Summer Reading Challenge - Year 7
We are delighted to invite you to join in our Year 7 Summer Reading Challenge. Our School Librarian has compiled a list of some suggested books you might like to read over the summer holidays. This is not compulsory and will not be marked, it is just a bit of fun to keep you occupied over the summer.
Please take a picture of yourself with the books that you read from the list below and bring these with you on your first visit to the library.
Our Librarian, Miss Rose will then enter you in to a free prize draw to win Amazon vouchers.
Have fun and good luck!
ADVENTURE
“Amber Undercover” by Em Norry
“The London Eye Mystery” by Siobhan Dowd
“The Falcon’s Malteser” by Anthony Horowitz
FANTASY
“Wonderscape” by Jennifer Bell
“The Storm Keeper's Island” by Catherine Doyle
“The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody” by Kate Gilby Smith
HISTORICAL
“Little Bird Flies” by Karen McCombie
“The Wreck of the Zanzibar” by Michael Morpurgo
“The Silver Sword” by Ian Serraillier
REAL LIFE
“The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander
“Jelly” by Jo Cotteril
“Cyborg Cat: Rise of the Parson’s Road Gang” by Ade Apitan
QUICK READS
“Power Up” by Neill Cameron
“The Small Things” by Lisa Thompson
“The Football School” series by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton
NON FICTION
“Factopia” by Kate Hale
“Icarus was Ridiculous” by Pamela Butchart
POETRY
"A Passing on of Shells 50 fifty word poems" by Simon Lamb
Summer Reading Challenge
ADVENTURE
“Amber Undercover” by Em Norry Amber Roberts is just your average teenager. Life revolves around school and her best mate, Vi. Nothing too dramatic, and certainly nothing dangerous. Well. That's how things used to be. But now, her life is way more complicated: Mum and Dad have a massive secret and Vi's being all moody. But, bigger than that, she’s just been recruited as a secret agent! Exciting? It would be, if she had a clue what she was doing. A fun and funny story.
“The London Eye Mystery” by Siobhan Dowd 11.32am. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 12.02am. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted’s theory.) Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria’s theory.) Is he even still alive? (The family’s unspoken fear.)
Even the police are baffled - so it’s up to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to solve this mystery and find Salim.
Teaming up with Kat, Ted follows a trail of clues across London - while time ticks dangerously by...Can you solve the mystery before Ted, Kat and Salim do?
“The Falcon’s Malteser” by Anthony Horowitz
The Diamond Brothers are the world’s worst detectives. When a dwarf comes into the office and leaves a package, Tim Diamond, is faced with his toughest case yet. The office is ransacked and the package is found to contain simply a box of Maltesers. Who was the dwarf and why was he murdered shortly after his visit? This book will make you laugh.
FANTASY
“Wonderscape” by Jennifer Bell
When Arthur, Ren and Cecily investigate a mysterious explosion on their way to school, they find themselves trapped in the year 2473. Lost in the Wonderscape, an epic inreality adventure game, they must call on the help of some unlikely historical heroes, to play their way home before time runs out. If you play computer games you might like this mysterious, fast-paced adventure story.
“The Storm Keeper's Island” by Catherine Doyle
When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island it begins to stir beneath his feet. Once in a generation Arranmore chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise. However, deep underground someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war. This is a magical mystery story with lots of twists and turns.
“The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody” by Kate Gilby Smith
On the day Alex was born crowds surrounded the hospital. On her first day of school people spied from the gates. And recently, strangers came to watch her perform in her school play...as the llama. But why? Alex has always been a nobody. Then a mysterious boy named Jasper starts at school and he alone seems to know the answer. But before he can tell Alex, he disappears...into the future. Can Alex brave traveling into the future to discover what's happened to him and to unravel the secret of her own astonishing destiny...before time runs out?
HISTORICAL
“Little Bird Flies” by Karen McCombie Bridie lives on the remote Scottish island of Tornish, the youngest of three sisters. Although she loves her island, with its wild seas and big skies, she guiltily nurses a secret dream of flight - to America and the freedom of the New World. But her family are struggling under the spiteful oppression of the new Laird, and it seems that even some of the Laird’s own household are desperate to leave. When the Laird’s full cruelty becomes apparent, there’s no more time for daydreams as Bridie needs to help the people she loves escape to safety.
“The Wreck of the Zanzibar” by Michael Morpurgo Life on the Scilly Isles in 1907 is bleak and full of hardship. Laura’s twin brother, Billy, disappears, and then a storm devastates everything. It seems there’s little hope. But then the Zanzibar is wrecked on the island s rocks, and everything changes . . .
“The Silver Sword” by Ian Serraillier
What would it be like to be a family of children travelling across Europe during the Second World War having lost your parents? How would you survive? What danger and adventures would you face? Who would help you, who would hinder you? This is a story of hope and courage that will make you both cry and cheer.
REAL LIFE
“The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander 12-year-old Josh and his twin Jordan have basketball in their blood. Their father used to be a champion player and they each want nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. Both on and off the court, there is conflict and hardship which will test Josh’s bond with his brother. In this novel in verse, the boys find that life doesn’t come with a play-book and it’s not all about winning.
“Jelly” by Jo Cotteril
Jelly is popular and great at doing impressions. She’s also overweight. She’s learned to deal with the put-downs by brushing them off and pretending she finds it all very funny - while making up poems and writing her private worries in a notebook. Then Lennon arrives, Mum’s new boyfriend. He treats her mum well, buys her flowers, doesn’t let her down. He’s the first person to have noticed that Jelly is playing a part. He reads her poems and tells her they’re really good. In fact, he’d like to set one to music. When a talent show is announced at school, Lennon persuades Jelly to sing her poem in the contest. But can Jelly find the courage to perform something so personal - especially when Lennon might not always be there to cheer her on?
“Cyborg Cat: Rise of the Parson’s Road Gang” by Ade Apitan
When Ade moves to London from Nigeria, he knows things will be different, but nothing can prepare him for the ups and downs of his Parson’s Road adventures. Ade doesn’t always feel welcome in his new community; fitting in is hard, especially as he looks different to everyone else. But Ade is brave and takes on the school bullies, surprising himself and the kids on his new street. His heroic acts and super football skills quickly help him make new friends who will always be there for him.
QUICK READS
“Power Up” by Neill Cameron
Alex and Freddy are two normal bickering brothers, who also happen to be super powered robots! They're off on school trips, going to the theme park and annoying each other in the playground. But when robot attacks take place over London, it's time for the boys to step up! Will they be able to foil the plans of the evil Robot 23. A fun graphic novel that will make you think.
“The Small Things” by Lisa Thompson
Anna’s anxious when she’s picked to befriend the new girl in her class. For a start, Ellie is ill and can’t come to school herself. So Anna has to communicate with her through a new kind of robot. But Anna is also worried that her life’s too small and boring to be of interest to her new friend. Compared to the other girls, she doesn’t have anything exciting to talk about and so when Ellie asks her a question, a little white lie pops out. Then another and another. When Ellie finds out the truth, can their friendship survive?
“The Football School” series by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton
The Football School series is packed with true stories, science, facts and cartoons it will make you laugh even if you are not into football.
NON FICTION
"Factopia" by Kate Hale
Choose your own path through a world of 400 facts. Every fact in the book is connected to the next in a trail of information. Did you know that a squid has a brain shaped like a doughnut? Or that some butterflies drink turtle tears? Hop from topic to topic and discover what connects a giraffe with the Eiffel tower, or a slice of pizza with Cleopatra. On your journey you will find out extraordinary facts about space, bones, dinosaurs, spiders, sharks, robots, ancient Rome and more. And there’s not just one trail through these pages: sometimes your path branches and you can choose to jump to a totally different, but still connected, part of the book. Who knows where your curiosity will take you?
"Icarus was Ridiculous" by Pamela Butchart
Izzy loves the Greek myths. She can't wait to tell her friends about Icarus, who wasn’t particularly sensible and the Trojan horse, which ended a war and wasn't even real. So pull up a plinth and enjoy all the drama of the original Greek myths with all the action and adventure of the originals but with loads more sandals! This book is lots of fun.
POETRY
"A Passing on of Shells 50 fifty word poems" by Simon Lamb
Short, fun poems about family and growing up with lovely illustrations. Entertaining and thought provoking.
