Recommended Reads

At Corley Centre, we are passionate about improving the standards of literacy across our school. Not only do we want to drive up the standards of our students’ reading but we want them to enjoy reading as well; we want to foster a love of reading which will enrich their lives when they eventually leave us. We believe that, by reading at home or in free time at school, students will start to develop an excitement for reading and be able to make independent choices about reading material that they are genuinely interested in.

By devising recommended reads for each year group, it is our hope that students will find a book on the list that they would like to try. This could lead them to reading more books from that author, on that topic or in that style. The books have been suggested by looking at the level of difficulty in the text and the topics covered alongside the ages and/or abilities of students at that particular key stage. However, please encourage your child to look at books recommended for other year groups or simply use this list as an inspiration for finding their own ‘next read’.

If you would like further information on how to support your child in reading at home, we have devised a booklet called ‘Reading at Home Support Booklet’. Inside there are helpful hints and strategies for encouraging your child to read at home as well as practical suggestions for how to help them if they find reading a challenge. Please contact Mrs. Foxon, Curriculum Leader for English, if you would like any more information or support in terms of your child’s literacy.

kphillips@corley.coventry.sch.uk.

Happy reading!

Post 16 and Year 11 suggested reading:

‘My Swordhand is Singing’ by Marcus Sedgewick

For those who enjoyed ‘Twilight’ but want a bit more fact than fiction; this is

about the real vampire traditions of Eastern Europe and romance is not what

is on the villagers’ minds!

‘Hush Hush’ by Becca Fitzpatrick A sacred oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love…this darkly romantic story features

our heroine, Nora Grey, a seemingly normal teenage girl, and super-alluring bad boy, Patch, now her classmate in

biology class.

‘Teacher’s Dead’ by Benjamin Zephaniah A teacher is dead, murdered by two of his students in front of the school. He was a good man. People liked him. So how could this happen? Why? It just doesn’t make sense to Jackson Jones,

and he is determined to investigate the case until he understands.

‘A Note of Madness’ by Tabitha Suzuma Life as a student is good for Flynn. As one of the top pianists at the Royal College of

Music, he has been put forward for an important concert, the opportunity of a lifetime. But beneath the surface, things are changing. On a good day, he feels full

of energy and life, but on a bad day, being alive is worse than being dead.

The Book Thief’ by Marcus Zusak’ The highly regarded book about World War II and the Holocaust, narrated by

Death himself.

‘The House of Silk’ by Anthony Horowitz With devilish plotting and excellent characterization, bestselling author

Anthony Horowitz delivers a first-rate Sherlock Holmes mystery or a modern

readership whilst remaining utterly true to the spirit of the original Conan Doyle books. Sherlock Holmes is back and the

game is afoot.

‘Angel’ by L.A. Weatherly Willow knows that she’s different from the other girls and not just because she

loves tinkering around with cards. Willow has a gift. She can look into other

people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by

touching them. She has no idea where she got this power from…but someone

else does.

‘Divergent’ by Victoria Roth Set in a futuristic dystopia where society

is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, sixteen-

year-olds have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to

another... For the rest of their lives. Beatrice Prior makes a choice that

surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live

through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choices they have

made. If you enjoyed ‘The Hunger Games’

series, this one is for you!

Year 10 suggested reading:

‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Blackman

‘Noughts and Crosses’ is set in a world where racial roles are reversed. A

dramatic tale of love and social politics, with the white people as the underclass.

Sephy, a privileged black “Cross” girl, falls in love with a poor white “Nought”

boy, Callum. This is a modern day ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with a twist.

‘Mortal Chaos’ by Matt Dickinson ‘The butterfly effect’ is the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the

universe forever. This book follows a chain of events including the plans of a

psycho, a young boy wounded in Malawi and a climber trapped on Everest, all

linked by the chaos that unfolds.

‘Girl Missing’ by Sophie McKensie 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. How can she find her biological parents?

And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her?

‘Shiver’ by Maggie Steifvater For years, Grace has watched the wolves

in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf (her wolf) is a chilling

presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: in

winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of

the fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human…until

the cold makes him shift again.

‘Slam’ by Nick Hornby For 16-year old, skateboarding obsessed Sam, life is pretty good. He’s got plenty

of spare time to hang out at his local skate park, he’s got a new girlfriend called Alicia and his mum has finally

dumped her rubbish boyfriend Steve. But just when Sam thinks that things couldn’t get any better, his life is changed forever. Alicia gets pregnant and nothing will ever

be the same for Sam again.

‘Eragon’ by Christopher Paolini Eragon’s adventure begins when he is

out hunting one day in the mountainous region and finds an oval-shaped object, cool and frictionless to his touch. The stone is, in fact, a dragon’s egg, and it

chooses to match in Eragon’s company. This makes him the first new Dragon

Rider for many, many years.

‘Flip’ by Martyn Bedford This book follows Alex Gray who wakes up one morning and realizes he’s not in

his own bedroom. When he goes downstairs, he meets a woman and a

teenager who he does not recognize but they seem to know him. The final shock is, upon washing his face; he realizes he

is in someone else's body!

‘The Big Book of Magic Fun’ by Ian Keable (non-fiction)

Amaze your friends with the incredible sliced banana trick! Make money

disappear into thin air! Make objects levitate! Force solid objects to pass

through your own flesh! This is a must-have book for all budding magicians.

There are also individual chapters on the dramatic history of magic and fascinating

anecdotes about some of the world’s greatest magicians- from Harry Houdini

to David Blaine.

Year 9 suggested reading:

‘Private Peaceful’ by Michael Morpurgo Tragic, surprising and engaging in equal

measures, Morpurgo’s novel charts both the childhood of young Thomas Peaceful in the early years of the 20th century, and his eventual underage enlistment in the British army to help fight the First World

War.

‘Love, Lies and Lizzie’ by Rosie Rushton Jane Austen for the 21st-century. Author

Rosie Rushton tackles Jane Austen’s most famous novel, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ retelling the story with a contemporary

twist.

‘Sherlock Holmes-Greatest Cases’ by Arthur Conan Doyle

The most famous of all fictional detectives in a selection of his most

challenging cases. A collection of surprisingly short stories but with plenty

of intrigue to keep your interest.

‘Here Lies Arthur’ by Philip Reeve Gwyna is just a small girl when she is

bound in service to Myrddin the bard, a traveller and a spinner of tales. But Myrddin transforms her into a lady goddess, a boy warrior, and a spy.

Without Gwyna, Myrddin will not be able to work the most glorious

transformation of all- and turn into the leader of a war-band into King Arthur,

the greatest hero of all time.

‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness The story of Conor, who is repeatedly

visited by a monster, while his mother is dying of cancer. Part giant, part yew tree,

part nightmare, the monster is still less frightening than the reality of Conor’s

life.

‘Time Riders’ by Alex Scarrow Liam O’Connor should have died on the

Titanic in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram

should have died in a fire in 2029. Yet moments before death, someone

mysterious appeared and said “Take my hand…”. But Liam, Maddy and Sal aren’t rescued. They are recruited by an agency

that no one exists, with only one purpose- to fix broken history.

‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins Set in a dark vision of the near future, a

terrifying TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and Twelve girls are forced to

appear in a live event called ‘The Hunger Games’. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. A gripping and thought-provoking adventure; the first book in a series of 3.

‘Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank (non-fiction)

Anne Frank’s diary is among the most enduring and best-loved accounts of

World War II. She documented her life hiding in Nazi-occupied Holland between

12 June 1942 and 1 August 1944.

Year 8 suggested reading:

‘Skulduggery Pleasant’ by Derek Landy Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant:

wisecracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater

good of course!). Oh yes, and he’s dead! A hero who is basically a skeleton wearing a hat? It’s all good stud!

‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar Camp Greenlake is a place for bad boys,

where the belief is: ‘If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy.” If you are looking for a truly remarkable

novel with twists and dual narratives, look no further than this.

‘Pegasus and the Flame’ by Kate O’Hearn When Pegasus, the majestic winged-stallion, crashes onto her roof in the

middle of a storm that blacks-out New York city, 13 year-old Emily’s life

becomes that of legend with epic battles and gruesome monsters.

‘Stormbreaker’ by Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider joins MI6 and faces various hair-raising ordeals including a battle

with a giant jellyfish! The first compelling novel in the incredible Alex Rider series.

‘The Devil Walks’ by Anne Fine Raised in secrecy by a mother everyone

thinks has gone mad, Daniel’s only link to his past is the intricately built model of the family home, High Gates. The dolls’

house is perfect in every detail. As Daniel is reunited with the last remaining

member of his family, his ‘uncle’ Severin, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a sinister wooden doll he has found hidden

in the house, he begins to suspect that this vicious, haunted puppet of a figure

has a chilling influence…

‘Once’ by Morris Gleitzman When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns’ book at Felix’s orphanage he is terrified that his Jewish bookseller

parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous

journey through Nazi occupied Poland.

‘Million Dollar Mates’ by Cathy Hopkins Jess Hall’s dad is the new general

manager at Porchester Park, and is moving Jess, her brother and pet cat into a staff apartment there. Jess is dreading

the move, until she learns the apartments are strictly A-list only and

soon to be populated by actors, musicians, models and millionaires…

‘Not-for-Parents Travel Guide: London’ (Non fiction)

This is not a guidebook and it is definitely ‘not for parents’. It is the real, inside story about one of the world’s most

famous cities- London. In this book you’ll read fascinating tales about famous and infamous people, creepy underground

places, dark history and strange characters galore.

Year 7 suggested reading:

‘The Suitcase Kid’ by Jacqueline Wilson Ever since her parents split up, Andy’s been a “suitcase kid”. One week at her

mum’s, one week with dad’s new family…no one seems to realize it, but Andy feels completely lost. When will

she find a home where she belongs? An honest, sad and funny story of divorce-

and getting through it.

‘Boom!’ by Mark Haddon From the moment that Jim and his best

friend Charlie bug the staffroom and overhear two of their teachers speaking to each other in a secret language, they know there’s an adventure on its way. But what does ‘spudvetch’ mean? And

why do Mr. Kidd’s eyes flicker with fluorescent blue light when Charlie says

it to him?

‘Charm School’ by Anne Fine Bonny has no choice. If her mother is to

keep her job, Bonny must take a one-day course at Charm School. One day at

Charm School turns out to be every bit as bad as Bonny had feared. The other girls are scratchy and self-obsessed and will do anything to win the ‘glittering tiara’.

‘Billionaire Boy’ by David Walliams Joe has a lot of reasons to be

happy…about a billion of them! In fact, you see, Joe’s rich; really, really rich! But Joe isn’t happy. Find out why in this not

so funny book. If you like Roald Dahl, you’ll love this!

‘Foul Play’ by Tom Palmer Danny is obsessed with two things:

football- especially City Football Club- and investigating crimes. So when

England and City footballing hero, Sam Roberts, is reported missing, he’s

determined to get to the bottom of it. But is Danny getting into something he

can’t handle?

‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ by Michael Morpurgo

Michael and his family take a sailing trip around the world but disaster strikes

when he and his dog are swept overboard and find themselves stranded

on an island. He discovers Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier and stubborn

old man, seemingly determined to thwart any attempt Michael makes to be

rescued.

‘Dark Lord- the Teenage Years’ by Jamie Thompson

Thirteen-year-old schoolboy, Dirk Lloyd, has a dark secret- he is, in fact, the earthly incarnation of a Dark Lord,

supreme ruler of Darklands and leader of great armies of orcs and warriors, intent on destruction and devastation. The fact that he’s trapped in the puny body of a

schoolboy doesn’t help!

Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2012.

‘Horrible Histories’ by Terry Deary (Non fiction)

Welcome to the Horrible Histories book series where history has never been so horrible! Starring the foulest people of all time, this is a lurid line-up of crazy

criminals, wicked women, manic monarchs and ruthless rulers!