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Summary

Themes

– R.J. Palacio

'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.'

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Empathy

Anti-Bullying

PSHE

Self-Esteem

The Boy at the Back of the Class - Onjali Q. Rauf

'There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He's a refugee who's run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help ...

That's where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we've come up with a plan...'

On a perfectly ordinary school day, something extraordinary happens: a boy with pale skin, lion eyes and a tattered red rucksack walks in. Unable to speak English and seated at the back of the class, Ahmet 'the refugee kid' becomes the perfect target for bullies and rumours alike.

But Ahmet has also captured the attention and empathy of a fellow classmate, who will do anything to help him find his family. Even if that involves a plan - or five, and the Queen herself!

Refugees

Immigration

Empathy

Friendship

School

If I Ran the Country – Rich Knight & Allan Sanders

Congratulations! You've just become the leader of your own country! There are a lot of decisions to be made, and not long to make them.

The good news is you've got your hands on this funny, fact-packed book, covering everything you need to know to rule effectively - no matter where in the world you are.

But it's not just about political systems, elections, climate change, justice and all those other things we hear politicians talking about. You also need to learn how to lead.

With essential life and leadership skills and tips - from teamwork, confidence and compassion to discovering who you are and what you believe in - If I Ran The Country answers all the questions most often posed by first-time top dogs like you. You'll be ruling like a pro in no time!

Politics

Human Rights

Non-Fiction

The World

Black and British - David Olusoga

A short, essential introduction to Black British history for readers of 12+ by award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga.

When did Africans first come to Britain?

Who are the well-dressed black children in Georgian paintings?

Why did the American Civil War disrupt the Industrial Revolution?

These and many other questions are answered in this essential introduction to 1800 years of the Black British history: from the Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall right up to the present day.

History

Politics

PSHE

Human Rights

Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah

In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries.

She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for: the love and understanding of her family.

Autobiography

China

History

Empathy

Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In Purple Hibiscus, she recounts the story of a young Nigerian girl searching for freedom. Although her father is greatly respected within their community, 15-year-old Kambili knows a frighteningly strict and abusive side to this man. In many ways, she and her family lead a privileged life, but Kambili and her brother, Jaja, are often punished for failing to meet their father’s expectations. After visiting her aunt and cousins, Kambili dreams of being part of a loving family. But a military coup brings new tension to Nigeria and her home, and Kambili wonders if her dreams will ever be fulfilled. Adichie’s striking and poetic language reveals a land and a family full of strife, but fighting to survive.

Africa

Religion

School

Family

Refugee Boy – Benjamin Zephaniah

The personal, funny and poignant tale of a young refugee, from acclaimed storyteller Benjamin Zephaniah

Acclaimed performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah's honest, wry and poignant story of a young refugee left in London is of even more power and pertinence today than when it was first published.

Life is not safe for Alem. His father is Ethopian, his mother Eritrean. Their countries are at war, and Alem is welcome in neither place.

So Alem is excited to spend a holiday in London with his father – until he wakes up to find him gone. What seems like a betrayal is in fact an act of love, but now Alem is alone in a strange country, and he must forge his own path...

Refugees

War

Immigration

Africa

Empathy

Skellig – David Almond

The bestselling story about love, loss and hope that launched David Almond as one of the best children's writers of today. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread children's book of the Year Award.

When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain.

Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital.

But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes for ever . .

Family

Religion

Adventure

Friendship

Animal Farm – George Orwell

All animals are equal - but some are more equal than others.

When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless elite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control.

Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another.

Animals

Politics

Farms

Heroes - Robert Cormier

'What if I told him I am not the hero he thinks I am . . .?'

Maimed and disfigured whilst fighting in the World War Two, young Francis Cassavant is returning to his hometown as a hero. But one who must hide both his face and his identity.

For his past holds a bitter secret, one which he has vowed to revenge and which he can resolve only through his final, desperate plan: to destroy the man who betrayed him as a boy.

Left without a face or a future, but sustained by his deep sense of shame, Francis watches. He thinks of the gun in his duffel bag and waits, alone, for the return of another supposed hero.

History

Empathy

Revenge

Religion

Tell Me No Lies -

Malorie Blackman

Gemma longs for her lost mother, taking comfort from the cuttings in her scrapbook; pictures of mothers who loved their children come what may.

Mike is new to the area; a boy with a terrible secret to hide. A secret about his missing mother.

Gemma and Mike - two kids hurt by their past and now inextricably linked. Their effect on each other's lives will be explosive.

Family

Empathy

Thriller

Friendship

Ghost Boys – Jewell Parker Rhodes

A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a white police officer, drawing connections with real-life history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.

ALIVE
Twelve-year-old Jerome doesn't get into trouble. He goes to school. He does his homework. He takes care of his little sister.

Then Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat.

DEAD

As a ghost, watching his family trying to cope with his death, Jerome begins to notice other ghost boys.

Each boy has a story and they all have something in common...

Bit by bit, Jerome begins to understand what really happened - not just to him, but to all of the ghost boys.

A poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race in today's world.

Bereavement

Bullying

Friendship

Social Issues

School