Read Around the Subject Y8 English - Magic and Mayhem Recommended Reading List - The Petersfield School
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Read Around the Subject
Y8 English – Magic and Mayhem
Recommended Reading List
Name on your Wrist (14+)
Author: Hiorns, Helen
It's the first thing they teach you when you start school. But they don't need to; your
parents tell you when you're first learning how to say your name. It's drummed into you
whilst you're taking your first stumbling steps. It's your lullaby. From the moment it first
appears, you don't tell anyone the name on your wrist. In Corin's world, your carpinomen
- the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist from the age of two or three
- is everything. It's your most preciously guarded secret; a piece of knowledge that can give
another person ultimate power over you. People spend years, even decades, searching for
the one they're supposed to be with. But what if you never find that person? Or you do,
but you just don't love them? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the
name on your wrist? And what if - like Corin - the last thing in the world you want is to be
found? The gripping debut novel from the winner of the inaugural Sony Young Movellist
Award.
Northern Lights #1
Author: Pullman, Philip
Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of
Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the
Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have
immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world...
Handmaid's Tale, The (14+)
Author: Atwood, Margaret
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave
the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk
to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words
because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on
her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an
age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are
viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her
husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job,
money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now... Written by the
author of Surfacing, The Edible Woman, Dancing Girls, Bodily Harm, Bluebeard's Egg and
Life Before Man, this novel is set in an overtly political territory.
Beneath
Author: Arbuthnott, Gill
She plunged beneath the surface, her eyes blind in the murky, green water: dived again
and again until she couldn't take another breath. There was no trace. Freya was gone.'
Jess has heard the rumours, old folk tales of creatures that live beneath the water:
dangerous shapeshifters with a taste for human children. She's dismissed them as crazy
stories -- until her best friend is stolen and Jess discovers all the legends are true...Trying
to rescue her friend, she meets one of them -- a kelpie -- but he turns out to be nothing
like she imagined. Caught between two worlds, between kelpies and humans, and
between mysterious Finn and brave Magnus, Jess must choose between what she's
always known - and what lies beneath. Gill Arbuthnott creates an enthralling world of love
and revenge, divided loyalties and imminent danger in this brilliant fantasy novel for
young teens set in 16th century Scotland.
City of Ember #1
Author: Duprau, Jeanne
Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain
everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out
of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the
lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness… But when two children, Lina
and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there
could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new
future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?
Bliss #1
Author: Littlewood, Kathryn
It was the summer Rosemary Bliss turned ten that she saw her mother fold a lightning
bolt into a bowl of batter and learned - beyond the shadow of a doubt - that her parents
made magic in the Bliss bakery.
At the World's End
Author: Fisher, Catherine
Dramatic dystopian adventure from the bestselling Incarceron
author. Caz has been living in the department store since the
day the Blue Star came and killed everyone who breathed in its toxic snow. She can't do so
much as look outside. But life in the store is getting dangerous and so Caz decides to take
her chances in the world outside, with only Will for company. What will she find in the
bleak landscape? And is there even anything to find? A compelling vision of a dystopian
society. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+
Flood Child
Author: Diamond, Emily
In 22nd-century Great Britain, where climate change has caused vast flooding, the
piratical Reavers kidnap the Prime Minister's daughter and thirteen-year-old Lilly
Melkun, an English fisher-girl, takes her seacat on a daring rescue attempt, with a
mysterious talking jewel from a past computer age tucked in her belt as ransom.
Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls #1
Author: Stewart, Paul
Free Lance is down on his luck and stuck in the
Badlands. And as usual there is an oaf who wants to
take him on. But that fight leads to a job offer which
has enough gold attached to it to get him out of this
hole: the local lord wants him to recover an enchanted crown from the middle of the
lake of skulls. Of course he omits to tell Free Lance of the terrors that await. Full of drama
and humour, this swashbuckling fantasy adventure introduces a marvellous new hero by
two of the leading exponents of the genre with an action hero who is both charismatic
and mysterious, and told in a laconic, Marlowesque first person narrative. Certain to be
enjoyed by all readers of The Edge Chronicles and Terry Pratchett, and those aspiring to
read them. Part of a unique range of books aimed at 11+s that through integration of
text and illustration are also accessible to those with reading abilities of as young as 8,
produced in consultation with literacy consultant Wendy Cooling.
The Hunger Games #1
Author: Collins, Suzanne
After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping
for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the
Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are
forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than
ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love
for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. This is the terrifying sequel to 'The
Hunger Games'.
Day of the Dreader, The
Author: Cowell, Cressida
A World Book Day 2012 exclusive short story in the How to Train Your Dragon series.
The Isle of Berk is being stalked by a deadly sea dragon called the BIG DREADER, fires
are ravaging the forests and the Hairy Hooligans are trapped on the island without any
food! All except Toothless who has found a stash of eggs that he plans to keep all to
himself...But not if the BIG DREADER has anything to do with it! How to Train Your
Dragon is a DreamWorks film starring Gerrard Butler, America Ferrera and Jonah Hill,
out on DVD adapted from the bestselling How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida
Cowell. Read the rest of Hiccup's exploits in How to Train Your Dragon, How to Be a
Pirate, How to Speak Dragonese, How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse, How to Twist a
Dragon's Tale, A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons, How to Ride a Dragon's Storm, How
to Break a Dragon's Heart and How to Steal a Dragon's Sword. Check out the website
for games, downloads, activities and sneak peeks! Read all about Hiccup and all of your
favourite characters, learn to speak Dragonese and train your own Dragon to do tricks!
Deep Blue #1
Author: Donnelly, Jennifer
When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her
betrothal, her biggest worry should be about reuniting with handsome Prince Mahdi, her
childhood crush. Instead she finds herself haunted by strange dreams foretelling the
return of an ancient evil, and dealing with the deaths of her parents as assassins storm the
betrothal ceremony, plunging the city into chaos. Led only by her shadowy dreams and
pursued by the invading army, Serafina and her best friend Neela embark on a quest to
avenge her parents' death and prevent a war between the mer nations. In the process
they discover a plot that threatens their - and our - world's very existence.
Boy Who Drew the Future, The
Author: Ivory, Rhian
Fifteen-year-old Blaze and Noah live in the same village, Sible Hedingham, more than
100 years apart. They both have the same gift or curse - they find they must draw
pictures that later come true. In the 1860s Blaze is bullied, cheated and accused of being
a witch and 'swam'. In the present day, Noah is used to everyone, even his parents,
being afraid of him and is desperate to keep his drawing a secret. But as he gets closer to
Beth, he must decide whether or not he can tell her the truth. Can Blaze's history help
Noah and Beth work out their own story? Can the future be changed?
Coming of Dragons, The #1
Author: Lake, A J
It is the Dark Ages and something evil is stirring. A ship sailing from Noviomagus across the
channel to Gaul is caught in a storm and dashed against the rocks. There are only two
survivors of the wreck, both children, and they are tossed up on the shore with a
mysterious trunk.
Fire Girl #1
Author: Ralphs, Matt
Twelve-year-old Hazel Hooper has spent her whole life
trapped in a magical Glade created by her mother, Hecate.
She's desperate to meet new people and find out about the
world. And, more than anything, she wants to be a witch. But
when her mother is kidnapped by a demon - everything changes ...Suddenly Hazel is alone
in the world. Well ...not quite alone. For it turns out that Hazel does have magic - she's
just not very good at controlling it. And she may have accidentally created a grumpy
familiar in the form of a dormouse called Bramley. Determined to rescue her mother, the
young witch and her mouse set out to track down the demon and find Hecate. However,
it turns out that life outside the Glade is far more dangerous than Hazel ever could have
imagined. Witch Hunters are everywhere - and the witches are using demons to fight
back! Luckily for Hazel she manages to enlist the help of a handsome boy called David,
and his drunken master, Titus White, who are expert demon hunters. And witch finders
...Fire Girl is a fantastic new magical adventure from Matt Ralphs - perfect for young
readers with a taste for the extraordinary!
Dark Side of Magic, The
Author: Lancett, Peter
This title is one of a series of reading books for children and young adults aged 11 and
over who are struggling to read. Dark Man is a fiction series for older children and young
adults who have a reading age of approximately 5 to 8. Each book features the character
Dark Man, a shadowy, brooding loner who shuns society, living in the shadows. Recruited
to play a part in a secret, cataclysmic struggle between good and evil, his continued
mission is to seek out an artefact, a Golden Cup, which can channel limitless power and
energy. Opposed to him, and also seeking to find this cup of power, is a sinister and
corrupt organisation, The Shadow Masters. The book has a strong plot to engage the
reader, however reluctant, and features dark evocative illustrations. The simple, carefully
written text (under 400 words) focuses on the most common words, providing access for
even the poorest readers. In 'The Dark Side of Magic' the Dark Man must once again pit
his powers against the evil forces of the Shadow Masters. Software and teacher's support
materials are also available.
Erth Dragons, The: The Wearle #1
Author: D'Lacey, Chris
The Wearle came to Erth to find out what happened to their previous colony, who
never returned. Gabrial, a young blue dragon, is desperate to prove his worth. But the
dragons aren't alone in the mountains. Out beyond the scorch line, Ren, a young hom
boy, is fascinated by the 'skalers'. Little does he know that his fate and theirs are linked
in ways he could never have imagined. A stunning new fantasy series from the New
York Times Bestselling author, Chris d'Lacey.
Ender's Game #1
Author: Card Orson, Scott
Ender Wiggin is Battle School's latest recruit. His teachers reckon he could become a great
leader. And they need one. A vast alien force is headed for Earth, its mission: the
annihilation of all human life. Ender could be our only hope. But first he must survive the
most brutal military training program in the galaxy...With its explosive storyline, pump-
action excitement and hugely engaging central characters, Ender's Game is 2002's absolute
must-read for teenaged boys. Forget schools for wizards, this is where the *real* action is.
Reckoning #1 (14+)
Author: Wilkinson, Kerry
In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new
English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn
takes the Reckoning. This coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society - Elite,
Member, Inter or Trog - but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King
Victor. But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the
teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone
assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide? Trapped in a maze
of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult
to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find
a way out . . .
Changeling, The
Author: Falconer, Helen
Some of us are born to be magic. Aoife is an ordinary teenager, hanging out with her
childhood friend Carla, putting up with school. The worst she has to contend with is that
the boy of Carla's dreams is trying to get off with her instead. But then, after chasing a
lost little girl no one seems to be able to see, Aoife starts to develop mysterious powers.
Eventually her parents confess that she isn't their real daughter. Their human child was
stolen by the fairies, and Aoife is the changeling left behind in her place. Shocked and
disorientated, Aoife turns to Shay, the taciturn farmer's son who is the only person who
might believe her story. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey, which takes
them deep into the underworld and changes everything they thought they knew about
fairies.
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher #2
Author: Coville, B
Mr Elives' Magic Shop seems to appear from nowhere - and disappears again just as fast!
Never in the same place twice, it sells only the most exclusive wares...A talking toad,
anyone? A dragon's egg? There's plenty to choose from...Sheltering from bullies in the
Magic Shop, Jeremy is persuaded to buy a dragon's egg by the mysterious Mr Elives.
Convinced it's a wind-up, he follows the instructions for a laugh - and suddenly he's got a
tiny red dragon sitting on his desk, breathing fire and demanding food. Jeremy tries to hide
the dragon, but she's beginning to grow, and she just won't stop...Has he made his
problems even bigger?
Forbidden Library, The #1
Author: Wexler, Django
Late one night Alice Creighton hears her father having an argument with a fairy - a snarling,
bald beast with warts and needle-like teeth. The next day her father disappears, never to
return. And Alice is sent to live with Master Geryon, an uncle she never even knew existed.
Geryon has a dark, mysterious library which is strictly off-limits to Alice. But after meeting
a talking cat who is willing to sneak her in, Alice opens a book and suddenly finds herself
inside it - and the only way out is by conquering the dangerous creatures within . . .
Winterkill
Author: Boorman, Kate A.
Winterkill is the first title in a stunning new YA series by Kae
A. Boorman - perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Maze
Runner and Patrick Ness. No one leaves the settlement if
they want to survive. Emmeline knows this, but the trees in the woods are whispering to
her, pulling her towards the wayward path. Inside the safety of the wall is a marriage she
doesn't want, and a boy she can't have. But outside? The malmaci lies in wait, and the
freezing Winterkill is coming...'I ripped through, desperate to know the secrets behind
this captivating world...Thrilling and touching...Emmeline is a character I won't soon
forget.' (James Dashner, author of The Maze Runner).
Goblins
Author: Reeve, Philip
The goblins of Clovenstone Keep are a bloodthirsty lot. They love fighting, looting and
eating. And more fighting. But Skarper is different. He is clever and cunning. Only he
understands that the old magic trapped beneath Clovenstone is rising again. He's about to
be flung headfirst into the wildest adventure in all of goblin history...
After the Snow
Author: Crockett, S D
After the Snow tells the story of 15-year-old Willo as he tries
to survive, alone, in an endlessly wintery environment of the
next ice-age in Europe. An unforgettable adventure story
that will quicken your pulse and chill you to the bone.
Riding Tycho
Author: Mark, Jan
Demetria has never questioned her harsh life on High Island.
The endless rules, merciless bullying and the scream of the
Banshee announcing another doomed escape across the sea,
are all she has ever known. But then she meets political
prisoner Ianto Morgan, who tells her about a strange and distant world full of stories and
freedom. Demetria is captivated by the possibility of a life without limits, but is Ianto telling
the truth or is it all dangerous lies? Whatever the cost,
Demetria knows she must find out ...
Runners
Author: Kelley, Ann
As mankind strives to rebuild society in the wake of climate change, over-population and
global food shortages, every day is a struggle for people like Sid and his younger sister
Lo. They are 'runners'- people whose very survival the government has outlawed. As
they move west, trying to find family or somewhere they can call home, they must work
out which of the people they meet on the way can be trusted, and which want to cut
their adventure short. Encountering people on both sides of the law, as well as those
who seem to exist outside it, Sid and Lo make and lose friends as they fight for their lives
and each other.
Burn Mark #1
Author: Powell, Laura
In a modern world where witches are hunted down and burned at the stake, two lives
intersect. Glory is from a family of witches, and is desperate to develop her 'Fae' powers
and become a witch herself, though witch-activity carries a threat of being burned at the
stake. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition with a privileged life
very different from the witches he is being trained to prosecute. And then one day, both
Glory and Lucas develop the Fae. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound
together
Book of Pearl, The
Author: de Fombelle, Timothee
A compelling story of a first love that defines a lifetime; perfect for fans of David Levithan,
told with the intricate and beautiful writing style of bestselling author Timothee de
Fombelle. Joshua Pearl is from a world that our own no longer believes in. He knows that
his great love is waiting for him in that distant place, but he is trapped in our time. As his
memories begin to fade, he discovers strange objects, tiny fragments of a story from a long
time ago. Can Joshua remember the past and believe in his own story before his love is lost
for ever?
Black Maria
Author: Jones, Diana Wynne
On the surface, Aunt Maria seems like a cuddly old lady, all
chit-chat and lace doilies and unadulterated NICEness! When Mig and her family go for a
short visit, they soon learn that Aunt Maria rules the place with a rod of sweetness that's
tougher than iron and deadlier than poison. Life revolves around tea parties, while the
men are all grey-suited zombies who fade into the background, and the other children
seem like clones. The short visit becomes a long stay, and when all talk of going home
ceases, Mig despairs! Things go from bad to worse when Mig's brother Chris tries to
rebel but is changed into a wolf. Mig is convinced that Aunt Maria must be a witch -- but
who will believe her? It's up to Mig to figure out what's going on. Maybe the ghost who
haunts the downstairs bedroom holds the key?
Animal Farm
Author: Orwell, George
A new publication of simplified Chinese edition of Animal Farm, the George Orwell
classic. In Simplified Chinese. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books,
Inc.
Bloodtide
Author: Burgess, Melvin
In the year 2200 London is in ruins and in the hands of two
warring families. Treachery and terror reigns as the families
are decimated but Silvia and a cat, a shape-changer take
revenge.Rain (14+)
Author: Bergin, Virginia
One minute sixteen-year-old Ruby Morris is having her first proper snog with Caspar
McCloud in a hot tub, and the next she's being bundled inside the house, dripping wet, cold
and in her underwear. Not cool. As she and Caspar shiver in the kitchen, it starts to rain.
They turn on the radio to hear panicked voices -- 'It's in the rain ...it's in the rain ...' That
was two weeks ago, and now Ruby is totally alone. People weren't prepared for the rain,
got caught out in it, didn't realize that you couldn't drink water from the taps either. Even
a drip of rain would infect your blood, and eat you from the inside out. Ruby knows she has
to get to London to find her dad, but she just doesn't know where to start ...After rescuing
all the neighbourhood dogs, Ruby sets off on a journey that will take her the length of the
country -- surviving in the only way she knows how.
Single stone, A
Author: McKinlay, Meg
Every girl dreams of being part of the line—the chosen seven who tunnel deep into the
mountain to find the harvest. No work is more important. Jena is the leader of the line—
strong, respected, reliable. And—as all girls must be—she is small; years of training have
seen to that. It is not always easy but it is the way of things. And so a girl must wrap her
limbs, lie still, deny herself a second bowl of stew. Or a first. But what happens when
one tiny discovery makes Jena question the world she knows? What happens when
moving a single stone changes everything?
Boundless, The
Author: Oppel, Kenneth
After a murder is committed, Will finds himself in possession of a key that has the potential
to unlock the train's hidden treasures. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr
Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before
someone else winds up dead. With villains fast on his heels and
strange creatures lurking outside the windows, the train hurtles
across the country as Will flees for his life. His adventure may
have begun without his knowing...but how it ends is now
entirely up to Will.
Painkiller
Author: Collins, Tim
Esme is a painkiller. She can take pain away with just a touch.
In a world where hospitals have closed and diseases are common, she's in great demand.
But she's also in danger. Abbie wants to take Esme to a secret commune where she'll be
safe. But bounty hunters are closing in on them, and time is running out.
5th Wave (14+)
Author: Yancey, Rick
The Passage meets The Hunger Games in a gripping new series from Carnegie-shortlisted
Rick Yancey. After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky
escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule
applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave. On a lonely stretch of highway,
Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing
anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive,
until Cassie meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope for
rescuing her brother and even saving herself. Now she must choose: between trust and
despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
Cassie Sullivan gets up.Enna Burning
Author: Hale, Shannon
Enna and Princess Ani became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but now that Ani is married
to Prince Geric, Enna returns to the forest. Then Enna's simple life changes for ever
when she learns of her power to wield fire. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability
for good - to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders. But the power of
the fire grows stronger and she is soon barely able to control it. Enna becomes more and
more reckless and is captured by the Tiran army. A handsome and manipulative young
captain drugs and holds Enna prisoner until Ani and her old friends Finn, and Razo
attempt to free her. But has the desire to burn already gone too far?
Soterion Mission #1
Author: Ross, Stewart
Does the Soterion hold the key to saving civilization? In a post-apocalyptic world where
no-one lives beyond their teenage years, the mysterious Roxanne arrives in Cyrus’s
village, fleeing the barbaric Zeds. She claims to be on a mission that can save them all, but
can she be trusted? Cyrus joins her in her quest for the legendary Soterion, but the Zeds
are determined to get there first.
Fire Spell
Author: Schlitz, Laura Amy
Clara disappears on her birthday. Exceptionally wealthy and
exceptionally lonely, she requested that a puppeteer and his two orphan helpers stage a
spellbinding show for her in the vast empty house. But then the curtains close and
darkness falls. . . . The puppeteer, Grisini, kidnaps Clara and uses his sinister powers to
imprison her body and mind in the form of a marionette. His two young assistants realise
what has happened, and all three children find themselves caught up in a terrible struggle
for supernatural eminence between Grisini and a dying witch of extraordinary power.
Glimpse
Author: Merle, Claire
In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically
disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due
to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her
safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to
Pure-boy Jasper Taurell. Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s
condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is
joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness
manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s
joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from
the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears. Led to believe
Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not interfere with, Ana sneaks
out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the
underbelly of society, and as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper’s abduction, she uncovers some devastating
truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe.Gates, The #1
Author: Connolly, John
A strange novel for strange young people. Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund
Boswell are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before
Hallowe'en. Which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley
Avenue. The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with Satanism. But it just
happens to coincide with a malfunction in the Large Hadron Collider that creates a gap in
the universe. A gap in which there is a pair of enormous gates. The gates to Hell. And
there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out ...Can Samuel persuade
anyone to take this seriously? Can he harness the power of science to save the world as
we know it?
Hunt, The #1 (14+)
Author: Fukuda, Andrew
Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to
near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are
known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every
decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the
combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose
suspicions about his true nature are growing.
Cunning Man
Author: Rees, Celia
Finn is haunted by terrifying dreams where a huge wave threatens to engulf her in watery
darkness. They have been worse since she arrived at the Cornish cottage. Then she
discovers the strange curse that was laid upon the cottage years ago, and she's sure
vengeful Griffiths has something to do with it. She's seen him, endlessly tying and retying
a length of rope, creating the knots that - superstition has it - can conjure storms. Finn
knows that she's in mortal danger if she can't find a way to break the curse... A superbly
spine-chilling teen thriller from the award-winning author of WITCH CHILD
Life of Pi
Author: Martel, Yann
One boy, one boat, one tiger ...After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat
remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen
year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan and a 450-
pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved
works of fiction in recent years.
All These Things I've Done (14+)
Author: Zevin, Gabrielle
Sixteen-year-old Anya's parents have been murdered because
her father was the head of a notorious underworld gang. Now
she is determined to keep herself and her siblings away from
that world. But her father's relatives aren't so keen to let them go. When Anya's violent
ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate - chocolate that is produced
illegally by Anya's criminal family - she is arrested for attempted murder.
Disconcertingly, it is the new D.A. in town who releases her from jail, but her freedom
comes with conditions. The D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya
feels irresistibly drawn. Win's father won't risk having his political ambitions jeopardised
by his son seeing a member of a crime family. She is to stay away with him. Anya knows
she risks her freedom and the safety of her brother and sister by seeing Win again.
Neither the D.A. nor the underworld will allow it. But the feeling between them is so strong that she may be unable
to resist him...Noble Conflict (14+)
Author: Blackman, Malorie
Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society
based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are
plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force -
to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy. When
Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl
named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories -
memories that could only belong to Rhea - he realises he hasn't been told the truth about
what the rebels really want, and what he's really fighting for.
Last Dragonslayer, The
Author: Fforde, Jasper
In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the
largest spell could be woven without filling in magic release form B1-7g. Then the magic
started fading away. Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment
agency for soothsayers and sorcerers. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper
than a spell, and even magic carpets are reduced to pizza delivery. So it's a surprise when
the visions start. Not only do they predict the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of a
dragon slayer, they also point to Jennifer, and say something
is coming. Big Magic ...
Into that Forest
Author: Nowra, Louis
‘Me name be Hannah O'Brien and I be seventy-six years old. Me first thing is an apology -
me language is bad cos I lost it and had to learn it again. But here's me story and I be glad
to tell it before I hop the twig.’ So begins this extraordinary novel, which will transport you
to Australia's wild frontier and stay in your mind long after you've finished reading.
Cell 7 #1
Author: Drewery, Kerry
Should she live or die? You decide; an adored celebrity has been killed. Sixteen-year-old
Martha Honeydew was found holding a gun, standing over the body. Now Justice must
prevail. The general public will decide whether Martha is innocent or guilty by viewing
daily episodes of the hugely popular TV show Death is Justice, the only TV show that gives
the power of life and death decisions - all for the price of a phone call. Martha has
admitted to the crime. But is she guilty? Or is reality sometimes more complicated than
the images we are shown on TV?
Siberia (Hardcover Educational Edition)
Author: Halam, Ann
In a future society where there are no longer any wild animals, Sloe and her mother are
sent to a prison camp in the snowy North. Her mother's crime is the determination that
one day the lost animals will be reborn. Years later, when her mother disappears, Sloe
sets out on an epic, one-thousand-mile quest to be reunited with her, pursued at every
turn. Her only companions are the Lindquists, the tiny, magical creatures bequeathed to
her by her mother.Divergent #1
Author: Roth, Veronica
She turns to face the future in a world that's falling apart. For sixteen-year-old Tris, the
world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her
back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly
belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is
drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet
lie ahead...A debut novel that will leave you breathless.
Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Jones, Diana Wynne
A new look for one of Diana Wynne Jones' funniest and most popular novels. In the land of
Ingary, where seven league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter catches the
unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has
nothing more to lose, she makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above
Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say,
is satisfied only by the souls of young girls! There she meets Michael, Howl's apprentice, and
Calcifer the Fire Demon, with whom she agrees a pact. But Sophie isn't the only one under a
curse - her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl, and Michael, and her quest to break her curse
is both gripping - and howlingly funny!
After Tomorrow
Author: Cross, Gillian
What if you woke up tomorrow and everything had changed? Money is worthless. Your
friends are gone. Armed robbers roam the streets. No one is safe. For Matt and his little
brother, Taco, that nightmare is a reality. Their only hope of survival is to escape
through the Channel Tunnel. But danger waits on the other side...Stay or go. What
would you do?
Nightfall
Author: Halpern, Jake
After fourteen years of Day, comes fourteen years of Night.
Don't get left in the dark. On Marin's island, sunrise doesn't come every twenty-four hours -
it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The
weather is turning cold. The shadows are growing long. The dark is rising. And soon it will be
Night. The eerie Evening sunset is causing the tide to begin its slow roll out hundreds of
miles, and so Marin, along with her twin brother Kana and the rest of the islanders, must
frantically begin preparations to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night. But first
the house must be made ready for their departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture
must be arranged just so. Tables must be set as if for dinner. The rituals are bizarre -
unnerving, even - but none of the adults will discuss why things must be this way. And then
just as the ships are about to sail, the twins' friend Line goes missing. Marin and Kana know where he has gone, and
that the only way to rescue him is to do it themselves. And surely the ships will wait? Because Night is falling. Their
island is changing. And something is stirring in the dark.Lord of the Flies
Author: Golding, William
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a
coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great
fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of
panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know
collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another
world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Lord of the Flies remains as provocative
today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling,
brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its
initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favourite among both students and literary critics
who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought
and literature.
Crown of Acorns
Author: Fisher, Catherine
In an absorbing mystery thriller, a teenage girl with a past arrives in a city: new name, new
identity, new foster family. She has chosen the city herself, and is fascinated by its harmony
and beauty, but is clearly in fear of discovery. She is nursing a secret from her early
childhood, a secret that produces new terrors for her the moment she fears her identity has
been spotted. A parallel narrative tells of a young architect's apprentice, Zak, in 1750 -
working with Jonathan Forrest, a man obsessed with past Druidic mysteries and a new
architectural vision for the city. He plans to create the world's first circular terraced street,
the King's Circus - a plan greeted with scorn and derision. Zac soon realises there's more than
just obsession with an architectural vision; there is some secret associated with building a
hidden chamber in the centre of the Circus. But Zac himself has his own confused and highly destructive agenda ...
These narratives are framed by the voice of Bladud - mythical first builder of the city, destined to die in trying to fly.
And ultimately his narrative brings all together in a clever and brilliantly intriguing climax.
Breathe (14+)
Author: Crossan, Sarah
When oxygen levels plunge in a treeless world, a state lottery decides which lucky few will
live inside the Pod. Everyone else will slowly suffocate. Years after the Switch, life inside the
Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra
air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong.
Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die.
Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is
forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the
terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a
small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so,
what or who are they protecting the trees from? A dystopian thriller about courage and
freedom, with a love story at its heart.
Foundling
Author: Oldham, June
When Ren's mother realises that she's expecting her second child, she knows that Ren
must be sent away. The tax on excess children is more than she can afford, and a
relative, Greta, has offered Ren shelter in the north. But the journey to Greta's goes
terribly wrong, and Ren finds herself alone on the desolate moors. There she meets
Brocket, Lil, Hilary and Mrs Gimmer. Like Ren, they are determined to remain concealed
in the wilderness, away from the dangers of the cities. All their lives are changed by the
discovery of an abandoned baby. In their efforts to protect her, each of them must
overcome their deepest fears ...You can also read
