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Junior Book Group Reading List
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Junior Book Group
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| Abrahams, Peter | Down the Rabbit Hole |
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When Ingrid accidentally leaves her favourite football sneakers at a murder scene, she is sucked into the mysterious case. It's all her fault that the police are on the wrong track, so Ingrid swears to hunt down Cracked-up Katie's killer herself. But Ingrid's life is full of distractions - Joey, the son of the local police chief; portraying Alice in the Prescott Players new production; not failing maths. When the clues lead her to the new member of the theatre group, Vincent, she doesn't realize the danger until it's too late - and suddenly she's battling for her life, about to be pushed over the edge of Echo Falls... |
| Aiken, Joan | The Witch of Clatteringshaws |
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Malise, the Witch of Clatteringshaws, lives in Scotland in a disused Ladies Convenience at the end of a coach park in Caledonia overlooking Loch Grieve (inhabited by Hobyahs and a monster). Down in London, Simon Battersea has inherited the throne of England and although accompanied by his friend Dido he is not happy with his lot. There are other possible claimants to the throne and Dido departs to Scotland in order to find them. There she gets help from the Witch of Clatteringshaws. Abandoned children, murderers, and monsters confront Dido as she goes north; old legends are revived and Simon is called upon to defend his country against invading Wends. But Malise proves an invaluable ally and a swarm of bees and a song provide the key to a roller-coaster climax. |
| Allison, Jennifer | Gilda Joyce and the Ladies Lake |
 |
Gilda is not exactly thrilled when she gets accepted on Scholarship to the prestigious Our Lady of Sorrows school for girls. But then she finds out about Dolores Lambert, the ex-pupil who drowned mysteriously in the lake in the grounds of the school. Now Gilda can't wait to start at the school. She plans to begin solving the mystery straight away. But certain people are trying to thwart her investigation. There's the intimidating Ladies of the Lake clique for a start, not to mention eccentric headmistress Ms McCracknell. But Gilda isn't going to let anything get in the way of truth, or the completion of her gothic novel. With so many strings to her bow, Gilda Joyce can't possibly fail ...can she? |
| Almond, David | Fire eaters |
 |
There he was, below the bridge,
half-naked, eyes blazing. He had a pair of burning torches. He ran them
back and forth across his skin. He sipped from a bottle, breathed across a
torch, and fire and fumes leapt from his lips. The air was filled with the
scent of paraffin. He breathed again, a great high spreading flag of fire.
He glared. He roared like an animal. That summer, life had seemed
perfect for Bobby Burns. But now it's autumn and the winds of change are
blowing hard. Bobby's dad is mysteriously ill. His new school is a cold
and cruel place. And worse: nuclear war may be about to start. But Bobby
has a wonder-working friend called Ailsa Spink. And he's found the
fire-eater, a devil called McNulty. What can they do together on Bobby's
beach? Is it possible to work miracles? Will they be able to transform the
world?
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Introduction to Fire Eaters Read an excerpt |
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| Arbuthnott, Gill | Winterbringers |
|
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St Andrews, Fife - not known for its glorious
weather, but even so, Josh hadn't expected the sea to start to freeze and
ice to creep up the beaches ...His summer holiday isn't looking too
promising, especially as his only companions are a strange local girl,
Callie, and her enormous dog Luath. Then they uncover the journal of an
eighteenth-century girl who writes about a Kingdom of Summer, and suddenly
they find themselves thrown headlong into a storm of witches, ice creatures,
magic and the Winter King. A permanent winter threatens unless they can help
restore the natural balance of the seasons. Can they stop the Winterbringers
once and for all?
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| Arnold, Louise | The invisible friend |
 |
Grey Arthur is a ghost. Not a chain-rattling, dramatic-wailing type of ghost. He's a hazy, grey and not very ghost-like at all. Discover what happens to him in this funny first novel by new talent Louise Arnold, when he decides to become lonely Tom's Invisible Friend...Grey Arthur is a very normal ghost. Too normal for his own liking. He's so normal he doesn't even know what group he belongs to: not scary enough to be a Screamer, or naughty enough to be a Poltergeist...each different thing Arthur tries to be, he fails. One afternoon, when Grey Arthur is thinking very despondently how unfair life is, he senses the exact same emotion coming from a boy far away. And as he follows his instincts he reaches Tom's house. Tom is a very normal boy, with brown hair and brown eyes and normal parents. But somehow people at school don't seem to think that. He doesn't fit in. People call him weird. When Grey Arthur senses Tom's unhappiness he realises they're not so different after all. He doesn't feel he fits in with the other ghosts, either; and that is when he realises what he is going to be. He's going to be Tom's official Invisible Friend and help him solve his problems. |
| What the Book Group said | |
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CBBC Newsround | UK | Is this the next JK Rowling? |
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| Beddor, Frank | The looking-glass wars |
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Alyss, born in Wonderland, is destined to be a warrior queen. After a bloody coup topples the Heart regime, Alyss is exiled to another world entirely, where she is adopted into a new family, renamed Alice and befriended by Lewis Carroll. At age 20 she returns to Wonderland to battle Redd and lead Wonderland into its next golden age of imagination. |
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Egmont Books Website - Frank Beddor |
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| Blacker, Terence | Parent Swap |
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Danny Bell isn’t
happy with his family - his mother is busy with her new life as a real
estate agent, a life that doesn’t involve her old family. His dad is an
aging musician who hasn’t left the house in years. Then a ParentSwap notice
ends up in Danny’s backpack - offering kids the choice of a whole new
family. Danny decides to go for it, but things don’t quite work out like he
would expect. Everything seems a little too planned, too directed, too
watched? It’s up to Danny to try his hand at a little directing of his own,
and in the process see if he can’t fix his old family - at least a little.
The story is particularly timely with today’s reality TV obsessed world. I
really enjoyed the little "interview" sidebars with all the people in
Danny’s life and the unique insights they offer to the story. I also enjoyed
seeing a quiet, dreamy kid portrayed as interesting and clever. The plot is
fast-paced and offers plenty of twists. Definitely fun with a few very nice
moments.
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| Bloor, Thomas | Worm in the blood |
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Sam's family are cursed with a dark and terrible secret. A secret that has its origins in a remote island off the coast of China and has haunted every generation of his family for hundreds of years. Now the curse is about to claim Sam as its next victim. It starts with an itchy rash that spreads all over his body. Then the feeling of something changing within him, coming alive. And why has he become obsessed with the marshes and their cool, muddy waters? Why has he stopped seeing his friends and going to school? As rumours begin to spread about sightings of a sinister creature on the outskirts of town, Sam is forced to face a horrifying truth. One that could destroy him... |
| Bowler, Tim | Apocalypse |
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Caught in a storm
on their sailing boat, Kit and his parents are driven to the shores of a
small island. But there is no safety here. The intense, enclosed community
is hostile and Kit soon realizes that he and his parents are in terrible
danger. Then suddenly his mother and father disappear. Kit finds himself
alone, faced with a desperate struggle. He must stay alive and search for
his parents. And he must deal with the frightening new arrival - the
mysterious wild man who seems to have come from the sea itself. The man
whose face bears an uncanny resemblance to his own...In his terrifying
battle to survive and find out what has happened to his parents Kit will
face trials and dangers beyond anything he could have imagined. He will also
encounter the one thing he never expects.
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| Boyce, Frank Cottrell | Framed |
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Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage - and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in chrge of the petrol log. And, that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod - what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But, when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people - and what have they got to hide? This is a story inspired by a press cutting describing how, during WWII, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how Art - its beauty and its value - touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town. |
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Guardian Unlimited Books | By genre | Review: Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce |
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What the Book Group Said |
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| Millions | |
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Comedy is blended with real life drama in perfect balance, in the story of brothers Damian and Anthony who suddenly have to spend ‘millions’ in seven days before the euro takes over from the pound. A gripping read with an exciting plot that you will find irresistible. |
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Millions Extract by Frank Cottrell Boyce Teachit's English teaching resources CILIP | In the frame for writing Millions - an interview with Frank Cottrell Boyce |
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| Choldenko, Gennifer | AL Capone does my shirts |
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Moose Flanagan
lives with his family on Alcatraz Island home to a high security prison
and the famous gangster, Al Capone. But living next door to Al Capone is the
least of his problems. He has a new school to get used to, new friends to
make and also has to cope with his sister’s autism. A deeply felt and
remarkable tale of family and friendship.
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Cheeky Monkeys - Carnegie 2005 Group Reviews Al Capone does my shirts BloomsburyMagazine.com - Children's Area Literature Circle Guide |
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| Cooper, Susan | Victory |
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Two children cross
an ocean, two hundred years apart. One is Sam Robbins, a powder monkey
aboard H.M.S.Victory, the ship in which Lord Nelson will die a hero's death
at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The other is Molly Jennings, a
present-day English girl transplanted from London to America, fighting a
battle of her own against loss and loneliness. This extraordinary
time-shifting adventure tells the interwoven stories of Sam and Molly,
linked by a mystery. Sam is a farm boy, kidnapped by the "press gang" to
serve in the Royal Navy. At first terrified and seasick, he is transformed
gradually into a sailor. In the rowdy, dangerous world of a warship enduring
the Napoleonic Wars, he meets both cruelty and kindness, and survives a
fearsome battle whose echoes reach through the years to involve Molly as
well. Like him, she has lost her childhood, but will find her future with
help, from a much unexpected source. Separate yet together, Sam and Molly
struggle through fear and excitement to a final ordeal, which terrifyingly
tests their courage. And the moving climax of the book shows two lives
joined forever, by the touch of Nelson, one of the greatest sailors of all
time. |
| Craig, Joe | Sabotage |
|
Jimmy Coates seems
like an ordinary boy, but he's not. He's genetically engineered to grow into
the perfect government assassin. Speed, strength and deadly instinct - it's
all in his blood. He has to fight not to kill ... while his government
fights to kill him. Jimmy Coates embarks on his fourth adventure in his
ongoing mission to out-think / out-manoeuvre and outwit NJ7. If you think
it's over, think again! "Jimmy closed his eyes, searching for that power
inside him. He had to forget that he was terrified -- that was only the
human part of him, the 38 per cent that was a normal, frightened boy. He
willed the assassin to take him over. He knew that somewhere within him was
enough strength, resilience and expert knowledge to survive this crisis."
The cold and calculating Miss Bennett has had enough of Jimmy Coates. NJ7's
greatest invention has turned into it's greatest enemy, and it's time
someone put an end to him. But Jimmy's next mission is to foil a secret plan
-- and who could be better at this than someone who officially doesn't
exist! |
| Creech, Sharon | Love that dog |
 |
Love That Dog is the story of Jack, his dog, his teacher, and words. The
story develops through Jack's responses to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry,
over the course of a school year. At first, his responses are short and
cranky: "I don't want to" and "I tried. Can't do it. Brain's empty." But as
his teacher feeds him inspiration, Jack finds that he has a lot to say and
he finds ways to say it. Jack is both stubborn and warm-hearted, and he can be both serious and funny. Although he hates poetry at first, he begins to find poems that inspire him. All year long, he is trying to find a way to talk about his beloved dog, Sky, and the poems his teacher offers him eventually give him a way to do that. Jack becomes especially fond of a poem by Walter Dean Myers titled "Love That Boy," and it is this poem that finally gives Jack a way to tell the whole story of his dog, Sky. In gratitude, Jack invites Walter Dean Myers to visit his class. |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| Dahl, Roald | The Eejits |
 |
Mr Eejit wis an eejit. He wis boarn an eejit. And noo at the graund auld age o sixty, he wis a bigger eejit than ever. For the first time, the wonderful world of Roald Dahl appears in the Scots Language. In The Twits, Roald Dahl's story about the world's most revolting couple, Mr Twit was horrible and hairy and his wife Mrs Twit was just plain ugly. Now in The Eejits they are honkin, mawkit, bowfin and clarty and Mrs Eejit's hackitness is revealed in all its manky glory |
| Dale, Anna | Whispering to Witches |
|
|
"A short holiday with his mother turns out very differently for Joe than he could have imagined when he left home. Soon he is embroiled in a world of witchcraft, a world where the kind and innocent witches of Britain are facing a wicked foe. Can Joe and his young friend Twiggy put an end to the cunning plot, or will they, like their witchy friends, find the baffling mystery too hard to solve?" |
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What the Book Group said Extract
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| Delaney, Joseph | Spook's Apprentice |
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A wonderful and terrifying series by a new writer about a young boy training to be an exorcist. Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and has been apprenticed to the local Spook. The job is hard, the Spook is distant and many apprentices have failed before Thomas. Somehow Thomas must learn how to exorcise ghosts, contain witches and bind boggarts. But when he is tricked into freeing Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the County, the horror begins . . . |
| Kids at Random House - Spook's by Joseph Delaney | |
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CBBC Newsround | Press Pack Reports | Your Reports | I met a famous author
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| Doherty, Berlie | Children of Winter |
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Catherine and her family are out for a walk when a sudden storm blows up, and they are forced to take shelter in a deserted barn which they have never seen before but which seems strangely familiar. The children find that they have slipped back to the time of the Black Death. |
| Elliott, Patricia | Murkmere |
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Aggie's life in
the village is as normal and dull as any girl's; she has never questioned
the rule of the Ministration or the power of the divine beings --- the
birds. Then, the crippled master of the nearby manor, Murkmere, sends for
Aggie to become a lady's companion to his ward, Leah. Aggie accepts and even
starts to befriend the wild and strange girl who seems to want nothing but
to escape Murkmere and its powermongering steward, Silas. As preparations
begin for the ball celebrating Leah's sixteenth birthday, Aggie finds
herself more deeply involved in the sinister plots that surround Murkmere,
Leah, and the mysterious Master. |
| Author! Author! Article: Patricia Elliott | |
| Fardell, John | The 7 Professors of the Far North |
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Ampersand is one of The Seven Professors involved in a project to develop a university on the island of Nordbergen off the coast of Norway and Russia. Thirty-five years earlier the dream turned sour as one of the group destroyed the university, stranded the other six members and fled without trace. Now, he has returned to finish the job. Ampersand summons the rest of the group and, with the help of the children, becomes embroiled in a race to unravel the mysterious secret that lies deep within the island of Nordbergen... |
| Fisher, Catherine | Darkhenge |
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Darkhenge,
the unearthly novel from Catherine Fisher is one full of history, mystery, myth
and magic. Drawing on the author’s passion for archaeology, and set against a
landscape steeped in legend near her Wye Valley home, she creates an atmospheric
narrative that is every bit as spooky as it is dramatic. Rob’s sister Chloe lies
in a coma in hospital after a riding accident and he is an uncomfortable weekly
visitor to her bedside. In an effort to distract himself from the trauma in his
personal life, Rob uses his skill at art to get a job on a secretive local dig.
His new employer, Dr Kavanagh, is desperate to preserve the operation’s
anonymity and warns Rob not to reveal what they are up to. If news leaked that
they had found the remains of a prehistoric wooden circle, the media blitz would
be catastrophic. |
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http://www.geocities.com/catherinefisheruk/catherine.html Darkhenge, Catherine Fisher - HarperChildrens Doncaster Book Award Bucks CC - Book Reviews - Review Details |
|
| Funke, Cornelia | Dragon Rider |
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Firedrake, Ben, and their family friend, Sorrel, are in search of the mythical place where dragons can live in peace forever. Together they embark on a journey that takes them to magical lands where they meet marvelous creatures - and one ruthless villain. |
| Dragon Rider quiz -- free game | |
| Inkheart | |
 |
Mo, a gentle bookbinder with an extraordinary secret, and his daughter Meggie love books, yet he has not read aloud to her since her mother disappeared years ago. After a mysterious stranger visits them, Mo tells Meggie they must go into hiding. But why? - and from whom? |
| What the Book Group said | |
| Inkheart - Extract | |
| Gantos, Jack | Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key |
|
At school they
say I'm wired bad, or wired nad, or wired sad, or wired glad, depending on
my mood and what teacher has ended up with me. But there is no doubt
about it, I'm wired.Joey is undoubtedly a handful: his tendency to literally
spin down the school halls or bounce around the kitchen can, understandably
drive the adults in his life insane. But Joey has Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder and he really has no control over his actions. He
just does whatever pops into his head. And if that includes swallowing a
key, then so be it... Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
is one of the most unusual and absorbing books any child, or adult, is ever
likely to read. Joey's story is at once wildly funny and despairingly sad,
but most of all totally convincing. Jack Gantos writes with a dead-pan style
that avoids patronising either the readers or Joey himself, and takes us
into a world that swings from being breathtakingly wild and exciting to
unbelievably confusing.
Read an Extract
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| Gardner, Lyn | Into the Woods |
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Taking inspiration from numerous
fairytales and weaving them into a wholly original story, "Into The Woods"
is a whirlwind of a novel, full of imaginative happenings, dastardly deeds
and thrilling adventure. Our guides are three sisters: Storm, Aurora and
Anything Eden. Accidentally orphaned and left to fend for themselves in a
decaying mansion on the edge of the wilds, they come to the very much
unwanted attention of the sinister Dr DeWilde: a scar-faced gentleman with a
pied waistcoat and an unhealthy interest in rats. He's after a tiny little
musical pipe that Storm has inherited, and he'll stop at nothing to get it.
Fleeing into the woods, our courageous and eccentric sisters evade kidnap
(almost), resist the temptation of sweet-filled orphanages (nearly!), and
begin a treacherous journey across raging rivers, over mountains of ice,
through deathly silent ghost towns and beyond the lairs of child-eating
ogresses. With ravenously hungry wolves snapping at their heels every step
of the way! Featuring wonderful illustrations by award-winning illustrator
Mini Grey, "Into The Woods" is a classic tale with a very modern twist and
will delight readers of every generation. |
| Gilman, David | The Devil's Breath |
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Max Gordon, a sporty 15-year-old boy, is a pupil at Dartmoor High, "a private school that concentrated on vigorous physical pursuits and no-nonsense education". Jogging across the moors, he is attacked by an assassin with a pistol. For some reason, someone wants to kill him. Is it connected to the mysterious disappearance of his father, somewhere in Namibia? |
| Gleitzman, Morris | Once |
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For three years and eight months, Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns' books, Felix is terrified that his Jewish, bookseller parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland, befriending a little orphan girl called Zelda and a kindly dentist, Barney, who hides and cares for Jewish children. But when the Nazis discover them, Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice for the children. |
| Golding, Julia | Secrets of the Sirens |
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When Connie is sent to live with her aunt, she knows it's going to be one more place where she doesn't fit in. But soon she realises how wrong she is. The seaside town is full of adults and children who have strange links to creatures. It's the heart of the secret Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures, a group of people sworn to ensure that mythical beasts are kept safe. Normally the creatures and their chosen humans work in harmony. But something abnormal is happening here. The Sirens, who for generations have kept their deadly song to themselves, are once again luring humans to their deaths. It doesn't take long for Connie to realise that the victims are oil workers. The Sirens are fed-up with their seas being polluted, but should the Society protect the Sirens or the oil industry? Connie doesn't think she has a role to play, until it becomes clear that she's a Universal - the first person in over a century who can communicate with every type of beast on earth and in the air. Her power is immense. It corrupted the previous Universal ...and now he's back.And he'll use any means he can - from violence to the terrifying Storm Giants - to turn Connie to the dark side. |
| Goodheart, Pippa | Raven Boy |
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This work is set in London 1666. Young Nick Truelove blames King Charles II for the death of his parents, and vows to get revenge. He forms a special friendship with a young raven and inspired by its bold behaviour and wily cunning bluffs his way into the centre of the King's power, the Tower of London. But the Great Fire and an encounter with the King himself will change Nick's life for ever. Pippa Goodhart's novel is firmly rooted in history and vividly describes the horror of the Plague and the Great Fire. At its heart though is a thrilling adventure about a boy, his battle with injustice, and his special relationship with a wild animal. |
| Grenfell, Gus | Woodenface |
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Meg is a Maker, pouring life into the wooden dolls she carves. Accused of witchcraft, she flees to Halifax, only to find her father in jail, facing death by the gibbet. Desperate to save him, she must first learn what being a Maker really means - and confront the demons that stalk her. |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| Julie Hearn | The Merrybegot |
 |
This is the story of Nell who lives with her grandmother, the local cunning woman and healer, in a west country village in the seventeenth century. When one of the minister's daughters falls pregnant, she and her sister attempt to conceal it by accusing Nell of putting a curse on them. The witchfinder general, Matthew Hopkins, is called in and in an atmosphere of fear, the local villagers turn nasty and Nell's grandmother falls victim to their hatred. Nell is all alone, and in great danger. |
| Guardian Unlimited Books | By genre | Review: The Merrybegot by Julie Hearn | |
| Hesse, Karen | The Stowaway |
 |
In 1767, 11-year-old Nicholas Young stowed away on Captain James Cook's "Endeavour." Cook's three-year mission was secret: he was charged by the British Navy to search for a lost continent, believed to be located between the southern tip of South America and New Zealand. Young's journal charts the voyage and with every port of call a new adventure awaits. This is the story of a great voyage of discovery seen through the eyes of a boy who was actually there. |
| Higgins, F E | The Black Book of Secrets |
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When Ludlow Fitch's parents cruelly betray him, he steals away on the back of a carriage and leaves behind the stinking City. He arrives in the dead of night at a remote village, where he crosses paths with the tall and limping figure of Joe Zabbidou - a pawnbroker with a difference. For Joe trades secrets, not goods, for cash. Ludlow is employed to record the villagers' fiendish confessions in "The Black Book of Secrets" - bodysnatching; thievery; and murder. The people of Pagus Parvus have much to hide. But is Ludlow Fitch ready to release his own skeletons? And will he ever learn to trust his mysterious master? |
| Hightman, Jason | Saint of Dragons |
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"An ambitious fantasy adventure that is always pacy, never dull, and consistently interesting. Imagine waking up one day to find that you are descended from an ancient line of dragon hunters? That’s exactly what happens to Simon St. George in The Saint of Dragons and how he goes about adjusting to his new existence is the stuff of great entertainment." |
| What the Book Groups said | |
| The Saint Of Dragons extract | |
| Horowitz, Anthony | Raven's Gate |
 |
Matt has always known he has unusual powers. Raised in foster care, he is sent to Yorkshire on a rehabilitation programme, only to find himself in the midst of sinister goings-on. Matt investigates and uncovers a terrible secret - eight guardians are protecting the world from the evil ones, beings banished long ago by five children. But devil worshippers want to let the evil ones back in... |
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First Chapter - The Power of Five: Raven's Gate - Walker Books Raven’s Gate by Anthony Horowitz | Scholastic |
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| Ibbotson, Eva | The star of Kazan |
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Set in Vienna in the late 19th Century, this is the story of Annika. No one knows who she really is. Adopted by a cook and housekeeper after she was found on the steps of church as a baby the story follows her quest to discover her true identity. An atmospheric and exciting tale, this story offers classic storytelling. The plot and characters are absorbing: a real page-turner. |
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Cheeky Monkeys - Carnegie 2005 Group Reviews Excerpt from The Star of Kazan Author of the month: Eva Ibbotson | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books |
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| Kemp, Gene | Nothing Scares Me |
|
I suppose it's a gift. But, I didn't ask for it, did I? Any more than you ask for brown eyes instead of blue. I often wish it would go away. I don't want to be different...Petra has a sixth sense - she can predict events that haven't happened yet. It's a talent that she's grown to hate. People think she's weird and she knows that if she wants her classmates to like her she will have to keep her gift a secret. Until her visions take a sinister turn. George, the ghost-boy who lives in her house, seems to be trying to give her a desperate message. And, why is she being plagued by the image of a dark-haired girl walking her dog? What does it all mean? When a pupil from her school goes missing, it becomes horrifyingly clear that Petra's visions may hold the key to the disappearance - and the suspected murder of a schoolgirl ten years before. But, as she soon discovers, danger lies closer to home. Petra's sixth sense may be the only thing that can protect her from becoming the next victim... |
| Laird, Elizabeth | The garbage king |
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This is the story of children who live on the very edge of destitution. Dani and Mamo, and the gang of street boys that they join, have nothing and share everything. Their courage, loyalty and determination enable them to survive in the harshest of worlds. |
| The Garbage King quiz -- free game | |
| Landy, Derek | Skulduggery Pleasant |
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Get ready for the biggest NEW children's publishing phenomenon, now in paperback! "So you won't keep anything from me again?" He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die." "Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said. "I know." "And technically, you've already died." "I know that too." "Just so we're clear." Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source -- the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard. When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture! Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it. |
|
Skulduggery Pleasant Website Video Interview with the Author from Amazon Interview with Derek Landy |
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| Langrish, Katherine | Troll Fell |
 |
A secret kingdom of trolls, and their legendary gold, lies in the mysterious shadows of Troll Fell. It is to this eerie and dangerous place that Peer must go after his father's sudden death, to live with his greedy uncles, Baldur and Grim, at their mill. When Peer discovers his uncles' plan to sell children to the trolls, he has to bury his fears and set out to stop them somehow. In a world filled with magic and mystery, Peer has only his bravery, his wits, and two new allies -- a daring girl looking for adventure and a mischievous house spirit looking for a good meal. Their story will become part of the legends and lore that fill this extraordinary land by the sea. |
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What the Book Groups said Troll Fell Extract |
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| Lingard, Joan | Sign of the Black Dagger |
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When Will and Lucy's dad disappears, their life changes for ever. They uncover a trail of secrets and lies - but hidden in a fireplace in their old Edinburgh house, there's a clue that might lead them to the truth. A journal that tells the story of another pair of twins, William and Louisa, who lived in their house two-hundred years before. Their own father was in serious financial trouble and took sanctuary - as all debtors could - in the grounds of Holyrood Abbey. A place full of French aristocrats fleeing revolution; a haven of intrigue and spies. In 1796, a mysterious black dagger helped the children save the life of an exiled French Count. And now it will lead Will and Lucy to find their own dad - and the truth about why he's disappeared. |
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Read
Hayocks PS reviews on the BRAW website Holyrood Abbey Edinburgh's Old Town History of Edinburgh The Royal Mile |
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| MacPhail, Catherine | Underworld |
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Five misfits are among a group of children chosen for an adventure holiday in Scotland. None of them is glad to go, and none of them likes each other. When they are trapped by a rock fall in a vast network of caves they know that they need to work together to survive, yet none of them wants to lose the power struggle. |
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Read the Book Group Reviews Catherine MacPhail CV at PFD |
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| Mark, Jan | Useful Idiots |
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This is a
fascinating thriller based in a future where the seas have risen to claim
back the land, the past has been buried and archaeology is considered the
most dangerous science. Set in a highly realistic dystopic future, where the lowlands of Britain are flooded, this beautifully realised novel explores a world where archaeology is controlled for fear of social unrest. One bleak morning, a storm across the North Sea unveils a human skull, which leads to a series of events that changes the lives of those involved. Merrick, a young graduate archaeology student becomes embroiled in the task of discovering the origins of the skull. His interest in this bizarre case brings him into contact with the Inglish, a remnant tribe eking out an existence on the edge of Europe. In this wildly progressive new world, it is they who will be affected the most. This is a compelling vision of England as it could be in the not-so-distant future. |
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Back from the future | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books Independent Online Edition > Obituaries |
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| Matthews, Andrew | The shadow garden |
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'Like cold fingers reaching from the grave, a chilling atmosphere of mystery and suspense seeps through this haunting ghost story. Matty's sixth sense tells her that Tagram House harbours a dark secret. Her fears lead Matty to the eerie Shadow Garden where she discovers what's buried there. Now she must untangle the mystery before disaster engulfs everyone.' |
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What the Book Groups said Usborne Fabulous New Fiction: Shadow Garden: Extractes |
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| McAllister, Margaret | The life shop |
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Buyer beware! The price of a bargain may be higher than you think. Everyone is thrilled by the Life Shop catalogue. It sells everything - from cat baskets to cruises to career plans - and all a great price. Lorna alone cannot understand why her friends, neighbours and even her normally sensible Mum are obsessed by the Life Shop. She realises that its customers seem to be losing their individuality. Are the enticing products costing more than is apparent? More importantly, Lorna is also concerned about her disabled brother - how does he fit into the Life Shop's all too perfect world? An original and compelling novel for 10s to young teens. |
| Bloomsbury.com - Children's Authors | |
| McCaughrean, Geraldine | Not the end of the world |
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Everyone knows the story of the Flood, the men God chose to survive, the animals that went in two-by-two. But what about the others that sailed on the Ark, the women and the children? This adventure story asks what it was really like when the heavens opened and the world drowned - and what might have happened in the days that followed. With a frighteningly zealous and single-minded Noah; Japheth and his young wife, Zillah concerned for the welfare of the animals; the stowaway boy and baby found by Noah's daughter, Timna; and the animals themselves, continuing to act as animals do, whatever their surroundings, this is an extremely compelling and at times very frightening story, beautifully written as ever by Geraldine McCaughrean. |
| What the Book Group said | |
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Review: Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean | By genre |
Guardian Unlimited Books It's Official: Geraldine McCaughrean is the Best Children's Writer Ever |
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| McCaughrean, Geraldine | Plundering Paradise |
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Nathan loves pirates - his days are spent dreaming about them and wondering what it would be like to be one. Anything to brighten up his grey and dreary existence. So when Tamo White, the son of a real-life pirate, suggests that Nathan go home with him to Madagascar, it is too good a chance to miss. There's just one problem ...Nathan's sister, Maud. He can't leave her behind but will she really be able to survive in a strange land full of pirates? You never know - perhaps she'll adapt better than Nathan, or even she herself, could ever have imagined ...Plundering Paradise will whisk you away to a distant land and fill your senses with amazing sights, sounds and beautiful colours. You will feel as though you've really visited Madagascar and have lived among the pirates and the islanders. |
| Robin McKinley | Beauty |
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When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries. This is another spellbinding and emotional tale embroidered around a fairytale from Robin McKinley, an award-winning American author. |
| What the Book Group said | |
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Kids at Random House : Book extract from Beauty |
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| Michael, Livi | The Whispering Road |
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"A moving and powerful story about brother and sister, Joe and Annie, who flee from a pitiful existence as servants. They embark on a tough and perilous journey to Manchester in search of their mother who was forced to leave them at the workhouse when they were very young. Their future is tainted by the horrors of their past and as Annie is increasingly troubled by spirits, Joe is forced to make a tough decision." |
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What the Book Group said Review: The Whispering Road by Livi Michael | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books |
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| Mieville, China | Un Lun Dun |
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Zanna and Deeba are two
girls leading ordinary lives, until they stumble into the world of UnLondon,
an urban Wonderland where all the lost and broken things of London end up
...and some of its lost and broken people too. Here discarded umbrellas
stalk with spidery menace, carnivorous giraffes roam the streets, and a
jungle sprawls beyond the door of an ordinary house. UnLondon is under siege
by the sinister Smog and its stink-junkie slaves; it is a city awaiting its
hero. Guided by a magic book that can't quite get its facts straight, and
pursued by Hemi the half-ghost boy, the girls set out to stop the poisonous
cloud before it burns everything in its path. They are joined in their quest by a motley band of UnLondon locals, including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas, Obaday Fing, a couturier whose head is an enormous pincushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle. The world of UnLondon is populated by astonishing frights and delights that will thrill the imagination. |
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Read an
Excerpt |
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| Molony, Rowland | After the death of Alice Bennet |
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Before mum died, she told Sam
that she would always be with him. On the day of mum's cremation, his sister
Becky receives a text from a friend: 'Thinking about you. X'. Sam becomes
convinced that the text is from their mother. Imagine if he could text back!
When he finds mum's mobile phone and a 'contact number' in her handwriting,
Sam his heart pounding, sends a message. It is received by a kind but lonely
lorry driver, Tony. Unthinkingly, Tony responds. Before he knows it, the boy
is texting regularly, and Tony is replying. Sam thinks he's in contact with
mum and forms a plan. He's going to find her and bring her back for
Christmas. By the time Tony realises what's happening, he can't bring
himself to tell Sam that it's not his mother on the end of the phone, but
neither can he just stop texting or, worse, let the child turn up. He also
realises that he's come to rely on Sam's messages because they make him feel
less alone. As Sam sets out on his journey, Tony must try to find him. But
how will he explain to this little boy that his mother is really dead? And
how will Sam cope when confronted with the truth? |
| Morpurgo, Michael | Private Peaceful |
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A stunning novel of World War 1. It is so absorbing and atmospheric that you will want to keep reading to the end. Told through the voice of a young soldier it captures in 24 hours the memories of his life - with the harsh realisation that he is also facing an unknown future! |
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Teaching Notes Private Peaceful CBBC Newsround | UK | Private Peaceful wins top award Teachit's English teaching resources |
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| Morpurgo, Michael | Kensuke's Kingdom |
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"I heard the wind above me in the sails. I remember thinking, this is silly you haven't got your harness on, you haven't got your lifejacket on. You shouldn't be doing this. Then the boat veered violently and I was thrown sideways. I had no time to grab the guardrail. I was in the cold of the sea before I had time to scream." Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. He can't find food, he can't find water. In the end he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate of fish beside him and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone... |
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Teachit's English teaching resources Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo: book review |
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| Morpurgo, Michael | Twist of Gold |
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This work takes the reader on an epic journey through famine, hope and survival by a much-loved, award winning author. Sean and Annie have one chance to escape the potato famine and plague in Ireland. They survive a shipwreck and land safely in America searching for their father. But their new land is one of hardship and they live in poverty on the streets of Boston. However, their adventure is just beginning...they live on a steamboat and then join pioneers travelling across the prairies. Their music and dancing bring joy to all they meet, but their family torc brings both blessings and curses and thieves prowl to get hold of it. Annie and Sean must hang on to their torc - their family's survival depends on it. |
| Mowll, Joshua | Operation Red Jericho |
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"First in a groundbreaking trilogy, this is no ordinary tale, no ordinary book. Shanghai, 1920. While on board the "Expedient", Doug and Becca MacKenzie stumble across an amazing secret. What unfolds is a story of two young people caught up in an astonishing adventure and a story of an ancient order created to protect the world from evil...Using a remarkable archive of documents, the extraordinary events that took place over 85 years ago have been painstakingly reconstructed for the very first time… this fiction adventure comes from a startling new talent." |
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What the Book Group said Flaps and maps | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books Extract |
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| Muchamore, Robert | The Killing |
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When a small-time crook suddenly has big money on his hands, it's only natural that the police want to know where it came from. James' latest Cherub mission looks routine: make friends with the bad guy's children, infiltrate his home and dig up some leads for the cops to investigate. But the plot James begins to unravel isn't what anyone expected. And it seems like the only person who might know the truth is a reclusive eighteen-year-old boy. There's just one problem. The boy fell from a rooftop and died more than a year earlier. |
| World Book Day Promotion | |
| Murray, Peter J | Mokee Joe is coming |
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Hudson Brown always knew he was different but when he receives the sinister message ‘Mokee Joe is Coming!’ he quickly finds out just how different he really is. No one, but no one, would want to be in his shoes; his ultimate nightmare is out there, lurking in the shadows, and it’s coming to get him!’ |
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Mokee Joe is coming! by
Peter J Murray Mokee Joe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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