FGCS Bibliophiles 2026

The Boy I Love
The Boy I Love is a beautiful story of two young gay men fighting in World War One. The main character, Stephen is returning to war for the second time as a Lieutenant after losing his boyfriend Michael in his first experience. On the train, he meets a guy named Danny who he is rude to and then deeply regrets how he treated Danny. So, while Stephen tries to make it up to Danny the two grow closer and endure the pain of war together. Stephen and Danny must keep their relationship secret as no one accepts the LGBTQ+ society and they cannot express their true feelings towards each other without being rejected and seen as disgraceful even from their own parents. As the story goes on, the two learn more about each other and the connection between them becomes even stronger. The book explores the different routines and practices performed by the military and also discusses the hierarchal society. This is shown when the main leaders and captains are very bossy and ignorant of those with a lower status. The officers are far more privileged and they force others to do long and difficult work while they relax. Overall this book includes the unfair hierarchy, the poor treatment of gay men and the toughness of war. It was absolutely amazing and intrigued me to discover even more about war, earning my vote. I recommend this book for ages 12-13+.

Rita

Ghostlines 
From this writing style, I can already see a full movie popping in my head while reading. Ghostlines is all about the small island of Aryie, a place far from your regular home, but full of wonders, especially puffins! Everyone knows everyone, and all of their stories. Until Albie shows up. Tilda, in charge of helping said Albie change his mind about disliking Aryie, takes him on a journey all around the isle, including places that not everybody has seen. I really love the fact that they also have items from regular day life, and the concept of being able to go to Aryie from said regular day life. The writing style really brought me into a brand new place: it was as if I was right there with Tilda and Albie! However, once in a while, you see sentences that stretch for miles, all connected with lots and lots of 'and'. But sometimes, it really brings it together: it kinds of shows how much Tilda has to say about the island, which makes it really memorable. I've read some of the author's other books, which I loved, so my expectations were a bit high. However, this book completely broke my standards. I highly recommend this book for those looking to get away from the real world just for a bit, or people wanting to go somewhere completely new. This book does that, without the need to travel for ages!

Azizah

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I'm not gonna lie, this kind of fell short of a good book for me. I really love the concept of going back in time to 24 seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks, as putting it in chronological order would've been much more boring. However, I feel like some of the other characters could use some more character development since none of them really struck a chord with me. Furthermore, I'm not really sure if I like the fact that it's partially saying it's okay to have sex at a kind of young age: it feels like it's promoting it, which seems a bit concerning, especially since some young people may go on to read this. It also sometimes goes off track to random side plots, which can be really frustrating for people to read. Overall, I like it's originality, but the key themes just don't resonate with me.

Azizah

Popcorn
To be honest, when I first saw the book, I initially thought it wasn't going to be very interesting. I was completely wrong. I got instantly hooked by the first few pages, and all of a sudden I was done with it in one sitting, completely absorbed in a completely new setting than before. I loved how we were transported into the main character Andrew's shoes in a matter of minutes, as well as the fact that we get to see his school life and personal life up close, and the challenges he faces while he tries to cover up his anxiety in both of them, which many people can relate to. The idea of going to such extreme lengths just to get the "perfect picture for picture day" may seem unusual at first, but it makes the story even more interesting and entertaining. I think Rob Harrell does an excellent job of portraying anxiety and OCD in a completely realistic way. His writing helps readers understand what these experiences can feel like, making the story both powerful and meaningful. I would highly recommend this book to students, especially those who may struggle with anxiety or OCD themselves. It is comforting to see a character facing similar challenges and learning to grow from them. Andrew's development throughout the story is inspiring and can encourage readers to be more confident in themselves. Overall, this is a funny, emotional, and memorable book that stayed in my mind long after I finished reading it. Once you start reading, the story will be popping in your head like popcorn!

Azizah

Popcorn
This book had me gripped to every page. Andrew is an anxious boy who has a lot on his plate: being bullied, his mum in a financial crisis after divorcing his dad and his grandmother “G” has Alzheimer’s. Andrew’s mum is desperate for Andrew to have a nice school photo but his day gets gradually worse and worse. As the day goes on he has flashbacks to the sessions he had to help him cope with anxiety and trying not to get a panic attack in school because it would be embarrassing for his classmates to see. The metaphor of his stress as a popcorn kernel was excellent because it showed all of the stages of the build up to panicking in detail. At the end of the book, it shows Andrew standing up to his bully and becoming more confident about himself in only a day. This structure is unique because it is across a short period of time but is still not rushed. Some of the aspects of anxiety are relatable and make you feel comforted as you are not alone. The book is very intriguing and although it is written in a style that is suited for younger children it deals with older circumstances. From the way the author describes the anxiety it is very easy to put yourself in Andrew’s shoes and fee the intensity of what he is going through. This has made me interpret anxiety differently because it expresses the smallest routines the boy performs to make himself feel better. I highly recommend this book to children around the age of 10-11.

Rita

The Boy I Love
This book honestly surprised me so much with how well written it was. It never once downplayed the horrors of war or the lasting trauma caused by it. If anything, I feel like the romance drove home just how devastating the war can be as it destroyed so many relationships. I liked the pacing of the plot, things also felt natural between the main characters (ie. the romance didn't feel forced) and the supporting characters were often fleshed out with their own stories that were told beautifully. My only (extremely minor) gripe though was how fast Stephen moved on from his first love. I feel like their story could've been explored further, especially since its the reason he joined the army in the first place.

Afrin

Not Going To Plan
THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The cover immediately grabbed my attention with its unique style and interesting title name. When I saw the strange layout I thought that this book couldn't be that good, it seemed like the a typical book about some girl who hates her new school. However. THE PLOT AND MESSAGE OF THIS BOOK WAS EXTREMLY THRILLING. With the topic about women empowerment and the ability to have rights over their own body intrigued me even more into the book. With the topics relating to real life teens I feel that the writer definitely used this book as a way to show the audience her viewpoints on these controversial topics and help teens or anybody feel better about themselves if any of these events have happened to them. Its an absolute wonder to read and I suggest every body to read it.

Alimah

Not Going To Plan
This book had me begging for just 'one more chapter' every day before bed, which soon turned to 2, 3 and countless more: It is really just that compelling. It is a powerful and engaging verse novel that challenges the taboo of sensitive topics like pregnancy and abortion. It all starts with our main characters Marnie and Zed being forced to sit next to each other in class, and it soon takes off from there. They talk, and through situations, they become friends, despite being the complete opposites of each other. Both Marnie and Zed have their own problems: Marnie being in a situation where she accidentally gets pregnant, and Zed being in a somewhat identity crisis, which hits hard and is relatable to teenagers, especially those in school. It also has its own fresh, creative and effective writing style, where each line is carefully crafted to create a vivid image on what goes on in Marnie's and Zed's head. However, despite each word changing shape to create new ones, it can sometimes get a bit confusing to read, but once you get it, it evokes strong emotions in readers. I believe it would really strike a chord with teens and people who love books that talk about real life issues, as it focuses on important themes such as consent, responsibility and support. It shows that despite life feeling like it's falling apart or "not going to plan", there are still people who care and will support you, which makes it both reassuring and empowering for people to read.

Azizah

The Boy I Love
this book has taken me on a rollercoaster of emotions I had never ridden in my life until now. It's touching, poetical language made it impossible for me to put down for even a second. It's 1916, and young Stephen Wraxall is sent back to war after a cruel injury in war at the front, the memory of his old comrades and first love haunting him as he goes back. But when he meets his new soldier-servant, Danny McCormick, Stephen is made clear of one thing; the undeniable connection between him, and how he cannot let him go. But there is one unignorable question left: will this love between Danny and Stephen save them from this raging war? Or will it leave them damned in the horrors of war? The story of Danny and Stephen has made my heart both ache and burst with joy all at once. The book itself is full of characters to love and despise, all beautifully and amazingly written, but not too complex. It is emotional, but not to the point it's unbearable. It goes through the true gruesomeness of war, and how true lovers are torn apart in the process. Not only this, but it shows what war can do to a man, the scars that it leaves on them, that was what really rubbed the salt into the wound for me. Overall, this book stuck to me for a while after I read it, and that's exactly what the Carnegies look for: books that stick to the reader. Although I have yet to read the other books listed for the medal, this book has won my heart, and has definitely got my vote!

Afsheen

Popcorn
Popcorn is a book that I felt I could relate to in so many different ways. The author's way of describing anxiety is really accurate and as I watched Andrew get closer and closer to popping I felt like the world was against this boy, but he made it through. I always thought anxiety made you weak but this book showed me that in a lot of ways it makes you stronger. I think this is an incredible read and put a whole new spin on the meaning of anxiety. I would recommend it to people around the age of 11.

Bea

Popcorn
I liked this book and I enjoyed the story

Anna