46. Alex T. Smith – Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure
A silly adventure with a silly adventurer – Mr Penguin, who doesn’t really seem sure that he wants to be an adventurer at all. But here he is, sent on a mission with his silent sidekick, Colin the spider, in order to find the missing jewels of the local museum.
Lots of laugh out loud moments for younger readers here, with twists, turns and suspense throughout.
47. Louis Sachar – Pig City
Pig City is a club set up by Laura: it has rules, a secret salute, and, to be in it, you have to give insurance. That way, if ever you betray Pig City, you can never speak ill of it.
Gabriel is a boy who wants to be in Pig City, but doesn’t know how to approach Laura (young love, perhaps). He leaves a note in her desk, but that is intercepted and changed, leading to consequences that see bickering, arguments and revenge between the children in Laura’s class.
At the centre of this is Mr Doyle, the beleaguered teacher who keeps entering his class to find something about pigs written on the board -but he can’t prove who did it. He is a steady constant and someone all teachers will relate to.
A light, humorous read, with a nice message about friendship and self-importance.
48. Philip Pullman – The Adventures of John Blake
A mind-bending time-travel adventure ratifying John Blake, a boy who is perennially aboard the Mary Alice, a near-mythical schooner that has crew from all periods of history.
In the present day, Carlos Dahlberg is a multi-millionaire inventor of the Apparator (read Steve Jobs/iPhone), which has young people addicted to it due to its hi-tech wizardry. However, John Blake knows that Dahlberg has a secret about the technology, and Dahlberg knows he knows…
So we go back and forth here and there as people avoid each other and get angry. There are some brilliant panels – pieces of art in their own right – and there are some massively cheesy parts too. Looking forward to seeing what my reading group make of it.
49. Aron Els Steinke – Mr Wolf’s Class
A charming graphic novel, with little in the way of challenging vocabulary, so would be good across KS2, but lots of points to discuss, such as friendship, differences, feelings and worries.
Mr Wolf’s first day teaching his class fills him with excitement, as the first panel shows him tidying his classroom and arranging it just so.
We are then introduced to his class, pictured sleeping (or trying to sleep) the night before school begins. This would be a great opportunity for a class to explore what we know, or think we know, about different children’s lives: Penny, who can’t sleep, or Abdi, eyes wide open, fixed on his game. Henry is tucked into bed with a teddy bear, while Noah stares out into the night, clearly worried about something.
Mr Wolf’s first day has its ups and downs, and anyone working in a primary school will empathise with him quite easily. I really enjoyed the subtle humour and will definitely be buying the second book.
50. Haruki Murakami – What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
A memoir of sorts, as Murakami articulates what running means to him, and why it is so important to his being.
I’ve been running for a couple of years now, competing in races and training with a club each week, and some of what he says really resonates. It definitely helps my mental health, and there is something special about being outside in all weathers, pounding the streets, the footpaths and the trails. Stolen moments.
51. Rachel Rooney – A Kid In My Class
A stunning collection of poems, each about a fictional child in a fictional class. There’s the cool one, the sporty one, the dreamer, the tomboy…anyone who has taught will see children of their past in this book.
Essential reading.
52. Neil Gaiman – Art Matters
A short collection of four essays by Neil Gaiman that are genuinely inspirational – why we should share ideas, why we should read, why we should persevere, and why we should be brave in making our art.
Just read it. It won’t take long. But it might stay with you.
53. Kate DiCamillo – Louisiana’s Way Home
Louisiana, daughter of the Flying Elefantes, is whisked a way with her granny, who falls victim to a nasty bout of toothache. This allows Louisiana to be on her own and ponder her relationships – Granny has always been there, but the two have always been butting heads. While Granny convalesces, Louisiana decides to make her way back home, back to Raymie and Beverley in Florida.
It is here that things change for Louisiana: a home truth is revealed, turning her world upside down and leaving her feeling abandoned, unsure of her place or purpose.
Through acts of love, moments of realisation, and learning what it means to be herself, it would not spoil things to say that Louisiana does find her way home. It’s just that, sometimes, home really is where the heart is.
54. Sharna Jackson – High Rise Mystery
A fast-paced story which starts with the discovery of a body, and continues to move quickly from there.
Nik and Norva discover the body at the bottom of a chute on their estate, and, while they have to report it as a crime, they are determined to solve the murder themselves – especially when their dad appears to be involved.
Through a combination of determination, careful deduction and no little intelligence, the girls work their way through potential suspects and motives, just like a modern-day Cluedo.
A very modern novel, littered with detective notes, to-do lists and questions as the girls use facts and evidence to deduce – a great story.
55. Raynor Winn – The Salt Path
When Ray and her husband Moth lose everything they own after a failed financial investment, they are faced with an uncertain future, a situation made worse when Moth is diagnosed with a degenerative illness.
So they decide to walk.
This story follows Ray and Moth as they travel the South West Coastal Path, struggling at first, desperate to find some purpose to their lives. Their new-found homelessness does not always sit well, particularly when meeting fellow backpackers, but as their journey progresses, they find their place.
It is a story that is uplifting, and one that will infuriate as well. Their circumstances were exacerbated by red tape and rules, but they do manage to find a happiness on the road that was with them before, but it is a more natural, organic kind.
I loved this. I was jealous of their journey, fearful for their futures, angry at their mistreatment and inspired by their outlook on life.
56. Nadine Wild-Palmer – The Tunnels Below
Cecilia is boarding an underground train in London, ready to celebrate her twelfth birthday with her family. She takes off the marble necklace that her sister has gifted her when she finds herself lost in a network of tunnels.
Within these tunnels are a series of animal-faced beings, part-human with animal characteristics. This reminded me of somewhere in between Alice In Wonderland and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. However, Cecilia seems to be very quickly taken in by these characters rather than – as most of us would – being concerned about how to get home.
The Tunnels Below have baddies, evil forces intent on power, and corruption that rules supreme. The book lacked a little depth for me, despite a hugely imaginative start.
57. Shaun Tan – Tales From The Inner City
A collection of tales with animals as the centrepiece of each – themes of society, politics, the environment, community and much more are tackled through Tan’s abstract art and stories. Something for everyone, perhaps.
In The Twelve 