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Older fiction
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Older fiction
Here are our recommended favourite fiction books from previous months.
The key stage/s indicate the age range for which each title is most appropriate.
Paul Adam
Escape from Shadow Island
Who needs teenage secret agents or genetically engineered tortured souls when you can follow a teenage escapologist? Max Cassidy is a prodigal new talent in this field, but is haunted by the events of two years previously, when his mother was convicted of his father’s murder. The appearance of a mysterious stranger who claims that Max’s father is still alive leads him on a dangerous quest to the corrupt state of Santo Domingo and the discovery of a sinister international conspiracy. The greatest pleasure of this story comes from seeing Max use his skills in an uncontrolled environment, along with the introduction of a range of interesting supporting characters, who will hopefully be fleshed out in future adventures. This is ideal for fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond who want something a little different! 10+
Corgi Books 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780552560320
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Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
Killer clone
Dr Connor, a renowned geneticist, is lying dead on his office floor. The fingerprints on the murder weapon could belong to any one of the thirty clones created by the doctor. They all hated him – but which one is the murderer? Zac Taylor, wise guy private investigator, has the job of finding out. One in the FYI series for reluctant readers, this witty and inventive murder mystery contains a glossary of fascinating facts about cloning and genetic engineering, as well as highlighting ethical issues. An engaging, short read which would appeal to the scientifically inclined from upper Key Stage 2 through to Key Stage 4. 10+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996928
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Annie Barrows
The magic half
Eleven-year-old Miri is the middle child between two sets of twins and often feels left out and misunderstood. The family have just moved to a big old house in the country and, in her new friend Molly, Miri has found the sister she has always longed for. There’s just one problem - Molly lives in 1935. Having found herself more than 70 years in the past, Miri needs to find a way to get back home to 2009 and bring Molly, who is in danger from her abusive family, with her.Somewhat let down by its dated cover design, this is an exciting and emotionally involving time-slip story with nice touches of humour. Ahighly satisfying and accessible read for girls of 8+.
David Fickling Books 2009 £4.99 9780385616300
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Terence Blacker
Missing, believed crazy
After a fundraising fashion parade at their posh boarding school goes horribly wrong, five kids cook up a madcap plan to stimulate the public’s generosity. They will pretend to kidnap one of the gang’s members, the daughter of a famous actress, and use the money raised to find her to help starving children in Africa. Predictably the scheme rapidly spins out of control, with several opportunists and a sadistic bank robber determined to exploit the situation for their own ends. Told as a series of statements given by different individuals to the police, this witty yet thought-provoking read deftly exposes the shallowness of celebrity culture whilst also showing how unexpected friendships can be born out of extraordinary circumstances. 10+
Macmillan 2009 £9.99 ISBN 9780330458481
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Zizou Corder
Halo
Washed up on an Ancient Greek shoreline as a young baby girl, Halo is discovered by kindly centaurs, who raise her as one of their own. Circumstances force her far away however and, as a young adolescent, she is forced to pretend to be a boy to make her way in life and to attempt to re-discover both her centaur family and her unknown birth parents. Adventures among the warring Spartans and Athenians and exploration of the place of women in Ancient Greece form the backdrop to this very readable and exciting tale of betrayal, prophecy and loyalty. 10+
Puffin 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9780141328300
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Terry Deary
Raiders and ruins
Eric is a novice monk who is saved from drowning by a Viking longship. Soon Eric learns of the Vikings’ plans to raid the English coast, killing and looting as they go. Together with Hilda, an English slave girl, Eric must try to warn the English and stop the raid. This is one of a new set of Gory Stories from the very popular Terry Deary, full of gruesome historical accuracy and terrible jokes. The series could provide a useful route into fiction for fans of Horrible Histories. 9+
Scholastic 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9781407108216
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Timothee de Fombelle
Toby alone
For thirteen-year-old Toby, who is only a millimetre-and-a-half tall, any journey is an epic adventure into a world of monsters. This fantasy world is used as the setting for an amusing and orginal ecological allegory, as Toby observes mankind’s relationship with the environment in a way only a boy his size can. With more than a nod towards Roald Dahl, the story explores the thoughtless behaviour of a greedy individual who is set on destroying the world for short-term profit. Printed on sustainable paper with vegetable ink, the book’s important message never gets in the way of a hughly enjoyable coming-of-age adventure. The humorous and thoughtful text retains a feel for the original french and is beautifully supported by Sarah Ardizzone’s evocative illustrations in this award-winning first half of a two-part novel. 10+
Walker Books 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781406307269
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Neil Gaiman
The graveyard book
Already the winner of two literary prizes, Neil Gaiman’s latest offering is a wonderfully cinematic, original and haunting adventure. When baby Bod’s family are brutally knifed to death, he is rescued, cared for and educated by kindly spooks. The ghosts are more than a match when it comes to protecting Bod from anything beyond the grave, but it is from the land of the living that Bod has most to fear, as he confronts the monster who murdered his family. In the adult edition, atmospheric illustrations by award-winning artist Dave McKean add hugely to the book’s cinematic appeal. The children’s edition contains equally stunning illustrations by award-winner Chris Riddell. Destined to become a classic and currently being adapted for the big screen. 10+
Bloomsbury 2009 £7.99 ISBN 9780747598626 (adult edition)
Bloomsbury 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780747594802 (children’s edition)
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Maggi Gibson
Seriously Sassy
The first title in a series that should prove popular, featuring strong-minded eco-warrior Sassy, as she steps over the threshold of adolescence and adds boys to her list of interests. Fired up by all things environmental, Sassy just can’t keep quiet when she sees something un-green – to the extent that her Dad is concerned she may affect his fledgling career as a political candidate. Mixing green issues, music and boys, this fast-paced story is bound to appeal to a wide range of girls. 10+
Puffin 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780141324647
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John Gordon
Fen runners
Based in the author’s native East Anglia, this story draws its inspiration from the legends and mythology of that unique area to produce an exciting and menacing mystery adventure set in a bleak winter landscape. A dragon-like monster, believed to have been killed in ancient times, is stalking the canals and waterways of the fens. Its sinister followers, the Watchers, also prowl the area, looking for those who threaten the monster. Friends Kit and Jenny are drawn together by their special ability to see the sinister Watchers and to use ‘fen runners’ – magic skates. Together they embark on a dangerous journey over the frozen waterways to confront the ancient monster. John Gordon has lost none of his talent for evoking legend, mythology and landscape in this fantastically creepy and satisfying story. At only 136 pages this is a very accessible read and the outstanding illustrations by award-winning artist Gary Blythe deftly support the narrative. 10+
Orion 2009 £9.99 ISBN 9781842556849
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Mark Haddon
Boom!
From the author of the highly acclaimed ‘The curious incident of the dog in the night-time’ this is an extremely accessible, action-packed adventure with elements of science fiction - a little like John Wyndham for younger readers. When Jim and his mate Charlie bug the staffroom and overhear their most boringly straight teachers talking in a strange language their suspicions are aroused and they begin to track their movements. Thus begins an adventure involving kidnap, aliens and a different planet, out of which they will be lucky to emerge unscathed. All told in Haddon’s dry, accessible and humorous style which creates a wonderfully imaginative adventure, with lots of appeal for both boys and girls. 9+
David Fickling Books 2009 £10.99 ISBN 9780385616294 (hardback)
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Barry Hutchison
Mr Mumbles
Kyle’s Christmas hits an all-time low when he starts hearing weird noises from his attic. As the source of the noises becomes clear, he can’t quite believe it - his imaginary childhood friend Mr Mumbles is back. But Mr Mumbles doesn’t want to play – he wants to kill Kyle. Running for his life, with only the mysterious Ameena to help him, Kyle must discover how to beat a monster of his own creation – or is he just going mad? The first in a new horror series called Imaginary Fiends, this is a rollercoaster thriller that delivers scare after scare – children of a more sensitive disposition should steer well clear! 10+
HarperCollins 2010 £5.99 ISBN 9780007315154
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Eva Ibbotson
The dragonfly pool
A lovely read with the feel of a traditional children’s story, this novel would be most suited to keen readers and lovers of school stories. The extremely able and practical Tally is sent to Delderton Hall on a scholarship during the outbreak of World War II. Expecting a traditional boarding school, she initially struggles with its progressive values and encouragement to be free of all the usual structures of school, but soon learns to value its eccentricities. It is when she becomes involved in a school visit to the kingdom of Bergania that the adventure really starts, with the noble king fighting the encroaching German army and internal traitors, and the young prince of Bergania looking for a friend. 10+
Macmillan 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780330456357
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Rose Impey
6 feet deep
Thirteen-year-old Jordan and his two best friends each think their own family is the most embarrassing. But surely Jordan’s mum’s decision to be buried six feet underground for five months to win a world record must take some beating. With only a couple of weeks to go before his mum emerges from her living tomb, Jordan’s life is falling apart – his family is divided, he’s a laughing stock among his peers, his eczema has flared up, he’s having nightmares and he’s constantly in trouble at school. With his friends too wrapped up in their own troubles to be interested in his, Jordan feels utterly miserable and alone, so when his mum announces she is to extend her time underground by another ten days, his simmering resentment boils over. Set in Leicester, this is a heartwarming and involving story, with sympathetic and believable characters, that will appeal to boys and girls of 10+.
Orchard Books 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781846162855
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Graham Joyce
The devil’s ladder
A girl from a rough state school and a boy from a posh private school reluctantly form a friendship when they discover that they both suffer from disturbing dreams and can see things that no-one else can. With help from a mysterious old lady with secrets of her own, the pair become embroiled in a conflict with a sinister demon and are soon fighting for their lives. Chilling in tone and with authentically written characters, this spooky thriller is an effective bridge towards more scary fare from the likes of Darren Shan, and there is definite scope for a sequel. 10+
Faber and Faber 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780571242474
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Nick Lake
The Secret Ministry of Frost
A fast-paced, and often quite violent, mystery adventure by this new author, set initially in Northern Ireland, but mainly in the Arctic, and drawing on Inuit mythology. Teenager Light, with the help of a vengeful family ghost, a raven god (masquerading as her butler), and a shark-headed man, confront monster bears, killer zombies and the frozen heart of the Arctic itself to rescue her scientist father. In the process, she solves the mystery of the fate that befell the 1854 John Franklin Arctic expedition. Light intelligently uses the Dewey Decimal Classification system as a starting point to solving the mystery of her father’s disappearance! This is a well-written and wonderfully original tale that is perfectly resolved (no sequel in sight). Excerpts from newspaper cuttings and computer blogs add to its appeal.10+
Simon and Schuster 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781847383099
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Joan Lingard
What to do about Holly
Holly is extremely embarrassed when her mother puts her on the train to Edinburgh in the care of a complete stranger. Fortunately the stranger, a children’s author, is kind and responsible, so when Holly’s father is not there to meet her at the other end, she takes the distraught girl home with her. As all attempts to track down Holly’s parents draw a blank, and Holly is desperate not to be taken into care, she and the author’s family resign themselves to spending the school holidays together. Holly, used to fending for herself, can’t help comparing the kindness she is experiencing with her life at home in Glasgow, yet all she can think of is being reunited with the mother who has apparently abandoned her. A sensitively written and all-too-believable story which explores the effects of neglect on children. 9+
Catnip 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781846470905
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Sam Llewellyn
The well between the worlds
Mythology and allegory are used to dramatic affect in this radical re-working of the Arthurian legend with a neat ecological twist. While there are familiar elements from the legend, such as the sword in the stone and Merlin the magician, this series offers a total re-imagining of the ancient British kingdom. The kingdom of Lionesse is under threat from a rising and contaminated sea, caused by wizards catching monsters from deep wells and burning them as fuel. In this first title in the series, Idris Limpet, who is training to become a monster groom and knight, comes to question the damage the greed and befouling is doing to the beautiful land and its people, and who is benefiting. 10+ Scholastic 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781407102405
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Oisin McGann
The evil eye
Balor, King of the Formorians is feared by all who hear his name, due to his enormous right eye. Any person who looks into the open eye is instantly killed. When Balor is told by a witch that one of his grandchildren will kill him, he tries to drown them. One of them, Lug, survives and grows up vowing to rid the world of the evil Balor. But how can he do this without putting his own life in serious danger? Taken from an old Irish legend, this is a fantastic story with gory battle scenes and gruesome characters aplenty. Ideal for a reluctant reader, particularly as it uses language with a reading age of 8 and some awesome illustrations to complement the plot. 10+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996317
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Barbara Mitchelhill
Dangerous diamonds
Twins Harry and Charlie are in trouble. Dad has gone missing and they suspect his disappearance is linked to the small box with the secret compartment stuffed with diamonds that they found in his study. When they go home to find their house ransacked, they turn to Edina, one of their dad’s closest friends for help. But they don’t realise that she is involved in the diamond smuggling, along with a gang of extremely evil and dangerous criminals, who don’t hesitate to use guns and exhibit violent behaviour. Can they rescue their dad without ending up in deep trouble? A thrilling adventure story with twists and turns throughout and elements of real danger. 10+.
Andersen Press 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9781842709788
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Michael Morpurgo
Kaspar prince of cats
Set in the early 20th century, thisvery readabletalehas the feel ofan autobiography. Fourteen-year-old orphanJohnny Trot works as a bell-boy at the Savoy in London. His only family is Kaspar, anaristocratic cat, entrusted to him whenits owner, a Russian countess, is killed in a road accident. The hotel staff are not allowed to keep pets so, after the cat is discovered in Johnny’s room, heand Kaspar stow away on the new cruise ship, the Titanic, hoping to start a new life in America.Michaels Morpurgo and Foreman are on top form in thislavishly illustratedand touching story, which will be enjoyed by children of 8+.
HarperCollins 2009 £8.99 ISBN 9780007284696
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Michael Morpurgo
Running wild
Will and his mother take a holiday in her native Indonesia after his father is killed in Iraq. Riding an elephant is a long-cherished dream but Oona the elephant has other ideas when, sensing the approaching tsunami, she bolts into the jungle. At first the rampaging elephant is oblivious to the equally terrified boy clinging to her back but, as she eventually calms down, and Will comes to terms with the realisation that he is probably now an orphan, the two develop an increasingly close bond, with Oona becoming both friend and mother to the grieving boy. Michael Morpurgo is on top form with this exciting and moving story, in which the love between boy and elephant permeates every page. Unputdownable. 9+
HarperCollins 2009 £12.99 ISBN 9780007267019
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Andrew Norris
Ctrl-Z
For his birthday, Alex is given an old laptop computer by his eccentric godfather John. Initially he is far from excited, his previous surprise birthday presents having included a kit for making explosions and two wild ferrets. However, as Alex and his friend Callum soon discover, the old computer is far more useful than they first thought. It can take them back in time and they are able to erase any scrapes they get into in by pressing Ctrl-Z. This is very funny and original stuff from Andrew Norris, with a subtle moral message on the nature of making mistakes. 9+
Puffin 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9780141324296
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Robyn Opie
Black Baron
Jake’s hygiene-loving parents are being very unreasonable. His mum has discovered his champion racing cockroach, Black Baron, under his bed and hit the roof. Black Baron has escaped but Jake’s dad has called in the exterminators. How can Jake save his beloved cockroach from certain death? An accessible and amusing short story in the Lightning Strikes series which will appeal to bug-loving boys of 9+.
Walker Books 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9781406322163
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Tabitha Suzuma
Without looking back
Usually a writer for older readers, Tabitha Suzuma has created a novel that is well suited to a younger audience. It is the story of three siblings who become part of a tug-of-war between their divorced parents. Taken on what they believe to be a surprise holiday by their father, their emotional reactions when they realise that they have in fact been kidnapped are deftly handled and very believable. Torn between the stability of their old life in Paris, with a busy and emotionally distant mother, and a different life in England with new identities, and a very loving but slightly chaotic father, they are asked to choose. This is a heartfelt book, full of both adventure and emotional twists, which raises some difficult questions. 10+
Random House 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780552560009
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David Walliams
The boy in the dress
Quirky, amusing and full of fun, this very different title delves into the life of 12-year-old Dennis. Living a very ordinary life, Dennis manages to be different, and as well as being a first class football player, his thoughts become full of a love of fashion and fabrics after a random purchase of Vogue magazine. Becoming friendly with the super cool and beautiful Lisa, who encourages him to dress in her handmade, amazing clothes, he goes to school in a dress. Beautifully observed, and packed with lively Quentin Blake illustrations, this is a book to make the reader think about what it is to be ‘normal’ and the upside of daring to be different. 9+
Harper Collins 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780007279043
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Pat Walsh
The Crowfield Curse
This is a medieval fantasy mystery set in a wintery England that is still beset by the magical and the supernatural. Fourteen-year-old Will is employed as a servant in the atmospheric and spooky Crowfield Abbey since the death of his parents. On his daily round of collecting firewood he discovers a Hob (a speaking fox-like creature not everyone can see). The Hob has been cruelly trapped and left to die and Will saves his life. As the Hob recovers, with the help of the saintly Brother Snail, Will begins to unravel a sinister religious secret the Abbot and the mysterious visiting leper Jacobus Bone wish to keep hidden. New writer Pat Walsh has produced a page-turning historical story that has a real sense of menace as the power of good competes with dark forces. Short listed in 2008 for the Times Children’s Fiction Competition, this is a terrific story full of intriguing characters. 10+
Chicken House 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781906427153
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Jane A C West
Cliff edge
Danny has always wondered if he would be brave – or foolhardy – enough to free climb solo – that is alone with no ropes or safety gear. When his friend Cristo misses his footing and falls down a sheer cliff face, he has the chance to find out, risking his life in a treacherous climb to get help. An exciting short story in the Solo series for reluctant and less able readers of 10+.
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996102
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Randa Abdel-Fattah
Where the streets had a name
Hayaat is a strong, courageous thirteen-year-old who has suffered a traumatic attack, which killed her best friend and left her own face terribly scarred. Not only that, her family have been forcibly displaced from their roots in Jerusalem to a new, smaller home in Bethlehem because of the Israeli occupation. Her grandmother constantly laments her wish to feel the soil of her homeland, so Hayaat decides to go with her friend Samy on the dangerous journey to bring her a jar full of soil. On the way, they meet various people who all have their own stories to tell. Can they make it through the checkpoints without the right papers? In this powerful story of a family’s survival in a war-torn Middle East, the repercussions of the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict on the characters’ lives are poignantly and emotively described but the author manages to lace the gravity of the message with a gentle touch of humour. Compelling, thought-provoking and moving. 12+
Marion Lloyd Books 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781407112145
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Emma Craigie
Chocolate Cake with Hitler
This is a fascinating and well written exploration of the short life of the eldest daughter of Hitler’s propaganda minister Josef Goebbels. The novel presents an innocent child’s view of the leading figures within the Nazi Party, presented to the world as monsters, but in actual fact all too human. The parallels to Anne Frank’s diary are obvious even though this is not written in diary format and the action moves effortless through the significant events during Helga’s life. The main events take place during the last days of the Second World War trapped in the claustrophobic world of Hitler’s Berlin bunker. The end of Helga twelve-year-old life and that of the other trapped children is no more tragic for its inevitability. 12+
Short Books 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9781906021894
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Jeremy De Quidt
The toymaker
A real lie-detecting doll, a toymaker with ‘a blade as cruel as frost’ and a story to scare even the bravest reader. Mathias, the grandson of a conjurer in a travelling circus, finds a secret note sewn into his dying grandad’s coat. From that moment on, his life is in serious danger and he has to escape from the evil circus master and his wife who are threatening to kill him. On his trail is Doctor Leiter and his malevolent sidekick Valter, who are out to stop him in any way they can. Mathias meets various people who either help or hinder his escape and he endures much serious injury along the way. The secret they are all pursuing is well worth waiting for! With terrifyingly convincing characters and suitably sinister illustrations, this is an outstanding first novel. Dark, nightmarish and frighteningly brilliant. 11+
David Fickling 2010 £5.99 ISBN 9781849920049
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Narinder Dhami
Bang, bang, you’re dead
Mia and her twin brother Jamie have a tough existence. Their mother suffers with bi-polar disorder and refuses to take her medication, which results in their lives being filled with uncertainty and fear. Mia is terrified that Jamie is going to do something dangerous to force their mother to seek help. Her fears are realised when she arrives at school to hear Jamie utter the words ‘I’m going to make everyone sit up and notice, including mum’. The rest of this awesome thriller is Mia’s account of the following two hours as she attempts to find out if the gunman holding a class hostage in the school is actually Jamie. With genuinely palpable tension, an action-packed plot and a shocking twist, this is an outstanding novel. 11+
Corgi Books 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780552560436
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Julia Donaldson
Running on the cracks
Fourteen-year-old Leo has run away from her aunt and uncle’s home in Bristol, hoping to trace her Chinese father’s estranged family in Glasgow. Her musician parents have been killed in a plane crash and she can no longer live with her uncle due his creepy behaviour. In Glasgow, she takes refuge with the kind and funny, but mentally frail, Mary and teams up with 12-year-old Finlay, who is in plenty of trouble himself. Fast-paced, touching and funny, the author’s first novel for teenagers convincingly explores themes such as cultural difference, teenage runaways, mental illness and sexual abuse. A satisfying read for 12+.
Egmont 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781405222334
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Sam Enthoven
Tim: Defender of the Earth
Tim and Chris are both fourteen. Chris is unhappy because he's not accepted by the cool kids at school. Tim is worried because he's a one-hundred-metre-tall genetically engineered tyrannosaur and the British government is trying to kill him. Together Tim and Chris must fight to stop a demented scientist and his voracious swarm of nanobots from destroying all life on Earth. This delightfully over-the-top adventure is an energetic mix of mysticism and science fiction, punctuated by epic bouts of destruction, as virtually all of London's major landmarks are reduced to dust. Hopefully the surprisingly endearing Tim will return to defend the Earth against further threats! 11+
Corgi Books £5.99 ISBN 9780552553599
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Kate Forsyth
The puzzle ring
A tale of magic and adventure, friendship and centuries-old enmity, in which Hannah encounters a world of fairies and the darker side of life. Hannah has moved, with her mother, from Australia to visit her long lost, ailing grandmother in Scotland, where she becomes involved in a quest to break the curse that has haunted her family for generations and removed her father from her life when she was only two days old. Travelling back to the time of Mary, Queen of Scots, she and her friends race to find the four pieces of the puzzle ring, hunted by evil from under the fairy hill. Fast paced and very readable. 12+
Scholastic 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781407102849
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S P Gates
Killer Croc
When cool teenager Levi tries to rescue his beloved peaked cap from the river, he is blooded and dragged into to a killer crocodile’s rancid den. Fortunately crocodiles only eat rotten meat so Levi is left to rot. He escapes the crocodile only to be attacked by a poisonous green mamba snake. Set in Africa, this exciting, slightly gory adventure in the Solo series is suitable for the less able or reluctant reader. 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996348
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Alan Gibbons
Moving on
Minty is a teenage Romany Traveller who is at a crossroads in her life. She wants to do well at school, but sometimes she can't see the point because of all the discrimination she has to tolerate from both staff and students. What's the best route for her to take so she can make something of her life but also stay true to a way of life that she loves? This story has an explicit agenda to correct many of the assumptions that people make about Travellers and to enlighten its audience about their history and cultural contributions. It achieves this admirably and also shows that the dilemmas faced by Minty are very similar to those faced by other, non-Traveller teenagers. 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996171
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Shannon Hale
The book of a thousand days
Lady Saren’s father is furious when she refuses to marry Lord Khasar and locks her and her maid Dashti in a tower, with enough food to last them for seven years and only rats for company. Lady Saren has promised herself to Khan Tegus, and is heartbroken that she cannot marry him. Dashti is a Mucker, who has the ability to heal through song and, although she tries to mend her lady’s broken heart, she realises she is powerless against Lord Khasar. Can they escape before he comes to take her? Told through the medium of Dashti’s diary, this is a beautiful, compelling fairy story, full of adventure, love and terror. 11+
Bloomsbury 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780747597810
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Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains
A beautifully-written historical novel set during the American War of Independence. Thirteen-year-old Isabel and her young disabled sister Ruth are slaves owned by evil New York ‘Tories’ Mr and Mrs Lockton. When Ruth is sold, Isabel is horribly branded for insolence. The American fight for political freedom is nicely juxtaposed with the plight of the two child slaves. This first part of a powerful and heartfelt work ends with Isabel escaping from New York to find her sister. 11+
Oxford UP 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9780747598060
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Dennis Hamley
Coming in to land
Set during the Second World War as fourteen-year-old Air Training Corps cadet Jack is being assessed as a possible future RAF pilot. Jack has to prove himself by flying a glider solo to the exacting standard set by Sergeant Pirbright. While the setting is historical, the message of a young person being allowed and expected to rise to a challenge is as relevant today as in 1943. Part of the Shades series aimed at reluctant or less able readers, this short story is inspirational. 12+
Evans 2009 £4.99 ISBN 9780237539498
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Sophie McKenzie
The set-up
Watching the girl of his dreams flirt with someone else, Nico suddenly unlocks his dormant psychic powers and realises that he can move objects with his mind. Then he finds out that his stepdad knows all about it – and he’s not the only one. As Nico rapidly discovers that his powers cause more problems than they solve, he must try and fix the chaotic mess his life is becoming, with the help of others like him. This is an exciting and highly readable start to a new series, with each book told from the perspective of a different member of the Medusa Project. The mix of typical teen dilemmas with the struggle to control special abilities should make this a hit in the vein of the TV show ‘Heroes’. 12+
Simon and Schuster 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781847385253
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Joanne Owen
Puppet Master
Set in Prague in 1898, Joanne Owen’s first novel draws on Czech folklore and legend to create a story that is spooky, sinister and gothicly dark. The story centres on Milena, a young girl whose parents ran Prague's most prestigious puppet theatre. She was orphaned when her mother vanished, presumed dead, at the same time her father died in suspicious circumstances. The book opens as a new puppet theatre comes to town, run by the sinister Puppet Master, who is able to pull the strings of people as easily as he controls his puppets. There's something particularly terrifying about puppets that come to life, and people who act like puppets under the control of others. Beautifully supported by suitably dark and slightly surreal illustrations Joanne Owen has produced a fascinatingly original allegorical adventure for young people. 12+
Orion 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781842556207
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Edger Allan Poe
Tales of Death and Dementia
American artist Gris Grimley has produced a darkly gothic and richly illustrated retelling of four of Poe’s horror stories. These short, sinister and perverse tales are wonderfully presented as an amalgam of graphic novel and text that give a real flavour of the original. The fantastic illustrations are as weird and shocking as the stories themselves and provide the perfect celebration of the two-hundredth anniversary of Poe’s birth. 12+
Simon and Shuster 2009 £10.99 ISBN 9781847386472
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Alex Scarrow
Timeriders
Saved from certain death at different points in history, three teenagers are recruited to become TimeRiders. Their job is to detect changes in history made by other time travellers, then go back and prevent those changes being made. Their first mission: to prevent a madman from helping the Nazis to win the Second World War and trigger a global Armageddon. Straddling a wide range of times and places, including a desolate 2066 and Nazi America in 1956, this adventure is exciting and highly readable, with mostly bite-size chapters in the vein of Dan Brown. While unable to entirely avoid the inherent paradoxes and dodgy science of time travel, it nevertheless remains highly entertaining. 12+
Puffin 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9780141326924
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Alex Sillifant
Chaos unleashed
Chaos is the codename of Jake Highfield, a fourteen-year-old student in a secret school for teenage spies. For fans of the Alex Rider or Young James Bond series, this is a darker, more violent, and perhaps more believable, secret world. The female appeal of attractive computer ace Angel Dunn should broaden the readership of this first title in the series. Although long, this is a very fast paced story, with a head-spinning number of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked and plenty of nifty gadgets for espionage fans. 12+
Meadowside 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781845393489
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John Smelcer
The Great Death
An exciting historical novel set in the Alaskan wilderness, when the First Nations were making friendly contact with white colonists, resulting in the introduction of diseases previously unknown to the indigenous people. When everyone in their village dies horribly from smallpox, thirteen-year-old Millie and her ten-year-old sister Maura embark on a desperate trek in the depths of winter to find a settlement free from illness. This well-written adventure, based on real events, illuminates a little-known aspect of North American history. The author is himself one of the last speakers of the Ahtma Athabaken language and each chapter is headed by an example of the language and of Native American mythology mirroring the girls’ epic journey. 11+
Andersen 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842709191
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Steve Voake
Blood hunters
After his scientific expedition returns to England from Mexico, Joe McDonald’s father is arrested for the murder of a colleague. A number of brutal, bloody and savage attacks have baffled the police, who are unaware that something primeval has been smuggled back from Mexico and is living in the sewers, seeking out its victims through their toilets! Joe and his friend Giles surmise that these terrifying attacks are somehow linked to Joe’s father’s arrest, so set out for Mexico, both to prove his innocence and to find out what really was discovered in the world’s deepest lake. This is an action-packed and often gruesome adventure that explores the dark side of scientific discovery. 11+
Faber 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780571230013
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Alison Allen-Gray
Lifegame
Fella and his friend Grebe have grown up on an island, in a sinister, authoritarian society where a person’s allocated grade determines their quality of life. Fella’s mother died soon after he was born and, when he finds her diary, it becomes apparent that she was murdered and that everything about the world they live in is a lie. This knowledge puts the two friends in mortal danger but also enables them to escape to the mainland, which they had been led to believe was destroyed years before in a bio-chemical attack. Desperate to retain their newfound freedom long enough to find out why the island state was created and its miserable population isolated from the rest of the world, Fella and Grebe now play a cat-and-mouse game with their evil pursuer. A tense and thought-provoking read for 12+.
Oxford UP 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780192728432
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Kevin Brooks
Killing God
Dawn is a fiercely independent teenager, but her attitude is covering up a dark secret. Her mum has become an alcoholic, emotionally disengaged from the world. Her dad left two years ago, after he too became a drunk, found God, then did something unspeakable. Inexplicably befriended by two girls from school, Dawn is forced to face up to the horrors of the past – with tragic consequences. Intensely written with a shocking climax, this story is less about killing God and more about confronting your own demons, and the reader is inexorably drawn into all the darkest and quirkiest corners of Dawn’s mind. 13+
Penguin 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780141319124
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Meg Cabot
Airhead
In this engaging and very readable girlie teen novel, Em spends most of her leisure time with good friend Christopher, computer gaming constantly and dissing the predominant ‘It’ girl preoccupations of most of her classmates. But Em wakes up in hospital after a freak accident to discover that she has become her most despised life form – a supermodel. Advances in science have allowed the expensive but successful use of brain transplants – and the brain death of the world’s most famous model at the same time as her own bodily death has allowed her to live. And now she has to live the life to ensure her parents aren’t sued for the cost of the operation….. 12+
MacMillan 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780330453820
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Anne Cassidy
Getting away with it
When sixteen-year-old Mark and his girlfriend miss the last bus home on a wintry night, it seems so easy to steal a car from the pub car park. Enjoying the fast drive, Mark hits a deer on a dark country road and Katie, who isn’t wearing a seat belt, is thrown through the windscreen. He panics and leaves her for dead, but later discovers that she would have lived if he’d called an ambulance. With friends and family accepting his alibi, he hopes he can leave that terrible night behind. Then he starts receiving text messages from the dead Katie….. A short ghost story with a message, ideal for reluctant readers. 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996577
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Sarwat Chadda
Devil's kiss
Billi is a half-Muslim, half-Christian girl who is facing an initiation into the Knights Templar. The price of entry is killing someone who is possessed - in Billi's case, a six-year-old boy. Having passed through this ‘ordeal’, Billi has many more to contend with, including growing resentment towards her father, her mixed feelings about her psychic best friend and the insane Angel of Death, who is embarking on a blood-soaked mission to re-enter Heaven. The mix of supernatural, gothic horror with the romantic dilemmas of a strong-willed heroine should endear this book to ‘Twilight’ fans, and the gloriously gory array of creatures bodes well for further entries in the series. 12+
Puffin 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780141325873
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Clare Chambers
Bright girls
Two sisters, Rachel and Robyn, are sent away to Brighton for the summer after their family is targeted by animal rights activists. Robyn, who sees herself as ‘the plain and sensible one’ feels obliged to stop her older sister from making her usual mistakes with money and boys. But, during this eventful summer, both girls’ perceptions of themselves and the world around them are challenged and their lives are threatened more than once. While this is primarily a very readable and often humorous examination of the sisters’ relationship and how they get on with their aunt and others they meet in Brighton, there are also a couple of intriguing mysteries which are very satisfyingly wrapped up in the last few chapters. A perfect summer read! 12+
HarperCollins 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780007307272
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B.R. Collins
The traitor game
This energising and exciting new writer has managed her debut novel beautifully, with this exceptional fantasy that weaves modern teenage school life with escapist imaginings of a different, parallel and almost medieval world. The internal flight to imaginary Evgard is a lifeline for Michael, cruelly bullied at his previous school and distrustful of his peers. When the intriguing Francis shows an interest in his world and his friendship he slowly relaxes and allows him into his new world, only to discover one day that he has been betrayed, and Evgard suddenly becomes more alive. The novel portrays the brutality, the fear and the passion of teenage life, deftly exploring both bullying and attitudes to homosexuality. 12+
Bloomsbury 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780747597254
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Keren David
When I was Joe
When Joe and his mother are subjected to a petrol bomb attack on their flat, they are taken into the Witness Protection Scheme and forced to change identities. Joe has agreed to testify against some of the worst thugs in London, after an incident which resulted in the death of a teenage boy, and they will stop at nothing to prevent him from giving evidence. His new life in a sleepy small town has its advantages, as he starts to enjoy his new identity, prowess at athletics and popularity with the girls. But involvements mean that he is tempted to raise issues from his past, and the likelihood is that his cover will be blown. With both family and friends at risk, how will he cope with being truthful to himself and to those around him? A thrilling, engaging, rollercoaster of a read, with a very believable main character. 13+
Frances Lincoln 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9781847801005
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John Dickinson
WE
Set in the near future when current communication technology has morphed into the World’s Ear (WE), a world wide web in which everyone is surgically attached. As this super-computer has gained power, individual humanity has been sucked away and even the ability to speak has been lost. Paul Munroe has been chosen by the WE for an eight-year cryogenic journey to join the crew of an isolated space station. Before leaving Earth, the WE has to be disconnected from Paul as its influence does not reach as far as Jupiter. As he re-adjusts to speaking, he comes to realise that his three new companions are the last remnants of humanity. This is a fascinatingly original allegory that is sustained more by brilliant ideas than from any contrived narrative drive. Devoid of extraneous words the language in this amazing novel is as cold as the surface of Jupiter. 13+
David Fickling Books 2010 £10.99 ISBN 9780385617895
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Paul Dowswell
Auslander
During the invasion of Poland, Piotr and other blond haired, blued eyed children are taken by the Nazis to be re-educated as good Germans. Renamed Peter, he initially supports the Nazi cause and is adopted by a professor of Eugenics living in Berlin. Slowly, though, under the influence of his girlfriend Anna and her family, he comes to realise that the Nazis’ cause is evil and begins a dangerous double life as a member of Hitler Youth helping Polish slave workers and Jewish refugees. With the Gestapo constantly in the background, the sense of menace is almost overwhelming. Eventually Peter, Anna and her mother leave Germany on a daring escape full of danger. This original historical thriller is wonderfully exciting, historically enlightening and highly recommended. 12+
Bloomsbury 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9780747594192
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Hilary Freeman
Don’t ask
Lily can’t believe her new boyfriend Jake is as perfect as he appears, and becomes driven by the need to know why he won’t talk about either his ex-girlfriend Alex or the death of his father. His refusal to be drawn leads her to play a dangerous game, as she creates a false identity and befriends Alex on a social networking site. The story draws the reader in as Lily is pulled further and further into the web of deception she has created, building tension and drama aplenty as Jake’s history unravels and she begins to regret her questions. Full of insight, and with a keen awareness of the potential of false web identities, the author tells a story that will resonate with many teenagers. 13+
Piccadilly Press 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781853409974
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Emily Gale
Girl, aloud
Kass has had enough. Her dad just won’t take no for an answer and has entered her for the X-Factor, despite the fact that she can’t sing! Whether it’s auditioning for adverts or joining Mensa, her dad keeps obsessing about making her famous. The only reason Kass puts up with it is because he has a form of Bi-polar Disorder and the family are not coping with it. Not only that, she has completely fallen for the gorgeous Cassian, who turns out to be more full-on than she’d expected. Kass’s life goes from bad to worse when she discovers that her mum is having an affair with her friend’s dad. Funny yet incredibly emotive, this is an insight into how families try to cope with mental illness and marital breakdown. 13+
Chicken House 2010 £6.99 ISBN 9781906427207
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Michael Grant
Gone
For the children of Perdido Beach, California, the world changes in an instant: everyone over the age of fifteen vanishes and a mysterious, impenetrable barrier cuts them off from the rest of the world. As fourteen-year-old Sam struggles to stop this new society descending into anarchy, he must cope with the secret of his growing supernatural power – and he’s not the only one. Compelling and unputdownable, Gone boasts a marvellous array of characters and borrows from Lord of the Flies and X-Men to create a thrilling tale in a highly intriguing world, which will be explored further in future series entries. Superbly addictive! 12+
Egmont 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781405242356
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Keith Gray
The return of Johnny Kemp
Two weeks ago, Dan grassed up the biggest bully in school and got him excluded. Now Johnny Kemp is back and he wants revenge. After pleading for help from his friends, his teachers and his mum, Dan ends up face-to-face with Johnny, and there can be only one victor. This grippingly tragic tale is all too realistic, as Dan's courage in speaking out against Johnny Kemp goes unrewarded. There is an implicit moral message, aimed for once not at bullies or their victims, but at those who stand on the sidelines. If others do not have the courage to support those who stand up to bullying in precisely the way they are encouraged to by adults, then the cycle of violence will inevitably continue. Few readers will finish this book without feeling some sense of shame. 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996140
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Mary Hooper
Newes from the dead
An enthralling novelisation of a true story from the seventeenth century, in which a young servant girl is hanged for murder – but is she really dead? Told through the eyes of Anne Green as she slowly regains consciousness inside her coffin, the reader is hooked into her fate and eager to hear her story as it gradually unfolds and we learn the circumstances surrounding her life and trial. Well-researched historical background adds flavour and authenticity to a tale that is both tense and intriguing. An excellent read. 13+
Random House 2009 £6.99 9781862303638
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A.M. Jenkins
Repossessed
Kiriel, a demon forced to spend his days tormenting the damned, escapes to Earth by entering the body of an about-to-die teenager, hell-bent on discovering the pleasures of youth, physical being, the senses and adolescence. Entertaining and very funny, Kiriel’s experiences bring home some of the ordinary daily realities of life and paint them large, as well as musing on the concepts of love, sex, an afterlife and a not-so-invincible Creator. 12+
HarperTeen 2009 £5.99 9780060835705
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Lauren Kate
Fallen
When Luce is sent to the Sword & Cross detention school because of her involvement in the accidental death of a fellow student, her world goes into meltdown. Leaving her parents behind and facing the prospect of living with a bunch of delinquent strangers, Luce tries to get on with her life. Her only chance is to try and make friends but her first meeting with the mysterious Daniel, unsettles her as there is an intense, overwhelming magnetic attraction between them and she is convinced that they have met before. Although she is falling in love with him, Daniel appears to be avoiding her until he realises that Cam is showing Luce too much attention and he tries to force them apart. With plenty of action and a fast-moving plot, this cracking supernatural romance will have Stephanie Meyer fans hooked. Dark, dangerous and deliciously unputdownable. 12+ Doubleday 2009 £9.99 ISBN 9780385618021
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Elizabeth Laird
Lost riders
Rashid and his brother are taken by an unscrupulous uncle from Pakistan to Dubai, where Rashid is forced to become a camel racing jockey. Given a new name, starved and beaten, he eventually becomes a top rider and is in a position to try to find his brother. The story is told in Elizabeth Laird’s trademark straightforward, but no less powerful, language that will give the book a wide appeal. Based on true life events that led eventually to an international outcry, the story is a testament to the strength and moral courage of young people. 11+
Macmillan 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780330452090
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Stella Lennon
Invisible i
Popular girl Callie is appalled to find herself implicated, along with two geeky pupils she would never choose to associate with, in the defacing of the vice-principal’s car. The culprit is the enigmatic Amanda, who has disappeared, leaving a trail of cryptic clues for the three bemused students to follow. Callie is intrigued but risks losing her popular girl status if she joins the other two in trying to find Amanda. Supported by an interactive website, the Amandaproject.com, this is an absorbing read for teenage girls who enjoy a mystery and have the motivation to stick with the series through the promised eight titles. 12+
HarperCollins 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780007327270
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Hayley Long
Lottie Biggs is NOT mad
Year 10 can be difficult for all concerned – but particularly for Lottie, whose English assignment to undertake a piece of extended personal writing results in this full length novel, charting her slow mental deterioration as life just spins her round. Lottie’s mental disturbance leaves her unable to cope with the small things in life. She becomes increasingly isolated as she ignores the friends and family who try to help, losing herself in an only half-remembered shoplifting spree and hiding from the world in the bottom of her wardrobe. Both sensitive and highly amusing, Lottie’s problems should strike a chord with many teenagers. 13+
MacMillan 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780330479738
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James Lovegrove
Freerunner
This is one in a new series of more sustained stories aimed at reluctant or less able readers. The very exciting short chapters count down the thrilling exploits of freerunner Taj as he attempts to break the record for freerunning his rundown housing estate. He may be the best freerunner on the estate but, when his father’s life depends on him doing it in 23 minutes, the pressure is really on. This is a read that is as fast and as free as freerunning itself. 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996065
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Abby McDonald
Life swap
An administrative oversight in the department that arranges university exchanges sends ambitious Oxford politics student Emily to the University of California, where she is to study film for a term. The gossiping, surfing, partying crowd are like an alien species and, though her posh accent attracts some attention from the opposite sex, she prefers to keep her distance. Her American counterpart, Tasha, is experiencing a similar culture shock and is dismayed at being regarded as a hopeless lightweight by both students and tutors. Both girls are struggling miserably until they hit on the idea of emailing each other with survival tips for fitting into their new environment, and their unlikely friendship enables them to make the life-changing experience a positive one. An engaging and light-hearted exploration of lifestyles and values for girls of 13+.
Walker Books 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781406319002
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Cathy MacPhail
Grass
Leo lives on a tough inner city estate, his father made redundant and his mother an underpaid, hardworking nursing auxillary. Yet Leo is happy with his life, his best mate Sean and their mutual avoidance of the gang-life that exists around them, controlling the streets, breathing violence, threats and distrust wherever they can. Then Leo is witness to a gang murder and suddenly everything changes as he finds himself becoming sucked into this pitiless underworld, his friends and family become alienated by the rumours they hear and he is left to fight alone for what he believes is right. A moving and believable, fast paced story that shows how the innocent can be ensnared by a web of deceit.12+
Bloomsbury 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780747599111
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Catherine MacPhail
Hide and seek
Nicola hatches a plan with some friends to scare the new girl by staying overnight at school and pretending that it’s haunted. But once they get there, things get spooky for real as Nicola’s friends disappear one by one. Is the joke on the new girl or is someone else playing a deadly game with all of them? This is a thoroughly spooky story that winds up the terror page-by-page until, by the end, you’re not sure if there really is a ghost or if it’s an elaborate prank being played on Nicola by all the others. For any fans of scary stories this is a must-read – but make sure you keep the lights on! 12+
Barrington Stoke 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781842996584
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Eden Maguire
Beautiful dead (Book 1- Jonas)
First in a new series of page-turning paranormal romances that will feature Jonas, Arizona, Summer and Phoenix, all teenagers who have died mysteriously and horribly within the same year. This title is the first in what will clearly be four parts, following heartbroken Darina as she investigates with her newly dead boyfriend Phoenix, returned to avenge his own death and those of his three school friends. Fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series will love the supernatural mystery formula and the compelling and romantic adolescent characters. 13+
Hodder 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9780340988619
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Stephenie Meyer
The host
Humanity is on the brink of extinction as a race of parasitic aliens has stealthily possessed almost the entire population. But Mel is not going to give up the fight, even when her own body is possessed by the parasite, Wanderer. Locked in a relentless battle, the two souls find a strange unity of purpose. When they discover a rebellious band of humans in the desert, the perspective of both souls is challenged forever, and Wanderer discovers the extreme limits of the human capacity for love and hate. The science fiction elements in this superb story are almost incidental – the real focus of the book is on the problems that love (in the romantic, platonic and maternal senses) poses for someone who is an outsider in terms of both status and cultural outlook. Though at 617 pages it’s certainly hefty, this book should appeal particularly to girls of 13+.
Sphere 2009 £7.99 ISBN 9780751540642
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Jane Mitchell
Chalkline
Rafiq is just nine when Kashmiri Freedom Fighters burst into his classroom looking for new recruits. Kidnapped and indoctrinated into a life of fanaticism and violence, in order to survive Rafiq must change from the loving boy he was until, at fourteen, he has become one of the group’s toughest and most committed soldiers. Rafiq seems lost, even to himself, but, back in his home village, his sisters have not given up on him. Providing a chilling insight into the brutalisation of child soldiers, this is a moving and compelling read for young people of 12+.
Walker books 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781406315172
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Joanna Nadin
Wonderland
Jude has ambitions to change her average life and do what she enjoys most to avoid the dullness of her dead-end town. This means getting through the audition for a drama school in London and, hopefully, leaving behind her little brother, her dad and the memory of her dead mother. There’s only one thing stopping her and that’s her crazy, gorgeous best friend Stella. But this friend is a manifestation of Jude’s Dissociative Identity Disorder, who acts as her alter ego, dressing sexily, smoking, drinking and having her first sexual experience with a friend, resulting in pregnancy. Gritty, dark and well-written, this story uncovers many difficult issues for the reader to grapple with in order to get inside Jude’s head and leaves no easy resolution.
Walker Books 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781406310108
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Anna Perera
Guantanamo Boy
Fifteen-year-old Khalid, a Muslim from Rochdale, undergoes a horrific, life-changing experience when he is captured by the Americans in Pakistan in 2002. Convinced that he is part of an al-Qaeda cell, they torture and detain him without trial for two years, until finally his family and various international organisations bring enough pressure to bear to secure his release. This is more than just an examination of questionable American policies; it is an emotional account of a young man's struggle for his soul in the face of almost overpowering despair. Khalid's attitude towards himself, his family and his tormentors changes throughout the novel, but it is his evolving attitude to his religion and his faith that is most complex and intriguing. The problems that ‘enemy combatants’ face if they are lucky enough to be released are also addressed in the final chapters. A haunting and powerful testament to the suffering of these victims of the War on Terror. 13+
Puffin 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780141326078
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Gillian Philip
Crossing the line
The brutal landscape of teenage life is impeccably portrayed in this acerbic tale of grief, guilt and love. Nick has made some bad choices growing up and now his sister's boyfriend has been stabbed, his father's an alcoholic, his grandmother is going senile and the girl of his dreams thinks he's the scum of the earth. He's virtually friendless and racked with guilt over the death of his sister's boyfriend. And he's not the only one… Powerfully written with well-observed bursts of humour, it might appear to be just another ‘knife crime’ story but the central concern of the book is dealing with grief and the expectations you have of yourself and others. Should have appeal for both boys and girls of 13+.
Bloomsbury 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780747599937
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Aprilynne Pike
Wings
Teenager Laura has always been home schooled until now, and feels lost in her new high school amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces…but is yet to discover just how unfamiliar she is to the human race in general. Strange bumps on her back itch and grow until they bloom into beautiful, wing-like blossoms, she fails to bleed like any other girl and has always been unable to eat anything other than a strictly vegan diet. Together with her new friend David, she discovers her heritage, who she is, and why she has been planted by the faeries amongst human kind, guarded by the mysterious and divinely beautiful Tamani. Very readable and a little bit different, with the potential for more titles to follow. 12+
HarperCollins 2009 £6.00 ISBN 9780007314362
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Terry Pratchett
Nation
After a freak tidal wave destroys his civilisation, the adolescent Mau is left the only survivor. Faced with a severe crisis of faith and threats from European explorers and the cannibalistic Raiders, Mau turns to survivors from neighbouring islands and a shipwrecked white girl for help in rebuilding the Nation. This thought-provoking analysis of the nature of civilisation is a significant departure for Pratchett, being his first novel set outside the Discworld for many years. However, it still features all his trademark wit and poignancy and poses the fundamental question of what makes ‘civilisation’ civilised: is it our beliefs, our ideas, or the tools and technology that we use? 13+
Corgi Books 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9780552557795
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Bali Rai
City of ghosts
An orphan boy besotted with a rich merchant’s daughter; his friend, seduced by the bonds of brotherhood in a violent group of revolutionaries; and a young Sikh soldier, traumatised by his experiences on the Western Front. These three characters (and many more) face a dramatic resolution of their personal crises in the build-up to the Amritsar massacre in 1919. Mixing the sweltering resentment growing in Amritsar with the horrors of the trenches endured by countless Indian soldiers, Bali Rai blends an examination of a pivotal moment in Indian history with strands of romance and supernatural suspense to create a novel that mourns the seductive allure of violence and vengeance while celebrating the enduring power of love. 13+
Doubleday 2009 £12.99 ISBN 9780385611695
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Neal Shusterman
Everlost
After being killed in a car accident on the first page, Allie and Nick wake up in a strange limbo called Everlost, which lies just a shadow’s depth away from our own. As if the puzzling nature of their new existence wasn’t enough to worry about, they also have to contend with a variety of colourful characters including the sinister Haunter, the monstrous McGill and the seemingly benign Mary Hightower. However, they learn the hard way that though death, aging and physical pain are impossible in Everlost, suffering is rarely far away. This fascinating supernatural adventure zips along at a rapid pace whilst also taking time to explore some of the varying attitudes towards life and death. 12+
Simon and Schuster 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781847385048
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Kate Thompson
Creature of the night
Fourteen-year-old Bobby’s life is all about drugs, alcohol and joyriding - until his mum, heavily in debt to loan sharks, whisks him and his younger brother away to the country to escape. Bobby has no intention of hanging around, so he steals a car and makes his way back to Dublin, where a terrible crime leaves his mate on a charge of attempted murder. Returning to the country, life in the cottage becomes increasingly disturbing, as he finds out that a girl was supposedly killed there, and his brother is convinced that strange night time visitations are from some sort of fairy. And what happened to the man who previously rented the cottage, who disappeared without trace? Gritty and very real, this is an absorbing story of murder, crime and family breakdown, with a touch of fantasy. Unputdownable. 13+
Definitions 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781862303508
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Jenny Valentine
The ant colony
33 Georgiana Street, Camden Town, is home toa number ofdrifters and misfits, including seventeen-year-old Sam, who has run away to the city to hide from a shameful secret, and neglected ten-year-old Bohemia, whose mother has a problem with drink and drugs. Sam has chosen the wrong place to try to be alone, with Bohemia determined to be his friend and nosy old Isobel intent on finding out who he is and what he’s hiding. Told alternately by Sam and Bohemia, this is a wonderfully original and absorbing story, with characters the reader really believes in and cares about. 12+
HarperCollins 2009 £6.99 9780007283590
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Robin Wasserman
Skinned
The deepest and most vital questions of life, death and the nature of existence are examined in this intriguing story of a girl whose life takes on new meaning after a horrific car accident. Lia Kahn is the alpha female of her school but, when she is reborn as an android, she faces revulsion and rejection from almost everyone. By forging relationships with those few who do accept her in some way and by confronting those, like her sister, who have abandoned her, Lia makes the difficult journey towards accepting who and what she really is. Thought-provoking and surprisingly emotional given Lia’s inability to truly feel or express emotion, this will strike a chord with many teens who are struggling to define their own identity. 13+
Simon and Schuster 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781847385116
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Gloria Whelan
Homeless bird
Koly is forced by poverty into a loveless arranged marriage at the age of only thirteen. When her young husband, who is ill throughout their short marriage, dies of tuberculosis, Koly becomes a widow at seventeen. Initially she is supported by her husband’s family but, when her father in law also dies, she is pushed out of the family home by her bad tempered mother-in-law and forced to live on the streets of Delhi. Eventually she is helped by Raj, who she is able to lovingly accept as her new husband. Written from Koly’s perspective, the story is a subtle and well-written view of one aspect of life in India today, particularly the pressure that poverty places on families. 13+
Francis Lincoln 2009 £5.99 ISBN 978845079772
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Fiction - Key Stage 4/16+
Peter Ackroyd
The casebook of Victor Frankenstein
What would happen if Victor Frankenstein went to Oxford University with Percy Shelley? Set in 19th century London, this speculative gothic novel draws together real historical characters, such as Percy and Mary Shelley and Lord Byron, with the fictional Frankenstein as he conducts his horrific, monster-creating anatomy experiments. The seedy world of resurrectionists is wonderfully evoked by the author. Exciting and accessible, this would make thrilling additional reading for this aspect of the English curriculum. It’s such a good idea it’s a wonder it’s never been done before. 14+
Vintage 2009 £7.99 ISBN 9780099524137
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Ray Bradbury (adapted by Tim Hamilton)
Fahrenheit 451
A wonderfully atmospheric graphic novel version of this science fiction masterpiece, set in the near future, where knowledge is banned and ‘firemen’ search out and set fire to all books. Even though it was first written in the 1950s, the message against censorship is as relevant as ever. A specially commissioned introduction by Ray Bradbury himself poses the interesting question: ‘What book would you save or memorize to protect it from destruction by the censor?’. This excellent adaptation could be a strong contender. 14+
Harper 2009 £10.99 ISBN 9780007304738
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Melvin Burgess
Nicholas Dane
When his mum dies of a heroin overdose, Nick is sent to Meadow Hill care home, where he gets in fights with practically every other boy, is beaten by his vicious house master and sexually abused by the odious deputy head. Nick's only hope for a happy future is to escape the home but, even when he manages it, his life is overshadowed by what he has suffered. Loosely based on Oliver Twist, this grim tale is characterised by graphic descriptions of violence but not the sexual abuse suffered by Nick and other characters. It is also an astute examination of the attitudes of both the abusers and the abused in these situations and of the kinds of relationships that are necessary to offer any hope of closure for the victims. Most surprisingly, it has a happy ending (of sorts) which illustrates the futility of suppressing memories of abuse and the difficulties of finding true justice for the victims. Not for the faint-hearted, this remains a powerful novel with a lot to say. 14+
Andersen Press 2009 £12.99 ISBN 9781842701812
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Ian Edginton (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A study in Scarlet
A wonderfully evocative graphic re-telling of Sherlock Holmes’s first ever case, re-imagined by author Ian Edginton and graphic artist I.N.G Culbard, in which the enigmatic detective Holmes and his partner-in-crime Dr Watson first become acquainted and the science of detective deduction is born. Set initially in the claustrophobic atmosphere of foggy Victorian London, as the murder case unfolds it expands to the North American plains of the Wild West. This is a match made in heaven - a thrilling detective story retold perfectly in a graphic format - and is highly recommended. 14+
Self Made Hero 2010 £14.99 ISBN 9781906838010
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Liz Jensen
The Rapture
This is not only a wonderfully exciting and fast paced science fiction thriller, it is also an exploration of disability and reasons for mental illness. Set in the near future when global warming has become a reality and geological and climate catastrophes have become common, disabled psychologist Genevieve Fox takes a new job at an institution for psychotic children. Her principle patient is Bethany Krall, who not only brutally murdered her mother but is also able to mysteriously read peoples minds and foretell the future. Initially Genevieve is sceptical of Bethany’s ability but increasingly comes to believe her visions are coming true - visions that are leading to the destruction of the world as we know it. This is a terrifyingly believable and topical page-turner full of big ideas. 16+
Bloomsbury 2009 £7.99 ISBN 9781408801109
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John Le Carré
A most wanted man
An outstanding new novel by this master of the spy genre, set among the émigré Turkish community in Germany. John le Carré draws an all-too-believable picture of the inept and ineffectual War on Terror. While his government spies may be German, their capacity to put two and two together and come up with five seems to be not uncommon among intelligence agencies. He also weaves in the shady world of banking, British intelligence, Russia’s grisly war in Chechnya and a beautiful civil rights lawyer, to produce a politically astute and very exciting thriller based on the overriding themes of our time. Highly recommended for more able pupils.14+
Hodder 2009 £ 7.99 ISBN 9780340977088
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Dee Philips
‘Right Now!’ series
Aimed at teenagers with a low reading age, this series could be the answer to your prayers! Suited to teens right through from KS3 to 16+, it will probably find most use amongst readers of around 14-16, with a reading age of approximately 6 years. Very simple text tells a short story, with a slightly challenging ending, and striking photo-imagery provides colourful and appropriate illustration. Each story is followed by a few suggestions for activities to follow up the theme of the story. Titles include ‘Dare’; ‘Fight’; ‘Scout’; ‘Dumped’; ‘Joyride’; ‘Blast’ and ‘Goal’
Evans 2009 £5.99 Various ISBNs
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Leanne Shapton
Important artefacts and personnel property from the collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, including books, street fashion and jewellery: Saturday, 14th February 2009, New York
Not a graphic novel, but a story told through seemingly random black-and-white photographic images. This is the story of a doomed relationship, told using the sale of artefacts defining the end of the romantic relationship between Lenore and Harold. Reading the images and the limited text (arranged like a sale catalogue) we are able to clearly imagine the lovers and their intimate relationship through their shared possessions. We are also able to draw our own conclusion about why the relationship failed, though our view may be totally at odds with that of another reader. This is a wonderfully unique example of what could be the beginning of a whole new genre of novel. 16+
Bloomsbury 2009 £12.99 ISBN 9781408804728
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Paul Torday
The girl on the landing
This is a surprising, intriguing and well-written mystery with some neat psychological twists. Michael and Elizabeth’s marriage is going nowhere until Michael stops taking his mystery medication. The change in his personality and in his relationship with his wife is dramatic. Initially, Elizabeth is thrilled but she starts to suspect that there is something dangerously wrong. Is Michael sinking into a psychotic state? Or is he the ‘ghost in the machine’, a part-human creature from our distant ancestry, genetically programmed to survive at all costs? This is a wonderfully original novel that builds beautifully to its shocking and violent conclusion. 16+
Orion Books 2009 £7.99 ISBN 9780753823408
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Dan Tunstall
Big and clever
Dan and his best mate Raks are starting at a rough new school, and they just don’t fit in anywhere. But when they fall in with ‘ASBO Boy’ Ryan and go along to a local football match, they get involved in a fight with rival fans, and both boys hold their own. Accepted into a growing army of hooligans, Tom has finally found a place for himself – but what will his girlfriend and washed-up dad say about it? Written in a no-nonsense, authentic style, this debut from a Leicester City fan pulls no punches. Most worryingly, hooliganism is shown to be a sub-culture so seductive that Tom remains drawn to it even after he almost loses his life. A gritty thriller sure to win fans among boys of 14+.
Five Leaves 2009 £6.99 ISBN 9781905512683
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Caias Ward
The only brother
Andrew is coming to terms with the sudden death of his older brother Will, who had been ill since birth. Andrew felt that his parents spent all of their time and money on Will, which left him hating his brother. His death only compounds his feelings and his parents and, despite help from counsellors, the only person who can get through to him is his casual girlfriend Sarah. Only when he violently hits out at his Dad does he begin to realise that his life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Using texts, MSN-style conversation and blogs, this is contemporary, realistic language. Aimed at teenagers and young adults who may find reading difficult or are turned-off by other types of fiction, this title in the Cutting Edge series may be the hard-hitting, gritty, relevant book they’re looking for. 14+
Ransom 2009 £5.99 ISBN 9781841677194
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