ReadingSpine–Year6

Book Summary

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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.