Recommended Reads

Every subject has stories worth discovering. These carefully chosen books connect to what you're studying while offering the pure enjoyment of a great read. From fascinating real-world applications to captivating narratives that bring ideas to life, you'll find something here that sparks your curiosity and keeps you turning pages. Reading for pleasure and learning at the same time – it's the perfect combination.

See our recommendations below, and you can see more recommendations under each year group page...

Key Stage 3 Reading

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - 
"The Hobbit" tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving hobbit who unexpectedly joins a quest with Gandalf and a group of dwarves to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo discovers a magical ring and matures from a reluctant adventurer to a courageous hero. The journey includes encounters with trolls, goblins, spiders, and other fantastical creatures, culminating in the Battle of the Five Armies and the reclamation of the Lonely Mountain. 

 

 

Holes - Louis Sacher - 
"Holes," by Louis Sachar, tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, who is wrongly accused of theft and sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp in the Texas desert. At the camp, the boys are forced to dig holes all day, supposedly to build character, but Stanley suspects there's more to it. The narrative intertwines Stanley's present-day experiences with the history of Camp Green Lake, revealing a curse on his family and the warden's search for buried treasure. 

 

 

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green - 

"The Fault in Our Stars" is a young adult novel by John Green that tells the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with cancer who meets and falls in love with Augustus Waters, another cancer patient, at a support group. The novel explores their relationship as they navigate their illnesses, their fears about mortality, and their search for meaning in a world where they are faced with their own finite existence. 

 

 

Key Stage 4/5 Reading

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley - 

Frankenstein tells the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein who succeeds in giving life to a being of his own creation. However, this is not the perfect specimen he imagines that it will be, but rather a hideous creature who is rejected by Victor and mankind in general.

 

 

 

DNA - Dennis Kelly - 

A group of teenagers do something bad, really bad, then panic and cover the whole thing up.  But when they find that their cover-up unites them and brings harmony to their once fractious lives, where is the incentive to put things right.