Mia and the Lightcasters - Janelle McCurdy

Spark School Book Awards shortlisted book in 9+ category.

"Mia lives in a city that is under constant darkness, the moon being their light. She has always dreamed of being an umbra tamer following in the footsteps of her parents. Unfortunately, she has a bad experience with a wild umbra and it completely changes her mind. However, events soon change the once peaceful city and Mia has no choice but to travel to the City of Light to seek help. But, with only her little brother, friend and one umbra tamer to accompany her, Mia has to overcome her fears quickly in order to save her parents and her beloved city.

It’s an exciting adventure story full of twists and turns and a fantastic start to what will be a great series. I am really looking forward to the next one.

I’m struggling to decide which book to vote for in this category as they are all different but fantastic reads!"

Miss Mann

Rollercoaster Boy - Lisa Thompson

Spark School Book Awards shortlisted book in 9+ category.

Sunday Times' Children's Book of the Week

"Todd and Laurie’s dad is either happy and on top of the world or is tired and sleeps all the time. When he is happy, he decides to take them to the Paradise Hotel for a holiday as he recalls how luxurious it was when he last visited. However, on arrival, they can see it is run down and is a bit of a dump. Dad goes to bed.

Todd and Laurie have the run of the place and meet Patrick, who is there with his father and Scout, who is the owner’s daughter. She tells them of a mysterious night when a famous novelist disappeared from inside a locked room. The four of them set about solving the mystery together.

The holiday is full of twists and turns explaining everything from Todd’s point of view as the older brother. He’s trying to balance looking after his dad, his little sister and solving a potentially life-changing mystery.

Another brilliant short-listed book by SPARK!"

Miss Mann

How to be More Hedgehog – Anne Marie Conway

SPARK Book Award shortlisted book in 9+ category.

"The main character Lily has a stammer. There are certain letters, which cause her a lot of difficulty. A video of her practising for a class presentation is posted online and her nightmare starts. Many unkind/thoughtless comments are left and she finds out even her close friends are making fun of her. Lily’s confidence dives and she wants to run away and stay with her dad in Scotland. Something her dad says makes her stop and think and she realises that running away is not the answer. Her stammer will still be there.

The book clearly explains Lily’s feelings throughout. It also shows how brave and determined she is to become more hedgehog.

A real page-turner. I read it in a weekend."

Miss Mann

The Boy at the Back of the Class and the Lion Above the Door – Onjali Q Rauf

Onjali’s books are representative of the population and discuss issues around diversity.

The Boy at the Back of the Class is written from the perspective of a 9 year old child who notices there is a boy at the back of the class who doesn’t speak. Once learning more about his story, they discover he is a refugee who has run away from home and doesn’t know where his family are. This group of 4 friends come up with a plan to help him…

It’s a moving story told with heart and humour.

WINNER OF THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD 2019
WINNER OF THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019

The Lion Above the Door - Onjali Q Rauf

This is also told through the eyes of a 9 year old.

Leo and Sangeeta stand out at school because they are different. Leo’s family come from Singapore and Sangeeta’s come from India. The class go on a school trip and Leo discovers that someone else has the exact same name as him written in stone on a cathedral wall. He becomes desperate to know who this Leo is and he and his friends start to investigate.

This is a story about missing histories told with the same humour and heart of Onjali Q Rauf’s first book.

I have thoroughly loved both these books and am looking forward to reading more by her. It’s good to show more representation of our diverse population in children’s literature and Onjali Q Rauf does it incredibly well. Miss Mann

The Adventures on Trains series by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman: The Highland Falcon Thief, Kidnap on the California Comet, Murder on the Safari Star, Danger at Dead Man's Pass, Sabotage on the Solar Express, the Arctic Railway Assassin.

A couple of years ago, we had an author talk at the school from Sam Sedgman. In that same year, The Highland Falcon Thief, the first book of the series, won the British Book Awards Children's Fiction category. 

The stories follow the adventures of a boy called Harrison Beck who travels on trains with his uncle Nat. Each time they embark on these adventures, there is a mystery to solve. Hal uses his skill at drawing to help solve these mysteries as he captures things going on within his sketches. The books have lots of plot twists and very clever endings! 

The books are suitable for KS2 children.

I'm on the fifth book and I have really enjoyed all of them. Hopefully more will keep coming. 

This is such a heart-warming, lovely adventure story about Einstein the Penguin. The dynamics between the characters in the family are so relatable, especially the dynamics between the brother and the sister. The character of Einstein the penguin is lovely and I’m sure everyone would love Einstein to come and stay with them after this read.

It is a good book for children in KS2, who read independently but also a good read aloud for other children.

A well written story that makes you smile!

This is a story about a boy who doesn't feel like he fits the stereotype as he's not into sport but art. He has these fantastical images in his head that he draws of another world and ends up being transported there to connect with his ancestors and help save Ulfrika. This is a diverse, adventurous story which would appeal to children who love the superhero franchises that are so popular. The second book is already out too!

I absolutely loved it!

- Miss Mann