There are lots of great books out there to read but here are a few that I think you should check out first:
What’s up with Jody Barton
Hayley Long
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It’s hard enough being one half of the world’s least identical twins, without both of you falling for the same guy. Jolene’s turned flirting into a fine art, but Jody? Not so much. And as if a twinny love triangle wasn’t messy enough . . . there’s something nobody knows about Jody Barton. Something BIG.
Shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards 2012 and winner of the 2013 Essex Book Award.
Buy it from Amazon.co.uk
Borrow it from your local library
15 Days Without a Head
Dave Cousins
When his Mum fails to come home one night, Laurence tells nobody, terrified that he and his brother will be taken into care. Instead, he starts spinning a complicated tangle of lies to trick the neighbours into thinking that his Mum’s still around. Laurence finally discovers what happened to his mother. And that’s when the trouble really starts . .
‘This heartfelt well-told debut is a delight.’ – The Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week.
Buy it from Amazon.co.uk
Borrow it from your local library
The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury about the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled Earth, and the conflict between Martians and the new colonists. The book lies somewhere in between a short story collection and an episodic novel.
Buy it from Amazon.co.uk
Borrow it from your local library
Ella Minnow Pea
Mark Dunn
Nevin Nollop left the islanders of Nollop with the treasured legacy of his pangram ‘The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog’. But as the letters begin to crumble on the monumental inscription, the island’s council forbids the use of the lost letters and silence threatens Ella and her family.
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Borrow it from your local library
Socks are Not Enough
Mark Lowery
Mike’s life couldn’t get any worse. His weirdo best friend gets him embroiled in a scandal, his idiot brother is snogging the girl of his dreams and he’s just come home to discover that his parents are secret nudists. His teachers think that he’s having trouble ‘dealing with his feelings’ and so Mike has to meet with the trendy new school councillor for cringe-worthy ‘Chat’s with Chas’.
‘A clever, funny, serious book‘ -Michael Rosen
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Borrow it from your local library
The Art of Being Normal
Lisa Williamson
David has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo just wants to be invisible but when Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. Two boys. Two secrets.
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, 2016
Buy it from Amazon.co.uk
Borrow it from your local library
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
It’s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyper-space bypass and his best friend has just announced that he’s an alien. At this moment, they’re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an boring looking book inscribed with the big, friendly words: DON’T PANIC.
The weekend has only just begun . . .
Buy it from Amazon.co.uk
Borrow it from your local library
Lottie Biggs is Not Mad
Hayley Long
My name is Lottie Biggs and in three weeks time, I will be fifteen years old. My current hair colour is Melody Deep Plum which is not as nice as Melody Forest Flame but definitely better than the dodgy custard colour I tried last week. This is my book – it’s about important things like boys and shoes and polo-neck knickers and rescuing giraffes and NOT fancying Gareth Stingecombe (even though he has manly thighs) and hanging-out with your best friend. It is definitely not about sitting in wardrobes or having a mental disturbance of any kind!
The wit of Louise Rennison with the depth of Jacqueline Wilson.
Mike Reed 