S1 (Year 7) Reading List

This reading list is designed for boys in S1 in Scotland (and Year 7 throughout the rest of the UK.)  But don't worry if you don't fit into any of these catergories you are still allowed to read these books...you rebel...

MERES, Johnathan

May Contain Nuts (The World According to Norm )

When Harry Hill is quoted on the front of a book saying it’s `Hilarious Stuff!' it's fair to say most people will be expecting a laugh out loud, highly amusing romp of a novel. Does `The World of Norm' deliver the bellyaches and giggles you would expect? You bet it does! From the opening chapter where we meet Norm about to pee in his Dad's wardrobe this is indeed `Hilarious stuff!'  Norm is a 12 year old boy in the mould of Harry Enfield's `Kevin the Teenager.' He's just recently moved house, has two extremely annoying younger brothers and is broke. Life according to Norm is `just so unfair'. As we follow Norm's quest to `pimp up his bike' we are entertained by the many comical scenes and situations he ends up in.

LOWERY, Mark

Socks are Not Enough

Described as "Adrian Mole meets the Inbetweeners" Socks are Not Enough by debut author Mark Lowery is just as heart wrenchingly embarrassing as Adrian Mole and as hilarious, albeit a little less crude, as the Inbetweeners. It's a great combination of te

enage angst, desire, farce and will keep you in stitches from the first to last page.  This is a hilarious debut novel from Mark Lowery. It's full of both laugh out loud moments and points where you will find yourself snickering behind your hands. In amongst the lists, footnotes and laughter Lowery has written a great story which moves along at a good pace and will have you reading 'just one more chapter' every time you pick the book up. This book will leave a smile on your face but you may find that you can never quite look at a box of Coco Pops in the same way again!

KILLGORE, James

Soldiers Game

Soldiers Game is a great little book which cleverly combines football and World War One, and in particular the story of the famous (in Edinburgh at least) 'Hearts Battalion' which fought at the Battle of the Somme. Killgore cleverly brings together the present day life of Primary 7 pupil Ross with the story of his Great Grandfather, Jack who not only played for Hearts but who also served his country.  No matter what team you support you will be sure to enjoy this book. It's engaging, moves along at good pace, and tells a thoroughly interesting story. It's a must read for any football fan - however be warned there are no mega-rich Prima Donna's in this novel.

FLAVIN, Teresa

The Blackhope Enigma

When Sunni Forrest’s stepbrother accidentally transports himself into a Renaissance painting, she and her friend Blaise set out to bring him back. They find themselves in a strange world of labyrinths, monsters and pirates.   Can they evade their greedy pursuers? And will they ever find their way home?

MORPURGO, Michael

Warhorse

From master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo comes an incredibly moving story about one horse's experience in the deadly chaos of the first world war. In 1914, Joey, a young farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges towards the enemy, witnessing the horror of the frontline. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him.

MACPHAIL, Cathy

Out of the Depths

'I saw my teacher in the queue at the supermarket last Christmas. Miss Baxter. I was surprised to see her. She'd been dead for six months' In Out of The Depths, Cathy MacPhail introduces her latest character, Tyler Lawless, who has an unusual and sometimes scary gift. She is able to see dead people. And sometimes they speak to her, asking for her help. When Tyler moves to a new school she is hoping to make a fresh start. But that isn't easy when a boy who is supposed to be dead appears in your classroom, and statues in the school seem to come alive and point towards the place where the dead boy, Ben Kincaid, was murdered. Will Tyler be able to assist Ben with his pleas for help, or will she be dismissed as an attention-seeking teller of tall tales? A thrilling and spooky tale from the acclaimed Cathy MacPhail.

MUCHAMORE, Robert

The Recruit (Cherub Book 1)

An excellent start to a promising series. It is every boy's wish to be a spy, and this book will enthral every single one of them.

HIGSON, Charlie

The Enemy

The Enemy scores with its brutal vision of a post-apocalyptic world - Gruesome entertainment of the highest calibre.

LANE, Andrew

Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes 1)

The world’s most famous detective. The most brilliant mind in fiction. But before he became the great detective, who was young Sherlock Holmes?

STEVENSON, Robert Louis

Kidnapped

It has become a classic of historical romance the world over and is justly famous as a novel of travel and adventure set deep in the Scottish landscape. Stevenson's vivid descriptive powers were never better than in this account of remote places and dangerous action in the Highlands in the years following Culloden.

PALMER, Tom

Foul Play

Written accessibly and with a light touch, this is the kind of story to appeal to reluctant readers as well as established readers - and their fathers too. The first of a Football Detective series, it scores with the precision of a Ronaldo free kick

McNAB, Andy

Boy Soldier

Packed with breathtaking action, SAS procedures and surveillance and survival techniques, this is a fast-moving, action-packed thriller for teenagers.

PICHON, Liz

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

Fans of The Wimpy Kid will delight in the hilarious adventure of Tom Gates! Fantastic fun told in words and pictures. A delight of a reading experience.

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