Year 7 Reading List (ID 1278)

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
  PROUD
  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

  Charlie Bucket's wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka's precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him!

  Charlie Bucket did not change a single aspect of himself whilst in the Chocolate Factory and he was the last child standing to inherit Wonka's factory. He show she is PROUD to be himself and proud of his loving family.

• The Boy in the Back of The Class - Onjali Q. Rauf
  RESPECT
  The Boy in the Back of The Class - Onjali Q. Rauf

  There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He's eight years old (just like me), but he's very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn't like sweets - not even lemon sherbets, which are my favorite!

  
  But the truth is, Ahmet really isn't very strange at all. He's a refugee who's run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to be his friend. This book truly highlights the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense.

  Not everyone in this world is the same, but we should RESPECT each other regardless of our differences.

• The Explorer - Katherine Rundell
  AMBITION
  The Explorer - Katherine Rundell

  From his seat in the tiny airplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him.
  
  As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small. Except, it seems, someone has been there before them.

  Following your dreams, where you want to go and what you want to be is an AMBITION that we should all want for ourselves.

• You Can Do It - Marcus Rashford
  AMBITION
  You Can Do It - Marcus Rashford

  Marcus Rashford uses the power of his voice to shine a light on the injustices that he cares passionately about, and now he wants to help YOU find the power in yours! From surrounding yourself with the right team, to showing kindness to those around you, to celebrating and championing difference, You Can Do It shows you that your voice really does matter and that you can do anything you put your mind to. You don't have to be an International footballer to make a difference – even the smallest changes can have the biggest impact.

  Sometimes we may feel as though our circumstances may hold us back from the things we want to do. It's knowing that regardless of that, have AMBITION to know that YOU CAN DO IT.

• The Goldfish Boy - Lisa Thompson
  RESPECT
  The Goldfish Boy - Lisa Thompson

  Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of his window as the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business.

  Until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour's toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing. Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of Teddy's disappearance.

  Love and RESPECT your friends and family enough to do whatever it takes to ensure they're safe and happy. Matthew did the unthinkable in relation to his disorder, for his friendship.

• Happy to Help - Liz Pichon
  AMBITION
  Happy to Help - Liz Pichon

  It's TIDY UP Saturday, but Tom is VERY busy relaxing and not helping out much. Until he spots the art box of his dreams in a shop window and everything changes. He's suddenly focused on earning extra pocket money and helping with EVERYTHING.

  But nothing quite goes to plan. Washing and shrinking Delia's clothes isn't a good start. And the hours spent carefully cleaning cars with Derek are ruined overnight when a storm hits Oakfield Town, causing even MORE chaos. At this rate it's going to take a MILLION years for Tom to get the art box of his dreams...or will it?

  It’s not always the BIG life changes that show AMBITION, it's finding a way to achieve something entirely on your own - even if it doesn't always go how you expect, at least you tried!

• The Sad Ghost Club - Lize Meddings
  PRIDE
  The Sad Ghost Club - Lize Meddings

  This is the story of one of those days - a day so bad you can barely get out of bed, when it's a struggle to leave the house, and when you do, you wish you hadn't. But even the worst of days can surprise you. When one sad ghost, alone at a crowded party, spies another sad ghost across the room, they decide to leave together. What happens next changes everything.
  
  Because that night they start the The Sad Ghost Club - a secret society for the anxious and alone, a club for people who think they don't belong.

  It's the PRIDE you feel the moment that you meet people with similar personalities to you, the knowledge that you are never alone brings comfort and happiness.

• Holes - Louis Sachar
  AMBITION
  Holes - Louis Sachar

  Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake), it's not exactly a surprise.

  
  Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole each, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it builds character, but this is a lie. It's up to Stanley to dig up the truth.

  Even though Stanley has found himself in an uncomfortable situation, he doesn't just accept his fate but has AMBITION to make the best of it.

• Gangsta Granny - David Walliams
  RESPECT
  Gangsta Granny - David Walliams

  A story of prejudice and acceptance, our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma.

  1) She was once an international jewel thief.

  2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben’s help…

  Don't judge a book by its cover. RESPECT somebody enough to get to know them, do not presume. People may turn out to be more interesting than they may first seem.

• Super Sub - Alan Gibbons
  PRIDE
  Super Sub - Alan Gibbons

  New boy Smithy can’t understand why everyone is so excited about a player on the football team called “Bengo.” He’s been absent for the first few games of the season and starts the next game on the bench, so surely he can’t be that special?

  But when their coach pulls Smithy off and sends Bengo on in his place, Smithy gets a chance to see him in action. Bengo is easily the best player Smithy’s ever seen, putting in perfect crosses and generally running the opposition ragged.

  So why is Bengo left on the bench so often, and why does he seem to bottle it when any strong tackles come his way?

  Have PRIDE in your own ability. You may not be the best in the class, but that doesn't mean that you're not amazing. Give yourself opportunities to shine.

Y8 Reading List (ID 1279)

• Geek Girl - Holly Smale
  RESPECT
  Geek Girl - Holly Smale

  Harriet Manners knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a “jiffy” lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her.

  So, when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her best friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

  The choices you make can heavily impact the direction your life takes. RESPECT yourself enough to not change yourself entirely to feel worthy or important.

• You Are A Champion - Marcus Rashford
  AMBITION
  You Are A Champion - Marcus Rashford

  It’s hard to know what is possible until you start. You have to be able to dream big and be prepared to work towards your dreams. I’ve achieved a lot so far, but it didn’t come in one go; big things rarely happen overnight, and good things rarely happen as if by magic . . .

  No matter who you are and no matter where you come from, every single person in the world has the potential to be a champion. In You Are a Champion, the nation’s favourite footballer gives you the tools you need to reach your full potential, showing you how to be the very BEST version of yourself you can be.

  Every single individual can dream and be AMBITIOUS in achieving them. If you're driven, have determination and TRY your best, you can do anything. Champion yourself.

• The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
  AMBITION
  The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

  The Hobbit is the unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure.

  A timeless classic.

  Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet and contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services – as a burglar – on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo’s life is never to be the same again.

  AMBITION doesn't have to be about chasing a dream, it can also mean doing something completely out of the ordinary, something completely out of character which challenges you, but you strive to succeed against all the odds.

• Proud of Me - Sarah Hagger-Holt
  PRIDE
  Proud of Me - Sarah Hagger-Holt

  Becky and Josh are almost-twins, with two mums and the same anonymous donor dad.Josh can't wait until he's eighteen, the legal age when he can finally contact his father, and he'll do anything to find out more ­­­- even if it involves lying.

  
  Becky can't stop thinking about her new friend, Carli. Could her feelings for Carli be a sign of something more? Becky and Josh both want their parents to be proud of them...but right now, they're struggling to even accept themselves.

  Not everyone's journey in life is the same, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't be PROUD of the path you took to be where you are now. Everything shapes you into who you are today.

• Because of You - Eve Ainsworth
  RESPECT
  Because of You - Eve Ainsworth

  Poppy's life has turned into a nightmare. Mum's new boyfriend is moving in, along with his daughter, Kayleigh - the most popular girl in school. Poppy's dad is never around and appears to be drifting further and further away.

  And when it seems like things can't get any worse, Poppy becomes the target of the spiteful school bullies. As the vicious online comments and humiliating pranks escalate, with even her friends joining in, it looks like Poppy has no one left to turn to.

  A lot of things can happen in life which you cannot control. You might not always be happy about the changes that happen, but how you handle the situation and the RESPECT you show others can tell a lot about the type of person you are.

• The Boy Who Fell from the Sky - Benjamin Dean
  RESPECT
  The Boy Who Fell from the Sky - Benjamin Dean

  Twelve-year-old Zed has always been fascinated by the demons that fall from the sky. All his life, his dad has worked as a Hunter, tasked with eliminating demons once and for all, and Zed hopes to one day follow in his footsteps.

  
  But then one night, Spark falls from the sky and disrupts everything Zed thought he knew. Because this Demon is nothing like the myths – he’s a frightened boy, no older than Zed, who wants to go home. Can Zed stand up for what’s right, even if it means going against his own family?

  Going against everything you thought you knew and believed, even going against your own family, for someone you barely know, shows you RESPECT your own decisions and your own journey in life.

• The Parent Agency - David Baddiel
  PRIDE
  The Parent Agency - David Baddiel

  Barry Bennett is sick of his parents. They’re boring, they’re too strict, and it’s their fault his name is Barry . So he makes a wish for better ones—and is whisked away to the Parent Agency, where kids get to pick out their perfect parents.

  For Barry, this seems like a dream come true. But as he’s about to discover, choosing a new mom and dad isn’t as simple as it sounds…

  We may not always agree, we may not always get on, we may not always see eye-to-eye but be PROUD of the family you have. We didn't get to choose them, but would we be us without them?

• The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh - Helen Rutter
  AMBITION
  The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh - Helen Rutter

  Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with abigdream.​

  He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up: delivering pinpoint punch-lines and having audiences hang on his every hilarious word.

  A tough career for anyone, but surely impossible for Billy, who has a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won't let him speak?

  Billy's biggest hurdle in life is his stammer. It would influence every aspect of his life and even his confidence. Billy is lucky, he knows exactly what he wants to be, but will he let anything stop him? His AMBITION to achieve it will be the driving force to overcome his stammer.

• Mr Nobody's Eyes - Michael Morpurgo
  RESPECT
  Mr Nobody's Eyes - Michael Morpurgo

  Harry heard the key turn in the lock. He had already made up his mind to run. Harry is in trouble at school and doesn’t like his stepfather or the new baby.

  Then he befriends Ocky, a chimpanzee from the circus. Ocky’s owner won’t mind if Harry borrows her for a bit, will he? But then Harry’s stepfather and the police find out. Harry and the chimp are soon on the run!

  Was it right for Harry to take the chimpanzee from the circus? He RESPECTED the animal enough to be friend it, but was he right to take what wasn't his? Life may throw you curve balls, but always stand by your moral compass.

• Fagin's Girl - Karen McCombie
  PRIDE
  Fagin's Girl - Karen McCombie

  Orphan Ettie Shaw is penniless and homeless on the streets of London when she is spotted by her older brother Joe.

  
  Joe has fallen in with a notorious pickpocket gang run by a man called Fagin, and Ettie has to disguise herself as a boy so she can come back with him to Fagin’s lair.

  
  At first Ettie is able to help out with mending and other domestic jobs, but when one of the other boys falls ill, Fagin demands that Ettie go out pickpocketing with Joe and everything goes horribly wrong …

  Should Ettie compromise her PRIDE to have a home? She's found in an impossible situation, what would you do?

Y9 Reading List (ID 1280)

• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
  RESPECT
  To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

  A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man falsely charged with the rape of a white girl.

  Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

  People should not be less deserving of RESPECT because of their characteristics that make them who they are.

• Once - Morris Gleitzman
  PRIDE
  Once - Morris Gleitzman

  Felix has been living in an orphanage for three years and eight months when the men in armbands arrive to burn the books.

  
  Going on the run in search of his parents, Felix soon learns that Poland in 1942 is not a safe place for Jewish boys. But can his gift for storytelling keep him one step ahead of the Nazis and help him find his parents?

  
  After all, everybody deserves to have something good in their life at least once: to be PROUD, to have achieved even that one thing in their lifetime.

• Heartstopper Volume 1 - Alice Oseman
  PRIDE
  Heartstopper Volume 1 - Alice Oseman

  Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they've never met ... until one day when they're made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance.

  
  But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.

  Nick was scared to be PROUD of who he is upon fear of what others would think. Once he realised that it was preventing him from true happiness, he stopped caring what others thought.

• A Different Sort of Normal - Abigail Balfe
  PRIDE
  A Different Sort of Normal - Abigail Balfe

  I'm not like the other children in my class . . . and that's an actual scientific FACT.Hi! My name is Abigail, and I'm autistic. But I didn't know I was autistic until I was an adult-sort-of-person*.

  
  This is my true story of growing up in the confusing 'normal' world, all the while missing some Very Important Information about myself.

  
  There'll be scary moments involving toilets and crowded trains, heart-warming tales of cats and pianos, and funny memories including my dad and a mysterious tub of ice cream. Along the way you'll also find some Very Crucial and Myth-busting Information about autism.

  Sometimes we are different. We learn differently, we communicate differently, we understand things differently. We should still be PROUD of how we get there, no matter the time it takes.

• Sterling - Harry Coninx
  AMBITION
  Sterling - Harry Coninx

  It didn't always look as though Raheem Sterling would make it as a world-class player. From a difficult start in life to a tough time in the spotlight, Raheem has always had to think on his feet. This is the incredible story of how a boy who grew up in the shadow of Wembley Stadium used his grit and passion to steer himself to the very top.

  You may think that some things are too far out of reach, but did that stop Raheem Sterling's AMBITION to achieve it? Is you have the talent, the drive and the heart to dream it, nothing can stop you.

• Divergent - Veronica Roth
  AMBITION
  Divergent - Veronica Roth

  For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.

  Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead….

  Does everyone fit the mould of a particular box? Would you follow a leader blindly because everyone else does? Tris's AMBITION is to break the 'norm' of her cities' faction system and prove not everyone is born to be one type of characteristic.

• Stormbreaker - Anthony Horowitz
  AMBITION
  Stormbreaker - Anthony Horowitz

  Alex Rider is just 14 when his uncle (who is also his legal guardian) is shot during a top-secret mission for MI6.

  Recruited in his place, Alex investigates their suspicions about a newly developed computer called Stormbreaker and a plot that could see thousands of children killed.

  Alex could have chosen a different path for himself after his uncle died. Instead, he had the drive, heart and AMBITION to try and save the world.

• Melissa - Alex Gino
  RESPECT
  Melissa - Alex Gino

  When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

  George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.

  Change is hard for some of us to adjust to, but it may be even harder for those closely affected. Our opinions do not have to influence the RESPECT we show for others. Kindness costs nothing.

• Wrath - Marcus Sedgwick
  RESPECT
  Wrath - Marcus Sedgwick

  Cassie Cotton has always been unusual, a bit different - but this only makes her more intriguing to her classmate Fitz. Cassie can hear a noise that most people don't notice or recognise, and she believes it's a sound that shows the Earth is in distress, damaged by human activity that is causing climate change. When this belief leads to her being ridiculed and bullied at school, Cassie disappears. Fitz is determined to find her, but he has no idea where to start looking, or if he'll be in time to help her...

  Cassie RESPECTS the planet enough to be one of the only people who listens and actively does something about it. When Fitz notices that she's missing, he does everything he canto find and help her.

• The Royal Rebel - Bali Rai
  PROUD
  The Royal Rebel - Bali Rai

  Born in 1876, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was the daughter of the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. After her father lost control of his empire and was exiled to England, Sophia had a privileged but troubled upbringing that left her unsure about where she belonged – in India or England. Sensitive to injustice, she became an suffragette and fought hard to win the vote for women. This is the extraordinary story of her life.

  Princess Sophia should be PROUD of what she has achieved, though her journey will have been challenging. She's experienced loss and change which empowered to help make one of the biggest changes for women's rights. Channel the negativity into positivity.