Beauchamp Champs 2025

King of Nothing
This book covers the themes of toxic masculinity and why gender equality is so important. I liked it because the funny characters helped lift the mood when the main character needed the most. My favourite character is Rochelle because of how she always stood up to toxic masculinity, and she really cared for her friends. In conclusion, I really enjoyed King of Nothing!

Asha

Glasgow Boys
I really like how the author wrote the story from both Banjo and Finlay's perspective, and that they both have their own struggles. They were both put into the same care system (St Andrews), but this was slowly introduced to the story when Banjo and Finlay started thinking about each other. At first it didn't really make sense, but I soon realised that Banjo grew up with abusive parents and was given drugs to forget his pain. This was why he needed paracetamol (because he was going through drug withdrawal) and lied to the carers that he had a bladder infection. In the present, Banjo is struggling to control himself and is getting into fights, but this is only because he wanted to get hit so he feels pain. This is really sad, because it links back to his dark childhood. However, he soon finds happiness with Alena and they become a couple. At the same time, Finlay is going to university but with a scholarship because or else he can't afford it. His mum left him and this made him wary of having close relationships with others. He also embraces his identity of being gay and realises he does love Akash who was his only friend in primary. In the end, Banjo and Finlay met up and apologised to each other. It was because Banjo thought Finaly liked him and lied to him. Finlay was insecure and decided to kill himself by overdosing himself with pain relief tablets. The story is really emotional, and I really loved it. I really felt connected to the characters, and I was so happy when they talked it out. I would recommend this book to others, and it contains serious messages and some bad words. Still, it's 10/10!!

Mila

The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed this book and the plot was really well thought out so it kept me reading until the end. My favourite part was the incredible ( and incredibly sad) plot twist near the end. It made me cry with sadness at Clem’s amazing courage, bravery and resilience at what she had to face to get to safety - at the cost she had to take. Overall, I think it shouldn’t win the prize but it should win some other prizes.

Genevieve

The Things We Leave Behind
This book really stuck with me. It showed how fast life can change and how important it is to be happy now. It's about losing something big and how hard it is to find your way after. I got really worried about Clem and Billie, and then, the ending. The reveal about Billie's fate wasn't just sad; it was a gut punch. It left me with a heavy feeling, a real sense of how fragile life can be, but also a powerful understanding of how people can keep going, even when things are incredibly hard. It's a story that stays with you, making you think about what truly matters.

Miroslava

King of Nothing
King of Nothing surprised me in a good way. At first, I thought it would just be another story about a school bully who gets into trouble, but it turned out to be a lot more than that. Anton starts off thinking he’s the king of Year 9—everyone’s scared of him, and he likes it that way. But when he gets in trouble and is forced to join this group called the Happy Campers, things start to shift. What really made the story interesting was Anton's friendship with Matthew, who’s basically the total opposite of him. Their relationship grows slowly and feels real, especially after Matthew saves Anton’s life. You can really see Anton start to question himself and everything he thought mattered—like being feared, looking cool, and having a reputation. The writing is easy to get into, but the message behind it is strong. It’s about friendship, change, and figuring out who you actually want to be—not just who everyone thinks you are. I think a lot of people our age could relate to it. Definitely worth a read.

Yumna

The Final Year
It is such a heart warming book. I really loved reading it. I cried for Nate, and laughed for him. My favorite part was when Nat talks about hope for Dylan. It was such a beautiful moment. It actually brought tears to my eyes. My favorite character is obviously Nate. He is amazing and thought it is written in the book, We as readers can feel it. He is genuinely amazing and he has dealt with a lot and it makes me hate Turner! This book is so smart. I couldn't even put it down and I read it as soon as I got it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saanvi

Play
Luke Palmer's 'Play' is about friendship and growing up, and how people change when they get older and have to make choices in life. It shows how hard it can be to figure out your place in the world and in your relationships. The ending, where a character talks about life after death, made me think a lot about my own life. However, the story has some mature content, like sex and drugs, that made me feel uncomfortable. Because of this, I think it's better for older readers. It's a powerful story, but it's also very intense.

Miroslava

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys is a raw, honest story about growing up in working-class Scotland with tough childhoods, tight friendships, and the quiet hope that things can get better. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would give it a solid 4.5/5.

Jola

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Left Behind by Clare Furniss is a powerful and emotional story about grief and identity. The protagonist of the story follows Clem, a 17-year-old girl, as she travels from London all the way to Glasgow. Furniss shows Clem’s thought and emotions in detail, displaying how grief isn’t simple, but messy and emotional. The paper cranes Clem originally folded with Billie, her younger stepsister, now become a symbol of her attempting to understand her losses and still be hopeful. One of the best parts of the story is the relationship between Clem and Billie. Their bond is complicated, but it’s clear they care for each other deeply. Billie’s sense of humour and sarcasm also brought comedic relief in some parts of the book, balancing out the heavy themes of the novel. With the help of this connection, as well as a few others, Clem slowly starts to understand that healing isn’t about forgetting things that happened but learning how to live with what’s been left behind. Overall, I think that this story is a touching, emotional book about change. We definitely feel sympathetic for Clem by the end of the book. I rate this book a 6-7/10

Zainab

Play
Play by Luke Palmer is a book that really resonated with me, as it dives into the ups and downs of adolescence in a way that's both relatable and emotional. The characters feel real, each dealing with their own struggles, which made it easy for me to connect with them on a personal level. The way the author captures the feeling of uncertainty and self-discovery during the teenage years really stood out to me. While some parts of the plot felt a little predictable, I found myself hooked by the fast-paced writing and the balance of humor with deeper, more serious moments. The book made me reflect on my own experiences growing up, and I think it would be a great read for anyone who enjoys stories about personal growth and overcoming life's challenges. Overall, Play is a meaningful and entertaining read that left a lasting impression on me.

Omar

Treacle Town
I really enjoyed this book, because I felt it showed the perspective of people who might not have the privileges that we have today. I felt truly invested in the the character's lives, and wanted them to achieve their goals. I also liked the incorporation of slam poetry, it allowed me to read a different style of writing to what I am used to. Overall, I would highly recommend this book!

Asha

The Final Year
Nate is having trouble settling down in year 6, because he is struggling to control himself (it's described as a beast within him) as he's in a different class with his best friend Parker Smith. PS is also starting to keep a distance from Nate while hanging out with the bully. Nate's family is struggling with money, and his dad left his mum when he was born. The story has emotional ups and downs, such as when Nate's little brother stopped breathing, and when PS and Nate were friends again. It is written as a poem, with some pictures. It had me crying some bits, and I really felt connected to the characters. The story is set in primary school and has content about SATs and moving to year 7 and this brought back memories as I also read Skellig in Year 6 as the class reading book! I also liked how Nate can express himself through writing poems and how his teacher encouraged him and even gifted him with a diary so he can write down something when inspiration comes! It also has an open ending, when Nate thought he saw his dad, who's always described as looking like Jesus, stepping out into the sunlight calling his name: really happy ending!!

Mila

King of Nothing
‘King Of Nothing’ by Nathanael Lessore is a novel about Anton, a teenager, who always gets into trouble with his friends. The school is his kingdom and he thinks he is the king. He also believes that fear is respect. Until one day, he meets Mathew at the Happy Campers. Anton realises finally what it really means to be a true friend and also recognises who his real friends are. I liked the author’s style of writing, similar to his other novel ‘Steady For This’, the story is very easy to read. N. Lessore has done an excellent job to show the perspective of a teenager. The book emphasises the enormous influence of friends and why one should choose friends wisely as they play a vital part in shaping your life.

Eric

Treacle Town
‘Treacle Town’ is novel by Brian Conaghan about Conor and his gang, who are deeply involved in crime. Conor’s dad and society haven given up on him and his gang. He feels they are left to ‘rot’ and that nobody care about them. No one offers help. They have no future. They are hopeless. When his best friend and gang-mate Biscuit (Mark) is murdered in the park, everyone knows who was behind it but no one dares to report it to the police. Not even Conor. The other gang members want revenge but Conor realises that violence is not an answer and wants to quit. He looks for a way out. Randomly, he lands via a YouTube video into the world of Slam poetry. The author explains well why and how Conor and others get trapped in gang violence and other crimes. Even though I understand that the author used (extreme!) bad language to make the characters sound more authentic, I feel it wasn’t really necessary. (There is constant swearing, literally not a single page without it!) Therefore, I recommend NOT reading the book when you are under 16.

Eric

Little Bang
Little Bang (Kelly McCaughrain) This book is about Mel and Sid who are complete opposites- Mel is very smart, 15 years old, soon to do her exams and has never dated anyone while Sid is failing school, 16 years old, smokes and drinks. They go on one date, kiss and soon after find that they are having a kid. With this happening in Northern Ireland, abortion is illegal - what do they do? My favourite part of the book is at the start on New Years day because in the party, they are having fun and enjoying themselves. Also when Sid's mum Lucille meets Mel's mum Mrs Watson, it is really funny because they get angry at each other and Mrs Watson continues to pour tea when nobody wants it. I did not like the ending because it was really sad how the baby (little bang) was aborted. In the end, Mel and Sid were still together and happy though. This book also showed real life issues like illegal abortion and teenage pregnancy. It obviously changed both characters' life whilst Sid's was for the better because he was more motivated to do better things and make better choices, but Mel's life fell apart as Matt stopped talking to her, her best friend had a big argument with her and she kept arguing with Sid. My opinion of the book is that it was written really well and the author made it seem like you were there. She portrayed the characters feelings exceptionally well and it made me want to never put the book down! I think this book showed a lot of heartbreak with the baby being killed but also a lot of happiness when Sid played at a local cafe. I would definitely read another book from this author. I would recommend this book to people aged 12+. I think this is because younger children 11 years and below would not understand everything that was happening. As well as this, they would not understand the quality of the writing and different literary devices used to make this book so unique. I do think that adults would enjoy this book because of the way it has been written. It could almost make you cry with sadness at points to parts when you are laughing your head off. It has a good mix of happiness and heartbreak and making the right choices or making wrong ones. Overall, I would rate this book 5 stars because of how eloquently it was written and the points it made about issues in the real world. Thanks for reading!

Anya

Little Bang
This book was very interesting and I couldn't but the book down! I think it is inspiring to both girls and boys out there. I am actual kind of confused about ow the baby got the name Little Bang! This book made cry and made me laugh. I love how the author allows us to feel different things for the characters. The ending was beautiful and leaves you on a cliff-hanger. I love the different backstories people have.

Saanvi

King of Nothing
I found this interesting in places but not in other places.Overall, I really enjoyed this book but I do not think it should win the Carnegies.

Genevieve

King of Nothing
PLOT SUMMARY: This book was about a teenage boy named Anton. He and his friends ruled the school until one day when the looser( named Matthew) in the class saved his life in a forest, Anton's life changed forever... OPINION: The book was a spectacular read and it made me so intrigued to read more. Nathanael Lessore set out the story amazingly and gave the characters their own unique self.

Meghna

Glasgow Boys
The book was really interesting and heart warming. I really love Banjo’s backstory and I think that his and Finlay’s connection was very smart! At first, I was confused but as I read on I became addicted and started to understand the book and feel sympathy for the boys. I think this book is amazing and really original.

Saanvi