love to read festival - weald of kent grammar school

This list is all about reading for pleasure! The year group ratings are guidelines

as to what you are most likely to enjoy, but feel free to move around the

suggestions as you choose and read whatever appeals to you. As Sophia says,

"If a Year 11 wants to decompress and read "A Little Princess", fine. And if a year

7 wants to tackle P.G. Wodehouse, why not?"

Love to Read Festival

Patron of Reading Sophie Bennett recommends...

Year 7

The Cherub series – Robert Muchamore

High-octane thrillers based on the idea that even experienced criminals neversuspect that the kid next door is a spy.... Sophia says: "read 40% by girls, Roberttells me, according to his signing queues".

Weald Love to Read Festival

A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett

Transformed from princess to pauper, Sara Crewe must swap dancing lessonsand luxury for hard work and a room in the attic. Will she find that kindness andgenerosity are all the riches she truly needs?

The Gallagher Girls series – Ally Carter

Sophia says: “Cammie is a teenage girl at boarding school in America. A boardingschool for spies. Cammie is very good at it. I loved this series.”

Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli

She's as magical as the desert sky. As mysterious as her own name. Nobodyknows who she is or where she's from. But everyone loves her for being different.And she captures Leo's heart with just one smile.

Jane Eyre: A Retelling – Tanya Landman

Poignantly and powerfully retold, Jane Eyre is the tale of a spirited heroine'ssearch for love, independence and belonging.

Year 8


Year 9

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants – Ann Brashares

Sophia says: "This should probably be compulsory reading for teenage girls."

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

The intergalactic (mis)adventures of Arthur Dent – a comedy sci-fi classic.

Daddy-Long-Legs – Jean Webster

A mysterious benefactor has offered to send orphan Judy Abbott to college. Theonly requirements are that she must write to him every month and that she cannever know who he is. A charming coming-of-age story.

I'll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson

Sophia says: "This is one of my favourite YA books of all time. It’s about art,and families, and being creative, falling in love and making mistakes. I readit in one go."

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins

Sophia says: “It’s about being a student in Paris. What’s not to love?"

How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff

The powerful and engaging story of Daisy, the precocious New Yorker and herEnglish cousin Edmond, torn apart as war breaks out and their lives change forever.

You Got This – Bryony Gordon

"A book for the teenage girl in me. And for every teenage girl out there. Because the most powerful thing you can be when you grow up is yourself." – Bryony Gordon

Year 10

The Martian – Andy Weir

Sophia says: "It’s a truly vivid, entertaining, often funny but as scientificallyaccurate as possible account of what it would take to stay alive on Mars".

Carry On, Jeeves – P.G. Wodehouse

Sophia says: "I discovered Wodehouse in my teens, when I was busy withexams and needed some light relief. The stories of Bertie Wooster and hisbutler, Jeeves, were at least 50 years old by then and are now practicallyhistoric, but I would still recommend them as an antidote to teenage stress."

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

Sophia says: "It’s extraordinarily beautiful, painful and uplifting. And it has amystery and lots of maths problems in it, which I love. I found there were timesI could really identify with Christopher Boone, although his world at first seemsso different from the one the majority of us experience. Perhaps you will too.Oh, and Christopher says there will be no jokes, but it’s often very funny.”

Circe – Madeline Miller

A vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love and loss - the defiant,inextinguishable song of a woman burning hot and bright through the darknessof a man's world.

How to Be a Woman – Caitlin Moran

Sophia says: "Please read this book! It’s important. It’s also very funny. It’s all aboutfeminism in the twenty-first century, and why it matters – but it’s also aboutgrowing up and making mistakes and falling in love and letting your talent shine."


Year 11

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

Sophia says: “This was the first adult novel that I read as a teenager that reallymade my imagination run wild. It’s gripping and mysterious and once you’ve readit you won’t forget it. If you were Jane, what would you do?”

Year 12, 13 & Staff

Wilding – Isabella Tree

The true story of a pioneering rewilding project, this is an astonishing account ofthe beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible.

Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari

Sophia says: "I don’t always agree with it, but it’s a fascinating look at what’s goodand bad about the human race, and ultimately quite hopeful."

Becoming – Michelle Obama

Sophia says: "I love this so much!"

Fermat's Last Theorem – Simon Singh

Sophia says: “Simon Singh makes maths sound so easy. And fascinating. He'sthe only man I know who can tell a gripping, anecdotal story about maths."

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Alexandr Solzhenitsyn

This brutal, shattering glimpse of the fate of millions of Russians under Stalinshook Russia and shocked the world when it first appeared in 1962. A truemodern classic.



Books for Everyone

Oh, the Places You'll Go! – Dr Seuss

"This is a REALLY positive upbeat book full of inspiration for the life that liesahead of you. Obviously, at times life is hard and does not fit into this bracket,but it lifts you up again and gives inspiration and hope. Not just for children…" – Miss Hardman, Head of Year 9

Make Your Bed – William H. McRaven

"The book is about little changes you can make to change the world. If you wantto change the world, start off by making your bed!"– Ms Armour, Music

My Family and Other Animals: The Corfu Trilogy – Gerald Durrell

"One of the first series I fell in love with, having discovered it in my schoollibrary... animals and adventures, what more could you want?!"– Ms Cunnane,Maths

This list is all about reading for pleasure! The year group ratings are guidelines

as to what you are most likely to enjoy, but feel free to move around the

suggestions as you choose and read whatever appeals to you. As Sophia says,

"If a Year 11 wants to decompress and read "A Little Princess", fine. And if a year

7 wants to tackle P.G. Wodehouse, why not?"

Love to Read Festival

Weald Staff recommend...


Year 7

Minnow on the Say – Philippa Pearce

"A great mystery adventure story about two boys searching for a family treasure.It’s a race against time to try to save Adam’s family home but the treasure hasbeen lost for generations. I really enjoyed the evocative descriptions of the canoeand river they travel by, and the excitement of their search." – Ms Foster, English

The Mortal Engines Quartet – Philip Reeve

"I think I would have been 12 or 13 when I first read these. I remember them fortheir fantastic word play, well-developed, morally ambiguous characters and forintroducing me to Dystopian and steampunk science fiction." – Mr Russell, Science

Sky Song – Abi Elphinstone

“A magical, beautifully written adventure about a fearless eagle huntress and aresourceful inventor who go on a quest across a wild, icy kingdom. A story oftrust, acceptance and finding your voice, this future classic is reminiscent of C.S.Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia." – Mrs Carter, Library Assistant

The Dark is Rising Series – Susan Cooper

"The original wizard – he even predates Harry Potter!"– Ms Letchford, Head of Drama

Stone Cold – Robert Swindells

"I read this because of the scandal surrounding it: it won the Carnegie Medalbut covered the topic of rough sleeping and vulnerability of young people whoare in that position, and was deemed risky and potentially unsuitable forchildren as a consequence. Part murder mystery, part rage against a systemthat doesn't seem to care about those who have fallen through the cracks, thisnovel has stayed with me as one that tragically seems more and more relevant."– Ms Cope, Head of Media Studies

The Chaos Walking Trilogy – Patrick Ness

"It’s a wonderfully immersive world with a strong female lead character and Idefy anyone not to weep at the end of book one!"– Mrs Beasley, Assistant Headteacher

Year 8


Year 8 continued...

Year 9

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian – Sherman Alexie

“A recent read that made my heart break but also made me smile and laugh. Iread this after my son said how good it was. The main character is a young ladwho lives on a Spokane Indian Reservation, where he has a rubbish time. Hismother and father both drink, his sister doesn’t come out of the basement, andhe is regularly bullied at school. Sounds miserable but unbelievably there isoptimism and humour in the book – see what happens to him. Written like adiary and an easy read." – Miss Moorby, Science Technician

The Ingo Series – Helen Dunmore

"A beautifully evoked fantasy world." – Ms Barrett, English

The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton

"This is about a teenage boy struggling with right and wrong as an outsider. Ibelieve the writer was a teenage girl herself when she started writing the book."– Mrs Ganguli, Maths

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

"Absolutely fantastic in every way. I loved it."– Ms Longley, English

After the Fire – Will Hill

A tense thriller which "uncovers the dangers within cults".– Mrs Sherlock, English

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman

A magical and mysterious tale blending fantasy and adventure with a dreamlikequality so the reader is never quite sure what is real and what isn’t."– Mrs Quinnell, Librarian


To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

"The best book ever, which I read at the tender age of 16 and have read again atleast 3 times over the past few decades. It covers many aspects of growing upand life in general." – Mrs Leadbetter, Assistant to the Heads of Year

The Ginger Tree – Oswald Wynd

"My favourite book ever is The Ginger Tree – not necessarily a teenage-typebook, but it is brilliant – mainly because it’s about a young lady from Scotlandmoving to China then Japan. It’s just a fantastic story. Love it!"– Mrs Hickson, Teaching Assistant

Year 10

Year 11

Tamar – Mal Peet

" I read Tamar when I joined a book club. Set mainly in Nazi-occupied Holland inthe Second World War but with parts written in the present, this was easy toread and kept me hooked until the end. I then found out that it was from theteenage section in a book shop – definitely a book for all ages."– Mrs Girdlestone, Maths

The Wheel of Time Series – Robert Jordan

"This 14-volume fantasy series is an epic narrative that spans a brilliantly drawnnew world where men and women have the ability to wield 'The One Power'. However, if males wield it they will go mad and women are able to control itwithout that risk. This power allows people to do extraordinary things. The seriesfocuses on a classic battle between good and evil. At its heart are fantasticallydrawn characters, who appear to have little to no control over their lives, as theyare drawn into a fate that proves inescapable for them all, trying to save theirworld from destruction." – Mrs Clark, Assistant Headteacher

A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson

"Just a very interesting factual read, basically Bill Bryson tries to find out howwe know, what we know across a range of scientific topics. As usual liberallysprinkled with Bryson’s warmth and humour. " – Mr Robinson, Art

Small Gods – Terry Pratchett

"A book I would happily re-read right now which is as good an endorsementas you can give."– Mr Bettridge, Head of Sociology


Alone in Berlin – Hans Fallada

"It’s about an ordinary German couple’s resistance to the Nazi regime followingthe death of their son in action. It’s a remarkable and compelling book and is allthe more poignant, having been inspired by a true story."– Mrs Martin, Teaching Assistant

Papilion – Henri Charriere

"One of my favourite books, this is an engrossing story of survival based on trueevents which are hard to believe."– Mr Cartwright, Maths

Year 12, 13 & Staff

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khalid Hosseini

"A book that made a deep and lasting impression on me, this is a touching storyabout Afghanistan – a country which, although I had heard about in the news, Iknew ‘nothing’ about. This tale helped me to understand the culture andhistory." – Mrs Farmar, Finance Assistant

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

"I chose this because it forces me to explore my feminist sensibilities."– Mrs Bone, Headteacher

Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton

"I've been in a book club for 5 years and this book is our highest rated to date withseveral people giving it 10 out of 10. An intriguing story with great characters anda very dramatic and exciting second half." – Mrs Fricker, HR Manager

Once Upon a River – Diane Setterfield

"An immersive reading experience with wonderful, strong characters effortlesslywoven together." – Mrs Creak, Head of English


The Gut – Giulia Enders

"One of my favourite books – it’s fantastic!"– Miss Gibson, P.E

Year 12, 13 & Staff continued...

Red Dragon – Thomas Harris

"An excellent story that evolves around the start of police profiling and forensicsfor serial killers, from which programs like CSI and criminal minds havedeveloped. It has intriguing characters, including the introduction of theinfamous Hannibal Lecter. This is the first of 4 books in the series, the next beingthe also excellent Silence of the Lambs." – Mr O’Sullivan, Head of Physics

Days Without End – Sebastian Barry

"A brilliant love story set against the reality of the settlers’ impact on the NativeAmericans." – Ms Barrett, English

love to read festival - weald of kent grammar school

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