Rebel Readers

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald is a great book which I enjoyed. This is a book about two boys called Finlay and Banjo who they are both in care. Finlay is studying at Glasgow University to get a nursing degree. Coming from the care system means he has little support and this can be very hard to cope with. Banjo is trying to settle in with his new foster family and trying to finish high school. He can't forget all that has happened and his fear and anger keep boiling over. I like how the book has Scottish dialect and if you don't understand some words, there is a 'Scots Glossary' at the end. The pages say the chapters and the name of each boy. And that made it easier to follow and understand. I rate this book an 8/10.

Ailise

The Invisible Story
I really loved "The Invisible Story". It was so different to all the other books I have read, mostly due to the lack of colour but it did leave a lasting impression on me. I thought it was great and gave it 9/10.

Emilie

Wolf and Bear
"Wolf and Bear" was a wonderful book. I can kind of relate to it because sometimes friends can feel sad and don't want to play or speak with you. Then later on, when they feel a bit better they come back to you but not always the way you expect it. This unlikely friendship between Wolf and Bear slowly but surely builds back up, and soon it will be all back to normal. I gave this book 9/10 as the story is good but the illustrations are so beautiful.

Miley

Letters in Charcoal
"Letters in Charcoal" is a brilliant book and I loved reading it. I began searching for all the hidden letters in the images and my favourite page is the one with dress and the bodice is covered in all kinds of letters in a pattern. I also liked the colours as they were very different so we could really get the feel of village life in Colombia. Overall, I give this book a 8 out of 10.

jasmine

The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed "The Things We Leave Behind" because it has a lot of emotions such as sadness and happiness. We go on a road trip that is full of mystery. My favourite page is Page 190. It has a mixture of curiosity and calmness. "I can't wait to live in the forest... like Robin Hood. Or squirrels. Or witches" says Billie. I really enjoyed this book and I gave it a 9/10. Loved it!

summer

All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever Meant was a lovely book because of the great writing and the hidden meanings. I liked the illustration on the front and back cover which got me intrigued. However, this wasn't the book for me and so I rated it 6/10

Miley

The Things We Leave Behind
I think "The Things We Leave Behind" is a book suitable for teens who are interested in Dystopian books. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get a grip of this book. I would rate it a 5/10. I just don't think it was my type of book.

Jennifer

Homebody
Home Body is such a magical and powerful book. I loved the illustration where they are trying on new outfits and they get to feel at home in their own body! I also loved Page 60... the loading screen was an excellent illustration. Overall, I would give this book a 10/10. (It took me 2 hours to read but I loved it.)

Jasmine

Grey
I really liked GREY. The colours in the book start off dull, but then drops of colour appear and then boom, all the primary colours come into play. This is like a mirror to how the little child is feeling. I also enjoyed the story and I remembered the artist, Lauren Child, from an old book! used to read. 9/10

Miley

The Final Year
The Final Year was a great book overall. I love the way it was not a simple story but a story with deeper meanings and roots that you can't see on the surface. 9/10

Miley

Homebody
Homebody was really good! Theo was a very interesting character. I found the front cover to be very eye-catching. The story was one of hope and I really enjoyed the detail in all the illustrations. The colours were unusual. I loved it and gave it 9/10!

summer

Play
This book was not what I expected at all. The language, the tone, the realism and everything in between, was good. The way it was written with Johnny as the main character and Mark, Matt and Luc's perspective, was an interesting concept that was well done, but I sometimes felt we weren't focusing on Johnny that much. We often go through whole chapter's without a sense of him and I felt that really made him less relevant and that ultimately led to his suicide and therefore his point of view at the start and end is less impactful than it should have been. If we had a chapter that was a page or two long where he describes everyone setting their socks on fire and something else, maybe his eventual suicide would have been sadder. I am not saying it was not sad when he died, as it certainly was. While I did predict it, I didn't think it would be as bad as it was. I honestly felt Matt should have been the main character. He had a more interesting personality with his artwork and his crush on Mark. Also Mark, Luc and Johnnie's parents made my blood boil. Luc's dad was way too rude and aggressive, Mark's Mum only pays attention to him when he does something bad and Giles' and Johnnie's mums were awful. Matt's parents were great though. I like how they are the voice of reason among this book's horrible weak parenting, them calling out how bad Luc's Dad and Johnnie's mum are. Overall, while I do think this book has problems, I still liked it. Good job Luke, you did well, but there is room to explore the complexities.

Thomas

Glasgow Boys
You know, when I first heard this book was a candidate for the Carnegies and I heard what it was about, I thought (Fantastic, Orphans) I have changed my mind since then, now I think this is a candidate that should win. I loved it, Finlay being all timid and trying to navigate through college with not much help, was so sad to watch. Banjo's story is equally as tragic, he had parents who abused him and he was in withdrawal because they put him on prescription drugs and he didn't want anyone's help. That nearly made me cry. I also thought the story was wrapped up very well, with Banjo and Finlay's stories coming together beautifully. I do wish that Kyle wasn't forgiven since he LITERALY WATCHED BANJO NEARLY DROWN, but I guess nothing can be perfect. Actually I take that back, this book is perfect. Banjo's foster parents not being horrible to him was also a nice touch, since I hate stories where the main character is orphaned and is put in a bad home where no one loves him or her, but in this case, Banjo is loved. Loved both romances, Banjo and Alena were hilarious and Finlay and Akash were just brilliant. Excellent work Margaret, I am terribly sorry for judging your work and please write more characters with a voice like Banjo's, please and thank you.

Thomas

The Things We Leave Behind
This book is fantastic. I loved the storyline, the characters and the concept. Honestly I thought Toby Knight made for an interesting antagonist, since we don't ever see him and he is still a major threat. I nearly cried reading this book. It was just so unbelievably sad. What makes it even more sad (and terrifying) was that this is not some sci-fi novel where its set in the future and everything has changed, its set now, in the present day. I loved the story Clem was telling about the girl trying to save her sister and I thought it represented Clem and Billie's journey so well. I wont lie, the plot twist that Billie was dead was not that surprising to me. That plot twist was similar to the one in "All That It Ever Meant" so I noticed that no one was talking to Billie or acknowledging her sooner than the book wanted me to. It doesn't make the twist bad though! I just wish that we got to meet Clem's biological mum. I know we did see her in flashbacks, but I feel it would be better if we actually saw her. Don't know where, don't know when but it would have been nice to see her and then we could find out what happened to her. Not saying this book needs a sequel, though. Please, it doesn't need one. Other than that, good job Clare! I'd say this one has a good chance of winning!

Thomas

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is another wonderful book that deals with feeling sad and how you can feel better with a friend. I gave it 100/100 as it was so good.

emilie

Grey
I really loved the colours in this book. It is definitely a winner, for sure! I gave GREY 10-10 I hope you all have a nice day and would recommend GREY!

emilie

The Final Year
This has got to be my favourite book out of all the ones I have read so far. The artwork, the story, the characters, are all brilliant. Nate is honestly one of the best protagonists I have ever read about. His friendship with Caleb was a nice touch, and I nearly cried when his brother was in the hospital. I love how Nate's teacher, Mr. Joshua, was so nice to him and encouraged him to read. But, overall great! Matt my "Good Fellow". Also your illustrator Joe Todd Stanton, has my respect for the wonderful, considered illustrations and especially for drawing those wings individually! Congratulations to you both on a fantastic book!

Thomas

All That It Ever Meant
This book...absolutely blew me away. The plot twist absolutely made my jaw hit the floor. I never expected it and it has still shocked me. I don't know how I didn't catch on to the fact that Mati was dead. But it actually makes so much more sense looking back at the book. Also the plot twist revealing Caroline as Chichi was so unexpected, but such a nice touch. Metacais was a brilliant character! I love mystical and mysterious characters who talk like a regular person. Good job, you should be proud of yourself!

Thomas

King of Nothing
Nathanael, you have done it again. It is funny that I started with" Steady For This" last year and started with another one of your books this year as well! The "King of Nothing" is like the first one, in my opinion, - it's brilliant. This book was sadder and more serious than "Steady For This". Anton's Nana dying, nearly made me cry, it just was so realistic. And Anton's Dad is a good example of a horrible Dad, I hated him so much. Matt was also hilarious and reminds me of Rowley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Anton was hilarious as well, his character really progressed from the beginning to the end of the book. My one complaint is that I think Kehinde should 100% have been arrested for Attempted Arson and Property Damage. Just a minor issue though. Good job, Nate, Good Job.

Thomas

The Invisible Story
This book includes a girl who is visually impaired, which is very unique and fresh. The illustrations describe how people may feel being blind and how the world may seem like a blank screen to them. I would say this book is inclusive and amazing but if the author had raised some of the images or given us some braille text, I think this book would've stood out even more to me. Just wanted to feel the texture and get a sense of what the girl is feeling when she touches the book for the first time.

anna

Letters in Charcoal
This book really shows us what some people go through in every day life, in a tiny village, not knowing how to read and write. It has an important message - with effort you can do anything, which is true. Not all people are taught how to read or write. Letters are the whole reason the girl in this book wanted to learn. Each charcoal letter made this young girl want to know how to read and make sense of the world. The illustrations are so significant to get the message across by showing tiny but noticeable letters hidden everywhere in this book. This is what made it so unique, for me.

anna

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an amazing book as most people don't rate crows and find them annoying, with their cawing. But even so, they match the appearance of a crow. The book shows the differences between crows and other birds. Overall, I liked this book. I would rate it a 7/10.

anna

The Final Year
A wonderful book with stunning pictures! My mind raps around a fantastic story that warps in to a book. I absolutely loved this books and am already rereading it. I would give this book 10/10

Miley

Glasgow Boys
I really enjoyed reading 'Glasgow Boys'. I think it is a book which is really well written. I like the way it splits into 2 different narratives and each has their own stories. Sometimes this can make the overall story really confusing, but not with this book. Finlay and Banjo's stories are too memorable to forget. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13. It is a really strong book from the very start to the very end, and the ending was really good. I would rate this book 10/10.

Jennifer

Flying High
I think 'Flying High' is a bit hard to understand. I didn't really like the illustrations as much as other books. There are too many pages and I think this fact would make a child less engaged with the story. However, the colours within the book were vibrant, and really eye-catching for young children. I would say this book would be for 5-7 year olds and I would rate it a 6/10.

Jennifer

Treacle Town
I really liked the book Treacle Town. It has lots of detail about the town it is set in. The story revolves around Conor and his closest friend, who are part of a gang. We are taken aback by the opening chapter at his best friend Biscuit's wake and funeral. Biscuit has been murdered in a park by a rival gang member and everyone is grieving his loss. Everyone knows who committed the murder but nobody reports it to the police. It is a harsh look at the reality of young boys who are faced with situations like this every day but can't escape their town.

layton

Flying High
Flying High was an amazing book! The illustrations were very detailed and I appreciated all the effort required to produce such memorable images. It is so well organized with all the different perspectives. Many of the other shortlisted books didn't exactly have the amount of variation in each page. I loved how the Chinese culture was portrayed and I would rate this book 7/10.

Ciarrai

Letters in Charcoal
'Letters in Charcoal' is a book which is well illustrated. However, I do think that the illustrations within the book are not vibrant enough to catch a child's attention. But, the book does shine a light on reading, which is important as lots of children nowadays don't read or look at books with pictures in them. I would rate this book a 8.5/10.

Jennifer

Grey
Grey was a really great and colourful book. I thought the cut-outs were really cute. I especially liked the page where the girl was in the coffee cup! An amazing and imaginative idea. This book will really help children who are having a bad day I give this book 8/10.

Jasmine

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story was fabulous! I particularly loved how the book highlighted braille and told the story in a really sensitive way. I was amazed at the attention to detail and the technique of paper cutting required to showcase this story. Some pages were full of colour and mystery. This book is really wonderful.

DAVID

I Love Books
I read last year's shortlisted book, "Lost" by Mariajo and really enjoyed it but I have to say this one was exactly perfect! I was hooked from the start, with all the wonderful, colourful illustrations. I love the concept of the little girl's journey from hating books to loving them and I especially enjoyed the "nods" to "Lost" in this book like the polar bear at the end. Congratulations on a wonderful book!

DAVID

Flying High
Flying High was an excellent book I loved the inclusion of crafting and how to make a dragon kite at the beginning of the book. My favourite page was page 8, the group of children all flying their kites - it was a wonderful spectacle! I also like page 12, where one of the kids stomped on his kite. I liked this page because it was a powerful and impactful image! I would give this book 7/10 and would encourage everyone to read it.

Jasmine

Wolf and Bear
I found this book heartwarming. The illustrations really captured the feelings of each individual character. The bear painted blue and the wolf white explained the difference between the personalities of the two furry creatures. I liked that when the bear was sad at this part of his story. The illustrator would emphasize how he/she was feeling by the use of shadows. In contrast, the wolf was always in sunshine! This shows the differences between them , at a glance and is powerful. I thought the colours were engaging, bright and sometimes, subtle. Overall, I really loved the style and artwork in this book.

Anna

I Love Books
I loved this book because I found the illustrations so unique and striking, even though most of it was in black and white. The illustrator made sure main character was highlighted, as she stood out with her neon orange socks. She was so colourful. The watercolours suited the feeling of this book so much, I loved that you could see every individual stroke of the paintbrush. The way the pictures described the story on each page, really stood out for me! Overall, I really loved this book.

Anna

The Final Year
I found this book very interesting, The way the author made the book a poem was nice but sometimes hard to understand at the start but the further you read, the easier it gets. It is a hard and a sad story to read. I liked that it had real life problems and wasn't a happy story throughout the whole book. The author took his time to describe the characters feeling's - each character was given a distinct personality. I found it lovely that the book was narrated as if a diary except as a poem. One character stood out to me and that was Nates wee brother also known as "spideyman". I liked this character as no matter what happened he was able to have fun and find the bright side of things. For a young boy he was quite mature but yet playful. I would definitely read this book again.

Anna

All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri is a good book but for the most part, I didn't really enjoy this book as much as some of the others on the shortlist. This book is about bereaved family going on a physical and spiritual journey back to their home in Zimbabwe. They all expected it to be fun, but it wasn't because they were all going through the grieving process. I would rate this book a 5/10.

Ailise

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss is a great book and I enjoyed it. This book is about a girl called Clem and her half-sister Billie. London is no longer safe for them to live in. They have escaped to Scotland as there is civil unrest. I love how the book is laid out and the multi-layered narrative. There are text messages throughout the book and I thought that was really cool and relatable. I rate this book a 7/10.

Ailise

Clever Crow
One of the best books every! Splashes of inky colours everywhere! It has lots of information that makes me want to learn more about crows and how they live in the city.. The illustrations are very detailed and I was inspired to draw a picture of the crow sitting on the dustbin for the Gallery - note the red bottle cap!. This book is very detailed, creative and informative. I loved it!

Miley

Homebody
Home body is a nice book of exploring yourself, I liked the way they embraced its self and tried to stand out and not fit in the drawing were out standing and the plot is pretty easy to understand.

Miley

I Love Books
I Hate Love Books is a super cute book. The illustrations are very eye-catching. My favourite pages are: Pages 1 -2, the classroom scene with the teacher and all the children and, P6 -when the girl is told she is going to the library, to pick a book! "It's ridiculous, scandalous , completely outrageous. Overall, the book is amazing and full of wonderful colours! I give this book 8/10.

Jasmine

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear was a really good book and although it was sad at the beginning, it had a happy ending! It was really cool the way the bear carried a little orange leaf throughout the whole story. It's the little details that catches peoples eyes. I think this book is for everyone to read but I know ages 3-6 will love it. I gave it a 8/10.

summer

I Love Books
It's a lovely, quick story and so easy to get into and understand. The magical aspect and the quirky drawings, makes the book feel it is tied up in a bow - perfect! I found the dancing frogs in Frog Forest, very funny and a highlight of the book. On the first page I am pleased at the way in the school everyone has a different appearance, making it more representative. I loved that our main character wears glasses - for me, that really makes it feel more real!

Miley

Clever Crow
Clever Crow was an excellent book. The illustrations were really stunning and eye catching. The starting and finishing pages were my favorite pages of all the pages. A little thing I noticed , was the little red cap the crow was carrying, throughout the story. One of my favourite pages is page 24. I like this page because it shows you the movement of the crows as they slide down the snow covered roof! I give this book 7/10.

Jasmine

The Final Year
The Final Year was a really good, yet sad story. The best page in my opinion is page 232, one half is a little poem for Nates little brother and the other is a picture of Nate looking at a pair of angel wings flying in the sky its really magical they are glowing. I gave this book a 10/10

summer

The Final Year
In this book, I really like the way that every character progresses through their own story. Also I think that the way it is composed like a poem is excellent because instead of writing it like every other book it is written in the way Nate writes it. A great book some parts could have gone into a bit more detail 8/10

Conor

Grey
I thought the illustrations in this book were lovely, The pops of colour where very pretty to look at. It was interesting that some of the pages had holes in them and peeked through to the next page. Overall I would rate this book a 6/10. :)

Emy

The Final Year
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow is a very good book, which I really enjoyed. This book is about a boy called Nate and he is in his final year of primary school. He gets put in a different class than his best friend Ps, and they grow apart. His younger brother Dylan takes a turn for the worst- he gets diagnosed with an heart condition. At the end of the book Ps and Nate become friends again and they have another friend Caleb and they are all ready to start high school together. I rate this book a 9.5/10.

Ailise

Grey
This book shows children that everyone has bad days and a bad day always turns in to a good day. I gave it a 9/10

summer