Downe House Lower School Reading List

Foreword Miss Dani Kirby, Murray Centre and Library Manager In this Reading List, you’ll find a curated selection of both Fiction and Non-Fiction texts chosen to challenge your thinking, deepen your understanding, and enhance your enjoyment of a particular subject. Each academic department has carefully recommended titles that will offer valuable insights and expand your knowledge, while the library team has selected a range of fiction books, grouped by genre, to inspire your imagination and love of storytelling.

We really encourage you to give these books a try! You might be surprised at how much fun it is to read more about a subject, and it can help you enjoy it even more. Additionally, it provides a valuable opportunity to build your confidence and demonstrate your knowledge in class.

At Downe House, we place great emphasis on Reading for Pleasure. In today’s fast-paced, screen-heavy world, setting aside time has never been more important, to enjoy a good book.

Reading offers the chance to escape, to reflect, and to recharge, helping you to develop empathy, creativity, mental wellbeing and strong language skills along the way.

We’d love to welcome you to visit the library, located above the Murray Centre, at any time during your day. Whether you'd like to recommend a favourite book, share your thoughts on something you’ve read, or simply get inspiration for what to try next, we’re here to help. There’s something for everyone to read on these shelves!

Take on the challenge: choose a few titles from this list (all available to borrow from the library unless otherwise specified) and read them throughout the year. Whether a book stays with you or doesn’t quite click, each one brings a fresh perspective. We’d love to hear what you think, so do drop by the library and share your thoughts with us!

A special thank you to our Graduate Library Assistant, Miss Vandenham, for putting this wonderful list together.

Happy reading!

LOWER SCHOOL These books are recommended for ages 11+

Key

Title

Titles in blue text are more challenging reads.

Advisory note: this book contains more challenging themes that some readers may find upsetting. If you are unsure, please seek advice from a member of staff.

EDI

This book is part of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Suggested Reading list.

AR

This book is on Accelerated Reader - it will be accompanied by the corresponding book level.

Table of Contents Fiction

pg. 4-10

Non-Fiction Recommendations from the Geography Department

pg. 11

Recommendations from the History Department

pg. 11-12

Recommendations from the Languages Department

pg. 12

Recommendations from the Music Department

pg. 12

Recommendations from the PE Department

pg. 13

Recommendations from the Performing Arts Department

pg. 13-14

Recommendations from the Religious Studies Department

pg. 14

Recommendations from the S.T.E.M. Departments

pg.14-17

FICTION

FICTION – Sorted by Genre GENERAL FICTION Richard Adams

Watership Down – As Watership Down is not far from the School, this book is a must for all Downe House girls. It follows the adventures of a group of rabbits searching for a new home. Compelling and exciting with a good sprinkling of not-so-cute bunny rabbits! AR: 6.2

Sophie Adlington

The Red Ribbon - As fourteen-year-old Ella begins her first day at work she steps into a world of silks, seams, scissors, pins, hems and trimmings. She is a dressmaker, but this is no ordinary sewing workshop. Hers are no ordinary clients. Ella has joined the seamstresses of Birkenau-Auschwitz.

AR: 4.6 Zillah Bethell

The Song Walker - An extraordinary new story of friendship, discovery and courage. EDI AR: 3.9

Dee Benson

Glow up Lara Bloom - A heart-warming story of friendship, crushes and learning to love yourself. Perfect for fans of GEEK GIRL, Louise Rennison and Alesha Dixon. EDI AR: 5.0

Jess Butterworth

Lost on Gibbon Island - Meet 12-year-old Lark, who finds herself ship-wrecked with no one but a baby gibbon for company. Can she survive storms, lack of food and jelly-fish infested waters and find her way home? AR: 5.0

Catherine Bruton

No Ballet Shoes in Syria – Aya is a Syrian asylum seeker looking after her mother and baby brother in the cold, unfamiliar city of Manchester. She had loved dancing before she fled her home and now finds a ballet class led by the elegant Miss Helena. Aya begins to find new friends and learns to depend on the “kindness of strangers”. EDI AR: 5.5

Emma Carroll

Letters from the Lighthouse – Following 12-year-old Olive and her brother, Cliff as they are evacuated to the Devon Coast during WWII, as they search for clues about their missing older sister and adapt to life living with the local lighthouse keeper, Mr Ephraim. AR: 4.9

Sarah Crossan

Where the Heart Should Be - It is 1846 and Ireland is starving. The potatoes are black, people are dying and in the midst of it all Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together, and everyone she loves alive. Even if it means giving up her every want, dream and desire. From multi-awardwinning author Sarah Crossan comes a stirring, heart-wrenching novel that explores the value we place on humanity and asks can you survive on love alone? AR: 4.1

Zana Fraillon

The Bone Sparrow – Born in an Australian Immigration Detention Centre, Subhi has never known freedom. A member of the Rohingya tribe, his mother fled Myanmar to save her family only to find more persecution. A heart-breaking tale of survival, friendship and hope. AR: 4.9

4

Hannah Gold

The Lost Whale – A fierce celebration of friendship includes information about the struggles facing real grey whales from climate change, pollution, and over-fishing. AR: 5.4

Stacy Gregg

The Island of Lost Horses – A book which combines ponies with History – perfect! AR: 5.2

Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – A murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Chris Boone. EDI AR: 5.4

Lynda Mullaly Hunt Fish in a tree - An emotionally charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in. EDI Eva Ibbotson

Tanya Landman

5

Journey to the River Sea – Maia, orphaned at 13, is unhappy to be staying with relatives hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She becomes friends with an English boy who lives with the locals. They are forced to flee upriver, pursued by an assortment of eccentric characters. AR: 5.6 Buffalo Soldier (2015 Carnegie Medal Winner) – This heart-breaking story asks, ‘what does it mean to be free?’ The American Civil War frees Charley and her fellow slaves, but left on her own, Charley’s only way to survive is to disguise herself as a man and enrol in the army. EDI AR: 5.3

Rebecca Lim

Tiger Daughter -- Wen Zhou is determined to create a future for herself that is more satisfying than the life her parents expect her to lead. EDI

Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese Cinderella – Set against the turbulent political times and the collision of East and West in 1930's China, this autobiography describes the complexities of Adeline Yen Mah's relationships with her stepmother and siblings, and the trauma of her parents' deaths. EDI AR: 5.7

Ross Montgomery

I Am Rebel - (Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2024) Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner Tom - until one day the war comes too close. Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the King's men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves. Rebel must bring Tom home before it's too late. AR: 4.1

Michael Morpurgo

War Horse – A stunning wartime classic. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. AR: 5.9

Hiba Noor Khan

Safiyyah’s War (2024 Carnegie Medal shortlist) - Inspired by the true story of how the Grand Mosque of Paris saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II. AR: 7.0

R.J. Palacio

Wonder – Auggie, ten, born with a terrible facial abnormality, is starting school for the first time. A story to make you think about society’s stress on looks & how we react to people who look different, a moving story about acceptance, friendship and courage. EDI AR: 4.8

The Boy at the Back of the Class - Told with heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a child's perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense. EDI AR: 5.4

Rebecca Westcott Can You See Me? - A coming-of-age story about learning to celebrate yourself, this is a widely praised and realistic portrayal of autism. The first in a trilogy, it is written in collaboration with Libby Scott who is autistic herself and only 11-years-old.

Insightful and uplifting. EDI AR: 5.6 Kate Weston

Diary of a Confused Feminist - Meet Kat Evans: Feminist. Overthinker. Hot mess. A hilarious antidote to our Insta-perfect world, Diary of a Confused Feminist is for girls who want to do it right but always feel they're getting it wrong ...

Marcus Zusak

The Book Thief – Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, 9year-old Liesel’s life is changed forever when she picks up a book abandoned in the snow. So begins her love affair with books and words, and soon she is stealing from Nazi bookburnings, the mayor’s wife’s library…wherever books can be found. But these are dangerous times and when Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, nothing will ever be the same again. A modern masterpiece – thought-provoking and life-affirming.

AR: 5.1

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Arthur’s Friday doesn’t start well when his house is demolished. The Earth is obliterated soon after, to make way for a bypass and then he finds out his best friend is an alien. Can things get any worse?

AR: 6.6 Malorie Blackman Noughts and Crosses – In a dystopian London, Sephy and Callum fall in love despite the odds. Can they breach the divide between the black elite and the white underclass? An amazing story that has become a modern classic. EDI AR: 4.0 Soman Chainani

Maz Evans

The School for Good and Evil – A hexalogy of books, now a major motion picture from Netflix. A dark and enchanting fantasy adventure for those who prefer fairytales with a twist. AR: 5.2 Who Let the Gods Out? – A shooting star crashes to Earth and changes Elliot's life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. When the pair accidentally unleash the wicked death daemon Thanatos, they turn to the old Olympian gods for help. But after centuries of cushy retirement on Earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task? (Recommended by the Classics Department) AR: 5.8

6

FICTION

Onjali Q. Raúf

Clare Furniss

The Things we leave behind – A startling YA dystopia that imagines London as the epicentre of the refugee crisis. AR: 4.6

Madeleine L’Engle A Wrinkle in Time – Categorised as ‘Science Fantasy’ by the author, this is a book you will not want to put down. Much better than the Disney film. An exciting tale of space and time travel and a race to save first Meg’s scientist father and then her brother who have become prisoners of the evil IT. AR: 4.7 CS Lewis

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe – The first of the Narnia series. Four children travel to the land beyond the wardrobe in another time and place.

Many religious overtones, including the power of sacrifice. (Recommended by the RS Department) AR: 5.7

Elle McNicoll

Like A Charm - Set in Edinburgh, Ramya discovers she can see through magical disguises, and has her eyes opened to an underground world of magical creatures. Armed with her late grandfather's notebooks, she sets out to discover more and comes up against the mysterious and deadly Sirens. AR: 4.3

K Millwood Hargrave The Girl of Ink and Stars – A beautifully written story of friendship, discovery, myths and magic “reminiscent of fantasy greats such as Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman” London Times. AR: 4.7

7

Tola Okogwu

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun - Black Panther meets Percy Jackson in this action-packed and empowering middle-grade superhero series about a British-Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers. EDI AR: 4.9

Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials trilogy (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) – These thrilling adventures tell the story of Lyra and Will – two children on a perilous journey through shimmering haunted other worlds. These books have won awards, topped bestseller lists and captivated readers for more than twenty years. AR: 6.2

Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Lately, mythological monsters and the Olympian gods seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. AR: 4.5

FICTION

CRIME/HORROR/THRILLER Fleur Hitchcock

Murder at Wintertide - George's large blended family is coming from all over, even NYC, to celebrate and be together for a lovely festive holiday. But when a body washes up on the beach and the police seem to be barking up the wrong tree, George and Isla know they have to get involved. What they don't know is that the investigation might lead them into the heart of their own cosy living room. AR: 4.2

Sharma Jackson

High Rise Mystery – The detective duo everyone is dying to meet! Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there's been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time - until the end of the summer holidays anyway. EDI AR: 3.5

Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew Files. Vol 1 - Nancy Drew is one the case, and the stakes are higher than ever. This book features three mystery cases in one: 'Secrets Can Kill', 'Deadly Intent' and 'Murder on Ice'.

Sophie McKenzie

Truth or Dare - When lies are everywhere, how far will you go for the truth? A tense eco-drama with an explosive twist from the million-copy selling author of Girl, Missing. AR: 4.6

Philip Pullman

The Sally Lockhart Series (The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, The Tin Princess) – Set in Victorian London, this gripping series follows 16-year-old sleuth, Sally Lockhart, as she investigates the curious circumstances behind her father’s death and other crimes. AR: 5.3

Ellen Risbridger

The Secret Detectives – A gripping murder mystery in an historical setting, perfect for fans of Robin Stephens and Katherine Rundell. AR: 4.6

Nancy Springer

The Case of the Missing Marquess - When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits…

Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike – An insight into boarding school but not as you know it. Murder and detectives are on the agenda. AR: 5.8 Ministry of Unladylike Activities – A must-read spinoff set during WW2 which follows the sister of Hazel Wong from the Murder Most Unladylike series. AR: 5.1

Katherine Woodfine The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow – Set in Edwardian times this delightful book contains both mystery and adventure.

AR: 6.6

8

CLASSICS Louisa M Alcott

Little Women – Christmas won’t be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as their father is away fighting the Civil war, and the family has fallen on hard times. But though they may be poor, life for the four March sisters is rich with colour, as they play games, put on wild theatricals, make new friends, argue, grapple with their vices, learn from their mistakes, nurse each other through sickness and disappointments, and get into all sorts of trouble. AR: 7.5

Charles Dickens

Great Expectations – The narrator, Pip recounts his life story from his childhood to how he matures and becomes a young man.

AR: 9.2 Dombey & Son – Dombey is a powerful man whose neglect of his family triggers his professional and personal downfall.

Oliver Twist – A gripping portrayal of London’s dark criminal underbelly, following the story of the orphan, Oliver Twist. AR: 11.3 Daphne du Maurier Rebecca – This is a must if you are spending any time in Cornwall over the summer! AR: 6.8 Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden –Lonely orphan Mary discovers Misselthwaite Manor’s secrets and finds a place to belong. AR: 6.3

Rudyard Kipling

The Just So Stories – Perfect for dipping in and out of over the summer. Follow this up with The Man Who Would Be King and Other Stories. AR: 6.4

Jack London

The Call of the Wild – An American saga about a sled dog.

Worth a read. AR: 8.0

L M Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables – Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert are expecting a young orphan boy to help them with farm work at Green Gables. But when a skinny red–haired girl turns up instead, immediately she is at home, they get more than they bargained for. (Recommended by the Art Department)

AR: 7.3

9

J.R.R.Tolkein

The Hobbit – Published in 1937, this is a timeless classic – the unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure, encountering wizards, dwarves and, of course, Smaug the dragon. His life will never be the same again. AR: 6.6

Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer have made lots of money, but all Huck wants is to escape from his guardian, Miss Sawyer. A great American novel and a more challenging read. AR: 6.6

FICTION

GRAPHIC NOVEL Svetlana Chmakova Crush - Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl. But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants? AR: 2.4 Jerry Craft

New Kid – New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enrol him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of colour in his entire grade. EDI AR: 2.9

R.J. Palacio

White Bird - An unforgettable, unputdownable story about strength, courage and the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives, from the globally bestselling author of Wonder. AR: 3.5

Brian Selznick

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - An orphan and a thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy train station. He desperately believes a broken automation will make his dreams come true. But when his world collides with an eccentric girl and a bitter old man, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. AR: 5.1

Raina Telgemeier

Smile – A delightful autobiographical graphic novel. Raina just wants to be normal, but when she trips and severely damages her two front teeth, she ends up on a frustrating journey of braces, surgery and fake teeth that result in her being teased about her appearance. Despite its lightness and humour, this is a meaningful story of a teen’s journey to self-acceptance.

AR: 2.6

10

NON-FICTION – Sorted by Department Recommendations from the Geography Department Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: The World’s Funniest Travel Writer Takes a Hike Facing savage weather, merciless insects, unreliable maps and a fickle companion whose profoundest wish was to go to a motel and watch The XFiles, Bryson gamely struggled through the wilderness to achieve a lifetime's ambition - not to die outdoors.

Zlata Filipovic

Zlata’s Diary (modern day conflicts) – Zlata Filipovic was given a diary shortly before her tenth birthday and began to write in it regularly. She was an ordinary, if unusually intelligent and articulate little girl, and her preoccupations include whether or not to join the Madonna fan club, her piano lessons, her friends and her new skis. But the distant murmur of war draws closer to her Sarajevo home. Her father starts to wear military uniform and her friends begin to leave the city. One day, school is closed and the next day bombardments begin. EDI

Michael Pollard

The Rhine - This series takes us on a journey along 6 of the world's great rivers. The aim is to relate the rivers as they are today to their geographical contexts, their economic significance, their historical development and their cultural importance.

Malala Yousafzai

I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World – Written by Malala in collaboration with acclaimed author, Patricia McCormick, this children’s edition tells the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world – and did. Her journey will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles and the determination of one person to inspire change. EDI

Recommendations from the History Department

11

Anne Frank

The Diary of a Young Girl - A deeply moving and unforgettable portrait of an ordinary and yet an extraordinary teenage girl.

E.H. Gombrich

A Little History of the World – In forty concise chapters, Gombrich tells the story of man from the stone age to the atomic bomb. In between emerges a colourful picture of wars and conquests, grand works of art, and the spread and limitations of science.

Adam Hart-Davis

What the Tudors and Stuarts did for us – A lively and well-written account of how the world we live in was shaped in the Tudor period.

Lyn Macdonald

They called it Passchendaele - Portrays the human realities behind one of the most disastrous events in the history of warfare.

A History of the World in 21 Women - Celebrating the lives, struggles and achievements of women who have had a profound impact on the shaping of our world.

David Olusoga

Black and British: A Short, Essential History - An essential introduction to 1800 years of the Black British history: from the Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall right up to the present day.

Marcel Prins

Hidden: True Stories of Children Who Survived World War II Tells the stories of 14 young people who were hidden throughout the Netherlands during World War Two. Their stories create a wider picture of what it meant to be Jewish in Europe during World War Two, and what it took to survive.

S Willis & J Daybell Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors – A quirky and original book of Tudor trivia.

Recommendations from the Modern Foreign Languages Department Fabio Geda

In the Sea there are Crocodiles – based on a true story, we read about young Enaiatollah's remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum. EDI

St Exupéry

Le Petit Prince – One of the most-translated books in the world and voted the best book of the 20th century in France. A moving tale of loneliness, friendship, love and loss in the form or a young prince fallen to Earth.

Goscinny Sempé

Le Petit Nicolas – A collection of short stories depicting an idealized version of childhood in 1950s France. Funny, charming and easy to read for beginners of French.

Recommendations from the Music Department Philip V. Bohlman

World Music: A Very Short Introduction - Draws readers into a remarkable range of historical encounters, in which music had the power to evoke the exotic and to give voice to the voiceless.

Nathan Holder

The World of Music: and How it Moves Us - Have you ever wondered why music is so powerful? Want to know why it impacts what we feel? Written by musical expert Professor Nathan Holder, The World of Music and How it Moves Us will tell you everything you need to know.

Michael Miller

Music Theory: Note by Note - This concise and clear guide to simplified music theory teaches readers who play music by ear how to read musical notation by guiding them through the basics of reading and composing music to share with others.

Julia Winterson

Music Theory: The Essential Guide - Offers musicians of all ages and levels a practical and relevant guide to music theory today.

12

NON-FICTION

Jenny Murray

Recommendations from the PE Department Simon Biles

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance - The official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world—and how you too can overcome challenges in your life.

Gail Emms

The Lost Lionesses - A captivating and moving account of the first England women's football team that took part in the 1971 World Cup - detailing the injustice faced by those who took part and its effect on the women's game as a whole. Told by the team themselves and written by the celebrity daughter of the main striker.

Beth Mead

Lioness: My Journey to Glory - Beth shares the challenges that shaped her, what she faced on the journey to the top, and the life events that made her stronger.

FICTION Sarah Henning

Throw Like a Girl - Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoon worthy romance meets underdog sports story. (General Fiction)

Yamile Said Mendez Furia - A powerful contemporary YA for fans of The Poet X and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line--even her blooming love story--to follow her dreams. (General Fiction)

Recommendations from the Performing Arts Department REFERENCE Robert Speaight

Shakespeare on Stage - This book begins at the Globe Theatre, describing performances there and at the Blackfriars as we know or conjecture them to have been from historical documents. Eighteenth-century tastes were different, and the author shows how Shakespeare's plays were adapted and often considerably altered over the following centuries.

PLAYS Charles Dickens

13

A Christmas Carol - Ebeneezer Scrooge refuses to acknowledge the festive season until, on Christmas Eve, he has a seasonal visitor that he can't escape...

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - The official playscript of the original West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Willy Russell

Our Day Out – A chaotic and lively musical that is written about a remedial class out for the day on a school trip.

Diane Samuels

Kindertransport - A modern classic about one woman's struggle to come to terms with her past. Brutally separated from her German Jewish parents at the age of nine, Eva is brought to England with the promise of a new life...

Recommendations from the Religious Studies Department Richard Holloway

A Little History of Religion - For curious readers young and old, a rich and colourful history of religion from humanity’s earliest days to our own contentious times.

FICTION Anita Diamant

The Red Tent - A feminist classic which combines outstandingly rich storytelling with an original insight into women’s society in a fascinating period of early history. (Available from the R.S. Department)

Elizabeth Laid

A Little Piece of Ground - Explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy.

Marty Machowski The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New - A stunningly illustrated beginner's theology book to help kids of all ages understand who God is and how we, as his children, relate to him.

(Available from the R.S. Department)

Recommendations from the S.T.E.M Departments BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT Miriam Darlington

Otter Country: In Search of the Wild Otter – A stunningly beautiful and poetic book describing the world of the otter.

Rachel Ignotofsky

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World – A wonderfully compelling book with which shows the achievements of intrepid women who followed their dreams and were undeterred in reaching their goals. A beautiful book to dip into and discover a world of ‘girl power’ in science. EDI

Hope Jahren

Lab Girl - Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she’s studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book is a revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also so much more.

14

NON-FICTION

J.K. Rowling

Polly Morland

A Fortunate Woman: A Country Doctor’s Story - A Fortunate Woman is a compelling, thoughtful and insightful look at the life and work of a country doctor. Funny, moving and not afraid of the dark, it will speak to readers everywhere.

Edward O. Wilson

Letters to a Young Scientist - Reflecting on his coming-of-age in the South as a Boy Scout and a lover of ants and butterflies, Wilson threads twentyone letters, each richly illustrated, with autobiographical anecdotes that illuminate his career--both his successes and his failures--and his motivations for becoming a biologist.

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT John Farndon

The Great Scientists – Ranging across the spectrum of scientific endeavour, this book includes the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and genetics. This is the story of the ideas that have shaped the world and the ideas that will shape the future.

Derek B. Lowe

The Chemistry Book - From atoms and fluorescent pigments to sulfa drug synthesis and buckyballs, this authoritative chronology presents 250 milestones in the world of chemistry.

Tom Jackson

The Periodic Table Book - Packed with more than 1,000 incredible images and full of fascinating facts, this children's book takes you on an visual and vibrant journey of all the chemical elements that make up our world.

Tim James

Elemental - Whether you're studying the periodic table for the first time or are simply interested in the fundamental building blocks of the universe from the core of the sun to the networks in our brains - Elemental is the perfect guide.

Sam Kean

The Disappearing Spoon – Why did Ghandi hate iodine (I,53)?

How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie’s reputation?

The Disappearing Spoon has the answers to this and many other elemental mysteries.

COMPUTING DEPARTMENT

15

GCHQ

Puzzles for Spies - At GCHQ, we solve puzzles every day . . . and we're giving you a rare glimpse into our world, by setting you a top-secret mission: solve problems and break codes that could befuddle the cleverest codebreaker.

Rebel Girls

Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code – Growing up in nineteenth century London, Ada is curious about everything. She is obsessed with machines and creatures that fly. This is the story of a pioneer in computer sciences and a testament to women’s invaluable contribution to STEM throughout history.

Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral and Getting it Done - Perfect for aspiring coders everywhere, Girl Code is the story of two teenage tech phenoms who met at Girls Who Code summer camp, teamed up to create a viral video game, and ended up becoming world famous

Gareth Moore

Expert Code Breakers - Published in association with the Turing Trust, this collection offers the codebreaking enthusiast a tough but enjoyable challenge. Follow in the footsteps of Alan Turing, the genius codebreaker of World War II, and discover the hidden meanings encoded in these word and number puzzles.

Margaret Shetterly Hidden Figures – The remarkable true story of NASA’s AfricanAmerican female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s Space Programme.

MATHS DEPARTMENT Alex Bellos

Alex’s Adventures in Numberland – Mathematical ideas underpin just about everything in our lives: from the surprising geometry of the 50p piece to how probability can help you win in any casino. In search of weird and wonderful mathematical phenomena, the author travels the globe and meets the world's fastest mental calculators and a startlingly numerate chimpanzee in Japan.

Robert Eastaway

Why do buses come in threes? - An entertaining guide to how maths is relevant to our everyday lives.

H.M. Enzensburger The Number Devil – A Mathematical Adventure. Twelve-year-old Robert hates his maths teacher. He sets his class boring problems and won't let them use their calculators. Then in his dreams Robert meets the Number Devil who brings the subject magically to life.

Kjartan Poskitt

Awesome Arithmetricks - Is maths making you miserable? Are you terrified of times tables and scared to death by long division? Does adding and subtraction make you shudder? Then it's time to learn the essential arithmetricks.

Simon Singh

The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets - Some have seen philosophy embedded in episodes of The Simpsons; others have detected elements of psychology and religion. Simon Singh instead makes the compelling case that what The Simpsons' writers are most passionate about is mathematics.

16

NON-FICTION

Andrea Gonzales

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

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Edwin Abbott

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions – An adventure in satirical mathematics, making us ponder the difference between operating in different numbers of dimensions.

Lewis Carroll

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland –We are taken in beautifully presented episodes through challenges to our ideas of logic and identity and time and perspective and social convention and…

Richard Dawkins

The Magic of Reality – Working through ten key questions addressed by Science, Richard Dawkins makes a brilliant series of connections and pushes the reader to re-evaluate some basic views they may have.

Richard Hammond

All About Physics – Featuring discoveries of Ancient Greece to Einstein via Galileo and Newton, this book takes you on a journey through time, space and beyond to find out about the physical forces that make our world.

Teresa Robeson

Queen of Physics: How Wu Cien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom – When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, girls did not attend school, but her parents believed differently. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien as she battles sexism at home and racism in the USA to become what Newsweek magazine called the Queen of Physics for her work on how atoms split.

Stobbart & Firth

Physics for Beginners – Brings to life the wide world of physics, focusing on the different branches of physics, how we know about them and what mysteries remain to be uncovered.