Rose Hill School

Years 5&6 Reading List This reading list is intended as a general guide only. It should not be seen as an exhaustive list of books that students must read during the year. The books on this list are considered suitable reading material for the majority of children in Years 5 and 6 at Rose Hill School. Children who have some difficulty reading or who havea particularly advanced reading ability may not necessarily find all of the books on this list suitable. Try to make time in your busy life for reading! Get in the habit of settling yourself down at the end of the day with a good book—maybe the last half-hour before bedtime?

A Handful of Magic Stephen Elboz The first in a series of books about the adventures of Kit Stixby and his friend, Prince Henry. Kit has a Next? magic carpet. He and his best friend, Prince Henry, spend wonderful nights flying across London looking A Land Without Magic and A Wild Kind of Magic, more for adventure. And they find it! Among the werewolves in the Tower of London. But Prince Henry falls into fast-paced Henry and Kit adventures. Also try Stephen terrible danger and Kit must rescue his friend, and brave the horrors of the tunnels beneath London ... * Elboz’s The Tower at Moonville, about orphans who An author to recommend to readers who've enjoyed the Harry Potter books swap places. For a scarier read, try The House of Rats, about children trapped in a mysterious house who find help from an unusual place. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis . Whilst playing hide and seek, Lucy hides in the wardrobe and finds her way to the magical world of Narnia… Aquila Andrew Norris Two schoolboys discover a spaceship when out on a school-trip. The boys learn to fly the spaceship and Next? talk in Latin, because this is the only language Aquila understands. But the more fun and adventures the In The House that Sailed Away by Pat Hutchins, a house boys have, the more they seem to grow apart. moves, with a whole family inside. If you’ve a taste for ancient Rome, Nicobobinus by Terry Jones is a magical adventure. Next by the same author? Matts Millions - Matt Collins is eleven and lives with his mother at number 27, Calmore Road, Chesterfield. One morning, towards the end of the summer holidays, a letter arrives from a firm of solicitors, with a cheque made payable to him for over #1 million - so that he can buy anything he Andrew Clement’s Frindle is about another boy for wants. The Touchstone - How do I build a robot? How do I make a million? How can I get my parents whom school suddenly becomes very interesting…. back together? If you could find the answer to every question you asked life would be easy, wouldn’t it? This is what Douglas Patterson believes when an alien gives him the gift of a Touchstone. At first Douglas The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey is another wacky, is enthralled by the power and fun that knowing the answer to everything can bring, and uses his strange eventful story – about a boy who gets locked out of his gift without really thinking. However, Douglas soon realises that answers aren’t everything and that being room, and then kidnapped. careful to ask the right questions is much more important. Blabber Mouth Morris Gleitzman Rowena Batts is 11 and she lives with her dad in an orchard. Yet she's no country bumpkin. She's smart Next? and quite good-looking. In her new school she just wants to make a friend. But what would you do if you More Glietzman? They all have the formula of serious had a dad who's a country and western fanatic who keeps bursting into song? issues handled with great humour. Try Bumface and Two Weeks with the Queen or Boy Overboard.

Benny and Momar by Eoin Colfer is about an Irish boy who has to go and live in Tunisia. Or try some of the books Morris Gletizman has written with Paul Jennings, such as Wicked! And Deadly! Blodin The Beast Michael Morpurgo Blodin the beast stalks the land, breathing fire and reducing villages to ruins. Who or what can end his Next by the same author? tyranny? Only wise old Shanga, weaving his strange carpet, knows how to destroy the monster, but he is Private Peaceful - Innocence and love, courage and too old to cross the mountains that never end. cowardice

Rose Hill School

Redwall Brian Jacques Brian Jacques’s famous Redwall series combine a vivid blend of characters with a fascinating plot to Next by the same author? Some of the many titles in the provide an enthralling read. Jacques has incorporated a whole range of songs and poems as well, creating series are: Lord Brockwell, Mossflower, The Legend of original, lively and hugely enjoyable books. Luke, Mariel of Redwall, Mattimeo, The Taggerung, The The series follows the mammalian inhabitants of Redwall Abbey, where a community of animals are Long Patrol and Triss, The Angel's Command entirely self-sufficient and behave in many human ways – cooking, fishing etc.. The book’s bad guys are the ‘vermin’, consisting of foxes, stoats, weasels, polecats etc.. Castaways of the "Flying Dutchman" In Redwall, the first book in the series, a young mouse, Matthias, must take up a prophecy of the Abbey’s The Flying Dutchman! The legend of the wind-tattered famous warrior, and wield his sword in battle against evil. It’s a great war/adventure story but minus ghost ship and its mad sea captain, cursed to sail forever, most of the gore! has been passed down throughout the centuries. But

what of the boy and his dog who are trapped on board that ship? Earth Magic, Sky Rosalind Kervin For this collection of folk tales Rosalind Kerven has chosen traditional stories from twelve different North Next? Magic American Indian peoples. She has grouped her selection of stories around the recurrent themes of the King Arthur – Rosalind Kerven sun, moon and stars; fantastical journeys; and two popular cultural heroes, Spider Woman, a benevolent sorceress, and Coyote the trickster. Her retellings beautifully convey the mystical atmosphere of the original stories and bring out the Native American's affinity with and respect for the natural world. A factual introduction explains the traditional role of storytelling and gives background to past and present North American culture The Ice Palace Robert Swindells Ivan lives in a land where the winter is dark and fearful. Starjik, King of Winter, steals Ivan's little brother Next? and Ivan braves the bitter cold to find him Room 13 A spooky tale about a vampire that takes place at the Crow's Nest Hotel, where Fliss and her friends are staying. They think that there's no room 13, but are they sure? Invasion of the Wire Laurence Staig, From the Author …. Next? Ones Wendy Body A mystery/adventure story with an environmental theme. The Glimpses – Laurence Staig I wrote this exciting mystery/adventure story to encourage children to take care of their environment. The new political party is gaining popularity When Tiger, Sam and Kerry volunteer to help with their town's litter problems, they find themselves extraordinarily quickly, but how was this connected to involved in far more serious pollution problems. It is not long before they are deep in trouble. Who better the old Colonel? The strange girl at the supermarket and to turn to than a local politician who really cares about the environment? The story is pacy and humorous the video-game freak were the only ones to sense and works towards an exciting climax. something wrong. By the same author as "The Network" and "Digital Vampires". Kasper in the Glitter Philip Ridley Kasper goes into the city to retrieve a stolen brooch. He is enticed into the gang of the evil King Next by the same author? Streetwise, who sets out to enslave lost children. Before the end of the tale, Kasper has to rescue his Scribbleboy or Krindlekrax mother, kidnapped by King Streetwise, using the biggest banoffi pie ever created. Mercedes Ice - Shadow Point is a tower block like a gigantic finger that casts a shadow in the streets below it. It is home to Rosie Glow and Timothy Ice, who grow up Next by the same author? Mighty Fizz Chilla - Milo Kick is no longer Mum's little 'angel'. Five months ago there and see it gradually begin to crack and fall apart. It something happened - something only Milo knows - that changed him into a 'monster'. Unable to cope, becomes a grey wasteland, and their son, Mercedes Ice, Mum sends him to stay with Cressida Bell, an old family friend, who lives by the sea. Gradually, Milo becomes sick becomes obsessed with stories about wild Captain Jellicoe who lives in a nearby cave and who, in turn, has his own story to tell. It is a story that will change Milo's life forever. It is the story of Mighty Fizz Chilla. Keeping Henry Nina Bawden A humorous story about a family evacuated from London to a farm in Wales during World War Two, and Next by the same author? The Secret Passage - The Henry, the mischievous squirrel who comes to live with them. three Mallory children have been brought up in Kenya with loving, easy-going parents, and then, within little more than a week, the bottom falls out of their world. This book was the first book Nina Bawden wrote for children.

Rose Hill School

MacB Neil Arksey For 9-12 year olds, this is a version of Macbeth, transposed to the football field. MacB, with the help of his Next? friend Banksie, plans to supplant Duncan King as the star striker. A bike accident puts Duncan out of the If it’s another grab-you-by-the-throat read you want, game and gives MacB his chance. Banksie becomes suspicious, where was MacB at the time and how far then I’d go for Playing on the Edge, also by Neil Arksey. would his mother urge him to go, If you want more ways of finding out about Shakespeare, try the illustrated books by Marcia Williams, starting with Mr William Shakespeare’s Plays. Or for something else that’s fast and gripping, try Piggies, by Nick Gifford. Stig of the Dump Clive King First published in 1962, this is the story of a boy who finds a Stone-Age cave-dweller living in a rubbish Next? dump, and the adventures they subsequently find themselves on. For something with a similar feel to it, try Joan Aiken’s The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. Or for a hilarious and thought-provoking look at what it must have been like to be a caveman, read A is for Aarrgh! by William J Brooke Street Child Berlie Doherty This is the story of one boy's fight for survival in a harsh world where he must continually fight for a roof Next by the same author? over his head and food to eat. It is based on the true story of the boy who inspired Doctor Barnardo to set The Snake-stone - Although he is close to his adoptive up his homes for the "ragged boys". parents, James has always wondered about his natural mother and why she gave him away. The only clues to her identity are a small stone and a note scribbled on the back of an envelope. With these, James sets off to find his past. Deep Secret - How long can a secret stay buried? The Barnes family has lived in one tiny village for generations. Twins Madeleine and Grace, their cousin Elspeth, their mums and in-laws, old Aunt Susan - all there for ever, in a place barely touched by time. But then two things change - one twin dies, and the villagers are told that their beautiful valley is to be sunk underwater to make a reservoir. How can you live without half of yourself? And how can this tiny community rebuild itself when its past is drowning? As family begin to surface, secrets of love, death and hope, the Barnes family learns that change brings hope as well as sorrow. Magic Lands: Fairies Kevin Crossley- The author of The Seeing Stone brings us these wonderful folk tales from all over Britain. This tape gives Next by the same author? and Fabulous Beasts Holland you stories of fairies and fabulous beasts from the book The Magic Lands. These include the strange The King of the Middle March – Kevin Crossley - No.3 disappearance of a horse in Charger, a fairy in a pudding in Dathera Dad, a domestic feline turned Holland monarch in The King of the Cats, benevolent but also revengeful fairies in Monday, Tuesday, the destructive curse of The Lambton Worm and The Black Bull of Norway who is a knight in disguise Wicked! 1: the Paul Jennings and Dawn and Rory hate each other's guts. And now they are to be step-sister and brother. Even worse, Next by the same author? Slobberers: Part 1 - Morris Gleitzman something very weird is happening to the worms Rory keeps as pets. But what happens when the Other great Paul Jennings title include Unbearable!, the Slobberers Slobberers escape during the wedding is only the beginning. Unbelievalbe! Tongue-tied! Uncanny! and Unseen! Thief! Malorie Blackman Lydia's last thought before darkness closed over her mind was that the strange, swirling storm had Next? trapped her. Fleeing onto the moors when she is unfairly accused of being a thief an extraordinary storm You’ll probably like the other books by Malorie Blackman suddenly whirls twelve-year-old Lydia into the future - a computer-dominated future where her home such as the tense and exciting Hacker, or Pig-heart Boy, town is ruled by a cruel tyrant. which looks at what it’s like to be made to feel different Next by the same author? and excluded. Cloud Busting - A new book from award-winning author Malorie Blackman is always going to attract attention and this one, told in verse, really is very special. Sam can’t stand the new boy Davey, but when Neil Arksey is another writer whose books are full of

Rose Hill School

the two are thrown together, Sam finds that Davey’s eccentric way of looking at the world makes life a lot action and drama. Look out for Playing on the Edge, for more exciting... starters. Treasure Island Robert Louis Young Jim Hawkins finds a map that leads him to adventure at sea, encounters with pirates, and a Next? Kidnapped by RL Stevenson is another brilliant Stevenson desperate search for treasure. adventure story. For another pirate story, this time as little easier and much funnier, try Chris d’Lacey’s The Salt Pirates of Skegness.Plundering Paradise by Geraldine McCaughrean is another piratical adventure. For a very modern, female pirate, read Tanigh Lee’s Piratica. King of Shadows Susan Cooper Nat is a young actor who has travelled from America to rehearse and perform as Puck in "A Midsummer Next? Night's Dream". As the rehearsals intensify, Nat's health begins to fail and soon the rest of the cast are Why not try Susan Cooper’s powerful The Dark is Rising? horrified to hear that he has been rushed to hospital, suffering from the Bubonic Plague. Or if you like time slip stories, try Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer Death and the Arrow by Chris Priestley is a great historical detective story Go back to the original Shakespeare stories in collections by Ian Serraillier or Leon Garfield. The Rope and Other Philippa Pearce In these eight atmospheric short stories by the author of "Tom's Garden", the need to face fears, Next by the same author? Stories the comedy of family life, and the pressure of others' expectations are among the experiences of The Little Gentleman or Tom's Midnight Garden childhood brought to life. How to Eat Fried Thomas Rockwell Would you do anything for money? In this delightfully disgusting tale, Billy accepts a bet from his friends Next? Worms to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days – if he wins, he’ll earn enough for a new bike. …. More Thomas Rockwell! Try How to fight a Girl and How to Get Fabulously Rich Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith or Freckle Juice by Judy Blume are both really good. Try Paul Jennings’s Uncanny! The ‘Un’ books make up a series that is fast, funny and unpredictable. And look out for anything by Jeremy Strong My Mum’s Going to Explode! Jiggy McCue series Michael Lawrence Jiggy McCue is just an average boy, but he feels like the unluckiest kid in town. Strange things are always Next? happening to him and his best mates, Pete and Angie . He’s been haunted by a dead goose, been plagued For another boy who can’t stay out of trouble try the by a hideous pair of non-removable underpants and fallen foul of a computerised toilet that flushed his Buster Bayliss stories by Philip Reeve life away and gave him another, much worse than his own. When he finally stumbles on a teenage genie In The Gizmo by Paul Jennings, Stephen is talked into willing to grant him three wishes, he thinks his luck has finally changed, but of course nothing could be stealing a troublesome toy called a gizmo and then he further from the truth… can’t get rid of it, no matter how hard he tries. You might also like Paul’s weird and wonderful collection of stories, Uncanny! Next by the same author? Maggot Pie - There is a tradition in Jiggy's hometown by which the night before And although he’s not as unlucky as Jiggy, strange things a boy's first day at school his father takes him to the Piddle Pool near the old quarry. Boys pee in the pool certainly happen to Johnny Maxwell, in Terry Pratchet’s for a lucky school life. But Jiggy's dad never took him...and now Jiggy wants to change his run of bad luck. excellent trio of novels beginning with Only You can Save One night, mid-piddle, something happens - and a genie rises out of the water. Will Jiggy's luck be Mankind. reversed...or will it just get worse?! Another terrific, fun series is Bruce Coville’s The Magic Shop series. Midnight for Charlie Jenny Nimmo Charlie is an ordinary boy living with his mum, two grandmas (nice and nasty) and Uncle Paton. Charlie’s Next? Bone life changes for ever when, one afternoon, something peculiar happens. By mistake he gets someone Move on to the sequel, The Time Twister. Charlie’s else’s family picture from the photo shop and hears the people in the photo talking. He manages to find powers have developed. He meets his great-uncle who its owner Miss Ingledew who tells him about her niece, Emma Tolly, the baby in the photo. Baby Emma has travelled forwards in time. Will Charlie be able to was exchanged for a box and Miss Ingledew has never stopped looking for her since. Charlie decides to help him?

Rose Hill School

try and help Miss Inglewdew find Emma. In his quest, Charlie makes new friends and enemies. Charmed Life in the Worlds of Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones is a hugely enjoyable story of a boy who finds his destiny. The Railway E Nesbit When father mysteriously has to go away for a time, three children and their mother leave London for the Next? You might want to try E Nesbit’s fantasies, Five Children country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, making friends with Perks the porter and Children and It and The Phoenix and the Carpet. Same with the station master himself. But will their father ever return? vintage, same engaging kind of family, but with magic thrown in. Or try the autobiographical story A Vicarage Family, Noel Streatfeild. Or what about another family

coping while father’s away? Try Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women. of Fergal Philip Ardagh From the creator of the best-selling Eddie Dickens trilogy comes Book One of his darkly hilarious new Next? trilogy, charting the extraordinary changes in fortunes of the down-trodden McNally family. The setting is When you’ve chortled your way through The Fall of an unidentified country, suffering from an unexpected outbreak of very large holes. The McNally children Fergal, you’ll be thrilled to hear there’s another in the find themselves in The Dell hotel surrounded by a strange assortment of ridiculous characters ranging series, Heir of Mystery. Then read Big Phil’s hilariously from Charlie 'Twinkle Toes' Tweedy, the house detective, to Mr Peach, a ventriloquist with a conveniently offbeat Eddie Dickens Trilogy, beginning with Awful End. large moustache. With young Fergal McNally falling to his death on page one, the only way for the Another clever, comic writer is Terry Prachett. If you McNallys is up...Expect the unexpected with Philip Ardagh pulling out all the stops that make his fiction so don’t know his work already, why not try The Bromeliad unique and so absurd. Trilogy? Enter another world where anything can happen in The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. Dog Daniel Pennac A delightful tale, funny and touching in turns, following the fortunes of an abandoned puppy as he grows Necxt by the same author? Eye of the Wolf - Born up, fending for himself. Then he meets Plum? Could she be the mistress of his dreams? worlds apart: a wolf from the Far North and a boy from Yellow Africa...The wolf has lost nearly everything on his journey to the zoo, including an eye and his beloved

pack. The boy too has lost much and seen many terrible things. They stand eye-to-eye on either side of the wolf's enclosure and, slowly, each makes his own extraordinary story known to the other...Master storyteller Daniel Pennac weaves a tale that is magical, mysterious and utterly unforgettable. Look into the Eye of the Wolf and you will be captivated Ten of the Best: Wendy Cooling A collection of stories written by ten prize-winning authors based on their own schooldays, but not School Stories with a excluding a little fantasy. Written in each author's unique style and based on something that is common to Difference every child in the country - school. The tales include stories of: running away from school; getting the strap for punishments; vindictive teachers; boys who tell porky-pies; the shy girl who could only talk through her puppet; getting expelled; being an evacuee; and meeting one's own true love at school. Stories that contemporary schoolchildren should relate to in sharing the triumphs and disasters of some of their favourite authors' schooldays. The Ghost Behind Melvin Burgess Twelve-year-old David lives with his dad in a block of flats and is a bit of a brute. He's very lonely as is old Next? Try Melvin Burgess’s The Earth Giant about a half- the Wall Mr Alverston, another Mahogany Villas resident, who is afraid that he is losing his mind. David discovers human, half-animal giant, and the two children who do that he can get into the ventilation shaft of the building and begins to spy on the other residents. One day everything to help her escape to another planet. In An he comes face to face with a ghost, at first friendly but more and more terrifying as it becomes clear that Angel for May, Tam is zoomed back in time to the he has a particular grudge against Mr Alverston. Soon the old man and David are in great danger and, in a Second World War. frightening and utterly moving conclusion, Mr Alverston and the ghost of the boy he once was, reunite, Another story about relationships between different allowing the old man to die peacefully. generations is Nina Bawden’s Off the Road. Another book to make you think about your relationship with your grandma and what happens when she can’t cope on her own is Anne Fine’s The Granny Project.

Rose Hill School

Jake's Tower Elizabeth Laird Jake’s mother has a very violent boyfriend. Trying to escape from the real world, Jake takes refuge in his Next? Why not try Elizabeth Laird’s story of the African imagination. There he creates a fantasy tower on an island where he will have complete control over who boys, Mamo and Dani, two runaways whose stories are is allowed in. But when he and his mother have to escape from the boyfriend, Jake finds that imagination told in The Garbage King? Though be warned, this is a and reality can sometimes meet…. tough, terrifying story. Her other brilliant books include the very moving Red Sky in the Morning and the Dust. A Very different book about the way children can be misused is Jamila Gavin’s Coram Boy. Other tense, thought-provoking novels about bullying an violence include Aidan Chambers’ The Present Takers and, for older readers, Tightrope by Gillian Cross. Stop the Train Geraldine Marooned in the vast Oklahoma prairies, the newly settled town of Florence relies completely on the Next? MacCaughrean railway line beside which it stands. When the railroad company ruthlessly and spitefully decides to bypass If you’ve read this story you may like Little House on the Florence it seems as if the settlers' livelihood and dreams must wither and die. Somehow or other, the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, also about struggling train has to be stopped - and the people of Florence will stop at nothing until it is pioneering families. More McCaughrean? For another historical story, try Plundering Paradise. Or for something more fantastical, try The Stones are Hatching. For another family and a train that has a huge impact on their lives, read The Railway Children by E Nesbit. Journey to the River Eva Ibbotson Set at the turn of the 20th century, this is an adventure story full of magic and discovery--without a witch Next? Sea or a wizard in sight! It's about real people, good and bad, and a journey to another world. Maia, Try Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean –about accompanied by the straight-backed Miss Minton, leaves the familiar comforts of her boarding school to starting a new life far away. A Little Princess by Frances start a new life with distant relatives who live 1000 miles from the mouth of the Amazon. Both soon Hodgson Burnett is the story of Sara Crewe who returns discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences beyond their imagination. More importantly, they from India to go to boarding school. learn one of life's hardest lessons--to conquer their fears and embrace the unknown. And along the way Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman tells the story of an they learn about tolerance, acceptance and trust. Afghan family forced to become refugees. Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and Next? daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he The sequels so far are Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, and Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine For other Bond-like action, try Anthony Horozitz’s Alex and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the Rider books, starting with Stormbreaker. mother of all sieges brewing! If you enjoy the madly unexpected, try Piratica by Tanith Lee. If you enjoy fast-paced fantasy, try Terry Pratchett’s Truckers. Feather Boy Nicky Singer Robert's participation in the Elders Project begins a sequence of events that change his life forever. Next? Selected members of his class are chosen to visit the elderly residents of Mayfield Rest Home--to interact You might like Skellig by David Almond. There’s a lot with them, to find out about their lives and to "counter ignorant attitudes about such senior members of going on in Michael’s life, too. He’s just moved house society". Robert's main attacker, Jonathan Niker, may think them all "vegetables", but Robert's own and found someone strange living in the garage! Angel or buried true-life personality is slowly unearthed by Edith Sorrel--a prickly resident who singles him out as devil – who knows? her boy to talk to. How about Holes Louis Sachar? Stanley Yelnats is not very lucky and he’s dug himself into deep trouble. Or if you’d like to read another Nicky Singer, try the darker and tougher Doll. The Diary of a Young Anne Frank Anne Frank's diary is among the most enduring documents of the 20th century. She documented her life Next? Girl in hiding from 12 June 1942 to 1 August 1944. Initially, she wrote it strictly for herself. Then, one day in There is nothing else quite like Anne’s diary, but try 1944, Gerrit Bolkestein, a member of the Dutch government in exile, announced in a radio broadcast from Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic, written during the war in London that after the war he hoped to collect eyewitness accounts of the suffering of the Dutch people Bosnia. Like Anne, Zlata sees the madness and stupidity under the German occupation, which could be made available to the public. As an example, he specifically of war. Can a cartoon make you cry? Read Art

Rose Hill School

mentioned letters and diaries. Anne Frank decided that when the war was over she would publish a book Spiegelman’s Maus, where the Jews are mice and the based on her diary. Nazis are cats, and see. Another book about growing up somewhere very different is Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah. National Velvet Enid Bagnold “Basically, it’s a thrilling adventure about a girl and a horse, but even if you hate horses you’ll still love the Next? story; the world in which Velvet Brown lives is so warm it glows, and so real you can’t believe that Edwina, Pure Dead Magic – Debi Gliori. Its totally different in Malvolia, Meredith, Velvet and Donald don’t exist. It reads as if it was written yesterday, even though it almost every way – but there’s another wonderfully was first published in 1935; it’s so fresh and funny and profound that it’ll always be one of my most warm close family at the heart of the story. My Friend favourite books of all time.” Vivian French. Flicka by Mary O’Hara is about a friendship between a horse and a boy. Or there is the famous horse story, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Or for wild horses, try The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell. Little Women Louisa May Alcott The story of a year in the life of the March family. While their father is away in the Civil War, the four Next? March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and their mother, work hard to maintain a happy and peaceful The story continues in: Good Wives, Little Men and Jo’s home. Boys. Most people who grow up with the stories of the march family also love LM Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables books or What Did books by Susan Coolidge. The Exiles by Hilary McKay, and its sequels, are very different stories about four sisters. The Bronte Girls by Garry Kilworth is a book about the sisters who all became famous authors. Flour Babies Anne Fine When the annual school science fair comes round, Mr Cartwright's class don't get the soap factory, or the Next? maggot farm, or the exploding custard tins. They get the flour babies - sweet little bags of flour that must Anne Fine is one of the best and least compromising be treated gently.. writers around. Look out for her titles in bookshops and libraries and read a selection; there’s bound to be something you’ll adore. Start with The Book of the Banshee or Goggle-eyes. If you liked Flour Babies, you might enjoy There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson After the death of her parents, Mary Lennox is brought back from India as a forlorn and unwanted child to Next? Burnett live in her uncle's great lonely house on the moors. Then one day, she discovers the key to a secret garden A Little Princess, by the same author, is about a little girl and, as if by magic, her life begins to change. who struggles before she finds happiness. Frances Hodgson Burnett also wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy. Stargirl by Jerry Spinellis is also about an unlikely friendship. Or try Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, a magical story about friendship across time. The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M Boston will prove a satisfying read for anyone who enjoys The Secret Garden. It is actually a ghost story but a benign one, and suffused with a dreamy, timeless atmosphere. Comfort Herself Geraldine Kaye When her mother dies, Comfort is faced with a tricky choice. She could stay in England with her old- Next? fashioned grandparents, or she could travel to Africa and find her father. The problem is that she's not A Piece of Cake sure where she fits. She feels stifled in England, but she could also be an outcast in Ghana. Stacks of Stories The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling From the moment a little naked cub wanders into the lair of Father Wolf and Mother Wolf to the moment Next? when the master of the jungle returns to his own people, Mowgli's adventures comprise a fable of human Anyone who enjoys The Jungle Books will almost life. Along with these stories are other animal tales. certainly love the Just So Stories, also by Rudyard Kipling. They are funny, extravagant tales told in beautifully rhythmic language. Then you could try Kipling’s Puck of

Rose Hill School

Pook’s Hill and Rewards and Fairies. In these short stories, the goblin Puck magically summons people from the past to tell the stories of their lives. Another animal

classic is Stuart Little by EB White, though this time it’s about an animal adopted by people. The Lion, the Witch C S Lewis When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy stumbles through a magic wardrobe into the wondrous world of Next? You’ll be enthralled by the magic of all the and the Wardrobe Narnia, they find themselves caught up in a battle against the White Witch, who has placed a wintry curse Chronicles of Narnia. They are best read in the following on the land. Edmund is separated from his brother and sisters, meets the Witch and, under her spell, order: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and makes a secret pact that puts all their lives in danger. Great courage is needed as the other children lead the Wardrobe, The Horse and his Boy, Prince Caspian, the creatures and talking beasts of Narnia into battle. With them is Aslan, true ruler of Narnia and the The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The most powerful enemy of the Witch. But Edmund still belongs to the Witch, who demands a terrible price Last Battle. And after all that? Try the Worlds of for his freedom. Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynee Jones, which are all about magic and adventure. Or Harry Potter. You might know JK Rowling’s classics already – but if you don’t , go and introduce yourself right now. At the Back of the George With 13 children of his own clamouring for bedtime stories it isn't surprising that author George Next by the same author? North Wind MacDonald MacDonald discovered he had a gift for composing fairy tales. But these were fairy tales with a difference. The Light Princess At the Back of the North Wind, the first to be published, became a Victorian favourite and marked something of a milestone in children's fiction. While owing a debt to Hans Andersen, Dickens and Kingsley, MacDonald created a distinctive imaginary world existing in parallel with the grim social realities of mid- 19th-century England. "A fairy tale is not al allegory," he once remarked. It is, of course, but the trick was to disguise it, to entertain the reader as well as instruct, leaving them to draw a moral if they pleased, or else simply to enjoy the fantasy. The Haunting Margaret Mahy The family of Barney's dead mother are aware that there is something special about this particular boy. As Next? he resigns himself to being haunted again, Barney's sister and brother set out to discover the reason You might want to read more by Margaret Mahy. She behind his supernatural attraction. This book is a winner of the Carnegie Medal has great insight into the way families work, and the way she writes is always different and surprising. Aliens in the Family has a lot in common with The Haunting but for the more ambitious, The Changeover is my favourite. Melvin Burgess’s An Angel for May is a ghost story that becomes a timeslip one. For more really scary stuff, try Theresa Breslin’s Whispers in the Graveyard. Henry's Leg Ann Pilling Henry Hooper loves junk. When Henry finds an innocent-looking leg from a fashion dummy, he is thrown Next by the same author? into a real-life thriller. The local thugs are very interested in the leg too, and seem prepared to stop at The Pit - When an old man comes to stay with Oliver's nothing to get it back parents, Oliver is astonished by the man's acute phobia of fleas and rats. Determined to discover the source of the old man's terror, Oliver is drawn to a demolition site, where workmen are suffering appalling mental injuries. Oliver realises that something of enormous, terrifying power has been unearthed by the workmen but before he can find out more, a terrified scream comes from the cellar of his house. Thinking the screams to be from the old man, Oliver plunges into the cellar...to find himself in plague-ridden London, trapped in the body of a boy, surrounded by plague victims. Swallows and Arthur Ransome It is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who set out in their boat Next? Amazons (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At Try some others in the series, like The Picts and the

Rose Hill School

first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, Martyrs, which adds two more nautical kids to the who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm Swallows’ and Amazons’ adventures in the Lake District friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is (and will also teach you how to ‘guddle’ trout). Or The the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale.Swallows and Amazons will transport Big Six, a kind of detective story which takes you to join children to a fantastical place where they can play safely and roam freely, without an adult in sight. Joe, Bill and Pete in their boat the ‘Death and Glory’ on the Norfolk Broads. Or We Didn’t Mean to Go To Sea, in which the Walkers accidentally find themselves sailing a four-ton yacht across the North Sea to the Netherlands, in a fog and then a storm. If you’ve read all the Swallows and Amazons stories, move on to Treasure Island by RL Stevenson. Or read Philippa Pearce’s Minnow on the Say, another great adventure that happens over a long summer. Angela and Diabola Lynne Reid Banks Twins are meant to be alike, but Angela and Diabola are opposites in every way. Angela is completely Next? Stealing Stacey - A compelling and touching good... Diabola is pure evil. Everyone loves Angela... even the vicar is terrified of Diabola! As Diabola coming-of-age story set in the magnificent Australian grows, so do her powers. Only Angela knows what goes on in her twin’s mind – can she stop Diabola outback. All my helpless, angry thoughts suddenly came before it’s too late? together to form one word. One answer. Australia. On the other side of the world. An escape from everything...Stacey's life's not great. Her dad's run off, she and her mum live alone in a poky flat, school's one big bore and her friends are all bad news. Then, out of the blue, a glamorous gran she's never met comes to visit. Ballet Shoes Noel Streatfeild Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil are sisters – with a difference. All three were adopted as babies by Great Next? Uncle Matthew, an eccentric and rich explorer, who then disappeared, leaving them in the care of his There are many more Noel Streatfeild ‘Shoes’ stories – niece Sylvia. The girls grow up in comfort until the money begins to run out and nobody can find Great try Dancing Shoes, Theatre Shoes and Tennis Shoes, Uncle Matthew. Things look bleak until they hit on an inspired idea: Paulina, Petrova and Posy will take to then look out for all the others. Her Gemma books are the stage. about being in the movies; and there’s also White Boots, which is about ice-skating. Another lovely story about wanting to perform on the stage is The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown. Or try Cuckoo in the Nest by Michelle Magorian, about a boy who wants to be an actor. It is a harder read but well worth it. Or The Collins Book of Ballet and Dance edited by Jean Ure. My Mum's From Gwyneth Rees Daniel is delighted when his mum gets a new job as a head teacher - until he discovers that the school is Next by the same author? Planet Pluto miles away, that he will have to move, and that it will be his school that she is leading! But unfortunately The Mum Hunt, Cosmo and the Magic Sneeze or worse is still to come. Only Daniel can stop the collision course with disaster. This great title deals with The Mum Detective family issues, including mental health. Try Anne Fine’s Goggle-eyes for another fun, but poignant, story about finding new partners for your parents – this time for your mum. Adjusting to a new family make-up is also under the spotlight in Mimi Thebo’s Wipe Out If you want to read about a family drama, look up Child X by Lee Weatherly – a very exciting novel about a complex family situation. Bud, not Buddy Christopher Paul Bud (like a plant, not short for "Buddy", as he tells everyone) is a motherless boy on the run. He's Next by the same author?

Rose Hill School

Curtis determined to find his father but doesn't know where to start. The only clue he has is a bunch of flyers The Watsons Go to Birmingham about Herman E Calloway and his jazz band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. Bud is on a journey. It is the long, hot summer of 1963 and the Watson family He has hit the road with one idea in mind - he wants to discover his father. He's not got a lot to go on - just - father, mother, Byron who is behaving like a teenage a flyer for a jazz band and his very own Rules and Things for Having a Funnier Life and Making a Better Liar delinquent, little Joetta and Kenny, the one in the middle Out of Yourself. Despite encounters with a car-driving vampire, a monster-infested woodshed and even a who tells the story - set out from Michigan to stay with real live girl, Bud presses on towards a surprising discovery...Readers will be instantly engaged by Bud's their Grandma in Alabama. It is the child’s first heart-warming, funny and fast-moving story in this award-winning novel set in 1930s America. experience of the deep South, and it is devastating when a bomb is thrown into the church and Joetta is presumed dead. The Watsons are a wonderful family who swing you along with their jokes, worries, squabbles, and genuine love and care for one another and this story, despite its tragic message, shines with warmth, humour and joie-de-vivre. A Crack in the Line Michael Lawrence What if you found yourself in another reality and someone else was living your life? When his mother died Next by the same author? in a train crash, Alaric Underwood's life began to unravel. Two years on, aged sixteen, he still hasn't got The Killer Underpants - Jiggy's new underpants won't over the loss. But on the 2nd anniversary of the tragedy, Alaric stumbles into an alternative version of his come off. As if that wasn't enough, they seem to give him reality - in which his mother survived the accident... a peculiar sort of power over people. This is the second humorous adventure starring Jiggy McCue. Also try The Toilet of Doom or Maggot Pie in the Jiggy McCue series. Alice By Accident Lynne Reid Banks Nine-year-old Alice must write about herself for a school assignment, and in doing so, she sorts out her Next by the same author? feelings about her somewhat prickly single mother, the father she has never met, her flamboyant paternal The Farthest Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks Next? grandmother and the rest of her sometimes confusing life. Alice doesn't see how she can write her life …You should try L Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz and story as a class assignment. How can she fit nine years into a couple of pages? Her pets have died and the Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, two only family she has is her mother. Until recently she had a beloved interfering grandmother -- Gene -- but classics with brave, bright heroines who set out on she's gone from Alice's life. Besides, Alice discovered ages ago she was born by accident, and that's the incredible journeys. sort of private thing you don't write about for school. Alice does the assignment but she thinks it's boring, If tomboys appeal, you may like Jo March in Louisa May until she discovers a need to write about her true life -- the exciting, complicated and private of her life. Alcott’s Little Women . Princess Amy in MM Kaye’s The She writes how Gene came along, how she changed Alice's life, making it richer in experience but also Ordinary Princess or Petrova Fossil in Ballet Shoes by more complicated. She records ongoing quarrels between Gene and her mother which ended with the Big Noel Streatfeild. Row and now she can't see Gene any more. Lynne Reid Banks has written a truly compelling story of a Another story by Lynne Reid Banks to try is the much- creative child caught in the middle of a difficult but very real and increasingly common situation. loved The Indian in the Cupboard. Marginaliens Philip Gross Enna lives with her family above their cafe in Surrey Street. One day, when she is doodling, something Next by the same author? amazing happens - one of her doodles comes to life and steps off the paper. He's a strange, wizened little Going for Stone creature who she calls the Dood. She discovers that he lives in the Margins - a strange netherworld inhabited by the contents of people's imaginations. Her drawing is the gateway from one world to another. Enna and the Dood become friends and each helps the other to work their way through some difficult situations. Airborn Kenneth Oppel Matt Cruse is cabin boy aboard the airship Aurora and has high hopes for promotion to junior sail maker Next? on this voyage - until Kate de Vries, one of the wealthy passengers makes friends with him. All their The Silverwing Saga by Kenneth Oppel bravery is required when one night, in the middle of the ocean, they are boarded by pirates You might like to try Dead Water Zone, an earlier, sci-fi- ish novel by Kenneth Oppel, peopled by humans. Or if you want another unusual animal angle, Morris Gleitzman’s Toad Rage chronicles the quest of Limpy, the slightly squashed cane toad, to fin out whether humans really do hate his species. For another epic fantasy series, read ’s trilogy, starting with Sabiel.

Rose Hill School

The Tail of Emily Liz Kessler Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat her whole life – yet her mother seems oddly anxious to keep her away Next? Windsnap from water. When she’s finally allowed swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery. She has a Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep tail! As Emily explores the kingdom under the sea, she learns a family secret, and braves the wrath of Neptune to find the father she has never met and reunite him with her mother. The Blood Stone Jamila Gavin In Venice, the diamond promises wealth and prestige to greedy Bernardo Pagliarin. At the court of the Next? Great Maghul in Agra, it holds the key to the throne itself. For Filippo and his family, the stone is worth far Track down some other titles by Jamila Gavin’ The Wheel more. It could bring their father back from the dead. This is a dazzling whirlwind of a journey, over seas of Surya Trilogy is my favourite. You might also like and across the desert, into the very heart of danger. William Nicholson’s the The Wind on Fire Trilogy; another epic adventure. Another great story about unveiling family secrets is Thomas Bloor’s The Memory Prisoner. The Cry of the Stuart Hill When her father dies in battle, fourteen-year-old Thirrin becomes Queen of the Icemark, a tiny kingdom Icemark forever caught between dangerous neighbours. But she bears a heavy burden. Thirrin must find a way to protect her people from the most terrible invasion her nation has ever known – and do so before the end of the winter snows. The Cry of the Icemark is the glorious story of how she rallies her country and finds some extraordinary allies: Vampires, Wolf-folk and most noble of all, giant Snow Leopards. But it’s also a heart-felt tale of duty and sacrifice, of unexpected laughter and awful uncertainty, and of a girl whose friendships are forged in the heat of battle. Harry and the Alan Temperley When Harry's sent to stay with his great-aunts he thinks he's in for a really dull time. But Auntie Florrie, Next? Wrinklies Aunt Bridget and their elderly friends aren't quite as Harry expected them to be... Aren't they too old to If you want to read more of the magical Mr Temperley’s be driving fast cars and climbing trees? And what exactly are the plans they are hatching late at night books, try the sequel to this book, Harry and the when Harry's in bed? Treasure of Eddie Carver, and the novel The Magician of Samarkand. If you liked the mad adventures and the truly terrible jokes, try the Diamond Brothers books by Anthony Horowitz – see The Falcon’s Malteser. If you want to read about another orphan who finds a new life somewhere unexpected, try Harry Potter. Shakespeare Stories Andrew Matthews This superb paperback series makes an excellent introduction to Shakespeare for younger readers. The - 8 Books & Tony Ross tales have been retold using accessible language and with the help of Tony Ross' engaging black and white illustrations each of the eight plays is vividly brought to life for a whole new audience. These culturally enriching stories deserve to eb shared with as wide an audience as possible. Introduce your children to Shakespeare's characters at a young age, and when they grow up and meet the full text for the first time, they will feel like they are greeting old friends! Titles include: Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and The Tempest. Anthony Horowitz - 6 Anthony Horowitz Get right up to date with one of the most exciting phenomenons in children's publishing! Meet Alex Rider, Books the fourteen-year-old who found his world turned upside down when his guardian died in suspicious circumstances. Forcibly recruited into MI6, he is required to undertake a series of missions fraught with danger and of the utmost secrecy. Each new operation ups the stakes with ingenious gadgets, fast-paced action and a thrilling ticking-clock climax. This superb offer features all six blockbusting novels from one of our all-time favourite authors. Titles include: Stormbreaker, Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia and Ark Angel. Kit's Wilderness David Almond In this sinister and unsettling tale Kit arrives as a newcomer to Stoneygate and its wilderness where the Next? ancient coal pit had once been. Kit is drawn into Askew’s terrifying game called Death. And when Askew Read Skellig or Heaven Eyes. disappears, it is up to Kit to bring him back. A thrilling, remarkable book for confident reader. Sally Prue’s Cold Tom has a similarly eerie feel; or for something else that’s mysterious but totally unsentimental, try Julie Hearn’s Follow Me Down.

Rose Hill School

Back to the Divide Elizabeth Kay The evil Snakeweed is stuck in the real world. To return home he needs the spell hidden in Felix’s Next by the same author? notebook. His visit leaves Felix reeling – and his parents literally rooted to the spot. Worse, the curse on Jinx on the Divide or The Divide them is some sort of magical infection. Felix must cross the Divide to find a counter-charm to save the Another book about dreams, illness and the blurring of world. the real world is Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. A series of books also about fantasy and reality Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising sequence. Or for a realistic and terrifying look at life-threatening illness, try Malorie Blackman’s Pig-heart Boy. Millions Frank Cottrell This unique and utterly compelling story begins with a one-in-a-million chance. A bag crammed with cash Next by the same author? Boyce comes tumbling out of the air and lands right at Damian’s feet... he and his brother are suddenly very rich. Torn between the vices of buying a million pizzas and the virtues of ending world poverty, the boys soon Framed discover that being rich is a mug’s game. Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien .R.R.Tolkien’s epic tale The Lord of the Rings was voted the nation's favourite book in the BBC’s Big Read. Next? Collection - 4 Books Whether your children know and love it, or have just become aware of it through the hugely successful After you’ve finished, do read the Appendices and learn cinema adaptation, you’ll find this four volume edition difficult to resist. From the moment that Bilbo the history of Middle Earth. Baggins makes his first appearance in The Hobbit, to the closing chapter of The Return of the King, this is Other sword-and-sorcery fantasies might seem a little unrivalled storytelling. thin after Tolkien, but try Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Titles include: The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of The King. quest books. Or read Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials – the only children’s fantasy sequence that really matches The Lord of the Rings for scale and epic appeal. To find out how Bilbo got the Ring of Power, read The Hobbit. Tolkien also wrote some other short tales that are worth hunting out – such as Farmer Giles of Ham. For the real fan, there’s also a multi-volume companion to The Lord of the Rings, compiled by Tolkien’s son Christopher, compile from notes his father made: The History of Middle Earth. Ally's World: Past, Karen McCombie Ally has a lot on her plate. First of all, it's enough to get by, living in a madhouse. She loves her family but Next by the same author? Present & Loud Loud her sister Linn, the eldest, is so bossy and her two brothers aren't much help. Then there's school and the Marshmallow Magic and the Wild Rose Rouge Girl worry of a forgotten history project not to mention the obnoxious new girl. Cat and the Stink Kate Saunders Cat discovers that the white stone her archaeologist father gave her does have amazing powers. Powers Next by the same author? water War to defeat bullying Emily Baines. Powers to turn her into a cat! But the Blessed Sardine, the cats' holy relic - The Belfry Witches - Meet Old Noshie and Skirty Marm - has gone missing and now only one marmalade cat - called Cat - can help. the naughtiest witches in the world. Together they always spell trouble! Old Noshie and Skirty Marm have committed a terrible crime. They've sung a frightfully rude song about the Queen of the Witches at the Hallowe'en Ball. Now they are to be banished from Witch Island for ever! But where can they go? The sleepy village of Tranters End is about to become home to two wacky witches, a wonderfully snooty cat - and a whole lot of trouble! Three extremely funny books, now in one bumper volume! Chasing Vermeer Blue Balliett A stolen painting, a series of unexpected events, and two smart children. Petra and Calder live in a neighbourhood where strange things have started to happen. Seemingly unrelated events connect, a sharp old woman seeks their company - and a priceless Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two children are drawn into an international art sensation where no one is above suspicion. They must rely on their intelligence and a newly acquired knowledge of the artist

Rose Hill School

The Talent Thief Alex Williams Wealthy orphans Adam and Cressida Bloom couldn't be less alike. Adam can't seem to help being Next? exceedingly ordinary whereas Cressida, his glamorous sister, has a magnificent talent - when she sings, Peter Pan in Scarlet by Gerladine even the birds stop to listen. Then Cressida is invited to perform at Fortescue's festival of young talents and Adam tags along. But, once the children arrive at the festival, in a mountain-top hotel, their terrific talents begin to mysteriously disappear. A piano virtuoso suddenly forgets how to play, a maths genius finds she can no longer multiply. There's a sinister shadow that only Adam ever sees, a strange glow emanating from behind closed doors...With the help of an erratic ex-racing driver, dashing Amy Swift, Adam and Cressida rip-roar off through the mountains in Amy's shiny racing car, the Silver Swift. They are in perilous pursuit of the dastardly talent thief! But, from a hair-raisingly close shave with an avalanche to crash landing a plane on a runway the size of a table, Adam never gives up. Perhaps he isn't as ordinary as he first thought! Chicken Friend Nicola Morgan A funny, sharply observed story about peer pressure and the desire to conform. "You wouldn't want a Next by the same author? family like mine - they're straight out of Crazyville." Becca is feeling sorry for herself. Ever since her family Fleshmarket moved to the country, she's missed London and her best friend Stella. And her eccentric parents don't Sleepwalking believe in school, so Becca only has her annoying twin brothers for company. Oh, and the chickens. Enter Mondays Are Red Jazz and Mel. They're cool and streetwise and they seem to want to be friends - especially when Becca says she might have a party. Without adults. But that's when things begin to head for disaster….

Bambert's Book of Reinhardt Jung This is a very special book - quite unlike anything else you are likely to come across. Beautiful, melodic Missing Stories tales are interwoven with philosophy, fable and a touch of magic. There are ten complete stories, each sent out by the solitary Bambert, and an eleventh that he hopes will write itself. Though written for children, adults will learn from it too! The Dream walker’s Steve Voake Bizarre bicycle crash leaves Sam in a coma... but he wakes in another world, similar to his own, to discover Next? Child that his accident was part of an elaborate abduction, itself part of a plot that will threaten his real world. Siberia - Ann Halam. Aided by his new friend Skipper, a girl pilot with a love of adventure, he must join the fight to save Earth Funday Times, Sunday Times, January 16, 2005 and find a way to return home. Despite mixing fantasy and fairy-tale creatures, Siberia is a story full of human drama. Classified - 3 Books Terry Deary Already proving to be immensely popular, each book in this ingenious series gives a unique insight into the Next? Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary. most intriguing mysteries of modern history. First read the spine-tingling stories, then the fact-filled case Try some of Terry Deary’s historical fictions, such as The files. At the end of the book, the reader gets to decide whether they're fact or fiction. Titles include: King in BloodRed and Gold or The Prince of Rags and Vanished!, Discovery at Roswell and Break Out!. Patches, both in the Tudor Terror series. The Wind in the Kenneth Grahame The tales of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring- Next? Willows cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast Try Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book which is about travel which leads him and his friends on a whirl of trains, barges, gipsy caravans and motor cars and even more real animals this time, though they still talk to each into battle other. For another wild and exciting talking-animal story try Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach which has just as much adventure, but with talking insects. Something more challenging? Try Brian Jacques’s Redwall series, with fighting mice and a mad, dangerous one-eyed rat as the villain. Or something more gentler, easier – lovely Winnie-the Pooh by AA Milne. Heartbeat Sharon Creech A touching story about a young girl finding her identity and learning how it fits with the many rhythms of Next by the same author? life. Annie loves running, drawing, and her family. She has a best friend called Max who also loves running, The Wanderer - Sophie is about to embark on the most but things are not so great in Max's life. As the two come to terms with growing up and getting on and exciting voyage of her life - crossing the Atlantic from dealing with the many events and pressures around them a new and wonderful rhythm are established. A Connecticut to Ireland in her uncle's yacht, The classic novel by Carnegie Medal winning author. Wanderer. Best of all, at the end of the journey, she'll be reunited with her beloved grandfather, Bompie.

Rose Hill School

Eldest Christopher Darkness falls...Despair abounds...Evil reigns...Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel Next by the same author? Paolini state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire Now Eragon must Eragon - When Eragon finds a polished stone in the travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspiring new places and people, each day boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn. Eragon isn't sure whom he can trust. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall - one that puts Eragon in soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old even graver danger. Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered life... and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the

fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands Dragon Rider Cornelia Funke Firedrake, a brave young dragon, his loyal brownie friend Sorrel and a lonely boy called Ben are united as Next by the same author? if by destiny. Together, they embark on a magical journey to find the legendary place where silver dragons The Thief Lord - Two orphaned children are on the run, can live in peace forever. With only a curious map and the whispered memories of an old dragon to guide hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways them, they fly across moonlit lands and seas to reach the highest mountains in the world. Along the way, of the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and they discover extraordinary new friends in unlikely places and a courage they never knew they had. Just as their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an well, for the greatest enemy of all is never far behind them - a heartless monster from the past that’s been old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, waiting a very long time to destroy the last dragons on earth. obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys’ new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past—a beautiful

magical treasure with the power to spin time itself. The Ragwitch Garth Nix From the author of Abhorsen comes classic fantasy set in a world dominated by the Ragwitch, a being of Next by the same author? sinister, destructive intent. An ancient spirit wreaks death and destruction on the world that sought to Seventh Tower: cripple her powers. "Julia turned around - and Paul skidded to a stop in shock. He felt like he'd been winded, struck so hard he couln't breathe at all. For the person in front of him wasn't Julia at all, but a hideous mixture of girl and doll: half flesh, half cloth, and the eyes and face had nothing of Julia left at all, only the evil features of the doll." When Julia finds the ugly doll in the strange ball of feathers on the beach, Paul instinctively knows that his sister has meddled with something that is going to cause trouble. But already it's too late - the power behind the doll already has his sister in its thrall and, later that night, the Ragwitch claims Julia for its own. Fighting against his natural urge to run from this hideous being, Paul is drawn into the creature's own world. Can he save his sister - or even himself?

Books recommended by previous Year 5 children Shadow Michael Morpurgo This is the story of Aman - a boy from Afghanistan fleeing the horror of the Afghan war. When a western dog shows up outsidde the caves where Aman lives with his mother, Aman is initially unsure – it is not customary for people to keep dogs as pets in his part of the world. But when Aman and his mother finally decide to make a bid for freedom, the dog Aman has called Shadow will not leave their side. Soon it becomes clear: the destinies of boy

Rose Hill School

and dog are linked, and always will be…

Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Wilder Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country. They travel from Wisconsin to Kansas and there, finally, Pa builds their little house on the prairie. Sometimes farm life is difficult, even dangerous, but Laura and the family are kept busy and are happy with the promise of their new life on the prairie. Laura and her family journey west by covered wagon, only to find they are in Indian territory and must move on. The Indian in the Cupboard Lynn R Banks The Indian in the Cupboard is about a boy named Omri and his plastic North American Indian – Little Bull – who comes alive when Omri puts him in a cupboard. For Omri, it is a dream come true when the plastic American Indian he locks into the old cupboard comes to life. Little Bull is everything an Indian brave should be – proud, fearless and defiant. But being in charge of a real, live, human being is a heavy responsibility, as Omri soon discovers. And when his best friend, Patrick, is let in on the secret, he soon realises that life-changing decisions lie ahead. My Sister Jodie When their parents get new jobs, Jodie and Pearl move to a new boarding school. Jodie has always been the leader - but now it's Pearl who's making new friends. Jodie just seems to be getting into more and more trouble – arguing with Mum and scaring the little children. When term begins, their strange summer at the boarding school is over. However, things keep on changing. Jodie really doesn't fit in with the posh teenagers at the school. But Pearl is doing well in lessons and has even more friends. Maybe she doesn't need Jodie as much as she used to. But Jodie needs her. And when the school celebrations of Firework Night come around and a tragic event occurs, Pearl realises quite how much she does need her big sister. The Worst Thing about my Sister Jacqueline Wilson Marty and her sister Melissa couldn't be more different in personality. The sisters can manage to live together, despite their occasional scraps but then Mum tells them they have to share a room. For Marty, having to share her bunk beds and lose her private sanctuary turns out to be the very worst thing about having a sister. But the girls soon discover that being too close for comfort can have unexpected consequences, and when an accident happens, the sisters realise they are closer than they thought. The Secret of Platform 13 Eva Ibbotson A forgotten door on an abandoned railway platform is the entrance to a magical kingdom - an island where humans live happily with mermaids, ogres, and other wonderful creatures. Carefully hidden from the world, the Island is only accessible when the door opens for nine days every nine years. A lot can go wrong in nine days. When the beastly Mrs Trottle kidnaps the prince of the Island, it's up to a strange band of rescuers to save him. But can an ogre, a hag, a wizard, and a fey really troop around London unnoticed?

More book recommendations by previous Year 5 children What books would you recommend? Keep a note here of your favourite books.

Rose Hill School

The Lady Grace Mysteries by Grace Candevish Northern Lights by Philip Pulman Night Rise by Anthony Horowitz The Outlaw Varjak Paw by SF Said The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibboston Farm Boy by Michael Morpurgo The Amazon Experiment by Deborah Abela A Spoonful of Jam by Michelle Magoriam Escape from Shangri-La by Michael Morpurgo War Horse by Michael Morpergo Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones Margin Aliens by Phillip Cross Odysseus and the Serpent Maze by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris Black Beauty by Anna Sewell A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett