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- Tony, Margaret & Mark
Books of the Year 2015: Teen
Lottery Boy by Michael Byrne
Bully has no one except his dog Jack, and every day they fight to survive. It seems there's no hope and no way out for him, until one day he finds a winning lottery ticket. Everything will change, if only he can claim the prize. But he only has a few days left and soon everyone wants the ticket. Who can he trust? Don't miss this; it's very good indeed. Read Margaret's review.
The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove
Set one hundred years after The Great Disruption has turned the world into a confused patchwork of ancient and possible-future ages, we follow the young Sophia, raised by her uncle Shadrack following the disappearance of her explorer parents. When her uncle is kidnapped, Sophia must seek some distant help and learn to read maps written on parchment, linen, glass—maps not always visible to the naked eye. She is accompanied by the feathered boy, and pursued by scarred men, across half a continent. This is epic world building at its best, full of heroes, villains and pirates.
The Iremonger trilogy by Edward Carey
The eccentric, grimy, charming journey that is the Iremonger trilogy now concludes (after Heap House and Foulsham) with the incredible Lungdon. We have loved this series every step of the way and would recommend it to anyone who loves inventive language, strong characters and plots that twist and turn like a series of dark, scary alleyways. Read Mark's review of Foulsham (Lungdon review to follow soon).
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen
In this clever family comedy, step-siblings Ashley and Stewart are unwillingly thrown together and must learn to get along. There will be some painfully funny but endearing life lessons along the way. Read Tony's review.
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Two teenagers have life-affecting illnesses: Ollie has seizures when he comes into contact with electricity, while Moritz is blind and needs has a heart defect that requires a pacemaker. They can never meet, but become friends through a series of letters. Because You'll Never Meet Me is a story of friendship between to boys. It is also a powerful novel about disabilities and superpowers and how what makes us different is what makes us who we are.
If you've found some inspiration, please come to us for these and more recommendations appropriate to you and your child.