Larkmead

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys by Margaret Mcdonald is a wonderful, tear-jerking book about two boys who lost everything, including each other and find it hard to love and connect again. Banjo and Finlay are two alienated friends who fell out and haven't spoken for years. They grew up in care together and really only had each other. Finlay is studying to be a nurse at university and for the first time ever since being in care he’s letting people in. Banjo is in secondary school living with his newest foster family. He antagonises himself to his classmates, attempting to feel something real but finally he's starting to feel as if he's found where he truly belongs. Towards the end of the book Banjo and Finlay see each other at the same place their relationship had once been destroyed in. They’re both shaken by this encounter and push their new found families and friends away. I absolutely loved this book, both characters had their own faults and strengths making them feel really real and easy to relate to. I was completely and utterly invested in each of their stories and found myself rooting for them every step of the way. In my opinion this is the best book of the lot, I genuinely enjoyed reading it and found the ending very satisfying.

Ella

Glasgow Boys
I found Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald to be an interesting co-written story between 2 boys with very different lives, but the same past trauma. Both Finlay and Banjo have grown up in the care system and now as estranged friends they both know just how hard it is. Whilst Finlay is studying to be a nurse, Banjo is struggling with school and his new foster parents. They cross paths once again and join to form this coming-of-age story. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in multi-language books. The only downside of this book is that I personally found the Scottish in this book to be slightly confusing and the amount of swearing to be unnecessary to tell the story of the boys.

Emily

King of Nothing
Anton believes he is the king of the school ruling the school with the madmen. Being forced to join the Happy Campers & not knowing it’s going to be a life changing event with Matthew the school loser saving him, getting into a fight with Kehinde. And finally he got used to helping his Mum with The Women Refuge Project. I think KON shows the exact story of how it is for kids who’s Dad is in prison, especially where he starts noticing him hanging with the madmen only to chase him away from the truth. I will also recommend it to kids who are scared of going to high school or about to choose GCSE options or kids stuck in a friend group they are trying to get out of.

Precious A

King of Nothing
Anton is the self-proclaimed king of the school, with a reputation for being tough which rests of the shoulders of dad in prison. When he gets forced into the happy campers group him and the proclaimed ‘weird kid’ Matthew are flung together in a weird way, with a plan to make him 'cool'. Will he keep the crown or crumble under the weight of something brought out by nothing? I really enjoyed this book it showcases a lot of real problems in the world like sexism, peer pressure and mental health struggles. I liked seeing the gradual progression of his realisation that his friends aren’t good people and he doesn’t want the life he thinks he does. I really enjoyed how it’s written in present tense because it made me feel like it was happening as I was reading it. I honestly loved it and I thought it really was a fantastic book with perfectly crafted funny and yet serious scenes. Watching Anton become a fantastic young man and flip his life around made my heart swell. 8.5/10!

Isabel.S

All That It Ever Meant
After a fatal car accident Mati's family have to come to terms with the loss of her mother. Chichi (her sister) and her dad had a big fight. To help calm everyone down, their dad takes them on a road trip through Zimbabwe - where their family is from. On the trip Mati talks to Meticais who helps her understand herself and her situation. This story describes issues of grief and living as an immigrant family in Britain. I enjoyed this book it has lots of clever twists in it which tell you about the characters past as well as present - this can make it complicated but interesting at the same time. Overall I enjoyed this book and I recommend it.

Lydia

Little Bang
What would you do if you found yourself pregnant as a teenager in a country where abortion is illegal? Who would you ask for help? What would you do? Well this is the situation that fifteen year old Mel finds herself in. I like how Mel finds some courage through herself with help from Lucille and how Sid tries to take responsibility by working and being supportive. The story shows high levels of tension and emotion between people with different viewpoints. This book is useful to help teenagers explore the issues with teenage pregnancy and how it could affect their lives.

Lydia

Play
Play by Luke Palmer was an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Matt and Johnny were both good characters who deserved more time in the book. Marks chapters were all the same: running drugs for various strangers. Luc was my least favourite character. I found the way he treated Sara absolutely awful. This book tried to tackle too many issues at once, leading to a jumble of bad topics. Is it really too much to ask for the characters to be happy and have a good life?

Astrid

King of Nothing
The King of Nothing is a book which tells the story of a boy who makes the slow journey to the right choice. Anton and his “gang” rule the school, no one can get past them. But when Anton’s mum forces him to go on a camping trip with the happy campers, things start to change. Matthew, who is the most unpopular boy in Anton's class, turns his life around and that’s when Anton finally makes a turn for the good. I like this book as it was fun but also shows how even a bully can be a nice guy on the inside, and how this can happen. A good end to the story and Anton is finally where he wants to be, in the best situation with actual friends.

Becca

The Final Year
As 10-year-old Nate begins his last year of primary school, everything is changing but not for the better. Not only has he got a new teacher, new classmates, new SATs prep and new challenges both in school and at home but now his best mate is hanging around with Turner, the school bully and he feels all alone. I really enjoyed this book because it showed a range of different emotions, and I found that there was a very compelling story line so I would definitely rate this book 5/5 and highly recommend it.

Emily

King of Nothing
King of Nothing is a book of friendship, risks, and decisions, I loved how Anton (the king of the school) and Matthew (schoolboy nerd) became friends and helped each other out. Anton is in a gang and when his dad is released from prison, he must make a decision on whether he stays in the gang and be at risk of danger or to leave and go see his Dad. I felt that this book spread a strong message about the importance of staying safe and being aware of what could happen if you take risks in the outside world.

Lily

The Final Year
The final year of school with… Secondary school approaching, SATs looming, And the whole school looking up at you, And a deadly problem….. Its no wonder that Nate feels like this is the worst year of his life… The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow is a wonderful book that packs a lot of character and emotion into a fairly short book. It focuses on Nate the child of a single mum who is raising him and his two younger brothers with help from their auntie Sam. This book tells the story of a boy in his final year of primary school when disaster strikes…. I found this book a really good read although I wasn’t used to this style of writing I found the format of the book was like Nate telling us this which I thought really helped me connect with Nate and showed his hopes of becoming a professional writer. This book has some serious undertones showing Nate's struggle with looking after his brothers and controlling “the beast” and living with serious medical conditions and living in poverty. I think this is a great way to introduce these topics to younger readers. All in all I thought that the book was a fantastic read for young people and the illustrations complimented what’s going on in the story! I would give this a 9/10!

Isabel.S

The Final Year
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, is a moving verse novel about a boy named Nate facing family struggles and school changes in his last year of primary school. With heartfelt poetry and strong emotions, it’s a touching story of growing up, friendship, and finding your way in life.

Khadija

Little Bang
Little Bang is a powerful and compassionate YA novel about teenage pregnancy in Belfast. Through the voices of Mel and Sid, Kelly McCaughrain explores love, choice, and the struggles teenagers face in a society with strict abortion laws in nothern Ireland. The story is heartfelt, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, making it a must-read for teens and adults alike.

Khadija

Glasgow Boys
This book was quite interesting overall. It tells the stories from two perspectives, Banjo and Finlay. Banjo was my least favorite character as I thought that the amount of swearing he used was a little unnecessary to tell the story, and i found him quite violent which was a little boring. However, Finlay had many good personality traits such as being hardworking and comforting. It made his chapters more easy to read, because he actually did things rather than in Banjo's chapters where it was mostly just.... violence and Alena. It was heartfelt and had a good ending where both characters were more developed than the start. I would recommend this to people interested in real life struggles, romance, and coming of age books.

Astrid

The Final Year
This is, in my opinion, the best Carnegie book! It follows the story of Nate, a young boy about to go into year 6. Nate is quite responsible and mature for his age, making him a more developed and interesting character to read about. On one hand, it shows us something almost everyone can relate to, which is friendship problems, but on the other hand it shows us something that is not spoken about as much, which is his sibling being hospitalized and him having to take care of his family. The poetry made it a really interesting read. I would recommend this to anyone who wanted a wholesome, easy book.

Astrid

Little Bang
Imagine a world where abortion was illegal. Well, Mel and Sid don't have to imagine it, because it is their very real, and scary reality. Sid is not what you would expect at first glance, but as the book goes on he proves to be very loyal, willing to support the things he loves and a good boyfriend to Mel. Mel is a very intelligent girl, but the events of the book have an impact on how she feels about the whole pregnancy situation, and I imagine it will have a long lasting impact on her character in the future. Overall, this book was one of the good ones that I have read. It was quite well written, and had some good moments. I would recommend this to someone looking for books about real life situations and the problems and solutions that come with them.

Astrid

Little Bang
Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain is an incredibly realistic, interesting, and raw book that follows the story of soon to be teen parents living in Northern Ireland where abortion is illegal. Mel is a 15-year-old from a heavily religious, “functioning” family, she loves physics and plans to go to Cambridge. Sid is a 16-year-old raised by his mum, he is an aspiring musician, he skips class, and he doesn’t see himself doing anything important anytime soon. On New Years Eve 2017, their whole lives are thrown off course. This book shows how they navigate their way through challenges, pressures, and changes at such a young age. Mel learns about her own rights as a woman to choose what happens to her body as she fights for her future and freedom. I really enjoyed this book; It was incredibly well written and made me think about how unfair and frightening it must be to have someone else decide what happens to you and your body. I would recommend this book to teens and over, especially with the pro-choice vs pro-life debate in America and here currently; It is important to understand how vital the right to choose is.

Ella

The Final Year
I liked The Final Year because instead of there being a word to describe how Nate was feeling, there was a metaphor, eg: The Beast. Another way I liked The Final Year was because it could be relatable to some other people's experiences of year 6. I would rate it 8/10.

Jacob

The Final Year
The Final Year is a piece of writing that can be hard to grip but flows easily towards the end. 10 year old Nate is a boy who enters year 6 and finds his life turned upside down. As the year presses on it all goes wrong and everyone seems to be taken away from him. Depression, anger and sadness form the beast we all have, only Nate doesn’t care if he lets it loose this time. After all, who can blame someone who lost so many people in one year?

Becca

All That It Ever Meant
I found the book very easy to read and I really enjoyed it. The book is about a girl called Matiponesa but they call her Mati. Mati and her family travel from London to Zimbabwe following the death of her mother. Mati said her dad finds it hard to breath sometimes I think that is because of the heartbreak of his wife passing away. She has a brother called Chichi. Their whole family is hurting because of their mother passing away but they deal with it all in different ways, in their own way. Mati got suspended from school and she is now grounded so she’s not allowed to go to a party she was allowed to go to before. They call their father Papa. Papa is always leaving Mati in charge since their mother passed away. Their mother got pregnant at the age of 17 and she says she wishes she hadn’t had her. She really misses her mother the whole family does. I would recommend this book for age 12 – 15 because its an easy book to read but also it has some very strong language for younger people.

Amelie

The Final Year
As 10-year-old Nate comes to the end of year 5 everything seems to be changing but not for the better. He is no longer going to be in the same class as his best friend anymore and must come to terms with the fact that life will not always be easy. I found this book very emotional, and I became instantly attached to it. I think that the final year is a book that strongly shows life is not perfect and that it never will be but there will always be light at the end of a rainbow.

Lily

Play
Play is the co-written story of four boys each struggling with problems they try to face alone as they also struggle with school, life and growing up. I found Play to have a compelling narrative as each boy shared his struggles and pain with only himself. I quite liked this book, but I found that some of the topics discussed were of a more mature nature than past and present Carnegie books. Overall, I would say that this book is an acquired taste, but I would read it again so if you like multiple person books then I highly recommend this one.

Emily

All That It Ever Meant
Do you want to learn about the life of a person who has lost their mum and moved countries but then went back to that country for a holiday? If so this book is for YOU! This book is about a person going to Zimbabwe (his home country). They experience many things such as staying in a boathouse and playing animal bingo as a fun game to play on their journey. Along the way they have many challenges to overcome. My view on the book was that it was gripping and it made me want to read more. I found it very exciting which made me feel I couldn’t wait until the next day to read it. I particularly like the way the author dives straight into the family's journey which catches the readers attention. Overall I would recommend this book to other people as it was an exciting read which also covers the difficult topic of losing a guardian and partner.

Milo

Treacle Town
Are you interested in the life of a person in a gang. Well if so this is the book for you! This book is about a boy who lost one of his friends to a fight and is learning how to become a person with a good future. Later on he gets the opportunity to join a poetry group but will he? You’ll have to read it to find that out. My view on the book was that it was confusing and quite disappointing in places. I found it very hard to keep up with the book as it was using a lot of slang and swear words. Despite that I found the poetry part of the story very intriguing. This is a book I would not recommend to other younger readers.

Milo

King of Nothing
Anton's father is in prison which Anton uses to make people respect him. His friend group at school is violent and has sexist views. When he "volunteers" at the Happy Campers his attitude changes when someone comes to talk about sexism and one of the camp members saves him from a bee sting allergy. And helps him come to terms with his fears. This story shows how peoples views on the world can change. I think this book is gripping because it makes you think about what will happen next. I think it can give you encouragement to change because you know it's possible. If you like reading about overcoming problems I recommend you read this.

Lydia

The Final Year
Change can be difficult for anyone, when your life keeps getting more and more different each day and you don’t know when it will all become too much. Too much to keep the beast inside at bay. This cannot be truer for Nathan Wilder or Nate as everyone calls him. 10-year-old Nate is a very responsible, creative boy who loves to read and write and look after his family. He and his younger brothers only have their mum who is often out late at bingo, leaving him to look after them. The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow tells the story of the transition between year 5 and year 6 and the struggles that grow in his school and home life during this time. Betrayal, Sadness, Loneliness, Neglect, Hope, Forgiveness; It shows all these emotions from the point of view of a boy given too much pressure and pain too young. A boy who shoves his feelings down to the bottom of his chest under lock and key to make everyone else happy. Though, at some point all these feelings will rise to the surface and the lock will snap, unleashing the beast. I enjoyed this book because it really felt like it was true to the character and his feelings. Throughout, I got to know Nate and could really immerse myself into the story and think about all the emotions that he experiences. How even when life throws curveball after curveball at him, he gets back up and deals with it. I would recommend this book to young teens and preteens who want a character they can relate to and want to feel seen.

Ella

King of Nothing
I found the book really good and enjoyable. I found the book easy but also a little bit difficult because I found it difficult to make the book feel like it made sense with the slang language in it but that is mainly because I am not used to reading slang. A lot of the book I found really funny but also very sensitive to me and probably most other people. I found this book more for a teenager because it has more content that they would know more about. I would recommend this book for year 8 up to year 10 because I think they would understand it more and could compare it to them and give their prospective. It tells you about many relationships like the boy’s friendships but also the relationship with his family such as his mother and grandma and what she did when the boy left his grandma on the bus by herself and how he doesn’t talk about his father much. But overall, I think it is an amazing book and an enjoyable book for my age group.

A

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is an excellent story! It is an amazing picture of how family life can scar you. Clem forces herself not to leave behind one of her closest friends and imagines what she'd be like if she were there. Not only does the end twist the story, but also makes me feel sorry for her. Losing so many family members and friends in such a short period of time can be heartbreaking. The way she copes and deals with it is unimaginable. She does find a new life with someone she loves, but not who you would expect. The Things We Leave Behind is an epic novel, it will keep you guessing till the end, keep you turning every page. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Becca

The Final Year
My thoughts on The Final Year; I found the book very nice to read. I really enjoyed the book because I am in year 7 and not long ago I was in year 6 and found it hard to transition into a secondary school, also to do SATs plus leaving your friends is also very difficult. I enjoyed that it was a book that doesn’t have too many words on each page so then you can get a break in between because I know some people find it difficult and very tiring reading massive pages. One of my favourite parts of the book was when Dylan was in hospital and Mr Joshua was comforting Nate and making him feel happier even though he is having a hard time with his brother in hospital with his heart condition. One of the parts I felt was really sad was when Nate and his family didn’t know If Dylan was dead or alive. When I was reading that part of the book it gave me goosebumps; I was thinking what’s going to happen next and is Dylan ok. I recommend this book for year 5 or 6 because you could relate to the story of having a really hard time leaving your friends and much more. This is one of my favourite books I have ever read because its all about kindness and about people supporting one another.

A

All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri is a powerful book about grief, love, family and forgiveness. It depicts the struggles and complexities of loss and the emotions that it brings. In this book, our main character Matiponesa, her dad and siblings travel to Zimbabwe on a road trip after the death of her mother to reconnect to their roots and rekindle their relationships. Here Matiponesa meets Meticais, a ghost like being who only she can see. A being who is insistent on knowing Mati’s story. I really enjoyed the twists and turns at the end of the book, it remains subtle throughout, then reveals the shocking truth. I was drawn into Mati’s world and became emotionally involved with her journey through grief. I loved it and highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a bittersweet ending.

Ella

The Final Year
The Final Year is a book that you can picture in your mind when reading it. Not only is it written in a satisfying way but you could form a story in your head when looking at a boy with wings on him. Also the story makes you know what life is like for kids in their Final Year of Primary School with a single Mum. I can't wait for The First Year to come out!

Precious A

The Final Year
Are you in your final year of primary school or love poems? If so this book is for you. This books story is told by using poems. This book is about a boy called Nate and his experiences in his final year (year six) such as friendships and poorly family members. He also has a brilliant teacher called Mr Joshua and he supports him the whole way. I would recommend this book to parents who have a child going through their final year of primary school or a child who loves poems. I would totally recommend it; it’s one of the best books I have ever read.

Milo

The Final Year
It is one of the best books I have ever read. This book is about a boy called Nate and his experiences in his final year (year six) such as friendships and poorly family. I would recommend this book to parents who have a child going through their final of primary school or a child who loves poems. I would totally recommend it.

Milo