EnglishatKnutsford

Roses & Daggers

 

Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner

First published in 1898, ‘Moonfleet’ is a riveting adventure story full of drama, mystery, revenge, pursuit, smuggling, pirates and romance.

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green avoids any sentimentality and creates a vibrant, stimulating mediation on life, death and all the big questions with intelligent, well-drawn characters and compulsive storytelling. Witty and life-affirming, this young adult romance is heartbreaking in the very best sense of the word.

 

Chasing the Stars by Malorie Blackman

Blackman's skilful retelling of Shakespeare's Othello in a futuristic space setting is thrilling and romantic. The characters are memorable, and readers won't be able to tell whose side they are on - and who they should trust.

 

Rose by Holly Webb

The grand residence of the famous alchemist, Mr Fountain, is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose has left behind. For the house is positively overflowing with sparkling magic - she can feel it. And it's not long before Rose realises that maybe, just maybe, she has a little bit of magic in her, too...

 

Laughter & Tears

 

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist is a gripping portrayal of London's dark criminal underbelly.

 

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

From the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a story of humour, heart and heartache. Finding Audrey is Sophie Kinsella’s first novel for teens, sure to appeal to her legions of adult and young adult fans all over the world.

 

The Private Blog of Joe Cowley by Ben Davis

The brilliantly funny and cringe-worthy secret blog of 14-year-old Joe Cowley (wannabe comic artist and self-confessed repeller of girls):

 

Ketchup Clouds by A. Pitcher

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret - a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder…

 

 

Different Worlds

 

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Lost World is the account of a scientific expedition by four highspirited Englishmen deep into the Amazon jungle. In this region, cut off from the outside world by unscalable vertical cliffs and fetid swamps, they encounter a world where dinosaurs roam free and natives fight a murderous war with their fierce neighbors.

 

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

In an alternate 1950s, Standish Treadwell is growing up in a Britain dominated by the dark, ruthlessly oppressive forces of The Motherland. Life is hard, but Standish struggles onwards - until his best and only friend Hector is taken away from him, and events take a new and more dangerous turn.

 

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

London is on the move again: the traction city trawls the world on wheels, capturing and eating smaller towns. But when he is thrown off the city by his childhood hero Valentine, young hero Tom joins forces with the mysterious Hester, and is soon forced to reassess life as he knows it.

 

The Knife of Never Letting Go by P. Ness

Patrick Ness's first book for young adults won the 2008 Booktrust Teenage Prize.  The story begins in a small town where women have been banished and only men remain. Due to a virus, everyone can hear each other’s thoughts, which they call 'Noise'.

 

Chills and Thrills

 

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

This well-loved fantasy story has delighed readers ever since its first publication in 1937.

 

Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent…

 

Itch by Simon Mayo

Itchingham Lofte is different from other year 10 boys. Instead of football or computer games, his passion is chemistry. This involves explosions, missing eyebrows, school poisonings and terrible smells. It doesn't make Itch many friends.  Then Itch buys a piece of uranium for his collection. But the rock is rarer than uranium - a new, powerful element which, in the wrong hands, could destroy the world.

Based on the periodic table, Itch - Element Hunter is the first novel from renowned radio DJ Simon Mayo - an exciting and nail-biting thriller.

 

Jekyll’s Mirror by William Hussey

Sam struggles with everything - from fitting in at school to learning to feel at home with his kindly aunt and resentful uncle - but his biggest struggle is within himself.  When he is asked to participate in an online school project he finds it begins to consume him.  In order to stop before it changes who he is he must discover the true nature of the project and the horrifying truth of who is behind it.

 

Now & Then

 

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

A seminal and hugely imaginative work of early science fiction, H.G. Wells's The Time Machine is the first and greatest modern portrayal of time-travel.

 

How I Live Now by M. Roscoff

Fifteen-year-old New Yorker Daisy is sent to England to spend a summer with her unconventional cousins: Isaac, Edmond, Osbert and Piper - plus their two dogs and a goat in a rambling English country house.  So far so perfect, but the shadow of war hangs over this idyllic existence, eventually breaking in with great force and throwing everything into chaos.

 Winner of the 2004 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and shortlisted for the 2005 Booktrust Teenage Prize, this is a powerful exploration of the universal themes of love and war.

 

Buffalo Solider by Tanya Landman

Plantation slave Charley Smith is eleven when America blows itself apart, with Abraham Lincoln's decision to prohibit slavery. Charley thinks a slice of heaven is coming her way only to find her life is going to get much harder to survive.  A moving, gritty and convincing teenage historical drama where love and loyalty take on prejudice and greed.

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

Thousands of years ago, the land is a dark forest, peopled by hunter-gatherers who know every tree and herb. Then a dark, malevolent force conjures a demon contained in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees - a demon determined to destroy the world.

The first book in Michelle Paver's hugely popular Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Wolf Brother is a gripping and original adventure story. Magical, imaginative, vividly-told and rich in detail, young readers will find Torak's tale completely engrossing.

 

Melting Pot

 

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

 

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand.  The story opens at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California when Buck, their dog, is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He progressively reverts to a wild state in the harsh climate, where he is forced to fight to survive.

 

Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders

 

In this highly acclaimed sequel to the much-loved Five Children and It, we rejoin the five children on the eve of World War I. The children have now grown up: Cyril is off to fight, whilst Anthea is at art college, Robert is a Cambridge scholar, Jane is at school, and even the Lamb is now the grown-up age of 11. The sand fairy of their childhood has become a creature of stories and memory - until he suddenly reappears.

This moving and memorable homage to E Nesbit's classic story is no ordinary children's book. A heart-wrenching and poignant tribute to 'all the boys and girls, 1914-18', it is a must-read for children and adults alike, powerfully demonstrating the impact of World War I on a whole generation of young people.

 

The Ghost of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

One book - four stories, set in different times and different places. Each quarter has similar themes running throughout - spirals, philosophy, the written word and mental health to name a few. One story is set in a pre-historic age, another during the witch trials, a third around the turn of the 20th century, and a final story set in the future. Each story is set around a pivotal moment in the characters' lives, which makes it a particularly engaging read for teens and young adults.

 

One by S. Crossen

Grace and Tippi don't like being stared and sneered at, but they're used to it. They're conjoined twins - united in blood and bone.  What they want is to be looked at in turn, like they truly are two people. They want real friends. And what about love?

The ONE book you have to read this summer! Incredibly moving and extraordinarily crafted, it explores the unbreakable bond and love between sisters. Winner of The CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2016.