ReadingSpine–Year6
Book Summary
Picturebo
ok
TheArrivalbyShaunTan
Whatdrivessomanytoleaveeverythingbehindandjourneyalonetoamysteriouscountry,aplacewithoutfamilyorfriends,whereeverythingisnamelessandthefutureisunknown?Thissilentgraphicnovelisthestoryofeverymigrant,everyrefugee,everydisplacedperson,andatributetoallthosewhohavemadethejourney.
Mod
ernfictio
n
GrimmTalesforYoungandOld
byPhilipPullman
Wickedwives,bravechildren,villainouskings…Inthisbeautifulbookofclassicfairytales,masterwriterPhilipPullmanchooseshisfiftyfavouritestoriesfromtheBrothersGrimm,andpresentstheminaclear-as-waterretelling.FromtheromanticquestsofRapunzel,SnowWhiteandCinderellatothedangerandwitoflesser-knowntalessuchasGodfatherDeath,Pullman’suniqueandbrilliantvoicetapsintothetimelessheartofeachtale.Eachstoryisfollowedbyafascinatingshortcommentaryontheitsbackgroundandhistory.
Fiction-A
dven
ture
HolesbyLouisSachar
Onekidprisoner.Onedarksecret.Ataleoffatewithmoretwiststhanatornado.Howdoyouturnabadboyintoagoodboy?Makehimdigholes–right?SowhenStanley(wronglyaccusedofstealing)issenttobootcampinthescorchingdesert,that’swhathehastodo.ALLDAYLONG.Theevilcampwardensaysit’storeformhimandchangehisways.Isthattherealreason–ormustStanleydigupthetruth?
Gen
eralfiction
SkelligbyDavidAlmond
Michael’sbabysisterissick,maybedying.Ashisparentsspendtheirdaysatthehospital,hislifeseemssuddenlylonelyanduncertain.Butonedayhestumblesintotheramshacklegarageoftheirnewhomeandfindssomethingmagical:astrangecreature,partowl,partangel.Isitgood?Ormaybeevil?WhatisSkellig’smiraculoussecret?Canithelphimtobreathelifebackintohissisterandstickhisbrokenworldtogetheragain?
Fiction-C
lassic
AChristmasCarolbyCharles
Dickens
EbenezerScroogeisamiser,penny-pinchingwithnocareforhisownhappinessorthoseofanyothers.
Then,oneChristmasEve,heisvisitedbythreeghosts:theghostsofChristmaspast,presentandfuture.AstheyturntheclockbackonScrooge’sownlife,it’stragediesandmisdemeanours,andrevealtheshadowofthelifethatisyettocome,theyrevealtohimthetruemeaningofChristmas.
Book SummaryGen
eralfiction
ClockworkbyPhilipPullman
Ticktock!Ticktock!Somestoriesarelikethat.Onceyou’vewoundthemup,nothingwillstopthem.Atormentedapprenticeclock-maker.Adeadlymechanicalknightinarmour.ThesinisterDrKalmenius,whomsomesayisthedevil.Windupthesecharacters,fitthemintoastoryonacoldwinter’seveningwiththesnowswirlingdown,andsuddenlylifeandthestorybegintomergeinamacabreandunstoppableway.Almostlikeclockwork…Likeastrangeandwonderfulmachine,thisintricatetalebringsitsowncogstogethertorecreatewhathappenedinalittleGermantownonelong-agonight…
Fiction TheOldestGirl
intheWorldbyCarolAnn
Duffy
CarolAnnDuffycreatesalivingandbreathingworld,imaginativelyself-sufficient,yetrecognisableasonethathoversattheedgesofourdreamsandnightmares.Inhersecondcollectionforchildren,wearetrainedbytheoldestgirlintheworldtobealerttoeveryoneofoursenses;meet,amongothers,abadprincessandakingofsnide;discoverspellstogetridofunwantedpests;andlearnthat,inaworldwheretransformationisawayoflife,whatwewantisnotalwayswhatweget.
Fiction–Ad
venture,m
ysteryand
crim
e
HighRiseMysterybySharnaJackson
SummerinLondonishot,thehottestonrecord,andthere'sbeenamurderinTHETRI:thehigh-risehometoresidentknow-it-alls,NikandNorva.Whobettertosolvethecase?Armedwithcuriosity,home-turfknowledgeandunlimitedtime-untiltheendofthesummerholidaysanyway.
Fiction-Social
OtherWordsForHomebyJasmineWarga
Judeneverthoughtshe'dbeleavingherbelovedolderbrotherandfatherbehind,allthewayacrosstheoceaninSyria.Butwhenthingsinherhometownstartbecomingvolatile,JudeandhermotheraresenttoliveinCincinnatiwithrelatives.Atfirst,everythinginAmericaseemstoofastandtooloud.TheAmericanmoviesthatJudehasalwayslovedhaven'tquitepreparedherforstartingschoolintheUS-andhernewlabelof"MiddleEastern,"anidentityshe'sneverknownbefore.Butthislifealsobringsunexpectedsurprises-therearenewfriends,awholenewfamily,andaschoolmusicalthatJudemightjusttryoutfor.MaybeAmerica,too,isaplacewhereJudecanbeseenasshereallyis.
Book SummaryScienceFiction
BoyintheTower
byPollyHo-Yen
Whentheyfirstarrived,theycamequietlyandstealthilyasiftheytip-toedintotheworldwhenwewerealllookingtheotherway.Adeloveslivingatthetopofatowerblock.Fromhiswindow,hefeelslikehecanseethewholeworldstretchingoutbeneathhim.Hismumdoesn'treallylikelookingoutside-butit'sgoingoutsidethatshehates.She'shappiersleepingalldayinsidetheirtower,whereit'ssafe.Butoneday,othertowerblocksontheestatestartfallingdownaroundthemandstrange,menacingplantsbegintoappear.Nowtheirtowerisn'tsafeanymore.Adeandhismumaretrappedandthere'snowayout...
Fiction–Mysteryand
Crim
e
HackerbyMalorieBlackman
WhenVicky'sfatherisarrested,accusedofstealingoveramillionpoundsfromthebankwhereheworks,sheisdeterminedtoprovehisinnocence.Buthow?There'sonlyoneway-toattempttobreakintothebank'scomputerfiles.EvenifVickyisthebesthackerintheworld,willshefindtherealthiefbeforetheyfindher?
Diary/Biograp
hy
AnneFrank–Thediaryofayounggirl
AnneFrankandherfamilyfledthehorrorsofNazioccupationbyhidinginthebackofawarehouseinAmsterdamfortwoyearswithanotherfamilyandaGermandentist.Agedthirteenwhenshewentintothesecretannexe,Annekeptadiary.Shemovinglyrevealedhowtheeightpeoplelivingundertheseextraordinaryconditionscopedwithhunger,thedailythreatofdiscoveryanddeathandbeingcutofffromtheoutsideworld,aswellaspettymisunderstandingsandtheunbearablestrainoflivinglikeprisoners.
Poetry The
HighwaymanbyAlfredNoyes
Theroadwasaribbonofmoonlightoverthepurplemoor,Andthehighwaymancameriding-Riding-riding-Thehighwaymancameriding,uptotheoldinn-door.InAlfredNoyes'sthrillingpoem,chargedwithdramaandtension,weridewiththehighwaymanandrecoilfromtheterriblefatethatbefallshimandhissweetheartBess,thelandlord'sdaughter.
Classic
fiction
TreasureIslandbyRobertLouis
Stevenson
FollowingthedemiseofbloodthirstybuccaneerCaptainFlint,youngJimHawkinsfindshimselfwiththekeytoafortune.ForhehasdiscoveredamapthatwillleadhimtothefabledTreasureIsland.Butahostofvillains,wildbeastsanddeadlysavagesstandbetweenhimandthestashofgold.Nottomentionthemostinfamouspirateevertosailthehighseas...
Book SummaryGen
eralfiction
Carrie’sWarbyNinaBawden
'Ididadreadfulthing...orIfeelthatIdid,andnothingcanchangeit...'ItistheSecondWorldWarandCarrieandNickareevacuatedfromLondontoasmalltowninWales,wheretheyareplacedwithstrictMrEvansandhistimidmouseofasister.TheirfriendAlbertisluckier,livinginDruid'sBottomwithHepzibahGreenwhotellswonderfulstories,andthestrangeMisterJohnny,whospeaksalanguageallofhisown.CarrieandNickarehappytovisitAlbertthere,untilonedaywhenCarriedoesaterriblething-theworstthingsheeverdidinherlife...
Non
-Fictio
n.Biograp
hy
ComingtoEngland
byBaronessFioella
Benjamin
FloellaBenjaminwasjustayounggirlwhenshe,hersisterandtwobrothersarrivedinEnglandin1960tojointheirparents,whomtheyhadnotseenforfifteenmonths.TheyhadlefttheislandparadiseofTrinidadtomakeanewhomeinLondon-partofawholegenerationofWestIndianswhowereencouragedtomovetoBritainandhelprebuildthecountryaftertheSecondWorldWar.Reunitedwithhermother,Floellawastoooverwhelmedatfirsttocareaboutthecoldweatherandthenoiseanddirtfromthetraffic.But,ashernewlifebegan,shewasshockedanddistressedbytherejectionsheexperienced.Shesoonrealizedthattheonlywaytosurvivewastoworktwiceashardandbetwiceasgoodasanyoneelse.
Poetry
CollectedPoemsForChildrenbyCharlesCausley
Thepoemsinthiscollectionwerechosenandarrangedbytheauthor.Theyfeatureasgreatavarietyofsubjectandtoneandplaceasanyreadercouldwishfor.
Fiction–Familyand
hom
e
GhostBoysbyJewellParker
Rhodes
ALIVE-Twelve-year-oldJeromedoesn'tgetintotrouble.Hegoestoschool.Hedoeshishomework.Hetakescareofhislittlesister.ThenJeromeisshotbyapoliceofficerwhomistakeshistoygunforarealthreat.DEAD-Asaghost,watchinghisfamilytryingtocopewithhisdeath,Jeromebeginstonoticeotherghostboys.Eachboyhasastoryandtheyallhavesomethingincommon...Bitbybit,Jeromebeginstounderstandwhatreallyhappened-notjusttohim,buttoalloftheghostboys.