sports and their hopes of
brilliant future careers, but they both hold dark and dangerous secrets which
could threaten all they have worked for.
I Love You So Mochi, by Sarah Kuhn
A young girl escapes the pressure her mother puts on her to
enter a prestigious Art college. She visits her grandmother in Kyoto, where she
loses herself in wonders and finds more than she expected about her mother,
love, and herself.
Perfectly Preventable Deaths, by Deirdre Sullivan
Two sisters
move to a strange, isolated town and are faced with questions about who they
are, who they want to be, and what they are willing to sacrifice for the people
they care about.
A story that
blends reality and myth in a beautiful, believable poetic voice.
The M Word, by Brian Conaghan
We follow
Maggie, a 16-year-old teenager trying to come to grips with the struggles of
adolescence, a crying mother and losing her best friend. A vividly portrayed,
realistic story of friendship and grief.
The Secret Commonwealth, by Philip Pullman
The second
volume in the Book of Dust trilogy. Lyra is now 20 and embarks on another
adventure, exploring new parts of the world to try uncover mysteries. A book
about understanding oneself, growing up and making sense of one’s world.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris
The incredible true story and Lale and Gita Sokolov, who fell in love in Auschwitz and survived it. A life-affirming read, a story of hope and courage.
Five Feet Apart, by Rachael Linppicott
Stella and
Will can’t be less than six feet apart without risking their lives. But
sometimes the one thing that keeps you alive can seem like the one thing that
tears you apart. A compulsory read for all fans of John Green’s The Fault in
Our Stars.
Full Disclosure, by Camryn Garrett
For Simone,
who is HIV- positive, celibacy is the only policy if wants to stay safe. Nobody
in her class knows her secret. Keeping her life under control was not a problem
until irresistible Miles Austin showed up, and the truth fell into the wrong
hands.