Folkestone Academy Readers

Wolf Siren
This book was probably my favorite. I have always loved supernatural books since I was a kid. This gives the perfect story about wolf women. It sounds really cool, but i hated how her village treated women. However, I loved how she chased her freedom in the woods.

Kenul

Birdie
This was a really good book and I really got into reading it. The only bad thing about the book is that its written in old English. I already have trauma from doing Shakespeare books for my English. Still, I really think people need to read this at least once in their lifetime. The book is a bit childish though.

Kenul

Popcorn
Popcorn is a funny, heartfelt book about an anxious seventh grader who survives a school picture day with anxiety and OCD. I really enjoyed it.

Senuli

Popcorn
I really like this book because there's a number of techniques about getting brought up and they are mentioned through out the story. This is also a great book because it's funny and explains a lot about anxiety.

Erin

Ghostlines 
I really enjoyed the book Ghostlines. It was a really enjoyable read. It was about a girl called Tilda who has lived on Aryie, an island, her whole life with her Ma, Dad and partly her brother Rowan who was 7 years older than her and left the island at 17. Tilda believes that Rowan left because of her. When the new boy Albie arrives it is Tilda’s job to show him round Ayrie and make him feel welcome but Albie hates being new on the island so Tilda takes him to the haunted forbidden island and they become great friends. Disaster strikes and they fully rely on each other. I rate it a 9 out of 10!

Erica

Birdie
Birdie is such a beautiful book. It is about a determined and loyal girl named Birdie Bagshaw who lives in a children’s home. She then goes to live with her great aunt and uncle, Mabel and Walter. Birdie suffers prejudice and discrimination because of the colour of her skin. When the school’s bullying drives her away, she discovers the mine and the most beautiful pony she has ever seen. She endures an incredible journey with the pit pony throughout the story and discovers the truth about her mother and her great aunt and uncle. Overall, J P Rose has very successfully created an astounding story.

Erica

Not Going To Plan
The book is fantastic and it had a lot of parts about GCSEs . This was a big deal for me because reading a book at this time is all about running away from all the exams I have in less than 3 weeks. However, this book was a constant reminder which also got me a little stressed as to whether I'm giving it my all. It really didn't hit it for me as i usually expect books to be some sort of escapism. Nevertheless, I 100% recommend it because if it had caught me at a different time , it would have been one of my greatest reads.

Vongai

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book is very funny and interesting. One of my favourite parts was when the monitor lizard earns his job back after losing it. I would recommend this book to people who likes stories.

Erin

Not Going To Plan
This was a good book but definitely is for upper years. however the structure of the book was so weird and i think i still have trauma from that weird structure of that book. but i also got to learn that having an abortion is not that hard but also really painful - well, that's a plus . :)

Kenul

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is a highly successful book that I would recommend to anyone to read. Although less enticing to a upper year reader, it can easily engage a reader through the powerful themes that resonate. Through the focus character, the reader can see the important changes faced, which can often be a source of relief for individuals, so I would say this book is a perfect read for a younger reader.

Kaleb

Wolf Siren
An enticing book about societal ideas. The use of empowerment allows the reader to see the shift to show the development of the individual in the read. This book encompasses the important themes of modern society in a fairytale that anyone could read. The book is of medium length, hence would take a longer period of time unless you are a fast reader. This means that the book is good for most readers.

Kaleb

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This is an amazing book for anyone who is interested in developing their reading, while also being able to read along with the pictures. For me, however, I didn't find it too interesting as it didn't appeal to my demographic, such that it makes the book seem boring and slow. Despite this, its a quick read for anyone interested in this genre, hence it's a book I would recommend to somebody interested in this metaphorical piece of literature.

Kaleb

Popcorn
What a lovely book. It explains anxiety in a way that is understandable even to those who do not suffer from it. I was moved by the depth of this book and I had a few laughs along the way. All in all, most enjoyable.

Mrs Muller

Popcorn
I really enjoyed this book because when I started reading I really didn’t want to put it down. It is about a boy (Andrew) who is just trying to get a good school photo for his mum who is starting at a new job. They live with their grandma who suffers from Alzheimer’s while Andrew suffers from anxiety. But his picture day turns out to be really quite the day . . .

Erica

Wolf Siren
An enthusiastic and empowering book for women - a read about sexism as well as gender roles. I believe that it is an excellent fairytale format for people to read and to understand as it allows people to change even in the circumstances of a book that is fiction. The length of the book and size of the text means that its a shorter read to avid/quick readers however to most it's an excellent length to read over the course of a few sessions. For anyone who is interested in fairytales who want to see a major point discussed, this is a perfect book for you.

Kaleb

The Boy I Love
A highly engaging but tragic read focused on the war. I feel that the glimpse of the relationship was vital at showing the reality of war and how people relied on each other when others would not help. The book encapsulates these emotions and realities strongly, especially in a period of time where LGBTQ ideas were seen as less valued or were undermined. Ultimately, the LGBTQ inclusion was realistic and more subtle than alternative titles, which allows more immersion into the text's purpose rather than a specific idea alongside it. Otherwise, its a successful book that I would love to see built on.

Kaleb

Popcorn
An amazing piece of writing considering the metaphorical idea of popcorn to the harsh reality faced by many due to anxiety - causing more struggles in their personal lives. By writing this exemplary book alongside the use of imagery, it encapsulates the core purpose of accepting anxiety and working around it to make your life better. However I feel like the book could have been longer to explore a more expanded idea - where it would develop into a future rather than a short glimpse of time.

Kaleb

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
First of all, it's a really nice book and I liked the whole back storyline thing. I liked how it focused on the love bit , which is quite different to other books where usually in this type of storyline, it is always about a teenage pregnancy. It was a nice read. I strongly recommend it 👌

Vongai

Popcorn
An enticing book about anxiety and the stresses faced by school and personal environments. With the incredible metaphor of popcorn, the book acts as a reminder of individuals who struggle with anxiety. As a shorter book, it allows younger readers to understand themselves, as well as understand the experiences for others who struggled. Otherwise, it's been a highly successful book as far.

Kaleb

Not Going To Plan
An amazing and different book in comparison to the other 7 texts. By being in a verse-novel form, it acts as a shorter read for all people to understand about pregnancy and the consequences in a school environment. Although the language becomes stronger as the text goes on, it works in order to show the divide between the victim and the classmates. It is a shorter book as a result, so it can become a quick read if you are a fast reader. I've personally found it quite boring for the first half as it is not very paced, but the pace quickly increases at the text continues.

Kaleb

Birdie
An incredible read about identity and history in the north. With exceptional meaning and depth, it is a book for anyone to read about history - however it considers the ideas of severe racism in the 1950s as war ends. This book, although touching upon harsher themes in society, acts as an important book for people to read and consider how to treat others well.

Kaleb

Not Going To Plan
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It started off like a slow moving steam train but developed into a bullet train half way through. I think it would be easy for teenagers to relate to the emotions and indecision that permeates every chapter. I would definitely encourage our upper year students to read the book. The end left me feeling oddly emotional. A really good read.

Mrs Muller

The Boy I Love
This book is beautifully written. It does not shy away from the realities of war nor from the punishments dealt to those who did not conform to societies expectations in those days. The themes of camaraderie amidst conflict, and enduring hope had me feeling uplifted.

Mrs Muller