S3 (Year 9) Reading List

This reading list is designed for boys in S3 in Scotland (and Year 9 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...

REES, Celia

This is not Forgiveness

Everyone says that Caro is bad ...but Jamie can't help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can't believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn't know why, but there's no way he's going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro. But as Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is more to Caro - much more. There are the times when she disappears and doesn't get in touch, the small scars on her wrists, her talk about revolutions and taking action, not to mention the rumours he hears about the other men in her life. And then always in the background there is Rob, Jamie's older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect ...but that isn't how things work out in real life, and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

CARRINGTON, Jim

Inside my Head

This cleverly constructed narrative consists of three points of view: of Gary, constantly victimised by the school bully in a nasty, name-calling and vindictive way; the bully's friend, David and a new girl to the school, Zoe. All viewpoints are revealing. Gary reveals the painful and often unsuccessful attempts by a young man to control his anger under great provocation - and his inability to communicate. David is someone who is uncomfortable with the bullying but doesn't dare to do anything about it - until the end. Zoe is a young woman who can see Gary through different eyes and is independent, freethinking and brave.

BOWLER, TIm

Blade (No1. in the Enemies series)

So what am I going to tell you? Not much so don't get excited. You probably want to know my name. Well, that's a bit of a problem. I got loads. But there is one name I like. Everybody called me it in the old days. No one does now cos no one in this city knows it. And that's fine. I don't like to remember. But I do like the name. You can use it if you want. BLADE. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty . . . it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character.

GRAY, Keith

The Ostrich Boys

'It's not really kidnapping, is it? He'd have to be alive for it to be proper kidnapping.'

Kenny, Sim and Blake are about to embark on a remarkable journey of friendship. Stealing the urn containing the ashes of their best friend Ross, they set out from Cleethorpes on the east coast to travel the 261 miles to the tiny hamlet of Ross in Dumfries and Galloway. After a depressing and dispiriting funeral they feel taking Ross to Ross will be a fitting memorial for a 15 year-old boy who changed all their lives through his friendship. Little do they realise just how much Ross can still affect life for them even though he's now dead.

Drawing on personal experience Keith Gray has written an extraordinary novel about friendship, loss and suicide, and about the good things that may be waiting just out of sight around the corner . .

MORGAN, Nicoal

Wasted

Jack worships luck and decides his actions by the flip of a coin. No risk is too great if the coin demands it. Luck brings him Jess, a beautiful singer who will change his life. But Jack’s luck is running out, and soon the stakes are high. As chance and choice unravel, the risks of Jack’s game become terrifyingly clear. An evening of heady recklessness, and suddenly a life hangs in the balance, decided by the toss of a coin. In the end, it is the reader who must choose whether to spin that coin and determine: life or death.

BRESLIN, Theresa

Prisoner of the Inquisition

Zarita, only daughter of the town magistrate, lives a life of wealth and privilege. Indulged by her parents, she is free to spend her days as she pleases, enjoying herself in the company of an eligible young nobleman, horse riding, or leisurely studying the arts.

Saulo, son of a family reduced by circumstances to begging, witnesses his father wrongfully arrested and dealt with in the most horrifying way. Hauled off to be a slave at sea and pursued by pirates he encounters the ambitious mariner explorer, Christopher Columbus. Throughout his hardships Saulo is determined to survive - for he has sworn vengeance on the magistrate and his family.

As Zarita's life also undergoes harsh changes the formidable and frightening Inquisition arrives in the area, bringing menacing shadows of suspicion with acts of cruel brutality - and ultimately, amid the intrigues of the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the splendid Moorish city of Grenada, betrayal and revenge...

SEDGWICK, Marcus

White Crow

A dark and gruesome modern Gothic novel, with a compelling, and carefully crafted dual storyline that really builds the tension. The way in which the past and present interweave is brilliantly achieved, and there is a tremendous sense of place, both creepy and oppressive.

MILLS, Sam

Blackout

An explosive new thriller from Sam Mills set in a terrifying future where state corruption, mind control and propaganda can cause even the most unlikely person to commit the worst of crimes.

GRANT, Michael

Gone

Gone...is an excellent mystery, boldly conceived and with a plot teenagers will revel in...it's going to be big

WESTERFIELD, Scott

Uglies

Uglies is a really clever and pertinent dystopian fantasy of a kind that asks children whether they really want to give up their individuality to become a blandly perfect being. Exciting, fast-paced and easy to read it tackles the propaganda pumped out by glossy magazines and shows how ugly extreme beauty would be.

HILL, Will

Department 19

Bram Stoker can stop turning in his grave: his 21st-century legacy extends beyond Twilight

DOWSWELL, Paul

Sektion 20

A great thriller with a poignant historical background . . . A terrific book

BEDFORD, Martyn

Flip

A brilliant, engrossing, thought provoking, psychological thriller that was impossible to put down. The key to the novel's ability to enthral lies in the way in which the author has somehow managed to identify the teenage psyche and capture the voice of one with shocking realism.

For more suggestions and the latest library news follow us on Twitter @stewmel_library

Visit book review website www.literatureforlads.com