BFS Umbra Readers

Treacle Town
Before reading this book, I had never heard the term 'Treacle Town' and reading the story gave me a clear understanding of what it really means. While I liked the story for itself, and in a lot of ways, I appreciated the characters Con and Nails, most of their friends were reduced to basic plot lines, only focused on revenge for the death of their friend Biscuit and without any aspirations or development. Although I am not against swearing, the use of offensive language was so excessive throughout the book, I found it quite jarring and it really spoilt my enjoyment of what was otherwise a good storyline. The constant use of the c* word means I would not encourage any of my students to read Treacle Town, and I honestly do not think that 13+ is a reasonable age rating given the violent nature and language used. Overall, I would say Treacle Town is a good book and could be enjoyed by many, but only when targeted at an older audience - I do not think it should have been included in a shortlist aimed at school children.

Mrs Sirrelle

King of Nothing
Having read Steady for This (Nathaniel Lessore's previous book) before this, I was expecting another light-hearted, largely comical and slightly superficial story. How wrong I was! King of Nothing is a fantastic story featuring Anton, 'King' of the playground. As an adult, reading the first few chapters, and as I learnt more about Anton, I felt slightly uneasy as I realised that Anton's position in school was based less on popularity than fear, and primarily the idea of his father being in jail after a violent fight as an accolade to be proud of. Anton's friend Kehinde also poses difficult questions as someone who is labelled as 'creepy' by a group of girls, and constantly spouts comments edged with toxic masculinity. As the story develops, Anton is introduced to a wider circle of teens and offered a new outlook. Despite resisting friendship with Matthew, Anton finds himself drawn into a new way of thinking, and it was captivating to read from Anton's perspective as his views and understanding developed and changed. My favourite part of the book is Anton's confrontation with his father when he is released from prison - Anton begins to question the misogynistic comments his father makes and begins to challenge his father's authority, while also acknowledging the work and sacrifices of his mother. To conclude, this is a brilliant book and given that the narrative is appropriate for KS2/3 students as well as being relevant for older readers, I think it will be a very popular choice this year. I would recommend it to a wide range of readers.

Mrs Sirrelle

Glasgow Boys
I loved reading Glasgow Boys! I thought it was exceptionally well written and though it dealt with trauma and grief of two young individuals, it covered it gently, without being completely explicit or too graphic in it. That being said, I do think that the offensive language used throughout definitely excludes younger readers from being able to enjoy it. The friendships being built in the story are interesting to follow, and the themes of trust are incredibly important to the characters. I also enjoyed the heavy use of Glaswegian dialect throughout the writing and appreciated the glossary at the end. Speaking to other readers about this book, it seems that quite a few found the dialect hard to follow and it made it difficult to read fluently. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, but I think that the language used (both offensive and dialect) would put me off recommending it to many of my students.

Mrs Sirrelle

Play
Play by Luke Palmer is a gritty narrative of the friendship of a small group of boys, as they navigate the changes from childhood to teens, to adults. All four boys face their own individual challenges throughout the story and face choices which heavily impact their lives. Themes of radicalisation, drug and alcohol culture and toxic masculinity run strongly throughout the book, and the character's responses to these are a good way for teens to safely explore scenarios and hopefully consider what they themselves could do/ do differently if in the same situation. I enjoyed reading this book despite the pretty devastating ending, although I do think that the topics covered make it too mature for a lot of readers.

Mrs Sirrelle

The Final Year
The Final Year is a beautiful story which highlights the positive impact an empathetic teacher can have on the life of individual pupils. I think that Nate's life will probably feel very relatable to a lot of readers, and really homes in on the choices he makes throughout the book. Met with the challenges of losing an important friendship, and his brother's illness, Nate has the potential to spiral out of control, but instead he works to rise above his difficulties to be the best he can be. The Final Year really builds empathy, and being in verse, using slang and regional dialect, it think it appeals to a lot of readers, and people who perhaps don't think of themselves as readers. Although it wasn't my favourite book this year personally, I think it will be a very popular contender.

Mrs Sirrelle

The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind is about a girl who has to leave her home and escape to another city to keep safe with all the riots going on. Also, it had really good storytelling, I liked it but the book was a little slow and not very engaging at some points in the book.

Samuel

All That It Ever Meant
This story is an good book and it is about how your family means everything. Some parts of the book are not needed and confusing but the whole storyline is great and is mostly about a road trip to Zimbabwe. The plot twist at the end was really shocking, I liked how the plot was quite exiting and intriguing.

Samuel

Play
‘Play’ by Luke Palmer is an extremely well-thought-out book following four teenage boys (Luc, Mark, Matt and Johnny) and the struggles faced by each of them daily, from drug misuse to toxic masculinity. I appreciate the fact that the perspective of this book changes regularly, and each character has their own font. It really helps you get to know each character on a personal level. The book was much more serious than I was initially expecting with the name ‘Play’, but that does not mean I did not enjoy it. I really liked the fact that this book delves into the ‘taboo’ or ‘wrong.’ Having read other’s reviews, I heard that certain characters, i.e. Matt and Luc, were unlikable or bad, however, I disagree. I feel like the characters were not intended to be role models or good people. This book sickened me in all the right ways. There were points where I had to step away, purely due to the intensity of certain scenes. It may not be appealing to all sorts, but I quite enjoyed that. Normally, I’d write in some complaints I have about this book at the end of my review, but I don’t exactly have any to mention here. I think Palmer really made an interesting, gripping book. One small detail I particularly enjoyed was that the book has the same first and last line. I always enjoy it when books do little things like that. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It takes a while to get going, but it is really such a brilliant and rewarding book.

Lily

Treacle Town
Brian Conaghan ‘s ‘Treacle Town’ tells the story of Con O’Neil, a teenage boy who’s stuck in a world of gang violence and darkness. Each chapter was more excruciating than the last. Emotions ran high, and the way Conaghan describes Con’s feelings in this book is so gripping and real, I ended up really feeling for Con and his story. For a book I initially picked up because of the poetry in it, the overarching story is what I stayed for. That isn’t to say that the poetry in the book is not also spectacular, because I loved it. The raw feeling of it really makes it feel more real. My main gripe with this book is the amount of bad language used in it. It didn’t really bother me, but as someone who reads alongside their family often, it can get awkward having to gloss over so much bad language so often. As typical as it is for teenagers to overuse swear words, I think after a while it grew very exaggerated just for the sake of it. I think the 13+ rating given for it on the website is quite generous given both the topics and the language used. Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it resonated with me personally as someone who’s passionate about poetry, but I wouldn’t be hasty in recommending it unless you’re sure they can handle it.

Lily

I Love Books
I personally enjoyed this book is because the way the author (Mariajo Ilustrajo) talked about a girl who doesn't really like and enjoy books and I also really like that there were surprises in random pages.

Japjeet

King of Nothing
In this book it is about a boy called Anton and his friends rule the school. The kids of the school other than his friend group would stay away from him and that's the way Anton likes it. But then the the biggest loser saves his life and they have an unlikely friendship which changes his perspective of life forever....

Samuel

Clever Crow
In my opinion, I like this (Clever Crow) book is because it's a non-fiction book and I really do like realistic books because it's based on a true story. And the fact that Olivia Lomenech Gill put some amazing interesting facts about the clever crow including their great memory and their adaptability. It would want me to read again by the same author but different books. And it's truly amazing! I really enjoyed reading this book.

Japjeet

Play
Play is a deep story the follows four teenage boys and the different "games" they play at. It is an emotional story that, at times, did feel very heavy and at around halfway I did feel like it was quite overwhelming. However, I did quite like the different perspectives we get from each of the characters and the character development we see in them. I also found the different family dynamics suit the characters and were accurately portrayed, overall I thought the story did fit together quite well. My favourite part was actually the last chapter, I felt like it makes you view the story and Johnny in a whole new way and I thought was a really nice way to end the story. I would rate this book a 6/10

Sofia

All That It Ever Meant
In All That It Ever Meant we follow Mati and her family who are all struggling due to the loss of their mother. It is a moving story about family and loss and as you go through the book you feel like you are truly there in the story. My favourite part of the story was actually the ending, as it makes you view the story you have just read in a whole new way. In the beginning I found the story a little bit boring, and was unsure but as I went through it became much more interesting. Overall I would rate this book an 8.5/10

Sofia

The Final Year
The final year was a different to most books I have read. It is written in verse so the book was a bit of a quicker to finish than if it was written normally. I think the book was a great book with a plot line that made me feel extremely sorry for the main character Nathan and his family. Nathan's way of escape from some things in life through reading and writing. It shows many bad things that could happen in the last year of school. I would personally give it a 4 star.

Tabitha

The Final Year
The Final Year is a great book with many plot twists and brilliant realistic characters like Dylan and the main character Nate. I liked how its written in verse because its much easier to read that way and quicker to finish the book. The ending was great and left on a cliff hanger but i would of liked a prologue at the end that explains what happens after.

Eva

The Invisible Story
This book has a strong attachment to people with blindness, as different views of a blind person reading could be seen quite pointless to others. This book shows people who might not know much or anything about braille that reading can still be something enjoyable for blind people. The design of the book is unique, the detailed art style linking to the subject and point of the book. The 3d like design comes back to the subject of braille which overall makes everything link together, overall i found this book very enjoyable to read and would definitely recommend it to others.

Emily

I Love Books
I think that the book , ' I love books ' is a very interesting book and i loved it! I particularly like the cover and how it is designed. its really creative and colourful. I also love the fact that this book is very creative.

Aysima

Letters in Charcoal
I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK! I think that the book ' Letters in charcoal ' is fun, colourful , it feels like a very creative story and it's also very creative.

Immy

King of Nothing
King of nothing is a book about a boy called Anton. He realises that popularity isn't everything and being kind makes you more popular than being feared of. If you want respect, you have to treat others with respect to. My favourite character was Matthew since he was the most positive character and he saw the best in everyone. I definitely think that the author made the characters feel real and all of the scenes were written very well and were very believable. I think that Matthew and Gran were the funniest characters since they were full of jokes and they made me laugh out loud. Some parts of the book made me keep turning the pages which I really look for in a book. I enjoyed how the ending answered all of my questions but the slang was particularly hard to get around. To conclude my review, I think that this book was one of my favourite books of all time and I really enjoyed it.

Daisy

The Final Year
This book is about a life of a normal boy from a poor family. He, like everyone his age, goes to a primary school and TRIES to enjoy his life and to control himself, which sometimes can be quite challenging in his circumstances. Nate is starting year 6 - his 'final year' in primary school and he is trying to get through it without any major unwanted adventures. 'Final Year' is, in overall, quite a good book which shows the reality of living as a Year 6 in the modern world. It shows how hard it can be for a year 6 - thinking about SATS and picking a secondary school as well.

Max

The Invisible Story
I really liked this book. I think that the illustrations are really beautiful and I love the pop up aspect. I think it is a amazing idea. The story is really interesting and nice and I will definitely recommend it to other people.

Evelyn

The Things We Leave Behind
I thought this book was written so well. I felt the book created a lot of emotion throughout the chapters and portrayed the characters in a beautiful way. This book is about a girl named Clem who suffers major losses and disasters and reconciles with past events. The book, i thought, is made for a mature audience but anyone can read it.' The things we leave behind' is a must read.

Paris-capri

Clever Crow
An incredible mix of different textures the illustrations all intricate and brimming with detail.

Layla

The Final Year
The book is about a young boy called Nate, he struggles to fit in at school and finds it hard to concentrate. It is quite hard in the last year of primary school, and the element of change can be quite overwhelming, and it is for Nate. Sadly, his best friend has been put in another class and has made a best friend in his class so he does not spend as much time with Nate . His mum is always out playing bingo, so Nate is always looking after his brothers. Then something suddenly happens to his brother that makes his final year even harder.

Samuel Upton

I Love Books
I really enjoyed this book and all of the illustrations. I loved all the intricate details in each drawing. I especially loved the page in the jungle because of the bright pops of colour! Overall i would give this book a five out of five!

Katy

The Invisible Story
the cover of the invisible story is gorgeous. The simplicity of the white background is nice, but when you look closer, the detail is even more fascinating.

grace

King of Nothing
This book was FANTASTIC. The book is about a boy named Anton and his life as a 'popular kid'. He gradually starts to understand himself and what he wants to do, instead of trying to fit in with his 'friends'. His character development throughout the book was wonderful to read, and was really enjoyable. My favourite character was his nan, as she was very much an anchor for Anton and she seemed to be the start of his journey to become better. Everyone I know who has read this has agreed that this book is amazing, and we all really enjoyed it.

Isobel

Wolf and Bear
The illustrations were mind blowingly cute and full of colours and life. The characters were adorable and the meaning to the story was sweet and meaningful.

Layla

Letters in Charcoal
i think the story was very interesting but also quite sad. the illustrations were beautiful i love the colour scheme.

Eloise

Flying High
I think the cover of flying high is beautiful. I love the effect of different textures while still flowing nicely. The colours are so bright over the white background.

grace

The Final Year
This story is about a 10 year old boy who is in his last year of school and has to complete his SATS. This story highlights the ups and downs of life.My favourite character in this book is the teacher as he was supportive and kind towards Nate.Overall, I rate this book 8/10 and I would recommend this book to 12+.

Sophia

King of Nothing
King of nothing is a great book which I personally think has a great storyline. I liked seeing Anton's character change through the story as he realises what truly makes a friend to him. I particularly liked how the story gripped you on and you never quite knew what was coming next. I would rate this book a solid 8/10

Sofia

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys is a great book about two boys in the care system. Both of them are struggling with handling themselves and their emotions, with no family or support the book conveys a message that it is ok to ask for help and that most importantly we need to have friends and family who can help support us in hard times. My favourite part of this book was the gripping storyline that constantly made you hold out hope for the characters. I also liked the fact that we got both of Banjo and Finlay's narratives on the story as we could see how they both handled their lives differently. I can't think of much I disliked about the story and I would rate it a solid 9/10

Sofia

The Final Year
The Final Year is a powerful story that I personally really enjoyed. It is the story of a young boy, Nate, who struggles in his home life and is told through Poems written by him. What I liked most about the book was probably the way we saw Nate's emotions, not just being told but almost having the ability to feel what it was really like being in Nate's shoes. There was nothing much I particularly disliked about this book and I would certainly recommend it to my younger friends.

Sofia

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys is a book set around two boys who have spent their life in the care system. We see from the perspective of both Finlay and Banjo who are both struggling in their own different ways. I particularly liked Finlay's story as he learns that it is Ok to sometimes ask for help and that he doesn't have to face all of life's problems by himself. Banjo's story is also very gripping and the whole time I was reading I always felt the need to get to the next chapter so I could see the rest of the story. Another factor I liked about this story is the accuracy for what it is like for children in the system, that it is not always promised that you get a happy ending and that even with the help of others you can still find yourself lost with your identity. Overall, there wasn't much I disliked about this book and I would personally rate this an 8.5/10

Sofia

Little Bang
This book was showing people that have struggles from careless mistakes. This shows how complex it is to choose abortion or not. But because like most ordinary stories I suggested that it ended happily ever after. But it was different to what I expected. this book wasn’t my favourite but wasn’t the worst. I’d give this book a 6/10.

Seb

Treacle Town
Treacle Town is one of the few books that doesn't have some courageous adventure and instead covers the truth about what life really is like for young people in disadvantaged areas. Personally, I quite liked the story line and the relationships we see between Connor and his peers that isn't just threats and yelling. The thing I liked most about this book was certainly the poems, that I myself found quite moving, especially the last one that ends the book. This story was certainly an interesting story to read from Conner's perspective but I do think I would of liked to see more of others opinions on Treacle Town and understand their characters better. The language of this book was also extremely strong and at times it did somewhat feel a little bit excessive. Overall I think this book is an accurate book that (maybe not the first thing I would think to pick up) I wouldn't doubt it if it won the Carnegies.

Sofia

Glasgow Boys
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book. I found that the story was very fleshed out and I was quite unable to put the book down until I finished it. I think that is good indicator that this was a good book, especially when it made me somber when I finished it simply because it was over. I also quite enjoyed the flashbacks, which helped explain a lot and were very well understood as memories and not a part of the present time in the storyline. The only problems I had when I only found the Scots Glossary at the end of the book and when I initially had problems distinguishing between the characters' perspectives. I think if there was a clear note saying there was a Glossary at the back of the book, that would be more helpful. The perspective switching between the two boys was easy to understand when I got more used to it so I'd say that's more of a personal issue on my part. Overall I think this is a very good book.

Phoebe

King of Nothing
This book is about a boy named Anton. Anton is considered to be the 'King' of the school but as the story goes on that will all change. I enjoyed this book very much as i felt i could relate to the story and the characters and how they react to things in the story. My favourite character in the book was Anton's Nan. This was because she was portrayed as a nice and humble character to Anton. I also liked how Anton used a lot of comedy and sarcasm in his dialogue. This made the book seem interesting and fun to read.

Paris-capri

The Things We Leave Behind
This book is about a girl called Clem, and her struggles to find somewhere for herself and her sister to live after troubles occur in her home. It switches between her recollection of what happened and where she got to after leaving home. I enjoyed the storyline, and how the author wrote it, as it can really make you feel what Clem is describing. Some parts of the book really surprised me, which I quite enjoyed. This book was extremely engrossing and I read it all in one sitting. Overall, i enjoyed this book very much due to the fantastic writing and the way it can make you feel emotional.

Isobel

Glasgow Boys
This book gave me high expectation, and it definitely met my expectation. This book will have swearing, but I think that it shows reality, and makes it more realistic and relatable. This book was hard to put down and was making me second guess. The story is an 8/10 but the way they output the story, made it to a 9/10.

Seb

King of Nothing
King of nothing is about a boy called Anton who is popular however he traded that away for real friends. I enjoyed how humorous and empathetic this book is written. Along with that, Anton meets someone special. Overall, I enjoyed reading it and I recommend it.

Sophia

Little Bang
This book certainly has a moving story that pulls readers in. It shows us all the sides of a difficult story and has a unique way of expressing all the emotions the characters feel. The story covers the opinions and thoughts of not just the main characters, but of others in the story as well and shows us how it feels to be put in this situation. I particularly liked how the character's don't just have the same personality's all the way through, and we see how the characters change after the news of Little Bang. There wasn't much I disliked about it but I do warn that the topics covered might not be for everyone. In the end, I think this is a great book that doesn't just shows us Mel and Sid's story but how everyone else views the law of abortion as well and I would personally rate this book a 8/10

Sofia

All That It Ever Meant
All That is Ever Meant follows the journey of Matiponesa (Mati) and her family from England to Zimbabwe following the death of her mother. Throughout the book, there is a wonderful theme of relationships within the family, and descriptions make the siblings feel very real and relatable. The whole time I was reading, I felt like there was a secret I wasn't part of (thank you final twist!), and I enjoyed unsuccessfully trying to work out what it was. I loved the character Meticais - they felt like the most organic non-binary character I've ever come across in the book and I loved the detailed descriptions of their various outfits, accessories and make up. I also really loved reading the frequent scattering of Shona as the author highlighted the cultural identities of the characters. Although this wasn't my favourite book in this year's selection, I did really enjoy reading it and I would definitely recommend it to my students.

Mrs Sirrelle

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is a very raw look at a bleak future that doesn't feel too far away. Right from the beginning of the story, Furniss starts to build the tension and maintains it all the way through the book. As more information is slowly released, the reader's understanding of events develops. I especially liked reading the part of the book where Clem spends time with her Grandfather, and how she experiences arrival in his small village, dealing with hostility from other locals. Unfortunately, I guessed the twist at the end quite early on in the story, so it didn't have quite as big of an impact as it might for other readers. Overall, this was a good read and I love that as a 12+ book, it is covering some very difficult themes (authoritarianism/civil unrest/refugee detention) at an appropriate age level.

Mrs Sirrelle

Little Bang
Little Bang is a sensitive and thought-provoking story about teen pregnancy and abortion rights and access. I think that this will be a particularly poignant read for teen girls who may or may not have ever thought "what if?" when they consider their own body and choices, but I also think it is a fantastic read for teen boys too, which does not alienate their voice in the same situation. Little Bang is incredibly well written and perfectly placed to build empathy in its readers - arguably for both sides in abortion rights. I also really like books like this, which deal with very real-life experiences but don't necessarily offer a happy fairytale ending. I would thoroughly recommend this book to students 13+.

Mrs Sirrelle