READING SUGGESTIONS Welcome! Some very generous librarians have put together this list of books you may enjoy. *This booklet contains some short reviews of books you might like to read. *Read through these blurbs, and perhaps try something new. *Remember you can use your local public library to find new books and authors to try out. *If you enjoyed a book why not recommend it to your friends. Recommended stories The Strange Case of Origami Yoda – Tom Angleberger Dwight is not at all cool but he does do one cool thing: he makes origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda from Star Wars. When Yoda starts to offer life advice to Dwight’s classmates, things get mysterious.... Stitch Head – Guy Bass Grotteskew Castle hides a gruesome secret – the mad professor who lives there has created an amazing Creature. The most monstrous, disgusting and dangerous Creature roams around the castle, scaring all the other creatures who live there. If it escapes, the villagers will come with fire and pitchforks to destroy everything. Stitch Head, the first and smallest of the professor’s creations, has to make a plan – fast! Danny the Champion of the World – Roald Dahl Danny thinks the world of his father and is very surprised indeed when he finds out that Dad has been breaking the law. Even grown-ups bend the rules sometimes and Danny knows that his father is still good, kind and clever. Together they hope to pull off the most daring and dangerous plan ever to poach pheasants from Mr Victor Hazell’s wood. The 7 Professors of the Far North – John Fardell Ben and Zara live an exciting life in Edinburgh with their Great Uncle Alexander, an inventor of amazing gadgets. Even they are surprised when an exhausted man appears at the door, with an urgent message for Uncle Alexander. Who is Professor Murdo? And why is everyone so scared of him? Ben, Zara and their new friend Sam must solve the dangerous mystery, without being caught themselves. Sharp Sheep – Vivian French Are sheep really as daft as they look? Josh and his brother Paul are about to find out when they go to stay with their grandfather on a Welsh hill farm. Josh has convinced Paul that a ghostly, wicked shepherd will grant them a wish if they can stay out all night. Paul has no intention of doing anything so silly. Then disaster strikes the farm – is he brave enough to try for the wish? Alice-Miranda at School – Jacqueline Harvey The first in a hugely adventurous and addictive series! AliceMiranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is a tiny girl, hardly more than seven, when she begs her parents to send her to boarding school. Her great adventure becomes more mysterious with every turn as Alice-Miranda discovers that everyone in the school has their own secrets - and she will have to work hard to find out why they are keeping them… Quest for a Kelpie – Frances Hendry An exciting adventure story set in Scotland at the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Jeannie Main is an ordinary girl living in a fishing village in Scotland, yet she is warned that she will make and break a king and be in the shadow of the hangman four times. How can this be? What will happen to put her in such danger? But this is 1744 and there is rebellion in the air of Scotland. Groosham Grange – Anthony Horowitz Groosham Grange takes on all the children that other schools don’t want or have expelled, promising parents that their children will be looked after 364 days a year – with only one day’s holiday at Christmas. One Dog and His Boy – Eva Ibbotson Hal desperately wants a dog for his birthday, but his parents are not at all keen. Dogs, after all, are messy and uncontrolled. On his birthday, Hal finally gets his dog, but is devastated when he finds out that Fleck has to go back – he is only rented for the weekend. The only thing to do is run away, then Hal and Fleck can stay together always. The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler – Gene Kemp Tyke Tiler and Danny Price are best friends at Cricklepit Combined School. Together they are double trouble and full of jokes and tricks. When Danny is accused of stealing money, Tyke tries to sort it out and make sure he is not sent to another school away from all his friends. (Remember if you read Tyke’s story be careful not to spoil it by giving away the ending!) Stig of the Dump – Clive King Nobody believes Barney when he says he’s met a boy living wild in the local rubbish dump. Stig doesn’t seem to understand about things like tin-openers and living in houses. He has a very comfortable den in the middle of the dump. The two boys become friends and set off on a series of adventures together. Poltergoose – Michael Lawrence Jiggy McCue has moved house and is being haunted by the ghost of a goose who was buried in the garden by the previous occupants. The Three Musketeers – “One for all and all for lunch!” - Jiggy, Pete and Angie set out to send the poltergoose back where it belongs. But getting hold of an invisible, angry goose is not as easy as it sounds. Dark Isle – Dawn Nelson 10 year-old Morag runs away with 2 very strange companions, Aldiss the talking rat and Bertie the dodo. Anything is better than staying at home, even taking on the evil warlock Devlish who wants to destroy everything. All Morag has to do is to find a stone dragon called Shona – something that proves more than a little difficult when you live in a small town in Ayrshire. Measle and the Wrathmonk – Ian Ogilvy After his parents disappear, Measle Stubbs lives a miserable life with his guardian Basil Tramplebone. Deep in his heart, Measle is sure his parents are still alive. The only bright spot about living with Basil is his train set, the most amazing train set in the world. Measle sneaks up to the attic to play with it and is suddenly caught up by some sort of spell – he is now part of the model world, and there are some nasty looking creatures heading his way! The Brilliant World of Tom Gates – Liz Pichon The first book in a superbly funny series about the trials and triumphs of schoolboy Tom Gates. All Tom wants to do is get tickets to see his favourite band when they come to town. It's not easy when he's up against Delia, his weirdo big sister. All of his plans seem to get him into major trouble! Spring-heeled Jack – Philip Pullman Three orphan children Rose, Lily and Ned escape from the Alderman Cawn-Plaster Orphanage to look for their father who disappeared on a trip to the goldfields of Australia. Closely watched by Mack the Knife and his villainous gang, they cross the city to the docks in constant fear of being caught by Mr Killjoy and Miss Gasket, owners of the orphanage. Luckily, spring-heeled Jack, the scourge of evil-doers, is on the lookout. The Mum Detective – Gwyneth Rees Esmie has managed to find her widowed Dad a girlfriend and things are ticking along nicely when Lizzie starts behaving strangely - being late, not being where she said she would be. Esmie is sure there’s a simple explanation. Maybe Lizzie just has to spend more time at work now….. The Daredevil Desperados of Destiny – Charlie Small One of the most amazing, astonishing and incredible adventures you will ever read! This is the complete journal of 400-year-old Charlie Small’s adventure among the outlaws of the American Wild West. Meet Wild Bob Ffrance, Mick the Miner, Gentleman Jim Silver and Jake ‘Pint-pot’ Penley – the most desperate men in town. The Bad Beginning – Lemony Snicket If you haven’t yet met the ill-fated Baudelaire children, join them in their very first tale of unfortunate events. Violet, Klaus and Sunny go from living as an ordinary happy family, to being penniless orphans at risk of death and other disasters at the hands of the inventive Count Olaf and his equally vicious sidekicks. The Boy in the Dress – David Walliams This book is all about a boy named Dennis. He lives in a boring street in a boring town, and he doesn't have much to look forward to. But he does have dreams - and once he starts to follow them, things will never be the same again. Friends and Family The Strange Case of Origami Yoda – Tom Angleberger Every class has one kid who finds it hard to fit in. In Tommy’s class it’s Dwight, who sits with him at lunch every day. One day Dwight makes a finger puppet of Yoda and things get a bit strange. It seems that Origami Yoda can predict the future. Yoda gives good advice, even though Dwight is pretty clueless about things. Could the Force be with him? Eager – Helen Fox Grumps the family robot is wearing out and the Jones family decide to buy him a helper. They settle on a brand new design, the EGR3. Eager is an experimental robot, keen to learn, and able to think for himself – something that was not clear in the instruction manual! Eager learns a lot about life and living with humans, until he finds out what humans do with robots that no longer work. Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney Greg Heffley is starting a new school year and moving into middle school, where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller and meaner. Desperate to prove his new found maturity, which only going up a grade can bring, Greg is happy to have his not-quite-so-cool sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Danger is Everywhere – David O’Doherty and Chris Judge Ever wondered about dangers of the reclusive Toothbrush Snake? How can you tell if your cat is really a baby tiger? Join the author’s neighbour - Dangerologist, Docter Noel Zone (misspelling deliberate), as he takes a hilarious look at the hidden dangers of everyday life. Can you learn enough to become a qualified Dangerologist, too? Middle School: My brother is a big, fat liar – James Patterson Georgia is about to start sixth grade at the school where her brother made himself infamous for breaking almost every single rule. Can she shake off her family’s bad reputation and succeed? Sisters – Raina Telgemeier Raina can't wait to be a big sister, but once Amara is born she realises things won't be quite as she had expected. Despite Amara's cuteness, she is a cranky, grumpy baby. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years but when their family starts to change, they realise they must finally figure out how to get along. If you enjoy stories about family, friends and neighbours you could try some by Judy Blume, Theresa Breslin, Cathy Cassidy or Jacqueline Wilson. Classics Peter Pan – J. M. Barrie When Peter Pan flies into the home of the Darling family it is the beginning of a magical series of adventures for the three children. Flying to Neverland with Peter and Tinkerbell, they meet the Lost Boys and the cut-throat pirate crew of Captain Hook. The Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum When a cyclone hits her Kansas home, Dorothy and her dog Toto are sucked into the magical Land of Oz. To get back to Kansas she must follow the yellow brick road to see the Great Wizard, who is the only one who can send her back. She makes new friends along the way – the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion – who help her on her journey to the Emerald City. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll Alice lives an ordinary sort of life, until the day when she falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in the most wonderful world of mad tea parties and remarkable characters like the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle. She is delighted to find that nothing in Wonderland is the least bit ordinary… The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are evacuated to a strange house in the countryside during World War Two. One day Lucy discovers the way to the snow-covered land of Narnia through the back of an old wardrobe. Narnia is a land under a spell of perpetual winter and all four children are needed to break the spell and free the creatures who live there. If you enjoyed the film, read the book – and there are 6 other Narnia titles to try. Five Children and It – E. Nesbit Out for a picnic, the five children find a Psammead, a sand fairy, in the local gravel pit. The Psammead has the power to grant one wish each day, but it only lasts till sunset. No matter how careful they are, the wishes never seem to turn out as planned. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome John, Susan, Titty and Roger sail their boat, Swallow, to an island for a short camping expedition. Some other children are already there – the Amazons, Nancy and Peggy. At first the children are enemies trying to get the others to leave, but soon they are friends enjoying their holiday, and trying to solve a burglary! Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White Fern persuades her father not to kill the smallest piglet in the litter and raises him as a pet. As Wilbur grows, he learns what happens to fat pigs on the farm. His friend Charlotte, a grey spider who lives in the corner of the barn, has a very clever plan to help Wilbur avoid his fate. Kenneth Grahame – The Wind in the Willows The story of Ratty and Mole and their adventures on the river has been a favourite book since it was published. Ratty and Mole have to help their friend Toad escape from prison and win back Toad Hall from the Weasels, creatures from the Wild Wood. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Robert C. O’Brien When Mrs Frisby’s son falls ill, she sends to the rats living under the holly bush for help. These are rats who have escaped from the laboratories of NIMH and they have learned many things – and they are not going back to the labs, ever. The question is, how can they help Mrs Frisby and stay free of the men the lab has sent to capture them again? Tom’s Midnight Garden – Philippa Pearce Tom is not looking forward to spending his summer holiday with his aunt and uncle in an old house with no garden. However, one night Tom wakes to hear the grandfather clock chime thirteen and sees children playing in the garden outside the window. Initially the children can’t see him, but eventually Hatty can, and Tom steps out into a world of adventure. Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder This is the first of the “Little House” books which tell the story of Laura Ingalls, growing up in a pioneer family in the west of the United States. Laura and her family live in the forests, miles from their nearest neighbours, with only the wild animals and each other for company. Animal Stories Woof! – Allan Ahlberg Eric is a perfectly ordinary boy until the morning he wakes up to find that he has turned into a dog. His best friend Roy is the only one he can trust to help him. The problem is that Eric changes from dog to boy and back again at the most inconvenient moments. But sometimes it’s useful to be a dog, especially when you are trying to find a missing little girl. Keeping Henry – Nina Bawden When Charlie’s catapult hits a squirrel’s nest, out falls a baby squirrel. He takes it home and Henry, as he is named, becomes part of the family. Charlie and his family have been evacuated to a farm in Wales during World War Two, and they look after Henry and help out on the farm. The War is nearly over and Charlie starts to worry about his father coming home: what will he be like? Seal Story - Kathleen Fidler Dan finds a baby seal abandoned in a cave near his home. He keeps it a secret because it is autumn on the island and time for the annual seal cull. Abandoned cubs like this one will be culled. Keeping secrets causes problems for Dan, at home and at school, especially when his pocket money starts running out – how will he feed the seal with no money? Kaspar, Prince of Cats – Michael Morpurgo Johnny Trott, bell-boy at the Savoy Hotel, has his life transformed by Kaspar Kandinsky, a regal looking black cat left in his care when his owner dies. After losing his job, Johnny ends up on the Titanic, heading for New York and a new life. One dark night, there is a terrible crash – the ship has hit an iceberg. The Midnight Fox – Betsy Byars Tom is going to stay at his Aunt Millie’s farm for two months in the summer while his parents go on a cycling trip to Europe. He doesn’t want to leave the town and his friend Pete. At first he is very lonely, but gradually Tom learns about the countryside and watches an unusual black fox living in the local woods. When the fox is suspected of taking chickens from the farm, Tom has to help track her down when all he wants to do is help her escape. Last Chance Zoo – W. J. Corbett Ken is the Head Keeper at the Last Chance Zoo, the Zoo where animals come when they cannot stay where they are. Follow Ken as he deals with Crusty the Camel, Percy the Python and Belinda the Elephant as they spit, squeeze and tantrum their way through the day. Saddlebottom – Dick King-Smith The pigs on the farm are terrible snobs, they are pedigree Wessex Saddlebacks after all. Saddlebottom is born with his large saddle-shaped patch on his bottom instead of his back which makes the other pigs pick on him. He runs away from the farm and is befriended by a very unusual cat. Together they have to meet the challenges of living wild. Varjak Paw – S. F. Said As a Mesopotamian Blue cat, Varjak Paw is a pampered kitten who has never left his house. He is forced into the outside world to escape the sinister plans of a newcomer to the house. Once outside, he finds a dangerous world where cats are at war and only help from a mysterious ancestor can save him. Watership Down – Richard Adams Fiver the rabbit dreams of terrible danger coming to the warren. With his brother Hazel and a few other rabbits, he leaves the warren to find a new safe place to live. The rabbits have to overcome many difficulties and dangers before they can settle in their new home - cats, foxes, humans and the fierce rabbits of Efrafa. They also find unexpected friends like Kehaar the Seagull. Toad Rage - Morris Gleitzman Limpy the cane toad is feeling unloved and unwanted - why do humans hate cane toads? Why do they squash them with their cars? It's not fair, and he decides to do something about it. Limpy sets out to try to make humans love toads. An hilarious story from a very popular Australian author. Marley: A Dog Like No Other – John Grogan A yellow fluffy Labrador puppy grows into a big, bouncy dog, loved by all of his family. He gets into all sorts of trouble, stealing underwear and drooling on guests. You could say he is the worst-behaved dog in the world, but his family love him. And Marley has a great deal to teach the Grogan family, too. The Sheep-Pig - Dick King-Smith Also known as Babe, this is the tale of the piglet who learns to herd sheep. Adopted by the sheepdog Fly, Babe learns everything she can teach him about herding sheep: enough to save the sheep from a savage dog. But will it be enough to save his bacon? Run To The Ark - Tom McCaughrean When a young fox discovers a whole valley of dead foxes and badgers, the animals of Glensinna meet and decide to leave the area and look for a new home where they will be safe. And soon a great journey begins to the place at the very Edge of the World, the place foretold by the Bow in the Cloud. A Dog So Small - Philippa Pearce Ben desperately wants a dog, any dog, so long as it is his. For months he'd been thinking about dogs and dropping hints to his family. And when his birthday comes, he is so excited, surely he'll get a dog for his birthday? Black Beauty - Anna Sewell The classic tale of a beautiful black horse, who has many adventures with his different owners. He starts off as a carriage horse in a rich family, but also works as a cab horse in town, and meets different people, some treat him well, others badly. Fantasy Stories How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the heir of Chief Stoick the Vast of the Hairy Hooligans. He has to become a warrior of the tribe and take over from his father, but first he has to catch his own dragon and train it up to be the most ferocious beast on the island. Hiccup learns to be a hero the hard way: the only way when your dragon is a toothless, flameless wonder! The Robe of Skulls – Vivian French The sorceress Lady Lamorna orders the most amazing new robe from the Ancient Crones, weavers of the most fantastic fabrics. The only snag is – the treasure chest is empty, how on earth is she going to pay for it? An evil plot hatches, and Lady Lamorna embarks on a campaign of magical theft and extortion, aided and abetted by the troll Gubble. The Tail of Emily Windsnap – Liz Kessler Emily thinks it is really strange that she has lived on a boat all her life, and yet her mother has never allowed her to learn to swim. Surrounded by water all the time, she has never been swimming. Then, she has the chance to learn when she goes to high school, and suddenly Emily knows why swimming has been forbidden. After all, how many 10 year olds do you know who have a tail like a mermaid? Zac and the Dream Pirates – Ross Mackenzie Dreams all over the country are beginning to come true. Strange things are happening to ordinary people, and suddenly nightmares are on the loose. Zac’s ordinary life with his grandmother is about to fall apart. Where does she go every night, on the stroke of midnight? What is she doing? Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse – Chris Riddell Ada Goth is the only child of Lord Goth. The two live together in the enormous Ghastly-Gorm Hall. One day William and Emily Cabbage come to stay at the house, and together with a ghostly mouse called Ishmael, they and Ada begin to unravel a dastardly plot that Maltravers, the mysterious indoor gamekeeper, is hatching. Look out for Goth Girl and the Fête Worse than Death too! Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling If you haven’t discovered these tales of the boy wizard yet, why not start here? Orphaned and alone, eleven-year-old Harry Potter is sent to live with his aunt and uncle, who resent his presence and force him to live in the cupboard under the stairs. One fateful day, he receives a letter by owl post and is taken off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel… Flood and Fang – Marcus Sedgwick Edgar the Raven is somewhat alarmed when he sees a suspicious-looking thick, black tail disappearing into the rhubarb plants. Then the kitchen maids start to vanish… Life is about to become stranger than usual in Otherhand Castle, home of the Otherhand family. Can Edgar help Solstice and her brother defeat the owner of the thick, scaly black tail? Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer Boy genius Artemis Fowl is after something more challenging than Fort Knox – he wants a hoard of fairy gold. First he has to catch a fairy, and keep it hostage long enough for the ransom to be paid. Captain Holly Short of the LEP Recon Squad is more than he bargained for, and she is not going quietly! Dragonfire – Anne Forbes Neil and Clara live in the park close to Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh where their father is the park ranger. They have always known about the MacArthurs, the little people who live under the hill. They did not expect to get involved with quarrelling magicians, a fire-breathing dragon, and 20,000 gallons of missing Scotch whiskey! The Weirdstone of Brisingamen - Alan Garner The jewel Firefrost has been lost, and evil creatures are gathering, making war on those of goodwill. The wizard Cadellin Silverbrow searches for the jewel, and finds it on a charm bracelet worn by Susan, a local farmer's daughter. Susan and her brother agree to help Cadellin and are drawn into a world of magic, wonder, and war. Pure Dead Magic - Debi Gliori Signora Baci Strega-Borgia is interviewing for a Nanny for her three children. Her husband has left after a row and she needs someone to look after Titus, Pandora and Damp while she studies for her Diploma in Witchcraft. Most applicants are scared off by the monsters and the children, or eaten by the crocodile in the moat. When Flora MacLachlan turns up, the creatures realise there is more to her than meets the eye. Charmed Life - Diana Wynne Jones Cat Chant is having a terrible time. He and his sister have been brought to live in Chrestomanci Castle after the death of their parents. Gwendolen is furious, vowing to take revenge on Chrestomanci for forbidding her to practice magic. Cat quite likes it, and would like to make friends with the other children there, but he is drawn deeper into Gwendolen's scheming, until he realises that he is the only one who can make her stop. Skulduggery Pleasant – Derek Landy When Stephanie’s uncle dies, he leaves all his property to her. Her grasping relatives are not pleased, and life becomes a little complicated when a stranger insists he can help her look after her inheritance. Only later does she discover that the stories Uncle Gordon wrote were not entirely fictional, and some are coming back to haunt her…. Midnight for Charlie Bone – Jenny Nimmo Charlie Bone has a special gift – he can hear the people in photographs talking! His grandmother and aunts are delighted with his new ability, his mother and Grandma Maisie are much less pleased. Nevertheless, he is sent off to Bloor’s Academy. There, he joins the rest of the Endowed children, and Charlie’s life changes for the worse. A new school is bad enough, but he is a weekly boarder and strange things happen in Bloor’s at night… Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan Even in the 21st century, the Greek gods are alive and well, and so are their children. Percy Jackson, half-blood son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, is thrown into a desperate attempt to stop a war between the gods, and incidentally, save his own life. Story Collections Fangs ’n’ Fire – Chris Mould Ten amazing stories about dragons new and old. From the dragon’s teeth sown by Cadmus, to the Chinese dragons of ancient legend, here are ten stories about dragons from around the world. Some of the stories are famous ones, like St George and the dragon, others are brand new stories by Chris Mould himself. Lose yourself in a scaly, fiery story or two in this selection of tales. The Well at the World’s End – Norah and William Montgomerie A collection of 35 folk and fairy tales from Scotland. Read about the Queen’s daughter who was proud and selfish and did not do what she was asked; the Wee Bannock who ran like the Gingerbread Man; and the three daughters of the King of Lochlinn who were carried off by giants. The Walker Book of Magical Stories Short magical stories by Gillian Cross, Susan Gates and Martin Waddell. Get lost in the snow maze, sit in Tillie McGillie’s fantastical chair, wear the killer coat and help out the angel who lost his cloud in these exciting stories. Or if you would rather skate on a skyboard, or be haunted by a ghost under the full moon ….. read on! You could also try the scary short stories by Anthony Horowitz, for example: Burnt Cottage, Twisted, or The Phone Goes Dead. Mystery and Adventure Reaver’s Ransom (Flood Child) – Emily Diamand Lilly Melkun is out fishing with her sea-cat when the raiders come to her village, making off with the Prime Minister’s daughter. When the men are conscripted into the army in revenge, Lilly sets out to find the girl – taking an amazing talking jewel as ransom. Set in the future, when the land has been flooded and the Scottish border runs just north of Swindon, Lilly is putting her life at risk. Ringmaster (Girl on the Run: 1) – Julia Golding Darcie Lock is inadvertently thrown into a world of SAS men, espionage, corruption, polo games and fashion parades when her father is taken hostage while investigating an international smuggling ring. Darcie is commissioned to find out what happened. Armed with her sharp wit and only a few gadgets, can Darcie save her father? Stormbreaker - Antony Horowitz The first adventure starring Alex Rider, the fourteen year old spy. When a wealthy businessman offers to give every school in the country new Stormbreaker computers, the Prime Minister accepts. But someone in MI5 smells a rat, and Alex is persuaded to investigate. A gripping read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller! Dangerous Diamonds – Barbara Mitchelhill Harry and Charlotte’s Dad goes missing and the house has been burgled while they were out. With their mother away working the twins do not want to end up being farmed out to relatives, so they tell no-one and start to look for their father. Even his friend Edina has no idea where Dad is. Harry notices a hot-dog van parked near their flat, but never selling a single hot-dog. The twins start to follow it – and soon there are clues to follow, and dangers to avoid. Murder Most Unladylike – Robin Stevens When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place - and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive… Higher Institute of Villainous Education – Mark Walden Ever wondered where evil geniuses go to school? Meet Otto Malpense and his friends – abducted and taken to a secret island to learn how to be the greatest criminal masterminds in the world. The only snag is that you can never leave the school, until Otto works out a grand plan. Action-packed adventure, gadgets galore, and some truly terrifying plants! Demon Dentist – David Walliams Darkness has come to Alfie’s town. Strange things are happening in the dead of night. Children put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they wake up to find... a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and crawling beneath their pillow. Evil is at work. But who, or what, is behind it? Long Ago… Street Child - Berlie Doherty Jim Jarvis has run away from the workhouse to try and find his sisters. Instead, after many adventures he becomes one of the thousands of street children living in Victorian London. There, he hears about the man who teaches at the Ragged School, a Dr Barnardo, who teaches boys for free. Jim's story sends the Doctor out into the streets and onto the rooftops, gathering up the homelesss children and giving them somewhere to live other than the Workhouse. Twelve minutes to Midnight – Christopher Edge At twelve minutes to midnight, every inmate of the Bedlam hospital for the insane writes on the walls, paper, the floor, even their own skin. Penelope Treadwell is determined to find out what all the strange messages mean – it will make a great story for her magazine The Penny Dreadful. The year is 1899, the dawn of a new century, and an evil plot to control the future. Blood Red Horse – K.M. Grant The lives of Will, his brother, a Saracen boy and the horse Hosanna are intertwined in this exciting story of the Crusades. Will is caught up in the fight for Jerusalem, and his rivalry with his brother almost leads to tragedy. The Pirates of Pompeii – Caroline Lawrence Set in Italy at the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, this adventure story deals with the aftermath of the eruption. Someone is kidnapping children who have been separated from their families. Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia and Lupus try to discover who is behind the gang, but they are captured by the slavers too. How can they ever escape? This is the third story in the Roman Mysteries series. Black Ice (Young Sherlock Holmes) – Andrew Lane The young Sherlock Holmes is comfortably settled into his life at home with the assortment of tutors arranged for him by his brother Mycroft. Still learning the skills which will make him famous, his life is at risk when Mycroft is accused of murder, and was actually found holding the blood-stained knife. Sherlock must clear his brother’s name and stay alive long enough to prevent Mycroft being hanged for murder! The Case of the Glasgow Ghoul - Joan Lennon Someone is stealing priceless artefacts from the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. Slightly Jones and her grandmother are visiting the city to see if they can help, when Slightly follows a suspicious looking character and ends up in a graveyard. Can the Necropolis, creepy and reputedly haunted, be the thieves’ hideout? Twist of Gold – Michael Morpurgo When the potato crop failed in 1847, Sean and Annie O’Brien obeyed their dying mother’s wish for them to leave Ireland and go to America. Their father was already gone to California to make a home for them, not knowing that the disaster of the famine had happened back in Cork. Sean and Annie make a dangerous journey to America, to look for their father and their new home. The Eagle of the Ninth - Rosemary Sutcliff The Ninth Legion marched north from Eburacum (York) to deal with a rebellion among the northern tribes. The soldiers were never seen again. Years later, Marcus Flavius Aquila arrives in Britain from Rome determined to find out what happened to his father and his men. As Marcus and his servant Esca head off into the North, they wonder if they, too, will vanish into the mists forever. ....and Far Away Parvana’s Journey – Deborah Ellis Afghanistan is ruled by the Taliban, and women are not permitted to work or to go out in public. Parvana’s father is dead and she has become separated from her family. A refugee in her own country, Parvana sets out alone to find her family and to escape from war-torn Afghanistan. Other children join her as she travels in search of her mother. (Sequel toThe Breadwinner.) Tall Story – Candy Gourlay Andi and her parents moved to London when she was very small, leaving her older brother Bernardo at home. Andi wants to be in the school basketball team but she isn’t tall enough. She wants to be with Bernardo – and now there is enough money for him to come to London too. Bernardo is tall, very tall – not quite what Andi expected. Maybe basketball is possible for both of them, now they are together again. Then again, life is never going to be easy with a giant for a brother… Trash - Andy Mulligan Raphael, Gardo and Rat are three friends who live on a rubbish dump, sorting through the trash for a living – 200 pesos is a good day, 50 is more usual. One day, Raphael finds a wallet containing a map and a key. Suddenly there is danger all around, from the police, from gangs, from friends desperate to collect the reward money offered. The boys are on the run, and it feels the whole city is after them. Journey to Jo'burg - Beverley Naidoo Naledi's little brother Dineo is ill and needs his mother, but she is 300 miles away working in Johannesburg. The only way Naledi can let her know what has happened is to go there. So she and her brother Tiro set out to walk the road to Jo'burg. Web Links You can find more reviews and ideas for books to read on the following websites: www.scottishbooktrust.com has pages for children and young people, including book reviews, author interviews and news about the Scottish Children’s Book Awards. The Guardian children’s books site is also good for news and reviews: www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site The Book Trust website has lots of book reviews and articles for parents about introducing books to children. www.booktrusted.com Blue Peter: www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/ Follow the books link from the Blue Peter home page for reviews, news about books and information about the Blue Peter Book Awards. Books For Keeps, the review magazine, has a website with book reviews and articles about books, authors and reading: www.booksforkeeps.co.uk There are a multitude of book review blogs to read through. www.readingmatters.co.uk is helpful for choosing a wide range of books, not just what is available currently in the shops. Also potentially useful are the children’s books sections in: www.achuka.co.uk/achukareviews/ and www.lovereading4kids.co.uk.