Some are books I have read. Some are written by authors I have read. Some look new and intriguing and make me want to read them. I hope you will come to your library and look for some of these titles.
The Story of Tracy Beaker
-Jacqueline Wilson
Tracy Beaker is a funny, imaginative and articulate ten-year-old girl, but she can also be angry, impulsive and a bit violent too. Tracy lives in a children's home but constantly hopes that her absent, glamorous mum will come and take her away.
One day Cam visits the home, to write a piece on the children. Tracy, being something of a writer herself, resolves to help out. The two form a bond and Tracy begins to wonder if Cam might represent a way out of the home for good.
Tracy's story is told as a series of diary entries, liberally illustrated with doodles and drawings from the pen of Nick Sharratt. She is an endearing narrator and her bouts of temper serve only to make her seem more believable. Both funny and touching by turns, it is easy to see why Tracy's story has become a modern-day classic.
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Skellig
-David Almond
When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, exploring a ramshackle garage with new-found friend Mina, he finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive.
With Mina's help, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health. The creature is ill-mannered, with questionable personal hygiene, but persevering in their kindness towards him, Michael and Mina find a bond forms between them that will change their lives forever.
This unusual and captivating novel from critically-acclaimed children's author David Almond won both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. A contemporary classic, it has the power to captivate both adults and children alike.
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Artemis Fowl
-Eoin Colfer
Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl, hatches an ingenious plot to steal all the gold in fairy land. Although a little dubious about the plan - indeed not even quite believing in the existence of fairies - his trusty bodyguard and companion, Butler, is on hand to help. However, they have not reckoned on Captain Holly Short, who as first female officer in the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance unit, or LEPrecon, has much to prove. When she is kidnapped by Artemis, she is determined to stand her ground and protect the fairy secrets.
This is also a movie. I watched it last year.
This hilarious and exciting adventure story is a deserving favourite with young readers. The unscrupulous Artemis Fowl is such a likable character that you’ll almost will him to succeed in his dastardly schemes - whilst also rooting for the bold Captain Holly. Colfer's explanations of the structure and technology of his spin on fairy land are absolutely believable, creating an amusing and highly imaginative vision of fairies, dwarves and trolls that is just right for 21st century readers.
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Carrie’s War
-Nina Bawden
During World War II, Carrie and her younger brother Nick are evacuated to Wales and billeted with the fierce old shopkeeper Mr Evans and his mousy sister, Louise.
Unhappy in their new home, they are delighted to have the chance to visit fellow evacuee Albert Sandwich at Druid's Bottom, the strange household of Hepzibah Green, who knows magical stories, and Mister Johnny, who speaks a language all his own. But then Carrie makes a mistake, which has terrible, unforseen consequences.
Inspired by Nina Bawden's own experiences of living as an evacuee in a Welsh mining valley as a child, Carrie's War is now considered a modern classic. Funny, sad and thought-provoking, it provides young readers with an insight into some of the complexities and ambiguities of the adult world, albeit with a heartwarming, happy ending.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
-JK Rowling
After the misery of life with his ghastly aunt and uncle, Harry Potter is delighted to have the chance to embark on an exciting new life at the Hogwart's School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Learning about magic and making new friends, he has the chance to use his new-found wizarding skills to unravel some of the mysteries of his own past - and to uncover some shocking secrets about his teachers.
This brilliantly inventive, award-winning adventure story is the first in the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series. With shades of Diana Wynne Jones, Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch, this contemporary classic of children's literature is beloved by children and adults alike.
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Goodnight Mister Tom
-Michelle Magorian
Willie Beech is evacuated to a tiny English village in the country just before the outbreak of World War II. A lonely and deprived child, he finds himself living with the reclusive, gruff old widower, Thomas Oakley. Although the two find it hard to adjust to their life together at first, they gradually develop a strong, mutual bond. Willie begins to enjoy life and make new friends in the village.
However, everything is thrown into confusion when Willie is suddenly recalled to London by his neglectful and abusive mother. After several weeks with no letter from Willie, Tom Oakley becomes concerned for his welfare and sets out to London in search of him.
Michelle Magorian's classic wartime story is a superbly written and deeply moving tale, which shows that even the most unlikely people can become exceptional parents.