Brooke Weston Book Busters

Play
A hard-hitting novel for mature readers following the friendship of four boys Matt, Mark, Luc and Johnny as they navigate the changes from childhood to teens, entertaining themselves by inventing and playing a variety of ‘games’ and scoring points to pass the time. Each of the boys has very different characters and come from very different family backgrounds. Matt is artistic and uses his imagination to escape when he is feeling overwhelmed. Mark falls under the influence of drug dealers and gets involved running illegal errands. Luc is an ‘alpha male’ who pushes his body to the limit trying to please his father. Johnny is caring and neglected by his wealthy parents. Most of the story is narrated by Matt, Mark and Luc with Johnny not taking centre stage until the end of the novel in an unexpected and quite remarkable ending at a drug-fuelled party. A well-executed, character-driven story exploring important topics.

Mrs Mann

Little Bang
A powerful and important story set in Northern Ireland, at a time when abortion was still illegal. It follows the story of unlikely couple Mel and Sid after their first date on New Year’s Eve leads to an unexpected pregnancy. I enjoyed the dual narrative as it allowed an insight into consideration of both points of view as they explored possible options for the future. A beautifully written story sensitively tackling the issue of abortion and exploring a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body.

Mrs Mann

The Things We Leave Behind
A thought-provoking dystopian read that is relatable and perhaps a bit too close to home! A political shift leads to civil unrest in London and leaves 15-year-old Clem with no choice but to flee to a small village in Wales with her younger half-sister Billie to stay with her grandfather Huw. Further hostility there leads to another perilous journey to Scotland where Clem hopes to find safety with her estranged mother. There was a lot of switching between narratives and stories within stories which was slightly confusing at times and you really had to be on the ball to keep up. I thought the four sections: Story, Fight, Lost and Hope were a great idea to keep the reader on track when reading. An incredibly moving twist at the end which certainly brought a tear to my eye. A powerful read and a scary vision of what could be a future possibility.

Mrs Mann

Treacle Town
A good book and all I can say is that I think Trig got what he deserved in the end. It shows the gruesome culture of gangs when they are bunched up into a little group.

matt

All That It Ever Meant
Amazing book but it's very confusing to read. I liked the fact Mati was overcoming the pain both she and her family got when her mother died. Overall it's a great book but the plot is difficult to follow.

matt

Little Bang
In my opinion, Little Bang was the best book on the carnegie shortlist. It tells the story of how two teenagers deal with teen pregnancy in a country where abortion is illegal. It’s interesting to see how it affects her relationship with her family and friends and the lack of medical support in that country. I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it.

chloe

The Final Year
I love this book! It really resonates with the audience and I like how the beast is portrayed as his raging fury that is uncontrollable. The story is quite sad but it has quite a satisfying ending.

Samuel

The Final Year
'The Final Year' is a deep book with emotional twists and turns. It focuses on hard topics like loss and grief however whilst reading, there is still hope and confidence hidden inside this tale.

Oscar

Treacle Town
'Treacle Town' by Brian Conaghan was a unique read that really put into perspective the differences between underprivileged communities and people who live in more fortunate areas of the world. I really enjoyed the character development of Con, who went from being 'with the gang' to seeking an escape from the poverty-stricken life he has experienced so far. I was also intrigued by the choice to present Biscuit as a smart and ambitious individual and then to have him be the victim of gang violence, which really shut down for me the stereotype that people in those areas live like that through a fault of their own and 'if they applied themselves more it wouldn't be that way'. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but recommend it for slightly older readers as the topics were quite heavy.

Kristina

Glasgow Boys
'Glasgow Boys' by Margaret McDonald is definitely my favourite of the Carnegie books so far. We are thrown head-first into the lives of two boys, Finlay (who has just left the care system) and Banjo (nearing towards the end of his time in it). Throughout the story, we switch between their perspectives as they narrate their struggle to stay on top of their lives and are finding their thoughts drifting back to the time they spent together. I absolutely love the way the 'flashbacks' fill in the gaps that are created through the brief mentions of past relationships, and found the other interwoven issues - like sexuality, behaviour issues, financial struggles and emotional detachment - incredibly fascinating. I really hope that this story reaches as many people as possible in the future because it shares many messages that people need to hear.

Kristina

Glasgow Boys
A gritty, powerful and heartfelt coming-of-age story of love, friendship and family covering difficult, mature themes of child abuse, violence, attempted suicide and mental health. The story follows two estranged teenage friends Finlay and Banjo who have both grown up in the care system and are trying to fit in and find their way in the world, not letting anyone know about their past while at the same time avoiding emotional attachments. I enjoyed the dual narrative aspect and the flashbacks from three years ago that gradually filled in the missing parts of their story. The characters were believable, and I was rooting for them to find the happiness and acceptance they craved and deserved. A fast-paced read full of resilience, courage, and hope.

Mrs Mann

All That It Ever Meant
A beautifully written, haunting story of loss and bereavement that follows 14-year-old Mati and her family as they travel from London on a road trip to Zimbabwe following the death of her mother. Mati is accompanied by her father and siblings but also by a mysterious gender-neutral spirit-like figure named Meticais, who only Mati can see and talk to. I enjoyed seeing the way the relationship between Meticais and Mati developed as Meticais provided wisdom and advice, helping Mati to come to terms with her grief. A thought-provoking exploration of what it’s like to be part of two cultures switching from past to present and with a great twist at the end that will have you wanting to turn back the pages and reread from the start.

Mrs Mann

Little Bang
'Little Bang' by Kelly McCaughrain was a fantastic book and definitely one of my favourites. It tackles a topic that many people are afraid to approach: abortion. Should it be allowed? Is it ethical? These are both questions that McCaughrain explored wonderfully in her novel through the eyes of a young girl named Mel who, on her first date, ended up pregnant and unsure what to do. Set in Northern Ireland where abortion is illegal, the dilemma was very eye-opening to me since I had never thought about it in this way before. I think the story portrays the struggles of teen pregnancy well and how, when you lack the proper guidance and support, things could go very wrong. I found the story a good introduction to the issue and I even followed the link at the end of the book to learn more about the topic from people who had actually gone through it. I really enjoyed this book and I hope it can continue to bring awareness to people on this topic.

Kristina

King of Nothing
A heart-warming and powerful story that delivers a lot of important lessons combining serious topics of misogyny, grief, gang violence, and domestic violence with humour. With his father in prison, the protagonist Anton feels the pressure of keeping up his tough guy reputation, ruling through intimidation, along with his mandem: Marcus, Caleb and Kehinde. I enjoyed the development of Anton’s journey throughout the story as he starts to reassess his life and the choices he makes after being introduced to Matthew the ‘loser’ at the Happy Campers meetings. In this unlikely friendship Matthew influences Anton in ways that he did not expect and it was an uplifting moment when Anton finally realised that he was not respected but feared instead. An important must-read exploring the emotions and conflicts of being a teenage boy and how toxic masculinity can damage relationships.

Mrs Mann

Treacle Town
A gritty, thought-provoking coming of age novel, best suited for older readers due to its explicit language and challenging content. Despite the frequent swearing, which you quickly become desensitized to after the first few pages, the novel tackles important issues with sensitivity. The characters and dialogue of the protagonist Con and his friends felt authentic and relatable as they deal with the fallout of the murder of their friend ‘Biscuit’ and the struggles of growing up in a small town. I enjoyed the slam poetry elements of the novel; they were inspiring to read and gave hope in what was a story full of tragedy. A powerful read that will stay with you long after you've finished turning the last page.

Mrs Mann

The Final Year
The Final Year is an easily accessible verse novel aimed at a young adult audience. It tackles the struggles of friendships and balancing home issues with school. I really enjoyed reading this book because I found it to be a very eye opening read and thought many people would be able to relate to the topics as it discusses common issues that a lot of people deal with and therefore would be a great read for anyone.

chloe

King of Nothing
I would say that King of Nothing is a bittersweet tale with a bit of death . I love how everyone supported Anton in becoming a better person . The only people that didn't support him were his old group. I love how it is so relatable to children.

Remus

King of Nothing
I loved the book it was so funny with the slang language and the jokes it was awesome!

Ridhwan

King of Nothing
'King of Nothing' by Nathanael Lessore is a great book that highlights the emotional journey of a young boy as he navigates life at school and at home. With his father in prison and his reputation on the line, we get to experience first hand the thoughts that run through Anton's head and the people that end up saving him when it's most important. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of toxic masculinity, since many people think that it's not a big problem today when it is, and it's important that people recognise that. I also liked how the idea of peer pressure is explored through the very toxic friendship that Anton has with Kehinde, Marcus and Caleb, and how after Anton left the group, the other two did as well. This goes to show that even though anyone can be a bad example to others, anyone can be a good one too. I would 100% recommend this book to secondary school ages, as it has a wide variety of characters that can relate to almost all of types of teenagers.

Kristina

Letters in Charcoal
The book was good but I would recommend it to 3-5 years because it just tells you about books and to read them.

harry

Letters in Charcoal
This book was good it teaches children the importance of reading. My favourite part of the story was when Gina receives the letters from the doctor before he left. Also when there were letters in each page. I rate this book for 5+.

Shiloh

Letters in Charcoal
I did not enjoy this book. I don`t think the book will get a good audience as the book didn`t have a good ending or storyline. The characters were boring and plain and I didn't like the way they were able to learn the alphabet. But the author has shown good storytelling skills.

jereign

Grey
What I like about this book is because it was mostly grey and then colourful. There was a cloud following her and she was scribbling. I think kids in year 1/2 would love it.

OLLY

Grey
I think this book is fun to read. It tells us about what happens to a boy or a girl who is feeling grey . I enjoyed this book. I think this book this for age 6 to 9 years.

Emilia

The Things We Leave Behind
The book was good but the plot lacked any dynamics as throughout the book the same thing happened: mum is taken, sister is taken, dad is taken. It lacked diversity. However, I liked the description and character development of Clem.

matt

The Final Year
A moving and powerful free verse novel about a young boy Nate and the changes and challenges he faces, both at home and in school during the final year in Primary school. Dealing with themes about young carers, bullying, friendships, and family. It was great to see a strong male role model in Nate’s inspirational teacher Mr Joshua and I enjoyed seeing the support he provided Nate and how their relationship developed throughout the story. I loved the references to the book ‘Skellig’ by David Almond and ‘The Final Year’ is certain to become another classic. A must read for both children and adults, perfectly capturing the uncertain transition period many children face from primary to secondary school.

Mrs Mann

Play
'Play' is a terrifying, exhilarating, award-worthy book that shows the development of the lives of 4 young boys as they navigate through some of life's worst issues for teenagers: exams, home issues (abuse, neglect and absence of parents), drug-selling and addiction. As we follow their journey through the chapters showcasing each individual's thoughts and feelings, we get to see their thoughts and interests showing through more clearly, not just going with what 'the group' is saying. It was really interesting to see such diverse outcomes at the end of the book when they all started with the same opinions, and it was nice to learn that they all remained friends even into adulthood. I personally found this book more difficult to read as it dealt with trickier topics, however I still appreciated it being on the shortlist because these things need to be discussed more among younger and more vulnerable members of society.

Kristina

All That It Ever Meant
'All That It Ever Meant' by Blessing Musariri is an incredible book about the troubles and experiences of a young girl who has suffered the loss of her mother. Musariri's depiction of the relationships and family dynamics inside this Zimbabwean household in the heart of London really resonated with me, as I am someone who grew up with a different culture at home, so I found it easy to relate to the characters. I particularly enjoyed the apparition of the God/Not God character, as they symbolise the outside help that we sometimes need in order to move on from traumatic experiences and come to terms with our own emotions. 'All That It Ever Meant' had a strong emphasis on culture, which some people may find a little boring, so although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend this book to people who don't enjoy slower, more relaxed novels.

Kristina

The Final Year
'The Final Year' by Matt Goodfellow was definitely one of my favourite books on this year's shortlist. I enjoyed the unique style of this book as it was written in prose, and I also felt that the topics that were covered were very different to what is usually written about. The book depicts a young boy struggling with the transition between Year 5 and Year 6 as he deals with friendship troubles, issues at home, and his personal anger issues, all of which collide with each other at the news of his little brother's heart failure. I do not think that the struggles of younger children are depicted often enough, so I thoroughly enjoyed this free-verse novel and would definitely recommend.

Kristina

The Things We Leave Behind
'The Things We Leave Behind' was an exceptional story by Clare Furniss that led me through many emotional roller-coasters. I particularly enjoyed the ending (which brought me to tears in two separate places!) as it brought the entire novel together in the last gut-wrenching chapters. My favourite part, however, was that if you re-read certain parts, you can see that a certain character (no spoilers) can be written out and it would still make sense. 10/10, I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels with a personal touch.

Kristina

Letters in Charcoal
It was a really nice story to read about. It was about a girl that didn't know how to read letters .The only person who knew how to read in her town was the shop keeper and he helped her to read letters. When she got older she became a teacher. I liked the pictures and I think children ager 6 to 8 years will be enjoy reading.

Emilia

Letters in Charcoal
I like this book because the girl in story didnt know how to read and then she did know how to and she taught other people how to read. I think this book would be good for children any age.

olly

Letters in Charcoal
I loved the book so much because they could not read and the girl teaches them by using charcoal. I liked the part when the shopkeeper teaches the girl. I liked the pictures because they had the letters. I think kids in year 1/2 would love this book.

Rueben

Grey
The book was alright. It was about a child who was feeling down and grey and he tells all the colours that are bright happy and positive and he also says that grey doesn't belong. Later in the story it shows how his mother cares for him. I recommend this book for an age of 3-6 years old. My favourite parts in the story were the pictures and holes in the book.

Shiloh

Grey
The book was good I liked the holes in the pages. I think that the pictures say more than the text. I think its meant for 3-8 years old, it might help you control your emotions.

harry

I Love Books
'I hate love books' tells us about encouraging children to love books and it tells us about putting away our devices and spending more time with books. The story starts with a little girl who hated books until it was the summer holidays and her teacher reminded them to read books. Then her and her mum went to the library and got a book. The girl read the book and then she changed her mind and thought that she was wrong about hating books, and she wanted to go to the library again. I recommend this book for 5+ years as this can be appropriate and supports young minds when reading books.

Shiloh

I Love Books
The book was very good because at the start it had a tail coming out of the book and she chose that book. Then she went on an adventure to see what would happen so it was a really good book. I enjoyed the adventure because of the adventure of finding potions to put in the witches spell! The age group I would say it's for is about 5-10years

harry

I Love Books
It was so nice to read and it is helpful for children to read all about how she went to the library with her mum. Her mum gave her a book that she read when she was her age and she went home to read the book and after she stared reading she was reading it all day! I enjoyed the book and the pictures. I recommend this book to children age six to ten .

Emilia

Clever Crow
I loved the book because the crow was super clever in the story. What a clever crow! It could solve everything you said to the crow. I loved the pictures because it tells everything you need to know about the crow. But when will it have baby crows? I recommend this book to children in year 1/2.

Rueben

Wolf and Bear
Pretty good book for children learning about friendship .Nice colour clash with black, white and a bit of rainbow.

Adriana

Wolf and Bear
It was a very good book with good descriptions of the things that happened in the book. It had vibrant colours but was also calming with a good description of what the characters look like. Over all, it was a good book and I would recommend for someone of any age.

Grace

Wolf and Bear
This book was vey wholesome and it shows you just how important friendship is and the vibrant colours represent the happiness friendship can give you and it is important to have a friend.

Charlie

Wolf and Bear
It was ok. I would personally suggest it for 4+

Nicol

Clever Crow
The book was very good it had many facts about crows. The illustrations were amazing the crows were very realistic but most pages were black white and grey and others were filled with colour.

Ridhwan

Clever Crow
Amazing images they relate to the words really well and I can tell that it took a lot of work to illustrate.

Remus

Grey
These illustrations in this book were awesome! It was a very creative idea to make a cut in the book that would show the pattern on the next page. The title of the book is grey and the whole colour scheme inside the book is grey and I liked that at the end of the book the colour scheme is colourful. I recommend this book to all children who want a bit of a colour release. xx

Tilly

I Love Books
This book is very adventurous and is a great book for young readers. It also has a lot of imagination involved and has a good story.

Oscar

I Love Books
I Hate/Love Books is a wonderful story and it shows that books can be important for people . It also shows that books can be about adventure.

Chibuikem

Grey
I thought it had deep meaning and was a good read for younger children struggling with emotions.

sylvie

Wolf and Bear
I enjoyed this book because it had colourful pictures. I think this book is for children under 8.

Emilia

Wolf and Bear
I like this book because the bear had a flower and the wolf sang a song to the bear but the bear didn't want to play. I think children from toddler age to year 2 would like this book. There was lots of colour when the wolf was having fun but it was dark when the bear wasn't.

Rueben

Wolf and Bear
The book was good, I liked it when the bear and the wolf reunited and when the wolf howled then the leaf was attached to it so you would follow the rainbow. I think this book is good for 5-8 year olds.

harry

Wolf and Bear
The book was okay so I kind of enjoyed it because it showed two friends who were together. But, what I didn't like about it was when there was no reason why the bear looked sad. Overall, a good book.

Shiloh

The Final Year
A very sad book with lots of cliff hanging moments waiting to see what happens next.

Frederic

King of Nothing
Very informative and gritty compared to his book on last year's shortlist 'Steady for This'

Frederic

Play
Very gritty and realistic to the life of a modern day male teenager. I would recommend reading.

Frederic

King of Nothing
The book was good and it showed that different friends can lead to a different pathway and career. It can inspire others to choose a pathway that will lead them to success. However, I believe this book could've been better if it was more formal and less colloquial.

matt