The Shady Bookhounds

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren : a sad story of a girl named Red who lives in a small community surrounded by a forest home to wolves -which have been hunted during the previous years. This is an emotional and fantastical fictional book with a feminist theme in which Red, Aerona and Delana showcase bravery, loyalty and resilience. My favourite character is Aerona because I can see parts of me reflected in her and I can see how she would never betray Red.

Arietty

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I really liked the book! It was super fun and crazy. The story is about a lizard who is called Zeke because he is so much bigger than all the other lizards. He goes on adventures and finds brave and funny friends called Alicia, Daniel and Miel. I liked the part when Miel gets of thrown off the bus and runs to his dad for a hug. The characters in the book were so funny and made me want to see and read more. I think other kids will like it too because it has lots of excitement and funny parts. I give it 4.9 stars out of 5!

Scarlett

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
"Chronicles of a lizard nobody" follows a monitor lizard called Zeke through his time at school and his troubled home life. At the start I found it rather hard to engage with this book (it being written for a younger age group) and it never really picked up the pace for me. I did however find that this book had some hidden meaning behind it and explained many hard topics, such as depression, in a way that made them very understandable for younger children. Although I found this book a bit too childish for me, I certainly saw the appeal in it and I thought it was very cleverly written, in a way that made the fairly serious topics discussed in the book seem more simple and sometimes, even funny. Perfect for children 9 or younger, laughter guaranteed.

Ivo

Birdie
Birdie Birdie Birdie... where do i start? Birdie by J.P ROSE is a captivating and emotional novel that explores themes of identity, trauma, and healing through a compelling journey. Set against the rich backdrop of indigenous culture and traditions, the story delves into the complexities of family, community, and personal resilience. The narrative centers on Birdie, a young Indigenous girl navigating the aftermath of a traumatic past whilst seeking her own sense of belonging and purpose. The author masterfully intertwines her character's inner struggles with the broader cultural and societal issues faced by coloured people - creating a powerful story. What stands out most about "Birdie" is the lyrical prose and authentic voice, which brings to life the vibrant and often painful realities of birdie. The novel balances moments of raw vulnerability with moments of hope and empowerment, making it a deeply moving read.

Scarlett

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is a fantastic book about a girl called Tilda. When a boy moves to her island (Ayrie), and seems to hate it, she is determined to show him how amazing it is and make him love it. Together they explore and find new adventures. The book highlights themes of home and how it can differ in different places. Tilda learns to understand and see things from other people's perspectives. If you enjoy books about friendship, community and nature, this would be a good read for you. Overall I would rate a 7/10

Adele

Popcorn
Popcorn is an amazing book about a boy who is terrified about having a panic attack at school. He lives with his mom and his granny who has dementia. His life is a mess. All he wants to do is get through the school day. Unfortunatly the stress finally gets to him and POP POP POP popcorn. This was a fun book about friends and family and how if you need them then they will be there for you.

Sophia

Popcorn
Despite having quite a slow start and originally seeming rather dull, this book did build up pace and became a very interesting tale that covers the topics of anxiety, bullying and family insecurity. The book follows Andrew, a boy with anxiety who lives with his mum and his grandma, who has Alzheimer's. The book begins on school photo day and follows the many disasters that happen to Andrew between him leaving to go to school and his picture being taken. Overall, I thought this book was fun and very insightful for people without anxiety, as it gives you an idea of what it is like. A great read for anyone with or without anxiety issues.

Ivo

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines , a brilliant book about a girl named Tilda. Tilda lives on an island that's so beautiful and perfect.... but it is not for everyone. When a new boy moves in from the mainland Tilda struggles to understand why he doesn't also think it's perfect; just like she couldnt understand when her brother Rowan, left. My favourite character is probably Tilda, especially because of her amazing character development and adventurous personality. I loved the way it was written. This is a more realistic and adventurous book, so if you like adventure and firendship, this book is for you.

Arietty

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of Lizard Nobody is a quirky and whimsical story of a lizard named Zeke with a struggling mum. Zeke has been chosen to be a hall monitor along with his best friends from birth Danniel and Alicia, by their wombat head teacher. Zeke is my favourite character because he has France on his knee: it sounds like such a hassle, but I think it's cool because you get free cheese. It's a really good, strange book with hidden meaning ( the black dog ) and I really recommend this to people who like humorous and different books.

Arietty

The Boy I Love
The boy I love is a heartfelt and sorrowful romance between two young soldiers during WW1. The story is written from the perspective of the main character, Stephen, who loses all motivation and hope when his best friend - who he loved more than life would allow - sadly died. Then he meets Danny (who soon after becomes his new best friend and forbidden lover) and something to fight for, someone to fight for. If I had to choose, I would say my favourite character is Danny, His brazen and humorous personality is hard not to be fond of and his loyal, protective side makes him a great, but unpredictable character. I'd really recommend this book to people who like historic or romance novels. A great LGBT+ read.

Arietty

Birdie
Birdie is a heartfelt story set in post war, Northern England. It's about a young orphan girl. She spent most of life dreaming about one day having a family of her own. So when a letter arrives from her great-aunt she is thrilled, but also sad to leave the only home she's ever known. Upon arrival she is shunned by the people of Barrington Dale; even her own family is ashamed at first. Lonely, she wants to go home but then she meets a pony who she names Mr Duke. I think this book is perfect for slightly older readers as it contains themes that maybe a little confusing for younger readers. The most gripping part of the book for me was the ending . It was a brilliant conclusion to the story. Overall I would rate it a 9/10.

Adele

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I feel like 'Chronicles of a lizard nobody' on the surface is maybe designed for a younger audience however (like all Patrick Ness's books) when you dive deep into the story you will find that this book is as good as every other book in the Carnegie awards. Zeke's life at home is torn apart due to his fathers death and mothers depression. Symbolising this: a black dog that follows her around, in his words, stops her from doing 'normal mum stuff. Supporting him throughout his whole journey are Daniel and Alicia- two fellow monitor lizards who also were his best friends. On the way he meets Miel a blind bird who has a loud voice. The villain of this book: Pelicarnassus is an egotistical bird who has an evil mother and two sidekicks (both called Norman). I Completely recommend this book. Do not be fooled by its comic like appearance because it is truly a deep and meaningful book - you just have to dig a little deeper to find it! 8/10

Philippa

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is a wonderful adventure filled novel about family, friendship and secrets. On the island of Ayrie, nothing changes and everyone knows each other. Nothing was different until Albie came. He hated the island because how isolated it was, but Tilda was determined to make Albie like the island of Ayrie, so she took him to the secret island (the one that's forbidden for Ayrie kids to explore) and what they see there, will never be unseen. It will change them forever. My favourite character is Tilda because of her bravery and kindness. I love the theme of the novel as it is all about friendship and finding your way in life. I would rate this book an 8/10; I would recommend this book for 9-12 year olds as it is full of fun and adventure.

Emily

Ghostlines 
I think ghostlines is a wonderful book. The story is very interesting, told through the eyes of Tilda, a girl who lives on Ayrie - a Scottish island with a small population. The book starts with Albie, a boy from the mainland, arriving on the island and finding it hard to fit in. He develops throughout the book and becomes more and more accustomed to the island, eventually accepting that the island can offer just as much as the mainland can, just in different ways. The characters are some of the most clear and unique of all the books on the shortlist this year, they really felt like real people and that's what I think made reading this book so enjoyable. The community of Ayrie also reminds me of my primary school where there where 60~ students, 2 years per class (rather than 2 classes per year like at most primary schools) and everyone knew everyone. The story manages to maintain a clear flow without being predictable and builds up pace without having a boring start. A truly gripping read. I loved it.

Ivo

Birdie
Birdie is a book you just can't put down! It's an emotional rollercoaster, full of adventure and hope. This book is about a girl who is discriminated because she is black. It is set post war in a small, white Yorkshire village where Birdie has to find a way to fit in, while facing challenges along the way. But will she find her way in the end? Birdie is determined, curious and sometimes naive. This story shows the struggles of fitting in and finding the place that you belong. I would 100% recommend this book as it's a beautiful story and generally just a great read, which I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy. I would especially recommend this book to ages 10 and over. I loved it!

Eva

The Boy I Love
"The boy I love" is my favourite Carnegie read. It is about Stephen (a lieutenant chief in the Somme) falling in love with his assistant Danny. I love the story line and how everything was put together. It made me feel like I was actually in the trenches myself. This book shows all the feelings that actually went on in WW1 and how disapproving the world used to be. One criticism I would have, is how fast he got over his dead first love Micheal, but overall I love how LQBTQ+ is being shown in history! I would reccomend this to older students for there are some traumatic parts. 10/10 would read again!

Philippa

Not Going To Plan
The book "Not going to plan" is an eye-catcher, With a bright orange front cover I was instantly drawn over to read it. The words are written in verse, stretched out or moved in some form which makes it interesting and different to the other Carnegie books. It is about a girl called Marine who struggles with teenage pregnancy and abortion. To me it felt very realistic and full of emotion, really showing me how bad the situation actually is. It gave me food for thought as to what I woul do if it was me or a friend with a similar problem. I found this a nice quick read and one of my favourites. I do not believe this is a book for children as it is a very touchy, personal subject. So I woul recommend it for readers who are over 13.

Philippa

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds from now is one of my favourite reads, It's a short but deeply thought about book. It starts off with Neon, 24 seconds away from getting to bed with is girlfriend and then as the book goes on it slowly goes back in time. I believe the characters were well developed and were very realistic matching everyday life teens. I would recommend this book to older students as it has some parts that may be a bit grown up and may make certain people uncomfortable. Overall I completely recommend this book specifically if you are into teen romance/ Romance generally.

Philippa

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien is a truly inspiring and heartfelt book, the plot twists as you read further into this magical book. The storyline is about a 13-year-old girl, Red, who wants to belong, with nature, trees, and wolves. This is my favourite character as she has a powerful connection with nature altogether, she is not afraid of the wolves, even though there are tales of horrors that lie within woods. I loved this read because the suspension rises and emotions pour out of the book as you dig deeper; this book will change the way you think of having a disability, not as a hold-back, but as a privilege. I recommend this book to people that love a roller-coaster of suspense and who love a great twist on a traditional story-line! A fantastic read for 10 to 15 year olds... 10/10!

Tom

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness is one of the best novels that I have read so far. The novel centers on Zeke, a shy and awkward monitor lizard who often feels invisible at school but gets bullied by Pelicarnassus, the arrogant school bully. One of the books' strong points is illustrations; Tim Miller produces perfect visuals for the situations presented. I would recommend this book to children that are 7-11 years old and love a suspenseful storyline. 9/10

Tom

Birdie
Birdie is a heartfelt story set in post war Northern England about a young orphan girl. She spent most of life dreaming about about one day having a family of her own. So when a letter arrives from her great-aunt she is thrilled but also sad to leave the only home she's ever known. Upon arrival she is shunned by the people of Barrington Dale;even her own family is ashamed at first. Lonely she wants to go home but then she meets a pony who she names Mr Duke . I think this book is perfect for slightly older readers as it contains themes that maybe a little confusing for younger readers.The most gripping part of the book for me was the ending

Adele

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The book was good but it wasn't really my cup of tea. I feel like it has a slightly younger target audience but it was still okay. Zeke was a good hero of the story. I felt it was very inclusive because Alicia has two mums and Zeke doesn't have a dad. I think when kids see these sorts of people (especially children) in the media and books, it lets them know they're not the only people who are going through these sorts of things. I would recommend this book to readers in years 5-7 as I think they will find it lots of fun.

Elsa

Ghostlines 
This was a heart warming story about finding your way, friendship and secrets shared that bring you and bind you together forever. When a friendless boy moves to Tilda's island,she is forced by her parents to be 'friendly' to him. She is determined however to show her island to the best light but he just isn't interested! So she takes him to the secret island. The island that somebody died on! Unwillingly, she finds herself getting weirdly friendly with him! But can Tilda pull herself together after Rowan... Can she hold it together when what she has come to hold most dear is snatched from her? Will she be able to face her fears and brave the Storm? Tilda was my favourite character because she is brave and willing to face her fears to help the boy. What she doesn't want to do all centers around Rowan but she must face her memories to move on. I would recommend this to people who love adventure stories and readers who are stuck in a rut and need to find ways to open up to new ideas and adventures. 10/10 amazing!!!

Sophia

Birdie
Birdie is a brilliant book I really recommend it. It's about a girl called Birdie (the main character) and her friend thats a pony. In this book she feels a roller coaster of emotions and experiences racism before she even recognised what that is. The author wrote it really well and I really recommend it.

Arietty

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Lizard Nobody is a wonderful, amazing story about friendship and teamwork. The main character is a lizard who raises important questions about how to we are dealing with bullying or mistreatment of students. Although the story is very meaningful it is written in a funny and interesting to read format. The book is suitable for everyone who reads it (especially animal lovers).

Dmytro

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren was an overall amazing book.It is not your typical Little Red Riding Hood. It is set in a village that has shut itself off from The Wood. The Wood surrounds the village and cuts it off from the outside world. In this village the Mayor has total control. Red and her family are Wolf Women: women who have the ability to change into wolves (this happens once you have had your first period). Unfortunately, Beth's little sister transforms for the first time in front of everyone. The end of this book is sad but hopeful. This was an amazing book and I would rate it 10/10!!!!!!

Sophia

Popcorn
I love reading, but some books just don't click with me -but not this book. As soon as I started reading, I knew that I was going to love it. This book was so well written and the illustrations really well placed in the book and showed what was going on perfectly. The book was written in Andrew's (the main character) perspective, which really helps you feel what the character is feeling. Andrew describes anxiety in a very interesting way which really makes it easier to understand and it makes it a lot nicer to read because even if you haven't been through it, you can understand it.

Eva

Wolf Siren
I honestly didnt know what to expect when I chose 'wolf siren' to read but I was blown away on how much I liked the book and I love how its basically a modern and remodeled novel version of the famous tale of red riding hood .

Scarlett

Birdie
"Birdie" is a wonderful book. The characters are some of the most thought-provoking and well imagined that I have ever read about. The story also tackles the important themes of racism, loss and hopelessness in a way that reflects upon the innocence of the character "Birdie" in such a beautiful way. The book was written in such a manner that keeps you enthralled right to the end of the chapter - and then the next, and the next and so on. I just could not put this book down. Perfect for horse-lovers, and by the end of this book I think anyone who reads it would be one.

Ivo

Popcorn
Pop corn is an amazing book about a boy (Andrew) struggling with anxiety issues and a panic attack at school is his worst nightmare. This book shows his rollercoaster of emotions on school picture day. Andrews worries and anxieties are described and illustrated very well. The author Rob Harrell wrote Popcorn in Andrews first person perspective wich helps you really feel just what he does ( he being Andrew ). The book relates to what Rob Harrell went through, since he had anxiety as a kid as well. I really recommend this book to students that like realistic books and books about school drama.

Arietty

Wolf Siren
I think "Wolf siren" is amazing. The story line of this book is wonderful and the simple, yet effective description really adds to the fantastical, fairy tale feeling of the story. This book retells the well known fairy tale of "little red riding hood" in such a way that it stays utterly recognisable to the original tale, yet is an entirely new and enthralling read that discusses important themes of sexism, fear and loss. In short "Wolf siren" is a wonderful novel about magic, mystery, misunderstanding and most importantly: WOLVES.

Ivo

Not Going To Plan
NOT going to plan is a very well written book written from two peoples perspectives Marnie and Zed. They are sort of like no rhyming poems. It takes a good look at the subject of abortion in our society and the need for it to be talked about. In the book, Marnie feels alone and afraid to tell her mother that she is pregnant. Her best friend calls her a murderer and only Zed stands up for her. They order the abortion pack and Marnie takes the pills. Afterwards in her art GCSE she records a video about her experiences. I would rate this 9/10 as it is thought provoking read and was very interesting

Sophia

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This is a hilariously funny book that features a monitor lizard called Zeke, a attitudinal pony, a principal with an armoured bottom, a bully with two sidekicks and much, much more. Zeke's home life is much more chaotic. His father has died, France has emigrated to his left knee and his mother is followed constantly by a big black dog that controls her life and wont let her do any of the normal mum things. (The black dog is a clever metaphor for depression as younger readers might find the concept of depression difficult to picture). I would rate this book a 6/10 as it is funny, but slightly young for me.

Sophia

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien is a truly inspiring and heartfelt book; the plot twists as you read further into this magical book. I loved this read because the suspension rises and emotions pour out of the book as you dig deeper. I recommend this book to people that love a roller-coaster of suspense story line! A fantastic read for everyone... 10/10

Tom

Ghostlines 
I loved this book. It had a good theme of adventure. It also had lots of character building and scene setting. It felt so real, as if I was in the story myself!

Leo

Popcorn
As soon as I heard I could read this book I got so exited. I knew I would like it just from the front cover and I really love the artwork. As I started to read it was amazing and I love how it's based around my age, (year 7) so its very relatable. It did make me panic at some times but overall I loved it and I would read it again.

Scarlett

Birdie
Birdie is a heartfelt story about homecoming and belonging. When Birdie moves to Barrington Dale she is shunned by the villagers, simply because her father was a USA soldier who was black. Abandoned in a turnip patch as a baby, she dreams of one day finding her family. So, when a letter comes from her Aunt Mable, she jumps at the opportunity and goes to live in Barrington Dale. When, the villagers push her away she runs to the shelter of a disused mine and befriends a pit pony who she names Mr Duke. What she doesn't know is Mr Duke is destined for the knackers yard. Can she save Mr Duke and either learn to fit in, or make the village accept her? I would rate this book 8/10 because it is well written and at the end, all of the threads have been tied together neatly

Sophia

Wolf Siren
I think the storyline of this book is wonderful and the simple, but effective description really adds to the fantastical, fairy tale feeling of this amazing little red riding hood retelling.

Ivo