Freak the Mighty

Ms Newns says:

I loved this book. It starts with a boy who has been written off, even by his own family. Then he meets another boy who is disabled, but who does not let that stop him doing anything he likes, and they get to be friends.


They challenge the local bullies, and face death. I won't spoil it for you, but it will make you laugh, and cry and show you that anyone can do anything, as long as they have just one true friend.

I think this book has been made into a film. If so, I'll definitely be going to see it.

Famous Five

Ms Harris says,

"Growing up I really enjoyed Coral Island, all of the Famous Five books, all of the Angelina series, The Water Babies, The Ballet School

Sad I know.... but I would read them again now if I had the chance!"

Coral Island - R.M. Ballantyne
Famous Five - Enid Blyton

The Water Babies - Charles Kingsley

Angelique - Anne and Serge Golon

Ms Newns says "The Angelique books are really for older students, but I loved them too - she had great adventures - real historical bodice ripping stuff! And I really loved the Famous Five - I wanted to be George."

Anything by Terry Pratchett

Ms Exell recommends:

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents- Terry Pratchett.

Hilarious, Intriguing and with Terry Pratchett's usual subtle commentary on the world. Written as a childrens book, and was reccommended by the University of Greenwich to primary PGCE students as a book to read to their classes.

The Bromeliad Trilogy:Truckers, Diggers and Wings - Terry Pratchett.

Three books, or can be bought as an omnibus edition. Like the above, written as a children's book, but still interesting for adults.

Any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. - All are hilarious (although the early ones are harder work.) Despite being set in a fantasy world, they are all strangely relevant to the world today and the issues of ordinary people. They aren't to everybody's taste, as you have to be prepared to be open minded, but they are terribly addictive once you get going. I'm singing their praises so much because before I was given a copy of "jingo" at age 16, I had never read anything novel length, and my reading was so poor I refused to read much of anything. After finishing Jingo, (it took me over 6 months) I went on to read every Discworld book then in print (all 28 of them) within two years. SERIOUSLY - Life changing books.

The Dark is Rising

Mr Hunter recommends:

The Old man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
The Animals of Farthing Wood – Colin Dann

Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
The Dark is Rising – Susan Hill

The Dark is Rising

On Midwinter's Eve, the night before his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, finds his world suddenly become ominous: Animals are afraid of him; the radio gives out raucous shrieks in his presence; and the weather turns unnaturally cold and wild. Even a neighbour's birthday gift - a flat iron circle quartered by a cross - seems somewhat enigmatic. Early on his birthday morning, Will awakes to find himself centuries back in time and discovers that he is actually the last of the 'Old Ones', a mystical company whose mission has always been to keep the forces of the Dark at bay. For the highest purpose - to complete the circle of Old Ones devoted to the conflict between the Light and Dark - Will has been born with a great gift of power; and he must now undertake the heroic quest to find and to join together the six Signs of the Light - signs of wood, bronze, iron, water, fire stone - for "the Dark is Rising."

The Number Devil

Ms Leung recommends:

The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger and Michael Henry Heim - a brilliant numeracy book!!!

Annoyed with his math teacher who assigns word problems and won't let him use a calculator, twelve-year-old Robert finds help from the number devil in his dreams

The Catcher in the Rye

Mr. Whitehouse recommends

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger .. a bit of Holden Caulfield in us all?

www.amazon.co.uk reviews:

The best novel ever written? 15 Dec 2006

This book has been challenged and banned in many places since its publication. It is amusing to think that, nowadays, as if it were given an age rating it would probably only get a PG, or a 12.

Critics have described Holden as a cynical teenager, but maybe we should reconsider that thought and turn it back on itself? Holden is an innocent, he can barely cope with the cynical world at all. He is so innocent and alone that he tries to get a prostitute to just chat and keep him company. He has been through some awful things, and he is desperately lonely. Nobody seems to notice he is falling apart, he is adrift in an uncaring world.

The Snow Goose

Ms Stevens recommends:





The Silver Sword – Ian Serraillier
The Snow Goose – Paul Gallico – I have read this with students in school and it still makes me cry!
The Secret Garden - Noel Streatfield
The Railway Children - E Nesbit

Last two read to my own children.

Two reviews of The Snow Goose from www.amazon.co.uk:
1. I found this book by the sleeve notes from the progressive rock album by Camel. I had always enjoyed the music but never knew the story behind the album.
The book is the story of a man and his relationship with others. He overcomes all the disadvantages of his life to prove that courage and bravery are not the sole territory of the few.

2. My Dad handed me a very old copy of this book to read a few years ago and I recently re discovered it's brilliance. It is a beautiful short story that is written in such a captivating way that it would be hard to stop reading till you get to the end in just one sitting. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates the beauty of description and emotion a book can sometimes offer a reader