Ermysted’s Carnegie Shadowing Group

Ghostlines 
This book had a very unique writing style, using very long, dragged out sentences and using the word 'and' a lot. I do see why this is and I think that the extremeness of this gets slightly less as you near the middle & end of the book. I think that the use of italics to show when someone is speaking is a unique choice that makes the actual reading of the book very slightly less enjoyable. Overall, the plot and story were my favourite parts whereas the writing itself was not preferable.

Theo dP

Stealing Happy
It was a good book that dealt with the struggles of poverty and disabilities. I thought that it was a good (if immoral) plan to steal the money. There were some bits that I found hard going, and others that were page-turners. I struggled to imagine what it must be like for sonny, to have Tourette's, a bedbound dad and a struggling mum, and still managing to struggle through it.

connor f

Birdie
This book was really quite good, however not my favourite, as I feel that the plot and story were not as in-depth as some other books. However, the way that emotions and feelings developed over the course of the book really stood out to me and made this book really quite enjoyable. I like the fact that, as the book goes on, the characters opinions of Birdie begin to grow and change rather than just staying the same all the way through. Mr Duke was my favourite character because of the impact he had on the story.

Theo dP

Popcorn
I did not enjoy this book as I found the story really boring because I thought the story was very uninteresting. I would recommend it to young kids or people who wish to learn the basics of anxiety but not for people who want a fairly interesting story. One good thing about it was that it seemed to show the challenge of Alzheimer correctly.

Hasan

Wolf Siren
Red is a partially blind hero whose disability is portrayed as a unique perspective, with her wolves acting as her guide, making her a fully empowered character rather than a victim. The Secret: Red frequently visits the woods where her grandmother went missing, discovering that the wolves are connected to a deep secret that could damage her family's reputation if revealed. I enjoyed this book because the main character, Red, is partially blind, but in the book this is shown strength, brain power, and a unique way of navigating the world rather than a weakness. She is described as brave, loyal, and smart, with wolves in the forest acting as her allies.

Patrick J

Stealing Happy
Stealing happy is an absolute masterpiece and I feel it has a unique story that no other book has. It was gripping and enjoyable my only criticism is that it was a bit jumbled a times with a lot going on.

Henry D

Ghostlines 
I really enjoyed this book! Having read some of Katya Balen's work before, this book was just as good as her other work, if not better! I thought it had a rich plot, detailed charecters and extremely well described setting.

Rowan

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I really did not enjoy this book. I found the chemistry between the two to be pretty bland and so were many of the other characters. I also found that not very much happened through the book; there was no real plot. It was just about them meeting. Overall I think that some people may have enjoyed this book but it was really not for me.

Yusuf K

Wolf Siren
4/5 It's a good book and the topic it covers is a real issue but it does it in a way that it is still an entertaining read. You can tell it's based on red riding hood but it takes its own direction, my only problem is the girl is meant to be nearly blind and yet she acts like she can see just fine.

Patrick Hinton

Shrapnel Boys
Having recently finished Shrapnel Boys, I found myself immersed in a wonderful tale of friendship and brotherhood. But something is going on in London and it isn't slowing down. As the Nazis bomb London, two brothers ( Micky and Ronnie) challenge a rival gang to a shrapnel finding contest. It all goes wrong when Micky gets a wake up to the back of the head.

sam w

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
1/5 The book was made for children and I get that but I don't think a Carnegie space should of been used on it because it is for 9 year olds and the youngest Carnegie reader is 12 it's just a bunch of nothing and I couldn't explain the book with out spoiling it because it is so random.

Patrick Hinton

Wolf Siren
This book is a well-crafted book. It talks about a girl called Red and she goes into the forest even though she is not allowed. She knows the reason yet still does because of the lots of magic and wolves that are there. This book also has sexism and injustice as the girls must work in the forest as men get attacked by the wolves. I found this book calming and relaxing with the tone just seeming so peaceful in my head. The part I liked about this book was when she thought she was going to die after being on her cycle. For the reader, it could be funny but for her family, it could destroy how the family is known. The best-case scenario is that it is impolite and the worst-case scenario…Let’s just say that it is disgusting. This book was really good, and I personally have to say it was an enjoyable read. If I could, I would read this book over 100 times and I believe it should deserve that. After the amount of work Beth O' Brien put into this, I know why it is on the short list.

Ihsan K

On the Wall
Finley is a calm, enigmatic student, while teachers like Mr. Goodhew are intrigued by his stillness.Rather than interacting, Finley sits on the wall, showing that he can find happiness and comfort anywhere. I enjoyed this book because he manages to be happy, while keeping to himself.

Patrick J

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I enjoyed reading this book. The progression of time going backwards rather than forwards made for an interesting read, and the small stories composing each chapter made me want to keep reading. I found the book able to be both funny and serious at the same time. Overall, I am glad I chose this book, and recommend it as a heartwarming coming-of-age story.

Omid

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book was... interesting. It was strange when I started it, as it was a world where the animals behaved as humans but on earth, rather than some fantasy land and France was on the main characters knee. From there it was kind of funny with pelicarnassus and his robot suit destroying the school. It was quite a quick read, and things moved on quickly but I didn't particularly enjoy it as it was quite simply written. I would give this book a 4.5/10

Edward M

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is undoubtably one of my favourite books from my experience as a Carnegie reader. The main story that ebbs and flows through the imaginative river and mystery of the forest that separates the village. It starts of with an unfortunate tragedy of the death of reds' father. This is shortly followed by the disappearance of Reds' grandma. This is the same grandma who taught Red how to flow in the woods and summon her wolfs. The whole story goes up in flames at the end when the town discovers who she and her sister ( Aerona ) really are. They are wolfwomen. Previously thought to be extinct, they reveal themselves to the village and in doing so discover a nasty secret of the baker called Wilson. He killed the woodcutter and placed himself at the forefront of the investigation. Bloodshed and murder follows as Wilson puts an arrow throw Aeronas' heart. Tragedy strikes but the village is better off without its barriers and secrets.

sam w

Popcorn
Popcorn was an interesting book to say the least. It dealt with adult problems in a way that younger readers like us can understand. Many people don't know what a panic attack feels or just plain old anxiety. Now despite these adult issue being explained. This book was most certainly a read for younger children with the concepts not being explained fully and in their full form. I personally enjoyed the book but also felt a little disappointed with the short read time with it taking me just an hour to read in total. Overall 7/10

sam w

Ghostlines 
I liked Gostlines, but it had a lot of wasted potential. I liked the descriptions of Ayrie and the description of her perfect life. It had a great build up of desperation from Tilda and I liked the idea of a ghost story. However, at the end the author threw it all away. there was a storm and that was about it. I didn't like how the ghost 'just wanted some company' and how they didn't even get off ayrie by themselves, instead they were rescued. Overall I'd say 4/10

Toby

On the Wall
On the wall is about a boy called Finley and his friends life in Year 7. Finley is a quite calm boy that always sat on the wall in the playground doing nothing. Finley's teachers want to find out what he does there and why he's always so calm. Its a book about the value of silence and self-acceptance. I found this a good book but was quite boring at points and would recommend it to years 10+ because it can help you settle into secondary school.

Samuel H

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
It was such a good book. It was about a lizard called Zeke and he had France on his knee and was a hall monitor and he got bullied by Pelicarnassus because Zeke punched Pelicarnassus in the face.

Maulik Linesh

Shrapnel Boys
This book is set in 1939 during WW2. Its about a few boys that in the war collect pieces of Shrapnel. It was a competition to see who could get the best shrapnel piece. Throughout this time, Ronnie is worried about the war but still eager too. He did not know what war was but he knew that it meant change and fortunately for him, there would be change (but the war was unfortunate). There are battles everywhere in London but in other places too. In the end, there were some parts I liked about this story, like the fact that it was not a typical war story bit there was some excitement to it when they raced for getting the best shrapnel piece (which Ronnie won in the end). However, there was one moment in the book that was important, and that was when tiger died as that made Ronnie cry not only for Tiger but for Micky, his mum, Arthur, Graham and Harry. Not to forget, he also thought about the people who died in the war, his dad, himself, Mr Missel and Lugs. This part really touched me and I was able to understand the pain Robbie Smith felt too. This book was quite good but I understand why it’s on the longlist instead of the shortlist. This book is only for people liking the war environment and times. Honestly, this book doesn’t compete with a few of the other books I have read. For this reason, I rate this 6/10.

Ihsan K

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is about Tilda who has to show Albie around the island of Ayrie, because he has just moved there and is struggling to settle in. They kayak to a secret haunted island and Albie starts to like it there a little bit more. I like about this book the theme of the secret island being haunted by ghost stories told over campfires and that all of the people on the island get along fine with things that wouldn't be normal for people on the mainland such as wild swimming in fairy pools every day. There were a couple of things that I didn't like about Ghostlines and they were that the title isn't of huge significance in the plot. It is only mentioned in passing a couple of times and the storyline works still if the author doesn't mention it. The plot twist towards the end of the book also felt rushed and the problem occurring to the resolution was over in about 30 pages. Overall I would give this book 2/5.

Felix C

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Lizard nobody was interesting to say the least. The mix of personalities, serious background themes, and unexpected moments created the perfect mix of humour and heart. This book is surprisingly relatable, despite the France story, and the metaphors will be well received.

Oliver

Wolf Siren
A tale about how a girl who has to bear a deep secret about her grandma and how she struggles due to her being a girl and has a big theme of feminism but is a bit too informative with the story plot line.

Ayaan

Popcorn
Popcorn was a great book about anxiety. It was full of little doodles, which are first I struggled to follow but I ended up actually enjoying. The plot was pretty basic but although I don't really get the actual popcorn one, some of the analogies were really good. I wish I had read this book a couple of years ago. I quite liked the ending but found it weird that the author decided to squish all those events into one day rather than having it over a longer amount of time. This book opened my awareness of anxiety.

Aidan

Wolf Siren
I thought wolf siren was a great book, it was exciting, fun, and had a good balance between sad and happy. Wolf Siren is a twist on the classic fairy tale red riding hood where the main character has a severe visual impairment but learns to live with it. I think this is a good book to read for anyone between 9 and 15 although there are some sad bits.

alfiec

Not Going To Plan
Not going to Plan is a good book. It's about school with a girl getting pregnant at 16 and doing her GCSEs and she needs her best friend to help her. 4/10

Max D

Not Going To Plan
Not going to plan is a great book filled with emotion and charm. It is really creatively written, from the actual story itself to just how the pages are laid out. It is heart-breaking and uplifting how the main character handles her problems. I did not expect to like it but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Aiden

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is one of the funniest books ever. Patrick Ness has changed a story of children getting bullied and standing up for themselves to lizards with superpowers fighting an evil pelican in a robot. The pure wackiness of this book is overwhelming. It is a bundle of laughs filled with charm and truly is just bonkers!

Aiden

On the Wall
Finley just started year 7 and he's very different to all the other people in his class, he sits on a wall , alone not doing anything for break and lunch. His teacher Mr Goodhew, wants to find the reason for this. After a while people notice him, and start asking questions. Juliet asks Finley about whether to go watch a scary film. Finley tells her to go and say the real reason. Some people start copying him, and feel calm, but whenever they sit next to him, they always think of worries, unlike Finley who just sits there with nothing to worry, though his teachers say to him to try harder but Finley doesn't think it as important. Disaster struck as he gets hit by a football, he comes back fine 2 days later, it's nearly the end of the year, but the wall he sat on is going to be demolished. Finley still says that he's happy. In the last day they all say goodbye to the wall. And Juliet says in Bella Italia that Finley's her friend, The end. I really liked this book because it says about the different perspectives of quiet people.

mahiru

On the Wall
There is a boy called Finley and he has moved to a new school. He usually sits alone on a wall thinking about nothing. Teachers wonder if he doesn’t have friends but proved wrong when Finley talks to kids. Other people also join like the first time when he was with Ben. I liked the overall plot and the actual story. One thing that did stick out to me, was that in the end when the wall is going to get destroyed, the teacher lets Finley see the wall one last time before it goes away. It had to go away because of the hazard it can provide as the wall is a bit high up. I recommend this book to everyone as it is a really good book. I think this book deserves to be on the shortlist than some other books. I rate this an 8/10.

Ihsan K

Birdie
This book was a very heart-warming story! I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone who would seem interested. So far, this is my favourite book! I really do hope this book wins the Carnegie Medal for Writing. The storyline is well put together and shows how you can be apart of a kind community, no matter who you are.

Miguel M.C

Popcorn
In Popcorn it is about a boy called Andrew who has really bad anxiety. It is his photo day at school but he is worried that his photo might not be perfect because he has to survive a full day at school with his luck he'll be lucky to get out alive. It contains illustrations of his anxiety levels on his popcorn meter. I would recommend this book for the younger population because it might not be as interesting or griping for adults. Overall i would rate this book a 7.99/10 because at the start I was struggling to get into it but as time passed I got more and more interesting.

Ayaan N

Birdie
I think its very good book because it is about a wild girl who experiences racism but she does not find out until everyone doesn't want to talk to her. Due to this I find this book awesome and I recommend it to all readers if they like adventurous and emotional books.

Aadam k

Popcorn
This book is about anxiety and relating it to popping a popcorn kernel. This book is a little young for me so I would recommend this for 8 year olds. This is a 3 out of 5.

cody w

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
A short read, I think it was for children who were younger that me, the ending was very bizarre, lizards getting superpowers? Anyway, one thing I did like is the hidden meanings e.g the black dog(depression). I would probably rate this a 4/10

Billy C

Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed this book as it had a really good story line and narrative. I thought that it had a good outlook on society and I think showed a unique view. My only criticism of the book is that it had a bit much going on and despite the great themes they all were fighting in the book. But, overall I loved this a think it has a good shot at the prize. Would read again.

Henry D

Popcorn
I found this book quite enjoyable and it had an interesting plot, however it was quite an easy read. It was interesting because it was about anxiety, and it showed some real coping methods, but also showed the harsh reality that people can't always get the help they need to cope with problems, and even worse - when they start getting the help, it has to be cut short. It was not the best book I've ever read, but not the worst, so I rate this book 6/10.

Edward M

The Boy I Love
The Boy I Love was a romantic book set in the trenches. Despite how many books I have read set during a world war, I don't think I've ever read a book set in the actual trenches before so that was a new different concept to me. At first, I found it boring and slow with too much army terminology I didn't know, like which of Colonels, Lieutenants, and Captains were more superior. However the book soon improved and there wasn't too much romance. The ending was about how I expected it which was realistic but not too sad.

Aidan

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Zeke and his friends Alicia and Daniel become hall monitors. while doing his job Zeke sees the bully Pelicarnassus, and the pelican calls Zeke fat, in retaliation to this Zeke punches him. The principal wombat takes the hall monitors sashes away, and now Zeke's separated from his friends. Meanwhile at his home his mom is mostly in bed with the 'black dog' next to her. Zeke has to do everything himself. On the bus there's a blind hawk, and Alicia introduces herself. After this the head forces Zeke to apology to the pelican, but he wants revenge on Zeke. He lives with France on his knee. His mum passes out and goes to hospital. Pelicarnassus builds a giant pelican suit and tries to kill Zeke but with the help of his two best friends and Miel, the hawk, they manage to defeat him. Zeke shields the pelican from disaster and now they are on a truce. His mum is back and he's happy.

mahiru

Not Going To Plan
Not Going to Plan explored an often overlooked topic that is gaining prominence in literature - abortion. However, I liked how it doesn't focus on just abortion - it also focuses on identity and the struggles of teenagers. The contrasting characters and viewpoints of Zed and Marnie brought depth to the story and plot. I thought the verse format didn't add too much, and in some places (e.g. the heartbeat) made it a bit of a nuisance, but it made the book a bit more unique and interesting. Overall, it explored a complex topic well, displaying different viewpoints through the characters, while still keeping the book grounded with the approach of GCSEs. 8/10.

Aashaz Z.

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien is easily my favourite Carnegie book out of the the 4 I have now read. Wolf Siren is about a girl named Red who is 13 years old who has the power of magic to summon wolves and can transform into wolf. The story is set in a massive forest inhabited by wolves with a town in the centre surrounded by a forest that lives. I love this book as it includes outcasts, wolves and understanding. Even though Red is visually impaired she shows that even the most insignificant people can become known and powerful. In total I would give this book an 11/10 from how good of a book, storyline, setting and how it really got me hooked on every page.

Sylvan C

Shrapnel Boys
The story focuses on the "home front," where children, including Ronnie and his best friend Lugs, compete to collect the best pieces of "shrapnel" (bomb fragments) after nightly air raids.When a manipulative man named Johnny Simmons charms his way into their home to build an Anderson shelter, Ronnie recognizes him as an untrustworthy person. Ronnie’s younger brother, Micky, is quickly swayed by Johnny’s promises of money and a bike, drawing him into dangerous, potentially traitorous "odd jobs". As London suffers under the Blitz, Ronnie is determined to protect Micky and expose Johnny, who is revealed to have ties to the British Union of Fascists. I like this book because it explores friendship and loyalty and portrays history through children.

Patrick J

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The story centers on Zeke, a monitor lizard who considers himself a "nobody" at school. Along with his best friends Daniel and Alicia (also monitor lizards), Zeke is appointed a Hall Monitor by Principal Wombat. The Bully: The lizard trio is targeted by Pelicarnassus, a pompous, giant pelican and son of a supervillain who has it out for them. When Zeke stands up to Pelicarnassus, the bully escalates the conflict, leading to outlandish threats, including a "Death Ray of Death" and a "giant robotic pelican attack" on the school. I liked how he isn’t all powerful or strong, he’s just normal.

Patrick J

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds from now was an okay book. I liked how it explored the relationships of characters although I think it could have written more about Aria and Nee's relationship given that the whole story was about them being about have sexual intercourse but I think that it was quite good. I did think that it was odd that Nee seemed to talk and think the same even 2 years before the start of the story and that the yearbook club was a bit of a random addition. The thing that I liked the most about this book was Nee's relationship with his family and how he was close with his mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather in all different ways which really showed the closeness of the family. I would recommend this book to people who like romance books and probably ages 14-15 and older. Overall I give it a 5/10.

Robin.O

Not Going To Plan
I loved this book. I loved the poem set out and the switching between the characters. 9/10

Connor R

Ghostlines 
It was a decent book but I couldn't get a grip with the plot. 7/10

Connor R

Not Going To Plan
I found 'Not Going to Plan ' by Tia Fisher a really honest and emotional novel about two teens whose lives mess up after something goes seriously wrong, and I found it surprisingly easy to connect with both of them. Tia's writing style doesn’t shy away from tough topics like consent and the pressure of growing up, but she writes about them in a way that feels real , The writing style makes it quick to read, but it still hits hard, and the friendship that develops between Marnie and Zed feels messy and awkward at start .

RaqeebG

The Boy I Love
I found the book mostly boring. The book mostly feels like Danny and Stephen doing side quests together. Nothing really twisting or impactful till the end. It lacks the element of surprise.

Mahad.K

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
backwards book makes brain hurt aaaaaaaaa I'm not really one for romance novels - however this book was, for a story that revolved around teenage sex, quite wholesome, if that's the right word. Jason Reynolds knows how to write a book - he proved he knows how to tug the heartstrings in Long Way Down, a book I quite enjoyed. The book's characters and easy feel felt relaxing, like a coming of age story going in the wrong direction but still working. It didn't necessarily have me hooked, but it wasn't as if it was painful to read through either. It fits the bill and I reckon it may have my vote.

Hanzalah A

Birdie
It's the 1950s and there is a girl called Birdie who has never met her parents. She was abandoned and left in a church with a picture of her mum (which soon got destroyed). She lived with Mr and Mrs Dudley until she was given away to Aunt Mabel. Obviously, Birdie was sad and reluctant, but she left and went to the Yorkshire dales. When she was taken in by Aunt Mabel, she seemed kind but further in the story she acted quite suspicious. She kept telling Birdie, “it's nothing do not worry,” when there was something. Ever since she came, she was not treated like Mrs Winterbottom's nephew (she told birdie to call her that) but like a stranger. All of a sudden, one day, she was bullied by a gang of kids and in a desperate manner, she went into a building called Winding house and that was the coal mine. She was hiding and hiding but then she fell into a lift which said NO3 shaft cage. The lift fell and suddenly...stopped. There was nothing but a wall of coal in her way. She lost all hope and gave up but then she saw a pony. She said, “what are you doing here?” However, she was glad that the pony was there, and the pony started to walk, and Birdie Bagshaw followed where the pony went, and they had reached the lift again. She thanked the pony. She soon called him Mr Duke and that is where the story started. I like this book as it was an old fashioned book but usually I do not like these style books but I'm glad to have liked it. I recommend this book to those who want to see if they will like this genre (which they will after they certainly read this).

Ihsan K

Birdie
Birdie is a book about the friendship between Birdie and a pony. Birdie never knew her parents and she was growing up in a children's home for mixed race children in Leeds. She went to live with her great aunt in the Yorkshire Dales and is bullied by local children. She develops a bond with a little pony, Mr Duke. I liked the special bond between human and animal. I found the book dramatic and a bit emotional in places, I also felt very bad about the children's behaviour towards Birdie.

Samuel H

Wolf Siren
I found Wolf Siren to be a bit flat. The plot was just never really fully established so there was only a small storyline to go off which didn't provide enough for me to get hooked. If the plot was developed a bit more I think it could drastically improve the book. As well as this, the link to the fairy tale "Little red riding hood" was honestly pointless as it added nothing to the story and was just there as a gimmick. However, I liked the setting and idea of the book as it could have a really good storyline. The character building was also done very well with a lot of focus on Red's relationship with her mother and her mental battle as to whether she should listen to her mother or the call of the trees. In addition to this, the implement of female empowerment was well structured and conveyed the message well alongside the more subtle point that disabilities don't have to hold you back, which is shown in Red's visual impairment. I also liked the ending as it conveyed a lot of the emotion built up throughout the novel and tied up the loose ends of the wolves and the relationship between Red and her mother. Yet I think a nicer idea would have been to foreshadow a different event at the end, as a sequel would easily be doable and would match really well with this book as it could develop Luki as a character, who is not shown much there. Overall, the plot was underdeveloped and really lacked depth but the setting was good and the characters were well developed. Plot:4/10 Characters:7/10 Setting:7/10 Style:6/10 Total:24/40

sevan c

The Boy I Love
The Boy I Love is an interesting book which concerns both the atrocities of the First World War and the political and cultural situation of the time. I felt that this book wanted to convey a hopeful message and I think it conveyed that message really well. In terms of pacing and the story it felt quite predictable but yet kept my interest throughout. Overall, a very enjoyable book that contrasts the horror of the First World War with a very romantic relationship.

Benjamin R

Ghostlines 
I personally really enjoyed Ghostlines and think that it's strengths lie in the vivid, almost alive feeling, description of the island which really helps the story come alive. I personally felt the ending was a bit roped-in and I would have preferred a slower pace - like the rest of the novel. The characters were quite real-feeling however I did feel like their motives and opinions could have been expanded on. Overall, a good book but one which would have benefited from a few small changes.

Benjamin R

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
'A gem of a book!" Angie Thomas said. Well I beg to differ, Miss Thomas. If this book is truly unknown, I think it should stay that way, for the benefit of everyone. This is certainly not a book I would've picked up. I have a slight disdain for sappy romance novels like these, and this book has solidified this disdain. The storyline was way too bland and felt familiar too, as do most romance novels. Nothing much really happened, and we were told a lot about things not crucial to the storyline. Some characters were interesting figures and added to the story, but others I felt were slightly unnecessary. For example, some of the members of the yearbook club were so unmemorable and added next to nothing to the storyline, so now, only a day after reading, cannot even remember their names. I did enjoy how Reynolds wrote the story ƨbɿɒwʞɔɒd, but apart from his memorable writing style and (some) interesting characters, I have nothing else positive to say on the book. I really had to rack my brain just thinking of 2 reasons why the book was half-decent. Judy Blume on the back cover says 'Jason Reynolds has done it again! But in a totally new way... Fresh from start to finish.' Well, Blume was correct on the latter, but the bar must be pretty low to describe the book as another hit, which I know he full well is not, as the 1 New York Times Bestselling Author mark is plastered upon the front of the book. 3/10

William B

Not Going To Plan
I quite liked this book and found that it explored very controversial and complex topics really well and in a poetry format that made it easy to read. I liked the contrast of how Marnie and Zed looked at the world built their relationship and their story. I thought that how the book showed abortion and fear to tell people was really good with characters like Rakel having different opinions on it but in the end showing that people can do what they want. My main complaint was how the book didn't use speech marks and instead used italics which made it quite confusing when actual italics were used and I think it would have been better just to use speech marks. I would recommend this to probably ages 13+ as it explores controversial topics that require more thinking and the main concepts wouldn't be suitable for younger readers. Overall I give it 8/10.

Robin.O

Birdie
I enjoyed this book as it showed racism in the 1950s and that people are people no matter what skin colour they are, and that anyone can get on with each other. I found Birdie's love for Mr Duke nice but could have been explored more than just her meeting him and sneaking out to go see him, as she seems to care for him so much and base her whole life around him for no real reason. I liked how the book looked at mines and how whole communities worked around them and the impact of them shutting and the Second World War. I would recommend Birdie to all ages as it explores racism in a fun way with animals and it is easier for younger readers to understand. Overall I would give it a 7/10

Robin.O

Birdie
This book is very unoriginal, with same stereotypes as thousands of other books, with an orphan child who has never seen her parents and wants to find them, who gets bullied and finds magical animal friend and feels better. Acceptable, considering the 9 year age rating, but not fun to read.

HarryF

Birdie
I thought that Birdie overall was a very good book. But I did feel that some of it didn't make sense. For example I didn't particularly understand why she would choose a horse over family and friends that genuinely cared for her and wanted the best for her. But ignoring that I felt it was really well written and it was sweet the way Birdie had a deep connection with a horse. And when everyone apologised for being racist to her it felt nice finally knowing she was accepted.

Aiden

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles Of A Lizard Nobody was a great book just not really fit my age group. I think I would've really enjoyed this book about five years ago as it is both funny and has serious problems, like bullying, in a fun book kids would want to pick up. It seems impossible to compare this to a book like 24 Seconds From Now as I don't think there is a single person in the target audience for both, which makes deciding the best book in the shortlist a lot harder. Overall, the book was funny but predictable with some parts a bit too crazy and a nice happy ending.

Aidan

The Boy I Love
The Boy I love is a book set in 1916 in WWI. It follows the struggles and discrimination coming against Stephen, a Lieutenant heading back to the front after some time at home. He is a homosexual, and on the boat, he meets another boy, Danny, who is also attracted to other men. Stephen tries his best to keep Danny safe, both from Germans, and their commanding officers who would arrest them if caught being gay with each other. I like this book because, while it is a romantic book, it also expresses the hardships that ordinary men who were called up to the Battle of Somme faced in which 20,000 died in a single day. However, The Boy I Love lacked many decisive plot twists and from about halfway through the book, I could predict what would happen based on the way the story was going. Overall, I give this book 4.5/5

Felix C

Ghostlines 
I really liked Ghostlines by the Carnegie winning author, Katya Balen, because it was vivid, exciting and at some point, quite emotional too. It is now one of my favourite books. I loved the setting- wild, untamed and free. You could feel the fresh sea-breeze of the Ayrie around you and you could smell the scent of the rainy air. The story is about a fierce, nature-loving girl called Tilda, living in an island called the Ayrie. When an anxious newcomer called Albie, moves in from the Mainland, things change. Everything Tilda likes, Albie hates. When Albie's mother forces him to explore the Ayrie with Tilda, he is not happy at all. Tilda is upset that Albie hates the Ayrie but Tilda comes up with a brilliant plan. A plan that would make Albie love the Ayrie forever. But the only problem is that the secret island is forbidden to anyone who lives in the Ayrie. Could she and Albie secretly pay a visit to the secret, forbidden island haunted with a ghost who died there a long time ago and live on to tell the tale...

Mithulesh A

Stealing Happy
Thirteen-year-old Sonny Gilmour lives on the 13th floor of a Scottish council flat—a place he considers his "safe haven" despite the stinking lifts and cramped quarters. However, his world is crumbling. His father is disabled by Long Covid, and his mother is struggling to keep up with the rent after her cleaning hours are cut. When the notorious loan shark Chick Lennon shows up at their door, Sonny realizes his mother has borrowed money just to survive. Desperate to reclaim his family's joy, Sonny teams up with his best mate Jonah and the quiet genius Carolina Swift to hatch a plan: rob Chick Lennon. I liked this book because it’s funny even when things are dark.

Patrick J

Popcorn
I really liked this book! I found it really humorous and heartfelt, and it gave a really important insight into what anxiety can do to a person, and how Alzheimer's can affect your life. The cartoons inside the book helped me imagine what the characters looked like. I look forward to seeing which book wins the Carnegies!

Miguel M.C

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now is a love story about a young man named Neon who is trying to muster up the courage to have sexual intercourse with his girlfriend, Aria. The book goes from when he is freaking out in the bathroom to twenty-four seconds from that to minutes then hours then days and so on to twenty-four months from that and then back to now when he should be in bed with his girlfriend. The book is about love, family and relationships. I would give it a 7/10 as it was a good book and I liked how it went back in time but the writing style was inconsistent.

Sylvan C

The Boy I Love
The book's writing was exceptionally structured - I'll give it that. William Hussey definitely knows what he's doing when he writes a book. However, that doesn't necessarily mean I instantly enjoyed the book. It felt like it was lacking in things that would actually make it interesting - twists and the like. Too much focus was on the romance and how it was forbidden. For me, when a story begins to revolve around that, it fails to leave room for much else, and becomes - I hate to say it - boring, without flesh or meat. It felt an empty book.

Hanzalah

Ghostlines 
There is a girl called Tilda living on an island called Ayrie. In this island, everybody knows everyone and everything pretty much stays the same. It was just the end of the time when the tourists would come to visit Ayrie to see the puffins. This marked the beginning of the silent season. However, there is a new boy called Albie who was green on the boat journey. When Tilda tried to make friends with him, she accidentally punched her and that made Albie angry. Obviously, his mum visits Tilda to talk about introducing her son to the island and maybe showing him a few secret areas. Reluctantly, she accepted it and sacrificed the end of her holidays and missed hanging out with her gang. When Tilda showed him around, Albie just seemed to hate everything she liked. I mean everything and that includes the quietness of the island, and the isolation people can get. But this didn't stop him from Tilda from getting an idea. Even though she's not allowed, she takes Albie on a trip. One that took them to...the forbidden island Ayrie kids are not allowed to enter. Surprisingly, they find something important to Tilda. She was talking about him the entire time and she finally met Rowan.

Ihsan K

Birdie
While I liked the messages of this book, I did not enjoy reading it. The dialogue felt stunted. The mix of 'Leeds speech' with older words (such as thee, art, etc.) made the story feel harder to associate with as it isn't modern or realistic. The plot was okay but I feel it could have been improved by explaining the situation of Birdie's life more thoroughly. I did, however, enjoy reading a story set in the local area. The messages of friendship, acceptance, and courage weren't integrated into the story, I feel, as I was overly aware of the point JP Rose was trying to convey. Overall, it is an interesting story which I, sadly, feel was not written as well as it could be.

Oliver R

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
'Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody' is a book about friendship, bullying and surviving school. It is about a lizard named Zeke who is a hall monitor with his other lizard friends: Daniel and Alicia. The main story is that Zeke gets bullied by a pelican called Pelicarnarssus who wants to be a supervillain, and strangely Zeke also has the miniature sized country of France on his knee due to a curse involving his grandfather. This book didn't leave a lasting impression on me, it's a bit silly despite shining a light on issues like bullying. I think it's aimed younger children. I read it quickly and I was glad to finish it.

Sylvan C

Birdie
The story is about a young black girl called Birdie become friends with a pony she names Mr Duke. It was interesting seeing as it was set in England after world war two and was still quite a racist community and she had a black father but a white mother. Birdie is an orphan and was taken in by her great aunt and uncle who had lost their son in the war. It was touching watching Birdie's aunt and uncle slowly find themselves as Birdie brings them out of depression. I also enjoyed it because I live in the Yorkshire Dales which is where the book is set. Birdie was a touching character since she was willing to give up everything for the sake of a pony she had just recently met. One of my favourite characters was Mr Lofthouse since he was kind to Birdie and gave her medicine for her pony for free. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thomas F

Popcorn
This is an interesting book about a kid who has really high anxiety. I find this really interesting as it shows that even if they look fine they may be in pain or stressed on the inside. it also has a bit of humour and when there is humour it always ends up making it worse for Andrew (this kid with anxiety) as it stresses him out. His grandma goes missing, a science experiment explodes in his face, there's a ketchup rocket and a bully. How could this day be worse? A panic attack.

henry

Ghostlines 
This book was really fun and adventurous. It started a bit slow and not very interesting but then Tilda started showing the new boy, Albie round the islands greatest things to do. They make memories with puffins and set up a secret den on a secret island. It was really imaginative and had loads of fun mini-adventures along the way. A great book I enjoyed and one I would read again. :)

Joshua R

Birdie
This book is an interesting story about racism and friendship. It wasn't really my kind of book but I'm sure some people will have enjoyed it. I found the plot was rather weak and so were the characters but other than that I thought it was nice that it was set so locally and with very important messages in it. I couldn't relate to the characters however.

Rowan

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
"The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" is a good book which is about a lizard called Zeke who has France on his knee, he is bullied by a pelican who tries to invade France. Then just ends up just invading the school he goes to with Zeke. But eventually with the help of his friends Zeke defeats the pelican. I think this is a good book but is for slightly younger children.

alfie c

Not Going To Plan
Not Going To Plan is a book about abortion. At first, I found it really similar to Little Bang so when I found out that Kelly McCaughrain supported Tia Fisher in writing this book, I wasn't too surprised. I thought the characterisation was good, and that most of it felt like it could really happen. One small hole in the plot was that Zed and Marnie were working on the same spreadsheet where Marnie admits who the father is, Zed later says he can only guess who the father is. Two years ago, I read Crossing The Line and I definitely prefer Not Going To Plan because it felt more uplifting. I also appreciated the poetry and wordart more this time as two years ago half the books were written in poetry. It probably didn't need to be in poetry, but it definitely worked. The ending was good, although I wish she hadn't ended it on a cliffhanger...

Aidan

Ghostlines 
This is a story set in the remote Island of Ayrie some of the main people in this story are Tilda: a fierce nature-loving girl who has lived in Ayrie her entire life and Albie: a newcomer from the city who is struggling to adapt to the wild isolated lifestyle. To prove the magic of Ayrie to Albie, Tilda takes him to the old island a forbidden and treacherous place that is rumoured to be haunted an hour’s boat ride away where things suddenly get dangerous when they get caught in a big storm. The reason the book is called Ghostlines is a metaphor referring to the invisible paths carved into the sea by countless boat journeys over thousands of years. I quite liked this book because it feels less like you’re just reading and like you’re submerged inside of the story

Patrick J

Popcorn
Popcorn was an excellent book because at first Andrew was terrified to get a panic attack at school but at the end of the book he got one and then he learned to cope with it. And he learned his favourite teacher had panic attacks too, but he learned to control it and accept it as a part of his life.

Maulik Linesh

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Zeke and Daniel have become hall monitors by Mrs Wombat, but not only because they are monitor lizards. Shockingly, Alicia (the only other monitor lizard) is a hall monitor as well! This story is about animals ranging from hawks and pelicans, to lizards and lions. They all go to school together and the 3 main characters are hall monitors. Terror comes as Pelicarnassus bullies Zeke, Daniel, and Alicia. Zeke gives him a punch and therefore got near expulsion. They meet a new friend called Miel (which means honey) who is blind but smart. We were able to know he was smart, when he told us how he was able to locate his way through the school. Zeke has France on his knee as a curse his grandpa caused and now Zeke hates it with the black dog that always is next to his mum. Speaking of his mum, she went into hospital because she forgot to eat. Usually, she does that but it made her pass out on Zeke's bad day. The wannabe villain (Pelicarnassus) has been trying to bully Zeke as he was told by a Norman. Norman has been fed up of the fact that Pelicarnassus keeps talking about him. Pelicarnassus has been trying to scare The main character (Zeke) so he caused wreckage at the school that was intended to kill him. After all that chaos, he finally has a good day where he gets his hall monitor sash back, Miel said he showed heroism and Pelicarnassus got his consequence as he was grounded and his computers were taken away. However, that was not the true good day. In fact it was more than a week after where he gets a surprise. He sees his mum and his mum kisses him on the forehead and gets into a big big hug with Zeke. That's where we were left off and I believe that he deserved it. I recommend this book to whoever wants to enjoy some good fiction. I actually loved this book and I rate this a solid 9/10.

Ihsan K

Ghostlines 
I found this a bit hard to follow especially the plot with Matilda and Albie and the whole haunted house thing but I did like the art and imagery and the dog! I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the ones that were available last year.

Eli

Birdie
Birdie was a lovely book, written about a girl called Birdie in Yorkshire. It was nice to have a book set so locally, even with a reference to where I live. The book was set in the 1950s, the post war period I didn't know much about. Overall, the book was a great story with lots of little sidestories to keep the chapters in the middle entertaining. The RCD may have been predictable but it was also very happy which was a nice change from other books on this shortlist.

Aidan

Popcorn
The story follows Andrew Yaeger, a seventh-grader who is just trying to survive the gauntlet of School Photo Day. For Andrew, this isn't just about a bad haircut; he’s dealing with severe anxiety and OCD. He visualizes his worry as a popcorn kernel in his stomach. Throughout the day, as things go wrong—a bully, a science experiment disaster, and the terrifying news that his grandmother (who has Alzheimer's) has gone missing—the heat under that kernel keeps rising. Andrew’s biggest fear is "popping": having a full-blown panic attack in front of everyone.

Patrick J

Birdie
Birdie is a thought provoking book about racism, identity and belonging. The protagonist is a girl called Birdie Bagshaw who is an orphan who goes to live in the Yorkshire Dales with her great aunt Mabel and great uncle Mr Walter. Even though Birdie gets bullied and treated like dirt by her classmates, teachers and even other adults, because of the colour of her skin, she still prevails. One day the bullying goes too far and leads to her hiding in a tube which then goes down to an abandoned coal mine. She gets lost trying to find a way out and discovers a pony which helps her escape the coal mine. I have mixed feelings about this book as it is a very good story and has many great scenes and parts, but I found it was too short for a book of its quality.

Sylvan C

Not Going To Plan
Overall, I found this book to be quite entertaining with an interesting storyline that I enjoyed. However, I have 2 primary criticisms of the book: its predictability and a couple of unrealistic events. The friendship developed in the book seemed to me quite unrealistic, like the friendships you only really see in sappy, quite frankly, movies. The idea of someone like Zed and someone like Marnie, considering previous history of the 2 characters, would be very unlikely in the real world. While I would believe it if the author portrayed the two on amicable terms, that too would not make it a very good book. Therefore, I don't really think people like Zed and Marnie are very compatible in the real world, which should be reflected in the book. My other problem with the book was its predictability: simply just reading the blurb already gave me a very good idea of what the book was about, and not to my surprise, all my predictions were true. There was only one event when you actually had to guess as to what would happen. As well as this, I don't really like some of the character portrayals. For example, I didn't like how Marnie drags Zed into her own problems against his own will, when in reality she could've faced the shame of fessing up to her mother and instead acquiring her help. In spite of this, I don't only have negative comments of the book: in fact, there's a lot I could complement on the book. I found it to be a very powerful storyline, and as I mentioned before, I enjoyed it quite thoroughly. I also liked how it explored taboo topics which many other authors would be too afraid to write of. Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable book, regardless of its flaws. I would rate it an 8/10

William B

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I think that this is a brilliant book, with a good constant storyline outlining the thoughts and ideas of a teenage boys life. I really liked how Neon's family are very tight knit and care for him as his journey with Aria proceeds. I loved how there is always examples of friendship throughout the book showing that there is always someone to talk with and express feelings. Finally I enjoyed the overall idea in how he is taking us back step by step through Arias and Neon's relationship showing the ups, the downs and just simply how it all begin. I would really recommend this book to anyone really who is mature enough to understand certain language.

Seb O

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book surprised me. I was expecting a very childish and immature book, which it sort of was, but slightly exceeded my expectations. We follow a lizard called Zeke as he goes through what I assume is primary school. Everyone there is a different animal and he has 2 lizard and 1 eagle friends. It was honestly quite funny which was surprising, but not a laugh out loud type funny. It took some quite confusing and unexpected turns, like France being on his leg, a giant robot pelican, a supervillain, and superpowered hall monitor sashes for some reason. Surprisingly, it also had some deeper themes, like how Zeke's father died and how his mum doesn't see him much, most likely because of the depression she has after the death of her husband. The book represents friendship which is a good theme, but I feel is a bit too immature of a theme for the Carnegies, especially when the book can be quite random and immature. Overall, the book was quite surprising. 6/10.

Elliott.H

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
It is a good book. In my thoughts, it was funny engaging and at the end I wanted to read on. The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a book about friendship and standing up for your own rights. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Mohammed A

Popcorn
Andrew is a boy who lives with his grandma and his mum, his mum is struggling to earn money with her job. Andrew is boy with severe anxiety and OCD in his life, his best friend Jonesy is very good at basketball and athletic. For Andrew, it's his photo-day and he cares a lot about it as his mum really wants to see how it turns out. He gets hit by a basketball and gets a bad eye and he has to deal with gene the school bully. Gene punches him in the stomach and in chemistry, Gene puts a chemical in his test tube and it explodes over him, his shirt is ruined and his grandma has gone missing. In art, Andrew has a panic attack and punches his favourite teacher. In the end, he calms down and his grandma is found. I really liked this book because its really funny to me. I recommend this book to year 7s

mahiru

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I found it quite interesting, with a lot of sub-stories that eventually became quite important, such as France being on the main character's knee, his mum being in hospital and his friends being hall monitors. It was funny, with the laser sashes and the huge robot pelican.

Connor F

Stealing Happy
This book was very entertaining, despite being a little confusing at the start - due to the use of very informal language and clear plot, until later in the book - it was still very interesting and had a great story. The story itself progressed quite slowly, however, it was still enjoyable and had some very exciting moments. The characters were quite diverse (like the main character, Sonny) and made the book a lot more fun to read.

Theo dP

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren, to put it simply, is one of the best books I have ever read. The sheer amount of mystery and magic set it aside from any other book. It tells the story so well and stuffs things like emotion, injustice and curiosity in to constantly keep the reader hooked. Near the end of the book my eyes welled up because of the beauty of the story. This truly is a masterpiece and definitely deserves to be a Carnegie. Thank You

Aiden

Popcorn
POPCORN is a book about Andrew Yaeger, a seventh grade boy, who struggles with anxiety. It is picture day and the book follows his journey through a day in which almost everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. This book highlights problems that someone with anxiety and OCD has and what they might do to manage that. One of these is an analogy of a piece of popcorn "chillin' out in the bag" on a scale to an overwhelming pressure and popping. One thing that I would improve about this book is building on the ending as I feel that it was too rushed and some problems that Andrew was worrying about, though they were solved, weren't fully explained. Overall: 4 out of 5

Felix C

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
Twenty-four seconds from now is was a surprisingly enjoyable book. As if writing a book wasn't hard enough, Jason Reynolds decided to write the book basically backwards, with little stories from each occasion. On top of that, all 239 pages were effectively about one moment, yet the book still worked without getting boring. The consistency of the number 24 was arbitrary, but it gave a nice ring to why each time section was chosen. The best bit in my opinion was the characterisation, mainly of Neon and Aria. Romance novels are not my preference but this one was delivered well with an open but not too open ending.

Aidan

Birdie
This book is about a girl named Birdie who lives in England a long time ago. She is an orphan and has to move to a small village in Yorkshire to live with her great-aunt and great-uncle. The village is a mining town where everything is covered in coal dust. Life is very difficult for Birdie because she is mixed-race, and many people in the town are unkind to her because she looks different from them. She feels very lonely until she discovers a secret. My favourite part of the story is the pony Birdie finds a horse named Mr. Duke who works deep underground in the coal mines. They become best friends because they both feel alone. Birdie works very hard to take care of the pony. It shows how brave she is, even when things are scary. I liked this book because it shows that even if people are mean to you, you can still find friends in unexpected places. It made me feel sad sometimes, but it also made me happy to see Birdie find a home where she belongs.

Patrick J

Popcorn
Honestly, I have quite enjoyed the book. Especially when all the bad things happen. The author seems to highlight that Andrew has anxiety but makes humour out of it as well. He definitely has tried to prove that having anxiety is hard and the problems it causes. Focussing on the session with Dr Clio, we learn that it may not be only the big things but also the small things that cause a problem. Anyway this is the summary of the story: Andrew is a kid getting ready for picture day and trying to take the best one he can for his mom. However, it seems like life is going against him with all the problems, like the basketball incident, a science experiment gone wrong and his bully. The rage he experienced we knew was like a kernel on a scale. For him, a panic attack is when you pop and mainly he is in the middle between uncooked and popcorn. We were able to understand that he was germaphobic when Danny sneezes on Andrew, when a person breathes on him and when he wants to clean desks and arm rests because who knew who could be sitting there. The end of the story is when Andrew is in complete shambles and his photo ends up looking horrendous. I recommend this book to whoever wants to learn more about stressed and anxious people, but not in a really scientific way. If you want humour and wanting to understand problems people have, I would go for this book. I rate this 8/10

Ihsan K

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
In the book 'Chronicles of lizard nobody', Zeke -- a lizard -- and a few of his lizard friends became hall monitors. And then an animal called Pelicarnassus invades France in mini fighter jets. In the end I would rate this a 7/10 because the story line was good but it was a bit short. I recommend this book for 10 year olds

Cody

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This was quite a good book that was extremely funny whilst still having an interesting plot and storyline. I feel that one of the best parts of this book was its characters as it had such a diverse and likeable cast of characters. It also had some great plot twists / mysteries; for example, France.

Theo dP