The Maynard School

The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed The Things we Leave Behind. I liked the characters especially Billy and Mischa. I found the storyline very thought provoking and some bits similar to today even though it was dystopia. It was interesting to hear about the politics in this book and hear it from someone who was really hurt and affected by it (the protagonist Clem ). I loved hearing about her journey and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves dystopia mixed with real life matters.

Annie

Little Bang
Little Bang was a powerful and real book. It follows the story of Sid and Mel and what happens on their first date. Mel is a science nerd, religious and an all-round good girl. Sid is gorgeous and a slacker. We join them on their journey of coping with an unplanned pregnancy. The way they considered their options felt real and compassionate towards parents. For me this felt like a good starting point for conversations that need to happen all over the world. This book is set in Belfast 2018, but it felt recent and new as many people in the world are facing abortion restrictions just like Mel. This book is empowering and inspirational as it says that it is okay to think about abortion, to find pregnancy tough and to not know what you want straight away. Little Bang is really well written, and it makes you feel so many different emotions from heartbreak to relief. I think everybody should read Little Bang as it provides a realistic insight into an unplanned pregnancy.

Lucy

Treacle Town
Treacle Town was a dark, emotional and beautiful book. The way it was written was captivating and it felt like you were with the characters every single step of their journey. It is written from the perspective of Connor O'Neil who is stuck in an endless cycle of gang violence. Throughout the book we see how he copes with things that many of us won't ever feel in that way. Things like loss, pain, fear, longing and guilt. But amidst the negative emotions there are positive ones too. Perhaps the most prominent is hope. The hope that maybe he can escape into the world of slam poetry. I felt that this book was an honestly brutal portrayal of gang violence and loss. I thought the standout message was that it is never too late to turn back. Treacle Town is gorgeous and a must-read book for everyone.

Lucy

The Final Year
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow is a gorgeous book filled with all the lessons you wish they had taught you in Y6. The story is about a boy named Nate and what he goes through in his final year of primary school. His story is very different to everyone else's, and it provides a fragment of reality in the midst of fiction. We learn about his family's struggles for money and also his family's fear for a person they all love. We learn how Nate copes with the dark and how he then with a little help from his friends, he then turns on the light. We also learn that the most important lesson is how to fall apart but most importantly how to come back stronger. I really liked the messages in this book, and I found lots of them very relatable. I don't think that I would have read this book if it weren't for the shortlist, but I am very glad that I did. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys books about a key moment in life or anyone who just needs a reminder that they are brave. And just remember that every little thing is gonna be alright!

Lucy

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys was one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the characters of Finlay and Banjo and felt all the other characters were perfect for this book. I also really enjoyed hearing about their daily lives, friendships and feelings This book felt realistic which I liked and I also liked learning about what it was like in the care system. I thought the ending was perfect and this story was amazing. This book would be enjoyed by teenagers who love stories about friendship, romance and like to learn more about people's lives in the world.

Annie

Little Bang
What to say about 'Little Bang'? This was a book that would have resonated with a lot of people in the world. And, despite touching upon and speaking about difficult and possibly distressing topics, it was sensitively written. I enjoyed the complex relationships between characters in this story, and thought the conversations they had were very realistic. And I thought the ways in which they interacted with one another were true to life. Kelly McCaughrain had obviously done copious amounts of research on facts of laws involved in the plot, and this helped me as a reader understand more about why certain characters had certain concerns. Additionally, I thought the writer made it quite clear and understandable why characters said certain things and acted in a certain way. In conclusion, I really enjoyed 'Little Bang', and would really recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of drama. Although I would tell them to read with an open mind, and put themselves in the characters' shoes. But all in all, I thought it was a really good book. Kelly McCaughrain is a credit to the writing world.

Isabel

Glasgow Boys
I am not someone who tends to read anything that isn't fantasy romance or historical fiction, so 'Glasgow Boys' at first seemed like a huge step out my comfort zone. Written by an up-and-coming modern author, it weaves a web of heartbreak, complicated relationships and two boys struggling with their past. But despite my normal reading preferences, within the first few pages of this book, I was hooked. It was a surprise to me that I loved it so much, but also showed me that perhaps I should give other genres a try. I think Margaret McDonald touched upon difficult topics in a very sensitive and easy-to-read way, and made these topics accessible to a range of readers from different backgrounds and experiences. The book didn't, happily, end exactly as I had imagined it would. In parts of the story, there was the occasional twist in the plot, but the twists weren't extremely shocking, just slightly surprising. All in all, I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone, and read a book about modern times written by someone who is still alive. Thanks to 'Glasgow Boys', in future, I am going to try and read more modern books. It was a thrilling tale, brilliantly and delicately written, with lovable characters and an intriguing plot. Thank you Margaret McDonald.

Isabel

Glasgow Boys
Firstly I have to say that this book was massively out of my comfort zone and I was only really reading it because it was a Carnegie book but I must say I was so surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this book. I think that my favourite thing about this book is the use of the foster system that I and I imagine many other readers didn't fully understand or at least never really thought about how it would be for people in foster care. With books in general I do find I will always connect to each character but never really this much when I wasn't expecting or properly trying to, I even found myself wishing for people to get together which I have NEVER done before. Overall Glasgow Boys for me was a pretty good book but in terms of my expectations it completely knocked it out the park. I would definitely recommend this even if, like me, you would never really read anything remotely similar away from the Carnegies.

Freya

The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed The things we leave behind. It is an incredibly emotional book full of twists and turns, excitement, suspense and a possible dystopian insight to what our future could be like. It is about a sixteen year old girl called Clem who lives in a near future London. But civil unease is growing due to a shift in political power, and eventually, the city becomes too unsafe to live in. Clem and her half sister Billie become refugees, and the book tells of their dangerous journey to Scotland. It is narrated in three different timelines: Clem’s present, where she is having therapy sessions with the woman who rescued her; Clem’s own storytelling; and a series of her flashbacks which may not be entirely truthful. I found this way of narrative really interesting, because I had not read anything like it before, and I found that it slowly pieced the story together throughout the book, and kept you guessing until the end, which I found very effective and acquired a sense of mystery. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone aged 12 or over who likes dystopian novels full of adventure and emotion.

Sufia

The Things We Leave Behind
I thought this book was a perfect blend of dystopia, hope and sadness. It was really touching at times, and I even admit to shedding a tear at the really emotional parts of the book! The things we leave behind is set in a world of danger and uncertainty, mostly caused by dictator Toby Knight, who basically wants to get rid of anyone even slightly different. Though the story felt far away from life now, there was a hint of reality in it, which definitely put me on edge a little bit. The main character is called Clem, and, when she is forced to leave her home, her and her sister Billie have to set out on a terrifying journey to find a safe place to live. The story is told from Clem's point of view, and is narrated as Clem telling her story to Polly, a therapist figure. I think this story was woven together brilliantly, and the characters and plot are vivid and felt so real. This is a great book and one that I really enjoyed, and I think you will too!

Josephine

The Final Year
I think this book is a beautiful take on a young boy’s experience with the “Final Year”. It shows Nate’s views of his last year in primary school and his challenging home life. I thought the way it was written in a verse novel was unusual because a lot of books written with a protagonist around Nate’s age are diaries or written in third person, but this one explored the character in a different way. Also, with the way it was written from Nate’s point of view, when his anger spills over if it was an onlooker they wouldn’t think the way he does, and I don’t think they would understand the calming techniques Nate uses and it might come across as strange rather than what it really is. I also thought the analogy of the “Beast” inside Nate was a fresh interpretation of a young child dealing with anger issues. It showed Nate believing that it wasn’t his fault and that it was all down to a different thing he had no control over. I think that most children struggling with anger issues believe themselves to be the ones at fault. The way Goodfellow handled the sensitive topics of siblings in hospital and an absent parent in a way that made it accessible for a variety of ages. This book opened my eyes to a different experience, and I think because it was from the point of view of a 10/11-year-old it made me be less prejudiced towards his way of life. This book was a roller coaster of emotion, and I loved every second. 10/10 would definitely recommend.

Daisy

Play
Play was an eye - opening book with male friendship at its center. The book is written in a very creative way, and I really liked how the characters and their games grew up throughout the book. The book focuses on four main perspectives which are the ones of four boys: Mark, Matt, Luc and Johnny. This feature then adds a unique dimension to the book. I felt that all the boys seemed to belong to stereotypes. Luc is the classic handsome boy, good at sport box whereas Matt is in the smart and focused box. Jonny is in the not present and drug - addicted bracket and Mark is in the pressured drug dealer bracket. However, I did feel that they all had one thing that was different from those stereotypes, and this then shaped the friendships that they have with each other. We see them change and evolve throughout the book and it all comes to a shocking conclusion when somebody takes it too far... The ending serves as a warning that some games turn dark. The ending is very well written as we find out the characters futures through a person's thoughts. I would recommend Play to anyone who enjoys books that have a lot of different perspectives.

Lucy

Glasgow Boys
This book was a stunning blend of all the emotions. It tells the story of 2 boys straight from the care system. We meet Finlay who has just started university and is struggling with how to balance work, sleep and uni. We learn about his struggles and his drives but most importantly the fact that the people you love in life will always be there for you, you just have to let them in. We also meet Banjo who is just finishing high school and is trying hard to settle down with his new foster family. But due to all the anger and despair that Banjo has trapped inside he tends to get into fights. But, like Finlay we learn many things about Banjo, his strengths and his weaknesses but most importantly what it means to be the best version of yourself. This book stood out from any other book that I had read before, and I think it is because the main characters are in the care system. This factor brought a beautifully different dimension to the book. It was heart - wrenchingly gorgeous and everyone needs to read Glasgow Boys right now.

Lucy

Little Bang
I have to say this book was very much out of my comfort zone and I would never normally read anything like it. Though I didn't love it and it wasn't my favourite of the Carnegies I did think it was well written and engaging, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. I found myself having my own opinions of each character and felt what they did while reading. I think this book showed how you can never expect anyone's experiences to be the same with pregnancies and in fact anything and how you can never assume how people feel and what led them to where they are. Overall not my style of book but I was pleasantly surprised and found it engaging.

Freya

Little Bang
I found Little Bang an enjoyable read. I really liked the storyline and liked how the characters were very realistic. I also liked how it told me a lot about religion and how it really affected people's views on abortion making Mel's decisions harder. I would recommend this book to anyone 12+ and would rate it 4/5 because I found some bits harder to understand than others.

Annie

The Final Year
The Final Year focuses on a boy named Nate as he struggles with his emotions, family and friendships and moves on to his last year in primary school. However, through all of this he discovers a new friend and a way to control his emotions through poetry. His teacher shows him a way to handle his emotions and is always there for him. This book brought back lots of memories from year 6 and the happiness it brought before moving on to a new adventure. It was a very enjoyable and easy read.

Sophie

The Things We Leave Behind
'The things we leave behind' had an incredibly interesting and thought provoking premise. It explores the terrible consequences of anti immigration politics and also highlights the dangers of populist and radical parties coming into power. I enjoyed the three parallel stories/timeframes in the book as this added complexity to the characters and plot, in particular developing Clem's journey throughout her flight from a dangerous London. The twist was powerful, though very predictable, and certainly made for a sad ending. However, the novel did manage to end on a note of hope which I thought made its messages all the more powerful.

Milly

Little Bang
This book is about two, seemingly opposite, teenagers. After their first date, Mel ends up pregnant and the rest of the book deals with how this affects their lives. I thought it was fascinating seeing the different perspectives throughout the book and how this event influenced them both completely differently. Overall, I thought the characters were well written and the difficult emotions were dealt with well. However, it was a bit slow at times.

Milly

The Things We Leave Behind
This was such a good book!!! Definitely up there for one of my favourite books. It follows a girl called Clem who is an asylum seeker but in a dystopia where she has to flee London with her sister. The book is told from three different moments in time, one of when she was fleeing, one of Clem talking to her therapist further forward in time, and one which is a story that Clem presumably wrote which though is a complete fantasy does have ties with what is happening in the rest of the book. The changing of times works really well and definitely adds to the novel though at first was a little confusing. It got very sad near the end with a twist that I did guess but still worked really well. I also loved the political aspect that is possibly a lot closer to reality now or in the future than a lot of people may realise/ hope. The book was also really good at dropping hints or loose ends early on and then tying everything up at the end. My only tiny criticism it that when there was dialogue, after one character said something there was often up to a page of background information or past events or something else and then when the other character replied I often had to go back and see what had just been said. This being said I still adored this book and it is definitely one of the best I have ever read.

Freya

King of Nothing
This book was really good overall. It was well written and I loved the unlikely friendship between Matthew and Anton. I thought Anton’s character was very relatable and I liked how the book addressed the issue of peer pressure and how it affects people. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Annie

All That It Ever Meant
This is an amazing story of girl named Mati and how her and her family go on a road trip through Zimbabwe and all try and deal with their grief after the loss of Mati's mother. You definitely need to concentrate at first while you try and wrap your head around each character but then you do get fully into the story and develop your own relationship with each character. I still cannot believe the major twist at the end, I never saw it coming. I would definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone especially someone with a curiosity for different cultures and who wants to get fully invested into a book and it's characters.

Freya

All That It Ever Meant
This book is about a girl called Mati and how she and her family deal with the grief of losing their mum. It shows the difference between African and English culture and explores ideas of loss, grief and family. But also about finding the place where people feel they actually belong. I thought it was quite confusing at the start and it took a while to get into the book but it all makes sense when it is the end and there is a plot twist. Overall I thought it was a beautifully written book.

Sophie

All That It Ever Meant
This book was really enjoyable. It was heartwarming but also sad throughout the book with an un expected plot twist at the end. I would highly recommend it although it took some time to understand it, when you were invested in the story it was a really nice read.

Annie

Little Bang
I really liked Little Bang, I found it hard to get it to at first but then I couldn’t stop. I would definitely recommend it to some one who is just looking for a good, interesting and factual read.

Bella

Play
This was a very interesting book that highlighted many issues facing us today, particularly those of some younger people. For example, its comments on toxic masculinity were sensitively well put. I also enjoyed the different perspectives throughout the book, as it allowed different opinions and situations to be heard, therefore avoiding one sidedness. However, I found the ending to be quite difficult and perhaps to end on a slightly more hopeful note would have enhanced the messages in the book.

Milly

Glasgow Boys
Three years ago, Finlay and Banjo were like brothers, sharing a room in their children's home and, despite their differences, looking out for each other and understanding one another in a way they had never previously experienced in their troubled lives. Then something happened to drive a wedge between the boys, and they have not spoken since. This book explores what is happening in their current lives alongside flashbacks to the event that drove them apart. The dual narrative works well, with each boy experiencing their own set of challenges alongside a shared grief at the seemingly irretrievable loss of their friendship. You will root for both boys and long for a reconciliation, but will they find each other again?

Mrs J.