READING FESTIVAL 2023
#HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
RECOMMENDED READING LIST YEAR 7
Freedom (1783) by Catherine Johnson
Nathaniel doesn’t want to move to England with his master’s family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they’re free Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family’s freedom, too
Bursting with action and vibrant characters
With real events and historical figures woven into the story Perfect for teaching children aged 8+ about the slave trade in Britain
Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari
Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own.
She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers – like those of an artichoke – around his heart As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.
Kick by Mitch Johnson
Budi's plan is simple He's going to be a star Budi's going to play for the greatest team on earth, instead of sweating over each stitch he sews, each football boot he makes But one unlucky kick brings Budi's world crashing down Now he owes the Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta Soon it isn't only Budi's dreams at stake, but his life. A story about dreaming big, about hope and heroes, and never letting anything stand in your way
The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of his window as the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business. Until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour's toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of Teddy's disappearance - with the help of a brilliant cast of supporting characters.
Page-turning, heartbreaking, but ultimately life-affirming, this story is perfect for fans of Can You See Me, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Wonder
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.
His Dark Materials Trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
A groundbreaking trilogy. First published in 1995, and acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this first book in the series won the UK's top awards for children's literature Without this child, we shall all die 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
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
THE CAY is a tense and compulsive survival story by Theodore Taylor of a young boy and an old man adrift on the ocean, then marooned on a tiny, deserted island. It is also a fascinating study of the relationship between Phillip, white, American, and influenced by his mother's racial prejudices, and the black man upon whom Phillip's life depends.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man?
Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge
Penelope Tredwell is the feisty thirteen-year-old orphan heiress of the bestselling magazine, The Penny Dreadful. Her masterly tales of the macabre are gripping Victorian Britain, even if no one knows she's the author One day, a letter she receives from the governor of the notorious Bedlam madhouse plunges her into an adventure more terrifying than anything she has ever imagined. Why are the patients of Bedlam waking every night at twelve minutes to midnight? What is the meaning of the strange messages they write? Who is the Spider Lady of South Kensington? Penelope is always seeking mysteries to fill the pages of her magazine. But this isn't any ordinary story, it's the future And the future looks deadly
#HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
RECOMMENDED READING LIST YEAR 8
Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird
Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn't care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . . .
Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their home with only what they can carry Yet no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether But where do you go when you can't go home?
Kerb-Stain Boys by Alex Wheatle
Life on the Crongton estate can be rough for Briggy. Dad's lost his job, Mum's working so hard to make ends meet, and big brother Kingsley just wants out With all of the shouting and arguing it's difficult not to get lost in the mix So when his best mate Terror and coolest chick in the year Caldonia, cook up a plan to make a quick buck, Briggy hopes this time it might be his chance to shine Robbing the Post Office what could go wrong? A brilliantly real and funny novella of life on one of London's toughest (fictional) estates.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others
It's just an ordinary farm - until the animals revolt. They get rid of the irresponsible farmer. The other animals are sure that life is improving, but as systems are replaced and half-truths are retold, a new hierarchy emerges Orwell's tale of propaganda, power and greed has never felt more pertinent.
Be Resilient: How to Build a Strong Teenage Mind for Tough Times by Nicola Morgan
The essential teenage guide to building resilience for challenging times. Some events in life will always be out of our control, whether it's a global crisis or a traumatic event at home – but Be Resilient shows that the power to cope is in our hands
Discover how to develop the skill of mental resilience in this fascinating guide from award-winning author and teenage brain expert Nicola Morgan From building a support network to building optimism, find positive, practical advice for preparing for, coping with and bouncing back from the toughest of times. Authoritative and backed by the latest science, this is a reassuring companion for teenagers everywhere
READING FESTIVAL 2023 #HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished
The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON'T PANIC
The weekend has only just begun . . .
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
Armpit and X-Ray are living in Austin, Texas. It is three years since they left the confines of Camp Green Lake Detention Centre and Armpit is taking small steps to turn his life around
He is working for a landscape gardener because he is good at digging holes, he is going to school and he is enjoying his first proper romance, but is he going to be able to stay out of trouble when there is so much building up against him? In this exciting novel, Armpit is joined by many vibrant new characters, and is learning what it takes to stay on course, and that doing the right thing is never the wrong choice.
I am David by Anne Holm
You must get away tonight,’ the man had told him David escapes from the concentration camp where he has spent his entire life and flees across Europe. He is utterly alone – who can he trust? What will await him? And all the while, how can he be sure that they won’t catch up with him This is the remarkable story of David’s introduction to the world: sea, mountains and flowers, the colours of Italy, the taste of fruit, people laughing and smiling, all are new to David David learns that his polite manner, his haunted eyes and his thin features are strange to other people He must learn to fend for himself in this strange new world
Journey to the River Sea by 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 parentsAnd 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
Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
The Coram man takes babies and money from desperate mothers, promising to deliver them safely to a Foundling Hospital in London Instead, he murders them and buries them by the roadside, to the helpless horror of his mentally ill son, Mish Mish saves one, Aaron, who grows up happily unaware of his history, proving himself a promising musician As Aaron's new life takes him closer to his real family, the watchful Mish makes a terrible mistake, delivering Aaron and his best friend Toby back into the hands of the Coram man.
#HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
RECOMMENDED READING LIST YEAR 9
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking) by Patrick Ness
Prentisstown isn’t like other towns Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Then Todd Hewitt unexpectedly stumbles on a spot of complete silence Which is impossible And now he’s going to have to run This new edition marks the 10th anniversary of the award-winning modern classic, soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley
Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson
Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years – since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy. Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really – and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires?
Lionheart Girl by Yaba Badoe
African myth and magic beat in the dark heart of this fable about witchcraft , superstition, the bonds we choose and those we cannot Born into a family of West African witches , Sheba's terrified of her mother who is deadly dangerous. But like mother , like daughter - magic runs through her blood and Sheba discovers powers of her own
Her touch can unravel people's innermost thoughts; their hopes, their fears - their secrets
Sheba too can shape-shift. Through the communion of ancient magic, blood and friendship, she slowly uncovers the murderous truth about her stolen childhood and steels herself for the future She must protect the hunted from the hunter - her mother
Maladapted by Richard Kurti
From BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Richard Kurti comes an exciting, fast-paced thriller that shows the power science has to change not just our lives, but our very selves Cillian is the sole survivor of a devastating terrorist attack on a packed Metro train How did he survive when everyone else was killed? Searching for answers with the mysterious Tess, Cillian discovers that his father has links to P8, a group of genetic scientists operating outside the laws of Foundation City The shocking discoveries he and Tess make at P8’s secret hospital start to make Cillian ask not who he is, but what he is…
READING
2023 #HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
FESTIVAL
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
Nessa and her friends attend Boyle College to train for the most dangerous time of their lives - THE CALL. Without warning, each one of them will wake in a terrifying land, alone and hunted, with a one-in-ten chance of returning alive. No one believes Nessa can make it, but she's determined to prove them all wrong And she will need every ounce of spirit and courage in order to survive ...
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Explosive, subversive, wild and funny, 50 years on the novel's strength is undiminished. Reading Joseph Heller's classic satire is nothing less than a rite of passage
Set in the closing months of World War II, this is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic and furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him His real problem is not the enemy - it is his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service If Yossarian makes any attempts to excuse himself from the perilous missions then he is caught in Catch-22: if he flies he is crazy, and doesn't have to; but if he doesn't want to he must be sane and has
to That's some catch
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man falsely charged with the rape of a white girl Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man ' s struggle for justice But the weight of history will only tolerate so much. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once. Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
The Lord of The Rings by J R R Tolkien
Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit, all three parts of the epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, in one paperback. Features the definitive edition of the text, fold-out flaps with the original two-colour maps, and a revised and expanded index Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring –the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of
the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins
In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as the Ring is entrusted to his care. He must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of Middle-earth to the Crack of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark Lord There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
#HolyFamilyReadingFestival2023
