Tag: Must Read Booklist

Must Read Booklist 2017

40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.
The Must Read Book list is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools, and is a suggested list to buy for your school library.

The book list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

Titles from the 2017 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award short list in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

A set of posters and bookmarks for the book list will be sent to all subscribing primary schools.

Please contact the library for any further information about the book list.

To request additional posters/ bookmarks email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk (subject to availability)

Read the full list

Authors	Title	Synopsis
Murphy, Adam	Lost tales	An invisible warrior longing to be seen; a greedy king trying to cheat fate; a lonely princess who became friends with a sea monster. Eight lost stories from around the world.
Boyce, Frank Cottrell	Astounding broccoli boy	Rory Rooney is prepared for anything, up to and including a hippo attack. What he’s not prepared for is discovering that he’s turning green. Broccoli green. Is he turning into a super hero, or has he just eaten something that disagrees with him?
Bradman, Tony	Master Will and the Spanish spy	All young Will Shakespeare wants is to join the troupe of players, but there’s a dangerous reality to the drama…
Bunzl, Peter	Cogheart	Lily’s father is missing and silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her? With her friends – Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox – Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing Victorian world. Too soon Lily realises that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart…
Caldecott, Elen	Spooks and scooters	A dream holiday is cancelled because of the theft of the blueprints for a revolutionary new scooter. Now it’s up to the Marsh Road investigators to solve the mystery!
Cooke, Tamsin	Cat burglar	As a result of slipping her hand into an Aztec bracelet, a race-against-time ensue for Scarlett as she tries to find and release her father from his captivity in the hands of an evil gang, in time for him to take his diabetes medicine.
Cotterill, Jo	Electrigirl	Holly used to be an ordinary girl, but a rogue lightning bolt has given her the superpower of accidentally blowing things up. Now she needs to learn to control her powers in time to stop a really creepy mobile phone company…
Crossley-Holland, Kevin	Heartsong	Laura is an orphan abandoned by her mother in 18th century Venice. She has no voice but she does have a gift for music which is discovered by the composer, Vivaldi.
Day, Susie	Pea’s book of best friends	When Pea Llewellyn’s dizzy but dazzling single mum becomes a bestselling author, everything changes. It’s time to leave their tiny flat in Tenby for a proper house in London, and a whole new life – but Pea also needs a new best friend…..
Delahaye, Rachel	Jim Reaper, son of Grim	Jim’s problems start off simple – he doesn’t have the latest scooter. Then things become more tricky, from Mum’s anchovy tea to finding out exactly what Dad does for a living…
Dodd, Amber	We are giants	Sydney really doesn’t want to move house, she doesn’t want to have to make new friends and she certainly doesn’t want to grow taller than her dwarfish mum, but life has to go on, even if you don’t want it to….
Earle, Phil	The war next door	The Milners own Storey Street – well they want to – but right now they just bully everyone on it. Until the Jessop’s caravan arrives and fearless Jemima threatens to end their reign of terror…
Easton, T S	Our house	Chloe lives in a less than perfect house. The front door has a mind of its own, one room is decorated with a heavy metal mural and there are enough bats in the attic to keep Batman busy. Her family is less than perfect too, though, so perhaps it’s a good home after all?
Fisher, Justin	Ned’s circus of marvels	Ned Waddlesworth has always considered his world to be exceptionally ordinary. Until the day he discovers it ISN’T. AT ALL. Because on Ned’s thirteenth birthday he discovers that everything magical he’s ever read about or imagined is REAL.
Gardner, Lyn	Rose Campion and the stolen secret	Rose was left by her mother at the door of Campion’s Palace of Variety and Wonders as a baby. When murder threatens to destroy the music hall, Rose will need all her performance skills to crack the crime and delve into a murky past of blackmail, subterfuge and abduction…
Gemin, Giancarlo R	Sweet pizza	Joe’s Italian great-grandfather opened his cafe in Wales in 1929. Today, inspired by stories of persecution of his family during the war, Joe vows to save the cafe, and bring Italian culture back to the high street.
Gibbons, Alan	The lion roars	Jimi knows the names of all the great African footballers, and he wants nothing more than to wear the kit of the Lions of Senegal. Can his daydreams be more than just dreams?
Green, Julia	The wilderness war	The wilderness is the perfect place for building dens and inventing games. And it’s the perfect place for the wildlife that have made it their home. Everything seems perfect until the day that the ‘Land for sale’ sign appears…
Haig, Matt	A boy called Christmas	This is the true story of Father Christmas. It’s impossible, and it gets a little bit dark, but by the end you’ll believe in magic.
Hargrave, Kiran Millwood	The girl of ink & stars	The world beyond Isabella’s island is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Setting off to find her friend, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.
Harrison, Michelle	The other Alice	What happens to stories if they are left unfinished? Do the characters stay within their pages? Or do they wander, and make their own ending?
Ho-Yen, Polly	Where monsters lie	Legend tells of monsters living in the depths of Mivtown loch. When strange things begin happening in the village, Finn and Effie discover that darkness is not limited to the deep waters…
Jones, Rob Lloyd	Jake Atlas and the tomb of the emerald snake	The Atlas family is in trouble. Jake hides an addiction to stealing and his twin sister, Pan, has to conceal her genius for fear of bullies. The siblings can’t stop fighting – with each other and with their parents. But Jake’s and Pan’s lives take a dramatic turn the day they discover the truth about their boring mum and dad.
Kaaberbøl, Lene	Wildfire (Wildwitch series)	Having barely recovered from her last adventure (Wildwitch: Oblivion), Clara barely has time to adjust to her new powers and a strange cat companion before she receives a cry for help…
Khan, Joshua	Shadow magic	Lilith Shadow rules Gehenna from Castle Gloom, an immense windowless citadel. Once Lily’s ancestors commanded spirits, communed with the dead and raised armies from out of the grave, but now her country is about to be conquered by the lords of light.
Leonard, M G	Beetle boy	Darkus Cuttle can’t believe that his father is the sort of man to just ‘disappear’. He also can’t believe it when a giant beetle seems to want to communicate with him – how can a boy be friends with a beetle? And can the beetle help him find his father?
Montgomery, Ross	Perijee & me	The shrimp-like alien creature Caitlin discovers on the shores of her island home just won’t stop eating and won’t stop growing! When the authorities try to hunt him down Perijee disappears and starts causing trouble. Caitlin must leave home and travel across the country to try and convince Perijee to stop destroying everything before it’s too late.
Palmer, Tom	Wings : flyboy	Jatinder, always one to play it safe, finds himself transported into the past – into the life of Sikh fighter pilot Hardit Singh Malik…
Reeve, Philip	Pugs of the frozen north	Competition is fierce to win the race to the top of the world… but Sika and Shen have something the other contestants don’t have – they have a 264 pug-powered sled!
Rosen, Michael	Uncle Gobb and the dread shed	Nobody likes Uncle Gobb and Malcolm can’t work out why he polishes his face. Gobb thinks he’s trying to save the world, but he doesn’t like people asking (or answering) the wrong questions. Only bamboozling will stop him! (any resemblance to education ministers is purely coincidental).
Rundell, Katherine	The wolf wilder	Wolf pups can fetch a thousand roubles and are said to bring luck to a household, but they can never be truly tamed. Feodora is a wolf wilder, who takes wolves when they outgrow their household and teaches them to be as strong and as wild as the country where they were born.
Sedgwick, Julian	Shadow of the Yangtze	Ruby and Charlie must follow the Yangtze river for thousands of miles to rescue Fei, but it is a dark and dangerous journey….
Solomons, David	My gym teacher is an alien overlord	Luke resents not having superpowers (unlike his brother) and it doesn’t help matters that he knows that aliens are attacking Earth and no one believes him. Will Luke’s jealousy of his brother be our planet’s downfall?
Stewart, Paul	Mind warp	500 years ago the robots turned on the humans and pushed them to the edge of extinction. Now, the final battle is beginning.
Woodfine, Katherine	The mystery of the jewelled moth	Edwardian London high society is fancy enough, but it gets even more exciting when our heroines follow a trail of clues and cucumber sandwiches leading to a criminal mastermind…
Pearson, Luke	Hilda and the midnight giant	When invisible creatures bombard Hilda’s house with eviction notices, it looks as though she might be moving to the town. And who is this giant who only appears at midnight, and why is Hilda the only person who can see him?
Murty, Sudha	Serpent’s revenge	India’s greatest epic, the Mahabharata, introduced through a collection of extraordinary tales
Cliff, Tony	Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling	A graphic novel set during the Naoleonic Wars with a female adventuress who’d rather fight a duel with her twin swords than put on a ballgown, her ever-patient and introverted friend Mr Selim (who basically is the God of Teamaking) and a turncoat British Army major. Also swordfights, motherly disapproval and occasional explosions.
Halahmy, Miriam	Yasmin’s journey	Syria is at war. After losing their father, Yasmin and her brother, Ali, are forced into a perilous journey in search of safety.
D’Adamo, Francesco	Oh! Freedom	Peg Leg Joe can lead Tommy and his family to Canada and to freedom along the secret underground railroad, but it is a dangerous journey and runaway slaves when caught are dealt with very severely

MR4 — Poster 1 of 4. Click to view larger image

MR3 — Poster 2 of 4. Click to view larger image

MR2 — Poster 2 of 4. Click to view larger image

MR1 — Poster 1 of 4. Click to view larger image

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13/06/2017

Must Read Book list 2016

40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.

The Must Read Book list is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools, and is a suggested list to buy for your school library.

Titles from the 2016 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award short list in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

A set of posters and bookmarks for the book list have been sent to all subscribing primary schools.

Please contact the library for any further information about the book list.

To request additional posters/ bookmarks email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk (subject to availability – subscribing schools only)

Read the full list

Title	Author	Synopsis	Themes
Crowns and Codebreakers (Marsh Road Mysteries 2)	Caldecott , Elen	Minnie’s Gran comes to stay all the way from Nigeria, but no sooner has she arrived than she discovers that she has picked up the wrong black suitcase at the airport. When the house is broken into and the suitcase is stolen, Minnie and her friends realise that there is a mystery to be solved. This is an exciting romp with strange clues to solve a mystery which leads the children hot on the trail of a gang of international art smugglers. The second Marsh Road Mysteries story.	Multicultural families
Evil Emperor Penguin	Anderson, Laura Ellen	Far away in the icy wastes of the Antarctic, lives a cute and cuddly penguin who only wants one thing… world domination! If only things would just go his way.	Graphic novels, visual literacy
Dead End Kids	Ashley, Bernard	Josie Turner’s world is the Wapping docklands during the blitz. As German bombers rain fire on the city, Josie and her gang form a kids’ fire brigade with other youngsters in the East End. But after a tragic turn of events, she finds that fighting fires could be the least of her troubles.	Local history
Dog Ears	Booth, Anne	Anna tells her best friend Timmy everything and he always listens, as Timmy is her pet dog. He listens when she tells him about school, and her band, and about her baby brother, Jack, ill in hospital, and about how her Dad says that she needs to look after Mum and Jack while he’s away. But when things get to be too much, will Anna need to find someone else who will listen?	Young carers
Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon	Butchart, Pamela	Petunia Perry, aka Peri, is writing her memoirs to explain what it’s like to start secondary school, and like all good memoirs, it needs to begin with a few facts – as to why she is sitting in the wardrobe writing and why her best friend now hates her even though they have both signed the Declaration of Self Independence.	Transition to secondary school
The Monkey’s Secret	Choldenko, Gennifer	It’s San Francisco at the dawn of the last century, and fear of a plague epidemic has caused Chinatown to be quarantined. Lizzie Kennedy is more interested in investigating these rumours and learning to be a doctor than acting the perfect little lady that she’s expected to be, so when she finds a strange boy hiding from the mob in her attic, she’ll need to act fast to put together the pieces of the puzzle…	Historical fiction, race and prejucice
Shadow Cat	Cross, Gillian	Nolan is whisked off in a camper van to who-knows-where by his eccentric mother. Feather feels constrained by her rock star father’s security-filled life. The two are brought together when Feather’s father introduces a wild cat into his live stage act – a beautiful and dangerous serval that needs their protection.	Families, mental health, animal welfare
Far From Home: the Sisters of Street Child	Doherty, Berlie	Set in Victorian London, Lizzie and Emily are turned out onto the streets when their landlord sees that they have no money for rent and no way of earning it. Abandoned and starving, their story takes them to work in the mills of northern England. There the girls work in harsh conditions and any chance of escape seems tempting….	Historical fiction, local history, poverty
Demolition Dad	Earle, Phil	Jake’s dad knocks down buildings by day, but at weekends he knocks down wrestlers as the one and only Demolition Man! When Jake hears about a pro-wrestling competition in America, he’s sure his dad can win it. What can possibly go wrong?	Humour, families and friendship
How to Fly with Broken Wings	Elson, Jane	Willem doesn’t find making friends easily, and is the target of bullies at school. But one day Sasha, a girl in his class, sees the bullies forcing Willem to jump off a high wall and decides to help – for after all, she loves flying too.	Aspergers syndrome, Bullying
The Black Lotus	Fanning, Kieran	If you have super powers, like Ghost, Cormac and Kate, then the Black Lotus – a secret Ninja training school – is probably an ideal place for you. But the three trainees will have their work cut out recovering a stolen magic sword in an adventure that spans modern New York and 16th Century feudal Japan. First in the new Samurai Wars series	Adventure, time travel
Emily Sparkes and the Competition Calamity	Fitzgerald, Ruth	Emily Sparkes might have avoided humiliation at the hands of the grossest boy in the universe, but now her ‘creativityness’ has landed her in a whole new world of trouble. Her embarrassing Mum has just been shortlisted for the national Mum in a Million Competition. Can she come up with a makeover plan in time?	Families
The Imagination Box	Ford, Martyn	Empty boxes are great fun. This one’s extra special because it has a big green button and when you press it, whatever you imagine will be created. But you only get one go. So what would you pick? That’s exactly the question ten-year-old Timothy Hart gets to answer after discovering The Imagination Box.	Mysteries, science fiction
Alistair Grim’s Odditorium	Funaro, Gregory	Set in Victorian England, Grubb has found himself in the Odditorium, a flying house filled with strange machines, enchanted objects and an unusual crew. Being apprenticed to the strange Mr Grim is certainly more enjoyable than being a chimney sweep, but when Prince Nightshade attacks, it’s probably not much safer.	Historical fantasy
Hercufleas	Gayton, Sam	Living in a house within a top hat are twelve fleas. Not normal fleas, but the biggest, rarest fleas in the world. The youngest of them is Hercufleas, and when Greta comes looking for a giant-slayer, this smaller-than-a-raisin hero might just be the flea for the job.	Humour
The 13-Storey Treehouse	Griffiths, Andy	Who wouldn’t want to live in a treehouse? Especially a 13-storey treehouse that has a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of sharks, a library full of comics, a secret underground laboratory, a games room, self-making beds, vines you can swing on, a vegetable vaporiser and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and automatically shoots your favourite flavoured marshmallows into your mouth whenever it discerns you’re hungry!	Humour, writing books
The Imaginary	Harrold, A.F.	Mr Bunting hunts imaginaries. Some say that he eats them, though it’s not known why. Rudger is Amanda’s imaginary friend. She found him in her wardrobe, and she’s not used to anyone else being able to see him. But Mr Bunting can, and now Rudger is running for his life.	Fantasy, mystery, friendship, growing up
Tess	Hayes, Rosemary	Tess’ mum can’t afford riding lessons for her daughter who wants nothing more than to become a rider. When a group of travellers arrive, most of the people in the villager are hostile towards them, but Tess sees it as an opportunity to learn to work with horses…	Gypsies and travellers, prejudice
Meet at the Ark at Eight	Hub, Ulrich	The rains are on their way and the animals are busily boarding the Ark two by two. The trouble is, there are three penguins. God and Noah are sticklers for this sort of detail, so it’ll take a lot of cunning to get the third penguin to safety.	Humour, religion, friendship and relationships
A Whisper of Wolves	Humphrey, Kris	In the kingdom of Meridina, when a raven drops a white feather at your doorstep on the day of your birth, it is a symbol of your destiny. You are a Whisperer – a guardian of the wild. When hunters from her village disappear without a trace, Alice suspects that something sinister is at work. With the help of Storm, her wolf companion, Alice fights to save her village. The first book in the exciting new Guardians of the Wild series)	Fantasy, adventure
The Shark-Headed Bear Thing	Hutchison, Barry	It’s an alternate steampunk 15th Century with dragons, submarines and robots. Benjamin Blank would rather go on adventures than do his homework, and now it’s time for him and his friends to embark on another adventure to vanquish a beast that’s terrorising a nearby village. You can read more Benjamin Blank adventures in The Swivel-Eyed Ogre Thing and The Moon-Faced Ghoul Thing	Fantasy, adventure, humour
No True Echo	Jones, Gareth P	Nothing ever happens in idyllic Wellcome Valley, much to Eddie Dane’s dismay. Then, one day, mysterious Scarlett White steps onto the school bus. She’s a stranger but somehow familiar. Following her to a remote house, he witnesses a brutal murder and suddenly he’s back on the school bus the day he first met her. Caught in a dangerous repeating time loop, Eddie learns the truth about his mother’s death, and the nature of his connection to Scarlett.	Time travel, mystery, identity
The Hamburgers of Doom	Judge, Malcolm	Jonny Jakes is the feared and despised (by his teachers) undercover reporter for his (now banned) school newspaper. When the new head teacher arrives, It’s not long before Jonny discovers that he’s an alien, and that there’s something very wrong with the food that he’s feeding to the pupils and their parents…	Humour, science fiction
How to Speak Spook	Kennen, Ally	Donald can see ghosts. He can also chat with them. It’s not a problem because they’re friendly most of the time, and when they’re not Donald helps them to talk through their problems. It’s all going well until a huge monster ghost shows up and he isn’t in the mood for talking ….	Humour, ghost stories
Dindy and the Elephant	Laird, Elizabeth	Dindy has known no life other than on a tea plantation in India during the last years of British rule. Struggling to come to terms with her father’s announcement that they may be returning to England, and bored with her little brother’s games, she embarks on an adventure deep into the tea gardens, a place they are never supposed to go to alone.	Historical fiction, India
Gorilla Dawn	Lewis, Gill	The forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo are the home of the gorillas. They are also a land rich in resources that fuel internal conflict. When rebel soldiers capture a baby gorilla with the intention of selling it into captivity, two children, also imprisoned, find the courage to make a break for freedom and return the gorilla to the wild.	Africa, war, wildlife and animals
The Jam Doughnut That Ruined My Life	Lowery, Mark	Roman Garstang likes his life as he likes his doughnuts, nice, with no nasty surprises. So he’s not happy when the ‘Deadly Doughnut’ strikes – accompanied by an encounter with a flying jellyfish – and his predictable existence is turned upside down.	Humour
Stars Shall be Bright	MacPhail, Catherine	James, Belle and William’s dad enlists in the army to fight in the First World War, and not long after he goes, their mother dies. Now alone, their guardian tells them that they’ll have to be put into a home. In desperation, the three children set out to find their father…	Historical fiction, first world war
The Accidental Prime Minister	McLaughlin, Tom	Joe is very upset that his favourite park is going to be shut down and decides to do something about it…. an act that proves so popular that it carries him all the way to 10, Downing Street! Finding himself the leader of a nation, Joe and his guru, agent and best friend, Ajay, embark a mission to make life better for everyone.	Humour, politics
Completely Cassidy – Accidental Genius	Murray ,Tamsyn	Cassidy is about to start secondary school and is hoping that this will be her time to shine. It certainly can’t get any worse than being the invisible one in the family. Somehow, after taking a test at school in which she picked all of the answers at random, she’s officially labelled as ‘Gifted and Talented’. Surely it can’t be a mistake, or can it? You can read more about Cassidy in Completely Cassidy Drama Queen and Completely Cassidy Star Reporter	Transition to secondary school
Joe All Alone	Nadin, Joanna	Thirteen year-old Joe returns from school to discover that he is being left home alone for the May half term holiday. His mum and her disreputable boyfriend are going to Spain, and leaving him in the flat to fend for himself with an inadequate supply of food, and only £20 for the electricity key. It is fun at first, eating what you like, watching TV all day and playing Xbox games all night. But the novelty soon wears off and when his mum does not arrive home at the end of the week things start to become very difficult. Along comes Asha, visiting her grandfather next door, and persuades him that things are bad enough to run away…	Families, crime, abandonment
An Island of Our Own	Nicholls, Sally	Siblings Jonathan, Holly and Davy are struggling to avoid being taken in to care after the death of their mother. When the family’s wealthy but eccentric Great-Aunt Irene has a stroke, they go to visit her. Unable to speak or write, she gives Holly some photographs that might lead them to an inheritance that could solve all their problems. But they’re not the only ones after the treasure…	Adventure, treasure hunting
The Whale Who Saved Us and The Leopard’s Tail	Nicola Davies	In the mountains of Armenia, Malik, who has never forgotten his first glimpse of a leopard, goes exploring against his Grandpa’s wishes and now he’s lost. That night, he hears a shot from a poacher’s gun ring out and he knows his leopard is in grave danger. In the Arctic, Suki is sure that the whales hold the key to saving her brother, just as they saved her Inuit ancestors. But how? These two books in the Heroes of the Wild series are based on real world conservation projects.	Wildlife and conservation
Moone Boy: The Blunder Years	O’Dowd, Chris and Murphy, Nick Vincent	Does Martin Moone have the imagination to come up with an imaginary friend? Will the imaginary friend be able to do the imagining for both of them? Whatever happens, it is clear that Martin is fed up living in an all-girl household and he needs a wingman.	Humour, friendship
The Last of the Spirits	Priestley, Chris	Sam, starving and hungry, makes the mistake of begging for a few coins from Ebenezer Scrooge. Despairing at the unfairness of the world, Sam’s heart has become as cold and bitter as the winter, until a night spent sheltering in a graveyard with a ghost sets him on a journey to change his and Ebenezer’s destinies.	Ghost stories, Charles Dickens, redemption
Five Children on the Western Front	Saunders, Kate	This sequel to E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It is set on the eve of the First World War. The five children have grown up, Cyril is off to fight in the First World War, Robert is at Cambridge University but the adventure still continues for the younger members of the family – Lamb, now 12 and Edie, 10. When they find the magical Psammead again at the bottom of the garden, he helps the family understand the First World War, and they discover a new insight into his quite shocking past.	First world war, historical fiction
My Brother is a Superhero	Solomons, David	Luke loves comics and he’d love to be a superhero. So it’s just his luck that when an alien who can grant superpowers does turn up, he misses out because he’s too busy having a wee! Instead his brother Zack is given the task of saving the universe. And Zack’s never read a comic book in his life!	Superheroes, humour
Dreaming the Bear	Thebo, Mimi	Darcy is supposed to be benefitting from the fresh air and outdoor life up in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park, so why does she feel so tired all the time? One day, out on one of her compulsory walks to build her strength, she feels faint and crawls into a cave to shelter for a while – only to find it occupied by a wounded female bear….	Illness, animals, coming-of-age
Time Travelling with a Hamster	Welford, Ross	Al Chaudhury’s birthday presents included a hamster called Alan Shearer, a tin tub, and a laptop left to him by his father. Apparently they’re a time machine (the tub and laptop, not the hamster). He’s also been left a letter, also from his dad, written before he died, instructing him to travel back to 1984 in order to save his life…	Science fiction, time travel
Bronze and Sunflower	Wenxuan, Cao	Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Sunflower and her father are moved to the countryside. Lonely, she makes friends with a boy, Bronze, who hasn’t spoken a word since a terrible fire. When Bronze’s family agree to take Sunflower in, it seems that fate has brought him the sister he has always longed for.	Historical fiction, China

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19/05/2016

Must Read Booklist 2015

40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.

The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.

Titles from the 2015 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in May 2015.

Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (subscribing schools only)

View the full list

Baisch, Milena	Anton and Piranha	Anton is planning to spend his holiday with his grandparents in the pool. But then disaster strikes . . . their holiday camp DOES NOT HAVE A POOL! Instead it has a lake – a lake filled with murky, slimy, dark, disgusting sludge – and Anton just can’t understand why everybody else is so happy to dive-bomb and swim in it all day long.
Black, Holly	Doll Bones	A chilling ghost story – Poppy’s old china doll is telling her that she is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl, that her spirit is trapped inside and must be released…
Boyne, John	Stay Where You Are and Then Leave	The day the First World War began, Alfie Summerfield’s father promised he wouldn’t go away to fight – but he broke that promise the very next morning. Four years on, his letters have stopped, and all Alfie knows is that he’s far away on a special, secret mission, but the truth is harsher…
Carroll, Emma	The Girl Who Walked on Air	Louie, abandoned at Chipchase’s Travelling Circus as a baby, dreams of becoming a ‘Showstopper’, but Mr Chipchase keeps her tucked away in the ticket booth. No death-defying stunts for her. But Louie has been secretly practising the tightrope. She just needs to be given the chance to shine.
Cousins, Dave	Charlie Merrick’s Misfits	Charlie wants his team to play in the exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament, but there’s one problem. He’s got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that’s not easy when your team are rubbish at football!
Cowell, Catherine	Ernest Simba	Liwida the lizard is Ernest’s best and only real friend as he grows up, disabled, in the African orphanage where he was abandoned as a baby, and Liwida can do amazing things…
Creech, Sharon	The Boy on the Porch	John and Marta find a strange boy asleep on their porch with a short note in his pocket “plees taik kair of Jacob.” He doesn’t speak, has a knack with the animals and loves to paint, but where has he come from and to whom does he belong?
DiCamillo, Kate	Flora & Ulysses : the Illuminated Adventures	The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book ‘Terrible Things Can Happen to You!’ so she is just the right person to save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses the squirrel has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry…
Elson, Jane	A Room Full of Chocolate	Grace’s life changes when she is sent to live with her grumpy granddad in the country while her mother is in hospital. At her new school she becomes the bullies’ latest target. Then she meets rainbow-girl Megan and her pig Claude and they hatch a plan to run away that involves Claude, chocolate Easter eggs and a mad dash home to London.
Federle, Tim	Five, Six, Seven, Nate	Armed with a one-way ticket to New York City, small-town theatre geek Nate is off to start rehearsals for E.T.: The Broadway Musical. It’s everything he ever practised his autograph for! But as thrilling as Broadway is, rehearsals are nothing like Nate expects: full of intimidating child stars, cut-throat understudies, and a director who can’t even remember Nate’s name.
Fischel, Emma	Witchworld	The witches of Witchworld have no need for wands or broomsticks, not when they have Spellsticks and Skyriders instead. And no one has a cauldron anymore, just a cupboard full of Potions2Go. So when Flo’s old-fashioned grandmother flies into town to warn them of a Ghoul attack, no-one believes her – after all, Ghouls died out years ago and she still rides around on a broomstick, for goodness’ sake!
Gaiman, Neil; Riddell, Chris	Fortunately, the Milk	You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do, and the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets, so the next morning he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
Gayton, Sam	Lilliput	200 moons after leaving Lilliput, Gulliver has returned to take back proof of his amazing travels – proof in the form of Lilly. Three inches tall and now imprisoned in a bird cage in London, she dreams of escaping back home.
Gemin, G. R.	Cowgirl	If Gemma ever stops to think about it, she knows hiding a herd of cows on a housing estate is a bit mad, but how else can she help Cowgirl keep them from the abattoir?
Gilman, David	Monkey and Me	Beanie wears a beanie because his hair fell out during his treatment for leukaemia. Much as he wants to get better, he doesn’t think this should be at the expense of experiments on animals such as the monkey he finds at the deserted house.
Gleitzman, Morris	Extra Time	Introducing a marauding fluffy mascot, a wise-as-an-owl landlady and a WAG called Terrine, this is an irresistible story of how one boy helps stressed-out top footballers find the fun in a kickabout again, with help from his fearsome agent (and little sister), Bridie.
Griffiths, Mark	The Impossible Boy	Shielding her eyes against the intense afternoon sunlight the young girl stared in astonishment at the mayor and wondered why no-one had noticed the ghost standing behind him….so begins an impossible investigation for Geek Inc!
Hart, Caryl; Smith, Alex T.	The Road to Fame and Fortune	Foxy DuBois is on the road to fame and fortune. Only one thing stands in her way – Alphonso the Alligator! Will gullible Alphonso go along with Foxy’s cunning plan?
Hartnett, Sonya	The Children of the King	The wealthy Lockwood family flee London as bombs start to fall during the Blitz and take an evacuee, twelve-year-old May, with them to remote Heron Hall. The children discover two strange boys hiding in the ruins of an old castle and every night Uncle Peregrine tells the tale of the two princes in the tower. Their stories become entwined in an extraordinary adventure.
Hill, Kirkpatrick	Bo at Ballard Creek	Two gold miners ‘rescue’ little Bo from an orphanage, and take her up north with them, bringing her up in an Inuit village in Alaska.
Ho-Yen, Polly	Boy in the Tower	Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. But one day, other tower blocks start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out…
Irving, Ellie	The Mute Button	Anthony loves his family, but they can be very very noisy. He’s already got two brothers, a sister and a cat, and then another older brother turns up and things are going to get even noisier – so Ant starts a silent protest to try to get some attention, but what will it take for him to start speaking again?
Johnson, Pete	The Vampire Bewitched	Something has happened to half-vampire Marcus following a mysterious accident. He’s lost his memory and cannot remember anything of his life as a vampire hunter…
Laird, Elizabeth	The Fastest Boy in the World	Solomon loves to run and dreams of winning a gold medal, but when his grandfather collapses, Solomon is the only one who can run for help. Can he last the distance?
Lee, Julia	The Dangerous Discoveries of Gully Potchard	Gully Potchard never means to cause any trouble, but when bully Nathan Boldree involves him in a scheme for kidnapping people’s dogs and holding them to ransom, Gully is quickly caught up in mischief and skulduggery. Can Gully sort things out and become a hero after all?
Lester, Cas	Harvey Drew and the Bin Men from Outer Space	Harvey’s spaceship is on a collision course with the Toxic Spew – an intergalactic waste disposal ship – are they heading for mutliple spaceship pile-up on hyperspaceway B16…?
McCombie, Karen	The Girl Who Wasn’t There	Maisie doesn’t believe in ghosts, but when she starts a new school there are rumours and she spots a pale shape in the art-room window. Together with new friend Kat they try to learn more about the ghost. Then Maisie finds some very old photos of someone who looks exactly like Kat…..
McKay, Hilary	Binny for Short	Max came into Binny’s life and went again within a few short months and despite all the other dreadful things happening in her life, she can’t forget the adorable little black and white dog – will she ever see him again?
Mitchelhill, Barbara	Billy’s Blitz	Life is London in wartime is not much fun – friends have been evacuated, and rationing means no treats -but in September 1940, things are going to get a whole lot worse…
Montgomery, Ross	The Tornado Chasers	Safety is very important to Owen’s parents – which is why they moved to Barrow where children have to wear bright yellow at all times and are never allowed outside except to go to school. To relieve the boredom, Owen and his friends form the Tornado Chasers. Their mission: to get as close to a Grade 5 tornado as possible…
O’Shea-Meddour, Wendy	Wendy Quill is Full Up of Wrong	It is very tricky to get things right all of the time – as Wendy Quill knows all too well…. this is her diary of her slightly awful accidents.
Ross, Tony	A Word in Your Ear	A collection of surprising tales, each one with a twist. From bullfighters to ghosts, sea captains to uninvited friends, there are plenty of mysterious characters and curious places to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Slater, Kim	Smart	Kieran has skills – not socialising or getting on with people skills, but drawing and detective skills – which ought to come in handy when a homeless man is murdered down by the canal…
Sparkes, Ali	Destination Earth	Lucy is the only survivor from another planet. Her spaceship is programmed to take her to Earth, but can she convince the earthlings that she’s a real teenager and start her new life? Except a killer alien has hitched a lift, and the whole human race is in danger.
Stead, Rebecca	First Light	Peter accompanies his parents on an expedition to Greenland. In another world, there is Thea, who lives with her family in hiding under the ice, unable to go above it. When Thea and Peter meet, two worlds will collide, and a host of secrets will be released.
Stewart, Paul; Riddell, Chris	Scavenger: Zoid	Fourteen year-old York is a Scavenger on board an intergalactic spaceship looking for a new Earth. The ship also contains the most advanced Zoids ever created, who have rebelled, wiping out most of the crew. York has to risk life and limb to destroy the Zoids and scavenge the parts necessary to keep their human technology running.
Sutcliffe, William	Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom	It all starts to look very exciting when Armitage Shank’s Impossible Circus rolls into Hannah’s boring town, but no one realises just how nasty and slippery Armitage can be…
Walter, Jon	Close to the Wind	Nine-year-old Malik and his grandfather have lost nearly everything to the war. Struggling to survive, they attempt to flee their country on the last ship out…
Westcott, Rebecca	Dandelion Clocks	Liv is just a normal 11-year-old with a love for photography and hate for moronic Louise at school. But her life is turned upside down as the learns the truth about her mum’s illness.
Williamson, Lara	A Boy Called Hope	Dan wants money, a new sister who doesn’t say horrible things, a swimming pool of chocolate cereal and to go to a school for wizards instead of his own boring school. But most of all, he wants a Dad…

Poster and bookmark design by Angela Wraight

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30/04/2015

Must Read Booklist 2014

40 of the best new books for your primary school Library

The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.

Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in early May.

Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (where available)

View the full list

Alexander, William	Goblin Secrets	When Rownie encounters a troupe of goblins who are daring to perform a play – an activity severely outlawed – he is convinced they can help him find his lost brother.
Almond, David	The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas	Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear, he runs away with the fair. He finally has a chance to shine, but will he have the courage to dive into the piranha tank and discover who he can really be?
Almond, David	Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf	Long ago, the gods created a wonderful world, but they became lazy – they didn’t finish what they had started. Harry Sue and little Ben decide to fill the empty spaces with creations of their own and their creations are more powerful than they or the gods could ever have imagined.
Avery, Tom	In Too Deep	Prince and Emanuel are suspicious when a woman claiming to be their mother turns up, and when they find out their father being blackmailed by gangsters in Tanzania, they decide it is time to take matters into their own hands
Bowler, Tim	Sea of Whispers	Hetty sees pictures in the sea glass that she collects on Mora’s beaches, her remote island home. After a fearful storm, a strange woman is washed up on the shore. Is this the person that Hetty sees in the sea glass? But the stranger brings disaster and Hetty must decide to leave her island home for ever.
Caldecott, Elen	The Great Ice-Cream Heist	The McIntyre family next door are noisy and argumentative but Eva is intrigued by Jamie who sits on the shed roof to escape the chaos. When Jamie is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva rushes to his aid with the help of a local ice cream van. A funny adventure about sticking up for your friends.
Cole, Steve	Magic Ink	12-year-old Stewart Penders loves comics. Granddad, a great comic book artist has just died, and when his family move into his house, strange things start to happen. When Stew starts drawing with a mysterious pot of ink, his artwork springs into life – and so begins a hilarious adventure.
Cossanteli, Veronic	The Extincts	George loves to help at Wormestall Farm, even though it’s full of extinctly scary creatures. When Mortifer the giant basilisk goes missing, it’s up to George to find him before wicked taxidermist Diamond Pye can add to her stuffed animal collection …
Creech, Sharon	The Great Unexpected	Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans and live in the same little town in America. Curious events start to unfold when they meet a strangely charming new boy, Finn, who changes their world forever.
Davies, Nicola	Whale boy	When a terrible storm wrecks his home and his dreams of owning his own boat, Michael is forced to take a job working for a rich, mysterious newcomer named Spargo. But on the plus side, the job brings Michael into contact with whales….
Diamand, Emily	Ways to see a ghost	Isis is the daughter of a fake psychic, but unlike her mother, she really can see ghosts, and the ghosts she can see are putting everyone in danger….
Gardner, Sally	The Vanishing of Billy Buckle	The famous fairy detective agency, Wings and Co, has a big problem. The giant Billy Buckle is missing and his daughter Primrose is desperate to find him. There’s also the small case of a murder and a missing diamond to keep the team busy – nothing is ever quiet for Emily, Buster and Fidget!
Goodhart, Pippa	Finding Fortune	When Ida’s mother dies, she is left in the care of her beloved Fa. But Fa plans to travel to the Klondike in search of gold and Ida must find a way to go with him. The long hard journey will test them to the limit but will help them build the future together.
Hartley, Steve	Oliver Fibbs: Attack of the Alien Brain	Oliver has been telling the class about his adventures as a Defender of Planet Earth – battling against the evil Alien Brain Drain who wants to take over the world. Everyone loved it except Miss Wilkins, who gave him a detention for telling fibs. He keeps telling them – THEY’RE NOT FIBS, THEY’RE STORIES!
Hussey, William	The Nightmare Eater	Imagine what happens when your very worst fears come true! That’s what happens to Tomasz when he visits the fairground.
Jones, Rob Lloyd	Wild Boy	London, 1841. Behold the savage spectacle of Wild Boy. A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show. He’s a boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth. Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats. The show is about to begin!
Kemp, Ann	The Great Brain Robbery	Frankie and his pals are trying to save the world from another diabolical scheme by the evil Dr Gore. This time he’s planning to control the minds of children everywhere using his army of robot toys! Can Frankie and his friends stop him before it’s too late?
Kessler, Liz	North of Nowhere	The sleepy seaside village of Porthaven hides a mystery. Mia’s granddad has vanished and nobody knows why. Mia makes friends with a local girl Dee through her diary but never seems to be able to meet her. Can Mia solve the mystery and find her granddad in time?
LaFleur, Suzanne M.	Listening for Lucca	Siena’s younger brother Lucca hasn’t spoken for over a year. When the family move to Maine their new home feels hauntingly familiar and Siena starts to experience flashes from the past about the family who used to live there. Can the secrets of the past help Siena break her brother’s silence?
Lee, Julia	The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth	Clemency is an orphan and alone in the world when she arrives in Southampton from India. Clemency sets out to find her rich relatives with the help of the marvellous Marvels and what happens next is fast and furious adventure.
Lewis, Gill	Moon Bear	Tam’s life is turned around when his family is moved from their mountain and he is sent to the city to work on a bear farm. Tam learns the horrors of bear farming but builds a close relationship with one young bear and the story tells of their struggle to get away from the city and back to their families.
Lowery, Mark	Pants Are Everything : … When You’re Definitely NOT a Nudist	A date with the girl of Michael’s dreams ends with him a) getting arrested, b) becoming a local celebrity and c) becoming an internet sensation BECAUSE THEY THINK HE’S A NUDIST. (He isn’t.) Michael is swept up in a sequence of uncontrollable events that will RUIN HIS LIFE. Again.
McCaughrean, Geraldine	The Positively Last Performance	Gracie moves to the seaside with her parents who want to take over the shuttered and decaying Royal Theatre, which comes complete with a motley collection of ghosts that only Gracie can see. The old theatre is under threat, can Gracie and her friends be able to save it from being burnt down?
McKay, Hilary	Caddy’s World	The Casson Family saga begins when Caddy is twelve, and Rose just a baby. The Casson family is eccentric, but lovable, and this warm and humorous story describes the trials and tribulations of growing up and family life.
Mitchelhill, Barbara	A Twist of Fortune	When Pa goes off to America and Ma dies, the Pargeter children find themselves in dangerous Victorian London with a strange aunt and uncle. But this is only the start of the twists and turns their lives will take as Sam, Eliza and Alfie set out in search of a rich grandfather they have never known . . .
Morgan, Gaby	Poems of the First World War	A new collection to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Poskitt, Kjartan	Agatha Parrot and the Thirteenth Chicken	Agatha Parrot and her friends are up to mischief again. A new term starts at Odd Street School and they have some newly hatched chicks to look after, but one disappears. Panic! Where could he be?
Preller, James	Home Sweet Horror	Liam’s family have moved into a run-down old house in a new town, but it is not as empty as they think, and Bloody Mary is just dying to get to them….
Prue, Sally	Song Hunter	The future of Mica’s Neanderthal clan is uncertain as the weather gets colder and the mammoths get fewer. Mica is full of new ideas to help them survive but they are stubborn and want to cling to the old ways. Then she makes an extraordinary discovery and sets out with her childhood friend to find a better life.
Reeve, Philip	Oliver and the Seawigs	Oliver has grown up in a family of explorers but when he has to rescue his parents he begins a big adventure all of his own. But before he can put his rescue plan into action there’s the evil Stacey de Lacey and an army of pesky sea monkeys to contend with.
Riddell, Chris	Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse	Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her strange father, Lord Goth, numerous ghosts and an array of servants. One night everything changes when Ada meets the ghost of a mouse called Ishmael. There’s trouble afoot, and he and Ada are the only ones who can solve the mystery.
Rundell, Katherine	Rooftoppers	When baby Sophie is rescued from a shipwreck, everyone assumes she is an orphan. But Sophie is convinced that her mother survived and sets out to find her in an exciting race against the authorities across the rooftops of Paris. Will she find her mother before it’s too late?
Sedgwick, Marcus	Dread Desert	Elf Girl and Raven Boy are hot and bothered in the desert as they battle to save the world from the wicked Goblin King
Shaw, Hannah	Stan Stinky	Stan Pipe Stinky has to come to the rescue when Uncle Ratts and his sidekick Roachy disappear up a u-bend into the terrifying unknown …a HUMAN HOUSE.
Silberberg, Alan	Cartoon Kings	Wouldn’t it be cool if you had a magic pen and all your cartoons come to life? That’s just what happened to Craz and Matt, but beware, mistakes cannot easily be rubbed out!
Smith, Dan	My Friend the Enemy	It’s 1941 and a German plane crashes near Peter’s home – but what can Peter do to help the injured pilot he finds trapped inside?
Sparkes, Ali	Out of this World	The glowing lump of metal that Ty finds in the woods seem to give him amazing powers, but problems start when those powers attract the attention of sinister agents intent on capturing him.
Stead, Rebecca	Liar & Spy	When Georges moves into a new apartment block he joins the Spy Club and becomes a trainee spy for twelve year old Safer, spying on the mysterious Mr X who lives in the flat upstairs. But how far do you go for your new friend. What is a game and what is a lie?
Torday, Piers	The Last Wild	In a world where few animals have survived, twelve-year-old Kester Jaynes is extraordinary… he can hear animals talk to him. They need his help and pigeons fly Kester to a wild place where the last creatures in the land have survived. Together they must embark on a great journey to save the animals.
Wilson, Anna	I’m a Chicken, Get Me Out of Here!	Titch the Chicken finds herself in the chaotic and wacky household of Wilf and his menagerie of pets – and wants out… but when danger threatens, can she leave without helping the others?

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19/05/2014

The Must Read Booklist 2013

40 of the best new books for your primary school Library

The Primary Booklist is our new annual selection of fiction by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.

Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!

The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback this year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

A set of posters for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in early May.

Download the full booklist: Must Read Booklet 2013 (.pdf)

Tel: 020 7364 6428 email: schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information.

Must Read 2013 and THe List posters and booklet based on a design by Shahi Ibtesam, Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat Secondary School

Other Must Read booklists

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11/04/2013
The Must Read Booklist 2012

The Must Read Booklist 2012 comprises of the best new fiction published in paperback from 2011 – 2012, suggested for ages 9 and upwards. This was the first primary booklist and was intended as a bridge between the new picturebooks of the annual Greenaway award and the teen fiction booklists.

View the full booklist (.pdf) : Primary List 2012 Booklet

Along with the 2012 Teen booklist, the shortlist for the 2012 Book Award was chosen from these titles. The posters were designed with the Olympic rings in mind (and avoided copyright infringement as the circles were not linked).
[associated_posts]

26/03/2012

Tag: Must Read Booklist

Must Read Booklist 2017

Must Read Book list 2016

Must Read Booklist 2015

Must Read Booklist 2014

The Must Read Booklist 2013

The Must Read Booklist 2012