Recommended Reading List
The following fiction books are recommended summer reading for Year 5 students who are going into Year 6 in September 2023.
The Boy With Wings
Lenny
Henry
Wings? Check A super-cool, super-secret past? Check An impossible mission to save the world from a furocious enemy?
Check. When Tunde sprouts wings and learns he's all that stands between Earth and total destruction, suddenly school is the least of his problems.
Luckily, his rag-tag group of pals have got his back, and with his new powers, Tunde is ready to fly in the face of danger So what if he can't even stand up to the school bully?
He's the boy with wings - this is his destiny. No pressure then. . . An ordinary kid is about to become an EXTRAORDINARY hero.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
Upon finding a map in his parents' inn, young Jim Hawkins joins a crew on route to the Caribbean to find buried treasure
One of his crew, the charming, yet devious Long John Silver is determined to snag the booty for himself and Jim's swashbuckling voyage becomes a mutinous and murderous adventure - where his own bravery is put to the test and he discovers much about friendship, loyalty and betrayal
Fortunately, the Milk...
Neil Gaiman
You know what it's like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad's in charge She leaves a really, really long list of what he's got to do And the most important thing is DON'T FORGET TO GET THE MILK
Unfortunately, Dad forgets So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back. Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk
Suffragette
David
Roberts
This is a tale of astounding bravery, ingenuity and strength. David's writing is accessible and his artwork full of rich detail, bringing to life the many vivid characters of the women's suffrage movement - from the militant activist and wheelchair user Rosa May Billinghurst to the world-famous Emmeline Pankhurst, Millicent Fawcett and Emily Wilding Davison Covering the whole range of female and male suffragist experiences - from aristocrats to the middle and working class as well as a look at the global struggle for universal suffrage, Suffragette: The Battle for Equality makes a fantastic introduction to a fascinating topic.
Skellig
David
Almond
When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical
A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive.
With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital.
But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes for ever
The Light in Everything
Lenny Henry
Tom is still quiet and timid, even though his dad has been gone for nearly two years now
Zofia has a raging storm that makes her want to fight the whole world until she gets what she wants And what she wants is for scaredy-cat Tom to get out of her life.
Tom hates loud, unpredictable Zofia just as much, but he's moving into Zofia's house. Because his mum and Zofia's dad are in love... and they're having a baby. Tom and Zofia both wish the stupid baby had never happened
But then Tom's mum gets ill, and it begins to look horribly like their wish might come true A story of learning to trust, trying to let go and diving into the unknown with hope in your heart.
Percy Jackson Series
Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief: the first book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series Look, I didn't want to be a halfblood I never asked to be the son of a Greek god I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding
The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends and generally trying to stay alive.
This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea
Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snickett
Dear reader, there is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' but misery and despair
You still have time to choose another international bestselling series to read.
But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution... Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children.
They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features
Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast. Lots more titles in this series.
Pax
Sara Pennypacker
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.
At his grandfather's house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox
Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own
Adam Kay
The olden days were pretty fun if you liked wearing chainmail or chopping people's heads off but there was one TINY LITTLE problem back then doctors didn't have the slightest clue about how our bodies worked It's time to find out why Ancient Egyptians thought the brain was just a useless load of old stuffing that might as well be chucked in the bin, why teachers forced their pupils to smoke cigarettes, why hairdressers would cut off their customers' legs, and why people used to get paid for farting. (Unfortunately that's no longer a thingsorry.) You’ll get answers to questions like: Why did patients gargle with wee? How did a doctor save people's lives using a washing machine, a can of beans and some old sausages? What was the great stink? (No, it's not what doctors call your bum )If you're sure you're ready, then pop a peg on your nose (there was a lot of stinky pus back then), pull on your wellies (there was a lot of poo there too), wash your hands (because they certainly didn't) and explore this gross and gruesome history of the human body!
The Good Turn
Sharna Jackson
What other eleven-year-old is desperate for MORE schoolwork?
Looking for more challenging tasks, Josie enlists her friends Wesley and Margot into her very own Scout troop, the Copseys, named after the street they all live on.
Together they start their quest for their camping badge by sleeping out near to the abandoned factory behind their houses
But that night they stumble across something strange.
Someone seems to be living in the derelict building!
The Copseys have to solve the mystery... and perhaps earn their bravery and activism badges along the way.
Kay's Marvellous Medicine
Boy at the Back of the Class
Lemony Snickett
There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it He's nine years old (just like me), but he's very strange
He never talks and never smiles and doesn't like sweets - not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite!But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn't very strange at all.
He's a refugee who's run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help That's where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in Because you see, together we've come up with a plan
Journey To The River Sea
Eva Ibbotson
A joyous Amazon adventure set in the lush nature of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and extraordinary characters.
Maia, an orphan, can't wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon
She imagines a loving family with whom she will share great adventures.
Instead she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy and refuse to go outdoors.
But the wonders of the rainforest more than make up for the hideous twins and their parents And when Maia meets a mysterious boy who lives alone on the wild river shores, she begins a spectacular journey to the heart of an extraordinary and beautiful new world
Recommended Reading Continued
The following fiction books are recommended reading for students once they start Year 6 in September 2023.
When The Sky Falls
Phil Earle
War is raging. And one angry boy has been sent to the city, where bombers rule the skies.
There, Joseph will live with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no fondness for children
Her only loves are the rundown zoo she owns and its mighty silverback gorilla, Adonis.
As the weeks pass, bonds deepen and secrets are revealed, but if the bombers set Adonis rampaging free, will either of them be able to end the life of the one thing they truly love? Inspired by a true story.
Holes
Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake) he is not surprised.
Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find Why? The evil warden claims that it's character building, but this is a lie.
It's up to Stanley to dig up the truth. Witty, inventive and completely unique, this is a masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing.
...
SF Said
'There are three doors that I may show you You will find a different kind of power behind each one 'Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London
A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A TYGER. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake.
Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late?
The Diary of Anne Frank
'Anne Frank's diary is among the most enduring documents of the 20th century. She documented her life in hiding from 12 June 1942 to 1 August 1944.
His Dark Materials Series
There are worlds beyond our own - the Compass will show the way When Lyra is given the strange and secret alethiometer, she begins an extraordinary journey that will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight The destiny that awaits her will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world. So begins the journey into His Dark Materials trilogy.
Tyger
Phillip Pullman
Irfan Master
An intensely romantic and haunting novel about how love can overcome the ultimate divide - from Liz Kessler, the bestselling author of Read Me Like a Book Joe wakes up from a deep sleep to see his family leave in a removals van
Where they've gone, he has no idea. Erin moves house and instantly feels at home in her new room. Even if it appears she isn't the only one living in it. Bit by bit, Erin and Joe discover that they have somehow found a way across the ultimate divide - life and death
Bound by their backgrounds, a love of poetry and their growing feelings for each other, they are determined to find a way to be together Joe's brother, Olly, never cared much for poetry. He was always too busy being king of the school - but that all changed when Joe died. And when an encounter in the school corridor brings him face to face with Erin, he realises how different things really are - including the kind of girl he falls for. Two brothers. Two choices. Will Erin's decision destroy her completely, or can she save herself before she is lost forever?
When I See Blue
Lily Bailey
12-year-old Ben has a bully in his brain who tells him what to do. It makes dealing with a new school, new town and parents who are falling apart seem impossible. This heartfelt story about a boy with OCD celebrates how friendship can make you brave and find the strength to overcome anything
Haunt Me
Show Us Who You Are
Elle McNichholl
When Cora's brother drags her along to his boss's house, she doesn't expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of Pomegranate Technologies
As she becomes part of Adrien's life, she is also drawn into the mysterious projects at Pomegranate.
At first, she's intrigued by them - Pomegranate is using AI to recreate real people in hologram form.
As she digs deeper, however, she uncovers darker secrets
Cora knows she must unravel their plans, but can she fight to make her voice heard, whilst never losing sight of herself?
Inkheart
Cornelia Funke
Meggie loves books So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared
They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door.
He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinary secret - a storytelling secret that will change their lives for ever.
Reading Log
Once you have completed a book from the list, add it to the reading log below along with your rating of it. At the end of the year you will be able to look back and see how much you've read!
DATE TITLE AUTHOR RATING
DATE TITLE AUTHOR RATING
