Carnegie Literary Circle
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6/7 I really liked the style and pace of the the writing in this book since I think it gave me a chance to really get to know the characters well and understand how different the lives of the boys were. The book moves through several years of the boys' lives which I think made me feel a bit disconnected with the characters at moments but also emphasised the different challenges they came to face with as they grew up. Overall I would recommend this book because I think there are many important messages as you understand each other the boy's lives and what affected them as they grew up.
Bianca
The Things We Leave Behind
6.6/7 stars. The Things We Leave Behind is a well-written, poignant commentary on anti-migrant and xenophobic politics. It explores what happens when we take things too far. It follows two half sisters during a time when an oppressive Prime Minister is issuing strict anti-immigration laws and is deporting anyone with non-British heritage. After both of their parents are arrested, Billie and Clem are forced to flee. This book was eerily close to our modern society, despite being dystopian, and it slightly scares me how realistic this dystopia is. The book was well written, and it kept me hooked throughout. The ending left me shocked and slightly devastated. The only reason it wasn’t a 7 was the short romantic plot line midway through the book. I honestly loved it.
Iris
The Final Year
6.5/7 stars. The Final Year is the better of the two books on the shortlist I've read. I find the depiction of the transition between prep school and senior school rather realistic, and the illustrations add a lot to the reading experience. I don't think it's going to win, though.
Allegra
Treacle Town
I have just finished reading "Treacle Town", by Brian Conaghan and the power of this book really struck me. I read lots of YA fiction as a teacher but this really hit hard. *The language is very 'authentic' so I would not recommend this for below Y10 students.* It is such a powerful example of contemporary YA fiction. It holds a mirror up to the challenges faced by boys (and girls) who feel lost, forgotten and directionless in their "Treacle Town". It's a book about loss, suicide, mental health, social class, domestic abuse, gangs, knife crime, violence and toxic masculinity...and hope, through the medium of poetry.
Whenever I return (my dad will say not often enough) to my home town (now city) of Doncaster I see the reality of many changes that have taken place over the 15 years since I left. The final poem in the book really shows this in such an effective way but it also poses the possibility of a hopeful future.
Whilst I'm sure that most of the students I teach will find very little in common with Con surely that's all the more reason for them to read novels like this?
I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves and sparks debate around what we can do to see, support and inspire children and teenagers in "Treacle Towns".
This book is on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing alongside other books that explore portrayals of marginalised male perspectives. "The Final Year" by Matt Goodfellow is also on the short list and would be more appropriate for younger readers. It's really great to see these books being recognized and I look forward to working my way through the short list and discussing with students in my lunch time Carnegie Shadowing Club that I hope to develop further at Kellett.
"Although sometimes I think that people like us are always alone in this world. Hidden away and stuck inside our "Treacle Towns". Unequal and unrecognised. Driftwood floating down our manky canal; surviving day to day, unable to plan for anything or get excited by the future. No pleasure. No prospects...it's like living in a vast open prison where everyone's screaming but no c**** listening. If on the rare occasion, they do manage to hear us, all they do is stare through the perimeter fence, totally unmoved, as if we're animals in the concrete zoo."
Laura
King of Nothing
4/7 stars. I have a feeling that this author doesn't have a lot of interaction with kids, because this is totally not how Y9s talk... All in all, not very memorable.
Allegra
The Final Year
The Final Year, Matt Goodfellow
A poignant verse novel about class, identity and family.
Genre: verse novel, fiction.
Nate is a ten-year old boy who is in his last year of primary school. As he moves into the next year, him and his best friend are put into different classes. The story explores themes of friendship, social class, parent and child relationships and identity. I really enjoyed reading the book; I'm a fan of verse novels and this form linked well with Nate being a keen reader and poet himself. As a teacher I loved the small criticisms in this book about the UK's Y6 SATs exams and the references to David Almond and his famous novel, "Skellig", which I taught in my first year of teaching. I also enjoyed the working class setting of the story and how Nate felt so inspired by his teacher. It is interesting to read about a working class character living in a deprived area without the stereotypical nuclear family. When Nate's brother gets ill I also found it interesting to see how the theme of family was developed. I really recommend this book to everyone in the group as it might allow you to take a glimpse into a world you are unfamiliar with and I think you will warm to the character of Nate very quickly.
6/7 stars.
Mrs Copley