Chiswick Carnegie
All That It Ever Meant
This book was really amazing. It showed the difference of different places around the world and it also showed how a family can cope with any kind of loses. I really enjoyed this book. It was really a good book.
Suheyla
Little Bang
Little Bang was a very exciting and remarkable story about a teenage relationship that goes over the boundaries they wanted it to. It is a dual narrative that tells the story of two young teenagers- one who is very smart and wants to accomplish big things and one who wants to be a musician but is not quite sure how to make his dreams come true. It was a very educational book about abortion and teenage pregnancy.Overall It was definitely an interesting book that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise but I'm glad I did. It was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely read it again. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels they want to know more about teenage struggles and how they overcome them
Grace
Treacle Town
Treacle Town follows the story of Connor O'Neil - Con - who lives in Coatbridge, Scotland, and is struggling to escape the life ahead of him of brutal gang violence, However, Con doesn't want to end up like Biscuit, just another cautionary tale which will never be listened to, but he doesn't know how to escape - until he discovers the world of slam poetry, which Con realises could just be his way out. I really liked this book, although it contained a lot of mature language. However, the language - not talking about the swears now, just the general way of writing - was sometimes a bit hard to understand. A 7/10.
Holly
Glasgow Boys
I loved Glasgow Boys, although it was slightly hard to understand what Banjo specifically was saying in his Scottish accent, that problem was mostly solved by the Scots glossary at the back of the book. The book is about Banjo and Finlay, two boys who grew up in care together. However, an incident occurs and the two go their separate ways and Finlay, 18, is struggling with trying to balance out nursing classes and multiple jobs as he finds it hard to have enough money to give himself good, nutritious meals. However Banjo, 17, is still in care and trying to juggle foster parents, his anger issues, and teenage love at the same time. I really liked the love plots for both Finlay and Banjo, although it was slightly hard for me to read Finlay's because it hurt to see him pushing away people who care for him. I also loved the fact that instead of finding out what happened all at once between the two boys, we see what happened in bits and both the boys' perspectives. An amazing read. 9/10.
Holly
The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind was a very relevant and remarkable story about a girl who is in her teenage years and is unfortunately met with civil war in her country. She has to find her way to safety leaving her friend and loved ones behind. It is a very emotive story that is very educational about civil war and the struggle needed to survive. I really enjoyed tis book as it was very realistic and I felt I could picture it the whole way through. This was one of my favourite books that I ever read and I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. It was fun reading about someone in my age group and learning about the parallel universes we are in on this world.
Grace
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys:
Glasgow Boys is a romantic parallel novel set in Scotland. The protagonists, Banjo and Finlay, are two boys of 17 and 18 who are both in care. They met three years before the time the book is set in and fell in love. Since then, they went their separate ways- Banjo still in care and Finlay at university.
Finlay is presented as a caring character, he is studying to become a nurse at Glasgow University and he quickly makes new friends and even meets some previous ones!
Meanwhile, Banjo (who is 17 and still in care) has also found a love interest for himself.
Overall, I thought this book was not my style and I didn’t enjoy the constant use of swear words. Another thing I think this author could improve is how they show Banjo to talk. Ofcourse, Banjo is from Scotland and has a Scottish accent but I found it extremely difficult to find out what the 17 year old boy was saying. The glossary at the back of the book was very necessary and without it I would not have been able to read half the story. However, not all my feedback is negative. Glasgow Boys has a greater meaning than one would expect about love, difficulties and grief. I respect the moral of the tale and have a deeper understanding of what it must feel like for those in care. I thank the author for the lesson that she has taught me and so many others who have learnt it too.
I would recommend this book to people who feel comfortable with romantic happenings but would advise those who don’t and under the age of 10 to not read Glasgow Boys as it might upset or offend them.
-Molly
Molly
All That It Ever Meant
I'm not really sure if I like this book, it didn't have the suspense and climax I was looking for. I would prefer something with a little more action. However, I believe this book would be really good for people who aren't interested in action books.
Nurdan
Little Bang
I think the Little Bang is a very interesting novel which shows the characters emotions really well. It also helped me to understand the struggles those face with teen age pregnancy . I like how when Sid has something really important to work towards he puts in the work. Over all I enjoyed reading the Little Bang and think it is a well written novel.
Hattie
The Final Year
The Final Year was a engaging and relatable. A story written in first person from the perspective of a young boy moving from primary school to secondary school. There are also many poems included throughout the book which I think is a very good way of getting the characters thoughts and feeling across. Over all, I very much enjoyed the story line because having just gone through this it is interesting to see what other people experienced and struggled with.
Hattie
The Things We Leave Behind
After an extremist is put in charge, Clem's parents are arrested and she has to travel across the country with her little sister to find refuge. I enjoyed this book because it has a nice message about the importance of family. I also enjoyed the style it was written - both a past and present perspective. The story within reflected the story of the book which I found very interesting. However, I found really sad and confusing, also the fact that were no chapters made it quite difficult to read.
Lily
Little Bang
This book is about a girl struggling with mental health when she finds her self pregnant and not knowing what decision to make. I really liked this book as I thought it was very educational and I enjoyed they way it was well written with the different perspectives. However, I did find the politics quite confusing.
Lily
King of Nothing
King of nothing is a very exciting and sad book about love loss and the struggle of being in Y9, growing up with one parent and the dangers of the mandem/gangster. The book follows Anton, who is a popular y9 who uses his dads status(having gone to jail) to gain respect from the other kids..
Dylan
King of Nothing
King of Nothing was a very emotive book that really makes you think about the world's values and current events that are taking place. The story follows a young boy who is going through school as a popular person who doesn't yet truly understand the meaning of life. It really shows how important friendship is for being truly respected. It shows how important relationships are key and I think it is very relatable and understandable for young readers like me. I understood the book very well because It really made me think about school life and the world around me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand friendship and how to make one- even in the most unlikely places. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read it again.
Grace
The Final Year
The Final year was a heartfelt book it really connected to me and my experiences it is a great book for years 6 and above .It was beautifully written with rhymes and poems ,I would definitely give it 5/5 stars I love it by far the best book I've read!
Nora
The Final Year
The final year is a heartfelt and interesting story following Nate, A 12 YEAR old boy in his final year of primary school. it follows his ups and downs as his brother is put in hospital and his best friend abandon him. in the end everything ends happily and the story leaves you on a cliff hanger. It is very interesting and heartfelt and fells very real and relatable. Overall a very good book.
Dylan
All That It Ever Meant
All that it ever meant was a really emotional story about a family whose struggles have been great in a difficult time in their life. Together, they go on a trip of a lifetime to Zimbabwe and learn more about each other and the world they now live in more than ever before. The overall story is very relatable and wonderful to read. The tone of voice and the feeling of the overall story really touched my heart. This is one of the best books I have ever read because it is a very immersing story that I would definitely read again. I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling or loves excitement, adventure or deep family love. This was an amazing story and I would love to read more like it.
Grace
The Final Year
The final year is a book based on the Character Nate finishing his final year at school. The context of the book is that each page is a new poem. Nate refers to a 'monster' that can come out and take control of him, which I would think is anger issues. This is a really good book for poem lovers and it has a really nice range of illustrations. Nate is going through a lot of challenges at his final year when it is all worth it at the end. This is a very touching story and I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 8 or 7.
Talulah
Play
This book had a great story line and a very descriptive element but it had lots of swearing involved and when they switched perspectives it was hard to keep track of who they were talking about. I would recommend this more for my older friends however I wouldn't recommend it for younger ones due to the language included. Thank you for letting me read this book.
Sarah
The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind is a well written and very moving book about a girl who's mum was taken and has to seek safety while also trying to keep her beloved sister safe. The book also helps to spread awareness for those who are homeless and have lost family members. The things we leave behind is an incredibly well written book which showed the characters emotions and physical wellbeing through out. The book is written for the main character, Clem's, perspective as she is retelling her story to Polly. I very much enjoyed reading this book as it is engaging through out with twists and turns so you never know where the book is going to take you. Full of excitement you will never want to put the novel down. I would highly recommend this book to people who like adventure novels and an dramatic story line.
Hattie
Treacle Town
My first impression of this book was: 'Who would read this, its quite rubbish and boring'.
To be honest, that was my impression throughout most of the book. However, as the story started building up toward the climax of the book, I started getting quite intrigued to the plot and all the drama that it created in my mind. Questions started to be asked. My interest was building. This is truely a book that you just have to see through and deal with because the ending is deffinately worth it.
Nurdan
Treacle Town
I overall really liked this book. Once you get past the unique way it is written the story is filled with messages of hope and resilience. As Con seeks to leave his old life of violence behind to explore his love for slam poetry he must make the right choice, forgiveness or revenge, while also dealing with his troubled past past.
My favourite thing about the book is how it shows young people that all is not lost, that life does not revolve around education and that whatever happened in the past will change you, affect you, but definitely not prevent you from reaching your goals and dreams.
Overall this book is amazing, sending strong and inspiring messages, a must read. I will be rooting for Con in the rest of his journeys.
Taira
The Final Year
I believe the book 'The Final Year' is a poetic success. The story describes the life of a year six ,Nate, who will be going to high school next year. Personally I liked the story as it describes the pressure and friendship problems that you could face in year six or any time in school .However, it also portrays family problems through Nate's chaotic home life. I also like the character Nate's teacher. He has a energetic, kind also during the story pushes Nate to follow his passion and gives him support. This book was however relatively hard to read because it is written in poems.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone in year six who feels like they could relate to Nate's life.
Miya
All That It Ever Meant
All that it ever meant is what I call a confusing book. It is told from the perspective of Mati. They all have several names, and have personalities. Mati is telling her story to Meticais, who they know nothing about. Their journey is very confusing. I would not recommend this book for anyone who has not yet developed a proper image of literacy.
Talulah
The Final Year
The Final Year was one of the best books I have read- it was full of emotion about the struggles of a year six that really made sense to me. I felt this book was very relatable for young people because as former year sixes, we went through that too so I think that made the story a lot easier to understand and relatable for young readers. I would definitely recommend this book to people of my age as it tells the story of the achievements, goals, dreams and aspirations that a little boy can have and I think that that was very powerful and emotive throughout the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read it again- This has been one of my favourite books so far!
Grace
Treacle Town
Treacle Town was a very interesting story that had you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole story. It was about a young boy living his troubled life through friendships, failures,fear and opportunity. This book really taught me that even when everything is going bad, you can still get back up there to pursue your dreams- whatever they may be. I felt that the climax of the climax of the story could have been more exciting. But overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend this to anyone who feels they need to get out of their comfort zone and pursue their dreams.
Grace
Play
I really liked Play. At the start I wasn't really aware what exactly was going on, but as the story progressed I started to get a grip of what was happening. I also liked how there was a different font for every boy's perspective chapter which kind of displayed them as a person, however as Matt and Johnny's fonts were the same I couldn't really tell whose chapter it was; although from the characters and experiences and other things mentioned I could sort of tell. Speaking of Johnny, I really liked his quirky, impulsive demeanour and I wished he had more chapters instead of just the starting and ending one. Overall, a 8/10.
Holly
The Final Year
I liked this book because I could relate to most of it and I went through most of the same experiences. However, because it was written from Nate's perspective, some of the words were spelt differently and would be pronounced differently too. This made it hard to know exactly what they were meaning to say and it also meant you had to stop to think about what it meant every time you reached one of those words.
Isla
All That It Ever Meant
I liked this book because there was a lot going on but this also made it hard to follow. Some of the time they were on their way to England, then other parts they were with there mum or they were with Meticais.
Isla
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys was a very emotive, emotional and heartfelt story about friendship, old teenage life and how important people mean to you in this world. Going along the journey with Finley and Banjo was a very immersive experience- I could feel what they were doing, know what they were thinking. It shows how even if you have hit rock bottom, there is always a way to get back up to a happy life full of people that you know and love and things that you want to do. This book would be perfect for you if you are into romance and rational struggles that teenagers go through. A very emotional story that ends up with everyone happy and the whole world ahead of them, a very heartfelt story that I overall enjoyed reading.
Grace
All That It Ever Meant
Although it wasn't my favourite out of the selection, All That It Ever Meant was a really good book. It explores Zimbabwean culture and mourning, as well as how the main character and her family deal with being from a Black heritage and living in the UK. They even have to change their names to something more 'English'. However, that is not the main theme of the story. This story mainly focuses on loss, and includes a twist at the end which I myself NEVER would've seen coming. The story itself is being told by the main character - Mati - to a spirit / being called Meticais (It's never really specified what they are). However, the story was sometimes very confusing and hard to follow. Overall, I give it a solid 5/10.
Holly
King of Nothing
I LOVED King of Nothing. At first, the slang made it really hard to read and I didn't really understand it - but as the story progressed I realised the story was about more than just a boy in a gang. This story is about finding your people, loss, and putting yourself before other's opinions. The main character , Anton lives with just his mum and his nanna. 9.5 / 10.
Holly
All That It Ever Meant
I found the book inspiring and it helped me deepen my understanding of black history but it was very hard to understand and kept skipping from time to time and place to place it confused me a lot because it just didn't really make sense to me but I still found it a challenge which is nice.
Nora
King of Nothing
This book is about a boy in year 9 who is trying to find out who he really is and who his real friends are. I really enjoyed this book as it was really funny and had a good message about how to treat women and also to be yourself. However the colloquial language makes it slightly harder to understand.
Lily
The Final Year
I really enjoyed The Final Year. Although the verses were slightly hard to read, you get the hang of interpreting it! This book explores multiple themes like family troubles, bullying, new friends, mental health and moving schools.. perfect for children taking the steps into teenagerhood. We follow in the main character's - Nate - footsteps as he makes his journey through life, whilst battling with his inner thoughts and feelings.
Holly
All That It Ever Meant
The book is about a girl who goes on a journey through Zimbabwe with her family after the death of her mother to see her parents home town. I quite enjoyed this book as it was cleverly written and had a good plot. However, I did find it a bit confusing how the writer did not change tense when describing something that happened previously.
Lily
The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is a great book, which follows the story on a girl called Clem who has to leave her home.
I find it very interesting to learn about Clem's journey and how it is set as she is telling it to Polly. I think Overall it is one of the best books I have read (top5), the only thing that would make it better if the mild swearing was removed. Clem's journey is majestic and heart-warming, a good book for anyone who can take some mild swearing and solitariness, and can take some struggles
Talulah
The Final Year
It is a book about the struggles and life of a boy in his final year of primary school. I kind of enjoyed this book as I found the way the writer wrote it was very immersive and let you really connect with the characters. However, personally, I am not a fan of slam poetry or the colloquial language used.
Lily
The Final Year
The Final Year
An interesting read which really gave light to what it is like for people who are less fortunate than most of us. I really loved it and it was super interesting. I met the author in primary school for another award and it was really fascinating to talk to him about how it reflects his childhood as well. The poems were really cool and personally, I'm not a fan of poems but a mix with a story changed my view. In the book, the protagonist, Nate, overcomes bullying, family issues and changing schools which can be hard for us all and on the way, makes new life long friends which he probably wouldn't have if he hadn't have been in the situation he was in which was not a good one. I give this book a 7/10.
Charlotte
King of Nothing
This book makes me look at my future and how people can easily be influenced by others and can be told to do the wrong things. I like how Anton looked back on his mistakes. His friendship can also be a lesson too.
Suheyla
The Final Year
Being a student this book was perfect for me as sometimes I feel how Nate felt so knowing that he overcame his 'beast' it makes me feel not only very happy for him but really heart warming for me. Thank you so much to the team who let me read this book it helped me so much and will definitely recommend it to my friends and people like Nate.
Sarah
The Final Year
This book has taught me a lot. For example, some people have problems but they just need to overcome them. Also, it must have been very hard for the main character to deal with problems at school and also the fact his brother is unwell. This is a great book. It is a great way to show how to deal with friend problems and home problems.
Suheyla