You may or may not know that we in Warwickshire Libraries work closely with our colleagues in Warwickshire Schools Library Service (or Warwickshire SLS for short). If you haven’t come across Warwickshire SLS before, the team provide quality resources, information and professional advice for the development of literacy and learning in schools across the county of Warwickshire and beyond. Schools can subscribe to the service and are provided with a wide variety of hand-picked library resources, supporting both the changes within the school curriculum and reading trends. You can find their website here.
Over the recent months, despite many children being home schooled and schools only being open for key workers’ children, our colleagues have been very busy creating resources for their schools, signposting to content and supporting teachers and pupils throughout the county.
They have also been working on several great lists of recommended reads so we thought that today, we’d showcase some of the books on these lists. They will hopefully inspire you to try them this summer and maybe you’ll find the perfect book to complete this year’s Summer Reading Challenge – The Silly Squad.
Key Stage 2 reads
Aimed at 7-11 year olds, there will be something for everyone in the Warwickshire SLS Key Stage 2 list. From Classics to graphic novels; quick reads to longer stories to become immersed in, there are lots of titles to discover.
You’ll find some of the titles on this list (and all the lists we’re featuring today) in our BorrowBox collection, either in eBook or eAudio format or you may be able to borrow a physical copy from our ‘Click and Collect’ libraries (for details about that, click here). We’ve picked out some of our favourites after the graphic of each list.
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (eAudio & eBook)
Award-winning author Katherine Rundell returns with a new story inspired by her expedition to the Amazon and Eva Ibbotson’s beloved Journey to the River Sea. A modern classic of adventure, survival and friendship
High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackon (eAudio and physical copies)
Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there’s been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time – until the end of the summer holidays anyway.
The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay (eAudio, eBook and physical copies)
The Skylarks’ War follows the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One.
Year 6 Transition Reads
The next list to shout about is a list put together specifically for children who might be transitioning from primary school to secondary school. As we’re sure many of you remember, going to ‘big school’ can be scary – lots of unknowns and new routines to master, bigger people, bigger buildings and brand new subjects. The Warwickshire SLS list features a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles offering glimpses into what is to come, hints and tips from overcoming nerves at a new school and some really good stories too.
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Rauf
There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He’s nine years old (just like me), but he’s very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets – not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite! But the truth is, Ahmet really isn’t very strange at all. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a war. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to be his friend. That’s where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we’ve come up with a plan.
Ella on the Outside by Cath Howe (eBook and physical copies)
Ella is the new girl at school. She doesn’t know anyone and she doesn’t have any friends. And she has a terrible secret. Ella can’t believe her luck when Lydia, the most popular girl in school, decides to be her new best friend – but what does Lydia really want? And what does it all have to do with Molly, the quiet, shy girl who won’t talk to anyone? A gripping story of lies, friendship, and blackmail.
Secondary school can be scary. Corridors can seem wide. Older children look terrifying. And all of a sudden there are important exams, messy friendships and stressful homework to contend with. But, whether you’re about to land at secondary school, or your wheels have already hit the runway but haven’t touched down smoothly yet, this insider’s guide will have you working hard and worrying less. From common misconceptions and acing exams, to overcoming peer pressure and planning future goals, the nation’s favourite teacher, Mr Matthew Burton, will guide you through your worry-free school journey.
Recommended Reads for Years 7 & 8
The introduction to this list from our Warwickshire SLS colleagues says it all: “There are books to suit all sorts in our brand new recommended reads list for Years 7 and 8 pupils. Sometimes something challenging and more grown up – but not too grown up – is required and sometimes what’s needed is to go down a well-trodden path and read something familiar. Or maybe somewhere in between. This list has something for all and we hope it is useful.”
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (eAudio & eBook)
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.
Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sharon Hagger-Holt (eBook or physical copies)
Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?
Invisible in a Bright Light by Sally Gardner (eBook and physical copies)
It is 1870: opening night at the Royal Opera House in a freezing city by the sea, where a huge, crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon sparkles magically with the light of 750 candles.
Celeste, a theatre rat, wakes up in a costume basket from what she hopes is a bad dream, to find that everyone at the theatre where she works thinks she is someone else. When the chandelier falls, she is haunted by a strange girl who claims to know Celeste’s past and why she must risk playing a game called the Reckoning to try to save the people she loves.
Recommended Reads for Year 9
A fantastic range of top titles grace the pages of the Warwickshire SLS recommendations for those in Year 9. Re-imagined classics, rapid reads, series and graphic novels are just some of the topics included. Selected to suit a range of interests and abilities, there is something for everyone.
Bearmouth by Liz Hyder
The Earth is Singing by Vanessa Curtis (eBook and physical copies)
My name is Hanna. I am 15. I am Latvian. I live with my mother and grandmother. My father is missing, taken by the Russians. I have a boyfriend and I’m training to be a dancer. But none of that is important any more. Because the Nazis have arrived, and I am a Jew. And as far as they are concerned, that is all that matters. This is my story.
Orphan, Monster, Spy by Matt Killeen (eBook, eAudio and physical copies)
After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, 15-year-old Sarah – blonde, blue-eyed, and Jewish – finds herself on the run from a government that wants to see every person like her dead. Then Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment and a lockbox full of weapons. He’s a spy, and he needs Sarah to become one, too.
Killer T by Robert Muchamore (physical copies)
Harry and Charlie are teenagers whose lives are shaped by a society that’s shifting around them. He is a lonely Brit in his first term at a Las Vegas high school. She is an unlikely friend, who gets accused of mixing a batch of explosives that blew up a football player. The two of them are drawn together at a time when gene editing technology is starting to explode. With a lab in the garage anyone can beat cancer, enhance their brain to pass exams, or tweak a few genes for that year-round tan and perfect beach body. But in the wrong hands, cheap gene editing is the most deadly weapon in history.
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